FILM: 28 Years Later (dir: Danny Boyle, 2025)

"You feel good?"

"I think so."

After nearly two decades, this third film in the cycle was definitely worth the wait.  Opening with a typically brutal attack highlighting (foreshadowing?) the fact that no community is safe in the Rage-virus-ravaged situation, what then unexpectedly emerges is an absorbing and intelligently-written coming-of-age/rites-of-passage tale that follows twelve-year-old Spike, as he makes his first trip from their isolated island community with his father to the unsecure Infected-filled mainland and finds himself facing the nature of mortality and some harsh realities concerning both parents.  The film cleverly places this current tale into the of 28 Days/Weeks world through conversational drop-ins (with the ending of the second film dismissed in a single sentence on the opening title screen), a couple of which very humorously highlight the boy's isolation as the rest of the world has moved on in ways familiar to us today.  It is very, very Danny Boyle, and cinematically uses many signature tricks from multiple and unusually-deployed cameras, near-experimental collisions of visuals and sound, flash-cut action and masterful moments of beautiful visual composition, which might not be to the taste of casual fans of The Walking Dead looking for a straightforward zombie munch-fest (although the film does not stint on that aspect, with brisk attack sequences that are uneasily tense and full-blooded).  The evolution of the Infected gives a new edge, with the pack mentality and the mighty Alphas offering a new threat.  The film also veers off into unexpected and interesting places, notably in the second half and particularly after a pivotal heartbreaking central family scene and a subsequent decision that fuels the rest of the movie, which maintains interest and develops both story and emotional core well.  The lead family trio is nothing short of superb, with utterly captivating performances by Jodie Comer as the ailing mother, Aaron-Taylor Johnson as the gritty practical father and a truly remarkable turn by young Alfie Williams as their son Spike who carries the film so well, and there two very strong character performances from Ralph Fiennes and Edvin Ryding. A couple of seeds are sown as potential for the second film in this proposed new trilogy (with no end-credits scene(s)), including a final scene which has a tonal shift that is somewhat jarring and may suggest a somewhat different film without Danny Boyle in the director's chair.  Nevertheless, 28 Years Later is elevated horror that offers a genuine and absorbing emotional journey and is extremely well made. 

 

VOD: Heart Eyes (dir: Josh Ruben, 2025)

"Hope Cupid shoots you in the d*ck!"
 

Yet another holiday/calendar murderfest sees a bemasked Valentine's Day serial killer (hence the title) of loved-up couples back on the rampage, as thrown-together co-workers Jay and Ally are mistaken for a romantic pair by the Heart Eyes Killer and find themselves a very real target in this fun and self-aware rom-com-horror.  Mason Gooding is on full screen-charm offensive and Olivia Holt giving a likeably confident performance in the lead roles, and indeed the whole cast understands the tone of the film and works well, including the fun casting of Jordana Brewster and Devon Sawa as a pair of unfortunately-named detectives and Gigi Zumbado particularly good as Ally's sassy best friend.  Heart Eyes works mostly because of its effective balance of the serious elements (gruesome horror and police procedural) with breezy and snarky comedy that never cancel out each other, and it has a lively energy that makes it easily watchable.  It knows its genre well - stalwart rampages at a police station and a drive-in movie are handled deftly - right through to the full-tilt Scream-style finale.  Heart Eyes sits at the lightweight but entertaining end of the horror genre spectrum but is well-made, and as such it works very well indeed.  (There is a mid-credits sequence).

VOD: Predator - Killer Of Killers (dirs: Dan Trachtenberg and Josh Wassung, 2025)

"Did you kill the monster?"

Dan Trachtenberg's 'secret' project is this full-blooded animated entry into the Predator universe, taking the anthology-style approach of four episodes, opening by pitting a Predator against a band of vengeful Vikings, before moving to seventeenth-century Japan and then World War II, before cleverly bringing the key fighters from each era together for a full-on finale battle royale.  In its favour, the film establishes and melds the Predator and Viking worlds extremely effectively from the outset through its characters and use of familiar iconography, which is then replicated through the other time periods.  Impressively occupying a space between video-game and photorealism in an interesting painterly style, the whole story is realised very cinematically and the action sequences are effectively dynamic and handled extremely well.  Each episode has enough ideas to make it interesting, with perhaps The Bullet's aerial dogfight against a Predator ship being a real highlight, and whilst the relatively short twenty-minutes segments give little room for full development they are written strongly and the pace is kept brisk, making Killer Of Killers a pleasingly lively lightweight romp.
 

VOD: Creation Of The Gods 1 - Kingdom Of Storms (dir: Wuershan, 2023)

"Remember, it doesn't matter whose son you are.  What matters is who YOU are."

Another enormous-scale Chinese blockbuster, the first of the Fengshen trilogy, this is an epic fantasy that depicts the battle between humans, immortals and monsters three thousand years ago, following the Shang dynasty and the desire to become King Of All Realms at the coming of The Great Curse.  It takes in expected cultural and generic themes such as family, honour, sacrifice, ambition, betrayal and destiny right from the start and plays them out on the intimacy of the royal court and the most enormous-scale battlegrounds.  It has a wonderful huge orchestral score, it is visually ravishing - the costumes alone are astonishing - and the ambition and scope of the mostly successful VFX work are hugely impressive, from the huge opening snowbound siege to the final showdown.  There is plenty of melodrama alongside some surprisingly brutal moments, the cast gives it their all with a couple of notable performances from Ji Fa and Yin Jiao, the mythological info-dumping gets a bit dense and the mid-section is stodgy, but overall the film has all the elements that will delight fans of (Far Eastern) high fantasy that is executed extremely well.  Look out for the portentous (if inevitable) sequel-baiting mid/near-end-credits scenes.
 

VOD: Snow White (dir: Marc Webb, 2025)

"You know, I really don't remember you being this...opinionated."

