Reviews

Inspired by the Lee Major's starring TV show of the same name that ran for 5 seasons from 1981-86, David Leitch's modern take on The Fall Guy comes at a time when Hollywood is crying out for an American summer blockbuster hit that ignites box office booths when most others are floundering and while there's a chance this Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt starring action comedy does make a decent dent at the global box office, Leitch's well-intentioned big budget affair is sadly another recent blockbuster that doesn't hit the mark.

An amalgamation of a bevy of ideas, Fall Guy acts as a crowd-pleasing action ride, a generic romantic comedy centred around Gosling's long-suffering stuntman Colt Seavers and Blunt's up and coming director Jody Moreno, a love letter to the stunt community and an underdeveloped mystery that see's Seavers enlisted to help track down Aaron Taylor-Johnson's missing Hollywood leading man Tom Ryder.

With this in mind, no one can accuse Leitch's film of resting on its laurels but despite appearing to have its heart in the right place, too much of Fall Guy feels forced, underdeveloped and at the same time overstated, making this a a film likely to appease easy going audiences initially but a film that disappears from people's memories before a second thought.

A one time stuntman himself, David Leitch has found success over the past decade with his ability to instil many of his films with the right amount of zany energy, comedic chops and action beats, with his work on successful outings such as Deadpool 2 and the highly underrated at the time Bullet Train perfect examples of the type of film Fall Guy wants to be and with it missing the mark in many of the elements that made those films so much fun, at the very least you'd expect the action heavy segments of Fall Guy too fly but even the key action moments here never take off, with no set pieces likely to be considered again once the next scene rolls around.

Trying to be so many things at any one time, there's a distinct lack of focus that embodies Fall Guy's long in the tooth runtime that runs out of steam early, picks up momentum when Seavers rolls into Sydney after a long term hiatus in the industry and then loses significant amounts of good will and energy when a quite terrible last act takes hold, with this lack of focus constantly bringing any wins the film has back to earth, no more evident than in the films constant back and forwards between events on the set of Seavers and Moreno's new movie, Seavers investigation into Ryder's disappearance and then Gosling and Blunt's forced feeling will they or won't they romance.

With so many things going on and film struggling to deliver on the spectacle front, hopes of Fall Guy being saved on the comedic front are not too be found with minor chuckles the order of the day as many of the films big set-ups and over-delivered back and forwards lacking the smarts or charms that could've made even some of the minor potential moments something worth celebrating with Fall Guy also in particular marking a moment in Gosling's career as it stands where his schtick that his finely attuned over the most recent parts of his career showing genuine wear and tear.

Not playing the exact same pretty dumb he did with The Nice Guys or Barbie or the sleek comedic charmer he did with La La Land or Crazy, Stupid, Love. There's still a sense of over familiarity with Gosling's turn as the potentially genius/potentially misguided Seavers and there's not many moments in Fall Guy where you feel Gosling is really owning proceedings here, marking this role down as a key career moment for the beloved star where he will either continue to bunker down with this type of project or start to recognise it is perhaps time he gave this version of Gosling the A-lister a rest.

A well-intentioned film and entirely inoffensive, there's glimpses of the film Fall Guy just might have been and there's going to be some fans of the film unearthed no doubt but overall this films the exact type of forgettable Hollywood film the industry really didn't need right now.

Final Say -

Failing to excel in the action or comedic stakes and unable to do much with the chemistry between Gosling and Blunt that could've been mined far greater than it was here, The Fall Guy is a disappointingly lacklustre and disjointed outing that has strangely been greeted with a far kinder critical reception than it deserves.

2 unicorns out of 5

Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)

A part of the regular abundance of end of year festive themed films that come our way once the silly season in sight, 2023's Amazon Prime backed Candy Cane Lane may on paper appear to be a modern day take on the age old Christmas Vacation/Deck the Halls type affair but things get very weird very quickly in this Eddie Murphy starring oddity that is worth enduring purely to see how odd things can get.

Candy Cane Lane may be marketed around a streets annual Christmas decoration competition that Murphy's family man Chris Carver is determined to win finally but once he meets Jillian Bell's mysterious Pepper and the 12 Days of Christmas tale becomes all too real, Reginald Hudlin's feature isn't afraid to dive headfirst into the wild and wacky with shrunken humans, excessive cows milk, wild birds and fights with marching bands taking over in a family film that never really seems the type of heartwarming family friendly comedy you'd expect it to be.

Coming off a lean patch with You People and Coming 2 America after what appeared to be a nice renaissance off the back of Dolemite is My Name in 2019, star Eddie Murphy may be more enthused than you'd expect playing it mostly straight, giving some more effort than his notoriously bad days in the early 2000's with the likes of Dr. Dolittle 2, Pluto Nash and Daddy Day Care infesting our screens but not even his presence can stand-up to the oddness and bizarre antics of a film that never really comes to terms as a life affirming tale, an Elf-like X-mas comedy or a fantastical journey.

Unsure of where to turn its focus too throughout its close to two hour running time, there's undoubtedly the bones of a special yuletide tale somewhere in Hudlin's offering but the end product of the Lane we get always feels like its battling itself and with Murphy acceptable if reigned in, none of the films supports that includes bit parts by talent such as Nick Offerman or Ken Marino or the big budgeted spectacle on display matters much when we barely get a chance to feel any magic, intrigue, fun or emotion as we fly from sequence to sequence.

No one can accuse Lane of playing it safe, this is not your stereotypical family Christmas yarn with a tinge of the fanciful and there are likely to be a few that see this unashamedly bizarre affair but overall the entertainment value of this Prime original is mainly based around the fact the audience is anticipating what odd event is coming next without any sense of connection or investment.

Final Say -

Far stranger than you'd likely suspect from its basic synopsis, Candy Cane Lane sees a dialled back Eddie Murphy outshone by a wild narrative that moves from place to place with casual abandon for any sense of following a particular pattern, creating a Christmas themed feature that is worth exploring purely on the fact it's unafraid to embrace its strange nature.

2 Pentatonix members out of 5

Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)

There have been reports that maligned filmmaker Zac Snyder has plans to make six Rebel Moon films. Reports that should send shivers down the spine of anyone that appreciates feature films of quality if they have any validity.

The unwanted follow-on from last December's non-event that ended up being the much hyped and big budgeted Netflix original Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire, The Scargiver somehow manages to be much worse than its terrible forefather making one truly question if Snyder will ever be able to get back to the quality of films he use to deliver with the likes of Dawn of the Dead, Watchmen and 300.

Proclaimed to be Netflix's answer to the Star Wars cinematic universe, Rebel Moon has the bones of what might be an interesting and entertaining feature film world but as was the case with Part One, Scargiver is devoid of any spark or imagination to make it worth your time with one even beginning to wonder whether or not Snyder just wanted to showcase the joys of harvesting with most of Scargiver's first 30 - 40 minutes mostly made up of slow-motion crop work, making one beg for the end of the slow torture that if removed would have made this two hour "event" more like a 30 minute addition to the first outing.

Doing very little that justifies the decision to cut the two Rebel Moon films into separate parts, Scargiver repeats all the same mistakes as Snyder's first offering as we once more follow Sofia Boutella's Kora and her merry band of freedom fighters protecting some grain from Ed Skrein's seemingly inept Atticus Noble, promising an epic Lord of the Rings like siege battle that instead becomes merely a procession of loud noises and pedestrian fight segments that are welcomed in by one of the years most cringe-worthy scenes that acts like an amateur hour Dungeons and Dragons night where Kora and her comrades tell each other their backstories.

There's not a single character here we can really get behind, perhaps other than Anthony Hopkins woods loving robot Jimmy, there's no performance that appears to be having any fun in the whole po-faced event and the action space that Synder once owned early in his career has here become a sad self-parody of his best works that would be at home in the bargain basement bin offerings of long gone Blockbuster Video stores.

