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FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM ■ A mostly fantastic ride

FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM ■ A mostly fantastic ride

As a mugglish non-Harry Potter fan, it’s difficult to relate to the social phenomena of J.K. Rowling’s seminal fantasy series. If you can relate to that, take heart in the reality that Harry Potter prequel FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM is an entertaining ride, even if you’re a muggle like me. An all-new cast of characters from an earlier era and a switch from England to New York makes FANTASTIC BEASTS more of a standalone beast rather than reliant on in-depth Potter Universe knowledge.

That said, you’ll have to accept the reality that there are certain terms, references, names and related magical gobbledegook that’ll fly over your head faster than a broomstick-riding wizard chasing after a Golden Snitch in a game of Quidditch. The story follows the adventures of a socially awkward Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) who’s visiting New York with a magical TARDIS-like suitcase filled with those titular fantastic beasts. It wouldn’t be a very exciting movie if those beasts didn’t escape, and when that inevitability occurs, Newt has to round them up with the help of no-maj (muggle) Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler) and recently demoted witch Auror Tina (Katherine Waterston), as the trio attempts to avoid the wrath of the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA).

There’s plenty of action and entertainment to be found in FANTASTIC BEASTS, with a healthy smattering of darker moments. A lot of the time the beasts are the stars of the show. The growing bromance between Newt and Jacob is particularly endearing, even if by the end of the movie, Redmayne pushes Scamander’s social awkwardness to the point of Asperger syndrome. There’s a kind of cuteness to the romantic subplot between Newt and Auror, but that plays second fiddle to the leading men. By the time the credits roll, though, Percival Graves (Colin Farrell) gets the rough end of the pineapple in a twist that’s surprising as it is inorganic.

Ultimately, FANTASTIC BEASTS is a fantastic ride with plenty of action, comedy and heart, that makes for magical viewing on the big screen.

★★★★ STARS  ■  M  ■  133mins

Review by Nathan Lawrence
 
MORGAN ■ Stupidus Ex Machina

MORGAN ■ Stupidus Ex Machina

Sci-fi is a tricky genre to get right, particularly when you’re dealing with the popular theme of what it means to be human. MORGAN attempts to tackle this topic in a way that drifts between unique, familiar and illogical. Like the worst examples of sci-fi movies, MORGAN falls into that difficult-to-forgive trap of character idiocy (from supposedly intelligent characters, too) used to drive the plot forward.

The plot, or at least the premise, of MORGAN is interesting enough. Lee Weathers (Kate Mara) is a risk-management consultant who’s given the unenviable task of appraising whether an artificially created humanoid, Morgan (Anya Taylor-Joy), should be terminated after a random outburst of violence. MORGAN starts strong in its opening scenes but then meanders in an attempt to create tension, and the execution comes across as mostly boring.

Supposedly intelligent characters frequently make illogical decisions that create drama that’s more artificial than titular character Morgan. What could have been an interesting exploration of what it means to be human, presented in a thrilling way, descends quickly into questionable character motivations and stilted dialogue.

If you’re looking for a recent exploration of the same theme that’s familiar in tone but superior in execution, check out Alex Garland’s EX MACHINA instead.

★½  STARS  ■  MA15+  ■  92mins

Review by Nathan Lawrence
 
ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS: THE MOVIE ■ Pass the bolly and strap yourself in, darling

ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS: THE MOVIE ■ Pass the bolly and strap yourself in, darling

Britain’s iconic disastrous duo are back, in their first feature-length adventure following several successful seasons of the BBC television series. Written by original co-creator and star Jennifer Saunders, very little will come as a surprise to long-time fans. Director Mandie Fletcher (CLATTERFORD, HAMISH MACBETH) is a veteran collaborator on Saunders’ projects, and aside from a step-up in production values and a star-studded cast, she delivers a formulaic on-screen experience.

PR heavyweight Eddie Monsoon (Jennifer Saunders) and her perpetual fame-barnacle and bestie Patsy Stone (Joanna Lumley) are feeling the effects of ageing more than ever, with a dwindling list of clients, funds, and A-List clout. Rapidly losing their toehold and relevance in the fashion world, they concoct a plan to snag Kate Moss as a new client, having heard on the grapevine that she recently fired her PR team. In her eagerness to approach Kate, Eddie ends up accidentally knocking her into the River Thames, earning herself pariah status and the need to flee to the South of France with Patsy to escape the unwanted media attention.

