⭐⭐⭐ (Good)

Director: Jon Turteltaub
Starring: Jason Statham, Li Bingbing, Rainn Wilson, Ruby Rose, Winston Chao, Cliff Curtis
Certificate: 12A
Run Time: 113 mins

Another Summer, another shark film. At least, that’s what The Meg looks like and judging by the trailers and its marketing, it is the definition of a stereotypical Summer popcorn movie. The Meg, however looks much better, than the shark films from the last few years, from the disappointing The Shallows to the terrible 47 Meters Down. The Meg wears its cheese on its sleeve with smile-inducing taglines such as ‘Opening wide’ or ‘Chomp down’. Also, The Meg ups the stakes quite literally in that it follows a thought-to-be-extinct Megalodon shark that is let loose and it is up to Jason Statham and a group of scientists to stop it inflicting carnage and torment. Director Jon Turteltaub has a very mixed quality of filmography, having a promising start with Cool Runnings but then he made the terrible National Treasure films and never really recovered.

Surprisingly, The Meg gets a lot right and has a solid, at times, atmospheric first half. Tureltaub succeeds in only showing glimpses of the monster and manages to build tension, as the scientists are on a mission investigating a suspectedly deeper section of the Marianas trench. Although nothing groundbreaking, there are even attempts to flesh out the characters and they’re all quite empathetic and likeable. 

It is rather frustrating, then, that the film lacks ambition in its second half. The 12A / PG-13 rating really affects the film and actually, violence and gore would have really elevated it, rather than having the camera frustratingly cut away when the titular monster hunts its prey. It also lacks credibility in that nothing really happens, particularly in what could have been an outstanding setpiece of the shark creeping into a packed beach, but instead it more or less just swims through without many casualties. 

At least the cast and crew seem to be having fun and Statham is realiably cheesy in the lead role. Rainn Wilson possibly fares the best out of the supporting cast and is well-cast as a billionaire who initially supports the scientists research. Technically, the film looks good, with Clint Eastwood-regular cinematogapher, Tom Stern establishing a great atmosphere and inventively shooting some of the shark attacks. 

Ultimately, you pretty much get what you expect with The Meg but at least, the first half is pretty solid. It’s a shame that the filmmakers wanted to appeal to the largest possible audience, as a higher age rating could have really elevated it and would have satisfied the genre buffs. However, taken on its own merits, The Meg is certainly one of the better shark films in recent memory which although unfortunately says a lot about the genre, is good in that it’s not a travesty unlike other recent efforts. 

⭐⭐⭐ (Good)

⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Excellent)

Director: Peyton Reed
Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Peña, Walton Goggins, Bobby Cannavale, Judy Greer, Tip “T.I.” Harris, David Dastmalchian, Hannah John-Kamen, Abby Ryder Fortson, Randall Park, Michelle Pfeiffer, Laurence Fishburne, Michael Douglas
Certificate: 12A
Run Time: 118 mins

Ant-Man and the Wasp is Marvel’s third offering this year after Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War and certainly is a lighter offering than the former films. The first film had a turbulent production with Edgar Wright developing the film for a few years until having creative differences and departing the project. Peyton Reed jumped on-board and delivered what was one of the best Marvel films to date. This sequel picks up after the events of Captain America: Civil War where Scott Lang is nearing the end of his house arrest. Lang teams up again with scientist Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) to try and rescue Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), who is stuck in the Quantum Realm, a dimension where users go sub-atomic and cannot return to the real world. Unfortunately, these plans are made difficult with the existence of the enigmatic Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), as well as a shady black market dealer, the charismatic Sonny Burch (Walton Goggins).

Ant-Man and the Wasp is just as good as the original and like it, it is full of heart and character-driven moments. Reed further develops the innovative action sequences through the creative variations in size and spectacle in the first film, a car chase fares particularly well. This is aided again by confident performances from the cast all around and the additions of new cast members make the film feel fresh. Laurence Fishburne and Randall Park fare the best out of the new additions, Fishburne fitting perfectly into this world and Park is frequently hilarious as a bumbling, slightly useless agent.

