Mufasa: The Lion King

Mufasa: The Lion King; Miranda has lost his golden touch, as the songs are cringe inducing. The animation is spectacular but the stylized nature of using photo realistic rendering for fantastical elements seems to clash with its own ambitions. The result is off putting both aurally and visually; C

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore; With each successive movie this franchise gets less interesting, more annoying and needlessly convoluted. Who are they making these films for? Rowling may be able to write a book, but she’s miserable at screenplays; D+

Chaos Walking

Chaos Walking; Liman makes inspired visual choices in his sci-fi filmmaking while managing the intriguing impact on humanity through the well cast actors. Takes getting used to but effectively conveys the premise despite the obvious direction of the story arc; B

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story; Complexity of story makes for a slow beginning that builds to thrilling yet still underwhelming finale; B

Doctor Strange

Doctor Strange; Visual trip that earns its moments through brilliant casting. Mystic aspects are a welcome addition to Marvel universe; A