Chris' Movie Blog

326, Spider-Man: Brand New Day

2026-08-28T13:31:49.969+00:00

Okay MCU Fans - let's get a sense of where we are:

My last MCU Blog was way back in 2013 with Blog #294: Thor: The Dark World - which was actually the last blog I wrote before the hiatus so it's fair to say quite a lot has happened since then.

For me - following Avengers: End Game, the franchise lost quite a bit of momentum and I never really got into the newer movies as much I did the original ones.

Thor: The Dark World was actually only the 8th release at the time (MCU dated releases, not chronologically) being the 2nd of six movies in Phase 2 - and this recent outing from Spidey marks the 38th release (and the 2nd of four movies in Phase 6), culminating with Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars (2026 & 2027 respectively) with Phase 7 penned in for 2028 releases.

All in - by the end of Phase 7 there will be a total of 43 movies making up the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) - and that doesn't include all of the TV shows and spin offs so I can't see this Multi-Billion Dollar franchise slowing down anytime soon.

So what can be said of Spider-Man: Brand New Day - well, it picks up around 5yrs after Spider-Man: No Way Home, with Spidey (Tom Holland) continuing on as NYC's Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man (as he isn't really involved in Phase 5 of the MCU - which introduced us to the Marvels, Thunderbolts etc) and he's very much on the side-lines, watching his best friends MJ and Ned (Zendaya and Jacob Batalon) go through 4yrs at MIT, Graduation and now Apartment sharing, still without any knowledge of who Peter Parker is - following Dr Strange's Spell in the last outing.

It's been a very lonely time for him and you do feel sorry for his forced anonymity until a new enemy makes themselves known and Spidey is called in to help.

Tom Holland is my favourite Spiderman - It was great to see all three of them together in Spider-Man: No Way Home - along with all their respective villains and that movie, until now - was my favourite Spidey movie since Toby's first appearance but, this one is something special.

A little bit older - definitely wiser, all three main characters have now grown into themselves. Ned is just a bigger, bolder version of teenage Ned, whereas MJ has this aura of questionability about her - almost knowing that something is missing from her life and not wanting to commit to anything, believing she is destined for something, or someone greater to enter her life. (Little does she know!)

I won't flag any spoilers in this - but there are certainly some elements of this movie that didn't happen that I really hoped would. There is a little glimmer at the very end of the movie regarding the trio re-uniting properly and it's something that will absolutely (fingers crossed) be rectified in Spidey 5 (when it eventually happens - see the end of this blog) but nothing in the pipeline as of yet.

A great supporting cast member in this is John Bernthal - reuniting with Tom Holland following his role as Menelaus in The Odyssey and now, reprising his role as Frank Castle (The Punisher). Not yet having a cinema release of his own - Bernthal has played the Punisher as far back as 2017 in the TV series of the same same and also in some episodes of Daredevil - so it was nice to get that crossover to this and get him on the big screen. This character is probably one of Marvels most popular anti-heroes and it's good he is getting recognition within the MCU as it's a brilliant portrayal of the character from an fantastic actor.

Another highlight is we get to see a Full-blown Angry Hulk again - not the smaller, tamer friendly Smart-Hulk from Avengers: End Game and of course, Mark Ruffalo is back and on top form.

There are flash backs with the brilliant Marissa Tomei as the sadly now departed Aunt May and supporting NYPD Detective DeWolff (played by Liza Colon-Zayas / The Bear) who now works side-by-side with Spidey as he helps NYC battle its smaller criminal network.

There is a lovely Thunderbolt / New Avengers crossover with Yelena Belova - New Black Widow and leader of the Thunderbolts (now the 'New' Avengers), making it very clear that Spider-Man deals with the small potato stuff - leaving the bigger global threatening, alien invasion issues to them - with all her scenes set in her Sauna / Spa 'Office' - there is a great, funny little interaction between them both that works well.

Now the complicated bit: - and the connecting factor to a whole new franchise of characters over the coming few years. Ladies & Gentlemen - Let's welcome Sadie Sink (Stranger Things / The Whale) to the franchise.

Sadie plays Jean Grey (of X-Men fame) and is the first introduction this new generation of X-men characters, formally launching in their own movie due 2028. Sadie is the first acknowledgement of this and if I understand it correctly (as we learnt all those years ago) her powers have her as potentially the most powerful mutant ever - and you do get a feel for that in this with a younger iteration of the character.

This leads me to believe she seeks out Professor Xavier following on from this appearance in Brand New Day and we potentially kick-start the new generation of X-Men - similar in age to what we saw in X-Men First Class - but that can now be put into another dimension as the Cinematic Universe didn't mix back then - and only Dead Pool and Wolverine have so far crossed the streams (I think?) so these X-Men fall into the current dimension where we find most of the recent Marvel characters, and that works - doesn't it?

Anyway - I wont go into too much detail about Jean Grey's involvement in this movie - other than yes, she is the main protagonist - but it all works out fine in the end.

As we all know - Marvel is famed for it's end credit scenes but don't worry too much about this one. There is only one, and it's right at the very very end of the credits, showing Ned's Spidey Tracker glitching and sending the Spidey locator signal into deep space - opening up for a potential plot line in the next movie of Spidey being thrown into a cosmic or multi-universal plotline (helping the New Avengers once more perhaps?) but either way - there is a final title card confirming "Spider-Man will return" so we will all just have to wait and see.

Don't expect anything before at least 2029 as potential standalone Spidey release (if it happens) but it might point towards his inclusion in either Doomsday or Secret Wars (which I am sure he'll make an appearance).

Sadly however - you'd need to ask Kevin Feige to be absolutely sure! and unfortunately I don't have his number so Kevin, if you read this - call me?

Overall great film - brilliant characters and the effects are fantastic - loved it.

Fancy seeing the Trailer?

Click below............

325, The Devil's Mouth

2026-08-07T12:59:46.262+00:00

Who doesn't love a good shark film, and it's fair to say the movie industry does like to use these apex predators as a regular protagonist in many a repetitive outing.

Unlike Jaws or the Meg - The Devil's Mouth focusses on a standard issue Bull Shark as the hunter, trapped inside a fresh water network of caves (one of which is called The Devils Mouth) who comes face to face with five, early 20'ish gorgeous friends who on ego's and smiles, manage to convince a tour guide to take them through an intense path of sunken caverns as they all partake in a Summer of fun in Thailand before settling down into adult life.

The movie starts innocently enough - the 3 girl / 2 guy combo seem to have it all with yacht trips and bottomless booze fuelled excursions until one of them gets left behind in open water, only to get attacked by a bloom of Jellyfish and that's where the 'trust' issues start as although saved this time around - cracks in the group start to show early on.

From the outset - once they get into the caves, our overly eager, intrepid, yet slightly deluded main cast - along with the tour guide, who for me was the only really recognisable face (Tayme Thapthimthong - White Lotus / John Rambo) and a lone diver are the only real cast and just like a teen slasher horror, it's just a case of picking them off one by one until either someone gets out - or they all perish.

The main cast - who are probably more recognisable to a slightly younger audience than myself do relatively well in this, working in a intensely claustrophobic environment for most of the film which adds an real edgy element to the hunt as the shark itself gets very little screen time.

It has a similar edge of the seat style anxiety to The Shallows (Blake Lively - 2016), albeit no where near as good overall and our leading ladies (the males are pretty useless to be fair!) flip from sheer fear to almost G.I Joe like intensity in the blink of an eye - then back to scream queen once more.

The Shark special effects are okay - nothing really ground-breaking to be honest, but there are lots of glancing shots and thrashing about from around 35 minutes in, with the Shark fully making a full appearance around 43 minutes into this 100 minute feature.

They have tried to get some depth into the characters - the lead (Sara) played by Kathryn Newton (Cassie Lang in Antman and the Wasp: Quantumania & soon to be appearing in Avengers: Doomsday) has flashback & dream sequences where she questions her own loyalty to her 'so called' friend group is mixed with the selfishness and Queen Bee vibes of her bestie Max, (played by Lana Condor - in nothing I have seen) to try and build momentum but it's all pretty weak and as they all get picked off one by one, no one seems to remain very upset for very long.

It's quite easy to predict who dies and who survives - I think I even got the death order correct as well as how it ends - so it's relatively predictable too.

It's not the best Shark film out there by a long margin. Jaws will remain in critics hearts as the original (and the best) within this genre but with Shark movies making the transition from A-List Blockbuster (Meg / Deep Blue Sea) to cheesy B-Movie (Sharknado & others) it's a hard one to call. Yes, this is better than those - but it's not quite up to the standard of The Shallows, The Reef, 47 Meters Down etc that do amp up the realism, and do it very well.

Fancy watching the Trailer? Click Below...........

324, Shelter

2026-08-07T10:19:36.087+00:00

New to Amazon Prime is the latest offering from Jason Statham - and as you'd expect - the plot doesn't require a Masters Degree to work it out.

Now don't get me wrong - I love the predictability of a Statham movie - Regular plot lines normally involve Statham as an ex-hardman - either in-hiding or retired from whatever Black-Ops / Spec-Ops unit he spent a lifetime mastering, now seeking the quiet life but, always manages to have his peace interrupted by either an ex-employer of someone bearing a grudge - or even just being in the wrong place at the wrong time to drag him back in, obliterate entire armies, and move on without a trace.

Shelter is no different - set in Scotland's Outer Hebrides - Statham is a recluse, living on a deserted and treacherous lighthouse island, receiving deliveries only by boat but with a bad storm wrecking the recent supply vessel, killing the Captain and leaving his Niece (Jessie) alone and fighting for her life in the stormy waters, Statham is compelled to help them.

Back on-shore - the Niece, (Bodhi Rae Breathnach / Hamnet) suffering from a badly damaged ankle forces Mason to verbally engage and she starts to understand a little bit about his background - and relationship to her family on the mainland however, with Mason reluctant to take her to a hospital she is forced to recover on the island.

Statham reluctantly heads for the mainland for medical supplies and is clearly wary of CCTV - so you get a feeling he is hiding from something pretty important. Meanwhile - back in London's Parliament building, MI6 are outed in a public enquiry for using secret spyware called T.H.E.A, collecting personal data on UK citizens and it's that same software that picks up Mason's retina scan (in the background of a teenagers video call), wrongly identifying him as an Albanian Terrorist.

Within hours, there's a kill squad is at his door, and the island turn into a fatal 'Home Alone' style house with Mason dispatching of those sent to kill him with relative ease. Now on the run, Statham is forced to fight for his own survival, with a teenager in tow while we get to see behind the scenes at MI6 where the mistaken identity is quickly identified and we slowly work out the reasons why certain elements of MI6 are trying to assassinate one of their own.

No more spoilers from me, but the above is only really the first 30mins and as everything gets going, it's fair to say the following hour is an all out action fest. Statham is as good as always and other familiar faces include Bill Nighy as the MI6 Chief / Manafort, Harriet Walter as the P.M and Daniel Mays as Booth - Mason's only reliable confidant.

It's as good as any other movie of this genre out there with well choreographed fight scenes, intense car chases and brutal, bloody fight sequences. The good / bad guys are identified quite early on and the relationship between Mason and Jessie, although not as paternal as those in A Working Man or Homefront, follows form of Statham being a protector to a young girl and it works well.

It's well acted - well casted and the settings of the Hebrides and Stornoway (shot across Ireland and Rural England locations) offer a bleak and reclusive backdrop compared to the bustling Capital.

Of course it's predictable but you don't watch a Jason Statham movie for the plot line - it's about him - action, great fight scenes and in most cases - a happy ending.

Averaging around two movies a year, his schedule is pretty decent between now and 2028 with Mutiny and the Beekeeper sequel still to come - a reprising of Deckard Shaw in Fast Forever (the 11th and hopefully last offering from this franchise) & a few more yet to be titled movies in production.

Yes they are all repetitive but if it ain't broke, why fix it? And as long as Statham keep churning out these one-man renegade movies - I'll keep watching them!

Fancy watching the Trailer? Click Below..........

323, Toy Story 5

2026-07-24T10:31:22.193+00:00

Since re-starting the blog, Toy Story 5 is my first animation. In fact, you have to go all the way back to July 2013 (#270 - Monsters University) to see my last full animation write-up and, as time goes by (and the kids get older), I expect way less animations to appear here than in the early days however, it seemed a potentially fitting way to end this genre of reviews with a movie franchise that has been around for just over 30yrs!

