King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
What’s it all about then?
From the beginnin’. Well, there’s this roguish lad see, an’ ‘e an’ his mates are plannin’ a heist …
‘Old on, ‘old on. Yer sure nothin’ ‘appened before the beginnin’? Aw yeah, that’s right. Ye see (flashback) the kid’s not the bastard son of a prostitute, but actually heir to ye olde Englaland’s throne.
That’s more like it my son. Go on … There’s this magical scimitar an’ rooftop parkour an’ a kind-but-fair oriental fight instructor, y’know, everything you’d expect in 6th century Londinium …
What did we think?
Stephen Scott says: in a gloriously raucous post-Roman-occupied Britanniae, trouble is brewing in a cockney lad’s-own adventure that’s bleedingly obviously directed by Guy Ritchie without having all the promos blaring it at a million decibels. Fast, romance-free, with a (fantastic) soundtrack that makes you go “yeah – that’s what action movie music must’ve sounded like in 629AD”, it’s Lock Stock and One Smoking Excalibur. Exactly what you expect.
Snatched
What’s it about?
A girl who’s just been dumped takes her mum on her romantic trip to Equador after she realises the tickets are non-refundable. They get kidnapped.
Alien: Covenant
A crew of colonists find themselves tracking an alien signal only to find… well, an alien.
Nick Bleeker says: Putting aside the fact that there’s not a lot “new” in Covenant, Michael Fassbender delivers an electrifying performance, the action and gore is insane, and the film looks wonderful. Even shorter review? It’s better than Prometheus.
A Dog’s Purpose
What’s it about?
A dog searches for the meaning of his life by living many lives himself. Yes, there are multiple dog deaths.
What did we think?
Anthony Sherratt says: The trailer promised it would be a tear-jerker but A Dog’s Purpose surprisingly turned out to also be very funny and intelligent. Yes, it’s hard to not cry (it was a very dusty cinema dammit – stuff kept getting in my eyes) but you’re left seeing it as an incredibly sweet movie. As someone who has never really recovered from losing his childhood dog, I didn’t think I’d be able to enjoy this one, but I actually really liked it.
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 2
What’s it about?
Set to the backdrop of Awesome Mixtape #2, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ continues the team’s adventures as they unravel the mystery of Peter Quill’s true parentage.
What did we think?
Anthony Sherratt says: The much-anticipated sequel to Guardians Of The Galaxy was always going to feature a plethora of one-liners and an awesome soundtrack and it certainly delivers on those. But while it’s heavy on laughs, it’s light on story. Almost two-and-a-half hours is a long running time and even more so when you consider just how little plot exists. Despite this, it’s incredibly entertaining and you will laugh for nearly the entire movie so it will once again make a squillion dollars despite the shortcomings. Between the laughs (most of which are delivered by Draxx, Rocket and Baby Groot this time around) and the cuteness (Baby Groot steals nearly every scene he’s in), there’s a lot to like about GotG2, but sadly the story – and ensuing replayability – is not one of them. And there are FIVE post-credit scenes and only one of them is actually worth sitting there for. Flat ending to the fun.
What’s Popular
Kin
What’s it about?
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.
What did we think?
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!
The Merger
What’s it about?
Bodgy Creek’s footy club has no players, no coach, and (unless they merge with a just-as-shitty club) no future … could prodigal son, former AFL rising star and “town killer” Troy Carrington find redemption by saving the Roosters with a motley crew of refugees?
What did we think?
Stephen Scott says: it’s been a long time between drinks for heart-warming Australian comedies, but The Merger is here to shout a round (beer or cordial), rouse a cheer, and yes, coax a tear. There’s romance without being gushy, there’s a morality tale without being preachy, there’s a bratty kid who’s actually pretty damn cool (Raffety Grierson is a revelation), and there’s lots of down-to-earth swearing to remind you of this country’s heart. Shit yeah.
Based on Damian Callinan’s stage play (which is now on my must-see list), The Merger is destined to join other Aussie favourites like The Castle, Red Dog andThe Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert in shining a light on who we are as a people through topical and controversial issues that actually date back over 200 years.
#GoRoosters
Mile 22
What’s it about?
Mark Wahlberg and other angry friends try and transport a guy 22 miles while avoiding death by terrorists.
What did we think?
Nick says: Mile 22 offers nothing but epileptic action, an insanely poor editing job and poorly written, asshole characters. It gets a star because Iko Uwais is solid and at least it’s around 90 minutes long.
The Happytime Murders
What’s it about?
To clear his name of the brutal (yet strangely hilarious) Happytime murders, disgraced ex-cop turned private dick Phil Philips must overcome the bad blood between him and his old LAPD partner. But Phil’s a puppet living in a human world, and we all know puppets are only good for singing and dancing. Not being racist, just telling it like it is.
What did we think?
Stephen Scott says: believe it or not, there is a story thread running throughout this flick that comments on the racial tensions in Western society, but you can easily ignore that and take Happytime Murders for what it is: a blend of every b-grade buddy cop movie with Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Meet the Feebles.
It’s puerile, clichéd and predictable – in a good way. You know what to expect, it’s done well, and the jokes are more hit than miss.
I hope it moooooooves you in the same way it mooooooved me.
Editor's Choice
Kin
What’s it about?
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.
What did we think?
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!
The Merger
What’s it about?
Bodgy Creek’s footy club has no players, no coach, and (unless they merge with a just-as-shitty club) no future … could prodigal son, former AFL rising star and “town killer” Troy Carrington find redemption by saving the Roosters with a motley crew of refugees?
What did we think?
Stephen Scott says: it’s been a long time between drinks for heart-warming Australian comedies, but The Merger is here to shout a round (beer or cordial), rouse a cheer, and yes, coax a tear. There’s romance without being gushy, there’s a morality tale without being preachy, there’s a bratty kid who’s actually pretty damn cool (Raffety Grierson is a revelation), and there’s lots of down-to-earth swearing to remind you of this country’s heart. Shit yeah.
Based on Damian Callinan’s stage play (which is now on my must-see list), The Merger is destined to join other Aussie favourites like The Castle, Red Dog andThe Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert in shining a light on who we are as a people through topical and controversial issues that actually date back over 200 years.
#GoRoosters
Mile 22
What’s it about?
Mark Wahlberg and other angry friends try and transport a guy 22 miles while avoiding death by terrorists.
What did we think?
Nick says: Mile 22 offers nothing but epileptic action, an insanely poor editing job and poorly written, asshole characters. It gets a star because Iko Uwais is solid and at least it’s around 90 minutes long.
The Happytime Murders
What’s it about?
To clear his name of the brutal (yet strangely hilarious) Happytime murders, disgraced ex-cop turned private dick Phil Philips must overcome the bad blood between him and his old LAPD partner. But Phil’s a puppet living in a human world, and we all know puppets are only good for singing and dancing. Not being racist, just telling it like it is.
What did we think?
Stephen Scott says: believe it or not, there is a story thread running throughout this flick that comments on the racial tensions in Western society, but you can easily ignore that and take Happytime Murders for what it is: a blend of every b-grade buddy cop movie with Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Meet the Feebles.
It’s puerile, clichéd and predictable – in a good way. You know what to expect, it’s done well, and the jokes are more hit than miss.
I hope it moooooooves you in the same way it mooooooved me.