In Short... Movie Reviews

The Nice Guys 

Mr Knight

Set in the 70s in Los Angeles, this odd couple, action flick follows Russell Crowe as the bruiser thug and Ryan Gosling the corrupt private investigator forced together and dragged into a sordid mystery which gets deeper as their love-hate bond gets stronger. It’s no Riggs and Murtaugh but it gets some good laughs. Enjoy.

Mrs Knight

 

A fun “buddy-copy” movie, where Ryan Gosling plays an unlucky, dodgy private agent and Russell Crowe hurts people for a living. Overall it’s good for a laugh and light entertainment. I enjoyed watching it at the time, but it wasn’t very memorable and I won’t ever see it again. Despite its potential to be a cracker, it’s definitely not a must see.

 

Finding Dory

Mr Knight

The long awaited follow up from Finding Nemo. The question is… was It necessary? The storyline was actually fun, with roles reversed having Marlin and Nemo chase after a lost Dory who is tracking her parents. The journey takes us to a waterpark with an assortment of new and fun characters. The story was enjoyable, however the repetition of Ellen DeGeneres saying “I have short term memory loss” over and over was not so enjoyable.

 

Mrs Knight

It’s difficult for any children’s animation to live up to one of the best kids films ever made, I am of course talking about Finding Nemo. This long awaited sequel generally stuck to the same story line and formula but was just that little bit too farfetched and silly. Plus, I hate to say it, but Dory plays better as a secondary character than a main one. Despite that, it was still enjoyable and fun. I think it’s worth a watch if you’re a fan of the first one or have children.

 

The Hunt for the Wilder People

 

 Mr Knight

 

A touch more art house, straight from New Zealand, the Hunt for the Wilder People is the mixed up belief that a foster kid with his guardian Sam Neill, is out in the wilderness against his own will, and the authorities and bounty hunters are hot on their tails. The movie is funny, warm and engaging without being too serious. It’s not first class acting from the lesser roles but it is an entertaining time at the movies.

 

Mrs Knight

 

Ricky is a rebellious foster child raised on hip hop and city living, in New Zealand. His world changes after he goes missing in the bush with his new foster parent, Hec played by Sam Neill. It’s a heart-warming, light-hearted and engaging tale about family, parenthood and being a teenager. I enjoyed watching their relationship develop and the characters had great chemistry. There are a lot of positive reviews out there, and I agree, it’s definitely worth seeing.

 

 

 

The Conjuring 2

Mr Knight

 

Definitely see the first Conjuring prior to this one. It has the same recipe with married couple The Warrens, investigating hauntings, this time at a home in England in the 70s. Based on alleged true stories I found this one not quite as tense and scary as its predecessor. It did have a horrible yellow eyed nun though that may keep you up at night! What had a lot of potential this horror left you wanting a touch more mystery and a scarier background. Still worth a look for scare fans.

Mrs Knight

 

When I saw the trailer for this one, I thought to myself “there is no way I’m going to see this”. The nun was the most frightening thing I have ever seen, and I love scary movies! But after seeing the first one and scaring myself silly, I was intrigued to see the second. The fact that it’s ‘based on true story’ makes it all the scarier. Not quite as good as the first, the ending wrapped up a little too easy and quickly, but if you’re looking to be terrified, this should do the trick!

 

 

Ghostbusters

Mr Knight

 

God I was skeptical walking in. The all lady crew remake of an old classic. I wondered, like with many remakes, is it necessary? I actually ended up pleasantly surprised. Littered with laughs, mostly from Kristen Wiig’s awkward character and Chris Hemsworth’s handsome idiot assistant. A little too much CGI and a final battle which I didn’t feel I was all that invested in, but I still walked out glad I went in. A good popcorn flick with a few cameos for the old school fans. The lesson here, don’t hate it till you try it.

Mrs Knight

It’s always a big risk re-making a classic, but I think this was well done. The banter between Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy and Chris Hemsworth’s characters was fantastic and definitely made the movie good. Great to see Hemsworth having a laugh at himself. Overall I found it very entertaining. If you’re a fan of the originals you should enjoy all the nostalgic references and cameos of this remake. It stuck to the same formula and is a good introduction for the new generation.

 

Star Trek Beyond

Mr Knight

 

All action and no story. Sad to say because I enjoyed the last two instalments. The missing X factor?? J. J. Abrams. Abrams not being in the directors’ seat was horribly evident. It still had the same fun quips and wit from Kirk, Spock, Scotty and Bones but the story had no depth, mystery or intrigue and the villain looked as though he was dressed by the same makeup artist from the 60s TV series which may have kept to traditional Trekkies happy, but not me. A real let down.

Mrs Knight

 

Definitely went into this one kicking and screaming and it sadly didn’t prove me wrong. The writing was terrible, no real story line and it didn’t feel like any of the characters had a good rapport between one another. It was all a bit lame and I was eye rolling so hard I’m surprised I didn’t fall off my seat. Personally it was a disappointing couple of hours that I will never get back. But if you’re a mad Star Trek fan you might enjoy it.

 

 

Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie

Mr Knight

 

If you’re 30 and over you would remember these two trash bags, Eddy and Pat from the 90s TV series of the same name. Put together like a long TV episode, I found myself laughing out loud at the completely inappropriate humour from two alcoholic, diabolic women in the fashion industry seeking further fame, fortune and Bollinger. Good to watch with a drink of champers and a cheese plate.

Mrs Knight

I haven’t seen enough of the series to get all the inside jokes, but I didn’t need too. I found it hilarious as a standalone film. It was so ridiculously inappropriate, silly and rude, I couldn’t believe they were saying and doing half the things they did. I loved all the cameos from the fashion industry, just about every scene there was someone different. Grab a glass of Bollinger darling and enjoy!

Jason Bourne

Mr Knight

 

An aging Bourne, out of the game, but dragged back in by an old associate Nicky Parsons, punches, shoots and smashes his way through Greece, Germany and Las Vegas. I thought this franchise was done and dusted, but with the adding of CIA boss Tommy Lee Jones (looking super weathered!) and a stone faced (but very attractive!) Alicia Vikander as a CIA operative pursuing Bourne, the amnesiac super spy proves he’s still fun to watch. With a few new tricks up his sleeve Bourne is forced to handle a CIA asset tasked with killing him whilst learning more of his past. The only thing that made me laugh is even after driving a car through a ceiling, with a bullet in his stomach, he still manages a bare knuckle fist fight apparently unaffected by injuries. I had my doubts that was possible, but who am I to question an action packed super spy movie?! Enjoy. If you’re wondering, Mrs KNIGHT refused to see this one! Ha! Sorry ladies if you wanted a female perspective. Take her absence as her review!