Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

This Marvel superhero series distinguishes itself from all the other Marvel superhero series with its catalogue of immature characters exhibiting only the basest of functions, so the space-adventuring troupe of GotG number 1 and 2 continue to do 1s and 2s in this number 3, and like Groot's one note repeated ad nauseum (*i am Groot"), we see these base character-identifiers over and over again over two hours, and it is tiring - adults like me might like to daydream about more interesting things like what is behind the movie's central thesis, expounded gently but repeatedly, that, "Good dog," is better than, "Bad!"

★★★☆☆

CINECAL: ONE SENTENCE REVIEWS

The Book of Life (2014)

Two childhood friends, one an animal lover descended from a long line of macho bullfighters, the other the bearer of an otherworldly badge of immortality, vie for the love of the same woman in this extremely busy animation about Dias de los Muertos - a culturally interesting kids film that hits its stride in its second half. 

★★★★☆

CINECAL: ONE SENTENCE REVIEWS

Live By Night (2016)

A long, sprawling gangster epic that tackles weighty matters in the Prohibition era like religion, the Klu Klux Klan and the advent of organised gambling in America, shouldn't feel this lightweight, with Director, Producer and star, Ben Affleck perhaps still in Batman cartoon mode, relying on an array of brightly coloured fedoras to enliven his trademark lamppost presence in a movie that feels like you are watching someone play Grand Theft Auto V.

★★☆☆☆

CINECAL: ONE SENTENCE REVIEWS

Star Trek Beyond (2016)

That scene, barely a second long, showing Sulu when he is not at the helm of the Enterprise is a brilliant addition to a series that at its core is a celebration of universal diversity and inclusion, with this particular episode also succeeding where perhaps Into Darkness didn't, delivering good old reliable Star Trek space exploration, action, humour and philosophy — the franchise doesn't need too many tweaks or new skins or tricks, as its fifty year anniversary this year clearly demonstrates.

★★★★☆

CINECAL: ONE SENTENCE REVIEWS