The must-watch holiday movie guide
With the new reboot of Mary Poppins hitting the big screen there are lots of reasons to escape the heat and cool down with a range of Hollywood box office hits at the movies.
Movies
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There’s plenty of movies hitting cinema screens this summer, here’s what to watch if you’re keen to skip the shops and check out a flick instead.
Aquaman (M)
Superhero Action, 143 mins
Rating : **1/2
Stars:
Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Nicole Kidman, Patrick Wilson, Willem Dafoe
The Plot:
Arthur Curry learns that he is the heir to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, and must step forward to lead his people and be a hero to the world.
The Review:
With no genuine rival in the action-blockbuster market, this DC Comics-produced superhero affair is primed to be the biggest hit of the Australian summer.
Leading man Jason Momoa (best known for his run as Khal Drogo on TV’s Game of Thrones) has charisma to burn — and great comic smarts, too — and makes a great fit for the marine-man-mountain that is Aquaman. However, the movie around him is a sluggish, stop-start affair that can’t keep the excitement going for more than a few fleeting minutes at a time.
The special-effects (especially in the all-important underwater environment) never quite pack the wow-factor expected from a massive $225 million production.
If you subscribe to the general consensus that DC superhero flicks are never as good as a Marvel-made movie, you won’t see anything to change your mind here.
Will Appeal If You Loved:
Justice League
Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice
Wonder Woman
Ralph Breaks the internet (PG)
Animation Adventure, 112 mins
Rating : ****
Stars:
The voices of John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Gal Gadot, Jane Lynch, Hamish Blake
The Plot:
Six years after the events of Wreck-It Ralph, Ralph and Vanellope, now friends, discover a wi-fi router in their arcade, leading them into a new adventure.
The Review:
Disney’s Animation Division waited six years before rolling out a sequel to the excellent Wreck-It Ralph, and it was time well spent. The follow-up matches the same high standards, not just in terms of brilliant animation and fresh ideas, but also by retaining the heart and wit of the original. While the surface-level adventure of Ralph and his entourage is as exciting as it is enjoyable, there’s a deeper message in there too about how much time we are squandering on the internet.
Will Appeal If You Loved:
Wreck-It Ralph
Big Hero 6
The Lego Movie
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Vice (M)
Political Drama-Comedy, 132 mins
Rating : **1/2
Stars:
Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Steve Carell, Sam Rockwell, Jesse Plemons
The Plot:
The true story of Dick Cheney, an unassuming Washington insider, who quietly wielded immense power in reshaping the US while serving as Vice President to George W. Bush.
The Review:
The one big reason to see this unconventional political biopic is the performance of Christian Bale as Dick Cheney. In a supreme display of method acting, Bale added a stack of kilos and lost a lot of hair to become a dead-ringer for the dead-hearted American master manipulator. The movie as a whole, however, could prove to be an acquired taste for some. The satirically-minded folks that brought you The Big Short take the same irreverent tack here, with mixed results.
Will Appeal If You Loved:
The Big Short
American Made
Primary Colors
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The Favourite (MA15+)
Costume Drama, 121 mins
Rating : ****1/2
Stars:
Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz, Emma Stone, Nicholas Hoult, Joe Alwyn.
The Plot:
In early 18th century England, a frail Queen Anne occupies the throne while her close friend Lady Sarah, controls the power. The arrival to court of an ambitious interloper threatens their cosy arrangement.
The Review:
Viewers seeking some sophisticated refuge from the mainstream will be making tracks for this clever, vibrant and deviously shapeshifting period piece, which will be a major player come Oscars time. Make no mistake, this is a costume drama with a cutting edge that just keeps getting sharper throughout. While the lavish palatial setting is pleasing to the eye, a tremendous trifecta of lead performances from Stone, Weisz and Colman will keep everyone leaning forward in wonder of what is coming next.
Will Appeal If You Loved:
Dangerous Liaisons
Elizabeth
The Killing of a Sacred Deer
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Bumblebee (PG)
Costume Drama, 113 mins
Rating : ***1/2
Stars:
Hailee Steinfeld, John Cena and the voices of Angela Bassett, Justin Theroux.
The Plot:
On the run in the year of 1987, an exiled Autobot finds refuge in a junkyard in a small beach town. It is here a teenage tomboy mechanic named Charlie finds Bumblebee, battle-scarred and broken.
The Review:
It took more than a decade, but here it is: a Transformers movie that delivers all the goods fans have always hoped for. This is not a joke. Somehow, against the odds, this 1980s-set origin story for longtime Transformers MVP Bumblebee is a pure, playful and genuinely pleasing retro delight. While there’s still plenty of Autobot-Vs-Decepticon action if that’s your bag, what stops you in your tracks is the pitch-perfect telling of a genuinely moving story.
Will Appeal If You Loved:
Transformers
Pacific Rim
Real Steel
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Holmes & Watson (M)
Period Comedy, 89 mins
Rating: TBC (see review)
Stars:
Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Kelly Macdonald, Ralph Fiennes, Hugh Laurie
The Plot:
Master detective Sherlock Holmes and his loyal offsider Doctor Watson are in a race against time to crack a case that will thwart a dastardly plot to assassinate Queen Victoria.
The Review:
This is the only movie released over the holiday break that was not screened to media in advance. Therefore we cannot give you an accurate assessment of what you might be in for. While Will Ferrell has been in and out of form on an unpredictable basis for some years now, it is a heartening sign that this marks a welcome reunion with his best comic foil, John C. Reilly. If this is in the same league as the pair’s immortal Talladega Nights or Step Brothers, all will be fine.
Will Appeal If You Loved:
Anchorman
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
Blades of Glory
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Colette (M)
Period Drama, 112 mins
Rating : ***1/2
Stars:
Keira Knightley, Dominic West, Fiona Shaw, Sloan Thompson.
The Plot:
In the early 20th century, a female writer destined to become a legendary literary figure in France is forced by her controlling husband to publish her books under his name.
The Review:
If the queues are too long at your local art house cinema for the magnificent The Favourite, then this compelling biopic is a worthy second choice. Much of the credit goes to a dominant display by Keira Knightley, effortlessly dipping into the rich reserves of angst, desire and defiance she seems to save exclusively for vintage fare like this.
Will Appeal If You Loved:
Disobedience
Henry and June
Cheri
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Mary Poppins Returns (G)
RELEASED NEW YEAR’S DAY
Musical Fantasy, 130 mins
Rating : ****
Stars:
Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Meryl Streep, Colin Firth, Ben Whishaw.
The Plot:
While fighting to save their beautiful home in Depression-era London, the Banks family is paid a surprise extended visit by their enigmatic former nanny, the magical Mary Poppins.
T he Review:
Australia loves its summertime musicals, as The Greatest Showman recently proved yet again. This glorious Disney production will be huge right across the holidays, particularly once word rightly spreads that it honours the towering legacy of the much-loved 1964 all-ages classic Mary Poppins.
First things first: this is not a remake. It is a sequel that takes place a few decades after the original, with a wildly enjoyable set of adventures for a new generation of Banks children.
The story is wonderful, as is the casting of a dynamically on-point Emily Blunt in the title role made famous by Julie Andrews. Blunt wisely does not imitate Andrews in the slightest, but her fresh take on the character is still in keeping with how everyone pictures Mary.
As for the dozen-plus new songs on the soundtrack, they are instantly singalong-friendly, and (just like The Greatest Showman) will be the key to people wanting to experience the movie a second and third time (at the very least!).
Will Appeal If You Loved:
The Greatest Showman
Mamma Mia!
Frozen
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