Terminator 2: Ultra HD BLu Ray Review

Terminator 2: Ultra HD BLu Ray Review

26 years ago, one blockbuster film set the pace for sci-fi action.

With packed out midnight screenings, Terminator 2: Judgment Day was one of the earlier highly anticipated event films of its time.

So James Cameron's dusted it down, given it a polish and added in some 3D to ensure it's fit for the 2017 market place.

There can't be many who don't know the film's gritty details, so there's no time to be wasted here with those.

Instead, suffice it to say while the film looks dated by today's standards in its ILM FX, there's no disputing the fact the Cameron helmed movie is still one hell of a juggernaut of action and humour.
Schwarzenegger hits all the right notes, and while Furlong's debut still seems as wonky as it was at the time, the overall pace and the story-telling is still top notch.

In terms of the 3D it's not done for gimmicky effect, preferring instead to be used to add depth to some of the chase sequences but not to the detriment of the original's pace and narrative.
An early sequence with the truck chase with Patrick's T-1000 chasing down Furlong's John Connor on a bike is exceptional, both in action and execution - and the 3D adds the necessary depth to the frenetic freeway action behind them.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day 3D is no quick cash in on the FX front, it's an enhancement to one fo the greatest sci-fi action films of all time. And given it's here for a good time, not a long time, you definitely need to be back for it. 

Watch: The arrival of the Thirteenth Doctor

Watch: The arrival of the Thirteenth Doctor

Peter Capaldi aka The 12th Doctor Who has vacated the TARDIS.

In the Christmas special, Twice Upon a Time, Peter Capaldi's Time Lord chose to regenerate after initially refusing. And after guiding the First Doctor (David Bradley) onto his first regeneration after the climactic events of The Tenth Planet.

After a powerful speech and monlogue urging above all to be kind, Peter Capaldi's Twelfth Doctor was gone, in a blast of regeneration energy.

Then, with a simple "Oh, brilliant" heralding the arrival of Jodie Whittaker's Thirteenth Time Lord, it was on to pastures anew.

Watch the Twelfth Doctor's farewell speech and the arrival of Jodie Whittaker as Doctor Who, including the new Doctor Who's first words below.

The Twelfth Doctor's monologue -

"Oh there it is. Silly old universe. The more I save it, the more it needs saving. It's a treadmill.

"Yes, Yes I know they'll get it all wrong without me. Well I suppose one more lifetime won't kill anyone. Well, except me.

"You wait a moment, Doctor. Let's get it right. I've got a few things to say to you. Basic stuff first. Never be cruel never be cowardly, and never ever ever eat pears.

"Remember, hate is always foolish and love is always wise. Always try to be nice but never fail to be kind, oh and you mustn't tell anyone your name - no-one would understand it anyway.

Except children, children can hear it, sometimes if their hearts are in the right place and the stars are too, children can hear your name - but nobody else, nobody else, ever.

"Love hard, run fast, be kind. Doctor, I let you go."

Breathe: Film Review

Breathe: Film Review

Cast: Andrew Garfield, Claire Foy, Tom Hollander, Hugh Bonneville, Stephen Mangan
Director: Andy Serkis

It would possibly have benefited first time director Andy Serkis to have taken potentially another subject for his debut.

The wannabe inspirational true story of Robin Cavendish (played by Andrew Garfield) is perhaps a little too close to home for Serkis, whose friend Jonathan Cavendish is the producer of this film.

But then perhaps, there may not have been as much empathy and tenderness in parts of this deeply sanitised biography (and almost hagiography) of Cavendish, who was left paralysed by polio in Africa in the late 50s.

Against all medical advice, his loving wife Diana (The Crown star Claire Foy) drags him out of the clinic, respirator and all, to give him a shot at living in his trapped condition. Defying the odds, and with plenty of homecare, Cavendish begins to live a life again - and sets out changing conditions for others suffering a similar condition.

Intended as inspirational is no bad thing, and certainly swathes of this mix the humour of French hit The Intouchables with a sort of British stiff upper lip cum don't let the biggers grind you down ethos that in parts it's hard not to get swept along with.

Foy is the dazzling diamond of the piece - and the film's title Breathe, as well as referring to the necessity of Cavendish's condition could also refer to the life breathed into him by one woman's unswerving devotion and belief. Equally, Garfield, along with plummy English accent and confined for parts of the film to act with nothing but facials and head nodding manages to imbue Cavendish with both understandable frustration and desperation as the depression sets in.

Serkis keeps things light, starting the film with a dizzying meeting, courtship and marriage of Diana and Robin which sets the pace. Along with a dual role for Rev star Tom Hollander, there's plenty of breezy laughs and 40s style Englishness to just about keep the twee from rotting your cinematic teeth.

