[7.00/10] Deepwater Horizon (2016)

Deepwater Horizon (2016)

Quick Review: It is overwhelmingly talky and tad overcrowded in its first half, if still involving and well-acted, "Deepwater" becomes the 'real deal' mid way through with the start of the rig explosion, which is both intense and shocking, but at the same time truly spectacular. From this moment till the very end, it transforms into an impressive blend of chaos, struggle, desperation, and battle for survival that will glue you to the screen. The incredible special and sound effects lift up the film technically.

[7.25/10] The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016)

The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016)

Quick Review: As engrossing, as it's terrifying, "The Autopsy"' implies lots of guts and ghastly images, and it has those. And because wаtching a proper autopsy isn't nasty enough this unpredictable film gets creepier with every next disturbing discovery about the cause of dead of the title character to the point where the plot embarks in a territory so dark, it will give you shivers, and nightmares. A few weak moments it makes up with some pretty solid acting.

[4.75/10] Assassin's Creed [3D] (2016)

Assassin's Creed (2016)

Quick Review: Being based on a video game, instead of relying on its entertainment value to deliver thrills, this one turns out to be a confusing, grim, and overdone mess with numb plot, whose misty visuals only add to its already gloomy tone. The scenes set in 1492 Spain are the best, but those are just a few, and while most of the fights and stunts are capably-choreographed, the noticeable CGIs involved often ruin them. Cast-wise, Cotillard is wasted, and Fassbender struggles with the script.

[6.75/10] Sing [3D] (2016)

Sing [3D] (2016)

Quick Review: Inspired by reality TV singing competitions, and sheer passion for music, Garth Jennings' feature is a jolly entertainment with fairly clever plot, and slick graphics, whose every single animal character is smoothly-designed, and cute as a button. Surprisingly enough though, for a flick with such title, "Sing" has more story than singing, which is a pity, because the musical numbers are joyful and big fun to watch, and some of the vocals are pretty much amazing. Tori Kelly, wow!

[4.50/10] The Disappointments Room (2016)

The Disappointments Room (2016)

Quick Review: Judging by its good looks, smooth camera work, and the somber atmosphere its director sets up, it has all the qualities of a well- produced horror film, plus, the very appealing Kate Beckinsale does her best with the given material. It's too bad the material itself is a complete piece of crap, devoid of any ideas, making "TDR" one of the dumbest, most derivative, unimaginative, and atrociously un-scary haunted house flicks in recent memory.

[6.00/10] Storks (2016)

Storks (2016)

Quick Review: It may not have the most creative graphics, or the most colorful and eye-catching animation, or the most consistent storyline for that matter, however, "Storks" is still a pretty decent feature with a brisk, almost frenetic pacing to keep you interested in its rather nonsensical, yet often funny plot, and undeniably charming characters that little ones will certainly fall for. There're barely any surprises along the way, but the film is everything but boring, and the ending is very adorable.

[7.00/10] The Magnificent Seven (2016)

Magnificent Seven (2016)

Quick Review: Fuqua's otherwise solid direction may not be consistent the whole way through, making the movie sluggish in places, but "M7" is pretty slick in looks and tone, thanks to the authentic production design, and fuzzy cinematography that give it a proper western feel, plus, each of 'the seven' have their distinctive personality as well as skills. In terms of action, the film saves the best for last, offering some deft, thrilling set- pieces, infused with drama, to raise up your adrenaline level.

[5.25/10] Incarnate (2016)

Incarnate (2016)

Quick Review: Relaying heavily on its 'illusionary' approach, "Incarnate" wants badly to be the "Inception" of all possession movies, and though it messes with your head at times, in the end it feels the film is trying too hard, and as a result, it gets lost in its own cinematic subconscious, not knowing what to do with itself, or in which direction to go, in spite of the good ideas it has on its mind. There are some gruesome images, but the scares are weak and Eckhart seems out of his comfort zone.

