FILM: Jurassic World IMAX 3D (dir: Colin Trevorrow, 2015)

"....bigger...louder....more teeth..."

The Summer of 2015 continues to deliver with this not-quite reboot/remix but affectionate refresh of a slumbering franchise that is extremely entertaining.  In essence, like the Pirates of the Caribbean series, there is little new that can be done with the basic premise (dinos/humans/run/chomp), but Jurassic World is a smart reinvigoration with enough interesting twists and real urgent energy to crowd-please that works very well.  The opening cleverly places the audience in the same wide-eyed viewpoint of discovery as the two brothers arrive at their Aunt-run theme park to the delight of the dino-mad youngest - the sense of scale truly works here -  and as plot pieces fall into place that enable a succession of threats to escalate, a handful of truly thrilling and well-staged moments are very enjoyable.  Adults in the cinema audience clearly appreciated the very dry thread of humour running through the movie, and there are affectionate nods not only to the previous JP films but a whole range of genre favourites (from Aliens to Jaws to The Wizard Of Oz, and surprisingly even a great Alien3 moment towards the end!).  Whereas the children in the previous movies seemed designed to make you wish they would be eaten quickly by any available dinosaur, the two brothers here are effective and work well within the story, Chris Pratt plays it straight as an almost Carpenter-esque hero and once again proves a hugely entertaining big-screen presence, and Bryce Dallas Howard overcomes a dispiritingly stereotypically-written role to make her character arc actually come to life.  The script creates a very consistent and purposeful narrative that packs in a lot of set-pieces and story threads, including the often-derided militarised-dinosaurs idea that has derailed revival plans for years but here works well.  Some storylines are underdeveloped, Idiot Plot is kept to a pleasing minimum (although the poorly-functioning communication devices are an irritation), but the seed-sowing for the next movie leaves it wide open.  Best of all, Colin Trevorrow creates a lot of dynamic visual interest and has a real grip on this extremely scaled-up entry into the franchise, which proves that sometimes a sequel can be worth the (long) wait if it means that the film-makers get it right to this extent.

FILM: Spy (dir: Paul Feig, 2015)

"Oh - has some heft!"

Spy is a hugely entertaining popcorn movie.  All of the components deliver: the action beats are muscular and well-constructed, the comedy has a very high hit-rate, the parody elements are precise without being smug, and the characters - especially McCarthy as the basement-techie-turned-field-agent - are engaging in different ways.  Indeed, Spy proves to be Melissa McCarthy's most watchable and well-sustained performance so far, showing real versatility and hitting the mark whether going for vulnerability, steeliness or impeccable comedic delivery and timing.   The supporting cast is an absolute delight: Miranda Hart is a surprisingly good fit in this movie, Jude Law is spot-on in the Bond-alike role, Alison Janney hits the mark yet again as the CIA boss, Rose Byrne has fun as the apparent villain of the piece, and above all Jason Statham is repeatedly downright self-aware hilarious as the manic done-it-all agent (the Face/Off-machine gag is priceless).  Plotting is very good, it sustains its long (for comedy) running time well, but most of all Spy is thoroughly chucklesome and very enjoyable.  Sequel please.

FILM: Insidious Chapter 3 (dir: Leigh Whannell, 2015)

"Not one thing you have just said to me makes any sense."

Having unfortunately terminated fan-favourite psychic Lin Shaye in the previous film, Chapter 3 goes the prequel route to bring her to the fore, and for the first few minutes there is a promising sense that this entry in the franchise might go a slightly more serious and grounded route.  However, this quickly turns into a rather routine and dreary plodder, and Blumhouse's cheap-to-maximise-profits approach makes the film look rather threadbare.   It is clear from the uncertain and unsustained tone and focus that the script needed more work, especially once the final act descends into narrative disarray.  Lin Shaye embues her role with some dignity and sympathy (for the most part), but this is not Dermot Mulroney's best work.  One particular scene - where the injured and immobilised girl is menaced in her own bedroom - could be truly terrifying if fully realised and sustained, but the compromise for a PG-13 audience neuters it.  The rather crude looping back to the first film at the end wraps up the trilogy, and on the evidence of Chapter 3, that it where the franchise should rest.

FILM: Man Up (dir: Ben Palmer, 2015)

"This is gonna be fun!"

Man Up is as close as we will probably get to the definitive successful modern rom-com: snappy, dialogue-heavy, almost believable and world-weary yet hugely feel-good.  Simon Pegg and Lake Bell are both charming and quite amiable, in spite of their characters' flaws, and they show great chemistry which propels the movie with ease.  Central London makes for a terrific backdrop, the pace rarely flags, and this good example of a much-maligned genre makes this still firmly generic film bearable and entertaining, showing that limited scope and budget does not mean that the smarts, the funnies and the feel-good factor have to be diminished.