ericwoltersnz

Dev Patel does a decent job of portraying an orphaned son seeking to avenge his mother's death. Along the way, the movie makes a statement about the corrupt relationship between government and religion in confiscating land occupied by lower castes.

The fight scenes were drawn out, brutal and realistic. They did remind me of the lengthy John Wick fight scenes in which countless multitudes of the enemy were shot, stabbed, beaten and whacked, without much damage being incurred by the hero!

On the minus side, Monkey Man has some unlikely help from a troop of armed transvestites, and the dreamy flashbacks to the circumstances surrounding Patel's mother's death are drawn out and a bit boring. My wife and I left the theatre not so much unsatisfied as feeling like we had been force-fed unpalatable food. The character never reached the threshold of being a hero in our eyes.

Alice (Pugh) starts to have doubts about the utopia she lives in with her husband. The reason for those doubts becomes clear as the movie progresses but, my word, it takes a long time to get there.

There were repeated, interminable dream shots taken from above of burlesque dancers doing synchronised aerobics on the floor (and I still don't understand the significance of those scenes).

Decent enough plot, but developed far too slowly to maintain audience interest. I saw a lot of restless shuffling in the theatre seats around me. Thank goodness for Pugh, whose gifted acting held it all together.

Engaging coming of age story with a backdrop of love and murder in a gorgeous setting. There were a couple of holes in the plot you could drive a small truck through, but it didn't spoil the entertainment. Very enjoyable.

Tom Cruise (Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell) appears in just about every scene, but he delivers the goods.

After disgracing himself by destroying a test plane, he is reassigned to train elite fighter jet pilots for a near impossible mission. The enemy is never named but think secret nuclear facility and you can probably complete the picture.

The young pilots are cocky and dismissive of their ancient teacher, but Maverick quickly earns their respect with a mix of testosterone and flying skill. One of them is the son of Maverick's old Wingman, who died in the first movie. The strained relationship between the two and the build up to the final few scenes is a major subplot of the movie.

The two hour 14 minute time flew by (literally) with edge of the seat excitement and stunning visuals. Make sure you watch it on a big screen.

Good story with insights into the poor treatment of war veterans in the US. The dogs (there were three of them playing Lulu) carried the show, with fairly lengthy monologues by Channing Tatum adding unnecessarily to the length of the movie. Billed as a comedy but I think drama more aptly fits. All of the comedy was conatined in the movie trailer. Entertaining but not one I would want to watch again.

My wife and I went to see this on a date movie and were entertained from start to finish. It is not a movie that takes itself too seriously, so we could happily ignore some of the implausibilities in the action sequences, which were superbly done. The repartee between Dwayne Johnson and Ryan Reynolds' characters was laugh out loud funny at times. Watch for the bullfighting scene - it was hilarious.

Recommended for a fun night out - or in. Being a Netflix flick, we will have that option.

Parental guide - a handful of swear words and some sexual innuendo, but fine for over 13's.

A sweet, no-profanity, no-sex, love story set in Ireland, with American leads. There were a couple of interesting subplots that tempered the predictability of the main one. And the Irish lilt, the spectacular scenery, the feet-tapping music and the chemistry of the late teen (?) leads made for a pleasant evening's entertainment.

Unlikely to win any awards, but will appeal to anyone tired of Hollywood's obsession with sex and violence.

Not sure which was the main attraction here - the character leads or the picturesque setting. Nothing offensive here, but neither was there any humour or excitement.

We weren't expecting a run-of-the-mill Christmas movie, but neither did we expect a blood-fest. The writers couldn't seem to make up their minds whether this should be a Christmas movie, a comedy or a thriller. It did none of them justice. Adults will be bored and kids traumatised. Best avoided.

So refreshing to see a movie with no sex and no profanity. Katie Holmes plays a widow with three kids, a run-down house, an overbearing mother-in-law and no money. Josh Lucas turns up with some mysterious news which we don't learn about Until near the end. In the meantime he helps around the house, brings coffee .... you fill in the rest. The characters were believable, the pace was perfect, and there was good chemistry between the main characters. Thoroughly enjoyable.

This is a rehash of the very funny 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels', with Michael Caine and Steve Martin - only using female leads.

Pity the writers of the Hustle had no new ideas. The settings, plot and characterisations were almost identical. Rebel Wilson did her best to rescue it and, if you haven't seen the original, she might make you chuckle. Otherwise it is all a bit lame.

A skilfully constructed story of blackmail, betrayal and bluff, with enough twists and surprises in the plot to keep you riveted. The dialogue was sharp, sassy and very funny at times - despite the frequent profanity.

As for the actors, they were all outstanding but I think Hugh Grant might have stolen this show. He was the best I have ever seen him, a completely different character to the fop we are used to.

Recommended. Go see it.

This series had such promise but I was turned off in a big way by the time it got to Season 3.

