Liam Maguren

Liam Maguren's reviews only count toward the Tomatometer® when published at the following Tomatometer-approved publication(s):
Flicks.co.nz
Publications:
Flicks.co.nz
Movie Reviews Only
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79% | Synchronic (2020) |
Moorhead and Benson deliver enough to put this film above more forgettable fare. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Feb 9, 2021
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77% | The Croods: A New Age (2020) |
While the story of confinement feels weirdly relevant in a world where lockdowns are the norm, its kindhearted attitude towards nature feels more timely than ever in the wake of a climate emergency. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Dec 15, 2020
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4/5 | 71% | 7500 (2020) |
It's up to Gordon-Levitt to maintain that authenticity when the suspense elevates, and he does a damn fine job in a career-high performance. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Jun 22, 2020
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3/5 | 92% | The Vast of Night (2020) |
Powered by mystery and intrigue, Patterson applies small-scale flashes of filmmaking brilliance to a story that can't quite keep up with him. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Jun 1, 2020
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4/5 | 91% | The Willoughbys (2020) |
It's the same dark whimsy that made Roald Dahl a household name, that perfect entry point for growing kids to understand and relate to the more unfortunate aspects of life-albeit, with a kind heart and a bunch of belly laughs. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Apr 22, 2020
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3/5 | 62% | The Call of the Wild (2020) |
Despite those setbacks, The Call of the Wild still pulls through as an entertaining heart-on-sleeve old-school adventure flick that favours emotive performances from its animal characters over bland hyper-realism. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Feb 20, 2020
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2/5 | 63% | Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) |
Sonic the Hedgehog's absolute refusal to lean into its own weirdness has resulted in a predictably wholesome, blindingly forgettable experience. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Feb 13, 2020
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4/5 | 70% | Horse Girl (2020) |
I am certain of two things: this is one doozy of a watch and Alison Brie is at the height of her performing powers. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Feb 9, 2020
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3/5 | 75% | Only Cloud Knows (2019) |
As flashbacks continue to jump back and forth in time, there's a quiet hurt that creeps in when certain secrets are revealed-a hurt that turns into something quite bittersweet near the end. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Dec 17, 2019
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3/5 | 96% | I Lost My Body (2019) |
On one hand, the bog-standard love story amuses but never resonates. Fortunately, the other hand fights rats, dodges traffic, and does all sorts of insane things you've never witnessed in a film. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Dec 3, 2019
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4/5 | 97% | Knives Out (2019) |
"[Craig] sprinkles all 11 herbs and spices onto his Kentucky-fried accent, and while it may prove a bit much for some, it cleverly anchors the film's tone: very humorous, a bit preposterous, but always consistent." - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Nov 24, 2019
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2/5 | 66% | Lady and the Tramp (2019) |
Seeing two photo-realistic canines lock lips? Well... it ain't romantic, to say the least. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Nov 19, 2019
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4/5 | 94% | Klaus (2019) |
The Christmas film of the decade. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Nov 12, 2019
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4/5 | 97% | Tell Me Who I Am (2019) |
An incredibly moving experience that men, in particular, should witness and absorb. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Oct 29, 2019
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4/5 | 100% | 2040 (2020) |
2040 might just shift your world for the better. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Aug 14, 2019
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3/5 | 52% | The Lion King (2019) |
Thrilling moments become more tense thanks to the photorealism, and when the Lions vs. Hyena climax kicks in, they go wild with it. It's kinda awesome. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Jul 11, 2019
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4/5 | 90% | Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) |
Some may write off Far From Home as 'just another superhero film', but doing so would overlook its mightily impressive ability to address immediate, real-world concerns in a palpable way for general audiences. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Jul 2, 2019
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3/5 | 63% | Yesterday (2019) |
Boyle's hyper-speed direction assures you move on before you can question any of this thoroughly. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Jun 25, 2019
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1/5 | 23% | Men in Black International (2019) |
Imagine a Taika Waititi-less Thor: Ragnarok rewritten by the guys who penned Transformers: The Last Knight. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Jun 12, 2019
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3/5 | 57% | Aladdin (2019) |
It's the modifications in Ritchie's enjoyable take on Aladdin that ultimately justifies its existence-even if it bends a few nails in the execution. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted May 22, 2019
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3/5 | 68% | Pokémon Detective Pikachu (2019) |
Fortunately, the concept fires on enough cylinders to prevent the story from being a write-off. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted May 12, 2019
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3/5 | 100% | Vai (2019) |
A bold experience that rightly highlights the need for more Pasifika cinema. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Apr 1, 2019
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4/5 | 88% | Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018) |
Younger audiences are, or soon will be, entering the world wide web with eyes as fresh as Ralph's. Such frankness with important messages feels endearing. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Dec 19, 2018
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5/5 | 97% | Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) |
