November movie reviews: a guide for parents

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is showing in cinemas now.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is showing in cinemas now. Photo: JAAP BUITENDIJK

FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM (M)
Released: November 17

Based on the Hogwarts School 'textbook' written by J K Rowling for her fictional Harry Potter universe. Hogwarts graduate Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) visits New York with many fantastic beasts in his suitcase. When the beasts escape and wreak havoc, Newt discovers a dark force that threatens the relationship between American wizards and their No-Maj (human) neighbours.  With Colin Farrell, Ezra Miller and a Big Name cameo.

  • Language: Three swear words.
  • Romance: A kiss.
  • Violence: Threats, falls, blows, death themes.
  • Ages: 3 – 6: We don't think so.  There are no leading child characters for these viewers to relate to. The change of setting lacks English charm.
  • 7 – 12: See the above gripe about no child heroes or heroines. Most of the fun comes from a furry, adorable pickpocket with an addiction to sparkly things. It's a pity that other fantastic beasts have so little screen time. A detour involving a No-Maj baker may lose even besotted Potter fans.
  • 13-plus: This 132 minute movie is 20 minutes too long. The digital effects are often fake-looking; the studio-lot backgrounds often dull. Pleasant, forgettable Redmayne is no substitute for Potter star Daniel Radcliffe.
  • Adult Compatibility: Starts well but becomes one long, mechanical-feeling, Muggle-made set-up for a new franchise.
  • Critic's rating: 6/10

MORGAN (MA)
Released: November 17

British-made horror thriller. Corporate risk assessor Lee (Kate Mara) travels to an isolated facility to investigate a violent incident involving a five year scientific project known as 'Morgan' (Anya Taylor-Joy). Lee discovers that the scientists who care for this unusual child may no longer be following company orders. Directed by Luke Scott, son of director Ridley Blade Runner Scott.

  • Language: Eleven swear words.
  • Romance: References only.
  • Violence: Blows, chases, shootings, neck-breaking, stabbings, deaths.
  • Ages:   3 – 6: Morgan's rage is child-like but her violence is super-sized. So …. no.
  • 7 – 12: Ditto: that censorship rating is there for a reason.
  • 13-plus: As Morgan looks like a teenager, older teen viewers are the targeted audience here. They'll appreciate an us-versus-them plot with parental-rebellion themes and an enjoyably tense set-up which keeps everyone watching. Taylor-Joy, the stand-out star from The Witch, is compulsively watchable. A strong support cast includes Game of Thrones' Rose Leslie, Michelle Yeoh, Paul Giamatti, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Toby Jones. Yes the plot unravels into a simplistic, violent hunt but this 90 minute offering maintains momentum to the end.
  • Adult Compatibility: Less enthralling for adults who have seen this sci-fi-horror mix before. Leave this one for the kids but watch out for Scott Jnr's future projects.
  • Critic's rating: 7/10

YOUR NAME (TBC)
Released: November 24 (limited season)

Japanese animated subtitled fantasy adventure.  Small town girl Mitsuha (Mone Kamishiraishi) dreams of being in the big city; Tokyo-based boy Taki (Ryûnosuke Kamiki) dreams of the countryside. Then these strangers wake to discover they have swapped bodies. The fun soon goes out of the adventure when the pair realises their strange relationship is connected to the impending arrival of a comet. Directed by Makoto Shinkai.

  • Language: None.
  • Romance: References.
  • Violence: Extinction threat.
  • Ages:  3 – 6: Not the kind of accessible cartoon for them.
  • 7 – 12: A sometimes wandering story and confusing time jumps will leave them behind.
  • 13-plus: These viewers are the best audience for what is a conventional high schoolers' romance, threaded with equally conventional (and Hollywood-feeling) body-swapping comedy. The landscape visuals, especially of country skies, are atmospheric; the film also evocatively captures city life. The more slapstick aspects – as the kids are shocked by their new body parts – suit teen viewers. The film is also scheduled to be released in an English-dubbed version – check with your local cinemas. 
  • Adult Compatibility: Feels too long, even at 106 minutes, and not helped by some grating soft rock ballads. The factory-produced look of the characters is also boring. Best for anime (Japanese animated action-fantasy) fans.
  • Critic's rating: 6/10

DOCTOR STRANGE (M)
Released: October 27

Fantasy action based on the Marvel comic books. When American neurosurgeon Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is injured in a car crash, he travels to Nepal. After training with a famous healer-teacher (Tilda Swinton), Strange meets reality-shifting spirits of the good and bad kind, including a deranged ex-student (Mads Mikkelsen).  

