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3.5/5
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Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1
(2024)
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Leigh Paatsch
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His [Costner] elegantly measured direction – particularly when building to battle sequences – is what truly stands out above all else.
Posted Jul 17, 2024
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3/5
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MaXXXine
(2024)
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Leigh Paatsch
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An amusingly authentic 1980s production design and a few genuinely unforeseen twists will be truly appreciated by those who have stuck by this blood-spattered series from the outset.
Posted Jul 17, 2024
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3/5
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Fly Me to the Moon
(2024)
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Leigh Paatsch
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Thankfully, the Kelly-Cole relationship quandary adds counterweights of clarity and charm to proceedings, ultimately saving Fly Me to the Moon from straying too far offcourse.
Posted Jul 17, 2024
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3/5
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Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F
(2024)
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Leigh Paatsch
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What genuinely works here is all the result of Murphy’s trademark charisma as a comedian.
Posted Jul 10, 2024
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2.5/5
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Kinds of Kindness
(2024)
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Leigh Paatsch
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Yes, there is style as far as the eye can see here, but where the substance might be hiding in this long, 165-minute head-scratcher affair is a matter for each individual viewer.
Posted Jul 10, 2024
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3/5
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Twisters
(2024)
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Leigh Paatsch
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That task is completed relatively successfully.
Posted Jul 10, 2024
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2/5
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A Family Affair
(2024)
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Leigh Paatsch
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A sappy, sub-par script, which only serves up one quality scene of note.
Posted Jul 03, 2024
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3.5/5
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A Quiet Place: Day One
(2024)
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Leigh Paatsch
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While not quite a match for its predecessors, this wilful winding back of the clock to explain the origins of all that make-a-noise-and-die mayhem is not without its own merits.
Posted Jul 03, 2024
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3.5/5
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The Bikeriders
(2023)
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Leigh Paatsch
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Overall, it is a simple yet deceptively involving and authentic tale being told here, further enhanced by the mystical presence of Butler as Benny, the fastest and most furious Vandal of them all.
Posted Jul 03, 2024
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3.5/5
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A Silence
(2023)
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Leigh Paatsch
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Once director Joachim Lafosse releases a series of narrative shockwaves into the screenplay, his movie becomes a gripping, gut-wrenching experience that few will have seen coming.
Posted Jun 26, 2024
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3/5
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The Convert
(2023)
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Leigh Paatsch
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Pearce’s nuanced performance and Tamahori’s atmospheric control of proceedings keeps this heavy-going yarn heading in the right direction.
Posted Jun 26, 2024
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4/5
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Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line
(2024)
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Leigh Paatsch
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The Hardest Line crafts a fitting tribute to one of the great Australian cultural warriors of all-time, a bloody-minded bunch who stood their ground, made their noise and made a difference.
Posted Jun 26, 2024
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3/5
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Federer: Twelve Final Days
(2024)
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Leigh Paatsch
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Though that closing match is a bit of a fizzer, the genuine sorrow it elicits from the most stoic blokes in tennis will deeply resonate with true devotees of the game.
Posted Jun 20, 2024
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1.5/5
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The Exorcism
(2024)
|
Leigh Paatsch
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Not enough devil-damning bang for your buck should you show up hoping for plenty of flaming crucifixes, levitating furniture and gruesome physical contortions.
Posted Jun 20, 2024
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3.5/5
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Despicable Me 4
(2024)
|
Leigh Paatsch
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Remarkably, Despicable Me 4 delivers plenty of proof that the deliriously inventive and genuinely amusing adventures of the reformed supervillain Gru and his ever-expanding entourage won’t be getting old any time soon.
Posted Jun 20, 2024
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2/5
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The Watchers
(2024)
|
Leigh Paatsch
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While this isn’t a bad idea for a low-impact horror movie there is a rusted-on dullness to proceedings that first-time director Ishana Shyamalan.
Posted Jun 13, 2024
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4.5/5
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Hit Man
(2023)
|
Leigh Paatsch
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Some wildly inventive scripting and the potent screen chemistry of Powell and Arjona combine to deliver one heck of a great final act.
