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

Man Of Steel (out Jun 27) isn't good enough. I liked the overlap of the current day story with Superman's past. The cast isn't too bad either. That's it in terms of positives. There are inconsistencies in the story, laughable plot developments and the ending degenerates into a seen-it-all-before, CGI-laden action fest. Disappointing. Grade: C+.

Epic (out Jun 27) can't live up to its title. It's an animated feature about a secret world of tiny creatures who live amongst us. It looks nice but you can't help but think more needed to go into the story. Not that exciting. Grade: B-.

The Look Of Love (out Jun 27) recounts the true story of Paul Raymond and how he became Britain's richest man. Unfortunately, it feels like a "tick the box" exercise in terms of narrative. We zip through the key events in his life. It's a nice central performance from Steve Coogan but it's a shame his character isn't all that interesting. Grade: C+.

In The House (out Jun 27) is the tale of a 16-year-old literature student who submitting pieces to his teacher that detail his dark obsession with the family of a fellow classmate. This is an interesting, creative, puzzling French film that is best described as a black comedy. It will keep you thinking. It will think you guessing. Grade: A-.

Satellite Boy (out now) comes with good intentions but it's an uninspiring story about a 12-year-old Aboriginal boy who roams the Australian outback in a quest to save his family's drive-in cinema. The subplots don't connect very well and there are some puzzling scenes that offer little value. Grade: C+.

World War Z (out Jun 20) is a great zombie flick that offers a well balanced mix of action, drama and suspense. The zombies are freaky, the situations are perilous and Brad Pitt is a good fit as the film's strong yet reluctant hero. Do see this. Grade: A-.

Monsters University (out Jun 20) is a cute prequel to the 2001 hit. We follow Mike and Sully as they try to prove that they belong in the School of Scaring. Whilst it contains the same "don't give up on the underdog" themes that we often see in family films, it's still fun to watch. Grade: B+.

Despicable Me 2 (out Jun 20) could have used a more detailed, captivating storyline but it's still an easy-to-enjoy follow up to the 2010 original. Steve Carell again steals the show with his humorous portrayal of the sarcastic Gru. Grade: B+.

The Internship (out now) will suck the life out of you. It's a 2-hour advertisement for Google that revolves around two middle-aged morons who apply for an internship and then start impressing people with their team spirit. The IT jokes are dumb, the crude humour doesn't fit and every element of the story feels false. Grade: C-.

After Earth (out Jun 13) is set 1,000 years into the future and follows a father & son team who are trying to be rescued after their space craft crashes. This is bland stuff. 14-year-old Jaden Smith lacks charisma as the "hero" and there are far too many moments of convenience contained within the storyline. Grade: C.

Still Mine (out Jun 13) is the story of an elderly man trying to come to grips with his wife's Alzheimer's Disease while facing legal dramas as he attempts to build his own house. This is a comfortable, Sunday-afternoon kind of a movie. These characters are a little too straight forward but it's hard to speak badly of them. Grade: B-.