What would happen if a nice but unassuming guy is thrust into the role of president of the US? How does he manage to pull a working government back together while also dealing to the plotters against it? What could happen if we could put aside politics, really started to listen to people, and start delivering sensible outcomes? This is what Seasons 1 and 2 were about and it was an absorbing David vs Goliath drama.

By Season 3 the scriptwriters decided that they needed more profanity to keep it interesting, and that the President hadn't done enough to address societal prejudice against the LGBT community. So they sought to gain viewer empathy by introducing several LGBT characters. I personally think they went too far, with fairly explicit male kissing and sex scenes. It didn't evoke empathy from me - rather anger and disgust. I felt like a kid who has been forced to drink bitter medicine because others thought it would be good for me.

Avoid popcorn! You might inadvertently crush the box during the tense action scenes in this movie! If you can ignore a few plot implausibilities and try not to guess who the bad guys are (you would probably be right), you will enjoy seeing Secret Service agent Mike Banning (Gerald Butler) out-fight and out-smart the enemy and his own personal demons to save the President (Morgan Freeman). All of this while on the run from the hapless FBI, which has been led to believe that Banning orchestrated a hit on his charge. Nick Nolte provides some comic relief (and steals the show) as Banning's crochety dad.

Thoroughly enjoyed this movie - more than any of the others in this franchise. Why? Because it didn't take itself too seriously, so I could happily overlook the implausible plot and stunts and simply enjoy the ride. And what a ride it was! Great fight scenes and car chases, and the script was very entertaining in the hands of The Rock and Stratham. Watch for Stratham's practical joke at immigration and the scene where the two of them trade insults across a plane aisle. Hilarious! The Rock's supposed Samoan family was also a hoot.

Liam Neeson reprises his typical role as the gruff avenger in a ski-resort town in snow-laden Colorado. The movie makes light of the multiple (often gruesome) slayings with an ongoing tally of the deceased. The last scene was a shocker - but (I am ashamed to say) laugh out loud funny! Enjoyable, if predictable, caper that Liam Neeson fans will enjoy. But don't expect any deep and meaningful life lessons.

This is one of those movies that no-one wants to leave when the credits roll round. Based on a true story it plots the unfolding of an unlikely friendship between diamond in the rough Bronx-born Italian Tony Lip (Viggo Mortensen) and Dr Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali). Shirley is a concert pianist who needs a driver and some protective muscle as he tours the prejudiced South during the early 60's. Shirley is too cultured to fit in with his own race but too black to fit in with the white one. His internal conflict, Tony's external one as a coloured man's minder, and the friendship that develops make for riveting cinema. There is drama, hilarity, education and pathos in this wonderful movie. A masterpiece.

Ever stayed for the entire credits of a movie to savour the experience you just had? This is one of those movies. Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne play a married couple who decide to shortcut the family-making process by fostering three siblings. Isabela Moner is the rebellious teen, Margo Martindale the rambunctious grandma and Joan Cusack makes a delightful cameo as an eavesdropping neighbour. The movie follows the family through the foster parent training, child introductions, and the tentative, hilarious antics of the new parents to bond with their 'instant family'. The banter of the foster parent support group was also very funny. Clean, feel-good movie that you will remember for a long time.

Loved this movie. From the nail-biting opening test flight sequence to the triumphant denouement, I was enthralled. While I imagine some artistic license was taken with a few of the Apollo mission's back room details, the movie provided an absorbing insight into why it was so important (spoiler alert - to get one up on the Russians); and how the focus and commitment of the astronauts affected their families. The film was long but felt short. The photography was breathtaking. The flight sequences tense and believable. Ryan Gosling and Claire Foy were amazing together. Go see this and get a different slant on an event that changed the world.

The teenagers sitting next to me and my wife laughed uproariously through this movie. We thought it ho hum. A bit like a boiled steak - filling, but not very tasty. Atkinson seems to have run out of gags, so has recycled a few in this amusing but predictable spy caper. Send the kids - they will enjoy it.

The veteran actors and picturesque setting were not quite enough to make up for the weak plot in this period drama. Emily Mortimer plays a widow who opens a bookshop in a derelict house in a tranquil English village. She is opposed by an aristocratic snob played by Patricia Clarkson who decides that the town would be better served if the house were to be used as an arts center. Bill Nighy plays the literature-loving recluse who comes to Mortimer's aid when the battle lines have been drawn. Mortimer, Nighy, and Clarkson were a joy to watch, but they didn't have much to work with. I left the cinema disappointed that the movie had only scratched the surface of what could have been a meaty portrayal of courage and determination in the face of societal prejudice.

If you are someone who likes watching fireworks shows this special-effects saturated epic might be your cup of tea. But I had to constantly resist the urge to check my phone messages. I have to say the ending was unexpected and Marvel deserves plaudits for switching things around. The rest, unfortunately, was a pretty standard superhero movie.