Thor: Ragnarok is directed by New Zealand golden boy Taika Waititi previous director of cult comedy hit 'Hunt for the Wilder People'. Once again the all mighty god of thunder - Thor - is played by the always reliable Chris Hemsworth joined alongside old faces: Tom Hiddleston, Mark Ruffalo and some new ones:  Tessa Thompson and Cate Blanchett. After Hela (the goddess of death), invades Asgard to take back her rightful thrown and both sons of odin are banished to a remote planet, the two must work together with the help of some new friends (and some old), in order to save Asgard. 

Marvel mockery of the highest order. Not only does the god of thunder worsen his reputation as the lesser of the Marvel sub series but sparks up enough rouge lightning bolts to strike him into the very bottom of the Marvel hierarchy. Thor: Ragnorok is the weirdest, wackiest and the worst of the marvel bunch.
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Waititi creates a trippy swirl, of Masters of the Universe mixed with any american sitcom. Motherbaugh's zany 80's score fizzles against the gorgeously vibrant world building marvel never fail to do. The visuals work wonders but don't treat you to any standout action scenes. 

Its plausible how he offers his own odd style to the franchise  - but feels as awkward as a gate crashed party. His quirky influence should push the Thor series into exciting new realms but ultimately adds nothing to both his mythology and the MCU itself. 

Less is more - a phrase marvel quickly need to learn the meaning of.  Ragnarok is the third and most sever example of everything wrong about modern Marvel. Humour is once again drenched over the entire picture and feels awfully forced. Almost every moment both serious and non serious are ruined by Waititi's need to make us laugh in all the wrong places. Must be the Kiwi Whit but I am not buying a single second of it.  

Ragnarok alienates itself from the MCU. Waititi has created his own vision that simply doesn't work with the source material - even though his abstract style could spice up the Thor universe. Unconventional humour often makes this Marvel outing tough to even sit through. Great performances highlighted through beautiful set pieces and visuals - ultimately drowned in Waititi's  both frustrating and monotonous direction. The MCU needs a lot more than a few sparks to zap it away from its current position. 

I am going to give Thor: Ragnarok:

3.5/10

Geostorm blusters in from disaster movie veteran Dean Devlin. Starring the ever so cheap Gerald Butler along with Abbie Cornish, Jim Surgess, Andy Garcia and Ed Harris. In the near future where satellites control the whether, natural disasters are a thing of the past. However, when the system starts to malfunction rather than decreasing the extreme weather Dutch-boy (satellite station) amplifies them ... on an epic scale!

One of the most ridiculous movies to date is by no means a 'disaster'. Geostorm is of course exactly what you thought it would be - but a hell of a lot more enjoyable than you'd expect. It's cheesy, ridiculous, stupid and the point you feel your brain frying over from the absurdity of it all - by then you are certain for a great time. 

Admirably Devlin attempts to sophisticate the disaster movie template. It's neither profound nor intelligent sci-fi by any means - I mean this is Geostorm we're talking about, however its first half plays as a convincing space espionage. Taking service over the action we all pretty much paid for - it stretches further than it should and sticks midway but quickly recovers in the sessionally silly second half. Still refreshing though,  to see a disaster movie extract a decent storyline from the bulge of its CGI. 

Butler is as good in this as he is in anything - so not very. His once again dull performance puts him in a much more embarrassing light than his co-stars. Cornish however, adds a tangible action hero to the mix and offers some of the film's silliest lines. 

Geostorm is a joke of mass proportion - that everyone seems to be in on. Unlike the unbearable Independence Day: Resurgence, Geostorm spirals further into brain frying, ridiculousness. It ticks all the wrong boxes, flips them round and does whatever it wants. Its self-awareness is key and with all that in mind Geostorm is not the best worst film of the year, its better!

I am going to give Geostorm: 

6.3/10

The LEGO Ninjago Movie follows the exuberant LEGO Batman Movie which overwhelmed both Lego and Batman fans. Lloyd (Dave Franco), joins his Ninja pals to take down the evil Lord Garmadon (Justin Theroux) who threatens to take siege over the lively streets of Chinese LEGO city - Ninjago. 

Sprite Ninja Teens click together in all the right places. In contrast to LEGO Batman - Ninjago stretches back to what initial made the lego movie its own - incorporating the LEGO series' unique wackiness with a fresher narrative. Told through the adorable Lloyd (Franco), Ninjago's mix of both loony dialog and the hustle and bustle of Ninjago city truly bring this lego outing to life. It displays a somewhat realistic, certainly better established world than Gotham City. 

When considering the target demographic for both The LEGO Movie and  The LEGO Batman Movie - the two are fairly extensive. With that in mind, we can all agree Ninjago is primarily a child centre work of its own - easily making LEGO Ninjago the bravest of the LEGO series.  

Not only does it create an original universe worth investing in but establishes all new characters we quickly learn to love. It's no excuse however, not having a dominant fan base to fall back onto, but LEGO Ninjago embraces it, gathers what bricks it has and builds another cute, cartoonish caper. It succeeds in being both a standalone adventure and a worthy addition to the LEGO series. 

Rather than a disadvantage the obscurity of LEGO Ninjago almost becomes novel. Most often you aren't certain what is going to happen next and to be quite honest neither does the film - by great revelation, Ninjago makes it work. Driven by the dynamic duo - Lloyd and Garmadon - Franco and Theroux present some of their most magnificent work - and clearly do a lot more than just paying the electric bill. 

Three films in the LEGO series steams along in a comfy if not profound position. Ninjago's natural narrative combines with the series' fourth wall humour, by this stage it's clear the plastic people are till on the upswing.

I am going to give The LEGO Ninjago Movie:

8.2/10

.Following Blade Runner - arguably the Sci-Fi movie that redefined everyone's perspective of the genre - Hollywood golden boy Denis Villeneuve and Movie Titan Ridley Scott combine to assemble a power house of cinematic wonder. The long awaited sequel follows Blade Runner 'K' - Ryan Gosling - who having discovered a long buried secret tracks down long retired Rick Deckard, joining forces to   uncover a terrible truth.   

Scott's frenetic, dystopian world once again opens up for you to loose yourself in this cinematic tale of near perfection. With 2049 Villeneuve brings a reassuringly safe set of hands to this revered, delicate material. His Arrival shifted the common Sci-Fi formula and enriched the genre as we know it, with parallels to the impact Scott achieved in 82 with Blade Runner.

Similarly to the original 2049 is gradual, subtle and delicate in the way it slowly and deliberately unfolds - blooming as it were from a closed, impenetrable bud into full, radiant technicolour glory. Once again the film develops through kaleidoscopic visuals, rather than relying more on prolonged dialogue, leavings us with wonderfully atmospherical mood. 

Gosling adds another significant role to his acting portfolio - surely becoming one of this year's hottest acts. His almost monosyllabic opening soon deepens into a more structured and complex portrayal. Ford delivers his most vulnerable performance in years, allowing 2049 to unlock the often hidden talent of the seventy year old veteran. Thankfully this certainly feels more of a notable come back than his wooden appearance as Han Solo in 2015's The Force Awakens. 

Both Blade Runner and 2049 are hugely ambitious films, both celebrations of movie making outside the box, both pushing the envelope visually and conceptually. 2049 carries on the legacy with pride and pomp, joyously opening the lid for the current generation. At this point in time 2049 feels like one of the finest sequels to ever be made. A welcome return to Scott's entrancing world, buoyed by new faces and fresh film making techniques.

I am going to give Blade Runner 2049:

9.8/10