Director: Ethan Coen

Honey O’Donahue {Margaret Qualley) is a private investigator in Bakersfield, California, who finds herself investigating the suspicious death of Mia Novotny. It’s a case that leads not to one death, but several. It’s a case that leads to a local church, its pastor Drew Devlin (Chris Evans), as well as drug dealings and disappearances. When the case gets closer to home, Honey looks for help from local police officer MG Falcone (Aubrey Plaza), between them can they uncover what’s behind Mia’s death? find what’s behind the other goings on as well as protecting Honey’s family?

Honey Don’t! is the second in a trilogy of films from Coen and his wife Tricia Cooke. Neither this nor the first film, Drive Away Dolls, have been warmly received. But while Honey Don’t! Is far from earth shattering, I enjoyed it for what it is.

It does have its problems. Its main issue is that it feels very undercooked. At just 89 minutes it never gives itself time to get into depth and understanding of its characters. It also feels like it never deals with its numerous story threads, by the time the film careers towards its end, lots of the threads it starts to pull are unresolved in its rush to a predictable end.

All of this is a pity, because there are things to enjoy. Margaret Qualley 70’s style hardnose private detective.

Dialogue that is sharp and witty at times and the mix of the look of a 1970’s thriller within a contemporary setting. There’s some solid support on offer from Charlie Day, Chris Evans. Gabby Beans and Lera Abova, although as with Aubrey Plaza, they are all a little underused.

All that said, I did enjoy it, even if felt a bit TV drama.

Honey Don’t! Is an enjoyable, if rather lightweight outing. There are things to enjoy in this 1970’s style detective story. Margaret Qualley’s central performance, its look and the occasionally sharp dialogue. But at just 89 minutes it also rushed, never exploring characters or story threads it drops as quickly as it introduces them. I enjoyed it while it was there, but it had a chance to be better.

Director: Darren Aronofsky

Hank (Austin Butler), a former baseball prodigy trying to sort out his life, heads home after his shift at the bar, with girlfriend Yvonne (Zoë Kravitz). When he gets home he finds neighbour Russ(Matt Smith) leaving him a note, asking him to take care of his cat while he flies home to England to see his ill father. What he doesn’t realise is Russ is also leaving him in a host of trouble, he finds out when he meets some russian mobsters. It’s a meeting that takes Hank’s life spinning out of control that puts him and those closest to him in huge danger.

Caught Stealing is an entertaining crime caper. It may not be highly original, but it’s delivered with style, packed with excellent performances and with a few more surprises than you may expect. At the heart of it is a story about how reckless behaviour impacts those around you and the price you pay for not facing the impact of those choices.

Austin Butler is excellent in the leading role, giving you a character to care for in portraying a slightly broken but good guy who finds himself in a world that he’s not equipped to deal with. Matt Smith, Zoe Kravitz and Regina King all add to the story with strong support, as does the broader supporting cast.

The story speeds along as it twists and turns from one seemingly impossible situation to another and Aronofsky brings plenty of cringe inducing blood, guts and death, alongside its sharp dialogue and twists and turns.

It’s a blast of a film that leaves you on the edge of your seat with Hank hanging on as he tries to find a way out and face his demons.

Caught Stealing is a smart, high paced caper film, which leaves you hanging on as it careers through New York’s seedy underbelly. Austin Butler is excellent and is  well supported. It’s a film that deals with the impact of not tackling your demons. It’s got smart dialogue, a story that keeps you on your toes, delivered with Aronofsky’s style. A blast of a film that keeps you invested from start to finish.

Director: Jay Roach

When successful, but frustrated, architect Theo Rose (Benedict Cumberbatch) meets, talented, but frustrated, chef Ivy (Olivia Colman). They hit it off and fly off to a life in California. Now with a family and successful career, Theo offers to buy Ivy a building to turn into a restaurant, so she can get back to her cooking passion. But when a storm hits the California coast their lives are turned upside down. But not only their lives, but their relationship, from a loving and supportive couple, to something very different, can they recover or will they kill each other first!?

The Roses, is a new adaptation of Warren Adler’s The War of The Roses, which despite the powerhouse that is Olivia Colman, falls a little flat.

