Film: Men in Black: International

I recall the original MiB films as being quite bland and a bit flat - a decent enough watch once but nothing really else. And such is the case with the latest installment.

It's all just so... fine, it's hard to actually care. There was a stand out genius moment but that was drowned in a sea of adequacy. One to skip then.

Film: X-Men: Dark Phoenix

I'm not sure what the timeline is exactly, but it's almost like the makers of this, the final installment in the Fox X-Men franchise, knew there was no chance of further work so they just left it to the dogs. From the editing, to the plot to the acting and even makeup (which I'm sure each actor did themselves) everything was so amateur it was hard to take the film seriously.

It's a shame, because the framework was there and with a little bit of attention this could have been quite passable. There are reports of the ending having been rejigged and with such a flat third act that could have magnified the flaws in the rest of the film, but really none of the reasons matter too much. Dark Phoenix is one to avoid.

Film: John Wick 3 - Parabellum

What a film. If there was any doubt that the John Wick series didn't have legs, the latest installment totally puts those doubts at rest.

It's just so, so generous. A film that keeps on giving - with Chapter 4 already announced I was waiting for a cynical cliffhanger that just refused to come.

The flaws are easy to list - perhaps starting with the slight overstretching of the mythos, or maybe the over-rehearsed cracks in the otherwise dazzling choreography and action. But you know what? They ultimately all just add to the charm. Unlike other similar action series JW3 managed to improve on its previous installments.

I was grinning throughout and didn't want it to end. One of the films of the year for me. Recommended.

Film: Godzilla: King of the Monsters

So it turns out that this is the actually the third in a "Monster" franchise that includes the Skull Island film from 2017. This would be an epic fact if this, the second Godzilla film in the series wasn't such a mess.

It would be unfair to call it flat. If anything it was a bit too much. No, what the film actually proves is that scale and awe isn't enough if there isn't even a semblance of good story telling too.

At its best, the film is a decent timepass. In that sense it's probably one best seen at home on a rainy day.