Reviews

Illumination made great tributes to Old Hollywood in *Minions & Monsters*. This 2026 comedy film does a great job of exploring the process behind the movies and how they're made, all while delivering funny slapstick comedy, strong character dynamics, incredible animation, an all-star voice cast, and a musical score that blends *Despicable Me*'s signature vibes with a 1920s feel that is charming, intimate, and a loving tribute to an era gone by. I also loved the plot twist at the end of the movie, where it is revealed the whole story is staged and the Minions, James and Henry, were filming the entire movie the whole time, including the studio tour at the beginning. Goomi was a great villain, and the fact you could tell he'd do something evil before he even reveals his true intentions makes his actions all the more devious. People claimed his villainous intent was spoiled too much in...

They've even ruined this. It's lost its old charm. This is the first time I've been so bored while watching Minions. It's not bad, but it's not great either. It's just something to watch casually. Either I'm getting old and it doesn't give me the same feeling anymore, or they've really messed it up. It's actually an animation I really loved. Still, thank you for your effort.

When the yellow perils manage to gatecrash a film studio and cause havoc on the set of a film, the director is terrified that his two rotund bosses will want his head. Instead, though, they adore the chaos and commission him to make more films featuring the "Minions". Swiftly, they go from rags to riches and are hugely popular until... Sound. Silent movies have gone the way of the dodo and now there is to be audio. Yikes - who wants to sit in a drive-in and listen to lots of squeaking and squawking coming from these diminutive stars? Well, nobody really and so swiftly they are back out on poverty row once more with nowhere to go. "James" and his pal "Henry" conclude that their film-making days are not yet over when their erstwhile director gives them an old boxed Brownie, but they need a baddie. What better one than a monster, and when they stumble upon an ancient book of spells and...

After Trollhunter (2010) and the later Troll-movies (2022,2025) it is well established that Norwegian filmmakers are confident and proficient monster-builders. So also with this movie, which is a cautionary tale about meddling with nature. The casting is solid, the character-work leaves the protagonists and antagonists with motivations and relationships you can relate to, which means that the tension has stakes. The direction is good and the effects are just lovely. There are a lot of physical props to compliment the grander cgi-pieces, and it all blends very well together. I enjoyed this a lot.

The “Van Dort” family have the name but no cash, the “Everglot” family are the nouveau-riche sort who crave respectability and so when needs must, they arrange a mutually beneficial marriage between “Victor” and “Victoria” -  perhaps Dame Julie Andrews might sing at the wedding? Well, before we even get that far, the young “Victor” finds his wedding rehearsal in the dark forest sees him unwittingly betrothed to someone altogether bonier, and she is determined to hold onto her new man. Now ensconced in the underworld with an whole new batch of friends, he has to find a solution that will placate his new “bride” whilst getting him back to the land of the living and a beloved who thinks he has just abandoned her. What are the chances, or might he even start to fall in love with his new spouse instead? This is Tim Burton at his best, with some cracking stop-motion animation delivering, at...

Best MCU movie, more than that.... BEST SUPERHERO MOVIE EVER. Hands Down

The third act turns on a character being an idiot. That story beat renders all that the heroes do before and after it immaterial. That moment so preoccupied me that I couldn't enjoy the rest of the story, and made it impossible to ignore the flick's other glaring flaws anymore: the villain's motive makes no sense, the glove exists only to produce plot contrivances, the score is so obvious it might as well be cue cards on screen ("Feel sad now") ... The first half is some of the best action in a Disney Marvel entry yet, and the other half is so stupid that it sours the whole MCU experience.

Just a very short, NO SPOILERS review I wanted to get down while it's still fresh. For a movie with this much riding it, to come out not feeling disappointed, is a massive achievement. While I absolutely do love it I had some things that I felt were maybe imperfect about Infinity War, but my biggest concern was that it seemed like it would be absolutely meaningless to somebody who didn't put in the effort of watching the 18 movies leading up to it. You can probably assuage that fear though, because I went to see it with two people who had only seen Black Panther at this point, and they both loved it, with minimal confusion. Personally? I can't wait to see it again. This is probably the most excited I've been about the second watch of an MCU film since the first Avengers. Final rating:★★★★ - Very strong appeal. A personal favourite.

Amazing. Visually stunning. So much going on, but somehow also clear and easy to understand. A little flabby in the middle third, but given the huge cast and story to cover it is very understandable. The highlight was the parings of characters from different stories and their interactions. If you aren't a Marvel fan this film won't convert you, but if you have liked any of the previous films you will like this too. 10/10

*May Contain Spoilers:* I *think* love Digger. It’s a beautiful, but bleak film. One which you only truly understand after letting it sit for a few days. As I have done. From the very beginning, Iñárritu does the unthinkable - daring you to dislike it. The sound design, cinematography, make-up - all stunning, but deeply uncomfortable. These first 30 mins are both exciting, and daunting; rattling by with little time for pause. Not giving us the chance to breathe. Then, just as we begin to settle into the chaos of it all… Iñárritu dares us once again - to sit through the most bizarre cinema experience I’ve ever felt. The entire 2nd act contains arguably the best scenes of the film, and carries the majority of the narrative… yet in the moment, you hate it. Once the projections drop, and the theatre is revealed; we are left with an overall feeling of “so?” Why should you...