Yes, it's hard to believe that Toy Story came out in 1995 - before the Millennium Bug, in a time where John Major was Prime Minister and Pierce Brosnan appears in his first Bond Movie. Blur & Oasis were battling in the charts and Father Ted made it's UK TV premier. In other news, Everton won the FA Cup and Frank Bruno was WBC World Heavyweight Champion!

However - when Tom Hanks and Tim Allen (then aged just 39 & 42 respectively) got behind the mics for Woody & Buzz - who knew that a 31yr franchise was about to be born and that it would transition an entire generation.

For those in the know - Toy Story 4 ended with Woody and Bo leaving the Toy-Box and heading out into the wider world to help rescue lost toys. Buzz was left with Jessie and Bullseye and our other long term characters with their kid 'Bonnie' who the original owner 'Andy' left them all to in Toy Story 3.

Bonnie now getting a little older and with all of her friends now into 'online' devices, tablets and phones - Bonnie is feeling very left out, as are her toys when she fails to make new friends to 'play' with and through sheer peer pressure, Bonnie's parents get her a Lilypad (basically a tablet) so she can 'fit in' and start making more friends.

Obviously, this is much to the annoyance of Jessie and the rest of the hoard who (along with the return of Woody) see it as their duty to convince Lilypad that 'Tech' isn't all it's cracked up to be and get Bonnie making real friends, which of course leads to some high-jinx and a morale that Tech can be useful and fun if used in the right way - but should not replace childhood make believe and imagination.

As parents - the story really does hit home - having boys ourselves who are constantly buried into consoles and phones we immediately saw the premise of the film, about real life connections being more important than on-line fakery but whether or not the message made it through to them is yet to be seen!

The Animation feels as fresh as it ever did - even after 30yrs it still looks as current now as it did advanced in the 90's - and when you see movies coming like Coyote Vs Acme where they have maintained original 2D cartoon artwork mixed in with live action - I don't think this genre is quite finished just yet!

All your favourites are back - albeit with some changes. The Potato Heads are re-cast due to the sad passing of the legendary Don Rickles (Mr Potato Head) in 2017 - replaced for this outing by Jeff Bergman (Don did appear in TS/4 - but by using archived only footage) & Mrs Potato Head (Estelle Harris) - replaced by Anna Vocino.

Combat Carl (originally Carl Weathers of 'Rocky' Fame) is now Ernie Hudson and Timothy Dalton's, Mr Prickle Pants is now played by John Hopkins. Bonnie also changed - but more because her voice actor(s) got older but, it was nice to see Keanu Reeves return as Duke Caboom - even though he's hardly in this one.

New characters include Lilypad herself, voiced by Greta Lee (Stella from The Morning Show) and new '1st generation' Tech-toys Atlas, Snappy & Smarty Pants who are portrayed as an early Sat-Nav, a Digital Camera and a Toilet Trainer - voiced by Craig Robinson, Shelby Rabara and Conan O'Brien who, after only months of play are already placed into storage, evidencing how fast Tech moves on compared to the years woody and the gang spent being played with across multiple generations.

There are enough adult-based jokes and chuckles to keep the parents entertained and I have to say - the whole experience was thoroughly enjoyable. I can't see any references to a Toy Story 6 and I think with the main cast now well into their 70's (even Joan Cusack "Jessie" is 64!) I just can't see them wanting to do another and there is no way you can replace the main cast!

Tom Hanks said he's only return for this if the script had real meaning and relevance - which this definitely does so having it last 5 movies across 31yrs, is a pretty good innings for this Story about Toys.

There were quite a few young couples in the cinema when we all went - but when you think most of them would have grown up watching these movies as kids themselves you can understand why. It's nostalgic, meaningful and very well executed and now that it's all over, you can definitely say this franchise went to Infinity - and Beyond!

Click below to watch the Trailer..............

322, The Housemaid

2026-07-21T10:34:25.744+00:00

I am well aware this is no longer a new release - however having missed it at the cinema, it's recent additional to Amazon Prime made it an accessible watch for a Monday night at home.

The premise if pretty straight forward. We learn early on that Millie (Sydney Sweeney) is a down on her luck ex-con, trying to get a job as a 'live-in' housemaid with a very exaggerated and falsified CV, in a bid to get off the streets, stay out of prison and keep her social worker happy. Her crime? Well, that gets explained later on however it's the lure of an amazing house and over friendly wife / boss, Nina (Amanda Seyfried) that make this opportunity too good to be true.

Enter husband Andrew (Brandon Sklenar) and seemingly spoilt brat Cece (Indiana Elle) who on meeting Millie for the first time, becomes apparent they had no idea that Nina is hiring and we enter into the first part of the movie.

Plot - get ready, this is very quick!

Things start out simple enough but literally come day 2, Nina's erratic behaviour and violent mood swings that appear to come from no-where and her constant lying, over time pushes Millie into the supportive arms of Andrew which of course, eventually leads to the 'inevitable' - however, all is not as it seems as the second half of this movie flips the script and you now see an empowered Millie siding with Andrew against Nina - but when Nina's story comes out - the penny starts to drop.

The culmination - a brutal encounter of get your own back (but on who?) and comeuppance for the guilty party - but I wont spoil it further than that.

It's entertaining - Seyfried is fantastic as the seeming un-hinged wife and Sweeney herself is knowingly adorable & sexy, yet carrying those hidden secrets. We have seen these two in quite a few releases over recent years however it's the portrayal of Andrew that get's my vote.

Starring in Yellowstone's 1923 as Spencer Dutton and as Atlas Corrigan in It Ends with Us we finally get to see a different side of him compared to roles he has played before. He's done lovelorn, heroic Cowboy and underdog, adorable love interest, but this is a step in a different direction that fits perfectly.

There are a dozen side stories going on - Andrew's requirement for adoration from the neighbourhood PTA Mom's - all swooning in his presence & his own Mother, underrated somewhat with very little screen-time from the brilliant Elizabeth Perkins (Weeds) that they could have done so much more done with it.

It's an adaptation from the 2022 book of the same name by Frieda McFadden and is actually the first in a series of novels, so Sweeny will return as Millie in The Housemaid's Secret - alongside Seyfried, Morrone (mentioned below) and with the addition's of Kirsten Dunst & Paul Anthony Kelly (as the presumed new homeowners) in 2027 but, that aside, this outing is billed as an Erotic Thriller but I'd say there's only really one proper sexy / erotic part and considering all the 'shock' meme's regarding the content at the time of it's release, I actually thought it to be pretty tame. Lets see what the next one brings!

My wife, (having read the book) said there were some notable changes, mainly the casting of the Groundsman - Enzo (Michele Morrone / 365 Days) who offered a very different portrayal to the elderly Groundsman in the book - and again, adding a tonne of sex appeal for absolutely no reason whatsoever as he's rarely seen thought the film - perhaps he'll get more of a showing in the sequel!

It's one of those films where once was enough - it didn't hold my interest enough to want to watch it again - and as with movies like "The Hand that Rocks the Cradle" - (similar-ish plot - albeit slightly reversed), once you know the outcome, you'll have no real reason to watch it back however as a one off - quite a cool little movie and a cheeky little eyeful for all those Sweeney / Sklenar fans to get a little bit excited about.

Fancy watching the Trailer? Click below.............

321, The Odyssey

2026-07-20T10:31:14.891+00:00

Since I saw the first teaser trailer for this (what feels like absolutely ages ago) I was excited for this movie.

Growing up as a kid I was a huge fan of Greek Mythology and my regular go-to book was a collection of short stories - covering many of the most famous tales so, to see this one made into an on-screen Epic, by Mr Hollywood Blockbuster himself (Christopher Nolan), I knew we were in for something special.

For those who are not up to speed on their Mythology - Odysseus rules Ithaca, and being Greek - was called upon by Agamemnon (Supreme Commander of the Greek Forces) to join him in the siege of Troy - initially as revenge for Paris (one of the son's of Troy) running of with Agamemnon's brothers wife - Helen (married to the Spartan King, Menelaus).

Although the story of Troy focuses more on Achilles - It was Odysseus who came up with the idea of the Wooden Horse - and as such, Troy's downfall - and that is where this movie starts.

The Odyssey tells the story of the 10yr journey home for Odysseus from Troy, and after such a long time away - back in Ithaca, tensions are mounting as wife (Penelope) is getting closer to having to take a new husband - much to the anger of Odysseus' son Telemachus, who needs to stand tall against a vile hoard of wannabe suitors to not only defend his fathers honour, but try and stake his own claim on the throne should his father not return.

This is a movie of two halves, edited together beautifully. We have the actual return journey for Odysseus and his crew with all the horrific events that befall them and back at home - the in-house struggles of Penelope and Telemachus trying to maintain some element of order in an ever increasing hostile environment.

The movie is broken up with flashbacks to the battle of Troy, to Ithaca in present day (and pre-war) plus Odysseus recalling parts of his journey and his home life while in the hands of Calypso as well as real-time events of the journey home so although it jumps around a bit, following the story never gets tricky and the 2hrs 52 minutes absolutely fly's by.

You cannot fault the cast line up gathered for this movie. Matt Damon is phenomenal as Odysseus and on his side - Anne Hathaway as Penelope and Tom Holland as Telemachus are both fantastic. Elliot Page plays Sinon - one of Odysseus' soldiers who is crucial to the Wooden Horse Plot and on their journey home they encounter Charlize Theron as the 'Siren' Calypso and the Witch, Circe - played by Samantha Morton, who provides one of the two gut-wrenching scenes of the whole movie.

Jon Bernthal plays the jilted Spartan King, Menelaus and Zendaya is Athena - Goddess of Wisdom and Strategic Warfare who appears only to Odysseus at certain points offering guidance and opinion - all that leads to helping Odysseus in his journey.

I mentioned the scene with Circe as gut-wrenching - and I wont spoil it, but if you know your Greek Mythology - you will know what her powers are. The other scene you cannot avoid is the Cyclops (Polyphemus).

Shot using a combination of CGI enhanced towering animatronic puppetry (that looks sensational) it's an awesome scene, actually filmed on location in Nestor's Cave - located in the Peloponnese region of Greece, with a 95 foot caverned ceiling, the cave itself is actually linked to several Greek Myths, originating at the same time - how about that for realism!

Everything about this movie is epic - from the real ships, the on-site locations and the thousands of extras - opting for large scale practical effects and techniques over green screen and CGI so you just know you are in for a cinematic treat. I sadly was not able to watch this in IMAX format - however considering how good it was in normal cinema scale - I envy those who do!

To round of the cast we have a few other famous faces. Back in Ithaca we have mentor to Telemachus and loyal friend of Odysseus, Eumaeus (John Leguizamo) and most notably - Robert Pattinson as leading suitor to Penelope, Antinous. (also a nasty piece of work!)

There is a little bit of artistic licence taken by Nolan on some of the plot ideas - there is less intervention from the Gods in the movie as there are in the prior telling's of these tales - but in no way does this take anything away from the story and I was glued to the screen for the entirety of the film.

I have mentioned, Calypso, Circe and the Cyclops as hurdles Odysseus has to overcome - but there are others. We encounter Sea Monsters, but only in a fleeting, albeit jumpy few moments on screen that won't disappoint and the Laestrygonians - a Tribe of giant, man eating cannibals who our band of warriors unfortunately encounter on yet another resource gathering stop over. It does feel most of the time, Odysseus and his crew are running for their lives, back to their ship on every island stop over!

We visit the Underworld, for some some dead solider conversation and advice for Odysseus on how to get home and the island of the Sun God (Thrinacia) where the starving crew are warned against easting the cattle - but of course, hunger gets the better of them.

The finale? (Spoiler alert) - well, Odysseus does make it home after all of that and the final scenes of him returning to his family, but having to fend off the desperate suitors is one of those movie moments where you get a shiver down your spine as Odysseus's presence among them is finally realised - and you just tee up for what is a totally awesome conclusion to this epic movie.

