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