Along with some top down shots, Serkis keeps the tone going and the atmosphere jovial.

But when the inevitable darkness calls, that's half the problem with Breathe.really starts to become noticeable.

It's very much a sanitised view of what a life-changing condition can do to those involved and Serkis relies on the japes of the darker moments to make it all feel slighter than it should. At 2 hours, there's no arguing that a maudlin and depressing feel could turn Breathe into a slog, but by going too far the other way (perhaps at the insistence of the producer and with his personal history to the subject), the film's levity becomes its undoing and the triumph is battered by a beautific desire to simply be English about it and laugh it all off.

Ultimately, Breathe may be a film about the human possibility and of endurance, but it's also won that sacrifices its smaller moments for a mish-mash of tone, even choosing to throw a right-to-die debate into the mix in its death throes.

All in all, Breathe's fallacies are greater than what unfortunately its lead actors bring to the table - and while its intentions are good and true, its cloying sentimentality and desire to breeze over reality ironically finds the film narratively gasping for breath.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Another year passes and it's time to wish you all a Merry Christmas.

Thanks for the support of this website again this year - and here's to 2018!

The most exciting thing ahead?

Twice Upon A Time - for Doctor Who.

In which we bid farewell to Peter Capaldi's 12th Doctor and welcome in Jodie Whittaker as Doctor No 13!

Have a wonderful time with family and friends - in all the craziness of the season, this is actually all that matters, so relish it.

See you in 2018!

Kingsman: The Golden Circle: DVD Review

Kingsman: The Golden Circle: DVD Review

If the first Kingsman movie was a scrappy, yet amiable, wish fulfillment piece about a working class oik who's inducted into the spy world and saves the day, then the sequel Kingsman: The Golden Circle is a bloated, blustering bombastic pastiche spy movie that almost squanders the love you had for the first.

This time around, Eggsy (a charming yet still ruffian round the edges Taron Egerton) is back and facing more peril after the secret Kingsman organisation he works for is blown off the face of the earth by a Martha Stewart 50s-loving drug lord Poppy (a strong turn from Julianne Moore, who pitches the film more on welcome eccentric villainy than ham).

Forced to team up with the US branch, the Statesman, and with a surprise face back from the past, Eggsy and Merlin (the ever reliable and impressive Mark Strong) look to tackle the threat.

Over-long and with a midway lag that very nearly derails proceedings, Kingsman: The Golden Circle feels more like a mix of elements rather than the rip-roaring narrative success the first film was.

While Egerton's rougher edges and charm add elements of charisma, the decision to pair them up with American counterparts leaves a little to be desired, given the film's refusal to do much more with it than initially flirt with the idea.

It's a shame, because Channing Tatum's cowboy Agent Tequila has some real comedic and dramatic potential for the movie - but he's sidelined early on in a move which makes you wonder if someone didn't add the budget up correctly and couldn't cover his fee. (Mind you, all the American counterparts barely register longer than a few moments of screen time.)

Thankfully Pedro Pascal (Narcos) steps in nicely as Agent Whiskey and adds a frisson of charisma that's needed - but bizarrely, the US UK relations side of Kingsman: The Golden Circle feels like a goldmine sadly left undiscovered.

As the film kicks off with its bloodless CGI-charged chase antics, it's clear bluster is the order of the day, and while the overly frenetic and quick blitz editing in the fight sequences impress, they're barely a patch away from what was rolled out during the Kingsman: The Secret Service film.

In truth, parts of Kingsman: The Golden Circle feel like a go-around and do over of the first, so if you enjoyed the puerile hyper-violent edges of the first one, it's more than likely there's plenty to enjoy here.

It's very much a case of more-is-more with Vaughn piling on the pedal and focussing less on the character more on the action.

A mountain sequence is redolent of The Spy Who Loved Me and the globe-trotting antics feel piled on, and while the overload is threatening at times, there are moments and characters within that work extremely well.

Moore makes for a good villainess, Strong is debonair any time he appears oozing charm with ease, Pascal's lasso-wielding cowboy contrasts nicely with the stiff British upper lip and Firth's dialled down turn adds an edge but strangely feels narratively robbed of any kind of need for inclusion.

(Not so for Elton John, whose appearance initially is an amusing punchline to a gag no-one expected, but whose foul-mouthed tirades irritate the more screen time he's given.)

At times, it feels like the kind of Bond film that Alan Partridge would make - stuffed full of elements, smut and action, a no-place-for-women other than as objects vibe and with less judicious editing than is necessary to guarantee a tight lean experience.

Ultimately, Kingsman: The Golden Circle has moments of exhiliration, but feels a little too in love with itself to remain objective enough to know when to stop.