[6.50/10] Sausage Party (2016)

Sausage Party (2016)

Quick Review: A tasty mix of fun, profanity, and adult entertainment, this animated flick for grown ups is rather genius in concept, and unlike anything you've seen before. With a filthy yet witty script overloaded with crude humor, tons of sexual jokes, and dirty language, "Sausage Party" might be unsuitable for children, but elder audiences will find it hilarious. The animation itself is hard to fault, having all the proper 'ingredients' to catch your eye, and the characters are so full of personality.

[8.50/10] Hacksaw Ridge (2016)

Hacksaw Ridge (2016)

Quick Review: Essentially divided into two pretty distinctive halves that contrast drastically, if not shockingly, with the first one being an emotional domestic drama with a touch of nice old-fashioned romance, followed by a brutal, and hyper violent war story that contains one of the bloodiest, most uncompromising, and skillfully-executed battle sequences ever put on film and led by Andrew Garfield's outstanding performance, "Hacksaw Ridge" is inspiring, heroic, humane, and masterfully-crafted.

[6.00/10] Southside with You (2016)

Southside with You (2016)

Quick Review: Although far from exciting, or gripping for that matter, it's rather interesting witnessing the first ever date between former USA president Barak Obama and his first lady, and to be totally honest, it's a genuine, gentle, and pretty romantic first date, captured so elegantly on camera, with the help of Chicago's beautiful city scenery. Also, there's a political touch about the story, but that's more inspiring than tiresome. As dialogue-driven as it is, the film is all about the characters.

[5.00/10] The Monster (2016)

The Monster (2016)

Quick Review: Sure, it pays tribute to old school creatures features by using a classic pitch-black tone, and some flawed, but at the same time satisfying practical effects, allowing the monster to look as disgustingly realistic as possible, and the totally electrifying relationship between the young mother, and her daughter is probably more frightening than both the creature and the gore, but "The Monster" fails big time to generate any big scares due to a poor script that leads it to nowhere.

[6.75/10] Rogue One: A Star Wars Story [3D] (2016)

Rogue One [3D] (2016)

Quick Review: Visually-impressive, if occasionally all-over-the-place in terms of narrative, "Rouge One 3D" doesn't break any new grounds with its grimy story, which comes across as borderline-contrived at times, but Edwards' capable direction makes it kind of refreshing and untypical with the help of some impeccable special effects, and a truly first-class action. Felicity Jones's central performance is a hit-n-miss really, and the scenes involving K-2SO, Vader, and Chirrut Imwe are the highlights.

[6.00/10] The Fits (2016)

The Fits (2016)

Quick Review: Even though its laid back approach, and bizarre pacing may be challenging for some, "The Fits" is pretty much a one of a kind experience that will mesmerize you with its beautiful simplicity, as from start to finish, everything about this refreshingly uncynical sports drama seems surreally realistic. Rising star Hightower is a real force of nature here, carrying most of the film with modest confidence. The inexplicable elements in the story are, oddly, the most fascinating ones.

[5.50/10] Sully (2016)

Sully (2016)

Quick Review: Quite possibly the weakest Eastwood effort in terms of execution since his "J. Edgar" back in 2011, this biographical drama is fairly moving, and benefits from Tom Hanks' ability to carry a whole movie on its shoulders, but apart from the strong final act, "Sully" is a barely gripping, emotionally underwhelming and rather lazily-directed cinematic experience, whose based-on-actual-events story is neither powerful, nor affecting enough to make you care on a more deeper level.

[6.00/10] Trolls (2016)

Trolls (2016)

Quick Review: It's hard not to like those creatures with amusing faces and crazy blazing hair, which turned iconic amongst children through the years, especially our sweet and kind hearted protagonist Princess Poppy, plus the finely-executed animation is as colorful and vibrant as it can get, but "Trolls" never entirely succeeds, falling victim of its juvenile plot-line with foreseeable outcome that only the little ones may find entertaining. The pop and r'n'b musical numbers are very catchy, though.

[8.00/10] Nocturnal Animals (2016)

Nocturnal Animals (2016)

Quick Review: Shot with great flair and truly remarkable sense of style, Tom Ford's "Nocturnal Animals" not only captivates the eye with its slick cinematography, and strikingly lurid color palette which combined create a beautifully mesmerizing tone, but it also arrests the mind and the heart with its aesthetically-bounded story-within-a-story plot about love, loss, violence and revenge that is equally riveting, disturbing, and emotionally severe. The ensemble cast all do a brilliant job in their roles.

