Welcome to the Film Pie! Brisbane based film critic Matt Toomey has reviewed thousands of movies since 1996. See what's out now, or browse the review archive.

Mini Reviews

Alvin & The Chipmunks: The Road Chip (out Dec 26) is the 4th instalment in the franchise. Very young audiences will lap it up but for everyone else, there are other family films that offer much more in terms of story and laughs. This time around, they three Chipmunks travel to Miami to prevent their beloved Dave from proposing to his girlfriend. Grade: C.

Suffragette (out Dec 26) is set in London, 1912 and looks at the tactics adopted by a group of British women in pressuring the Government for the right to vote. It's an important piece of history and the film does a solid job illustrating both the pain (both physical and emotional) that they endured. Grade: B+.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (out Dec17) is entertaining. The safe screenplay shares a few too many similarities with the earlier movies (we have another bad guy in a black suit and mask) but the injection of new characters (particularly star Daisy Ridley) will keep you interested all the way through. Grade: B+.

The Night Before (out Dec 3) is a comedy about three middle aged guys who get together on Christmas Eve and go in pursuit of an amazing party. It takes a while to warm up but as the situations become more and more outlandish (such as a moment in a church), the laughs start to flow. Grade: B.

Truth (out Dec 3) has been criticised for its factual inaccuracies (ironic given the title) but it's still a thought provoking drama about loyalty, office politics and the role of the media. It based on a 60 Minutes story that aired in the United States in 2004 which questioned President George Bush's military history. Grade: B+.

In The Heart Of The Sea (out Dec 3) recounts the true story that helped inspire American author Herman Melville to write Moby Dick. There’s an odd pacing to the film that’s difficult to shrug off and the action sequences feel over edited with confusing camera angles. It wants to be a gripping adventure but it just couldn’t pull me in. Grade: C+.

Love The Coopers (out Nov 26) is a disappointing, unnecessarily complex Christmas drama-comedy structured around an extended family that is difficult to like. They talk a lot but rarely say anything of significance. The odd visual triggers to the past are of little value. Grade: C.

Creed (out Nov 26) is an enjoyable boxing drama that sees Sylvester Stallone reprise his iconic role of Rocky Balboa. This time around, he's serving as the coach and mentor of a young boxer (Michael B. Jordan) trying to find his place in the sport. Both leading performances are great and it culminates with a worthy bout. Grade: B+.

By The Sea (out Nov 26) is a long, tedious drama about a couple (played by Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie) who are trying to get their marriage back on track with a trip to a seaside town in Malta. The lack of detail offers intrigue early but there's very little pay off as their repetitive quarrels unfold. Grade: C.

Hotel Transylvania 2 (out Nov 26) is an unadventurous, moderately likable sequel to the 2012 original. Dracula works hard to prove that his half vampire / half human son has the ability to fly. Grade: B-.

The Crow's Egg (out Nov 26) is an Indian comedy about two brothers from a poor family who are looking to taste pizza for the first time. It paints an interesting picture of India but it's a battle to drag this idea out to the film's 90 minute running time. Grade: B-.