With the park now destroyed and dinosaurs let loose to live amongst civilization, the world attempts to move on in uneasy peace, with Owen (Chris Pratt) and Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) – usually at the centre of all the dino-drama – now attempting to live a quiet life off the grid with their adopted genetic anomaly of a daughter Maisie (Isabella Sermon). Meanwhile, paleobotanist Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) reunites with old flame Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) to investigate a recently unleashed plague of locusts devastating the food chain, leading them to the mysterious Biosyn; a genetics company with more than a few secrets. When Maisie is kidnapped, Owen and Claire lead a desperate rescue attempt, pointing them on a collision course with Biosyn and two generations of Jurassic franchise stars.
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 10.
Starring: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Laura Dern, Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum, DeWanda Wise & Isabella Sermon
Watch it now in cinemas
Universal Pictures, 2022
Dominion, the sixth entry and culmination of this three decade, dino-centric franchise is about bugs. Yes you heard that right: bugs. If that sounds stupid and strange then turn away now: it only gets worse from here. The premise that Fallen Kingdom so clunkily set up – that of a world where dinosaurs have been turned loose and walk amongst us – was one that fans have long been clamouring for and returning director Colin Trevorrow fumbles it from the get-go, with an introductory montage (filmed as a discount Vice special) showing off majority of the footage of these animals in populated areas in one go. From here we’re subjected to almost 45 excruciating minutes of needless set-up about genetically enhanced locusts that can wreak havoc on the ecosystem and angsty teenage tantrums from a girl who isn’t even sure she should be alive.
It’s clear that Trevorrow had a lot of ideas, wasn’t sure about which ones he wanted to prioritise and ended up throwing them all on-screen as a result. And that result is a dragging, muddy mess that completely squanders any goodwill afforded it through the return of Dern, Neil and Goldblum or from the simple pleasure of seeing dinosaur carnage on the big screen again – no movie about monsters eating people should be 2 and a half hours long, period. To fill that time he machinates about everything from preservation and mankind’s impact on the environment to human rights, instead of just giving the audience what they want: dinosaurs. Sure, Fallen Kingdom was heavy handed in its approach to preservation but J.A. Bayona was confident in his direction and brought some interesting ideas to the table, outside of Chris Pratt’s godawful body comedy and screeching supporting characters. Here whatever statement Trevorrow is trying to make is buried under a mountain of filler and fluff.
Universal Pictures, 2022
That lacklustre approach to the film’s message applies just as badly to its story. The rapid shift in character for Owen and Claire from ass-kicking dinosaur freedom fighters to doting homebody parents to Maisie – a girl they literally stumbled across in the last film – is totally jarring, with Trevorrow pushing aside the pair’s complicated on-again, off-again dynamic from the last two films in favour of a boring cross-country chase after Maisie. Then there’s the nostalgia-bait of the original film’s iconic trio, whose presence sadly barely registers as anything other than a last ditch attempt to win fans back amidst a sea of disappointment. There are some fun moments and callbacks to the original films and the three simply ooze chemistry, but it’s too little, too late in a film that insists on trying to force some kind of emotional connection between Owen and his once a pet, always a threat raptor Blue.
As for the dinosaurs themselves? They’ve never felt like more of an afterthought, with only a handful of interestingly directed sequences providing some genuine tension amongst cheap jump scares and quick flashes of half-baked practical effects. Rarely does Dominion deliver anything close to tangible dread at the idea of a 65 million year-old predator stalking mankind, preferring to litter the screen with a variety of new species. While its fun to see these new creatures get their day in the sun, they barely register as a threat before Trevorrow moves onto the next, with the biggest of them all – the Giganotosaurus – barely registering as anything more than a minor plot inconvenience than the king of the predators that it was.
Universal Pictures, 2022
Even if it wasn’t the proclaimed final film in the series, Jurassic World Dominion is so bad that it makes audiences wish the franchise went extinct long ago instead of bastardising the Spielberg classic like this. No amount of fan-service or callbacks can serve as a substitute for a compelling story and the one Trevorrow delivers here is as shaky as the science behind bringing dinosaurs back from the dead. Who knew that in the age of CGI spectacle we’d get a Jurassic World film devoid of dinosaurs? Maybe Trevorrow and co were too concerned with whether they could, that they didn’t stop think about whether they should.
Called back to Top Gun academy to train a batch of top graduates for an impossible mission – Rooster (Miles Teller), the son of former wingman Goose, amongst them – Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell must contend with incredulity from his superior officers and the ghosts of his past is he has any chance of succeeding and getting his pilots out alive.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 9 out of 10.
Starring: Tom Cruise, Jennifer Connelly, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Jon Hamm, Monica Barbaro & Val Kilmer
Watch it now in cinemas
Paramount Pictures, 2022
1986’s Top Gun was a huge deal for Tom Cruise, catapulting his fame into the stratosphere as he truly proved his chops as a bankable, endlessly charismatic leading man. Whilst the Tony Scott directed film remains a high point for its lasting cultural resonance – and hear us out here – it isn’t all that great as some might make it out to be, existing as a relic of its time with some laugh-out-loud corniness by today’s standards. Now thirty years later, Top Gun: Maverick changes all that, bringing the same campy 80’s energy and infusing it with an emotional, impactful character study of a man unable to let go of his youth, along with stunning cinematography of its patented fighter plane battles.
The subtitle here is apt, this is undoubtedly Maverick’s film and Cruise gives a layered performance as a man struggling to understand his limits and forgive himself for past mistakes. In a way it acts almost as a meta commentary on Cruise’s career trajectory, with characters constantly discussing Maverick’s incessant need to top himself and go bigger and fast each time he gets in a plane. It’s a thoughtful examination of how we view Cruise today (his Mission: Impossible franchise has become renown for topping the last film’s big action set-piece) and brings to the forefront just how game he is to make some of the most entertaining films today.
Paramount Pictures, 2022
Nowhere is that more obvious than the action scenes. It is no secret that Cruise was adamant about flying his own planes, even going so far as to instruct the rest of the cast in operating a plane and filming themselves doing so. It makes for a far more immersive experience, with less of the janky shaky camera trickery of the original and more genuine responses from the actors operating these planes. Sure sometimes it becomes difficult for these actors to act whilst operating this kind of machinery, but those little authentic touches like a joyous “woo” or nervous glance make for some uplifting, if nerve-wracking details that add to the experience.
