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This week, there are FIVE new films out for you to choose from, led by Zombieland: Double Tap. Here are the titles, with more info below:Zombieland: Double Tap
The Peanut Butter Falcon
Official Secrets
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
Shaun The Sheep 2: Farmageddon
Zombieland: Double Tap comes to cinemas ten years and 11 days to the date when the original, and so-so, cult hit Zombieland was released, and it returns with all of the same original cast – Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin, Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg.
Bill Murray also returns as himself, even though he snuffed it in the first one – but then this is not a film that’s meant to make sense, since it’s about zombies. Similarly, this time, Dan Aykroyd is also here as himself, and they’re also joined by Zoey Deutch, Rosario Dawson, Luke Wilson and a T-800 Zombie.
Also returning is the first film’s director, Ruben Fleischer.
Like I said, the original wasn’t a great film, so I don’t have high hopes for this, but I’ll most likely check it out for the sake of curiosity… even though I’ve heard that this one also isn’t great. Perhaps I should just stick to the trailer? It would save a lot of time…
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Maybe!
The Peanut Butter Falcon is an adventure story set in the world of a modern Mark Twain that begins when Zak (Zack Gottsagen), a young man with Down syndrome, runs away from the nursing home where he lives to chase his dream of becoming a professional wrestler by attending the wrestling school The Salt Water Redneck.
Through circumstances beyond their control Tyler (Shia LaBeouf), a small-time outlaw on the run, becomes Zak’s unlikely coach and ally. Together they wind through deltas, elude capture, drink whisky, find God, catch fish, and convince Eleanor (28), a kind nursing home employee with a story of her own, to join them on their journey.
Normally ‘feel good’ trailers really put me off a movie like this, but this one really does hit the right mark, and I can’t wait to see this film, although given that it’s more an indie flick, I think I’ll have to wait for the Blu-ray, rather than see it on the big screen.
Writers: Tyler Nilson, Mike Schwartz
Also stars: Dakota Johnson, John Hawkes, Thomas Haden Church, Bruce Dern, Jon Bernthal
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Hit!
Official Secrets shows Keira Knightley works for the government but she may or may not have leaked an email, and so she may or may not be in big trub, and if she is, then she’s breached the Official Secrets Act and she’ll definitely be in big trub. Will she be guilty? I expect we’ll have to wait two hours to find out.
Synopsis: A morality tale for the 21st century, Official Secrets tells the true story of British Intelligence whistle-blower Katharine Gun who, during the immediate run-up to the 2003 Iraq invasion, leaked a top secret NSA memo exposing a joint US-UK illegal spying operation against members of the UN Security Council. The memo proposed blackmailing smaller, undecided member states into voting for war. At great personal and professional risk, journalist Martin Bright published the leaked document in The Observer newspaper in London, and the story made headlines around the world. Members of the Security Council were outraged and any chance of a UN resolution in favour of war collapsed. But within days, Bush declared he no longer needed UN backing and invaded anyway. As Iraq descended into chaos, Katharine was arrested and charged with breaching the Official Secrets Act. Martin faced potential charges too. Their legal battles exposed the highest levels of government in both London and Washington …
This film has a great cast and I’m really looking forward to it. I never got into The Crown, so it’s great to see Matt Smith again, other than briefly in Terminator Genisys.
Director: Gavin Hood
Also stars: Matthew Goode, Ralph Fiennes, Indira Varma, Conleth Hill, Rhys Ifans,.Katherine Kelly, MyAnna Buring, Monica Dolan, Tamsin Greig, Shaun Dooley, Hattie Morahan, Jack Farthing, Kenneth Cranham
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Hit!
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil sees Angelina Jolie return as the evil Maleficent, and this has taken five years to come round, but here it is. This time, the complex relationship of Maleficent and Aurora (Elle Fanning) continues to be explored as they face new threats to the magical land of the Moors.
It’s not my bag, though. 10 minutes of the first film was enough.
The original 2014 movie was directed by Robert Stromberg. No idea why he’s not directing this time round. Either way, I saw ten minutes of that film and knew it wasn’t for me, so I won’t be seeing this.
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is released in cinemas just in time for the half-term holidays…. making the cinemas absolute hell for a week. How very evil!
Director: Joachim Rønning
Writers: Micah Fitzerman-Blue, Noah Harpster, Linda Woolverton Also stars: Michelle Pfeiffer, Ed Skrein, Juno Temple, Kae Alexander, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Imelda Staunton, Lesley Manville, Sam Riley, David Gyasi, Robert Lindsay
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Miss
Shaun The Sheep 2: Farmageddon is the sequel, as you’d expect, to 2015’s Shaun The Sheep movie, following the success of the ongoing TV cartoon.
When an alien with amazing powers crash-lands near Mossy Bottom Farm, Shaun the Sheep goes on a mission to shepherd the intergalactic visitor home before a sinister organization can capture her.
It’s not my sort of film, but then I’m hardly the target audience. Kids will no doubt love it.
Directors: Will Becher, Richard Phelan
Writers: Jon Brown, Mark Burton
Stars: Justin Fletcher, John Sparkes
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.