rich_jacko

Just quickly :o)

• Inside Out 2 - Not quite as good as the first, but still a brillantly funny and insightful study of teenagehood.


• Midsommar (Director's Cut) - Didn't see this the first time around. Good sense of growing menace. Very Wicker Man.


• A Quiet Place: Day One - Decent prequel with a different cast. Amazing the lengths people will go to for pizza. Or a cat.


• The Bikeriders - This was definitely a film in which some things happened. It was fine, but didn't grab me.


• Despicable Me 4 - More of the same. Gru goes into hiding. The minions get superpowers. What could go wrong?


• Twisters - Does for the original what Jurassic World did for Jurassic Park: reboots it with a new cast an a whole load of gung-ho cowboyism.


• Deadpool & Wolverine - Twisted and funny, with some moments of brilliance. But I struggle to get past Deadpool being an annoying jerk.


• Longlegs - Deeply weird horror film, not even redeemed by a deeply weird Nicholas Cage. Avoid.


• Borderlands - About what I expected: big, loud, dumb, redeemed slightly by Cate Blanchett and Jamie Lee Curtis.


• Trap - M. Night Shyamalan continues his recent return to form with a tense thriller about a serial killer cornered by the FBI at a rock concert.


• Alien: Romulus - Best Alien film since 1986! Yes, there's a lot of rehashing, but it's genuinely scary and gets back to the franchise's roots. Strong characters too.


• Blink Twice - Psychological thriller in which gaslighting and sinister goings-on abound on a tech billionaire's luxury island.


• Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice - Fan-pleasing sequel that hits most of the right notes. Let down very slightly by its threats being too easily disposed of.


• Speak No Evil - James MacAvoy is scary. So is the commentary on societal expectations. The standard horror tropes of the last reel, less so, but it's still very good.


• Lee - Kate Winslet in a biopic about WW2 photographer Lee Miller. A great performance lifts an average film.


• The Critic - Ian McKellen fights dirty as an ascerbic 1930s theatre critic at risk of losing his job. Delightfully wicked.


• Prima Facie - Jodie Comer puts in an astounding performance in a one-woman theatre show about how the legal system treats rape cases.


• The Empire Strikes Back - They made a sequel to Star Wars. Who knew? Good to see it on the big screen again.


• Megalopolis - Francis Ford Coppola does the fall of Rome in modern New York with magic. A completely incoherent mess, but an interesting one at least.

Oops, I've left it far too long again between film review posts, and the backlog has got massively out of hand. Again. I'd better attempt a round-up:

Saltburn - Working class student Oliver (Barry Keoghan) is invited to spend the holidays at his wealthy classmate Felix (Jacob Elordi)'s country mansion. You might think you know where this is going; you're probably wrong. This black comedy thriller is at times psychologically disturbing, occasionally icky, and has a few surprising twists and turns before its memorable finale. It's not the must-see film some claim it is, but it's still well worth a watch.

Napoleon - Well, it's definitely a film about Napoleon. A disappointing Ridley Scott epic which outstays its 2h38m running time. It tries to cover too much, never settling on any event long enough for us to feel engaged. From the Terror to Waterloo, Scott's gift for brutal historical spectacle is always impressive (if not entirely accurate), and he tries to ground his film around the relationship between his 19th Century power couple (played by Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby), but even the dictator himself often feels like a bystander in his own story.

Wish - The critics were very down on this latest from Disney, and I'm not really sure why. Sure, it's very by-the-numbers, and isn't up there with the best. But it's a decent enough fairy tale with some interesting ideas (the premise is a kingdom where the population's wishes are all carefully controlled), a rounded villain, a fun gang of heroes and possibly Alan Tudyk's best sidekick character to date.

The Three Musketeers Part II: Milady - Eva Green was the star of the first half, so it's fitting her scheming villainess lends her name to Part II of this French-language epic. It works well enough as a standalone adventure, with D'Artagnan (François Civil) and co. out to foil a fresh plot to drag France into war, frame Captain Treville (Marc Barbé) and, of course, give our hero cause to rescue Constance Bonacieux (Lyna Khoudri). Swashbuckling fun.

Wonka - "Oompa-loompa-doompety-doo, they've got a Roald Dahl prequel for you. Oompah-loompa-doompety-dee, it's a delightful comedy." I really enjoyed this, more than either of the "proper" Charlie and the Chocolate Factory film adaptations to date. Timothée Chalamet seems perfect as (for once, a not creepy) Willy Wonka, Hugh Grant has a fun (ahem) small role, and many of the Horrible Histories/Ghosts cast turn up in various roles. The musical numbers set the feel for the whole film, which is a good, old-fashioned musical stage show.

The Boy and the Heron - Haunting, beautiful, surprising, visceral, whimsical, enchanting and mad as a package of parakeets. Miyazaki's latest "final film" proves he's still got it. This was my favourite film of 2023, without a shadow of a doubt. It starts out grounded in reality, with shades of Ghibli's more serious WW2-era output, but becomes steadily more whimsical and fantastical as the story unfolds. The best of both their worlds!

One Life - This biopic of Nicholas Winton, who helped evacuate hundreds of Jewish children from Nazi-occupied Czechoslavakia, is less "the British Schindler's List", more a down-to-earth study of a very practical man trying to get things done. It's possibly the only film ever to feature a quick-cut visa application montage. That's probably not selling it, but it is a good watch. Johnny Flynn plays the young Nicky, ably aided by his no-nonsense mum (Helena Bonham-Carter). Anthony Hopkins plays the elder Winton, clearing through his old documents and going on a journey which will end with him appearing on That's Life!.

Next Goal Wins - This got terrible reviews, and I honestly don't understand why. I suppose it depends to an extent how much you appreciate Taika Watiti's madcap brand of humour, although he has reigned himself in a little here. There's a bit of a Cool Runnings feel to this story, loosely based on true events, of a loser football coach (Michael Fassbender) sent to turn around the fortunes of American Samoa's disastrous national football team. Sports underdog films are never going to win awards for originality, but this one has an awful lot of heart, charm and genuinely funny gags to carry it through.

Poor Things - From the same writer/director team as The Favourite and, if anything, even more delightfully bonkers and outrageous. Poor Things is a steampunk Frankenstein-esque fantasy about a young woman (Bella), brought back to life with no memory (and no social proprieties), finding her way in the world. Stone is terrific, and Mark Ruffalo and Willem Dafoe also put in memorable performances. An awards contender worth the hype and the best film of 2024 so far. Avoid reading anything about it (spoilers are everywhere), just see it.

All Of Us Strangers - A sleepy little film. Adam (Andrew Scott) lives in a near-empty tower block, his only company being his new boyfriend Harry (Paul Mescal) and visits to his childhood home, where somehow his parents (Jamie Bell and Claire Foy) are still living, the same age they were when they died during Adam's childhood. With their old-fashioned attitudes and being younger than Adam is now, he questions how much he ever really knew them. There are some interesting ideas, well explored, though it's a film in which not a lot actually happens.

The Holdovers - The concept didn't grab me - Paul Giamatti plays Paul, a grumpy professor, stuck minding a group of students over the holidays, including troubled Angus (Dominic Sessa), along with grieving school cook, Mary (Da'Vine Joy Randolph). But it's a surprisingly engaging watch, brilliantly written and acted, as the three lonely leads gradually come out of their shells, bond (or fail to) with one another and tackle (or fail to) their various inner demons. Well-judged comedy balances the more serious subject matter.

American Fiction - Monk (Jeffrey Wright) is a serious author. Frustrated at the media obsession that "black literature" has to mean street slang, drugs and gang violence, he writes a spoof "black" novel under a fake persona. Naturally everyone loves it as the next big thing, and the joke spirals way out of Monk's control. There's obvious comedy in the premise, though the film looks at more serious consequences too. The script is equal parts funny, smart, and scathing social commentary. I really enjoyed this.

