The Cynical Cinephiles

Director: Chris Renaud Cast: Patton Oswalt, Eric Stonestreet, Kevin Hart, Tiffany Haddish, Jenny Slate, Harrison Ford Three years after the financially successful The Secret Life of Pets (it grossed nearly $900 million worldwide), its sequel has hit our screens, but has it managed to expand on its intriguing gimmick and mine a story that warrants its existence? Jack Russell terrier Max's (Oswalt) life experiences an upheaval after his owner gets married and has a baby. This shift causes a wave of neuroses in the canine which he is forced to confront on a trip to the countryside. Back in the city, Max's friends find themselves embroiled in all manners of hijinks. Many of our favourite characters from the first instalment return but the sequel also offers a host of fresh and furry faces voiced by big-name talent. Comedian Tiffany Haddish jumps on board as Daisy, a boisterous and thrill-seeking Shih Tzu who teams up with Hart's Snowball to save white tiger Hu. Arguably,...

Director: Jonathan Levine Cast: Charlize Theron, Seth Rogen, Alexandar Skarsgaard, Andy Serkis Mismatched romantic pairings often form the basis of many rom-coms and Long Shot is no exception. However, the film succeeds in making the tired tropes of the genre fresh and invigorating thanks to its charming leads and tender, hilarious story. Free-spirited and principled journalist Fed Flarsky (Rogen) has a chance encounter with his former babysitter and childhood crush Charlotte Field (Theron), who is now now of the most powerful and influential politicians in the world. After she decides to campaign for presidency, Charlotte hires Fred as her speechwriter and their professional relationship soon turns into a romantic one. In terms of the trajectory of its narrative, Long Shot doesn't offer many surprises or throw any curveballs. However, stars Theron and Rogen's performances are winningly charismatic and the connection they establish over the course of the film, despite t...

Director: Tom Harper Cast: Jessie Buckley, Julie Walters, Sophie Okonedo After an outstanding film debut in 2017's psychological thriller Beast , Jessie Buckley is given another leading role in Tom Harper's  Wild Rose . Her considerably short acting career has established Buckley as a force to be reckoned with and her performance as the unruly wannabe country music star proves that her star truly is on the rise. Young mother of two Rose-Lynn Harlan (Buckley) is released from prison after serving time for a minor offence. The time spent away from her family has caused a rift but Rose's desire to become a country music star hasn't faltered. As she tries to get her talent noticed and raise the funds to get her to Nashville to pursue her dream, Rose undergoes a journey of self-discovery. Having first appeared as a contestant on 2008's "I'd Do Anything" where she competed to win the role of Nancy in Oliver, it comes as no surprise that Buckley's...

Director: Joe & Anthony Russo Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Brie Larson, Paul Rudd, Don Cheadle, Karen Gillan Theories surrounding the events of Avengers: Endgame have swirled social media and internet forums since the release of Avengers: Infinity War back in 2018 that saw a shocking conclusion that no one could have predicted. Audiences were left reeling, having witnessed the bad guy snap his way to victory and a host of our beloved heroes turned to dust. Having thwarted expectations before, the Russo brothers and screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely achieve the same impressive feat with  Endgame . After Thanos (Josh Brolin) succeeded in collecting all of the infinity stones and decimating half of all living things in the universe, the Avengers are left reeling from their inability to scupper the demigod's scheme. However, they devise a plan that could restore their vanquished alli...

Director: Tim Burton Cast: Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Eva Green, Alan Arkin When Tim Burton was announced as the director of 2019's reimagining of Dumbo, the fit could not have appeared more perfect. After all, Burton has a long cinematic history of exploring the lives of people who have been made outsiders by society, such as Edward Scissorhands or Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children . Will Burton's unique cinematic voice take Dumbo (2019) to soaring new heights? Max Medici (DeVito), owner of the struggling Medici Brothers' Circus, recruited the Ferrier family to take care of baby Dumbo, an elephant born with oversized ears. After discovering that he can fly, Dumbo is prized to be the circus's star attraction to help boost the flailing business. However, Dumbo's ability draws the attention of entrepreneur V.A Vandervere (Keaton) who seeks to exploit Dumbo at his own amusement park, Dreamland. Burton enlists the help of previou...