Despite stating in my last Review Roundup that I intended to get back to producing such on a monthly basis once again, we find ourselves once again here after two whole months have passed. However, even though it may not appear this way, I have watched my fair share of films throughout August and September, and even better, managed to write a few words about a lot of them! As was the case with earlier in the summer, it has been mostly new releases, but not without a few throwbacks all the while. Even so, what we also have here is also a great variety in terms of quality, with many good, some okay, and even a few outright bad. So, let's get started!
NEW: Spider-Man: Brand New Day (Destin Daniel Cretton, 2026) - reviewed 01/08/2026
"This was a good time overall. It keeps up the great character moments that have always defined Tom Holland’s Spidey films for me, and at times improves on the generally lacklustre action sequences too. That’s the area that stood out for having held up the worst on my latest rewatch of the ‘Home’ trilogy, but with the more assured direction of Cretton here it’s able to sometimes go beyond the nauseating and disorienting web swinging and crashing I’ve come to expect. It also didn’t completely undo the ending of No Way Home as I feared it might, rather it’s actually quite thoughtful in terms of how it handles things there even though I found the latter a satisfactory conclusion. Not much else of note really, not sure why the praise for this is as high as it is, [...] perhaps people are just thrilled to finally see a more contained Spider-Man caper that reduces the character to its essence while also finding some ways of taking it to new places. I too like how it does just that, but much like last year’s Superman, I fear there might be just a tad too much going on elsewhere that gets in the way of letting the simple charm at its very core have all the space to shine for what it is." 7/10
THROWBACK: Hunt for the Wilderpeople (Taika Waititi, 2016) - reviewed 18/08/2026
"I missed this during its initial theatrical run, and since it has become one of my favourite films of all time over the years, I was eager to see it on the big screen when I found out it was returning for its 10th anniversary, and to no one’s surprise, the experience was a delight. I absolutely loved hearing all the moments of comedy I know and love be met with collective laughter from an in-person audience, there’s still so much here that effortlessly put a smile on my face. It really is one of the most quotable films of the last decade for me, any time it pops into my head there are countless lines I find myself able to recite and chuckle away at, and they just never get old. This was also my first time watching it in a world without Sam Neill, and I would have to say this is probably my favourite role of his. Even on putting the film’s special meaning for me aside, the dynamic he has with Julian Dennison here is so endearing and makes for so many memorable moments and interactions, I just can’t get enough of it. There’s just so much to love here, and it’s a shame that nothing Taika has done in the ten years since its release has come close to capturing its charm, this really did mark the end of an era for him. Even as someone who is still yet to see such films as What We Do in the Shadows and Boy, I can safely say that the portion of the director’s career to which those films and Hunt for the Wilderpeople belong is infinitely more interesting than where he’s gone subsequently. This is also the third viewing in a row I’ve had where I’ve managed to introduce the film to various people in my own life, and seeing their reactions throughout only enhances my enjoyment, today being no different. I’ll no doubt be coming back to this for many more years to come, and will hopefully find more and more people to continue sharing it with all the while." 9/10
THROWBACK: Heathers (Michael Lehmann, 1989) - reviewed 23/08/2026
"[The] First title in my newly upgraded physical media collection that I’ve taken for a spin (albeit not on a 4K TV of my own), and a great way to get things started on that front.* I enjoyed Heathers on my first viewing, but didn’t think it was much more than just plain good, and on becoming obsessed with Heathers the Musical shortly afterwards, it really only went down in my mind. The musical struck me as a far improved and more assured take on this story, using the theatrical space to enhance its heightened and outrageous qualities, essentially taking what’s already there but taking it a much needed step further. It applies to almost everything, be it the characterisation, costuming, lighting, and more. The music is also phenomenal and plays a key role in bringing the thesis together, and it’s a bonus that almost every song is memorable and an absolute joy to listen to in isolation. Thus, the musical quite easily became the optimum version of this material in my mind, and whenever I thought back to the film, there wasn’t much about it I considered superior or even noteworthy, aside from the performances of Winona Ryder and Christian Slater undoubtedly being the definitive versions of their respective characters (a sentiment I still hold to this day). Despite this, part of me wanted to give the film another go at some point, and after finally seeing Heathers the Musical on stage this summer and discussing how it compares to the original film with others, it seemed like the time was right to return to Westerberg High in its original incarnation. As it turns out, there was no better way to do so than on Arrow Video’s gorgeous 4K disc, which revealed how there is a lot of creative and stylish stuff going on formally