The Zone of Interest - "The Zone of Disinterest", more like. The problem with contrasting the mundanity of Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss (Christian Friedel) and his wife Hedwig (Sandra Hüller)'s everyday lives with the horror of Höss's job, is we get a lot of mundane, everyday scenes. There are occasional moments of sharp relief - children watching burning chimneys or prisoner shootings, a death threat to a Polish servant; Höss idly working out how he'd gas a whole room; a striking flash-forward to the modern Auschwitsz museum - but, for the most part, the Holocaust is muffled sounds in the background. It's an intriguing concept, but doesn't realise its potential and is occasionally too artsy for its own good.

Bob Marley: One Love - I don't know much about Bob Marley, but Kingsley Ben-Adir seems to play him well in this biopic. Despite shootings, life in exile, creative struggles and a losing battle with cancer, this is, at heart, a feel-good film - thanks to Marley's irrepressible optimism and uplifting songs. It is, after all, about a man who believed he could unite the world through the power of music. That may be cheesy, but wouldn't it be nice if it were so?

Wicked Little Letters - When obscene letters arrive on the doormats of Edith Swan (Olivia Coleman) and other residents of Littlehampton, suspicion naturally falls on potty-mouthed Irish neighbour, Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley). But PC Gladys Moss (Anjana Vasan) isn't so sure. There's not much mystery and few surprises to this very British black comedy, but that's not really the point. It's very funny, anti-establishment, full of entertaining characters, and features some truly outstanding swearing.

Dune: Part 2 - Part 1 was big, loud, epic and a tad impersonal. The same can be said of Part 2, but I felt a lot more engaged with this one. It's more character-driven, focussed on Paul (Timothée Chalamet) and Chani (Zendaya), and - to a lesser extent - Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler). Liberties are taken with the book, but I was surprised how much the theme of religion, weaponised by the elite to control the masses, came through. Of course, the film is still mainly about spectacle, and the sound design is excellent, particularly the beat of the thumpers and the rumble of approaching sandworms. Definitely not one to wait for streaming - go see it in IMAX!

Little Miss Sunshine - I missed this 2006 comedy the first time round, but was glad I caught it on a random cinematic repeat. It's deceptively well-written, following an utterly dysfunctional family who we instinctively dislike every one of to begin with, and can't help but love them all by the end. A reminder not to judge too harshly until you've walked a mile in someone's shoes. Or, in this case, driven 700 miles with them in a clapped-out VW camper van with a broken clutch. Also a reminder that there is nothing in this world quite so creepy and wrong as American child beauty pageants.

Meg 2: The Trench - Jason Statham is back for more giant shark cheesiness, and it's pretty much what you'd expect. Obviously it's a sequel, so there have to be more giant sharks (as well as a giant octopus, because why not?). Cliff Curtis, Page Kennedy and Sophia Kai also return from the first installment, now joined by Wu Jing. There's a plot involving eco-warfare vs. big business, in which espionage and double-crosses abound, but it's a flimsy set-up really for a succession of stand-offs against the sharks, a rapidly flooding underwater base and the gleeful destruction of a tropical tourist paradise. It's big, not clever, and fine if you're in the mood for that sort of thing.

A Haunting in Venice - Ken Branagh returns for a third outing as Hercule Poirot, and I enjoyed this one more than the previous two. While it lacks the flashy setting of the Orient Express or a Nile riverboat, the low-key haunted house vibe makes for a more character-driven piece and the story is more interesting. Poirot is lured out of retirement in Venice by mystery writer Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey) first to debunk a seance, then to investigate a supposed suicide. The supernatural undertones mean you can't always believe what you see. How close it all is to the Hallowe'en Party novel on which it's based, I couldn't tell you, but it's a well-constructed puzzle into which every piece slots without making me feel cheated, which is unusual for me with Agatha Christie.

The Creator - Rogue One er, creator, Gareth Edwards brings us this Earth-based sci-fi which feels very much in the same mould. It's the near future, some years after AI triggered a nuclear bomb in Los Angeles, kicking off a war between the anti-AI West and an AI-supporting Asian facton. Joshua Taylor (John David Washington) begins to question whether he's on the right side as his undercover work brings him closer to the daughter of an enemy leader (Gemma Chan) and a "super-weapon" which turns out to be an artificial child (newcomer Madeleine Yuna Voyles). More Blade Runner or Spielberg's A.I. than Terminator, it's not the most original or unpredictable of stories, but it is very well told. Strong performances, morally grey situations and topical subject matters all help, and it's not short on action either.

Dream Scenario - Nicolas Cage plays Paul Matthews, a nerdy professor who, for unknown reason, starts appearing in the dreams of people all over the world. Naturally, this makes him an instant media phenomenon, something he never would've wished for, and which quickly takes some darker turns as it affects Paul, his wife (Julianne Nicholson) and two daughters. Not as funny as the posters would have you believe, it's an odd little film - part black comedy, part serious commentary on the impact of pop culture fame on people's lives, part surreal fantasy. It's not completely successful as a film, but it is genuinely original, and that makes it both interesting and admirable.

The Marvels - A joyful return to form for the MCU. After several more ponderous films, this refreshingly tight 1h45m adventure sees Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) team up with Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) and Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) to defeat Kree revolutionary Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton). The plot is thin and full of silliness, but it's good silliness and it has real heart as well. Mainly it's an excuse to have these characters bounce off one another. The chemistry between the three heroes is great, and the way they find their powers entangled makes for some funny and inventive character moments and action scenes. Samuel L. Jackson gives us one of his most entertaining turns as Nick Fury too, but it's the inclusion of Kamala and her family from the Ms Marvel TV series that is this film's secret weapon.

Renfield - Nicholas Hoult plays the titular bug-eater. It's modern day America, so there are self-help groups for those trying to escape abusive co-dependent relationships. This is important when your boss is Nicholas Cage in full Hammer Horror mode and has decided to team up with the mob. The always-likeable Awkwafina plays the cop investigating a string of grisly deaths. The comedy obviously comes from mixing modern self-empowerment therapy with campy vampire horror. There's some pretty grisly violence too, of the ripping-arms-off-and-beating-people-to-death-with-the-wet-ends variety, so be warned. The whole film is a lot of fun though, with just the right amount of silliness to avoid being annoying. I really enjoyed it.

Suzame - A stunning, reality-bending anime epic. Suzame is an ordinary teenager until one day she starts seeing smoke billowing up into the sky where no one else can. Then she helps a mysterious stranger close a door to another world. Soon she's on the run across Japan, with a broken chair and the world's most troublesome kitten for company, trying to save the world and stay out of trouble with her mother. It's action-packed, funny, romantic, sweet, visually-stunning and up there with the very best Japanese animation has to offer. It's also a great advert for emergency phone alerts ;o)

The Super Mario Bros. Movie - Films of video games succeed when they incorporate elements from the game(s) into the plot in fun and clever ways, which make you go, "Aha! I see what you did there!" The Super Mario Bros. Movie does not do this. It is literally just like watching a game demo continuously for 90 minutes. The plot is so thin it may as well be non-existant, and no reason is given for all the platforms, pipes, power-ups and so on. Sure, there's the zany Minions-esque humour you'd expect from Illumination, much of which did make me smile, but it all feels very cynically churned out. It's nowhere near resembling a coherent film, and barely even qualifies as a film at all. Disappointing.

