Movie Review 849 results

The Jungle Book Movie Review

The film also includes some great laughs along with the heavy hits of pathos as you the audience discover the identity of the voice actors. Of particular note are the very funny antics of Bill Murray as Baloo and the Guido humour of Christopher Walken as King Louie. Idris Elba is also especially majestic as the king of the jungle, Shere Khan The film travels down the well know path of the animated original but adds enough new depth to give it a relevance of its own. It does however ...

Zootopia Movie Review

The film follows Judy, a carrot farmer's daughter who bucks social norms to engage in a career usually reserved for more robust species such as oxen, rhinos and tigers. When her abilities are underestimated by her chief of police, she teams up with city slicker con-fox, Nick, who is similarly socially pigeon-holed in accordance with his species as a sly character who is always up to no good. The film is a little heavy handed with its anti-bullying, anti-discrimination, social inclusion, ...

The Lady in the Van Movie Review

Well it was also the first time I had ever laid eyes on Maggie Smith, who played the sea goddess, Thetis. And to my 12-year-old eyes, Maggie looked positively ancient. Of course, she was a spritely 47-year-old then (I say ‘spritely’ because that's how old I am now) but she has grown older as I have grown older and, as a result, she has always looked ‘old’ to me. At 81, it's fair to say she has earned that mantle now but one thing that has not faded with her age is her performance ...

Hail, Caesar! Movie Review

Viewers with a basic knowledge of cinema history will be paid dividends as the references to a glorious past arrive with regularity. From references like the dance extravaganzas of Busby Berkeley to the screwball comedy of Cary Grant, the love and respect is up on the silver screen for all to see. A familiar cast of characters is evident and Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Frances McDormand and Scarlett Johansson are just a few regulars that do justice to the always-impressive words of the ...

Risen Movie Review

Naturally, given the story, the torture porn of The Passion is mostly absent here and in its place is a fictionalised account of a Roman Tribune, Clavius (Joseph Fiennes), and his efforts to locate Jesus' (Cliff Curtis - makes sense) resurrected personage before he once again inspires Judaeans to reject the good, wholesome Roman way of life endorsed by Prefect Pontius Pilate (Peter Firth). On the strength of the trailer, Risen looked to be an interesting study on the juxtaposition of ...

Deadpool Movie Review

Ryan Reynolds is the perfect man for the job and his ability to act the class clown and emote even with his face covered in a silly red and black mask is outstanding. He has finally found a role that utilizes all of his talents. Animator Tim Miller makes his directing debut with Deadpool and his sense of pace is spot on. He throws so many jokes and unique ideas your way that the fun doesn’t stop from the hilarious opening credits to the very end crazy credit (don’t miss it). By now ...

Steve Jobs Movie Review

Screenplay writer Aaron Sorkin’s influence can be felt in more than just the words in the film as the Sorkinisms just keep piling up. The famous walk and talk shot is used throughout, as is the uber intelligent and quick witted conversational style. The brain pool on display is never short of exceptional as are the acting chops. Michael Fassbender as Jobs is fantastic as is Kate Winslet as Job’s right hand woman Joanna Hoffman. Winslet’s take on Hoffman with her strange accent and ...

The Good Dinosaur Movie Review

Pixar are renowned for producing films of varied levity from the fun Finding Nemo to the much more serious Inside Out which is capable of reducing adults to a blubbering mess. They're all primarily aimed at kids though, so from a tyke's perspective they're all fun (mum and dad are just wusses). From the outset (and on the strength of the promotional trailer), The Good Dinosaur looks like one of Pixar's lightweight affairs but upon viewing it quickly becomes apparent that there is a ...

The Danish Girl Movie Review

The cast of The Danish Girl also features the outstanding talent of Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.) as Gerda Wegener. Gerda is Elbe’s wife, fellow painter and long suffering supporter. Her level of support, selflessness and compassion for her husband is at the heart of the film. With all of the pieces in place for an emotional cinema going experience, why then does the film leave the viewer feeling so detached? It’s shot beautifully, maybe too beautifully and ...

The Revenant Movie Review

The film directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu (Birdman and Babel) tells a story based on a book by Michael Punke called The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge. The book was inspired by the life of a 19th century fur trapper named Hugh Glass. The trapper profession during Glass’ lifetime was highlighted by an existence of extreme hardship from both the harshness of the land and the extremes of the weather. During an excursion collecting fur pelts in the unsettled wilderness of the ...