From their quirky origins with their first feature, Toy Story, to the joy and humour of Wall-E, and the magic of Coco, Pixar is a fascinating studio that’s evolved over the years. Soul is their latest in that evolution, and it’s a charming, funny, and musical story about passion, mentorship, and what makes life livable.
Jamie Foxx
A film so uninspired and generic that even complaints about it will sound cliched and rehashed, the latest cinematic incarnation of Robin Hood is so vaporous that viewers will forget they’re watching it as it’s unfolding.
British filmmaker Edgar Wright has always imbued his films with specific, idiosyncratic, and florid sensibilities, but his latest effort – the action comedy Baby Driver – is his most assured and intricately constructed work to date. A passion project for the filmmaker over the past decade, there aren’t any details – large or small – that haven’t been lovingly thought out and executed. It’s a masterful bit of storytelling and direction. Every inch of every frame and every seemingly inconsequential sound effect or character foible get delivered with relentless, accurate vigour. It’s writer-director Wright’s most perfect film, and it’s doubtful that any other studio films released this summed could hope to clear Baby Driver’s ludicrously high set bar.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is a perfect example of why movie ratings are sometimes useless concepts when applied to the real world where films are rarely easy to summarize with one little number. Is it a good film or not? That depends on a lot of things, including how much you enjoyed the original Spider-Man films.
Director Roland Emmerich seems to be taking a break from blowing up the world and focusing on more intimate targets, like the centre of the American government, but whatever scale you’re talking about, White House Down is exactly what we have come to expect from the bombastic filmmaker.
The 85th Academy Awards, hosted by Seth MacFarlane, took over the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood Sunday, February 24, with the usual huge lineup of celebrities and filmmaking superpowers.
New this week on DVD and Blu-ray: Ryan Reynolds suits up for a comic book adventure in Green Lantern; Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day take on the people who make their lives hellish in Horrible Bosses; plus a look at Todd And The Book Of Pure Evil – Season 1 on DVD.
Landing on home video this week: Rio swoops in with Jesse Eisenberg and Anne Hathaway voicing two rare, lovelorn parrots; Sean Connery stars as a clever monk in the murder mystery The Name of the Rose; and a look at the drama Last Night.
Opening at a theatre near you this weekend: Jason Bateman stars in the would-be killer comedy Horrible Bosses; the documentary Page One: A Year Inside the New York Times delves into one of the biggest newsrooms in America; plus a look at Zookeeper, starring Kevin James.
Opening this week in theatres: Jesse Eisenberg voices the parrot Blu in the animated comedy, Rio; and Neve Campbell returns for the latest installment of Wes Craven’s slasher franchise, Scream 4.