Mini Reviews
Mini Review - Ping Pong
Ping Pong (out Jun 6) is a straight-forward documentary about a group of elderly table tennis players who enter the Over 80s World Championships in Beijing. It's interesting to hear the value of sport at that age but the film veers off on some strange tangents and the ping pong scenes themselves aren't that exciting. Grade: B-.
Mini Review - Fast & Furious 6
Fast & Furious 6 (out Jun 6) has a forgettable premise with a forgettable villain. The action/battle sequences are too over-the-top and with so many characters involved, I often had trouble working out who was fighting and who had the upper hand. Grade: C+.
Mini Review - A Haunted House
A Haunted House (out May 30) has more misses than hits. The Paranormal Activity franchise is tired and deserves to be spoofed. A shame they couldn't make more of the opportunity and gone for something better than this simple, repetitive toilet humour. Grade: C+.
Mini Review - Sinister
Sinister (out May 30) is an effective supernatural thriller about a true-crime writer (Ethan Hawke) who discovers a connection between a series of gruesome murders. You could say the ending is too obvious but for the most part, it kept me on the edge of my seat. Good premise, good leading character. Grade: A-.
Mini Review - The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby (out May 30) is the tale of a mysterious millionaire trying to win the affections of a young married woman. It looks like you’re watching a moving painting and New York in the 1920s could not look any more beautiful. It is missing the most important ingredient though – emotion. Sadly, I cared very little for these characters. Grade: B.
Mini Review - Happiness Never Comes Alone
Happiness Never Comes Alone (out May 30) is a French rom-com about a laidback musician who falls head-over-heels for an older woman with three kids. We’ve seen this story time-and-time again but there’s chemistry between stars Gad Elmaleh and Sophie Marceau. The slapstick style of comedy also gives the film a point of differentiation. Grade: B.
Mini Review - Dead Man Down
Dead Man Down (out now) is the story of a hitman looking to settle an old score. Oh, and he's got a new girlfriend too. Sadly, this action-thriller is a mess. It's been butchered in the editing room with the story jumping all over the place. Grade: C.
Mini Review - The Hangover: Part III
The Hangover: Part 3 (out May 23) lacks the shock value of the first film but it's certainly more original than the second film. I'm a fan of these characters (a great mix of straight and crazy) and this is fun culmination of the series. There's even a half-decent plot too. Grade: B+.
Mini Review - The Reluctant Fundamentalist
The Reluctant Fundamentalist (out May 23) is the story of a young Pakistani man who was once a gifted, highly-paid consultant in the United States but now finds himself working as a lecture in a small university in Lahore. What happened? Told by way of flashbacks, this film has a great performance from Riz Ahmed but for every great conversation, there's also a not-so-convincing one. Grade: B-.
Mini Review - The Call
The Call (out May 16) is the story of a stressed 911 call-centre operator who has to try to help a young girl who has been kidnapped by a serial killer. This is an interesting, smart, realistic, thriller during the first 70 mins and a moronic fantasy during the final 20 mins. A shame. Grade: B-.
Mini Review - A Place For Me
A Place For Me (out May 16) is a lighthearted drama that follows a separated couple and their two teenage children. They've all got problems when it comes to love. Sadly, this was a disappointment. The dialogue doesn't feel natural and as the closing credits started to roll, I don't think I'd grown to understand or appreciate the characters in any great depth. Grade: C+.