The curse of the live-action remake - damned if you make changes, and damned if you stay faithful to the original - hit this movie from the moment the first trailer dropped leading to a dismal box-office run.  Despite its variable run of revisiting its greatest hits, Disney ploughed on with this divisive more-musical take on the OG and makes a rather decisive having of the original's title, positioning it very much in the mould of other modern-day Disney musical properties and as yet another young female empowerment tale.  It is perhaps inevitably updated in some respects, with Snow White seemingly becoming a freedom fighter with the forest rebels, which sits oddly next to faithful classic touchstone moments recreated here.  The film often looks stunning, with the interiors dressed to the hilt and vibrant exteriors a riot of (CG) detail, but it does suffer ultimately from CG overload, with some scenes more animation than live action.  Rachel Zegler is mostly strong and delivers the songs well, and Gal Gadot strides through her scenes as the Wicked Stepmother with a cool furniture-chewing sneer.  What remains is s slightly ill-judged mid-ranker - it does not work like Cinderella or Beauty And The Beast - very much for today's Disney-fed youngsters and tailor-made for an inevitable (or now, perhaps not) stage version, that shows variable respect to the original and pales beside it, but manages to have some effective moments on its own terms, such as the surprisingly joyful song finale.  
 

VOD: Spoiler Alert (dir: Michael Showalter, 2022)

"What are you? Drunkard or junkie?"
"I'm a photographer."
"Both, then!"

This quiet comedy-drama follows the relationship between photographer Kit and TV journalist Michael over thirteen years from its first steps to its tragic ending.  The first half is firmly in warm and fuzzy rom-com territory but with snappy and sparky dialogue and some charmingly funny moments - with the bonus of Sally Field and Bill Irwin, both magnificent as Kits' parents - until it takes a much sadder and ultimately heartbreaking turn in the second half.  Based on a real-life experience, the film is very well-written, with even Michael's seemingly-superfluous sit-com-styled flashbacks ultimately carrying real weight.  Jim Parsons and Ben Aldridge are terrific in their roles, nailing both the comedy and dramatic elements with aplomb and creating effectively a couple to root for.  Playing like a more charming, witty and likeable version of the same year's Bros but with the trajectory of Hiller's classic Love Story, Spoiler Alert succeeds very well as both a sweet comedy and as a romantic weepie and is very enjoyable, made all the more poignant by a brief clip of the real-life Kit during the credits.

 

VOD: The Brutalist (dir: Brady Corbet, 2024)

"What was it like, the war? We hear some stories here that make one's toes curl."
"I would not know where to begin, Mrs Hoffmann."

Getting away from post-War Europe and forcibly separated from his wife in 1947, Hungarian architect Laszlo Toth (a composite of real-life characters) travels to make a new life in America, and the film follows his journey from struggling immigrant to the subsequent rise, fall and reappraisal in both his architectural and personal worlds.  Part American social history lesson and part classic underdog tale, for the most part director Corbet's passion project balances its ambitious scope with the deeply personal tale deftly.  Adrien Brody excels in the lead role which is tailor-made for his particular brand of sensitive, haunted character work, with Guy Pearce also a standout in a strong cast as wealthy patron Harrison Lee Van Buren who recognises and nurtures Toth's talent in what becomes an increasingly fractious relationship.  Daniel Blumberg's stark score reflects not only Toth's design but also his inner demons to great effect.  It is a heavy and difficult film that is not entirely successful in its third act, but it impresses with its scale, ambition and storytelling.

 

VOD: Nosferatu (dir: Robert Eggers, 2024)

"Dream of me.  Only me."

Eggers sets his long-gestating variation on the Nosferatu property in 1838, when a newly-married Thomas Hutter is sent to Carpathia in order to secure a property deal with the aged and reclusive Count Orlock that puts both bride and groom on a terrible path of fate.  The ever-reliable Nicholas Hoult performs well as the eager Hutter, with an unrecognisable Bill Skarsgard giving the sparingly-used Count an effectively other-worldly feel and strong work from Simon McBurney, Willem Dafoe and Lily-Rose Depp.  Blending the occult and the sexual undercurrents works well here, giving this curious love story a strange romanticism.  The film's slightly colour-drained look gives it an old, classic feel, with the mostly wintry chilly blue-tinted settings almost nodding to black-and-white at times.  Its period world-building is very impressive, allied to a consistently unsettling score/soundscape and gorgeous use of wide landscapes that contrast well with claustrophobic intimate shots.  Offering the director's signature style, with interesting use of camera and artfully-constructed hallucinatory moments, this is in some ways Eggers's most mainstream so far with a bleak, dread-filled iteration of a familiar tale.
 

VOD: Kraven The Hunter (dir: J.C. Chandor, 2024)

"I don't hate people.  I hate what people do."

After an opening breakout from a remote Russian prison demonstrates our protagonist's considerable physical strength and skills, the film flashes back to the teenage Kravinoff half-brothers and a painfully-laboured origin story that sees young Sergei given his powers (which include an affinity with animals) when healed by an ancient potion following a hunting accident.  Sandwiched between half-decent action sequences are stodgy dialogue scenes and Kraven's crusade to take out vaguely-sketched criminal antagonists.  It is perhaps more male-centric, bloody and more 'adult' than most recent Sony/MCU films, with a firm focus on the male family dynamic, including Russell Crowe doing Russell Crowe as the uncompromising gang-boss father, and Kraven's more sensitive 'weak' half-brother Dmitri, who gets kidnapped and requires rescuing (a far-from-subtle act of gender-stereotyping subtext).  Aaron Taylor-Johnson always delivers and here he is a great fit for the title character, giving an impressive and powerful performance that is way beyond anything else that this film has to offer.
 

VOD: Heretic (dirs: Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, 2024)

"Are we talking about religion...or board games...or music?"

A24's popular creepfest sees a pair of optimistic young Mormon missionaries paying a visit to a man who has expressed an interest in their faith, but as the discussion and situation becomes increasingly uneasy and a snowstorm settles in, the young women find themselves trapped  with this plausible zealot with a very different perspective on religion and a specific reason for keeping his captives.  Mostly a claustrophobic three-handed bottle show, Hugh Grant paces his sinister performance extremely effectively, with Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East both conveying the Sisters' situation very well.  It has an eerie sound design and oppressive visual mise-en-scene, both of which contribute greatly to the film.  It is rather talky, but the collision of thriller tropes and the discussion of religion/faith/philosophy makes for an unsettling and interesting movie, even if it does run out of steam in the second half.
 

VOD: Small Things Like These (dir: Tim Mielants, 2024)

"Do you want to get on in this life?"

