Inside Out Movie Review
It's no surprise that Disney is promoting Inside Out on the back of Up as (aside from the directorial connection) it is the Pixar film that is most similar to date. Both films employ very adult themes packaged in an easily digestible kiddie format.
The film beautifully visualises the thought processes and memory structures of the human mind, distilling human emotions to five fundamentals - joy, sadness, anger, disgust and fear - and represents these as little people conflicting inside ...
Ted 2 Movie Review
The storyline this time is about Ted having to go to court to defend his right to be recognized as a person (in legal terms) and it’s the weakest element of the film but then you laugh so hard throughout, it seems a minor complaint. Most of the original cast have also returned except Mila Kunis and her absence becomes part of the storyline.
MacFarlane loves to get away with incendiary social commentary disguised as comedy and his pushes the envelope as far as he thinks he can. His ...
Minions Movie Review
Its timeline starts from the beginning of time and quickly accelerates to the swinging sixties and as such makes for some very funny history lessons. It also rewards those looking for popular culture references with a wide range of improbable moments. The soundtrack is also fantastically period appropriate and the filmmakers spared no expense in securing the original songs by the original artists. The licensing fees must have been through the roof.
The core of the action eventually ...
Jurassic World Movie Review
That's not to say that Jurassic World is terrible - it's not - it's easily the second best of the franchise but it is yet another re-run of practically the same story. Again we have two children loose in a dinosaur park run amok while the park's controller (and relative of the children) attempts to retrieve them with the aid of a mercenary type.
The script throws all caution and common sense to the wind in ways that would never be allowed in the real world - how these two youngsters come ...
Entourage Movie Review
Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven) has taken the job running the studio that was offered him in the crazy credits in the last TV episode and has agreed to let Vincent (Adrian Grenier) direct and star in his first big project as studio head. The film is called Hyde and is loosely based on the Jekyll and Hyde story. Vinnie is way over budget and so Ari has to go cap in hand and ask the film’s financier Larsen McCredle (Billy Bob Thornton) and his oh so creepy son Travis (Haley Joel Osment) for more ...
Spy Movie Review
Feig may have inadvertently stumbled upon McCarthy's limitations, however, as his star is strangely the least funny character for at least the first half of the movie. This is because for the first half of the film McCarthy is playing the ‘nice girl’ and ‘nice’ McCarthy just isn't very funny. Fear not, though, when Rose Byrne's villain enters the picture, McCarthy gets a sparring partner and enters ‘hard arse’ mode and hard arse McCarthy is very funny indeed.
In the comedic ...
San Andreas Movie Review
Why are there never any people that spill out of the buildings that get completely destroyed? They were warned this time by Paul Giamatti to get the hell out of Dodge.
Why is it always the daughter that steps up to be the hero and not the son? Boys don’t look as good in wet t-shirts.
Why is it almost always California that gets destroyed in disaster films? It’s halfway there already.
What would it be like to hang ten on a giant tsunami? Good in a small emergency craft, not so ...
Tomorrowland Movie Review
The story revolves around a parallel universe that is not unlike the hidden world in Ayn Rand’s opus Atlas Shrugged (minus the extreme narcissism). It’s a land where science is let loose to the benefit of mankind. This gives the filmmakers a platform for some very cool wishful technology and also features a lot of fantastic set design artwork.
With a list of participants that includes director Brad Bird (The Incredibles and The Iron Giant), George Clooney and Hugh Laurie, it’s a ...
Woman in Gold Movie Review
Woman in Gold ticks many boxes which appeal to a wide audience - it's a David and Goliath story; it's courtroom drama; it's holocaust drama; and it's art documentary. It's a gripping story about a fascinating and frightening moment in history and director, Simon Curtis, holds it all together with a sure hand.
The film is structured into two timelines: the present day where we follow Altmann's attempts to reacquire her stolen possession; and the early 20th century leading to the Anschluss ...
Sirkis/Bialas International Quartet – Come To Me Album Review
When a lyric is sung in a language foreign to the ear, it becomes more of a melodic statement than one of message and as such is easier to just let wash over you. Bialas is sublime in her native tongue and the sparse and thoughtful supportive piano notes of Harrison are divine in their simplicity and accessibility. There is no barrier here.
The rhythm section of Sirkis and Bettison are also a marvel of unison thought process and give the music just the right nudge when needed. The songs ...
