Movie reviews of Craig McKenzie

A creative and fun crossover that moves at a brisk pace, offers plenty of exciting action and vibrant visuals that doesn’t alienate either side of the fanbase. Review

A light, fun and unchallenging viewing experience with a delightful central dynamic, impressive action and strong comedic beats. It’s far from a masterpiece but also far from a waste of time. Review

An entertaining riff on the slasher genre with a strong cast that doesn’t quite manage to be more than the sum of its parts. Review

A positive and hopeful film about the power of love and the influence it can have on someone’s life that boasts positivity shining like a beacon through the darkness of an unpleasant community. Review

Site 13 is a straightforward yet engrossing spin on a subgenre rarely achieved well on film, fusing the past and the present into a single tale of damnation and madness. A found footage mystery, a cosmic horror, a 2000s chiller, a 2020s psychological exploration and a contemporising of immensely popular yet uncomfortably dated stories, the film is many things at the same time and manages to do justice to them all. Review

A fun and visually creative experience with a strong leading performance that makes great use of the potential that a hero with super speed brings. Review

An entertaining blockbuster with likeable characters and an uncomplicated plot that contains some impressive set pieces making good use of its premise. Review

An expertly crafted, visually stunning triumph of animation that has more than enough substance to back up the abundance of style. Review

An excellent swansong for the titular team with a heartfelt character-driven narrative, stunning visuals, expert balancing of an ensemble cast and a strong command of theme. Review

A fun and visually impressive movie with strong pacing made with boundless affection for the source material. Review

This Land is both a political allegory and an engaging horror movie, balancing enough of each that its main issues are clear within its microcosmic framework. Review

A slick and entertaining dramatisation of the insane story behind the popular video game with a charismatic lead, stylish presentation and an accessibly breezy tone. Review

A compelling take on the Dark Knight with an excellent visual aesthetic and a strong take on Lovecraftian horror that will leave a lasting impression. Review

A fun and visually stunning superhero outing with excellent production design, creative set pieces and an abundance of charm. Review

An infectiously fun time at the movies that is impressively constructed, endlessly entertaining and visually vibrant with engaging instantly memorable characters. Review

A very poor entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with a sloppy script and ugly visuals that definitely doesn’t qualify as a “must-see” cinematic event. Review

Teen Wolf: The Movie is an utterly unnecessary revisit that plays like glorified fan fiction, managing to forget everything that made the TV series such a success in the first place. Review

A well-directed mid-budget action movie with excellent pacing, a variety of entertaining set pieces and a capable lead in Gerard Butler that succeeds far more than it doesn’t. Review

Exploited had the potential to be a compelling exploration into how the digital age has made stalking and harassment even easier for its perpetrators, or a traditional slasher augmented by the use of contemporary technology. Review

A must-see for its technical accomplishments but has very little beneath the surface. The opening of the film impressively establishes a baseline for the Sully family that enhances the notion that they are outsiders when they have to learn the ways of the Metkayina. Review

Nutcracker Massacre is an admirable effort to craft a festive horror with limited resources and manages to do quite a bit with very little. Review

Goodbye, Don Glees! will feel familiar to anyone even vaguely familiar with the themes of coming-of-age movies, but its trio of relatable teens and the sincerity of their emotional intensity quickly becomes hypnotic, as it tells a tale of overwrought sentimentality that defies you to claim it doesn’t resonate with you in a deep and powerful way. ... Review

A fascinating yet clunky viewing experience that feels in conflict with itself about what it wants to be but features a strong exploration of grief, stunning visuals and excellent characterisation. Review

Black Adam is not without its merits or potential but it fails to be more than the sum of its parts and ends up as a slog that buries what potential it has under relentless white noise. Review