It's truly sensational to witness a blockbuster this visually daring on a massive screen. It's even more sensational that I found myself yelling: "Give me six more Spider-Verse films!" - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Dec 13, 2018
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4/5 | 26% | Mortal Engines (2018) |
Christian Rivers has constructed a beautiful, burly, bustling blockbuster that visually magnifies a crazy concept. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Dec 5, 2018
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2/5 | 15% | Robin Hood (2018) |
Unfortunately, it sets up a good target only to fire multiple arrows into its own foot. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Nov 20, 2018
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4/5 | 99% | They Shall Not Grow Old (2019) |
This digitalised revamping is unlike anything I've seen before-certainly not as simple as clicking a 'turn on the colour' button. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Nov 5, 2018
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3/5 | 62% | Rampant (2018) |
Zombie purists may cry "Blasphemy!" at Rampant's 'night demons'... but I found the change-up an entertaining point of difference. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Oct 31, 2018
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3/5 | No Score Yet | Born Racer (2018) |
Thankfully, the film isn't a simple 90-minute padding of his life story, choosing to use Dixon more as a centre point for exploring the absolute death-tempting madness of the sport itself. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Oct 23, 2018
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4/5 | 90% | Mirai (2018) |
Animation has the unique ability to present surrealism to kids... It's great to see Mirai keeping this tradition alive and with purpose... - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Sep 16, 2018
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3/5 | 82% | The Party (2018) |
It's not memorable, but it's short-lasting fun. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Feb 21, 2018
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4/5 | 96% | Black Panther (2018) |
The true knockout stars are Lupita Nyong'o as Wakandan spy Nakia and Danai Gurira as Dora Milaje general Okoye. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Feb 13, 2018
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3/5 | 47% | Downsizing (2017) |
A disappointing film made watchable thanks to solid performances and some constantly polite chuckles. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Jan 24, 2018
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3/5 | 89% | Mary and The Witch's Flower (2018) |
Enough to sweep audiences up in a journey that poses some good simple questions about science and ethics. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Jan 8, 2018
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4/5 | 96% | Menashe (2017) |
Menashe wants to be a good single parent so badly, and his earnest intentions are sympathetic, but the film does a stupendously cruel job making you question if he ever could be. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Dec 11, 2017
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4/5 | 97% | In This Corner of the World (Kono sekai no katasumi ni) (2017) |
It's a celebration of those who continued everyday life over the sound of death knocking on the door. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Dec 4, 2017
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3/5 | 60% | Murder On The Orient Express (2017) |
A simple exchange feels colossal from Branagh's mouth and thank his godly facial fuzz for that because there's a LOT of blunt exposition Poirot dishes out. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Nov 8, 2017
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2/5 | 33% | Jigsaw (2017) |
Disappointingly, most of the traps feel more like remixes of the past than anything drastically new. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Nov 1, 2017
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2/5 | 16% | Geostorm (2017) |
If you're the kind of person who hunts for a "good bad movie" then beer yourself up because this is the most entertaining two-star film of 2017. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Oct 18, 2017
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4/5 | 100% | Waru (2017) |
Chances are, you've never witnessed anything like Waru. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Oct 15, 2017
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3/5 | 38% | The Mountain Between Us (2017) |
It's a love story first and foremost, doing a better job serving that crowd than most Nicholas Sparks bollocks adapted to screen. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Oct 12, 2017
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2/5 | 50% | Another Mother's Son (2017) |
The sets and costuming are era-appropriate, but director Christopher Menaul's no-frills approach usually boils down to 'point cameras at actors'. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Oct 5, 2017
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3/5 | 56% | The Lego Ninjago Movie (2017) |
There's a giant robot that shoots sharks yelling "nom nom nom nom nom nom" - this is objectively funny in any language. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Sep 20, 2017
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5/5 | 98% | God's Own Country (2017) |
For anyone who can remember their young heart being soothed and captured for the first time, it is as intense as that experience. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Aug 24, 2017
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4/5 | 88% | Wind River (2017) |
A great sombre thriller that circles you like a pack of wolves before it pounces. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Aug 10, 2017
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3/5 | 78% | Atomic Blonde (2017) |
I can guarantee you at least one moment of ass-kicking amazement that will make the whole film feel like it was worth seeing. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Aug 3, 2017
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5/5 | 86% | A Monster Calls (2017) |
A Monster Calls explores the darkest of grey areas experienced at a tender age, creating a cinematic masterwork in visualised empathy. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Jul 27, 2017
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1/5 | 58% | Despicable Me 3 (2017) |
Exists only to sell out. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Jul 6, 2017
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3/5 | 98% | Long Way North (Tout en haut du monde) (2016) |
Yeah, Long Way North is basically a Russian Moana. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Jul 6, 2017
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4/5 | 92% | Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) |
This Spider-Man isn't about the big moments; it celebrates the small ones. - Flicks.co.nz
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| Posted Jul 6, 2017
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