STACK NZ Apr #61

REVIEWS

CINEMA

RATING KEY:

Wow!

Good

Not bad

Meh Woof!

CINDERELLA

RUN ALL NIGHT

Forget what you think you know and start again; Disney have pulled the biggest rabbit out of its mouse-eared hat to date with this passionate, fun, mature, concise and rollickingly entertaining live action film that will have audiences of all ages melting, loving and remembering what it means to follow simple golden rules we all but forget in a modern society. Cate Blanchett was born to play the surrogate matriarch with her sharp features, intelligent sarcasm and commanding presence; an effortless performance that ignites the sting in this fairy tale, which amazingly dances between reality and the magical realm with true wonder and heart. Less heavy on the CGI and with more concentration on a clever script, plus an uncanny ability to engage multiple ages and a rich visual splendor that doesn’t overcook the cake, is likely to make Cinderella the biggest box-office success story to date for the studio, and deservedly so. Chris Murray RELEASED: Out Now DIRECTOR: Kenneth Branagh CAST: Cate Blanchett, Lily James, Richard Madden RATING: G

Liam Neeson defaults to action-man mode once again in Run All Night , his third collaboration with director Jaume Collet-Serra and his umpteenth Taken clone. Hitman Jimmy Conlon (Neeson) battles his inner demons and must decide if his loyalties lie with his son or with his lifelong best friend. Limo driver Mike Conlon ( RoboCop ’s Joel Kinnaman) winds up the reluctant target of his father’s longtime ally, mobster Shawn Maguire (Ed Harris). Let the running and shooting commence. Neeson reprises some of the skills he's acquired from previous roles; fights with hot sticks ( The Phantom Menace ), parkour ( Taken ), and, of course, gunfights ( Non-Stop , and every other film). Run All Night works fine as a shoot-em up action movie, but one can’t help thinking that Neeson will struggle to escape this kind of typecasting for the remainder of his career. Alesha Kolbe RELEASED: Out Now DIRECTOR: Jaume Collet-Serra CAST: Liam Neeson, Ed Harris, Joel Kinnaman RATING: R16

THE GUNMAN

THAT SUGAR FILM

THE Spongebob MOVIE: SPONGE OUT OF WATER

RELEASED: Apr 16 DIRECTOR: Pierre Morel CAST: Sean Penn, Idris Elba, Jasmine Trinca RATING: R16

RELEASED: Apr 16 DIRECTOR: Damon Gameau CAST: Damon Gameau, Stephen Fry RATING: PG

RELEASED: April 2 DIRECTOR: Paul Tibbitt CAST: Tom Kenny, Antonio Banderas RATING: PG

A mercenary’s last assassination in the Congo forces him into leaving not only the country, but also the woman he loves. Upon returning, it’s soon clear he himself is the new target. The cinema cliché of ‘the hunter becoming the hunted’ can be done in many ways; thankfully this is a slight cut above for two reasons – it takes itself quite seriously, posing as a loose political actioner with a heavy duty cast; and Sean Penn simply being on the screen looking like he’s having some genuine fun, albeit in a constant state of poised concentration as not to stop flexing his rather impressive 54-year-old biceps. Taken director Morel obviously listened to his main star as this is a no-nonsense journey. Much attention is given to methodical approaches to the art of killing, and Penn excels in us believing him – so, too, the casting of RayWinstone as a crusty confidante and the gritty ‘put-em down fast’ a la Bourne attitude to action. CM

Damon Gameau, the Australian creator of That Sugar Film, is more compelling to watch than Morgan Spurlock, his predecessor in food-related investigative docos ( Super Size Me , 2004). And so is his film. It could be in part because he's more relatable (who else watched Super Size Me and thought 'Gross and amazing, but it's not the same here in Oz'?), and it was no-brainer that Spurlock's health was going to go rapidly south on a diet of McDonald's. But it's also the fact that Gameau's experimental endeavour – to eat foods such as muesli bars, cereals and low- fat yoghurt, which are high in 'hidden' sugars – reveals a lot of horrifying surprises, most notably in relation to mental health. The results were so messed up that I've resolved to now complete 90 per cent of my food shopping at the local Asian grocer. Showing as part of NZFF's Autumn festival. Zoë Radas

Are ya ready, kids? I certainly wasn’t. The SpongeBob Movie is one of the most eye-opening things I’ve seen in a long time. Either I’m not the atypical child, and missed something growing up, or kids these days are in a whole different ballpark as far as cartoons are concerned. Whether it’s dolphin rap battles, time travelling or bad puns, it’s hard to say if there’s something for everyone – or no one – in this 3D cinematic rendering of Bikini Bottom. Starring the voice actors from the series – Tom Kenny as SpongeBob, Bill Fagerbakke as Patrick, and Rodger Bumpass (yes, that’s really his name) as Squidward – it’s not as if the film strays from the show’s predictably bonkers template. It does, however, bring a weird, almost illicit substance- induced fervour to a childhood memory of mine that I didn’t really want tainted. Despite the title, most of the movie takes place underwater; probably a good thing. It’s creepy, and recommended for kids who are slightly left-of-centre. AK

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