The Boss Baby

This review may contain spoilers!

If you're coming to this film for the plot or Alec Baldwin you'll be disappointed, but if you're coming for one hell of a good message then this is worth a watch. I would give The Boss Baby a 6.5/10.

This film wouldn't work if it wasn't revealed that the entire narrative was a story constructed by one of the protagonists of this film as an adult, his message about what it means to be a family and the bond that form between two siblings is very sweet and quite a touching sentiment. I also found myself really interested in the bond that was steadily developing between Tim and Boss Baby as the film went along; the more BB came to see what a family looked like the more heart this film gained. This really all came together when Tim sent Boss Baby a really touching 'memo' promising him his love if he'd come be his brother, sparking a bond that the film really thrived upon.

Steve Buscemi, who voiced Francis Francis, made what could have been a twisted throwaway antagonist kinda interesting; the way Buscemi presented his character's backstory made quite an obvious twist actually quite fun to listen to and watch play out. Miles Christopher Bakshi, who voiced Tim, did a pretty solid job as the charismatic and relatable protagonist; all his work in this film really led to that amazing line delivery in the big 'memo' scene that is by far the best part of the feature. ViviAnn Yee, Eric Bell Jr. and David Soren, who voiced Staci, the Triplets and Jimbo respectively, were some of the most entertaining supporting characters of the feature; the way each of these characters had a rather mature quality that contrasted their infantile nature was pretty funny.

However the best performance came from James McGrath, who voiced Wizzie. Admittedly it's a weird pick to say this rather minor supporting role was by far the best but in some ways I picked this character because McGrath got me laughing; it was nice to genuinely respond to one of these characters. McGrath parodied the Gandalf persona very well and then built on this to create a role that completely crazy and rather unpredictable. He also had a nice back and forth going on with Bakshi, this chemistry was weirdly rather therapeutic for the Tim character. At the end of the day I picked McGrath's performance because I don't think even Ian McKellan could have done as good a job voicing a barmy wizard.

This film kicks off by establishing that the kid spends time in an imaginary world a lot which is quite different from the world where the main plot is going on presumably, however because the main story is so out there you are constantly questioning what is actually fact in the film making it hard to connect with the story. It doesn't help that the idea of the classic family lifestyle and this big friendly corporate entity founded on cuteness are blended together in such a sloppy way, the content is actually pretty dull and you struggle to find a moment to laugh at. The narration used throughout the film comes at infrequent points making it a rather redundant quality sadly. I also felt like The Boss Baby is a good example of a film using too many references from other films in a negative way, the references rarely added anything and it felt like an easy way the writers had chanced upon to take up screen time. The animation looked pretty bad; the backgrounds were indistinctive, the characters all had a rather similar basic design and the imagination sequences were a big step down in terms of style. The soundtrack for the film felt so dated and poorly picked, I got bored listening to the music of the film which really let several scenes down.

Alec Baldwin, who voiced Boss Baby, was a pretty bland performance considering he was the title character of the film; if you want to see what Baldwin's most entertaining lines were you may as well just watch the Boss Baby trailers rather than waste your time watching the film. Jimmy Kimmel and Lisa Kudrow, who voiced Dad and Mom respectively, were very basic stock performances of parental figures; frankly the voice work done by these two was so basic it could have been performed by anyone. Tobey Maguire, who voiced Adult Tim/Narrator, really just had a jarring presence in the film; his narration wasn't emotive or moving enough to warrant it's place in the film so it just became a waste of time.

Smurfs: The Lost Village

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This is probably the closest we'll ever get to a perfect modern take on the Smurfs. I would give Smurfs: The Lost Village a 7/10.

