A revenger, a robber baron, a bandit, and a mail-order bride coincide on the same remote farmhouse. Genius Western, distilling the last three decades of genre filmmaking into a single movie. Elegaic, definitive, and unmissable. Recommended,
Tag: eamonn’s reviews
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968, dir. Stanley Kubrick)
An alien civilisation makes a series of contacts with life on Earth; one provokes a space mission. Still-extraordinary piece of mainstream SF with philosophical ambitions, plus a technical marvel. Essential viewing, even if it remains impenetrable to some.
Insidious: The Last Key (2018, dir. Adam Robitel)
Elise Rainier returns to her childhood home to face her fears. The fourth in the Insidious franchise is a prequel which loops back to part one. For series fans only, but well-enough handled in its jumpscares and creepy moments, plus one great idea, decently handled.
Hold The Dark (2018, dir. Jeremy Saulnier)
A hunt for a child snatched by wolves is more complex than it first seems. Hugely impressive wintry contemporary Western, with perhaps a touch of the supernatural. Doesn’t give up its answers easy. Highly recommended.
Early Man (2018, dir. Nick Park)
A peaceful tribe of cave-dwellers must play football against a Bronze Age crack squad to win back their home. Lovingly-made and beautifully-detailed, this stop-motion flick from Aardman is undemanding fun, even if it’s light on jokes compared to their earlier films.
Galaxy Quest (1999, dir. Dean Parisot)
The former stars of a Star Trek-like TV show are mistaken for genuine space heroes by an alien race searching for saviours. Three Amigos! / A Bug’s Life redux, perhaps, but with excellent casting, a sense of fun, and affection for genre and conventions (of both kinds) throughout.
Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018, dir. Ron Howard)
A Han Solo origin tale. After a clunky and stagey first act, this heist western SF hybrid finds its feet, even though its nominal lead is a black hole around which much more interesting support stuff occurs. Inconsequential.
