FILM: Sully - Miracle On the Hudson (dir: Clint Eastwood, 2016)

"I think it might be a good idea to keep your seatbelts on."

Adapted from the book by pilot Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger, this is a worthy re-staging of the events of January 2009.  By positing the event and the eponymous 'hero' as ordinary people doing the extraordinary in exceptional circumstances, and by presenting it in a very non-sensational manner, the film comes across as surprisingly unimpactful.  Disaster movie tropes are mostly avoided - occasional gentle music cues are used, a couple of passengers are given pre-flight 'background', the post-landing passengers are remarkably calm - but a commitment to consistent naturalism might have paid more dividends.  Any film that top-lines Hanks, Eckhart and Linney already has a lot going for it, and all three are terrific here, but in dramatic terms the film has oddly little to say.

FILM: Passengers (dir: Morten Tyldum, 2016)

 "I know people."
"Really?"

Passengers never quite catches fire yet is still a decent movie with a number of strengths.  The obvious marquee appeal of pairing Lawrence and Pratt in this long-gestating project is fulfilled on screen, as the charismatic pair manage to wring interest out of some often thin writing and bland dialogue.  There is plenty of impressive CG sci-fi eye candy on offer, Michael Sheen is spot-on as the android bartender and Thomas Newman's soft-synth score is pleasant.  The last-ditch attempt to generate a bit of real threat does not really amount to much in what is essentially a soft and slightly dull sci-fi love story.

FILM: Rogue One - A Star Wars Story IMAX 3D (dir: Gareth Edwards, 2016)

"Rogue One?  There is no Rogue One!"
"Well, there is now!"

Rogue One is a fantastic addition to the Star Wars saga.  Effectively Episode 3.5, this is almost the grown-up Star Wars film that adults crave, pitching itself as a full-on war/heist movie with a very dry streak of humour (mostly provided by the sardonic robot K-2SO).  The terrific set of new characters is delivered by a uniformly strong cast, the movie is very well-written, Giacchino's score is consistently excellent and the VFX are breathtakingly beautiful.  The film balances Star Wars tropes and the story's inevitable destination with creating interesting new situations and especially new variations on established visuals (such as the Death Star and a Star Destroyer).  The action/battle sequences are superbly directed and edited, and the extended third act (the land/space final assault) is simply brilliant.  Rogue One is very impressive and will hold up to further viewings easily.

FILM: Office Christmas Party (dirs: Josh Gordon and Will Speck, 2016)

"What about...THE 3D PRINTER?!!!"

As the functional title suggests, Office Christmas Party is a routine and predictable trudge that basically said it all in the trailer, admittedly with a few smiles raised along the way (mostly in well-delivered throwaway lines).   Writing and plotting are simple, but the performances range from reliable (Jason Bateman, TJ Miller, Olivia Munn) to some nicely-used playing against type (Kate McKinnon as the uptight HR lady, Jennifer Aniston as the unforgiving executive, Courtney B Vance letting it all go).  There is nothing particularly memorable here, but it does have a feel-good ending and some enjoyable out-takes over the end credits.

VOD: A Christmas Horror Story (dirs: Grant Harvey, Steven Hoban and Brett Sullivan, 2015)

"That was very unwise...."

A Christmas Horror Story is a surprisingly fun ride.  The film follows a few very different Christmas tales, which miraculously mostly manage to increasingly intertwine as the movie progresses (and occasionally quite smartly) with nice pay-offs.  It is pleasingly and crisply shot and edited for a movie at this level, made with a clear love of both Christmas and the horror genre (a droll and on-form Shatner provides a linking central DJ figure like Adrienne Barbeau in The Fog), and a game cast is mostly effective.  It is a completely bonkers but entertaining movie, and this is the place to go if you want to see a kick-ass Santa face off against undead elves!

FILM: Moana (dirs: Ron Clements and Don Hall, 2016)

"If you start singing, I am going to throw up!"

Disney Animation makes another successful bid to reclaim the animation crown with a superb slice of entertainment. Moana has bucketloads of energy, relentlessly vibrant visuals, another immensely strong score and powerful storytelling.  It is very funny, from the self-aware banter to silly visual gags (mostly courtesy of a cute pig and a very unintelligent chicken) and even the occasional cheeky referencing (such as The Life Of Pi and The Return Of the King), yet it also succeeds in servicing the story's emotional core effectively.  As a 'princess', it is notable that Moana herself is more recognisably proportioned and uses both her physical and mental skills to grow and to succeed.  Dwayne Johnson is of course irresistibly infectious in his delivery of demigod Maui, but he is equally matched by the strong performance of Auli'i Cravalho as Moana.  Moana is a genuinely impressive and enjoyable full-length animated feature, and the accompanying excellent short is an added treat.

FILM: Bad Santa 2 (dir: Mark Waters, 2016)

"Aw, we still got it, kid!"
"I guess so."

Thirteen years on from the original, Bad Santa 2 works best when it delivers more of the same (and there is plenty of that), with the bonus of added Kathy Bates.  It takes a surprising while for the script to engage and to hit the right tone, but once that arrives the film starts to lift.  What does work well is the grown-up Brett Kelly returning as Thurman Merman, who is by turn heartbreaking and hilarious, otherwise Bad Santa 2 is a somewhat routine sequel slog.  It does feature the most unpleasant but funny use of Chekhov's Gun in the final photo montage.  Bad Santa 2 will still make you feel festive, but it is not strong enough to become a Christmas classic.