My only reservation - considering the Wooden Horse itself was made up of shipwrecked boats and driftwood - it was an absolute work of art! other depictions have it as a rough and ready horse on wheels - but this thing could have been sculpted by Leonardo himself - a little unachievable for my taste considering the tools and materials they had available to them - but that's just my opinion.

Other than that, you can't fault any of this - from the breath-taking locations and realistic set pieces, to the historical relevance of the the locations and fantastic acting from everyone involved.

No characters seemed out of place, over acted or non-relevant - some big budget stars having relatively small roles - all in the shadow of Odysseus himself and you just know, being a part of something this phenomenal was payment itself, just to be associated with this film.

I could go on and write more and more about this but I think that's enough for now. Go and see it - even if you don't know anything about the stories, the flashbacks give ample knowledge for what you need to know and just the cast alone is worth the cost of the ticket and finally, don't wait for the streaming release - see this on the big screen - the bigger the better!

UPDATED CONTENT: 09/08/26

Well - I went back and watched this again- this time in iMAX and just Wow! Huge Screen, great seats - deafening soundtrack - you really feel this go right through you - a completed exhilarating cinematic experience and as mentioned above, if you can, and the options are available - pay that bit extra to see this movie how it was intended.

Want to watch the trailer? Click below:

320, Voicemails for Isabelle

2026-07-15T12:16:59.771+00:00

If you fancy a cute, sad, sexy & adorable little Romcom ready to watch at home - then this move from Netflix has you covered.

(Some plot spoilers) Voicemails for Isabelle is the tale of two sisters - one living the 'teenage kicks' lifestyle while her younger, cancer stricken sister stays at home and lives her party lifestyle though her sisters experiences, albeit more often than not at the end of a phone line. They are as one - completely devoted to each other until their early 20's when Isabelle sadly passes away.

Grief Stricken by the loss of her beloved sister - Jill (Zoey Deutch - Anniversary / Not Okay) starts leaving voicemails on Isabelle's still active mobile - keeping her updated on life's loves and events however - unbeknown to Jill, Isabelle's number has been re-assigned to property broker Wes (Nick Robinson - Jurassic World) who gets these voicemails and instead of letting Jill know, continues to listen into all Jill's deepest 'sister' secrets during which time - this lost little lamb falls in love with the voice on the end of the line and decides to seek her out.

Of course - we all know he should immediately let her know the truth, but, for the sake of a plot - decides to play the innocent stranger, almost meeting as 'fate intended' and over the course of a few weeks, gets romantically involved with Jill - much to her delight and total confusion, as it's playing out how she dreamed it would (and we know why!) but of course - you can sense the crash is forthcoming when it all comes out and cue Act 3, if they'll ever actually make it through.

That's the plot - great idea, we have sort of seen it before with movies such as Love Again in 2023 (almost identical), You've Got Mail (1998), The Lake House (2006) & P.S I Love You (2007) but this one carries way more giggles and has a bit more sex appeal than the others all combined.

It's fair to say Jill's not backwards in coming forwards (early on) with cheeky encounters with media influences & creepy colleagues (all ending in disaster of course) while on the other hand - Wes is publicly dumped and hopeless at moving on, until he hears Jill's voicemails and becomes intent on seeking her out.

Set across Texas and San-Francisco, we also meet Wes' besties Andy & Breeda, a 'too sweet' couple determined to make sure Wes is happy and content, almost to be considered his voice of reason and on Jill's side - ever present Mom and Dad - Tanis Dolman (Fire Country) & Gill Bellows (Shawshank Redemption / Ally McBeal) as the parents intent on making sure Isabelle's memory lives on and Jill gets all the support she needs.

Smaller roles - Nick Offerman (Parks & Recreation) is Jill's awful Chef Boss - played with an air of sarcasm but very funny and (Adult) Isabelle herself, Ciara Bravo (Sadly, nothing I've seen her in prior) is totally adorable. Finally, the sisters as 'younger' siblings are played brilliantly by Alice Comer and Iris Everly.

The chemistry between all the cast here works really well - Zoey & Nick are great on screen together, as are Andy & Breeda (Harry Shum Jr. & Leah McKendrick) and if you're thinking Zoey Deutch looks familiar - well, she is not the daughter of Rose Byrne, as I believed - although on research, they are only 15yrs apart in age (not sure who I'm offending more with that comment!) - but she is the daughter of Back to the Future legend Leah Thompson.

It'll make you laugh - it's a bit sexy (nudity safe) - and it might make you cry, but all in all, it's another solid offering from Netflix.

If you're wondering if it will ever carry the same gravitas as the comparable films detailed above, well - that will all depend on how well Zoey & Nick do over the coming decades compared to the likes of Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock, Hillary Swank & Gerard Butler. We will just have to wait and see!

Fancy watching the Trailer? Click Below.........

319, Now you See Me: Now you Don't

2026-06-29T12:20:46.899+00:00

It's been 10 long years since the Horsemen last appeared on our screens and 13 years since their first outing (see Blog #269) which saw me raving about this new potential franchise that now in it's 3rd instalment, has opened itself up to a wider group of character and potentially there is more to come!

For me - the 2nd instalment lacked the presence of the first film, but that's all behind us as this 3rd movie is something pretty special. Initially you believe the 'original' 4 Housemen have returned (as Isla Fisher was swapped out in the 2nd movie with Lizzie Caplan) however it's 'all an illusion' as 3 newbie Magicians deep-fake the original Horsemen in a bid to complete a Robin Hood 'esq' theft (successfully I might add), just like in the original but that soon pulls Daniel Atlas (Eisenberg) out of hiding to track them down.

What plays out then is The 'Eye' (watch the first two films) wants these new kids PLUS the 4 originals back together - along with a small cameo from Morgan Freeman to carry out their biggest heist yet - the un-doing of Diamond Mogul (and nasty piece of work) Veronika Vanderberg (played by Rosumund Pike).

The 2013 cast are all back - Eisenberg (Atlas), Harrelson (Merrick), Fisher (Henley - Yay!) and Franco (Wilder) who in the 2013 Blog I referred to as 'a relative new-comer' and they are aided by Freeman and newcomers Justice Smith (Charlie), Arianna Greenblatt (June) & Dominic Sesa (Bosco).

There is a bit of friction with the old team getting back together after whatever 'falling out' they had which is thankfully soon resolved and a bit of beef between Bosco and Atlas - with the latter feeling the new kids need to 'prove' themselves (to him) to earn the right to become Horsemen but it's the 'Eye' who has selected them all for this task pretty soon they all just decide to get on with it.

The plot: They need to work together to raise the curtain and expose Vanderberg - who is using the family business to fund Arms Dealers via Money Laundering etc plus a few sub-plots thrown in but on the whole - very straight forward.

As you'd expect, with their skills being Magic and mis-direction we get to see a dazzling array of special effects which although appealing to the eye - most of it is highly implausible which does take away some of the authentic 'WoW' factor and with so many main characters, we really don't get to see much of any of them. The original 4 don't develop very much - except finding out Henley is now married with a few kids and they are joined mid-way by Lula (Caplan) so basically the whole band is back together again - or, newly all together for the first time!

The 4 Horseman are now 8, and following a few twists and turns and yet another 'hooded figure' equivalent that will keep you guessing throughout - its a movie that some would say is predictable - but is watchable and although probably doesn't progress the story any further - definitely adds more players.

Eisenberg is on form - Harrelson and Franco don't really seem to have their hears in it as for Fisher - although I adore her, doesn't have the same presence as the first film.

The new 3 are very good though. The Atlas / Bosco rivalry is compelling - Charlie is kind of the brains behind their tricks so seeming takes a back seat and June is incredibly likeable. They have a real sense of family the originals didn't seem to have and that plays to their advantage but is seemingly a little lost on the rest of the team but, work together they do - and it all works out well in the end.

For me - the first film was something really new and enjoyable. This one and its predecessor don't really have the same gravitas but they still stich together well as a trilogy and if the ending is anything to go by, we should expect at least one more outing for all 8 of the Horsemen before they put this franchise to bed for good.

Fancy watching the trailer? Click below:

318, The Running Man

2026-06-11T13:49:01.300+00:00

The Running Man (circa 1987) featuring the larger than life Arnold Schwarzenegger was, and probably still is one my go-to favourite films. Easily watchable - great characterisations and a cracking plot idea - I remember seeing this 18 cert film way before I was supposed too, and have loved it ever since.

So when they announced a re-make I was excited but also hesitant, how would they do this - how good could it be with modern effects and staging and would it take over from the original in my mind. Well, Sadly - it's not really worked out that way for me.

Yes they kept a few of the main characters - Glen Powell (Top Gun: Maverick / Chad Powers) plays Ben Richards - but instead of a betrayed law enforcement officer running for his freedom, he plays a desperate dad, needing money for medication for his daughter. He's a loving and doting husband and father, as well as a very very angry man - sometimes overly so.

Dan (not Damon) Killian returns in the form of Josh Brolin but instead of the upfront egotistical showman, brilliantly portrayed by Richard Dawson in the original - this version of Killian is more a sneaky back-room Exec-Producer instead of the up-front headliner. There is a nice nod to Arnie, appearing on banknotes as the assumed American President, but other than that - the original characters come to an end.

The Running Man show is still comparable, but instead of a game zone / gladiatorial arena that sees episodes start and end in the same night - this time, Runners have 30 days to stay alive with 'Hunters' (and the public) hot on their tail - able to take them down anytime / anywhere and all filmed by hovering robot-cams. Win the show, and by 'Win' I mean stay alive for the duration - then $1B is the prize - a tidy sum for a desperate man.

I wont go into to much detail about how Richards ends up on the show etc as that is all explained quite early on, but I think the biggest disappointment for me was the replacement of the Stalkers with the new, Hunters.

The Stalkers are what made the original so good. Even now - Dynamo, Buzz-Saw, Captain Freedom, Fireball and Sub-Zero were all totally awesome. Loved by the studio audience in a "The Price is Right" style gameshow - Killian's engagement with them, the audience and the Runners was a joy and never got old, even after watching it dozens of times.

The new Hunters are just a bunch of balaclava clad hit-men, with no real personality or gimmicks to differentiate them and you didn't really care for any of them which did dilute the pressure Richards is faced with, in what seems a bit more of a 'relaxed' chase - albeit he is always required to be on his guard.

The original doesn't let up - from the prison break, to Richard's capture and entrance into the show - his pairing with Weiss and Laughlin, witty banter with Killian, the Shows 'lame' production team, battling the stalkers - the hidden revolution going on behind closed doors (with Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac fame), even managing to meet and get romantic with one of his running mates (we all loved Maria Conchita Alonso in that yellow spandex suit!), Arnie and the original just gave us so much more.

But this blog isn't about that one - and the new one does have some good bits to discuss. Michael Cera plays a helpful contact / aide to Richards and when discovered - his 'Home Alone' style house traps do add a few giggles, more for Cera than the audience but it's a fast paced 15 minutes that should have gone on longer than it did.

Another highlight was Alpine's new A290 EV that makes a star appearance towards then end of the movie & for a electric mini-hatchback, looks totally awesome!

All in all, as a standalone movie I suppose it's okay - the action (when it happens) is good, as are the fight sequences and Powell is a pretty decent headliner. The end seemingly comes out of nowhere - with almost no 'heroic return' to the studio for Richards to get revenge to the extent you saw in 87' at least - but it's there in part.

As a remake I think it's a poor attempt. I can see they probably didn't want to make it too similar - but the premise of the game itself was diluted too much for me and they lost me with the Hunters.

Arnie famously used his "I'll be Back" line in his version as Killian see's him off into the arena - and historically, this line never get's a comeback but Killian's quip of "only in a re-run" was the one time someone seemingly got a one up on him.

Well, if this was the re-run - I'll give it a miss. Sometimes re-makes work; The re-imagined He-Man: Masters of the Universe (Blog #316) was fantastic, it's just a shame this was the complete opposite.

Fancy watching the trailer? Click below:

317, Office Romance

2026-06-08T11:33:02.319+00:00

A 'J-Lo' Rom-Com normally leaves little to the imagination. Girl meets guy - girl / guy fall for each other - throw in plenty of reasons for them not to be together, issues overcome - happy ending. In fact, that's not just J-Lo Rom-Com's - that's all Rom-Com's.