The worst films of 2017

The worst films of 2017

Much like the cream of the crop, there were some real stinkers of films this year.

Depressingly, most were sequels or franchise entrants, or films which failed to add anything exciting or new to the world of cinema.

Here are, without a doubt, the worst films of 2017.
Again, in no particular order, but all would share the top spot of crapola if it were allowed.

Rings - "The Hex files returns in the second sequel to the 2002 American horror that was a remake of 1998 Japanese scare fright. But, quite frankly, with a run time of nearly 2 hours and nary a scare at all, its return is hardly warranted."

Why Him? - " Why Him? ends up being a lazy, unfunny comedy that misses the mark so often and drags that the only nagging thought you're left with as you leave the cinema, is a resounding "Why me?"

The Mummy - "Based on The Mummy, it has to be said that Universal's plan for a Dark Universe monsters series is off to a shaky start, and unlike its titular baddie, may struggle to rise from the grave."

The Dark Tower -"With voiceover and dour execution, The Dark Tower is nothing short of generic, yet somehow muddled."

Fist Fight - "That it takes 75 minutes of the 90 minute comedy Fist Fight to elicit a belly laugh is a sad state of affairs. And that its laugh comes courtesy of a rehash of Little Miss Sunshine's inappropriate talent show is to further damn this knuckle-head comedy that purports bare knuckle fighting is any way to solve conflict."

Elsewhere, there were still other stinkers.

Gary of Pacific - A film so woefully unfunny, it somehow managed to make a trip to a Pacific Island feel like a terrible case of Delhi-belly.

Despicable Me 3 - A triplicate that was as yellow round the gills as its minions.

Baywatch - Always thought the beach was supposed to be a fun day out, Baywatch was not a fun day out.

The Emoji Movie - "Meh"

Chips - Should have been strangled at script birth.

Jigsaw - "Do you want to play a game?" Based on this, not a hope in hell, thanks.

Pirates of The Caribbean - Dead Men Tell No tales - Lucky dead men, many of us will live on to tell the tale of this horror.

Claire's Camera - Cameras are defunct now and this festival film needs to be digitally erased.

The Stolen - The only thing stolen was 90 minutes of the audience's time.

Daddy's Home 2 - Please, Will Ferrell, stop making movies. Until you're funny again.

Geostorm - Sadly the sub-par FX were still the best thing in this disaster movie, that thought it was Armageddon x The Weather.

A Kiwi Christmas - Robbing the joy of the festive season, this wannabe family fare was much like a Christmas family gathering - excruciating, painful and goes on too long.

The best films of 2017

The best films of 2017

Initially, it appeared that 2017 was an average year for films, with a feeling that blockbusters were overwhelming a lot of what was out there.

Not that it's a bad thing, but in seeing a couple of hundred films a year, there's occasionally a yearning to experience something different.

And while Taika Waititi's Thor: Ragnarok will be a home box office success thanks to parts of its originality, there is still a feeling that originality chimes with cinema viewers, and critics alike.

In no particular order, here are the picks for the top films of 2017.

The Florida Project 
"While more a freewheeling tale than a specifically strong narrative story, The Florida Project's exploration of the socio-economic damage done in America is as compelling as it is depressingly vibrant."

Paddington 2
"It's easy to dismiss the likes of Paddington in the cynical CGI world we currently live in, but the fact that it takes the simple things and does them well is very much to the film's credit and definitely not to its detriment."

Human Traces
"Director Nic Gorman's twist-and-turns script pulls and pushes his actors in ways that are challenging, but it's the central premise of the story split into three pieces and scenes played again but from different protagonist points-of-view which give Human Traces its captivating USP."

Blade Runner 2049
"It's an almost insurmountable task that Blade Runner 2049 has ahead of it, given the lasting legacy Scott's first film laid down in cinema lore.

But Canadian director Denis Villeneuve pretty much nails it here, imbuing his film with both the DNA traces of the first and degrees of its own identity."

Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie
"You can't help but leave the animated Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie with a smile on your face."

Lady Macbeth
"A star is born in the devilishly sizzling William Oldroyd helmed Lady Macbeth, a reinvention of the Russian novella Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District. Florence Pugh burns up the screen as Katherine, a young bride trapped in the shackles of marriage and in a home of pure hell.

It
"Ultimately though, It is a nightmarish yet somehow episodic meshing of phobias and primal premises wrapped up into one effectively retro package, guaranteed to haunt you."

Elsewhere on the list, and worthy of commendation for 2017

Waru, NZ's 8 director take on child abuse

Gods Own Country, a stunning debut worthy of more than its lazy labelling as the Brokeback Mountain in the UK's peaks.

Bad Genius, a thrilling fun ride of exam cheating that was a heart-stopping joy from beginning to end.

