MDP Entertainment

As 2018 finally draws to a close it is that time of the year when we all compile our top 10 lists for the year. Now 2018 was a weird year for me, at the halfway point of the year I bemoaned the quality of film this year however now that the entire 12 months has passed, I think it is fair to say that is has been a stellar year for film. I am not one to compile honourable mentions as I feel they are undercut the entire point of top 10 lists but in this case, I must make an exception.                                                             Honourable Mentions Roma Now for many this is scandalous to not be in the top 10 and I might even agree myself though Roma misses out on my list just because I enjoyed the actual top 10 a bit more. However, make no mistake Roma isn’t just a film, it is film albeit cliché to say such. Alfonso Cuaron has poured his heart into Roma serving as both director and cinematographer which is where this film should surely be winning

Once home to the most advanced civilization on Earth, the city of Atlantis is now an underwater kingdom ruled by the power-hungry King Orm. With a vast army at his disposal, Orm plans to conquer the remaining oceanic people – and then the surface world. Standing in his way is Aquaman, Orm’s half-human brother and true heir to the throne. With help from royal counsellor Vulko, Aquaman must retrieve the legendary trident of Atlan and embrace his destiny as protector of the deep. Aquaman stars Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II with Nicole Kidman. The film is written by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Will Beall whilst being produced by Peter Safran and Rob Cowan with James Wan directing. One of the most notable elements of Aquaman is the world building taken place, often with fantasy we speak about creating a believable world, James Wan manages to achieve this flawlessly. Aquaman is not a perfect film but the am

On the run in the year 1987, Bumblebee finds refuge in a junkyard in a small Californian beach town. Charlie, on the cusp of turning 18 and trying to find her place in the world, discovers Bumblebee, battle-scarred and broken. When Charlie revives him, she quickly learns this is no ordinary yellow VW bug. Bumblebee stars Hailee Steinfeld, John Cena, Jorge Lendeborg Jr, John Ortiz, Jason Drucker, Pamela Adler with the voices of Peter Cullen, Dylan O’Brien, Angela Basset and Justin Theroux. Bumblebee is produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Tom DeSanto and Michael Bay with the film written by Christina Hodson and directed by Travis Knight. Bumblebee turns out to be a fresh start for the Transformers franchise which manages to fully shake off the sting that Michael Bay had left on the franchise, just half an hour into Bumblebee you realise that there is so much hope and optimism to be had for this franchise with great stories waiting to be told. Unlike previous instalments

Gellert Grindelwald has escaped imprisonment and has begun gathering followers to his cause – elevating wizards above all non-magical beings. The only one capable of putting a stop to him is the wizard he once called his closest friend, Albus Dumbledore. However, Dumbledore will need to seek help from the wizard who had thwarted Grindelwald once before, his former student Newt Scamander, who agrees to help, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. Lines are drawn as love and loyalty are tested, even among the truest friends and family, in an increasingly divided wizarding world. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald stars Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterson, Alison Sudol, Dan Fogel, Jude Law, Ezra Miller, Johnny Depp, Zoe Kravitz, Callum Turner, Claudia Kim and Carmen Ejogo. The film is written by JK Rowling, produced by Rowling, David Heyman, Steve Kloves and Lionel Wigram with David Yates returning to direct. If there is one immediate feeling that comes from Fant

Its been 40 years since Laurie Strode survived a vicious attack from crazed killer Michael Myers on Halloween night. Locked up in an institution, Myers manages to escape when his bus transfer goes horribly wrong. Laurie now faces a terrifying showdown when the masked madman returns to Haddonfield, Illinois – but this time, she’s ready for him. Halloween stars Jamie Lee Curtis reprising her role as Laurie Strode. The film co-stars Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, Will Patton, Virginia Gardner, Nick Castle, James Jude Courtney, Haluk Bilginer, Toby Huss, Jefferson Hall and Rhian Rees.   One of the most notable aspects of Halloween is the manner in which it feels like a natural sequel and evolution to the original way back in 1978. Comparisons in the way the movie sets itself up can be made to The Force Awakens . Not just the tone and story but the characters. As we meet Laurie Strode in Halloween we meet a woman who is wary, and battle hardened by her previous experience with

On the heels of their six-time Academy Award winning feature La La Land , Oscar winning director Damien Chazelle and star Ryan Gosling reteam for First Man , the riveting story of NASA’s mission to land a man on the moon, focusing on Neil Armstrong and the years 1961 – 1969. A visceral, first person account, based on the book by James R. Hansen, the movie will explore the sacrifices and the cost – on Armstrong and on the nation- of one of the most dangerous missions in history. Written by Academy Award winner Josh Singer ( Spotlight ), the drama is produced by Wyck Godfrey and Marty Bowen. First Man  co-stars Claire Foy, Corey Stoll, Pablo Schreiber, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Christopher Abbott and Ciaran Hinds. After the commercial and critical successes of Whiplash and La La Land  Damien Chazelle continues to show his extreme maturity as a filmmaker at the tender age of 33. Already an Oscar winner at 33, with First Man Chazelle is continuing his upward trend to make,

