[6.50/10] Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle [3D] (2017)

Jumanji [3D] (2017)

Quick Review: Finding the balance between refreshing and nostalgic by being respectful to the original, but also throwing a few surprises to set itself apart, "Jumanji" fully embraces its 'goofy fun' approach instead of trying hard to be more than a pure popcorn flick, and the end result is an energetic, briskly-paced, action-packed, and adventurous romp with lush 3D visuals and top-notch CGIs, which lets its hilarious cast to enjoy themselves in their challenging roles and bring the big laughs.

[6.75/10] Battle of the Sexes (2017)

Battle of the Sexes (2017)

Quick Review: Deeply concerning the genre equality issue that is still relevant nowadays, this in one one hand a significant biopic about male chauvinism, but its importance does not take away from the fun, because on the other, "Battle of the Sexes" is an amusing dramedy with a touch of romance and great 70s look which revolves around a historical sports rivalry that never fails to entertain, mostly thanks to the two outstanding lead performances, with Stone really bringing her "A"–game.

[7.25/10] Mudbound (2017)

Mudbound (2017)

Quick Review: Having a historic and emotional value, "Mudbound" is an affecting story built on the bumpy relationship between a black and a white family that depicts poverty and represents the difficult time period through its dim color palette, fuzzily vintage shooting style, and simplistic yet genuine production design. The exceptional cast is what makes this film so impactful, with every one of them being raw and beyond credible in the often intricate situations their characters are all put it.

[7.00/10] Thelma (2017)

Thelma (2017)

Quick Review: As shivering as its chilly setting, yet somewhat tender and beautifully subdued, this oddly captivating supernatural thriller from Norway successfully sets itself apart by cunningly avoiding most of the overly familiar cliches typical for the sub-genre and telling an uncommon story that blends such themes as forbidden romance, telekinesis, self- discovery, and telepathy, constantly throwing curveballs in a twisty way that showcases "Thelma"' creator's out-of-the-box creativity.

[4.50/10] Flatliners (2017)

Flatliners (2017)

Quick Review: Both, unnecessary and lifeless, Arden Oplev's remake of the 90's movie of the same name not only fails miserably to improve upon the original, but judged merely by itself, "Flatliners" is an incapably-executed and poorly-directed effort that is neither clever enough as a sci-fi flick, nor even remotely scary as a horror one, due to a derivative script lacking in originality and fresh ideas, and an otherwise pleasant cast, who's characters are, funnily, dead from the neck up.

[6.50/10] Bright (2017)

Bright (2017)

Quick Review: A somewhat unique genre mash up that blends action, comedy, and fantasy in a perky, if hardly seamless way, "Bright" would have worked better as a TV series due to its somewhat convoluted plot with way too many elements to be fully developed in 2 hours, but this cop buddy creature caper with many cultural and racial references still entertains with its unusual concept. Smith and Edgerton are spot-on in their roles, yet too bad the amazing Rapace is so underused.

[7.75/10] Call Me by Your Name (2017)

Call Me by Your Name (2017)

Quick Review: As warm, sensual, and natural as its lush North Italian rural setting, which gives it an easy- breezy summer feel, and sense of visual authenticity, "Call Me by Your Name" is a credible and emotionally charged queer story about first love and self-discovery that benefits from its two leads Chalamet and Hammer, who's affection, sexual tension, and physical chemistry leaves an even bigger impact than the truly genuine protagonists themselves.

[4.25/10] The Snowman (2017)

The Snowman (2017)

Quick Review: A real waste of both source material and talent, Tomas Alfredson's otherwise well-shot third film may have a suitably washed-out cinematography and chilly settings, but its ho-hum plot is hardly chilling. Suffering from pretty lazy direction, muddled pacing, complete and utter lack of thrills, and a dull script that obstructs its solid cast to showcase what they're really capable off, "The Snowman" is easily one of the most underdeveloped and tiresome serial killer movies ever made.

