WORLD WAR Z ****
Dir: Marc Forster( 12A, 105 mins) Max Brook’ s cult novel reaches the big screen after some development problems. Re-shoots, a new third act and alleged unhappiness from producer / star Brad Pitt have not helped, but what this epic zombie film looks to be is spectacular with some socio-political Contagion like grit. Pitt plays a United Nations employee racing around the globe trying to prevent a zombie pandemic that could destroy humanity. Told with urgency and an attempt at reality, World War Z abandons the multi narratives of the source novel in favour of following Pitt and his attempts to stop these scary and speedy braineaters – which naturally involve his family: wife Mireille Enos and kids. A supporting cast that includes Bryan Cranston, James Badge Dale and Matthew Fox and some spectacular FX that have the risen dead forming human pyramids like soldier ants should ensure thrills. It is a 12A though, so don’ t expect much gruesomeness. More thriller than gore fest, and with a worldwide stage rather than a shopping mall or small town a la George A Romero’ s Living Dead, World War Z has ambition. Opens June 21
AFTER EARTH ***
Dir: M. Night Shyamalan( 12A, 90 mins) Director of The Last Airbender and The Happening returns, and hopefully Shyamalan will be back on Sixth Sense form after the embarrassment of his last two flops. Real-life father and son Will and Jaden Smith play, er, father and son 1000 years in the future. The pair are estranged and Dad wants to make things better. Before they can properly bond, however, their ship crash lands on Earth where everything has now apparently evolved to kill humans. If they are to stand any chance of survival, the son must retrieve their rescue beacon as his father lies dying, guiding him back at the crashed spaceship. Special effects and life lessons follow, nasty baboons and other things, but Jaden has a fighty stick and a flight suit to help him out of CGI scrapes. It’ s a bit of a hokey premise, especially the whole evolutionary plot, but Will Smith is always good value, despite his Smith family empire building. Father and son have played together very effectively before in The Pursuit Of Happyness, but this has them mostly apart. Their relationship will be key to the film’ s success and hopefully Shyamalan has gone over the script and taken out some of the more ludicrous lines. Opens June 7
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING ***
Dir: Joss Whedon( 12A, 107 mins) So, what do you do after creating the billion dollar behemoth Avengers Assemble? Easy, an adaptation of a Shakespeare play shot in black and white over 12 days with some of your mates. Joss Whedon, in the hiatus between filming the Marvel epic and then commencing on post-production, knocked out what is obviously a labour of love for him. It’ s a breezy contemporary version of the Bard’ s mostly fluffy comedy that pits cocksure commitment-phobe Benedick( Alexis Denisof) with his verbal equal Beatrice( Amy Acker). They are lovers destined to be together caught up in a convoluted, nefarious plot blending high comedy with drama. Whedon regulars make appearances, Nathan Fillion shows comedy chops as Dogberry, and Clark Gregg plays Beatrice’ s niece Leonato. Mostly successful, but occasionally jarring; Shakespearean verse in an American drawl is often distracting and some cast members are obviously more comfortable with it than others. Opens June 14
STAND UP GUYS ***
Dir: Fisher Stevens( 15, 95 mins) An aimiable comedy drama which brings together acting heavyweights Alan Arkin, Al Pacino and Christopher Walken. Mobster Pacino has just been released from prison after 28 years and is picked up by buddy Walken, a fellow crook. They call on their old getaway driver Arkin, breaking him out of his retirement home for one last night on the tiles. They have their mob pasts to reminisce over and a final loose end to tie up about a robbery gone bad amidst lots of good-humoured jokes about ageing – Viagra together with the odd dose of poignancy. Languidly directed by Fisher Stevens, the three leads are allowed to unhurriedly stretch their acting muscles and their chemistry is a joy to watch, despite the script being a little thin. Able support comes from Juliana Marguiles as Arkin’ s daughter, but watching three character actors doing their thing is what is outstanding about Stand Up Guys. Opens June 28
THE ICEMAN ****
Dir: Ariel Vorman( 15, 106 mins) This fantastic mob thriller – which is amazingly based on fact – sees a blistering lead performance from Michael Shannon, who plays Richard Kuklinski, a New Jerseybased hitman who kept his violent double life a secret from his blissfully unaware family. The film begins in 1964 with Kuklinski romancing future wife Winona Ryder. Soon he displays his chilling capacity for brutal violence and is recruited by mob boss Ray Liotta. Teaming up with fellow hitman Mr Freezy – an ice-cream van-driving Chris Evans – and the pair go on a contracted killing spree that leaves 100 people dead and his domestic life in tatters. Director Vorman rachets up the tension admirably and a fine supporting cast including David Schwimmer and James Franco add texture. It is Shannon’ s central performance, a classy turn in a classy mob thriller with favourable echoes of Goodfellas that really makes this gripping though. Opens June 7
IN LOVE( 15) Ensemble artsy drama with some great performances from Greg Kinnear, Lily Collins, Jennifer Connolly and a cameo from Stephen King. SUMMER IN FEBRUARY( 15) Downton’ s Dan Stevens stars in this drama about the Lamorna Group of artists and their tangled love lives as the First World War approaches. Quite good. A HAUNTED HOUSE( 15) Misogynist‘ comedy’ in the style of Scary Movie. Appalling. SNITCH( 12A) The Rock does some acting in this apparently true life story of a bloke who went undercover for the DEA to save his son from prison. He’ s still all muscly though.
BUZZ 35