Been making good use of the Cineworld Unlimited card since cinemas reopened in May. So far have seen:
1. Cruella - 5/10
Clever live-action origin story, with the cool backdrop of 1970s punk London and the fashion industry. Emmas Stone (sneering and disarmingly arrogant) and Thompson (ice cold) played their roles well. Story played out as an entertaining heist. Bit of lazy "pathos for the traditional villain" play by Disney, ala Maleficent. Last 45 mins or so dragged.
2. In The Heights - 7/10
Better than I expected. An inviting, feel-good piece of song and dance full of warmth. Loved the community feel of the Washington Heights Latin community in NYC, and appreciated the fact that underneath the song and dance, the film was quite socially-engaged and touched on subjects such as discrimination and the gentrification of the local area.
3. A Quiet Place 2 - 8/10
Obviously not as original as the first and influences from the likes of Jaws and Jurassic Park are more obvious, but great nerve-shredding and super tense stuff again. Both the first and the sequel induce this edge-of-your-seat feeling of dread. Sequel is an interesting mix of survival drama and a quest, which differentiates it nicely to the first film. The prelude scene is phenomenal.
4. Godzilla vs. Kong - 5/10
Not the film for you if you like character development! Just balls-out fun really. Great CGI effects.
5. Nobody - 7/10
Creative, toe-curlingly violent at times, and darkly funny. I liked this. Didn't know what I'd make of Bob Odenkirk in a bad *** role, but I dug it. Left me desperately wanting to know about his character's past, so I reckon there's a sequel opportunity there if Bob recovers from his health scare.
6. Fast & Furious 9 - 4/10
The balls-to-the-wall action keeps you interested enough to accept how increasingly OTT this franchise is getting, but I don't know how much more they can squeeze out of it. John Cena a good newcomer and Vin Diesel's acting and line delivery as wooden and cringe as ever.
7. Black Widow - 7/10
Enjoyable. Great action scenes, and character development was given a boost by the comedic family dynamic - David Harbor was hilarious and Florence Pugh was really likeable, bringing a bit of Vilanelle from "Killing Eve" into her performance. Glad we'll be seeing more of her in the MCU. Ray Winstone on the other hand was a bit cringe, and his attempt at a Russian accent is still giving me nightmares.
8. The Suicide Squad - 8/10
So much fun. I went in reticent given the previous Suicide Squad attempt, but this had me gripped and I was laughing and gasping in equal measure. For anybody who liked Guardians of the Galaxy, this is what James Gunn can do with the superhero genre outside Disney. Great music, brilliant action and gratuitous graphic violence, charming and funny performances.
9. Space Jam: A New Legacy - 3/10
Nice nostalgia trip for those of us who were kids when the first one came out, but little more. Some nice WB library crossover Easter eggs, and LeBron James can certainly act a lot better than Michael Jordan did, but I wouldn't go out of my way to watch again.
10. Jungle Cruise 7/10
Another enjoyable blockbuster, if a little predictable and formulaic in parts. Some standard Dwayne Johnson action stuff, but great chemistry between him, Emily Blunt and Jack Whitehall. Loved some of the homages paid to the Disneyland attraction, which weren't missed by this Disneyland/Disney World keeno! Entertaining action sequences, a neat twist about two thirds of the way through, and some real "Indiana Jones" and "The Mummy" vibes.
11. Stillwater - 6/10
A thoughtful and suspenseful story, with some intelligent themes and a steadily-building pace. Carried by really strong performances from Matt Damon and Abigail Breslin. Was initially frustrated by what I felt was an inconclusive ending, but upon reflection decided that I liked the fact that there wasn't a formulaic and obvious 'happy ending' and that it was instead a 'take it on the chin but learn lessons and be positively changed by the experience' kind of ending.
12. Free Guy - 8/10
Came out of this one with a huge smile on my face. So much fun and so much heart. Ryan Reynolds and Jodie Comer had great chemistry, supporting characters were all likeable and Taika Waititi as a ridiculous villain was genius. CGI and action scenes were great and the film seemed to have so many influences - think a weird mash-up of "The Truman Show", "The Matrix" and "Ready Player One" meets "Grand Theft Auto" and "Fortnite".
