Mini Review - The Divine Sarah Bernhardt
The Divine Sarah Bernhardt (out Jul 17) is a French film about the acclaimed, spotlight-loving stage actress who rose to fame in the late 19th Century. It gets repetitive at times but still offers insight into an important individual. Grade: B-.
Mini Review - Friendship
Friendship (out Jul 17) gets the job done as a cringe-inducing comedy. It stars Tim Robinson as a dorky individual who struggles to build close connections with others. He's a weird, amusing protagonist who has good intentions but commits one social faux pas after the other. For those who love dark humour. Grade: B+.
Mini Review - Superman
Superman (out Jul 10) is an entertaining jaunt. The premise isn’t wildly original, but it makes a bunch of great artistic choices which, when blended, add up to a worthwhile movie. The cast are great, it doesn't try to be an origin story, there's a nice balance of humour and comedy, the action scenes are easy to follow, and the remix of the John Williams 1978 music score works beautifully. Grade: A-.
Mini Review - Smurfs
Smurfs (out Jul 10) is another attempt to reboot the franchise and is centred on a Smurf with no name (an odd plot point) who must help rescue a kidnapped Papa Smurf. It’s a weird, chaotic narrative with a sci-fi, magic focus that struggles to generate humour and emotion. We barely get to know the characters. Grade: C.
Mini Review - Jurassic World Rebirth
Jurassic World Rebirth (out Jul 3) refers to a “rebirth” but this is best described as an underwhelming “rehash”. Borrowing heavily from the previous 6 movies, it's another action piece where heroes, who make head-scratching decisions, face off against dinosaurs and a villainous pharmaceutical guy. Grade: C+.
Mini Review - The Shrouds
The Shrouds (out Jul 3) is a messed-up David Cronenberg film about a savvy entrepreneur who has created a unique funeral home but things unravel when his computer systems are infiltrated by unknown hackers. I liked the concept more than the full narrative. Grade: B.
Mini Review - M3GAN 2.0
M3GAN 2.0 (out Jun 26) is proof that a new model isn't always as good as the original. It's a subpar sequel to the 2023 horror film. The drama and themes aren't as credible, and the humour isn't as strong. It’s hard to care about a character’s fate when they seemingly have no care themselves. Grade: C+.
Mini Review - F1
F1 (out Jun 26) is the Happy Gilmore of motor racing movies. You can enjoy it as simple entertainment, but it bears no resemblance to the sport itself. The production values are top-notch with heart-pumping race sequences and a pulsating Hans Zimmer music score. Unfortunately, the script is cliched and Hollywood-ised which makes it difficult to swallow. Grade: B-.