Reviews in a nutshell
This is Northern Ireland Troubles behind ‘enemy lines’ (from a British military perspective), a powerful cat-and-mouse game that makes ’71 an exhilarating watch from the start. There needed to be a fresh angle, which writer Gregory Burke evokes, making sure that there is enough Belfast streets-located violence to establish and drum home the effects of …
What do you get when you cross Lord of the Flies with Lost? The answer is The Maze Runner, a screen adaptation from the first novel in the trilogy series by James Dashner. It has an appeal for all – the idea of living hand to hand and fending for ourselves in some great dystopian …
Approach this film version of the iconic 1980s TV series as a reboot – not a 2014 remake, and you won’t be disappointed. The fact that popular US actor Denzel Washington is in the lead role formerly brought to life by Brit Edward Woodward should pre-empt this too. There are still similarities in concept for …
It’s Liam Neeson in his vigilante element again – for those who like him that way, tasked with saving the day and bringing rough justice to those who deserve it. Only this time, the lines of good and bad are very hazy indeed, designed to question our moral high ground. It’s a twisty, turny plot …
We’ve become blasé about our sci-fi stories – anything goes that initially seems crackers but gets persuasive as things progress. Luc Besson has combined a sci-fi passion with that of one of his strong, kick-ass women in Lucy, starring Scarlett Johansson. You would be forgiven for thinking it was another Malick The Tree Of Life …
The novelty of ‘found footage’ films is starting to wear thin. Not only does it always have certain shots that couldn’t possibly have been captured by any of the characters – hence rendering the status quo questionable, but also it expects us to arrogantly take it a little more seriously, which in this case is …
The thing that kept the tension wound tight in The Purge (2013) was everything being contained within a comfortable four walls, feeding on our deepest fears of being under siege in a safe environment; our home. Returning writer-director James DeMonaco now taps into the other fear that the first film triggers: What would happen if …
It’s another Michael Bay robot-carnage fest in the fourth instalment, Age Of Extinction that only feels strangely different because of a more intriguing cast this time around. Gone are bland, boyish LaBeouf and the wisecracking US marines. In comes proven screen action hero, Mark Walhberg, Stanley Tucci as a megalomaniac corporate man and Kelsey Grammer …
Apocalyptic movies about the destruction of ‘selfish mankind’ are becoming ten-a-penny, where we’re getting quite used to seeing our famous city landmarks reduced to dark, gloomy ruins. It would be easy to knock Tom Cruise’s new action flick Edge Of Tomorrow by instantly placing it in that category. However, Cruise as been a little wiser …
