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  Certificate: 12A Running time: 134 minutes  Starring: Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, Hugh all Grant Directed by: John Francis Daley, Jonathan M. Goldstein The story: A group of adventurers embark upon a quest to retrieve a lost relic.  The verdict: I am of the opinion that the world needs more fantasy films and so what could be better than a film based on the most quintessential of fantasy games - Dungeons and Dragons.  Chris Pine leads our story and he is in winsome mode as a bard along with Michelle Rodriguez as his no nonsense, Barbarian best friend. They are joined by Justice Smith as an insecure sorcerer and Sophia Lillis as a distrustful Druid.  As with the game, the film brings together a ragtag team of characters all with their own unique personalities, abilities and backstories. With this blend of characters, it is easy for everyone to have a favourite to root for and overall I really liked the chemis...

  Certificate: 12A Running time: 130 minutes  Starring: Zachary Levy, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu, Adam Brody, Rachel Zegler Directed by: David F. Sandberg The story: Billy Batson and his superhero siblings return to take on the vengeful sisters of Atlas. The verdict: When reviewing a film, it can sometimes be tempting to follow the crowd. If the majority of other reviews dislike a film then you can begin to doubt yourself. Did I see the same film as everyone else? Am I missing something? Am I seeing something that’s not there? However, I have never let other reviews sway me and I have no intention of doing that now. I’m sure you can guess what this preamble is leading up to. And yes you’re correct - I loved Shazam! Fury of the Gods (hereafter Shazam 2). The first film was a great surprise for me. I wasn’t expecting much and was won over by the comedic elements and fun characters. The second instalment follows suit and again this was a film in whi...

  Certificate: 15 Running time: 95 minutes  Starring: Keri Russell, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Alden Ehrenreich, Ray Liotta, Margo Martindale, Brooklyn Prince, Christian Convery Directed by: Elizabeth Banks The story: When a black bear ingests a whole load of cocaine, it goes on a murderous rampage through the forest. The verdict: I have tried to start this review on a serious note several times and each time have ended up laughing. Whilst I could attempt to attribute some kind of poignancy and importance to this film or find some kind of metaphorical meaning within all the insanity of it all - truthfully that would be slightly disingenuous. Make no mistake, this film is exactly what it says on the tin. And guess what? It’s brilliant. Before anyone jumps to any conclusions, when I say ‘brilliant,’ I don’t mean that it’s awards worthy. Rather, it’s arguably the most fun I’ve had at the cinema so far this year. Cocaine Bear is like an adrenaline shot of fun. Of course it’s silly a...

  Certificate: 12A Running time: 124 minutes  Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lily, Michelle Pfeiffer, Michael Douglas, Kathryn Newton, Jonathan Majors Directed by: Peyton Reed The story: Scott Lang and his newfound family find themselves flung into the quantum realm, where they must face a powerful new villain. The verdict: There are two undeniable truths about the Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (hereafter shortened to Quantumania). The first is that this is not a film that stands out as one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s finest’s. Quantumania is a filler film, designed as an interim to provide a little bit more backstory and a stopgap before the next really big battles kick off.  The next undeniable truth is that, in spite of the above, Quantumania is an entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable watch. Sure it’s unlikely to be a treasured MCU favourite for anyone and truthfully it probably won’t even prove particularly memorable come year’s end. However, that doe...

  Certificate: 15 Running time: 100 minutes  Starring: Dave Bautista, Ben Aldridge, Jonathan Groff, Kristen Cui, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Abby Quinn, Rupert Grint Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan The story: A vacation at a remote cabin turns into a nightmare for one family when four strangers come knocking. The verdict:   Could you kill the person you loved most in the world if it meant saving all of humanity? This   impossible question is just one of many in M. Night Shyamalan’s latest film, Knock at the  Cabin.  Taking place in the confines of an idyllic looking cabin in the woods, Knock at the Cabin sees  a family enjoying a peaceful retreat when they are interrupted by a knock at the door. Four  strangers have emerged from within the trees and they need the family to help avert the  apocalypse by making an unthinkable sacrifice.  Whilst the film may appear at first to be rather streamlined and straightforward, Knock at the  Cabin is n...

