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Doctor Strange
Following Captain America: Civil War and Ant-Man, Doctor Strange is the third Marvel film in a row that’s left me feeling vaguely unsatisfied. Not nearly as weird as publicity would have us believe, the film papers over a well-worn story template and bland characters with some kaleidoscope effects and not a lot else. →
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Review of Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom
Wes Anderson's films aren't for everyone; some find them cold and alienatingly whimsical. If you don't get on with his style, watching a film of his must feel a little bemusing; if you can't empathise, you'd be left wondering what the point of any of it was. Myself, I've always been a fan, but watching Moonrise Kingdom made me feel how it must be to watch any of his other films without getting it. All the key elements were there -- hipster soundtrack, fairytale settings, lovely typefaces, Bill Murray -- but the whole thing left me cold. →
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The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
Let's get this out of the way at the start; yes, this film has a Christian analogy in it, and no, it doesn't matter. Impressionable children are unlikely to notice or be affected by it (which is more or less how it was with the books), and impressionable adults will have made their minds up about the whole thing already anyway, so it's all OK. Relax, Mrs. Toynbee. Breathe. →