The Three Musketeers: D'Artagnan - A French-made, French language version of Alexander Dumas's famous novel, starring François Civil as D'Artagnan and Eva Green as Milady de Winter. I've seen many versions of this story before, and this is definitely one of the better ones. It's played seriously and on a grand scale (this is part one of two), but It's solid rather than spectacular; a film to admire rather than to love. There's nothing wrong with it at all; it just left me unmoved for some reason. Perhaps it's simply because I will always feel more attachment to the version with the singing cartoon dogs ;o)

Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3 - The success of GotG is partly due to, no matter how outlandish their adventures or how kick-ass superpowered our heroes are, they obsess, bicker and screw up over the most stupid things. That makes them really relatable and lovable, and that winning formula continues here in their bittersweet swansong. After a jarringly melancholy opening, it soon gets back into the familiar swing, with a great soundtrack, an audacious heist, a Big Bad playing God, a desperate mission against the odds, and Nathan Fillion. There are some darker notes this time, from Rocket's tragic backstory, to our heroes getting surprisingly murderous, to the nagging sense that any of them could die before the end. Ultimately, it's a fitting and (mostly) satisfying send-off for the MCU's greatest ensemble cast.

Sisu - If Quentin Tarantino made a western set in Finland, about one guy killing a bunch of Nazis, it would probably look and sound a lot like Sisu. Other than the sparseness of dialogue, that is. Aatami (Jorma Tommila) is an old man, prospecting for gold out in the wilderness and looking to escape the war. Unfortunately, there is a Nazi platoon carrying out a scorched earth retreat through his path. Unfortunate for the Nazis, that is. For Aatami is a legendary ex-commando, about to teach them the meaning of sisu. What follows over a tight 90 minutes is mainly a lot of very brutal, highly implausible violence. The film doesn't pretend to offer anything else and doesn't overstay it's welcome. Good, if you like that kind of thing, but maybe not a classic.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - 2018's Into the Spider-Verse was a madcap mix of animations styles and different spider-heroes from across the multiverse, turned up to 11. This sequel is the same, but turned up to about 200. I struggled to take it all in, but don't let that stop you seeing this on the biggest, loudest screen you can find. The animation is stunning; it's the closest to an actual comic-book-turned-movie you're likely to see; it's a bold experiment and a great ride. The plot is a steaming great mess, of course (and annoyingly incomplete, ending with a "To be continued..." while we wait for Beyond the Spider-Verse). But it doesn't matter; you're not here for the plot. Miles (Shameik Moore) and Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld) are the central characters who give it enough of a heart for you to care about all the mayhem unfolding around them. It's a film with a lot of faults, but a must-see nonetheless.

Don't Worry, Darling - Alice (Florence Pugh) and Jack (Harry Styles) live the American dream in a 1950s utopia, all under the benevolent eye of Jack's boss, Frank (Chris Pine). But something feels wrong. Why aren't the women allowed out of town? Are deaths being covered up? Why can't Alice remember things? And what is the Victory Project all about? There are shades of The Truman Show, but with a much darker undertone. You can see the big reveal coming a mile off, as the carefully curated world begins to unravel and things descend into a battle of wills between Alice, Jack and Frank. It's perfectly fine as films go; I don't regret seeing it, but it's nothing special, so I wouldn't recommend it.

The Woman King - Forget Black Panther's Dora Milaje, this is the real deal. The Agojie were a real-life army of female warriors who protected the African kingdom of Dahomey against slavers. The film follows a trio of Agojie - Nawi (Thuso Mbedu), a young girl in training, who is the audience's window into the world; Izogie (Lashana Lynch), the experienced warrior she befriends; and General Nanisca (Viola Davis), who dominates the screen whenever she appears. John Boyega as the King and Jordon Bolger as a European slaver round out the lead cast. This isn't a simple tale of European colonisers vs African natives; the neighbouring kingdom is helping the Europeans to capture people from Dahomey, and the alliances, politics and power plays are complex. There are personal revelations too. And, of course, there are desperate missions and battles to be fought. This is a grand and gritty historical epic about a little-known piece of history, and thoroughly recommended.

Amsterdam - There is a lot going on in these 134 minutes. Broadly speaking, it follows the lives of a doctor (Christian Bale), a nurse (Margot Robbie) and a lawyer (John David Washington), who originally met during WW1 and, 15 years later, find themselves investigating a murder, which leads to a bigger conspiracy. Throw in a bundle of comedy, romance, politics, musings on war and on life, heroes on the run from hitmen, an all-star cast and a story spanning decades and many different locations. It got mediocre reviews, with many critics complaining that there's just too much going on and that the tone is a mess, but I really enjoyed it. This is thanks in no small part to the chemistry between the three leads and its quirky take on the bonds of friendship. I was invested in the characters; I thought the story (complex though it is) hung together well and cracked along at such a pace it was impossible to get bored. No, this was a good one.

Trick 'r Treat - A cinematic re-release of a 2007 comedy horror I'd missed the first time round. It's Hallowe'en in a small town in America, and a collection of short horror stories play out, loosely connected to each other and all overseen by Sam, the creepy, sack-headed poster child for the film. It's based on a DC comic and produced by Bryan Singer, who brings back two of his X-Men cast, Brian Cox and Anna Paquin, as the film's star names. The anthology of tales covers a serial killer, a ghost story connected to an abandoned quarry, supernatural predators stalking party-goers, a monster in the house, and victims punished for foolishly not following traditions. None of it is winning any originality awards, but it does what it does very well. The knowing black humour plays with well-trodden Hallowe'en tropes, but never undermines the scares and manages to be entertainingly silly without becoming too silly. It's a strangely endearing little film in its own way.

Decision To Leave - A Korean crime drama from Oldboy writer/director, Park Chan-wook. Hae-jun (Park Hae-il) is a detective investigating the death of a climber found dead at the bottom of a cliff. Prime suspect is the man's wife, Soe-Rae (Tang Wei), who is acting strangely, but appears to have a rock-solid alibi. As Hae-jun continues to investigate Soe-Rae, he finds himself getting closer to the truth, but also being drawn to her in a very unprofessional way, which risks destroying his marriage and his career. What follows is a psychological game between the two, as each tries to stay one step ahead of the other. Even once the mystery is solved and the film skips forward in time, the twists keep turning and the stakes keep rising. Beautifully shot and acted, and at heart a very human drama about two lonely people, this deserves all the rave reviews it's been getting.

Barbarian - Tess (Georgina Campbell) arrives in the middle of a storm at her Airbnb in a largely-deserted small town, only to find someone else (Keith, played by Bill Skarsgård) already there, apparently due to a double-booking. Is it safe for her to stay with this stranger? What is hidden beneath the house? And why does everyone warn her away from the neighbourhood? This has had exceptionally good reviews, and I can sort-of see why, but unfortunately it just doesn't hold together for me. The explanation of what's going on (when it comes) doesn't really explain enough. There are too many plot holes and things that don't make sense. And the end is just plain silly. A certain level of silliness in a certain kind of horror film is fine (see Trick 'r Treat), but this one seemed to be going for terrifying, gritty realism, and fell apart when it turned into something else. Disappointing.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - A difficult sequel which has to deal with the tragic loss of Chadwick Boseman (who gets a suitable tribute at both the beginning and end of the film). But with his absence, the women of Wakanda really get to step to the fore - particularly Shuri (Letitia Wright), Okaye (Danai Gurira) and Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett). And they need to, to defend their country from not just greedy global interests, but also new baddie Namor (Tenoch Huerta) and his army of blue underwater warriors who look rather like they've just jumped straight out of the Avatar franchise. It's too long, burdened by too many characters, and lacks the tight plotting of the first instalment, but it's still a worthy addition to the MCU canon. The theme of Western exploitation of developing country resources is handled well, without ever being preachy or getting in the way of its several decent slices of comic book action.

