This week, Marvel hits another home run, Samuel L. Jackson takes on terrorists, and more teenagers film things with their cellphones instead of running for their lives.
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Ant-Man
The next evolution of the Marvel Cinematic Universe brings a founding member of The Avengers to the big screen for the first time with Marvel Studios’ “Ant-Man.” Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, master thief Scott Lang must embrace his inner-hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats. Against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Pym and Lang must plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.
With its tumultuous production, unpopular casting choices and multiple changes in directors, you might have been worried that Marvel was running out of steam when it came to Ant-Man. But if you’ve read Kervyn’s 4/5 Star review, you’ll know that your fears are totally unfounded. Everything manages to come together to make Ant-Man another solid addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it does so without relying on the other movies, making it an extremely fun standalone comic book movie in its own right.
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Big Game
In the rugged countryside of Finland, a young thirteen-year-old (Onni Tommila) embarks on a traditional quest to prove himself by spending 24 hours alone in the wild, armed with only a bow and arrow. After witnessing a spectacular crash, he discovers the escape pod from Air Force One, containing the President of the United States (Samuel L. Jackson). When they realize a group of kidnappers is hot on their trail with the intention of taking the president, this unlikely duo must escape their hunters as they search for the American Special Forces team sent out to find them.
With a synopsis like that, Big Game could have gone one of two ways. Either it takes itself too seriously, or hams it up in cheesy retro style. Thankfully, we ended up with the latter, because no one was going to take that seriously no matter how hard they may have tried! Big Game is a self-aware, over-the-top, old school action adventure, with Samuel Freaking L. Jackson as the President of the United States. If you’re looking to be massively entertained, Big Game will deliver.
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Woman in Gold
WOMAN IN GOLD is the remarkable true story of one woman’s journey to reclaim her heritage and seek justice for what happened to her family. Sixty years after she fled Vienna during World War II, an elderly Jewish woman, Maria Altmann (Mirren), starts her journey to retrieve family possessions seized by the Nazis, among them Klimt’s famous painting ‘Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I’. Together with her inexperienced but plucky young lawyer Randy Schoenberg (Reynolds), she embarks upon a major battle which takes them all the way to the heart of the Austrian establishment and the U.S. Supreme Court, and forces her to confront difficult truths about the past along the way.
In my book, any movie that uses the adjective ‘plucky’ should be treated as suspect, and Woman in Gold is no exception. As touching and emotionally appealing as the underdog story may be, there are no surprises, and it glosses over a lot of what makes the story so unique in favour of following a completely predictable path. It’s not the worst, but with 53% on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s definitely not the best.
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The Gallows
Twenty years after a deadly freak accident at a high school play, a misguided attempt to re-stage the play and honor the student proves that some things are better left in the past.
The Gallows might as well be called Oh No, Not Another Low Budget Found Footage Film, because that’s exactly what you’re getting. Its only redeeming feature seems to be that it’s not so bad as to be completely offensive, it’s merely so generic that its completely forgettable. And enough with the found footage filming style already, it never makes any sense!
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That Sugar Film
THAT SUGAR FILM is one man’s journey to discover the bitter truth about sugar. Damon Gameau embarks on a unique experiment to document the effects of a high sugar diet on a healthy body, consuming only foods that are commonly perceived as ‘healthy’. Through this entertaining and informative journey, Damon highlights some of the issues that plague the sugar industry, and where sugar lurks on supermarket shelves. THAT SUGAR FILM will forever change the way you think about ‘healthy’ food.
While Gameau’s attempt to be funky and hip might come across as condescending and annoying to a cynical adult, That Sugar Film is still an informative and accessible documentary about the dangers of sugar, effectively hammering home the effects of a high-sugar diet in a similar vein to Supersize Me.
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Thina Sobabili (The Two of Us)
Set in South Africa’s biggest township, Thulas will do anything to protect his sister Zanele after witnessing her abuse as a child. As a result of this the two have a very strained relationship. Zanele falls for the charms of an older man, Thulas is determined to put an end to this relationship.
Filmed on a shoestring budget over a gruelling seven days, Thina Sobabili touches on serious issues like crime, marital rape and the sugar daddy culture in a gritty, unglamorous look into life in Alexandra township.
Last Updated: July 31, 2015
