THE WOLVERINE ****
Dir : James Mangold ( tbc , 120 mins ) Hugh Jackman makes his seventh outing as the adamantium-clawed mutant in this grittier reworking of the classic tale that gave Wolverine his first solo outing in the comic book world . A disillusioned Wolverine with long hair and a beard wanders aimlessly , mourning the loss of his love Jean Grey until a Japanese warrioress tracks him down and takes him back with her to the deathbed of a man whose life he saved during World War II . He wants to offer Wolverine mortality , an end to his impregnability , but will he take it ? Obviously amongst all this soul searching there ’ s a lot of action , Wolverine is the lone Samurai doing battle with Hiroyuki Sanada ’ s corrupt industrialist and numerous ninjas . It ’ s a darker and more intellectual take on one of the most popular anti-heroes in the Marvel universe and makes a welcome return to form for the character . It easily tops the confused , character-cluttered muddle that was X Men Origins . James Mangold infuses proceedings with integrity whilst Wolverine is a warrior fish out of water that learns a new code . Jackman is as buff and brilliant as ever as the tortured Logan , and despite an inevitable CGI showdown , this is a step up for the X Man . Opens July 25
MONSTERS UNIVERSITY ****
Dir : Dan Scanlon ( U , 110 mins ) Mike Wazowski and James P Sullivan return in a much belated prequel to Monster ’ s Inc . The monster ’ s meet for the first time at University , end up sharing a room and don ’ t initially get on , in fact they hate each other . One-eyed Mike is ostracised by Sully , but hey , guess what they eventually put their differences aside to go scaring together . Playing like a CGI Animal House for monsters , this prequel has all the ingredients for a college-set comedy – getting into the cool groups , peer pressure , trying to discover what you ’ re best at , but obviously seen through a scarier prism . Mike becomes a champion for the ‘ nerds ’, Sully is initially with the ‘ jocks ’, all this of course is well worn territory but it ’ s freshly and funnily told . Billy Crystal and John Goodman lend their vocal chords once again to the lead characters and remain as endearing as ever , Steve Buscemi also returns as the dastardly Randall and Helen Mirren adds her dulcet tones as the Dean of the University . The slapstick is top notch , there ’ s a plethora of sight gags and worth the 12-year wait . Scary feet ! Scary feet !! Opens July 12
THE INTERNSHIP **
Dir : Shawn Levy ( 12A , 119 mins ) A somewhat late in the day fish-out-of-water story that acts as an advert for Google . Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn reteam after the Wedding Crashers but with little of the chutzpah playing 40 year olds who have been downsized by their companies and are now trying to reinvent themselves in the technological world . They enter a summer internship program for Google and find out that their jock-like antics aren ’ t going to cut it in the land of the nerd . They learn something about themselves in the process , and only rarely are laughs raised . Overlong by a good 20 minutes The Internship feels laboured , Wilson and Vaughn struggle on gamely but rely on their usual schtick which soon grows tiresome amidst a dreary formulaic script . Directed with sentimental ordinariness from the man who brought you the equally bland Night At The Museum and Cheaper By The Dozen , The Internship is a summer placement not worth having . Opens July 28
THE HEAT ****
Dir : Paul Feig ( 15 , 117 mins ) Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy are mismatched cops in this hardly original but enjoyable action comedy . Paired together to bring down a drug lord with predictable if funny results , Bullock is the straitlaced FBI agent , McCarthy the gritty Boston street cop . Both women have never worked with anyone else before and are equally socially backward . Bullock and McCarthy ’ s chemistry is what elevates this from an oestrogen-fuelled light-hearted Lethal Weapon , riffing off each other with aplomb , so much so in fact that a sequel has already seen the green light . Bridesmaids ’ director Paul Feig knows how to get the best out of his stars with McCarthy obviously improvising many of the film ’ s funnier lines . A supporting cast allows them to do their thing without too much hindrance , but like Bridesmaids , it is overlong . Thankfully , also like Bridesmaids , it ’ s still filled with women being funny . Opens July 31
THE BLING RING ***
Dir : Sofia Coppola ( 15 , 90 mins ) Emma Watson leaves Hermione far behind in this flawed but intriguing glimpse of a celebrity culture gone toxic . Directed by Sofia Coppola , who specialises in ponderous , often infuriating films , this is a considered comment on wannabe culture that lacks its full bite . Based on a true story , teens Katie Chang , Israel Broussard and Emma Watson go on a robbing spree targeting the houses of the rich and famous : Paris Hilton , Lindsay Lohan , Rachel Bilson et al . They take drugs , they crash cars , their parents are rubbish , and their existences are fuelled by Hollywood and status anxiety . They all crave their 15 minutes of fame . They are mostly unlikeable . There is a richer satire here , but Coppola prefers to maintain her icy outside eye , allowing the events to build into a far from gripping showdown . Watson however shines amidst the excess . Opens July 5
probably getting a release now that its star Joel Kinnaman is about to become the new Robocop . EDEN ( 15 ) Jamie Chung stars as a woman forced into prostitution attempting to escape from her captors . Bit harrowing . THE FROZEN GROUND ( 15 ) Fact-based thriller with Nicolas Cage teaming up with Vanessa Hudgens to bring John Cusack ’ s serial killer to justice . Not an OTT Cage performance . BLACKFISH ( 12A ) Documentary about a killer killer whale . It ’ s good . FRANCES HA ( 12A ) Greta Gerwig does Woody Allen-esque quirkery in irritating / witty black and white comedy .
BUZZ 21