Reflecting true-life events and set in a very bleak 1980s December, an Irish coal-delivery merchant, Bill, questions the dark secrets of the local convent in this quiet and sombre drama that has simmering rage at injustice at its heart.  The film's gloomy mise-en-scene, melancholy soundscape and depiction of a repetitive and limited existence reflects Bill's family/internal lives very effectively, and sound design that foregrounds tiny details within near-silence is very well-handled.  Cillian Murphy is the film's firm focus as he delivers another of his excellent wonderfully-considered soulful character performances as the gentle, hard-working and stoic family man, struggling to cope with the weight of his own childhood (told through well-placed flashbacks) and fearful of the world into which his young girls are growing up.  The film's deliberate pace and grim feel at times makes it feel rather restrained, but it is subtly powerful, superbly made and the protagonist's growing turmoil is portrayed beautifully.
 

VOD: Fear Street - Prom Queen (dir: Matt Palmer, 2025)

"This is where it all went down: Shadyside, where the future crawls to die."

This follow-up to Netflix's successful Fear Street trilogy takes us back to Shadyside in 1988 and specifically the two days leading up to a particularly fateful Prom Night.  With a predictable jukebox hit playlist (Billy Idol, Bananarama, Roxette, Rick Astley, etc) and six heavily-stereotyped potential Prom Queens/victims, the story focuses on the stoic downtrodden underdog Lori, whose parents' past ties in to the wider mythology of Shadyside and Prom Night. In spite of being fairly and squarely aimed at young teenage girls in every respect, with the males mostly disposable and barely registering, from the horror genre point of view its (unusually for this franchise) straightforward kills and squelchy moments are executed with absolute relish.  It has a very strong synth-driven 80s-style score, and it trots along at a fair lick for its ninety-minutes runtime.  The film does not have an original bone in its body, and it is certainly not as much fun or effective as the first two Fear Street movies (1994 and 1978), but it works reasonably well as an homage to late-80s horror movies.  If the prospect of an unlikely awkward dance-off set to Laura Branigan's Gloria is your idea of fun or not, then that may well be your testing point for this movie.

 

VOD: Transformers One (dir: Josh Cooley, 2024)

"Don't you want to choose your own path - do whatever you want?"

This shiny hyperactive animated origin story of young Orion Pax (the future Optimus Prime) and D-16 (Megatron) shows how the giant robotic creatures evolved from being best friends to sworn enemies, starting off as working miner-bots (who cannot transform) who enter the spectacular Iacon 5000 cross-city race, go on a quest to find the legendary Matrix Of Leadership, uncover a huge secret about the war with the Quintessons, gain their transformer powers and go after the duplicitous Sentinel Prime - all in one movie!  The film uses a visually appealing fusion of anime and photorealistic styles, which employs extraordinary depth and level of detail.  It boasts a quality starry lead voice cast (including Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry and Scarlett Johansson), who deliver the snappy dialogue with ease), and other familar Transformers characters pop up along their journey.  The editing - at times almost flashcutting - and coverage give the film an engaging and exhausting momentum that is nevertheless hugely impressive for an animated film of this scale, supported by the breadth of storytelling that it offers within its runtime.  The eventual scene that marks the turning point in the duo's relationship and its aftermath are surprisingly shocking, and if nothing else this lively action-adventure serves as a very good primer for the Bay-verse live-action movies. 
 

VOD: The Library Boys (dir: Zane Borg, 2022)

"Nah, man - you did NOT keep THAT!"
"For a souvenir!"

Imagine American Pie done in the style of Ayoade's Submarine with the sweet heart of The Inbetweeners and you are pretty much there with this enjoyably fun little Australian indie coming-of-age comedy.  Consisting mainly of banter-filled chats between our three 'teenage' protagonists in their last year of school, mostly about sex, with silly pranks and interactions with caricatured teachers (including a Mr. Gilbert-style Head of 6th Form) and a very eventful party, its low-key approach captures what seems like seismic events in their lives at that time.  All three leads are easy-going and likeable and breathe life into their characters very well, with Jack Kenny perhaps the standout as the not-quite-so-bright Zane, nailing both the comedy and the more plaintive moments to very precise effect.  With some laugh-out-loud gags and very poignant moments (especially towards the end), together with the different and grounded relationships explored with their respective girlfriends, the genuine camaraderie of the trio makes The Library Boys a slight but very entertaining movie.
 

VOD: Lick (dir: Louise Alston, 2025)

"Rule number two: we do these conversations with our shirts off."

Saddled with an awful title, this silly book adaptation charts the unlikely romance of a young Portland student/barista who celebrates her birthday with her best friend and wakes up the next morning to discover that she has got married to a pretty-boy rock star.  Travis Burns acts via having his shirt off a lot of the time, Brooke Lee struggles to convince as a 21-year-old architect student, with the only real sign of life coming from Joseph McNabb as the band's likeable sparky drummer.  Not a lot of consequence happens as they try to discover if there is an actual relationship to be had, and - as is often the case with this type of nonsensical romantic drama - not one jot of it rings true for this deeply dull couple.

 

FILM: Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning (dir: Christopher McQuarrie, 2025)

"It's a long story..."

After nearly thirty years, the eighth (and apparently last) film in this iteration of the Mission: Impossible film series delivers in style.  It is a long film - getting on towards three hours - but comfortably so.  The viral parasitic AI Skynet - sorry, The Entity - has now expanded to such an extent that reality and truth in the world are in short supply, and it is now taking over the world's nuclear powers' missile systems with malicious intent, with Ethan Hunt's past actions inadvertently and retrofittingly contributing to these events which he and his team now have to prevent.  As is typical of a last hurrah, flashbacks and montages deliver on the nostalgia front from the outset and attempt to justify the story, which is not so much tight as precision-engineered in order to link everything together, with the cast valiantly explaining every single step in as much detail as possible as if to a child.  (Do not poke the story too much, however, as it grows increasingly more ridiculous as the film goes along).  Sets, locations and design work are all stunning, and aside from half-a-dozen chucklesome lines, this is a rather sombre affair with more than a whiff of Skyfall at times, perhaps inevitable given its prospect of global nuclear annihilation, and as a result it is strong on the dramatic front.  It has a clear three-act structure, the first half being slowish but interesting; however, the two enormous action set-pieces in the last hour are utterly insane and delivered superbly.  The Final Reckoning uses many of the series' motifs, from masks to countdowns within deadlines, and one particular returnee is a fan-pleasing delight.  Cruise is terrific, and he should be applauded for his extraordinary commitment to the franchise both on-screen and behind-the-scenes over the years.  If this does prove to be Cruise's last outing in the Mission: Impossible world, then this is a very effective, fitting and entertaining final mission.

 

FILM: Final Destination - Bloodlines (dirs: Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein, 2025)

"When you f**k with Death, things get messy..."

