Theater Camp: Disney+ Review

Cast: Molly Gordon, Ben Platt, Jimmy Tatro, Noah Galvin, Ayo Edebiri
Director: Molly Gordon, Nick Lieberman

At times feeling like an anarchic episode of Glee, Theater Camp's mix of mockumentary and neuroses channels a great deal of Christopher Guest-style improving as directors Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman extend out their original short film.

When the founder of a New York theatre stage camp collapses into a coma after one strobe light too many at Bye Bye Birdie, the staff of AdirondACTS must band together to pull through one more summer of tutoring. 

With vlogger Troy (Tatro) at the helm of the business, things look to be going disastrously for the camp's future - is this the final curtain?

There's plenty in Theater Camp which offers scrappy laughs a-plenty every 30 seconds or so.

Whether it's the high performing needs of the tutors, or the sweet ineptitude of Troy's desire to help, Theater Camp's mockumentary stylings, complete with sardonic inserted title cards, proves to be an amusing look at the world of the arts.

Granted, those who're blessed with jazz hands will get a great deal from the snarky one-liners and the catty comments from the tutors about their wannabe proteges, but that's not to say Theater Camp isn't inclusive to all-comers.

But it's not perfect.

After a blistering opening act though, Theater Camp suffers a bit of a second act slump before pulling it all together for a rousing finale. It's perhaps indicative how energetic and frenetic the opening is and how the gags are fired out.

In parts, some of the characters are one-note and their arcs feel a little rushed or left withering on the vine - Gordon and Platt are the stars as the teachers whose years-old bond is rattled and whose journey feels the most complete.

However, this mix of precocious children, catty tutors and inept YouTubers has a chaotic energy throughout and with genuinely laugh-out loud oneliners sprinkled generously throughout, the genial Theater Camp's 90 minutes flies by as a solidly amusing addition to the pantheon of mockumentary workplace comedies.

Merry Little Batman: Review

Cast: Luke Wilson, James Cromwell, Yonas Kibreab
Director: Mike Roth

You'd be hard pressed to see a more joyous take on Batman as this 90 minute Warner Bros Animation outing.

Set on Christmas Eve, Merry Little Batman follows young eight year old Damian Wayne (a pitch perfect Kibreab) who's left at home at Wayne Manor when his dad Batman (Luke Wilson) is called away on an  investigation, some 50 days after he seemingly cleaned up Gotham of all its criminals.

Desperate to be like his father, Damian finds his chance unexpectedly when criminals break into his home - can he step up to be the Batman?

Merry Little Batman starts off like a riff on Home Alone, before widening its scope to reveal the consequences of Batman ridding Gotham of its hoodlum element and crafting a story that's more about familial bonds and relationships.

Roth's frenetic pace takes a little bit to get used to initially and a distinctive animation style seems to mesh early Addams Family designs with the traditional Batman gloom. From Wilson's overprotective father who worries about his son being orphaned like he was to Kibreab's sheer enthusiasm for his Wayne who wants to step out of the shadows, Merry Little Batman is an animated pearler of a movie that freshens up the tired vibe of the gloom and doom of the tortured Bat-world.

Kibreab in particular does much to gel this together - his over-zealous child meshes both innocence and being on the cusp of growing up away from family in a truly sweet turn that plays with, rather than on, the relationship between a father and son.

There are important messages within Merry Little Batman of kinship, of family and of growing up, but not once ever does it become didactic. Roth keeps the tone light when necessary and allows the message to organically grow throughout - it's a delightful film that shines a light on Batman in ways that the pantheon of Bat-outings has failed to do for decades. 

Bathed in joy, Merry Little Batman is a delight.

Merry Little Batman is streaming now on Prime Video.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom: Movie Review 

Cast: Jason Momoa, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Nicole Kidman, Amber Heard, Randall Park, Dolph Lundgren
Director: James Wan

It's not that the final DC film before a complete reboot is an utter disaster - more that it feels like a tonal mess of badly done CGI and poorly constructed plot that doesn't quite know what it wants to be.

Part buddy comedy, part revenge thriller, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom finds Jason Momoa's Arthur Curry wrestling two roles - that of father to a new child with king of Atlantis. But when Abdul-Mateen II's Manta returns with vengeance on his mind, and armed with a Black Trident that has a portal to a long-hidden Atlantis kingdom, Curry has his work cut out - and must turn to his brother Orm (Wilson, in great straight guy mode) for help.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has moments when its Jules Verne / Irwin Allen vibes prove to lead much of the energy of the film. While parts of its underwater world feel like poorly executed pre-release versions of the Avatar films, there's an inherent wackiness and silliness that benefits the general tone of the movie.

