The Movies Came Out Two By Two…

The Movies Came Out Two By Two…

Once in a while, there comes an idea so ‘good’, Hollywood does it twice. But does this presage double trouble or a two-for-one treat? Which of these famous accidental double-bills do you prefer? Deep Impact (1998) v Armageddon (1998) Volcano (1997) v Dante’s Peak (1997) White House Down (2013) v Olympus Has Fallen (2013) A ..

On The Basis Of Sex (2019) fails to make its case

On The Basis Of Sex (2019) fails to make its case

Lightweight, superficial and oddly unfocused, this biopic of celebrated Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg might qualify as a legal brief but it fails to assemble a substantive case despite the abundance of available evidence. The film charts her rise from freshman law student at Yale, through her professorship and advocacy up to her pivotal ..

Let’s all meet up with Trek’s Hal-9000, won’t it be strange when a background character’s gone? Star Trek: Discovery – Project Daedalus (S2E09) Review

Let’s all meet up with Trek’s Hal-9000, won’t it be strange when a background character’s gone? Star Trek: Discovery – Project Daedalus (S2E09) Review

*SPOILERS* It’s action stations on this week’s “Star Trek: Discovery” as the crew prove their fugitive bona fides by immediately contacting a Starfleet Admiral and inviting her to their hiding place. Fortunately, it’s our old friend – and notoriously bad decision maker – Admiral Cornwell, who brings news of a sort of Section 31 sponsored ..

Cold Pursuit (2019) isn’t worth following

Cold Pursuit (2019) isn’t worth following

Hardly the frozen “Taken” we were promised by the marketing, this remake of the director’s own 2014 film “Kraftidioten” has moments of sublime black humour but is too disjointed, derivative and haphazard to do justice to its cast or premise. Hard-working snowplough driver Nels Coxman (Neeson) is a pillar of the community of Rocky Mountain ..

If you wanna make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and then make that change. Start with the man in the mirror. Us (2019) Review

If you wanna make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and then make that change. Start with the man in the mirror. Us (2019) Review

Creepy, disturbing and deliciously, irresistibly open to multiple interpretations, Jordan Peele’s follow up to “Get Out” brings us another mischievously deep dive into the shameful psyche of America with a psychological sci-fi thriller of identity politics through the looking glass. As a young child, Adelaide Wilson (Lupita Nyong’o) wandered away from her parents on the ..

Dumbo (2019) has a surprisingly metatextual moral for the House of Mouse

Dumbo (2019) has a surprisingly metatextual moral for the House of Mouse

There are nice nods to the twee opening of the original “Dumbo” as we’re treated to knowing shots of storks flying across the sky to portend the less romanticised arrival of baby Dumbo but in nodding to the animated classic so soon, this live-action remake tips just how weak its hand is. When circus impresario ..

Isn’t It Romantic (2019)? Yep, it’s also pretty damn funny.

Isn’t It Romantic (2019)? Yep, it’s also pretty damn funny.

There’s a gently subversive streak to Netflix’s latest ‘original’ offering “Isn’t It Romantic” as it sets out to undermine the worn-out romcom tropes while simultaneously adhering to the framework of the genre in this bright and breezy comedy that reunites Rebel Wilson and Adam Devine after “Pitch Perfect 3” cruelly tore them apart. Having had ..

Bill Watterson boxes clever with quirky comedy horror Dave Made A Maze (2019)

Bill Watterson boxes clever with quirky comedy horror Dave Made A Maze (2019)

Relentlessly charming, funny and constantly surprising, “Dave Made A Maze” mixes comedy, horror and fantasy for a richly rewarding, stylistic treat. Dave, an artist who has yet to complete anything significant in his career, builds a cardboard box fort in his living room while his girlfriend is out and finds himself trapped within it. Despite ..

The best view comes after the hardest climb. Free Solo (2019) Review

The best view comes after the hardest climb. Free Solo (2019) Review

In a world of ever-increasing mining of existing properties for prequels and spin-offs, never in my wildest dreams did I imagine someone would set out to make a whole movie about the opening sequence of “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier”. Of course, that was fantasy and “Free Solo” is reality and although the climbing ..

There’s no ignoring this elephant in the room. Dumbo (1941) Review

There’s no ignoring this elephant in the room. Dumbo (1941) Review

The film which saved Disney Animation Studios (it would go on to need saving again, cyclically, in the future) after the unprofitable indulgences of “Fantasia”, “Dumbo” – released in 1941 mere weeks before the United States would find itself dragged into the Second World War – is a charming if slight fable of exceptionalism, a ..