that matches the tone and energy of the musical. So much of the lighting, for instance, is extremely distinct here, expertly using the basic yet iconic colour scheme of red, yellow, green, and blue about the central characters to define so many scenes in a really striking way. I particularly love the party scene in this regard, which features Veronica bathed in red while indoors only to step outside and become engulfed in a blue nighttime glow as well as the bright flickering of a fire just in time for her confrontation with Heather Chandler. The same goes for Veronica’s nightmare set in an imagined funeral for Heather Duke, with plenty of the green that defines the latter character consuming the church space in an eerie way, while Veronica watches from the back covered in a haunting red light as a ghostly Heather Chandler taunts her, almost capturing the same sense of liminality about the stage space in the musical on screen. Consequently, I no longer feel like the film is quite holding back as I once thought it did, and I find it to actually possess many of the elements I once considered amendments about the musical but in its own, uniquely cinematic ways, which is the best case scenario for two renditions of the same material operating in different mediums. As a whole, I still think Heathers the Musical is overall the more successful and cohesive piece, and I can’t deny that there were plenty of times where the impact of its additions and alterations were greatly felt (the whole climax in particular feels so lifeless here without the boisterousness of Dead Girl Walking Reprise underpinning everything), but I am very glad to have gone back and realised that the basis of what is now one of my favourite pieces of musical theatre doesn’t drastically pale in comparison to its adaptation as I once thought it did." 8/10
*This will be the subject of an upcoming retrospective that I'm planning to release around the end of the year, so stay tuned for that if interested!
NEW: The End of Oak Street (David Robert Mitchell, 2026) - reviewed 24/08/2026
"Modern Hollywood and dinosaurs… name me a worse combo. This is admittedly more interesting than the sludge of the latest Jurassic World sequels or other recent misfires like 2023’s 65, but it still leaves a lot to be desired. It’s sufficiently diverting as a throwback to the simplistic excitement and warmth of 1980s family blockbusters, yet I can’t help but feel like there’s a smarter film in here somewhere, maybe one that interrogates that time period and cinematic aesthetic in some way. But this is more so just emblematic of such instead of attempting to dissect it at all; you could’ve released it in the 1980s as is and it wouldn’t really feel out of place or ahead of the curve, which only speaks to how disinterested it is in saying anything about that given time and the familiar suburban atmosphere in which it unfolds as we now understand them in the 2020s. It’s a shame because the film starts in a manner that indicates this sort of approach, with Michael Giacchino’s music abruptly overemphasising the whimsy of classic John Williams while some actors like Ewan McGregor seem to lean into caricature with their performances. But as it goes on, this becomes less the case, with Anne Hathaway for one dramatically giving it her all and the sincerity about how the narrative wishes to be taken becoming more prevalent, leaving one to rethink whether any of what they just saw was the least bit self aware whatsoever. There are some fun set pieces throughout, and the dinosaurs are depicted in a fairly unconventional way which I appreciated, particularly with their rather unappealing appearances as well as the frankly horrifying sounds some of them make. I haven’t seen any of writer / director David Robert Mitchell’s prior work, but from what I gather, I would’ve thought that he’d be above this sort of thing. Although, when you see his name directly followed by JJ Abrams as producer in the credits, it sort of adds up. I suppose the whole thing can be understood as a means of escaping director’s jail, that is to say, a rather safe outing on the whole but not without the occasional curious touches half heartedly dotted throughout to make the endeavour a tad more worthwhile. One can only hope whatever pay Mitchell got from this will allow him to go back to more interesting territory, something I don’t think can wholeheartedly be said about Oak Street." 6/10
NEW: Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma (Jane Schoebrun, 2026) - reviewed 30/08/2026
"A film about so, so many things, highlighting the artifice of cinema and how this pertains to our subjective views of the world, exploring the disjunct between interpreting the medium on a purely emotional level against a colder more analytical lens, questioning the role of the viewer, and of course deconstructing the slasher genre as it has existed over time. So much fun to be had, so much left to ponder. A pleasure to see such delights as painted backdrops and split diopters front and centre on a cinema screen in this day and age. Self-reflexivity and interrogating the essence of film is and always will be my jam, this is one of the most exciting instances of late." 8/10
CATCH-UP: Wuthering Heights (Emerald Fennell, 2026) - reviewed 31/08/2026
