Final Destination 5

"A fun and worthwhile follow-up to the dreadful The Final Destination."

It's easy to recommend "Final Destination 5" to those who are fans of the series. This newest effort in the long-running series is an enjoyable flick and serves as a return to form after the terrible "The Final Destination". For that very reason, though, folks who never appreciated the early "Final Destination" films will probably find nothing to like here. For the most part, it recycles the same formula and its biggest selling point remains the elaborate death scenes.

Senna

"A good man, a great driver, an immortal legend."

Leaving the cinema after the screening of "Senna", the cinephilic documentary of the Formula One driver tragically killed in the prime of his career, I knew I had seen something special. It just took a bit of time to justify, in an articulate manner, exactly why I had enjoyed it so much. I was impressed that a modern-day filmmaker (Asif Kapadia) could so astutely compile a documentary in the same style as that of the Maysles brothers in "Gimme Shelter". Unlike that film about one famous rock concert featuring the Rolling Stones, though, "Senna" focuses not on one key event, but on a tumultuous life driven by a combination of pride, justice and God-given humility.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

"No 'damn dirty apes' here."

Before I begin, there is something I need to get off my chest. Rise... of the Planet... of the Apes? I can understand the producers’ desire to link this film with the rest of the series, but I’m sure audiences would’ve made the same connection if it was just called Rise of the Apes. But fear not, because an overly clunky, lame title is by far the worst aspect of this movie. It falls short of replicating the thematic genius of the original, yet wipes the floor with Tim Burton’s ridiculous remake.

The Change-Up

"A cautionary tale that reminds us all how important it is to watch what you say while peeing into a fountain."

While peeing into a fountain in the park after a night of too much drinking, long-time best friends Dave Lockwood (Jason Bateman) and Mitch Planko (Ryan Reynolds) simultaneously say “I wish I had your life.” The lights around the block suddenly flicker out for a moment before power is restored. The two men assume that they were caught in a rolling blackout and head home for the evening. The next morning, they wake to find that the wish has come true. Dave is Mitch and Mitch is Dave. They have gone through “The Change-up.”

The Tourist

"The pretty spectacle can't mask The Tourist's problems."

On paper, "The Tourist" looked like it had every chance of being a worthwhile and entertaining popcorn flick. Not only is it set in the beautiful city of Venice, but it also stars Hollywood icons Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie and has the director behind the Oscar-winning film "The Lives of Others", Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, at the helm. However, "The Tourist" is a disappointing affair with lacklustre set-pieces, weak writing, and - perhaps most detrimental to the film - no spark at all between Depp and Jolie.