Hotel Artemis (2018)
Genre: Thriller
Director: Drew Pearce
Starring: Jodie Foster, Sofia Boutella, Dave Bautista, Jeff Goldblum, Zachary Quinto
Duration: 94 minutes
Class: 15
KRS Releasing Ltd

British screenwriter and producer Drew Pearce (Iron Man 3, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation) makes his directorial debut with this dystopian action thriller set in a hospital for criminals.

As rioting rocks Los Angeles in the year 2028, a group of disgruntled thieves make their way to Hotel Artemis – a 13-storey, members-only hospital for criminals.

It is operated by the Nurse (Jodie Foster), a no-nonsense, high-tech healer who already has her hands full with a French assassin, an arms dealer and an injured cop. As the violence of the night continues, the Nurse must decide whether to break her own rules and confront what she has worked so hard to avoid.

The film received average reviews, with some critics lamenting about the plot and that it is somewhat overambitious.

Jonathan Pile of Empire was, however, quite struck. He wrote: “Stylishly realised against a backdrop of violence and faded Hollywood glamour, Drew Pearce’s vision of the near-future is laced with intrigue and dark humour.”

Other critics however, were not as convinced.  Michael Ordona of Common Sense Media wrote: “The movie is entertaining, with a relevant social/political context, but you can’t help but feel it could have been more fun.”

And Sandy Schaefer of Screen Rant commented: “Hotel Artemis makes for an intriguing exercise in pulpy sci-fi noir, even though the film’s story leaves something to be desired.”

The critics’ consensus on Rotten Tomatoes sums it all up by saying: “Hotel Artemis has a few flashes of wit and an intriguing cast, but mostly it’s just a serviceable chunk of slightly futuristic violence – which might be all its audience is looking for.”

The film, released in the US on June 8, has so far fared quite miserably at the box office, gaining a total of $10.4 million worldwide.

Ratings
IMDB: 6.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 59%
Empire: 4 stars

Ruby Rose is in real danger in The Meg.

The Meg (2018)
Genre: Sci-fi horror
Director: Jon Turteltaub
Starring: Ruby Rose, Jason Statham, Rainn Wilson, Bingbing Li, Cliff Curtis
Duration: 113 minutes
Class: 12A
KRS Releasing Ltd

Based on the 1997 book Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror by Steve Alten, the sci-fi horror film follows a group of scientists as they try to stop a shark from terrorising a beach.

The plot sees how a massive creature attacks a deep-sea submersible, leaving it disabled and trapping the crew at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.

With time quickly running out, rescue diver Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham) must save the crew and the ocean itself from an unimaginable threat – a 23-metre-long prehistoric shark, which was  known as the Megalodon.

Directed by Jon Turteltaub (Cool Runnings, While You Were Sleeping, National Treasure), the film was set to rival Steven Spielberg’s Jaws, which was released over 40 years ago.

The film is being released worldwide as from today and will be out in local cinemas on Friday. Reviews  were not available until the time of writing.

Ratings
IMDB: N/A
Rotten Tomatoes: N/A
Empire: N/A

The little superheroes are eager to get their big screen moment in Teen Titans Go! To the Movies.

Teen Titans Go! to the Movies (2018)
Genre: Animation
Directors: Aaron Horvarth, Peter Rida Michail
Voices of: Greg Cipes, Scott Menville, Khary Payton, Will Arnett, Kristen Bell, Nicolas Cage, Tara Strong, Michael Bolton
Duration: 84 minutes
Class: PG
KRS Releasing Ltd

The animated film is based on the TV series Teen Titans  Go! which is based on a DC Comics superhero team of the same name.

The plot sees how it seems that all the major superheroes are starring in their own movies – all but the Teen Titans. Robin is bound and determined to remedy that situation by becoming a star instead of a sidekick. With a few madcap ideas and a song in their hearts, the team heads over to Hollywood to fulfil that dream. But, things soon go awry, however, when a supervillain comes on the scene with plans to take over the planet.

The film garnered overall very  positive reviews. Tara McNamaraof Common Sense Media wrote: “This animated adventure comedy cleverly pokes fun at superhero movies while also pulling back the curtain on the standard elements/ clichés of superhero movies.”

And Helen o’Hara of Empire wrote: “Smart and stupid in equal measure, this is a palate cleanser after the doom and gloom of Justice League. The Titans could make you fall back in love with the entire DC Universe.”

Ratings
IMDB: 6.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
Empire: 4 stars