Kaka

Whoever was expecting a fiasco after the trailer, got it. A film that is a mess of all sorts of things and yet you remember nothing from it (except maybe Courtney Eaton – and not really because of her acting). The generational refresh in the style of The Mummy is boring, predictable and, above all, incredibly badly made. The beautiful production design, the costumes and the exceptional colour work are completely wasted thanks to the crazy visual effects and the weird work with camera and light. Alex Proyas has always been seen as a visionary director, so it's hard to guess why he made the worst mythological fantasy in years. Gerard Butler was traditionally entertaining, but otherwise a complete waste of time and it doesn't even work as guilty pleasure. Bless The Mummy and Prince of Persia, they are more moderate and clearer films.

Seeing the fusion of the entire film and watching all three of them gives me the creeps, but in a reprehensibly negative way. Him is shorter, grittier and of course typically masculine. The upside is that it cuts to the chase and the actors, thanks to the well-handled emotions in the script, have a lot to work with and do it damn well. Plus, the female support in Her (Viola Davis) is ably reflected in Him by the male counterpart (Ciarán Hinds), as both play the the gender opposites of the same character. The idea of splitting it up is a solid one, although a lot of the scenes are the same but from the opposite perspective, but OK, it's original by the standards of the day. But I won’t bother with Them.

Systematic, well acted and tightly led. The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby offers a traditional tale of great loss and finding oneself with all the obstacles and peripeteia that normal life has to offer. Without sentimentality, with handheld camerawork and a minimal sound mix (apparently, you can appreciate the blurred sounds of the street, etc. only with the appropriate equipment), and almost no music – but at the right moment the trip-hop master Son Lux (emotional spikes) shatters the silence. I would have liked to see it push the envelope a bit more and a faster pace, but we'll see what the next two episodes bring, maybe as a whole it will be significantly better.

Angelina Jolie surprises with her old-fashioned, consistent direction and a very conscious tone that permeates the entire film. There aren't many highlights, but the standard is maintained throughout. Unfortunately, the pacing (the drive) fails dramatically and doesn't hold consistency. Given the fantastic opening ten minutes, which suitably lure you in, there is a sense of stagnation throughout the rest of this adventure story, which has the basic plot premise of The Shawshank Redemption, but a bit lower in quality. Essentially without sentimentality – thumbs up for that. The women in Hollywood have been balling it up proficiently recently (Bigelow, Jolie). The acting is fine, and Roger Deakins is a safe bet.

In terms of innovation of the action genre, it’s only an appetiser, because Hardcore Henry is far from a full-fledged cinematic experience. There’s no plot and the frantic sequence of action scenes can’t disguise the feeling that this farce is merely a consumer piece with a short shelf-life. Original, technically very accomplished, but also exhausting almost to the max. And this time there was no need for a second or third part, 90 minutes of the first one was enough.

Steven Soderbergh (Contagion) is much better because he takes a stark, pragmatic, factual approach. David Mackenzie wants to grasp the entire thing in a purely emotional and philosophical way, but he doesn't quite succeed, as we learn almost nothing and he just muses idly to the accompaniment of ethereal music, so the whole thing feels strange. Plus points for the atypical film contribution and a naked Eva Green, otherwise nothing great.

Total creative misery and a massive drop in quality. Emmerich seems to have completely forgotten what trademarks and directorial techniques made him rise to the top of the imaginary blockbuster ladder in 1996. His ID4 was funny, dynamic, emotional and at times very chilling. Above all, though, it was hugely entertaining, with interesting characters you rooted for even though (or perhaps because) they were so different. 20 years later, we have a new attack, which is only watchable thanks to the evolution of the digital effects. Because the script is out of the question, the new main characters are uninteresting and boring, and the old ones get little time or are treated reprehensibly badly. You could say that, with the exception of Goldblum, the director hasn't let them age with the grace and refinement they would need, while still being great draws for the young hungry crowd, who, by the way, average about 15 years old and pilot fighter jets, fly to the moon, and sacrifice themselves for humanity without blinking an eye. Overkill is fine, but here it’s often meant too seriously. The mix was simply wrong from the start. The blatant copying of Aliens and Sphere cannot be forgiven either. Truly a giant disappointment of intergalactic proportions, and I think back with nostalgia to the perfectly polished and charismatic first film.

Phenomenal visual stylization, atmospheric soundtrack, or M83 as we like him best, and a precise portrayal of the underworld. All this in a gritty, uncompromising and strongly un-American delivery by the Italians, who know the mafia like few others. An interesting affair that is so pompous and self-aware that you can't take your eyes/ears off it. One of the films of the year, though it lacks an even sharper finale.

A modest crime genre film, where some elements (precise appearance and portrayal of villains, work with action and weapons) are on the verge of perfection and Michael Mann had to, if not advise, at least grunt contentedly at the screening. But some passages are too long and the story is not revelatory, with lots of secondary characters we know nothing about and never will. Everything is about the three main characters and the world around them seems to be mostly non-existent. Definitely a great piece of work for Australia, but there's still a lot to tweak.

Loads of traditional Hollywood clichés starting with plot twists and ending with family values. But Singh's direction is brisk throughout (he's even got a sensible script) and the action is unexpectedly dynamic. Ryan Reynolds in another role where he puts clouds of energy. If Bay hadn't made a visual magnum opus on similar themes a few years ago, this might have been better, as it is, Self/Less looks like the little brother.