Kaka

The most ambitious Adkins so far. European stylization with an irresistible central melody reminiscent European gangster and crime films with Belmondo from the 1960s and 70, and a direct homage to Morricone's "Chi Mai", all combined with typically gritty British humour and an overall concept that is strikingly reminiscent of the work of Guy Ritchie and his ilk. The action is decent for a low-budget film, properly gritty in places as only Adkins's form will allow. The flashback from prison and the final pub brawl are also good. One of the few films from the king of action B-movies that offers a bit more than just kicks and punches of all kinds.

The dumb screenwriting time travel concept and the resulting total unlimited bullshit situations are all over the place after a while, except that this shouldn't be starring Adam Devine, who is a wizard of parody, gags of all types and apparently a very cool guy, drawing most of the attention to himself. The rest is left to Alexandra Daddario, but it's not so much about acting.

An enjoyable crime drama with very decent action, an excellent real-time chase of armed robbers and a devilishly decent role fr Taylor Kitsch, who should play only bad guys from now on and totally forget about being the hero. The ending it’s a bit too much, but Simmons is a good enough actor to keep it within acceptable limits. As a low-budget and dynamic alternative to Bourne, it’s fine.

A more likeable and restrained alternative to Emmerich's Midway. With a shorter runtime, better structure and formal stylisation, and more straightforward. Hanks takes this on with (un)surprising aplomb as the Captain of a destroyer. The paradox is that, although this is a war film, what is more interesting than the sometimes highly digital combat sequences is the meticulously detailed depiction of the workings of the crew and the procedures and tasks they perform as part of their routine. Nothing groundbreaking, but at least it doesn’t want to be a megalomaniac war flick.

A fascinating performance by DiCaprio in a legendary 1990s drug teen romp that's very open, gritty and authentic for its time, but retains that teenage playfulness and optimism. A brilliantly balanced and at times respectably shocking probe into New York's drug dens. A film that should be shown to a generation of teenagers, so that they know what to prepare for if they want to experiment.

A historical fizzy fun drama, where the actors have a good time, the writers are quite brilliant in places and the cameraman shows us panoramas of Venice. Hallström's affectionate, almost familial style of directing is undeniable, but the second half pulls the whole thing into a kind of slightly bizarre, modern gag-riddled historical parody, dominated by Irons, Platt and the consistently horny, not yet well-known Natalie Dormer. It’s fun for one time, but don’t expect anything revelatory.

When two people do the same thing, it's not always the same. Characters lacking depth, a script without substance and the imaginative action scenes of Gareth Evans have been replaced by brutality and mechanics. Headshot is not a downright bad film, but other than the superbly executed action, it has nothing else. The Raid is miles ahead, and even The Night Comes for Us, which is relatively close to Headshot, is at least a head better because it had a better plot, neon lights, and more coherent visuals with a more elaborate and uncharacteristically stylized carnage. Headshot comes out as the least attractive of this trio, but it’s still decent craftsmanship. As a showcase of fights, it’s fine.

A bizarre mindfuck full of Nordic cults, precise camerawork and a tense atmosphere that gradually builds into an unadulterated inferno. The depiction of violence and murder doesn't matter, on the contrary it is fresh, crisply shot and at times very intense with the help of the music and the skill of the filmmakers. An interesting mix of dark relationship drama, set in even darker interiors and exteriors (the first half), where everyone finds their own thing about both protagonists, and an over-lit feast for the eyes, where everyone is nice before the murders begin. Paradoxically, while the relationship drama has power and tends to emerge from the darkness, the seemingly positive, lavishly photographed natural scenery of the wilderness is full of light, but here the adage that it’s darkest under the candlestick is doubly true. Bold filmmaking that hasn't been here in such a form and with such a unique directorial style for a long time.

Just as the protagonists search for themselves in the whirlwind of the big city, the moviegoer must search for valuable crumbs and the key ingredients in the film on their own, in a tangle of ballast and a sometimes unbalanced story. Some things you can find, others not. Still, it's quite a daring tale "based on a true story" with the right guys acting in a momentary comedy, a film about rebellion, sport and a touching drama.

Nothing revolutionary, but it is solid craftsmanship, with good production design, sometimes suspenseful moments, decent actors – especially the mustachioed Thomas Kretschmann is a truly delectable villain. For a German production, it is also technically and musically well done. Although Balloon suffers from that crazy linguistic wreck called German, the language also adds to its authenticity. Once again the cold atmosphere of Berlin is perfectly captured.