FILM: Absolutely Fabulous The Movie (dir: Mandie Fletcher, 2016)

"Oh, by the way, I'd avoid the Jacuzzi...."

The Ab Fab movie manages to get much more right than many recent TV-to-big-screen adaptations, and it also feels more like the original series run than some of its own revival TV specials.  To its credit, many of the significant or popular characters return and are largely used to function purposefully in a serviceable plot, it is stuffed with minor-celebrity cameos and there are a reasonable number of good lines (although the film can hardly be called a laugh-fest).  Inevitably, the intimacy and condensed energy of the half-hour sitcom format is often lost, but the central characters prove indestructible and the performers recreate them with ease - Joanna Lumley in particular remains a total comedic delight with her timing and detail.  Overall this movie is a reasonably entertaining romp that does not besmirch the reputation of the series.

VOD: Nina Forever (dirs: Ben and Chris Blaine, 2015)

"I'm NOT an ex."
"You're dead!"

Nina Forever will certainly not be to everyone's taste: it is bloody, subversive, grim and requires a complete suspension of disbelief.  Go with it, however, and there is much to admire, not least the fact that its genuine engagement with love and grief almost makes the viewer forget that this is a film involving necrophilia.  The central couple (played by Cian Barry as the bereaved partner and Abigail Hardingham as his new love) are very effective together and in particular there is strong work by Fiona O'Shaughnessy (Utopia's Jessica Hyde) as the back-from-the-dead Nina, with all three giving committed, nuanced and credible performances.  It is thoughtfully constructed, with great use of sound, some beautifully bleak shots and very dark humour, but at its heart is one of the most bizarre and intriguing love triangles seen on screen, making Nina Forever a challenging but fascinating story.

VOD: Muck (dir: Steve Wolsh, 2015)

"I like this shovel!"

Hearkening back to old-school (i.e. 1980s) horror, with Raimi's The Evil Dead a particular touchstone, Muck is a difficult film to warm to, with wildly uneven performances, plotting for which the word 'random' was invented and an uncertain tone.  It starts interestingly by wrong-footing the viewer as we join the characters at what feels like the end of a previous movie (and indeed the internet suggests this may be the middle part of a trilogy, with the next/second film being the prequel), but even at this point the cardboard characters who are not particularly likeable and unconvincing dialogue are distancing for the viewer.  There are a couple of reasonable gore gags, and the design of the attackers creates a good look, but these are not enough to sustain the movie.  Whether deliberate or not, the presentation of the female characters is consistently and routinely exploitative from beginning to end, which is just one aspect of the film that begs the question: is this a knowing send-up (in which case it only succeeds occasionally to a limited degree) or is it just a cheap throwback slasher?

FILM: Central Intelligence (dir: Rawson Marshall Thurber, 2016)

"...and I will never get to be like Molly Ringwald."

Central Intelligence has a solid idea at its core, but this is a classic example of falling short of a potentially much stronger movie than it is.  Dwayne Johnson is the absolute star of the piece and is terrific here, balancing machismo with some genuinely sympathetic character work in a performance that is both consistently charming and powerful, whilst Kevin Hart does manage a few moments when he stops being Kevin Hart and conveys something more considered and effective.  The brief action beats work well, but the comedy - especially in the first act - is disappointingly very undernourished, which is very apparent.  There are couple of extremely well-placed and well-played cameos which lift the movie, and the brief gag reel (after 'The End'  announcement screen) is inevitably enjoyable, but overall Central Intelligence is somewhat over-familiar and undercooked.

FILM: Ice Age - Collision Course (dirs: Mike Thurmeier and Galen T. Chu, 2016)

"I'm feeling butterflies!"
"I'm feeling nauseous."

Entry Number 5 hardly lives up to the thrill ride suggested by the sub-title, as this franchise has now settled into a very comfortable and unchallenging groove.  Once again, the very simple plot provides the basis for cross-generational drama/comedy/life-lessons as seen in the previous films, and disappointingly most of the Scrat sections appeared in preview material and the new characters are not especially strong. The film raised a couple of chuckles from its target audience (the very young) in the cinema, but apart from the beautiful pin-sharp and vivid animation and a couple of surprisingly near-the-knuckle gags, there really is little here to engage anyone else.

FILM: Independence Day Resurgence 3D 4DX (dir: Roland Emmerich, 2016)

"This one is definitely bigger than the last one."