But, what happens if you add Roy Kent as the male interest with his totally watchable persona and colourful language - mixed in with J-Lo's ever adorable charms - is it any better?

Well, Office Romance which is new to Netflix is definitely a funny and watchable romp through a frowned upon blossoming Office Romance (clue is in the title!) between airline President & CEO Jennifer Lopez and in-house lawyer Brett Goldstein (Roy Kent in Ted Lasso).

Thrown together, due to the regular in-house lawyer and company stalwart Peter Vance played by Bradley Whitford (Handmaids Tale / The West Wing) being unavailable - characters Jackie and Daniel embark on a will they / wont they journey, against all in-house staff fraternisation 'HR' rules to try and contain their lust for one another - reaching high's and then low's that see us trundle through just under 2hrs hours of adorable giggles, colourful language (party down to Brett) and culminating with a pretty obvious ending.

Written by Goldstein himself - he really is playing the Roy Kent role to the extreme - very much typecast (I'm afraid to say) - the only real difference here was that Kent's Footie Kit was replaced with Blanchflower's well tailored Suit and although a little more polite and well spoken - it's still Roy Kent, C* Bombs and all.

There is quite a decent backstory here for most of the cast, Cruz, after taking over the family named airline 'Air Cruz', set up by her father (Captain Jack) has made it a global power and an extremely profitable brand - but there are board members who want her out - without any real explanation, that fuel her desire to succeed and in the shadow of her father, continues on trying to make her own name in the industry mean as much as her fathers.

There is the ever-present Executive Assistant Sydney (Betty Gilpin) who is hilarious as the all-knowing and extremely pregnant voice of reason to Cruz as well as a host of internal staff (Admin / HR) that all come with their little quips and quirks but the other notable presence is that of Goldstein's sister - played by Jodie Whittaker (Broadchurch / Doctor Who) who is Daniel Blanchflower's reason for being in America - to support his incarcerated sibling, banged up (admittedly) for murder is a great little distraction to the main plotline.

Yes it's predictable but remains funny at the same time and with some great 'off-screen' press junket's to boot, the on-screen chemistry between Lopez and Goldstein is actually totally cute and adorable.

Friday night in with your partner? This is a real winner.

Fancy watching the trailer? Click below:

316, Masters of the Universe

2026-06-08T09:31:13.191+00:00

Between 1983-1985, as a mere 7yr old with just 4 TV channels, no mobiles or online gaming, and growing up in a world very isolated in comparison to what kids are having to deal with today allowed us the opportunity to really play and engage with toys that didn't speak for themselves and needed us to create content and stories to bring what we had to life.

For me - that was heavily focussed on 4 things. Lego, Transformers, Mask & He-Man. Although I am over it now, seeing Transformers get a proper live-action movie makeover in 2007 did fill me with excitement at the time as all of these childhood characters I had watched in cartoon form & played with in plastic form were now front and centre on the big screen and it was great. Even the Lego movie to some extent was a joy and as for Mask (much lesser known but still very viable for a movie franchise) I'm still waiting!

Well, now it's He-Man's turn and okay, before you all complain - yes, I am fully aware this isn't the first He-Man / Masters Live Action movie.

2yrs after the original cartoon ended in 1987, Dolph Lundgren donned the furry hot pants and raised his sword with Frank Langella portraying a pretty scary Skeletor but my biggest gripe was it was set in America - not the land of Eternia. A young Courtney Cox was the earth heroine along with her boyfriend who had to help the Masters find the 'key' to get home - and that was it.

It was clunky - camp (not as camp as the cartoon) and just lacked the huge host of characters and backdrops the cartoon presented. It did have Man-at-Arms, Teela & Gwildor for the good-guys and Evil-Lyn, Blade, Saurod & Beastman for the bad, but there was no Battle-Cat (Cringer), no transformation (or back story) of Prince Adam having He-Man as his 'alter-ego' and so many other heroes & villains were missing. Sadly, it very quickly fell into the bargain bin of entertainment with no sequels even considered.

In a way I'm glad - with technology as it was, expecting to see a believable Eternia in the 80's could have looked quite 'Tron'-esq, but they could have gone down the Star Wars route which would have been better - as would seeing a cowardly green tiger becoming the mighty Battle-Cat and even the transformation of He-Man himself would have more resembled Bill Bixby's morph into Lou Ferrigno's Incredible Hulk in the 1977 TV series so perhaps although at the time it would have been cool - from a nostalgic perspective, it would have ruined the fantasy so at least they didn't do a completely terrible job of messing up my childhood memories!

However - 2026 is a whole new ball game and waiting 40yrs for this re-imaging to take place is probably not a bad idea as today's CGI can allow for a much more in-depth and believable realm - and OMG did they do it justice!

Firstly - let's talk Eternia. Its stunning - Castle GraySkull is epic as is Snake Mountain and when the movie opens with Prince Adam as a young child, its colourful - scary, desolate - bustling - it's Asgard meets Coruscant and they've done it brilliantly.

The movie is an origin story - Skeletor attacks Eterno (Eternia's Capital) with such shock and awe that his army catches everyone off guard and in a last ditch escape effort - Adam's parent see him off through a multi-dimensional portal, along with the Sword of Power to Earth - where after initially losing the sword during the journey - spends the next 15 years trying to look for it to go home.

Adult Adam is a bit of a dolt - working in HR, he is clearly frustrated about losing the sword so when he gets a lead on it, he drops everything (much to his line managers disgust) to get himself back home.

When he does - its a very different Eternia he is faced with under Skeletor's reign but his return prompts a gathering of his childhood heroes who band together to bring down Skeletor's evil horde and bring peace back to Eternia.

As for the plot - that's all you're getting. There is so much more I could write and I could go on for ages about the little nuances and easter eggs that are linked back to the cartoon and even the 80's Dolph Lundgren imagining with Dolph himself making a quick cameo but there are so many more moments to keep an eye out, if you know what you are looking for.

The cast is excellent - He-Man himself, Galitzine (The Idea of You / Cinderella) is brilliant, as are Idris Elba and Camilla Mendes as father / daughter combo Man-At-Arms and Teela. Other returning characters are Ram Man, Fisto, Mekaneck & Roboto - each brilliantly represented and there is a running joke about these names and how bad they actually are given how Adam refers to them growing up on Earth. Look out for plenty of adult innuendoes that will have the older viewers cracking up without the younger kids being aware to what's going on!

However - for me, the heroes are no match for the brilliant CGI and characterisation of the baddies. Trap Jaw, Spikor, Beat Man, Evil-Lyn and Tri-Klops just to name a few are so well conceived and designed that they really do steal the show but the standout performance (and I can't believe I am saying this out loud) is Jared Leto as Skeletor himself.

Leto has played an absolute blinder - he has not only captured the evil vengefulness of the 80's cartoon but also the mannerisms and comedy of Skeletor to perfection. You will laugh out loud with some of the dialogue and you cant wish for a more likeable villain than Skeletor - you will not be disappointed.

For me - it could have done with a little more of Battle-Cat, and characters such as Mer-Man make a single frame 'blink and you'll miss it' appearances but this just means the franchise still has plenty of momentum, something teed up in the post credit scene - they will be back!

For those who remember the cartoons always ending with Orko giving a morale to the story / episode then this also hasn't been forgotten (if you hang around at the end) and, without trying to detail any spoilers; I do hope they find a way to bring Leto's Skeletor back for a 2nd outing!

It was everything I wanted it to be. It bought back so many childhood memories (in a positive way) and although there was plenty of nostalgia and throwbacks for me, it also completely engaged our 12 year old and easily welcomed in a new army of fans - as I am sure Transformers did when it's first live action movie released almost 20 years ago.

Fancy watching the trailer? Click below:

315, Ladies First

2026-06-03T11:19:03.171+00:00

If there is any actor out there that splits opinions more than anyone else, it has to be Sacha Baron Cohen.

Famed in the early noughties and beyond for his defining character portrayals of Ali G, Borat, Bruno & The Dictator Aladeen, to the much lesser controversial roles of King Julian & Nobby - it's rare to find him in a straight role, without the accents or make-up but Ladies First definitely makes up for that.

In a mix of Freaky Friday meets What Women / Men Want - Cohen portrays the role of Damien Sachs - an egotistical, chauvinistic male Advertising Exec, single - no kids and revelling in his manosphere environment whilst the overworked, underpaid and under-appreciated female counterparts - namely Alex Fox (Rosumund Pike) battle the work / life / kids balance, always finishing in second place.

Out story kicks off with Guinness (Yes, that one) wanting their Ad campaign (headed up by Damien Sachs) to get a female on the Exec board to focus on their new Guinness 'wine' - so Sachs promotes Fox, not for her ability or prowess but purely due to her gender into the lead role, but without any of the power, much to her disbelief when this all comes to light and following a very disagreeable public falling out with Sachs, see's Fox resign.

When then attempting to ratify the decision with Fox about his decision being the right one - BANG! bump to the head - and a re-awaking to a very very different world.

Women have all the power - and the status quo on the male dominant environment is completely flipped on it's head.

The plot - Sachs has to re-invent himself if he wants to get back into his own reality which can only be done if he is 'back on top' so faces the battle of trying to be number 1 in a new environment that completely favours the alternative sex.

What this film does brilliantly is the re-branding of pretty much everything we know in modern life - Kings Cross becomes Queens Cross - brands such as Burger Queen, Vincent Westwood, Victor's Secret, Harriet Potter & The Lady of the Rings are just a few of the dozens of changes you need to look out for as the movie rolls along.

They changes don't stop there - 'Calm down love' & 'is it the time of the week / month?' take on a whole new meaning and the 'Manopause' along with men being cat-called on the street all look in common place in this alternate reality.

The trauma men now face of having to have the right hair, clothes, look - being sexually objectified, belittled and having to shave everywhere just to be accepted starts becoming a reality for our once worry free anti-hero - even his normally boisterous nephews are now hair platting and discussing recipes with Dad.

In all honesty - this film will make Men take a good look at themselves in almost every aspect of their lives and it's the most awakening realisation of the female struggles, even in todays supposed equality driven environment that just go to share how unfair certain aspects of it still are.

Even I missed loads of nuances in the movie that my wife definitely picked up on to the point where I responded with "do we do that?" and I got a look of - in general - Yes! that went straight over my own head - so it will put these differences front and centre for the whole audience.

It's well casted - Cohen and Pike are fabulous and on the male side, Tom Davis as Cohens brother in-law, Charles Dance as the Ad Agencies CEO (in the male world) & Richard E Grant as the 'voice of reason' are all well played but it's the ladies definitely steal the show.

Emily Mortimer (Sach's Sister), Fiona Shaw (PA turned CEO) & Kathryn Hunter (Cleaner turned Chairwoman) are standout - each living their best possible lives in a world where women definitely come out on top and they do a fabulous job at it!

It's around 90 mins long and as with all re-awakening stories - (spoiler alert) Damien Sachs does come out if this a much better man for all the right reasons.

It's a comedy with a real meaning and yes, some of the script (and Cohens acting) is a bit wooden in places, which is why he probably makes such a fabulous character actor as playing the straight guy isn't really his forte but overall it's a real eye opening look at modern lifestyles and challenges and one I'd highly recommend.

Well done Netflix.

314, Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu

2026-06-02T14:11:18.505+00:00

Come on! A brand new, totally bona fide Star Wars movie back on the big screen - what better way to return after a 2 month break with a movie and franchise very close to my heart.

The Mandalorian (in my mind) remains the best Star Wars 'spin-off' yet created. Conceived and written by Jon Favreau (Marvel + much more) this is almost a love story to the entire Star Wars franchise, using Mando and Grogu as connectors to characters and stories dating back to the 70's and 80's.

The plot isn't a tricky one to work out; Mando is completing some Bounty Missions for the New Republic, tracking down scattered War Lords & to get information on a certain individuals location, Mando is persuaded to complete a job for the twin siblings of recently deceased (if you follow the timeline) Jabba the Hutt to find and rescue their nephew Rotta the Hutt (Jabba's son) - however, trickery is soon uncovered as it's not his release they seek but his demise as Rotta's death would line the twins up to have sole control of the Hutt empire with the true heir out of the way.