[7.50/10] Loveless (2017)

Loveless (2017)

Quick Review: Very sleek in looks, masterfully-filmed and directed, and moody in tone, "Loveless" depicts the contemporary life in Russia with its harshly down-to-earth domestic story about big family crisis, which it cleverly uses as a political allegory to exhibit the nation's meltdown. The tonal shift midway not only elevates the dramatic tension, but it gives it an ambiguous sense of mystery that will both provoke and engage your brain, not to mention the acting is all around credibly brilliant.

[6.00/10] The Mountain Between Us (2017)

The Mountain Between Us (2017)

Quick Review: Worth-watching for the the majestically snowy, yet truly chilling mountain scenery, as well as the two solid performances by Elba and Winslet, who's fiery chemistry and hot dynamics contrast with the frosty locations, but "The Mountain Between Us"'s exaggerated story is too ludicrous to be credible, and the often corny romance overpowers all the survival elements in a way it makes you care less and lees about the character's struggles.

[9.75/10] The Shape of Water (2017)

The Shape of Water (2017)

Quick Review: The most magically bizarre romance ever told, invented by Del Toro vivid creativity, sense of wit and eye for detail, "The Shape of Water" is an extraordinarily emotive creature feature love story, whose sublimely artful cinematography and aquatic color palette, combined with the earthy tones and shady lighting enhance the fairy tale-ish feel and retro look of this visual stunner. The stellar ensemble cast all deliver, and Hawkins excels with her expressively mute main performance.

[6.25/10] Star Wars: The Last Jedi [3D] (2017)

Star Wars: The Last Jedi [3D] (2017)

Quick Review: The difficult-to-fault CGIs are as slick as they should be for such a big space saga, and the third act is pure classic Star Wars greatness full of action and thrills, and yet the overcrowded "Episode VIII" ends up being a fairly average entry which tries too hard to pay homage to the old series, while also be as fun as it can, but the hollow plotting, incoherent direction, forced humor, and uneven pacing prevent it to achieve its purpose.

[6.75/10] Stronger (2017)

Stronger (2017)

Quick Review: Its slow pacing may be a bit demanding, and the impact it makes is far from gut-wrenching, but Green's strong directional debut is nevertheless a quietly powerful effort that touches and inspires with its profound and sensual fact-based story about love, heroism, frailty and support. Carried by Jake Gyllenhaal sensationally affecting performance, and shot with sense of authenticity, "Stronger" is a sad, harrowing, and often difficult to watch, if gloriously moving film experience.

[7.25/10] mother! (2017)

mother! (2017)

Quick Review: A love-or-hate type of movie full of symbolism that the audiences will find either genius or atrocious, Aronofsky's challenging, biblical-inspired piece is surely one- of-a-kind, thanks to its audaciously metaphorical concept, controversial approach, and cunning execution. Mesmerizing in its peculiarity until it gets diabolically twisted towards the end and benefiting from Lawrence's most expressive performance yet, "mother!" is a nuanced shocker that will mess with your mind.

[4.75/10] Home Again (2017)

Home Again (2017)

Quick Review: Reese Witherspoon is as alluring, irresistibly charming, and charismatic as always, and she does her best with the underwritten role she's being attached to play here, but here presence simply isn't enough to overcome the flat script, mediocre direction, pointless story, and worst of all, the utter lack of any tension and chemistry between the characters which inevitably makes "Home Again" an unengaging and emotionless romantic dramedy that plays it almost too safe.

[6.50/10] Detroit (2017)

Detroit (2017)

Quick Review: The real gritty tone, doc-like shooting style, and urban setting combined create a raw feel that fits in well with both the time period and the factual story, plus, the acting is solid, and even though the film starts-off a bit frantically and continues on in a chaotic manner, luckily "Detroit" gets its act together midway through, and grows into an absolutely tense, uncompromisingly violent and an unsettling drama that depicts these horrific historic events credibly and realistically.

[7.00/10] The Foreigner (2017)

The Foreigner (2017)

Quick Review: Offering a relatively more emotional and profound turn by the cult action star Jackie Chan than we've used to see, but without compromising on his combat skills, which excel bit time during the hand-to-hand fights, "The Foreigner" is a remarkably well-thought-out, sleek-looking, and absorbing thriller that uses a familiar plot formula in a way so smart, it takes an advantage of it. Thrilling every step of the way, this taut and finely-crafted film will surely keep you on your toes.

