On Screen

Smart reviews for the visually obsessed. On Screen features film reviews and festival coverage, spotlighting cinematic craft, storytelling and standout performances.

  • Review: ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ is a funny escapist comedy (Includes first-hand account)

    Meeting your significant others’ family and/or friends is generally a sign the relationship is getting more serious; the gravity increases when the introduction requires large, ticketed transportation. However daunting this encounter may seem, it can be even more so if you gradually discover you know very little about these people and consequently how to ensure they like you… because whatever happens here could mean relaxed or dreaded family gatherings going forward — if there even is a next time. In Crazy Rich Asians, a young woman makes the trip to meet her boyfriend’s family for the first time without knowing she’s about to enter the inner sanctum of a Chinese dynasty.

  • Review: ‘Skyscraper’ is so big it misses out on the details (Includes first-hand account)

    Endangered family members have been a motivating factor for action heroes more than once — it’s one of the many reasons these ties to loved ones are generally considered a weakness and frequently leveraged as such. But it also makes for a great ticking clock narrative in which the protagonist must complete some task by the deadline in order to save them… though the villain’s demands are often ignored in favour of a plan that results in the rescuing of loved ones and the death/apprehension of the bad guy. The latest movie star to take on this role is Dwayne Johnson in Skyscraper.

  • Review: ‘Ant-Man and The Wasp’ delivers fun in multiple sizes (Includes first-hand account)

    One of the last times anyone saw Ant-Man, he was 65′ tall and swatting at Spider-Man as Captain America and Iron Man battled over who should sit at the head of the Avengers table in Captain America: Civil War. There’s been some amusing conversation about where the tiny superhero was during the epic stand-off with Thanos and his cronies in Avengers: Infinity War part one, but no definitive answers. Since Germany, Scott Lang has simply been off the grid. But he’s finally resurfaced and he’s brought a friend in Ant-Man and The Wasp.

  • Review: ‘The First Purge’ gets at the heart of the horror (Includes first-hand account)

    According to this franchise, in the near future the United States will condone one night of complete lawlessness. For 12 hours, every American citizen has the right to do whatever they want, including rape, murder and steal. But how could such a heinous event be permitted, let alone supported, by not only the people but their government? We’ve seen a family held hostage in their home, people wandering the streets in masks brutally killing anyone they encounter, disgruntled employees taking revenge on their bosses… and armed military units using the event as cover for the genocide of hundreds of lower income citizens. The First Purge is the story of how it all began.

  • Review: ‘Sicario: Day of the Soldado’ overshoots the target (Includes first-hand account)

    Drug trafficking in the United States has been a hot button issue for decades, particularly when discussing the Mexico-U.S. border. However, in the last year, the border has become an even greater topic of contention as illegal migrants rose to the top of the list of “threats” to combat. While the real-life motives for this mimic a South Park rant, there could be legitimate reasons for the perimeter to become an increased concern — one of which is explored in Sicario: Day of the Soldado, the sequel to the gritty cop movie.

  • Review: ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’ must find a way to rise again (Includes first-hand account)

    Many people are fascinated by dinosaurs as they’ve fostered their interest from childhood into adulthood with the help of TV shows, science exhibits and movies. They are mesmerized by their enormous size, likeness to contemporary beasts and thorough extinction of their pre-evolutionary form, which leads to an unquenchable curiosity of what it would be like to see them in person — or even live amongst them — beyond the obvious blood-curdling fear. Thus, Steven Spielberg‘s dinosaur theme park was destined to be an immediate hit and is now in its fifth iteration, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.

  • Review: ‘Incredibles 2’ used its time away wisely (Includes first-hand account)

    Fourteen years ago, before Marvel had taken over the world of superhero cinema, audiences fell in love with a family that had extraordinary abilities. And then they went back underground and many doubted they’d ever be seen again. Finally, writer/director Brad Bird announced he was ready to return to their story — literally — as the sequel picks up exactly where the first film left off. It’s been a long wait, but Incredibles 2 (which could have also been named “The Rise of Jack Jack”) was certainly worth it.

  • ‘Solo’ swaggers with the best in the galaxy (Includes first-hand account)

    More than 40 years ago, audiences were introduced to a loveable scoundrel whose chauvinist charm won hearts and fearless audacity earned envy. Han Solo’s love affair with Princess Leia, almost lifelong friendship with Chewbacca and affection for the Millennium Falcon are just some of his most recognizable traits. But he was already an established pilot and smuggler when he made his entrance into the Star Wars universe, so little was known about his past. Although where Han came from was not a question on the tip of many tongues, it is an answer his fans may find interesting. Thus, the latest standalone film in the franchise, Solo: A Star Wars Story, goes back to the hero’s beginnings.

  • Review: ‘Deadpool 2’ remains true to its foul-mouthed protagonist (Includes first-hand account)

    After a record-breaking box office for an R-rated movie, the sequel to Deadpool became one of the most anticipated follow-ups in 2018. For more than a year, teasers have built an appetite for the film by first revealing Cable would be involved, then by requesting casting suggestions, and eventually with nonsensical videos and photos that, if nothing else, ensured they’d retained their sense of humour. A commitment to have fun while remaining spoiler-free has resulted in a hilarious promotional campaign leading up to the release of the movie. And now, Deadpool 2 has made its “superhero landing.”

  • Review: ‘Tully’ is an honest portrayal of the complexities of womanhood (Includes first-hand account)

    Being a hundred different things to multiple people without ever finding time for yourself is exhausting, particularly when “just say no” isn’t an option. It can also be incredibly unhealthy, certainly mentally but also physically. People spread themselves too thin all the time, but doing it for a prolonged period is where the danger lies. Sometimes finding help is the answer, if you can afford it and relinquish control to some degree to another person. In Tully, a mother being crushed by the added responsibility of a third child agrees to hire a night nanny to relieve some of the stress.

  • Review: ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ makes a big and powerful statement (Includes first-hand account)

    The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has been laying the groundwork for this epic crossover for years. First, post-credit sequences included unrelated characters; then they began to interact with individuals from other storylines; and finally, those characters began to appear in each other’s narratives, including a movie featuring unparalleled in-fighting. Now, all of this preparation is culminating in possibly the greatest — and most ambitious — superhero movie to date. A villain that’s lurked on the periphery for some time is ready to make his big move in Avengers: Infinity War and it’s going to take everyone in the MCU to stop him.

  • Review: ‘Super Troopers 2’ doesn’t miss a beat (Includes first-hand account)

    There is something almost timeless about great comedies from the late 20th century. They’re often ill-mannered, politically incorrect and completely over-the-top, but they’re also hilarious. Some recent pictures have come close to capturing the magic, but they’re not quite the same. Where some films are obviously a product of their time and could never be made again, others are simply the perfect combination of script, director, actors and chemistry. Since these combined circumstances are akin to lightening in a bottle, trying to recreate them are incredibly difficult and has failed on many occasions — but that doesn’t stop anyone from trying. The latest movie to get the band back together (almost literally) is Super Troopers 2.