In many ways The Scargiver is both the worst example of Netflix's big-budget failures and original IP's that every now and then strike gold but for the most part flop like this and also the sad state of Snyder's current career that looks like its destined to be stuck in the doldrums for the long-haul from here on out.

While there's no doubt the Rebel Moon films were not supposed to re-write the rulebook and were designed with entertainment in mind, there's zero excuse for a film to be as bland and painful to endure as The Scargiver is making it an undeniable disaster and a new career low for a filmmaker who once promised to be one of the most enjoyable blockbuster voices in Hollywood.

Final Say -

If you thought Rebel Moon: Part One was bad you haven't seen anything yet! A slow-motion filled train wreck whose flying wheat is as interesting as its one-dimensional characters and yawn-inducing action scenes, Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver gives us very little to enjoyable no matter where you look.

1/2 a backstory powwow out of 5.

Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)

Collating 16 years worth of footage from Australian ecologist, director and star Matty Hannon's life as he looks to come to terms with his place in the world and accomplish a goal of surfing and exploring the west coast of the Americas from Alaska to Patagonia, The Road to Patagonia is a heartfelt and sincere documentary that is sure to be an audience favourite across the globe.

Stunningly captured by Hannon and Heather Hillier, who joins Hannon in his film and life journey here, Patagonia is one of the most visually incredibly and naturalistic documentaries of recent memories and easily one of the most impressive Australian backed documentaries of the modern era, joining the likes of Ghosthunter, Hotel Coolgardie, 2040 and Sherpa as one of the most quintessential docos to come from Australian voices in the feature film landscape.

His first feature film, Hannon showcases a deft hand at the filmmaking game, spending years (with help from veteran editor Harriet Clutterbuck) working through unnumbered hours of footage that totalled in the 100's of hours worth to edit Patagonia down to a brisk 90 minutes, a 90 minutes that at all times provides a feast for the senses, the heart and very spirit of what it means to connect with the world we live in, all heavy subjects and weighty themes that never feel heavy-handed or delivered in a manufactured way here.

Telling a story that unfolds as it goes rather than plays out to a certain design or end goal, Patagonia takes the audience on an adventure that will make them laugh, cry and ponder and whether its in precarious moments late at night in a tent surrounded by wolves, beautiful moments with Hannon and Hillier's horses (unfussy MVP's of the film) or quiet yet effective interactions with real life subject matters Hannon and Hillier come across on their travels, Patagonia succeeds in multiple facets and is sure to have something for audiences of all backgrounds and creeds.

Often supported by the music of Swedish singer/songwriter Daniel Norgren, whose haunting and touching songs made such an impression in last years mesmerizing Italian epic The Eight Mountains, Patagonia is that rare type of Australian backed film that has universal appeal to all areas of the globe and with it also becoming a likable love story amongst all its other elements, Hannon's films is a documentary that proves to be filled with as much content as any fictional narrative feature could conjure up.

Working on a storytelling level, a feast on the visual front and filled with soul, humour and insight, there's much to take away from Patagonia and many reasons as to why Matty Hannon's labour of love should be on your radar.

Final Say

A must-see independent Australian documentary that works in multiple ways, The Road to Patagonia is a hugely impressive debut feature and an early contender for the Australian film of 2024.

4 1/2 tubes of Vegemite out of 5

Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)

Not to be confused with what some may potentially see as a horror or blood-curdling thriller, Kore-eda Hirokazu's critically acclaimed Rashmon inspired tale that takes place across three different viewpoints is a unique and effective examination of humanity and individuals circumstances that stands out as one of 2023's most memorable foreign offerings.

A winner of the 2023 Cannes Film Festival Best Screenplay award, Hirokazu's tale of single mother Saori, school teacher Hori and young boy Minato is a thorough examination of a set of circumstances that have lead Saori to believe that something horrifically amiss has occurred at Minato's school, with all signs pointing towards potential misdeeds at the hands of Hori who appears to show little remorse for the wrongs Saori suspects he is responsible for.

Starting out from Sakura Andô's Saori's POV as the film starts with a stunning shot of a burning mutli-storey building not far from her home she shares with Minato after her husband passed away years prior, Monster then gives equal amount of attention to Eita Nagayama's Hori and then Soya Kurokawa's Minato as we start to explore key incidents from the lives of each of these characters from their own perspectives and understandings.

Tackling the films weighty subject matters from this angle allows us and Hirokazu to wade through a raft of different emotions and ponderings and discovering just who or what's truly the "monster" of this film's narrative is one that hits hard when the truth becomes apparent with Monster morphing into a whole different type of beast than one might initially expect, showcasing the masterful skill Hirokazu has over his medium as his film unfolds.

Key to this beautifully shot and scored films success, thanks to D. O. P Ryûto Kondô and a moving score from the late/great Ryuichi Sakamoto, is the wonderful performances of its core cast that also includes a standout turn from young Hinata Hiiragi as the integral Yori, with all performers on top of their profession bringing heart, soul and humanity to their realistically flawed characters who all have reasonings behind their feelings and actions that come to light in a fluent and powerful way over Monster's two hour runtime.

Another impressive addition to Hirokazu's resume that concludes in an unforgettable and touching way, Monster is further reason to regard the talented filmmaker as one of the best directors operating in world cinema today.

Final Say -

Not the film one might expect and not to be viewed as a stereotypical thriller or mystery, Monster is nonetheless a powerful piece of human focussed storytelling that is worthy of being regarded as one of 2023's best dramatic features.

4 brass instruments out of 5

Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)

A man who bore the media moniker of "the Robert Redford of the USSR", Russian screen actor Oleg Vidov lived a colourful and entirely stranger than fiction life that Australian born director Nadia Tass explores in her comprehensive documentary Oleg: The Oleg Vidov Story.

Narrated by screen legend Brian Cox and featuring a raft of talking heads that includes the likes of Roger Donaldson, Walter Hill and Joan Borsten, Oleg recounts the rise of Vidov from humble beginnings as a son of a school teacher, a teenager obsessed with the art of cinema and a desire to be front and centre to the medium through too a certified superstar of Soviet Russia that turned sour when he was forced to flee to America in search of a new life and a home out of reach of the KGB.

It's the type of true life story that would feel far fetched if someone were too conjure up such a narrative from their imagination, giving Tass a lot of ground to cover in a relatively short sub 100 minute documentary but for the most part Tass's workmanlike documentary should be seen as a key exploration of Vidov's life and times, if not exactly the quintessential one that long term fans of the Vidov story will be seeking.

Undoubtedly a small budgeted affair, Oleg does at times appear to be limited by its budget, with certain pieces of footage being reused throughout the film and an over reliance on still imagery giving off student film vibes in certain instances but there's a well-intentioned nature of Tass's films and the sincerity and generosity of Vidov the man goes a long way too ensuring that this unflashy documentary is an engaging viewing experience without ever being an utterly gripping one.

Unable to deep dive into some of the more complex issues that arose throughout Vidov's career, particularly when he defected to the United States to escape the KGB ruled Soviet Union, there feels like there was more to explore here in certain aspects of Vidov's up and down journey in the public eye but as an easy to digest expose on a man that has had much commentary directed at him and about him, Oleg is an undeniably adequate documentary.

Final Say -

Delivered in a workmanlike fashion, Oleg: The Oleg Vidov Story is far from a ground-breaking or revelatory documentary feature but it's an accessible examination of the extraordinary life of a figure whose life was entirely unique and fascinating.

3 Soviet animations out of 5.

Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)

Not that there's any such thing as a certainty in life, all the stars were seemingly aligned to expect that director Neil Burger's decently budgeted and talent stacked adaptation of Karen Dionne's bestselling book would be one of 2023's dramatic hits.