FILM: A United Kingdom (dir: Amma Asante, 2016)

"Not every fight has to be about violence."

Although based on real events, this movie's success depends the ability of Rosamund Pike and David Oyelowo to sell the central romance, which they manage admirably, and watching these two excellent actors deliver nuanced and warm performances is very enjoyable, with Jack Davenport and Tom Felton suitably slimy as the odious pen-pushing politickers.  Post-WWII London is simply and effectively realised on screen, juxtaposed with well-shot sweeping African landscapes.  When racism, both institutional and personal, rears its ugly head it is powerful and shocking, yet the central couple's colour-blind bubble does tend to soften the film to a degree, relying on their emotional attachment to drive the film.  Nevertheless, A United Kingdom is a handsomely shot, well-played and well-meaning film that is both enjoyable and impactful.

FILM: Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them IMAX 3D (dir: David Yates, 2016)

"I ain't got the brains to make this up!"

Fantastic Beasts lulls you in with the Harry Potter music motif and a few nods to existing lore, and then pretty much goes its own way.  It is handsomely mounted, with a lot of very good special effects work, some spirited set pieces and an ambitious finale.  Considering the number of disparate narrative threads in play, Rowling does more or less manage to pull them together (and spring a couple of surprises), but as this also serves as an origin story, many characters are somewhat underdeveloped but have potential for the other episodes to follow.  Redmayne makes for an oddly insipid hero, but Colin Farrell is on-form, Ezra Miller gives another strong performance and Dan Fogler gives a great comedic turn. As a series opener, this is a good, enjoyable movie that may lack a little in character and emotion, but the money is all there up on the screen.

FILM: Arrival (dir: Denis Villeneuve, 2016)

"Am I fired?"

Being uttered in the same breath as 2001 in many quarters, Arrival does indeed share its same majesterial pacing and slow unfolding of events around this mysterious first contact scenario, yet Villeneuve creates a surprisingly intimate tale with the excellent Amy Adams hugely effective as the everyman/audience experience viewpoint.  The demanding and steady pacing of the narrative and enigma reveals are utterly mesmerising, leading to an immensely satisfying resolution that completely justifies all that led up to that point.  With intelligent ideas and writing and as another example of wonderfully-controlled direction from Villeneuve, Arrival is a strong and impressively-realised story.

FILM: A Street Cat Named Bob (dir: Roger Spottiswoode, 2016)

"Reading his spirit loud and clear...."

A Street Cat Named Bob pretty much delivers what you expect of what is essentially a tale of personal redemption and beating drug addiction wrapped up in a curiously contradictory cuddly tale of a man who carries a cat around Central London on his shoulders to the adoration of cat-lovers. The film wavers between moments of vaguely hard-hitting social comment - the opening scenes of Bob homeless are particularly poignant - and mawkish sentimentality, in an attempt to cater for a wide audience.   The casting of the very capable and charismatic Luke Treadaway as James Bowen is smart, and Joanne Froggatt gives a nicely-balanced performance as his committed case worker, yet in spite of the thin story and the extremely irritating cat-POV shots, this is a sweet film but somewhat predictable and lightweight.

FILM: Nocturnal Animals (dir: Tom Ford, 2016)

"...but I live in the real world...."

Nocturnal Animals is an interesting but not wholly successful venture.  The story-within-a-film conceit is hardly new, and here it is done successfully, but from the outset the film almost breaks under the weight of its themes, contradictions and juxtapositions (art vs artifice, emotion vs abstraction, real-life vs fiction and so on).  This is also seen in the actual film-making in a film that unsurprisingly deigned and directed to within an inch of its life (sometimes smartly, sometimes eye-rollingly obviously) but has a strong but anachronistically melodramatic music score.  Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal are both technically strong and at moments heartbreaking, both clearly relishing the challenges offered by the material, but overall Nocturnal Animals is clever rather than smart and ultimately does not wholly satisfy.

FILM: Doctor Strange 3D 4DX (dir: Scott Derrickson, 2016)

"OK.  That's a thing."

Doctor Strange is a very entertaining film.  It sets out its stall early, and from then on it uses a successful balancing act of character scenes (with some nicely wry humour) and spectacle that keeps attention throughout.  This aspect of Marvel's 'magic', including teleportation, multiverses and astral projection, is introduced seamlessly to the filmic MCU.  Cumberbatch is inevitably terrific in the title role, pitching his character somewhere between Sherlock and House MD, and his character arc is interesting.  The film is, of course, a stunning visual effects tour de force, backed up by another strong (if somewhat familiar-sounding) Michael Giacchino score, and the use of 3D is impressive, not just for the big set-pieces but also for smaller details like placement of characters in frame.  This is very much Strange-centred - inevitable for an origin movie - therefore accusations of the other characters being underwritten are to be expected, but Tilda Swinton is a delight, Rachel McAdams plays nicely against Strange, Chiwetel Ejiofor adds expected gravitas, and Mads Mikkelsen is one of Marvel's better antagonists in the screen time he has. The finale, for all its clever CGI bluster, does feel emotionally underpowered and a bit perfunctory.  Doctor Strange overall is nevertheless a fine introduction to a new player in the MCU, and as the ending and the excellent mid-credits scene prove, this is a character we look forward to seeing again.

FILM: Ouija - Origin Of Evil (dir: Mike Flanagan, 2016)

"You dig?"