[8.50/10] Coco [3D] (2017)

Coco [3D] (2017)

Quick review: Less humorous and darker in tone than most Pixar films so far, yet profoundly poignant and uplifting, this Mexican-inspired, Latin tempered, and fantastically grim-ish tale of life and death is thoughtful and affecting, without being mushy. Driven by the passion for music and the significance of family relations, "Coco" is a breathtakingly-animated fiesta with a twist that benefits from its zestful protagonist, and some of the most dazzling and richly colorful graphics you'll ever see.

[5.25/10] A Bad Moms Christmas (2017)

A Bad Moms Christmas (2017)

Quick Review: Not even half as charming and hilarious as the first, and also awfully episodic due to a poor editing and uneven pacing, "A Bad Moms Christmas" gets its act together towards the end, showing some heart, plus, it brings a few big laughs along the way, but most of the jokes feel way too forced to be really funny, and though the crazy grandmas are on focus here, their chemistry barely matches the one of the moms in the original.

[6.25/10] Victoria & Abdul (2017)

Victoria & Abdul (2017)

Quick Review: Both, a well-crafted and acted adaptation that embodies the term 'opposites attract', "Victoria & Abdul" is an often amusing story about an uncommon friendship that one one hand showcases a more intimate and open-minded side of Queen Victoria, but on the other, it's a reminiscent of UK's dark colonial past. In terms of looks, the movie is authentically lavish in its production design, besides, Judi Dench steals every moment she's on screen with her stellar performance.

[6.75/10] Ingrid Goes West (2017)

Ingrid Goes West (2017)

Quick Review: Revealing the ugly truth about how life presented on social media may differ vastly from the real one in a deceiving way, and that most people that seem happy online are actually sad and lonely, "Ingrid Goes West" is a current take on a stalker thriller with a modern edge that's simultaneously hilarious, satirical, disturbing, and even scary, and led just sensationally by Plaza, who's obsessive character is oddly charming in her perplexing behavior, yet constantly engaging.

[5.00/10] Beach Rats (2017)

Beach Rats (2017)

Quick Review: Neither particularly affecting, nor sordid in any way, this otherwise believably depicted and portrayed 'coming out' queer drama has all the right ingredients to end up being successful, but the stone-cold tone and feel of the film, along with the monotonous pacing, and flimsy script ruin all of its intentions to evoke some genuine emotions in the viewers' hearts and touch them deeply enough. The underwhelming and numb conclusion doesn't leave much of an impact either.

[7.75/10] Blade of the Immortal (2017)

Blade of the Immortal (2017)

Quick Review: Filmed in absolutely breathtaking locations, all captured beautifully on camera by Japanese visionary Miike, and featuring some super-sharp, blood-splattering, and masterful swordplay that drives the film's hyper-violent essence, "Blade of the Immortal" is a tasteful manga-inspired samurai tale of vengeance and friendship, whose slow pacing is its only weakness, but whose main strength is its immortal, yet vincible and humane protagonist.

[6.00/10] Justice League [3D] (2017)

Justice League (2017)

Quick Review: A bit rushed, busy, and over-the-top, and let down by a banal plot-line, one-note villain, and overuse of CGIs, yet never dull and packed with swanky action, "Justice League" is tonally all over the place, since Snyder's gloomy tone clashes with Whedon't lighthearted feel, and some of the heroes end up terribly underdeveloped, but at least both Wonder Woman and Superman give the movie the needed zest, energy, and boost, and save it from being a disastrous funless mess.

 

[7.00/10] The Glass Castle (2017)

The Glass Castle (2017)

Quick Review: A sad, powerful and moving tale about one dysfunctional family's struggles, driven by the odd yet strong bond between them, "The Glass Castle" is a solid adaptation that remains involving in spite of its two-hour running time and sluggish pacing, thanks to the brilliant acting by the faultlessly assembled cast, each of whom make their character constantly engrossing to watch. The old-fashioned visuals tone down the sharp contrast between wealth and poverty depicted in here.