Released unceremoniously in early November to avoid clashes with Taylor Swift's cultural phenomenon The Eras Concert, a global box office haul of under $3 million dollars and some diabolical critical reviews and cold audience reception showcased that best laid plans/expectations are never guaranteed with The Marsh Kings Daughter a mediocre and mostly lifeless offering that never had a chance to flourish into something more.

One of Hollywood's most curiously stagnant directors who constantly dabbles in films ranging from instantly forgettable to strangely irrelevant despite brief moments of popularity, Burger continues to operate in a very specific wheelhouse built on the likes of The Illusionist, Limitless, Divergent and The Upside with Daughter a film much like those he has delivered in the past, full of potential but unable to come together in a meaningful way.

Enlisting Daisy Ridley in the main role of Helena, a now grown woman who is haunted by her traumatic upbringing at the hands of Ben Mendelsohn's criminal father figure Jacob, Burger is never able to get Daughter into an engaging flow from our early times with Helena (here played by The Florida Project's breakout star Brooklyn Prince), Helena in the present day alongside Garret Hedlund as her caring husband Stephen or her battles with Jacob after he escapes from prison.

Each element of the film should provide both emotional connection and potent material for a thrilling game of cat and mouse both figuratively and mentally but despite a pretty gloss that comes from such well-backed dramatic exercises, Daughter remains a cold and unengaging experience throughout, constantly frustrating us with its lack of heart and soul and its sad inability to give its cast a chance to shine.

Struggling to find the right material post Star Wars, Daughter offers Ridley one of her most loaded screentime opportunities yet but despite her best attempts she never feels like a great fit for the role of Helena and with Mendelsohn's charismatic bad guy routine starting to wear thin and Hedlund once more anchored to a tame supporting role that barely gets him to raise a sweat, Daughter's talented ensemble can't gift the film any type of respite from its lacking delivery.

In multiple facets and angles Daughter might just have been a significant and memorable affair but in continuing on in director Neil Burger's career pattern, the film is one that barely scrapes by on its way to an inevitable future where few can recall or can be bothered to ponder its existence.

Final Say -

A 2023 film that came and went with little fanfare, The Marsh Kings Daughter has the core of something special but lethargic delivery, a sleepwalking cast and a strange sense of disinterest halt this dramatic affair in its tracks.

2 spreadsheets out of 5.

Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)

Studio darling A24's biggest budgeted and arguably biggest risk yet comes in the form of underrated filmmaker Alex Garland's explosive dystopian journalistic thriller Civil War, a no doubt controversial feature that is sure to stir debate within the boundaries of The United States.

Marketed as a guns blazing action thriller that follows an eclectic group of determined journalists and photographers, there's sure to be some jaded viewers who will feel duped by A24's marketing campaign that has cleverly honed in on the set piece aspect of Garland's offering, with Civil War hitting hard when the bullets fly but also becoming a film that is just as happy basking in the quieter moments, moments where it doesn't always come together the way you would have liked.

Built around Kirsten Dunst's wearied photographer Lee, Cailee Spaeny's upstart Jessie, Wager Moura's jovial Joel and Stephen McKinley Henderson's industry veteran Sammy (a key component of Civil War's most unforgettable scene), Civil War offers up some incredibly confronting and masterfully put together set pieces as it follows it's road-trippers on an explosive journey across the wilds of a country at war within itself, as the journalists attempt to make it to the gates of The White House in hopes of meeting with the under fire president, played by cameo master Nick Offerman.

Civil War is a very different film for Garland, a figure who made his name in the science fiction and horror space as a screenwriter and then the same genres as he morphed to a career behind the camera but he showcases himself as a deft hand in this more thriller oriented space with the gunplay and action segments of Civil War some of the most visceral and intense you're likely to see this year, while his unflinching look at a United States tearing itself apart from within is going to go down as one of the most realistic depictions of a potential future for the country many would be praying never comes to fruition.

Where Civil War finds itself lacking is in its character beats and curiously a script that doesn't quite come off the way Garland's best works have in prior projects such as Ex Machina or Sunshine.

Full of tension and horrifically viable situations, despite the solid turns from the core cast, which also includes an unforgettable segment lead by a Jesse Plemons cameo, Civil War is never able to unearth a heart and soul amongst all its many grand explorations and ideas and there's a distinct lack of character engagement and emotional resonance that would've made this impeccably made and staged film something that would have been entering through the gateways of greatness.

Filled with memorable individual moments of greatness, exploring topics that are both topical and worthwhile and gifting us a war set thriller with a totally unique core, it's impossible to deny much of Civil War but there's also a nagging feeling that there's a key ingredient missing here that makes Garland's incendiary feature a missed opportunity despite all its successes.

Final Say -

Delivering some thrilling white-knuckle cinematic spectacle and visual wins around some of the years most confronting narrative material, Civil War hits hard when it does but there's no getting away from the fact the human elements of Alex Garland's film leave much to be desired.

4 Canadian bank notes out of 5

Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)

One of 2023's most talked about features and the recipient of the Academy Awards Best International Feature Film award (as well as a well deserved award for Best Sound), Jonathan Glazer's first film since his controversial 2013 film Under the Skin is a World War 2 film with a difference, a haunting experience that explores the mindset and everyday occurrences that often go hand in hand with the horrors and atrocities of a period of war.

Based on the true story of Nazi family the Höss's, who lead by husband/father and Auschwitz commandant Rudolf and fiery mother/wife Hedwig lived a seemingly idyllic lifestyle in the heat of the WW2 period where their family home was stationed right alongside the Auschwitz concentration camp that saw some of the most evil acts ever committed against humanity take place within its confines.

With Glazer's production team shooting the film in a hidden camera format with no crew visible on set when the actors were at work, being described as "Big Brother" like by Glazer, Zone of Interest is unlike any such film I can recall seeing and while much of what horrifies in the film remains off screen, with the films unique sound design playing a major part in proceedings here, there's a constant feeling of unease on display here at just what these humans were able to look past as they attempted to do their jobs and live out their lives around the trauma of what surrounded them.

Utilising this approach that includes a distinct lack of cinematic flourishes and spectacle allows Interest to play out in an organic and often memorizing fashion that allows Friedel and Anatomy of a Fall breakout star Hüller to bring the Höss's to life in ways you wouldn't expect possible, transporting us back to a time and place history will never forget and allowing us to examine it in a whole new way than we've done before.

If there was an obvious element to focus in on with Glazer's film that perhaps weakens the experience overall, it's that from very early on we are abundantly clear of the naïve and terrifying mindset of our main characters and then for the next hour and a half we cover familiar ground and while the film still has some shocks and surprises within in, a terrifying fade to red and some haunting segments that take place utilising infrared spring to mind, there is a feeling that creeps into Glazer's feature as time wears on that we begin to get caught in a loop that in its later stages looses some of its power.

Culminating in one of the most memorable and shattering final segments of any film of the recent era, Interest is still a film of much power and harbours an important message all told by a director who constantly surprises in his approach to the craft of filmmaking and how we tell and consume stories.

Final Say -

An entirely unique approach to telling what could have otherwise been a straightforward World War 2 biopic/historical drama, The Zone of Interest may not be an easy watch but it's a powerful one, exploring topics in a fresh and important light.

4 family picnics out of 5

Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)

Originally destined for a Netflix streaming debut before Hollywood heavyweight Jordan Peele and his Monkeypaw Productions stepped in and secured distribution rights to Dev Patel's debut feature, Monkey Man is an impressive next evolution for the actor turned director/writer who here gifts us The Raid meets John Wick all awash in a distinctively Indian undertone.

Inspired by the Hindu character Hanuman, Monkey Man allows Patel to showcase his Indian heritage (as well as his not too shabby butt-kicking abilities) in a low-budget affair that feels much bigger than its budget constraints as Patel's nameless "kid" lives out a loveless existence as an underground masked fighter hellbent on revenge against the criminal and upper class that played a hand in the destruction of his childhood village and murder of his beloved mother.

