film by Keiron Self
THE WORLD ’ S END ****
Dir : Edgar Wright ( 15 , 105 mins ) The climax of Edgar Wright , Simon Pegg and Nick Frost ’ s so called Cornetto trilogy – following Shaun Of The Dead and Hot Fuzz – this sci-fi apocalypse-themed comedy has at its roots a story about growing up and moving on , and doing a pub crawl . Pegg plays against type as 40-year-old slimeball Gary , desperate to get his four mates back together again and finish the pub crawl they failed 20 years earlier . He manages to convince Nick Frost , Paddy Considine , Martin Freeman and Eddie Marsan to rejoin him on a tour of Newton Haven ’ s 12 finest pubs , the last one of course being The World ’ s End . Once there , Pegg bumps into old flame Rosamund Pike and discovers that the town has been taken over by blue-blooded alien robots . It could well be last orders for humanity . Edgar Wright ’ s trademark kinetic style is back in abundance with much in the way of tavern-based fisticuffs and bigger SFX . There ’ s also running over fences and cameos from the likes of Mark Heap and David Bradley . Managing to blend action , slapstick and heart , Pegg ’ s Gary is essentially a failure at life who needs his friends . This should prove a worthy trilogy closer for the mighty comedy trio . Opens July 19
PACIFIC RIM ****
Dir : Guillermo Del Toro ( 12A , 120 mins )
Huge monsters rise from the depths of the sea and do battle with skyscraper-sized robots in this mighty smash ‘ em up from Hellboy director Guillermo Del Toro . A small band of humans are on the frontline in the battle against these Kaiju , monsters from another dimension . Charlie Hunnam , Idris Elba and Rinko Kikuchi are the pilots of the Jaegers , giant Transformer-esque robots that mirror their movements , walks , and punches as they do battle CGI style , destroying Tokyo , Hong Kong and also fighting in space , at the bottom of the sea and in icebergstrewn wastes . This is destruction on an epic , operatic scale replete with Del Toro ’ s signature designs and clearly infused with his love for Japanese monster movies ; the original Godzilla is obviously a massive influence . The humans are slightly overwhelmed by the SFX , but Del Toro manages to get some character notes amidst the mayhem Rinko Kikuchi ’ s character lost her parents to the monsters , Elba is a grizzled war veteran and Hunnam is the straight-laced hero who has to get in sync with Kikuchi to pilot their Jaeger . Epic , globetrotting and full of gob-smacking moments , Pacific Rim is an unapologetic operatic blockbuster with slightly more depth than Transformers . Opens July 12
A FIELD IN ENGLAND ***
Dir : Ben Wheatley ( 15 , 90 mins ) Kill List and Sightseers director Ben Wheatley isn ’ t afraid of taking risks . After his slightly more commercial Sightseers , the Nuts In May-esque serial killer comedy last year , he ’ s taken a sideways step into art-house territory with this massive curate ’ s egg . Set during the English Civil War , this micro-budgeted monochrome mindbender has Reece Shearsmith absconding from the war and finding himself with other deserters in a field of magic mushrooms . Confronted by armed Irishman Michael Smiley , a Wheatley regular , Shearsmith is set to work finding hidden treasure amidst much mysticism and stubborn artiness . Often too obscure for its own good , Wheatley ’ s film still remains immensely watchable due to its sheer strangeness . Resurrections , alchemy and mirrors feature , linked by a foreboding score that unsettles in the same way the music for Kill List did . Opens July 5
GIRL MOST LIKELY **
Dir : Shari Springer Berman , Robert Pulcini ( 12A , 107 mins ) Very indie comedy with Bridesmaids ’ Kristen Wiig battling against a strangely toned film that wants to be a drama but only really comes to life when the cast display their comedy chops . Wiig is a failing New York playwright who fakes a suicide attempt to try and rescue her relationship with her boyfriend . Instead she ’ s sent home to mum , the ever excellent Annette Bening , and her eccentric boyfriend Matt Dillon , who supposedly works for the CIA . Here she re-evaluates her life in true indie movie style , and hey , makes some changes . Wiig has to embrace her family rather than be embarrassed by them if she is to be able to move on with her life , although that seems pretty hard when your brother is obsessed by crabs . Not as funny as it should be , despite the talent on hand , Girl Most Likely unfortunately flounders . Opens July 26
NOW YOU SEE ME ***
Dir : Louis Leterrier ( 12A , 115 mins ) A magician heist movie with a stellar cast that hummingly entertains but does little else , Now You See Me is little more than a forgettable sleight of hand trick . Cocky magician Jesse Eisenberg and his escapist ex Isla Fisher – along with cerazeee mentalist Woody Harrelson and pickpocketer David ( brother of James ) Franco – are summoned via cryptic tarot card to meet with a mysterious benefactor . Flash forward a year and they are performing lavish Vegas-esque magic sets as magic-combo The Four Horsemen . During this show they manage to apparently teleport someone to a bank vault in France and cover everyone in money . But hey , the bank really has been robbed in France , how is that possible ? It ’ s up to cop Mark Ruffalo and French Interpol agent Melanie Laurent to find out . Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine are along for the ride , in this slick if empty misdirection caper . Opens July 3
ALSO RELEASED : CONFINE ( 15 ) Low budget hostage thriller starring ex-model Daisy Lowe as an ex-model fending off intruders . CHASING MAVERICKS ( PG ) Surfing drama as a young wave rider searches for the biggest breakers near his hometown . And yes , Gerard Butler is in it , mostly with his top off . TRAP FOR CINDERELLA ( 15 ) Welsh actors Aneurin Bernard and Alexandra Roach star in this drama about a girl recovering from amnesia , and gradually remembering some grisly secrets . EASY MONEY ( 15 ) Long delayed release of this drug running thriller ,
BUZZ 20