For the most part, this unexpectedly 60s-set prequel works.  It is hardly original, and it is an ideal film for playing the guess-the-next-line-of-dialogue game, but it is well-executed and solidly-performed.  It is a slow-burning story that builds well, with a handful of jump scares executed effectively, and the sound crew clearly had a ball.  It makes affectionate nods to a raft of classic supernatural/horror films across the decades, and the 1960s stylings are pleasingly nostalgic (the title screen, reel-change cigarette burns, grading to look like old film stock).  Frustratingly, the film suffers from a chaotically messy third act and the kind of deeply unsatisfying ending that plagues a lot of modern horrors.  Putting those issues aside, Origin Of Evil is one of the better-made low-budget horror/thrillers of recent times.

VOD: The Greasy Strangler (dir: Jim Hosking, 2016)

"Too much grease is bad for you!  I read it in a fitness magazine someone left on the bus."

This 'instant cult classic' is proving divisive, with many film writers declaring it to be a work of subversive genius, but truth be told that is a case of The Emperor's New Clothes.  Whilst the ambition of low-low-budget filming is often to be applauded, The Greasy Strangler is for the most part barely watchable, not because of its non-Hollywood stereotypes and gore/nudity, but because the script is repetitive (if you do not tire of hearing the phrase 'bulls**t artist' you have a very high tolerance level indeed), timing and delivery of lines are poor, the Casio-keyboard score irritates rather than amuses and the film serves no evident purpose.  As an anti-Hollywood film it does everything to jar with expectations, from mise-en-scene to the bizarre love-triangle at the heart of the film, and the shark is truly jumped towards the end, but the bottom line is that it is a chore to sit through.

FILM: Trolls (dirs: Mike Mitchell and Walt Dohrn, 2016)

"I think I had a sarcasm once."

Trolls is an unruly mix of traditional fairy tale and random film references, presented with eye-popping E-numbered-neon colours in an 70s/80s jukebox-musical style.  The three acts are uneven - the first is manic, the second is meagre, the third an odd succession of tones - and the slender storyline is filled out with the musical numbers.  Kendrick and Timberlake do solid work as the two leads, but the thin material on offer makes this film directed squarely at the youngest of viewers.

FILM: Jack Reacher - Never Go Back 4DX (dir: Edward Zwick, 2016)

 "I move around a lot."

Using old-fashioned stereotyping for a somewhat old-fashioned movie, if the first Jack Reacher movie was an efficient action movie for the boys, Never Go Back feels as if it was selected to give an action movie for Cruise's female fans, with a range of significant female characters, Cruise addressing more emotional issues with the introduction of possible paternity of a fifteen-year-old daughter who becomes embroiled in the narrative, and watered-down violence for a 12A certificate.  Cruise is as reliable as ever and can still carry a movie effortlessly, Cobie Smulders is effective as his main foil, and the introduction of Danika Yarosh as the teenager works well.  It has a remarkably simple straightforward story, with overlong talky stretches, but Never Go Back is a slick, well-made but rather tepid action movie.

FILM: Storks 3D (dirs: Nicholas Stoller and Doug Sweetland, 2016)

"What just happened?"

Storks feels like an animation studio let loose its quirkier employees, and the result is a bizarre but surprisingly enjoyable movie that does not hit the heights of the best of its more traditional CG-animated bedfellows but scores high on creativity and sheer bizarreness.  From deployment of songs/music to the mish-mash of styles and ideas, Storks is seldom predictable and often surprising (with everything from Looney Tunes to Tarantino in the mix).  Andy Samberg's voice work is notably terrific here, and the 3D is crisp, detailed and has wonderful depth.  Although at times it feels more like a sketch-show barrage of ideas rather than a fully-formed traditional movie, revel in the film's oddness, and enjoy this unusual and gently anarchic movie.

FILM: Inferno 4DX (dir: Ron Howard, 2016)

"You talk too much...."

There is a spirited opening with Hanks's character injured, delusional and amnesiac, which immediately thrusts the viewer into a shared personal mystery.  What follows is a well made but very clinical cat-and-mouse thriller that again suffers as a result of the source material, with flimsy and mechanical plotting and a serious lack of puzzle-solving, on the latter of which Brown's output (both literary and cinematic) is sold.  As a picturesque travelogue, the film looks great, the strong cast does solid work with what little emotional characterisation is on offer, and Hans Zimmer conjures up a great cool-synth thriller score that nevertheless is strangely intrusive in key dialogue scenes.  Inferno is a handsome but over-long routine thriller that really would benefit from more action and content in order to truly engage.

FILM: War On Everyone (dir: John Michael McDonagh, 2016)

"You guys are adorable!"

War On Everyone starts with a great gag involving a mime artist, and from then on hits the mark now and again, as the humour and occasional knowing winks become increasingly inconsistent.  Pena and Skarsgard are good value as the corrupt-cop buddies, and Theo James plays pleasingly against type.  The film does its best to offend as many groups as possible, but the script sometimes feels like it would have benefited from more work, as sometimes scenes lack a punchline or a point.  It is an easy film to warm to and to be entertained reasonably by, but it does not hit the heights of the similarly-styled The Nice Guys.   

FILM: The Girl On The Train (dir: Tate Taylor, 2016)

"Facebook and drunk ex-wives do not make friends."

The stylish trailer here gives way to a rather turgid thriller in its full-length form.  The main problem is the lethargic pace, and whilst the film undoubtedly looks good - making effective use of the switch from the novel's UK location to the USA - it takes far too long following its meandering course of secrets exposed and mild shocks.  It also does not help that the male characters are underwritten and feckless, whilst the lead female characters are portrayed as varyingly unhinged, apart from strong cameos by Lisa Kudrow and Alison Janney, and Blunt inevitably does good work.   To be fair, the finale does work well, bringing together the unravelling lies and reality in a satisfying way, but all that is basically left is an old-fashioned 80s-style 'erotic thriller' potboiler with every ounce of lurid fun drained from it.