At it's core a film we've seen done countless times before, jaded anti-hero takes up the mantle of one man army to bring corrupt and evildoers to a bloody justice but Patel ensures that Monkey Man does enough in the originality stakes to be considered a fresh take on a well-worn formula and while not everything he attempts to achieve pays off, when Monkey Man hits it hits hard and provides an undoubtedly wild time for viewers that can out up with its shaky cam action, far to frequent and intrusive flashbacks and narrative lulls that are particularly apparent in a sagging mid-section.

Far from a fight a minute exercise that was prevalent in the aforementioned Raid and John Wick films and the Korean action films that helped inspire Patel's debut, Monkey Man isn't going to appease those wanting two hours plus of relentless and unwavering action violence but being built around two key action segments that are both extended in length and impressive in execution, the action in Patel's feature is memorable and frenetic and is likely to place Monkey Man firmly in the conversation for the action film of 2024.

Filled with moments that require viewers to forgive curious coincidences and leaps of faith, there are elements of Monkey Man that frustrate and hold it back from potential greatness but there's enough here to suggest that Patel has showcased enough here in front of the camera and behind the camera to be very excited about the birth of a unique directional talent that can hopefully learn from his experience here to continue his progression in the industry.

In an age where many films feel like mere imitators or box ticking exercises, Monkey Man feels like a fresh twist on a stale formula, making it a film that should be on the radars of genre fans and those looking for fun and often exciting cinematic experience.

Final Say -

A brutal and inventive action film with an Indian vibe, Monkey Man's social commentary and narrative may not always gel with its confronting bruise-filled violence but Dev Patel's notable filmmaking debut is sure to win over its fair share of passionate fans regardless.

3 1/2 passionate drummers out of 5

Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)

The fifth feature film in the "MonsterVerse" series that kicked off in 2014 with the oddly serious Godzilla, The New Empire see's returning director Adam Wingard (last seen helming 2021's Godzilla vs. Kong) back in the directors chair and overseeing this newest big budgeted exercise in CGI and monster mayhem that provides exactly what you'd expect from such a film and nothing more, marking down another forgettable if slightly passable attempt at giving two of cinemas most iconic creations more time in the spotlight.

Achieving far greater financial success across its first official week of release in a global box office receipt point of view, Empire has clearly managed to release at a time and place in the cinematic landscape where viewers are content to be taken away on a mindless blockbuster journey but it's a shame Wingard and his team that includes very capable performers such as Rebecca Hall, Dan Stevens and Brian Tyree Henry aren't able to give us more than a film that has some decent eye candy but little else.

Proving even more so that the Monsterverse's biggest problem since its inception a decade ago has been creating a human element worthy of all the city destruction, animal grunts and CGI work, Empire struggles in its two hour time whenever the title characters aren't front and centre and without any human glue holding everything together there's only so much Kong and Godzilla can do, especially when Godzilla feels like more of an afterthought here with Kong taking up most of the screentime in a titan point of view.

Appearing to be nothing more than exposition mediums or fact mouthpieces, the journey of our central characters venturing into Hollow Earth that Kong now calls home to investigate a potential new threat to mankind never gets out of first gear and while through this time we get to witness such cinematic greatness as Kong using a "mini-kong" as a makeshift weapon or Dan Steven's Trapper performing a very unique type of dental procedure, there's a lot of downtime in Empire that can't be saved by a whirlwind finale that is decent but far from the final act saviour that Empire was in need of.

Judging off what we see here it appears as though the MonsterVerse in its current format is starting to desperately struggle with maintaining narrative momentum or a reason for these crossover spectacles to exist and it's hard for us viewers to look at what we've seen here and be excited about what comes next as it's likely we've seen about all we can see from these behemoths over the past decade.

With some strong audience sentiment and a likely healthy end box office haul, there's no doubt we are going to see more of what's been on offer here, lets just hope that if it's to be the supports that work alongside our title characters are far more thought out and interesting as without growth in that area, future instalments of this shared universe are going to get harder and harder to endure.

Final Say -

If you've yet to enjoy the modern day MonsterVerse it's unlikely Kong x Godzilla: The New Empire is going to change your mind, providing much of the same of what has come before, it appears as though this series has ran out of ideas to keep it moving forward, offering up some decent spectacle around a lot of forgettable and regrettable filler.

2 alive improvised weapons out of 5.

Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)

An understandably difficult true life romance story to recreate on the big screen due to the glaring age gap and uniqueness of the whole affair that was the famed relationship of Elvis and Priscilla Presley, Sofia Coppola's stunningly staged but emotionally cold and narratively disjointed adaptation of Priscilla's own memoirs makes for a frustrating watch, one filled with lots of small wins but too many misses to call the film a success.

Starting back all the way when the teenage Priscilla Beaulieu first met a far older and already superstar monikered Elvis Presley in Germany during his service in the United States Army, Coppola's film starts out well enough as a fever dream like experience where a wide-eyed girl is swept up in the presence of a man that was the equivalent of a living breathing God amongst men, with this early stretch of the film feeling almost like a home movie of the late 50's and early 60's era in which it takes place in but as things between Priscilla and Elvis ramp up, the film ramps down struggling to hold our attention.

Falling into what feels like a series of repetitive scenes and random interactions rather than a fluid narrative or an engaging expose, Coppola's film starts to run out of steam way before the one hour mark and despite a noticeable ramp up in the latter stages to try and compensate and cover a huge period of time in the two lovers lives, Priscilla feels like a wasted opportunity to utilise its two talented leads by never capturing their potential chemistry or gifting them the material that would've elevated their strong turns.

A career making turn for lead Cailee Spaeny who is deserving of the attention she garnered for her role her and an unexpectedly strong iteration of Elvis by Australian acting giant Jacob Elordi, who gets stronger and more "Elvis like" as the film draws on, Coppola's two committed leads both deserved a stronger focussed film that would've allowed them to maximise their time in these characters shoes but despite their best attempts, that supposed magical bond of these two famed lovers never comes to great fruition in this cinematic exploration.

Operating in a rather ho-hum period for a number of years now, sadly Priscilla isn't the film to get Coppola back on the esteemed ground she once found herself in with her earlier works and while there's a strong look and feel to this drama there's something very forgettable about a story that is anything but, for reasons both good and bad.

Final Say -

A tricky tale to navigate through that makes a film that is hard to love, Priscilla shows signs of something special but despite the good work from its core duo, Sofia Coppola's pretty but cold romantic biopic is hard too love.

2 1/2 lavish wedding cakes out of 5

Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)

The decision from director Doug Liman and star Jake Gyllenhaal to invest their time and effort into a reimagining on the 1989 Patrick Swayze cult classic Road House will forever remain a great mystery with this $85 million dollar Amazon streaming original a bizarre offering that appears to be floundering for an identity as it struggles to maintain any sense or purpose or accomplishments across its runtime.

Outside of gifting Gyllenhaal a chance to hone his not insignificant physical prowess and the sight of seeing strutting UFC legend Conor McGregor's bare Irish potatoes, Liman's messily edited and video game feeling action thriller with a darkly comic undertone is a film that attempts to do a lot of things but does none of them particularly well even if an unhinged Gyllenhaal fully embracing his era of not caring is almost enough to make things interesting.

Opening with the what on earth am I watching sight of a CGI'd Post Malone bare knuckle boxing followed by Gyllenhaal's disgraced ex-UFC fighter coming face to face with a freight train, Road House has a constantly strange tone and feeling that it's never able to shake, almost as if its caught between being a white knuckle thriller, a comedic action romp or a straight up parody of late 80's and early 90's genre flicks, making it easily apparent as too why Amazon decided early on that this feature was skipping out on a cinematic run.