After a fourteen-years break since the fifth film of the franchise brought the story full circle neatly, this welcome soft reboot sets the story in motion with a spectacular vertigo-inducing opening of utter carnage that indicates the tone of what is to follow, which in the case of this outing ups the gloopy gore quotient and ladles on the very dark humour to entertaining effect.  In many ways Bloodlines sticks to the tried and tested formula of its predecessors, but here Death not only goes after survivors but the descendants who should not have existed as a result, with the focus on the last remaining family, led effectively by the increasingly traumatised college student daughter Stef (well played by Kaitlyn Santa Juana, in an unusually strong ensemble cast).  Portents and potential dangers abound, with nicely-placed subtle references to the wider franchise and elements from the earlier movies for existing fans, the writing is pleasingly tight and its various twists make sense.   The big set pieces - and indeed the whole film - look suitably cinematic for its budget, and the great Tony Todd's final screen appearance scene is heavily poignant.   The self-contained Bloodlines may well give the Final Destination franchise an new generation of fans with this surprisingly strong, fun and unpretentious entry that delivers extremely well.

 

VOD: Nonnas (dir: Steven Chbosky, 2025)

"You feel it in your heart.  You put in your heart."

Based on a true story, this delightful and gentle feel-good Netflix comedy-drama finds New Yorker Vince Vaughn mourning the loss of his mother and deciding to create an authentic  Italian-family-feel restaurant with four real nonnas (Italian grandmothers) as the chefs.  It feels like a real love letter to New York and to the Italian community and its traditions, with an understated Vince Vaughn excellent in the lead role and delivering some real pathos along the way, together with the feisty unfiltered nonnas who are very enjoyable to watch (and perhaps deserve a little more screen-time).  The comedy is hardly sophisticated or original, but with its irresistible mix of family, friendship, Italian food/cooking and a genuine warm-heartedness, Nonnas is an easy, fun and charmingly enjoyable viewing experience.
 

VOD: A Complete Unknown (dir: James Mangold, 2025)

"A good song can only do good."

Starting off in 1961 as a young Bob Dylan turns up in New York with guitar in hand and covering the first half of the Sixties, this music biopic places him in the context of the folk/protest music community and his contemporary icons/heroes (Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger and Joan Baez), exploring his rise to fame and musical development, his complex personal relationships and politics/activism in the early 60s.  Music performance is very much foregrounded, luxuriating in a long run time (if occasionally wallowing in it and slightly one-note), and the film recreates its time period and milieu to good effect.  Timothee Chalamet portrays Dylan with a genuine sensitivity and a quiet charisma and intelligence, with notable support by Elle Fanning as Sylvie, his early true love, Edward Norton as the mild but committed Pete Seeger, and Scoot McNairy as the incapacitated Woody Guthrie.  The film does a good job of portraying the transition from acoustic singer-songwriter to electric instruments/full band set-up and its resulting tensions and Dylan's own disdain of superstardom.  A Complete Unknown is a generally well-crafted film that mostly succeeds in making its subject fairly interesting, with a heartbreaking wordless final scene to wrap it up.  

 

VOD: Monster Summer (dir: David Henrie, 2024)

"I'm not a kid, you know!
"Yeah, you are!"

In this quintessentially very mild children's gateway-horror coming-of-age movie, a group of young teens in a picturesque small coastal town become embroiled in local mysteries and a supernatural entity that renders its young victims catatonic in a Scooby Doo-style Steven King-lite tale, seen through the eyes of a budding young journalist.  The sincere story has good momentum, the young cast is likeable and effective (especially Mason Thawes in the lead role), there is pleasing character work from Mel Gibson as the reclusive retired detective who mentors our young hero, and the music score is notably effective throughout.  You can tick off your genre bingo card easily - beach party, nightswimming, baseball, bikes, clubhouse, aerial shot of lighthouse at sunset, etc. - and at times the film lands like a junior episode of The X-Files or Supernatural, but overall Monster Summer is a well-made, uncomplicated, pleasant and unexpectedly enjoyable children's film.

 

VOD: Conclave (dir: Edward Berger, 2025)

"Well, Eminence, I'd say this is a pretty fair vision of Hell."
"Well...Hell arrives tomorrow when we bring in the cardinals."

The death of the Pope opens this quietly intriguing movie and signals the assembly of the conclave of cardinals to elect his successor as mysteries, scandals, conspiracies and behind-the-scenes machinations whirl behind the closed doors of The Vatican.  The concept of presenting the secretive election of a new Pope as a political thriller is an interesting one, and this awards-winning film delivers the events in a surprisingly dramatic and engaging manner, whilst still respectful of the centuries of tradition, faith and ceremony involved.  Ralph Fiennes is mesmerising as the cardinal charged with holding together the whole process, with Stanley Tucci and John Lithgow noteworthy as competing papal candidates in a very strong cast.  The film is shot elegantly with some beautiful composition, sound design makes excellent use of near-silent moments to amplify the slightest of sounds purposefully, and the restrained but dynamic music score supports beautifully.  The late shock reveal is completely unexpected, challenging and not altogether convincing, concluding this well-controlled, suspenseful, atmospheric and sumptuous-looking film.

 

FILM: Thunderbolts* (dir: Jake Schreier, 2025)

"We needed that."

As the rather awkward and incoherent Phase Five comes to a close,  Thunderbolts* marks a cautious but notable return to form for Marvel with this enjoyable outing by managing the peculiar feat of being both quintessentially old-school Marvel and at the same time offering something a tad different.  It takes returning formerly-second-tier characters and pushes them front and centre in a very contained manner, with the villainous Valentina (an entertaining Julia Louis-Dreyfus) trying to expunge all evidence before her impending impeachment, including luring Yelena (the magnificent Florence Pugh, who owns this movie), The Falcon And The Winter Soldier's incarnation of Captain America, John Walker, Ava/Ghost from the AntMan sequel and the unstoppably comedic David Harbour as Yelena's father to a death trap where they encounter Robert Reynolds, the only surviving member of The SENTRY Project, whose emerging powers cause major problems as the story develops.  With Bucky Barnes (the ever-reliable Sebastian Stan) now a congressman who gets involved along the way, this new team forms slowly but organically to face their new and very real threats.   Pitched somewhere between the early Captain America films and TV's Agents Of SHIELD in style, and with the usual Marvel touchstones of family, responsibility and what it means to be a hero, Thunderbolts* also flips many of those ideas to tackle mental health in a largely thoughtful and sensitive manner, giving the characters a bit more grounded depth than some of Marvel's recent characters, reflected in its more muted colour palette than usual, although branding Bobby a potential bad guy because he is 'unstable' sticks out awkwardly.  The script is smart and snappy with plenty of sharp barbs and quips, the story flows and develops very effectively that keeps the viewer hooked all along, and the third act really does deliver with some decent action set pieces/fights along the way.  The mid-credits scene is a short fun throwaway, but the (quite long) post-credits scene not only positions this new team going into the next Phase but also sets up a bit of intrigue in the MCU that recent Marvel films have failed to do; this kind of cohesion makes a welcome return, which makes Phase Six something to now look forward to.
 

