The Phuket News
Window on Phuket Phuket News TV Phuket Live 89.5 Where to Eat
The Phuket News Novosti Phuket Khao Phuket

Login | Create Account | Search

Window on Phuket
Phuket News TV
The Phuket News
Where to Eat
Phuket Live 89.5
Login | Create Account      The Phuket News Novosti Phuket Khao Phuket
Poll | Currency | Weather | Facebook | Youtube | Search
Super Mario Bros. back in action
Super Mario Bros. back in action
Ever since the success of ‘Lara Croft: Tomb Raider’ making US$275 million at the box office back in 2001, it has felt that Hollywood has realised that the gamer’s buck is one worth chasing. The only issue during that time is that ‘good’ movies based on video games have been incredibly difficult to make. While some – like ‘Resident Evil’ and ‘Unchartered’ seem to have won people over – there have been myriad covers that have been universally caned for either not capturing the game properly or even just being a ‘bad’ film.
‘Dungeons & Dragons’ mix it up
‘Dungeons & Dragons’ mix it up
One of the hardest group of people to please with film adaptions are gamers. Understandably when they watch a film based on their favourite game – whether that be table-top or video game – they want it to reflect what they have known and loved for years. The difficulty there is that film studios also want the film to make money so therefore need filmmakers to create a film that the wider cinema audience will want to see and understand as well.
John Wick returns in style
John Wick returns in style
One of the most interesting films to be released in cinemas this year may well be ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’. When someone looks at the synopsis of this film they could be forgiven for wondering how a plot so thin could entertain an audience for close to three hours. Yet, after they have watched the film they will be left thinking they have seen one of the best action films of 2023.
‘Shazam!’ puts on a show
‘Shazam!’ puts on a show
When the first ‘Shazam!’ movie was released in 2019, it seemed to take most comic book fans by surprise. It felt like people were not expecting much and were then blown away by a film that was made up of an interesting, fresh storyline, characters that were easy to fall in love with and just the right amount of humour.
Time to ‘Scream’ again
Time to ‘Scream’ again
It is hard to imagine that the film that filmmaker Kevin Williamson made back in 1996 aimed at lightly mocking the slasher horror genre turned into what we now know as the ‘Scream’ franchise – a franchise that has just released its sixth film and had a spin-off television series. Williamson’s involvement with the series is now limited but his characters live on and have created a passionate group of fans that keep asking for bloody adventures of Woodsboro to keep coming back to the big screen.
Shadow boxing with ‘Creed II’
Shadow boxing with ‘Creed II’
While many people were a little concerned when it was announced that the ‘Rocky’ franchise would continue under the umbrella of the ‘Creed’ films – so far the ‘Creed’ films have held their own and all be worthy watches. That tradition continues with ‘Creed III’ that does hold up as a worthy film, but also at the same time feels like a missed opportunity.
‘Cocaine Bear’ a killer for laughs
‘Cocaine Bear’ a killer for laughs
It’s the story of a bear that gets high on cocaine and starts killing people. To be honest the plot of ‘Cocaine Bear’ sounds too ludicrous to be able to work as a feature film. Yet somehow director Elizabeth Banks (Charlie’s Angels) and screenwriter Jimmy Warden (The Babysitter: Killer Queen) have turned this outrageous story based on a real-life event into one of the best horror comedies that we have seen in a long, long time.
Kang rules in Ant-Man ‘Quantumania’
Kang rules in Ant-Man ‘Quantumania’
The Marvel universe once again rolls on, this time with a shift away from some of the newer characters as one of the fan favourites – Ant-Man (Paul Rudd – ‘Role Models’) – returns to the screen in ‘Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania’. And while Marvel may be hoping this draws some of the old fans back to the series, they might also find that this is a film that divides audiences. Because while it sees the franchise at last introduce a worthy villain there is very little else working for it.
Something special about ‘The Whale’
Something special about ‘The Whale’
Sometimes when the nominations for the Academy Awards are announced you find yourself thinking – how did that person get a nomination? That certainly wasn’t the case for any of the nominations for brand-new drama ‘The Whale’. While many people have heaped praise on Brendan Fraser for his performance, this is one film where the whole cast needs to be praised because this is a heart-wrenching masterpiece.