Rotta is a piece of genius. Ripped, agile, with pecs, abs and voiced by Jeremy Allen Wright (The Bear / Springsteen / Iron Claw), he is a gentle soul & keen to be rid of his fathers criminal legacy, wanting to make a name for himself. Rotta is captive yes, but enjoying fighting in a Gladiatorial arena where he is basically the home town hero after winning over a once hostile crowd - he is revelling in the stardom in the hope his next battle will see him released (that's what they all say!)

Obviously, this isn't as straight forward as Rotta hopes it should be (no surprises there) and along with Mando and Grogu, plus a few other supporting characters look to bring down the captors, the Hutt Twins and anyone else who stands in their way.

This movie is fantastic. The attention to detail in some of the scenes is just phenomenal - and for the real fans out there, pay particular attention to the monster battle that is direct re-construction of the Dejarik game Chewie is playing on the holographic chessboard on the Millennium Falcon in A New Hope (remember that?) It's just a few seconds of footage but the real life battle that occurs in the arena has the same Monsters and moves seen in the 77' original - awesome!

The effects throughout are great - it totally feels like a Star Wars movie but you don't really need to watch the Mandalorian seasons first to get an understanding of what's happening. It helps of course, but only for character depth. As a movie, this seamlessly links in with those preceding it if you want it too - but also works as a standalone entity.

I love how they've avoided CGI for Grogu and maintained puppetry & yes, it looks a little clunky in places but that's the part of the adoration for this franchise. Seeing a CGI Yoda battling Count Dooku in Attack of the Clones always seemed a step to far so returning to this basic approach (I say basic - the puppeteers would probably disagree!) with Grogu just adds a lot more personality to this adorable little green hero and still, without real words - manages to convey every emotion and mannerism to perfection. We all love him even more after this recent outing.

There are of course cameos - look out for Sigourney Weaver & listen out for Martin Scorsese (needs no explanation) as the food-cart vendor Hugo Durant and Star Wars OG - C3PO's Anthony Daniels providing the voice of the Air Traffic Controller Droid. The Lucasfilm VP Doug Chaing steps in as New Republic Lieutenant Blick and there are even some prior Disney+ series Directors appearing as uncredited X-Wing Pilots in the final scenes.

I honestly believe those involved in the Mando series (and this movie) are just huge Star Wars fans who are are telling the stories they would want to see being made. Knowing how the nostalgia impacts the die-hard fan base and the introduction of newer characters and locations attracts an ever growing audience.

This has hyped me up even more for the He-Man re-imagining, again - Directed by a fan and wanting to give the audience what we've waited 40+ years to see and not in an eighties, Dolph Lundgren way.

As for Mando & Grogu - for a Galaxy that initially started in 49 years ago 'Far Far Away', I think it all now feels much closer to home for many of us and long may that continue.

313, Mercy

2026-04-02T13:36:00.004+00:00

Mercy is the most recent offering on Amazon Prime and couldn't be more simple if I wrote it myself.

We open with a dissorientated Chris Raven (Chris Pratt) handcuffed into a futuristic chair, being read the equivalent of his rights and about to face trial for the alleged murder of his own wife earlier that day with 'A.I' Judge Maddox (Rebecca Ferguson) acting as Judge, Jury and Excecutioner.

He has 90 minutes in the chair to reduce his guilty 'percentage' to an acceptable level by accessing cloud information of photos, files, videos, camera footage, phone records and calls to convince Maddox of his innocence otherwise, face immediate excecution.

And that's it! Think Phone Booth 'meets' Minority Report and you're almost there. The backstory is quite simnple - Raven is a Police Officer who in part, openly supports and backs the "Mercy" Judicial approach and now he finds himself as it's latest participant. Awaking in the chair, he learns first hand of his wife's death - and sees bodycam footage of his arrest following some pretty awfull behaviour but swears his innocence to the murder even though at this time, all evidence points towards him.

Set in the not to distance in the future, with everything cloud accessible, Raven is able to to reference footage captured from anytime, anywhere - and speak to whoever he can to support his case and once the immediate grief of what has happened to his wife has sunk in, sets out on a fast paced investigation with a constant countdown in place to find the perpetrator - all while being strapped to a chair.

The action and outside support is fed into his digital courtroom via screen projections and body / phone cam footage with Maddox supporting in obtaining requested files, calling interested parties and accessing data and historical details to support Ravens hasty investigation.

This movie has a few plot twists throughout with early suspects in the frame but although potential dead ends - does throw light to other lines of investigation that do, in the end - lead to ensuring justice is served.

Pratt is great as Raven. His character isn't quite the nice guy you'd hope, but that adds to the tension of 'did he / didn't he' with his anger and alcoholism issues front and centre but Pratt manages to convey all of that all while remaining seated throughout the movie, with the exception of the pre-crime footage of him being played out in video and real-time form.

Ferguson, as the dead-pan 'A.I' Judge remains a constant digital screen presence and Raven's daughter Britt, played by Kylie Rogers (Yellowstone's 'Young' Beth) is a fiesty teen who's torn between losing her Mum and wanting to belive her Dad's innocence but being swayed by Grandparents to her Dad's guilt were both great additions.

Other cast member include Raven's 'Cop' parter Jac (Kali Reis - True Detective), Friend and AA sponsor Rob (Chris Sullivan - Behemoth in Megamind / Jerry in American Dad!) and finally the poor murdered wife played by Annabelle Wallis (Grace from Peaky Blinders).

I think you need to stick with this one - the opening 15 minutes or so make you feel this is going to a bit of a slog - watching Chris Pratt strapped to a chair for 90 minutes trying to proive his innocence to a computer generated, non compassionate AI Judge - but things start hotting up when his colleagues - all of which do seemingly believe he's incapable of the crime he's accused of, rally round to follow his direction and try and solve the crime - all in under an hour (by the time he gets going).

In parts it's very fast and furious - the car chases are very 'digitally enhanced' (shall we say) with a lot of special effect that were't particularly necessary, but you would't get the destructon portratyed without it so you have to let that one go.

It's a little thought provoking regarding the Mercy Justice system, the role AI is playing in our everyday lives and the impact this has, especially if it starts getiting things wrong but that's just topical conversation pieces we all deal with day to day as tech develops around us.

It you liked Phone Booth / Liberty Stands Still then this is that, but taken to a more 'digital' level - definately worth a watch.

(Images used in blog are sourced from IMDB, First Showing.net, Los angeles Times, Digital Spy & We are Movie Geeks)

312, One Battle After Another

2026-04-01T11:57:00.007+00:00

I really don't undestand the Oscars sometimes.

I do understand they like to push the envelope and recognise aspects of movies that would normally just pass right over the regular casual viewer and I also know stories that highlight issues or are prominent in current society (either by luck or judgement) seem to do well, but I am still struggling to see the reasons behind this movie winning Best Film at this years Oscars.

Let's break this down - One Battle After Another is clearly defined by two main acts, seperated over a period of 16 years.

Act 1: We meet a band of 'vigilante rebels' fighting for a cause (of which, to the outside world could easily be seen as terrorism) yet, we are sided with them as we see their plight of rescuing illegal immigrants from horrific compounds along the mexican border.

Their approach however is violent and reckless - led by Perfidia (Teyana Taylor) and supported by love interest Bob (DiCaprio) as an explosives expert, the whole crew have no bones about rescuing illegals one minute and then commiting armed robbery the next.

Oddly - they aren't the main protagonists - that honour falls to Col. Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn) as the Military leader in charge of the immigrant compounds and after coming across Perfidia and her crew, develops a form of unhealthy, demasculated obsession with her as he then works tirelessely to hunt her down.

Perfidia then has a baby (assumingly belonging to Bob) at which point Bob realises their focus has to switch to responsible parenting - but is dismissed by a selfish Perfidia, who's sees the affection and love that Bob once showed her now focussed on their baby girl and basically leaves them both. She ends up on the run, alone; until Lockjaw catches up with her and after being forced to turn rat on her crew, sees Bob, the baby daughter (Charlene) and other crew members go into hiding - which for most of them, is unsuccessfull.

Act 2 jumps forward 16yrs with a teenage Charlene (played by Chase Infiniti) living a very low-key lifestyle with Bob, now an anxious, paranoid addict and it all kicks off again when Lockjaw resurfaces - on the hunt for Charlene (reasons are made clear in the movie) and it's the new circle of support around Bob & Charlene, including Sensai Sergio St. Carlos (Benicio Del Toro) who has taken up the mantle of housing illegal immigrants, helped out by friends & family and managing to evade the authorities by any means necessary, who rally round a seemingly incapable Bob to get them both safe.

All sounds amazing right, what's not to like? Well, from start to finish I just didn't get this movie. I couldn't work out if it was designed to make heroes out of terrorists - or slander the military with their portrayal of Lockjaw and his processes and mannerism's.

From an actors perspective - DiCaprio was as always, the awesome professional - completely engaged in his character and playing a brilliant submissive to Taylors dominant Perfidia, who was as sexy as she was ruthless & selfish. Del Toro was brilliant as well but it was the performace from Penn as the single minded, unhinged militant protagonist that appeared almost comedic initially, but soon turns to chilling & obsessive with a need for white supremicist validation and in the end, sheer blinded vengeance that for many, will steal the show.

Was he worthy of the Best Supporting Actor gong? Well, that's down to the Academy - he certainly went all-in on the character but that said, DiCaprio losing out to Michael B. Jordan (for Sinners) is also one I didn't see coming.

The movie just didn't seem to have a point to it. I didn't know who we were supposed to side with - the Rebellion was mean, vicious and reckless & the Military was overbearing and sadistic. You want to side with Bob, but he was basically hopeless and you constantly wonder how he managed to bumble though 16yrs of hiding without getting caught so you are left with Charlene, who seems to be a vigilant, stand-up, dedicated and intelligent human being but as you'll find out at the end - the apple never falls far from the tree.

The most annoying thing for me in this movie was the soundtrack. Don't get me wrong, some will say it's an atmospheric masterpeice and to take a quote from the internet;

"The piano music in One Battle After Another (2025), composed by Jonny Greenwood, is a deliberate, tense score using a "pedal tone" technique - repeating a single note over changing chords. This creates a constant, anxious and rhythmic backdrop designed to feel like a "metronome of suspense, " mirroring the ongoing, generational struggles of the characters"

So - that's nice and specific, but OMG it gets annoying and tedious after about an hour! For me, it ended up being all I could focus on! Like that annoying dripping tap or squeaky floorboard. It dominated the whole movie and sadly as a result, after a while I'd checked out completely. Sorry Jonny, I'm sure it's not your fault.

This should have been the type of film I'd rave about. Regular readers will know from my 300+ blogs preceeding this one, I don't always need a captivating storyline or even a believable plot to fall in love with a film. This movie is fast paced with tonnes of action, fights, great characters and strong, well-known actors playing them but it was all just too random, chaotic and the piano was so completely overwhelming that all the enjoyment of what it should have been was completely lost.

I have left out loads of plot lines and back-stories in this blog for good reason. It's close to 3hrs long and I'll be brutally honest, I had to google the ending as after 2hrs 10mins, both me and my wife either lost complete intertest in what was going on - or were so confused by the whole thing we really didn't care what happened to any of the surviving characters.

I saw this at home, on Sky TV as one of the their 'Cinema Premiers' but I genuinly think had we have gone to the cinema - we wouldn't have made it all the way through either and sadly, that's coming from someone who sat though the entire 90 mins of "Movie 43" (Blog: 238)

One Battle After Another is a six time Oscar Winner and includes a a highly acclaimed cast that will probably have fans raving about it for generation to come, just not this one.

(Images used in blog are sourced from Golden Globes, NPR, Arts Knoxville, ScriptShadow, Deadline, Biff Bam Pop!, Fanfare & High on Films)

311, Predator: Badlands

2026-03-20T13:48:35.790+00:00

Let me take you back to 1987. Arnie (in his 80's prime), supported by WWF's Jessie 'The Body' Ventura, Rocky's Carl Weathers & regular Arnie 'sidekick', Bill Duke (too name a few) set off into the Central American Jungle to track down what they believe is a renegade group of insurgents - only to discover an Alien being with one mission - seek and destroy!