Making it's way into the press over the early stages of 2024 with Liman publicly attacking Amazon about its strategy to skip a cinema run for his film and even proclaiming this is the best film he's ever made, Road House has found itself with more limelight than it deserves and its impossible to think that Liman was serious about any of his statements, particularly when you consider some of his work includes classics such as Edge of Tomorrow, The Bourne Identity and the criminally underrated American Made.

The other glaring element of Road House that stands out above everything is the central turn from Gyllenhaal.

A generational talent who has been involved with some of the most memorable Hollywood outings of the modern era, it's sad to think that this is what we are now going to get from the talented actor and while the likes of The Covenant and Ambulance are above average affairs, Road House marks an interesting point in the "just having fun" mode of Gyllenhaal's career trajectory that hopefully doesn't last too long as he looks to get back to the type of products that made him one of the most reliable presence's in the industry.

A film that doesn't seem to be for anyone in particular and never works in any of its various facets, Road House is often unhinged but not in a memorable way, creating a forgettable and at times regrettable experience (thanks clothe free Conor) that wastes its talent, time and budget.

Final Say -

Potentially a product that could have struck the right balance between homage and fun, Road House is a cheap looking and heartless offering that gives us very little to care about or be entertained by.

2 stab wounds out of 5

Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)

One of the most talked about American documentaries of all time, Barbara Kopple's Oscar winning Harlan County U. S. A. Is a fascinating insight into not only the titular lands of its title but a mesmerising snapshot of a time and place in American history as well as the mining industry in the period of the mid-late 1970s.

A documentary that avoids plonking down talking heads to talk us through situations or characters, Kopple lets Harlan County talk for itself as the residents of the lower class community of the county battle a nefarious mining corporation that appears hellbent on nothing but the bottom line, leading to a multi-year battle that Kopple was lucky enough to be a fly on the wall to as mayhem, murder and battle of wills take flight.

One of those stories that would appear to be conjured up from someone's imagination, Harlan County is almost unbelievable in the amount of ground it covers across its 100 minute runtime with a collection of larger than life characters, situations and imagery all combining to create a special feature that has remained relevant these many years on from initial release, even arguably becoming more relevant as time wears on as a reminder of the human toll to these men vs corporation battles.

With more thrills, surprises and heart than many Hollywoodized accounts of such topics that lay at the heart of Harlan County, Kopple's film is that rare type of ageless entity that will likely remain prominent in movie history for many years yet.

With Harlan County the place getting noticed in recent times thanks to well-liked TV series Justified, there's unarguably nothing better out there than this award winning feature that gives people an insight into the harsh realities of what is a part of the American dream. A place where the little people are trodden over and lawlessness seems to be commonplace, there's not many places like the Kentucky bound wilds of Harlan County.

Encapsulating a key time and place in American history, documenting the power of the little people and entertaining from start to finish, Harlan County U. S. A. Has to be regarded as one of the most iconic feature documentaries of all time that feels ahead of its time and perfectly of its time all at the same time.

Final Say -

The quintessential exploration of Harlan County, Barbara Kopple's renowned classic is well-worth tracking down with her memorable film still offering up a powerful and insightful experience that is entirely unique.

4 1/2 road-blocks out of 5.

Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)

A long gestating project that has now finally been unleashed into the public domain via Amazon Prime after years of development hell that saw the project at various times have names such as Jim Carey, Nicolas Cage and Joaquin Phoenix, legendary comedic director Peter Farrelly's latest solo outing Ricky Stanicky is a rare breed of modern day comedy that feels like a 90's early 2000's affair for both good and bad reasons.

Filmed locally in Australia in and around the Victorian city of Melbourne, Stanicky's Providence, Rhode Island set tale of a bunch of childhood friends turned adults who invent an imaginary friend/person to get them out of trouble and out of such horrible things such as baby showers and date nights is one that has ample potential to provide off the wall hijinks but despite a typical Farrelly feel to everything and an extremely committed turn from John Cena as struggling actor and made-up Ricky Stanicky/Rod Rimestead, Stanicky is an overlong exercise that doesn't have the juice to keep the wheels in motion across its close to two hour runtime.

Things get off to a relatively solid start as Zac Efron's Dean, Andrew Santino's JT and Jermaine Fowler's Wes enjoy their get out of jail free card that is Ricky Stanicky while Cena's early appearances as the down on his luck Rimestead provide some of the films most memorable moments but as the film starts to venture along and add in extra subplots and the initial novelty of Cena playing a make believe best friend starts to wear off, you quickly begin to realise that there's not enough strong material here to maximise the potential that Stanicky's premise provides on paper.

Honing is craft in the likes of cult TV show Peacemaker and films such as Trainwreck and Blockers, Cena has quickly become one of the most entertaining comedic performers working today and he is a clear highlight of Stanicky.

Whether it's dressing up as Britney Spears and putting a whole new spin on some of her classics or getting involved in a Jewish ceremony in a very hands on way, Cena stands out amongst an otherwise pedestrian feeling performing ensemble that continues on Farrelly's recent struggles to keep himself on top of the comedy genre he once played such an important role in.

Never to be forgotten thanks to this collaborations with his brother Bobby, more recent comedy entries such as The Greatest Beer Run Ever, Dumb and Dumber To, The Three Stooges and Hall Pass show a director well passed his prime and while amongst all of that he had huge success with the Oscar winning Green Book, Stanicky is another mediocre effort from a one time master who should perhaps leave the comedic landscape to fresh talent from here on out.

Final Say -

There's some cheap laughs to be had here, particularly early on and there's no denying John Cena gives it his all but for the most part Ricky Stanicky is a tired feeling feature that may be passable as a streaming option for a night on the couch but provides nothing we haven't seen done before and done much better.

2 reinterpreted songs out of 5

Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)

Garnering some significantly average reviews from critics, a lukewarm at best reception from general audiences and failing to make a dent in any facet financially, it's safe to say Australian director Garth Davis promising on paper adaptation of Ian Reid's book is one of 2023's most noteworthy examples of a failure to launch.

A homegrown talent that has some runs on the board with features such as Lion and work on renowned TV series Top of the Lake, Davis is a talent in his own right and armed with some solid sci-fi infused source material and two of the hottest Hollywood performers in the forms of Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal one would've been right to suspect that Foe might have been on of 2023's critical/awards darlings but sadly there's a reason as to why this film never took off in the way optimists may have expected it to.

Set in the year 2065 where as you would expect Earth is struggling to maintain itself and human life with new ways of life both on and off planet starting to emerge to plug the holes mankind has created for itself, Foe has an intriguing backdrop and a potentially potent central narrative centred around the marriage of Ronan's Hen and Mescal's Junior and the issues they begin to deal with when Aaron Pierre's mysterious Terrance arrives on their doorstep on fateful evening but the whole film is one that is left as nothing more than the what might have been.

Without entering into spoiler territory, with the films most interesting moments and delivery occurring in its later stages where much of the arduous early moments are better contextualised with the knowledge we get given in the films latter stages, no amount of solid work from Ronan or Mescal can mask the fact much of Foe's scripting and delivering needed far more refinement with many likely to mentally switch off well before Davis's film finally starts to explain itself in more detail.

While the films final stage explanations showcases just what type of film Foe wanted to be it's also not enough to make up for the fact there's far too much in Davis's offering that isn't up to standard, far too much exposition that adds little to the endgame and not enough emotional connection to two characters played by more than capable performers, making Foe a film that keeps you mostly at arms length rather than drawing you in and gripping you tight into its broader themes and explorations of the human conditions.

What Foe is delving into the questions it raises around certain well-covered sci-fi topics isn't exactly treading out new ground but they're weighty themes and subjects that should've provided us with a far more noteworthy film when you consider who is involved in bringing it too life, leaving Foe as it stands as a barely passable attempt to gift us with a moving and contemplative experience that squanders its cast and concept on a film you're going to forgot without much of a second-thought.