  • Language: Six swear words.
  • Romance: Discreet references.
  • Violence: Blows, falls, swordfights, decapitation, martial arts fights, deaths.
  • Ages: 3 – 6: Too strange for them.
  • 7 – 12: Tweens might fidget through the steady set-up but Strange's magical (and cheeky) red cloak will delight them, as will psychedelic-bright visuals. See it in 2D; often-murky scenes are too dark for 3D.
  • 13-plus: Targeted audience. Kudos for ambitious style and mood: think Inception meets The Matrix, with gravity-defying visuals intercut with spiritual chat. The cast is excellent but Cumberbatch is a chilly hero; the film becomes less emotionally interesting. Rachel McAdams is stuck in the dreaded, helpful-girlfriend role which might explain the 16 male viewers but only three female (including this reviewer) at one multiplex screening. 
  • Adult Compatibility: Efficient and frequently eye-catching but ultimately lacks personality; many jokes feel laboured. Deduct points for white-washing the comics' Asian character The Ancient One. Bonuses include extra scenes, mid-credits and afterward, both worth staying for.
  • Critic's rating:  7/10

AMERICAN HONEY (MA) 
Released: November 3  

American coming-of-age drama. Fleeing a dysfunctional home, teenage Star (Sasha Lane) is recruited by charismatic Jake (Shia LaBeouf). Star joins his crew, selling magazine subscriptions door to door. But she discovers that what looks like a light-hearted party-hearty road trip has darker undertones: Jake's boss (Riley Keough) demands that sales be made, no matter the danger. 

  • Language: Non-stop and fierce.
  • Romance: Nudity, sex scenes, explicit references.
  • Violence: Threats, blows, drug use, alcohol use.
  • Ages:  3 – 6: No way.
  • 7 – 12: No.
  • 13-plus: Director Andrea Arnold captures the vulnerable but resilient world of modern girl-hood as brilliantly as she did in her 2009 Fish Tank. While the 163 minute film arguably should have been cut by 20 minutes, the steady approach makes the last third unbearably suspenseful, as Star indulges in increasingly risky behaviour. Watch out for compelling Keough, also known as Elvis Presley's granddaughter. Great soundtrack.
  • Adult Compatibility: Recommended viewing for parents, if not in cinema then on DVD. Gorgeous cinematography, the documentary-like realism of many moments and a superb cast (yes, Shia, we include you) construct a scarily convincing portrait of why aimless wanderings with complete strangers seem the only option when kids feel adults have failed them. 
  • Critic's rating: 8/10

ARRIVAL (M)
Released: November 10

Science fiction suspense drama. When alien spaceships arrive at locations around the world, American linguist Dr. Louise Banks (Amy Adams) and scientist Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner) are recruited to make first contact. But as the pair race to establish communication, the world's super-powers plan a pre-emptive strike. Directed by Denis Villeneuve (Sicario).

  • Language: Five swear words.
  • Romance: Discreet references.
  • Violence: Threats, falls, shoot-outs, military themes.
  • Ages:     3 – 6: No, this isn't E.T. (it has less jokes and more slow grind suspense).
  • 7 – 12: No, this isn't Independence Day (less action, more slow, etc).
  • 13-plus: An unexpectedly plausible-feeling drama with startling visuals should hook mature teens. But it is NOT the brisk action romp younger teens might expect. Adams (who should surely be Oscar-nominated) dominates the show, backed by likable The Hurt Locker star Renner. Ironically, the film still fails the first rule of the Bechdel Test (it doesn't even have two named women, much less two who talk to each other).
  • Adult Compatibility: Very high, thanks to elegant riffs on time, memory and communication and a plot which surprises to the very end. The intelligent approach will make Blade Runner fans feel easier about that upcoming sequel: Villeneuve has been hired to direct.
  • Critic's rating: 9/10 

HACKSAW RIDGE (MA)
Released: November 3

Based on fact American WW2 movie. American pacifist volunteer Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield) tries to join the medical core but is bullied by army officers who want him to carry a rifle. When he finally reaches the Pacific conflict zone – a seemingly impregnable, Japanese-occupied cliff-top known as Hacksaw Ridge – it seems Desmond's only choice is to kill or be killed. Directed by Mel Gibson (Braveheart; The Passion of the Christ). 

