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Meeting cute in a coffee shop, law student Bea (Sweeney) and finance dude Ben (Powell) have an instant connection, but quickly have a misunderstanding. Meeting by accident six months later, they find themselves travelling together to a destination wedding in Sydney for Bea's sister Halle (Robinson) and Ben's pal Claudia (Shipp). But their animosity threatens to ruin the nuptials, so everyone else enacts a plan to make them fall for each other. And when they discover this, they decide to flip the script on everyone. Of course none of these plans go smoothly.

This is a sexy and very silly film, packed with sequences that are designed specifically to make the audience laugh or swoon, regardless of whether they have any coherence in the narrative. There are moments of depth along the way, most notably in the way Bea and Ben continually second-guess each other, unsure about what is real and what might be a mistake. Thoroughly likeable, Sweeney and Powell have terrific chemistry, while the ace supporting cast ham it up perfectly.

But the script moves briskly past anything remotely serious, while the plot takes perhaps one gyration too many. This makes the whole thing feel fantastical and very contrived, but it's also funny and sexy, in a timidly goofy sort of way. We know from the start where this is going, so nothing is surprising in the expected zany but satisfying climax in the most picturesque place possible. As Bea and Ben note, it's stupid but fun, which is the best kind of fun.

themes, language

17.May.24

At the centre of the plot is Lee (Dunst) a battle-hardened veteran in New York as the Western Forces advance on Washington DC. So she and her partner Joel (Moura) decide to head to the capital and hopefully interview the besieged, belligerant president (Offerman). They're accompanied by the even more world-weary veteran Sammy (Henderson) and bright young novice photographer Jessie (Spaeny), who is thrilled to meet her hero Lee, and has no idea of the horrors that lie ahead of them.

Garland's direction is intense and involving, creating an incident-based road movie (see The Last of Us) in which the characters have quiet and even funny moments in between various terrifying encounters with gun-toting nutcases. The wild tonal shifts actually pull us into the story, so Garland's sometimes simplistic cinematic language (slow motion, an anachronistic song score, beauty in devastation) brings out deeper thoughts and feelings from a cast that plays scenes beautifully, often with skilful understatement.

So it's a rather large problem that the narrative tries so hard to remove itself from present-day political reality. And as a result, even the film's anti-war commentary feels half-hearted. Yes, the president's hard-man tactics echo Putin and Assad, with some Trumpian overtones, but the rebels' gleefully murderous response is just as pernicious, a point Garland is clearly trying to make in the film's final shot. But it doesn't leave us much room to think.

themes, language, violence, sexuality

22.Apr.24

Even though Master Shifu (Hoffman) pushes him, Po (Black) is reluctant to select his successor as the Dragon Warrior. So he's glad for the distraction when villainous sorceress The Chameleon (Davis) launches a plot to drain power from the afterlife and take over the world. But she needs Po's special staff to do this. Accompanying Po to face The Chameleon is sly fox Zhen (Awkwafina), who wants to learn kung fu. And they're followed by Po's father Li (Cranston) and Ping (Hong), who raised him. Indeed, Po needs all the help he can get.

As usual, the film is a mix of wacky comedy, silly slapstick and outrageously colourful action, often all mixed together at once. And underlying everything are gently thoughtful philosophies that add depth of meaning, pulling us in and making the nonsense feel unusually satisfying. Vocal work is excellent across the board, with some extraordinary work particularly from Davis. And there are several properly spectacular sequences along the way.

This is some of the finest animation Hollywood can produce, impeccably catching glorious Chinese landscapes and architecture along with witty nods to culture, food and art. And the large-scale action set-pieces are staged with fiendishly inventive choreography. There are also subtle messages woven throughout the chaotic story, including a comment about the perils of taking shortcuts to get what you want. And of course it's also a salient reminder that when you're in doubt, it's best to trust your heart.

themes, language, violence

26.Apr.24

As the Nazis consolidate their grip on mainland Europe, the head of British intelligence (Elwes) decides to take them on by setting aside the rules of war, just as Hitler has done. To lead a vital mission to an island off the west coast of Africa, they bring in rogue operator Gus (Cavill). As two undercover operatives (Gonzalez and Olusanmokun) prepare the way, Gus and his team of ruffians (Ritchson, Golding and Fiennes Tiffin) head to Africa by sea, stopping en route to rescue colleague Geoffrey (Pettyfer) from a German prison.

Oozing British charm while evoking the ambience of Casablanca in this African outpost, the characters are hilariously civilised and chipper, This adds an almost farcical tone alongside the violent action. "Try to have fun," Gus says, before they massacre an entire encampment of Nazis. The ensemble indeed does have a lot of fun with these characters, adding terrific details that bring them to life and add to their snappy interaction. Cavill shines in a role that's relaxed and effortlessly affable, while Gonzalez is particularly enjoyable as she holds her own in this sea of masculinity.

The film's groovy vibe is infectious, as Ritchie mixes the alarmingly enormous body count with crisp banter, lavish production design and witty plot twists. And while the true story has been heightened to make it more entertaining, there's also a nice sense of authenticity in the narrative itself, with its offbeat flourishes and intriguing details, such as how the events connect to young intelligence officer Ian Fleming (Fox), who based James Bond on Gus.

themes, language, violence

16.May.24