Reviews by Max Crawford

Order by: Date, A–Z

• 
  Demonic (2021)

  Review preview for Demonic

  This movie sucks cocks in hell.

  A young woman unleashes terrifying demons when supernatural forces at the root of a decades-old rift between mother and daughter are ruthlessly revealed.
• 
  Road Head (2020)

  Review preview for Road Head

  Elizabeth Grullon does so much heavy lifting in these scenes that she goes up a weight class, and frankly she deserves better.

  Three friends take a road trip to the Mojave desert where their complicated relationships are pushed to their breaking point as the group encounters a reclusive, murderous cult.
• 
  Agent Revelation (2021)

  Review preview for Agent Revelation

  The major problem with Agent Revelation is that it's a blatant author self-insert power fantasy.

  A CIA agent gains the power to talk to aliens after coming into contact with an ancient dust used to control humans.
• 
  Stardust (2020)

  Review preview for Stardust

  This could have been a fine film if it had been a different story about Bowie or this story about someone else.

  In 1971, David Bowie embarked on a transformative road trip through America with struggling publicist Rob Oberman. This film tells the story of the star's reinvention.
• 
  X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019)

  Review preview for X-Men: Dark Phoenix

  This was a great chance to cover one of the most iconic storylines in the history of comics, squandered by not handing the script to a five-year-old child in order to iron out some of the more egregious errors prior to filming.

  Jean Grey struggles with her cosmic powers, tearing the X-Men family apart.
• 
  Suspiria (2018)

  Review preview for Suspiria

  If we compared the original to a Mark Rothko canvas - a distillation of raw emotion - this version is more akin to a colossal, baffling kinetic sculpture, one that seems to exist in more dimensions than it ought to.

  A nightmare brews in a dance company.
• 
  Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)

  Review preview for Bohemian Rhapsody

  Bohemian Rhapsody is as baroque and evocative a beast as its namesake song, thanks almost entirely to Malek's phenomenal performance.

  A chronicle of the years leading up to Queen's legendary appearance at the Live Aid concert.
• 
  Deadpool 2 (2018)

  Review preview for Deadpool 2

  That it manages to get away with this at all is largely down to the supernatural likeability of Ryan Reynolds.

  Deadpool brings together a team of fellow mutant rogues to protect a young boy with supernatural abilities from time-travelling mutant Cable.
• 
  X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)

  Review preview for X-Men: Apocalypse

  Without the all-star cast, it's easy to imagine X-Men: Apocalypse as a dismal failure, but the somewhat nonsensical script is rescued by the performances.

  An ancient, super-powerful mutant arises, planning to kill all humans and with a nasty fate in mind for Charles.
• 
  Terminator Genisys (2015)

  Review preview for Terminator Genisys

  The film is saved by one of Schwarzenegger's strongest performances to date.

  When Kyle Reese arrives in 1984 to save Sarah Connor, nothing is as he expected.
• 
  Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

  Review preview for Mad Max: Fury Road

  The startling idea driving MM:FR is that it's possible to construct a film entirely out of good bits.

  In a post-Apocalyptic world, survivor Max hooks up with a mysterious woman to face off against murderous gangs.
• 
  Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015)

  Review preview for Avengers: Age Of Ultron

  Save your grey matter for coordinating the movement of your hand to your mouth, or your jaw to the sticky cinema floor.

  Tony Stark and his team take on rogue AI Ultron.
• 
  The Signal (2014)

  Review preview for The Signal

  The film gaily sets about asking a number of questions it has no intention of answering.

  Three college students disappear under mysterious circumstances while tracking a computer hacker through the Southwest.
• 
  Interstellar (2014)

  Review preview for Interstellar

  Not many films are as important to the future of humanity as Interstellar.

  Humanity's last hope lies in a journey into space.
• 
  Godzilla (2014)

  Review preview for Godzilla

  The eventual climactic monster showdown is everything a Godzilla fan could hope for.

  Monsters from the deep confront each other and pesky US forces in a special effected fight to the death - in 3-D
• 
  Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

  Review preview for Captain America: The Winter Soldier

  If you're a fan of Marvel's cinematic universe, you absolutely cannot miss this instalment.