The Big Sick, Silicon Valley's Kumail Nanjiani imbued this flick with a great dose of heart and humour.

War for Planet of the Apes, a great end to one of the great trilogy reinventions of our time.

Raw, a cannibal coming-of-age movie to get your teeth into.

Get Out, a damning yet funny indictment of racial politics, all slyly wrapped up into a a simple tale of meeting the in-laws.

Logan, the R-Rated Wolverine we've all wanted, and the capper that delivered what Jackman promised through the years.

Split, a James McAvoy thriller that showed M Night Shymalan was still capable of delivering a twist that stunned.

Moonlight, the Oscar winner that signalled change.

Wonder Woman, the first sign that DC films could do women justice and never compromise a second of their comic book roots.

Columbus, a low-key relationship drama that had heart - and a brilliant lead from Haley Lu Richardson.

Coco, a Mexican themed animation about the Day of the Dead that teemed with life and gave wondrous voice to a simple story.

Colossal, an Anne Hathaway indie that had Kaiju themes, but also universal ones as well.

A Ghost Story, like Malick's Voyage of Time in many ways, but with a ghost.

The Killing of A Sacred Deer - by turns twisted and dark, yet devilishly delicious.

Baby Driver - Edgar Wright's heist movie that plays like a LP and sticks in your mind like an earworm.

The Hero: Film Review

The Hero: Film Review

Cast: Sam Elliott, Laura Prepon, Krysten Ritter, Nick Offerman
Director: Brett Haley

Mixing melancholy and offbeat humour as well as a great deal of heart, The Hero centres around Sam Elliott's gravel-voiced one time Western actor Lee Hayden.

With a career that's been defined largely by one great role in a film called The Hero, Hayden's world has been reduced to doing voiceovers for BBQ sauce (in a nod to perhaps UK comedy show Toast of London).

Estranged from his daughter (Ritter) and separated from his wife, Lee's life is hit by an unexpected terminal cancer diagnosis, Lee's spending time brooding and smoking weed with former fellow actor Jeremy (Parks and Rec's laconic Nick Offerman).

But when he meets Laura Prepon's Charlotte by chance and an acceptance speech for a lifetime achievement award goes unexpectedly, his apparently over life changes in more ways than one...

The Hero's laid back ageing premise may hit differing audiences in differing ways.

However, Elliott's nuanced and rugged turn as Lee is emotionally resonant no matter how you view the film and its cliches.

Regardless of whether some of the film's plots follow an all-too familiar trajectory, there's something in Elliott's compellingly understated performance that's simply captivating.

Prepon plays enigmatic too, but there's a real sense of these two connecting despite a major age difference potentially in their way. Thanks to some sensitive direction, it just about works when, against all the odds, it really shouldn't.

Whether it's being lost in ruminations on his life, or being lost in a haze of drugs around Charlotte, Haley's script manages to coat everything in a forlorn fashion that plays to Elliott's silent strengths.

And there's something about this veteran actor that just fits the part.

There are elements of this which may seem almost autobiographical in many ways as the older generation of actors tries to find a place in Hollywood, and rides a revival, and at times, to be frank, the script treads an all too familiar line, but there's just something about this low-key indie from Sundance, with its drawling lead that makes The Hero a success in ways it shouldn't be.

LocoRoco 2 Remastered: PS4 Review

LocoRoco 2 Remastered: PS4 Review

Platform: PS4

The roly poly blobs are back in the sequel to the musical, slightly infantile and occasionally irritating LocoRoco Remastered that dropped earlier this year.

The latest doesn't see much of a variation on the themes of the first.

Using L1 and R1 you roll and jump your LocoRoco around various worlds, collecting fellow Locos from the berries from flowers, growing your number and avoiding the pesky black Moja as they try to swallow you up.

This latest sees tweaks on the theme, as the world around them is more musical than before - now collecting musical notes give the LocoRoco a chance to boost collectibles around the game as well as a rhythm mini-game.

They don't add heaps to it, allowing upgrades but unless you're dead-set on collecting the music notes early on in the level, most of these tend to hit the required amount towards the end, rendering the reasoning redundant at best.

There are a lot more Moja around the game as well, obscuring notes, obscuring the landscape and affecting creatures within. But a few bounces from the LocoRoco get rid of them, so they are more a temporary pest than a long term pain in the backside.

This latest will see you using a lot more of the environment to help you take on the Moja, and it's good to sink into a rock and then use it to nut against other baddies around.

There are plenty of collectibles too, from Mui Mui parts to notes, there's more than enough to keep you involved in the game.

And while it plays fluid and seems like Rayman's more colourful and blotchy cousin, LocoRoco2 Remastered's reason for being is slightly dampened by a feeling of repetition rather than reward and something that's adding a lot to the universe.