The Menu - Chef Slowik (Ralph Fiennes) offers the most elite of elite dining experiences, a multi-course affair for a select few on a private island, where everything is meticulously planned to perfection with his army of obedient kitchen staff ("Yes, Chef!"). But one of the guests, Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy) wasn't supposed to be there, which upsets the plan. Also, the theme running through the evening seems to be turning murderous... This is a pitch-black comedy, poking fun at pretentious foodie types as well as the rich and famous. There are a few twists along the way but, if you've seen the trailer, you've got the gist of the film. It's fine and there are some strong performances but, like the titular menu in its story, it's rather forced and over-elaborate, and ultimately not all that satisfying.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery - Miles Bron (Edward Norton) invites a group of his "disrupter" friends to a murder mystery party on his private Greek island. But Miles has made a lot of enemies, and soon there's a real murder to be solved. A spoilt billionnaire ruining the lives of others is suitably topical, though I found the early Covid lockdown scenes slightly triggering (too soon). Daniel Craig's Benoir Blanc is the only recurring character but, in common with the first Knives Out, there's another turning-everything-on-its-head twist part-way through. On the other hand, I don't remember the first film being anywhere near this funny - Glass Onion is genuinely laugh-out-loud hilarious. But it's clever too, a genuinely satisfying mystery where you feel you could've pieced the clues together, rather than feeling cheated by the writer just picking one of the many suspects at random (I'm looking at you, Agatha Christie!).

She Said - Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan star as journalists Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor in this adaptation of their book about the investigation into Harvey Weinstein's sexual misconduct - the history of which went back years and was symbolic of a wider culture. Twohey and Kantor's story was a watershed movement which led to many other women coming forward and sparked the #MeToo movement. Of course, any of us who weren't under a rock in 2017 already know a lot of this stuff, but it doesn't make it any less hard-hitting, even if the film often feels more like an extended advert for how good the New York Times's investigative journalism is, rather than concentrating at the shocking behaviour behind Hollywood's closed doors. It's hard to disentangle the real life bits from the fictionalised bits, and you have to get your head around some actors playing themselves and others playing characters. But this doesn't really matter; it's a compelling story that drags you in.

Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical - I haven't seen the stage show, but I've always loved the book, and I had no doubt that pairing it with songs by Tim Minchin would be a fine fit. There's absolutely no realism; this is full-on, technicolour, larger-than-life musical theatre, right from the start. It fits, given Roald Dahl stories are so much larger than life anyway. The cast throw themselves into it with gusto, led by Emma Thompson chewing the scenery as the dastardly Miss Trunchbull, Lashana Lynch doing the proper acting job as Miss Honey and young Alisha Weir doing a good line in righteous indignation in the title role (Her hate has made her powerful...). The (few) changes from the book generally work. The talkie bits are fine, but really just filler between all the songs, which are where the film comes alive. They may not be the most memorable tunes ever, but they bounce along well enough and the lyrics are clever and anarchic, with a clear love for the source material. It's fun.

Another eclectic mix this time around:

The Batman - Another reboot, this time even grittier than before. A serial killer (Paul Dano, who I don't think is ever actually named as The Riddler) is on the loose in Gotham. Bruce (Robert Pattison) and his batsuit are on the trail, which leads into the web of corruption inhabited by Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz), Carmine Falcone (John Turturro) and Penguin (Colin Farrell). Moody, gloomy and rain-soaked, this is much more film noir than comic-book movie, and often feels like an extended episode of the Gotham TV series. It works but, at nearly 3 hours, it's too long. An action-based final reel feels tacked on and oddly out of tone with the rest of the film.

Turning Red - Pixar are denied a cinema release again, which is a real shame, because this is their best since Inside Out. With its all-female writers, director and (mostly) cast, this is a coming-of-age story about teen girls and the often fraught relationships between mothers and daughters. Spiced up by the inconvenient tendency of its lead character, Mei, to turn into a 7-foot red panda whenever she gets too emotional. There's been excessive fuss over the (brief) references to periods, but this deals with many more of the trials and tribulations of growing up. The culture clash of Chinese mythology and American high school drama throws up some fun surprises along the way, culminating in a final act that is just... wow.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 - I quite enjoyed the first Sonic, but the paper-thin plot, one-dimensional characters, and sub-kids'-cartoon-standard moral lessons of this sequel left me bored with the heroes and rooting for Team Evil. At least Idris Elba as Knuckles (inspired casting!) was funny. There are other upsides - some amusing one-liners, a chaotic wedding and its aftermath, and a lot of fun with the source material. This is unashamedly a video game adaptation, which is fine, but it could've been better.

The Worst Person in the World - Aptly described as "a coming of age film for adults who haven't grown up", this Norwegian comedy/drama follows Julie (Renate Reinsve) as she aimlessly drifts through life and falls in and out of love. There is a story running through its dozen chapters, but this is more a commentary on modern society than anything else. There are some clever standout scenes - a hilarious montage of two characters testing the limits of what they can do together without cheating on their partners; a time-freeze journey through the city; a drug-induced psychological nightmare. The film tackles serious issues, including sexism and mortality, but remains entertaining and delightfully subversive throughout. Recommended if you can find it.

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore - One thing I don't get about the Potter-related films is why all the witches and wizards always dress like muggles? Drabness of dress is matched by drabness of story here, as the series increasingly sidelines all the fun with Newt (Eddie Redmayne) and his associates in favour of a tedious stalemate between Dumbledore (Jude Law) and Grindlewald (Mads Mikkelsen, replacing Johnny Depp), and the latter's even more tedious plot to win an election. Other than a delightful prison break partway through, it's all rather dull, far too long and, despite the title, we learn nothing about old Albus we didn't already know.

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent - Nicholas Cage is... Nick Cage! Yes, he's back! Not that he ever went away! Struggling emotionally and financially, Nick reluctantly flies to Majorca as a guest of playboy superfan, Javi Gutierrez (Pedro Pascal). The two hit it off but, before long, Nick gets caught up with an undercover CIA mission, arms dealers and a kidnapping plot. Meaning that, with many a knowing wink, what starts out as a light-hearted bromance turns into... a Nick Cage film with guns and explosions. It's not big or clever, but it is surprisingly character-driven, full of charm and good popcorn entertainment. As long as you're a Nick Cage fan.

The Lost City - Sandra Bullock is Loretta Sage, an archaeologist turned trashy romance novelist. Eeevil Daniel Radcliffe is a billionnaire with a massive chip on his shoulder who kidnaps Loretta, believing she can lead him to the fabled "Crown of Fire", buried in a lost city, which featured in her latest novel. Channing Tatum is the cover model from her books who decides to prove he's more than just a cover model and come to her rescue. Brad Pitt is a ridiculously OTT action man who may be able to help him. If all that sounds silly, it is, and gloriously so, with lines like, "Why are things exploding?" It's big, loud, funny, has its tongue firmly in its cheek and challenges a few gender stereotypes along the way.

Playground (Un Monde) - An astonishing Belgian film about bullying and the toxic effect it spreads on individuals and relationships. Nora is just starting school and struggling to make friends. She witnesses her elder brother, Abel, being bullied and steps in, only to make matters worse for him. With adults unable to help, the other kids protecting their own places in the social hierarchy and Abel shunning her, Nora is left struggling to figure things out for herself. No one should have to cope with this shit, least of all someone so very young. Writer/director Laura Wandel keeps us with Nora throughout, the camera at her eye level and in her face pretty much continuously. It's intense, uncomfortable, at times shocking, and offers no respite or easy answers. A brilliant, astounding piece of cinema, though you'll probably only want to watch it once.

The Northman - Alexander Skarsgård plays Amleth, a wronged Viking prince-turned-mercenary-turned-slave, out for revenge against his traitorous uncle (Ethan Hawke) and to free his mother (Nicole Kidman) in this blood-soaked historical epic. The plot is straight out of Gladiator, but with Icelandic wilderness in place of the streets of Rome. Some of the shamanistic rituals seem silly to modern eyes (Grown men pretending to be wolves and bears? Okay...), but there's no doubting the visceral, almost feral nature of the world it paints. At times, it can be a bit too grim to be enjoyable though.

