Film reviews: Moana's live action remake fails to capture the charm of the original
This week's film reviews include Moana, Rosebush Pruning, andd Evil Dead Burn
Disney loves live-action remakes. This week, the Mouse House reaches a milestone with (PG), its 25th live-action remake of one of its own animated classics.
Moana (Catherine Laga’aia) has an irresistible connection to the sea, drawing her towards a destiny she has yet to discover.
Her people, however, fear the ocean. Once fearless voyagers who explored beyond the horizon, they now cling to the safety of the reef, haunted by a centuries-old event that made the open waters seem perilous.
As the chieftain’s daughter, she’s expected to lead—but her father insists she give up her love for the ocean.
As the island’s crops fail and fish vanish, Moana learns of an ancient prophecy and sets sail to find the demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson), believing he can save her home from its blight.
When Moana finds Maui, she meets a larger-than-life demigod with animated tattoos that come to life, recounting the legendary adventures of his past. Arrogant and boastful, he is too self-centred to help at first, but with time and help from the sea, they unite and set out to save her people.
While the film is essentially a carbon copy of the animated original, it somehow loses much of the magic that made its predecessor one of Disney’s finest. It feels duller, both visually and emotionally, with a stilted quality that takes time to shake off. Although it improves as it progresses, it never captures the energy, charm, or vibrancy of the original, and that makes this remake feel far from essential viewing.
Directed by Karim Aïnouz, (18) is set in Spain, and the film follows an ultra-wealthy American family who relocated there because of the matriarch’s (Pamela Anderson) fascination with the work of architect Antonio Gaudí. The move, however, proves to be a fatal mistake when she is killed by a pack of wolves, leaving deep scars on an already fractured family.
The surviving family members are a collection of privileged yet aimless wastrels who spend their days indulging in high-end fashion and increasingly eccentric behaviour. The eldest son, Jack (Jamie Bell), has suffered unimaginable abuse at the hands of his father (Tracie Letts), yet he continues to struggle under the weight of his responsibilities as the family’s heir.
When Jack brings home his girlfriend Martha (Elle Fanning), his siblings Ed (Callum Turner), Anna (Riley Keough), and Robert (Lukas Gage) gradually reveal the family’s unsettling peculiarities, exposing the strange dynamics and deep dysfunction that have shaped them.
While Martha should run for the hills, the prospect of a shiny new house bought with the family’s wealth proves too tempting to resist. Visually striking and driven by strong performances, Rosebush Pruning is peculiar and distinctive, but also deeply distasteful.
The film tackles sexual abuse and incest through a deliberately quirky lens, but its offbeat presentation feels more like a provocation than a meaningful exploration. It is neither clever enough nor funny enough to justify the way it handles such disturbing material, leaving its attempts at dark humour feeling hollow and misguided.
Since its explosive 1981 debut, The Evil Dead has become a horror icon, spawning sequels, reimaginings and a new generation of terrifying tales. From Sam Raimi’s original trilogy to Evil Dead Rise, the franchise remains celebrated for its outrageous gore, dark humour, and inventive style.
If you have managed to avoid more than 40 years of Deadites, (18), directed by French filmmaker Sébastien Vaniček, is easy to follow, with just enough exposition to bring newcomers up to speed.
The new film tells a standalone story, though it nods to the established Evil Dead mythology. Early on, we meet Joseph (Hunter Doohan), who is sorting through books and tape recordings left behind by a deceased relative. The recordings hint at demonic possession, ancient rituals, and the sinister force lurking behind the Deadites, while introducing an object of great significance to the evil that is about to be unleashed.
The film then shifts to a fishing trip from hell, where two friends face their worst nightmare. Their encounter with a Deadite ends in spectacularly gruesome fashion, serving as both a brutally effective opening set piece and a clear warning that no one is safe.
Suffice to say, these characters won’t be returning — their fate is swift, savage and drenched in the kind of over-the-top gore that Evil Dead fans have come to expect. By the time the carnage is over, one thing is certain: A Deadite is on the loose. It is Joseph’s birthday when we are introduced to his deeply dysfunctional family: Abrasive brother Will (George Pullar), Will’s wife, Alice (Souheila Yacoub), and Joseph’s girlfriend, Thya (Luciane Buchanan).
When tragedy strikes and Will dies in a shocking accident, Alice is left grieving under the worst possible circumstances.
Her in-laws never truly accepted her, and she must endure an uncomfortable funeral followed by an even more unbearable gathering at the family home.
As though hostile in-laws weren’t enough to contend with, a Deadite arrives to unleash absolute hell. What begins as an awkward family wake quickly spirals into a blood-soaked battle for survival, as grief gives way to terror and no one can be trusted.
Blood, gore, more blood and even more gore ensure that Evil Dead Burn will give franchise fans plenty to enjoy.
However, if you have never been drawn into the series before, this latest instalment is unlikely to draw you in.
There are strong performances, along with an intriguing subplot involving domestic violence that suggests human cruelty can be just as horrifying as the evil unleashed by the Deadites. The film delivers some intense, inventive set pieces that showcase the franchise’s creativity and brutality.
Evil Dead Burn is a solid, blood-soaked entry that should satisfy those who already appreciate the series’ unique blend of terror, excess, and humour.
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