Posted Jun 13, 2024
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4/5
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Inside Out 2
(2024)
|
Leigh Paatsch
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Though it will probably assist most younger viewers if they have already seen the first movie, there can be no denying Pixar has crafted a refreshingly original work that will warmly resonate with all ages.
Posted Jun 13, 2024
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3.5/5
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In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon
(2023)
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Leigh Paatsch
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Learning more about how the best pages of the Simon songbook came to be written and performed totally justifies the commitment asked of the viewer here.
Posted Jun 06, 2024
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3.5/5
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Am I OK?
(2022)
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Leigh Paatsch
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This beautifully written light comedy is actually all about friendship. In particular, how to remain best friends when the worst of times happen along.
Posted Jun 06, 2024
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3/5
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Bad Boys: Ride or Die
(2024)
|
Leigh Paatsch
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Though the pair aren’t moving so fast these days, their comedic rapport remains as strong and genuinely amusing as ever.
Posted Jun 06, 2024
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4/5
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High & Low - John Galliano
(2023)
|
Leigh Paatsch
|
This genuinely gripping, warts’n’all portrait of the once-legendary fashion designer John Galliano is one of the best documentaries of the year so far.
Posted May 29, 2024
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2.5/5
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Atlas
(2024)
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Leigh Paatsch
|
Lopez works very hard to keep this movie together, and she does quite a solid job considering. Production values are quite strong throughout, though not enough to distract you from a story that makes less sense with every minute.
Posted May 29, 2024
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2.5/5
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The Garfield Movie
(2024)
|
Leigh Paatsch
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Weirdly, the second half of the movie feels as like quite a rushed knock-off of the same plot used for the classic kids flick Chicken Run.
Posted May 29, 2024
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3/5
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The Final: Attack on Wembley
(2024)
|
Leigh Paatsch
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A straightforward, no-bulldust collection of eyewitness accounts – chillingly verified by stacks of phone footage – makes for compelling and revealing viewing.
Posted May 17, 2024
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4.5/5
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The Three Musketeers: Part I - D'Artagnan
(2023)
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Leigh Paatsch
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The dynamically dashing nature of the action scenes live up to the swashbuckling standards many will be expecting.
Posted May 17, 2024
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2.4/5
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IF
(2024)
|
Leigh Paatsch
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Though unfailingly well-intentioned, a wonkily constructed screenplay works against IF at several crucial junctures.
Posted May 17, 2024
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3/5
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Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
(2024)
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Leigh Paatsch
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Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is better than most action films on the big screen right now, but it doesn’t compare to director George Miller’s other movies in the popular franchise
Posted May 17, 2024
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1/5
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Tarot
(2024)
|
Leigh Paatsch
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An underwhelming horror film light on for real frights or even the faintest chills.
Posted May 08, 2024
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2.5/5
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Unfrosted
(2024)
|
Leigh Paatsch
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A fair-to-middling feel-good feature that marks Seinfeld’s directorial debut.
Posted May 08, 2024
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3.5/5
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Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
(2024)
|
Leigh Paatsch
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The relatively unknown cast do a fine job establishing and expanding a whole new array of characters.
Posted May 08, 2024
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4/5
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The Taste of Things
(2023)
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Leigh Paatsch
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Lovers of great food on film had better cancel all other reservations and take a seat at the table of this sumptuous visual feast.
Posted May 01, 2024
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2/5
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Boy Kills World
(2023)
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Leigh Paatsch
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Aside from a late-breaking twist which may earn the grudging respect of welded-on action fans, much of the movie plays out as everybody would expect.
Posted May 01, 2024
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3.5/5
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The Idea of You
(2024)
|
Leigh Paatsch
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Just as the movie earns respect from the viewer in all the right ways, the well-matched screen pairing of Hathaway and Galitzine does not result in a single awkward or incongruous moment.