Reed seems to feel a lot more confident this time around, particularly as his direction doesn’t bear the spectre of Wright. The humour consistently lands and there are many memorable sequences which their comedy is expertly judged. What was also particularly impressive to see was how standalone Reed’s sequel is and the film largely ignores other films in the canon. The film does finally connect to Infinty War in its final moments, in a very satisfying way that should leave fans eager to find out how the rest of these superhero’s story will continue. Christophe Beck returns to score and again, reuses his theme from the original sparingly which really helps.

Overall, Ant-Man and the Wasp successfully delivers on the success of the original and furthers the narrative of these characters. It is also a welcome tonic after the disappointing Black Panther and the frustrating Avengers: Infinity War. Ant-Man and the Wasp is definitely worth a watch this Summer.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Excellent)

⭐⭐⭐ (Good)

Director: Brad Bird
Starring: (voices of) Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, Huckleberry Milner, Samuel L. Jackson, Bob Odenkirk, Catherine Keener, Isabella Rossellini 
Certificate: PG
Run Time: 118 mins

Director Brad Bird has always said he would only make a sequel to 2004’s The Incredibles if it was a better concept than the original. That’s a lofty promise, especially considering how the first film is one of Pixar’s best and for its time, marked a change in the superhero genre as it deconstructed its generic constructs. After a 14 year wait, it is with heavy heart that Bird seems to have reverted on this promise.

Incredibles 2 begins immediately after the end of the first film with the Parr family battling The Underminer, but after they cause rather a lot of collateral damage, the family are left without any financial assistance as the superhero program is shut down. This is until a new technology company reach out to them to help put these superheros back into the public limelight again.

Unfortunately, what follows is a painfully predictable narrative and a storyline that erratically meanders all over the place that isn’t particularly all that interesting. In Incredibles 2, Bird essentially revisits all the same beats as the first, only role-reverses the characters.

Many have praised Incredibles 2 for its gender politics as Mr Incredible is required to stay at home and raise his children while his wife goes out to fight crime. This is quite poorly handled as it fails to provide a commentary on this theme and instead rams a strong message of feminism down the audience’s throat. Whilst Bird has fun with extended sequences of seeing Mr Incredible at home struggling to control his children, the whole conceit of why this happens in the first place is rather baffling and utterly threw me out of the film.

A superhero film is only as strong as its villain and the villain in Incredibles 2 is poorly executed. The sinister Screen Slaver’s motivations are one-note and outdated, a villain who hypnotises subjects via technology. The character doesn’t really add much to the plot and could be removed entirely. Jason Lee’s Syndrome in the first film was outstanding because we saw the progression of the character from an innocent individual to a villain created by the actions of the characters.

Incredibles 2 isn’t a bad film; it’s just average and after a lengthy 14 year wait, that’s not good enough. I’m genuinely surprised Bird saw reason to stick with this obvious and predictable narrative, especially considering he is often an ambitious director with fascinating ideas. At least other Pixar sequels, often for better or worse, have gone in a completely different direction and have taken risks. Incredibles 2 sadly places as one of Pixar’s weakest films and a crushing disappointment.

⭐⭐⭐ (Good)

⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Excellent)

Director: Stefano Sollima
Starring: Benicio Del Toro, Josh Brolin, Isabela Moner, Jeffrey Donovan, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Catherine Keener
Certificate: 15
Run Time: 122 mins

Sicario 2: Soldado is the rather unexpected sequel / spin-off to Denis Villeneuve’s Sicario, a film that didn’t particularly show any franchise promise but was one of the most darkest, intense films of its year. Whilst Sicario followed the journey of Emily Blunt’s FBI agent Kate Macer who was sent to help on the escalating war on drugs by bringing down a cartel leader, this film puts that film’s shadowy side character Benicio Del Toro’s Alejandro in the spotlight. This seems only the best move as Del Toro putting in a barnstorming performance in the previous film. Josh Brolin also returns as the sandal-wearing, similarly shady CIA officer, Matt Graver. In this film, both Graver and Alejandro team up to bring down another cartel by falsely kidnapping his daughter and then pinning it on a rival cartel group.