Operation: Mincemeat - Colin Firth does what he always does in this solid historical drama. The true story behind this operation is remarkable enough to liven up an otherwise fairly unremarkable film: Faced with a potential massacre in Sicily, British intelligence agents devise an elaborate plot to fool Hitler into believing the Allies' real target for invasion is Greece. All they need is a dead body, a convincing life story, false papers and a lot of luck. It's the nerdy historical details which keep your attention, rather than the characters, but there's also just enough humour to keep the drama entertaining without making light of the serious subject matter.

Wow, it has been a very long time since I last posted one of these, hasn't it? Better catch up...

Another round - A Danish film about alcohol addiction that could never have been made in America. The excellent Mads Mikkelsen stars as Martin, who, along with several mates, experiments with the idea that maintaining a blood alcohol level of 0.05% makes humans more relaxed, creative and better at their jobs. Perhaps not the best idea, when their jobs are as school teachers and they are all (to a greater or lesser extent) going through various mid-life crises. This is billed as a black comedy, and it's certainly that, but there are scenes of tragic drama intermixed. It's a film with an ambiguous message, both celebrating the delights of social drinking and warning of the destruction caused by alcoholism. Funny and thought-provoking at the same time.

Jungle Cruise - Imagine a mash-up of Raiders of the Lost Ark and the first two Pirates of the Caribbean films, and you've got a pretty good idea of this gloriously silly adventure. Though even that won't prepare you for the incongruity of Metallica playing over the Disney Castle tag at the start. Set in 1916, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Emily Blunt and Jack Whitehall join forces to battle a German submarine crew and undead Spanish conquistadors as they search the Amazon for a magic tree. No, really. If you like your movies big, loud and cheesy, full of terrible puns and completely implausible action scenes, this is for you. It's a great example of summer blockbuster entertainment, with such likeable characters and such a sense of fun, you can happily accept all its silliness.

Free Guy - A post-Ready Player One adventure in which Guy (Ryan Reynolds) comes to realise his whole life is just a video game, in which he's merely a background NPC. There's shades of The Matrix as well as The Truman Show, but this isn't really a profound commentary on the nature of existence. It's a goofball action comedy, buoyed along by Reynolds's inherent likeability and a fun supporting cast, including Jodie Comer (as the PC object of Guy's affections), Lil Rel Howery (as his best buddy cop) and Taika Waititi (as the unstable CEO of the game company). It's a lot of fun, boosted further by some fun references to varius franchises (no licensing issues due to Disney owning pretty much everything these days!).

Censor - A British psychological horror, which starts out more intriguing than it ends up. Enid Baines (Niamh Algar) works as a film censor. While reviewing a horror film by Frederick North (Adrian Schiller), she notices close parallels with her sister's disappearance many years earlier, when they were children. Enid determines to find out what happened and whether her sister is alive. But North seems to be playing a twisted game with her. As investigation turns to obsession, Enid starts losing her mind. As the film goes on, it starts to resemble more and more the slasher films Enid censors for a living, and it becomes increasingly unclear what is "real" and what is in her head. Unfortunaltely, this results in the film degenerating into a bit of a mess. There are some clever and original ideas here, but it doesn't quite hang together.

Candyman - Jordan Peele (of Get Out and Us fame) brings us a reboot / sequel to the early '90s slasher that got us all scared of looking in the mirror. In a very efficient 91 minutes, Peele brings the haunted neighbourhood up-to-date, recaps the entire supernatural myth of the original, adds new twists, including his signature brand of horror-as-allegory-for-racism, starts the killings all over again, and takes his new lead characters (artist Anthony McCoy (Yaha Abdul-Mateen II) and his gallery director girlfriend Bri Cartwright (Teyonah Parris)) down a very dark path in the final act. The film as a whole is scarier than it's titular hooked bogeyman, whose plight we get to sympathise with, but I'm still not going to say his name...

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings - Marvel's "Phase 4" gets properly underway. It starts out with the familiar martial arts film set-up of an ordinary guy, doing an ordinary job, getting caught up on the receiving end of a criminal gang plot and fighting his way out. Sure, there's a fantasy backstory and magical MacGuffin, and the fight sequences are the heightened choreography you'd expect, but we're reasonably grounded in the real world. Fast-forward two hours and we're in a fantasy location, dealing with huge armies (all armed with magical weapons) battling each other and giant monsters over the fate of the world. None of it goes further than many other Marvel films, and it may just be me, but I found the genre-shift jarring. On the plus side, the lead duo of Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) and Katy (Awkwafina) work well together and there's the welcome surprise return of a few minor MCU characters.

The Green Knight - This is a weird, weird film. Dev Patel stars as Sir Gawain, committed to seeking out his own doom at the hands of the titular Green Knight, after taking on a reckless challenge at court. Along his quest, he encounters strange people and even stranger phenomena. This isn't, in any way, an action film; it's all about mystery, introspection and symbolism. Patel does a good job in bringing humanity to it, which is a good job, since the film is largely him on his own. I can't recommend it though. It's what, in Film Unit, we used to refer to as an "arsehouse" film - one which is arthousey and adored by critics, but is so far up its own arse, it's an impenetrable bore for ordinary viewers. I found out later it's actually surprisingly accurate to the legend, although the ending has been tweaked to make it unnecessarily (even more) confusing.

No Time To Die - Daniel Craig's final Bond outing, and it just about lives up to the hype after all the long, long delays. From the action-packed opening chase, to a fun infiltration of a Spectre gathering, a suitably-OTT doomsday weapon, and a showdown on an island lair, this is big Bond action as we know and love it. But it's also much more character-driven and breaks a few Bond conventions along the way. This is mostly for the better, although it leaves the villain with little chance to shine, and the biggest break in convention felt too forced for my tastes. The 163m running time is definitely excessive - there are too many minor characters clogging up the plot, and at least 30 minutes could've been cut out of the baggy second act. Not up there with Skyfall, but certainly better than the rest of Craig's run in the role.

Dune - It's a long time since I read the book, but this feels like a good adaptation. It's pretty faithful, and the few changes (mostly) make sense for the screen. The casting is brilliant: Timothée Chalamet makes a moody Paul Atreides, along with Jason Momoa (Duncan Idaho), Josh Brolin (Gurney Halleck), Rebecca Ferguson (Lady Jessica), Charlotte Rampling (Reverend Mother), Oscar Isaac (Duke Leto), Stellan Skarsgård (Baron Harkonnen), Dave Bautista (Beast Rabban) and Zendaya (Chani). My one quibble is (like Denis Villeneuve's other recent sci-fi, Blade Runner 2049) there are far too many long, ponderous shots with nothing happening and REALLY LOUD MUSIC to remind you you're watching an epic. You need some of that to add grandeur, but you don't need it slowing down what felt like *every* *single* *scene* of the film. They fit 2/3 of the book into this "Part 1"; with a bit of editing they could have done the whole thing.

The French Dispatch - Wes Anderson does more of what Wes Anderson always does, with this quirky collection of three loosely-related stories about an American publication in a mid-20th Century French town. As usual, he has assembled an incredible cast, chief among them Frances McDormand, Adrian Brody and Bill Murray. If you're not a fan of Anderson's voiceover-driven montages, deadpan delivery, and very staged, theatrical shots, this isn't going to win you over. Even as someone who normally loves his work, I fear he may have gone slightly too far this time. The stories and characters are all interesting enough, but I felt too far removed from them as an audience to really engage. It's not bad by any means, but not one of his best. For major WA fans only.