This movie does a lot of hard work around the character of Smurfette which pays off in quite a big way. Smurfette was originally created to infiltrate the Smurfs and deliver them up to the evil sorcerer Gargamel, however Papa Smurf uses his magic to help her become good and now she lives happily alongside all the Smurfs. This film really focuses on the fact that Smurfette lives in a place where each Smurf can define themselves through one word, whether that be Hefty or Brainy or Clumsy etc. Through the film she is trying to discover what exactly at 'ette' is and what her place is within the world, with the hope of proving she isn't just an evil creation and nothing more. Over the course of the movie this character takes charge of her destiny and sets out to define herself, proving that Smurfette is not like the Smurfs; as the film puts it "Smurfette can be whatever she wants to be". Apart from this brilliant work around the main character the film introduces a new village of all-female Smurfs and both Smurf villages are quick to judge one another on their differences alone, however once Gargamel attacks and Smurfette sacrifices herself for the villages we get a great moment where both villages are united despite their differences. The animation for the film is pretty good with a lot of the quirky or classic character design having a joke or two made at it's own expense, the background animation is some of the best work and the scenery that has been created throughout the feature is some of the most stunning animation so far this year. The soundtrack for the film was also pretty good, using fairly recent tracks added a lot of energy to the film and kept the scenes feeling fresh.

Rainn Wilson, who voiced Gargamel, really brings a classic take on the villain to life; his over the top monologuing and threats made him a baddie to remember. Mandy Patinkin, who voiced Papa Smurf, had the calm yet firm temperament of the leader of the Smurfs; his compassion and love for all the Smurfs in his care really came through in Patinkin's performance. Ellie Kemper, who voiced SmurfBlossom, was such a rapid fire performer when it came to her line delivery; her character hit the screen filled with energy and a fun comedic wit. Julia Roberts, who voiced SmurfWillow, was a very serene and kindly leader; Roberts smug tone and fun interactions with Patinkin were some of the better parts of the film. Jake Johnson, who voiced Grouchy Smurf, really went at this character in a fun committed way; his completely serious and angry tone contrasted greatly with Lovato's performance in their scene together. Gordon Ramsay, who voiced Baker Smurf, was such a great cameo; he really just parodied his usual criticisms about people's cooking/baking but it was one of the funnier moments of the film.

However the best performance came from Demi Lovato, who voiced Smurfette. Lovato provides a character who is so compassionate and seems so kind that she's hard not to like; the fact that she manages to set up that connection with the audience very early into the film is only a bonus. In this feature Smurfette is a character who feels lost amongst a crowd of characters who know without a doubt who they are, Lovato takes Smurfette upon a great exploration of character development over the course of the feature. There's a scene near the end of the film where the Smurfs of the lost village are kidnapped because of her, the resulting moment of guilt and grief from Lovato is the best scene of the entire film. Smurfette is a character seeking out who she is and with the amount of goodness and kindness she displays constantly, Lovato's role is certainly a huge role model for young girls in this movie.

This film has long periods of time where the villain isn't present or the danger that the Smurfs are in doesn't feel like all that much, this means that the film lacks a lot of tension and plays things a bit too safe. Building on from this is the type of comedy used over the course of the film which is cheesy, riddled with bad puns and downright never seeks to do anything all that clever, this Smurfs movie is happy to create a fun animated film but it's not actively trying to be one of the most memorable animated film scripts of the year. Furthermore the way the characters break the fourth wall from time to time is kinda jarring, it draws you out of the moment and is a technique that really doesn't serve much purpose.

Joe Manganiello, who voiced Hefty Smurf, is just super cheesy and plays up his performance too much; his infatuation with Smurfette gets a bit hard to swallow at times and is shoved in your face a lot throughout the film. Jack McBrayer, who voiced Clumsy Smurf, has very little screen presence out of all the main cast; McBrayer plays a goofball role so he often winds up with the dumbest lines of the film. Danny Pudi, who voiced Brainy Smurf, has the most annoying voice out of all the main characters; his whiny tone makes him the hardest to like and connect with. Michelle Rodriguez, who voiced SmurfStorm, doesn't have a voice well suited to voice acting; her stern tough tone doesn't actually provide a lot of range. Ariel Winter, who voiced SmurfLily, is one of the main cast members of the lost village but is probably the most forgettable; Winter is sadly eclipsed in most her scenes by Kemper and Roberts. Kelly Asbury, who voiced Nosy Smurf, is one of those roles who just played to his role's stereotype rather than trying to flesh out a character; this resulted in a rather bland and humourless recurring role.

