Zachary Levi (right) and Mark Strong do not see eye to eye in Shazam!

SHAZAM! (2019)
Genre: Action
Director: David F. Sandberg
Starring: Zachary Levi, Zach Dylan Grazer, Michelle Borth, Asher Angel, Grace Fulton
Duration: 132 minutes
Class: 12A
KRS Releasing Ltd

The latest superhero film, based on the DC Comics of the same name, follows the adventures of Billy Batson (Asher Angel), a 14-year-old who magically transforms into the adult superhero Shazam (Zachary Levi).

The boy revels in the new version of himself by doing what any other teen would do, that is having fun while testing out his newfound powers. But he has to master them quickly before the evil Dr Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong) can get his hands on his magical abilities.

The seventh instalment in the DC Extended Universe, which has been a long time in the making, has received very positive reviews.

Pat Padua of the Washington Post described it as a “thrilling fantasy and a comedy about the learning curve of growing up”.

Sandy Angulo Chen of Common Sense Media wrote: “This refreshingly delightful, lighthearted entry in the DC Extended Universe has enough charm for the whole family thanks to standout performances, broad humour and positive messages.”

Similarly, Joe Morgenstern of the Wall Street Journal commented: “Just when the world needs a superhero with a gift for silliness, here he is in a movie whose best superpower turns out to be a good heart.”

And the critics’ consenus on Rotten Tomatoes reads: “An effortlessly entertaining blend of humour and heart, Shazam! is a superhero movie that never forgets the genre’s real power: joyous wish fulfilment.”

The $100 million production, released last weekend, secured the top spot in both the US and worldwide marketplace, raking in $158.7 million worldwide.

Ratings
IMDB: 7.8/10 
Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
Empire: 4 stars

A family is hit by tragedy in this remake of Stephen King’s novel Pet Sematary.

PET SEMATARY (2019)
Genre: Horror
Director: Kevin Kölsch, Dennis Widmyer
Starring: Jason Clarke, Amy Seimetz, Jeté Laurence, John Lithgow, Hugo Lavoie, Lucas Lavoie
Duration: 101 minutes
Class: 15
KRS Releasing Ltd

One of Stephen King’s most terrifying novels finds itself getting a more modern update. 

Louis (Jason Clarke) and Rachael  (Amy Seimetz) Creed move from Boston to Maine with their two young children, Ellie and Gage. 

At their new home, situated deep into the rural landscape, the children discover a mysterious and grisly location in the woods. 

When tragedy strikes, Louis turns to his knowledgeable neighbour Jud Crandall (John Lithgow) to seek out the Pet Sematary’s dark powers, with untold consequences. 

Critics seemed to have taken a shine to this retooled horror classic, with some suggesting that in the case of Pet Sematary ‘remade is better’. 

“Pet Sematary stands alone as a gripping piece of horror entertainment marked by strong performances, an ever-escalating sense of doom, and, as the movie crosses firmly into the ghoulish, a delightfully dark wit,” said Jim Vejvoda of IGN. 

“A fun and frightening film,” he continued. 

“Pet Sematary isn’t so much remade as resurrected in co-directors Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer’s 30-years-later take, a mostly faithful cover version of that earlier film ‒ with a few key twists,” wrote Peter Debruge of Variety. 

“The film-makers have also tweaked the humour to reflect our new post-The Conjuring sensibility... Maybe you can teach a dead cat new tricks after all.”

Horror aficionados flocked to see the movie, with the $21 million film grossing $42.3 million in its opening weekend.

Ratings
IMDB: 7.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 85%
Empire: 3 stars

Zach Galifianakis and Hugh Jackman voice the main protagonists of The Missing Link.

Missing link (2019)
Genre: Animation
Directors: Chris Butler
Voices of: Hugh Jackman, Zach Galifianakis, Zoe Saldana, Emma Thompson, Stephen Fry
Duration: 95 minutes
Class: U
KRS Releasing Ltd

The stop-motion animated adventure revolves around Mr Link (voiced by Zach Galifianakis), an eight-feet tall and furry creature who is tired of living a solitary life in the Pacific Northwest.

He thus recruits a fearless explorer named Sir Lionel Frost (Hugh Jackman) to guide him on a journey to find his long-lost relatives in the fabled valley of Shangri-La. Along the way they join forces with adventurer Adelina Fortnight (Zoe Saldana).

Critics mostly praised the movie. John Nugent of Empire magazine described it as a “charming family-friendly story about adventure and friendship, told with bar-raising artistic craft and technical skill”.

“We’d expect nothing less from Laika,” he added, referring to the US stop-motion animation studio, which previously released Coraline, ParaNorman and Kubo and the Two Strings, among other productions. 

Peter Debruge of Variety was equally enthusiastic: “Sooner or later, Laika was bound to branch out, which makes this funnier, more colourful film the link previously missing between the company’s Goth-styled past and whatever comes next.”

Ratings
IMDB: 7.0/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 85%
Empire: 4 stars