PerfectPortal

Austin Butler disappears into the role of Elvis. The movie chronicles his influence and exploitation, and has some intriguing ideas, like the past and present playing simultaneously to demonstrate how immersed he is. The problem is the distractingly hyperactive camerawork that, for the entire first half, lets no emotion settle.

It’s not a masterpiece by any means, but it’s entertaining from start to finish. It sets up an intriguing world with cool technology, and I like Buzz’s character arc: trying to fix a predicament that his ego created for everyone, and coming to learn that you can’t do everything yourself.

I’d say it’s the best of the “Jurassic World” trilogy, but only because it evoked indifference rather than anger. If this is indeed the last “Jurassic Park” movie, it’s an underwhelming finale with only the faintest hint of effort; the series ends not with a bang but with a shrug.

I *hate* this movie! The characters are just as annoying as in its predecessor, and the CGI is every bit as unappealing and unconvincing, which robs the dinosaurs of any grandeur. But worst of all, it’s so relentlessly, astonishingly, insultingly stupid that it makes me angry just thinking about it!

After a fourteen-year wait for another sequel, this was the biggest letdown of my entire life. Everything about it reeks of contempt for the original, and the arrogant belief that glossier equals better. It relies *far* too heavily on CGI that’s so unconvincing it might as well be a cartoon.

The setup has potential, particularly bringing Alan Grant to Site B, but it abandons all attempts at dignity and devolves into a brainless monster movie with ceaseless chases and countless illogical moments. The raptors have been drastically redesigned, and the Spinosaurus usurping the T-rex is even more ridiculous in hindsight.

I still have a soft spot for this sequel, but I’ll freely admit it’s very flawed. The idea of an island where the dinosaurs are running wild has potential, but the acting isn’t very good, and the animal rights message rings hollow when you consider that the dinosaurs are man-made.

It’s a story of the consequences of overambition: not just bringing dinosaurs into a world unprepared for them, but also the advanced technology of the park itself. The special effects were groundbreaking, and are still impressive even today. It’s one of my favourite movies of all time – top five easily.

*Much* better than the original! This time, the mission is clearly defined from the start, the story and characters are more engaging, and I simply care more what’s going on, which makes the action all the more thrilling. Speaking of which, it’s much more deftly shot than its predecessor too.

The egotistical hero and his rival could easily have been overly corny, but thankfully they’re downplayed so they don’t become stereotypes. It may be a bit thin on story, but the performances are decent (except for Kelly McGillis), as is the action. Overall, it’s nothing too spectacular, but not bad.

What it changes from the games’ lore (like Knuckles’ relationship with the Master Emerald) wouldn’t be an issue if it were a better movie on its own. Like the first film, it stops short of fully developing the drama it’s going for, as though it’s apathetic towards its own story.

The character’s redesign is certainly welcome, but doesn’t disguise the fact that he’s a vanilla protagonist in a paint-by-numbers story. I’d only played the classic Mega Drive games beforehand, and I never pictured the characters as this movie portrays them. In particular, I just don’t see Jim Carrey as Robotnik.

It’s a movie that fully embodies the word “savage”: not just the brutal violence, but the performances are intensely crazed and the music is often as raucous as possible. If it weren’t for some bizarre dreamlike moments that are more distracting than beneficial, it would have been even more awesome.

An understated but highly effective drama in which, even if you don’t condone Autumn’s decision, you still feel her mounting concern as the complications lead to more delays, and therefore more expenses. The scene from which the title derives is incredible, because Autumn’s reactions to the questions say it all.

It seems promising at first, but its sanity drops like a stone halfway through. It’s clearly going for symbolism, but I utterly fail to see how the imagery relates to Harper’s issues. If it was trying to make some kind of comment on sexism or victim blaming, it failed miserably.

The story does nothing groundbreaking, but I was nonetheless deeply drawn into the characters’ journey, or at least Mr Wolf’s: trying to break away from the villainous role he’d formerly embraced because doing good feels good. Also, it’s the first movie I’ve seen where this animation style didn’t annoy me.

It has many flat-out stunning edits (both audio and visual), irreverent humour, spectacular action scenes – it truly lives up to its title. That does mean it’s a barrage of ceaseless pandemonium that I found more offputting than exhilarating. Thankfully, the story gets steadily more engaging as Evelyn’s emotional journey escalates.