FILM: Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children (dir: Tim Burton, 2016)

"Have you ever BEEN to Florida?"

Miss Peregine's Home...  sees a largely on-form Tim Burton doing his particular style well in a thoughtful, creative and mature way.  Although it is no Edward Scissorhands or even Beetlejuice, the film offers a strong story through another well-crafted Jane Goldman script, some delightful visual conceits and a number of peculiar and horrific ideas that are just about on the right side of child-scaring.   The time-looping concept is stretched to almost breaking point, otherwise the movie is full of interesting ideas that keep the viewer's attention.  Eva Green does good character work in the title role, and Asa Butterfield again proves to be a strong emerging young actor.   Overall, this is a good commercial Tim Burton film that skews young and entertains effectively.

FILM: Deepwater Horizon (dir: Peter Berg, 2016)

"This is the well from Hell, girl!"

Remember that devastating ten-minutes tsunami sequence from The Impossible?  That feel translates to the whole second half of this true-2010-story-based movie which, having set up the base and the characters well, pulls no punches in the destruction and human damage that erupts spectacularly through a remarkably powerful mix of CG and practical effects.  Although characters are largely drawn very broadly, the movie is held together by Mark Wahlberg doing his likeable everyman routine very well here, and Kurt Russell battling through as the gruff stoic veteran.  The film brings together docu-drama and disaster movie very effectively overall, and the spectacular and harrowing second half leads to an appropriately sombre and reflective ending that pays strong tribute to the (surprisingly few) actual lives lost.

VOD: Spotlight (dir: Thomas McCarthy, 2016)

"They control everything.  Everything."

The inevitably unfolding scale of the central conspiracy and the true personal horrors of Spotlight are told with such a relentless pin-sharp simplicity that its largely understated style is immensely powerful.   Fully deserving of its Awards-season recognition, the film handles the dense dialogue and plotting carefully and effectively, Howard Shore's melancholy score is spot on, and the ensemble cast (led by Keaton, McAdams, Schreiber and especially Ruffalo giving another striking performance) is wonderful to watch.  Only the occasional cliché (a jogging shot, a couple of montages) intrudes, but that is a minor quibble for what is an unshowy, mature and very bold film that leaves a real impression.

FILM: The Girl With All The Gifts (dir: Colm McCarthy, 2016)

"Was that cathartic?"

No question: The Girl With All The Gifts is a terrific British film.  Every aspect of the film is imbued with intelligence and thought, maintaining the ability to please, to surprise and to engage from start to finish.  It is an intriguing mix of old-school John Wyndham-style British disaster with modern touchstones such as 28 Days Later in evidence, but this take on the popular zombie genre is sufficiently different to intrigue.  Gemma Arterton, Glenn Close and Paddy Considine make for a powerhouse trio of very watchable leads, and young Sennia Nanua is quite stunning in the central eponymous girl role.  This is a terrific transition from TV to big screen for director Colm McCarthy, and the sonically-exaggerated soundscape by Cristobal Tapia de Veer complements the story superbly (think of his wonderful TV work on Utopia and Humans but amplified).  A couple of minor narrative wobbles in the second half aside, this is a truly impressive and extremely well-made film.

FILM: Bridget Jones's Baby (dir: Sharon Maguire, 2016)

"There was life in the old dog yet!"

Following the underwhelming first sequel, Bridget Jones's Baby is a pleasant surprise.  This is not a lightweight screwball comedy but a very adult rom-com that balances sincere emotional beats with a lot of very successful visual and verbal humour (the revolving door moment towards the end is probably the best visual gag of the year), making Bridget Jones's Baby a hugely entertaining and enjoyable film.  Returning director Maguire invests the whole film with energy and precision, Zellweger gives a truly nuanced and mature performance that is leagues ahead of the broad comedic style seen in the previous films and is a delight to watch, and the two contrasting male leads  deliver dependably (Firth's ability to throw away a line to humorous effect is so good here).  Whilst the film does not stray from middle-class female fantasy, issues such as Bridget's unplanned 'geriatric' pregnancy and the question of paternity, and even the evolving style of media via Bridget's TV-producing job, give the film a greater depth and scope from which the humour and storylining benefit greatly.  A fourth outing would be welcome if it were as strong as this - and the ending does leave one possible way forward - but Bridget Jones's Baby would serve as an excellent and fitting trilogy-closer that is consistently funny and engaging.

FILM: Blair Witch 4DX (dir: Adam Wingard, 2016)

"This looks familiar."

This under-the-radar sequel to the 1999 phenomenon ignores the hopeless Book Of Shadows and follows the more traditional sequel route with the brother of the original's ill-fated Heather going back to Burkittsville years after the original events following a YouTube video lead.  Modern-day tech is used effectively, such as drones, GPS and earcams, but what we have here is effectively a re-run of the first film, as the scenario gives virtually no scope for anything new.  This film notably lacks the journey and discovery aspects of the original movie, and the expanded muddled endgame suggests different possible explanations for the Blair Witch mystery that fail to satisfy.  The lead actors here are more amiable but quite bland, and Adam Wingard's skill as a director can still be seen at times, but Blair Witch stands as his most disappointing film so far.  If watching the 4DX version, the experience is applied erratically and mostly to emphasise the jump scares.  The Blair Witch Project was an indie breakout through the massive hype and its groundbreaking internet campaign as well as its then-relatively-new found footage technique but - apart from the last couple of minutes - was not remotely scary; Blair Witch has nothing to set the pulse racing at all.

