Going in Style
What’s it about?
Morgan Freeman, Alan Arkin and Michael Caine turn to a bank robbery in order to save their stolen pension funds.
What did we think?
Nick John Bleeker says: Despite being a bit light on the comedy, Going in Style delivers nothing new, but is still driven by a grand chemistry between its three leads.
Fate of the Furious
What’s it about?
Family. But also a buttload of action scenes with cars somehow still being the main attraction. If we’re being real? Cipher (Charlize Theron) makes Dom (Vin Diesel) turn on the crew for mysterious reasons.
What did we think?
Nick John Bleeker says: F8 shows the Fast franchise starting to lose its creative edge, but you just can’t shake the fact that hanging out with the crew is still tonnes of fun. The addition of Theron as a nutcase villain adds to the mix nicely and, at the end of the day, the action is, as always, wonderfully explosive and utterly ridiculous. Exhausting but still a damn good time.
Ghost In The Shell
What’s it about?
Major’s brain was saved from a terrorist attack and was the first human brain connected with a robotic body. The military wants her for her murder skills. Everyone else just likes that she gets around naked all the time.
What we thought
Dan says: The prospect of exploring the human condition as it struggles to find itself in this increasingly tech driven environment is quickly shelved to show a naked lady beating seven hells out of robot assassins then sitting in a car talking for 20 minutes. Scarlett Johanson’s butt does so much heavy lifting in this film that you wonder if it wouldn’t have a more promising career if it left ScarJo for a solo career.
There’s some interesting design in this film that’s lifted straight from the source material. A couple of the secondary characters are watchable and have a handful of satisfying moments, but this film is… boring. Unless you really want to watch robots, gunfire and naked ladies, I’d probably take a pass on this one.
Smurfs: The Lost Village
What’s it about?
A collection of cobalt forest goblins have funky forest adventures. Each one has a strongly defined vocation except for the singular girl goblin, “Smurfette” who is defined only through her gender. In a massive departure from tradition, Hollywood attempts to address this.
What we thought
Dan says: This film is for kids. It’s not scary, there are almost no stakes. If you’re stuck in the same room as children watching this then you might get a couple of chuckles out of it. You’ll appreciate how pretty it is and find yourself trying to play ‘spot the famous voice’. Sadly “because magic” seems to be the solution to any actual dilemmas. At the end of the day this film is just a bit…
Laaah Lah lala la blaaah
The Lego Batman Movie
What’s it about?
It’s The LEGO Movie spin-off featuring the hilarious, egotistical Batman you came to love. This time the lone vigilante is faced with a citywide invasion from the Joker’s evil army, after he refuses to reciprocate a love-hate relationship with the villain. In order to save Gotham, Batman is faced with his hardest struggle: working with others.
What did we think?
Candice says: There may not be a catchy sing-a-long to rival Everything Is Awesome, but The Lego® Batman™ Movie still hits the right notes! Theres something for everyone, with plenty of comedic Batman references and pop-culture jokes to keep the adults happy. Batman’s newest orphan recruit Robin and his long-serving butler Alfred add layers of witty, silly (and at times rude) banter between the figurine co-stars. The film gets a little heavy towards the end and may stretch the attention of some younger folk in the cinema, but they’ll quickly be won over with the musical finale.
Looking to take a little bit of The Lego® Batman™ Movie home with you? Say ‘Hey Puter’ to Siri. You’re welcome.
The Boss Baby
What’s it about?
A seven-year old with an overactive imagination discovers the new baby in his home (voiced by Alec Baldwin) is really a middle-manager from the place ‘where babies come from’; here to complete a spy mission and climb the corporate ladder.
What did we think?
Lisa Clifford Says: while mildly amusing, being convoluted and overly long means The Boss Baby probably won’t become a family favourite. There are genuinely funny moments, though most rely heavily on the corporate executive schtick Alec Baldwin honed on 30 Rock.
In a missed opportunity, it raises, but fails to deal with, the tricky issues for kids around feelings of jealousy and displacement when a new baby arrives, and how a parent’s love is quantified and divided between siblings.
If you miss 30 Rock and have to watch a G-rated movie, The Boss Baby will keep you entertained for about an hour*.
*Full running time is actually 97 minutes
What’s Popular
The Leisure Seeker
What’s it about?
Ailing septuagenarians flee imminent nursing-home confinement by taking one final road trip in their beloved Winnebago.
What did we think?
Stephen Scott says: facing your impending death isn’t an everyday movie topic, and while The Leisure Seeker handles the topic with sensitivity and humour, the first half is meandering and turgid, seemingly to set up the far more entertaining second. Beautifully acted by Donald Sutherland as a retired professor in the final stages of dementia and Helen Mirren as his frail, doting wife, the film lacks the celebration of life it requires (and several opportunities exist within the film for these moments but are passed over for commentary on the frustration on human frailty).