It’s a film that I’m not sure quite knows how to get its balance right. In reality it’s a pretty dark comedy, as we watch the unravelling of both a relationship and the people involved, but it tries to balance this with some slapstick revenge set pieces.  But it never really commits to either, it’s too surface level to invest in the characters enough to care about whether they can make it as a couple or not. And the slapstick is not consistently funny enough for the slapstick to pay off.

But all that said, it’s not without plusses. Olivia Colman is as wonderful as ever and she is the one person you can invest in. Andy Samberg and Kate McKinnon are entertaining as the couple’s friends and there is an excellent Allison Janney cameo as Ivy’s ferocious lawyer. The script does have laughs and many of the set pieces do work. It has its moments, but just not enough of them.

The Roses is a film that doesn’t quite deliver. For all the joy that watching Olivia Colman brings, the film around her doesn’t work as well. It’s a dark comedy that doesn’t have enough depth to make you care and a slapstick comedy that isn’t quite consistently funny enough. It’s not terrible and there are laughs and performances to enjoy. It just doesn’t live up to its promise.

Writer & Director: Mike Flanagan

Based on Stephen King’s 2020 novella, The Life of Chuck, follows the life of Charles Krantz (played at different ages by Tom Hiddleston, Jacob Tremblay, Benjamin Pajak & Cody Flanagan). But who is Chuck? We meet him through teacher, Marty Anderson (Chiwetel Ejiofor), who finds himself in a world  on the verge of collapse, earthquakes, fires, floods and the disruption of technology. As well as endless ads thanking someone called Chuck, for his 39 wonderful years of service. When Marty meets up with ex-wife Felicia (Karen Gillan), they find themselves at what must be the beginning of the end of everything, but how is Chuck at the centre of it all?

The Life of Chuck is an enjoyable, if a little light and disposable, film. Told in reverse, it’s a story about life and the people, places and moments that shape it and how you remember it all.

How much you enjoy it, may rely on at what point you realise what is happening. Told in reverse, the first act, although it’s the final act of the story, sets up an intriguing premise, but when you “catch on” it does take away the intrigue and makes the film, while enjoyable, a tad predictable. 

That does not mean there is not plenty to enjoy. It has some truly wonderful moments, the street dance scene, in particular, is gloriously entertaining. And it has, as life does, love, laughs and sadness. Its full of solid performances from its ensemble cast, including Mark Hamill, Mia Sara and Benjamin Pajak’s 11 year old Chuck, who between them are the heart of the story. But while it has plenty of feel good and feel sad moments, it does lack a little depth, and in the end washed over me a bit.

The Life of Chuck is a feel good look at a life and what makes it, the people, the loves, the sadness and how we remember them. It probably never quite lives up to the intriguing opening, but it gives you plenty to enjoy, with some glorious moments. But it is a film of moments and ultimately a little light and washed over me a bit. But I enjoyed it for what it was and was happy to let it wash away!

Writer & Director: Ari Aster

Eddington’s Sheriff Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix), sees his small town changing. It’s May 2020 and the start of the COVID pandemic. The world is changing and Cross doesn’t like how it’s changing, so decides to run for Mayor, up against incumbent, Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal). But it’s a decision that does not go down well. His wife Louise (Emma Stone), who has her own dark past, is horrified. His attempts to become Mayor soon descends into the same madness that the world around him seems to be, from COVID uncertainty, to conspiracy theories. Eventually it leads to a dark turn of events that changes the lives of everyone involved.

Eddington is definitely not going to be for everyone. It’s long, complicated, cluttered and covers territory that some people will find too political. But it did work for me.

It’s a film of ideas, set during a time that is still both fresh in our minds, but also seemingly in a strange past. It explores the way society started to separate, as those who didn’t have faith in government policy or medical advice, conflicted with those that did. The rise of conspiracy theories plays in the background, as does darker material around child abuse, racism and the highjacking of agendas by the well meaning and those looking to take advantage of them. As the film progresses Joe’s life and society around him unravels.

Performances are strong. It is very much Phoenix’s film, but Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone, Austin Butler, Micheal Ward, Luke Grimes and Deirdre O’Connell all add as part of a strong ensemble.

That said, it has problems, it’s too long and becomes increasingly ill disciplined as it descends into its own madness. But problems I could forgive.

Eddington will not be for everyone. It’s overly long and  confused at time. But even for its flaws, I found it compelling and intriguing as it shone a light in some dark areas of a time that’s still fresh in the memory, as well as asking hard questions about some new norms, it created. A film of big ideas that don’t all work. But enough of them did for me.