Momoa leans into the comedic elements well, allowing his charisma and enthusiasm to shine - his Robert Downey Jr Iron Man moment at the end being a highlight. In truth, initial sequences involving Orm's breakout from a desert prison and subsequent reunion sparkle with comedic moments and general odd couple atmospherics.

But Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is not helped by weak-looking CGI that offers no real point of difference and brings no sense of vibrancy to life under the sea. There's also a lack of any real emotional heft throughout as well, with many characters reduced to muted moments, or in Amber Heard's case, muted throughout for reasons that feel like reshoots or weakly scripted scenes.

Parts of the film feel like a PlayStation 3 era video game that was rush-released, something that's little helped by the terrible acting of Lundgren throughout as Curry's father King Nereus. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will appeal to the younger end of the audience when its silliness becomes more evident, but in truth, it appears only Momoa and Wilson are having fun here, with Wan seeming unsure how to thread the various CGI scenes together.

While not a complete disaster, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom should perhaps prove to be a full stop to the superhero bloat that has riddled cinemas this year. It will draw a line under the various failings of the DC Extended Universe, but there are frustrations that this final film could have been more of a spectacular outing that shows off the emotional depth and fun of the characters involved, instead of a damp squib of a cinematic outing.

What's on Disney+ in January

Here’s everything coming to Disney+ in January 2024.

10 January

Marvel Studios’ Echo -Disney+ Original Series

Premiere

Marvel Studios presents “Echo” spotlighting Maya Lopez as she is pursued by Wilson Fisk’s criminal empire. When the journey brings her home, she must confront her own family and legacy.

16 January

Death and Other Details

Star Original Series

Premiere

Set amidst the glamour of the global elite, “Death and Other Details” centres on the brilliant and restless Imogene Scott (Violett Beane), who finds herself in the wrong place/wrong time (okay, it was kinda her fault) and becomes the prime suspect in a locked room murder mystery. The setting? A lavishly restored Mediterranean ocean liner. Suspects? Every pampered guest and every exhausted crew member. The problem? To prove her innocence, she must partner with a man she despises—Rufus Cotesworth (Mandy Patinkin), the world’s greatest detective.

10 January

Bob’s Burgers: Season 14

Star Series

Premiere

Bob Belcher is a third-generation restaurateur who runs Bob's Burgers with his loving wife and their three children. Bob believes his burgers speak for themselves and isn't afraid to offer a variety of off-beat creations. Bob's wife, Linda, supports his dream but is becoming sick of the slow times, as the restaurant is constantly in danger of going out of business. Despite the challenges, which includes consistent harassment from Linda's ex -- a health inspector -- Bob tries to keep the grill sizzling.

24 January

A Real Bug’s Life

Disney+ Original Series

Premiere

Inspired by the World of Disney and Pixar's “A Bug's Life,” the new Disney+ Original Series from National Geographic, A REAL BUG’S LIFE, is an incredible adventure into nine different micro bug worlds around the globe, where the forces of nature play out on a miniature scale and where tiny creatures rely on amazing powers and extraordinary alliances to make it through each day. The stakes are high … even if the critters are extraordinarily small. With new developments in filming technology and narrated by fun and witty guide Awkwafina, follow the incredible stories of the tiny heroes living in worlds beyond the imagination — from a jumping spider looking for a home on the streets of New York to a Costa Rican orchid bee’s first day on the job making perfume! Full of mind-blowing new behaviours and larger-than-life characters, this family-friendly series shows that A REAL BUG’S LIFE can be every bit as fantastical as any animated film.

Also in January…

3 January

Star Original

International

Ishura: Season 1

5 January

Special

Truth and Lies: The Last Gangster

10 January

Star Original

The Secret Life of Dancing Dogs: Season 1

11 January

Star Original

Daughters of the Cult: Season 1

17 January

Disney+ Original

International

It Was Always Me: Season 2

Star Original

International

A Shop for Killers: Season 1

Series

Marvel's Spidey and His Amazing Friends: Season 3

Me & Winnie the Pooh: Season 1

Lost Cities Revealed with Albert Lin: Season 1

America's Funniest Home Videos: Season 24-26

Air Crash Investigation: Season 5, 7, 19, 20|

Wicked Tuna: Season 11, 12

19 January

Star Original

International

Cristobal Balenciaga: Season 1

22 January

Star Original

Superhot: The Spicy World of Pepper People: Season 1

23 January

Short

The Last Repair Shop

24 January

Series

Drain the Oceans: Season 2, 3, 4, 5

Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted Showdown: Season 1

Secrets of the Zoo: Season 2, 3, 4, 5

Family Guy: Season 21: New Episodes

27 January

Star Original

International

Flex X Cop: Season 1

31 January

Disney+ Original 

Choir: Season 1

A Hero’s Journey: The Making of Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Echo

