Rian Johnson is one of the hottest filmmakers of recent years. His take on Star Wars with ‘The Last Jedi’ utterly divided critics and fans, as he proved he could do something different with the seemingly formulaic nature of the franchise. With his new film Knives Out, he again proves a master of subversion, this time taking on the murder mystery genre.
After playing Dick Chaney in Vice, Christian Bale has now lost all that weight to star alongside Matt Damon in a film about racing. You’ve gotta love Bale for his diversity in choosing projects, but he clearly has a keen eye for greatness because this film, which sports some phenomenal racing sequences, is absolutely fantastic.
Aardman have been responsible for some of the funniest and most British films of recent years. There aren’t many production studios that can take a minor character from another franchise, make a spin-off TV series from it, and then two feature films from that, and STILL maintain originality and freshness. However, with 'Farmageddon', they have managed to still do justice to that little sheep from ‘A Close Shave’.
From the producers of Sausage Party (Alarm Bells, I hated Sausage Party) comes Good Boys, another film where swearing constitutes 50% of the 'jokes'. In a day-spanning plot that is as weak as that for Grown Ups 2, three young kids get up to all sorts of 'hilarious' adult activities, including selling sex toys and buying drugs. Sometimes passable, mostly uncomfortable, it isn't great.
In the latest 2019 film based on some famous songs by a specific artist, 'Blinded by the Light' puts the struggles of 1980’s racial tension against a Bruce Springsteen soundtrack. The result is as disorientating as you’d expect, and while it delivers a sweetly uplifting story, it suffers from too many clichés and a lack of clear intention.
The ninth film in the Fast and Furious franchise, 'Hobbs and Shaw' is the first spin off from the original series and stars Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham. Taking the action, jokes and thrills into another gear, it delivers everything you could ever want from a big summer blockbuster.
After the phenomenal success of the books and critically acclaimed TV series, the BBC have finally made a film adaptation of Terry Derry’s beloved franchise. Sporting the most complicated title of the year, Horrible Histories: The Movie – Rotten Romans is the first extended addition to the CBBC TV show. While retaining a lot of the charm and fun of the original series, the extended run time didn’t always work for the film, and some of the jokes fell fairly flat.
After the monster of a blockbuster that was Avengers: Endgame, 'Spider-Man: Far from Home' seemed like a terrible idea. Coming out only three months later, it seemed sure that Marvel would fall flat after undertaking the aforementioned Mammoth task. What a joy it is to say that this Spider-Man sequel proved me wrong, and also proves the MCU is far from over.
Directed by Danny Boyle! Written by Richard Curtis! Featuring the music of The Beatles! These things coming together (not a Beatles pun) make the most British film that could possibly ever happen. Unfortunately, it confuses a fantastic premise with a dull rom-com plot, and the result is underwhelming.
The second of four live action remakes from Disney this year, Aladdin tells the classic story of a pauper in love with a princess. Swapping stylish animation for over the top action, it doesn’t fall flat on its face, but on occasions it does come dangerously close.
Daniel Robinson: From Reel to Real 