Grab your popcorn, you’re in for a wild ride!
Is it holiday fun? Or “sno good”?
What’s it about? Johnny English is called back into the field after MI7 is compromised by a really intelligent hacker.
What did we think? Nick Bleeker says: It feels a bit out of touch and the story and most of the jokes are predictable, but Johnny English Strikes Again is an incredibly harmless and, surprisingly, fun film. Star Rating: 2.5/5
Stephen Scott says: Predictability can be a blessing and a curse: for fans of Rowan Atkinson and the silly spy genre, in this case it’s a blessing of papal proportions. Johnny English Strikes Again is exactly what you expect: a talking Mr Bean bumbling through an Austen Powersesque adventure. Star Rating: 3.5/5
What’s it about?
A coming-of-age story in which Lesley (who desperately wants to be called Lisa) takes a job in a tres chic department store while waiting for her exam results. Based on a book, Ladies in Black takes a peek behind the dressing room curtain of the impossibly glamorous women who dressed the well-heeled women of Sydney.
What did we think?
Elizabeth Best says: This is such an enjoyable Aussie film but man it was hard for me to pay attention to anything else but the fashion. Because OH MY GOD THE FASHION. A visually sumptuous film about an innocent time in Australia’s history when department stores were all about providing first class service, and every immigrant was considered a “reffo” (refugee) no matter how bloody fabulous they were. I found myself taking turns sighing with love for the dresses and smiling from ear to ear for the story.
A father (John Cho) has to search through his daughter’s online life to connect the dots when she goes missing one night.
Elizabeth Best says: Part thriller, part drama, part advertisement for what a Mac can do, Searching is a masterclass in inventive storytelling. The movie unfolds solely through a series of chat windows, tumblr posts, tweets and live streams, and navigates the line between heartache and heart attack deftly. It’s clever with its “show don’t tell” storytelling, and damn it’s nice to see Cho kicking ass in the lead role he deserves
What’s it about? A somewhat intense mommy blogger is befriended by a worldly but blunt fellow mother. When her new best friend goes missing it sets events into motion that will forveer change their lives (cue dramatic music).
What did we think? Anthony Sherratt (who has NOT read the book) says: It would be simplistic to describe this as Gone Girl Gone Wild but it’s hard to escape some comparisons with the 2014 thriller. The major difference is the tone. Director Paul Feig interjects humour at unexpected moments which prevents you from fully engaging with anger at the characters – all of whom you dislike at some point. Even the ending has a touch of slapstick that robs the film of some gravitas. Quite simply there aren’t enough laughs for it be called a comedy but enough where it detracts slightly from the thriller tag. Despite all this, it’s actually a pretty good flick that keeps you guessing and off balance. Great performances from Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively keep you focused and wanting them to be innocent and, more importantly, ensuring you leave with a smile on your face. 3.5
What’s it about? A Predator crashes on earth and proceeds to go hunting, so a bunch of crazy soldiers try and fight it.
What did we think? Nick says: The Predator starts off a bit wobbly, settles into a solid, often hilarious middle act, but proceeds to crash as things wrap up. Despite that, the cast and their chemistry is dynamite.
What’s it about? A teenage superhero team who dream of Hollywood stardom match wits against a supervillian intent on destroying the world.
What did we think? Anthony Sherratt says: Anyone familiar with the Teen Titans Go TV show is aware of the wacky and zany adventures that frequently slide into sly self-deprecation and meta references. The movie kicks that into overdrive. The surprisingly intelligent script combines flatulence jokes for the kids and adult jokes about comics (both DC and Marvel universes) and moviemaking that parents will laugh along too. I chuckled a lot. Well-layered and constructed, the movie gets a bit loud and obviously focuses a touch more on the younger audience as its main demographic, however if you like superheroes as an adult then this will a bit of fun for you too.
What’s it about? A miracle-hunting priest (Demian Bichir) and novice nun (Taissa Farmiga) investigate the suicide of a young nun in remote Romanian abbey, where a demonic force has risen.
What did we think? Lisa says: If you’re into plenty of jump scares and some creepy 1950s Catholic mythology (yes please!), The Nun is a fun, tight horror that won’t leave you with bad dreams afterwards. It’s a prequel to other films in The Conjuring Universe, but perfectly serviceable as a stand-alone feature.
What’s it about? Christopher Robin has grown up and forgotten his friends from the Hundred Acre Wood. Now his job is consuming him, making him neglect his family. He needs to be reminded of what is important in life by a Bear of Very Little Brain.
What did we think? Stephen Scott says: Disney is making a name for itself in wringing life out of existing franchises, creating sequels to much-loved classics no-one knows they need.
By clashing harsh reality with nostalgic fantasy without fully committing to a target audience, Christopher Robin tells a story that goes somewhere but nowhere at the same time – it’s a cute diversion that is missing something: a concept looking for a genre.
As Pooh himself observes, “When you are a Bear of Very Little brain, and you Think Things, you find sometimes that a Thing which seemed very Thingish inside you is quite different when it gets out into the open and has other people looking at it.”
“Bother.”
An ex-con (Jack Reynor) and his adopted young brother (Myles Truitt) find themselves fleeing a vengeful crime boss (James Franco), the cops, and two strange unearthly figures in this sci-fi, crime drama, road trip, action movie mashup.
Elizabeth Best says: It’s super engaging but this flick left me feeling like there were two different movies duking it out for screen time. Unfortunately the sci-fi part, which was ultimately the more interesting part, took a back seat to family drama. Bring on a TV series where they could explore both sides of the coin in a more thorough manner. A kick-ass final act left me immediately Googling if there’s going to be a sequel because shit, you can’t just leave it there. I need more!