VOD: Havoc (dir: Gareth Evans, 2025)

"You live in this world, you make choices..."

In this long-delayed movie, it is Christmas-time in a big American city (incredibly, shot in Wales!), and with the irresistible combination of director Evans returning to his violent mayhem roots and Tom Hardy starring as a down-at-heel cop on a mission to extract the mayor's son from the criminal underworld and corrupt police, Havoc is a dynamic and hugely entertaining action-thriller for fans of the genre.  With Evans's signature visual stylishness, from its bonkers opening police chase to a visceral extended central smackdown in a club and a somewhat messy no-holds-barred finale, the dizzying camerawork and flashcut action sequences sit amongst the slower dramatic scenes that enable the disparate storylines to connect and mesh effectively and for Tom Hardy to mine the gravitas and sardonic humour of his character, which carries the film with aplomb.  It may lack the elegance of The Raid - Havoc is a far more rough-and-ready experience - but if you are a fan of violent action-thrillers, this film will entertain spectacularly.

 

VOD: Bullet Train Explosion a.k.a. Shinkansen Daibakuha (dir: Shinji Higuchi, 2025)

"This is some kind of drill, right?"
 
This Japanese high-concept thriller is basically Speed on a bullet train, with a bomb on board the new 'Dream Super Express' that will be triggered if it goes below 100kmph, with social media brought in to give the film scale and a contemporary twist, as a huge ransom is demanded that is to be paid by all the citizens of Japan.  Characters adhere to old-school disaster movie conventions, from the seasoned conductor and his young enthusiastic sidekick to the eclectic bunch of passengers, ranging from a troubled politician to a school trip group.  The film is edited to within an inch of its life with creditable coverage, the constant brooding music score keeps up the sense of unease, everything is played with complete seriousness, with suspense and jeopardy maintained well for its two-hours-plus runtime considering its very familiar scenario.  The mix of different experiences and viewpoints works in the film's favour, even when it takes a more sombre turn in the final act, which provides an entertaining experience alongside the more generic action elements which are also handled well.

VOD: Dealing With Christmas a.k.a. Un Stupefiant Noel! (dir: Arthur Sanigo, 2024)

"I'm more than just chimneys!"

In this French Netflix festive(-ish) comedy/drama offering, an undercover cop ditches Christmas with his young daughter for yet another drugs-related mission, so Santa puts him inside his daughter's favourite Christmas movie, body-swapping with the film's mild-mannered father, to teach him important lessons about the season and the importance of family.  The movie-within-the-movie and the body-swap elements are handled reasonably well, but the Christmas theme is incidental at best.  The comedy is very broad, simple and not especially funny, like the characters and script in general, but the more adult references and story elements jar somewhat with the more upbeat wholesome family tale at its heart, making the film fall awkwardly between young and adult audiences and probably not really satisfying either.  The film tries its best, but with its cheap-looking TV aesthetic it limps along in an underpowered fashion to its Blades Of Glory-esque finale and inevitable ending.
 

VOD: G20 (dir: Patricia Riggen, 2025)

"The hotel is nearly impenetrable."
"Is it?"

If you have ever wanted to see the magnificent Viola Davis as an ex-marine kick-ass U.S. President, then G20 is the film for you, as the G20 world leaders' summit comes under attack from terrorists, with Davis's President Danielle Sutton the prime target in this suitably flashy and full-blooded action-thriller.  With most of the presidents held hostage, President Sutton leads a small group trying to escape, her accompanying family trying to evade capture, and the terrorists using AI to destabilise world markets, there is plenty going on to keep viewer interest.  Davis does great and convincing character work as the beleaguered President trying to launch a world-hunger-eradicating programme as well as dealing with a bright but challenging teenage daughter and those pesky terrorists.  Anthony Anderson is also notable as Sutton's supportive husband and Anthony Starr chews up the furniture as the coldly reptilian villain of the piece.  G20 has the cosy familiarity of elements from Die Hard and Olympus Has Fallen, it sharply written, offers some genuine threat and is completely daft, making it very entertaining nonsense indeed.

 

VOD: Anora (dir: Sean Baker, 2025)

"God Bless America!"

The little film that won big during the 2025 awards season tells the story of a young Brooklyn lapdancer/sex worker Anora (Ani) who has a whirlwind drugs/sex/money-fuelled relationship/romance and impulsive Vegas wedding with Vanya, an immature live-wire Russian with fantastically rich oligarch parents, all much to his family's displeasure which sets out to get the marriage annulled.  With a strong dramatic story at its core, the film also finds the freedom to play as a genuinely funny and wacky comedy at times, especially when Vanya's parents dispatch some goons to retrieve him.  The film creates its world with an authentic-feeling energy that makes the viewer buy into this unlikely couple's relationship.  Mikey Madison gives a spirited and utterly invested performance as Ani, with Mark Eydelshteyn a very good match as her feckless partner and a notably strong and entertaining supporting turn by Yura Borisov as one of the heavies.  Some may find that the dramatic and comedic elements might not always sit together, but the film's irresistible energy makes it very enjoyable indeed.
 

VOD: Paddington In Peru (dir: Dougal Wilson, 2024)

"Yes, we've lost a jungle bear...in the jungle!"