CHiPs

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Your classic buddy cop action-comedy that doesn't strive to do anything new at all. I would give CHiPs a 3/10.

This film does a good job at showcasing the partnership between Ponch and Baker after a rocky start, you really like the camaraderie the pair have throughout the feature and some of the more impactful scenes are pulled off due to this, not least of which the scene where Baker is rushed to intensive care. The film commits pretty well to it's dark and sarcastic comedy, not all of it lands but some of the best moments of wit come from this range of comedy. The chase scenes really steal the show, not necessarily because they do anything unique but just because they're very action driven moments. The soundtrack of the film wasn't always used well but when it was the comedy certainly benefited from it, 'Rosanna' by Toto and 'Paranoid' by Black Sabbath are especially due some honourable mentions.

Dax Shepard, who played Jon Baker, is a pretty aloof yet immediately likeable protagonist; His drive to succeed and blind attempts to win his wife back make you root for him from the start even if he has a lot to learn throughout. Vincent D'Onofrio, who played Vic Brown, has always done great antagonists and delivers nothing less than that in this film; D'Onofrio also adds some heart and motivation behind his character's rage when we see him as a struggling single father attempting to get his son free from drug addiction. Maya Rudolph, who played Sgt. Hernandez, brought forth one of the funnier scenes in the movie; her over the top passion for Shepard's love life issues was quite a bit of fun to watch. Rosa Salazar, who played Ava, steals the show as the female lead of this feature and an actress I'm really expecting to see on the rise in the next few years; Salazar brings a tough tomboyish role who forms a pretty genuine and sweet connection with Shepard over the course of the film. Isiah Whitlock Jr., who played Peterson, is the tough FBI head and leader role this film needs to keep it on track; Whitlock Jr.'s sharp and commanding tone is perfect contrasted against Pena's evasive and cocky character.

However the best performance came from Michael Pena, who played Frank 'Ponch' Poncherello. Pena has proven himself to be one hell of an actor over recent years so it's no surprise to see him stand out in this comedy film. It would be easy to play the role of Ponch as quite a stereotypical figure but Pena refuses to do that, rather he takes the role and brings out a very natural development of a role. At first Pena is very cocky and filled with bravado, he believes himself not only above the law but superior to the people around him. However after some initial frustration and conflict we get the chemistry between him and Shepard that we've been holding out for. The two naturally bounce off one another and it's even clear that Pena comes to value someone he'd previously viewed as an idiot. Yeah Ponch might be a sex-crazed arrogant FBI agent at first but by the end of the film we have more of a laidback and loyal highway patrol officer.

This film falls flat by developing a plot that we've seen in literally every action-comedy released; The Other Guys, Jump Street and Ride Along all pulled the same basic moves that this film did, only better. CHiPs isn't very interested in making the bad guy's too interesting or even raising the stakes all that high, you fail to become invested in Jon Baker's marriage issues and Ponch's sex addiction has to be one of the most cringeworthy subplots used in a comedy this year. Where the film really fails itself is that there's no natural build to Baker and Ponch becoming friends, it very suddenly happens after the two being at odds for quite a while. The cinematography throughout the film has the eye of someone with ideas about how to catch action scenes but no idea how to film the rest of the scenes. The editing also dragged out the pace, often bringing in cuts either too late or too early.

Jessica McNamee and Ryan Hansen, who played Lindsey Taylor and Brian Grieves respectively, weren't very memorable cast members in the film; not only were they playing throwaway henchmen but they didn't even have any moments where they were particularly comedic. Adam Brody, who played Clay Allen, is in this film as a gag role; you watch Pena shoot Brody for a good laugh but other than that his role has no purpose. Kristen Bell, who played Karen, gives a performance that doesn't really feel like should put a great deal into it; Bell's character is very self-centred and vain which just doesn't come to her naturally. Justin Chatwin, who played Raymond Reed Kurtz Jr., had a rather weak screen presence; it would have been nice to see Chatwin and D'Onofrio in more scenes together so that you cared about their father and son relationship. Richard T. Jones, who played Parish, is about as stereotypical as you can get; Jones' brash and self-righteous cop who is blindly defending his dead partner's honour is a bit plain. Jane Kaczmarek, who played Jane Lindel, is utterly cringeworthy throughout the film; her Facetime call with Pena will probably make you want to projectile vomit. Jess Rowland, who played Rathbun, is quite a background performer throughout the film; he was consistently being eclipsed by Salazar or even McNamee.