The Changeover: DVD Review

The Changeover: DVD Review

Cast: Erana James, Timothy Spall, Melanie Lynskey, Lucy Lawless
Director: Miranda Harcourt, Stuart Maconie

Mixing elements of The Tattooist and bizarrely, Twilight, The Changeover is the cinematic version of Margaret Mahy's Carnegie Medal winning book that dabbles in the supernatural.

Set in post-earthquake Christchurch, it's the story of school girl Laura Chant (a subtly nuanced Erana James) whose life has been wrecked by both the quake and personal circumstances.
With her mother (Melanie Lynskey) working long and late hours, Laura's forced to look after her younger brother Jacko.

But having premonitions something bad is about to occur to Jacko, Laura finds her worst fears confirmed when she meets Carmody Braque (Timothy Spall, suitably sinister and vaguely paedophilic) in the containers of downtown Christchurch.

When Jacko's given an ink stamp by Carmody, he mysteriously falls ill and Laura begins to suspect the worst.

However, she discovers there's more afoot in Christchurch than she realises....

The Changeover makes great fist of its post-earthquake Christchurch to give the Mahy novel a redolence that's both poignant and able to convey the turmoil in Chant's life.
Liquefaction bubbles up among the cherry blossoms of the town and when James intones that "the earthquake broke the city, and it broke my family", you can feel the melancholy seeping in.

Equally, the use of Bic Runga's Sway and Melanie Lynskey's sweet sing-along to the classic and containers and the rebuild ground this film firmly in the south island, but yet timelessly in the appeal.

Unfortunately, some of the clunkier dialogue between Laura and her beau (who's clearly been cast more for his looks than acting prowess) give The Changeover a horrible tingling feeling of a return to the corny overwrought dialogue of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga.

Saddled with reams of exposition about the supernatural, the film almost falters despite the directors' visual flourishes of the manifestation of the supernatural coming-of-age edges.

Equally unhelpful is an underwritten Lawless, whose screen time is squashed and whose presence is wasted.

But thanks to a sinister Spall, who channels both Childcatcher and slimy paedophilic edges as the bad guy, and an extremely impressive turn from newcomer James, The Changeover manages to stay afloat when other elements conspire to attempt to drag it down like a witch under water.

If anything, The Changeover will play to an audience under-served from the New Zealand film market for many years and bravely tries to position itself as something of a teen film with weightier darker issues around the edge. It sort of works and channels an era of yesteryear, but it's largely thanks to the truly impressive talents of James, whose natural presence and expression of the usual teenage tropes helps mark The Changeover out as something worth taking a punt on for an afternoon out.

Win a double pass to see DOWNSIZING

Win a double pass to see DOWNSIZING

To celebrate the release of Matt Damon's latest, Downsizing, you can win a double pass!

About Downsizing

Downsizing imagines what might happen if, as a solution to over-population, Norwegian scientists discover how to shrink humans to five inches tall and propose a 200-year global transition from big to small.

People soon realize how much further money goes in a miniaturized world, and with the promise of a better life, everyman Paul Safranek (Matt Damon) and wife Audrey (Kristen Wiig) decide to abandon their stressed lives in Omaha in order to get small and move to a new downsized community — a choice that triggers life-changing adventures.

Downsizing releases 25 January, 2018

To win a pass, all you have to do is email  your details to this  address: darrensworldofentertainment@gmail.com or CLICK HERE NOW!

Include your name and address and title your email DOWNSIZING!
Competition closes January 21st

Darkest Hour: Film Review

Darkest Hour: Film Review

Cast: Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Ben Mendelsohn, Lily James
Director: Joe Wright

Treading thematically similar territory as last year's Brian Cox-led Churchill, Darkest Hour sees Gary Oldman covered in liver spots and thrust into the political shenanigans and pressures of England's Darkest Hour in May 1940 during the second World War.

More inclined to seethe when it should roar, Joe "Atonement" Wright's film is more about visuals and framing of imagery than anything deeper within as the Anthony McCarten penned thriller follows Churchill as others swirl around him, unsure that their new leader could either negotiate a peace or deal with what's next.

Settling into a routine of plenty of scenes of old white men debating and discussing with a side of shouting thrown in for free, most of Darkest Hour is more about the machinations within the halls of power (but less of the West Wing snippy dialogue) than the human element.

It's hinted at in a few scenes here and there, but Wright and McCarten aren't as interested in pursuing that side of things.

Lily James' typist is troubled by the war for her brother, a woefully underused Scott Thomas' Clem worries her husband Winston isn't well enough for the job and concerns herself with money woes and one early scene with the children hint at the personal cost for Churchill's family, but it's slim pickings.