The third Paddington movie's opening pair of scenes - the dramatic meeting of Paddington and Aunt Lucy plus a chaotic comedic encounter with a photobooth - reassure the viewer that with a different director all is well with the franchise, retaining its signature whimsy and gentle heart.  When a letter arrives with news of 'something wrong' with Aunt Lucy, the increasingly separated Brown family decide to take Paddington on a family holiday to his homeland that leads to a mysterious quest through the jungle in order to find her.  As ever, the film is carried by Ben Whishaw's familiar delightful reassuring voicework as Paddington, and here Olivia Colman as the Reverend Mother at The Home for Retired Bears is just about on the right side of deliciously demented, Hugh Bonneville is particularly funny in this episode, and Emily Mortimer is a satisfactory replacement as the family's mother.  The change of location, a different colour palette and the adventure element gives the film a fresh look for the series, and the out-of-their-comfort-zone angle gives Paddington and the adults something new with which to work, although the Brown children are often given little to do other than loiter around for the most part.  Overall Paddington in Peru is a charming, gentle, cuddly, breezy and entertaining caper which would make an ideal trilogy closer, otherwise it will be interesting to see where a fourth movie might take them all after this entry.  Keep watching the London tourist montage at the end for a surprise appearance and again at the very end of the credits.

 

VOD: Hard Home (dir: James Bamford, 2025)

"Are you gonna stop?"
 

In a twist on the usual hi-tech smarthouse/serial killer sub-genre, a bereaved mother who designed her state-of-the-art house kidnaps and traps The Diablo Killer in her vengeance-labyrinth basement and uses the tech to confront the killer with his crimes and get revenge for her daughter's murder.  Mostly a rather weak two-hander intertwined with heavy-handed flashbacks that slow down the action to show the path to the current situation, the film becomes a rather dreary cat-and-mouse thriller with everything spelled out very clearly that feels rather dated.  Idiot Plot is often the order of the day here and raises some questions about what is actually happening, and the ending is signposted clunkily half-way through, but overall the thinness of the material does little to hold interest, with the idea perhaps being better than the execution and delivery. 

VOD: Alien Apocalypse (dir: Adrian Avila, 2024)

"I don't know!  I'm just an exobiologist!"

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of The Asylum Studios, Alien Apocalypse tells the story of a sample of alien life from a space mission to Proxima B that unleashes a swarm of aggressive, flesh-eating 'organic nanobots' at Area 51 that threatens the whole of humanity, all on a micro-budget.  An overexcited music score thrashes away relentlessly, and brief appearances by Asylum stalwarts - Michael Pare looking frequently puzzled and the extraordinary screen presence of Paul Logan - lift the otherwise unremarkable cast.  The very low-tech shenanigans often appear to be filmed in corridors, cupboards and offices at the start but become a bit more ambitious in the final act, the often daft dialogue is  frequently  eye-roll-inducing, but to its credit there is some effective low-end CGI work on the actual space-nanobots.  For what is a very limited sci-fi potboiler, the finale tries hard to deliver some fun moments as the evolving swarm sets its sights on Los Angeles, but overall Alien Apocalypse does not rise above its cheap-and-cheerful category.
 

VOD: Elton John - Never Too Late (dirs: R.J. Cutler and David Furnish, 2024)

"I just want to be where I want to be now."

In the months leading up to his last-ever U.S. concert on his extensive farewell tour and writing his memoir, in this well-crafted documentary Elton John looks back on the early years of his life and career with his usual enjoyable candour and a wealth of personal archive material - the real-life counterpart to Rocketman that that covers much of the same ground.  Soundtracked by welcome deeper cuts alongside the expected hits, the film hits a good rhythm of jumping between the (then) present and the past, putting into perspective a well-structured chronological look at all aspects of Elton's professional and personal lives, ably demonstrating the demons he developed and conquered leading to his happiness as a father and husband today.  Never Too Late does a very good job of covering well-trodden ground; an in-depth look at his more varied career and level of success post-1970s would be very welcome at some point.   Concluding with the emotional punch of that final L.A. show ends this well-put-together look back at the power of creativity, friendship, family and survival. 

 

VOD: Nostalgia (dir: Mario Martone, 2022)

"It's in the past.  And the past doesn't exist."

This Italian drama follows middle-aged Felice as he returns to his hometown of Naples after forty years away as he rediscovers the city, people and how things have changed and also stayed the same.  As the story of why he left as a teenager slowly unfolds it takes in religion, street/criminal gangs, youth culture, his now-aged mother and his long-lost childhood best friend along the way, as the past ripples through to the present day.  It is a slow, pensive film that has a gentle wistfulness as it explores the less glitzy/touristy everyday side of the city and does not shy away from ag and decay, with the poignant juxtaposition of flashbacks and the older Felice - especially in the same locations - often used to great effect.  Pierfrancisco Favino gives a haunted performance of depth that is absorbing to watch, as he tries to reconcile events of the past with the realities of the present day and the future he desires.  The ending is artfully constructed and has real impact, rounding off this thought-provoking and deeply heartfelt film.
 

VOD: A Real Pain (dir: Jesse Eisenberg, 2024)

"I'm so f**king happy to be here with you right now!"

Following the death of their beloved grandmother, a trip to Poland by two estranged cousins to explore their family's history forms the basis of this buddy comedy/drama story, written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg.  As the two cousins, the loquacious and carefree Benji (Kieran Culkin) and the more pragmatic young father Dave (Eisenberg) are a great pairing, the whip-smart rapid-fire dialogue crackling back and forth very engagingly, all couched within an interesting and diverse group of characters with whom they share an organised tour that sees them confronted with their Jewish heritage and their own demons, including a devastatingly sombre visit to a former concentration camp.  The shooting of architecture and landmarks adds visual interest, together with the juxtaposition of old and new, with a classical piano soundtrack of mostly Chopin that adds a suitably melancholic and reflective air.  Driven by great writing, the fantastic relationship and characters created by the two leads and the strong supporting cast provides many heartfelt moments that make A Real Pain a blissfully enjoyable movie.
 

VOD: Mufasa - The Lion King (dir: Barry Jenkins, 2024)

"To be lost is to learn the way."

This prequel to Jon Favreau's 2019 'live action' version of The Lion King hits the ground running, throwing in everything but the kitchen sink in the first ten minutes - characters, mythology, comedy, music and song, drama and gorgeous high-quality visuals - as the film follows Mustafa from birth, separation from his parents, finding a new 'family' including a 'brother' to his journey home.  The new characters settle in quickly, there are new threats and a couple of effective spectacular action sequences, and the relationship between the two 'brothers' is played very nicely.  The visuals are insanely richly-detailed and vibrant-looking from start to finish, largely without the distancing flat sheen that many CG-heavy films suffer.  The new songs are brief and delightful, fitting in with the recent style of Disney song soundtracks.  The self-aware framing device of this story being told by energetic Timon and Pumbaa lightens the mood but is mildly irritating.  Barry Jenkins successfully delivers on the emotional beats, with the concept of family once again the huge running thread throughout the story, good on the father/son and brotherhood bonds and the positive influence of female family members, but perhaps holding back a little on exploring the issue of masculine power that is raised.  As a prequel the film works well and looks terrific, if perhaps a little inessential but a good companion piece.