Beauty And The Beast

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This film paid more attention to flashy musical numbers than story and substance. I would give Beauty And The Beast a 6/10.

This film is really good at capturing some very magical moments throughout the feature, be that the ice lake/snowball fight scene, the villagers charging to kill Beast, the final confrontation between the castle servants and the village folk and even Beast singing his love for Belle as she returns to her father. In fact probably the best part of the feature was when the film focused upon Beast, he was clearly kind and soft-hearted but the death of his mother and resulting upbringing from his father meant that his path to redemption was a very personal journey. The film itself handles comedy very well for the most part, small witticisms land and often it's the very exaggerated characters like Gaston, LeFou and Cogsworth that steal the show. The special effects look great; the CGI household objects have a great style to them, though I would say that it's the wolves and the Beast himself who really stand out. The score for the film has a rich symphonic feel, and I would say some of the musical numbers are very good.

Dan Stevens, who played Beast, made for quite an interesting leading role; he really brought forth the Beast's wild and aggressive initial qualities but he develops a more gentler side as you come to see his affection and empathy later on. Josh Gad, who played LeFou, brings a lot of the much needed comedic relief throughout the feature; I like that he had some moral fiber and was consistently wrestling with his loyalty to Gaston versus doing the right thing. Ewan McGregor, who played Lumiere, really is the emboldened life-of-the-party candelabra the film demanded; I was very sold on his charm and the impact he had in the scenes he was in. Ian McKellen, who played Cogsworth, was gruff and had the short temperament of the famous enchanted clock; McKellen's tense yet endearing chemistry that he developed with McGregor worked very well. Nathan Mack, who played Chip, has the innocent portrayal of the youngest enchanted household staff down perfectly; it's very tough to envision anyone else but Mack to bring forth the voice and temperament of the character.

However the best performance came from Luke Evans, who played Gaston. This character has always been one of my favourite Disney antagonists and Evans brings the role to life in this film. He really captures the ignorance of the role very well but also the stubbornness, the way he seeks Belle's hand in marriage goes from persistence to pig-headed in no time. Furthermore we get all the macho bravado you'd expect from Gaston, whether that's shown from reminiscing about the war with LeFou or charging into battle against the Beast. A very loud-mouthed boisterous and even comedic role who is made villainous when he realises that if he cannot have what he wants then he will destroy Belle's life and all she holds precious. It is very true that in Luke Evans hands there is no one quite like Gaston.

So does this film really capture the heart behind the Beauty and the Beast story? Well as I've said earlier it gets some of the more notable parts of the film but completely drops the ball on others. It doesn't help that the film is very content with doing sudeen and abrupt changes in the direction of the plot. Some good examples of this is when Belle suddenly decides to up and leave to find her father after we've only registered he's been captured, the Beast shouting and raging at Belle but then suddenly risking his life for her, the entire romantic relationship between Belle and Beast happens quite suddenly and Gaston leaving Maurice to die comes quite quickly too. At other times the film invests in moments where there isn't really a great deal of emotional payoff, Belle is freed from her cell before you can even acknowledge how great a sacrifice she has made, the big dance between Belle and Beast isn't really built up to, Belle's curiosity about her mother is a subplot that grows rather dull and even the curse being removed at the end doesn't have much impact due to the Enchantress having an onscreen presence. The distance between moments that actually matter in the feature is so great that it is very easy to grow bored, in fact the slow pacing is a glaring issue of this musical film. The cinematography looks very staged throughout, often the camera is set up in a way that the environment feels more like a set than a place or the lighting within a scene looks painstakingly obvious. While I loved a lot of the musical features there were several that really didn't have much need to be there and took up valuable screen time, also Emma Thompson singing 'Tale As Old As Time' is possibly one of the most ghastly things I've had to endure on a film soundtrack so far this year.