Fans of the show will see everything expected from the long-running franchise – Bolly-guzzling, unfiltered Eds and Pats madness, complete with biting quips and ridiculous outfits. There’s celebrity cameos that are too good to spoil (the Blu-ray comes with a special feature from a brilliant Australian comedian, no less), and the Saunders/Lumley chemistry remains effervescent. However, ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS: THE MOVIE feels a lot like faded opulence. The best jokes are recycled from the TV show, and the already thin plot loses itself after the first act – and sadly, the pay-offs are few and far between.

There’s a smattering of laughs when the characters go out of their way (we’re talking Patsy in drag, here) and the heart of the story – Eddie’s long-suffering ‘parental child’ Saffron receiving and delivering some home truths, feels starkly underutilised. Is it with great yearning for the magic of the golden era of the TV series, that I concede that the best days of Absolutely Fabulous are very much in the past.

★★½  STARS  ■  MA15+  ■  91mins
Out now on Digital HD, and on Blu-ray from November 30

Review by Catie McHugh
 
JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK ■ He’ll never be back

JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK ■ He’ll never be back

Fans of the original JACK REACHER movie were likely delighted to hear that a sequel was in development. For a time, a sequel seemed an impossible ask, given the low global box office, until Chinese filmgoers pushed it into the kind of money required to greenlight a sequel. It was deserved, too. JACK REACHER was a great action thriller, with a fast-moving plot, entertaining dialogue and enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. The sequel, JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK, does not possess any of these qualities that made the original so endearing.

Instead of keeping titular Reacher (Tom Cruise) as a drifter who works best alone, NEVER GO BACK unites him with not one but two unnecessary sidekicks. The premise is interesting enough, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. When Reacher drifts into town to visit phone flame Major Susan Turner (Cobie Smulders), he finds that she’s been arrested and charged with espionage. The unravelling of the semi-interesting conspiracy is one of the better parts of NEVER GO BACK, but the storytelling is soon muddled with the introduction of a weak subplot concerning Reacher’s alleged daughter, Samantha (Danika Yarosh).

The trio heads off on a road trip of sorts, but it never really works. That sharp dialogue from the original movie is gone. There’s zero chemistry between Cruise and Smulders, despite respectable respective performances. Yarosh doesn’t have a whole lot to work with and her character ends up being frequently annoying with little to contribute, with her role relegated to a token inclusion to up the threat by way of Samantha’s stupid decisions. It’d be forgivable if there was decent action, but even that falls flat, except for a brutal albeit out of place final showdown. As a fan of the original, it’s amazing how so many of the great elements of the original movie are missing. It’s a damn shame because it’s unlikely we’ll see another shot at Reacher cinematic redemption.

★½  STARS  ■  M  ■  118mins

Review by Nathan Lawrence
 
DOCTOR STRANGE ■ It’s kind of magic

DOCTOR STRANGE ■ It’s kind of magic

The original IRON MAN movie tells the story of an arrogant rich guy who takes those closest to him for granted before he has humbling perspective forced upon him. He soon meets an unlikely mentor in an unexpected place, then has to rebuild himself and the way he sees the world, before ultimately squaring off against a poorly developed villain. That also happens to be exactly how DOCTOR STRANGE plays out. Instead of tech-loving Tony Stark., though, DOCTOR STRANGE has Benedict Cumberbatch in the titular role as a gifted surgeon with a perfect record who’s forced to reappraise his life after a horrific accident leaves him unable to perform his old job.

Despite the doctor mantle, desperate Strange turns to mysticism in search of a cure for an ailment that’s seemingly impossible to fix with modern medicine. Sure, it plays it safe, and falls into the typical Marvel Cinematic Universe trap of throwing in underdeveloped villains. In this instance, that’s particularly disappointing given the talent behind the villainous warlock Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen). Love interest Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams) suffers from a similar mishandling, while Cumberbatch’s American accent is surprisingly patchy for an actor so gifted at mimicry.

Yet DOCTOR STRANGE manages to rise above being a mere magical spin on IRON MAN by achieving the unthinkable in the superhero genre: presenting something completely unique. While it’s easy to see director Scott Derrickson (SINISTER) has drawn visual influences from action powerhouses like THE MATRIX and INCEPTION, he’s taken it to a whole other level. The surprisingly accessible handling of different dimensions and M.C. Escher-like action sequences should be seen on the big screen to be believed. Despite the heavy use of CG, Derrickson still manages to achieve a grounded look that helps keep the action believable, despite the property’s reliance on magic. Because of this, DOCTOR STRANGE is absolutely worth the price of admission. Catch it in 3D if you can.

