Movies & Streaming Reviews

The latest movies & streaming reviews from Jim Schembri, professional film reviewer since 1980.

REVIEWS: Disney strikes out with its ‘Pinocchio’ remake; Kevin Hart & Mark Wahlberg sizzle sufficiently in the low-flying comedy ‘Me Time’; The rich get nasty in the fine UK thriller ‘I Came By’; Top-flight action rules in the enjoyable, ultra-violent vampire lark ‘Day Shift’

Wooden appeal: A classic animated tale gets an expensive, live-action retelling in ‘Pinocchio’. PINOCCHIO ** (111 minutes) PG As with ...
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‘Flux Gourmet’ a fun arthouse lark; Teen romance-gone-wrong in the painful ‘After Ever Happy’

For art’s sake: The quest for artistic integrity gets messy in ‘Flux Gourmet’. FLUX GOURMET *** (111 minutes) MA As ...
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Stallone The Elder again plays into his vintage age in the enjoyable post-prime superhero action-drama ‘Samaritan’

He’s so shy: Sylvester Stallone plays a retired superhero in ‘Samaritan’. SAMARITAN *** (102 minutes) M Showing just how smart ...
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Replete with royal power plays, violent jousting and top production values, the opening inning of ‘Game of Thrones’ prequel ‘House of the Dragon’ welcomes all newcomers to the World of Westeros

Feisty heir: Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock), sans dragon, in ‘House of the Dragon’. HOUSE OF THE DRAGON: EPISODE ONE – ...
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A rare prequel oozing with originality and style, ‘Orphan: First Kill’ delivers a classy, chilly, violent psychological thriller for adults

Psycho in pigtails: Isabelle Fuhrman returns as Esther in ‘Orphan: First Kill’. ORPHAN: FIRST KILL ***1/2 (98 minutes) MA Little ...
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After a strong opening reel, George Miller’s fantasy tale ‘Three Thousand Years of Longing’ goes off-road and off beam

Magic Man: Tinda Swinton and Idris Elba in ‘Three Thousand Years of Longing’. THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF LONGING * (108 ...
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The largely lame C-grade horror of ‘The Invitation’ is passable mulch for the easily pleased, not so much for those wanting something fresh

What’s that noise?: Nathalie Emmanuel works hard in the horror film ‘The Invitation’. THE INVITATION *1/2 (105 minutes) MA Talk ...
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Love & volcanoes in the remarkable relationship doco ‘Fire of Love’; Five-alarm art movie fail with ‘Hit the Road’; Final MIFF2022 highlights ‘General Hercules’, ‘The Lost City of Melbourne’, ‘Rewind & Play’ with ‘Victim’ a solid lead-in to the free MIFFplay buffet of short films

Hot couple: Volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft in ‘Fire of Love’. FIRE OF LOVE *** (94 minutes) PG Commitment in ...
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Fun holiday misadventure with ‘Beast’, a munch’n’crunch lark as a big lion chows down on a trapped family headed by a harried Idris Elba

Panic stations: Idris Elba plays a frightened father in ‘Beast’. BEAST *** (93 minutes) MA Some very impressive single-take camera ...
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The remarkable Australian drama ‘Blaze’ is a truly unique film that dives into the damaged mind of a girl who witnesses a sexual assault

Fire of rage: A teenage girl (Julia Savage) witnesses a brutal crime in ‘Blaze’. BLAZE ****1/2 (101 minutes) MA It ...
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