Emma Watson, who played Belle, seemed as if she would be the perfect actress for this part considering some of her past film roles but the reality was quite disappointing; I really struggled with Watson's dry tone and her facial expressions over the course of the film seemed to be in constant conflict with the lines she was saying/singing. Kevin Kline, who played Maurice, should probably learn the difference between playing a dottery old man and a simple one; there were many instances throughout the feature where it felt like Kline just couldn't even be bothered to act consistently in regards to his character. Emma Thompson, who played Mrs Potts, needs to take a workshop on how to perform accents immediately; Thompson's harsh tone and poor voicework resulted in a butchery of one of the film's most iconic musical numbers. Audra McDonald, who played Madame Garderobe, was just far too over the top to be taken seriously; her voice was painful to listen to and her subplot about missing her husband the most forgettable of the feature. Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who played Plumette, is quite a stereotypical love interest for McGregor's character; the way Mbatha-Raw settled for a gushing swooning maiden left a lot to be desired.

Ghost In The Shell

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This might be one of the most visually stunning films so far this year but the story is a bit of a disaster. I would give Ghost In The Shell a 6/10.

The setting of the world Ghost In The Shell takes place in is inherently quite fascinating, I was very impressed with seeing a population who viewed technology as a form of evolution on one hand and on the other there were people who had to live with technology and felt significantly less than human. The main character of Major really empathises this struggle, there are several great scenes where her existence as more machine than human makes her feel very isolated and alone. The cinematography is beautiful and captures some of the most absolutely hypnotising shots, I especially enjoyed how the director made use of water environments to create some very memorable visuals. The special effects are unlike anything I've seen over the course of the year so far, well crafted 'holograms' are scattered in the forefront or the background throughout the feature and the CGI machines look visually stunning. The fight sequences are brilliantly executed, they have such natural progression and feel as smooth as the camera work accompanying them. The score for the film is another great aspect, with a technological edge that makes me think of a grittier Tron: Legacy.

Scarlett Johansson, who played Major, made for quite a good leading performer; Johansson really captures how lost the Major is living in a machine body and the hurt she exhibits upon discovering her true origins is very well done. Pilou Asbaek, who played Batou, might be big gruff law enforcer but he has a lot of heart, his recovery after losing his eyes is probably one of the sadder scenes in the film. Juliette Binoche, who played Dr Ouelet, shows a great sense of care for Major's life and is a very compelling guardian role; her ethical debates with Ferdinando make for some fascinating moments of dialogue. Peter Ferdinando, who played Cutter, made what could have been a very generic antagonist actually quite compelling; Ferdinando had a cold methodical edge and always approached a scene with a sense of reason and strategy. Adwoa Aboah, who played Lia, has a very standout scene with Johansson in this film; this scene is great to watch because it brings forth questions about what it means to be human and Aboah's mix of fascination and fear really makes it.

However the best performance came from Michael Pitt, who played Kuze. As far as initially antagonistic figures go Pitt brought forth something out of a dystopic nightmare, this was a conquest from a machine. Yet the scene where Johansson and Pitt meet for the first time brings out such a deeper aspect to the character, Pitt shows a loss of identity and an inescapable need for vengeance that makes Kuze quite the tragic figure. The more we come to see Pitt's role the better we understand how experimentation and his existence within his robot body has made him incredibly vulnerable and isolated. If this film achieves nothing else, you will feel a lot of grief due to Pitt's incredible performance.

Where this film fails is that it does not construct a very interesting main storyline, the idea that the company who made Major is evil and that the antagonist is the experiment before her is a film that has been done multiple times over in recent years. Furthermore the way the final act rushes to pump up he action scenes feels very strained, suddenly characters who have been inactive for most of the film are capable of awesome and staggering feats like shooting down a helicopter or taking out a hit squad singlehandedly. The backstory subplot around the Major is what really let this feature down, it was so poorly brought together that it became rather jarring. The introduction of the Major's mother felt as if it had come out of nowhere and the way the film established that Major used to be a young Asian woman seemed in poor taste considering the film's casting and setting.