Posted May 01, 2024
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4/5
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The Teachers' Lounge
(2023)
|
Leigh Paatsch
|
This is no easy watch – the multiple tensions at work here see to that – but you won’t be forgetting any of it in a hurry.
Posted Apr 24, 2024
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3/5
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Abigail
(2024)
|
Leigh Paatsch
|
From what shapes as a premise of limited potential, the production leaps into an unpredictable realm where viewers will be both kept on their toes and decidedly amused right through to the splatter-tastic end.
Posted Apr 24, 2024
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2.5/5
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The Fall Guy
(2024)
|
Leigh Paatsch
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Come along for the stunts. They are genuinely spectacular. Stick around for the romantic fireworks. Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt are a movie match made in box-office heaven.
Posted Apr 24, 2024
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2.5/5
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Jeanne du Barry
(2023)
|
Leigh Paatsch
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The title character is the principal focus of an uneven screenplay, which sometimes struggles to make sense of Jeanne’s rise through the ranks of the Palace Versailles as Louis’ kingdom nears the brink of ruin.
Posted Apr 17, 2024
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4/5
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Late Night with the Devil
(2023)
|
Leigh Paatsch
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While the authentic visual design of the movie sells the premise to full value, it is the anxious energy filling the Night Owls studio like a noxious gas that truly leaves a lasting, unsettling chill here.
Posted Apr 17, 2024
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4.5/5
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Challengers
(2024)
|
Leigh Paatsch
|
Via a trio of exciting, exacting performances, each participant’s virtues and flaws are brought to life vividly and convincingly.
Posted Apr 17, 2024
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3.5/5
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Scoop
(2024)
|
Leigh Paatsch
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As far as factual re-enactments go, this is both consistently entertaining and highly informative stuff.
Posted Apr 10, 2024
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4.5/5
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Civil War
(2024)
|
Leigh Paatsch
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The mood conjured by filmmaker Alex Garland and his accomplished cast (led by Kirsten Dunst, Wagener Moura and Cailee Spaeny) is as powerful as it is relentless.
Posted Apr 10, 2024
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4/5
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Back to Black
(2024)
|
Leigh Paatsch
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The movie expertly examines the key influences and events that shaped Winehouse’s gifts so definitively.
Posted Apr 10, 2024
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2.5/5
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The Tiger's Apprentice
(2024)
|
Leigh Paatsch
|
Though there is plenty going on here, a distinct dullness sets in once all characters are established, and battle lines are drawn for a predictable finale.
Posted Apr 04, 2024
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3/5
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Monkey Man
(2024)
|
Leigh Paatsch
|
Action fans in particular will be left both stunned and exhilarated by Monkey Man. Particularly when Patel’s intricate control of every aspect of the production is truly at its peak.
Posted Apr 04, 2024
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3/5
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Kung Fu Panda 4
(2024)
|
Leigh Paatsch
|
Lively vocal performances, quality humour and zippy pacing make this an easy and effective pick for younger viewers across the coming school holiday period.
Posted Mar 27, 2024
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4.5/5
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Io Capitano
(2023)
|
Leigh Paatsch
|
At turns powerful, poignant and heart-wrenchingly raw, Io Capitano is quite unlike anything else you will see this year.
Posted Mar 27, 2024
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2.5/5
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Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
(2024)
|
Leigh Paatsch
|
When viewed in terms of pure smash-’em-up spectacle, The New Empire lands a slight notch above its predecessor. The ground-shaking combat sequences emit a deep rumble and transpire on a massive scale that will satisfy a majority of MonsterVerse devotees.
Posted Mar 27, 2024
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3.5/5
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Road House
(2024)
|
Leigh Paatsch
|
Though the bulk of the action has been relocated to the Florida Keys, the essence of the first movie’s presence remains the same.
Posted Mar 20, 2024
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3/5
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Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
(2024)
|
Leigh Paatsch
|
There are more than enough ghouls, goo and goofy wisecracks to justify yet another movie, which should be recommendation enough.
Posted Mar 20, 2024
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