Venom: Let there be Carnage - I didn't see the first Venom, but this one got better reviews and looked fun. It is. Tom Hardy and Woody Harrelson face off as Eddie Broak and Cletus Casady, two guys stuck sharing their bodies with murderous alien symbiotes. Michelle Williams and Naomie Harris play their respective love interests (the latter almost as psychotic as the aliens). That's about it. Okay, so there's a bit of plot about journalist, Eddie researching serial killer, Cletus's backstory, but essentially this is a tight 97-minutes of pure comic book entertainment, ridiculous action sequences and even more ridiculous arguments between the symbiotes and their human hosts. It pretends to be nothing more, and is a lot of brainless fun.

Last Night In Soho - Writer/director Edgar Wright is on top form yet again with this stylish, time-jumping thriller. Eloise (Thomasin McKensie) is a shy fashion design student, out of her depth in the big city. She is also psychic and, at night, finds herself slipping back in time and reliving the life of Sandie (Annie Taylor-Joy), a wannabe singer in the Swinging Sixties. At first, Eloise enjoys the sights, sounds and escapism, but then Sandie's relationship with Jack (Matt Smith) takes a darker turn, and her nighttime visions start to bleed into her waking days. For all the supernatural elements and full-on slasher final act, it's the human evils of misogyny and sexual exploitation which create the most disturbing scares. But Wright isn't interested in setting the world to rights, just putting his characters through the mill. Style and atmosphere abound, with a wonderful soundtrack, as you'd expect from Wright.

Eternals - The critics have panned this, but I actually enjoyed it more than Shang-Chi, which they loved. Go figure. Yes, the concept is very "out there", featuring giant celestials and main characters older than human civilisation. It's also true that it's a very busy film, with a lot of characters and backstory to take in. But writer/director Chloé Zhao keeps it all grounded in the drama of these characters. They may be superpowered and immortal, but they have a vulnerability and humanity which helps us connect with their trials and tribulations. Top marks also for their unremarked-upon diversity. Like all Marvel films, it mixes action, humour and drama, and plays a lot of the tropes, but it feels fresher than most recent MCU entries.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife - Jason (son of original director, Ivan) Reitman brings us essentially a love letter to the original 1984 movie. Following Egon Spengler's death, his estranged daughter and grandchildren trek out to the farm where he lived out his days. But there's something strange in the neighbourhood... The familiar score brings back the '80s nostalgia, as does the set-up, "misfit kids investigate spooky goings-on in small town, rural America" (with more than a hint of Stephens King and Spielberg). It's not an outright comedy like the rest of the franchise, though the dialogue provides many chuckles. The critics are unimpressed and, to be fair, there are flaws. It takes too long to get going and token adults, Carrie Coon and Paul Rudd, don't have enough to do. Fortunately, the young leads (Young Sheldon's Mckenna Grace, Stranger Things' Finn Wolfhard, Logan Kim and Celeste O'Conner) all do a sterling job - Grace in particular, and it's a joy to see a film with a science-obsessed, mildly autistic lead heroine.

It's been a good time lately for films with female protagonists (and we haven't even got to Wonder Woman 1984 or Black Widow yet). Before the cinemas closed again, I went to see four films with very little in common, other than they all have female leads:

Saint Maud - An intriguing and highly original British horror film. Maud (Morfydd Clark) is a devoutly Christian nurse, providing end-of-life care to hedonistic ex-dancer Amanda (Jennifer Ehle) and takes it upon herself to save Amanda's soul. But Maud is not who she seems, and her obsession leads to a crisis of faith, which turns her into a danger to herself and others. As we're drawn further into Maud's life, we start to see the world as she sees it, but writer/director Rose Glass never feels the need to over-explain. Great performances and a gradual ratcheting up of the madness make this a tense, intelligent and psychological chiller. Recommended.

I am Greta - This fly-on-the-wall documentary is obviously all about Sweden's most famous teenager, but Greta Thunberg would be the first to say the attention should be on climate change rather than herself. Her life is certainly not celebrity glamour, whether she's waiting on windswept train platforms at night, peeing in a bucket on a tiny boat in the Atlantic, or being told by her dad she's not allowed on stage until she's eaten a banana. The famous moments before world leaders (from "I want you to panic" to "How dare you?") are all there, but it's the candid insights behind the scenes, how she copes with her Asperger syndrome, her support from her family, which are more interesting. A favourite moment was her dad exasperated at her determination to fix all the grammar in her speech (in English and French, neither of which are her native language), even though no one else will see it in writing. I think I admire her even more now.

Pixie - Two young guys (Ben Hardy and Daryl McCormack) have a plan to get rich from a bag full of MDMA which falls into their laps. But when anarchic, quick-thinking Pixie (Olivia Cooke) joins their scheme, they quickly find themselves out of their depth and wrapped around her little finger. Soon the trio are on the run from gangster priests and nuns (no, really) led by Alec Baldwin and having to deal with a body in the boot of the car, a hitman (Ned Dennehy) and Pixie's petulant brother (Turlough Convery). The Grauniad described it as "Father Ted-meets-Tarantino, with a smattering of Ferris Bueller and In Bruges", which is a fair summary. There's a bumbling, Irish charm which undercuts the snappy dialogue and Hollywood action, making for an experience which is fast, furious and a lot of fun.

Wolfwalkers - I have so much love for this little film. It's easy to forget how soulless CGI can feel until you see all the warmth, character, beauty and creativity of hand-drawn animation like this. The story centres around Robyn (Honor Kneafsey), the young daughter of a wolf hunter from England (Sean Bean) who has come to 17th century Ireland to help rid the country of wolves. But then she encounters Mebh (Eva Whittaker), a wild girl of the forest who is rumoured to transform into a wolf in her sleep. As the Lord Protector (Simon McBurney) hardens his opposition to such primitive superstitions and to the wolf population, Robyn finds herself torn between her father and the forest. The themes of man vs. nature and animalistic spirits reminded me a lot of Princess Mononoke. The animation style is quite different but, if anything, it has even more heart and soul.

A (mostly) very good selection this time around:

Knives Out - Old mansion: check. Mysterious death: check. Lots of deliciously unpleasant characters, all of whom have a motive but none of whom seem to have had the means: check. Yes, it's a murder mystery in the best Agatha Christie tradition. It's also a brilliantly black comedy. I don't want to say too much, as it unfolds in unexpected ways and it's best to watch it unspoiled. At first it feels like too much is being revealed too soon, but the plot keeps on twisting and turning and keeps you guessing almost to the end. So much fun, and the stellar cast (including Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Christopher Plummer, Toni Collette and a weirdly-accented Daniel Craig) are clearly having a blast. Recommended.

Jojo Rabbit - Taika Waititi's films aren't for everyone. I've seen reviews ranging from 1 star to 5 stars for Jojo Rabbit, an anti-Nazi satire in which Waititi writes, directs and stars (as the title character's imaginary friend, one Adolf Hitler). Personally, I thought it was brilliant. Yes, it's unsubtle and silly, but that's deliberate. It's a child's-eye view of the war. Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis) desperately wants to be a good little Nazi, until events start to help him see through the propoganda and think for himself. As one character tells him, "You're not a Nazi; you're a 10-year-old kid who likes dressing up in a funny uniform and wants to be part of a club." There's a serious message and character drama underlying the humour, and no shying away from the life-or-death reality of the time. This is Waititi's genius. Somehow he manages to make the Nazis both comically ridiculous and terrifyingly dangerous, often in the same scene. Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell and Thomasin McKenzie also turn in memorable performances.