Takeshi Kitano, who played Aramaki, is quite a dull character for most of the film; as a leader role he doesn't really seem to fit until he suddenly becomes some sort of weird out of character action hero in the last twenty minutes. Chin Han, Danusia Samal and Lasarus Ratuere, who played Han, Ladriya and Ishikawa respectively, were a collection of rather background performances who supposedly comprised Major's 'team'; the way they were made more relevant by gaining a ton of action time in the last twenty minutes was very poorly handled. Anamaria Marinca, who played Dr Dahlin, was a very gruff side role with little reason for aiding the main characters in the ways that she did; her death scene was treated as a big deal but you never felt she connected with the rest of the cast. Kaori Momoi, who played Hairi, is a very over the top and convenient role in this film; her sudden introduction at the start of the film's final act is a jarring experience to say the least.

Life

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This has instantly secured itself as a science-fiction horror classic in my eyes, the likes of which we've very rarely seen since the first Alien film came out. I would give Life an 8.5/10.

This is a film that really builds up tension well; moving swiftly from the point where the team is connecting and celebrating Calvin's arrival to the sudden breach by Calvin, who promptly sets about killing crew member after crew member. It's a film that works well because you feel confined, this is not a far flung into the future sci-fi and the characters are still limited to tight spaces and slow space walks. The real breakdown of order into chaos without any of the crew members really turning on each other was refreshing to see as well, the desperation certain characters showed in the face of death felt so real. The final five to ten minutes of the film was a real feat; playing with perspective so that it becomes unsure where the final survivors wind up, and that reveal at the end was perfect. The cinematography was in constant motion which made it feel as if you were floating in space alongside the characters; the way the camera fixated upon Calvin's movements really cast this Martian as something to fear. The special effects of the film looked rather good; Calvin is the big achievement of course, with the pods hurtling through space and the amazing background visuals only adding to the style. The score for the film built up a very real feeling of dread, it might not be the most memorable one of this year but it sets the tone very well.

Hiroyuki Sanada, who played Sho Murakami, was a very calculating and grounded role; it was nice to see how his on-screen family really motivated his role. Ryan Reynolds, who played Rory Adams, has become a natural at unleashing really entertaining comedy and that's still very much the case in this film; Reynolds brings forth a bit of a hothead who's death scene in the film will really hook you in. Rebecca Ferguson, who played Miranda North, is a very authoritative figure throughout the feature; her fixation on preserving containment protocols sometimes at the expense of human life would've been stereotypical in the hands of a lesser actress. Jake Gyllenhaal, who played David Jordan, felt reclusive and withdrawn due to his increased attachment to living in space; yet Gyllenhaal did some great work to humanise his role and really developed a role who wanted to stop the senseless chain of violence and death that had taken over the space station. Olga Dihovichnaya, who played Ekaterina Golovkina, made for a fiercely compassionate commander of this space expedition; the moment in which she chooses to die as she's drowning out in space is one of the hardest scenes in the film to watch.

However the best performance came from Ariyon Bakare, who played Hugh Derry. Bakare's role in this film feels immensely wise and experienced; yet he also exhibits the joy and passion you'd watch in a scientists who discovers actual life from Mars. I found the witticisms this role shared to be very entertaining, he was certainly a character of insightful proverbs and anecdotes. The aspect of his disability was an interesting one, he presented a very neutral outlook upon the condition but the setting really reminded you that this man was no less capable than anyone else on the ship despite his inability to walk. The blame and guilt he assigns himself over Calvin is very humbling to watch, Bakare becomes a sort of astronaut Frankenstein who watches his freakish progeny slowly murder his true friends.

The start of the film happens all at once rather quickly, the way we suddenly jump between the 'important' bits makes it feel as if content has been cut from the film or that the writer's lacked inspiration before releasing Calvin upon the crew. Furthermore I'm a bit over watching the quarantine or safety officer being portrayed as the most antagonistic of the crew; Life came a long way in moving away from that but I still think it's become a bit of a tired trope in sci-fi cinema.

