Men In Black: International (2019) - Movie Review

There are a lot of different forms of bad movie out there. Some are obvious, some take time before the true problems come forward, and some start out as good ideas that, for one reason or another, sour into what becomes the final product. I’ve no doubt covered all three of these varieties in past reviews, and as much as outright, unmistakable shite can be quite painful to sit through, it’s the latter that always ends up feeling the worst: The movies where I can see something much better buried underneath.

Knowing the patchy history of the Men In Black films, this latest entry failing to perform shouldn’t be much surprise, given we have one solid film (1), one mediocre film (2) and one that people mostly didn’t like if they even cared to remember it existed (3). But all the same, this kind of compromised art still hurts to witness for one’s self.

The Ritual (2018) - Movie Review

 

Stop me if this sounds familiar: A group of friends get together for a nature hike. They find themselves in a forest, possibly seeking shelter from the elements. However, it soon becomes apparent that someone, or something, is picking them off one-by-one and the resulting stress could be driving the hikers insane.

Yeah, all sounding more than a little Blair Witch at this stage, innit? Of course, around these parts, familiar premises aren’t something to instantly turn our noses up at (or at least that’s not the intention); execution is the key factor and director David Bruckner certainly delivers on that front. As a pagan-horror offering, this does well at channelling man vs. nature thrills, giving the eerily serene woods a terrifically tense atmosphere.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) - Movie Review

The plot: Three years after the destruction of the theme park Jurassic World, a now-active volcano on Isla Nublar poses a serious threat to the dinosaurs still on the island. Wanting to save as many of these animals as possible, wealthy benefactor Eli Mills (Rafe Spall) hires former raptor trainer Owen (Chris Pratt) and former JW manager and now dinosaur activist Claire (Byrce Dallas Howard) to take a team to the island. However, once they arrive, it seems that not only is their task going to be a difficult one, but the people who hired them have ulterior motives for what they plan to do with these dinosaurs. The Indominus Rex was just the beginning.

Early Man (2018) - Movie Review

The plot: The simple life for Dug (Eddie Redmayne) and his tribe of cavemen is about to be interrupted when the Bronze Age ruler Lord Nooth (Tom Hiddleston) kicks them out of their meadow and leaves them to fend for themselves. Desperate to save his tribe, Dug challenges Nooth to a game of soccer: If Dug and his team win, they get their meadow back. As the tribe practices the ancient sport, and Nooth prepares to make bank from the match, the heat is on to see who will win this battle of the Ages.