KPop Demon Hunters

KPop Demon Hunters; Sony Animation does it again, imbuing a culture’s core elements into every frame. It captures the joy and excitement of KPop through its characters and design, while opening it up to everyone to enthral in the dynamic songs and illustrations. It’s infectiously fun; A-

One Battle After Another

One Battle After Another; Kinetic, thrilling action has never looked so good. Penn embodies his character with tremendous physical work, while Leo’s portrayal is a scrambled mind written all over his face. Del Toro, Taylor, Hall and Infiniti elevate it all. A rare combination of an auteur action; A

Roofman

Roofman; Ripped from real life robber romance that would be difficult to believe if it weren’t true. Having Channing Tatum portray the charming criminal certainly doesn’t hurt the story & becoming emotionally invested. Not a happy tale, but an interesting one to watch unfold via a stacked cast; B+

A Very Jonas Christmas Movie

A Very Jonas Christmas Movie; It’s hard to not enjoy the JoJo Bros. when they know they’re the joke. Their fame, music, family is all up for spoofs in what they clearly know is a ridiculous movie to be making. Cinema, this is definitely not, but a silly little passage of time around the holidays; B-

Wake Up Dead Man

Wake Up Dead Man; 3rd instalment delivers on everything expected; intriguing mystery, clever dialogue handled by exceptional actors, levity that hits in the film & as commentary on our real world. Changes of setting + characters makes this an evergreen delight, a fresh energy to a solid formula; A

The Seed of the Sacred Fig

The Seed of the Sacred Fig; Though it feels like little happening, first half sinks into your psyche so that by the time it gets out of hand, you’re invested. Some motivations remain unclear, but the reality conveyed by the cast make it an intense experience. Long run time passes by w/o notice; A-

Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair

Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair; 1st time viewing this format, elicits a different response. Original split worked as two clear tonal differences btwn films felt pronounced. Viewed as one, the climactic scene of Vol. 1 loses some juice, as the Bride still has more to avenge in the same film; A+
 

Zootopia 2

Zootopia 2; Surprise of the first film’s cleverness no longer a factor, the sequel explores the characters deeper and introduces some fun new ones, to a little less effect. Still solid voice cast performances fuel the momentum and story wraps up rather tidy with conflicts easily overcome; B+

Being Eddie

Being Eddie; A rather pedestrian run through of Murphy’s greatest hits (and a few misses) is an enjoyable watch, more so for the joy of revisiting hilarious moments of his stellar career, rather than any revelatory takes on his life’s work. A sanctioned retrospective that’s more quaint than raw; B

Ka Whawhai Tonu (In the Fire of War)

Ka Whawhai Tonu; An epic tale that allows audiences to enter via the perspective of young children, surviving through the onslaught of colonial violence. The backdrop may be huge, but the characters are real and personal, giving the battle action a grounded dramatic realism. Well crafted film; A-

Kōkā

Kōkā; A relentlessly sad story that manages to uplift in the moments of shared struggle between the unlikely pairing thrust together by dire circumstances. The odd dynamic can be cringe to watch in the most manic moments, but there’s a beauty to the lives lived in common spiritual understanding; B+

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-

Under the Sea 3D

Under the Sea 3D; An entire world comes alive right in front of our faces, giving sights unseen from the ocean floor, depth & beauty instilling vast wonderment. Even w/comedic narration by Jim Carrey and an environmental message, it never loses focus that the ocean’s majesty is a sight to behold; A

Becoming Led Zeppelin

Becoming Led Zeppelin; There’s not much insight shared about the evolution of Zeppelin, as the film fails to convey the magic of its legendary riffs. It comes off pedestrianly ordinary, for music that moves like no other. The film wraps up way ahead of what we want to hear, hoping for a follow up; B-

Little Shop of Horrors

Little Shop of Horrors; An insane amount of talent combine to lovingly craft a fitting version of a bizarre off-Broadway B-movie love story. Oz at the helm, enlisting the genius duo of Ashman & Menken, stuffing comedic greats in bit roles doesn’t diminish the sweet tale of two lovers. Cult gold; B+

Death of a Unicorn

Death of a Unicorn; A wild premise thinly executed, quickly veers into horror when greater themes and angles could be explored. Still, the ensemble is incredible and play off each other fantastically well. A trailer that intrigues but ends up half baked, with some great moments, lines and sights; B

Memento

Memento; A mind shifting experience for the audience, put in the conceit the main character lives through, readjusting our readings of scenes every 5 minutes. The extremely talented cast sell the film noir roots, acting seedy while sewing uncertainty of their true intentions. Brilliant editing; A+

Frankenstein

Frankenstein; An absolutely gorgeous rendering of the classic tale. One of those rare films where every single shot is a frame worthy capture of glorious production & camera execution. Bolstered by an exquisite score and powerful performances, this film is a juggernaut, albeit sweet in its themes; A

The Commitments

The Commitments; A solid romp that revolves around the moments lived by these disparate characters thrown together, driven to deliver the great music of what became an iconic soundtrack. Thoroughly enjoyable, yet mildly depressing, as the music uplifts the sad train wreck of the lives on display; B+

Jurassic World: Rebirth

Jurassic World: Rebirth; Like Jaws, essentially B-movies done well, this instalment of Dinosaurs come to dinner can’t decide between family or scientists in peril, so does both. Uses water danger to a greater degree. Still doesn’t have much to offer beyond the original. Solid, standard frights; B-