Stanislaus

Bridge to Terabithia meets Ghosts of the Dormers! Martin and the Magical Forest on the one hand offers well done puppetry and a non-intrusive environmental message, while on the other hand it’s dominated by mostly lacklustre child and adult performances and, at times, largely untapped potential. In the end, a mediocre fairy tale film about the battle between good and evil with nice locations in the Czech forests.

My memories of the original Space Jam are very vague, yet I approached the second installment with a certain amount of nostalgic anticipation. Visually, it's a pretty good piece, mixing live action with animation. I also liked the idea of involving different characters across the film studios, even if the artwork itself was cluttered and a bit shoddy at times. The biggest stumbling block, however, was the shallow to silly script, full of familial and boring clichés, and the lacklustre acting – which wasn't even pulled off by the "Michael Jordan" joke. For a single viewing with a brain at half-throttle, Space Jam 2 enough, but I wouldn't reach for this basketball adventure a second time.

Loki, as a story about the search for the line between truth and lies, about ubiquitous deceit, but also about unexpected love, entertained me across its six episodes and kept me pleasantly tense – yet I had hoped for something more from the ending. The third and final episode spoiled my impression of an otherwise brisk, action-packed and funny series that took the MCU in a different and fresh direction with its concept. I enjoyed both the storyline around the workings of the TVA, the Time Keepers, and the relationship level, though it took some getting used to - still, as I mentioned, I found the conclusion punishingly flat after a relatively layered plot. I definitely enjoyed episodes five and four the most. I can't fail to praise the imaginative production design, whether it was TVA or the various planets. Considering that there’s more than one unfinished storyline, I'll definitely welcome a second season and hope for a better ending.

Maybe I was expecting something more from Kill Your Darlings, which is why I had quite conflicting feelings after watching it. The premise was certainly engaging and the performances were of a decent standard, yet the film left me cold for almost the entire running time and came across as a mediocre biographical drama, spiced up with crime. Alongside the beatnik storyline, I was intrigued by the portrayal of Allen's relationship with his mother. Better three stars!

(Possible spoilers!) Chris McKay's film certainly doesn't escape comparison to the (for me) famed sci-fi film Edge of Tomorrow, with the makers of The Tomorrow War also taking a slight nod in the direction of The Thing and Prometheus. The film's biggest negatives are its overblown running time and the sometimes reprehensibly deadpan build-up of the plot, which goes hand-in-hand with a number of typically American scenes (kids and the next generation being the top, the heroism of ordinary people, the blatant political correctness within the cast, etc.). Yet, I'm willing to rise above these aspects to enjoy the decent load of action and a sci-fi level that definitely had potential, albeit slightly buried by the family-themed dialogue. I liked the look of the aliens, the locations, and one almost comic book-like shot that made me think of 300. If the editing had omitted the unnecessary "weeping scenes", which would have shortened the running time, I would have been comfortable with a higher rating.

Wish Dragon, as a Chinese version of Aladdin set in contemporary Shanghai, has little to surprise in terms of story, but it is a sweet and heartfelt fairy tale about the importance of family and (non)material values with timeless validity, so you can forgive the film a certain degree of predictability and lack of innovation. Long is similarly goofy as the Genie and I really enjoyed his confrontation with the modern world. The characters weren't fleshed out with much depth, but they served their purpose. The plot moved along nicely, and in addition to the funny and action-packed scenes, there were many unobtrusive life lessons. A weaker four stars!

Looking at the director's post, perhaps it is not surprising why the furry characters look like donut-shaped guinea pigs, an unusual physiological feature that is both imaginative and slightly disturbing, as you can see through the protagonists for a good part of the film's running time – almost as if they have a clean shot through the chest. Story-wise, Extinct has some interesting moments, especially with the space-time travel, and the characters are mostly cool despite a few infantile aspects. At times, however, I felt that the film was jumping not only through the space-time hoops, but also the meaningfulness of the plot, which was a little too wonky at times (for example, the slightly redundant villain). But I understand that this is primarily a film for a younger and thus less discerning audience, meant to entertain and morally enlighten (in the case of the intelligent nerd and her romance, however, I was slightly on the fence about this). The animation is quite good and I smiled genuinely more than once during the film, which I take as a plus point. Extinct probably won't be a mass cinematic event, but it's perfect for one viewing.

To be honest, I was expecting a much bigger slapstick from Mothers than what I got in the cinema. True, the film has basically no added value, as it depicts a bunch of generic relationship and family issues we've seen elsewhere. But apart from a few moments – especially with Sandra Novakova – it didn't irritate me in any significant way, and despite the dullness of the premise, I wasn't bored and was even pleasantly amused at times, despite not being the target audience. A weaker three stars!

The German answer to Game Night, which I found a little less satisfying in its humour and story than its American counterpart. After the excellent The Perfect Secret, Elyas M'Barek and Frederick Lau star in a comedy with a dash of gangster action and spontaneous romance, which didn't exactly have me rolling with laughter – although I was indeed amused by the game night sequence – but it was still a likeable respite, perhaps only slightly marred (for my taste) by the fumbled ending of the gangster line. PS: Watch out for Asian food and cocktail paraphernalia!

In its atmosphere, but also in its technical execution, The Unholy reminded me of Darkness Falls, but instead of cursed Mary, we have the Tooth Fairy. The premise is not bad at all, and the opening line from the 19th century had something to it, but the film still struck me as a bit cheap, almost TV-like at times, with its weak visual effects, the strange script and the odd cinematography. The film has quite a lot of jump-scares, but it looks mostly one-dimensional without any attempt to build tension. PS: I loved the poster.