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This weekend there are seven new films out for you to choose from: action in Mission Impossible Rogue Nation, comedy in Hot Pursuit, drama in Beyond The Reach, comedy in Doctor Proctor’s Fart Powder, more drama in 7 Cases and Where Demons Hide and, turning up again like a bad penny, Adam Sandler’s The Cobbler.
Mission Impossible Rogue Nation is the fifth in the now-seemingly-never-ending series starring Tom Cruise as CIA agent Ethan Hunt, but for me, only the first one was completely worth of yor time, while the third one was worth a watch for the performance from Philip Seymour Hoffman as the baddie. Films 2 and 4 were only so-so, however.
Jeremy Renner and, sadly, Simon Pegg, return, along with old hand Ving Rhames as Luther Stickell.
New to the cast are Alec Baldwin, Rebecca Ferguson, Sean Harris, America Olivo and Simon McBurney, with a script from Drew Pearce and Will Staples, and it’s directed by Christopher McQuarrie, who also took the lead on Cruise’s 2012 so-so actioner Jack Reacher. Fans of that series should note that work is progressing on a follow-up based on the novel, Never Go Back, but bear in mind that it’s not a sequel to the first film, since they’re not following the books in chronological order, the first one being based on the novel One Shot.
You can watch this film in IMAX, but unlike Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, there are no scenes actually SHOT in IMAX, so don’t bother. Save your pennies and watch in regular 2D instead.
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Hit!
Hot Pursuit tells the tale of an uptight and by-the-book cop (Reese Witherspoon) who tries to protect the sexy and outgoing widow (Sofia Vergara) of a drug boss as they race through Texas pursued by crooked cops and murderous gunmen.
The film also stars Jodi Lyn Brockton, Michael Mosley and John Carroll Lynch, and is directed by Anne Fletcher, also responsible for The Proposal, 27 Dresses and Step Up, so I wasn’t expecting much from this, but it actually looks pretty good.
There’s also a great intro from Sofia Vergara and Reese Witherspoon in this particular trailer.
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Hit!
Beyond The Reach (aka The Reach) stars Michael Douglas as Madec, a high-rolling corporate shark and his impoverished young guide, Ben (Jeremy Irvine), play the most dangerous game during a hunting trip in the Mojave Desert.
In the 130-degree heat of the Southwestern Desert, a man can die in 30 minutes without water, and watching the trailer, it looks like Douglas is back on top form.
Also starring Hanna Mangan Lawrence and Ronny Cox (where has he been all these years?), this looks well worth a watch.
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Hit!
Doctor Proctor’s Fart Powder
In a world not so different from ours, but where the dungeons are darker and the rich sons are nastier, and the mad professors are even madder, lives a revengeful monster, which might be an anaconda. Not the strangest thing, is it? The friendship between two lonely children are strong enough to save the royal salute, and get justice. By helping the mad scientist Doctor Proktor getting recognition for his amazing invention, farting powder, the two lonely children gets help to stand on their own two feet.
Despite the US voiceover in the trailer, this adaptation from the Jo Nesbø novel is a Norwegian movie.
Headhunters was a great movie, and farting is great. Let the farts commence!
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Hit!
7 Cases
Two retired bank robbers agree to one last job. A face from their past steals their proceeds and divides the cash into 7 Cases…. each one is left with someone they know. If they take a case, the victim dies… if they don’t get there in time… the victim dies…. if they tamper with the traps…they all die… Their day goes from bad to worse as they encounter all the faces from their past and have to make some heartbreaking decisions. Steven Berkoff plays the vindictive ‘Lawson’ who is playing with the protagonists…
Yes, there’s a lot of…. in this description above….
Also starring ave Vincent Philips, Paul Cooper, Saffron (aka Samantha Sprackling) and the one and only Samantha Fox!
The film looks rather so-so, and the trailer confused, but I’m a sucker for anything featuring Ms Fox, so it’s a…
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Hit!
Where Demons Hide
The life of a young psychiatrist with a confining medical condition changes when he meets a girl that means more to him than the pills. This sets off an unravelling chain of events fueled by vengeance and manipulation to acquire justice.
Starring Bobby Bulloch, Michaela Longden, Danielle Louise Chin, Jamie Darlington, Simon Hooson and Rebekah Bowman, this is a low-budget British movie, shot in several towns including Manchester, and while the trailer says ‘2016’, IMDB states it’s out this week so I’m not sure when it’s out exactly, but even if it’s not out yet (confused?), I still say it’s a…
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Hit!
The Cobbler is a film which was meant to come out on May 22nd, but never got much of an airing in cinemas (if at all) and now is out (again?) this week. Again, it’s not getting any screen time.
The film stars Adam Sandler as… a cobbler. For those not familiar with a term which dates back many centuries, a cobbler is a person who mends shoes. Yes, that’s something which is no longer required in our disposable culture because, unless you’re the type of person to spend £100 on Nike trainers, you can easily get a reasonable pair of trainers for around £15 from a shop like Matalan or Primark. Anything less for adult shoes, and they’ll fall apart within a month. Believe me, I’ve tried them and I know.
Anyhoo, putting facts aside, Sandler plays Max Simkin, and this shoe repair shop has been in his family for generations. Disenchanted with the grind of daily life, he stumbles upon a magical heirloom that allows him to step into the lives of his customers and see the world in a new way. Sometimes walking in another man’s shoes is the only way one can discover who they really are…
(cue video of someone vomiting)
Also getting in on this mess is Dan Stevens (The Guest, Downton Abbey), Dustin Hoffman, Steve Buscemi, Ellen Barkin and… “Method Man“.. sorry, Cliff “Method Man” Smith. Gotta get that name right yeah?
The Cobbler looks terrible, but director Thomas McCarthy also brought us the excellent 2003 comedy drama The Station Agent, so that conflicts me a bit, but overall…
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Hit!
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.