Writer & Director: Celine Song

Lucy Mason (Dakota Johnson) is a successful matchmaker. Who makes her decisions based on statistics and not heart with height, salary, and education her measures. While not focused on making her own match, things change when she attends the wedding of one of her clients. Here she meets the groom’s brother, Harry (Pedro Pascal), not only a potential unicorn client, but someone who shows plenty of interest in her and her ex-boyfriend, John (Chris Evans), who while they remain friends, John is still very in love with Lucy. But when there is an incident at work, it changes everything she thinks she knows about dating and herself.

I really enjoyed Materialists. While it’s a film that ultimately ends up where you expect, it takes a very smart, sometimes uncomfortable and often unexpected route to get there.

While publicised as a romcom, Celine Song has made it much more. It raises questions about how we value and measure ourselves and others in today’s society and whether relationships are nothing more than a transaction. But it also asks some much darker questions about society and especially the dangers too many women face and how society protects and accepts certain behaviour.

It’s a film that moves seamlessly between tones, from what seems a predictable romcom into something smarter and more probing as it examines the lengths some will go to to increase what their “value”. It’s never quite the film you expect.

Its main characters all put in solid performances, Evans and Pascal are always likeable presences. Although Dakota Johnson finds it tricky to bring warmth to Lucy’s calculating character. There is an excellent supporting performance from Zoë Winters as Sophie, who is at the heart of Lucy’s life changing events.

While Materialists is a film that ends up where you imagine it always will, its route there is smart, often surprising and occasionally dark. It switches between tone seamlessly and asks probing questions about dating, objectification and what society deems acceptable. A smart look at how we value ourselves and others.

Director: Akiva Schaffer

It’s been 30 years but Police Squad is back, with the son of Frank Drebin, Frank Drebin Jr. (Liam Neeson) now in the fold. When Drebin foils a bank robbery, and is asked to investigate a deadly car crash it leads him to the sister of the crash victim, Beth Davenport (Pamela Anderson), and a link between the robbery and the crash. This sets Drebin and his partner Ed Hocken Jr. (Paul Walter Hauser) on an investigation of the link. This takes them into the world of Richard Cane (Danny Huston) and his shady group of associates and a plot to, of course, take over the world!

I’m a fan of spoof films. The original Naked Guns and later iterations such as Scary Movie and Austin Powers. All examples of a knowing, silliness that works for me. So I came into The Naked Gun reboot with a level of optimism, which was, to a degree, if not totally, misplaced.

There were certainly things that appealed, nice nods back to the original, silly word play “take a seat, no thank you I have plenty at home” and an array of sight gags.

But for all of that, it didn’t quite work. It raised a few chuckles, rather than laughs and even at under 90 minutes it also felt like it dragged. And while it was entertaining to see Neeson bring Drebin to the screen. It just never feels like a natural fit.

What does work is the show stealing performance from Pamela Anderson, who is perfect as the sister wanting to solve her brother’s death. She’s funny, with perfect timing and her chemistry with Neeson is the highlight of the film.

But that aside, I did leave this thinking more about just how good Leslie Nielsen was.

The sight gags, one liners, word play and silliness are all there. As is a show stealing performance from Pamela Anderson. But as a fan of spoof films, this Naked Gun reboot just didn’t quite do it for me. It’s sporadically humourous rather than funny and even at sub 90 minutes, it felt like it was stretching its welcome. Perhaps the big issue was Liam Neeson who never feels like the right fit and left me thinking just how good Leslie Nielsen was in these films.

Director: Matt Shakman

It’s four years since Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal ), Jonny and Susan Storm (Joseph Quinn & Vanessa Kirby ) and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) returned from space, forever changed. Now as The Fantastic Four, they are the protectors of the earth and heroes. But two things change that, a pregnancy, and a visitor to Earth, in the shape of The Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). She is a messenger for Galactus (Ralph Ineson) who informs the four and the rest of the world, that Earth has been selected for death. The Four must protect the earth from Galactus, as well as the new life about to join the world.

This is a film with two jobs, one to be the latest installment in the new wave of Marvel films and the latest attempt to bring the Fantastic Four to the big screen. Overall, it delivered pretty well on both. While it wasn’t perfect and at times felt a little baggy, it did much more right than wrong and delivered a fun and entertaining superhero romp.