Series

Secrets of the Zoo: North Carolina: Season 1

Secrets of the Zoo: Tampa: Season 1-4

Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks Showdown: Season 1

New Episodes

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Season 1 New episodes weekly on Wednesdays, finale 31 January

BTS Monuments: Beyond the Star: Season 1 2 x new episodes weekly on Wednesdays, finale 10 January

The Simpsons: Season 35 New episodes weekly on Wednesdays

Tell Me That You Love Me: Season 1 2 x new episodes weekly on Mondays and Tuesdays, finale 17 January

Undead Unluck: Season 1 New episodes weekly on Wednesdays

Maestra: Strings of Truth: Season 1 2 x new episodes weekly on Saturdays and Sundays, finale 15 January

Dragons of Wonderhatch: Season 1 New episodes weekly on Wednesdays, finale 24 January

Hamster & Gretel: Season 1 7 x new episodes 10 January

Alice's Wonderland Bakery: Season 2 8 x new episodes 24 January

Synduality Noir: Season 1 New episodes weekly on Tuesdays

What's on Netflix in January

Here's everything streaming on Netflix in January.

BOY SWALLOWS UNIVERSE

Premieres on January 11, 2024 

An epic coming-of-age story set in 1980s Brisbane that blends the magic and innocence of youth with the brutal reality of the adult world. A lost father, a mute brother, a recovering addict mum, a heroin dealer for a stepfather, and a notorious criminal for a babysitter. Eli Bell is just trying to follow his heart and understand what it means to become a good man, but fate keeps throwing obstacles in his way.

Adapted from Trent Dalton’s iconic Australian novel, Boy Swallows Universe explores the crossroads where a boy becomes a man, good toys with evil, and the everyday meets the extraordinary.

Starring: Travis Fimmel, Phoebe Tonkin, Simon Baker, Bryan Brown, Anthony LaPaglia, Sophie Wilde and introducing: Felix Cameron, Lee Tiger Halley and Zac Burgess

GRISELDA

Premieres on January 25, 2024

Griselda is inspired by the life of the savvy and ambitious Colombian Griselda Blanco, who created one of the most profitable cartels in history. In 1970s-80s Miami, Blanco’s lethal blend of unsuspected savagery and charm helped her expertly navigate between business and family, leading her to become widely known as “the Godmother."  

Starring: Sofía Vergara, Alberto Guerra, Christian Tappan, Martín Rodríguez, Juliana Aidén Martinez, Vanessa Ferlito

GYEONGSEONG CREATURE PART 2

Premieres on January 5, 2024

Gyeongseong, 1945. In Seoul's grim era under colonial rule, an entrepreneur and a sleuth fight for survival and face a monster born out of human greed. 

Starring: Park Seo-jun, Han So-hee, Claudia Kim

THE BROTHERS SUN

Premieres on January 4, 2024

When a mysterious enemy targets his family, a Taipei triad member heads to Los Angeles to protect his strong-willed mother and oblivious younger brother.

Starring: Michelle Yeoh, Justin Chien, Sam Song Li 

SOCIETY OF THE SNOW

Premieres on January 4, 2024

In 1972, a Uruguayan flight crashed in the remote heart of the Andes, forcing survivors to become each other's best hope. A film by J.A. Bayona.

Starring: Enzo Vogrincic, Agustín Pardella, Matías Recalt

LIFT

Premieres on January 12, 2024

A professional thief and his expert crew attempt the ultimate heist: stealing $500 million in gold from a vault on a plane — 40,000 feet in the air.

Starring: Kevin Hart, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Vincent D'Onofrio 

GOOD GRIEF

Premieres on January 5, 2024

An artist grieving the loss of his beloved writer husband takes his two best friends on a trip to Paris, where they unpack messy secrets and hard truths.

Starring: Daniel Levy, Ruth Negga, Luke Evans, Himesh Patel

QUEER EYE: SEASON 8

Premieres on January 24, 2024

The Fab Five return to the city of New Orleans to jazz up the lives of their heroes — one emotional makeover at a time.

Starring: Jonathan Van Ness, Bobby Berk, Karamo Brown, Antoni Porowski, Tan France 

ALEXANDER THE GREAT

Premieres on January 31, 2024

Combining expert interviews with gripping reenactments, this docudrama explores the life of Alexander the Great through his conquest of the Persian Empire.

JACK WHITEHALL: SETTLE DOWN

Premieres on January 30, 2024

A new special from Jack Whitehall.

MABOROSHI

Premieres on January 15, 2024

A factory explosion plunges a small town into a timeless freeze, leaving 14-year-old Masamune and his pals to grapple with a quickly collapsing reality.

