Yamazaki’s approach succeeds again in this new installment, not only letting us see his version of Godzilla face off against one of the franchise’s archvillains, but also capturing some surprisingly complex character work with the human cast. It’s a stunner on a technical level, too, with huge set pieces shot on IMAX and presented in a tall aspect ratio for full immersion.
Read MoreGeorgia Oakley’s new film makes the case that the world does need a new take on the story. Now, I’m no Austen-phile, and my experience with the author’s works begins and ends with movie adaptations like Autumn de Wilde’s Emma from 2020, Whit Stillman’s Love and Friendship from 2016, and Lee’s Sense and Sensibility from 1995. Yes, that means I’ve never seen a single adaptation of Pride and Prejudice! But maybe it also means I’m more unbiased than some viewers might be, for whatever it’s worth.
Read MoreDoes Digger strike black gold, or is it more of a Deepwater Horizon (the ecological disaster, not the film)? For the first two thirds, I thought I knew what I was getting; it fits the bill of a pretentious, swing-for-the-fences film that will irritate or confuse most of its audience, and charm the few that are left. But there’s a key speech from a character played by Jesse Plemons, near the end, that helped win me over a bit and counterbalance some of the earlier frustration.
Read MoreAs much craft went into Supergirl, though, the movie doesn’t reach escape velocity. It’s weighed down by lots of odd choices that make it feel decidedly terrestrial, as though the filmmakers were worried they would - ahem - alienate the audience with too much sci-fi weirdness.
Read MoreMother Mary ends up ringing hollow, as scene after scene unravels with unnecessarily heightened dialogue, and the core relationship between the titular Lady Gaga-esque artist (Hathaway) and her dressmaker (Coel) never coheres. No matter how many bold colours and theatrical scene transitions are thrown at us, the basic information we need to help us sympathize with the characters is held at a remove.
Read MoreI’m probably among the ideal adult audience members for a movie based on those games. I recently played through both Galaxy re-releases for Nintendo Switch, so I was primed for any of the visual references the studio would include. And visuals are definitely where The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is at its strongest. But no matter how ready I was to see games I knew so well get blown up on a big screen, the movie struggles on a story level at every turn.
Read More“Am I smart?!?” is one of the first things Ryan Gosling’s character in Project Hail Mary yells out when he wakes up from an induced coma. It’s the opening sequence of the movie, and Ryland Grace (Gosling) finds himself, unshaven and amnesiac, aboard a spaceship heading for the star system of Tau Ceti. He’s not quite sure why he’s there but he knows he’s scared, alone, and on a mission of some kind.
Read MoreBautista in particular has spent the last few years of his career looking for opportunities to challenge himself with roles that balance dramatic heft with his undeniable tough-guy image. Momoa, meanwhile, is happy to coast with a version of his Aquaman character, knocking people around and guzzling as much Guinness as his brand ambassador deal can get him.
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