Central to all of this is Oldman's searing turn as Winston. With hints of vulnerability occasionally conveyed through the eyes and with thunderous emotion behind his speeches here and there, Oldman's immersed himself into the role and is all the better for it.

Equally as impressive is Mendelsohn as the stuttering King. Wisely underplaying, the Aussie's take on things is compelling, quiet and unassuming - and makes for great viewing.

Darkest Hour works best when it concentrates on him, but fails and falters when it casts the net wider.

Chiefly, a fanciful sequence on London's tube feels like something out of a propaganda piece and feels at odds with what's gone on - though is remedy for Winston's dark teatime of the soul.

In among all of Darkest Hour though are some wonderfully framed shots, some breathtakingly executed moments - including a whole room being soaked in red when Churchill delivers his first radio address and the 'Mic Live' bulb kicks in. It's here that Wright really grabs you and conveys the emotional heft which is needed.

With Nolan's Dunkirk being the perfect dessert to Darkest Hour's main meal, it's fair to see why Oldman is garnering some awards buzz for the role - he thunders when it's needed, but unfortunately the rest of the film feels lacking in his wake.

The Greatest Showman: Film Review

The Greatest Showman: Film Review

Cast: Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Michelle Williams, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Keala Settle
Director: Michael Gracey

If you're looking for a deep psychological take on PT Barnum, the infamous ringleader and potential exploiter of the outcasts, The Greatest Showman is not it.

If you're looking for a film where character forms the basis of the musical, rather than once over lightly characterisation, a film where the emotional attachment is formed because of the arc the leads are on, The Greatest Showman is not it.

But if you are looking for a sugar-coated, superficial, candy-rush of a spectacle, where toe-tapping songs are thrown in and which genuinely come close to pulling you out of your seat as you marvel at how white privilege can get you so far, then step right up, because The Greatest Showman is that - and then some.

A hugely charismatic Hugh Jackman leads the pack as PT Barnum, a dreamer whose desire to make a life for his wife Charity (Williams, all smiles and little else) and children is his driving force.

Hitting upon the notion of pulling together a troupe of outcasts, Barnum finds himself a ringmaster of success in the lower rent world. But chancing across a singer of class, Jenny Lind (Ferguson), Barnum feels he can win the acceptance he's never had his whole life - yet, at what cost...

The Greatest Showman aims to tackle bigotry, welcoming minorities and the whole pursuing your dreams angle but manages to do it all under a cloud of smoke and a hint of mirrors.

That's not to deny this typical rags to riches and then back to rags before back to riches story doesn't have some truly impressive toe-tapping songs to carry you from one distraction to the next. There's the wondrous This Is Me and Come Alive which really wind up the energy and give the film a pizazz and verve that are hard to deny.

And Jackman is perfectly cast, with a great deal of charisma and charm to carry you along this superficial journey. His is a Barnum who faces problems with a song and a dance, and this infectious attitude may well help you to paper over the weaker narrative cracks.

Principally, the invented conflict that appears in the film feels thrown in rather than earned; there are meta touches about a theatre critic picking away at what Barnum's doing and how a critic's job is a joyless one.

Racial tensions are thrown into the fore, because that's what The Greatest Showman wants to do and damned if you can stop them with your rational thinking.

And yet, much like Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge and La La Land, there's an infectious beat to all this which is hard to deny in its frippery and flippancy. Although unlike those two, there's not the emotional depth to carry it all along - but it's impossible to deny that you won't be carried along by it.

In many ways, The Greatest Showman is perhaps the perfect film for this time of the year - it's light, fluffy, family-oriented, brain-be-damned, blessed with only a small hint of danger and is an easy antidote to seasonal excess. It offers simple easy solutions to bigger problems facing its protagonists and is hell bent on sending you on your merry way with a song in your heart and not a care in your world.

It's admirable after what 2017 has thrown at us from Hollywood, but much like any big show and musical with Barnum as its lead, The Greatest Showman is all about the conman whirling his baton and seducing us - to which, one suspects, many will willingly submit.

The LEGO Ninjago Movie: DVD Review

The LEGO Ninjago Movie: DVD Review

Vocal cast: Jackie Chan, Dave Franco, Fred Armisen, Zach Woods, Kumail Nanjiani, Justin Theroux
Director: Charlie Bean, Paul Fisher

Those unfamiliar with the Lego Ninjago World aren't likely to be too left behind with this film that pushes the blocky zaniness as much as it pushes the paternal message.

While the Lego movie and Lego Batman movie concentrated largely on the zanier antics, this latest follows the Ninjago team as they continue to fight Lord Garmadon (Theroux) who's determined to conquer their metropolis.

