Movie Review: John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum
Director: Chad Stahelski
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Halle Berry, Ian McShane
If you are unfamiliar with John Wick this is not the place to start. Wick’s story is like one of those genre stories where a writer has a good idea that gets published but then it is morphed into something far beyond that in subsequent novels because the audience loved a sub-component that then becomes the central focus. There is consequently enormous tension between the original story, which seems utterly removed from the world building going on, and the rest of the series. Cinematically, think John Rambo.
In this case ‘the world’ being built is the international association of assassins run by The High Table which has little internal logic but provides awesome comic book and video game visuals, such as the control room staffed by Suicide Girls, where contracts are displayed on a chalk board and typewriters clank away. Everything is ridiculous but many stunning visuals are created and I will give Halle Berry some credit. As you would already know this is one of those roles where Ian McShane is all but literally reprising his Al Swearengen role from Deadwood and presumably he needs another mansion. Keanu is now 54 and living too well, and presumably sedately, for these unstoppable action hero roles.
On most levels I would suggest that you know what you are going to get and this delivers. There is one major criticism though – there is a lot of fight choreography here and yet for some reason clunky instance after clunky instance is left in the final cut. We can all spend hours reviewing footage and finding the patterns and becoming disillusioned about any film, but for a first time viewing the number of obvious timing problems being spotted was really very poor. I was wondering where the Hollywood magic, which normally disguises these things, had gone for most of the film. They clearly do not think it would matter because this ends as a set up for yet another film. Investors might want to think carefully before making it.

Movie Review: Pokémon Detective Pikachu
Director: Rob Letterman
Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Justice Smith, Kathryn Newton, Bill Nighy
Firstly, aside from that two week period when, as someone memetically said, we came close to experiencing what world peace would be like due to the release of Pokémon Go, I do not have any background context. So I am not making any judgement on this as Pokémon per se, but just as something you might see at the Cineplex. In that context I found this highly entertaining and engaging.
Ryan Reynolds voices what looks like an animated Pikachu plush toy, helping a young man, Tim Goodman, played well by Justice Smith, find out what happened to his detective father. There is more than a hint of Reynold’s Deadpool like ‘stream of consciousness’ narration with this Pikachu, just without the profanity and with the cynicism toned down a notch. Plenty of wry smiles to be had.
To the uninitiated this seemed pretty slick as a production, with a well-paced story, half decent effects, solid casting, and no exposition on ‘the world of Pokémon’ that seemed too clunky - you can figure it out for yourself from the examples provided through the plot. If you have young children take them along. If you do not, go to a late session unless random rug-rats running around the cinema works for you.

Movie Review: Long Shot
Director: Jonathan Levine
Stars: Charlize Theron, Seth Rogen
Charlize Theron and Seth Rogen. If either of those names does it for you, definitely see this.
Somehow I always go along to Rogen films with low expectations and yet I am always well amused. Offset that with the feeling of being a little bit diminished, a little bit stained – like a great night out where dignity was well and truly dispensed with. Here a typically Rogen character; an obsessive, uncompromising, nerdish political journalist reconnects with his childhood baby sitter who is now US Secretary of State and farcical high jinks ensue. I hope you enjoy Ice Cube’s son O’Shea Jackson Jr’s performance as much as I did. Slap my ass…and choke me a little.

Movie Review: Poms
Director: Zara Hayes
Stars: Dianne Keaton, Jacki Weaver, Celia Weston
I went to this to see Diane Keaton, Jacki Weaver, Pam Grier and Rhea Perlman. Sentimental and formulaic comedy sure, which is surely expected in a movie set around seniors taking up cheer leading. More than a hint of trying to recreate the box office success of Book Club, it is let down by some of the farcical scenes, but there is real heart running through the centre of this.
Keaton is as thoroughly charming as ever and Weaver is gold. Patchy in parts, and most everybody else seems to be just making up the numbers, but there are some genuine laughs and a few heart-breaking scenes, particularly if you are dealing with seniors yourself.

Movie Review: The Hustle
Director: Chris Addison
Stars: Anne Hathaway, Rebel Wilson, Alex Sharp
I saw this so you would not have to.
To be fair, a relatively crowded theatre suggested word of mouth was not killing it, but I was cringing in embarrassment for Ms Hathaway almost the entire production. Based on 1988’s Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Steve Martin and Michael Caine), to the extent that the writers of that have screenplay and writing credits here, I can only recommend you see the original.

Bio: Juddy keeps busy consuming cultural media while posing as a student at a major Sydney university, thus shirking real work. He hosts pub trivia, and tutors at said university, for beer and book money.