Dune: Part Two

There are not many films that can be classified as a masterpiece. The Godfather and Godfather Part II are masterpieces. So is Lawrence of Arabia. Many think the Lord of the Rings films fall into that category (controversially, I don’t). I will, however, add another movie to the list. Denis Villenuve’s long-awaited Dune: Part Two….

Madame Web

Another week, another superhero movie, part of the Spider-Man Cinematic Universe. Madame Web is one of the lesser known characters from Marvel and on evidence of the movie, I don;t think her popularity will rise. This is a mess of a film that seems to have a misleading trailer, a script that, in places, is…

Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom

It has not been a great year for superhero movies. Both DC and Marvel have failed to deliver, and it has shown in the box office figures. Only Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 made significant money, while The Marvels, possibly the most enjoyable Marvel movie this year, still failed to connect with audiences. So…

Chicken Run: Dawn Of The Nugget

Aardman Animation has always been at the forefront of clay animation, but what puts them at the front of the filmmaking process is their ability to use whimsical humour, something that suits the Britishness of the products. In 2000, they produced Chicken Run, an affectionate pastiche of The Great Escape but with chickens. Twenty-three years…

Wonka

We are living in very dark times. With wars and political upheaval, the cost of living crisis and corruption all around, you feel downhearted every time you switch the news on. Fear not, good people, for there is a way to feel joy for a few hours, in the form of the latest film from…

The Marvels

Ever since Avengers: Endgame, Marvel Studios has found it hard to follow the epic finale. Issues have been coming their way from substandard productions, introductions of characters that no one knows, too many T.V. shows leading to poor receptions, problems with the effects teams and a future studio star being accused of abuse leading to…

The Creator

You have to give kudos nowadays when a director produces an entirely original blockbuster, not part of a franchise or reboot. That is precisely what director Gareth Edwards has done. Instead of heading down the easy option of producing something already out there, he has come up with The Creator, a science fiction action movie…

The Equalizer 3

Robert McColl is back in Antoine Fuqua’s third and what promises to be his final Equalizer movie. The quiet, former intelligence officer who takes on the big guy for the little one finds himself taking on his biggest threat yet: the mafia. While this will never be groundbreaking or change the face of action thrillers,…

Meg 2: The Trench

Oh, Ben Wheatley! Regarded as one of this country’s best independent filmmakers, Mr Wheatley has, over the years, produced some excellent cross-genre movies like the gangster/horror Kill List, the black comedy Sightseers, and the deconstruction of an action movie, Free Fire. Now he tackles his first big blockbuster movie, Meg 2: The Trench, the sequel…

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One

As a film critic, you must often stay completely impartial and never go into a film with high expectations or preconceived ideas of what you will be getting from the film. However, in the case of the seventh Mission: Impossible film, Dead Reckoning Part One, I was excited as a little schoolboy going to an…

Elemental

One thing Pixar has been very good at is dealing with issues that young people may face daily in a way they can understand. For example, Soul dealt with death and grief, Turning Red dealt with puberty, and Inside Out dealt with emotions. Their latest film, Elemental, covers several issues. While they can be commended…

Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny

1981, just two days after the wedding of Charles and Diana, my friends and I headed off to ABC 1 in Enfield for an opening day screening of a new adventure from the director of Jaws and produced by the man behind Star Wars, about an archaeologist looking for a religious relic. I remember spending…