Standing in their way of doing this though, is Lloyd (Franco), aka the Green Ninja, whose life has been ruined by Garmadon in more ways than one - because Garmadon is his father.

When the threat becomes too real, Lloyd, along with fellow ninjas and their grand Master Wu (Jackie Chan) are forced on a quest to try and save the city from the ultimate weapon.

Whereas the prior Lego movies have offered strong stories with doses of zaniness, it has to be said The LEGO Ninjago Movie doesn't differ too much from the formula, treads a lot of familiar ground and consequently does offer up a film of diminishing returns, feeling like the weaker of the recent releases in terms of story ideas, but not pace.

That's not to say its target youngster audience won't enjoy the story and the animation, but the attempts to shoehorn in the message veer dangerously close to brow-beating and crowbarring it in as the film heads towards its conclusion.

The story-within-a-story premise works well and Chan's certainly got the heart to carry it off, but in between the humiliations for Lloyd as he deals with his past and the fact everyone knows his dad is the Worst Guy Ever, there's a feeling perhaps that some of the story's nowhere near as strong as it could be to carry the film through its run time.

Elements of Joe Vs The Volcano creep in toward the end as the sentimental starts to edge in, and the meta touches this time around are kept to a minimum, giving the feeling the film is overall fine, but lacks some of the edge that was pioneered by 2014's Lego Movie under the helmsmanship of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.

With school holidays on the way, it's not that The LEGO Ninjago Movie is a weaker prospect at all, merely a feeling that adults in the audience may feel a little restless while the younger ones enjoy what's transpiring. L-loyd (as his father continually refers to him as) needs to bring a few more l-laughs to the table for the film to have been able to hit all levels.

There's nothing inherently wrong with The LEGO Ninjago Movie, it offers solid blocks of fun here and there and the dad bonding message is a good one to hammer home.

But it has to be said, despite the strong single narrative of Lloyd and his dad Garmadon and when compared to previous blocky outings, it feels like there's unfortunately little else fleshing out the story to make it a truly transcendant experience.

Pitch Perfect 3: Film Review

Pitch Perfect 3: Film Review

Cast: Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Ruby Rose, DJ Khaled, Brittany Snow, John Lithgow
Director: Trish Sie

It's the pitches final call in this latest, aimed squarely at the fans and those who tolerated and enjoyed the Barden Bellas' last two outings.

This time around, with the threads of a story stretched perhaps as far as they could go, the Bellas return for their final tour.

After leaving the singing with the next generation of young things in the previous film, the girls reunite to take part in a US Army tour after deciding being grown up and having jobs is not as much fun as they thought it would be.

But their quest to secure the opening spot for a DJ Khaled set sees them forced to compete with other bands (including one led by Ruby Rose) who have electrical instruments.
And things are further complicated when Rebel Wilson's Fat Amy finds her dad (John Lithgow, complete with atrocious Aussie accent) showing up after years in absentia...

Mixing meta touches and some nods to their previous outings, including a hilarious dissing of Cups, Pitch Perfect 3 isn't exactly tone deaf, but does struggle to hit some of the narrative notes it needs.

Primarily, it's in the narrative flow, which seems to be hit by things randomly happening for no good reason and suddenly without warning.

In places, this causes the film to jar and judder around and quite noticeably so.

But given its 90 minute run time and the reason for the film's existence is to farewell the girls and give everything one last go-around, it generally fulfills that rather than greatly challenging it.

Kendrick's easy-going charm comes through again, though Becca's hardly bothered with story, with much of the third film feeling like a repeat of the arc of her character's first film; and later in the film, Pitch Perfect 3 very much becomes the Rebel Wilson show, with Fat Amy stealing the lion's share of the spotlight and the gags as well.

Mostly, this feels like a 'Now That's What I Call Pitch Perfect' as we bounce from one rendition of a song to another (certainly, Ruby Rose's sneering is kept to a minimum and her once-over lightly character's relatively underwritten), but it has to be said that director Trish Sie, who directed OK Go's infamous 'Here It Goes Again' treadmill video, imbues the musical numbers with a great deal of urgency and vitality.

Ultimately, Pitch Perfect 3 has a finality to it, and while it's a shame that, outside of a flimsy father-comes-home and mish-mash of Britney's Toxic video in terms of spy antics and song, it does little more to challenge its audience outside of its genial preppy outlook.

But at the end of the day, the target market and those who truly enjoy the Bellas and their choreographed shenanigans and songs won't be bothered by the odd bum notes which land throughout.

Pitch Perfect 3 hits New Zealand cinemas on January 1st.

Mortal Engines - Official Teaser Trailer

Mortal Engines - Official Teaser Trailer

It's here - your first look at Mortal Engines!

