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Gladiator II Review
Ridley Scott marks his return to Ancient Rome with Gladiator II – twenty four years after the release of his Oscar-winning Gladiator (2000). With a plot following directly on from the 2000 epic, Scott provides a sequel aiming to captivate a new generation of moviegoers – while hoping to live up to the high standards set by its predecessor. Having rewatched Gladiator in preparation for ...
Venom: The Last Dance Review
This is not your average superhero movie, this is not trying to be. This is violent, this is cringe, this is silly, this is fun. This is Venom. Hinted to be this iteration of Venom’s last hurrah, Venom: The Last Dance is co-written by director Kelly Marcel and lead actor Tom Hardy. Marcel has been the lead writer for the past two Venom movies and she maintains the same incredibly unique tone whil...
Hellboy: The Crooked Man Review
As a keen fan of the Hellboy films, I was thrilled when I heard that the franchise was getting another instalment with Hellboy: The Crooked Man. My excitement compounded with the news that the plot of the film was lifted directly from the Dark Horse Comic books by Mike Mignola, who co-wrote the screenplay with Christopher Golden and director Brian Taylor. Surely this delightfully detailed folk-hor...
Transformers One Review
While audiences might be approaching the release of Transformers One with trepidation, after being burnt out by the repetitive trend of more explosions than plot in recent films from the franchise, however like the Transformers slogan, there is definitely more than meets the eye with this film. Welcome to the origin story of our favourite arch nemeses, Optimus Prime and Megatron. From the outset ...
Ka Whawhai Tonu Review
Struggle without End. Director Mike Jonathan (Cinematographer, The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari) recreates the historic battle of Ōrākau Pā, Aotearoa,1864. Where local Maori tribes unite in a last stand against Colonial forces’ ongoing confiscation of land, desecration and general campaign of violent disrespect. Ka Whawhai Tonu is predictably grim in its presentation of Maori strength and s...
Twisters Review
Twisters lands in Australian cinemas this week, nearly 30 years after the previous instalment in the Universal Studios franchise. Here’s hoping that this new film isn’t just a nostalgic trip down memory lane, but instead a worthy successor to its blockbuster predecessor. My experience with the original Twisters is pretty minimal. I saw the film years ago when I was young, but I didn...
Bad Boys: Ride or Die Review
Between thirty to forty years ago, Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer dominated the summer blockbuster landscape with a long list of knockout action thrillers. Highlights featuring the likes of Beverly Hills Cop, Top Gun, Crimson Tide, Dangerous Minds, The Rock and Bad Boys. The two later films directed by then breakout auteur, Michael Bay (how the mighty have fallen). Flash forward to today and Ba...
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Review
Strap in scavs! On May 23rd Aussie auteur George Miller once again fangs audiences across the post apocalyptic central Australian wasteland. Expanding the rebooted universe established with 2015’s Fury Road, Furiosa gives us the full life and times of the titular antiheroine. Well, the important bits anyway. Her rise from unwilling captive snatched away from goodness, to mute feral. To praetorian ...
The Fall Guy Review
Hoping to capitalise off the global phenomenon that was Barbenheimer, Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt are back on our screens to kick off the summer movie season with Universal Pictures’ The Fall Guy. Loosely inspired by the 1980’s stuntman-themed TV show of the same name, The Fall Guy promises an action-packed, romance-filled insight into the underappreciated industry of stunt work. From the outset...
Civil War Review
Writer and Director Alex Garland (Men, Ex Machina) delivers a spectacular, confronting and all too plausible take on a fictional modern conflict gripping the United States of America. Civil War asks, What If? What if the corrupt President (Nick Offerman – The Last of Us) broke all the rules and attempted to create a dictatorship. Abolishing legal process, exempt from prosecution, disbanding ...
Monkey Man Review
The much-anticipated Monkey Man hits cinemas this week, seeing actor Dev Patel (The Green Knight) sitting in the Director’s chair for the first time ever. After receiving a standing ovation during its premiere at SXSW Film & TV Festival, this adrenaline-fueled feature is set to elevate the action genre to new heights. Before going into this film, all I really knew about it was the on-set news ...
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire Review
This week sees the release of the fifth instalment in the epic Monsterverse franchise – Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. This time around, we see Godzilla and Kong forced to unite against a formidable adversary emerging from Hollow Earth. This new threat not only questions the dominance of these titanic beings, but also jeopardises the fate of humanity. Promising higher stakes than ever befo...