Final Say -

There's snippets in Foe of the film it might have been and Mescal and Ronan are both as ever entirely watchable but they much like us the audience are letdown by a film that fails to grasp what it is leaving things far to late for an attempt to salvage much of the averageness that has transpired for much of its runtime.

2 1/2 basement pianos out of 5.

Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)

Demián Rugna's Argentinian horror film When Evil Lurks has slowly but surely been gathering momentum and industry notice across its early to mid 2023 festival showings and having recently been released on horror streaming provider Shudder, it's not hard to see why Rugna's feature has become one of the most talked about horror efforts of the year.

An unmerciful experience that is about as far removed from Hollywood horror staples as you'd care to see, Lurks throws us into a plague ridden world where churches and faith have long been abolished and possession and demonic influence is a constant threat to all who aren't vigilante, Rugna's film is one filled to the brim with lore and intriguing concepts and while not all of them are explored or mined as deeply as you'd hope, the core of Lurks horror goodness still provides a thrilling and unpredictable viewing experience.

Wasting little time bothering to do to much in the way of set-up or character building, Rugna gets us stuck straight into the thick of it as Ezequiel Rodríguez and Demián Salomón well-intentioned but ill-equipped rural farmers Pedro and Jimi get caught up in a local possession occurrence that is way over their pay grade or experience levels, threatening themselves, their families and their wider communities if they don't manage to right the wrongs of their decisions.

A film that is best watched with as little foretaste as possible, one only needs to know that Lurks is a visceral and unrelenting experience across its roughly 90 minute runtime and there are scenes here that will test a viewers tolerance level for violence and horror, including a scene involving a family pet that will likely go down as one of the most confronting scenes of 2023 but if one can manage to get through these many instances of intense carnage, Lurks offers up a rewarding genre experience that isn't comparable to other films of the same ilk.

With so many good ideas and concepts and individual scenes that will have you squirming in your seat, it's a shame that Rugna wasn't able to refine key parts of his film with Lurks script often leaning towards the amateurish side of execution while his central characters and their decisions often don't appear to be hugely well thought out making some of Lurks key segments a little hard to swallow and the engagement level in who wins the battle of good vs evil far lesser than it could've been.

Another addition to the recent growing list of unique and enjoyable foreign horrors that put much of Hollywood's horror wheelhouse to shame, Lurks might not be the classic if could've been but it's a thoroughly entertaining offering nonetheless.

Final Say -

Not all the pieces of the very anti-Hollywood When Evil Lurks puzzle come together as smoothly as you would hope for and there's some frustratingly unexplored ideas bought up but overall Demián Rugna's fast-paced and inventive film delivers a thrilling ride regardless.

3 1/2 tubs of apple ice-cream out of 5

Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)

The newest collaboration between creative partners Adam Sandler and Netflix, sadly Spaceman is no Uncut Gems and Hustle with this newest "serious" Sandler effort a muddled attempt at doing something different, making it a valiant exercise that fails to capitalise on a decent idea.

Partnering with HBO's Chernobyl breakout director Johan Renck, there was hope amongst film fans that the talented filmmaker could strike gold with his work with Sandler who over the last few years has had some of the best periods of his career but despite the two talented men and support from the likes of co-stars Carey Mulligan and Paul Dano, Spaceman is a film that quickly loses steam across its 100 minute runtime to produce a messy collection of half-explored ideas that lead to an unsatisfactory conclusion.

Throwing its audience straight into the years long journey of Sandler's Czech solo space explorer Jakub Prochazka as he ventures to worlds unknown at the edge of our solar system, Spaceman delves into the fracturing mental space of a man who is for all attempts the most loneliest human alive, battling his separation from his long-term partner Lenka (an underutilised Carey Mulligan) and a bizarre friendship with Paul Dano's "space spider" Hanus who has made himself at home in Jakub's spacecraft and who may be real or a figment of Jakub's imagination.

It's an undeniably quirky set-up for a sci-fi adventure, one that unfortunately forgets the adventure part of things as it zones in on the human elements of this narrative, flashbacking between Jakub's life back home with Lenka and mostly confined to the craft he shares with Hanus but Spaceman never maximises the potential that was within its reach as the film's initial hopeful flames are blown out and we get trapped on a repetitive and unrewarding experience that will disappear from many viewers memory within days of watching.

Finding success in more serious minded projects in the past such as Punch Drunk Love, Reign Over Me and the previously mentioned Uncut Gems, Spaceman must also be regarded as one of Sandler's most notable mature project failures with the likable everyman persona he has perfected over decades lost here on the uninteresting and mostly unlikeable Jakub.

Considering we spend most of our screen time as a fly on the wall to Jakub's space expedition it's a shame we never connect to him much on a higher level and despite some great voice work from the always committed Dano, neither Jakub or Hanus have the connection the film needed to elevate its other weaker elements and while well-intentioned, the familiar messages at the heart of Spaceman and the inability to make things exciting and powerful ensure this is a high-concept Netflix original that never threatened to take off.

Final Say -

While always nice to see Sandler get outside of his comfort zone and deliver something out of the ordinary, Spaceman is a failed attempt to create an original Sci-Fi experience with a human focus that can't come to grips with its various elements or its hairy multi-eyed co-star.

2 space spiders out of 5.

Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)

Released through Amazon Prime, Maggie Betts star-studded true life court room drama is the perfect feel-good offering that is unlikely to make any sought of lasting impression on viewers but thanks to its David vs Goliath like qualities and a scene-chewing Jamie Foxx on top form, The Burial is a crowdpleaser that is sure to win over the jury.

Pitting Oscar winners Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones alongside one another as flashy lawyer Willie Gray and grizzled businessman Jeremiah O'Keefe respectively, Betts finds an easy going formula with her two lead actors who get able support from renowned character actors like Alan Ruck and Bill Camp and rising star Jurnee Smollett as The Burial examines the high-profile court case between funeral home owner O'Keefe and Camp's billionaire dollar businessman Ray Loewen's corporation.

From the moment we are introduced to Gray preaching to an eagerly attentive church congregation and O'Keefe enjoying a nice family get together, framing each characters individuality and personas in one easy to consume bite, you quickly begin to gather that The Burial is going to stick fairly closely to the well-trodden and proven formula of good vs bad and little in the way of any grey area but despite its clearly identifiable formalities, it's hard to be disenfranchised by a film that does what it does so smoothly, even though at times it stumbles in some subplots and side acts that don't hit the mark.

When it veers off course and gets involved in narrative components that feel more like additional Hail Mary's to add weight or topical subject matters The Burial can at times be weighed down by trying to overplay its hand and its reach but when the focus remains on Foxx and Lee Jones and their natural screen presence given time to hog the spotlight, Bett's film is one of the years most easy to enjoy tales.

Showing more wear and tear from the years that have gone by, Lee Jones does little to stretch himself here as the mild-mannered but determined O'Keefe but the esteemed performer much like the film as a whole benefits greatly from Foxx's most enthusiastic performance in many a year with the actor as good as he's been in a long time as the smart-talking and charismatic Gray.

Dominating every scene his in ensemble wise or solo, Foxx is having a blast here bringing Gray to life and while there is no doubt that many mannerisms or moments of Gray's part in this tale have been embellished here for creative reasons, there's an undeniable energy and magic that Foxx unleashes here and ensures that whenever he is on screen, The Burial is a pleasure too watch.

Final Say -

Enhanced by its two lead performers with Foxx in particular bringing his A-game, this true life based court room drama may not attempt anything we haven't seen before but it doesn't stop it from being an enjoyable diversion for anyone seeking out a feature of this kind.

3 1/2 lavish office desks out of 5

Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)

Produced by comedy scene heavy-hitters Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, Samuel Bodin's feature debut horror film Cobweb was inexplicitly released into American theatres alongside the box office and cultural phenomenon behemoths that were Barbie and Oppenheimer, giving this future cult classic genre entry little to no chance to find its audience that it is now likely to find in the years to come.