Starring: Junya Enoki, Reina Ueda, Misaki Kuno 

SONIC PRIME: CHAPTER 3

Premieres on January 11, 2024

After Nine steals the Paradox Prism to create a world all for himself, Sonic must team up with unlikely allies to protect the universe as he knows it.

Starring: Deven Mack, Ashleigh Ball, Brian Drummond

Fool Me Once 1/1/2024 Great Britain When ex-soldier Maya sees her murdered husband on a secret nanny cam, she uncovers a deadly conspiracy that stretches deep into the past.

The Brothers Sun 4/1/2024 United States When a mysterious enemy targets his family, a Taipei triad member heads to Los Angeles to protect his strong-willed mother and oblivious younger brother.

Gyeongseong Creature Part 2 5/1/2024 South Korea Gyeongseong, 1945. In Seoul's grim era under colonial rule, an entrepreneur and a sleuth fight for survival and face a monster born out of human greed. 

The Trust: A Game of Greed 10/1/2024 United States In this reality series, strangers living in a luxurious mansion compete for $250,000. Will they split it — or cut each other out to raise their share?

Boy Swallows Universe 11/1/2024 Australia A young boy growing up in the suburbs of 1980s Brisbane faces the harsh realities of life — and the looming dangers that threaten his family.

Champion 11/1/2024 Great Britain Rapper Bosco is free from prison and ready for a comeback — until his sister Vita steps into the spotlight and puts their family bond to the test.

Love Is Blind: Sweden 12/1/2024 Sweden The unique dating experiment lands in Sweden as local singles seek true love and propose marriage — all before seeing each other in person.

End of the Line 17/1/2024 Brazil Ivan, a clandestine van driver, navigates the end of his marriage and daily challenges with humor in this quirky comedy series featuring a live audience.

Love on the Spectrum U.S: Season 2 19/1/2024 United States Single people with autism — including new romantic hopefuls and familiar faces — search for the perfect partner in this dating docuseries.

Captivating the King 20/1/2024 South Korea Captivating the King draws the cruel love story between King Lee In, who is in danger of both royal and political power struggles, and Kang Hee Soo, who tries to seduce the King and get revenge, but gets seduced instead

Queer Eye: Season 8 24/1/2024 United States The Fab Five return to the city of New Orleans to jazz up the lives of their heroes — one emotional makeover at a time. 

Griselda 25/1/2024 United States A limited series inspired by the savvy and ambitious Colombian businesswoman Griselda Blanco, who created one of the most profitable cartels in history.

Masters of the Universe: Revolution 25/1/2024 United States The final installment of Kevin Smith's animated adult version of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.

Doctor Slump 28/1/2024 South Korea No synopsis available

Baby Bandito 31/1/2024 Chile After Kevin and his gang pull off Chile's biggest heist, reckless love — and social media — threatens to ruin everyone's fortunes. Inspired by real events.

Detective Forst COMING IN JANUARY Poland When a detective's maverick approach to investigating gets him fired, he teams up with a journalist to solve a series of brutal murders outside the law.

Kübra COMING IN JANUARY Turkey When a mechanic receives messages that seem to predict the future, he starts to believe he is speaking with God and quickly develops a following.

Society of the Snow 4/1/2024 Spain In 1972, a Uruguayan flight crashed in the remote heart of the Andes, forcing survivors to become each other's best hope. A film by J.A. Bayona.

Good Grief 5/1/2024 United States An artist grieving the loss of his beloved writer husband takes his two best friends on a trip to Paris, where they unpack messy secrets and hard truths.

Lift 12/1/2024 United States A professional thief and his expert crew attempt the ultimate heist: stealing $500 million in gold from a vault on a plane — 40,000 feet in the air.

Mi soledad tiene alas 19/1/2024 Spain With his estranged father's return, Dan's inner demons resurface, triggering a downward spiral. Can love save him from a tragic destiny?

Sixty Minutes 19/1/2024 Germany Desperate not to lose custody, a mixed martial arts fighter makes dangerous enemies when he ditches a matchup to race to his daughter's birthday party.

WIL 31/1/2024 Belgium Two young police officers find themselves torn between collaboration and resistance as they navigate the Nazi-occupied Antwerp during World War II

The Kitchen COMING IN JANUARY Great Britain Amid rising injustice and encroaching gentrification, a young boy finds community in the last place left for London's most disadvantaged residents.

Rachid Badouri: Les fleurs du tapis 18/1/2024 Canada The charismatic Quebecois comedian gets real on everything from meeting a racist fan to letting success go to his head in this candid stand-up special.

Jacqueline Novak: Get on Your Knees Standup Special WIP 23/1/2024 United States Comedian Jacqueline Novak weaves a philosophical story of her sexual coming-of-age in this wonderful blend of theatre and stand-up.

