Barbie
Ups: Very funny
Depressingly relevant
Creative
Unique look
Downs: The final third is a little messy.
A lot of the supporting actors are wasted.
It’s going to lead to studios learning the wrong lesson. They’re going to think “let’s make movies based on toys”, rather than “let’s have movies which are well written”.
Best Moment: America Ferrara’s monologue about womanhood. Absolute perfection.
Worst Moment: The chase scene in the office is a bit drab.
Best Performer: Ryan Gosling. Robbie is good, but if she didn’t have Gosling to bounce off, it wouldn’t work.
Opening: Essentially 2001: A Space Odyssey but with Barbie instead of a monolith, showcasing how she was the first doll that wasn’t a baby. The kids respond to this by throwing away their old dolls. Somehow, this was described in at least one review/commentator as “children say they want to kill all babies and then massacre them”.
Closing: Barbie goes to a gynaecologist. Again, some reviewers misconstrued this scene and said it was her “getting a sex change/having an abortion”. This is why media literacy is important, it stops idiots. It could have ended slightly more powerfully than it does, but it works.
Best Line: The aforementioned monologue.
Original Review here
Bottoms
Ups: Hilarious.
In your face.
Fun performances.
Downs: They never really feel like outcasts. They say “We’re at the bottom” but it never feels like it.
More could be done to set up the school rivalry.
The dickhead jocks never get their comeuppance
The use of music at some points could be better
Best Moment: The final fight. Violent, stylistic brilliance.
Worst Moment: The falling out between the characters feels a little fake.
Best Performer: Ruby Cruz
Opening: The main characters at a fair. Sets up their characters well enough, gets some jokes out the way quickly too.
Closing: A tree bomb explodes, disappointing a local goth who is displeased about the gimmick infringement. Such a hilarious coda.
Best Line: “Let’s do terrorism”
Original Review here
Godzilla Minus One:
Ups: Visually stunning.
Has a purpose.
Mature.
Godzilla is terrifying.
Compelling story.
Downs: Bit too unsubtle.
There are a few moments where the effects are a bit too “man in suit”.
Hard to see it appealing to casual movie-goers
Best Moment: The attack on Ginza. Especially when it ends on a nuclear explosion.
Worst Moment: Shikishima receives a telegram, only because it kind of telegraphs the ending.
Best Performer: Ryunosuke Kamiki.
Opening: Godzilla attacks an island. I like that we got to see him early, and the scene is BRUTAL. This is not a monster who is aiming for balance etc, this is one that wants to kill humans.
Closing: Godzilla flesh starts to mutate. I really hope we get a sequel.
Best Line: Is your war finally over?
Original Review here
John Wick: Chapter 4
Ups: Some great fight scenes.
Donnie F’ing Yen
Keanu Reeves continues to kill it.
Good world-building
Downs: Bit too long.
Requires you to remember too much from the previous films.
Lacking “THAT” scene.
Best Moment: John in a hotel. Mainly because of how it’s weirdly shot and I loved it. Was like a video game at times.
Worst Moment: The Continental being destroyed could have been done better.
Best Performer: Keanu Reeves
Opening: John travels to Morocco and kills the elder. Unless you’ve seen (and can remember) the previous films; this meant nothing.
Closing: It ends the only way it could. The place it’s been heading to since the first film.
Best Line: “You arrogant asshole”.
Original Review here
Missing
Ups: Very original idea.
Ties into Searching brilliantly.
Incredible twists and turns.
Great performances.
Rewards a second viewing
Downs: The gimmick will be hated by some people.
Best Moment: The twist, it’s so good.
Worst Moment: There’s a death which seems out of place.
Best Performer: Storm Reid
Opening: Camera footage of a 6-year-old June with her father James, who died shortly after the video was made. Very good, and when you learn the context later, so much better.
Closing: The story has been adapted into a Netflix show. Weirdly funny and feels so true.
Original Review here
Past Lives
Ups: Very sweet.
If you let yourself into it, it opens itself up to you beautifully.
Stunning shots.
The leads have great chemistry.
Downs: Might be a bit too slow for some.
Not much happens.
Best Moment: The diner scene, it says so much about the relationship between the three.
Worst Moment: The title drop, seems like it was only there to get the title in.
Best Performer: Teo Yoo
Opening: The two main characters meet as children before leaving each other. Very sweet.
Closing: Essentially “we’ll see what happens in the next life”.
Best Line: You make my world so much bigger and I’m wondering if I do the same for you?
Original Review here
Polite Society
Ups: Great twist
Fun fight scenes.
Likeable characters
Good performances
Downs: The twist may put people off
As good as the stunt scenes are, there are none that stand out as “best scene ever”
Best Moment: Torture wax.
Worst Moment: The school fight scene might be a bit too silly for some.
Best Performer: Priya Kansara
Opening: She introduces herself, fun, and gets her character across well.
Closing: Not saying, the entire final third of this is a huge head-fuck, I love it.
Best Line: The gods whispered to the warrior, ‘You will not withstand the fury.’ The warrior whispers back, ‘I am the fury!’
Original Review here
Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse
Ups: The animation.
Best use of the multiverse in cinema this year (ordinarily that would be damning with faint praise, but lately?)
Has one of the best villains in superhero movie history
The different Spider-men are all great
Emotional
Downs: The soundtrack isn’t as memorable as the first one.
Ends on a cliffhanger
The studio treated the animators like dicks apparently.
Best Moment: The explanation of canon events.
Worst Moment: About 5 minutes from the end where you realise they don’t have enough time to wrap the stories up.
Best Performer: Shameik Moore.
Opening: Gwen Stacy fights a version of the Vulture from a universe made to look like an Italian Renaissance painting. Visually interesting, and very cool. But some people might have preferred it to start with Spider-Man
Closing: Miles is in trouble, and Gwen is establishing a team.
Best Line: Almost everything Hobie said
Original Review here