Booksmart; Earns its female Superbad comparison (which is high praise) while offering angles missing from teen party genre films in the past. Excellent casting and chemistry amongst all involved allows for preposterous circumstances to be grounded in real relationships; B+
Toy Story 4; Introduces some fun, new characters which only goes to show how much this series needs to be retired. Animation is top notch and would be better applied to new, original material. And Randy Newman’s music has overstayed it’s welcome by about 4 movies; B+
Men in Black: International; Script and direction seriously fails the talent of the leads. Would love to watch Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth in anything but this disaster. Retains none of what made previous MIB films fun or visually interesting. Unfortunate misfire; D
Aladdin; Best aspects are the additions to the story, though recreated scenes worked well too, as the casting is quite good. Jasmine and Aladdin have great chemistry and the F/X are fantastic. Smith’s genie is his own but not as good as the original or stage musical; A-
The Grizzlies; Despite a white hero narrative & associated tropes, the film exposes mainstream audiences to swath of issues affecting Inuit youth. It’s thoroughly entertaining. Talented cast demonstrate how well prepared we are for more Indigenous stories starring FN actors; A-
Avengers: Endgame; Brilliantly displays why extraordinary actors were cast to play these roles. Emotional payoffs aplenty alongside the witty humour we’ve come to enjoy from the MCU. Lovingly crafted to close out character arcs 10 years in the making. Truly impressive; A
The Great Buster; Wonderfully compiles highlights of Keaton’s career w/o shying away from hard times. Narrative is structured to celebrate his genius, w/insights from a wide variety of industry players. For the uninitiated, it’s a perfect intro. For fans, it’s a great recap; A
Shazam!; Heavy emotional context made light by silly superhero antics is an odd tonal balance. Actors make the best of it, while the film has an 80s aesthetic about it. Fun but choppy, as though the tone made edits difficult to piece together. Still, overall entertaining; B
Dumbo; Solid, family fare, though not that joyous (much like the original). Keaton relishes his villainous role with a zealous turn. Dumbo is animated with cuteness while the story and danger surrounding him is anything but; B+
Captain Marvel; Larson has a lot of fun in the role, making the character playful, strong, vulnerable and complex. Marvel continues to find the right balance of tone between action, comedy and drama. Nice to see Jackson’s role increased; A-
The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part; Lacks the charm and surprise of the original, is slow going out of the gate, but eventually finds its footing and delivers a decent landing in the final acts. Batman is still the best part, which makes this sequel seem rather unnecessary; B-
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms; Lavish production and costuming can’t dress up or disguise this dud. The film’s best aspects are its hundred years old musical score and brief dance performance. Disney would have been better off filming and releasing the stage ballet; D+
Room For Rent; Dismally plodding film that makes several conceits in the script and fails to make use of it all. Comedic cast is left to languish in the scripted nonsense, struggling to deliver a tone that’s neither funny nor creepy at the times it tries to be; D
The New Romantic; A strong cast led by Jessica Barden (in a revelatory lead role turn), playfully explores the complications of female empowerment/disempowerment with heart, humour and honesty. Lovingly gives nods to rom-com classics, while crafting a unique tone all its own; A-
The Negotiation; Nicely unfolding tension propels this film that captivates on account of two charismatic leads. Standard hostage movie beats with expected twists and layers, well executed entry into the genre; B+
Kayak to Klemtu; Beautifully shot, light hearted drama that tells a personal story that rings true against a backdrop very real for all of us. Good performances all around with enough complexity in character to give each actor motivation. Nice pacing and visuals; A-
Split; Creepy, standard horror fare, elevated by a strong performance by lead actor McAvoy, along with very decent direction. Script is lean, providing all the info a viewer needs to understand the level of trouble our stereotypical teenage hottie heroines are in. Thrilling; B
Mary Poppins Returns; Unbelievably earnest in achieving a sweetness so pleasing it invites diabetes. Lovingly mirrors the original without feeling dated or doting, the songs, animation and performances prop up a fairly obvious story arc; A-
Aquaman; Presented in all its 80s Heavy Metal album cover glory with modern video game action aesthetics, DC manages to make a movie that takes a mockery of a superhero, and turn him into an imposing force. Excellent casting, combined with highly kinetic direction; A-
Every Day; Sweet, teenage romance which could have veered into totally creepy territory, yet deftly avoids the potential pitfalls and delivers a solid fantasy of first love in its high school setting. Contrivances aside, story concept pleases the devoted viewer; B+
