|
4/5
|
Mute
(2017)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
If films like this stop being funded altogether in favour of crowd-pleasers rather than crowd-challengers, we're damned. That's your most plausible dystopian future, folks.
Posted Apr 01, 2018
Edit critic review
|
|
4/5
|
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
(2017)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
Where J.J. Abrams sought to give this new trilogy a firm but predictable foundation to build upon, Rian Johnson's The Last Jedi is a risk-taker. This is to be applauded absolutely.
Posted Dec 14, 2017
Edit critic review
|
|
1.5/5
|
The Dark Tower
(2017)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
As one patron put it, "Well, it's not the worst movie I've ever seen...". Yeah, but it's certainly one of the most disappointing in recent memory-- and it was wholly avoidable.
Posted Aug 17, 2017
Edit critic review
|
|
5/5
|
Baby Driver
(2017)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
It delights me to report that Baby Driver is a monumental f---ing triumph. This is the best action movie of 2017 and the best thing Wright has done to date.
Posted Jun 29, 2017
Edit critic review
|
|
2/5
|
Alien: Covenant
(2017)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
We know where the aliens come from. We know how the sausage is made. In this, the dread that is drawn from that dark place in the heart - the fear of the unknown - is gone forever.
Posted May 07, 2017
Edit critic review
|
|
3.5/5
|
Ghost in the Shell
(2017)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
You might balk at the over-simplification of the original's complex morality and shocking violence. In the same breath, you're just as likely to applaud the wise decision to carefully reconstruct the source material's most iconic, unforgettable moments.
Posted Mar 29, 2017
Edit critic review
|
|
1/5
|
A Cure for Wellness
(2016)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
[A Cure For Wellness] doesn't just stretch the limits of plausibility, it punches plausibility in the guts, pushes it into a river and waves goodbye.
Posted Mar 14, 2017
Edit critic review
|
|
4.5/5
|
Logan
(2017)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
Mangold and Jackman bring integrity and ability to an increasingly stale and pandering genre, closing out Jackman's Wolverine with dignity and poise. That's more that most of us can hope for when we're 170-plus years old, right?
Posted Feb 26, 2017
Edit critic review
|
|
2/5
|
Live by Night
(2016)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
There is a good movie somewhere in Live By Night - one with an engaging plot and characters you actually care about. It's very obvious just how thin Affleck was spreading himself. (Reviewer: Chris Neill)
Posted Jan 26, 2017
Edit critic review
|
|
1.5/5
|
Assassin's Creed
(2016)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
A waste of time, money, effort and talent - and yet another reminder that games and film are two very distinct mediums that rarely should or do coalesce.
Posted Dec 20, 2016
Edit critic review
|
|
9/10
|
La La Land
(2016)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
LA LA Land joins the ranks of other great, hard-working musicals that sit on the periphery of the cinema landscape ... a refreshing reminder that superheroes aren't the only people jumping around in spandex on screens these days.
Posted Dec 15, 2016
Edit critic review
|
|
4/5
|
Paterson
(2016)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
Long-time fans won't be disappointed with Paterson; Jarmusch's trademark dry wit and attention to mood are all over it ... a beautifully modest movie and one of the best portraits of a working-class American you'll ever see. (Reviewer: Chris Neill)
Posted Nov 21, 2016
Edit critic review
|
|
3.5/5
|
The Accountant
(2016)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
"The American "R" rating is earned gleefully. If someone were to do the math on close-range headshots, this flick surely would go Top 5." - [Reviewed by Lachlan Marks]
Posted Oct 31, 2016
Edit critic review
|
|
3.5/5
|
Doctor Strange
(2016)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
However, it achieves a flavor of its own; it feels like its own unique superheroic proposition, and that's impressive in its own right. Frankly, I'd take this spiffy red cape over Clark Kent's any day of the week.
Posted Oct 26, 2016
Edit critic review
|
|
5/5
|
The Grand Budapest Hotel
(2014)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
Dense, energetically presented and wonderful - though as my friend suggested, for those first five minutes you'd be forgiven for thinking Anderson was retreading his old tropes a few too many times. Those feelings disappear by the sixth minute.
