Wicked: For Good

Wicked: For Good; Similar to its source material, this 2nd act fails to enthral like the 1st, despite continued inspiring musical performances. The direction seems less interested in giving us spectacle & grandeur, opting for dark close ups & gloomy two shots. It feels like the magic fizzled out; B-

Wicked

Wicked; Impeccable casting fulfills Chu’s exquisite vision of interpreting all elements and adaptations of Oz. Every single aspect is meticulously crafted, titillating the eyes, ears and heart. Balances its running time with humour, intrigue, fantasy and romance, much like its original source; A

A Haunting in Venice

A Haunting in Venice; Creepy use of classic Venice setting plus a game cast makes for a great mix of sleuth and spooks. Dutch angles aplenty and some wicked lenses add to the atmosphere while highlighting the haunting history and beauty of the surroundings. A touch of humour rounds it out nicely; B

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts; Likeable leads plus a cadre of car, animal & machine robots make for fun, silly throwaway action punchy punch. Several movies in & it still manages to find a reason for tiny humans to be relevant & somehow integral, while not getting crushed; B-
 

Minions: The Rise of Gru

Minions: The Rise of Gru; Knows its lane and delivers a fun soundtrack, animated gags, clever nods and silly jokes, all within 90mins. The cast is great, especially the newcomers and the animation continues to be inspired even if it’s no longer fresh. Franchise is fully milked; B

Everything Everywhere All At Once

Everything Everywhere All At Once; This movie is everything. Everything film was made for in order to convey the totality of the human experience. Imaginative, thrilling, hilarious, inventive. A family drama kung fu multiverse comedy with a Michel Gondry visual style. Epic; A+

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings; The MCU film we never knew we wanted so much. So thrillingly representative of its genre of storytelling, you almost forget that it’s a MCU film, in a great way. Fantastic performances all around. Amazing action scenes. Top 5 MCU film; A

Crazy Rich Asians

Crazy Rich Asians; A solid, funny rom-com with few surprises. Gorgeously shot and wonderfully acted, it's as though genre perfection was the intention, giving us typical story beats, albeit with a very non-typical cast. Does leave us wanting more; B+