A likely candidate for a future Halloween pick of choice amongst those that explore the depths of cult film fandom, Cobweb is a creepy little low budgeted affair centred around Woody Norman's bullied young boy Peter whose quiet life at home with his slightly off parents Carol and Mark (the underrated Lizzy Caplan and The Boys breakout star Antony Starr) isn't as idyllic as he would like it to be as he begins to suspect there is something/someone living in the walls of his family home.

Not afraid to get very dark and very weird, Bodin's film at times follows familiar tropes of the horror world but at the same time there is enough unpredictability and surprises in store here to ensure that even the most hardcore of genre lovers are going to find things in Cobweb they didn't expect to find/see and even while the film loses some of its intrigue and eerie charm in its later stages, there's still fun to be had from this film that isn't afraid to get its hands dirty.

One of those films that I would suggest heading into without watching trailers or reading deep dive synopsis into, Cobweb is enlivened by its odd pivots and narrative paths that cover up a lot of its weaker script work and curiously unexplored story arcs/happenings and with both Caplan and Starr having a gleefully demented good time as parents you wouldn't want to call your own, Cobweb is the type of B-movie delight that the likes of Wes Craven and John Carpenter would've been proud to be fans of.

Arguably not reaching its full potential or possibilities Bodin and screenwriter Chris Thomas Devlin's tale might have reached had it managed to refine its concepts and deliveries further, Cobweb is an entertaining quickfire genre entry that will likely find a life outside of the Barbenheimer whirlwind it found itself in during its initial release.

Final Say -

Far from highbrow viewing and not a film worthy of inspecting too deeply, Cobweb is nevertheless a fun and often surprising Halloween infused horror that provides its fair share of genre goodness around some of its more questionable elements.

3 long overdue haircuts out of 5

Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)

In so many ways, Dune: Part 2 is all you could ever ask for from a big screen spectacle with an added bonus that this visual feast and sensory shattering blockbuster has the heart and soul to match, making director Denis Villeneuve's and his casts return to the sand clad world of Arrakis one that will not soon be forgotten in the history of the cinematic medium.

A victim of last years Hollywood strikes, which saw Villeneuve's much anticipated follow-up to his beloved first entry from 2021 get moved from a late 2023 roll-out to its end of Feb release this year, Part 2 is well and truly worth the extra wait eager cinemagoers have had to endure with this eye-popping epic as good of a reason as there has ever been to get off your couch and give your home cinema a well-deserved break to get out and see what Villeneuve has in store for you, with what can only be described as the quintessential example of what can be delivered on the big screen format.

From the haunting beauty of the unforgiving plains of Arrakis (aka Abu Dhabi) where Paul and his new Fremen friends wander, the almost rollercoaster like experience of sandworm riding, the black and white majesty and horror of our first trip to the Harkonnen owned planet of Giedi Prime, the stunningly staged battles both externally and internally through to the unforgettable world building of Hans Zimmer's instantly iconic score, Part 2 is an all-round success that builds on what was special about Part 1 and enhances it at all times.

Throughout this technical marvel we are also treated to the official arrival of the next stage of the already memorable career of lead Timothée Chalamet, who here brings Paul Atreides's journey from meek boy to what many see as a life-changing messiah sent to save them from the oppressiveness they have felt for ages gone by in a fashion that is awards worthy.

It's a career-defining performance from Chalamet, it's been sometime since I can recall seeing such growth and screen presence come to life before our eyes but its more and more evident in Part 2 as the films never dull close to three hour runtime moves forward with Villeneuve and his cast never wasting a single second of screentime on anything that feels like excess baggage or unwarranted diversions, this is a film with a singular vision that never panders down to its audience and treats its material with a respect and reverence that can proudly sit alongside the likes of The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and the original Star Wars trilogy for world building, creation and characters being sprung to life.

Arriving at a time in the history of cinema where debates are raging about the future viability and even keenness from audiences to support the world of move-making on a grand-scale, Part 2 can be looked at much like Paul Atreides is seen by the blue-eyed faithful that watch his every move, a messiah of sorts coming along to remind us all of what the possibilities are, all delivered by the grand puppet master that is Denis Villeneuve who has here, without question or debate, marked himself down as one of the all-time great filmmakers.

Across the span of just over a decade, the French Canadian mastermind has managed a set of films that are up there with as good of a run as we've ever seen with 2010's Incendies starting a run of Prisoners, Enemy, Sicario, Arrival, Blade Runner 2049, Dune: Part 1 and now Dune: Part 2. 8 incredible films that show no signs of slowing down anytime soon and we as audience members should be happy to be witnesses and partakers in such a career that could be this generations defining one alongside Christopher Nolan.

With everyone and everything at the top of their game, from Rebecca Ferguson's noteworthy turn as Lady Jessica, Austin Butler's scene-stealing villain Feyd-Rautha, cinematographer Greig Fraser's masterful camerawork, Jacqueline West's costume design and art direction and set decoration that puts most Hollywood productions to shame, Part 2 is as alive as a film could be, a Sci-Fi masterpiece that in turn bares witness to blockbuster entertainment can and should be, making Part 2 the very definition of a must-see cinema spectacle.

Final Say -

Upping the game in every facet, Dune: Part 2 is the perfect progression of the already great Part 1, gifting us a chance to enjoy a feast for the senses like very few films have provided us over the course of cinema history. Filled with memorable set pieces, noteworthy performances and much to ponder, Dune: Part 2 is an all-round success story that deserves all the praise that is being heaped upon it.

5 blue drinks out of 5.

Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)

Sharing DNA with cult horror film Severance, sprinkled with the same type of dark humour becoming synonymous with Swedish films such as Triangle of Sadness and The Square and not afraid to get very bloody with a collection of ghastly murders and demises, Patrik Eklund's Netflix horror/comedy The Conference has components and ideas working in its favour but this work retreat with a difference doesn't have the warm bodies or smarts to be regarded as a trip worth taking.

Oscar nominee Eklund can't be accused of not trying to instil his darkly minded slasher with a range of different elements outside of bloody kills and claret spills with The Conference touching on mental illness, environmental activism and tensions between co-workers but there's not a single character in this tale of complicated corporate types clashing and being slashed to make his film enjoyable when it's not going for cat and mouse chills or outright carnage.

Lead by Katia Winter's troubled and tormented Lina who finds herself in a battle of wits against her boss Jonas, played with significant sleaze by Adam Lundgren, as the two, alongside a collection of their co-workers, find themselves in a remote retreat before the grand unveiling of a highly publicised new development in the otherwise quiet country area, a team building exercise that turns very quickly into a battle to survive a masked killer that has murder on their mind.

A lot of The Conference feels familiar and while the Swedish setting and cultural observances and wit is skewered differently to the western mould, Eklund's film is never as smart of entertaining as it wants to be and it's never a good sign for these type of films where you as an audience member are rooting for the killer hoping they will quickly and surely save us from spending anymore time with a bunch of characters we'd rather not have met in the first place.

Alongside this issue is the cold hard fact that The Conference is for far too much of its on paper brief 90 or so minute runtime a real drag.

With a large chunk of screentime given to character interactions that are neither interesting or valuable to the film in the grand scheme of things, The Conference may provide some small-scale visceral thrills and inventive kills in amongst its proceedings but for the most part, audience members will be finding their minds wandering off to other places far removed from the idyllic surrounds of this conference facility, wishing that they had taken a different trip with their valuable time.

Final Say -

A film with not a lot to say but far too much allotment of time to say it, The Conference has some inventive moments in the kills and spills department but its lack of laughs, bare-bones characters, scrappy scripting and unrefined components halt this Netflix offering in its tracks.