38 years and 8 movies later we find ourselves at Predator: Badlands and it's fair to say the franchise has had it's ups and downs.

Predator 2, Alien vs Predator, Alien vs Predator 2 (Requiem), Predators, The Predator, Prey, Predator - Killer of Killers (Animated) and now Predator: Badlands, it's fair to say that the script writers didn't spend too much time coming up with new titles! I cant say I have seen all of the offerings but since Prey, I am onboard with where it's seemingly going - offering some more insight into the backstory of the 'Yautja' (the species we refer to as the Predators) and how they come to be wherever in the universe they are, and for whatever reason.

Badlands follows this trend as we meet a young Yautja (Dek) in training, trying to make his way as an elite warrior and about to embark on a 'life or death' mission to trap and bring home a Prey of his choosing which on completion, will see him welcomed into the respected ranks. Failure? Well, let's just say this isn't tolerated and only the successfull make the grade.

However, unbeknown to him - Daddy Yautja sees his youngest as the weakest link and has ordered elder brother (Kwei) to kill him which doesn't sit quite right with Kwei and I wont spoil what happens next, but it all kicks off and Dek ends up heading to Genna (the "Death Planet") to try and defeat the un-killable 'Kallisk' to redeem himself in his fathers eyes.

You have probably noticed that I haven't mentioned any actors yet in this most recent offering. Well, the use of CGI is in abundance here and although there is body suit recognition for Dek, played by Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi (don't worry - I don't know him either) he remains unrecognisable as an actor and fully supported by voice overs and digitalisation. The same can be said for the other Yautja, so it's left to the inclusion of Ellie Fanning (Maleficent) as the only really recognisable cast member and overall, it's a very small ensemble.

Once we get to Genna where the bulk of this movie takes place (and the prelude up to this point concludes with brief title sequence) it's fair to say the CGI ramps up even more! From comparable 'Dinosaurs' to killer trees & plants, 'Death Planet' is a very fair assessment of the unfamiliar terrian that Dek is faced with.

Dek meets Thia (Fanning) quite early on following his arrival on Genna - and being a sentient A.I / Android, Thia becomes quite an unexpected ally initially for Dek in his pursuit of the Kallisk. Thia is on Genna as a research project - knowing no human could survive the environment and having knowledge of the Kallisk, offers assistance to Dek as a 'tool' to help him obtain his trophy!

Fanning - on the whole (or at least half of her) is great. The character is witty, funny, patronising and knowledgeable and is the perfect sidekick for Dek. I won't go into too much detail about Tessa (Fannings other role in this) as I dont want to give everything away but she definately the Yang to Thia's Yin (put simply).

The setting is very reminiscent of Arnie's version all those years ago (albeit worlds apart) but the Jungle / Forrest setting is very comparable. Thia has a language adaptive programme installed in her to speak the the Yautja's language but remain understandable to us, but you do have to deal with Dek's dialoguie in subtitles, although Dek's lines are short and defined - meaning it's not that hard to keep up with whats going on.

We get an insight into Thia's backstory too and you can't help but get flashbacks of the sort of 'Chewbacca / C3PO' relationship between our resiliant duo as they traverse through the environment - which makes more sense when you watch the movie.

That's not the only Star Wars comparative however as a lot of the monsters and lifeforms on Genna have a Star Wars feel about them - some playfull, some horrific but they are in abundance and almost every scene is either a 'run for your life' or 'fight to the death' moment.

The special effects are well done - Ellie Fanning is great and the story has pace and purpose so for me, all in all it's a bit of a winner!

It doesn't have the rawness of Prey - or the basic survival instincts of Arnie's Predator, but I think it's a worthy addition to the franchise and if you likes some of its predecessors - definately one to watch.

(Images used in blog are sourced from Wikipedia, Los Angeles Times, Empire, Film Stories, The Times, Collider & Vanyaland)

310, Melania

2026-03-11T14:04:00.006+00:00

Okay Amazon Prime - Lets get the bad bits out the way first.

IMDB have ranked this 1.4 Stars (One of the 5 lowest ranked films on the platform) & Rotten Tomatoes gave it a critics score of just 7% (although it has an audience rating of 99%!)

Openly - it's been slammed as an egotystical self portrayal of first world problems that only seem to affect the top 0.0001% of the population and the whole concept was never really going to allow the promise of a 'tell all' behind the scenes documentary of what life is truly like for the wife of President Trump, especially in the 20 days leading up to his 2nd term as US President. So what actually is 'Melania' - if it's not an 'access all areas' documentary?

Well - surprisingly enough - I found it to be quite interesteing.

Lets just agree that it's a very manicured and scripted 90 minutes of self produced positivity from Melania's perspective. The doting Wife, Daugher, Mother and the orchestrator of home design and public event planning which does shed some insight into some of the 'behind the scenes' goings on of the innaugural dinner and the pre-empt to life (once more) in the White House.

Trump himself appears fleetingly - it feels honest, and respectful but with that said, there are a handfull of funny and witty quips from Melania 'behind the camera' that do raise a smile, especially with how distanced she sounds on some of the recorded phone calls with him and pretty much her dismissal of his polling successes but on the whole, Melania is portrayed as a very supportive First Lady, albeit very much in control of her own schedule.

We do see (or, what we are led to believe) is the inside of Melania's apartment within Trump Tower for a dress fitting, which is where we meet some of the ensemble cast - namely her designer / dresser (Herve Pierre) who does steal each scene he's in as well as the event coordinator (David Monn) who is behind some of the events Melania is working on. The standout performance though is the hand made dress, presented by Herve that is nothing short of knockout and you do get a small glimpse of the 'fashionista' side of Melania - almost forgotton given her current standing.

There are filmed interviews with potential new 'staffers' - Invitation choosing, table dressings meetings and Art selection discussions for the White House that pad out the films duration but it really is all about Melania. There are no sit down 'one to one' moments like you see in Drive to Survive and everything is shot pretty much in 3rd person, either on the move or on location with lots of voiceovers and very little straight to camera conversations. There are lots of thoughtfull 'stares' set to patriotic soundtracks as this plane lands or that car pulls away and even the Secret Service guys get some face time, which I thought was a big 'no no' but hey, it's a new world!

We get to see inside the Capitol in footage that wouldn't have made the CNN Presidential coverage and if anything, this documentary is focussed on showing the indiviuality of the returning First Lady and the work she is doing towards numerous charities, much more than being just the wife of a President.

You don't get the open honesty and realism of let's say - 'Clarksons Farm' and if you honestly thought you would hear the first Lady slagging off her Husbands antics, then you are very much mistaken.

Okay - I'll agree with the critics that this isn't going to win any Documentary awards - but if Melania herself is of interest you, then this will give a voice to someone who on 'TV' is always two steps behind and pretty much unheard - allowing some small insight to life outside of being 'Mrs Trump' and highlights her own passions, challenges and steps to secure her and Baron's future (albeit financially, I'm sure they'll be okay) as the years tick by.

(Images used in blog are sourced from Wikipedia, Vanity Fair, Yahoo, New york Times, Common Sense Media & USA Today)

309, War Machine

2026-03-09T09:33:00.000+00:00

Netflix have done it again!

As a pretty big Alan Richardson fan, seeing him take the lead in a straight to Netflix movie always makes me smile. Having watched him as far back as Hunger Games and even as Raphael in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Movies (as well as being a phenominal Jack Reacher of course!) means that for me, his sheer on-screen presence is very reminiscent of old Arnie movies - but with better acting!

War Machine is no different. If you were to take the premise of Predator meets BattleShip you cant go far wrong - the Battleship reference? Well, think training excercise goes awry as alien tech invades pre-planned war games and as for Predator, Man vs Machine using environment and skill to bring down said Alien foe. It's a greast idea.

The set up is awesome too. A fleeting initial presence from Jai Courtney as the younger brother - hell bent on convincing Richardson (as the older sibling) to apply for Army Ranger Training during a middle-eastern posting where sadly, things dont go as planned for either of them but following a tragedy, spurs on Richardson to complete his brothers dream of becoming a Ranger and as a result of the harrowing backstory - you are instantly behind Richardson, backing him 100% to succeed.

Basic Training is brutal - Richardson as the lonely soldier, distances himself from his camp mates which brings with it it's own level of trials and challenges, but see's hime stand out as the older, experienced ring leader and puts him on a pedestal that is put to the ultimate test after being thrown into the final 'Hell March' excercise, where things go badly wrong and the squad is faced with a force 'not of this world' and it takes all they have to work together and bring down this seemingly unbeatable force.

I think before you get into this - knowing it's an 'Alien / Sci-Fi' movie isn't too much of a spoiler alert. Either way, it certainly doesn't take anything away from the realism of the whole movie. The effects, both special and actual are outstanding. It's a brutal and graphic war movie that as well as being visually impressive, manages to also hone in on individuals special circumstances without even giving them character names (most are referred too as their number - Richardson himself credited as '81') and this somehow manages to support the commaradory, without anything getting too personal which was cleverly written.

There are some grerat cameos as well - Jai Courtney (Suicide Squad) as mentioned before is in a very small role but does a good job - as do Dennis Quaid as Army Sgt Major Sheridan and Esai Morales (Gabriel in the more recent Mission Impossible movies) as Sgt Torres.

81's Team mates to me (and apologies to them) were all pretty unrecogniseable but I am sure have been in things I've seen but this movie really is all about Alan Richardson. He is in every scene, has most of the dialogue and barrels through the 106 minutes with personality, emotion, dedication to the cause and a sheer unwillingness to stay down! There are parts that certainly aren't for the faint hearted - the Alien machine itself kills without remorse and uses mostly rockets and laser guided missiles in very close proximity to exterminate it's prey - meaning the sad recipients of the brutal attacks are left in an awful mess at the end of it all.

The movie ends with the wider global impact of the invasion and does explain why the Army didn't step in to help this defenseless band of brothers and also opens up a potential story line for a sequel, but I'd be surprised if it sees the light of day.

War Machine is stand out piece of visual brilliance with some great acting and even better effects and for me, further secures Richardson as a a great leading actor - but also, following movies such as Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare & and Fast X, also shows him playing well with others and with 8 episodes of the new 'Jack Reacher' season out later this year, means we wont have to wait long to see him back at what he does best.

Who survives? Well, I won't completely spoil the ending, but let's just say - don't get too attached to the rest of the Squad!

Enjoy!

(Images used in blog are sourced from ScriptShadow, Wikipedia, Empire, Bloody Disgusting, Flickering Myth & Hyperbeast)

308, Tornado

2026-02-18T14:10:00.002+00:00

I'm still playing catch-up to a few back-end 2025 releases but hopefully the last is Tornado, An Amazon Prime offering that on the poster promises "A Lean and Nasty, Gripping Thriller' and 'Exhilarating Samurai Action' - but sadly for me, Tornado fails on both counts.

Tornado is the name given to our title character - played by Japanese Model & Songwriter, Mitsuki Kimura (aka Koki) who along with her Father / Mentor, Fujin (Takehiro Hira - Captain America / Rental Family) make up part of a travelling circus as Pupeteers, touring their way through the villages and hamlets of 1700's Britain when their paths cross with a vicious gang of robbers - laden with gold from a recent heist.

Stopping for a break and deciding to watch the show, a young boy manages to steal the gold from the intrigued theives but is spotted by Tornado who then manages to take the gold for herself and hide it, which in turn, promps a man-hunt by the gang to reclaim their take and kill anyone who gets in their way.

That's about the movie - from then on it's just a 'back and forth' chase across moors and woodland with a few brief encounters along the way, inluding a stately home hideout and the base-camp of their traveling circus but in the end - this is basically down to the Gang, led by Sugarman (Tim Roth) versus Tornado.

You'd easily be fooled into watching this by the cast alone - Roth, a hero in my eyes for 'Lie to Me' and movies such as 'Pulp Fiction and 'Reservoir Dogs' stands alongside Son, Little Sugar (Jack Lowden - Slow Horses) and familar face Rory McCann playing the role of Kitten, which - after being The Hound in Game of Thrones, did make me chuckle.

