Reviews in a nutshell
After the profound Atonement and whimsical Pride & Prejudice director Joe Wright demonstrates that not only can he bring his trademark subtle tones and emotion to an action film, but also inject humour and dramatic style. Hanna is the outcome, an intelligent action thriller with a pumping Chemical Brothers soundtrack, combining fairy tale with a …
What strikes an instant chord with The Vanguard writer/director Matthew Hope’s The Veteran are real-life newspaper reports of servicemen and women returning from tours of duty and finding a lack of support for civvy life. Then there are the proposed defence cuts in a time when conflicts aboard seem to be escalating. It’s hard not …
In a time of Norse folklore, where men were men and roared with pride, comes a larger-than-life and humour-rich take on the Marvel comic adventure Thor that doesn’t forget the personal angle in the midst of all its splendid grandeur. This thumping-good-fun romp has a true hero at its heart to cheer on, opting for …
Petrol heads unite; it’s the return of throbbing muscle cars tearing up the streets and desert highways with a bunch of thrill-seeking car enthusiasts at the wheel. Well, kind of, but the noise and adrenaline is certainly still there in full dramatic force. Once you’ve adjusted your ears, seasoned Fast franchise director Justin Lin throws …
If you’ve ever wondered what the appeal of riding is, no matter how we bikers try in vain to convert you to two wheels from four, Richard De Aragues’s new documentary film is an excellent place to start. Ok, it’s the extreme version of riding, but it absolutely hammers the message across in the bluntest …
Panto season is (thankfully) a long way off, but if you want some pre-Easter sauciness to tickle your fancy, and are a big fan of sword-fighting fantasy adventures, Your Highness is at your service. Crass, crude and boundlessly bonkers, Your Highness is quite literally a hilarious, sex-obsessed adult fairy tale with a big heart – …
From bunnies to birds, this Easter feels like a nature zone of full of cuddly cuteness. It’s the battle of the studio giants for your kids’ attention, with Universal’s Hop (out last week) verses 20th Century’s new holiday offering, Rio. What the latter has to offer, though, is all the spirit of Rio for weary …
Although adapted from the first novel in a series by John Marsden about an invasion and occupation of Australia by a ‘foreign power’, you can’t help thinking while watching Tomorrow, When The War Began, “Crickey, the Japanese are coming!” This rather untimely inappropriate and harsh fictional assumption, given recent natural disasters in the Land of …
It’s too easy to be blasé about visual maestro Zack Snyder’s new film Sucker Punch, and call it gaming-action porn with scantily-clad women – the opposite of the half-naked 300 men. Just as its Japanese manga influences revel in dubious paedophilia-like images of prepubescent schoolgirls kicking ass, this film could easily be dismissed as a …
