REVIEW: ‘The Dark Tower’ ventures into an entirely generic multiverse

When Nikolaj Arcel’s film is at its best, it does harness this mixture of genres, suggesting that there’s a fascinating world for audiences to explore. The realm of Mid-World contains derelict versions of technology from our world, but with a society that seems more like a 19th-century American frontier settlement, only equipped with electricity and futuristic capabilities like teleportation. Frustratingly, just as viewers are getting interested, the film has its characters travel to Manhattan, where a series of rote story beats plays out: the hero is injured and fortuitously healed before the final fight; the hero has a falling-out with his companion, only to bond over a shared experience; the hero stops a world-destroying space laser with a few well-placed, slow-mo bullets.

REVIEW: 'Dunkirk' is Christopher Nolan's best film to date

The raging debate now isn’t whether or not Dunkirk’s the best summer film to date -- because it undoubtedly is -- but whether or not this is Nolan’s finest work on a resume that has no major blemishes. I would argue this is definitely Nolan’s best film because this is a technical Nolan at his technical best, and his expertise shines through in every single aspect of the film, most notably in using the rule of thirds in both plot structure and developing tension between characters.

REVIEW: ‘Atomic Blonde’ is a neon-lit thermonuclear warhead, with a few frayed wires

A finely engineered watch figures prominently in the plot of Atomic Blonde. It’s loaded with some secret information that everyone in the movie wants to get their hands on. It’s tracked by operatives of MI6, the CIA, the KGB and the French DGSE. Whoever has the watch controls the fates of dozens, if not hundreds of spies in Cold War Europe. As the people of East and West Berlin take the final crucial steps towards reunification, a shadowy battle plays out over a single deadly timepiece.

Like the watch, the film is a collection of beautiful components. The craftsmanship behind every part is on full display: bold, fluorescent cinematography, calibrated performances, and a vicious one-take action scene for the ages. There’s an important flaw, though: Atomic Blonde puts all of this powerful material on display, but can’t seem to put it together correctly. It’s as though the pieces are grinding against each other, resetting the clock when the film should be ticking forward and building tension.

REVIEW: ‘War for the Planet of the Apes’ is a triumph of emotional, layered sci-fi

Make no mistake: on the surface, Matt Reeves’ film features cutting-edge motion-capture tech and the investment of an estimated $150 million (before marketing costs). But the key to the film is a focused, moving screenplay - one that finally puts all of its attention on the main character of the series, Caesar the ape (Andy Serkis), as opposed to viewing him alongside a human lead. We track Caesar through his greatest struggle, to find a lasting home for his people, an endeavour that references Old Testament stories, classic cinema, and modern politics. Big tentpole films with truckloads of CGI don’t have to be made this way, and all too often aren’t. So why not celebrate when Hollywood gets it right?

REVIEW: ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’, where the villain finally measures up

If you spent any time in the pop culture world over the weekend, you probably heard that Homecoming has one huge thing going for it: a formidable, carefully chosen villain. And it’s important to point that out as soon as possible, not only because Marvel films tend to fall apart in this exact area, but because Adrian Toomes (a.k.a. The Vulture, played by Michael Keaton) is crucial to why the movie feels so cohesive. Toomes has a relatable objective, a code of honour, and his relationship with Spider-Man makes you forget at times that we’re watching yet another fragment of a perpetually sprawling, incomplete story.

REVIEW: ‘Baby Driver’ is an engine-roaring, music-blaring love story on wheels

The shortcut to describing Baby Driver is to call it a heist film. But the more you think about it, the less that label applies to the new film from Edgar Wright. Movies that truly belong in the heist genre tend to break down the crime, showing us detail-by-detail how the brilliant thieves got away with it. But there’s something more pressing at the heart of Baby Driver - an old-fashioned love story, where the hero is bent on escaping a criminal life he never wanted. He’s got better places to be, and a hell of a way to get there.

REVIEW: ‘Wonder Woman’ is a striking meditation on war wrapped in a solid superhero package

Happily (despite persistent rumours to the contrary) Patty Jenkins’ picture is a sturdy, involving piece of work on its own merits. It uses the broader DC universe as a stage for a reflection on the causes of war – is it something inherent in human nature, or something we can struggle to avoid? And it does so from the unique perspective of a woman being introduced to real combat (and the 20th century) for the first time. While Wonder Woman isn’t immune to the usual genre tropes (uninspiring villains, a messy climax), it’s still a great place to start; not just for female-led comic-book movies, but for the DC franchise as a whole.

Film, New ReleasesRobert SnowJune 4, 2017wonder woman, 2017, movies, cinema, film, superhero, comic book, dc, warner bros, review, criticism, superman, batman, gal gadot, chris pine, patty jenkinsComment

REVIEW: ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales’ strands you in overly-familiar waters

The first act of the newest Pirates of the Caribbean movie features a sequence where a team of horses, hooked up to a one-ton vault, end up towing an entire building through the streets of an island township. In the midst of this chaos is Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), waving his arms like a mad octopus, in the throes of the shtick that Depp has offered on movie screens for 14 years. None of it is remotely plausible, and it goes on much longer than it has any right to.