The rest of the Gang was pretty unknown to me albeit I did initially mistake Squid Lips for Alfie Allen - but alas it wasn't. Nevermind - throw in some cameos from Joanne Whalley (ex Kilmer), known for Scandal / Willow & a fleeting 'blink and you'll miss it' part for TV regular, Alex Macqueen then all in all it was still a very recognisable cast.

Sadly, the pace is slow and somehow manages to make 90 minutes feel like 3hrs but the locations are well thought out - drawing you into a cold and menacing landscape with the chase scenes - albeit mostly on foot keeping the drama all in close proximity. As for a Samurai movie - well, you need to wait until the last 20 minutes or so to get a feel for that but with a trained, young Japanese wannabe warrior taking on a bunch of old, beaten up, tired English ruffians, let's just say, Mortal Kombat - it is not.

Some of the effects towards the end do compare well with older Samurai movies, the blood spurting and limb removal is all very playfull but too much of it happens all too quickly, and in all honesty - the Gang doesn't really put up much of a fight once they are on the back foot which makes for a pretty straightforward and predictable ending.

They have tried to get momentum going by starting mid-way though the movie, then offering some flashbacks to get you up to speed before the final act but it doesn't really add to the drama. Lowden plays this like he is just filling time until the next Slow Horses Season and Roth comes across like he is just after another paycheck. It's a real shame becuase with such a great cast - and Koki stepping out as a potential 'next big thing' I'd have really liked a little more.

Its drawn out - slow, and although well shot and to some extent, well acted - it just doen't push any excitement buttons so no 'highly recommended' comments coming from me this time but, as always; If seeing a bunch of well known TV actors get together for a foot chase through the moors with some swordplay at the end floats your boat, then this has you written all over it.

(Images used in blog are sourced from IMDB, The Guardian, Deadline, The New York Times, High on Films & Deep Focus Review)

307, Anniversary

2026-02-09T12:54:00.002+00:00

Released back in October 2025 and currenty available on Netflix, Anniversary is the disturbing tale of American society thrown into a dystopian future when a new additon the 'Taylor' Family, Elizabeth, soon to be daughter in-law to son Josh, releases a book called "The Change" a radical political mannifesto that throws life as they know it into total dissaray.

The acceptance of this book on a national scale promts a "Change" in society and a totalitarian culture emerging over a 5yr period - with alarming and horrific outcomes and consequences for the family at the heart of this story.

That's the premise - and the movie starts quite light-heartedly with the 25th Anniversary Party of Ellen & Paul Taylor, brilliantly portrayed by Diane Lane (DC's Man of Steel / Judge Dredd) & Kyle Chandler (The Rip - Blog 304 / Godzilla).

It's clear that early on, this is a tight-nit, loving & inclusive family with friends and relatives all in attendance to celebrate with the Taylors. This includes daughters Anna, Cynthia & Birdie but it's the arrival of son Josh and his new fiance Elizabeth (played by Phoebe Dynevor - Bridgerton / Snatch TV) that prompts the beginning of the end.

Ellen later recogises Liz as an ex-student of hers - almost sidelined by her radical political beliefs in class there is a visible tension between them but its the gift of Liz's book - The Change, to Ellen that really starts riling things up.

As sworn supporters of the constitution and democratic right, the void between The Taylor family & Liz becomes very clear with all but son Josh dismissing her ideas as complete ludicrousy, but as the national tide turns and the Taylor's end up being the isolated and intimidated minority, their lives and relationships crumble under the new regime and it's not until the very end of the movie that you get a real understanding of Liz's motives and how far she will go to get what she wants.

I have probably already spoilt more than I wanted too with this description, but I do stop short of describing exactly how the family collapses.

The Parents & Daughters have their own individual storylines for how they deal with situations they are faced following the impact The Change has on all of them, but you have to feel for each and every one of them as their futures all play out.

The casting is pretty impressive ascross the board. Aside from Parents Lane & Chandler, the daughters are played by Madeline Brewer (The Handmaids Tale), Zoey Deutch (Juror #2) & Mckenna Grace (Ghostbusters Reboot) and from a character perspective we get a mix of newly famous comedienne, working executive & younger 'impressionable' teen that show the many sides of impact this event has from multiple perspectives.

Then there is Josh - played by Dylan O'Brien (Maze Runner) who as a self-confessed failed science fiction writer, becomes overwhelmed and totally self indulged with the newfound wealth and power he seemingly has with Liz, having been credited as authors of the new world order - but is everything as it seems?

Anniversary is a hard-hitting realisation of what an alternative reality could easily become. Watching it, I was slowly getting the feeling this could have been billed as a prequel to The Handsmaids Tale and that becomes more evident towards the end of the movie as The Change really starts to take a hold of a so-called polite American suburbia.

I kept thinking it'll be alright in the end or, something will happen and everyone will be fine, but I can't promise you any happy endings with this one. Go in with your eyes open and watch it early enough to ensure you have time to watch something else to cheer you up afterwards!

The acting's fantastic, the storyline is harrowing and the message is thought provoking. All elemets of a really clever movie but clever doesn't necessarily mean they all lived happily ever after. If that's all you want - go to Disney+

(Images used in blog are sourced from Wikipedia, Geek Vibes Nation, Movie insider, Rotton Tomatoes)

306, The Wrecking Crew

2026-02-05T12:03:00.005+00:00

Any movie that opens with a Guns N'Roses track has to be be a winner - from it's vibrant opening sweeping drone shots of Hawaii to the final subdued beach scenes, this movie is action packed, full of laughs, violence and is definately one to watch!

I started this blog how I normally end them, but I wanted to get your attention early.

The Wrecking Crew for me was an absolute gem of a movie. Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista (slimmed down & fresh from a very recent outing in Afterburn, Blog 303) portray estranged half-brothers Jonny & James Hale, supported by a magnificent cast including fan favourite Morena Baccarin (DeadPool), Jacob Batalon (Spiderman) & Temuera Morrison (Mandalorian).

Bautista & Momoa deserve equal billing as the Hale brothers. The Hero vs the Anti-Hero. One a decorated Marine - one a disgraced Cop, seprated decades ago after an absent father left them both high and dry and after his untimely death (an alleged 'hit and run'), Momoa is the first sibling hot on the trail of their absent fathers killer after a visit from a Yakuza hit squad leaves him questioning what's been going on. Heading home to Hawaii after a lenghtly absence, he is forced to begrudgingly team up with Bautista to work out why their father was murdered - and by who.

The chemistry between Bautista and Momoa is excellent - insult after insult & the sheer brashness of the back and forth is a real treat and both play their parts so well. Baccarin is the always sensational on / off love interest of Momoa and is drawn back into the fray mid movie, whereas Bautista's Hawaiian family of wife, kids and cousin are all great.

A welcome addition were the intereludes from Pika (Batalon) - who now at 30yrs old, completely bald and to me, almost unrecogniseable from his Spiderman days just oozed confidence and comedy, a highlight being his 'parkour' rooftop escape where Momoa yells after him as being the 'Fat Jackie Chan'. It was seamless and although I am sure there was CGI involved, (apologies Jacob if this was no the case) it looked awesome on screen.

The movie is just over 2hrs long but doesn't slow down for a minute. The fight scenes are well choreographed, brilliantly visualised and yes, you can tell there is some CGI involvement but not enough to ruin the spectacle.

The standout one for me was the opening 'Momoa versus Yakuza' fight where armed with only a towel and some element of his dignity - fends off three assassins with just his wit and a Guiness for support.

The movie builds, with the two brothers starting out at each others throats but as you'd expect, once rationalle for past behaviours is outed, the bond grows and we end up with a demolition duo who almost in a throwback to a Commando or Rambo plot line, seeming take out entire gangs in one fell swoop.

I will mention the the incusion of the local Hawaii PD Detective (Rennert), who was not only responsible for naming the twosome as "The Wrecking Crew" in a brief 'talking down' following one of their escapades, but also because he was played by Stephen Root who for me, albeit having an extensive CV of both live action, animated and voice over work - will always be Gordon from Dodge Ball. A movie very close to my heart!

Although based in Hawaii, most of the filming took place in New Zealand and the scenery was breathtaking. From the back street markets to the high rise towerblocks and sweeping golden beaches, I dont care where it was filmed - I want to go there!

Bautista has been a very busy boy - Afterburn only came out a short while ago and he has ten other pipeline projects that include Road House 2, Beowulf, Highlander and a reboot of the Last Airbender so he isn't slowing down anytime soon. For me, he is actually way more watchable than that other WWE convert, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, and that's a tall order! (most of the time).

As for Momoa, It's great so see him back doing what he does best, and with upcoming movies such as StreetFighter (as Blanka), SuperGirl & Dune Part 3, I am looking forward to pretty much everything he has coming out - Minecraft 2 aside!

The Wrecking Crew is a great Action Comedy and the yet un-mentioned scenes to look out for are the Bridge / Helicopter Scene, which will have you wincing and gasping at the same time, the boiling over of the 'Brother on Brother' animosity that results in a great fight scene & the catering scene that includes a very short-lived performance from Lydia Peckham (2025 TV's adaptation of Robin Hood / Nuremberg).

Baccarin plays 'sultry sexy' as good as she always does and with the exception of very questionable bad-guy Marcus Robichaux, (played by Claes Bang, who I didn't recognise as playing William Tell in the 2024 movie of the same name), everyone is great.

The only drawback, (and I am aware this has been mentioned in other reviews) is the lack of acknowledgement or humility for any of the completely innocent bystanders or car drivers, either maimed or killed in the many violent public fights that break out. Considering one brother is a Cop and the other a decorated soldier, neither show any remorse for outcome of their actions. BUT - it is just a movie afterall - so no one really died!

Verdict - Very enjoyable, Lots of laughs and plenty of brutal, visual action. And dont forget, a bit of Paradise City to get things going!

(Images used in blog are sourced from Plugged In, Wikipedia, Cgo Movies, Amazon UK, In-Bwetween Media & Cherrypics)

305, The Naked Gun

2026-02-02T14:35:00.005+00:00

It's been 31yrs since the third part of the original Naked Gun trilogy was released, aptly named The Naked Gun 33 1/3 - The Final Insult where we were all taken in by the 'charms' of Anna-Nicole Smith and a return for Leslie Nielsen, doing what he always did best. This new re-booted 4th installments sees Liam Neeson picking up the mantle as Frank Drebin 'Jnr' and Pamela Anderson starring as femme fatale Beth Davenport, in a welcome return to screen, continuing her movie comeback following a fantastic performance in The Last Showgirl.

These films don't take much working out and anyone (over a certain age) who has seen Police Squad, the Original Naked Gun films and AirPlane all know what to expect; A script littered with innuendoes and double entendres, slapstick comedy and witty one liners but sadly, this one (for me) just didn't quite hit the mark!

The plot line is basic. Guy dies in car crash - suspected suicide, then becomes a murder investigation - who dunn'it and why - solve the case to save the department etc etc and we know very early on who the bad-guys are so don't expect any lat minute twists and turns in this one. If anything, the focus of the movie is more on the relationship between the leading two-some, and I think with a run-time of under 90 minutes (85?) it's pretty much over before you've got a chance to get your 3rd beer.

Yes, Naked Gun was definately 'of it's time' however those same jokes now appear extremely dated and probably haven't aged well in the modern era. I don't think I'm old or prudish in that statement, I get all of it and can see why they did it, but it just doesn't land like it used too.

To try and keep elements of continuity from the originals, a lot of the same gags do appear. The overly impossible disguises for Drebin and the innuendo of an evolved (and even more suggestive) Kitchen 'Shadow' scene (remember the camping trip?) both make appearances, as does the constant 'coffee on demand' and mic-drop statement on-liners but sadly, I didn't really laugh once. It all felt too staged and lacked the delivery that Nielsen had mastered. Liam Neeson isn't famed for his slapstick comedy skills, wheras Nielsen was, making it all feel just a little bit wrong.

With that said, worth mentioning that Pamela was great. Natural and gorgeous in pretty much every scene and to be fair, the whole cast made a decent rosta. Aside from Neeson and Anderson there was Paul Walter Hauser (Blackbird) as Drebins partner Ed Hocken 'Jnr', Danny Huston (X-Men) as the lead protagonist Richard Cane, CHH Pounder (Avatar / NCIS New Orleans) as Chief Davis and finally, Kevin Durand (Ballers / Real Steel) as Cane's hired muscle.

