Category Archives: Film Review
Review: Captain Fantastic (2016)
CAPTAIN FANTASTIC practically screams “quirky”. I mean, just look at the still from the funeral scene above. But this isn’t quirk for the sake of it, but instead a heartfelt story promoting debate. Ben (Viggo Mortensen) lives in the woods … Continue reading
Review: 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)
Who’d have thought one of the best films released in 2016 was a (sort of) sequel to CLOVERFIELD? Much like this year’s BLAIR WITCH this one has come to us by stealth, not revealing what it is until the very … Continue reading
Review: Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)
The run of great 2016 indie films continues. Light and shade are so key in telling compelling stories, and Taika Waititi’s impressively domestic and enjoyable latest offering is hard-hitting and hilarious. Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison) arrives at the home of … Continue reading
Review: Sausage Party (2016)
Sorry, DEADPOOL, you’re going to have to return your 2016 bad boy award. SAUSAGE PARTY is even filthier, more anarchic and childish, but actually turns out to be about a bit more as well. That’s not a slight on Deadpool, … Continue reading
Review: Ratchet & Clank (2016)
I’m a big fan of Insomniac Games’ RATCHET & CLANK series. I played through them all on the PS2 and grew very attached to the characters, the high-octane action and the knowing sense of humour throughout. This year the original … Continue reading
Review: Where to Invade Next (2016)
Michael Moore famously doesn’t beat about the bush (or Bush). WHERE TO INVADE NEXT (should that be phrased as a question?) opens with a montage of Washington DC’s landmarks accompanied by the whir of helicopter blades and an action movie … Continue reading
Review: Zootropolis (2016)
ZOOTROPOLIS (which has the much better title of ZOOTOPIA in the States) is not only the best film of 2016 so far but also may well be the most important. It’s the usual pristine, vibrant and peppy animation from the … Continue reading
Review: The Huntsman: Winter’s War (2016)
As Aslan, sorry, the narrator (Liam Neeson) begins to recount how Snow White and the Huntsman’s journey continues, we get an immediate sense of how bottom-rung this fantasy, and how desperate this mid-quel, really is. Snow White has locked herself … Continue reading
My Favourite…Comedy (RIP Gene Wilder)
My favourite comedy film by quite a way is YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN. It’s just such a shame that I’m reviewing it with a heavy heart to mark the passing of Gene Wilder. His sad eyes, unbridled sense of mischief and perfect … Continue reading
Review: Risen (2016)
I don’t think we’ve ever had a Roman film noir before (please tell me if I’m wrong on that). If RISEN had lent more on these distinctive tropes or even retained a modicum of ambiguity by the end, it could … Continue reading