Pasha's Film Reviews Etc.

9/10 Ricky Baker is a "real bad egg" of a boy and he had stretched the patience of the social services to the limit. His last chance is to find home with the new family on the farm in the middle of nowhere. Things look up at first, and for the first time in his life Ricky feels he belongs somewhere. But some sad circumstances make him and his uncle Hec escape to the bush. With the police and social services in pursuit, Ricky and his uncle have to put their differences aside in order to survive in the wilderness. Let the hunt begin! The simple set up of this heart warming and hilarious comedy is solely focused on the main duo: Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison) and uncle Hec (Sam Neill). Their dynamic is what makes the film what it is - a story of a true friendship and the sense of adventure. In fact the sense of adventure is what WILDERPEOPLE is all about. We get dangerous bits, hilarious bits and even sad bits, but all this is soaked in romanticism. The dramatic aspe...

5/10 Alice is all grown up now. She had travelled the world, fought pirates and seen China. But on her return to England she faces financial ruin at the hands of the man she refused to marry. What is the best solution to problems if not to escape to her inner world, her Wonderland? Especially now, when her truest friend Mad Hatter had fallen sick. The only way to save him is to turn back time. Time is a villain in this story. Or is he? Referencing the original books by Lewis Carrol, the latest instalment of this Disney franchise is an odd blend of fantasy and realism. But what seemed like a lucky experiment in the first movie, turns messy in the sequel. The real problem of Alice Through The Looking Glass is that it does not really have a plot. The new screenplay by Linda Woolverton, who penned the original, suffers from over explaining. We are given the "origin" story of the Hatter and of the Red Queen, which takes away some of their magic, and the crazy world of ...

8/10 It's 1977 and the paths of two troubled detectives  Holland March (Ryan Gosling) and Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe) cross when they realise they are looking for the same girl. Aided by Hollands daughter Holly (Our own Melbourne actor Angourie Rice) they unite in order to investigate the series of murders which were triggered by the the making of one peculiar porno film. NICE GUYS is a film noir which means the main characters take a lot of beatings, inflict a lot of beatings and balance just on the edge of being villains. However NICE GUYS first and foremost is a comedy. Helmed by the inventor of the buddy cop movie Shane Black (screenwriter of Leathal Weapon movies, The Last Boy Scout and Last Action Hero to name a few), it is a journey of swift and clever dialogue, brutal shootouts and seventies bravado. The movie is driven by the charisma of Crowe and Gosling and has just enough mystery element to give a reason for their adventures. The film requires a serio...

7/10 Tightly stitched into X-men franchise reboot that began in 2011 with the FIRST CLASS, Apocalypse continues the origin story of X-men, introducing the classic characters such as Cyclop, Storm and Jean Grey. The film’s trump card is being still a period piece. But fantasy sequences just don’t belong in it. Welcome to 1983 where the uncanny being called Apocalypse, the very first mutant, awakens to rule the world. The film opens with an impressive Egyptian set piece, that does not quite fit to the carefully designed world of previous films, and the villain himself, Apocalypse, is   an alien presence here, as if he had stepped into it from another story. The film was criticized for being overloaded with action, but in my opinion it took things very slowly, explaining the reasons for every character’s choice. The final battle is impressive, but as generic as the finale of Batman Vs Superman. On the acting front everyone has done a great job, but Jennifer ...

5/5 Team Captain America gets into trouble preventing a bigger disaster they cause some civilian causalities. There is a motion to sign a government bill to restrict Avengers from their independence. Tony Stark, The Iron Man, supports the bill. Captain America rebels. It doesn't help the cause that the suspect in recent terrorist attack is Bucky - Captain's old pal. The conflict between Iron Man and Captain America divides Avengers and they go head to head, unaware that there are other shadow forces at play... CIVIL WAR is a hallmark of screenwriting for the film with multiple main characters. The way Black Panther and Spider-man were introduced  is both entertaining and satisfying. Whatever your preference is, you will not be cheated out of your favourite super hero. Everyone gets significant screen time without loosing the focus of the main plot. CIVIL WAR is perfectly paced, with many battles, car chases and hands on combat, but also is deep and thought provoki...

4/5 The Spanish fishing village is shaken by apparent suicide of a local fisherman. The same man many years ago was involved in a shipwreck. With a captain dead three sailors managed to get to the shore alive. The current death may be connected to that tragic stormy night. And a local detective Leo Caldas is on the case. DEATH OF A FISHERMAN is based on a bestselling novel. It's chapter-like construction is easy to follow. The setting of a sleepy fishermen town is spot on and the characters are colourful and charismatic. Spanish winner of two Goya Awards Carmello Gomez is convincing in the main role of a detective, however the viewer is not allowed to know about his character more than the premise of the murder mystery allows. The mystery itself is simple, but elegant, with a few red hearings pointing to the wrong direction, but you will be just one step ahead of the narrative. The final reveal is intriguing, even though could be easily predicted if you pay attenti...