FILM: Don't Breathe (dir: Fede Alvarez, 2016)

HAPPY 7th BIRTHDAY TO MY BLOG!

"NO!  NO!  NO!"

Don't Breathe is a notable step up for director Alvarez, building on his work in Evil Dead to create genuine sustained tension in this tightly-plotted and highly effective thriller.  After the opening few minutes of set-up, it was noticeable in the packed screening that a largely teenage/young adult audience was stopped in its tracks with barely a rustled popcorn bag for the ensuing ninety minutes.  Not only does the film deliver on its ludicrously simple high concept - three teens burgle a blind man for his money with unexpected results - but in the later stages of the film a couple of unpredictably unpleasant developments ramp up the narrative.  Of a uniformly strong cast, Jane Levy and Dylan Minnette give wonderfully powerful performances that help to make this well-made thriller not only gripping but extremely watchable.

FILM: Kubo And The Two Strings 3D (dir: Travis Knight, 2016)

REVIEW No. 700!

"If you're Monkey and I'm Beetle, why isn't he called Boy?"

Kubo offers a truly imaginative, absorbing and emotionally sincere journey for the viewer, as Kubo's quest to find three mystical items takes in traditional Asian mythic touchstones, an exploration of the power of storytelling and - at its heart - the very human themes of loss, family and memory.  Laika's animation style is beautiful with some wildly creative ideas realised very effectively, the voice cast is often powerfully understated, and the finale packs a real emotional punch.  Although it has some 'action' sequences, the film adopts a quite steady pace that will not play well with the more hyper delivery of Pixar/Disney products, but Kubo is more about genuine feeling and atmosphere, which ultimately make it a very enjoyable and rewarding film that is clearly made with love for the style and animation on show here.

FILM: Sausage Party (dirs: Greg Tiernan and Conrad Vernon, 2016)

"Are you some kind of...magical sausage?"

The central idea is a killer and the terrific trailer got everyone hooked (and with high expectations), and to a fair extent the full-length film delivers on that trailer's promise.  Structurally seeming to model itself on the much smarter and funnier South Park movie, it is great fun to see a sweary and no-holds-barred adult animated film with a wonderful starry voice cast in full swing, and when it is funny it is very (and jaw-droppingly) funny indeed.  Perhaps inevitably the mood crashes when exposition and plot sequences intrude, the almost obligatory pot-smoking scenes are only funny to very immature teenage boys (will Rogen and co. ever realise that?) and there are times when the food items' journey across the supermarket is nowhere near as interesting as their interaction with the human/outside world.  Nevertheless, all is redeemed with a pacy and rip-roaring finale that clearly demonstrates the wit and creativity that the movie at times misses.

VOD: Intruders (dir: Adam Schindler, 2016)

"Do you know how this has to end?"

With a marketing department that clearly liked the poster for The Cabin In The Woods, Intruders seems at first like a fairly standard home invasion movie, as grieving agoraphobic Anna falls prey to a targeted house-breaking.  As the movie develops, however, it goes off in some very strange and unexpected directions (not all convincing, it has to be said) with a couple of interesting rug-pulls, but a very invested cast and effective direction mean that Intruders maintains enough interest to merit viewing to the end.

VOD: The Witch (dir: Robert Eggers, 2016)

"WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH THEE?"

This festival favourite is a bleak and bold tale that is very impressive, as a strongly Christian family take to a life in the woods in 1630s New England and face deep tests of faith, belief and relationships.  The fact that the actors and crew immersed themselves in the isolated and authentic setting pays huge dividends in the look, atmosphere and performances throughout.  It is a steady, controlled and carefully-constructed film that makes every word and nuance of performance count, with careful composition that is often impressive, and thus making the more explosive and shocking moments have even greater impact.  This is a film that rewards patience and certainly takes the viewer on an unusual and worthwhile journey.

VOD: High-Rise (dir: Ben Wheatley, 2016)

"You haven't changed."
"I'm sorry -  I don't think I can."

The seemingly unfilmable novel finally gets to the movie treatment after all these years, and it is a credit to all concerned that this is a generally successful (and surprisingly faithful) adaptation of one of J.G. Ballard's strongest works.  One of the film's pleasures is that it simultaneously feels very much much J.G. Ballard and also recognisable as a Ben Wheatley film, and the collision of the two on screen together with the original 1970s setting makes for a very heady viewing mix.  Wheatley's control of space and body abstraction through framing ties in with Amy Jump's precise script - based largely on Ballard's dialogue - thus echoing some of Ballard's key ideas effectively.  Hiddleston is well cast as his style suits the character, with Jeremy Irons, Luke Evans and in particular Sienna Miller all inhabiting this micro-society strongly.  Like the novel, the anticipation and growing social divide in the first half is more interesting and perhaps better realised than the social disintegration of the second half, and High-Rise is a film to admire rather than to love, but it is a bold and clever transfer from page to screen.

FILM: Bad Moms (dirs: Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, 2016)

"Jesus!  You look like a bag of d**ks!"