  Certificate: 12A Running time: 151 minutes  Starring: Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Gabriel LaBelle, Judd Hirsch Directed by: Steven Spielberg The story: Sammy Fabelman discovers his love of film just as a shattering family secret comes to light. The verdict: Last year Kenneth Branagh impressed audiences with Belfast, a love letter to his childhood and cinema. Now comes Steven Spielberg’s own ode to the very same and just as Belfast did before it, The Fabelmans has earned several Oscar nominations including one for Best Picture. The Fabelmans boasts a plethora of great performances. Michelle Williams’ performance has garnered the most award’s attention, however I enjoyed Gabriel LaBelle’s performance most. LaBelle plays Sammy and there is something incredibly endearing about him throughout. I also related to him the most as someone who sees cinema as something of great wonder and as a source of happiness. The Fabelmans is a coming of age but it is also a dram...

  Certificate: 15 Running time: 115 minutes  Starring: Olivia Colman, Michael Ward, Toby Jones, Colin Firth, Tom Brooke, Tanya Moodie, Hannah Onslow, Crystal Clarke Directed by: Sam Mendes The story: Against the backdrop of an old cinema on the South coast of England in the 1980’s, an unlikely romance begins. The verdict: An explosion of colours against an inky black sky. Two characters silhouetted as they gaze skyward in awe and wonder at the spectacle of fireworks above them. Slowly their eyes meet and something passes between them - whatever problems face them, and in spite of all their differences, they have found something beautiful.  The latest offering from Sam Mendes has received mixed reviews and a fair amount of criticism. Whilst Empire of Light may not rank amongst the very best the director has to offer, I found so much to love about it. For a start, it’s shot beautifully. Of course with Roger Deakins behind the camera, that’s no surprise. But gosh - ther...

  Certificate: 15 Running time: 102 minutes Starring: Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Jenna Davis, Amie Donald, Jen Van Epps, Brian Jordan Alvarez, Ronny Chieng Directed by: Gerard Johnstone The story: When a talented roboticist uses AI to design the latest new toy, she has no idea just how advanced her invention will become. The verdict: In recent months, I have purposely avoided watching as many film trailers as I used to. I love to be surprised by films and we’re all well aware of ‘trailer syndrome’ - an affliction in which trailers pretty much lay out the entire film in the trailer, making audiences feel like they’ve already seen the film and ruining reveals etc. The one place where I haven’t avoided trailers is of course the cinema itself and indeed I saw M3GAN’s trailer on a previous cinema outing.  The reason I mention the above is because M3GAN is a film in which the trailer pretty much lays out the film. M3GAN does exactly what it says on the tin and not a lot more...

  Certificate: 15 Running time: 126 minutes  Starring: Tom Hanks, Mariana Treviño, Rachel Keller, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Truman Hanks Directed by: Marc Forster  The story: Grumpy Otto Anderson is set in his ways and doesn’t like to get too involved with people - people are idiots. When a new family moves into his neighbourhood, Otto meets his match in Marisol and the unlikeliest of friendships begins.  The verdict: There are two magic words which will immediately want to make me go and see any film, and those two magic words are Tom Hanks. No matter the project, Hanks’ involvement always piques my interest and A Man Called Otto was no different. It seems almost pointless to say but Hanks was brilliant and it was good fun to watch him as such a bad tempered character. The supporting cast was also great and I particularly liked Mariana Treviño as Marisol. A Man Called Otto is the second adaptation of the novel A Man Called Ove and a remake of the Swedish film of the s...

  Certificate: 12A Running time: 192 minutes  Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Kate Winslet, Jamie Flatters, Britain Dalton, Trinity Bliss, Jack Champion  Directed by: James Cameron The story: Set many years after the events of Avatar, the sequel follows Jake and Neytiri’s family as they fight to keep each other safe. The verdict: Full disclosure - I have never liked Avatar. I would even go so far as to say that I think it’s one of the most overhyped films of all time. So with that being said, I went into this film with zero expectations fully anticipating a long and frustrating watch with plenty of eye rolling. I could have not been more wrong. Granted, in the first twenty minutes or so I wasn’t convinced and wondered if James Cameron might be the most self indulgent filmmaker of all time. But I’m more than happy to admit when I’m wrong and James I’m sorry - I was wrong. I realised quite quickly that I had gone from someone who had ...