Elizabeth Banks

News, Reviews & Features

Review: The Lego Movie 2 plays nicely but has no new surprises

Movie Review | Ed Williamson | 10th February 2019

My nephews were younger when the first Lego Movie came out. I mean, everyone was. But in 2014 they were five years younger; a lifetime when you're under ten. The elder one loved it; the younger probably not quite at the age where he could be relied on to sit through anything for more than ten minutes without chewing his shoes. They'll love this too, because they're still under ten and they're idiots, despite the older one being quite capable of comprehensively schooling me about dinosaurs. Me, I think maybe the magic has faded a bit.

Read full article »
Love & Mercy

Movie Review | Matt Looker | 26th June 2015

The Beach Boys: squeaky-clean surfers, or the subjects of sordid sex scandals, substance abuse and psychotic breakdowns? Whatever your level of familiarity with these endless harmonisers and their incredible off-stage history â€“ fatherly abuse, drugs, rivalry, death, links to Charles Manson, drummer Dennis Wilson falling out with lead singer (and cousin) Mike Love and then marrying his daughter â€“ the chances are that you donâ€™t know the whole historyâ€¦. because, frankly, thereâ€™s just so much to tell. Any Beach Boys biopic just couldnâ€™t possibly do justice to their entire 53-years-and-counting career. Thankfully, this new film focuses on band figurehead and recognised musical genius, Brian Wilson. And even then, it still feels like just a drop in the ocean.

Read full article »
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Movie Review | Matt Looker | 19th November 2013

So now we arrive at the second film of the latest mega-successful young-adult-novel-turned-movie-franchise and this is where things can get tricky. It's easy enough to come up with an initial concept - boy goes to wizard school, girl falls in love with vampire, etc - but following it up with the beginnings of an epic saga? Much harder to do. Thankfully though, this sequel manages to accomplish just that, successfully furthering the story and delving deeper into the politics and ethical quandaries laid out by its predecessor. All this despite being - for the most part - basically the same film.

Read full article »
People Like Us

Movie Review | Ed Williamson | 9th November 2012

It's fair to say Disney's been getting a little edgier in the films it distributes in recent years. But here's a new one on me: People Like Us, a likeable enough cookie-cutter 'douchey guy learns to be less douchey' flick, is at its core a film about incest. You heard.

Read full article »
What to Expect When You're Expecting

Movie Review | Ed Williamson | 22nd May 2012

There's no end to what Hollywood can monetise. Board games, toys, popular holidays, and now non-fiction books that guide expectant parents through pregnancy. You'll have noticed one constant thread running through the examples linked above: in being straightforward, cynical attempts to cash in on a popular phenomenon with a distinct target audience, they all dispensed with one key tenet of film production. Namely, the idea that you're supposed to at least try to make a good one.

Read full article »
Advertise with us!
The Hunger Games

Movie Review | Matt | 20th March 2012

Now that the pallid adventures of K-Stew, R-Patz and T-Lauts are officially coming to an end, welcome to your new Teen Phenomenon Based On A Series Of Books. There's a female lead, there's a love triangle, there's even CGI wolf dogsâ€¦are we destined to spend the next few years balking at more inappropriate mum groupies and handmade Hunger Game-themed sex toys? Not so, for this tale is above such cringe-worthy histrionics, delivering surprising substance and maturity, and, as a result, packing more punch.

Read full article »
Man On A Ledge

Movie Review | Rob | 30th January 2012

Go into this cold turkey and you could be forgiven for thinking Man On A Ledge is a contemporary commentary on the current state of the economy. Let's look at the evidence, shall we? It's set in New York, there are mentions of "this economy" followed by tutting, Ed Harris wears a sharp suit and smokes cigars like a boss (lit with $100 bills I hope ) and, oh, there's a bloke perched on a ledge threatening to throw himself off.

Read full article »
Final poster for The Hunger Games features nice bird

Movie News | Ali | 22nd January 2012

It's time for another round of 'Ali thinks there's something weird about a new movie poster and is going to use his website to tell you all about it!'

Read full article »
Hunger, Hunger, Hunger, Hunger... GAMES! (To the tune of Thundercats)

Movie Trailer | Ali | 14th November 2011

Look, a trailer for The Hunger Games! It's Battle Royale meets High School Musical or something! (*actually watches trailer*)

Read full article »
The Hunger Games staring contest

Movie News | Ali | 27th October 2011

The Hunger Games cast practice their thousand yard stares in these new character posters. First one to blink, loses. Ready? STARE... JENNIFER LAWRENCE WINS.

Read full article »

Support Us

We are now using Patreon to cover some of our hosting fees. So if you like our brand of "content" and would like to see us do more, please consider chucking a few digital pennies our way by clicking on the link below. Thanks!