"An expectedly woeful attempt at breathing new life into Wuthering Heights, opting for vapid neoclassical melodrama fused with a sense of contemporary edginess and in turn reducing the source material to its surface level facets and dismissing any of its subtext. Not the most misguided endeavour in today’s day and age if the film had an overtly postmodern sense of knowingness towards the shallowness at hand and an interest in dissecting and commenting on such for some broader, self-reflexive purpose, but this is Emerald Fennell we’re talking about, someone so out of touch at this point that I find it hard to believe what we see here is anything other than her completely unironic interpretation of Emily Brontë’s novel, as she might be the last person I trust to have a nuanced understanding of the issues regarding class and race relations at hand here. Her interests go no further than aesthetics; this film is competently helmed and not without the occasional dash of visual grit and depth, but it becomes apparent after ten minutes that she has nothing to say all the while. She doesn’t even go all out with the more outlandish side of her rendition as much as I was led to believe, in the end it just comes down to a few brief moments of supposedly sexy content that seem specifically designed to look striking and audacious in the landscape of a choppily edited trailer, as otherwise this is remarkably stagnant and repetitive so much of the time, and I spent most of the runtime ready for it to be over. I wouldn’t say it’s abject failure on all grounds but at the same time I do sort of wish that it was, that at least would have made the experience more enjoyable on some level. Ultimately it’s just a load of nothing, equal parts tame, hollow, regressive, and unbelievably boring." 3/10
CATCH-UP: Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu (Jon Favreau, 2026) - reviewed 04/09/2026
"Despite it having been a few months ago now, I still can’t quite comprehend how a new STAR WARS film was released in cinemas and I did not care to see it one bit. In fact, it was an easy skip for me. Around the same time, I was happy to go out and pay money to see the likes of a murder mystery with talking sheep as well as the sixth instalment in a horror parody series, but when it came to a new entry in one of the most iconic and beloved film franchises of all time, the prospect of which would’ve been the most exciting thing to me ten years ago, that could wait for its inevitable drop on streaming, which is where we find it today. That’s quite something, isn’t it? To be fair, I’m not the biggest fan of the show The Mandalorian that this follows on from. I enjoyed the first season as a departure from the familiar side of the Star Wars universe with a distinct atmosphere about it, but then it gradually became more and more preoccupied with slotting itself into the wider lore and concerning existing characters from here, there, and everywhere, thus undermining most of what it had going for it to begin with. That’s kind of the core problem with Star Wars media in this day and age, hardly any of it is able to stand on its own as there’s almost this unspoken obligation to tie everything in with endless amounts of prior content, and when you’re only a casual fan like myself, that’s more off-putting than anything. That and I feel like the newer stuff just doesn’t have any bit of the imagination and invention that once defined the series and makes its earlier works so curious to look back on, and with so much being produced on an annual basis, it quickly becomes quite tepid. This isn’t the case for everything, The Last Jedi and Andor are both examples of strong standalone pieces that go beyond drawing upon older / familiar Star Wars narratives and iconography for their thematic and stylistic inspirations, but ultimately it’s the few exceptions that prove the rule. Suffice to say, I used to love Star Wars with all my heart, and I still hold great affinity for the episodic films as well as some of the wider material, but my feelings towards the franchise as the expansive entity it has evolved into would now be a net negative all things considered. Arriving at Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, what we have isn’t conceptually the worst thing imaginable, but in execution is guilty of practically everything wrong with the franchise at this point in time. I’m actually fully on board with the idea of a one-off film in this universe that prides itself on nothing more than spectacular sci-fi thrills with memorable characters, but as it has come to fruition here just isn’t what it ought to be. For a start, one’s engagement with this narrative is almost entirely predicated on prior engagement; who are these characters? What exactly is going on in their side of the universe at this point? Why should we care? These are all things the film either doesn’t concern itself with or briskly speedruns so it can just cut to the chase with its set pieces. Obviously having seen The Mandalorian series I do have some idea of where we’re at, but the value of the film as an individual object (something it should strive to be taken as on transitioning to the big screen) is diminished through its laziness on this front. It’s perfectly possible to achieve a balancing act of not tiring your dedicated fans while also keeping newcomers in the loop; I’ll always cite the Mission: Impossible films as perfect examples of this, with every new entry taking some time to re-establish where the series finds itself so that they each remain self-contained and don’t come across as incomplete despite also neatly fitting into a larger whole. The Mandalorian and Grogu is the opposite, as unless you’ve consumed many hours of existing content, you’re probably going to be left in the dark to some extent. Even I as someone who has sat through my fair share of Star Wars material over time, as far as I’m aware everything featuring the titular characters here at the very least, was still left with a lot of questions! Who was the random purple guy with pointy ears joining