Bad Moms delivers pretty much what was presented in the trailer: a formulaic, predictably 'dangerous and outrageous' contemporary comedy which patronises and panders to its main target female audience, but with enough energy and decent lines to make it watchable.  However, whilst stock female movie characters are wheeled out (Hopeless Mum, Slutty Mum, Stressed Mum, Iron Mum, etc.) and men are predictably either hopeless or lust objects, it is to the lead actresses' considerable credit that in the later stages of the movie in particular they are able to find some beating heart at the core of these stereotypes through their strong performances, from reliably engaging performers such as Mila Kunis and Kristen Bell to the precision of the wonderful Christina Applegate and a delightfully abandoned comic performance by Kathryn Hahn.   As the final act surrenders completely to fantasy outcomes, the only truly positive impressions of motherhood are left by the delightful interview clips of the female stars with their real mothers that play over the start of the end credits.

FILM: The Purge - Election Year (dir: James DeMonaco, 2016)

"Wait here."

From one house to the streets to the wider political arena, The Purge series has managed to balance ideas and violent entertainment effectively through its evolution across the trilogy.   Here, in the build-up to an American election that pitches the staunch Purgers (now revealed to be led by a poor-crushing political elite) against Elizabeth Mitchell as Purge-survivor opposition candidate, and whilst politically this film is a very blunt instrument, it builds in differing points of view and plays its effects as if for real, from political machinations down to the impact of shoplifting a candy bar in this fictitious set-up.  Early on, Election Year threatens alarmingly to turn into London Has Fallen, but thankfully regains a bit of unpredictability (admittedly alongside a ton of coincidences) and remains interesting through a superb mixed race/gender cast that really invests in the whole idea, and there is much enjoyment to be gained from watching Frank Grillo totally own the role he was seemingly born to play. This film could serve as a more than satisfactory trilogy-closer to an enjoyable franchise, but if it does continue, it will be interesting to see where it heads next time.

FILM: Swallows and Amazons (dir: Philippa Lowthorpe, 2016)

"We need to sail closer to the wind."

To be fair, there is little that can be done with the somewhat lightweight but idealised 1930s-fixed setting of the original pre-Second-World-War novel, so what we have here is a very familiar but less sunny and handsomely-mounted remake of the 1974 version with an unconvincingly beefed-up sub-plot about spies and a livelier set-piece ending.  Kelly Macdonald, Rafe Spall, Andrew Scott and Jessica Hynes are all fine in the lead adult roles but have little to do, and apart from a few good moments by Dane Hughes as the older brother John, the children's performances veer between adequate and painful.   The screenplay holds together well thematically (family, absent fathers, coming-of-age, the oncoming conflict) and the scenery is used to maximum big-screen effect, but this 2016 incarnation is quite a languorous if harmless telling of a slight and dated tale. 

FILM: Nine Lives (dir: Barry Sonnenfeld, 2016)

"Ironically, I could really use a mouse right now...."

Even the powerhouse trio of Barry Sonnenfeld directing Kevin Spacey and Christopher Walken has a very hard time selling this movie, which is little more than a generic body-swap-type story.  Occasionally, flashes of Sonnenfeld's quirky style emerge, but overall Spacey is too sardonic for the clearly-intended younger audience, and the comedic/dramatic potential of a possible suicide, corporate takeover and switching off a life-support machine all in the third act is hardly endearing for the little ones.  Everyone tries reasonably with meagre material that trundles along to its inevitable conclusion, although there are some humorous moments, but ultimately this film has the wit and depth of a cute-cat YouTube video - with which this film indeed starts.

FILM: David Brent - Life On The Road (dir: Ricky Gervais, 2016)

"Lesson learned: be what you are."

Like the original mould-breaking TV show of The Office, this long-rumoured follow-up will be divisive, delighting fans who 'get it' and proving painfully unfunny to viewers who do not.  The movie cleverly updates the fly-on-the-wall look at the modern workplace with an even less tolerant and more mean-spirited office than Brent's old stamping ground, but then takes us on the ill-fated, self-funded 'tour' that manages to plumb even greater depths of cringeworthy embarrassment and provides many awkward laughs along the way (his song for the disabled is extraordinary), as Brent becomes increasingly desperate for the attention of a record company and even of his own band members.  It is a shame that more time is not given to banter between Gervais and Doc Brown (Brent's band Foregone Conclusion's rapper) as they make a terrific on-screen pairing.  The style, writing and performances are consistently strong across the movie, and as ever, Gervais finds the humanity of these people with the surprisingly heartfelt closing scenes, making this resurrection enterprise worthwhile, effective and enjoyable.

FILM: Lights Out (dir: David F. Sandberg, 2016)

"Good luck with that one, buddy!"

This relatively simple idea is an effective expansion of Sandberg's own (very) short film.  With a purposeful focus on a core family group and practical effects, Lights Out proves to be neatly constructed, strongly-performed and certainly maintains interest throughout its compact (81 minutes) running time.  The unpleasantly-possessive spirit brings a real sense of malevolence into play (although the peculiar backstory does not convince), especially as the central conceit means she can appear anywhere there is darkness, and the ending is unusually harsh and uncompromising.  Whilst hardly terrifying, Lights Out is nevertheless a generally well-executed and interesting thriller.

FILM: Nerve (dirs: Henry Joost and Arial Schulman, 2016)

"It's fine. Certainly no surprise."

As surmised from the trailer, Nerve is 13: Game Of Death for the iPhone generation with a bit of The Hunger Games thrown in.  Whilst the narrative grinds on in a fairly predictable manner, the film itself is very well made and commands attention, with gorgeous city/night visuals, an unusually strong cool indie/electronic soundtrack and (for the most part) a tight screenplay that keeps moving.  Roberts and Franco play the leads well and work effectively together on-screen (if a little old for the roles), with nice work by Miles Heizer and Emily Meade in secondary roles as Roberts' best friends.  Although let down by a rushed and gutless ending, which also hammers home the film's key messages in a less than subtle manner, Nerve is a stylish and well-made - if somewhat slight - film.

