Review
★★½
Movies
Pharrell Williams tells life story in Lego: genius, or blockhead move?
A star-filled cast including Snoop Dogg and Gwen Stefani is still not enough to save this hyperactive film that ultimately doesn’t do justice to its subject.
- by Sandra Hall
Latest
★★★
For subscribers
Where Kevin Costner’s vanity Western failed, Viggo Mortensen’s succeeds
The Dead Don’t Hurt taps into the gentler, more lyrical side of the genre, in the spirit of classic Hollywood directors.
- by Jake Wilson
★★★
For subscribers
Cate Blanchett’s political zombie comedy swiftly descends into chaos
Featuring a starry cast, Rumours is the kind of film where the ability to keep a straight face qualifies as consummate acting.
- by Sandra Hall
★★★★
Australian film
If Paul Kelly’s classic Christmas song makes you tear up, this film will too
Nick Waterman’s film adaptation, written with Meg Washington, captures the spirit of How to Make Gravy.
- by Garry Maddox
Saoirse Ronan’s WWII drama is not a great film but at least it isn’t predictable
Steve McQueen’s Blitz, which follows a young boy looking for his mother in war-torn London, is the most heartfelt film yet from the Oscar-winning director.
- by Craig Mathieson
★★★½
For subscribers
Hugh Grant is seriously scary in his first horror film
At first, Grant doesn’t look like a monster in Heretic, then he pushes his familiar mannerisms into grotesque caricature.
- by Jake Wilson
★★★
For subscribers
Disney’s Moana retread misses the Lin-Manuel Miranda magic
Despite its lush visuals, the long-awaited sequel proves there’s no good idea Hollywood won’t drive into the ground.
- by Robert Moran
★★★
For subscribers
Michael Keaton returns to his Mr Mom roots in this old-fashioned slice of life
In Goodrich, he plays a gallery owner who must look after his nine-year-old twins when their mother leaves to go to rehab.
- by Jake Wilson
★★★★
Ariana Grande
Perfectly cast, Wicked is made bigger and better on screen
Director Jon M. Chu has taken a successfully radical approach to the beloved Broadway musical, smoothing out the kinks in the narrative.
- by Sandra Hall
★★★½
For subscribers
Confused? That seems to be the whole point of this movie
The plot is familiar in Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point, but it comes with a subtle twist.
- by Jake Wilson
★★★
For subscribers
Mescal is the star of Gladiator II, but Denzel Washington steals the show
As the gladiator Lucius, Paul Mescal wisely doesn’t try to emulate Russell Crowe’s swagger in the original film.
- by Jake Wilson