1917 - Two WW1 soldiers - Lance Corporals Schofield (George MacKay) and Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) - must deliver an urgent message across several miles of enemy territory. In real time. I'm a sucker for long, tracking shots, and the whole film is designed to appear as just two continuous shots. It's a bit of a gimmick and you can often see the joins, but it works. It brings a sense of immediacy and documentary-style filmmaking that wouldn't be there with the usual cutting between cameras. You feel really close to the action like almost no other film, and there's a constant sense of danger. The story may be largely fictitious, Sam Mendes has given us a haunting exploration of what life must have been like on the front line. Lives up to the hype.

The Personal History of David Copperfield - Armando Iannucci gives us his take on the Dickens novel, and it's actually much closer to the source material than you might believe. Dev Patel is as likeable as always in the title role, and Tilda Swinton, Hugh Laurie and Paul Whitehouse are among the star names fleshing out an impressive cast. Much has been said about the "race blind" casting, and it's generally (a) a good thing and (b) works fine. My only gripe about it is that, when casting blood relatives, you ought to cast actors who look at least vaguely similar to one another. That wasn't half as incongruous as Peter Capaldi's cockney accent though. At times the film isn't sure whether it wants to be a drama or a comedy, so it's a bit uneven, but a more-or-less successful adaptation.

Parasite - Two families, not alike in dignity. The wealthy Park family live in a luxurious modernist mansion; the Kim family live in a run-down basement and struggle to make ends meet. Then one of them gets a job with the Parks, and step-by-step the Kims start to wheedle their way into the Park family's lives. You can't help but root for the underdog anti-heroes here, even as they build lies upon lies and show a callous disregard for the lives of others. Things don't all go their way however, and events take some unexpected (and occasionally violent) turns. As Best Picture winner at this year's Oscars, Bong Joon-ho's film is inevitably over-hyped, but it is nevertheless very, very good. It's said to defy description, but it's essentially part black comedy, part thriller, and does both of those things very well indeed.

Sonic the Hedgehog - Surprisingly, this isn't that bad, though your milage may vary depending on your appreciation for Jim Carrey. His Dr Robotnik is pretty full-on Jim Carrey here. That worked for me, and he has the most wonderful toys. The (strangely furry) blue one, voiced by Ben Schwartz, has been re-CGI'd since the original trailer to make him cuter rather than creepy - a big improvement. This Sonic is a lonely teenager, stranded far from his homeworld. His buddy team-up with local cop, Tom (James Marsden) has just enough screen chemistry to work, though the constant emotional blackmailing bugged me a little. The action sequences are a fun ride, the gags are broad, there are plenty of videogame in-jokes, and it all works about as well as you could realistically hope for. I was amused that both the goblin child and I were counting how many hits the final boss machine took ;o)

Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) - I don't usually watch DC Universe movies, but this one looked fun. And it is fun, gleefully violent and anarchic fun. Harley (Margot Robbie) has broken up with "Mr J". This means she no longer has his protection, and everyone with a grudge against her is out for payback. Chief amongst them is gangster, Black Mask (Ewan McGregor). Cue a rambling, madcap plot involving an assassin (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), a singer (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), a cop (Renee Montoya), a runaway kid (Ella Jay Basco) and a missing diamond. All of which is just an excuse for lots of witty banter and technicolour set-pieces. The script is very funny, the action is inventive and well-shot/choreographed, and the whole film is just a blast. A certain Ruby Jay of my acquaintance would love it (perhaps a bit too much!).

Onward - I knew about the weird concept - psuedo-fantasy world, two elf brothers (voiced by Spider-man Tom Holland and Star-Lord Chris Pratt) cast a spell to reanimate their dead dad for 24 hours, but only succeed in bringing him back from the waist down). I wasn't expecting Pixar's take on D&D. But that's what this turns into as the film goes on. Early on, it's a bit of a mess, a strange mix of high school comedy meets Zootropolis meets high fantasy. But once it settles down into the two brothers on a quest, we're into familiar Pixar buddy comedy/road trip territory. The gags mostly hit the mark and the messy set-up settles down as the film goes on. You can see the groundwork being laid for the superb last act, yet it still manages to be surprising and (as is compulsory for Pixar these days) a tear-jerker. Overall, it's not a classic perhaps, but still well worth a watch. Oh, and as a sign that Disney now own everything, Simpsons shorts before Pixar movies are now a thing. I'd rather have had a Pixar short. PSA - There's no credit cookie at the end (apart from the lamp).

I've got a very long way behind with my film reviews lately. The last time I reviewed any was the end of April, so this is quite a big catch-up:

Detective Pikachu - I saw this against my better judgment, and enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. It may be dressed up as a film noir mystery, but this is shamelessly a live-action Pokémon cartoon. Tim Goodman (Justice Smith) teams up with a Pikachu (Ryan Reynolds, giving us a PG version of Deadpool) belonging to his estranged father, who has mysteriously gone missing. Journeying across a thinly-disguised London - sorry, Ryme City - they form an unlikely team-up with aspiring reporter, Lucy Stevens (Kathryn Newton) and encounter all the well-known Pokémon you could hope for, and a very hammy Bill Nighy. It's not a challenging mystery - once the film gives you enough information, it's pretty easy to see the twists coming, but it doesn't matter. The technicolour action works, the gags work, even Pikachu's fur works. Special mention for the inspired dark comedy of the Mr Mime scene.

Rocketman - What's that? Dexter Fletcher directing a biopic of a decadent 1970s/80s British rock legend? This is even better than "Boh Rap", though, being less of a straightforward biopic and more of an out-and-out musical. Songs match scenes, people dance in the street, there are flights of fantasy, and it jumps back and forth in time. Obviously made with a lot of warmth and devotion for its subject, it nevertheless tackles Elton's drug-addiction and depression side head-on. The whole film is framed by scenes of him talking to an addiction group. The ever-versatile Taron Egerton and the equally versatile Jamie Bell shine as Elton John and Bernie Taupin respectively.

Ma - Two reasons I saw this: Blumhouse's track record with pschological horror ("Get Out") and the brilliant Octavia Spencer playing wholly against type. Sadly, it doesn't live up to expectations. Spencer plays Sue Ann (or "Ma"), a lonely woman who befriends a bunch of teens by giving them a place to drink and party at her house. Of course, it all gets more sinister. And violent. The problem is that this is a film which relies almost entirely on the performance of its lead actress. And while this is as strong as you'd expect, treading a perfect balance between sympathetic, disturbing and darkly comic, little things like the plot, script and other characters needed to be better. They're not particularly bad, and it's not a bad film, just so-so and forgettable.

X-Men: Dark Phoenix - The fourth, and supposedly final, installment with the current X-Men cast, before they're rebooted into the MCU in a few years' time. I have a soft spot for the X-men. They are archetypal outsiders, flawed heroes and sympathetic villains, and I've enjoyed most of the films to date. Dark Phoenix is a big let-down though. Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) absorbs a celestial entity that drives her doolally, leaving Xavier (James McAvoy), Magneto (Michael Fassbender) and the rest to try to bring her round, all while nasty alien Vuk (Jessica Chastain) is egging her on. It's not as bad as X3's attempt at the Dark Phoenix storyline, and the cast all gamely put in their best efforts, but the material is badly lacking in both substance and entertainment value. I'm not keen on just how far this alternate timeline has diverged from the original films either.

Booksmart - This is billed as a nerds' version of a gross-out teen comedy, but it isn't particularly gross and is actually kind of sweet. It is funny though. On the eve of their high school graduation, nerdy best friends Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) and Molly (Beanie Feldstein) realise that partying hard hasn't stopped their classmates getting into good universities and decide they have one night to make up for lost party time. Cue a wild night of drink, drugs, love, arguments, disastrous sexual encounters, a yacht, a swimming pool, a serial killer, and a surreal Barbie doll scene. Will their friendship survive, and what will their classmates make of them by the end? It's light, undemanding entertainment - sometimes that's all you want from a movie, and this does it well.

