Mini Review - A Minecraft Movie
A Minecraft Movie (out Apr 3) was more entertaining than I expected. The story is all over the place (it’s not really about much) but it works because of the well-selected cast, the fast-paced direction, the cool world, and the nutty sense of humour. Grade: B+.
Mini Review - Dog Man
Dog Man (out Apr 3) is a fast-paced animated feature about a police officer who is part man, part dog. It sounds perverse but the jokes on offer, appealing to a mix of kids and adults, are reminiscent of television shows such as The Simpsons and Family Guy. Fun to be had! Grade: B+.
Mini Review - Novocaine
Novocaine (out Apr 3) is an entertaining jaunt. I’ll concede that it doesn’t always make sense, and you must lean into the silliness but if looking for a movie which nicely balances comedy and action, it’s a clear winner. It's the humorous take of a man (Jack Quaid), who can feel no pain, who goes in pursuit of the men who kidnapped his girlfriend. Grade: B+.
Mini Review - A Working Man
A Working Man (out Mar 27) is a disappointing action-thriller which stars Jason Statham as an ex-Marine who, to help a friend, goes in search of a young woman kidnapped by human traffickers. The action scenes are repetitive, the dialogue is dreadful, and the supporting players have little to do. The villains are laughably feeble. Grade: C-.
Mini Review - Love of an Icon: The Legend of Crocodile Dundee
Love of an Icon: The Legend of Crocodile Dundee (out Mar 27) is a lovingly made, 87-minute documentary which chronicles of the success of 1986's Crocodile Dundee. There are wonderful titbits of information to leave you smiling but above all else, it tells a bloody good rags-to-riches story. A great watch! Grade: A-.
Mini Review - The Cats of Gokogu Shrine
The Cats of Gokogu Shrine (out Mar 27) is a niche, narration-free documentary about a Japanese township and the people who help care for its homeless cats. Will have its fans but, in my eyes, it's not a subject that generates enough interesting contest to justify a two-hour runtime. Grade: C+.
Mini Review - Oh, Canada
Oh, Canada (out Mar 27) is a meandering, Paul Schrader-directed drama about an acclaimed documentary filmmaker (Richard Gere) giving one last interview before succumbing to the effects of terminal cancer. I struggled to latch onto whatever this film was selling. Grade: C.
Mini Review - The Alto Knights
The Alto Knights (out Mar 20) tells the true story of two childhood friends who became mob-leading rivals in the 1950s. It takes a while to warm-up and get past the weird novelty of Robert DeNiro playing both leading roles... but once it gets going, it's a really interesting true story. Grade: B+.