Film reviews (2020)

Scoob! review “ruh roh”

/ Daulton Meadows / Leave a comment
Scoob! movie poster

Putting on a Scooby Doo movie is the truest form of gambling. You can end up with a great time with something like Scooby-Doo: Pirates Ahoy and Scooby-Doo: Stage Fright, or you could see Scooby-Doo and WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon and Scooby Doo and KISS: Rock and Roll Mystery (The crossovers aren’t great). As I am the world’s foremost expert on the subject of Mystery Incorporated and their many endeavors, I approached the newest theatrical, well, almost theatrical, film, Scoob, with cautious optimism.

The first trailer made it look like it’d be a fun, enjoyable time. Then came the second trailer, followed by the countless ads on Vudu, which made my excitement tailspin. Then I bought, yes, bought the movie so I could watch it forever and ever. To put it mildly, this is the film equivalent of Scrappy Doo, because it’s the worst Scooby related material. I can’t put the pain of reliving the movie any longer, “pets” talk about Scoob.

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Bloodshot review “The least of anyone’s problems at the moment”

/ Daulton Meadows / Leave a comment

Bloodshot movie posterBloodshot is available to stream online in the UK (from £9.99) and the US ($20) via Amazon Prime Video

Oh, Vin Diesel. Why are you famous? Also known as the Americanized Jason Statham, replacing charisma with mumbling something-something family. This feels like a movie Statham would have been asked to do about fifteen years ago. Bloodshot, the story of a recently deceased soldier who comes back to life, is one of the three movies which won the honor of being in the last week of releases until mid May.

So, in a year still without a really good comic book film, does Bloodshot manage to fill the gap before we’re left without one for months? Honestly, the answer is pretty surprising, as I think with a few changes, this movie could have been great. So let’s discuss the movie that tens of people are talking about, Bloodshot.  Continue reading →

Emma. review “A case of style over substance”

/ Adam Brannon / Leave a comment

Emma. movie posterJane Austen is responsible for many of the world’s most beloved romance novels. From Pride and Prejudice, to Sense and Sensibility, she has paved the way for the modern rom-com. Her tales have graced both the big and little screen in the form of period dramas, and 90s LA girl fantasies.

However, Emma (arguably Austen’s funniest work) isn’t necessarily the first novel you think of when you think about the iconic author. Its most recent adaptation, directed by Autumn de Wilde, is a full-on, aesthetic overload, with frills left, right, and centre. But, is it any good? Continue reading →

The Invisible Man review “The Dark Universe returns (but this time, it’s good)”

/ Daulton Meadows / 1 Comment

The Invisible Man posterThe Universal Monster films are the original MCU. With their interconnectivity and recurring characters, these serialized adventures were our first look at franchises which could crossover. One of the characters who received multiple films is The Invisible Man. At time of writing, I’ve only seen the first two Invisible Man films, the first of which is an extremely goofy romp that’s enjoyable to watch.

The second is a boring mess that spoils nearly all of the goodwill the first one had. Nevertheless, for the start of the Dark Universe, we were told that it would include an Invisible Man film starring Johnny Depp. Luckily, because that sounds awful, the Dark Universe’s triumphant first firing of the Dark Universe Cannon ended up being The Mummy (2017), which ended up tipping the cannon over right into the offices at Universal Studios and blowing a hole through the office. Continue reading →

Onward review “ft. Spider-Man & Star Lord”

/ Adam Brannon / 1 Comment

Onward movie posterThe last time Pixar released two films in the same year was 2015. The first of their double act ended up being one of their best, Inside Out. A touching, beautifully animated adventure that ranks highly alongside Up, Wall.E and of course the Toy Story series.

Unfortunately, their second effort, The Good Dinosaur was by all accounts, a bit of a mess. Released by any other animation studio, The Good Dinosaur would have been perfectly serviceable, but it lacked the usual Pixar sparkle, despite some incredible animation.

Fast forward five years and Pixar are at it again; releasing two films in the same year. Soul is out in cinemas later in 2020, but our first contender is Onward. But is it up to the standard of Pixar’s classics, or more akin to their forgettable adventures? Continue reading →