"Digger" (Tom Cruise) is an oil gazzillionaire who cares little for safety or the environment as he determines to milk the planet of as many of it's resources as he can before someone tells him to stop. It's his multi-billion dollar operation in the Arctic that is causing consternation after a massive methane explosion releases a part of the ice shelf and sets it en-route to the low countries of Europe where catastrophe looms. Quickly in cahoots with the president (John Goodman) and finally having to listen to the only scientist in his otherwise acolytic empire prepared to deliver some home truths - "Ganesh" (Riz Ahmed) they consider their options. Get in front of the news: tell the truth and own the problem; feign ignorance and let a now rather angry nature take it's course or do they get the bombers out? All the while this is playing out, we are aware that this is actually all part of...

Check out my full review @ https://www.manuelsbento.com/digger-2026-tom-cruise-and-alejandro-g-inarritu-make-noise-worth-arguing-about/ Rating: B DIGGER hammers its numerous capitalistic themes with zero subtlety, and yes, it's loud, repetitive, and not as funny as the comedy of catastrophic proportions it thinks it is. But I quite enjoyed riding this crazy rollercoaster of a movie. Tom Cruise's over-the-top performance is purposefully captivating, Riz Ahmed is the supporting standout, and the VistaVision cinematography and production design are at an award-worthy level of stunning. Its final message, "compliance is freedom," stuck with me. We stay quiet to protect the lives we like, but what about everyone else's? Divisive? Of course, as any satire worth its salt should be! It gets everyone talking, and this one has, so job well done.

Some movies seem destined for mixed reactions. That may be somewhat apparent before their release, but it invariably surfaces once in distribution. And it would seem to be very much the case with the latest and long-awaited release from writer-director Alejandro G. Iñárritu, a project that has been heavily promoted for some time. To complicate matters, “Digger” is a film that could easily fall prey to spoilers if too much is revealed in advance (a point decisively driven home in a caution posted on screen before the picture’s start at press previews), so I apologize in advance if this analysis seems somewhat cryptic or evasive. The film primarily follows the wily exploits of Digger Rockwell (Tom Cruise in his first return to a character who essentially isn’t an action-adventure hero since “Magnolia” (1999)), an aging, loud-mouthed good ole boy oil tycoon who is one of the most powerful...

In moviemaking, sadly, there can be a problem with going to the well too many times, and this latest installment in one of filmdom’s better cinematic franchises verges on proving just that. This offering’s predecessors (2016, 2018) significantly distinguished themselves from the kind of fare typically found in the superhero genre with their outrageously bawdy humor, hilarious sight gags and relentlessly maverick attitude. This time out, however, director Shawn Levy’s latest effort is a decidedly hit or miss affair, with an often-incoherent script that feels like it was cobbled together from a collection of leftover parts, some of which work and some of which don’t. I suppose that’s not entirely surprising from a screenplay that was penned by four different writers, making me wonder how much consensus was in place in compiling the finished product. Moreover, this film appears to be...

Deadpool & Wolverine is the best the MCU has been since Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. It’s two hours of comic book-driven fan service and delivers entertaining surprises, nostalgic throwbacks, memorable action sequences, and worthwhile performances. Full review: https://bit.ly/WadeLogan

Its story may not be the strongest, but the comedy makes 'Deadpool & Wolverine' an excellent watch! There are some top notch gags in there, particularly to do with the recent offscreen changes for Wade Wilson's alter ego. As you'd expect with Ryan Reynolds in this role, the jokes are plentiful and there is barely any time to react to one before another appears. That can sometimes not work as well as intended, e.g. 'Deadpool 2', but here the humour is executed perfectly. Reynolds himself is quality, it is a quintessential Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool performance. It's real neat to see Hugh Jackman back as Wolverine, he does play second fiddle to the other titular character but still more than holds his own, as you'd expect. Emma Corrin, meanwhile, enters the MCU with a great showing. As noted at the top, I do think the plot couldn't been superior - but not in a negative way. What is...

Theres not much of a plot and the villains weren't that great. It was a good laugh though and amazing cameos and fight scenes.

Awesome!

okay so if your like me you questioned this movie due to the fact that i personally thought nothing could beat infinity war well after seeing it i can honestly say we have a new champion this was absolutley excelent so hilarious action packed the 3 hrs passes extremily fast my only thing is the use of god.... bothered me and i suggest if your offended by that wait till dvd so you can mute the parts also a reminder to parents 'no matter how bad you want to see the movie dont do like people in my theater did and bring your 3 year old 'but besides that awesome movie

Rewatched for the Once Upon a Franchise podcast. Listen to the full episode here: open.spotify.com/episode/6Lr8p61agTB39opiJWAKid?si=7e8a375f78f247e0 Rating: A+