★★★½  STARS  ■  M  ■  115mins

Review by Nathan Lawrence
 
THE ACCOUNTANT ■ Not by the numbers

THE ACCOUNTANT ■ Not by the numbers

You don’t have to look too far online to see that THE ACCOUNTANT is proving divisive with critics. And it’s understandable. In terms of tone (and even sometimes genre), it’s a bit all over the place, the dual storylines are somewhat jarring at first, and there’s a lazy 10-minute section of exposition before the final act. The thing is, director Gavin O’Connor (WARRIOR) directs Bill Dubuque’s (THE JUDGE) fascinating script with such confidence that it’s easy to forgive these detractors. Bear in mind that Ben Affleck is the titular accountant, Christian Wolff.

Affleck is in high demand, capable of both writing and directing his own movies, so he doesn’t exactly have to accept every role that comes across his desk. Of late, he has a tendency to pick roles that showcase his breadth as an actor, and THE ACCOUNTANT is no exception to this. Wolff is an autistic mathematical genius who, by day, un-cooks the books for morally questionable clients and, by night, seems to have an affinity for assassination. His inability to understand social conventions and cues makes for uniquely charming interactions with love interest Dana Cummings (Anna Kendrick).

That’s where the competing genres come in. It’s a bit odd at first, but by the time the credits roll, THE ACCOUNTANT proves itself to be a family drama, a love story, a JOHN WICK-style slick action movie, and a compelling thriller. None of those elements play out in expected ways, but even if you may predict certain twists and turns, they’re executed so beautifully it’s just as satisfying to watch them as it is to figure them out ahead of time.

Once again, the trailers have done the movie a disservice, presenting an action-packed thriller when, in fact, those bits are secondary to a fascinating character exploration that happens to be about a guy who sometimes kills people. That said, THE ACCOUNTANT is such a dense movie with so many moving pieces it’d be impossible to encapsulate that in a two-minute trailer, but that doesn’t stop it from being utterly engrossing viewing from start to finish.

THE ACCOUNTANT is by no means essential big-screen viewing, but if you’re in the market for a thriller with moments of intense action some great laughs and plenty of heart, it’s well worth your time when it hits digital and home release.

★★★★½  STARS  ■  MA15+  ■  128mins

Review by Nathan Lawrence
 
HARDCORE HENRY ■ Non-stop action

HARDCORE HENRY ■ Non-stop action

If you’re a gamer, you’ll likely have an inherent curiosity about HARDCORE HENRY, a movie that’s presented exclusively in the first-person perspective of protagonist Henry. If you’re not a gamer, the found-footage-like first-person perspective may feel gimmicky at best, or nauseating, at worst. That said, writer/director Ilya Naishuller deserves credit, though, for making the camera perspective part of the fiction, as bionic Henry fights to remember his past life, discover why he’s being hunted and, ultimately, stack up a body count along the way to saving his wife from the clutches of a telekinetic warlord.

Sure, the premise is bonkers, but it sets the stage for an action movie whose emphasis on near perpetual forward momentum is akin to the likes of SHOOT ’EM UP or the CRANK movies. The little dramatic beats where the audience can catch their breath aren’t particularly effective, except when Sharlto Copley is playing it up as supporting character Jimmy. When he’s having fun, the movie is fun. The action is quite inventive, particularly in the first half, but Naishuller seemingly runs out of clever ways to annihilate waves of enemies towards the end of the movie, which falls flat as a result. HARDCORE HENRY isn’t the kind of movie you need to see more than once, but if you like fast-paced occasionally funny action movies, it’s well worth checking out.

Unfortunately, outside of the movie, there’s not a whole lot of reasons to buy it on DVD or Blu-ray. The DVD offers commentary from Naishuller and Copley. And that’s it. The Blu-ray fares a bit better with the commentary as well as the inclusion of deleted scenes and a Q&A, again with Naishuller and Copley, where they respond to fan questions. Given the uniqueness of the movie, it would have been great to see a whole lot more behind-the-scenes footage. Still, as far as high-adrenaline action movies go, HARDCORE HENRY is worth renting or buying a digital copy.

★★★ STARS  ■  R18+  ■  96mins

Review by Nathan Lawrence
 
PETE’S DRAGON ■ Green with beauty

PETE’S DRAGON ■ Green with beauty

Disney is currently obsessed with turning every animated thing into a live-action property. While the original 1977 PETE’S DRAGON mixed live-action with an animated dragon in entertaining ways, the 2016 remake opts for a live-action cast supported by a CG dragon. The story starts out in classic Disney fashion, with a pretty heavy tragedy, albeit presented in an accessible way.

