Jordan Peele writes, directs and produces his third feature film, this time adding a little sci-fi to his already trademark intelligent and original horror stories. Daniel Kaluuya is OJ son of a trainer of cinema horses. When he sees him killed in a freak incident he is left to run the business with his sister Em (Keke Palmer) and it soon is in trouble. However, the way out presents itself when an odd presence emerges over their land and with the help of Angel (Brandon Perea), who works in the local electronics store, they embark on a plan to capture footage of this unidentified aerial phenomenon. Footage that will make their fortune and it possibly may save some lives too!

I have to admit I’ve been a little mixed in Peele’s previous films, all with things to like and admire, but each feeling a little short for me. But Nope really worked, it’s a spectacular recreation of classic sci-fi horror and not just an homage, rather a very Peele take on the genre, with real depth, intelligence and humour.

The story is as layered as you’d expect, sci-fi monster horror, an exploration of the desperation for online fame alongside smart and subtle undertones. For example OJ realising that to stay safe he should never look the monster in the eye, a very evocative image.

Performances are outstanding Kaluuya in particular, a brooding, sullen and introverted character, who some how engages you completely, dragging you in to the story, one scene where he sits in his car avoiding the monster exemplifies this. Palmer’s energy and humour, as the showey polar opposite sibling is equally watchable. They are aided by a script, brilliantly paced to build tension, smart enough to keep you guessing, but well enough structured that you realise the clues were right in front of you. All this alongside stunning cinematography.

Nope is a fantastic sci-fi monster horror. Not an homage but a reworking, with a modern eye, depth and intelligence. It’s tense, smart and funny in the right places and is built around a fabulous Daniel Kaluuya performance. See it on the big screen, it’s worth it.

Directed by David Leitch is this adaptation of Kotaro Isaka’s book is Bullet Train. Brad Pitt is a grab and snatch man, codenamed Lady Bug, who is in Tokyo at the behest of his handler, Maria (Sandra Bullock). His latest mission is the grab of a brief case that is on a Bullet Train travelling to Kiyoto in the care of Tangerine (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry), who themselves are on their own job to return the case to the mysterious White Death (Michael Shannon). But as Ladybug discovers they are not the only people on the train doing a job, it’s full of people with their own missions either for money or revenge, including Prince (Joey King), The Hornet (Zazie Beetz) and Wolf (Bad Bunny) amongst others, all which leads to a less than comfortable journey!

There are things to like about Bullet Train. Enjoyable performances from Pitt , Henry and Taylor-Johnson particularly, but not exclusively. There are laughs and a Kill Bill feel (which is always a good thing) to the story telling and some entertaining action set pieces that have the visceral quality that Leitch used to good effect in Deadpool 2. It also comes with a toe tappingly entertaining soundtrack.

But there are also problems, it’s too long at 126 minutes and is not as smart and funny as it thinks it is to fill the running time. At times it’s slow and convoluted as it tries to weave an intricate plot which actually rather than intricate becomes bloated and at times tests your patience. At other times it becomes downright silly, sometimes the silliness works, sometimes not so much.

I should have liked Bullet Train more than I did. All the component parts are there and Brad Pitt delivers in the central role. But overall it felt a bit of a mess, was overly long and not as smart as it thought it was. A Train journey that went one stop too far.

Directed by Chris Williams is this old fashioned pirate adventure animation. The world still lives in fear of what lies beneath the sea in fear of sea beasts. Great monsters who, has the tales of history tell, would come on land and grab unsuspecting humans. However, that fear has gone thanks to the hunters. Who for generations have fearlessly gone to sea to kill the beasts for their King’s and Queens. The greatest of all the hunter ships is The Inevitable, under Captain Crow (Jared Harris) and his trusty crew, led by Joseph (Karl Urban) and Sarah (Marianne Jean-Baptiste). On their greatest hunt for the ultimate beast they head to uncharted waters. But when they discover a young stowaway, Maisie (Zaris Angel-Hator), onboard, their views of the world are changed for ever.

The first thing to say about The Sea Beast is how it looks. It is stunningly beautiful. The quality of the animation is often breathtaking, the scenery, the way the sea and sky are realised for example is a real feast for the eyes.

The story itself is enjoyable and works on a number of levels, there is the gorgeous realisation of the beasts and cute baby ones for the younger audience, fun and adventure for those a little older. For those wanting more depth it also challenges the way history, if not looked at critically, can dictate the future in unhealthy ways by those who created the version of history we follow.

The voice cast works fine and has fun with over the top old school pirate adventure dialogue. The story perhaps lacks some of the emotional depth that the very best animation even if its animation is as good as you’ll see.

Maybe the only pity for me, was I saw it on Netflix because this would be such a treat on a big screen.

The Sea Beast looks absolutely incredible and it’s full of fun and high quality animated adventure. There is a well layered story which has something for audiences from eldest to youngest. It’s available on Netflix, but would be a real feast for the eyes on the big screen.