 

VOD: The Crow (2024) (dir: Rupert Sanders, 2024)

"When someone you love dies, you will know emptiness."

With the greatly-cherished original graphic novel and iconic 1994 film etched firmly in pop culture, followed by a slew of unsatisfactory DVD sequels, hopes were high for what was promised to be an authentic and respectful take on the source material.  Here, Bill Skarsgard and FKA Twigs star as the ill-fated lovers Eric and Shelly, here recovering addicts on the run from Shelly's shady past and Skarsgard resurrected as The Crow, out to wreak revenge on a peculiar nemesis and his cronies.  As Eric, Skarsgard gives another of his sensitive and nuanced performances that is suited to the role in this film if lacking Brandon Lee's charm and energy, but his female co-star underwhelms with her one-note turn as Shelly, and Danny Huston does his best with his weakly-sketched villain role.  In spite of rallying a bit in the last half-hour John Wick-style, the film at times makes little sense and plays like a bizarrely-muddled Scandi-noir thriller.  Lacking the purity and heart of the original, this 2024 take on the material is often dull and not very successful overall.
 

VOD: The Critic (dir: Anand Tucker, 2024)

"A slightly pedantic distinction!"
"But the correct one..."

In this small-scale intimate British drama, Ian McKellan plays the waspish and powerful drama critic of the London Daily Chronicle newspaper in 1934, facing the triple threat of new management, becoming involved with an actress who has been on the receipt of his stinging criticism and the exposure of his gay lifestyle in less tolerant times.  After a very public incident leads to him being sacked from his cherished job, he manipulates a possible way back that has far-reaching effects.  McKellan gives a terrific performance deploying his usual wit and gravitas, well-matched by Gemma Arterton as the actress navigating her shifting relationship with her nemesis, with Mark Strong' well-controlled performance also of note as the new newspaper chief.  The film recreates the time period in both mise-en-scene and attitudes well, and it is expertly crated in all respects, making The Critic a quietly restrained but very satisfying watch.
 

VOD: The Last Voyage Of The Demeter (dir: Andre Ovredal, 2024)

"The world cares little for me...perhaps it is not meant to be understood, but rather experienced and accepted."

Expanded from the famous episode in Stoker's Dracula novel, this film expands on what happened on the ship that was chartered privately to transport fifty unmarked crates from Romania to London, but their contents are unleashed with deadly consequences for the crew.  The film is beautifully designed - with a huge TARDIS-interiored ship that has an unusual cathedral-like echo! - and it is rich in atmosphere.  Unfortunately, it is also rather slow and adds little to the expected story as the crew members start to get picked off one by one in the relentlessly impenetrable night gloom, Pitch Black/Alien-style.  The cast is solid, led by Liam Cunningham at his most stoic as the doomed vessel's captain, and the film is generally executed well - even the generic 'exposure to sunlight' burns are delivered to good effect - but how well the film plays will probably depend on the individual viewer's level of familiarity with the material and genre.
 

VOD: Never Let Go (dir: Alexandre Aja, 2024)

"It's a trick!"

In another small-scale, contained survivalist psychological thriller along the lines of A Quiet Place, Birdbox and Elevation, and with more than a hint of M. Night Shyamalan, a mother (Halle Berry) tries to protect her young twin sons in an isolated cabin from a global threat, the Evil; here the USP is needing to stay connected literally by ropes when venturing outside, in order to not let the Evil 'touch' you.  When one of the boys worryingly starts to question the whole set-up, including the validity of the mother's beliefs, it leads to game-changing consequences for the final act.  This dramatic role suits Halle Berry's skillset well and she delivers effectively, with both boys giving creditable performances, and sound design is particularly good.  Alexandre Aja delivers with the usual interesting eye, with the perpetual presence of the threat in the woods and religious symbolism used to good effect.  The central metaphor for maternal bonds and children's developing independence is unsubtle but developed effectively, but for all its positives, the film does feel like something of a dull plod overall. 
 

VOD: Street Trash (dir: Ryan Kruger, 2025)

"Man, you should have seen the place before we renovated!"

This South African sequel/remake of the mid-80s cult horror shocker sees a ruthless corrupt mayor out for re-election on the ticket of eradicating the homeless with a new aerosol variant of the experimental body-melting drug.  This new version replicates the cheap-looking aesthetic and fluorescent physical effects of the original - if a little more extensively - and the film succeeds on that level, and there is the occasional (establishing) shot that shows some visual flair.  However, there are many unrelentingly uninteresting and sometimes irrelevant dialogue scenes, and this is a throwback to the kind of micro-budget but enthusiastic film-making from the early days of DVD that relies on endless swearing and drugs references with gloopy SpFX that some teenage boys might find cool and hilarious.  With its tasteless misogyny,  homophobic slurs and a very uncomfortable 'gas chamber' sequence, apart from its ambition with its effects work this new take on Street Trash has little to recommend it.

VOD: Hellboy The Crooked Man (dir: Brian Taylor, 2025)

"You getting the heebie-jeebies, friend?"
"I AM the heebee-jeebies!"

Yet another crack at bringing Hellboy to the big screen throws us into 1959, with Hellboy and two government agents transporting a demonic spider by train which does not end well, stranding him and Agent Song in the Appalachian forests where they encounter an isolated community beset by witches and a local legend of The Crooked Man.  The backwoods setting and feel is created well on-screen, and with the emphasis on dry humour and folklore, there are some interesting moments created amongst the rather slow-moving story, although the element of backstory with Hellboy's mother thrown in is not wholly successful.  Jack Kesy plays a rather weary and laid-back version of Hellboy here, with Adeline Rudolph a good foil as his special agent sidekick. The film so wants to be Sam Raimi but does not get there, and the third act in particular goes nowhere and is rather underwhelming.  Playing like an extended talky lesser episode of Supernatural or The X-Files, this is a rather low-key entry in the series that tries something a little different in tone with limited success.
 

VOD: The Twister - Caught In The Storm (dir: Alexandra Lacey, 2025)

"There was a sense in the air that something big was happening..."

