[4.75/10] Mortdecai (2015)

Mortdecai (2015)

Quick Review: With its vintage-y production design and color palette, "Mortdecai" has an appealing looks at least, but that's far from enough to cover up its tons of other issues -- from the premise that sounds fun on paper, but lacks in execution, to the shallow script full of dry humor that desperately wants to be witty, and yet another goofy performance from Depp, who seem to have lost his touch for good, this is a true spy comedy disaster, that won't last long in any viewer's memory.

[8.00/10] Spy (2015)

Spy (2015)

Quick Review: Constantly hilarious smartly-plotted, variable in settings, dynamic in execution, held with style and great flair, and boasting one of the quirkiest and original fight and kill scenes this year, that rival even those in "Kingsman", "Spy" is hands down the funniest, most entertaining spy comedy ever made, proving the huge comedic talent McCarthy really possesses, when given the suitable material, as well as the versatility of the rest of the amazing cast, putting them in untypical roles.

[6.50/10] The Age of Adaline (2015)

The Age of Adaline (2015)

Quick Review: The subdued, but heavy on contrast cinematography creates an appropriately mysterious mood around the intriguing 'forever young'-themed story, and the lovely and talented Blake Lively turns in an alluring and appealing performance, becoming the movie's main strength but midway through "Adaline" starts to feel a bit too contrived, and that's the only, but major issue that stops it from being great. That said, it's an absorbing, unusual love story with a lot more highs than lows.

[4.25/10] The Lazarus Effect (2015)

The Lazarus Effect (2015)

Quick Review: Olivia Wilde gives it her all with the mediocre script she has to work with, providing the very few chills the film provides, and the premise sounds good on paper, but sadly "The Lazarus Effect" turns out to be a bit too predictable then it's supposed to be, using gimmick and frights so obvious, they don't have any effect at all. Not to mention, the limited setting, and the overall ugly, insipid visuals, which combined with its other shortcomings make the film even more uninteresting.

[6.50/10] Pitch Perfect 2 (2015)

Pitch Perfect 2 (2015)

Quick Review: Banks' sometimes incompetent direction lets it down a notch, as the whole thing feels a bit random, the none-singing parts are not nearly as funny or amusing as those in the original film, but for a sequel of this kind, "Pitch Perfect 2" strikes all the right notes in terms of sheer entertainment -- the musical numbers are cheerful and uplifting, all of the characters have distinctive individuality, the jokes work for the most part, and it's a delight listening to Anna Kendrick sing.

[6.75/10] San Andreas [3D] (2015)

San Andreas [3D] (2015)

Quick Review: In terms of plotting, this is your typical silly, exaggerated, and often contrived disaster film with a heavy touch of family melodrama, that gives it a lot more intimate feel, but the visually-overwhelming "San Andres" makes up big time for those script faults with some of the finest 3D and CGI effects ever displayed, an attractive cast that interact well, and a level of intensity so high, it will keep you on the edge of your seat from the thrilling opening sequence to the shattering climax.

[5.75/10] Adult Beginners (2015)

Adult Beginners (2015)

Quick Review: Pretty much in the same vein as "The Skeleton Twins", "Adult Beginners" has a very similar bizarre mood about itself, also trying to balance its dramatic and comedic elements successfully, but same as the one compared, this film barely achieves that at all times. However, the well-picked, charming cast and the solid chemistry between them all, make the movie watchable and often amusing, covering the scripts shortcomings. Katz's direction is too plain and simple though.

[6.25/10] Tomorrowland (2015)

Tomorrowland (2015)

Quick Review: Sure, its incoherent narrative and pretty overambitious, if half-baked story, do not match the movie's stupendous, often inventive visuals, and the polished CGI work that helps its creators to achieve the futuristic feel, but "Tomorrowland" is still a fairly enjoyable 'romper', that will keep you really entertained for 107 mins, mostly thanks to Brittany Robertson amusing performance in the lead who turns this juvenile sci-fi flick from mediocre to watchable, if very far from impressive.

[1.50/10] The Human Centipede III (Final Sequence) (2015)

The Human Centipede III (Final Sequence) (2015)

Quick Review: Possessing neither the shock value of the original, nor the gruesome nastiness of the "Full Sequence", the thankfully final entry in arguably the most controversial horror franchise in film history is an outrageous bore, so uninspired, it's unintentionally funny, in an irritating way. Laser's overacting is annoying to death, and L. Harvey's disturbing character from the previous sequel is now a one-dimensional fool. Don't expect any scares here!

[6.75/10] Ex Machina (2015)

Ex Machina (2015)

Quick Review: Although entirely lacking in any sort of action or even dynamic, this rather untypical robot feature makes up for that beautifully with it thoughtful, quietly disturbing narrative, graceful pacing and sleek visuals, all thanks to Alex Garland's elegant direction and his intelligent, sophisticated approach at sci-fi, that thoroughly absorbs with its profound subtlety. Alicia Vikander is perfectly- cast as Ava, basically stealing every scene she's on screen. The final act lets the movie down a bit.