Mando and Grogu? What was the deal with that tall guy with the big hat and his dog? Sure, these are just side characters and you can probably take an educated guess as to who / what they are based on how they operate within the narrative, but it’s just a bit frustrating of the film to assume its viewers are all-knowing on this front so it doesn’t have to do any legwork itself, especially when it’s a matter of crossing between different mediums, in this case film, television, and goodness knows what else. Additionally, this can’t help but also reek of aggressively pandering to fans, because as we all know, nothing is more exciting to Star Wars fans than their beloved glup shittos appearing on screen for five minutes only to contribute nothing to the overall piece. I’m all for a bit of fan service here and there, but it needs some sort of constructive purpose to feel truly satisfying and earned, as simply pointing out something you recognise isn’t enough for me. The issue of the film’s standalone status is only exacerbated by how it so blatantly feels like several episodes of television haphazardly taped together. There are cuts to black throughout that you can tell were likely once intended to be where one episode ended and another began, and the pace is rather awkward as large chunks involve practically nothing of note happening, the sort of padding that’s perhaps forgivable within a more far-reaching season of television but absolutely destroys the momentum of a single two-hour film where efficiency should be more of a priority. As if things couldn’t get worse from there, The Mandalorian and Grogu happens to also unsurprisingly be one of the most visually insipid and unimaginative works in the entire franchise. It absolutely feels like it belongs on the small screen despite its desperate attempts to suggest otherwise, consisting of little more than the monotonous, overexposed, and softly lit grey mush we’ve become all too accustomed to in our streaming content. Favreau isn’t a bad director by any means, rewatching the first Iron Man recently reminded me how much tactility and moodiness the Marvel franchise once had before the aforementioned look and feel became the standard there too, but here the most exciting thing about his formalism would be comparatively superficial elements such as the constant shifting to IMAX aspect ratios, a frankly basic means of enhancing scope, with no meaningful depth, colour, or expression in the actual images he constructs. Moreover, there’s just no sense of a filmmaker behind the camera employing their own cinematic inspirations and interests here, something that generally isn’t a dealbreaker for me but is nonetheless always nice to see, and also what I’ve come to expect from Star Wars. While I’ve always liked the original six films, what helps that adoration persist into the present is being able to go back and recognise the clear directorial interests of George Lucas within them. Even in a lesser entry like The Phantom Menace, there’s so much going on that amounts to a really fascinating object with a clear sense of building on an existing wider cinematic lineage, such as the pod-race sequence effectively being Lucas’ take on the hefty chariots of William Wyler’s Ben-Hur in a hyper computer-generated landscape. This sort of thing has been few and far between in the Disney era; some may despise The Last Jedi for whatever reasons, but the fact is that remains one of the few instances where a Disney Star Wars product has come close to replicating this dynamic, with Rian Johnson thematically taking after Akira Kurosawa just as Lucas once did while also employing visual nods to films like Wings and Vertigo. As is to be expected, nothing of the sort is apparent here, with the only points of inspiration being nothing more than the aesthetics of older Star Wars works but without any of the charm. For example, remember the holographic board game that Chewbacca plays on the Millennium Falcon? The one where the avatars are brought to life in a manner that lovingly harks back to Ray Harryhausen esque stop motion creatures? Well, there’s an elaborate set piece here that greatly refers back to that, except it’s reduced to the novelty of recreating the familiar sight from the original trilogy and employs flavourless CGI to get the job done. Beyond that, nothing new or intriguing is established about the Star Wars universe here, all the locations have a sense of ‘been there, done that’ about them, the narrative is just about the most pedestrian set-up and series of events anyone could’ve conceived for this franchise at this stage. I’m a firm believer that not just the original six-film saga but the original trilogy alone had all the necessary scope and variety to make this universe feel as diverse, lived-in, and memorable as it needed to be, as since then things have mostly just been variations on what was brought to the table there, and it’s become increasingly uninspired with each new iteration. There isn’t even much of the distinct space Western vibe that the first season of the show had here, which only speaks to how far these characters have been functioned into the broader Star Wars mythos that their unique edge no longer shines through. I will admit, the film isn’t quite as bad as I feared it would be. I was bored all the way through for sure, but it wasn’t an infuriating experience as much as it was just an exhausting one. On the plus side, and I really hate to say this, but while Pedro Pascal’s Mando is a character I don’t consider all too exciting or compelling anymore, I do still find Grogu a delightful presence after all these years. It really shouldn’t work, the schtick with him is