After the opening, the bulk of the story is dedicated to wild-child Pete (Oakes Fegley) and his dragon Elliot. The duo have a sweet and fun interaction, but the predictable way that these stories tend to go is exactly how this story plays out. When Elliot is inevitably spotted by other people, certain townsfolk rally to protect, and others embrace fear. There are obvious heroes and obvious villains, but despite being formulaic, PETE’S DRAGON has its fair share of entertaining and poignant moments.

It helps that the CG design of Elliot is particularly on point: most of the time, he looks like a gentle giant, but when he needs to be a scary dragon, he’s sufficiently intimidating. Writer/director doesn’t treat Elliot like a typical monster, and wastes little time showing off the beautifully rendered dragon. Where the movie disappoints, though, is in its ending. By trying to tie a neat bow on everything, PETE’S DRAGON confuses the real idea of home with a cliché ending, and veers for the opposite of what feels like the logical conclusion of the story. Still, there’s enough magic in this latest Disney movie to warrant the price of admission, even if it falls short of the kind of timeless story it could have been.

★★★½ STARS  ■  PG  ■  103mins

Review by Nathan Lawrence
 
SNOWDEN ■ A cautionary tale

SNOWDEN ■ A cautionary tale

The problem with fictionalised retellings of real-life events, particularly events that are in recent history, is there’s very little room for dramatic tension. Despite assembling an ensemble cast and working off a decent script, writer/director Oliver Stone can’t really build up a whole lot of dramatic tension in a tale that’s still quite familiar to audiences. Joseph Gordon Levitt, in particular, owns the role of Edward Snowden: an NSA analyst turned whistle-blower.

It’s just tricky to be shocked or surprised by a story that was and, in some ways, still is a big part of the public discourse. In classic Stone fashion, the running time is about half an hour too long, and despite a nonlinear approach to storytelling, SNOWDEN doesn’t have a whole lot to add to the public debate surrounding Edward Snowden’s actions. For instance, there are people out there who side with the government’s stance that Snowden is a traitor, and others who believe he’s a hero.

Stone has determined that Snowden is a champion of free speech and the people, but while the writer of this review may agree with that perspective, sticking exclusively to this perspective doesn’t do the movie any favours in terms of inspiring debate or creating tension. SNOWDEN becomes, instead, a modern parable of sorts, reminding us of the unfortunate state of the world, and how little trust governments seem to have in the populations they govern. The left-field ending is in some ways a nice touch, but it also feels out of place, as Stone throws in a casting curve ball that’s supposed to hammer the point home, but isn’t able to do so as effectively as Snowden documentary CITIZENFOUR.

In fact, if you’ve seen CITIZENFOUR, there’s very little reason to watch SNOWDEN, unless you’re a particularly big fan of the talent involved. It’s by no means a terrible movie, but nor does it need to exist

★★★½  STARS  ■  M  ■  139mins

Review by Nathan Lawrence
 
MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN ■ Tim’s labrinth

MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN ■ Tim’s labrinth

It’s always entertaining to see which movie Tim Burton directs next because of his diverse taste, which is also reflected in the quality of the final results. Sometimes, his movies are too weird. Too gothic. Too Burton, if such a term exists. It means his movies can be either inaccessible to mainstream audiences or delightful in fantastical ways and, thankfully, MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN slots into that flattering latter category. Just don’t take your kids to see it. Seriously.

It may be painted and presented as a children’s movie but, at times, it’s closer to Guillermo del Toro’s adult fable PAN’S LABYRINTH in execution than, say, BIG FISH. The first act is incredibly sloppy, as the disjointed pace and odd tone set a jarring precedent for the engrossing and oftentimes original story that follows thereafter. Young Jacob (Asa Butterfield) follows the trail of an old mystery that leads him to a remote island that houses a home for children with special abilities, looked over by the titular Miss Peregrine (Eva Green).

The story blurs fantasy and sci-fi in a digestible and compelling way, but when it ventures into Burton’s beloved dark fantasy territory, things get incredibly dark. Again, don’t show this one to younger kids. What emerges after the shaky first act is an engrossing story with creepy villains, interesting heroes, and some clever fight sequences that distract from the reality that, at first glance, the premise feels like a retelling of X-MEN. MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN may have been mistargeted as a children’s movie, but if you can get past that misconception, there’s a very adult and very entertaining yarn that’s well worth the price of admission.

★★★★ STARS  ■  M  ■  127mins

Review by Nathan Lawrence
 

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