When the stunt pilots take over the action truly soars, with terrific, and one can imagine extremely complex, flight choreography that clearly delineates between the heroes and enemies (a simple touch the original never managed to achieve) amongst the madness of the dogfights. Make an effort to find a screen with a good sound system and you will be rewarded with the seat-shaking, bone-rattling roar of the engines adding another layer to suck you into the action.
Paramount Pictures, 2022
Perhaps the most surprising aspect of Maverick is its story. It actually has one for starters – something of a feat when you consider the meandering, low stakes narrative of the first film – and is much more focused around the few characters at its centre; building the dramatic tension between Rooster and Maverick’s shared history and transferring it into the stakes of the mission facing the graduates at the end of their training. This common goal goes a great way towards bonding the group and adding stakes for the character’s that we don’t spend as much time with. Rooster and Maverick might get the bulk of the screen-time here, but we care just as much about Glen Powell’s Hangman or Monica Barbaro’s Phoenix in the heat of these intense battles.
As iconic as Anthony Edwards’ Goose was in the original, his character never got to do much outside of mothering Maverick through the academy. It is amazing then, just how emotional the film gets in exploring the impact Goose’ death had on not just Maverick but his son as well. Miles Teller is brilliant in conveying Rooster’s anger and admiration for a man who was once like a father to him, building on the foundation of the original film in ways that the campy nature of that film suggest couldn’t be done. That isn’t to say that it’s all serious drama though; fans of the original will be pleased to hear there is another extremely oily, extremely masculine beach scene and Kenny Loggins’ iconic “Highway to the Danger Zone” rears its head enough to remind you that the need for speed is very much still present.
Paramount Pictures, 2022
Top Gun: Maverick might be the pinnacle of Cruise’s action resurgence so far; deftly taking a campy hit from his past and turning its sequel into one of the most entertaining and thrilling action films of his entire filmography. He might not be climbing the Burj Khalifa or leaping across buildings but the dogfights here are shot immaculately, the commitment to the craft of filmmaking evident in every last frame. To take a film like Top Gun and bring real weight and emotion to the characters within those planes is easily one of the biggest surprises of the year, ensuring that Maverick will be remembered for its quality and depth, rather than a sweaty volleyball game. Turn and burn baby.
Years after a rift formed between them, leading to the cancellation of the original Rescue Rangers TV show, Chip (Mulaney) and Dale (Samberg) are forced to re-team when their old pal Monterey Jack (Eric Bana) is kidnapped by the evil Sweet Pete (Will Arnett) and threatened to be bootlegged – cosmetically altering toons to star in off-brand unofficial remakes of classic movies. Plunged into a conspiracy much bigger than they had ever imagined, the duo team-up with super-fan Ellie (KiKi Layne) to investigate a string of disappearances across Hollywood and the web of lies at its centre. The only hope of saving the day is if the former friends can put their differences aside and recapture that 80’s magic one more time.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 9 out of 10.
Starring: Andy Samberg, John Mulaney, KiKi Layne, Will Arnett, Eric Bana, Seth Rogen & J.K. Simmons
Watch it now on Disney+
Walt Disney Pictures, 2022
If you’d have said that one of the best films of the year would be a hybrid animation-live-action reboot of Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers” well… I would have absolutely believed you because I am one of the few that fondly remembers the classic 80’s cartoon comedy. But for everyone else such statements would be pure fantasy. Well I’m happy to report that not only does Disney+’s latest original movie satisfy fans of the show, but it should satisfy new audiences – young and old alike – with its frenetic energy, rapid-fire jokes and celebration of animation history. A cookie-cutter standard plot is the only real complaint to be made, although is it easily disguised by the heart and obvious comedic talent John Mulaney and Andy Samberg bring to the rodent heroes.
You’d be right to be skeptical of yet another 80’s franchise reboot, and the writers (Dan Gregor and Doug Mand) surely know it, peppering the script with meta commentary on the state of these reboots and the over-reliance on nostalgia to trigger a response from the audience. Still, that’s exactly what Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers does, going all out and filling almost every frame with a litany of well-known characters across a range of animation styles (we’re talking CG, claymation, even a muppet), with so many “how the hell did they get the rights to them” cameos than you could possible spot in one viewing.
Walt Disney Pictures, 2022
The contradictorily named Sweet Pete? A washed up Peter Pan of the classic Disney film fame, complete with stubble, a beer gut and a hatred towards Hollywood. Hell even a character unleashed on the internet that (thankfully) never graced screens is a minor player here, leading to some of the film’s most hilariously meta moments. It isn’t so much the next evolution of animation as much as it is a rousing celebration of the genre and its history as a whole, stretching as far back and as wide reaching to ensure that kids and adults alike can spot someone they know and be in on the joke. Where else are you going to see Roger Rabbit dancing feet away from Paula Abdul and MC Skat Kat?
That isn’t to say the the film relies on cameos to get by; the inside-baseball Hollywood humour is balanced out by the broad appeal of its leading rescue rangers and the simple but effective whodunnit. The structure of the story is as paint-by-numbers as you can get but the constant banter of Chip and Dale keeps things light and moving, with a surprising amount of care and time devoted to establishing the close-knit bond these furry friends share. It leads to some sweet moments in-between the all the ribbing and micro-aggressions Mulaney is so adept at delivering – it’s amazing how well his deadpan exhaustion translates to chipmunk form.
Walt Disney Pictures, 2022
Of all the franchises given the reboot treatment of late, it’s perhaps surprising that one of the best amongst them belongs to a franchise so niche. Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers was never a monster hit for Disney, but through a clever blend of nostalgia, an appreciation for animation history and the onslaught of comedic hijinks you’d come to expect from The Lonely Island team, it launches itself not only to the forefront of this year’s comedies, but also as one of the best, most wholly enjoyable films of the year.