Villenueve doesn’t return for the sequel as he was busy directing Blade Runner 2049 and nor does Blunt. Italian director Stefano Sollima takes the reins, who seems like a good choice after helming the intense Gomorrah. Taylor Sheridan, who continues to go from strength to strength after writing both Sicario and Hell or High Water and also directing Wind River returns to write the script. The late Jóhann Jóhannssson scored the first film which was amazing, and DOP-maestro Roger Deakins shot it but here they are replaced here by Jóhannsson’s protégé and Hildur Guðnadóttir and Ridley Scott regular Dariusz Wolski.

Sicario 2: Soldado is a masterful sequel and whilst its behind-the-camera talent may not, on paper, be quite as strong as its original, as a film I found it to be better paced and maintains its sharp focus throughout. The first film made a jarring shift in its final third, which although was satisfying, did make the film lose focus a little as the rest of the film follows Emily Blunt’s FBI agent constantly. This is an even more grimy and black picture where characters are morally and ethically bankrupt and there are multiple scenes which are very uncomfortable to watch, in particular an early scene that sets the backdrop for the rest of the film with terrorists blowing up a supermarket. Sollima’s sequel has a rousing commentary on American politics with a Trumpian-like President and the lengths and processes people go to to cross the border.

Benicio Del Toro again proves why he is one of cinema’s most underrated actors and his character shows a bit more compassion compared to the first film here but he’s still in ths mission for his own redemption. Del Toro seems to channel Clint Eastwood’s Man with No Name towards the films end and his character similarly oozes coolness. The rest of the cast are all excellent as well, Brolin as expected and Isabela Moner is excellent as the kidnapped daughter who gets exposed to the horrific drug and human trafficking underworld.

Although technically, this sequel isn’t quite as strong as its original, Wolski’s cinematography is still excellent and there are some expertly paced, frenetically charged action sequences that are exhilirating. Hildur Guðnadóttir doesn’t try to emulate Jóhannsson’s score and whilst it isn’t as strong, it’s still interesting enough and fits in well with the film and she revisits Jóhannsson’s ‘The Beast’ theme at one point in the film which is well used.

Overall, despite trepidation and the weight of the first film, Sicario 2: Soldado had a tough job to impress. For this to be equal, if not slightly better than the first is an achievemt in and of itself and for virtually the entire film, I was in awe of the film. There is a slightly over-the-top plot device at the film’s end with a certain character that I didn’t initially quite buy and the film does set itself up for another sequel rather obviously, but the film had me in its wake for me to go with it. Sicario 2: Soldado is possibly the best cinemagoing experience of the year so far and a must-see.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Excellent)

⭐⭐⭐ (Good)

Director: Ari Aster
Starring: Toni Collette, Alex Wolff, Milly Shapiro, Ann Dowd, Gabriel Byrne
Certificate: 15
Run Time: 127 mins

Although Hereditary‘s strong critical reception has marked it as another horror film that has continued to further the genre in its recent resurgence, Ari Aster’s directorial debut has its fair share of problems. Hereditary follows the increasingly dysfunctional Graham family who are mourning the loss of their grandmother of the family, who has suddenly died. Annie (Toni Colette), her daughter and mother to Peter and Charlie specialises in creating miniatures had a difficult relationship with her mother and tries to raise her two children. Steve (Gabriel Byrne) is a psychiatrist who is clearly uncomfortable with the situation and both children are increasingly disconnected from their parents, Peter, a typical teenager who experiments with drink and drugs. Charlie, however, has an air of strangeness about her who makes uncomfortable clucking sounds and fashions unconventional totems.

Hereditary is exemplary for its first half as there is a growing sense of dread as Aster ramps up the intensity. The characters are all wonderfully developed and the film is totally investing in the events that transpire on-screen. There are also (some more obvious than others) attempts at stuffing the film with multiple meanings and interpretations, in particular the opening shot of the film which zooms in on one of Annie’s doll houses suggesting that what we are watching is perhaps artificial and all of the characters are being controlled, like puppets. There is also one of the most shocking sequences I have seen in a film in a while part-way into the film which instantly changes the course of the narrative.

