After the decidedly mixed critical reception for their last overblown superhero extravaganza, The Flash, those behind the DC Extended Comic Universe would have been very keen to resurrect the fortunes of their franchise with their latest effort Blue Beetle. Unfortunately, despite a few fresh and appealing touches, this is just another generically plotted, noisy, frenzied and juvenile superhero action comedy.
Read moreFor those who (like me prior to seeing this film) are complete novices in the Paw Patrol world, this is a computer animated series for youngsters that mixes Thunderbirds-style rescue adventure with the adorable cuteness of puppies. In this world, in which dogs can talk and drive cars, a very likeable group of hounds Rubble, Skye, Liberty, Chase, Zuma and
Read moreLow-budget British drama, Scrapper takes a slender plot and infuses it with pathos and slightly erratic humour for one of the year’s more engaging cinematic oddities. Following her mother’s death, 12-year-old Georgie (Lola Campbell) is living by herself on an English council estate. Dodging school, making money selling stolen bikes with her friend Ali (Alin Uzun) and duping social services
Read moreThe glacially paced but grimly compelling existential Danish drama Godland echoes films like The Mission, Martin Scorsese’s Silence and the works of Ingmar Bergman as it explores themes of faith, identity, culture clash and human frailty in the face of a brutal universe. On-screen text at the beginning of the film suggests a kind of Blair Witch scenario as it
Read moreThe restrained and low-key romantic drama, Past Lives will feel to some like it’s saying little and doing so at a glacial pace while many will find it a subtly seductive film with a powerful emotional undercurrent. Past Lives tracks the 36-year relationship of South Korean woman Na Young (Greta Lee) and male friend Hae Sung (Teo Yoo). They spend
Read moreFollowing Murder on The Orient Express and Death On The Nile, A Haunting In Venice is the third entry in Kenneth Branagh’s vivid, energetic but at times erratic and overcooked Agatha Christie adaptations. Like the two previous films, this one benefits from a few standout performances and its probing of detective Hercule Poirot’s formidable intellect and complex psyche. More than
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