Like those pesky aliens returning for round two, it was simply a matter of when for the long-awaited sequel to Independence Day, and with Resurgence, Emmerich delivers a modern-feeling blockbuster that is a good, solid follow-up to the 1996 original.  Whilst this movie lacks the daft fun cocky swagger that the first film revelled in so typically of big 90s blockbusters, it has a more grounded straight 2016 approach but with some occasional nicely-placed knowing bits of humour, which fits effectively with the new characters' orphaned-generation theme.  Many are bemoaning the lack of Will Smith, but his character's absence is dealt with upfront, quickly and effectively, and the tone of this film is deliberately different anyway, and the cast is generally effective in performance.  Whereas the first film's narrative was as precise as a Swiss watch, this time it takes Idiot Plot for granted and relies on some now very familiar sci-fi tropes for new developments, but does so successfully.  It also takes the route of The Force Awakens, replaying key beats slightly differently and mixing an old/new cast, satisfying for both nostalgia and new viewers.  The alt-world fusing alien tech with Earth's own is interesting, and on the effects front Resurgence goes for scale and  awe, often to great effect. This is certainly no cheesy 90s romp with a narrative backbone of steel, but it is a strong, enjoyable modern sequel - and it is to be hoped that it finds a big enough audience to merit the next chapter set up at the end that promises to push the direction of the series even further.

FILM: The Conjuring 2 - The Enfield Case (dir: James Wan, 2016)

"Sometimes what we do requires a leap of faith."

The first film positioned itself as a demented and successful fun ride, and this follow-up is even stronger, for the most part less showy but very compelling and unsettling.  Viewers are put off-kilter from the start, watching a Christmas-set film released in June, but that is a minor issue compared with the extraordinary events that follow.  With the Warrens' involvement in the Amityville case as a starting point, here used in an interesting way, the also-renowned Enfield Haunting is given the full-on Hollywood treatment - this is certainly no documentary - to create an interesting and extremely engaging viewing experience.   Sound placement is hugely effective, the TARDIS-proportioned interior of the house gives plenty of scope for use of camera, and James Wan is a real master of framing and the sequencing of shots to wring out the maximum effect on the audience.  As Ed and Lorraine Warren, Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga are again excellent as a very unshowy but sincere screen couple, but at the heart of the film is an absolutely standout performance by young Madison Wolfe as the girl at the centre of the demonic activity.  In spite of the fictional gloss, the film raises questions about the Warrens and the real Enfield case that makes the viewer want to find out more, but as a piece of very well-made entertainment, The Conjuring 2 is a winner.

FILM: The Secret Life Of Pets (dirs: Chris Renaud and Yarrow Cheney,2016)

"The squirrels are taking over the world!  I knew it!"

Setting expectations very high with the endearing trailers, The Secret Life Of Pets partly delivers.  The hugely successful opening, largely reflected in the trailers and showing what pets get up to when their owners are away during the day, becomes disappointingly under-exploited as the film gives way to a more humdrum mid-section of 'getting lost in the city' and 'trying to find a way home' that is very reminiscent of Aardman's Flushed Away and trying hard to have the heart of a Pixar film but not quite getting there.  Nevertheless, there are plenty of good gags and effective slapstick, the film looks and sounds absolutely beautiful - a gleaming vision of an sunny autumnal candy-coloured New York, set to a retro-easy soundtrack - and the ending will put a smile on anyone's face.

FILM: The Boss (dir: Peter Falcone, 2016)

"It's old but it's comfortable."

Better than Tammy but nowhere near as good as SPY, this is nevertheless one of the more watchable films in which McCarthy - always better in an ensemble or with a strong co-lead - takes centre stage.  The admittedly simple idea (wealthy woman loses everything and fights back, discovering her humanity along the way) is stretched very thinly and feeling very familiar, but there are enough good laughs along the way to make The Boss just about acceptable.  The film is bolstered by a number of strong character performances both in straight and comedic roles, and Chicago is filmed beautifully; otherwise, the film delivers what is expected adequately.

FILM: The Nice Guys (dir: Shane Black, 2016)

"You were in the pool?  Why?"
"I had to question the mermaids!"

This is recognisably and comfortably a Shane Black movie, showing the writer/director at his most entertaining best.  Set in 1977(ish), all the elements - writing, directing, acting, design, soundtrack - are a joy from start to finish.  The balance between hard-boiled detective tropes and comedy is handled extremely well, delivering on both counts.   Russell Crowe does great character work with a sense of menacing glee, Ryan Gosling is simply a comedic delight, and a bonus is the sparky relationship between Gosling and his on-screen teenage daughter.  It is rare to see an entire cinema audience overtly enjoying a film together, but Shane Black certainly achieved that with The Nice Guys.