Kaka

The purest and most classic action film of the four-part series, which once again expertly mixes elements of hi-tech espionage and typically thriller-like, escalating plots, including an over-the-top finale where a police car dismembers dozens of cars in Las Vegas. All that was missing was a bald John Malkovich with an plane and we could have had Con Air 2. Apart from that, the film is not without quite a lot of scripted filler, a somewhat artificial plot and a rather visible aspect of coincidences. On the other hand, it's still the camera-volatile and uncompromising Paul Greengrass, in whose rendition all those CIA spy tricks are terribly entertaining, engrossing and hard to tear yourself away from. Alicia Vikander and Vincent Cassel are also refreshing change. The trilogy is phenomenal and consistent, with the fourth part following close behind. Still exceptional filmmaking, though.

We've seen this hundreds of times, but who wouldn't want to repeat the battles of philosopher Michael Jai White and, for example, the 2.5 metre tall fighter from Troy, who may be the only one to become a legend, even though he didn't even touch Brad Pitt. Plus, Michael is also unusually social here and even goes on dates! Otherwise, the same fights, displays of various techniques and an octagon cage, with some intrigue, motivation, training to a thunderous soundtrack and censored Apple. Solid value for a few bucks, but only for die-hard fans.

Now a classic with the legendary directorial signature of the master, where every second shot is similar to those of Amadeus, and you pretty soon know you're going to get a meaty study of a personality that was as controversial almost as much as he was rich. Factually presented, entertaining and fresh, that's how we like these stories of rise and fall. Even more so when it's such a juicy topic as pornography and free speech vs. American justice. A fabulous Woody Harrelson and one of the greatest roles of Courtney Love, who has fallen off the face of the earth over time.

There's a lack of insight, so it remains a very briskly shot and brilliantly humorous comedy. The French pulled their punches, fudged the script and avoided the clichéd philosophising in luminous Paris and classic gritty street stories. Intouchables is a fresh ride full of emotions and spontaneous improvisation of the main characters, without pathos and sentimentality. It's not reality, but neither is it beyond reality. A hit about right in the middle, with the heart in the right place.

Interesting potential for the future, when the material might start to be taken a little more seriously and not just for the video store shelves. This time there’s a mixture of enthusiasm and sadness. Enthusiasm for a great cast that goes full throttle in their roles and solid action with a good portion of blood. Kevin Costner deserves extra credit, as he sets his sights on creating a new action hero, one that is confused, vulgar and unpredictable, devoid of emotion and values. He had a great time and I want to see him in the sequel. Sadness then from the generic script and the trivial build-up. They copy a lot of interesting trademarks from films from the previous few years (especially Self/Less), but in a very crass way. So far so B, but give it to someone like John Hillcoat and he'll flesh it out to the point where we'll want a trilogy.

It's a modern homage to Hitchcock, but the content is too layered and the screenwriting too inept. The twists piling on top of each other cease to be clear, but with each successive effort to decipher them, they become increasingly sophisticatedly as the film progresses. So while the male cast is typically from the life of the bourgeoisie, the female cast is at least strange and sometimes quite out of place. The talented cast didn't save it in the finale, but it's not a bummer either. I'm not comparing it to the original films.

Whoever was expecting a fiasco after the trailer, got it. A film that is a mess of all sorts of things and yet you remember nothing from it (except maybe Courtney Eaton – and not really because of her acting). The generational refresh in the style of The Mummy is boring, predictable and, above all, incredibly badly made. The beautiful production design, the costumes and the exceptional colour work are completely wasted thanks to the crazy visual effects and the weird work with camera and light. Alex Proyas has always been seen as a visionary director, so it's hard to guess why he made the worst mythological fantasy in years. Gerard Butler was traditionally entertaining, but otherwise a complete waste of time and it doesn't even work as guilty pleasure. Bless The Mummy and Prince of Persia, they are more moderate and clearer films.

Seeing the fusion of the entire film and watching all three of them gives me the creeps, but in a reprehensibly negative way. Him is shorter, grittier and of course typically masculine. The upside is that it cuts to the chase and the actors, thanks to the well-handled emotions in the script, have a lot to work with and do it damn well. Plus, the female support in Her (Viola Davis) is ably reflected in Him by the male counterpart (Ciarán Hinds), as both play the the gender opposites of the same character. The idea of splitting it up is a solid one, although a lot of the scenes are the same but from the opposite perspective, but OK, it's original by the standards of the day. But I won’t bother with Them.

Systematic, well acted and tightly led. The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby offers a traditional tale of great loss and finding oneself with all the obstacles and peripeteia that normal life has to offer. Without sentimentality, with handheld camerawork and a minimal sound mix (apparently, you can appreciate the blurred sounds of the street, etc. only with the appropriate equipment), and almost no music – but at the right moment the trip-hop master Son Lux (emotional spikes) shatters the silence. I would have liked to see it push the envelope a bit more and a faster pace, but we'll see what the next two episodes bring, maybe as a whole it will be significantly better.

Angelina Jolie surprises with her old-fashioned, consistent direction and a very conscious tone that permeates the entire film. There aren't many highlights, but the standard is maintained throughout. Unfortunately, the pacing (the drive) fails dramatically and doesn't hold consistency. Given the fantastic opening ten minutes, which suitably lure you in, there is a sense of stagnation throughout the rest of this adventure story, which has the basic plot premise of The Shawshank Redemption, but a bit lower in quality. Essentially without sentimentality – thumbs up for that. The women in Hollywood have been balling it up proficiently recently (Bigelow, Jolie). The acting is fine, and Roger Deakins is a safe bet.