FILM: Mike And Dave Need Wedding Dates (dir: Jake Szymanski, 2016)

"I am so dumb."

Doing little more than offered by the trailer, Mike And Dave... is yet another underpowered 'raunchy' comedy, for which the corpsing-laden outtakes played in the end credits are mostly the funniest aspect of the movie.  The scenarios are predictable, the writing thin, with swearing and patchily-successful improvisation desperately replacing wit.  Aubrey Plaza powers through this movie and completely owns it, Adam Devine mostly tries too hard and strains to convince, and Anna Kendrick and Zac Efron do what they do reliably and mostly effectively (and this movie contains an even more-contrived-than-usual reason for Efron to remove his shirt).  Mike And Dave... is what it is, it plays to its target audience adequately, and it will come and go without leaving much of an impression.

FILM: Pete's Dragon (2016) (dir: David Lowery, 2016)

"What's the matter, guys?  Ain't you seen a dragon before?"

Very loosely inspired by the 70s original, Disney's latest updating of its back-catalogue wrings a contemporary tale out of the material but is a 'proper' children's film that works very well.  From its mournfully elegiac opening to the heart-tugging ending, this is in many ways a classic Disney tale of story-telling, family and friendship with a clear environmental message.  Cleverly positioned by the narrative, the largely non-threatening furry small-scale dragon is effectively the orphaned Pete's puppy and is mostly very well realised by CGI  in this live-action film.  Daniel Hart's score goes straight for the emotional jugular, the very rural settings are lushly filmed, and the lead adult cast (Bryce Dallas Howard, Robert Redford and to a lesser extent Karl Urban and Wes Bentley) play well with careful sincerity and warmth.  Pete's Dragon 2016-style proves to be a surprisingly enjoyable enterprise.

FILM: Finding Dory 3D (dir: Andrew Stanton, 2016)

"I like sand.  Sand is squidgy."

Finding Nemo still stands up on re-viewing as a perfectly-formed, complete and rightly well-loved movie from Pixar's golden streak, so to revisit that success thirteen years later might have seemed questionable, but the result is a delight.  Finding Dory is a beautifully-written, gorgeously-realised and smart comfort blanket of a film, that fits seamlessly with the original film but offers great new creatures and some charming ideas along the way.  By focussing on Dory's story and piecing together her gradually-emerging memories of her backstory, her arc and journey through the film become compelling and immensely sympathetic.  Finding Dory is a very worthy successor to the first film and is hugely enjoyable throughout in its own right.

FILM: Suicide Squad 3D 4DX (dir: David Ayer, 2016)

 "They warned me about you."

There are evident tensions in Suicide Squad - particularly the rating/audience being targeted, lack of consistent tone, comic-strip stylings jostling with  blockbuster tropes, and the path to the theatrically-released version - which give rise to mixed results overall.  Whilst not as damaged as last year's Fantastic 4, this compromised alleged cut-and-shut product of Ayer's vision and a hasty studio cut gives rise to uneven use of narrative, pacing and deployment of characters.  Marvel's Avengers movies had the clear benefit of A-List superheroes and solo films to lay the groundwork and introductions; Suicide Squad is saddled with having to (languorously) introduce the characters (which are mostly at best DC's B- and C-list) and not develop them much thereafter.  Nevertheless, the movie has a cracking cast - Hernandez, Smith and the ever-wonderful Robbie are stand-outs - who do their best even when the material remains thin, Delevingne's villain is played well but is unformed and underdeveloped, and for all the reported character work Jared Leto invested in his incarnation of Joker, his take is very interesting but little seen in this movie (like the briefly-used Batfleck, perhaps being saved for the Dark Knight's next outing?).    To cap it all, this is another movie set in gloomy rain-filled night: this movie shows some good character work but mostly lacks the fizzing dialogue, brightness and zip that it deserved. 

FILM: Jason Bourne (dir: Paul Greengrass, 2016)

"Jason Bourne is in play."

...so the old band gets back together, and - almost as if Legacy never happened - the franchise clicks back on track with a bang.  Although it does not do anything particularly new, Jason Bourne does the action/thriller/conspiracy elements very, very well indeed.  No longer almost prescient in its use of surveillance technology, this chapter is terrifyingly on the money in capturing the zeitgeist, which also locks into a clever and convincing backstory narrative element for Bourne that provides not only personal motivation for the character but also was probably a clear enticement for Damon and Greengrass to return.  The cast is top-notch, and it is noteworthy that Damon creates a simultaneously powerful yet shadowy character so effectively.  All the series trademarks are present, but it is the Las Vegas finale that is the stand out set-piece, so brilliant in its editing and staging that you just want to applaud it.  Jason Bourne is an excellent piece of action entertainment, with an ending to make you smile and the promise of further adventures.

FILM: Star Trek Beyond IMAX 3D (dir: Justin Lin, 2016)

"This is where the frontier pushes back!"

