Super 8 isn’t a prequel or a sequel, a remake or a reboot, but nor is it what you’d call an original. No, it’s very much a homage; a reel of reverence that writer/director J.J. Abrams (Mission: Impossible III, Star Trek) has addressed, with handwritten hugs and kisses, to the modern master of movie magic, Steven Spielberg (E.T. The Extra-terrestrial, Jaws).

But does Super 8 offer much more than a blast [...]

“That was. The most amazingly horrible film I have. EVER. Seen.”

My friend was staring at me, his face bearing not only a huge grin, but also eyes full of wonder and shock. The credits were rolling, and I could hear spattered applause throughout the rest of the audience. What does one do after watching a film as gloriously bad, as terribly enjoyable and hilarious as Mega Piranha? Does one clap? [...]

Here’s something I didn’t expect: Fast & Furious 5 – or simply Fast Five if you’re in a hurry and not nearly as furious about it – is the most entertaining film thus far in the gas-guzzling franchise. Admittedly, the competition hasn’t exactly been stiff; the only thing I found more traumatic than sitting through the first four instalments was the shenanigans in the cinema’s car park afterwards. (Seriously, don’t [...]

With the success of the rolling Iron Man franchise and the hype of upcoming films Captain America and The Avengers, Marvel Studios would be feeling pretty smug in the aftermath of the Disney merger. Oh, and that’s not mentioning the next Spider-Man instalment either, sans Raimi/Maguire/Dunst. As the comic-book craze pushes on, Marvel’s aura of invincibility is not completely ridiculous, and so they bring us what they believe to be [...]

Sucker Punch is the latest feature film from director Zack Snyder of 300 and Watchmen fame. Unlike those comic book adaptations, Snyder not only directs here, but also developed the original story and co-wrote the screenplay with the relatively unknown Steve Shibuya. This meant Snyder had extensive freedom to envisage the kind of narrative and visual style he wanted for the movie, but without the kind of strong existing [...]

In a time where trousers and ties are preferred skinny, and thick-rimmed glasses should be embraced (not mocked, please), and every self-respecting hipster proudly holds a Moleskine and a Penguin Classic in their bag, it seems almost puzzling that there isn’t already a slew of films centering around the so-called “Beat Generation”. Suit-wearing, bespectacled, disillusioned and intellectual, the Beats of 1950s America almost serve as a template to any Gen-Y [...]