Euthanasia advocates will appreciate this film, but people battling with depression would be advised to only see it with a friend.
Solo: A Star Wars Story
What’s it about?
A young Han Solo escapes a hard life to meet a friendly wookie and become a pilot and smuggler in a galaxy far, far away.
What did we think?
Anthony says: I have to admit I had a bad feeling about this, and while it isn’t a masterpiece, nor is it the disaster I was half-expecting. After an uneven and stuttering start that just doesn’t work, Solo finally finds a rhythm when it becomes a simple heist movie. Donald Glover’s Lando threatens to steal the show though he ends up underutilised. It’s not going to be remembered as a classic but it ticks most of the boxes for Star Wars fans looking to a young Han Solo’s life. The characters are fun even if the storyline lacks intense depth.
Gringo
What’s it about?
Downtrodden businessman Harold (David Oyelowo) is caught up in cartels, kidnapping and corporate conspiracies during a business trip to Mexico.
What did we think?
Amy Currie says: I would be perfectly happy watching this on hour six of a long-haul flight. I would then never think about it again in my whole life.
Gringo is a pleasant enough darkly comic caper, but an admittedly impressive cast can’t quite save it from a meandering plot.
Deadpool 2
What’s it about?
An anti-hero tries to protect a young boy from a time-travelling half-robot… wait, isn’t that the Terminator? #RipOff
What did we think?
Anthony says: It was always going to be difficult to follow up such a successful and original first movie, and it has to be said Deadpool 2 doesn’t have the same impact as its predecessor. However, the jokes are funnier – both in intelligence and irreverence – and there’s a little more pathos. Unfortunately, there are a few pacing issues with an odd lull or two breaking up the quips, but to be frank they’re soon forgotten. It truly excels with its music choice; not only in the cool-song-I-loved-this-one way, but the subtleties that add another layer of humour (I can’t go into detail without spoiling it so I won’t). And the early-credit scene is not only hilarious but has upped the stakes on how stories could be told. <redacted-spoiler-redacted>
At the end of the day it’s a great movie and I’m not just saying that because Ryan Reynolds has a gun and apparently knows my address.
Editor's Choice
The Leisure Seeker
What’s it about?
Ailing septuagenarians flee imminent nursing-home confinement by taking one final road trip in their beloved Winnebago.
What did we think?
Stephen Scott says: facing your impending death isn’t an everyday movie topic, and while The Leisure Seeker handles the topic with sensitivity and humour, the first half is meandering and turgid, seemingly to set up the far more entertaining second. Beautifully acted by Donald Sutherland as a retired professor in the final stages of dementia and Helen Mirren as his frail, doting wife, the film lacks the celebration of life it requires (and several opportunities exist within the film for these moments but are passed over for commentary on the frustration on human frailty).
Euthanasia advocates will appreciate this film, but people battling with depression would be advised to only see it with a friend.
Solo: A Star Wars Story
What’s it about?
A young Han Solo escapes a hard life to meet a friendly wookie and become a pilot and smuggler in a galaxy far, far away.
What did we think?
Anthony says: I have to admit I had a bad feeling about this, and while it isn’t a masterpiece, nor is it the disaster I was half-expecting. After an uneven and stuttering start that just doesn’t work, Solo finally finds a rhythm when it becomes a simple heist movie. Donald Glover’s Lando threatens to steal the show though he ends up underutilised. It’s not going to be remembered as a classic but it ticks most of the boxes for Star Wars fans looking to a young Han Solo’s life. The characters are fun even if the storyline lacks intense depth.
Gringo
What’s it about?
Downtrodden businessman Harold (David Oyelowo) is caught up in cartels, kidnapping and corporate conspiracies during a business trip to Mexico.
What did we think?
Amy Currie says: I would be perfectly happy watching this on hour six of a long-haul flight. I would then never think about it again in my whole life.
Gringo is a pleasant enough darkly comic caper, but an admittedly impressive cast can’t quite save it from a meandering plot.
Deadpool 2
What’s it about?
An anti-hero tries to protect a young boy from a time-travelling half-robot… wait, isn’t that the Terminator? #RipOff
What did we think?
Anthony says: It was always going to be difficult to follow up such a successful and original first movie, and it has to be said Deadpool 2 doesn’t have the same impact as its predecessor. However, the jokes are funnier – both in intelligence and irreverence – and there’s a little more pathos. Unfortunately, there are a few pacing issues with an odd lull or two breaking up the quips, but to be frank they’re soon forgotten. It truly excels with its music choice; not only in the cool-song-I-loved-this-one way, but the subtleties that add another layer of humour (I can’t go into detail without spoiling it so I won’t). And the early-credit scene is not only hilarious but has upped the stakes on how stories could be told. <redacted-spoiler-redacted>
At the end of the day it’s a great movie and I’m not just saying that because Ryan Reynolds has a gun and apparently knows my address.