Ralph Breaks the Internet; Less fulfilling than the first film, yet still manages to tickle and warm the heart and funny bone in equal measures. Leaving the 8 bit origins for the internet offers plenty to spoof but less nostalgia to mine. Inspired storytelling once again; A-
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindlewald; Interesting enough, despite some odd cuts and transitions. Visual effects are top notch and the cast has fun with their roles, even if their motivations seem absent or irrelevant. A mixed bag but enjoyable to a degree; B
Bohemian Rhapsody; Film routinely, yet excellently fictionalizes for emotional story telling effect. Actors and set pieces are spot on electric, bringing much love to the mythos of Queen, with a main focus on the music; A
The Grinch; Completely unnecessary retelling of Dr. Seuss tale is well done but ultimately adds little to the existing cartoon and live action editions. Better suited to a TV special or better yet, give Max his own story treatment; B-
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+
BlacKkKlansman; Powerful yet playful telling of a crazy but true story with very relevant tones for today. Spike Lee masterfully finds the humour, the danger, the anger and balances it all on great performances and excellent score; A
Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind; Fantastic documentary built on deep access to photos, clips & interviews from close, personal relations. Constructed brilliantly to allow us to journey alongside Williams as his career progressed. Sweet & funny, like the man himself; A
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again; Gorgeously shot sequel outshines the original. New cast embodies their elder counterparts well, without becoming imitations. Script cleverly reworks songs while bringing strong emotional tones from the new voices that elevate the hits; A
Christopher Robin; A dour, yet sweet film marketed for children is anything but. Sadly depressing in its exploration of the death of childhood innocence for adult responsibilities, the lens of the mental disorder tropes of Pooh characters creates a hauntingly resonating film; B
Teen Titans Go! To the Movies; Pure silliness. Nice to see DC not take itself too seriously. Not really necessary to see on the big screen. Loads of laughs but TV style animation. What we used to call back in tha day “a solid rental”, worth the watch for sure; B
Mission: Impossible - Fallout; Escalates nicely with intricately designed action set pieces beyond belief. New cast additions work well with series regulars. Humour, intensity, intrigue. Everything we’ve come to expect, amplified; A
Ant-Man and the Wasp; Thrills big and small. Heart and humour. Replays the hits from the first film with a few new visuals. Always uses the talents of the cast so well. Relationships believable and what makes the subject matter so enjoyable; A-
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom; Actually forgot I saw this movie. That’s how memorable it is. No surprises. No characters to care for. No scenes that match the iconic moments of previous films. Embraces the horror nature of the series with none of the magic or suspense; C-
Deadpool 2; Surprise is gone but the antics amuse and additions work well. Action pieces deliver and dialogue zings at an amazing pace. Worthy sequel; A-
Incredibles 2; Long awaited sequel picks up where the original left off. Action aplenty and offers some amazing animated sequences. Characters shine equally and play emotional and comedic beats well. Fun for the whole family; A
Logan Lucky; Workman like director Soderbergh delivers another solid, quality film that entertains from start to finish. Excellent cast crafts a quirky heist that feels fresh and original within a familiar genre. Refuses to succumb to categorization by just telling the story; B+
Solo: A Star Wars Story; Continues the process of taking the classic beloved elements of films past and distilling them into an updated action adventure. The car chase, the train robbery, the poker showdown, all placed within the Star Wars universe. A fun, well cast film; B+
Fahrenheit 451; A let down that intrigues enough on the performances and direction to entertain but ultimately unsatisfying in its exploration of the novel’s themes. Hard to adapt a classic from a different era while offering a contemporary take. Many decisions fall flat; C
Dunkirk; Masterful recreation lacks emotional connection. Enemy absent on screen is an interesting choice, as well as the overdominant score. Intense in the moment with little lasting resonance afterwards. B+
Avengers: Infinity War; Hard to review what is essentially half a movie. Combines and situates characters from the Marvel Universe in interesting ways, while focusing mostly on the new baddie. Action aplenty but bereft ending ultimately unsatisfying; B+
