Watched Jungle Cruise (2021) by an author from letterboxd.com
Dr. Lily Houghton enlists the aid of wisecracking skipper Frank Wolff to take her down the Amazon in his dilapidated boat. Together, they search for an ancient tree that holds the power to heal – a discovery that will change the future of medicine.

I watch a lot of “family” films with the children (8&11) and they are roundly poor. This, though, exceeded my expectations.

When we sat down to watch this, I had no idea that, like Pirates of the Carribean, it was “based” on a ride. And I honestly thought it was really clever how they made that link without labouring it. With that out of the way it just turns into a fun, fantasy adventure.

Surprisingly, it delivered a lot of laughs, but this is mostly down to the main cast who are all very good. Emily Blunt is a fantastic comic actress and she generated the most laughs for me. Dwayne manages to be earnest in the right places, despite the fantastical themes, and maintains a subtle edge of unlikeability. Jack Whitehall seems to be playing a version of his own Dad from “Travels with my Father” and that’s as excellent as you might expect. And it’s all neatly leavened with Jessie Plemmons, playing a ridiculous caricature of a German prince (or something) and some well conceptualised CG baddies, that make undead pirates seem a bit dull.

The gender politics aren’t hammered home and even my 11 y/o got some of the more subtle jokes on the topic.

On the downside, the music in places is terrible: anachronistic and off the pace. And the pace slackens in a few places so we can learn inconsequential details about characters. Once again, it’s just that tiny bit too long.

★★★★

My review

Watched The Pale Blue Eye (2022) by an author from letterboxd.com
A seasoned detective investigates a series of murders at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point in 1830. He is assisted in his investigation by an intelligent and eager young cadet named Edgar Allan Poe, who will go on to become one of America's most influential authors and the originator of the detective genre.

Think Harry Melling is the best thing here, followed closely by Gillian Anderson who seems to be having a wonderful time. The production’s impressive too. Shame about the story.

★★½

My review

Watched The Batman (2022) by an author from letterboxd.com
In his second year of fighting crime, Batman uncovers corruption in Gotham City that connects to his own family while facing a serial killer known as the Riddler.

Good but some way short of great.

I had Joker from Lego Batman ringing in my ears throughout the finale…

“This is better than the two boats!”

★★★★

My review

Watched M3GAN (2022) by an author from letterboxd.com
A brilliant toy company roboticist uses artificial intelligence to develop M3GAN, a life-like doll programmed to emotionally bond with her newly orphaned niece. But when the doll's programming works too well, she becomes overprotective of her new friend with terrifying results.

Does anything actually happen in this film?

★★

My review

Played Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters on Steam (store.steampowered.com)
Lead humanity’s greatest weapon, the Grey Knights, in this fast-paced turn-based tactical RPG. Root out and purge a galaxy-spanning plague in a cinematic, story-driven campaign, using the tactics and talents of your own personalised squad of Daemonhunters.

This is much more than XCOM: Enemy Unknown in the grim dark future of Warhammer 40k. The fundamentals of the game play, and even the interface, are identical but this offers so much more than that… IF you want it.

XCOM: EU is an exceptional game and, while it can be very hard, it’s also relatively straight forward. This is a tricky balance to hit. Daemonhunters, however, is not trying to be as accessible. XCOM directs you neatly through the campaign. This does not. You are at much more liberty to explore and progress at your own pace. The talent trees for your Knights are MUCH more complex and, as in the source material, min/maxing your team is possible. Your research and construction choices are yours alone. However, not everyone will enjoy this.

The removal of the randomisation mechanics in battle and very long timelines (months not days) removes most of the temptation to save/load your way to success. It’s hard to foresee the impact of some decisions and by the time you do, you won’t want to go back.

As for the setting, I’m not sure a 40k game has been better realised. The attention to detail is off the chart. The Knights are gloriously rendered and the environments are packed with features you might recognise. The sound is excellent, from the sparkly psychic noises to the squishy, sloppy Nurgle-ness. The supporting cast are also very well realised and there is a strong under current of humour, which stops the story descending into a dreary melodrama.

If you like XCOM and 40k, you should love this. If you like one or the other, you might love this. For anyone else, it’s a great real-time strategy game but it might be a bit too crunchy for some people’s tastes.

Watched Frankenhooker (1990) by an author from letterboxd.com
A medical school dropout loses his fiancée in a tragic lawnmower incident and decides to bring her back to life. Unfortunately, he was only able to save her head, so he goes to the red light district in the city and lures prostitutes into a hotel room so he can collect body parts to reassemble her.

Giving an extra star for the finale. Watch Basket Case instead.

★

My review

Watched Bad Times at the El Royale (2018) by an author from letterboxd.com
Lake Tahoe, 1969. Seven strangers, each one with a secret to bury, meet at El Royale, a decadent motel with a dark past. In the course of a fateful night, everyone will have one last shot at redemption.

Liked this a lot, right up until the start of the third act. I’m not sure if it’s Chris Hemsworth lacking the menace to pull this off or it just fizzles out. Or both. Shame.

★★★½

My review