X-Men Origins: Wolverine

X-Men Origins: Wolverine; Dangerously strays into “so bad, it’s good” territory that used to be a hallmark of goofy comic book movies pre-Batman. The cast deserves better than this schlocky, hammy approach to what is one of the more compelling Marvel characters. C’mon! He’s more than his claws!; C-

X2

X2; Sequel knows key to X-Men success lies in Wolverine, and maintains focus on him and his backstory, while offering up some new mutants that explode off the screen. Some excellent set pieces and character combinations make for poignant dialogue exchanges filled w/allegory. Storm still sucks; B+

X-Men

X-Men; Great start to the film series, giving us a sense of the characters and their motivations, while keeping the moral allegories intact and underlying throughout. Centres on Wolverine, which is understandable given he’s always been the most popular mutant and Jackman doesn’t disappoint; B+

Deadpool & Wolverine

Deadpool & Wolverine; Fan service in a good way, delivering all the expectations plus many surprises. The fights are gratuitous, the cheeky asides hilarious and the meta moments glorious. A bromance for the ages that strangely maintains superhero cliches it simultaneously subverts. Great pairing; A-

Reminescence

Reminiscence; Great looking cast on great looking sets solving a noir like mystery elevates this film above its clumsy execution of its interesting premise. Ideas are intriguing yet written so ploddingly that it disservices itself. A film w/promise that can’t quite deliver; B-

Missing Link

Missing Link; Laika Studios’ first fail. Fails to tell an interesting story or offer us characters to care about (they’re all bland & unlikeable). Fails to even wow us with its normally groundbreaking stop motion animation. Seriously needed to be reconsidered in early stages; C-

The Greatest Showman

The Greatest Showman; Songs are bigger than the film, needing a grander treatment or arc. Inspired performances by all involved. Story’s themes resonate for today’s era; A-

Logan

Logan; Brutal. Real. Jackman's fitting end. Stewart elevates it all. Raw. Violent. Earns the R rating and our emotional response. Dour; B+

Pan

Pan; Age old tale redone to resemble what a Baz Luhrman music video approach to CGI infused Cirque du Soliel theatre would look like; B

X-Men: Days of Future Past

X-Men: Days of Future Past; New mutants to franchise provide thrills while old mutants offer dramatic weight. Expertly paced & crafted; A-

The Wolverine

The Wolverine; What happens when the best comic book stories are done right. The character serves the story. Best film since Dark Knight; A

Rise of the Guardians

Rise of the Guardians; Fast paced with little room or worry for story. Could be deeper emotionally but goes for adventure instead. Fun. B