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The Grinch – movie review

Under the pseudonym Dr Seuss, Theodore Geisel wrote over 40 books. He’s one of the best-selling authors of children’s books ever. Many of them have provided material for the screen. But live action versions of Seuss’s tales are a bit of a mess, as demonstrated by the awful 2003 film The Cat in the Hat…

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Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – movie review

Arguably the most sophisticated animated feature I can immediately recall, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse lifts the bar on what’s possible in a cartoon medium. We’re introduced to Brooklyn teen Miles Morales (the voice of Shameik Moore) and the limitless potential of the Spider-Verse, where anyone can wear the mask. The movie centres on Miles’ adventures…

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Charming – movie review

A flawed but sometimes amusing animated feature, Charming is a delightful twist on damsels-in-distress. As an infant, Prince Philippe Charming (the voice of Wilmer Valderrama) was maliciously “over-blessed” with “charm” as the result of a curse. So, through no fault of his own, he attracts women like a magnet. Every woman he meets falls madly…

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Smallfoot – movie review

Just about everything about Smallfoot is, well, small. This modest animated adventure from co-directors Karey Kirkpatrick (Over the Hedge) and Jason Reisig play it very safe. Its lack of ambition however probably won’t matter to school holiday moviegoers. The idea behind the movie is interesting, but the directors and screenwriters don’t really take it anywhere….

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Incredibles 2 – movie review

Hard to believe Brad Bird’s groundbreaking The Incredibles came out 14 years ago. He already had a solid reputation from his beloved The Iron Giant, but The Incredibles shot him to another level. Now Bird and an expanded team are back with Incredibles 2 – and they’ve done it again. The Incredibles 2 picks up – literally – where The Incredibles…

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Isle of Dogs – movie review

Who would’ve thought that Wes Anderson would write and direct a dystopian adventure film? I certainly wouldn’t have believed it. Isle of Dogs, aside from a clever oronym, is another excellent entry into Anderson’s filmography. It shows versatility to his style that may be much to the surprise of people familiar with his work. Twenty…

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Early Man – movie review

Aardman has a rich history of creating fine animated features in movies like Chicken Run and Shaun the Sheep. Although Early Man – the largest Aardman production mounted in its 40-plus year history – isn’t up there with the best of them, it still has its moments. Set in prehistoric times, the film follows the story of…

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Peter Rabbit – movie review

I walked into Peter Rabbit with low expectations about what Beatrix Potter’s beloved tales would look like on the big screen. But I left elated; and proud to be an Australian because so much Aussie talent was involved in this production. Old Mr McGregor (Sam Neill) can’t stand the thought of pesky rodents invading his precious…

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