Jack Whitehall: Settle Down 30/1/2024 Great Britain A new special from Jack Whitehall.

Dusty Slay: Workin' Man COMING IN JANUARY United States Comedian Dusty Slay puts a relatable Southern spin on shirt-tucking, hipster coffee shops and country music mysteries in this upbeat stand-up special.

Bitconned 1/1/2024 United States In this true-crime documentary, three guys exploit the freewheeling cryptocurrency market to scam millions from investors and bankroll lavish lifestyles.

You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment 1/1/2024 United States Identical twins change their diets and lifestyles for eight weeks in a unique scientific experiment designed to explore how certain foods impact the body.

Break Point: Season 2 10/1/2024 Great Britain The world's top tennis players return to the courts and set their sights on glory once again during another grueling Grand Slam season.

Six Nations: Full Contact 24/1/2024 Great Britain Round by round, match by match, the best teams in Europe battle it out to take home the trophy in the 2023 Six Nations Championship.

Alexander the Great 31/1/2024 Great Britain Combining expert interviews with gripping reenactments, this docudrama explores the life of Alexander the Great through his conquest of the Persian Empire.

Sonic Prime: Chapter 3 11/1/2024 United States After Nine steals the Paradox Prism to create a world all for himself, Sonic must team up with unlikely allies to protect the universe as he knows it.

Not Quite Narwhal: Season 2 22/1/2024 United States From the ocean to the land, curious Kelp learns more about himself by going on fun-filled adventures with his unicorn friends and narwhal family.

Mighty Bheem's Playtime 29/1/2024 India When Mumma Bheem gets a new job as the palace Chef, it's time for Bheem to start school.

maboroshi 15/1/2024 Japan A factory explosion plunges a small town into a timeless freeze, leaving 14-year-old Masamune and his pals to grapple with a quickly collapsing reality.

The Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse: Part 1 31/1/2024 Japan As a prophesy of doom unfolds upon the peaceful land of Britannia, a pure-hearted boy sets out on a journey of discovery — and revenge.

Delicious in Dungeon COMING IN JANUARY Japan Dungeons, dragons… and delicious monster stew!? Adventurers foray into a cursed buried kingdom to save their friend, cooking up a storm along the way.

Dual 7/1/2024 United States After buying a clone to take her place, a woman facing a grim prognosis discovers that to carry on living, she'll have to fight her double to the death.

Alice 7/1/2024 United States After escaping a Georgia plantation, Alice makes a stunning discovery about the world and plots to exact revenge on the brutal man who enslaved her.

Minions: The Rise of Gru 14/1/2024 United States Rejected by his supervillain idols, 12-year-old Gru sets out to prove his despicable nature with the help of his bumbling team of Minions.

Freaks 17/1/2024 United States Hidden away by her eccentric father, a mysterious young girl uncovers frightening truths when she starts to make contact with the outside world.

The Forgiven 28/1/2024 United States A weekend getaway to Morocco takes an unexpected turn when a fatal car accident forces a married couple to confront their privilege and prejudice.

All of Us Strangers: Movie Review

Cast: Andrew Scott, Paul Mescal, Claire Foy, Jamie Bell

Director: Andy Haigh

A haunting and heartbreaking piece about what it means to be gay, All of Us Strangers draws an incredible performance out of Sherlock and Fleabag star Andrew Scott.

Scott is Adam, a writer who spends his days trying to concoct a screenplay while sequestered in his apartment in a high-rise building. With only one other inhabitant in the building, Adam's days are consumed with staring at a blank screen, watching daytime TV and consuming biscuits.

But when a fire alarm forces him out of the tower block building and he sights Paul Mescal's Harry, the two start a tentative relationship, which compels Adam to head back to see his parents (Foy and Bell) at his childhood home.

It's best to go into All of Us Strangers cold, as the screenplay, which bases itself on Strangers by Taichi Yamada, has a few twists and is open to much discussion post-viewing.

What's not up for discussion though is Scott's performance, an internalised slow-burn of a turn that delivers as much heartbreak as it does pain for Adam as he deals with his past, perceptions of how gay life was and is now and tries to negotiate his way in a world that changed within a generation.

A tale of grief and trauma, All of Us Strangers is tied together with some ethereal cinematography, a clever soundtrack that both signposts and propels the narrative and Scott's performance, which is largely done behind his eyes and whose subtleties mask an unenviable pain that can spin on a dime to joy as well. Scott is stunning in this - and while Mescal has picked up the chatter for his role, it's a lesser performance from him, but one that builds on the quiet accomplishments he imbued his character with in Aftersun.

