1st Reviews

  Another Simple Favor  is way more frustrating than its predecessor, resting entirely on an unbelievable concept – are we really to believe Stephanie is so foolish that she’ll travel with her attempted murderer, a convicted first-degree killer, to an island halfway across the world just for clicks? Not only does it condescend unto its audience, but Blake Lively’s performance feels stale, especially in comparison to Anna Kendrick and Henry Golding. The conflict and mystery are uninviting, as the tone feels immature and the characters are hard to take an interest in. Worst of all, it reuses the same twists and turns of its predecessor while effectively undoing much of that film. The dynamic between the two leads is hard to buy, and the film is a mere excuse for its stars to go on vacation while never justifting its existence. 2/5 Review by: Gal Balaban 

  No, Thunderbolts* isn’t peak MCU. It doesn’t try to be the next Infinity War or No Way Home. What it does aim for - and largely succeeds at - is delivering a tighter, character-driven story with grounded action and a welcome return to the franchise’s earlier roots. This movie excels because of its characters and the performances that breathe life into them. This rag-tag group of anti-heroes and underdogs have exceptional chemistry and an immensely entertaining on-screen dynamic. From witty banter to more impactful, character focused conversations, the Thunderbolts* just may become your new favourite MCU team. There’s a camaraderie and tension between them that keeps things fun but also emotionally grounded. The movie doesn’t shy away from difficult subject matter either. Depression, addiction, PTSD, and the fallout of violence are all prevalent themes that are tackled head-on, with surprising nuance and respect. These characters are broken in believable ways, and the film gives t...

  Thunderbolts*  is oozing with energy and a deep care for its characters, with a darker edge of corruption and death to its subjects. Contrary to this February’s  Captain America: Brave New World ,  Thunderbolts*  thrives by allowing its cast’s charisma to roam freely, led by the incredible Florence Pugh. This time around, Yelena is the film’s lead, and Pugh taps into the character’s core of depression and emptiness, including her tumultuous relationship with her father, former Soviet super soldier Red Guardian, played by the vivacious and hysterical David Harbour, longing for glory again. Wyatt Russell and Hannah John-Kamen are also utilized very well, while Sebastian Stan returns as Bucky, who leads many of the others through a similar emotional arc he’s learned his way through. Geraldine Viswanathan is also a standout as Mel, assistant to de Fontaine — played in such a juicy performance by Julia Louis-Dreyfus as a menacing figure who will stop at nothing to ...

  The Accountant 2  embraces much what worked in the first film, even if its slow pace and complicated conflict threaten the runtime. The clearest difference between the two is the prominence of the bro-mance between Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal, who get much more humor and fun together — all while the film fully acknowledges that Bernthal’s character is still a psychopath, even though we’re rooting for him to find his way. The action scenes are great, with strong sound editing and gritty choreography, but the slower drama will sometimes leave you aching for more action, especially when there’s maybe too much exposition for its own good. Cynthia Addai-Robinson is also strong reprising her role, and the main character’s disability also proves for interesting and unique ways of seeing the main case, while also playing into his daily life in fun ways. The film has trouble establishing stakes as to why we should care about certain characters who are in danger, but also balances ta...

  For the past two phases, Marvel has struggled with figuring out what the audience wants from their characters. The critical reception, excluding   Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3  and maybe even   Spider-Man: No Way Home,  has been tough to watch as a fan. But, as a critic, it’s warranted. Superhero conventions have, unfortunately, become formulaic. So it’s important to have well-choreographed action sequences and a compelling character-driven narrative to make a strong film. When  Thunderbolts*  was announced, fans felt it was an odd choice to have the antagonists from the recent Marvel universe come together to form a team. Because most of them weren’t that strong, apart from Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) and Red Guardian (David Harbour). One-off characters like Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) didn’t have much to do other than be part of the team because they still had no development lik...

  Compensating for its formulaic plot with a whole lotta violent action, Havoc is a sufficiently entertaining bloodbath. This is essentially an 80’s b-tier action movie with a shiny modern coat of paint, and despite its shortcomings, it emerges as a passably fun watch.  Nearly character in this story is a different level of corrupt. Dirty cops, dirty politicians, gang members, drug dealers - they’re all involved in shady business at varying levels. Tom Hardy’s character is among the least corrupt (but still a little corrupt to keep things interesting), so that makes him the protagonist by default. He plays a detective in the back pocket of a powerful politician, sent to do one last job before he can get out and live a clean life. Sound familiar? That’s because we’ve seen variations on this trope a million times before. It’s a tired story beat that does this movie no favours in the originality department. Hardy is reliably entertaining in the role, with some surprisingly great ...