[9.75/10] Mad Max: Fury Road [3D] (2015)

Mad Max: Fury Road [3D] (2015) 

Quick Review: The fierce Furiosa kind of steals the attention from Max himself, but that doesn't change the fact that "Fury Road" is one of the most restlessly intense, and visually stimulating action movies of the past decade or two, featuring exceptional stunts, astoundingly thrilling chases, staggering post-apocalyptic imagery and jaw-dropping action sequences that will fulfill you cinematic appetite for true top-notch entertainment and even make you euphoric.

[6.00/10] It Follows (2015)

It Follows (2015)

Quick Review: Sure, its oddball originality, affecting moodiness, and clever, contemporary approach set it apart from the most cliche-ridden genre flicks these days, but judged merely by itself, "It Follows" never really manages to get under your skin, let alone stay there, in spite of the occasional dread it exudes, as it turns out that this otherwise finely- acted, and well thought-out horror film is a lot more scarier in concept, than it's in execution. Not to mention the anti-climatic ending.

[3.75/10] The Drownsman (2015)

The Drownsman (2015)

Quick Review: The idea behind it isn't that awful, and the Drownsman itself looks ghastly enough to give the more easily frightened viewers nightmares for days, but sadly "The Drownsman" is hugely let down by a dreadful execution, an incompetent, bordering on terrible direction, and an unbearably amateurish acting by all the actors involved. Besides, the explanation it gives is not half as logical or satisfying as it should be, and most of the scares are either cheap or too ineffective.

[8.75/10] Avengers: Age of Ultron [3D] (2015)

Avengers: Age of Ultron [3D] (2015)

Quick Review: In this really worthy successor to Marvel's very best film, Whedon lets his imagination run wild creating a restlessly lively, and often mind-blowing spectacle of frantically epic action, relieved by some just as intriguing moments of purely human emotion, and even if the whole thing isn't particularly cohesive, or paced to perfection, "Age of Ultron" thrills, amazes, and amuses endlessly. The new heroes and Ultron itself add big value to the experience.

[7.25/10] Furious 7 (2015)

Furious 7 (2015)

Quick Review: Fast in pacing, and furious in style, Wan's "Furious 7" may have a few ill-fitting moments of cheesy romance, but that aside, it's an absolute thrill ride of a movie that flaunts the best car chases in all the series, high-octane fights, and tons of awe-inspiring, gravity-free action for your perfect entertainment. The Abu Dhabi scenes are both fancy to look at and delightfully over-the-top, the cast all knock it out of the park, and the emotional ending may bring you to tears. Well, it will.

[4.50/10] Careful What You Wish For (2015)

Careful What You Wish For (2015)

Quick Review: It's far from terrible, and both the posh interiors and lush exteriors are eye-catching enough, plus, the girls will be very pleased to watch the hunky Nick Jonas walking around half-naked for the most part, but that doesn't change the fact that "Careful What You Wish For" is one utter cheese-fest of an erotic thriller, with a 'been there, done that' type of premise, mediocre acting, and an absurd twist ending that feels more ridiculous than shocking.

[5.00/10] Tracers (2015)

Tracers (2015)

Quick Review: It starts of a lively blend of "Yamakashi" and "Premium Rush", featuring some truly out-of-this-world bike and parkour stunts, with Taylor Lautner performing both of these himself, and pretty skillfully so, but the fun with "Tracers" pretty much ends after the first 20 minutes or so, as after that the film gets way too serious and way too familiar to be mindlessly enjoyable as it should be, due to its generic plot, one-note characters and yet another dull role from the hunky Lautner.

CineMarvellous Preview: The Corpse of Anna Fritz (2015)

Horror films know what’s up; if you want to stay current (and relevant) you need to evolve over time (see also: Madonna, Cher, and Betty White). For a decent amount of time, 'found footage' and demonic possession movies defined the cutting edge of all things sleep-with-your-light-on scary. More recently, psychological thrillers have started to make a noticeable impact on the film scene. Premiering this year at SXSW, "The Corpse of Anna Fritz" has the potential to take this particular vein of horror one step further.

The story begins with Anna Fritz, a super famous, ridiculously gorgeous Spanish actress who mysteriously drops dead one morning. Her body is being held in a local morgue, where a shy mortician named Pau is working. When Pau comes across Anna’s body, he takes a picture of her and sends it to his friends Ivan and Javi. Shortly thereafter, Ivan and Javi come to visit Pau, and coerce him into taking them to see Anna’s corpse. Ivan decides that he wants to take advantage of the dead young woman, and Pau follows suit. When Pau is in the middle of raping Anna, she wakes up, and the situation becomes exponentially more complicated.

 

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This film carries echoes of past movies like "Deadgirl" and "Flesh for Frankenstein", but with one major departure: there is no element of fantasy in The Corpse of Anna Fritz. Anna is neither zombie nor Frankenstein; she is simply a woman. Director Hèctor Hernández Vicens’ allows for underlying human malevolence to serve as the metaphorical monster. The entire film has only four actors and a solitary location, which adds to the anxiety felt by the audience and characters alike.Is this movie going to make cinematic history? Probably not. But the taboo subject matter and mortifying plot twists make it intriguing (and fresh) enough that it deserves a chance.

Article by Zack Mandell