At times packing visual panache yet also feeling run-of-the-mill in terms of plotting, Sam Raimi’s return to the superhero genre is welcoming but non-essential.
Solid and immensely well-crafted if a little too plotty, this Batman channels the dark energy of serial killer, vengeance and torture porn films while, for better or worse, keeping a lid on its bold and perverse aspirations.
Two decades on, this Oscar-winning, Cannes Palme d’Or-nominated (!) animated delight remains as energetic, refreshing and meaningful as ever.
This is the worst ‘Matrix’ by miles—a tediously talky, muddled mess of meta-recursive ideas that dilutes the mythology that made the trilogy, flawed as it may be, such a blast.
The tick-the-checkbox fan servicing approach is a mixed bag—the nostalgising can be oddly satisfying but the storytelling ironically feels regressive in the very construct designed to entertain a range of creative possibilities.
Probably a stretch to say that this is Malick meets Marvel, but Chloe Zhao delivers something different—a slower-paced, exposition-heavy actioner about creationism, existence and the ties that bind superheroes to their humanity.
A rather bloated effort despite the generous and intense servings of action, this is a half-decent final outing for Daniel Craig’s Bond.
The continuation of one of popular cinema’s enduring franchises is also one of Steven Spielberg’s rare misfires.
Spielberg’s strong morality tale against greed is as spectacular as it is funny – my favourite of the Indiana Jones films.