so one note and basically just a goofy, cutesy puppet doing goofy, cutesy things on-screen, but [...] he still effortlessly puts a smile on my face and makes me chuckle. If that removes any credibility I have as a serious writer in your eyes, so be it. Although, even if I were to try being vulgar in my defence of the little green goofball, he is honestly the closest thing Favreau has to a clear stylistic inspiration as discussed a moment ago. There’s one scene in the film where he and some other small puppet creatures navigate a tunnel, which reminded me of the craft in Jim Henson works like Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal, and that’s something I can appreciate in today’s cinematic scene, even if it has been a facet of Star Wars since its inception and thus isn’t the most striking thing to employ here. However, it cannot be said that adorable Grogu shenanigans are enough to sustain an entire feature, as while they might have kept me from falling asleep altogether, they could only do so much to make the experience truly worthwhile. Ludwig Göransson’s music is also pretty decent, remaining a welcome divergence from the traditional Star Wars fanfare, although some of it was a bit jarring at the same time. I’m all for his unorthodox instrumentation but some of the electronic infused motifs here were more ill-fitting than anything, almost had me thinking I was listening to 90s disco music on some occasions, which was distracting in the context of a Star Wars film to say the least. Whatever way you look at it, Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu emblematises the very issues that have let down the Star Wars brand for years now. It barely stands as an individual piece of work, and little to no creativity seems to have been implemented along the way. Even the title annoys me and speaks to the problem, as it’s literally just popular brand + popular character + other popular character. Excuse me for being pedantic, but what happened to the ‘A Star Wars Story’ subtitle that the anthology films of the 2010s established? It wasn’t much, but it added a neat flair that made the titles more intriguing. Like, which of these sounds better: ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’, or simply ‘Star Wars: Han Solo’? Why couldn’t this have been called ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu: A Star Wars Story’? In fact, referring to the two of them in those terms doesn’t even make sense together; ‘The Mandalorian’ is more of a title than the character’s name, as his actual name is Din Djarin, right? Meanwhile wouldn’t Grogu’s equivalent be ‘The Child’, which is what he was officially known as before the name Grogu was revealed as the show went on? So if they were just going to name it after the characters and nothing else, wouldn’t ’The Mandalorian and The Child’ have made more sense and been more consistent? That sure sounds more interesting of a title to me at least. Obviously ‘The Mandalorian’ is used here because it’s the most recognisable title for this character, but the great irony of this situation is that Grogu is still colloquially known by most as Baby Yoda, a name I for one still call him by most of the time. Too bad Disney didn’t put that in the title, as maybe this would have attracted more attention from general audiences if they did. Anyway, it doesn’t look like this is changing any time soon as next year we’ve got the equally blandly titled ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’ to look forward to. My expectations are just as low for this one, maybe it’ll fare better as a standalone film in the franchise given that it seems to involve new characters, but with Shawn Levy of all people in the director’s seat, I somehow have even less hope that it will be anything remotely exciting as a piece of filmmaking. Unless I hear people giving it the absolute highest of praise when the time comes, I can safely say it’ll be another one I comfortably skip in cinemas and wait to drop on Disney+. Quite sad that this is where we’re at for what was once the biggest film franchise in the world and one of my main nerdy interests, I really hope it’s not long before it’s finally put on a shelf and left untouched for at least another thirty years, or better yet, for good." 4/10
NEW: Coyote vs. Acme (Dave Green, 2026) - reviewed 08/09/2026
"[I] Cannot believe this almost didn’t get to be shown on the big screen, this is easily the best film of its kind since none other than Who Framed Roger Rabbit. It goes beyond relying on the basic novelty of featuring animated characters in a live action setting, and also dials down the more corporate self-reflexivity that has often let down the Looney Tunes in their cinematic outings (which reached a new low with 2021’s Space Jam: A New Legacy). Instead it has a well refined story with plenty of heart and charm, taking the characters that have always been my personal favourite part of the Looney Tunes and lovingly deconstructing them and their dynamic in a modern, real-world setting. What can also be seen here is probably the closest any film has come to replicating the practical awe of the 1988 film, constructing a compelling depiction of heightened 2D characters navigating an everyday space with lots of inventive camerawork and memorable sets / environments. From the opening sequence that enthrallingly realises a traditional Coyote / Road Runner encounter within this updated framework, it becomes instantly apparent just how truly cinematic things are here compared to how we’ve come to know these matters on the small screen. There’s plenty of delightful slapstick throughout, as well as some savvy commentary on the corruption of large corporations thrown in for good measure. All in all, a terrific time at the movies that anyone who cares about the art ought to go out and show their support to. It’s also quite funny that that this is a courtroom film set in Albuquerque and they even gave Will Forte’s lawyer character the Jimmy McGill haircut. John Cena was hilarious as ever too." 8/10