This feature-length Netflix documentary recounts the extraordinarily sudden and hugely destructive 2011 Missouri tornado that ripped apart the town of Joplin on its annual graduation day through eyewitness accounts of largely then-teenagers and a remarkable mix of footage from the actual event itself.  Without any preamble, it gets straight to business, setting up the town of Joplin and the students of its high school whose graduation was taking place that fateful afternoon plus other residents in this combination of a Bible Belt and Tornado Alley community.  The combination of very direct personal accounts and raw POV phone and CCTV footage is engrossing and at times makes you forget to breathe when the massive tornado hits.  The occasional CGI/slo-mo recreation shots are a little jarring, but this does not undermine the powerful immediacy of the real-life footage.  This is not showing the glossy, distanced tornadoes of the movies, as it relates the very (terrifying) personal and human impact of the event both at the time and subsequently.  The last hour is perhaps the toughest to watch emotionally, with its mixture of great sadness and powerful hope for the future in this generally well-constructed documentary.

 

VOD: Wicked (dir: Jon M. Chu, 2024)

REVIEW No. 1,750!

"...let me tell you the whole story..."

The hugely successful stage version of Wicked could not be more of a traditional Broadway-style musical if it tried, and this epic reworking for cinema - the first part of two - retains its character and goes (very) big with expansive CGI worldbuilding, nuance of character and extraordinary attention to detail.  Cynthia Erivo is dazzlingly assured as Elphaba, Ariana Grande is surprisingly good and a very nice fit for G(a)linda (if a little shrill at times). with Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum adding veteran class and Jonathan Bailey making a mark with energetic swagger as the self-assured Prince Fiyero.  All aspects of design are exemplary, retaining essential cinematic iconography and also displaying some fun creative touches.  The film may be rather long - heading towards three hours - but it does not feel like it as it is slick, easy to watch and surprisingly funny whilst nailing the big dramatic moments with aplomb.  By the time Defying Gravity blows your socks off and the To Be Continued title card comes up, the set up for the darker sequel is promising indeed. 
 

VOD: Nightbitch (dir: Marielle Heller, 2025)

I'm the worst mother in the world!"

Amy Adams stars as an artist who goes back to full-time domestic life to look after her young son, trying to reconcile her joy of motherhood with her growing angry sense of futile boredom, her relationship with her oft-absent husband and her disturbing belief that she is turning into an actual dog.  Amy Adams is, of course, an absolutely mesmerising treat to watch, from her delightful scenes with her on-screen son to her excellent dramatic character work, with very strong supporting performances from Scoot McNairy as Husband and Jessica Harper as an intriguing librarian.  The script is whip-smart and very enjoyable from start to finish, and the themes of motherhood, (loss of female) identity and societal demands are developed in a clever way, with references to pop psychology and mythology woven into the mix.  Overall, not everything quite hangs together in terms of its central metaphor, but Nightbitch is nevertheless a bold, interesting and satisfying film.

 

VOD: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (dir: Tim Burton, 2024)

"Pain and suffering are always inevitable."

This long-threatened sequel to the minor 80s cult favourite finally emerges as both an affectionate throwback and a more contemporary self-aware comedy-thriller.  With Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) now a grown-up TV 'psychic mediator' with her show Ghost House and her similarly-sulky straight-talking teenage daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega) at boarding school, the dysfunctional family is brought together by the death of Astrid's grandfather, with SoulSucker (Monica Bellucci) on a revenge trip to find her ex-husband, Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton, reliably slipping back into character), and inevitably the living/dead reunion awaits.   The film re-establishes the weird Beetlejuice concept swiftly early on, before the film becomes largely a touchstones box-ticking exercise that crucially sidelines the entire revenge story in favour of underworld quirkiness.  The cheap-and-cheerful aesthetic recalls the original, the Fall/Halloween setting looks good and is used well, and the eventual reveal of teen Astrid's emerging ability with a good twist is effective.  Feeling rather thin overall, like the original this film comes across as more of a hit-and-miss procession of ideas that is never as funny as it thinks it is (the extended MacArthur Park sequence feels interminable), rendering it a somewhat unnecessary commercial nostalgia-grab at this point. 
 

VOD: Moana 2 (dirs: Jason Hand, Dana Ledoux Miller and David G. Derrick Jr., 2024)

"I don't do singalongs."
"We'll see about that!"

Moana 2 belongs to the 'bigger, busier, noisier' school of sequel-making, and whilst it offers little development from the first film, it still retains the colourful vibrancy and easy-going energy and charm of the original to a large extent.  Still grounded in the islanders' mythology, Moana (engagingly voiced by Auli'i Cravalho) and her motley crew go on a sea-faring quest to find other people beyond her home. with annoying comedy relief Maui the demi-god (Dwayne Johnson) pitted against evil god Nalo, who previously cursed their island destination.  The voice cast is strong throughout, the songs are relatively brief and effectively feel-good, the set pieces are lively and quite inventive - the coconut 'pirates' are fun - and the film trips along in a gently amusing manner.  Not so much constructed in acts but in episodes, this sequel offers little more than the original film, but as a 'further adventures of' episode, Moana 2 delivers pleasingly and effectively, with an ending that paves the way for the next chapter.
 

VOD: The Electric State (dirs: Anthony Russo and Joe Russo, 2025)

"You can't be heartless to things with no heart."
 

Based on a graphic novel, this enormo-budget Netflix sci-fi adventure from the Russo brothers offers an alt-history in which a robot uprising led to war with humans with a tech-fused victory for mankind.  Millie Bobby Brown is set on a cross-country quest to find her long-believed-dead brother with a kooky comic-strip sidekick robot and black-marketeer-with-a-heart Chris Pratt in tow.  Stanley Tucci does effective work as an understated villain here, Brown is her dependable self and Pratt delivers more of his roguish wisecracking.  The integration of the extensive and high-end CGI work is stunningly seamless in its worldbuilding and robot characters, again demonstrating what can be achieved on-screen with the big bucks, and the 1994-set tech influences works well.  The actual story, however, is very anaemic and stretched quite thinly over two hours plus.  It is visually rich and there is no doubting some of the imaginative/creative ideas on display, but the film itself is very scattershot in terms of both genre (thriller, comedy, sci-fi, speculative fiction, Western, coming-of-age) and audience targeting and - perhaps unforgivably for a film of this magnitude - it is also rather dull at times.