For up to date local cinema links and day-by-day listings of what’s showing on local screens every week visit the Virtual-Lancaster Cinema Page. Read on for the weekly round-up, and reviews.
We have four new releases during the coming week, animation with The House of Magic (U) and action/adventure with Hercules (12A), The Purge: Anarchy (15) and Guardians of the Galaxy (12A).
The films Tammy and Jersey Boys are no longer being screened. Also it seems likely that we are soon to loose 22 Jump Street and The Fault in our Stars. However to compensate this week provides another chance to catch The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Rio 2 and Postman Pat: The Movie.
This is a poor period for high culture. However of interest is the Dukes screening of Richard Linklater epic Boyhood. This is a film that took twelve years to make as it follows the development of a man from infancy to adulthood.
Reviews
22 Jump Street
Director: Phil Lord and Chris Miller
Certificate: 15
Cast Includes: Jonah Hill, Peter Stormare, Channing Tatum, Amber Stevens, Ice Cube
The movie finds Police officers Schmidt (Hill) and Jenko (Tatum)
working undercover at a local college to investigate supply of an
illegal drug. Actually the movie is a deliberate re-hash of the earlier
’21 Jump Street’, but this still makes it a zany comedy with humour
ranging from slapstick thought parody to the surreal. Well rated and
very enjoyable.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Director: Matt Reeves
Certificate: 12A
Cast includes: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell
This movie is already proving a success at the US box office and has
the makings of a summer blockbuster. The film is set a decade after
‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’. Much of humanity has been wiped out
following an outbreak of an artificial virus which killed humans yet
increased the intelligence of apes. Human and ape live in a state of
fragile peace and the film explores the conflict that arises when the
humans try to start a hydroelectric dam that is located in the apes
territory. The first part of the movie builds the characters of both
humans and apes and later there are very impressive special effects as
hostilities commence between the two sides. Both apes and humans have
understandable motives and thus the film is much more than a simple war
between right and wrong. An excellent movie.
Earth to Echo
Director: Dave Green
Certificate: PG
Cast includes: Teo Halm, Ella Linnea Wahlestedt, Reese C. Hartwig, Jason Gray-Stanford
A construction project is destroying a neighbourhood when a group of
friends start to receive strange signals on their phones. They search
for the origin of the signals and discover an alien who has become
trapped on earth. The film tells the story of the youngsters as they
battle the government and help the alien return to his home. It is hard
not to compare this film with ‘E.T.’ However the movie is really about
the youthful friendships rather than an extra-terrestrial. A
entertaining if rather average family film.
Frozen
Director: Chris Buck
Certificate PG
Cast Includes Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad,Alan Tudyk, Jonathan Groff
This Disney musical animation is loosely based on the fairy tale ‘The
Snow Queen’ who has condemned a kingdom to eternal winter. It is up to
Anna (sister to the snow queen) and a loner Kristoff to undertake an
epic journey to find the Snow Queen and convince her to lift the icy
spell. This is a magical movie destined to become a classic. It will
appeal to families and children of all ages.
Maleficent
Director: Robert Stromberg
Certificate: PG
Cast Includes: Angelina Jolie, Miranda Richardson, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley, Sam Riley
In part a re-telling of the tale of sleeping beauty but from the
point of view of the villain of the story, Maleficent (Jolie).
Maleficent was driven to evil following an act of betrayal which cost
her the ability to fly. She battles to save her shadowy forest kingdom
and plots revenge by placing a curse on the infant Aurora (Fanning),
daughter to the king. Aurora herself becomes caught in the conflict
between forest and human kingdoms. This is a rather dark fantasy for a
Disney film, but a great tale with powerful characters and impressive
special effect.
Mrs Brown’s Boys D’Movie
Director: Ben Kellett
Certificate: 15
Cast includes: Brendan O’Carroll
Agnes Brown (O’Carroll) is a market trader who finds her livelihood
under threat from a property developer. Supported by her family she
embarks on a crusade to save her stall. This is a movie adaption of the
well known and much loved BBC comedy and the film was extremely
successful in its opening weekend. This is a very capable comedy that
captures the spirit of the TV series.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Director: Marc Webb
Certificate: 12A
Cast Includes: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Paul Giamatti, Jamie Foxx
Garfield plays the role of Peter Parker and his alter-ego Spider-Man.
He must defeat Max Dillon (Foxx) who becomes transformed into the
super-villain Electro, in order to save New York. The strength of the
Spider man franchise lies in the tribulations of his juggling his role
as super-hero with the more mundane aspects of is life and his
relationship with girlfriend Gwen Stacy (Stone). With jokes, special
effects and love interest this is a worthy sequel in the Spider-Man
series.
The Fault in our Stars
Director: Josh Boone
Certificate: 12A
Cast Includes: Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Laura Dern, Nat Wolff, Mike Birbiglia, Willem Dafoe
A romance between Hazel (Woodley) and Gus (Elgort), teenagers who
have just months to live when they meet at a cancer support group. The
movie is based on the best selling novel by John Green and it is
predominantly aimed at a young adult audience. With an excellent
dialogue the film is a very moving love story that could easily leave
you in tears.