There are films out there begging to be remade. 1984’s already bad Firestarter – based on the Stephen King novel – is not one of them. Give that remake to Keith Thomas, director of 2019’s breakout horror gem The Vigil and that project starts to look a lot more interesting on paper. Unfortunately neither Thomas or star Zac Efron can save this sci-fi slog of a film from boring audiences to near-death. It’s completely competently put together and Efron tries his hardest with what little material the script supplies him but Firestarter never ignites (sorry), a clichéd on-the-run thriller without any thrills.
The progeny of telepathically gifted parents (Efron’s Andy and Sydney Lemmon’s Vicky) exposed to dangerous, life-altering chemicals together during a college medical trial; Charlie (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) struggles to control her own power: the ability to spontaneously create fire at will, often with destructive consequences. When an incident at school leads to Charlie unintentionally unleashing her powers on a teacher, the family prepare to flee from the authorities bound to pursue them, until unexpected tragedy strikes courtesy of hired mercenary Rainbird (Michael Greyeyes). Forced on the run from a secret government agency and unable to trust the authorities, Charlie and Andy set off in search of a place to start over; a possibility that seems increasingly unlikely if Charlie can’t get a handle on her growing power.
Blumhouse Productions, 2022
Like we said, the original Drew Barrymore film didn’t exactly light the world on fire (we promise we’ll stop) but operated convincingly enough as a quirky, if badly acted eighties paranoia thriller. Barrymore was an endearingly cute lead, with the obvious improvisations of a child leading to some of the film’s best moments, even if they were exaggerated to high heaven. Thomas’ film lacks spark from the get-go – devoid of any colour or life outside of John Carpenter’s (alongside son Cody and Daniel Davies) synth-heavy score – and the pressure of carrying the film is simply too much for Ryan Kiera Armstrong, who tries her best to make Charlie an empathetic girl thrown into a terrifying situation, but instead alternates between an unlikeable brat and helpless heroine.
For his part Efron carries proceedings, desperately trying to convey Andy’s grief and abject terror for what his daughter will be subjected to should they be captured. The emotional depth is there, lingering below a surface of stupidity, with the film allowing Andy to simply walk into situations that no father would ever put themselves or their daughter in. It doesn’t help Efron’s performance that the film’s pacing is all over the place, never giving us a second to breathe with the central father-daughter relationship and devoting far too much time to poorly rendered, visual effect-laden action beats.
Blumhouse Productions, 2022
Then there is the character of Rainbird, an Indigenous man in King’s original novel somewhat controversially portrayed by George C. Scott in the 1984 adaptation, played here by Indigenous-Canadian actor Michael Greyeyes. He exists as a cheap caricature of a Terminator-style pursuer, completely stripped of the intriguingly strange sub-plot of 1984 and reduced to an afterthought, devoid of any threat after being easily handled by Charlie upon their first meeting. There are attempts to develop his character as having a strange respect for Charlie, who he believes to be a god-like figure, but it all feels like such a deeply off-putting stereotype that it becomes hard to watch; a strange anti-hero turn (spoilers, but honestly at this point did you think we were going to recommend this) thankfully steering things out of downright dangerous territory, even if it makes absolutely no sense.
Firestarter is bad. A completely unnecessary and unoriginal remake, Keith Thomas delivers a total misfire not reflective of his talents. Zac Efron and the music of the Carpenters and co provide some bright spots to an otherwise miserable mess that simply shouldn’t exist in 2022. Bottom of the barrel “horror” that should have been put out before it ever caught aflame (we lied).
Blumhouse Productions, 2022
Firestarter stars Zac Efron, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Sydney Lemmon, Michael Greyeyes, John Beasley, Gloria Reuben & Kurtwood Smith – In cinemas and streaming on Peacock in the US now.
It’s been an absolutely stacked April for fans of all things on-screen; whether that be psychadelic trips through a ghost-ridden Tokyo, a return to the lens-flare, explosion filled world of Michael Bay or a celebration of one of the greatest (and craziest) actors of his generation. This month truly had something for everyone and we’ve done our best to recap some of the bigger hits that we didn’t get a chance to review individually. So strap in and prepare to add a whole bunch to that watch-list.
Severance – Season 1
Red Hour Films, 2022
The next great “must-watch” show is here with Apple TV+’s Severance, a constantly engrossing, ever evolving mystery that follows Mark (Adam Scott), an employee of the shadowy Lumon organisation who undergoes the Severance procedure; splitting his work memories from those of the rest of his mind in a bid to escape a past trauma for a few hours a day. Dan Erickson’s show is a slow-burn, but a masterfully paced one that steadily introduces increasingly strange elements, answering some questions whilst creating entirely new ones, on the way to one of the most edge-of-your-seat arresting season finales since Breaking Bad and the heyday of Game of Thrones.
Adam Scott is the perfect everyman for this deconstruction of the workplace and skewering of the increasingly popular “work-life balance” terminology, set against the backdrop of a large, multi-tiered organisation with so many secrets and obvious parallels to real companies. It’s not all corporate espionage though, as newcomer Helly’s (Britt Lower) arrival creates a ripple affect throughout Mark’s team; with John Turturro’s Irving facing a crisis of conscience as his zealot-like loyalty to Lumon is seriously tested and Zach Cherry’s Dylan’s discovery of the life he leads outside of the organisation prompting a revolt. When all these pieces come together, Severance becomes a truly unique, wholly engrossing piece of television, with an office-load of potential going forward. Catch up now.
Ghostwire Tokyo
Bethesda, 2022
The latest from Tango Gameworks – the folks behind the seriously underrated Evil Within franchise – is a drastic change for the studio, shedding its third person survival-horror antics in favour of a first person adventure across the streets of a Shibuya ravaged by a mysterious entity. On a story level, Ghostwire is far more reserved than its predecessors, as the player assumes the role of Akito, a civilian strangely unaffected by a deadly fog that rolls through the Shibuya prefecture, turning regular people into dangerous Yokai hell-bent on extracting his soul. After fusing with the soul of former policer officer KK, Akito gains the power to wield the elements as the pair strive to uncover the mystery at the centre of the fog, learning to share the same body as they go.