[5.00/10] Morgan (2016)

Morgan (2016)

Quick Review: Based purely on a technical level, this little sci-fier has a lot to be praised for, considering its limited budget -- from Scott's tight direction, and smooth camera work to the truly sleek visuals and precise editing, everything about "Morgan" is spot-on. Where the problem lies with it, is the film's underdeveloped potential, as it promises a lot, but delivers very little in terms of ideas, wasting its solid premise completely, due to a script full of strong action, but devoid of originality.

[6.25/10] Indignation (2016)

Indignation (2016)

Quick Review: Due to its authentic early 1950s feel, refined production design, and sleek cinematography, "Indignation" is a gorgeously-filmed drama that pleases the eyes, plus, the acting is outstanding with Logan Lerman delivering a great turn as the highly intelligent Jewish student, seduced by a mysterious pretty girl, but then again, in spite of its finely- written script, this emotionally empty film never really manages to get you involved, appearing way too shallow, and with very little heart.

[5.50/10] Almost Christmas (2016)

Almost Christmas (2016)

Quick Review: The all-black cast is difficult to fault, especially Mo'Nique, who's sassy performance steals the entire show, and is without a doubt this true mixed bag of a dramedy's biggest asset, but that being said, "Almost Christmas" is struggling a lot to find the right balance ironically being almost funny, almost touching, and, well, almost good. And it's the screenplay to blame, as it slips into sentimentality way too often, easily killing the fun bits in this potentially hilarious family reunion.

[8.25/10] The Handmaiden (2016)

The Handmaiden (2016)

Quick Review: Telling an intricate story of love, lust, passion, betrayal, and deception, held masterfully in a devious cat-and-mouse fashion that maintains the tension throughout its pretty long 140-minute running time, and boasting sophisticated Eastern interiors and lavishly exotic exteriors that make it all the more captivating, "The Handmaiden" is a gorgeously- filmed drama for true cinema lovers, with very few weak points, which has every right to be called one of 2016 very best Asian movies.

[5.25/10] Underworld: Blood Wars [3D] (2016)

Underworld: Blood Wars [3D] (2016)

Quick Review: The 5th and maybe the weakest entry in the franchise, though fast-paced, has nothing new to offer, suffering from a mechanical and messy plot, with too many loose ends. The Selene vs Marius fight on the frozen lake is great fun, indeed, but the rest of the action is barely impressive, and the war itself whilst definitely bloody is far from colossal. Beckinsale is bad-ass, but the poor script and inconsistent direction kind of neglect her character.

[8.25/10] Moana [3D] (2016)

Moana [3D] (2016)

Quick Review: A minor step below "Zootopia", yet still a blast, Disney's Polynesian-flavored flick is not your straightforward princess movie. With its vigorous and inventively-told sea story full of life, and a title character that is as brave, daring, lionhearted, and wild, as it is delightful, "Moana" is a crowd-pleaser, whose exuberant animation style, and lavish graphics bursting in dazzling colors will excite you. The immaculate use of 3D is to be admired, and all the singing is an absolute joy to listen to.

[6.50/10] Elle (2016)

Elle (2016)

Quick Review: Plain in execution, yet clever in concept, Verhoeven's latest is as much a character study as it is a dark and twisted revenge thriller, and though its sluggish, at times painfully slow pacing may be a bit challenging for most viewers, the outcome is rather rewarding, mostly thanks to the movie's mesmerizing tone and Isabelle Huppert's amazing lead performance. "Elle" is also very sexually charged, and naughty by nature, which adds a bit of an edge to this enigmatic drama.

[8.00/10] Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)

Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)

Quick Review: Bold, adventurous, amusing, emotionally resonant, and nothing short of astonishing to look at, "Kubo and the Two Strings" is yet another diamond in LAIKA's crown that will stagger you big time with its richly detailed and truly breathtaking stop-motion 3D graphics, as well as move you with its lovable characters and heartfelt story that is as much emotional as it is gripping, having a dark side to itself. The fight scenes are outstanding as well.