Director: Simon Kinberg
Cast: James McAvoy, Sophie Turner, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Tye Sheridan, Michael Fassbender, Jessica Chastain, Evan Peters, Alexandra Shipp, Kodi Smit-McPhee

As film franchises goes, the X-Men series has probably been one of the longest going, but that could all be about to change. With Disney’s recent acquisition of 20^th Century Fox and therefore all its rights (including X-Men film rights), the likelihood of a total reboot (probably to co-exist with the MCU) is higher than the possibility of continuing the current timeline. Dark Phoenix is the first X-Men movie to be released under the Disney umbrella, and possibly the last. With that in mind, is Dark Phoenix a decent way to wave goodbye to the X-Men we’ve come to know, or does it fizzle out the once-popular series?

Continue reading “X-Men: Dark Phoenix – Review” →

As we approach the release of yet another addition to the X-Men franchise, why not revisit all of the Sony Marvel Universe’s (doesn’t quite have the same ring to it as the MCU) movies? From 2000 until 2018, we’ve had some real highs and lows with some of Marvel’s most famous and popular characters. Now that Disney owns 20th Century Fox, who in turn own the film rights for X-Men characters, can we expect to see them enter the MCU in the future? Possibly, but it’s highly unlikely we’ll see them as we’ve known them for the past eighteen years (so probably no Hugh Jackman [who has retired as Wolverine anyway], Patrick Stewart, James McAvoy etc.). So with Dark Phoenix almost here and possibly the end being nigh for this X-Men timeline, let’s take a little trip down the days of future past…

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We are coming to the cusp of blockbuster season, and June will see a few of those potential moneymakers make their debut in cinemas around the globe. Of course, there are also those films that dutifully (and often wonderfully) fill the voids around said blockbusters, films such as Stockholm, Support the Girls, In Fabric and Yesterday. In fact, I would go as far as to say 80% of the films being released this month are worth seeing, judging by trailers, so it really is a tough call to say which should come above the rest. However, with blockbusters generally being what summer cinema is all about, it’s perhaps relatively easy to pick three that could rule the blockbuster season.

Continue reading “What’s On – June 2019” →

Director: Olivia Wilde
Cast: Beanie Feldstein, Kaitlyn Dever, Billie Lourd, Skyler Gisondo, Mason Gooding, Eduardo Franco, Nico Hiraga, Molly Gordon, Diana Silvers, Jessica Williams, Jason Sudeikis, Lisa Kudrow, Will Forte

For many people, secondary/high school is a time best forgotten, and yet we see so many teen-based movies reminding the majority of us of our experiences (albeit updated for whatever high school is like these days, or thereabouts). Quite often though, the films are all the same: teenage boys looking to get laid/party/avoid trouble, objectified teen girls/adult women and then the guys face some kind of (often questionable) reform toward the end. It’s not far from reality, but it’s also not very well-rounded. Think American Pie, Superbad, She’s All That, amongst others. Is Booksmart just another teen movie, a satire of females in a modern high school to appease the masses, or does it give us something new to think about?

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Director: Dexter Fletcher
Cast: Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden, Bryce Dallas Howard, Gemma Jones, Steven Mackintosh, Matthew Illesley, Kit Connor, Charlie Rowe, Stephen Graham

The life of a rock star always looks so glamourous, with the money and the fame and the adoration of the public. But there is nearly always a not-so-glamourous tale behind the façade, something that many biopics have told us over the years. And now, it’s the turn of Elton John, the incredible singer and pianist who rose to huge heights of fame in the 1970s, a life that continues to this day. Along with his writing partner, lyricist Bernie Taupin, he created some of the most famous songs of all time. But along with that talent came a multitude of issues, and a life story that is ripe for the telling via cinematic means. But is it told well, or is it just another money spinner made off the back of another famous face and their personal struggles?

Continue reading “Rocketman – Review” →