Mini Reviews
Mini Review - Maggie's Plan
Maggie's Plan (out Jul 7) is a romantic comedy starring Greta Gerwig, Ethan Hawke and Julianne Moore. It wins points for being slightly unorthodox but there's not a lot of substance to these characters and I grew tired of their quirky sensibilities. Grade: B-.
Mini Review - Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates
Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates (out Jul 7) is a surprisingly entertaining comedy about two guys forced to find dates for their sister's wedding. The girls are as a crazy as the guys, there are plenty of great one-liners, and the supporting cast pull their weight. Grade: B+.
Mini Review - The Legend Of Tarzan
The Legend of Tarzan (out Jul 7) is a muddling film. The dull narrative is infused with quick flashbacks that show how Tarzan came to be. Christoph Waltz is a cheesy villain and Margot Robbie is given very little to do as Tarzan's kidnapped love interest. Grade: C+.
Mini Review - Goldstone
Goldstone (out Jul 7) has a few small weaknesses but it’s still an impressive feature from writer-director Ivan Sen who puts a fresh spin on a well-used Hollywood formula. It's a spin off from 2013's Mystery Road and following an indigenous detective who travels to a remote mining town in search of a missing girl. Grade: B+.
Mini Review - The BFG
The BFG (out Jun 30) sounds like the perfect threesome on paper - the writing of Roald Dahl, the direction of Steven Spielberg and the acting of Mark Rylance. The finished product isn’t quite as magical as you might expect. Spielberg has created a fascinating world and filled it with not-so-fascinating characters. Watchable, not memorable. Grade: B.
Mini Review - The Wait
The Wait (out Jun 30) is an Italian drama centred on a young woman who spends a few days with her boyfriend's mother while waiting for him to arrive for an Easter family get-together. The film has a key hook that's impossible to believe and it taints almost every scene. Grade: C.
Mini Review - Central Intelligence
Central Intelligence (out Jun 30) pairs up Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson in a silly buddy comedy that that feels low on ideas. Some jokes do hit the mark. Hart and Johnson argue back and forth and there’s the occasional barb or unexpected comment that will leave you chuckling. Unfortunately, these two actors can’t save a script so poorly conceived. Grade: C+.
Mini Review - Ice Age: Collision Course
Ice Age: Collision Course (out Jun 23) is the 5th installment in this long-running franchise and it's possibly the weakest. The injection of new characters does little to save a dull storyline involving an asteroid that is about to strike Earth. Grade: C.
Mini Review - Everybody Wants Some!!
Everybody Wants Some!! (out Jun 23) is set in 1980 and follows 3 days in the life of a guy who is about to start college. He and his new housemates party hard, smoke weed, drink alcohol, and seduce women. That's about it. Similar to previous Linklater films, characters are the focus over story. I normally like that approach but with little in way of drama or conflict, it gets a touch tiring. Grade: B.
Mini Review - Independence Day: Resurgence
Independence Day: Resurgence (out Jun 23) has been made in the same mould as the original and features a mix of light-weight humour and action spectacle. It doesn’t feel as fresh as the original but perhaps that's more a reflection of today's movies and the fact that such alien invasion stories are so common. Too many characters but you can still have fun watching this. Grade: B.
Mini Review - Me Before You
Me Before You (out Jun 16) is the story of an inexperienced caregiver who starts falling in love with a quadriplegic patient. There are some clunky elements (e.g. her long-term boyfriend) but Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin work well alongside each other and the film explores worthy issues. Grade: B+.