Unfortunately, these promising set-ups are poorly executed in their pay-off’s as the film loses credibility about half-way through and goes down the route of a conventional supernatural horror film which I could never quite buy. The film, particularly in its climax is increasingly silly and a lot of the wonderful development that happens in the first half of the film is all for nothing.

That said, since watching Hereditary, there appears to be a lot of hidden meanings and metaphors in the film that are not apparent on first viewing, so a definite rewatch is required but I still can’t quite forgive the narrative diversion the film takes.

However, despite the frustrating experience Hereditary ultimately proves to be, the film demonstrates a great potential of talent. Aster proves he is a fine director and excels partly in creating an atmosphere of dread and knows how to develop characters. The film is expertly shot by Pawel Pogorzelski and there are many haunting moments in the cinematography. Colin Stetson’s score also works well in parts and successfully builds tension. I’d be very interested to see what they make next as technically, Hereditary is a marvel. But, I cannot quite forgive Hereditary for the disappointing second half which fails to pay off the set-up of the first half.

⭐⭐⭐ (Good)

⭐⭐⭐ (Good)

Director: David Leitch
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Morena Baccarin, Julian Dennison, Zazie Beetz, T.J. Miller, Brianna Hildebrand, Jack Kesy
Certificate: 15
Run Time: 119 mins

Deadpool 2 is the fast-tracked sequel to the 2016 hit film which proved very popular with audiences and at the box office. It also represented a turning point in the prosperous superhero genre, proving that R / 15 rated comic book films could be successful and that these films could appeal to a more adult audience. I have issues with the first film and my review of it was and continues to be, lukewarm. I found it tonally obnoxious, its humour obvious and its story conventional. After the success of the first film, star Ryan Reynolds and director Tim Miller conflicted as to the direction in which a sequel should go, Reynolds ultimately prevailing and Miller exiting the project. David Leitch replaces him in the director’s chair, who co-directed John Wick and Atomic Blonde. Leitch excels in crafting memorable action sequences so he seems a good match for the material and whilst all of the marketing for the film suggests a better film, the false promise of the result of the film made me rather trepidatious.

What a relief it is that Deadpool 2 manages to successfully expand on its predecessor and wind up being a far superior film. The jokes land far more consistently than the first film and it’s a far more engaging narrative which successfully subverts the genre and develops the now familiar character. The first film failed to do this with its obvious jokes and its formulaic narrative. Ryan Reynolds once again, completely inhabits the titular role. Leitch slickly directs this sequel and as expected, the action sequences are creative and visually pleasing. The laughs fly in frequently to the point where I couldn’t stop laughing and missed the next one. This is definitely a film which requires repeat viewings to fully appreciate this film.

That said, despite how much I like Deadpool 2, in retrospect, the film’s construction is rather shambolic. This is not aimed in a disparaging way but the film does border on the incoherent. The narrative erratically veers left, right and centre and this makes the film feel rather disjointed as scenes often don’t flow into each other. It all just about comes together by the film’s climax but the story the writers have chosen to tell is rather oddly constructed.

Overall, Deadpool 2 is a superior sequel and is an absolute blast to watch. The change in director has done the film the world of good, with Leitch bringing a more professional finesse with his visual qualities. It’s consistently funny yet boasts a strong narrative and further develops its characters from the first film. That said, it’s slightly short of being excellent through its shambolic filmic structure. If you can forgive the film for this and take it for what it is, there is a lot of outrageous fun to be had here.

⭐⭐⭐ (Good)

⭐⭐⭐ (Good)

Director: Anthony & Joe Russo
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Don Cheadle, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Josh Brolin, Chris Pratt
Certificate: 12A
Run Time: 149 mins

Avengers: Infinity War is the culmination of the successful nineteen Marvel Cinematic Universe thus far and the anticipation for it has been unprecedented. The titular Avengers now face Josh Brolin’s mad titan, Thanos, who has been teased for a rather long time in previous films, whose aim is to recover all of the Infinity Stones to wield the Infinity Gauntlet. Avengers: Infinity War is directed by brothers Anthony and Joe Russo, who have carved quite the reputation after directing Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War. Although both films have their problems, both were very positively recieved and the directors particularly excel in their attention to narrative continuity and the construction of realistic action sequences.