Posted Mar 17, 2014
Edit critic review
|
|
3/5
|
Grudge Match
(2013)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
If it left out the sugary moments, it would have been a solid comedic romp about former rivals finding pride and peace through punching the geriatric juice out of each other. (Review: Nathalie Lawson)
Posted Jan 22, 2014
Edit critic review
|
|
3.5/5
|
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
(2013)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
In providing a wealth of content for Tolkein fans, Jackson's cup overfloweth. That's neither good nor bad - it's just more than we need in one sitting.
Posted Dec 18, 2013
Edit critic review
|
|
2/5
|
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
(2013)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
For a film that goes out of its way to proselytise about the pratfalls of pandering to the audience's expectations simply for the easy bucks, Anchorman 2 does just that.
Posted Dec 17, 2013
Edit critic review
|
|
4/5
|
Iron Man 3
(2013)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
'Iron Man 3′ occasionally feels a little contrived - but then, if you're dealing with one of the best action directors around, you can expect him to draw on the style that he knows best.
Posted Apr 23, 2013
Edit critic review
|
|
4.5/5
|
Django Unchained
(2012)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
This is a wonderful film - it is, but once in a while someone needed to tap Q on the shoulder and tell him to ease up off the gas. A master and a genius, no doubt, but sometimes the Emperor has no clothes too.
Posted Jan 14, 2013
Edit critic review
|
|
4/5
|
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
(2012)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
'The Hobbit' is another ambitious, gorgeous and faithful trip into JRR's writing - and because of this, it won't win any new fans if you had no patience ten years ago. For those who do, you'll definitely want to go there and back again.
Posted Dec 19, 2012
Edit critic review
|
|
4/5
|
Skyfall
(2012)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
A lot of critics are claiming this to be the best Bond film ever made; they may well be right-to some degree. It's certainly the most poignant-which, in what is ostensibly an action film, is a feather in Mendes' cap to be sure.
Posted Nov 21, 2012
Edit critic review
|
|
4/5
|
The Master
(2012)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
Those expecting to be shocked and charmed and pushed around will get it; everyone else might leave feeling winded and a little confused. Good. It's probably what you need.
Posted Oct 24, 2012
Edit critic review
|
|
5/5
|
Pulp Fiction
(1994)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
Its dedicated fan-base and the pop-culture reverberations that have flowed steadily from it, almost 20 years on, echo Tarantino's achievements with Pulp Fiction. Unassailable filmmaking.
Posted Oct 16, 2012
Edit critic review
|
|
4/5
|
Shadow Dancer
(2012)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
This is an uncomfortable movie; a tense and sometimes deliberately drawn out tale - but those who invest the time will uncover some excellent performances.
Posted Oct 11, 2012
Edit critic review
|
|
3.5/5
|
Lawless
(2012)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
As you'd expect from that kind of artistic pedigree, 'Lawless' is a well-oiled production that knows exactly what kind of film it is: a classic revenge tragedy with Tommy-guns and fiddles in the dustbowl South.
Posted Oct 08, 2012
Edit critic review
|
|
4/5
|
Dredd
(2012)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
If you're the kind of person who scrunches their nose at heads exploding, people being torn apart and blood spilling like an out-of-control fire hose, you might want to return to reading your copy of '50 Shades' and leave this one to the professionals.
Posted Oct 03, 2012
Edit critic review
|
|
4/5
|
Searching for Sugar Man
(2011)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
This is a fine documentary; insightful and entertaining with a genteel approach to uncovering a figure so close to the hearts of an unexpected fan base.
Posted Oct 02, 2012
Edit critic review
|
|
2/5
|
Iron Sky
(2012)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
To its credit, while routinely stupid, it is playfully so - and it gets over the line through sheer force of charm. A "triumph of the will", if you catch our drift. (Sorry.)
Posted Sep 27, 2012
Edit critic review
|
|
2/5
|
Dark Shadows
(2012)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
Dark Shadows is never short on stunning backdrops and impressive cinematographic techniques. It looks a treat. But with Dark Shadows, like Depp himself, you can only put so much make-up on an ageing face and sell it as fresh.
Posted Sep 27, 2012
Edit critic review
|
|
3.5/5
|
Men in Black 3
(2012)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
Too often sci-fi epics miss the balance between spectacle and storytelling. While Men in Black 3 isn't always consistent in humour and pace, Sonnenfeld, with a well-considered script from David Koepp, manages to make it work.
Posted Sep 27, 2012
Edit critic review
|
|
4/5
|
Prometheus
(2012)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
Never quite matching Alien or Aliens for emotional authenticity - but definitely holding you in tow until the final moments. Ridley Scott isn't much for illustrating humanity, but he sure as hell knows how to craft aliens.