Both Foy and Bell excel too, in largely sympathetic and empathetic performances as Adam's parents, echoing both the cares and concerns of families and expectations; there's much done with little here and it's incredibly moving to watch.

Ultimately, All of Us Strangers is a heartwarming and heartbreaking tale of human connection, of seeking to find answers in life and of finding love and peace within. Its ending will lead to plenty of discussion, thanks to breathtaking visuals and ideas that dabble in fantastical edges, but there's no mistaking All of Us Strangers will be part of the awards discussion come 2024.

Merry Christmas!

To everyone who has supported this site through the year, whether it's reading the pieces, supplying review content or just sharing it, it's time to say Thank you for your support in 2023, and also to wish you a Very Merry Christmas.

To those of you who read this site and find the season and time of year hard for whatever reason while everyone else seems to be having fun, please know you are seen, and it is to be hoped the season of peace.

To my missing Slinky, please know you are thought of every single day without fail or with tears.

Thank you all, and see you in 2024.

Ferrari: Movie Review

Cast: Adam Driver, Shailene Woodley, Penelope Cruz
Director: Michael Mann

Heat director Michael Mann's tale of the storm clouds gathering around Enzo Ferrari and his company is less about life on the track and more about one man's quest to get round a lap of his own life without smashing into any obstacles.

An impassive Driver, complete with House of Gucci accent, stars as Ferrari, against a backdrop of 1957 that sees financial ruin circling around his racing car world - and one that sees him forced into a confrontation with his wife Laura over his future.

But with Ferrari gambling everything on one last race and also his own empire's personal future, the noose grows tighter around his neck as a secret son, a marriage in its final days and a legacy all hang in the balance.

Ferrari is a dour affair, one that plays out more as a family drama with racing tacked on around the periphery. 

It's not a bad way to tell a story, but in Mann's execution, the air is let out of the tyres, and the cinematic car appears to be chugging when it should just be speeding along. Driver does nothing to endear the monstrous Ferrari to an audience, playing him as a Machiavellian plotter, pulling at the strings, but emotionally unable to face the consequences.

One scene sees a driver killed in an horrific crash at a test site, but rather than mourn Ferrari blames the driver, scolds his motivations and then in the same breath tells a hopeful driver to come see him on Monday for a job. The effect is obviously monstrous, and Driver's almost aloof countenance throughout helps seal Ferrari as less of an enigma and more of an abhorrent human above all else.

It's evident in the scenes with Cruz and Woodley too, with both having a different emotional edge, but with neither truly feeling like they gel. Woodley appears to have the bigger part, but then she dwindles out of existence in the script, a casualty of a character being reduced to a mechanic rather than a fully-fledged one.

There's too much of a casual approach deployed throughout - and while the racing scenes, with all their bluster and engine noise soar, much of the emotional drama feels too distant, too icy and too designed to engender indifference in the audience.

The narrative is too much of a spluttering engine to engage - it may have a high intensity in places, but Mann's inherent inability here to deploy that throughout proves to be a fatal flaw that confines this more to the pitlane than to a soaring chequered flag.

The Iron Claw: Movie Review

Cast: Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Lily James, Maura Tierney, Harris Dickinson, Holt McCallany
Director: Sean Durkin

An oddly emotionally muted movie despite its descent into tragedy, Sean Durkin's passion project about US wrestling family the Von Erichs feels less like the sum of its parts as it plays out.

A story about the rise and downfall of the Von Erich wrestling dynasty from the US in the 70s and the 80s, Martha Marcy May Marlene's director has his eye on the prize with The Iron Claw, but much of what befalls the family begins to feel like a dour, almost aloof distressing story that isn't quite matched by any signs of emotional toll onscreen.

What's interesting about this tale of the Iron Claw is just how many meanings it can have for the Von Erich clan.

The Iron claw is the patriarch's signature wrestling move, but it can also be applied to the hand of fate pressing down upon the family as well as the depression that forces Efron's Kevin into an almost catatonic state during the film. 

While Efron's outfitting leaves him looking like Lou Ferrigno on a bad day (complete with haircut), much will be made of his muscular stature and less on the mental state of his spiralling character. As Kevin begins to be beaten down by events in the wrestling ring, as well as the cruelty of his father's way of parenting, Efron does much behind the eyes to convey the distress and the doubt with equal aplomb.

From his father revealing to all the siblings they can all rank differently in his favourite stakes from their efforts to Kevin's frustration that no one will look after his brothers, Efron gets across both the stark pressure of fraternal responsibility and the desire to break free from a perceived curse.

Equally, The Bear's Jeremy Allen White provides solid support as the athlete forced to divert when the Olympics are canned; and Dickinson brings a quiet desperation to the sensitive Mike who's more interested in music than jackhammering his opposition.