  Suspicion within S.H.I.E.L.D. complictes matters as our hero takes on a new enemy.
• 
  Under The Skin (2013)

  Review preview for Under The Skin

  A film that seeks to challenge and alienate its audience from the get-go, knowing full well that it won't win all of them back.

  An alien in human form takes a roadtrip across Scotland.
• 
  The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

  Review preview for The Grand Budapest Hotel

  An emotionally engaging tale that sucks you in with its gentle humour and melancholy.

  The adventures of a concierge and a lobby boy who becomes his friend.
• 
  I, Frankenstein (2014)

  Review preview for I, Frankenstein

  Our modern Prometheus spends most of the film sprinting from one CGI-overlaid battle to the next.

  Frankenstein's monster becomes embroiled in an ancient war.
• 
  The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug (2013)

  Review preview for The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug

  Benedict Cumberbatch lends this cruel, ancient dragon all the gravitas and otherworldliness that Sean Connery utterly failed to in Dragonheart.

  The dwarves and their companions continue their quest to rid their homeland of the dragon, Smaug.
• 
  The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)

  Review preview for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

  It's easy to forgive the fact that nothing's happening when it's not happening around Jennifer Lawrence.

  The stakes are raised for survivor Katniss as she is forced join a champion of champions tournament.
• 
  Machete Kills (2013)

  Review preview for Machete Kills

  Machete Kills is a jumbled assortment of loosely related scenes whose main theme appears to be “how many different ways can you kill people with a helicopter?”

  Machete is recruited by the US government to travel through Mexico and take down a drug dealer who plans to launch a deadly space weapon.
• 
  Lovelace (2013)

  Review preview for Lovelace

  The harrowing latter half of the film could easily have become alienating, but Seyfried makes it compelling.

  The story of Deep Throat star Linda Lovelace.
• 
  Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa (2013)

  Review preview for Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa

  The film trundles along quite merrily without much plot, easily driven by the tension of the original premise.

  The hapless presenter is caught up in a hostage negotiation situation.
• 
  The Smurfs 2 (2013)

  Review preview for The Smurfs 2

  Viewers who are still awake after the first 20 minutes will be bludgeoned into unconsiousness by the the film's heavy-handed morals of unconditional love and family transcending blood relationships.

  Gargamel tries to create a new kind of evil smurf.
• 
  Pacific Rim (2013)

  Review preview for Pacific Rim

  The battle scenes are nothing short of astonishing.

  Men operating giant robot suits are the last line of defence against sea monsters from another dimension.
• 
  Now You See Me (2013)

  Review preview for Now You See Me

  It's just clever enough to keep you guessing.

  A quartet of magicians turns its hand to crime.
• 
  Hummingbird (2013)

  Review preview for Hummingbird

  Tooth-rotting nonsensical entertainment with a chewy action centre.

  A former soldier goes all out for revenge.
• 
  Despicable Me 2 (2013)

  Review preview for Despicable Me 2

  A magnificent 90 minutes of slapstick silliness.

  There's a new supervillain on the block and Gru is recruited to help the Anti-Villain League.
• 
  Snitch (2013)

  Review preview for Snitch

  A serious pile of nonsense.

  A father goes undercover for the DEA in exchange for the release of his wrongfully imprisoned son.
• 
  World War Z (2013)

  Review preview for World War Z

  In a desperate attempt to attach any sort of emotional weight to a lot of running around and shouting, we keep cutting back to his family looking sad.

  A UN employee travels the world trying to find a solution to a zombie pandemic.
• 
  Paris-Manhattan (2012)

  Review preview for Paris-Manhattan

  A fun, lighthearted and above all confident film that lovers of the rom-com are likely to adore.

  Comedy about a Woody Allen-obsessed pharmacist.
• 
  Last Action Hero (1993)

  Review preview for Last Action Hero

  Behind the Annoying Child Protagonist and the knee-deep schmaltz there's a perfectly enjoyable film.

  A boy finds himself transported into the world of his favourite film hero.
• 
  Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

  Review preview for Star Trek Into Darkness

  The baddie's been beefed up, the plot's been pared down, but the emotional core which really sold the first film—the magnificent character interaction—remains unscathed.