Combat is fun and frenetic, if never particularly challenging, as you switch between a basic wind shot, a wide-arc water blast and grenade-like fire explosions. Enemy variety is fine in the moment-to-moment gameplay but it is the eerie world of an empty Shibuya that really keeps you going as you uncover its secrets, with a myriad of monsters and other collectables to find along the way. Akito and KK’s relationship kicks things off in a rather clichéd way, but as the story progresses, the constant banter between the pair slowly but surely wins you over. It isn’t a masterpiece by any stretch, and for completionists it can truly become a nightmare, but for anyone with even the faintest interest in Japan, Ghostwire Tokyo is an easy recommendation.
Ambulance
Universal Pictures, 2022
Michael Bay is back, with what may be his best film since his Bad Boys heydays in Ambulance, an explosively tense chase movie across Los Angeles anchored by terrific performances from Jake Gyllenhaal, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Eiza González. When former veteran Will (Abdul-Mateen II) is denied healthcare for a life-saving operation for his wife, he turns to his criminal brother Danny (Gyllenhaal) who agrees to include him in a run-of-the-mill bank heist to secure the money for his wife. When the job inevitably goes awry and Will accidentally shoots a police officer, the pair of brothers are forced to hijack an ambulance and EMT Cam (González) to escape police and ensure their police hostage survives as leverage. With the stakes becoming increasingly dire and the damage to LA bordering on the ridiculous, hard choices must be made if the trio hope to survive the violent ordeal.
While it won’t convert any Bay-haters – with all the trademark lens flares and over-the-top explosions present and accounted for, alongside a new obsession with drone shots – there’s enough emotional heft here to give the audience a genuine reason to care about the characters through all the Bayhem. Gyllenhaal is running wild here as a man unhinged, fearing for his life as he constantly tries to stay ten steps ahead of the increasing police presence pursuing the group, and his manic energy carries the film. Abdul-Mateen II and González bring the weight when they have to, as Cam attempts to outwit her kidnappers by appealing to Will’s better nature, but this is first and foremost a Michael Bay picture, and that means action on a huge scale. Ambulance more than delivers on that.
Metal Lords
Netflix, 2022
Metal Lords hails from writer D.B. Weiss, one half of the creative duo behind Game of Thrones, and it tells the story of Kevin (Jaeden Martell), a socially awkward teenager who is manipulated into joining a metal band by fellow outcast Hunter (Adrian Greensmith). It’s School of Rock with none of the charm and a whole lot of unnecessary edge. As a character, Kevin brings absolutely nothing to the table; a lifeless, harmless enough guy who is too weak to stand up to Hunter and is pushed around when he attempts to expand his circle to include the similarly awkward Emily (Isis Hainsworth). His arc plays out exactly as you would expect, with the film hitting all the expected beats along the way to School of Rock’s exact conclusion: a Battle of the Bands showdown.
While that is all harmless enough, it’s the character of Hunter that makes Metal Lords a truly painful experience. There are simply no redeeming qualities to this manipulative, insufferable kid who constantly berates and intimidates his so-called “best friend”. There’s an attempt to disguise all the bullying as the product of a poor home life or some anxiety-related issues but the film never does enough to justify either machination; leaving things in a weird flux state where you wonder why Kevin even hangs out with Hunter other than a misguided sense of pity. After 90 minutes of watching Hunter be an asshole and one unearned Hallmark ending; Metal Lords simply fades out instead of ending with a rousing solo. Skip this track.
Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off
Duplass Brothers Productions, 2022
Chances are if you’ve lived on this earth long enough you’ve heard the name Tony Hawk, whether that be through his skating, movie cameos or your video-game obsessed cousin. Sam Jones’ documentary doesn’t offer much in the way of new information for the Hawk fanatic, but he does give a fascinating insight into one of the great trailblazers of skate culture, and the obsessive mentality that sent him soaring to greatness. Everything from the struggles of his upbringing and the role his father played to hitting the infamous 900 at the X-games is told in meticulous detail, leading to what might be the definitive history of the pro-skater.
Inclusions of other skating legends, from Lance Mountain to a guru-like Rodney Mullen help inform the dissection of Hawk’s mindset and the power that skating has over these people, often to the detriment of their body. This is about as dark as it gets for those looking for a more unfiltered look into Hawk’s life however, with a lot of those more unsavoury moments glossed over in favour of celebrating the icon of the sport that Tony Hawk is. Whether you’re a lifelong fan or just a casual player of the games, Until the Wheels Fall Off is a fascinating insight into a man that revolutionised a sport and culture.
The Lost City
Paramount Pictures, 2022
Do you miss the old days of the romantic adventure? Films like Romancing the Stone or hell, even the 1999 masterpiece that is The Mummy? Well Sandra Bullock and Channing are here to fill that void in the charmingly inoffensive The Lost City. When adventure novelist and newly widowed Loretta Sage (Bullock) is kidnapped by the wealthy Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe) and forced to continue her husband’s research into the “Crown of Fire” – a treasure long believed to be lost – her book’s cover model Alan (Tatum) takes it upon himself to rescue her. There’s just one catch: Alan has no idea what he is doing.
It’s a perfectly enjoyable film while you’re in it, and instantly forgettable once you’re out, but The Lost City occupies that rare mid-tier studio film we rarely see today, and for that it should be commended. The story is nothing to write home about, but Bullock and Tatum fully commit to their respective quirks, and you buy into their slowly budding attraction as they learn more about each other. The jokes are surprisingly effective for the most part, with both Bullock and Tatum veterans of the comedy world at this point, but it is Patti Harrison’s clueless assistant that steals the show, with some delightfully off-kilter zingers. Speaking of stealing the show, did we mention Brad Pitt is in this? The mega-star pops in for what amounts to a glorified cameo but makes the most of every second of it, making for one of the most enjoyably ridiculous characters he has ever played.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
Lionsgate, 2022
What was billed as the most Nic Cagey Nic Cage film of all time isn’t exactly that, but the perfectly named The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is a great time when it turns its focus onto celebrating its central character. After being denied a career comeback in a coveted role, Nicolas Cage is forced to accept a million dollar offer to attend a rich celebrity’s – Pedro Pascal’s extravagant playboy and superfan Javi – birthday celebrations at his private compound in Majorca in order to pay the bills. When he is approached by the CIA (Tiffany Haddish and Ike Barinholtz) to investigate Javi’s secret arms dealing enterprise, Cage is forced to call upon all his thespian training to get the job done and re-launch his waning celebrity.