Less successful in The Iron Claw though is some of the characterisation. From a woefully underused Lily James who goes from Texas rose love interest to putupon mum with depressing speed to the sidelined Tierney who delivers utter devastation in her role as the God-fearing mother who constantly has to grieve, The Iron Claw's script is less interested in tag teaming them in in favour of the male contingent of the story.

But perhaps that's the intention here - the unravelling of the Von Erich dynasty comes at the hands of the males. From the patriarch whose singular obsession to be the best has carried onto his progeny whether they want it or not to the brothers' bond, The Iron Claw is an examination in male bonding. 

It's a little heavy handed in the signposting as tragedy begins to bite (one scene sees someone warned to be careful just moments before something goes disastrously wrong) but Durkin's assured hand on proceedings makes the wrestling come to life (even with its fakeout trickery) and the era is evocatively captured.

Maybe the muted edges work better for The Iron Claw on reflection, but during its post 2 hour 10 runtime, it starts to feel like a dirge that's lacking an emotional heft while watching - certainly, given the speed in which some moments are summarily dismissed, it feels almost trite in its handling of tragedy. Its dramatic grip may not be as strong as its lead characters' signature move, but its tale of sadness and coping does give an emotional wrench when it needs to.

Anyone But You: Movie Review

Cast: Sydney Sweeney, Glen Powell, Rachel Griffiths, Alexandra Shipp, Dermot Mulroney, Bryan Brown, Michelle Hurd, GaTa
Director: Will Gluck

Less a romantic comedy and more an extended advert for Sydney's Opera House, director Will Gluck's Anyone But You is the kind of romcom they don't make anymore - and for good reason.

Euphoria star Sweeney plays accident prone Bea who finds her life turned upside down after an amazing first date scored by chance with Ben (Top Gun: Maverick's Powell). Six months later, the pair find themselves thrust back into each other's orbit at Bea's sister's wedding and forced to appear to be a couple.

It may have similar tones and intentions to one of Shakespeare's finest, but Anyone But You won't be remembered as a classic in years to come.

It's no real fault of the leading performers who debase themselves as much as the script requires them to do so - but more a problem of a film that goes for broad OTT comedy where nobody really acts like real people do. But then Gluck tries to inject human moments into the film which feel tonally at odds with proceedings.

It doesn't help that the film deals too much in broad strokes to ever feel like there are any real stakes throughout. An appalling stereotype of an Aussie bloke is also deployed, which feels at diametrically at odds with the extended sequences of obvious tourism carried out on behalf of the Sydney Opera House - it almost feels like Anyone But You doesn't know what it wants to be - or has any courage to try and find out.

Powell deploys the same kind of raffish charm and chiseled abs as he used in Top Gun: Maverick and Sweeney, hilariously described at one point as "the plump chested one with the sad eyes", slots neatly into her role as klutz lost career girl who doesn't know how to do anything but disappoint her family - it's all depressing low-hanging fruit material that's beneath the actors. While they have a degree of chemistry, the script doesn't play to their strengths, preferring to hold back when it should be braver. Much like the George Clooney/ Julia Roberts' stinker Ticket to Paradise, this is a film that settles for so little.

The end result is that Anyone But You is just pointlessly and endlessly bland - it could have had some real sparkle, and has moments that the promise bubbles to the surface.

But ultimately, despite the apparent star-wattage of its leads, thanks to lazy scripting, appalling stereotyping and an inherent desire to play it boringly safe, Anyone But You puts the nail in the coffin of 2023's depressingly average cinematic year.

Migration: Movie Review

Vocal cast: Kumail Nanjiani, Elizabeth Banks, Awkwafina, Keegan-Michael Key, Danny DeVito

Director: Benjamin Renner, Guylo Homsy

Illumination's latest movie may start off with a very family-led story, but it's not long before the madcap antics the studio's been associated with before come to the fore.

Silicon Valley's Nanjiani plays Mack Mallard, an anxious father of a brood of mallard ducks who spend every year in the same pond during Migration season. However, Mack's wife Pam (Banks, in a peppy turn) longs to have an adventure and see the world.

One day, when Mack gets a glimpse into his potentially frightening future, he decides to gather up the family and head out for the migration season - but the family end up in a whirlwind of adventure and misfortune.

Migration has a slow burn appeal that's led by the geniality of its cast, and which is nearly toppled by the banality of its premise.

Yet once the mallards leave the pond, the film embraces its episodic structure and throws together something that both brings the humour and the darker edges that a story about a family afraid to fly the coop should offer.

It helps that Nanjiani's mix of both awkwardness and anxiety coalesce well with his warmth as an actor, giving his father figure an understandable concern about loss, separation and wanting to protect others.

