Reviews
Dark Phoenix ends once-mighty X-Men franchise not with a bang, but a shrug
Apart from a few interesting wrinkles, this finale is business as usual
06 Jun
Tolkien may not be 100% accurate, but it’s a compelling biopic
Nicholas Hoult gives a dignified central performance.
30 May
Godzilla II holds some thrills and spectacle… if you can actually follow it
There isn’t nearly enough thrills in 132 minutes.
29 May
Visually stunning Rocketman wisely forgoes any claims to realism
There is nothing subtle, nor particularly insightful, about Rocketman.
28 May
Brightburn is a bloody watchable superhero/horror genre mash-up
What makes Brightburn tick is a tight focus, and an embrace of the grim and gory
23 May
Terry Gilliam’s sloppy Don Quixote movie is ultimately unsatisfying
It’s very nice to look at, though.
23 May
Will Smith isn’t a singer, but he’s a super charming Genie in enjoyable new Aladdin
The film wobbles between lame and good.
23 May
Netflix thriller The Perfection is imperfect but watchable batshit excess
You’re not likely to see where the escalating insanity is heading
22 May
The Hummingbird Project probes into sticky, sharply topical ethical quandaries
The film is low-boil Soderbergh-lite.
20 May
It’s not the best John Wick film, but Parabellum is still a bloody good time
Don’t worry. It still dazzles.
16 May
Flat Netflix comedy Wine Country’s characters would make hospo staff call in sick
The stellar cast couldn’t save this comedy from falling flat.
15 May
Thank you, Detective Pikachu, for being a videogame movie that doesn’t suck
Could videogame movies be evolving?
13 May
Film is indivisible from whānau in Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen
An exploration of family alongside a celebration of creativity.
09 May
New to Netflix, Prospect is an above-average sci-fi Western gem
A lot more to offer than just being an exercise in trope regurgitation.
08 May
Kenneth Branagh’s Shakespeare drama All is True rings false
Shakespeare scholars will not be pleased.
06 May
Zac Efron is stunning and charming in Netflix’s sadly boring Ted Bundy pic
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile’s worst offence is being boring.
06 May
Netflix doco Knock Down the House captures rise of AOC and much more
Political doco includes Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez among its four subjects.
02 May
We loved the absolute hell out of rom-com Long Shot
Rogen and Theron are funny as all hell.
02 May
The Chills doco proves enthralling, emotional, and at times bleakly comical
Also conveys a real New Zealand-ness in both personality and place.
01 May
The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir delivers a fun European feel-good trip
Proves optimistic and full of enough feel-good humanity.
01 May
Spoiler-free Avengers: Endgame review – “good luck bettering this”
Both a victory lap and unexpected nostalgia trip.
24 Apr
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