Posted Sep 27, 2012
Edit critic review
|
|
3/5
|
Painted Skin: The Resurrection
(2012)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
More breathy outbursts from wronged lovers and strange pseudo-sexual and homoerotic encounters than a late-night soap opera, matched with a visual style that points to a level of artistry and invention that even western cinema struggles to match.
Posted Sep 27, 2012
Edit critic review
|
|
4/5
|
Safety Not Guaranteed
(2012)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
When a crew is given constraints like a miniscule budget, more emphasis rightly goes into tightening up things like scripting and performance. It's the 'Chasing Amy' phenomenon at work.
Posted Sep 27, 2012
Edit critic review
|
|
3.5/5
|
The Amazing Spider-Man
(2012)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
Not quite 'amazing' then, but there will always be a deserving audience for rock-solid superhero movies done with this kind of heart and care.
Posted Sep 26, 2012
Edit critic review
|
|
4.5/5
|
The Dark Knight Rises
(2012)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
The Dark Knight Rises succeeds in surpassing 2008's 'The Dark Knight' to become the best of his three films. Whether that will be enough to secure his Best Picture Oscar is frankly irrelevant - because what matters is that this is Batman's best picture.
Posted Sep 26, 2012
Edit critic review
|
|
2.5/5
|
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
(2012)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
Frankly, if it gets kids talking about history again, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter succeeds where a lot of other films stumble-and even if it's kind of a lame duck, there's still a lot of dignity in that.
Posted Sep 26, 2012
Edit critic review
|
|
4/5
|
Cosmopolis
(2012)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
For one of the smartest films I've seen in a while, Cosmopolis is also one of the least outwardly enjoyable. That by no means makes it anything less than a great film however.
Posted Sep 26, 2012
Edit critic review
|
|
3.5/5
|
Bully
(2011)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
Is it fair to criticize a documentary for being too persuasive when the subject matter is not only genuinely tragic - and tragically widespread - but also so rarely brought into the public domain? That's the question I struggle with.
Posted Sep 26, 2012
Edit critic review
|
|
3.5/5
|
The Bourne Legacy
(2012)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
There's a lot to like about The Bourne Legacy, but it's hard not to feel a little worried that the rich complexity of Ludlum's past work might be lost in the transition-and that's a legacy that really needs to be upheld.
Posted Sep 26, 2012
Edit critic review
|
|
1.5/5
|
Total Recall
(2012)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
Total Recall is it's own beast - one that needs to be caged off and held at arm's length. It is a mess, a wasteful rethink that was never needed and lousy movie at worst.
Posted Sep 26, 2012
Edit critic review
|
|
4.5/5
|
Moonrise Kingdom
(2012)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
How Wes Anderson stitches it all together is far beyond the reach of most filmmakers. His approach is artful without pretension, gorgeous and composed without feeling forced, charming and innocent but never trite.
Posted Sep 26, 2012
Edit critic review
|
|
4/5
|
Beasts of the Southern Wild
(2012)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
This is a film that manages that rare bridge between end-of-days epic and intimate humanist storytelling - fantastical but still just rooted enough to be depressingly plausible.
Posted Sep 26, 2012
Edit critic review
|
|
3.5/5
|
Hit & Run
(2012)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
If Hit & Run is guilty of being generic, it's arguably the best kind of generic: inoffensive, well made and probably a lot more fun than Joe Critic is likely to admit.
Posted Sep 26, 2012
Edit critic review
|
|
3.5/5
|
Ruby Sparks
(2012)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
There's strong storytelling at the core here, backed by worthwhile performances - and this is a good movie - though, not quite the original masterpiece of love and creativity it clearly strives to be.
Posted Sep 26, 2012
Edit critic review
|
|
1.5/5
|
The Watch
(2012)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
All of this builds a pretty catastrophic picture of The Watch - and I think, given how many other awesome, funny, gross and clever comedies are out there, I refuse to be an apologist. It's not an unmitigated disaster, but it's not good - or good enough.
Posted Sep 26, 2012
Edit critic review
|
|
3.5/5
|
On the Road
(2012)
|
Patrick Kolan
|
"The final film holds true to the source material - but it's just not a journey everyone's going to want to take."
Posted Sep 26, 2012
Edit critic review
|
Continue with Google
>