It even had cameos from WWE's Cody Rhodes and Rap legend Busta Rhymes but after the shine of a very recognisable cast - it all got very dull, very quickly.

There is no denying that this is a nostalgic trubute to the originals, and to their credit, the filmakers also haven't shyed away from some prior cast members or 'notable mentions' that let's say, haven't aged too well over time and given them a little bit of stick. You'll work out who they are if you don't already.

The movie is what it is. No Oscars just yet, but it did win the 2026 Best Comedy Movie in the Critics Choice Awards as well as an Outstanding achievement in Casting for a Big Budget Feature Comedy (I told you it was an impressive rosta!) from the Casting Society (CSA). It's also nominated in over a dozen other award catagories across magazines and a spattering of US States Critics Choice events so there is some credibility to it, even after everything I have said - so what do I know!

Finally, if one good thing does come out of this moive, it's the budding off-screen relationship of Neeson and Anderson. it's fair to say both have had traumatic and tragic love lives and if this movie brings two of hollywoods most recognisable faces togeher and genuinly creates something adorable - then good for them - and thanks to The Naked Gun for making it happen.

(Images used in blog are sourced from IMDB, The New York Times, Odeon Cinemas, AwardsWatch, MovieWeb & Vanity Fair)

304, The Rip

2026-01-26T09:16:00.004+00:00

By my count, The Rip is the 15th collaboration with Ben Affleck & Matt Damon, who started out as best friends in Boston aged 8 & 10 respectively and went on to form one of Hollywoods most successful partnerships. As a pair they have covered Dramas, Action & Sports movies as well as individually being superheroes, assassins & uncredited baseball players but there is no denying that when together, we always see the sum of their best work.

The Rip is no different. A Gritty Miami Cop Drama that see our two headline acts making up part of a TNT (Tactical Narcotics Team), led by Damon with a rag tag bunch of hard hitting cops all ready to jump at a moments notice.

For context, The 'Rip' is a term given to either a cash or drugs seizure - the bigger the Rip - the more prestigious the accolade. The opening scenes show us the gunning down of the then TNT Captain, Velez, played by TV's S.W.A.T regular Lina Esco (Chris) and for me, a much underused cast member in this as S.W.A.T definitely took a down turn once she, a few of the originals left in the closing seasons.

Post murder, the subsequent questioning of her team led by FBI officers (with a lovely little twist) allows tempers to flare with some of the questions and potential accusations that start flying around.

These interviews are cut seamlessly into flashback visuals of Cpt. Velez last moments, where just before her murder, she manages to get a text message sent (saying what and to whom will become evident later), but after a quick 1st Act of getting to know everyone and learning all you need to know about each of the TNT members personal stories, we are thrown into the main elements of the movie.

After receiving a tip about a cash house, our team descends on said location to investigate, discovering a pretty hefty sum of stashed Cartel cash but it's very clear that the motives behind what they should do with the cash are split between the team and we enter into a tense 40 minute middle act of mistrust, tested loyalties and some quick fire action that leaves even the most astute audience members still wondering who is on the right side of the law and who isn't.

After some pretty strong and violent clashes within the team - backup arrives and the cash is offloaded but even then, something just isn't quite right and with 20 minutes to go there are a few twists and turns still remaining but let's just say, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Comparing it to other Miami Cop Dramas such as Bad Boys and Miami Vice, this I'd say sits firmly in the middle. It's not as dark and moody as Vice, but not as bubbly and colourful as Bad Boys and with the action taking place outside the bright lights of the City - could really have been set anywhere.

Damon and Affleck are on top form as are other familiar faces such as a fleeting early appearance from 'The Morning Shows' Nestor Carbonell (still wearing his trademark guy-liner) and Kyle Chandler as DEA Agent Mateo (Mayor of Kingstown / Friday Night Lights). The rest of the TNT include Steven Yeun, Teyana Taylor & Catalina Sandino Moreno and all have a pretty decent resume's, having appeared in movies such as Ballerina, One Battle After Another & Nope - just to name a few of their individual credits.

This movie is definitely one of two halves. First half see's a well scripted, edge of the seat, tense thriller with some fantastic back and forths between all of the team - less action, more 'who you going to trust' whereas in contrast, the second half ramps up the pace and once you've worked it all out - goes hell bent on the action movie genre with full effect.

It's great to see once again some of Hollywoods biggest stars signing up for streaming movies and sometimes, a really good gritty cop drama is all you really need. That is however until I saw the trailer drop this week for 'He-Man, Masters of the Universe' and my 10yr old self got way more excited that I should have. Now that's a movie I can't wait to see in all it's glory but until then, there is plenty out there to keep you entertained and The Rip is definitely one of them.

(Images used in blog are sourced from Wikipedia, Netflix, Good Housekeeping, Rotten Tomatoes & MovieWeb)

303, Afterburn

2026-01-23T15:53:00.003+00:00

A little offering available on Amazon Prime at the moment is Afterburn. A Post-Apocalyptic Action film set 10yrs after a Solar Flare wiped out most of the known economic world. Computers & currency are gone & the surviving population are living in the equivalent of social poverty with Warlords overthrowing governments to rule what's left of civilisation.

Our main protagonist - General Volkov (played by Game of Thrones Wilding Kristofer Hivju) is a Russian Warlord, who has commandeered prtty much all of wider Europe, overseeing a very Nazi'esq style militant force who rule with an iron fist and occupied France is his current domain.

The UK is set a little apart form this horrific new reality - still affected by the flare, our water borders make further invasions tricky and it's here, in a battered London we meet Jake (Dave Bautista - WWE), a Treasure Hunter turned 'Finder for Hire" who specialises in obtaining lost, high end items for anyone willing to cough up resources, including the newly self-proclaimed, and very wealthy "King" (Samuel L. Jackson).

After locating a very rare Stradivarius in the opening scenes, Jake is tasked with heading to France & obtaining the Mona-Lisa which initially doesn't sit well with him due to Volkov's reign in the area but, he is soon tempted by the promise of a beautiful refurbished sail yacht, allowing him to fulfil his dream of getting out, once and for all.

So, off he goes to France - battling Volkov's reigime (with a little help) and after a few near misses - comes across the vault which houses much more than just a valuable painting and the realisation hits that perhaps he is destined to do more than just be a courier for hire.

Every Action Film needs a few elements in my mind.

1) A strong lead, something The Rock and Jason Statham have nailed in the past but following the 2021 movie Army of the Dead (which is awesome by the way) and a few others since, Bautista does pretty damn well at it.

2) A great female sidekick which in this, see's a welcome return for Ex-Bond Girl, Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace / Oblivion).

3) A great car, and what better for the rugged apocalyptic terrain than an awesome Baja Truck that steals most of the action scenes and finally,

4) A Bad-Ass 'Slo-Mo' walk away from an explosion without turning around. Yes - thats here too!

The film rattles along at a pretty decent pace and the 1hr 45m fly's by. The action is plentiful with shotguns exploding heads all over the place to grenades, car and train chases, brutal WWE style hand to hand combat which is all shot brilliantly and a cracking little scene including a small group of wild, masked, cannibal, Parkour hunters who's end comes as fast as their introduction - but still plays out great all the same.

There is no real focus on the Solar Flare outside of the introduction to the movie setting the scene for the backdrop but it doesn't matter. Slovakia and Hungary provide the locations for war-torn, occupied france and its rural landscapes and abandoned bunkers and hangers suit the mood of the movie perfectly. Our leading four cast members all do a fantastic job and there are a few other familiar faces in smaller parts that again, all do well.

For me, it's another great little action movie where the budget seems to be as plentiful as the bloodshed and it doesn't feel wooden or over scripted in any way. Friday night viewing? Absolutely.

Grab yourself a drink and settle in. If Action is your beverage of choice - pour me another one!

302, Hamnet

2026-01-21T10:53:00.001+00:00

I think it's fair to kick off this blog by stating I am not a very literary astute person, So on immediate review, I honestly assumed Hamnet was either a typo - or a play on words for Hamlet and there was just something I was missing. Luckily - the opening screen of the movie is a written statement, educating the lesser aware audience members that Hamnet is completely interchangeable with the name Hamlet in the 16th-century so not a typo, just a variation thereof so my new understanding of what I believed I was about to watch was the story of how Shakespeare came up with the world renowned play, but again - not entirely the case.

(Includes spoilers)

Hamnet is less about Shakespeare the playwright and more about Shakespeare the Husband and Father. In fact, there is very little indeed about the actual playwriting side of him and barely anything set in London or at the Globe, save for the last 20 minutes of the movie.

This movie follows a young Shakespeare, referred to as Will (Paul Mescal - Gladiator 2) starting out as an apprentice tailor & farmer, supporting the family business until his gaze falls upon farm girl Agnes (Jessie Buckley - Wicked little Letters) and after what is quite an inappropriate courting approach, manages to win her over quite quickly and she soon falls pregnant with daughter number one Susannah, and then a few years later - twins Hamnet & Judith.

For me - this movie is more about the struggles of Agnes, raising the three kids with a mostly absent father figure while Will is off in London building his career. A Medicinal Herbalist, Agnes is all about natural remedies and being at one with nature, something very apparent during Susanna's birth but it's the struggles of Will when he is at home - the distance between them and the love the children have for him that makes his absence ever so more heartfelt.

Tragedy strikes when Hamnet himself at aged 11 succumbs to what is portrayed as the Plague, sold to the audience as almost a sixth sense awareness of his twin Judith's ongoing medical problems she's carried since a touch and go birth, wanting to be there for her and take her pain away, allowing death itself to take him and not his sister and the fallout of that tragedy, linked with Will not being present at the time, sends the family into a trench of despair and forces Will even further into his work.

From then on - it's Agnes' loss of Hamnet and her belief that she alone dealt with the tragedy, with no real support from Will that drives the final parts of the movie. That is until she visits The Globe to witness Hamlet being acted out on stage, and the connection to her own experiences, albeit faced with confusion to the namesake and the meaning but, all becomes clear to her in the end.

At this point there may be some variables to how I understood the final act to others, but for me - Hamlet was the result of Will's grief on losing his own son. Transforming that experience into the play and his take on Hamnet's final moments, forcing the whole audience to share in the loss, making it even more meaningful to him than Agnes ever initially believed.

How much truth there is to all of this I can't comment - Yes, Will was married to Agnes and they had three kids, one being Hamnet who died at 11 so that bit's true, but I can only assume there's artistic licence for the rest, the lifestyle of the family for example but, only Shakespeare himself can answer the connections between the loss of his son and Hamlet the play. However that said, to the unknowing mind - it all appeared pretty believable to me.

Hamnet is not a happy film - There are no real high's but there are plenty of lows. The movie itself won 2 of it's 6 Golden Globe Nominations for Best Motion Picture (Drama) and Best Performance from a Female Actor for Buckley (beating Julia Roberts & Jennifer Lawrence) in what was a worthy performance on her part.

The 16th-Century backdrop is as expected - It's dark, muddy, basic and although based in Stratford-Upon-Avon, it's the village of Weobley, Herefordshire that plays host to our location due to it's largely unchanged, Tudor-era appeal and well-preserved black and white timber buildings. London itself is only really seen from a skyline perspective and in very small doses until you enter The Globe itself, which disappointedly wasn't the actual Globe - but a replica constructed on a backlot at Elstree Studios.

Oscar nominations are out later this week and it's predicted that Hamnet will appear in some of the top categories which stands to reason following it's success at the Globes.

So why the appeal? Well, there is no denying the raw emotional power of some scenes and the depth of the tragedy. It does have exceptional performances from Buckley and Mescal (as well as the kids and other cast members) and it offers a new female perspective to the life and times of a very famous male playwright, giving voice to a previously overlooked role in the creation of what is now known as one of the greatest plays ever written.

I can say with all honesty I don't need to see it again, and if you're after a light-hearted romp through Tudor England then this probably isn't going to be that. But, If you are a fan of Shakespeare and this is your kind of thing, then it's an award winning movie you can easily add to your list.

(Images used in blog are sourced from IMDB, Discover Britain Magazine, Universal Pictures, Original Cin, Financial Times & Film Review)