  With Starfleet in chaos and other ships destroyed, the crew of the USS Enterprise must venture alone to a dangerous world where one man could hold the fate of the galaxy in his hands.
• 
  Iron Man 3 (2013)

  Review preview for Iron Man 3

  Things do explode. Lots of things. The difference between this and the previous outing is that we care why they're exploding and about the people who are standing next to them when they do.

  When Tony Stark's world is torn apart by a formidable terrorist called the Mandarin, Stark starts an odyssey of rebuilding and retribution.
• 
  Welcome To The Punch (2013)

  Review preview for Welcome To The Punch

  This fine array of actors is charged with safeguarding a plot as weak and confused as a newborn kitten.

  When his son gets in trouble, a retired criminal is forced to return to the city where a detective is still determined to catch him.
• 
  The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

  Review preview for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

  The pacing is agonisingly ponderous: in the screening I attended two ents got up and left.

  An ordinary hobbit is caught up with a group of dwarves en route to recover a legendary treasure from a dragon's lair.
• 
  Skyfall (2012)

  Review preview for Skyfall

  This is the best-looking Bond film ever made.

  Things get personal as James Bond has to defend MI6.
• 
  Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory (1971)

  Review preview for Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory

  A few scenes are likely to genuinely terrify younger viewers, but Wonka would be the first to point out that children ought to be terrified now and then.

  A little boy wins a golden ticket to visit the secret workings of a chocolate factory.
• 
  John Carter (2012)

  Review preview for John Carter

  Stanton's version takes many liberties with the original story while remaining true to its spirit.

  Mysteriously transported to Mars, a 19th century cavalryman is caught up in an alien conflict in this adaptation of the classic pulp series.
• 
  Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

  Review preview for Captain America: The First Avenger

  It feels like you're watching the trailer for the much better movie you wish they'd made.

  After being deemed unfit for military service, Steve Rogers volunteers for a top secret research project that turns him into Captain America, a superhero dedicated to defending America's ideals.
• 
  The Warrior's Way (2010)

  Review preview for The Warrior's Way

  All too soon the party's over, after a final serving of cheese, and you start to wonder why anyone actually bothered.

  An assassin who refuses to kill a child goes on the run until his enemies corner him in an American gold rush town.
• 
  Iron Man 2 (2010)

  Review preview for Iron Man 2

  Anyone who enjoyed the first Iron Man will love this, but if they expected something better then they will be disappointed.

  Tony Stark faces new challenges and meets new enemies, both in his own life and in that of his alter-ego, Iron Man.
• 
  Kick-Ass (2010)

  Review preview for Kick-Ass

  The film stays just on the right side of knowingly self-aware, excusing the major flaw in its basic premise without getting too smug or annoying.

  Following an accident, a young man decides to dress up and reinvent himself as a superhero.
• 
  Ponyo (2008)

  Review preview for Ponyo

  While one expects a strong environmental theme in a Miyazaki work, it has never before been so heavy handed and crude.

  A five-year-old boy meets a magical fish who longs to become human.
• 
  Shirin (2008)

  Review preview for Shirin

  There's a powerful idea at the heart of Shirin, and it's unfortunate that it found expression in the form of a feature film.

  An experimental retelling of a classic Persian tragedy.
• 
  Death Race (2008)

  Review preview for Death Race

  So long as you don't care about how cars go or how reality works or how people can continue to get away with making movies without a single credible acting performance, or anything, you'll almost certainly enjoy yourself.

  A prisoner is offered his freedom if he can win a motor race - but just staying alive is hard enough!
• 
  Before The Rains (2007)

  Review preview for Before The Rains

  Roache acquits himself well, but the rest of the cast clearly struggle with the awful dialogue.

  A sweeping period romance set in Colonial India.
• 
  Wanted (2008)

  Review preview for Wanted

  In terms of awesome per second, Wanted just set a new record.

  Comic adaptation about an ordinary young man who becomes an elite agent of justice.
• 
  Lonesome Jim (2005)

  Review preview for Lonesome Jim

  Some excellent performances and some gorgeous opening shots raise Lonesome Jim above average gentle-indie-dark-comedy standards.

  Struggling to make it on his own, a young man moves back into his parents' house, with ensuing awkwardness.