X-Men Apocalypse reunites our usual superheroes who are this time tasked with stopping Apocalypse, a god from ancient Egypt. He recruits the always down-and-out Magneto and together they try to control Professor X in order to enslave humanity's minds. As with previous entries, the dialogue is sharp and snappy and there's plenty of memorable moments between the characters; a scene with Quicksilver saving a bunch of people while Eurythmics' Sweet Dreams Are Made of This plays is particularly savvy. While it is interesting seeing Magneto's backstory fleshed out, the film lacks some of the poignancy that made previous instalments so noteworthy. In addition, this is the first time I found myself a little lost in terms of the timelines. The soundtrack is the usual orchestral fare (aside from Eurythmics) and doesn't really affect things either way. Worth seeing again, but not the forerunner of the franchise.
7.5/10
X-Men Apocalypse (2016)
Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie (2016)
A disappointing comedy, Absolutely Fabulous: TM reunites the infamous duo, Edina and Patsy, as they attend a celebrity party to try and convince Kate Moss to hire Edina's PR firm. Things go inevitably wrong when they accidentally push the model into the Thames river and she then goes missing - causing a public backlash against the two. Filled to the brim with cameos, the film always feels lacklustre compared to some of the brilliant episodes that the franchise has aired. Most of the jokes fall flat when given an international setting and I found myself wishing Edina and Patsy were just doing stupid things in and around their kitchen. Probably worth a rewatch but I wouldn't give it my undivided attention.
5/10
Star Trek: Beyond (2016)
The thirteenth full-length film, Star Trek: Beyond follows the Enterprise after it is all but destroyed by a swarm-like alien fleet. The scattered crew crash-land on a nearby planet and must find each other and escape in order to warn the Federation about an alien plan to attack the Yorktown space station with an ancient bioweapon. While a respectable addition to the series, Beyond fails to set itself apart; there are a couple of funny in-jokes and the banter is sharp but nothing really advances in the scheme of things. The soundtrack is mostly orchestral, and quite inspired, but also has a few hip hop tracks from The Beastie Boys which is unexpected and welcome. However, the film never comes close to the gravitas that the closing credits have: "In loving memory of Leonard Nemoy. For Anton [Yelchin]." Worth seeing again, even if just to say goodbye to the late actors.
7/10
Don't Breathe (2016)
A claustrophobic thriller, Don't Breathe follows a trio of young burglars armed with inside information for home security systems. Their latest mark - the house of a blind veteran with a stash of hush money - seems too good to be true and the novices find this out the hard way when the veteran wakes up during their hit and starts firing a gun in their direction. The soundtrack is purely focused on adding to the tense and well-directed atmosphere and that's not so bad for this kind of film. Even the dialogue has a couple of interesting legal remarks about grand larceny and the difference a gun makes in a burglary. The actors are all solid and this pays off when the film becomes darker - both figuratively and literally. Don't Breathe also touches upon morals as you find yourself not really sure who the antagonist really is: the home invaders or the over-zealous occupier. Worth a watch or two.
7.5/10
Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV (2016)
A fantasy, action-adventure, Kingsglaive: FFXV follows Nyx, a soldier in the king's guard during the historic treaty signing between the magic-wielding kingdom of Lucis and the technologically advanced empire of Niflheim. Nyx uncovers a diplomatic plot and becomes a central figure when war breaks out. Kingsglaive is as beautiful as is to be expected for anything wearing the final fantasy brand with teleporting daggers and explosive fireworks effects in almost every CGI scene. However, the film forgets that its complementary video game would be released nearly 6 months later and it fails to adequately introduce a large number of forgettable names and places. This also means it is difficult to appreciate the orchestral soundtrack which, no doubt, is at the heart of the video game. Worth seeing but it doesn't really hold up on its own so don't expect anything too deep.
6/10