2 outboard motors out of 5

Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)

A fever dream of a film that combines its producer Ari Aster's wild mind with its director Kristoffer Borgli channelling of Charlie Kaufman and Michel Gondry, Dream Scenario may never quite make the most of its bizarre, unique and intriguing concept but it provides an unpredictable cinematic experience that continues on its leading mans recent success with a late career renaissance.

Built off an hilarious premise where Scenario's leading man Nicolas Cage's softly spoken and depressed university professor Paul Matthews finds himself in the public spotlight and (literally) in people's minds after appearing in millions of peoples dreams for no apparent reason, Borgli's film may at times appear to be a purely comedic offering but there's far more at play here in a film that for the majority leans more into the dramatic as we explore Matthews fracturing mindset, the dangers of going viral in the modern age and the way in which people can loose themselves in hype and forgo the things that truly matter.

Sometimes struggling with its juggling act as it offers bizarre moments in Paul's "dream victims", Paul's sad personal life and battle against years of regret, Paul's new found fame and most importantly to the film his marriage to Julianne Nicholson's long suffering wife to Paul Janet, Scenario doesn't always gel together scene to scene the way in which one might have hoped for and its relatively brief 100 minute runtime on occasions feels rushed to an ending that will either fly or fall with viewers but there's little denying the work of Cage who thrives in another oddball role that utilises his well-known talents to great effect.

Nominated for a Golden Globe for his work here, continuing on a strong recent period that includes the cult-favourite Pig and the fun comedy The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Cage is having a blast bringing the mild-mannered but ready to explode Matthews to life and there's no one else you could imagine doing better work in this role from Paul terrorising his dreamers, having awkward moments of flatulence or unleashing on those that he has perceived to be doing wrong by him, Cage is Scenario's greatest asset and one that makes this peculiar feature a more noteworthy one.

You get a sense that with more refinement and a greater exploration of its core selling point Scenario could've been a genuine indie classic but as an entertaining diversion and new way to explore familiar subject matters, Borgli and Cage's effort is still a dream worth having.

Final Say -

Never reaching the grand heights of what might have been, Dream Scenario is still a fun and different take on well-trodden material and features another strong Nicolas Cage leading man turn that one hopes will continue into his upcoming future projects.

3 1/2 Freddy Kruger claws out of 5

Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)

I'm not ashamed to admit I've seen some movies in my time.

I am however ashamed to admit curiosity got the better of me and I ended up in an almost entirely empty cinema screening (thanks to one tolerant movie buddy who joined me on my trip to the local cinema) partaking in what can only be described as one of the most universally panned Hollywood blockbusters of the modern era.

Not at all interested in watching another Sony Marvel outing after their last few efforts, hearing about the insanely awesome awfulness of Madame Web from friends, internet identities and esteemed critics made me want to witness a potential all-time cringe-fest and while when people are absolutely right in their hyperbole around just how bad Madame Web is, I'm still trying to comprehend how I could possibly testify to just how bad things are here.

Directed by long time TV episode director S. J. Clarkson and featuring a cast of performers who have all proven over time to be more than capable of bringing the goods, Madame Web is not devoid of talent that may have been able to salvage some type of goodness from an offence against the entire cinematic medium but as a finished? (Honestly I am unsure how anyone could claim this is an acceptable final version, just watch for some of the most flawed examples of ADR you're ever going to see) product there was no one or any thing that could've saved this nightmare from the fate it had created for itself.

An experience that could only possibly come from a collective group who all gave up the fight to save it long before shooting had wrapped, Madame Web inexcusably comes from the same penmanship that was guilty of unleashing Morbius on us but screenwriters Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless at least managed to find some cult like goodness in Jared Leto and Matt Smith's wildly OTT characters and bizarre action segments but Madame Web is nothing more than two hours of terrible plot, characters, spectacle and intentions and there is quite literally no valid reason for this movie to exist in the form it has been given.

One of the most atrociously acted Hollywood films ever captured, with lead Dakota Johnson unable to hold back her disdain for a film she clearly hated being a part of and poor old Tahar Rahim taking the films most unfortunate mantle from a wigged Sydney Sweeney, Madame Web may have been promoted as some type of intense action thriller following the exploits of Johnson's Cassandra Webb as she battles Rahim's Ezekiel Sims alongside Sweeney's Julia, Isabela Merced's Anya and Celeste O'Connor's Mattie but we get something else entirely that is hard to come to terms with.

From some of the most detestable and frequent examples of product placement that becomes instantly iconic (some viewers may find themselves attempting to crack open a Pepsi can in their Calvin Klein's after a viewing), a villain we literally know nothing about with zero attempts to bother explaining his plans or background, an embarrassing use of comic staple characters that aren't even put into action outside of dream sequences and a script that must surely have been conjured on ChatGPT, Madame Web is a cesspool of Hollywood excrement that isn't even funny in its horribleness, just merely sad and depressing.

The only justifiable reason for Madame Web to be the film it is as it stands is if Sony are deliberately attempting to sabotage their Marvel property that no longer is allowed to include many fan favourites, if they aren't in fact doing that there is zero excuses for why Madame Web has ever been allowed to be birthed into existence.

An irredeemable, amateurish and embarrassing exercise in pointless, Madame Web is a shockingly bad example of blockbuster filmmaking that is the exact type of bottom feeder product the cinema industry and the Marvel brand didn't need at this particular point of time.

Final Say -

If you're a glutton for punishment and want to be reminded of everything you wouldn't wish to see in a supposed piece of big screen entertainment then Madame Web is for you! A truly iconic new addition to the staples of all-time misfires, nothing could prepare one for the garbage that is this $80 million dollar disasterpiece.

0 fireworks to the head out of 5.

Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)

A multiple award winning French drama that has recently nabbed itself 5 key Oscar nominations including in the categories of Best Picture and Best Director to go alongside its early 2023 Palme d'Or at last years Cannes Film Festival, Anatomy of a Fall seemingly fell from nowhere to become one of most talked about cinematic offerings of recent times and for good reason.

A massive career changing effort from up and coming director Justine Triet who also co-wrote this epic two and a half hour dramatic feature with screenwriter Arthur Harari, Fall is a film uninterested in easy answers or playing things by the books as it delves into the aftermath of the seemingly suspicious death of mentally fragile teacher, father and husband Samuel Maleski (played by Samuel Theis) after he is found deceased after a fall from his multi-level chalet.

Wasting little time getting the core of the story out of the way early on, Fall turns its attention to Samuel's high-profile author wife Sandra Voyter and their young son Daniel as the two are forced to partake in a court case with Sandra front and centre as suspect number one and Daniel an important member in the proceedings as a key witness to both the event itself and the many instances prior between his mother and father with us the audience left as a fly on the wall to one of the most gripping courtroom dramas we've been gifted in years.

Calling to mind the same type of intrigue and smarts found in the likes of genre classics such as 12 Angry Men and Anatomy of a Murder, Fall introduces the wider world to the bizarre French justice system but at all times thrives off a razor sharp script, brilliant lead performances from the Oscar nominated Sandra Hüller as the under the microscope Voyter, Milo Machado Graner as the conflicted and confused Daniel and scene-stealer Messi the border collie as family dog Scoop, performances that when combined with Triet's focussed direction gifts us a film that is in all instances top of the class.

A film that will linger long in the memory and cause many audience members to debate where they stand in the exploration of a crumbling marriage, a sad demise of a human life and the narratives people are willing to accept to keep on keeping on, Fall is very likely to see a Hollywood remake take a stab at recreating the gold found here in future years but whatever that ends up looking like its highly unlikely we will get such a fully rounded and layered end product as the one we get here.

Final Say -

An acting, writing and directional masterclass, Anatomy of a Fall may steer clear of big cinematic moments but it grips throughout with its thoughtful and complex narrative unravelling to create a unique cinematic offering that is deserving of its high regard.

4 1/2 instrumental 50 Cent songs out of 5

Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)