  • Language: Twenty-two swear words.
  • Romance: Yes, with kisses.
  • Violence: Battle carnage with explicit shots of wounds and dead bodies. 
  • Ages: 3 – 6: Don't even think about it.
  • 7 – 12: See that (justified) censorship rating.
  • 13-plus: The first hour of small town family life and romance feels homey and simple, partly due to the number of awkwardly cast Australians (Hugo Weaving, Rachel Griffiths, Teresa Palmer) and what seem to be deliberately fake studio settings. However, the second half captures Gibson's justifiably acclaimed flair for harsh, visually and emotionally gripping battle violence. Garfield is consistently believable in an almost unbelievable role; stay for the final, informative scenes.
  • Adult Compatibility: All the greater if you don't know the story. The emphasis on carnage will turn off many viewers but it does make the story memorable.
  • Critic's rating: 8/10

THE ACCOUNTANT (MA)
Released: November 3

Hitman action thriller. Mild-mannered accountant Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) is a genius with numbers because of, not despite, his autism. His current job involves searching for missing millions at a hi-tech robotics firm. But Christian may have violent connections: two Treasury officials (Cynthia Addai-Robinson; J.K. Simmons) link him to the world's worst crime gangs.  

  • Language: Thirty-three swear words.
  • Romance: None.
  • Violence: Frequent shootings; also, strangling, blows, falls, hand-to-hand combat, deaths.
  • Ages: 3 – 6: They won't like these numbers.
  • 7 – 12: Ditto.
  • 13-plus: Older teens probably won't mind the outrageous mish-mash of father-son drama, corporate intrigue, and autism public service announcement; this has enough vigilante action to keep the tangled plot moving. But it's a bad sign when a film has to keep stopping to explain the story with another flashback. Bonus? Intense sound effects make you feel you're in the middle of one shoot-out.
  • Adult Compatibility: The cast is much better than the plot although Anna Kendrick deserves better than her annoyingly carelessly written assistant accountant role. Setting up hard-core violence for jokey pay-offs also leaves a bad taste in the mouth. Meanwhile, genuinely interesting insights into high functioning autism (in adults) are reduced to snippets. Some overly-neat plot resolutions are ludicrous.
  • Critic's rating: 6/10

THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS (M)
Released: November 3

Romantic drama based on M L Stedman's book. Traumatised WW1 soldier Tom (Michael Fassbender) signs on as a lighthouse keeper on a West Australian island. Just as the solitude begins to grate, he falls for local girl Isabel (Alicia Vikander). Then a baby in a boat washes up on their shore. Directed by Derek Cianfrance (Blue Valentine) and co-starring Rachel Weisz.

  • Language: None.
  • Romance: Kisses, sex scene, adult themes.
  • Violence: Threats, death themes.
  • Ages: 3 – 6: No.
  • 7 – 12: No.
  • 13-plus: Romantics will want to see real-life glamorous couple Vikander (The Danish Girl; A Royal Affair) and X-Men star Fassbender. However, this gorgeous-looking, traditional romance has pacing problems. The leisurely set-up means that later plot twists are so crammed, they feel jerky and melodramatic. It's unusual for any viewer to say a film should be longer but this one should. Also: the trailers give away too much plot.
  • Adult Compatibility: High, if you like classic, high glossy, three-hankie weepies. There are plenty of compensations if you don't, including lyrical images of the sea and island; the talented child actors are worth the ticket price alone. Fassbender's performance reminds you what a strong drama presence he can be, in the right role. 
  • Critic's rating: 8/10

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