Tomb Raider Movie Review
The new Laura Croft (Alicia Vikander) looks like she spent many hours in the gym and as such presents a much more muscular hero than the one that came before. This allows more close ups during the now more convincing physical altercations. Not unlike the transitions made available by Daniel Craig when he became the new Bond all those year ago.
The film still over relies on driving the action scenes with computer generated special effects but the hand to hand combat moments are more ...
12 Strong Movie Review
Overcoming a different language and culture shock was only the start of the transitional woes faced by these solders. They had to quickly adapt to a way of life and harsh environment that was unlike anything that had experienced before. They were also tremendously out numbered by the Taliban and their sympathisers.
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The movie plays out in somewhat standard war scenario form where they rise to the occasion and show both great bravery but also adaptive skills. Where ...
Red Sparrow Movie Review
Jennifer Lawrence delivers her bravest performance yet and adds another outstanding job to her ever expanding resume of excellence. As an actor, she endures almost as much pain and shows as much commitment as her character does on screen.
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The film slowly builds and builds, so viewers looking for that quick visceral thrill might have to look elsewhere but for those that revel in playing arm chair detective themselves, will find much to love as the clues unfold. ...
Winchester Movie Review
The story involving the guilt felt by the surviving widow of the creator of the huge Winchester Arms company is a solid one. The way this guilt manifests itself as the story evolves opens quite a few doors for exploration of the world of the living and the dead but it can’t sustain such a poor script.
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Even the mighty Helen Mirren, try as she might, can’t do much with the wooden marbles she has to spit out. As the cliches pile up, the film relies more and more ...
Game Night Movie Review
It throws so many jokes your way, that even when some fall a bit flat, you know more successful ones are just around the corner. The cast is well chosen and the fresh faced Rachel McAdams and the ever sardonic Jason Bateman have good chemistry together and the always weird and wonderful Jesse Plemons plays the creepy cop next door neighbour perfectly.
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You can’t tell too much of the story without giving away some of the delicious surprises in store, so the best ...
Black Panther Movie Review
Chadwick Boseman (Get On Top and 42) puts in a stellar performance with a regal delivery and stately manner befitting of the role’s royal origins. He gets strong support from Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years The Slave and Star Wars) as his love interest who is also committed to social justice and Danai Gurira (The Visit and All Eyes On Me) who is riveting as a real badass who puts her country above all.
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All the main characters have values systems that are very strong ...
Lady Bird Movie Review
The performances are outstanding throughout, especially Ronan and Laurie Metcalf who as the mother is heart breaking in her ability to love and inability to adequately convey those feeling to her troublesome daughter. The film is very adapt at showing those ungainly teen scenarios without reducing them to cringe cinema.
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One of the film’s most remarkable traits is in how convincing and engaging its examination of even the simplest of teen moments are for the ...
Phantom Thread Movie Review
Daniel Day-Lewis in his reportedly last ever role, goes out in fine style with an incredibly nuanced performance that also floods you with different emotions. One minute you see this dressmaker’s genius, then the next all his flaws come flooding out.
Those that live in this rarified world of money and fashion (even in the fifties) have a aura of unreality that suits this story well. Daniel Day-Lewis’ character Reynolds Woodcock is so far removed from the lives of the average man that ...
Molly’s Game Movie Review
Molly was once a Olympic caliber athlete who rose to infamy after being arrested by the FBI for running illegal high-stakes poker games. The movie jumps from flash back views of Molly’s earlier life to present day scenes of the goings on between lawyers, their clients (in this case Molly) and government prosecutors.
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The story is told with enough salient details that even those with no previous knowledge of the actual case can easily get ensnared in the infecti...
The Shape Of Water Movie Review
The film is set in the early sixties during the days of the Cold War and the look and feel of the sets and costume design envelopes the viewer in a not so distant past that now feels ages ago. The casting is exemplary and Michael Shannon as the creepy government man and Sally Hawkins as the heroine of the piece give very affecting performances. Hawkins sets a high water mark in a rich career as Elisa Esposito, a cleaning lady that has been left mute by a childhood trauma. Her ability to say ...