Shyamalan rediscovers tense-thiller mode in ‘Knock at the Cabin’
Shyamalan rediscovers tense-thiller mode in ‘Knock at the Cabin’
Has there ever been a Hollywood director who has been as hit or miss as M. Night Shyamalan? When he is at his best his films are great – films such as ‘The Sixth Sense’, ‘Signs’ and ‘Split’ are always going to live on as cult favourites. But oh boy, when this guy is off his game, things can get mental – anybody remember the abysmal mess that was ‘The Last Airbender’?
The beautiful mess that is ‘Babylon’
The beautiful mess that is ‘Babylon’
Can a movie ever be called a beautiful mess as a compliment? It seems like a strange question but it also feels like the only way to be truthful about the Oscar nominated film ‘Babylon’. 
‘Mummies’ makes headway in family fun
‘Mummies’ makes headway in family fun
It feels like that over the past few months families have been spoilt for choice when it comes to family friendly films landing in cinemas. The good news has been that many of the films have been exceptional – with ‘Puss in Boots’ of course being the best – and now comes a film that is threatening to take Puss’s mantle because ‘Mummies’ might well be one of the most unique family films to come out in recent times.
‘M3gan’ about more than the machine
‘M3gan’ about more than the machine
When two of the masters of modern-day horror team up for a new film there is little wonder that fans of the genre are going to take a keen interest in what they are doing. When news spread that new horror film ‘M3gan’ came from the creative mind of James Wan, who wrote the story idea, and was being produced by Jason Blum, the internet buzz around the film became mind-boggling.
‘Puss in Boots’ a magical revival
‘Puss in Boots’ a magical revival
If it seems like a long time since audiences have been transported to the Kingdom of Far Far Away. That is because it has been exactly 13 years since the last ‘Shrek’ film and 11 years since the ‘Puss in Boots’ spin-off hit our screens. Given the raging success of the franchise at the box office it is hard to believe that DreamWorks has left it so long between outings into Far Far Away, but now at last the wait is over as Puss returns in ‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’.
‘Lyle, Lyle Crocodile’ snappy family fun
‘Lyle, Lyle Crocodile’ snappy family fun
Surely one of the best films of 2022 couldn’t be a family film about a singing crocodile, could it? Well it turns out that it can certainly be the case because ‘Lyle, Lyle Crocodile’ is perhaps one of the most surprising films that you are going to see this year.
‘The Lost King’ finds more at heart
‘The Lost King’ finds more at heart
One of the things that many cinema fans have commented on this year is that 2023 has really been a big year for people who prefer ‘nice’ films. What is a ‘nice’ film, you may well ask… well, to many a ‘nice’ film is a film that is on the quieter side of things and tells softer stories that make you think. You know, the kind of stories that you don’t very often get if you go to see the latest blockbuster film. Well, the good news is that 2023 finally delivers a ‘nice’ film with the brand-new flick ‘The Lost King’.
‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ a visual masterpiece
‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ a visual masterpiece
Everybody get ready because your passage back to Pandora has just arrived in cinemas with the eagerly anticipated ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’. 
George Miller puts essence on show in ‘Three Thousand Years of Longing’
George Miller puts essence on show in ‘Three Thousand Years of Longing’
Perhaps one of the most mysterious films to be released in 2022 just happens to be the brand-new film ‘Three Thousand Years of Longing’ by director George Miller of ‘Mad Max’ fame. The title sounds like it is going to be some kind of thought-provoking arthouse film – that it certainly is. And for once we have a film that has a trailer that gives away very little about it.
‘Violent Night’ brings an action-packed Christmas
‘Violent Night’ brings an action-packed Christmas
Despite what some people say, violent Christmas movies are not exactly a brand-new thing. If they were, then we wouldn’t have the “Is ‘Die Hard’ really a Christmas movie?” debate each year and we certainly wouldn’t have had films like ‘Reindeer Games’ surface nearly 20 years ago.
‘Strange World’ worthy for kids, but all too common
‘Strange World’ worthy for kids, but all too common
There was a time when the arrival of the Disney castle and the familiar theme music on the big screen meant that you could sit back in your cinema chair and be prepared to experience some absolute magic – when it came to animation there was no studio that could ever match Disney. Sadly over the years we have seen that magic erode a little for the ‘House Of Mouse’ to the point today when you go to see a Disney animated film you know it could be a case of hit or miss.