Olivia Newman directs this screen adaptation of Delia Owen’s bestseller. Kya is a young girl who has spent her life in the North Carolina marshes. We first see her as a youngster (JoJo Regina) surrounded by her family, but an abusive father (Garret Dillahunt) tears the family apart, eventually leaving her abandoned. She is smart and resourceful and thanks to help from local store owners, more than survives. The older Kya (Daisy Edgar Jones) is befriended and falls for Tate (Taylor John Smith) who teaches her to read, write and develop an understanding of the biology around her. When Tate leaves she is pursued by Chase (Harris Dickinson). But when he is found dead Kya is charged and stands trial. Her lawyer (David Strathairn) must defend her from not only the accusation of murder but 20 years of rumour and hearsay about “The Marsh Girl”.

I’ve not read the novel so don’t have that reference but Where the Crawdads Sing is a disappointingly flat film.

The story is one we’ve seen before, the misunderstood outsider who a distrustful community find an opportunity to justify their treatment of them. There are some interesting undertones, abuse, abandonment, racism and misogyny which are all skipped over to focus on a rather laboured love story, which stops the more interesting film breaking free.

It is not terrible just bland, but it is lifted by an exceptional central performance from Daisy Edgar Jones. She is wonderfully believable as the strong, smart outsider, vulnerable but brave and fearless and very engaging. She is well supported, David Strathairn as good as always, JoJo Regina is also impressive as the young Kya. Smith and Dickinson are solid, although they are more limited by their paper thin characters.

Where the Crawdads Sing should be better. All the elements are there for an interesting story that explores some dark subjects. However, it plays it safe skirting around the tough topics to give us rather flat film. Daisy Edgar Jones is fabulous throughout, but deserved a better film around her.

Baz Luhrmann writes and directs what is, surprisingly, the first big screen biopic of the life of Elvis Presley. Austin Butler is given the task of bringing Elvis to the screen as we see his life told through the eyes of his long time manager Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks). We meet Parker first as a showmen with a traveling carnival and his discovery of a young Presley. It then explores Parker’s influence on Presley’s life and career. Elvis’s career peaks and troughs and how decisions were made by those whose livelihoods depended on his continued performances rather for his own benefit. Through to his untimely death at 42.

The story is told through something similar to a 160 minute montage connected by Parker’s recollections. Luhrmann excels at telling stories in this way and what seems all shiny surface is consistently injected with heart and emotion.

Telling the story through Parker’s eyes helps the montage style flow as we flit between the moments that he felt were key in Elvis’s life. Hank’s likeable screen presence is also important as it helps making Parker, who could easily be a comic book villain, be someone more nuanced. Someone who is believable in his claims he did things for Elvis’s good rather than his own.

Alongside Hank’s is an excellent performance from Butler who while not looking like Presley, brings his presence to the screen and draws you into this crazy world. From cleverly teased first appearance, through the sad journey to his inevitable end.

Alongside Hank’s and Butler are good performances from those close to Presley Olivia DeJonge (Priscilla Presley), Kelvin Harrison Jr. (B.B King) and Richard Roxburgh and Helen Thomson as his parents.

Luhrmann’s telling of this story seems like it’s all surface but what it did for me was introduce me to things I didn’t know, his career lows, how the times he lived in impacted him and how he was sadly used by those closest. Built on a great performance by Butler it is an intriguing delve into the life of “The King”.

Kevin Hart and Woody Harrelson star in director Patrick Hughes’s fish out of water action comedy. Hart is Teddy, a frustrated salesman, trying to find his route to fame and fortune via several failed attempts to find the next fitness “big thing”. When he tries to do the right thing with a romantic birthday trip for his wife (Jasmine Matthews) he accidentally stumbles into the life of Harrelson’s Man from Toronto. He quickly finds himself mixed up with the FBI and a major terrorist plot. When Teddy finally meets Toronto, Toronto realises he needs him to complete his job so Teddy finds himself out of his depth but with no choice but to hang on!

This is a very nuts and bolts “fish out of water comedy” which spends its 110 minutes ticking the checklist of things you’d expect. Teddy the frustrated dreamer, wants to do better, but his own doubts sabotage the things he’s trying to achieve. Toronto does bad things for a living, but wants out and this one last job is his chance. Both stand up to the challenge of their situation and become better for knowing each other.

It’s not a terrible film, Hart does the thing he does and Harrelson is always watchable. It’s just very predictable. In fact If you’ve seen Hart in Central Intelligence with Dwayne Johnson, then you have already seen this film, just a much better version of it.

While it zips along and there is some entertaining action sequences and some funny lines, none of it is quite good enough. Not entertaining enough or funny enough and about half way through I thought I’d be better off watching Central Intelligence again!

The Man from Toronto, is not a terrible film, just a very average one. Hugely formulaic, reminding you of much better versions of the same thing, including much better versions with Kevin Hart in them. It’s on Netflix and it will pass an evening, but to be honest watch Central Intelligence instead.

Taika Waititi, after the success of Thor: Ragnarok, is back to direct this latest standalone Thor adventure. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) feels a little lost in life. Cut off from love after his painful breakup with Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), he lives simply, contemplating what his purpose is and travelling the universe to help wherever God like help is needed. This changes when he finds out that God’s are being hunted and killed by Gorr (Christian Bale) and Asgard is next. When Gorr arrives in new Asgard, Thor realises he needs to put an end to it. Aided by Valkyrie (Tessa Thomson), Korg (Taika Waititi) and Jane, he heads off to build an army and bring Gorr’s reign to an end.