What begins as a fascinating, hilarious deconstruction of Cage’s inimitable Hollywood persona soon devolves into a fairly rote buddy comedy-action movie hybrid. That isn’t to say that it isn’t a hell of a lot of fun – Pascal and Cage’s chemistry is endearingly zany – but for a film positioned as Nic Cage’s return to glory it doesn’t further the resurgence launched by films like Mandy and Pig, relying on tried and tested tropes of the genres rather than Cage’s raw talent. Still, as a celebration of all things Cage, it does work, with some laugh-out-loud references to all the classic performances – Face/Off, Con-Air, The Rock, you name it. It’s just a shame that its all weighed down by Cage’s unnecessary fake family and a script that doesn’t know what to do with all that massive talent.
We’re now over 30 entries into the MCU and in that time we’ve seen just about everything from epic space-operas to tales of gods and devils. What we’ve rarely seen in the MCU is a film that truly embraces the style of its director (Thor: Ragnarok aside); that contorts the usual trappings of a Marvel movie to fit around an auteur rather than the other way around. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness fundamentally feels like a Sam Raimi film through and through, and that is a massive win for a franchise that has seemed to grow increasingly similar across instalments. Bringing with him heavier elements of horror and a unique visual eye for the camera, Sam Raimi has crafted one of the most stylistic entries into the Marvel canon, bursting with energy from start to finish.
When America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), a mysterious young girl with the power to create portals through universes, arrives in New York City with a demonic monster hot on her heels, Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and the now Sorcerer Supreme Wong (Benedict Wong) work quickly to intercept her. Believing that her powers could inadvertently cause irreparable damage to the entire multiverse, Strange turns to an isolating and clearly traumatised Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) for assistance in protecting the girl. As Wanda’s true motives become clear, however, Strange and America are forced to go on the run between universes in a bid to protect the girl and find a way to lock away the evil pursuing them.
Marvel Studios, 2022
What could have been another run-of-the-mill Marvel film is so elevated by Raimi’s style; the usual visual effects heavy madness given new life with inventive camera movements and editing choices that place a lot of emphasis on the horror elements Raimi brings to the table. For die-hard fans of The Evil Dead and Drag Me to Hell wondering whether Raimi would lean more towards his horror roots or his Spider-Man history, fear not, this is as close to a body-horror fright-fest in the MCU as possible. Long, suspense-filled shots end with shocking jump scares, kills are gorier than ever and Danny Elfman’s eerie score – filled with shrieking strings and ominous wailing – add weight to what could have been a far more lighthearted trip through the multiverse. Raimi even goes so far as to add in an element of the slasher genre, with the constantly looming presence of Strange and America’s pursuer never far behind, providing an urgency to their actions that makes for an appropriately panicked, fast-paced affair.
Somewhat expectedly, after months and months of post-No Way Home speculation, there are plenty of fan service multiverse moments here sure to please fans, even if they can’t possibly fulfil every wild wish and fantasy. Reports that these were added in following the release of the latest Spider-Man, whilst unconfirmed, would prove reasonable, as this is also where the film’s pacing slows down significantly, as it attempts to unload chunks of exposition at you to explain its, at times, incredibly confusing central premise whilst throwing new faces at you. These appearances are by no means necessary, and don’t further the overarching MCU plot in any significant ways, but Raimi manages to have a lot of fun with the surprises, going in unexpected and gleefully macabre directions that only the man who gave us the off-kilter masterpiece Evil Dead 2 could pull off.
Marvel Studios, 2022
As is the case with majority of Raimi’s films, there is a healthy heaping of cheesy humour thrown in for good measure; a lot of which doesn’t work in the usual Marvel manner. It isn’t bad by any means, but with everything going on and with the audience constantly being swept from location to location, it falls by the wayside in the bigger picture. Still the final act does feature some of the best prosthetics work in all of Marvel, in a scene that could have been pulled directly from the Evil Dead franchise; showing one of the biggest proponents for campy humour at his campy best.
Being only his second solo outing since the original Doctor Strange in 2016, there is a lot of room here for an exploration of Strange’s character and how the tumultuous events of his Avengers appearances have affected him. Michael Waldron – writer of last year’s Loki – tackles the material on a much more intimate level, crafting a multi-dimensionally sad story for Strange and any potential hope for a life beyond his superhero duties with former flame Christine (Rachel McAdams). It’s an emotionally meaty storyline that Cumberbatch sinks his teeth into, giving less of the arrogant surgeon that we saw in 2016 and portraying the former Sorcerer Supreme as a much richer character who has seen and evolved from all he has experienced.
On a similar journey of self-discovery is Wanda who, following on from the events of WandaVision longs for the children she has lost, with Elizabeth Olsen taking the characters to some truly dark places in her desperation. It’s her best performance as the Scarlet Witch to date, as she continues to make this deeply tragic woman one of the MCU’s most interesting characters.
Marvel Studios, 2022
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness won’t be to everyone’s taste. It’s a drastic shift in the tone we have come to know, given Marvel’s miraculous willingness to commit to Sam Raimi’s vision and unique style. Cumberbatch and Olsen are the best they have ever been, telling a touching, intimate story on such an enormous scale whilst Raimi ensures we are always entertained, constantly finding inventive filmic techniques and genre trappings to tell an MCU story in a bold new way. Forget Wong’s warnings, you’d be mad not to dive into this multiverse.
Marvel Studios, 2022
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness stars Benedict Cumberpatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Xochitl Gomez, Benedict Wong, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Bruce Campbell & Michael Stuhlbarg – In cinemas now.
The Northman is Robert Eggers’ most elaborate film to date. That’s saying something for a guy who made both The Witch and The Lighthouse, two of the most gorgeously presented films in recent memory with an incredible amount of detail stitched into every frame. And while his typically fine-tuned storytelling falls prey to cliché here, The Northman more than makes up for it in terms of sheer scale and the amount of raw ferocity on display, alongside a healthy heaping of Eggers’ textbook weirdness. For fans of Eggers this is another feather in the cap of one of the most exciting directors working today, and for newcomers this is by far his most accessible film to date.
After witnessing the brutal murder of his father, King Aurvandil (Ethan Hawke), at the hands of his uncle Fjölnir (Claes Bang) as a child, a vengeance-fuelled Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård) sets out on a brutal quest across Iceland to avenge his father, save his kidnapped mother Gudrún (Nicole Kidman) and his bring his uncle to justice once and for all. Along the way he must contend with visions of the Gods, shocking revelations and an unexpected relationship with Olga (Anya Taylor-Joy), a slave claiming to be a witch, who holds the potential to free Amleth from the lust for revenge slowly tearing him apart.
Universal Pictures, 2022
On a story level it might be easy to pigeonhole The Northman alongside similar genre fare like Gladiator and Braveheart; after all it operates as a fairly straightforward revenge mission with few genuine surprises along the way, but to do so would be to diminish a truly exciting and technically masterful film. Each frame feels so carefully put together, with no secret being made of Eggers’ deep commitment to realism and historical accuracy, and while that doesn’t do anything to make up for the blander elements of the story, it does create a visually stunning and immersive world that envelopes you in Amleth’s story.
The places where Eggers does steer his story into the more mythological is where it separates itself from its peers, with hypnotic, hallucinatory sequences of Gods and Soothsayers guiding Amleth along his sacred quest. These scenes will certainly not be to everyone’s tastes, but make for a much richer exploration of the society at the time that Eggers so clearly cares for, providing context for the intense, almost zealot-like commitment to family loyalty that drives Amleth.
Universal Pictures, 2022
Eggers’ terrific eye for visual flair extends to the action scenes, most of which operate as mesmerising one-shot sequences, with the camera panning and spinning around brutal scenes of violence. The harsh, unforgiving world that Amleth operates in extends to these sequences, and Skarsgård imbues his character with a tremendous physicality as he detaches from reality in a blind fury for his opponents. It’s a performance that doesn’t require much in the way of Eggers’ usual complex, period-specific dialogue, but is no less affecting in the raw physicality and heaving body movements that Skarsgård is constantly performing as the perpetually enraged berserker.
More so than Eggers’ other works, The Northman takes aim at the topic of toxic masculinity and how an unchecked commitment to it can erode a person’s very being; with only the presence of Olga able to lift Amleth from his increasingly animalistic ambitions. It’s a no-holds barred, extremely literal approach to tackling the theme, leaving very little to the imagination as you see experience the violent trail of death Amleth leaves in his path in his quest to fulfil his father’s dying wish.
Universal Pictures, 2022
As the story progresses though and certain secrets are revealed, you get the sense that Eggers is attempting to unpack more, but is held back by his inability to waver from where the story must naturally go. It’s a last ditch attempt to expand beyond the point he is trying to make to finally get the audience truly on-side with Amleth – who had up until that point been more of a walking, revenge-fuelled vehicle of violence than a fully developed character – that sadly gets lost in the beats the film has to hit to succeed. An unfortunate sacrifice, but in a world this brutal, sometimes they simply have to be made.
The Northman is a blood-soaked journey through Viking history told through Robert Eggers’ extremely unique, punctilious sensibilities that opens his style up to a much wider audience whilst retaining the visual opulence that fans have come to love. The genre trappings and the limitations of the somewhat basic story being told do the film an injustice at times, limiting our ability to fully connect with the characters in a way not seen in his work before, but the sheer technical achievement of it all combined with the obvious passion on-screen make this a ridiculously entertaining and memorable watch nonetheless. Charge to the cinema to see it.
Universal Pictures, 2022
The Northman stars Alexander Skarsgård, Anya Taylor-Joy, Ethan Hawke, Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang, Willem Dafoe, Gustav Lindh, Eldar Skar & Björk – In cinemas now.
Everything Everywhere All At Once is a cinematic anomaly. It shouldn’t work at all, let alone as brilliantly as it does here; a cosmic, mind-bending exploration of Hollywood’s latest trend: the Multiverse. But where films like Spider-Man: No Way Home and the upcoming The Flash seek to use the concept to open up their properties to even more characters, the Daniels (writer-directors Kwan and Scheinert) have crafted an epic tale of love and forgiveness, anchored by a career defining performance from Michelle Yeoh, set against one of the most inventive, batshit crazy worlds ever put to screen.
In dire financial strife – and unbeknownst to her, on the verge of a divorce – Evelyn (Yeoh) struggles to balance an impending audit appointment, her well-meaning but irritating husband Waymond (Ke Huy Quan), and the upcoming introduction of her daughter Joy’s (Stephanie Hsu) girlfriend to Evelyn’s ageing father Gong Gong (James Hong). When a mysterious note appears amongst her tax documents at the IRS offices, Evelyn is accosted by an alternate version of her husband, who informs her that she is the key to stopping the evil Jobu Tupaki from wreaking havoc across all the universes in existence. Forced to learn how to draw upon the power of alternate versions of herself with unique skills, Evelyn must look inward to discover the true key to saving the Multiverse.
A24, 2022
Part The Matrix, part Martial Arts movie, part raunchy comedy and a heaping help of completely batshit strangeness, Everything Everywhere All At Once lives up to its name in defying explanation and being all these things at once; a celebration of cinema whilst being its own completely original thing. As you’d expect it takes a minute before you fully understand what is going on, with the Daniels throwing new world mechanics and terminology into the mix constantly. At a certain point however, everything just clicks together and this cinematic ride whisks you along with it; the visuals of Michelle Yeoh snorting a fly or Jamie Lee Curtis walking around with hot dogs for fingers being completely plausible as you explore this constantly inventive world the Daniels have created. From the people who gave us Swiss Army Man, a film about Daniel Radcliffe’s farting corpse, would you expect anything less?
Not only do they throw completely wild ideas on the screen, most of which shouldn’t work, but the Daniels manage to infuse it all with so much emotion that you will be a weeping wreck by the time the credits roll. At the core of all the zaniness is family and Evelyn’s relationship with hers is relatably complex, having let the everyday complications of life become her priority instead of the people around her. As she is allowed glimpses of herself in these different universes, she comes to understand the importance of the relationship with her husband and daughter in all of them, and it is this emotional core that drives the action, leading to a hilariously wholesome final act.
