The Odyssey

The Odyssey; Bold, exceptional filmmaking once again from a renowned master. The storytelling is brutally & somewhat grotesquely brought to life, with some modern sensibility and interpretation. Not a Nolan favourite for me, but a truly accomplished film worthy of the O.G. epic it’s sourced from; A

The Wild Robot

The Wild Robot; Beautifully rendered, lovingly told, the film follows the WALL-E way of endearing the audience to the robot via silent film techniques and cute, tiny interactions. By the time the conflict shows up, we’re rooting for the robot to succeed in its reflection of humanity. Sweet film; A-

A Quiet Place: Day One

A Quiet Place: Day One; Doesn’t offer anything overly novel to the franchise, though the urban setting and characters are a fresh take worth exploring in this sequel. Satisfactorily provides thrills and narrow escapes from deathly predicaments alongside emotional moments from solid thespians; B

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever; Rises to challenging/daunting task of honouring dearly departed Boseman yet struggles at filling immense void of that loss. Burdened by sorrow & dour feelings, the film is less entertaining than it is an act of catharsis. Great craftsmanship; B-
 

Us

Us; More straight up horror from Peele, with some clever undertones of social commentary that layer the gore with deeper meaning. Like Romero’s Zombies, there’s a lot to unpack and what doesn’t connect is at least thoroughly entertaining to watch. Creepy on many levels; A-

Black Panther

Black Panther; Light on the action seen in the ads, more about the story and momentous themes connected to the characters and setting. Delivers a solidly crafted film, distinct from the usual Marvel entertainment; B+

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Star Wars: The Last Jedi; Takes everything great about the franchise and pushes it to the forefront, eliminating any excess. Quality character moments, excellent action scenes and fun dialogue. Solid entertainment from start to finish; A

Queen of Katwe

Queen of Katwe; Chess stories are hard to make exciting. Succeeds in portrayals even though story beats are cliche, due to stellar acting; B

The Jungle Book

The Jungle Book; @Jon_Favreau proves he's this century's Spielberg w/a cinematic achievement that's highly entertaining & honours past; B+

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Star Wars: The Force Awakens; Another solid, entertaining delivery of what we want & expect from J.J. Abrams. A New Hope redux rekindles the magic; A-