REVIEW: ‘King Arthur: Legend of the Sword’ is a gonzo interpretation that’s been cut to ribbons

Now comes King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, the newest (but twice delayed) film from Ritchie and the first major release based on the Arthurian tales since Antoine Fuqua’s 2004 film starring Clive Owen. True to form, Ritchie approaches the Knights of the Round Table with his signature flourishes, doubling down on the magical underpinnings of the source material. This is a movie with Mûmakil, giant snakes, and a hulking skull-headed necromancer. It’s almost a direct contradiction of Fuqua’s “What if Arthur was a real military leader?” concept, and one that feels more authentic to those familiar with names like Merlin, Mordred and Camelot.

But Legend of the Sword is also a naked attempt to re-forge King Arthur into a medieval superhero. The legendary king is given otherworldly powers not unlike those of the Flash, and thus the audience is entreated to sign up for yet another merchandisable multi-film cinematic universe - or would it be cinematic kingdom? Even that wouldn’t be so bad, if the film wasn’t also one of the most confusingly edited movies of 2017. Over and over, the movie scrambles up its scenes, leaving the distinct impression that Ritchie’s first draft wasn’t good enough for Warner Bros. (after Suicide Squad, who’s surprised?) and the editing was passed on to a committee. The Arthurian tales are flexible, but they’re no match for studio meddling.

REVIEW: ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’, another cosmic gem in an often gloomy film universe

There’s something to be said for a movie that wears its heart (or its themes) on its sleeve. It may not be subtle, or even very original, but if a film has a confident sense of self, watching it can be just as engrossing as a hard-hitting awards contender.

Not a lot of movies have this kind of swagger. Audiences are sometimes assumed to be passive enough to distract with empty CGI, awkward exposition or monologuing villains. Thankfully, this isn’t true of the Guardians of the Galaxy films, which operate under the infectious belief that they’re pretty hot stuff, even without the bells and whistles. They welcome you into a corner (or corners) of the universe where there’s danger and opportunity in equal measure, and people don’t feel the need to hide who they are. They’re just as colourful and expressive as they want to be, and unsurprisingly, it’s one of the nicest places in the Marvel universe to visit.

REVIEW: ‘The Circle’ makes a fuzzy argument for Internet privacy…then against it

The urge to decode our relationship with technology is a powerful one. We want to know why we invest so much time in our online presence. We wonder whether it’s a good idea for tech companies to step in when governments or other institutions let us down. We worry if part of what makes us human is getting stripped away.

So along comes The Circle, directed by James Ponsoldt (The Spectacular Now, Smashed) a movie that joins a burgeoning line of releases that caution against taking our online connectedness too far. The Circle’s worried about our privacy, or so it says.

REVIEW: 'Power Rangers' morphs into a new take on an established franchise

With Power Rangers drawing better-than-expected reviews and surprising everyone with a $40 million opening weekend gross, 2017 is shaping up to be a really good year. (If you don’t believe me, check out this list compiled by a Redditor.) Despite its promising opening, I’ve found that there is a large segment of people who steadfastly refuse to give it a chance – that’s understandable, given the Power Rangers’ target demographic, but part of the fun in seeing a movie is to be taken in directions that amaze or surprise.

Film, New ReleasesJason ChenMarch 29, 2017power rangers, zyuranger, saban, superhero, film, cinema, movies, action, zords, martial artsComment

REVIEW: ‘Kong: Skull Island’ puts a lush coat of paint on a classic creature feature

Several decades ago, a movie like Kong: Skull Island would unashamedly be a true B-movie. It’s got a giant ape, a remote island full of monsters, and some good-looking people trying to escape. But in our current age of geeky properties getting blessed with $200 million budgets, it can be tricky to figure out what we’re getting with Skull Island. Is the movie too pretty, too well assembled and too stocked with talent (like Oscar winner Brie Larson) to embrace its grungy roots?

Film, New ReleasesRobert SnowMarch 12, 2017king kong, kong skull island, tom hiddleston, brie larson, john goodman, samuel l jackson, godzilla, film, movies, reviewComment

REVIEW: 'Logan' is a violent, focused character study

Am I crazy in thinking that Logan is good enough to start stirring up some conversation when awards season hits? James Mangold’s long-awaited, much-ballyhooed, R-rated entry in the final chapter of Wolverine’s trilogy still manages to be a surprising delight despite all the hype.

Film, New ReleasesJason ChenMarch 6, 2017logan, wolverine, hugh jackman, movies, film, x-men, patrick stewart, reviewComment

REVIEW: ‘Get Out’ embeds social commentary into an eerily plausible horror

Any movie that wades into a complex and divisive political discussion like race relations has to toe a fine line. Play things too safe, and the film will feel like a waste of time. Conversely, take too strident of a position and audiences may rebel. This is why movies like Get Out – the new horror-comedy from Jordan Peele – feels like such an achievement.

Film, New ReleasesRobert SnowMarch 4, 2017horror, race, comedy, jordan peele, daniel kaluuya, allison williams, movies, film, social, thriller, get outComment

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