Power Rangers

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It's like watching one film about dark gritty teen drama and another completely opposite dumb blockbuster with cheesy one liners were awkwardly blended into one film. I would give Power Rangers a 4.5/10.

The film does a good job of tackling some roles with deep or interesting backgrounds; Billy's autism was some of the better writing within the film; however topics such as bullying, dealing with losing a terminal family member and same-sex relationships were all raised in interesting and unique ways. The cinematography of the film looked really good, the camera was constantly set up in a way that took in all the action set before it, which I personally found visually fascinating. The special effects also looked pretty good most of the time; the suits looked great, the Zords and Alpha 5 looked pretty good and even Zordon's holographic image was a fun part of the film.

Dacre Montgomery, who played Jason/Red Ranger, was a really cool central protagonist for the film; Montgomery really had the charisma and presence that was needed to lead the team. Naomi Scott, who played Kimberly/Pink Ranger, was a deeply conflicted character throughout the feature; Scott really made her character feel lost and had an open vulnerability which lead to a very honest performance. Bill Hader, who voiced Alpha 5, was a great comedic presence in this feature; Hader's running dialogue was a lot of fun and he was definitely the heart of the film.

However the best performance came from RJ Cyler, who played Billy/Blue Ranger. Cyler just crafts this awkward role who may be inept when it comes to understanding social cues but who has a lot of curiosity and heart at the core of his character. From the beginning we're explicitly told that Cyler's role is autistic and lost his Dad at a young age, these aren't easy aspects of a character to capture but they are done very well throughout this feature. Cyler has an open and great sense of chemistry with the rest of the main four, making it all the more believable when it's his character who constantly does important actions or makes sacrifices on behalf of the team. A fun role, a kind role and the Ranger that will be your new favourite for sure after seeing this film.

Power Rangers has always been known as the TV show that got a little corny but brought some fun action; what the film does is nothing like that up until the last half hour. It's no great surprise that the film has a focus on teen angst and the social issues these teenagers face from day to day; yet when the film has a heavy focus on these outcasts becoming friends by exposing their secrets to one another you lose interest pretty fast. The more interesting elements of the feature such as the history of the Power Rangers or the big bad, Rita Repulsa, feel like cheap gimmicks that you aren't ever invested in. Sadly these gimmicks pile up pretty quick as we're first told that the Ranger armour will only appear when everyone is friends with one another, the giant disembodied head can 'come through the wall' once they armour up, the baddie is making a solid gold monster and that the Rangers each get a super sweet dinosaur themed vehicle. In the final act of the film you're assaulted with a sudden focus on cheesy humour, cringeworthy one-liners and plot devices that feel as if they'd been ripped out of a Saturday morning cartoon. Considering the history of Power Rangers one might wonder why this is such a bad thing? Well it comes down to tone; if your film starts with a dark angsty tone and then transitions to feeling like a cheap cartoon then the two tones within your film clash pretty strongly. Furthermore the score for the film is mostly forgettable, the soundtrack has to be even worse, with the original Power Rangers theme song and a Kanye West track landing only minutes between one another.

Ludi Lin, who played Zack/Black Ranger, is the weirdest and possibly worst performance out of the entire cast; Lin goes from one extreme to another while portraying his role's personality and his attempts at comedy fall dismally flat. Becky G, who played Trini/Yellow Ranger, is pretty forgettable as far as being a Ranger goes; The way her character refuses to really connect with the rest of the cast means that you never really get to take an interest in her role. Elizabeth Banks, who played Rita Repulsa, doesn't seem to know how to play anything other than over the top; Banks does not even try to bring a sense of range to Rita and instead brings out one of the most camp villains of the year. Bryan Cranston, who played Zordon, is honestly just quite a dull character who you never get to know and is filled with exposition heavy lines; gone are the Breaking Bad days of acting clearly. David Denman, who played Sam Scott, is a bit intense as far as father figures go; frankly while Denman has a lot of passion you never really buy the relationship between him and Montgomery. Fiona Fu, who played Zack's Mum, was even worse than Denman as far as playing a parental figure; Fu had a very forgettable connection with Lin onscreen and you didn't really care or take note of her sickness.