Crisp Criticism - "X-Men: Days of Future Past", "Blended", "The Babadook"

by

Julien Faddoul

X-Men: Days of Future Past

The X-Men send Wolverine to the past in a desperate effort to change history and prevent an event that results in doom for both humans and mutants.

Another self-serious piece of etching-turned-cinema. Flat, dull, stylistically unimpressive and with hubris oozing from every frame.

d – Bryan Singer

w – Simon Kinberg, Jane Goldman, Matthew Vaughn

ph – Newton Thomas Sigel

pd – John Myhre

m – John Ottman

ed – John Ottman

cos – Louise Mingenbach

p – Simon Kinberg, Hutch Parker, Lauren Shuler Donner, Bryan Singer

Cast: Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Jennifer Lawrence, Halle Berry, Nicholas Hoult, Anna Paquin, Ellen Page, Peter Dinklage, Shawn Ashmore, Omar Sy, Evan Peters, Josh Helman, Daniel Cudmore, Bingbing Fan, Adan Canto, Booboo Stewart

Blended

After a bad blind date, a man and woman find themselves stuck together at a resort for families.

Patronizing Sandler film without a single successful joke.

d – Frank Coraci

w – Ivan Menchell, Clare Sera

ph – Julio Macat

ad – Alan Au, Andrew Orlando

m – Rupert Gregson-Williams

ed – Tom Costain

cos – Christine Wada

p – Jack Giarraputo, Mike Karz, Adam Sandler

Cast: Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Kevin Nealon, Terry Crews, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Emma Fuhrmann, Bella Thorne, Alyvia Alyn Lind, Joel McHale

The Babadook

A single mother, plagued by the violent death of her husband, battles with her son's fear of a monster lurking in the house.

A great deal of expert artistic direction is wasted here on watery characters and scares without a means to an end.

wd – Jennifer Kent

ph – Radoslaw Ladczuk

pd – Alex Holmes

m – Jed Kurzel

ed – Simon Njoo

cos – Heather Wallace

p – Kristina Ceyton, Kristian Moliere

Cast: Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman, Daniel Henshall, Hayley McElhinney