A24, 2022
Michelle Yeoh, a veteran of the screen, is given a rare role for an actor here; a chance to break away from the pre-conceived notions of what she can do by doing… just about everything. The range on display is truly astonishing, to the point where individual frames present wholly new versions of Evelyn, often featuring elaborate make-up or prosthetics and a distinct facial expression from Yeoh. These glimpses into alternate Evelyns may only be on-screen for a fraction of a second, but they all work together to hammer home just how epic in scope this adventure is, whilst remaining intimate. It also helps to further prove that Michelle Yeoh can do anything.
That greatness extends to the entire cast, with Stephanie Tsu’s frustrated and emotional portrayal of Joy, Evelyn’s daughter caught between loyalty to her family and striking out on her own. Jamie Lee Curtis pops up as a disgruntled IRS officer who follows Evelyn through the Multiverse, clearly relishing the weirdness and freedom of her role. But it is the return of Ke Huy Quan – Data in The Goonies and Short Round in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom – that is most exciting, a familiar face who hasn’t lost any of the pure positive energy that he brought to those iconic roles back in the eighties. It’s heart-warming to see Quan return in a role this important and he knocks it out of the park, nailing his portrayal of the many versions of Waymond across the Multiverse.
A24, 2022
Those endless possibilities in the Multiverse extends to the film’s technical aspects as well, with the Daniels constantly playing with everything from the shifting aspect ratio to the colour grading and use of filters to denote different genres, universes and thematic elements. It’s a visceral, immediately noticeable element that gives each universe its own distinct flair, as well as demonstrating a clear love for the history of cinema and the different types of films within it.
In an infinite multiverse, Everything Everywhere All At Once is an infinite list of things we love about the movies – reasons to laugh, cry and cheer. Michelle Yeoh gives the performance of her career in this endlessly creative sci-fi epic; one of the most original films in recent memory that deserves to find a huge audience. With countless layers to unpack underneath the fantastic action and raunchy jokes, this is a film that will only improve upon repeat viewings as it works its way into your list of favourites. In a world where you could do anything anywhere, choose to see Everything Everywhere All At Once now.
A24, 2022
Everything Everywhere All At Once stars Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu, James Hong, Tallie Medel, Harry Scum Jr., Jenny Slate & Jamie Lee Curtis – In cinemas now.
The original Sonic the Hedgehog film was a refreshingly uncomplicated, fun road-trip movie that knew exactly what it was. It didn’t shoot to directly adapt the stories of the video game series, but rather adapted the characters to a real-world setting and let the blue blur run wild with jokes and heart, in a way that was accessible for adults and kids, fans and newbies alike. This latest instalment ramps things up in typical sequel fashion; with more characters, bigger action and some questionable dance battles all thrown into a wildly entertaining, if somewhat inconsistent time at the movies.
Following his defeat of the evil Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey), Sonic (Ben Schwartz) is enjoying the spoils of victory, splitting his time between his loving adopted parents Tom (James Marsden) and Maddie (Tika Sumpter) and moonlight as a heroic, if slightly dangerous, vigilante speeding through crime across the country. With Tom and Maddie away on a Hawaiian vacation, Sonic is left to fend for himself, an easy task that takes a turn with the return of Robotnik from his mushroom-filled prison, alongside newcomer Knuckles (Idris Elba), a prickly red echidna with some shared history and a pretty big bone to pick with Sonic. Forced to team up with yet another new arrival – the technologically gifted, two-tailed fox Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey) – Sonic races against time to ensure that Robotnik does not get his hands on the infinite power of the legendary Chaos Emerald.
Paramount Pictures, 2022
In keeping with the first film, the plot here is not the most original, boiling down to a series of MacGuffin hunts that follow your tried and true hero’s journey arc. Thankfully it mostly moves at a pace befitting of Sonic, save for a few drawn-out, uninteresting sections that shift the focus from Sonic and Robotnik to Tom and his Hawaiian antics; and while these are necessary to set up an emotional finale, they do take their time, no doubt causing some restlessness in younger viewers.
Where the sequel truly shines, similar to the first, is in its combination of heart and humour. The emotional changes Sonic and his pals undergo are simple but wholly effective in endearing the audience to them as they figure out their place in the world while fighting evil. Writers Pat Casey, Josh Miller and John Whittington are able to harness some extra goodwill this time around by emphasising the found-family aspect of Sonic’s relationship to not only Tom and Maddie, but also to Tails and Knuckles; a device you could argue is cheap and cheesy, but which never fails to induce an “aw” from the audience.
Paramount Pictures, 2022
Then there’s Jim Carrey, who continues his rejuvenated, high-energy performance as Dr. Robotnik on a level that makes you feel as if you are watching him perform in his 90’s prime. The joke delivery and improvisation is so fast and hits so much of the time that Jeff Fowler simply lets Carrey run wild with his scenes, ensuring he hits the story beats while leaving everything else up to the comedic genius. Robotnik almost rivals Sonic for screen time this time around and it’s a good thing too, with James Marsden and Tika Sumpter’s characters reduced to little more than filler as the series begins to flesh out its world with more complex elements from the game franchise.
The introductions of Elba’s rage-filled Knuckles (reminiscent of Dave Bautista’s Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy) and Colleen O’Shaughnessey’s timid but brilliant Tails are welcome counterpoints to the brash confidence of Schwartz’ Sonic, making for some excellent comedic banter as well as an interesting examination of Sonic’s place in the world and how he carries himself. It’s largely surface level, but a little extra depth in a film that also includes dance battles to Bruno Mars songs is always welcome for the adults.
Paramount Pictures, 2022
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is yet another delightfully light, enjoyable video-game movie in a genre famous for self-serious adaptations. It doesn’t shoot for the moon its loose retelling of the Sonic lore (perhaps to some game fans’ chagrin) and it is all the better for it, thanks to its talented cast of comedic powerhouses – led by Carrey and Schwartz – and while the film’s pacing at times falls behind the kind of blistering speed Sonic is known for, this is by and large another fantastic family film for kids of all ages. Stick around for the post-credits scene, it’ll have you racing to the inevitable sequel faster than Sonic himself.