NEW / THROWBACK: Avengers: Endgame Encore (Anthony Russo / Joe Russo, 2019) - reviewed 27/09/2026
"Nothing new to be said about Endgame itself; it’s still a spectacular, sincere, moving, patient, and cohesive masterpiece that remains one of my all-time favourites. It was a pleasure seeing it on the big screen again despite having seen it twice in cinemas during its original theatrical run, one of the most formative and memorable times in my entire life looking back [...] As for the additions of this particular rerelease, however, I’m a bit more apprehensive. The way Marvel has opted to actively alter the film for the sake of fitting more closely alongside their forthcoming projects is honestly a little insulting, especially since they do so by way of completely undermining some of its best aspects, namely the beautiful final moments and overarching sense of closure. It’s not anything drastic, but the broader impact is nonetheless strongly felt for the worse. If Disney proceeds to push for this revisionist take to become the definitive version of Endgame in the manner of George Lucas with the Star Wars Special Editions from now on, that is major cause for concern in my eyes. Obviously we’re yet to see exactly how things are going to pan out in line with these changes, but I firmly believe retcons of any kind should always be limited to subsequent texts rather than distorting what has already been made for their own benefit, regardless of how thoughtful they may turn out to be. Not doing so is a harmful way of approaching art, and in this case really left me feeling sour. When it comes to Avengers: Doomsday, my feelings are complicated. In an ideal world I would love to be really excited for it, and there was definitely a part of me feeling giddy while watching the thrilling trailer for it shown prior to today’s film, yet at the same time, the cynic in me is all too loud and there are far too many red flags I simply can’t look past as of now, thus preventing me from wholeheartedly getting swept up in the anticipation. If it ends up being as great as the likes of Infinity War and Endgame, that would honestly be a joy to see as I’d love this franchise to find its way again after some rough years. Conversely, if it falls on the other end of the spectrum, while that would be a shame, I am also morbidly curious to see exactly just how much of a mess it may turn out to be, so there is something to be gained either way. My fingers are crossed, but it’s looking like an uphill battle at this stage, especially after today and seeing the questionable lengths they’ve gone to in order to set the stage. There’s some serious justifying to be done when it comes to the return of a certain someone at the partial cost of what made Endgame so special." 10/10
NEW: Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom (Steve Cox / Matthew Walker, 2026) - reviewed 27/09/2026
"Just when I thought I’d seen it all in 2026, we now have a Shaun the Sheep movie that looks as though it was directed by Dario Argento (in other words, cinema is alive and well). This does borrow a bit too heavily from Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, one of the greatest animated works of all time, but the innate charm of the Aardman style and approach means it’s practically impossible to not be charmed by any of their output in spite of how derivative it may be. The comedy is firing on all cylinders here, whether it’s the front-and-centre slapstick or the blink-and-you’ll-miss background gags, it’s safe to say I chuckled a great many times throughout. As a soft horror piece in the manner of Were-Rabbit, it’s also pretty solid; ironic as my opening remark may seem, this genuinely at times has the flair and expression of a classic Giallo production if you can believe it, perhaps allowing it to serve as an entry point for younger audiences to the tone of that area and horror at large. The kids in my audience seemed to be enjoying themselves a ton, which was encouraging to say the least! While Aardman productions are always very visual in their sensibilities, the Shaun the Sheep movies are especially outstanding for their outright rejection of dialogue-driven storytelling, something I’ve only become more entranced by after developing a huge affinity for silent cinema. It’s so wonderful to see a film with so much faith in the purity and universality of the image in an age of short attention spans demanding everything be verbally spelled out to audiences. Let’s just say that seeing the trailers for the Bluey and Cocomelon movies beforehand sufficiently reminded me just how important this sort of thing is now more than ever. Obviously the tactility and detail of the stop motion animation is a delight too, I really hope Aardman backtrack on their comments regarding embracing AI as the handmade, decidedly human quality about their work is among its best features. And even if they do eventually succumb to the AI-pocalypse, the trailer for Wildwood also shown at the screening, which consisted entirely of behind-the-scenes footage showcasing the painstaking craft that went into the sets and puppets for that film, at least suggests that other companies such as Laika will stay true to their roots. Overall, a lovely time at the movies." 7/10
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