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This weekend there are six new films out for you to choose from: action sequel in Star Trek Beyond, Chinese romantic comedy in So Young 2: Never Gone, children’s fantasy from Roald Dahl in The BFG, dark French comedy in Chevalier, horror in K-Shop, and total tripe in Jonah Lives.
Star Trek Beyond is due out in the summer, and this time round, the crew of the USS Enterprise – led by Captain James T Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto), have been attacked by a powerful unstoppable wave of unknown aliens led by Idris Elba (Luther). They arrive at a new planet where they find themselves in conflict with a new ruthless enemy but also meet a beautiful female alien who helps them. Awww… shucks.
This trailer shows a lot of action and sets out the stall as to what the film’s about, but after the disappointing 2009 Star Trek reboot and 2013’s Star Trek Into Darkness, I still don’t have huge hopes for this one.
Also returning are Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, John Cho and, sadly, Simon Pegg. There’s also Sofia Boutella, while JJ Abrams steps down from directing duty going solely to producing, while the director is Justin Lin (Fast and Furious 3-6). Writing credits go to Doug Jung, Roberto Orci, John D Payne, Patrick McKay and, apparently… oh dear, Simon Pegg. His work only ever *works* when he collaborates with Edgar Wright (eg. Spaced, Shaun Of The Dead, Hot Fuzz, The World’s End).
This release also comes soon after the sad passing of Anton Yelchin who played Chekov in the rebooted movies.
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Maybe!
So Young 2: Never Gone is the sequel to 2013’s So Young, which I haven’t seen before now, but this looks more of a comedy to that first film’s drama, and which took its title from a song by Suede. And it looks quite amusing, with a number of daft scenes in such a short trailer, including a tampon mistaken for a ‘huge bandage’, as it follows the burgeoning relationship between Cheng Zheng (Kris Wu) and Su Yun Jin (Yifei Liu).
Directed by Zhou Tuo Ru, from a script by Yi Wu Xin and Tuo Ru Zhou, and also starring Shijia Jin, it does look worth a watch.
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Hit!
The BFG centres around a girl called Sophie (Ruby Barnhill in her movie debut), who encounters the Big Friendly Giant and, despite his intimidating appearance, he turns out to be a kindhearted soul who is considered an outcast by the other giants because unlike his peers refuses to eat boys and girls.
It’s bound to be a big hit because Steven Spielberg is in the director’s chair, and the screenplay is written by Melissa Mathison (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial), who sadly died on November 4th last year due to cancer, aged just 65, and it’s based on the original Roald Dahl novel. The cast also includes Rebecca Hall, Bill Hader, Jemaine Clement, Adam Godley, plus Penelope Wilton as The Queen and Mark Rylance (The Gunman) as The BFG, himself!
I’m not in a huge rush to see this, but I’d check it out for Mr Rylance.
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Hit!
Chevalier
In the middle of the Aegean Sea, six men on a fishing trip on a luxury yacht decide to play a game. During this game, things will be compared. Things will be measured. Songs will be butchered, and blood will be tested. Friends will become rivals and rivals will become hungry. But at the end of the journey, when the game is over, the man who wins will be the best man. And he will wear on his smallest finger the victory ring: the Chevalier.
The film is directed by Athina Rachel Tsangari, who co-wrote it with Efthymis Filippou, and starring Giannis Drakopoulos, Kostas Filippoglou and Yiorgos Kendros.
With the title translating to chivalry, as well as striving to be the best, this looks like an intriguing, and very inventive and slightly dark comedy and I very much want to see this.
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Hit!
K-Shop is a gritty urban Sweeney Todd inspired horror set in a British Kebab Shop plagued by binge drinking culture. After his father is killed in an altercation with drunken thugs, Salah’s fate is sealed in a fight with an angry customer. With a dead body on his hands the novice kebab shop owner turns vigilante disposing of the body in the one place he knows best…the kebabs. Salah watches gullible customers devour the new flesh kebabs and seizes the opportunity to seek revenge on abusive drunken binge drinkers, killing off those he deems punishable.
Written and directed by Dan Pringle, and starring Reece Noi, Ewen MacIntosh, Scot Williams and Lucinda Rhodes Thakrar (last week’s Death Walks), if you’ve seen The Green Butchers, with Mads Mikkelsen, this is very reminiscent of that. Expect gore aplenty…
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Hit!
Jonah Lives
A story of revenge from beyond the grave, centering on a group of teenagers who unknowingly supply the catalyst for the murdered Jonah’s return from the grave. A day like any other in a town not unlike that found all across the country, like minded teens hanging out, laughing, enjoying each other’s company. When the darkness takes over the day and boredom sets in, they retreat to their basement hangout. Francis, the self-imposed leader of the group, a wannabe mystic, decides to play with their heads and breaks out a Spirit Board.
Eagerly the game is played and soon they make contact with the tormented Spirit of Jonah. They begin to ask questions and soon learn how, when, and why Jonah was murdered in his lifetime. Mocking Tony, who warns them that it is a dangerous game to play, they make the choice of their young lives when they participate together in summoning Jonah beseeching him to come to them through the spirit board, What starts as a joke soon turns into a nightmare of garish … Written by Ramzees Storm
Directed and written by Luis Carvalho, and starring Brinke Stevens, Jocelyn Padilla, Ryan Boudreau and Rob Roy (really?), I don’t care whether Jonah Lives or dies.
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Miss!
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.