 Here is the official teaser trailer for Mortal Engines, ahead of its release on December 13^th 2018

CAST & CREW

Director: Christian Rivers (The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, The Hobbit Trilogy)

Produced by: Sir Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Phillipa Boyens, Zane Weiner, Amanda Walker, Deborah Forte

Written by: Sir Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Phillipa Boyens

Cast: Robert Sheehan (Misfits), Hugo Weaving (Lord of the Rings), Ronan Raftery (Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them), Hera Hilmar, Leila George

SYNOPSIS

Thousands of years after civilization was destroyed by a cataclysmic event, humankind has adapted and a new way of living has evolved.  Gigantic moving cities now roam the Earth, ruthlessly preying upon smaller traction towns.  Tom Natsworthy (Robert Sheehan)—who hails from a Lower Tier of the great traction city of London—finds himself fighting for his own survival after he encounters the dangerous fugitive Hester Shaw (Hera Hilmar).  Two opposites, whose paths should never have crossed, forge an unlikely alliance that is destined to change the course of the future.  

Mortal Engines is the startling, new epic adventure directed by Oscar^®-winning visual-effects artist Christian Rivers (King Kong).  Joining Rivers are The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogies three-time Academy Award^®-winning filmmakers Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, who have penned the screenplay.  The Universal and MRC adaptation is from the award-winning book series by Philip Reeve, published in 2001 by Scholastic. 

On board as producers are Zane Weiner (The Hobbit trilogy), Amanda Walker (The Hobbit trilogy) and Deborah Forte (Goosebumps), as well as Walsh and Jackson.  Ken Kamins (The Hobbit trilogy) joins Boyens as executive producer. Universal will distribute the film worldwide. 

The Florida Project: Film Review

The Florida Project: Film Review

Cast: Willem Dafoe, Brooklynn Prince, Bria Vinaite, Caleb Landry Jones, Macon Blair
Director: Sean Baker

Film-maker Sean Baker has always found the camaraderie in verite.

Whether it's the friendship between Dree Hemingway's 21 year old and elderly Sadie in Starlet or the bond between those screeching on the street in Tangerine, the reality of friendships, along with their ebbs and flows, have been central to his catalogue.

Expanding that out for The Florida Project, Baker widens his view to the residents of a crummy motel run by Willem Dafoe's patient and paternal Bobby.

The purple motel sits near Orlando's Disney World, its hint of promise and dreams so close by - a place where the rich and families go to fulfill their dreams and inhabit an escapist world of fantasy.

But for the residents of said purple pastel motel escapism is also on their minds - but their form of escapism is to hope for an end to a desperate scrabble for money and to ensure their motel rent is paid.

It's into this world that Baker thrusts us - but from the viewpoint of a clutch of rambunctious kids who hurtle around the motel and its nearby tourist haunts with varying degrees of boredom.

Whether it's conning those visiting the local vendors for ice cream money (because they claim, they have asthma and the doctor's ordered it) or playing in the motel and turning off the power, their lives are about the freedom of escapism, the pursuit of naivete, unaware of the cruelties of the world around them.

Chief among these is Moonee (breakout star Brooklynn Prince, both vulnerable and brassy and up there with Beasts Of The Southern Wild's child actor Quvenzhané Wallis) whose mother Halley (Bria Vinaite, discovered on Instagram by Baker) is scaling the walls of desperation to feed her child and earn money.

While more a freewheeling tale than a specifically strong narrative story, The Florida Project's exploration of the socio-economic damage done in America is as compelling as it is depressingly vibrant.

With a young cast of unknown actors filling out the leads more than admirably thanks to their natural performances, the film's strength comes from its trajectory of uncertainty. There are moments you can see what's coming and much like most of Baker's work, there's a breaking point that pushes it all to the extreme.

There's an irony in the fact The Florida Project was the original name for Disney World and now the reality of the disparity of the wealth means motels like Bobby's are more like projects and slums - there's heartache to be had here.

Whether it's in a child being forced to leave with his dad and having to give away all his toys for space in the car, or the begging of Halley from a friend for the basics like food, the film's unflinching in its world view.

But here's the crux with The Florida Project - it's never, ever judgemental.

Baker has a way of imbuing both his characters and his situations with a sense of propriety. He swerves from judgement on actions, merely presenting the facts of any given situation and the potential devastation it could cause.

And while the ultimate ending doesn't exactly feel like it's being true to its subjects, shifting from reality to fantasy, there's a lot to love on the journey itself.

It's a crucial difference in this film-making - and while he's slowly becoming the deliverer of the less fortunate or the world less-oft glimpsed, he's also becoming their champion.

Thanks to restraint, heart and sensible heads on all, The Florida Project emerges as both a free-falling descent into reality and an ultimately inspiring and grounding eye-opener to all.