Beyond is a terrific celebration in the franchise's fiftieth year, proving to be not only to be best of the latest reboot movies but almost up there with First Contact and The Wrath Of Khan.  In spite of the unnecessary bile heaped on the second of the new Trek films by disgruntled franchise obsessives, Into Darkness was still a decent blockbuster sci-fi movie, but this third entry ramps up virtually every component to great success.  It is a superb sci-fi action romp that still takes time to let the great cast's character moments shine, with scale, thrills and momentum and a couple of truly jaw-dropping moments that make it hugely enjoyable.  The story and dialogue are tight, punchy and well-constructed, even if the bad guy's's backstory is not terribly hard to work out. Idris Elba is a decent (if, as ever, a little underused) villain, and Sofia Boutella is excellent as the alien character Jaylah. The effects work is simply stunning - the Yorktown space station is an amazingly-detailed Escher-styled construct that really comes into its own in the fantastic finale - and Michael Giacchino's score works so well yet again.  It is also to the film's credit that the passing of Leonard Nimoy is made a very thoughtful part of the current timeline's Spock's story here.  There is no doubt that hardcore Trek fans who are still stuck in the 60s will hate this, but if you are looking for a slick, modern sci-fi event movie that delivers on action, character and spectacle, Beyond is going to be hard to beat this year.

FILM: The BFG IMAX 3D (dir: Steven Spielberg, 2016)

"Never get out of bed...never go to the window....and never look behind the curtain...."

This version of The BFG is one of the more faithful Dahl adaptations in both tone and content, contributing to the film's successes and minor problems.  It is typical Spielberg - controlled, heartfelt and every shot counts - with expectedly strong support from his usual team, such as another lovely score by John Williams, assured scripting from Melissa Mathison and some truly delightful design work all round.  There are wonderful performances from Mark Rylance (mo-capped as The BFG himself) and a sparkily confident Ruby Barnhill as the young girl he comes to befriend.  In spite of being charming and full of whimsy, and starting in that timeless movie-fantasy version of London that best suits Christmas films (or Harry Potter!), the relatively thin source material here translates into an rather careful pace and is at times uneventful, especially in the middle section, but the film is rarely without the warmth of the central pair's relationship to carry it along, and overall this film with rightly become a children's favourite.

FILM: Ghostbusters IMAX 3D (dir: Paul Feig, 2016)

"It just makes me feel all warm and tingly inside."
"It's probably the radiation."

Feig's 2016 Ghostbusters is a highly respectful and very entertaining reboot.  The first act is a little slow with a slightly dull focus on Wiig's scientist character, but as the team comes together and the more familiar Ghostbusters world is re-built the film soon comes to life.  The leading quartet are all fine (individually and as a group), Chris Hemsworth steals the show as the hilarious and incredibly dim himbo secretary Kevin, and the cameos by the (surviving) old cast are nicely done - keep watching through the credits for the final one.  Effects are top-notch, there is a pleasingly ramshackle quality to the team's expanded range of home-made equipment, and the huge-scale finale impresses in which the ladies truly kick some spectral butt.  This film hits the right nostalgia buttons whilst making the concept fresh enough for a contemporary audience, with an ending that sets up the team for a welcome sequel.

FILM: Now You See Me 2 (dir: Jon M Chu, 2016)

"Magic is...controlling perception."

The first film was an entertainingly daft romp with some sparky characters; this sequel is oddly unengaging.  The somewhat carefree plotting of the original is replaced here by extremely careful explanation (the film feels too long) and such explicit detailing of every trick on show that makes every step routine and even completely undoes any element of surprise in the final rug-pulling illusion by pointing out every element of how it will be done in an obvious and heavy-handed fashion.  Indeed, the issue of magic being mere illusion is compounded by film being an even bigger illusion, leaving little with which to leave the audience guessing.  Lizzy Caplan makes a strong replacement for Isla Fisher, Jesse Eisenberg again shows he is much better on-screen when not trying to create a character too far from-the-norm, the less said about Woody Harrelson's 'twin brother' the better, Daniel Radcliffe has a couple of effective moments as the nominal villain and Mark Ruffalo's acting transcends the material, but overall no-one is really given anything to seek their teeth into.  The key locations (Macau and London) look fantastic, and there are a couple of nice pieces of set design, but the overall feel is too careful and planned to really catch fire.

FILM: The Legend Of Tarzan IMAX 3D (dir: David Yates, 2016)

"Where are you going?"
"To get some friends."

The Legend Of Tarzan is the latest incarnation of the oft-told tale and definitely one for the 2016: epic in style, serious in tone and bombastically blockbuster at times.  The extra time afforded the screenplay while the project got shuffled around Development Hell means that there is an interesting structure, starting mid-story and using well-placed and not overdone flashbacks to fill out the story, leading to a strong final act that brings together all the story elements effectively, even if dialogue mostly borders on the bland.  Skarsgard mixes power with a thoughtful morose demeanour as a workable Tarzan, Margot Robbie again proves a real asset to any project as she gives a strong performance which essentially remains a kidnap-victim role in spite of the film's attempt to convey a more feisty Jane character,  and Samuel L Jackson works well as the audience's mediator of the new-to-the-jungle experience.  There are some very well-staged action sequences, some delightful Tarzan-animal moments and some beautiful lavish landscapes (part of the fun is spotting which were most obviously shot in Leavesden's soundstages and backlots), and whilst this is a very expensive movie there are still a couple of terrible CG moments in amongst so much terrific technical achievement.  The mix of history and BIG themes (slavery, exploitation, the environment - just watch that foregrounded trainload of elephant tusks trundle by) does feel a little forced at times, but it does give the story and motivations good focus.  Overall, The Legend Of Tarzan is a good, well-directed film which - like all takes on classic stories - is clearly a product of our times.