Paramount Pictures, 2022
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 stars Ben Schwartz, Jim Carrey, Idris Elba, Colleen O’Shaughnessey, Tika Sumpter, Adam Pally, Natasha Rothwell, Shemar Moore, Lee Majdoub & James Marsden – In cinemas now.
It’s easy to forget that the Fantastic Beasts franchise is even a thing. Next to the monstrous popularity of the Harry Potter books and films and the wider franchise’s increasing controversy thanks to its contentious creator, these films barely register as anything more than a shallow attempt to recapture the magic. The third film The Secrets of Dumbledore leans even further into the Harry Potter mythos we know and love as a cheap nostalgia ploy to attempt to conceal yet another jumbled, poorly planned instalment filled with weak characters, zero emotional investment and more plot holes than J.K. Rowling herself could imagine.
Following his climactic encounter with Grindelwald (formerly Johnny Depp, now Mads Mikkelsen) in the events of The Crimes of Grindelwald Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) finds himself on yet another quest at Albus Dumbledore’s (Jude Law) request to recover a Chillen, a mythical creature with the ability to identify the purest of heart amongst the magical community. With Grindelwald’s follower Credence (Ezra Miller) – newly revealed to be a Dumbledore – hot on their heels, Newt, his brother Theseus (Callum Turner), Professor Hicks (Jessica Williams) and muggle Jacob (Dan Fogler) must embark on a desperate mission to prevent Grindelwald from gaining power over the entire magical world, encountering all sorts of terrifying beasts and dangerous magic along the way.
Warner Bros, 2022
The most unforgivable curse the Fantastic Beasts series casts is its complete lack of planning. Film to film, the connective tissue just isn’t there, with each subsequent movie never feeling as if it is written to continue character arcs or even basic story threads. The Harry Potter films were convoluted, sure, but here it feels as if every scene introduces a complicated new concept or set of rules before throwing them out the window shortly after and dumping needless exposition on us to explain why those rules were broken. It leads to a larger story that feels muddled and totally unsure of what it is even about. Who is the audience supposed to view as their protagonist at this point? Newt seems moved to the side of what was once his franchise, Dumbledore postures a lot but his contributions to the action are minimal and Grindelwald remains the ever present threat, rarely seen but often mentioned.
Claudia Kim’s Nagini, framed to become a much larger piece of the puzzle in Crimes of Grindelwald is completely absent here, as is Katherine Waterston’s Tina Goldstein – a franchise stalwart gone without a trace save for one small, unexplained appearance. Then there’s Gellert Grindelwald, essentially this franchise’s Voldemort, who has undergone a change in actor with each film. The shift from Depp to Mikkelsen was necessary, and Mikkelsen does a fantastic job at finally establishing a character that is charismatic enough to warrant the legions of wizards and witches that pledge themselves to him, whilst harbouring a darker side that makes him a sufficient threat to Dumbledore.
Warner Bros, 2022
Still, Farrell’s original shift was unnecessary and means that each subsequent actor has had to work harder and harder to make Grindelwald the threat these films constantly remind us he is. After 3 films of a planned 5, he is only now coming into his own as the villain he has always been positioned as and whether intentioned or not, that makes for significantly less investment than Potter had garnered through Ralph Fiennes’ Voldemort after the same number of appearances.
Then there’s Credence, a character once considered the linchpin of the series due to his powers as a mysterious Obscurus, who is unceremoniously tossed to the side; his lineage – the prior film’s big cliffhanger – warranting mere minutes of mention before the film promptly moves on to some new confusing plot point. Simply adding new wrinkles to a character’s backstory without addressing the previously established beats is lazy screenwriting, and while it likely means the end of Ezra Miller (good riddance), it yet again makes for a messy, unfocused film.
With the state of the franchise in general covered, we can focus on this latest car crash. Grindelwald, for one, is given an utterly ridiculous arc; shifting from the most wanted fugitive in the world, to an acquitted freeman without even being caught, to a sudden nominee for leader of the entire magical world (a political position that you think would have been important during Voldemort’s reign but was strangely absent) in the blink of an eye. It’s an unsettlingly close Hitler allegory that even relies on the German Minister of Magic to set the pieces in play for Grindelwald’s rise to power. As if that wasn’t enough, the dark wizard’s political platform is entirely based around cleansing the world of muggles, a view that gains far too much traction too quickly amongst the wizarding community. Oh, but it’s ok, because the leader must be chosen by the Chillen, an animal that can detect the pure of heart and has been tasked with deciding the leader of the entire magical world because… well your guess is as good as mine.
Warner Bros, 2022
The only thing that can prevent this rise to power, of course, is Dumbledore, who is unable to act against Grindelwald thanks to the powers of a blood pact the two made decades ago. It’s a spanner in the works for all of five minutes as both Grindelwald and Dumbledore set their minions to do their dirty work for them, despite the film showing us that either will literally perish if they do this. By the end of the film it’s all swept aside, meaning this becomes yet another filler film on the way to the two former lover’s inevitable showdown. Speaking of showdowns, the action is the film’s only bright spot – with several engaging set-pieces sparking brief glimpses of the magic of old, largely thanks to familiar props and musical cues from the Harry Potter films. A cheap but effective form of nostalgic manipulation that manages to be the only thing the film does competently.
The Secrets of Dumbledore is yet another misfire for a franchise that has no idea how to escape the shadow of the much more successful Harry Potter or how to further that lore in a meaningful way, through a story that actually warrants telling. Each scene seems to contradict the one that came before and needless complications cloud an unsure, poorly planned story from ever becoming anything other than a series of events vaguely reminiscent of a world that was once beloved. With two more films confirmed to be on the way, it is going to take a hell of a lot of magic to bring the fantastic back to this franchise.
Warner Bros, 2022
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledorestars Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law, Dan Fogler, Ezra Miller, Jessica Williams, Callum Turner, Alison Sudol, Richard Coyle, William Nadylam, Katherine Waterston & Mads Mikkelsen – In cinemas now.
