film by Keiron Self
MAN OF STEEL ****
Dir : Zack Snyder ( 12A , 148 mins ) Superman returns ( again ) under the watchful eye of producer Christopher Nolan and Watchmen director Zack Snyder . Aiming to add more grit and contemporary relevance to the shiniest superhero in the DC Comics Universe , Henry Cavill dons the cape as Clark Kent / Superman , sent to Earth as his home planet Krypton explodes . Tutored in the ways of Earth by adopted human parents Kevin Costner and Diane Lane in Smallville USA , he has to live up to his powers when Earth faces a threat in the shape of barking nutjob General Zod – played with foaming relish by Michael Shannon – another former Krypton inhabitant , and fellow warrior Faora , played by Antje Traue . Can Superman face up to what he is , and can humanity accommodate him ? Amy Adams is on sparkly form as Lois Lane , Superman ’ s squeeze , Russell Crowe does his Gladiator accent as Jor El , Superman ’ s real Dad , and Cavill ’ s jaw , hairlick and muscly bod ably inhabit the Man Of Steel himself . This looks to be a more satisfying take on the legend than Bryan Singer ’ s respectful Superman Returns epic . With superb FX and a post- Batman Nolan on shepherding duties , you should be able to believe that a man can fly ... again . Opens June 14
THIS IS THE END ***
Dir : Evan Goldberg / Seth Rogen ( 15 , 100 mins )
In what sounds like it could be a hideously extended in-joke , this has the slacker comedy crew of recent years : a team that includes Seth Rogen , Jonah Hill , Michael Cera , James Franco , Danny McBride , Jay Baruschel and Craig Robinson all playing versions of themselves as the end of the world happens . Not to be confused with the upcoming Simon Pegg comedy The World ’ s End , this has our central troupe turning up to James Franco ’ s house for an insane party before the apocalypse comes knocking . Many A-list stars are dispatched in gruesome fashion , Rihanna amongst them , as things get biblical . The group barricade themselves into a house in the hope of outlasting Armageddon , and they start squabbling over Milky Ways and water with customary foul-mouthed banter . Goldberg and Rogen collaborated before on the scripts for Superbad and The Pineapple Express , where occasionally improvisation stalled the funny . Hopefully with this SFX riddled meta-epic there ’ s some smartness amidst the smugness , rather than just mates indulging themselves . Although to be honest , an axe-wielding Emma Watson cameo looks set to be worth risking a watch . Opens June 28
DESPICABLE ME 2 ****
Dir : Pierre Coffin , Chris Renaud ( PG , 90 mins ) Gru , the supervillain with a heart , gets another welcome outing after the thoroughly enjoyable Despicable Me . Enlisted by the Anti-Villain league to do battle against a new threat , Gru has to once again balance home life with his adopted daughters Margo , Agnes and Edith alongside evil / good doing and marshalling his show-stealing minions . Steve Carell once again employs his strangely pan-European accent as Gru , with Kristen Wiig playing his anti-villain recruiter Lucy Wilde . The Hangover ’ s Ken Jeong and Steve Coogan add their vocal talents and comic pedigree whilst , unfortunately , the still miscast Russell Brand returns as Dr . Nefario . Benjamin Bratt voices the villain after Al Pacino dropped out at the 11th hour , robbing us of some serious ‘ hoo-ha !!’ This should be a blend of super-heroic escapades , stupidity and slapstick , with the best bits still coming from the surreal minions Kevin , Phil and Dave . Opens June 28
BEFORE MIDNIGHT ****
Dir : Richard Linklater ( 15 , 108 mins ) After the heartwarming intelligent romanticism of Before Sunrise and Before Sunset , director Richard Linklater and central couple Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy return to the characters Jesse and Celine now a decade into their relationship . They have twin girls and have gone to Greece for a vacation , but by the last day they find themselves in search of a spark that may rekindle their floundering partnership . The initial rush of love and romance has dissipated as the realities of maintaining a relationship come to the forefront . Superbly written and performed by Delpy and Hawke – with expert unflinching direction from Linklater – this , like its predecessors , is a witty , verbose and painfully truthful examination of life and the compromises it requires for any close partnership . Hawke and Delpy are note-perfect as the struggling couple ; their present niggles – heightened by the two films that have come before – adding to the well observed poignancy . Opens June 21
HUMMINGBIRD **
Dir : Steven Knight ( 15 , 100 mins ) Ah , Jason Statham , very good at hitting people , but not so hot on the dramatics , as this rather leaden drama proves . Statham plays a homeless court-martialled army vet who finds himself falling in love with a nun in one of the many ludicrous script developments . On the run after breaking into a New York apartment , Statham finds a plentiful amount of cash as he starts working for the Chinese mob , using his money to help the homeless and support an exgirlfriend . It ’ s as he helps his former fellow vagrants that he meets and falls in love with Agata Buzek ’ s nun and encounters a ring of sex traffickers . This inevitably opens a can of whupass on some baddies . Failing to be either an action film or drama , this is deeply unsatisfying for even die hard Stathamites . There ’ s no homoerotic oil wrestling or anything . Opens June 28
ALSO RELEASED : STONE ROSES : MADE OF STONE ( U ) Shane Meadows follows the Stone Roses about with head-nodding results . Fool ’ s Gold anyone ? BEHIND THE CANDELABRA ( 15 ) Steven Soderbergh directs Michael Douglas as famous pianist and master of the flamboyant , Liberace . Matt Damon plays Liberace ’ s lover . Should be tinkly stuff . THE LAST EXORCISM PART II ( 15 ) So The Last Exorcism wasn ’ t the last then . ADMISSION ( 15 ) Tina Fey and Paul Rudd star in this so-so university-set comedy with Fey trying to get the son she gave up for adoption into Princeton . STUCK
BUZZ 34