Rachel Chu is happy to accompany her long-time boyfriend, Nick, to his best friend’s wedding in Singapore.   She’s also surprised to learn that Nick’s family are extremely wealthy, and he’s also considered one of the country’s most eligible bachelors. Thrust into the spotlight, Rachel must now contend with jealous socialites, quirky relatives and something far, far worse- Nick’s disapproving mother. CRAZY RICH ASIANS is directed by Jon Chu and produced by Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson and John Penotti. The ensemble film stars Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh, Awkwafina, Gemma Chan, Lisa Lu, Ken Jeong.                                                                                                                    The ensemble cast delivers one of the summer's                                                          best films The biggest success of CRAZY RICH ASIANS is the feel the movie gives off. The director Jon Chu manages to convey a film

 From the outer reaches of space to the small-town streets of suburbia, the hunt comes home. The universe's most lethal hunters are stronger, smarter and deadlier than ever before, having genetically upgraded themselves with DNA from other species. When a boy accidentally triggers their return to Earth, only a ragtag crew of ex-soldiers and an evolutionary biologist can prevent the end of the human race.  Loosely connected to the events of the original, Arnold starring predecessors THE PREDATOR stars Boyd Holbrook, Trevante Rhodes, Jacob Tremblay, Keegan Michael-Key, Olivia Munn, Thomas Jane, Alfie Allen and Sterling K Brown with THE PREDATOR directed and written by Shane Black.  The most impressive aspect of Predator is the chemistry between the actors. For a first ensemble piece between the them they flow together seamless, almost as if they have been acting together for a good while. In addition to the chemistry the performances themselves are good. In particular,

The latest instalment in the ever-expanding Conjuring Universe sees a spin off of the figure last seen in THE CONJURING 2 . In this case THE NUN follows a priest and a nun as they investigate the suicide of a fellow nun at a Romanian convent which has been shrouded in mystery with many of the locals, including, the horses afraid to go anywhere close. THE NUN stars Taissa Farmiga (sister of Vera), Demian Bechir and Jonas Bloquet. THE NUN is directed by Corin Hardy whose most recent directorial feature was 2015’s THE HALLOW .                                                                                                                                            Keeping it in the Farmiga family                          The marketing for THE NUN has been most unusual with only the one, short at 90 seconds trailer released. James Wan, who started this entire franchise and has produced every entry so far, even went on record as to say this was deliberate with the intenti

Searching follows a father who, mind the pun, searches for his missing daughter with the entire action playing out through the use of screens, whether that be through a computer, TV set or CCTV. Searching stars John Cho, of Star Trek fame, as the lead. Cho is supported by Michella La and Debra Messing. The is one that is all to similar, we have seen the daughter go missing and the father go looking idea done many a time. Instead SEARCHING executes the premise much better than the lazy cash grabs. By showing the film through the various technological formats the mystery of the thriller is maintained literally until the final 5 minutes which I thought I had figured out twice before the truth was revealed. This in itself is a hallmark of a good thriller. Always keep you guessing. If you can predict the outcome within the first two acts, then the movie has failed to do the job sufficiently. SEARCHING takes on the mystery through the eyes of John Cho’s father figure and we feel his

AA Milne’s Winnie the Pooh and its accompanying vast number of characters is timeless. There will not be a time when they fade into obscurity and with the release of Christopher Robin  there is the potential for a new generation to be introduced to Pooh. Last year we saw the tragic side of Pooh through Goodbye Christopher Robin , in this film we see the warmth of this world. In many ways  Christopher Robin  is quintessentially a film and family and loss. Furthermore, the origins of the series remain intact. The British heart is still clear to see even being produced by an American studio: Disney.                                                                    Home is where the heart is for Pooh and Robin                                  Christopher Robin  is directed by Marc Forster who is best known for the great pieces that are Finding Neverland and The Kite Runner. Two films which share the core theme we see in  Christopher Robin , that of childhood. Led b

In recent years we have seen different types of action heroes. From John Wick to Ethan Hunt to Jason Bourne and even James Bond. However, Denzel Washington’s Robert McCall is a rawer character, one that is dependent not upon his brutal action sequences but his character. It would be remiss to simply call The Equalizer 2 an action film, it may very well be, but the dramatic element come to forefront more than many of the aforementioned. There is less than half a dozen real action set pieces and this does not hinder the film, if anything it enhances it. The Equaliser 2 is the most recent action movie to simply not be the latest action film. In fact, the film struggled when it was ‘simply’ an action film. The Equalizer 2 follows Denzel’s Robert McCall as is he is called back into action after the loss of a friend close to him. Directed by the outstanding Antoine Fuqua who is starting to show himself to be a top director, hearing rumours he may direct an upcoming Marvel insta

  Jason Statham goes head to head with a giant shark. This premise has the promise to be entertaining for all or go very badly wrong, in many a sense. From the moment Statham’s ‘Jonas Taylor’ utters the phrase “It’s a Megalodon” you realise the type of the film this is going to be. In many ways this movie belongs in the late 80s to 90s, with this not being a sleight on the movie. In many ways the tone of the film works in the filmmaker’s favour. 2018 seems to be having a resurgence of the over the top actin films with The Meg joining the likes of Skyscraper and Rampage.   The Meg is the latest movie about a killer shark to come from Hollywood though the first big budget one in many a year. Rated PG-13/12A the film is clearly geared into being a family friendly action popcorn blockbuster in the midst of summer and in many ways,   it plays up to this. The film is directed by Jon Turtelaub, best known for his Nic Cage led National Treasure films. Led by Jason Statham and supporte