Brightburn - An alien child (Jackson A. Dunn) crash-lands on Earth. He is adopted by a couple (Elizabeth Banks and David Denman) in a small town in Kansas, who give him an alliterative name. As he grows up, he develops super-strength, the ability to fly, is able to shoot laser beams from his eyes and has a really big gun (Actually, his dad confiscates the gun). But wait, this isn't what you think. Despite being produced by James Gunn (of Guardians Of The Galaxy fame), Brightburn is less Superman and more a "creepy kid" horror movie in the vein of The Omen. Brandon gets increasingly out of control, with increasingly gruesome consequences. Elizabeth Banks lifts this to a solid three-star rating with her performance as a mother wrestling with her love for her son and the dawning realisation of his true nature. One feature it does take from superhero movies is the end credits sequences - and they are astounding.

Toy Story 4 - I feel conflicted about this film. Yes, the animation is gorgeous, the characters are charming, the gags are inventive and funny and it's Toy Story as we know and love it, but... Did we really need this film? Toy Story 3 had such a perfect ending that I can't help but feel they should have left it there. Tonally, there's nothing particularly new and Woody (Tom Hanks)'s neuroses are getting quite grating now. This is also very much the Woody show. Although Bo Peep (Annie Potts) kicks some serious ass and there's a few amusing new characters (such as Keanu Reeves' Duke Caboom), the rest of the familiar cast have little more than cameo roles. Even Buzz (Tim Allen) only gets a sub-plot based around a single recurring joke. There's no short cartoon beforehand but there are some brilliant credit cookie moments at the end to make up for it. The ending that precedes them is... well, it kind of wraps things up, in a very different way to Toy Story 3, but I wasn't convinced by it and I fear we might still get inflicted with a Toy Story 5.

Yesterday - Something unexplained happens, and now struggling musician Jack Malik (Himish Patel) is the only person in the world who can remember the Beatles. Feeling the world needs to know their music, he claims their songs as his own. That's the concept behind this feel-good film by Danny Boyle and Richard Curtis - and those two names on the credits should give you a good idea of what to expect. It's a stylish, well-written and slightly soppy comedy drama, with lots of character development and a built-in excuse for singing lots of Beatles tracks. Yep, that works for me. Lily James co-stats as Jack's definitely-not-a-girlfriend Ellie, Kate McKinnon as psychotic US music producer Debra, and Ed Sheeran as... er, Ed Sheeran. Try not to let that last one put you off though. This is great fun and has a lot of affection for its source material.

Spider-Man: Far From Home - The events of Endgame cast a long shadow over MCU film #23 (For spoilers' sake, don't watch this if you haven't seen Endgame yet!), but don't stop it being a bit of much-needed light relief. Peter (Tom Holland) is on a school trip around Europe, where he hopes to summon up the courage to finally ask MJ (Zendaya) out. Which would be great if Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhall) didn't keep risking his secret identity and forcing him into helping save the world. It's not one of the stronger Marvel films - some of the humour is cringe-worthy and some of the twists and turns are a bit mind-bending, but it's still a lot of fun and gets by on charm.

Apollo 11 - Not a prequel to Apollo 13, obviously, or really a movie. This is 90 minutes of NASA archive footage, much of it captured by the astronauts themselves, released to mark the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing. And it's a must-see. There's nothing dry about it. It's fly-on-the-wall stuff, without any voice-over commentary or interviews. You get to know Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins very well and see their journey as they saw it. It's well-edited and scored to give it a real sense of story. There's also plenty of techincal detail to appeal to the nerd angle. You will learn things and be wowed at the same time - what more could you want? A must-see for any space fans.

Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw - I don't normally watch this series, but Hobbs & Shaw (Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham respectively) looked like big, dumb fun. And it is big, dumb fun. Though it really should be called Hobbes & Shaw & Shaw, since Vanessa Kirby kicks as much (if not more) ass as the two male leads. Maybe they figured three ampersands in the title was one too many. Idris Elba is the cybernetically enhanced bad guy and Helen Mirren has a memorable cameo. I don't know how much of the backstory comes from previous films, but it hardly matters. This is two hours of mayhem that very much carries on in the same vein as the trailer throughout, culminating in a helicopter chase scene that is so completely ludicrous that the entire cinema was laughing hysterically. In a good way.

Horrible Histories: The Movie - Rotten Romans - I have a lot of affection for this series. It doesn't work quite so well as a 90-minute movie than as a series of quickfire sketches, and there's a soppy teenage romance plot that doesn't do it any favours, but the jokes still come thick and fast. The comedy, as always, comes mainly from juxtaposing the ancient with the modern, but there's no shortage of toilet humour either. The songs are well done, even if they're not all new. Nick Frost, Lee Mack and Rupert Graves steal the show, but all the cast (who are mostly different from the TV show) do a good job. Stay for the credit gags.

Once Upon A Time In... Hollywood - Quentin Tarantino needs to find a more ruthless editor. "The Ninth Film" has all his trademark qualities, and there were a lot of individual scenes I really enjoyed, but it clocks in at well over 2½ hours and the overall story is rather aimless. Rick Dalton (Leo DiCaprio) is a cowboy star looking to revive his flagging career; Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) is his former stunt double, now drifting through middle age, causing trouble. Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) is on her way up in the industry. Meanwhile the Manson family are out for blood. It all (sort-of) comes together at the end, but by then it's a bit late. It's getting rave reviews, but overall I found this a slight let-down compared with Tarantino's other films.

It: Chapter 2 - Chapter 1 was brilliant, more as a coming-of-age film than a horror. Fast-forward 27 years, and the Losers have all grown up into Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Bill Hader, Isaiah Mustafa, Jay Ryan, James Ransone and Andy Bean. But Pannywise (Bill Skarsgård) is back, and they must return to their childhood home town to finish him off or all die. Not only do they have to face not the killer clown, but other demons from their past (cue lots of flashback scenes with the Chapter 1 cast, fleshing out the backstory). Chapter 2 is pretty good, but it all feels a bit over-elaborate and 3 hours for a horror film really is stretching it. There are some very tense and inventive set-pieces, though the final showdown with Pennywise riffs on what they did in Chapter 1, without being anywhere near as terrifying or as strong on character. It's a decent enough conclusion, but the first part was better.

The Farewell - A strange one, this. Billi (Awkwafina) is a young Chinese woman living in New York, who returns to China to say goodbye to her grandmother, Nai Nai (Zhao Shuzhen), who is dying of cancer. The problem is, no one has actually told Nai Nai she is dying as they feel she is better off not knowing, so they have concocted a family wedding as an excuse to all get together. It's billed as a comedy, but while there are comic moments in it, it feels more true-to-life than that. The family are warm, caring, funny, stubborn, infuriating, and all those other things that families are. It's very relatable and a real hidden gem - watch it if you can. Just one warning, there are an awful lot of mealtime scenes and it will make you hungry!

Joker - Two killer clown films in quick succession? Joker, though, is less a comic fantasy and more a gritty, serious character study. I don't believe the controversy around this film is really about the violence (While there are some very violent moments, they are few and far-between), but because it cuts too close to the bone for comfort. Arthur Fleck (Joaquim Phoenix) is shaped into an all-too-believable monster by an uncaring society in which strangers rarely have a kind word for each other, figures you rely on for support are more likely to make fun of you or punch you in the face, welfare and mental health support are cut, and the wealthy preach to the poor that they have only themselves to blame for their troubles. Is it any wonder (to quote another Joker film) some men just want to watch the world burn? The film offers no easy answer as to how much Arthur is a victim of circumstances and how much he is really a monster; the audience is made to sympathise with him and revile him at the same time. It's an uncomfortable watch, but brilliant, especially Phoenix's performance. Robert de Niro also stars.