THOR: RAGNAROK

Imprisoned, the mighty Thor finds himself in a lethal gladiatorial contest against the Hulk, his former ally. Thor must fight for survival and race against time to prevent the all-powerful Hela from destroying his home and the Asgardian civilisation.
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The humour in this movie is what makes it worth seeing. It has all the usual elements of a superhero movie, but New Zealand director Taika Waititi (Hunt for the Wilderpeople) has made this possibly the funniest Marvel movie ever made. And it seems to suit the actors — Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, and Cate Blanchett look like they are having great fun. And Waititi, himself, puts in a wonderful performance as Korg. Check it out if for no other reason than to have a good laugh along with its wonderful characters.

GOOD TIME

After a heist goes awry, a bank robber tries to free his brother from Rikers Island, all in one night.

This a heist movie with a difference — it’s more about the aftermath than the heist itself. Robert Pattinson plays yet another  complex character, Connie, who robs a bank with his brother, Nick (played by Ben Saftie, one of the directors), who is mentally challenged. Things don’t go as they should and the story becomes a suspenseful, deeply moving journey where Nick tries to free his brother from jail. The relationship between Connie and Nick is what makes this movie so special and it transcends the genre with freshness, insight, and depth. Pattinson continues to surprise showing he has truly left behind his Twilight days. The soundtrack is excellent and expresses the confusion and chaos internally experienced by the protagonists as they struggle to survive. Don’t miss it.

THE MOUNTAIN BETWEEN US

Stranded after a tragic plane crash, two strangers must forge a connection to survive the extreme elements of a remote snow covered mountain. When they realise help is not coming, they embark on a perilous journey across the wilderness.

Idris Alba and Kate Winslett are pleasant together, but the movie is just not suspenseful enough. It’s more romance than adventure and the romance is very predictable (actually, the whole thing is predictable), the story is farfetched, and it all descends into cheesiness by the finish. The two main characters would look a lot worse than they do if they’d really survived what they did. Wait for it on DVD if you must see it.

HAPPY DEATH DAY

A college student relives the day of her murder with both its unexceptional details and terrifying end until she discovers her killer's identity.

Movies about people reliving the same day over and over again are pretty common. But HAPPY DEATH DAY is an intriguing take and I enjoyed the journey as Tree Gelbman (played by an excellent Jessica Rothe) relives the same day, in which she ends up being murdered, over and over again, until she is able to solve the mystery of what is going on. There is some great humour, some moments of pretty good tension, and some genuine surprises. There’s also a pretty clichéd moral behind the whole thing, but it isn’t preachy. The title might imply yet another slasher movie — but it isn’t. An engaging, darkly humorous, diversion that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Suitable for 13+ years.

FINAL PORTRAIT

The story of Swiss painter and sculptor Alberto Giacometti.

Geoffrey Rush is very good as Giacometti. But the movie is slow, boring, and repetitive. I get that creativity may be a long and slow process, but do I have to sit for 1½ hours in a long and slow movie to be told that? I don’t think so. A pointless exercise.

BLADE RUNNER 2049

Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K, unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what's left of society into chaos. K's discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard, a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years.

I was very excited to see this sequel to the 1982 original Blade Runner movie and my expectations were satisfied. BLADE RUNNER 2049 follows on with a new story that is true to the original. The soundtrack is stunning as is the cinematography and special effects. Ryan Gosling does the best acting in the movie but the supporting cast are adequate. Impressive. Don’t pay extra for 3D — it adds nothing significant to the movie. But make sure you do get to see BLADE RUNNER 2049 on a big screen!

BATTLE OF THE SEXES

The true story of the 1973 tennis match between World number one Billie Jean King and ex-champ and serial hustler Bobby Riggs.

Another piece of history I knew nothing about until I saw this movie. And what an entertaining piece of storytelling it is. Emma Stone and Steve Carell are both great in the leading roles. The story of the match is made more interesting because it explores both Billie Jean King’s fight for women’s rights as well as her own sexuality, both of which are still contemporary issues making BATTLE OF THE SEXES very relevant for today. While the issues are serious, they are explored with a great sense of humour. The story moves along at a great pace and, even though the outcome is already known because it’s a true story, the suspense in getting there is very well directed. BATTLE OF THE SEXES is a real crowd pleaser and should have wide appeal.