They often say that lightning never strikes twice, something you find with most movie franchises. Marvel’s Thor is a perfect example of the lightning theory. The first film, directed by Kenneth Branagh, was a decent mythical adventure, whereas the sequel, Thor: The Dark World, was a mess and regarded by many as the worst Marvel…
Tag: cinema
Minions: The Rise of Gru
We were first introduced to the Minions in 2010 as supporting characters in the animation, Despicable Me. Since then, they have become the face of Illumination Animations, starred in two more Despicable Me movies, a series of short films, countless merchandise and TV adverts, and a movie of their own. Now we get the sequel…
Elvis
I felt trepidation before entering Baz Luhrmann’s epic biopic, Elvis. Luhrmann is not known for subtle filmmaking. After the first 10 minutes of a movie that is 20 minutes shy of three hours, I was already feeling bludgeoned into submission by the relentless editing, full-on visuals and deafening soundtrack. Then something happened. A moment in…
Lightyear
At the start of Lightyear, this prequel (of sorts) to Toy Story, we are told that in 1995, Andy went to see the Buzz Lightyear movie and became a fan of the character. This was that movie. Two questions came to mind: firstly, how was the technology so up-to-date back in the 90s, and yet…
Jurassic World Dominion
Halfway through Jurassic World Dominion, Dr Ian Malcolm exclaims, in an ironic way, “Jurassic World? Not a fan!” Sadly, this seems to be a critique of the film the character is in, as this third instalment of the new franchise, which promised so much, manages to deliver so little. A film that ticks every box…
Men
Alex Garland is a writer and director who isn’t happy with delivering straightforward, easy-to-access cinema. With films like Ex-Machina and Annihilation on his CV, he pushes the boundaries of movie making with visually stunning treats and mind-blowing storytelling. Now comes his latest, Men, a modern-day horror fairy tale that, like his previous films, is beautiful,…
Top Gun: Maverick
I was never a massive fan of Top Gun. I admired the cinematography and the flight scenes but felt the whole thing was an impressive advert for Ray-Bans, leather jackets and joining the US Navy. The late Tony Scott worked for years in advertising, and so this was a film right up his street, never…
Everything Everywhere All at Once
It seems that this year’s trend is the multiverse. We’ve already had Spider-Man: No Way Home; last week, Doctor Strange entered the Multiverse of Madness and later this year, we have another Spider-Man movie with the second in the Spider-verse saga. This week, however, we have a film with no connection to Marvel, with a…
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
If ever there was a more apt title to a movie, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is it. A visually head-spinning film with a mind-boggling plot, although at its heart, is suspiciously simple. It also is the first Marvel Cinematic Universe that is more of a horror film than others. This could be…
Downton Abbey: A New Era
Downton Abbey is a bit of an enigma in a world of superheroes and franchises. One of the biggest hits of the 21st century, this TV giant moved to the big screen in 2019 and was a massive success. Now we get the sequel, Downton Abbey: A New Era and the title is a bit…
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
Nicolas Cage has not had a great time over the years. Once one of the most bankable stars, after dodgy business deals and outrageous spending, Cage has been reduced to taking every job offered to repay his debt. Now he is clear, he can start to focus on getting back to the top of his…
The Lost City
In the 80s, after the success of Raiders of the Lost ark, a series of similar styles of film entered the area, none more successful than Romancing The Stone, a romantic, action-packed comedy adventure. The genre has since burnt out, but it seems time to bring it back with The Lost City, which follows the…
Stu Loves Film 