Avengers: Infinity War begins very strongly with some bold choices in its narrative. The Russo’s manage to juggle all the character arcs well and manage to craft a coherent, unified narrative that doesn’t feel overstuffed. Unfortunately, the film runs into problems as it then starts to involve too many characters which impact the film tonally and then makes a cheap, poor choice in its conclusion which was really frustrating.

There is always the risk in these kind of tentpole films to lose focus when there is a whole roster of characters to follow and whilst each superhero does get their moment to shine, some inevitably do get more screentime than others. That said, the Russo’s clearly have tried their best and the choices they have made are generally sound in terms of characterisations.

The Russo’s have also admirably attempted to adapt the character of Thanos to the big screen, with Josh Brolin putting in a scene-stealing performance. The idea they had that this film was going to be from his perspective is an interesting one and this would have really worked well and made the film more fresh if they had actually gone in this direction and focussed on him more. There are a number of scenes from his perspective where his motivations are made clear and Brolin’s villain is one that can be empathised with. Thanos has to make a number of key decisions, some that bring a lot of emotional pain and this is dealt with really well.

It’s just a shame that what the film amounts to in its climax is cheapened by some poor judgements, particularly by the promise of death from Marvel. Without going into spoilers, the ending clearly paves the way for the second part of this story but I think the misstep costs my personal excitement in the sequel as the ending is so cheaply thought out and undoes all the good work the film, despite being tonally imbalanced at times, generally does.

Ultimately, there is a lot to like in Avengers: Infinity War if you can forgive its ending. The Russo’s have somewhat managed to achieve success in a lofty job and for the most part, the film is thrilling and it’s satisfying to see all of these characters that we have got to know on-screen over the last ten years interact together. It’s going to be difficult for the Russo’s to rescue the ending in the upcoming sequel, which I think is a major mistake, but I will watch it with an open mind. An increased focus on Josh Brolin’s villain will also help to save the sequel. As for Infinity War, it’s a frequently strong film that is marred by an unsatisfactory ending.

⭐⭐⭐ (Good)

⭐⭐⭐ (Good)

Director: John Krasinski
Starring: Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe
Certificate: 15
Run Time: 90 mins

A Quiet Place is an efficient, taut sci-fi horror that has multiple moments of brilliance. Actor-director John Krasinski’s third effort behind the camera follows a family in post-apocalyptic rural America who have to resort to sign language to communicate otherwise they will be murdered by blind yet hyper-sensitive creatures. It’s a simple premise but one that Krasinski economises on with some particularly effective set pieces as members of the family attempt to protect their lives. There is one scene of Hitchcockian suspense where a character tries their best not to make a sound despite it being an involuntary response and other characters trying to lure the creatures away – it’s just genius. This is further heightened by Charlotte Bruus Christensen’s bleak cinematography and a clever mixture of shots to make the familiar surroundings seem fresh.  Marco Beltrami’s neck-prickling, pulse-raising score also does a lot of heavy lifting to make up for the film’s silence but the more emotive moments of the score are rather manipulative.

Despite the near unanimous praise, A Quiet Place faulters in its logic. One really has to suspend any manner of disbelief as a key choice that the family have made is extremely questionable and the rest of the film hinges on it. The climax also is rather unsatisfactory and feels like a cheap get-out-of-jail card to satisfy moviegoers. If you can give the film a pass on these two aspects, it’s a riveting film but this does lessen the effect of Krasinski’s aims.

There’s certainly a lot to like in A Quiet Place and it’s good to see filmmakers try to push the boundaries of the horror genre which has been going from strength to strength recently. It most closely parallels the exemplary 10 Cloverfield Lane in tone and its subject matter, although the latter is a far superior film. Although A Quiet Place has moments of brilliance and Krasinski has strong intentions, whilst an admirable effort, it is ultimately flawed.

⭐⭐⭐ (Good)