What was crucial for the film was to get its four main characters right and that they did. In Pascal, Quinn, Moss-Bachrach and Vanessa Kirby they found a group that gelled and bounced off each other well. The film crucially did enough in its opening 10 minutes to establish this new Fantastic Four and give us enough back story to care about. The script, in the main, zipped along nicely although it slowed a touch too much on occasion and it got its balance between peril and Marvel style humour pretty much spot on. Its use of its TV cartoon incarnation, especially to tease The Thing about his catch phrase, was particularly fun.

It also looked great, its commitment to a 1960’s style view of the future was a visual treat.

While not perfect this new Fantastic Four was a lot of fun. It zipped along pretty well, looked great and had a script that balanced humour and peril. Importantly the casting worked a treat with a group who were engaging and played off each other well. It had two jobs, reboot the Fantastic Four and help build a new Marvel story and did a pretty good job of both.

Director: James Gunn

We find Superman (David Corenswet), battered and bruised having lost a battle at the hands of the Hammer of Boravia, a country that Superman had put himself in the way of invading its neighbour. The Hammer seems to be in collusion with long time Superman enemy, Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult). Luthor’s aim to discredit Superman and get him out of  his way. Superman’s own beliefs are turned upside down, first by “girlfriend” Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), who questions his involvement with Borovia. But finally when he finds a message from his Krypton father and mother, may not be what it seems, it leaves him unsure of who he is and at the mercy of Luthor’s plot.

I was looking forward to this new Superman but was unfortunately very disappointed by it.

There are pluses. You can see how Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan can grow into a strong Clark and Lois. Nicholas Hoult has lots of fun playing Lex Luthor. And enjoyable performances from Nathan Fillion and especially Edi Gathegi’s Mr. Terrific.

But it was only moments that worked. Its problem is its story, a random mess of ideas and characters, none of which seem to have any kind of depth to them. From the start, you feel dropped into the middle of a story and that feeling never goes away. This leaves you been asked to invest in characters who are meant to be important, but you don’t know why, the story and relationships are never established. The problem with that is that when it comes to it, there is no real investment in anyo me and to be honest I found myself rather bored by it. 

This latest incarnation of Superman was a real disappointment. It has its moments and Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan have potential as Clark and Lois. But moments are not enough. The rest of it feels a mess, a story that you feel dropped into the middle of and characters with no depth or background which never earn your investment. All this left me with a story or characters I cared forwhich means you don’t care for or about. Leaving me bored long before the end. I wish I’d liked this. I just didn’t.

Director: Gareth Edwards

Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend) is a pharmaceutical executive whose company are on the verge of a wonder drug that will save lives and make them a fortune. Two snags, they need dinosaur DNA and now all dinosaurs only inhabit an area near the equator where humans are prohibited to visit. To get what he needs, he approaches former special ops Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson) to lead a team and accompany Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey) to the forbidden area and Jurassic Park’s former research facility, abandoned to its inhabitants after a disaster. Zara, Loomis, and Krebs, supported by Duncan Kincaid’s (Mahershala Ali) extraction team, head off on a life threatening mission to a forbidden world ruled by dinosaurs.

If the plot sounds familiar, it is,  it’s all the Jurassic Park films you’ve seen and I really enjoyed it. It’s fast moving, tense, funny and occasionally dark. 

It has an 80s adventure feel. There’s a quest and set pieces to overcome along the way. Its most memorable been the first, a Jaws-inspired battle which also introduces our family of “civilians”: the Delgado family, who now find themselves fighting for survival. Their introduction sets up two separate adventures: Zora’s team attempts to gather DNA, and the Delgados’ struggle to survive. Both groups trying to reach the island’s research facility and rescue point. All while facing plenty of natural and dino-related obstacles.

The cast is fun, Johansson and Bennet delivering the moral compass, Mahershala Ali the gravitas. David Iacono, as Teresa Delgado’s boyfriend, brings the laughs. The effects overall are solid, although a little unconvincing occasionally. And the story hurtles along at a good rate.

Jurassic World Rebirth has a classic 80s feel and ticks many Jurassic Park boxes. Shady money, morally questionable science, and dinosaurs chasing humans through forests, buildings, and the sea. It’s not new and feels like all Jurassic Parks. But with an entertaining cast, it’s a fun enjoyable adventure, that zips along with plenty of thrills and spills.