Reviews in a nutshell
The world of the Avengers just got darker, more complicated and more extended in a sequel that although contains many of the key ingredients of its predecessor fails to rise to its exhilarating and entertaining heights. The problem with The Avengers: Age of Ultron lies in its convoluted plot and writer-director Joss Whedon trying to …
Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen was made to be a cowboy – handsome, brooding, fearless and unforgiving. In The Salvation he puts those qualities to the test. It’s a Danish Western by Danish writer-director Kristian Levring and co-writer Anders Thomas Jensen set in the wild, Wild West (1870s America) that’s as ruthless as it’s sumptuous to …
What do you get when you cross Keanu Reeves and two ex-stuntmen-turned-directors? The answer is one hell of an action movie with a star that may well be 50 years old, but shows absolutely no signs of slowing down. John Wick has rebooted Reeves in action-man mode, and possibly given him another franchise to sink …
It’s the long-awaited follow-up that unleashes (a p****d) Jason Statham on the franchise, but also, sadly, says goodbye to Paul Walker, an actor who made his name in the series with surprisingly average acting skills but just all-American good looks. Fast & Furious 7 puts horror’s James Wan (Insidious 2 and The Conjuring) in the …
Trying to explain why a talking yellow sponge is a hilarious concept to the uninitiated is quite impossible (speaking from experience here). That’s why it’s best to just expose them to the insanity that is Spongebob SquarePants and let the chips fall. It’s not to everyone’s taste – and certainly implies the makers are on …
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Perhaps Sean Penn is hoping that Taken director Pierre Morel will help turn him carve out an ‘aging action hero career’ – like he has Liam Neeson – in The Gunman, based on a novel by Jean-Patrick Manchette? Penn certainly has hit the gym for the part (and a tanning salon), never missing a …
— The trick to writer-directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa’s new ‘rom-con’ flick Focus is to keep things going at rapid speed and make everything look super glossy, so as to fool the rest of us into thinking this qualifies as another Ocean’s Eleven. Sure, this 100 million dollar film looks the pretty picture and …
Ever wondered what injecting a Bond film with a bit of comic-book madness would be like? Kick-Ass writer director Matthew Vaughn – who teams up with co-writer Jane Goldman again – has the answer: Kingsman: The Secret Service. It’s part-spy, part comic-book caper that doesn’t take itself seriously. Testament of Youth star Taron Egerton plays …
Crime dramas realised through Australian filmmaking eyes always seem that much more gritty and violent. That’s why first-time feature director Julius Avery’s contribution, Son of a Gun, is another exciting prospect with new debuting talent. Add an against-type input from our very own Brit export Ewan McGregor to the cast, and things get that much …