Of all the MCU characters, Thor is amongst the most fun, especially in the hands of Waititi. That is the case here, in this whirlwind of fun, laughs, silly action, colour all witt a great soundtrack. While not quite up to the standard of Ragnarok, there is a lot to enjoy with Love and Thunder.

It is at its best when it is at its most crazy, when it’s fast paced with rapid fire gags, all helped by Hemsworth wonderful comedic delivery of a God who doesn’t still quite get mere mortals. The cast around him are equally good and there is a fair number of cameos to keep you on your toes.

The film works brilliantly for 2/3rds but it can’t quite stick the pace, with a final act that feels a little laboured. There is also the waste of Bale’s Gorr, with his God Killer story only really a plot device to get us from one end of the film to the other. You’d assume however, that Waititi didn’t want to explore the darkness of Gorr’s revenge mission and preferred to stick with, what is basically, a Marvel romcom.

Love and Thunder doesn’t reach the heights of Ragnarok but it is 2/3rds a fantastic romp and even if it does tail off at the end, there is enough fun and humour all with a great soundtrack, to keep you entertained.

Angus MacLane directs this latest addition to the Toy Story catalogue. The film opens explaining how in 1995 Andy bought a Buzz Lightyear action figure (he’s not a toy!) based on a character from his favourite film and Lightyear is that film. We find Buzz and his crew in hibernation as they travel home. Buzz is awoken as the ship finds life on an uncharted planet. However Buzz (voiced this time by Chris Evans) and his fellow Space Ranger, Alisa Hawthorne (Uzo Aduba) realise the planet is less than friendly. While escaping Buzz overcomits the take off and damages the craft stranding everyone. After a year of effort they recreate the fuel crystal needed to get them home, but when the tests don’t go to plan, Buzz finds himself in a different time and place and with a bunch of brand new problems.

So did Toy Story need a Buzz Lightyear action figure orgin story? Of course not. Does it add anything to the Pixar classics? Definitely not. So is it worth it?

Well, what you get with Lightyear is a solid but definitely not spectacular Pixar animation. Which is reality means it’s decent enough, but in a world where Disney+ has been the home of recent (and better) Pixar films, it’s odd they chose this for the cinema.

It’s fine, looks brilliant, as you’d expect and the voice cast all deliver. Evans does a fine Buzz and the supporting cast of Keke Palmer (Izzy), Taika Waititi (Mo) Dale Soules (Darby) and scene stealer Peter Sohn (Sox) are all solid. The story is ok and moves along nicely for its 100 minute run time, with decent action sequences and humour throughout.

What it really lacks though is the thing great Pixar films have, a real emotional core, a heart that drags you right in. While its along way from terrible such a beloved character deserves something with heart and more than passable entertainment.

We didn’t really need a Buzz “origin” story and Lightyear proves that. It lacks the heart of Toy Story and is nowhere near Pixar’s best. That said it’s passable entertainment which I enjoyed while it lasted, but already the memory of it has drifted into infinity and maybe beyond.

Directed by Jeremiah Zagar, written by Will Fetters and Taylor Materne is this nuts and bolts sorts movie. Adam Sandler is Stanley Sugerman a scout for the Philadelphia 76ers, who is great at his job, but wants more, a place on the coaching team. When club owner Rex Merrick (Robert Duvall) gives him the chance he’s ecstatic. However when Merrick suddenly passes away and is replaced by his egotistical son Vince (Ben Foster), Stanley quickly finds himself back in the road. When he finds himself on a wasted trip to Spain, he wanders of to a local basketball court he finds a unique talent, Bo Cruz ( Juancho Hernangomez) hustling on the courts. Stanley is desperate to get him to the US and find this generational talent a place in the NBA. But he has a lot to overcome, including his old boss and Bo’s attitude and lack of belief, can he be built into a basketball star?

If the plot sounds familiar, you’d be right, this is almost every other underdog sports film you’ve ever seen. Sandler’s Sugerman is full of doubt and has his own history to deal with. Cruz, has a past and his own concerns about his ability and doubts he’ll make it. But the two together help each other grow. If you sat down at the start and plotted this out, you’d pretty much ball it. Think the later Rockys and swap boxing for basketball, heck it’s even set in Philadelphia!

Not that this makes it a bad film, it’s got a good heart and in Sugerman and Cruz two characters to pull for and Vince a bad guy who deserves his comeuppance. Queen Latifah is solid as ever as Sugermans wife as is Anthony Edwards as Cruz’s on court nemesis, Kermit Wilts. The non acting cast are also more than passable.

The two main performers are what make this work with a good on screen chemistry. Sandler’s character feels like one he’s played for laughs, but he delivers it well with the comedy removed and Hernangomez is likeable and vulnerable.

Hustle hits all the sports movie beats you expect. But with Sandler and Hernangomez’s likeable screen presence you are invested and want them to succeed. While it won’t change your world, it’s an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours.