Hirokazu Kore-eda directs Catherine Deneuve, Juliette Binoche and Ethan Hawke in this arthouse drama where an ageing movie star reconnects with her daughter and her career after publishing a dubious self-serving memoir.

A bittersweet confection that gets away with having nothing particularly new or earth shattering to say by relying on its delightfully starry ensemble. After a few days of duff sequels, this was a pleasant palette cleanser.

5

Check out my wife Natalie’s Point Horror blog https://cornsyrup.co.uk

We also do a podcast together called The Worst Movies We Own. It is available on Spotify or here https://letterboxd.com/bobbycarroll/list/the-worst-movies-we-own-podcast-ranking-and/

Jon Favreau directs Robert Downey Jr., Mickey Rourke and Sam Rockwell in this superhero sequel where the billionaire inventor tries to protect his flying armour from rivals in the weapons industry.

Marvel’s first clunker… not that the stellar box office recognised that. Starts out strong – introducing villains, random threads and Scarlett Johansson as franchise lynchpin, Black Widow. Then indulgently puts them all on the back burner for scenes where Tony Stark acts like an obnoxious dick… sorry… an even bigger obnoxious dick than usual. Rourke and Rockwell are fine value as bickering villains but the script relegates them to a factory for half the running time while offering up minimal peril in their place. The unfocused script pretty much follows the Schumacher template of having two colourful baddies teaming up rather than a plot. It all ends with CGI avatars of the heroes blowing up a parade of drones with minor risk to their own lives. It is very polished and quippy and Favreau is too studied a student of the blockbuster to ever let it get boring. But he pulls out all of the entire Spielberg / Cameron arsenal to conceal the sad fact there’s no story worth telling here.

4

Check out my wife Natalie’s Point Horror blog https://cornsyrup.co.uk

We also do a podcast together called The Worst Movies We Own. It is available on Spotify or here https://letterboxd.com/bobbycarroll/list/the-worst-movies-we-own-podcast-ranking-and/

Tim Story directs Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba and Chris Evans in this sequel to the superhero origins story where our mutated team of scientists struggle with a shiny harbinger of the apocalypse who alters the psychics of both the Earth and the Human Torch.

A rare, actually child friendly capes and costumes adventure. It is silly, lightweight and all the better for it. While being vanilla and never colouring outside the lines, it manages to deliver followable action, obvious japes and zero-frills drama. All with a clunky, rubbery complete lack of finesse. My vague memory of the comics hit exactly this goofy, softplay, soapy tone. Story fully exploits Johnny Storm’s new infection that’s means he swaps powers on touch with other team members, the fact that Alba is an absolute biscuit to look at for pubescent boys and we get one of Marvel’s coolest icons in his only big screen adventure… so far. I bet if any of the Fox owned characters get mined first now Disney has them then it will be the Silver Surfer. Is this a good film? Nope. Would I rewatch it? Never! Does it do exactly what it sets out to? Yep, it somersaults that low bar with a bold simplicity.

4

Check out my wife Natalie’s Point Horror blog https://cornsyrup.co.uk

We also do a podcast together called The Worst Movies We Own. It is available on Spotify or here https://letterboxd.com/bobbycarroll/list/the-worst-movies-we-own-podcast-ranking-and/

Michael Ritchie directs Chevy Chase, R. Lee Ermey and Julianne Phillips in this comedy sequel where the investigative reporter with a talent for improvised disguises inherits a plantation in the Deep South.

I unreservedly love the original so am never sure whether my expectations are way too high here or I’m giving a very lazy film a pass due to in-built fondness. Many of the key players are back for a new mystery, and Chase admirably for the first half never let’s a scene slide without landing a chuckle worthy ad-lib. Once the formula takes over and Ritchie tries to hit the exact same action and thriller beats of the first film, we just get a cornucopia of pointless noise and colours but very few gags or cliffhangers. The scene where Chase poses as a faith healer but is given absolutely nothing funny to do is indicative of Fletch Lives’ weakness. Andrew Bergman adapted the first film and has proven a continued success with crime comedies since. His absence is felt. Relying on Chase to solely always find laughs that aren’t there on the shooting script with limited comedy support was a gamble that doesn’t pay off this time. If you can accept this has none of the tight plotting, chiming ensemble or smarmy sharpness of its predecessor, it is an undemanding watchable product of its time.

5

Check out my wife Natalie’s Point Horror blog https://cornsyrup.co.uk

We also do a podcast together called The Worst Movies We Own. It is available on Spotify or here https://letterboxd.com/bobbycarroll/list/the-worst-movies-we-own-podcast-ranking-and/

Maggie Greenwald directs Lindsay Lohan, Amanda Plummer and Brenda Song in this kids sleuthing comedy where a nosey rich girl investigates the disappearance of a well-liked math teacher.

Mindless fluff that gets lost from its own nonsense plot for scenes on end. It does at least try to comment on the opulent unreality of the posho brats’ lifestyles. Mainly an excuse to get budding star Lohan into as many killer tween friendly fashions as possible.

2

Check out my wife Natalie’s Point Horror blog https://cornsyrup.co.uk

We also do a podcast together called The Worst Movies We Own. It is available on Spotify or here https://letterboxd.com/bobbycarroll/list/the-worst-movies-we-own-podcast-ranking-and/

William Wyler directs Humphrey Bogart, Frederic March and Martha Scott in this thriller where three escaped convicts hold a family hostage in their suburban home.

The very first yuppie – in – peril movie. Creaky and slow going now, it never fully exploits having it straights in such dangerous proximity to the psychos. An ageing Bogart plays it tough one last time but you have little fear he’ll hurt the women or children. I’m sure this was considered cutting edge in its day.

5

Check out my wife Natalie’s Point Horror blog https://cornsyrup.co.uk

We also do a podcast together called The Worst Movies We Own. It is available on Spotify or here https://letterboxd.com/bobbycarroll/list/the-worst-movies-we-own-podcast-ranking-and/

Quentin Tarantino directs Pam Grier, Robert Foster and Samuel L. Jackson in this Elmore Leonard adaptation where an air stewardess is caught between a life ruining prison sentence and a vicious gun dealer.

A lot of haters complained last year that Once Upon a Time in Hollywood was a movie where nothing happened. Well, here’s QT’s first experiment at that elusive pace. A lazy epic that rewards repeat viewing as you explore the perfection of forgotten stars, pressure-off big names and breakout actors easing themselves into richly written parts. Has Samuel L. Jackson ever been better… he’s one hip devil here? Have the marvellous Grier or Foster ever have such an adoring spotlight shone on them? Did any of us realise De Niro was weighing up cashing in his credibility to focus on a future of comedy vehicles and bagel adverts after playing the wobbly, mumbling Louis Gara? Smaller roles for the brilliant Michael Keaton , Sid Haig and Micheal Bowen! And Bridget Fonda stealing every scene she’s in as a bored kept brat itching to cause drama. So the low stakes, minimal violence crime plotting feels leisurely and indulgent… with acting and writing this good who wouldn’t want to float in the gentle but treacherous ocean for as long as possible? Great soundtrack and one of the best final kisses in all of cinema. An exercise in mature cool.

9

Check out my wife Natalie’s Point Horror blog https://cornsyrup.co.uk

We also do a podcast together called The Worst Movies We Own. It is available on Spotify or here https://letterboxd.com/bobbycarroll/list/the-worst-movies-we-own-podcast-ranking-and/

Ted Post directs James Franciscus, Kim Hunter and Maurice Evans in this sci-fi sequel where the sole survivor of a rescue team searches for Charlton Heston’s Taylor on the future earth ruled by the apes.

Heston look-a-like Franciscus goes through the exact same motions as the original hit. Only the make-up FX is cheaper and the thrill has gone. The final half hour involving psychic cults, nukes, ape stigmata and a subterranean Manhattan nudges this into life eventually. But the quality meter only ever reads average at best.

4

Check out my wife Natalie’s Point Horror blog https://cornsyrup.co.uk

We also do a podcast together called The Worst Movies We Own. It is available on Spotify or here https://letterboxd.com/bobbycarroll/list/the-worst-movies-we-own-podcast-ranking-and/

Werner Herzog directs Brad Dourif, Martin Lo and Capt. Donald Williams in this found footage fantasy documentary where an andromedan alien takes us through an alternative history of human space exploration and environmental destruction.

A new series of films: movies I watch while Natalie is at work that she won’t touch with a barge pole… and she is proven right not to. Incomprehensible drivel.

2

Check out my wife Natalie’s Point Horror blog https://cornsyrup.co.uk

We also do a podcast together called The Worst Movies We Own. It is available on Spotify or here https://letterboxd.com/bobbycarroll/list/the-worst-movies-we-own-podcast-ranking-and/

Regular readers know I enjoy a superhero flick as much as the next multiplex-goer, but the Marvel formula leaves me cold quite often. Here they all are – the best and the overrated.

Iron Man (2008) 👍🏼

The Incredible Hulk (2008)

Iron Man 2 (2010)

Thor (2011)

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

The Avengers (2012) 👍🏼

Iron Man 3 (2013) 👍🏼

Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) 👍🏼

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) 👍🏼👍🏼

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

Ant-Man (2015) 👍🏼

Captain America: Civil War (2016) 👍🏼

Doctor Strange (2016)

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) 👍🏼

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) 👍🏼

Thor: Ragnarok (2017) 👍🏼

Black Panther (2018)

Avengers: Infinity War (2018) 👍🏼👍🏼

Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

Captain Marvel (2019)

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

Black Widow (2021) 👍🏼

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

Eternals (2021)

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) 👍🏼

Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness (2022) 👍🏼

Thor: Love & Thunder (2022)

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania (2023)

Guardians Of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)

The Marvels (2023)

Blade (2023)