Johnny English Reborn (2011)

Has a few good sequences (see the clever spoof of the classic rooftop chase, pointless helicopter hijack, awkwardly delayed bathroom confrontation) but also some cringe-worthy ones (see the opening Tibet training montage, life-saving kiss). Most of the rest is in between: a mediocre spy plot (who was this murderous lady who kept showing up?) slathered with slight-chuckle-worthy slapstick and dramatic irony along the lines of the first film, just with a little less luster this time around.

4

Tomb Raider (2018)

Lara Croft, the fiercely independent daughter of a missing adventurer, must push herself beyond her limits when she finds herself on the island where her father disappeared. (IMDb)

A fun first act (see the bike race, tomb discovery) sets things up well, with Vikander’s cheeky Lara proving to be a likeable lead, as well as a refreshingly down-to-earth action star in the next two acts, which have their share of good, gritty action sequences (see the plane escape; mud fight) but fail to generate any sort of real adventure momentum as a whole due to continual script slip-ups: the confusing island enslavement, the unremarkable early mystery resolve, the mediocre tomb raid.

6.5/10 (Alright)