It also helps that Illumination provides both the requisite amount of sight gags and some unexpected laughs throughout a series of unexpected confrontations and the anthropomorphising of many of the animals throughout; Awkwafina's New York pigeon being one of the highlights.

Blessed with a soaring score and a keen sense of brevity, Migration feels like it hits the family viewing holiday sweet spot - it may not linger massively in the memory once it's done, but it does prove to be an enjoyable time as it plays out.

The Color Purple: Movie Review

Cast: Danielle Brooks, Fantasia Barrino, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, Taraji P Henson, Halle Bailey
Director: Blitz Bazawule

There's an unevenness to the 2023 remake of The Color Purple, the latest adaptation of Alice Walker's 1982 novel and the stage version that graced Broadway.

While the cinematic version leans more heavily on the musical side of proceedings and can be relied on to implicitly capture both the aesthetics and the atmospherics of Georgia and black culture, much of what transpires feels almost sluggish and an endurance rather than a cathartic experience.

While it begins with the sisterhood of Celie and Nettie, the film soon flips into the story of Celie and her years of misery at the hands of an abusive husband and pining for the children she was forced to give away when she was younger.

As Celie endures years of abuse and unhappiness while married to Mister, The Color Purple finds fantastical escape from her suffering with some truly soulful numbers and offers her the chance of escape in fleeting friendships and visitations.

But at times, The Color Purple is more interested in shying away from some of the harsher truths, and while understandably over its 140 minute run time any continued and sustained abuse could be both triggering and a slog, there's also a feeling that director Bazawule is sanitising some of the proceedings and hiding from the reality of Walker's novel.

With blues and roots music playing a big part of the film, The Color Purple's occasionally escapist musical scenes burst with vibrancy and urgency. Perhaps some of that is due to Henson's OTT turn as the peacocking singer Shug who whips up an otherworldliness when she arrives in Celie's world, like a flame on a long dark night.

Ultimately, The Color Purple feels restrained and suffers from narrative issues inherent to most musicals (the disappearance of key cast members without a trace, the neatly bow-tied resolutions of all story lines), leaving what could have been a truly powerful affair feeling more desperately muted than it ever should have been.

One Life: Movie Review

Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Johnny Flynn, Romola Garai, Helena Bonham-Carter
Director: James Hawes

Sometimes, conventional is no bad thing.

Certainly in the case of director James Hawes' somewhat formulaic One Life, there's no flashiness and a resolute determination to stick solely to the story in what is an involving tale of how one man made a difference to many lives during the Nazi invasion.

While many will read that and think of Oskar Schindler, One Life is actually the story of British humanitarian Nicholas Winton, played in present day by Sir Anthony Hopkins and in flashbacks by Johnny Flynn.

When Winton heads to Prague in December 1938, he's shocked to see the horror befalling those fleeing from the slowly spreading tentacles of Hitler's hate. Galvanised into action and roping his mother (Bonham-Carter) in from the UK, Winton starts to facilitate their mass exodus.

In current day Britain, the now elderly Winton struggles to adjust to late life, being urged to sort his affairs out before the birth of his grandchild. It's not the most compelling of threads for a present day setting in truth, but it allows the audience to connect with Winton thanks to Hopkins' quiet venerable performance. 

It also allows for a reconstruction of a real life TV revelation of Winton's unassuming heroics, in scenes that only the hardest of hearts will struggle to be not affected by.

More watchable given the parallels to current refugee worries across the world is the 1938 Prague timeline as the clock ticks on those stuck as war edges ever closer. While this is perhaps where the film is at its most formulaic, it's also true the tension elicited is more tangible as the trauma becomes reality.

However, there are moments when Dawes seems to shy away from the truth of what's unfolding and where the story feels sanitised or bogged down with exposition. That's not to dull its outcome, more a realisation that there's power in the story that feels like it's being dimmed by the direction.

Ultimately One Life is an incredibly worthy story, that's told in an incredibly business-like way - it's affecting, granted, and pertinent to our current times and the repetition of dictator beats, but this period tale could have soared when instead, it only just flies.

Doctor Who: The Church on Ruby Road: Review

This latest Christmas special for Doctor Who is in many ways a reset for the show, a jumping on point for new fans who've been taken in by the Disney+ involvement in the long-running series.

It's also a signal of intent from showrunner Russell T Davies about the future direction of the series - but it's also a true Christmas episode that's less interested in serious edges, preferring to let the excesses of the season paper over some of the sillier portions of the story.

Mixing Gremlins with a tale of foster children, The Church on Ruby Road marks the introduction of Millie Gibson's Ruby Sunday, a foundling whose heritage is a mystery (perhaps a sign of a series' arc being laid down by Davies). On Christmas Eve, after a series of bad luck moments, Ruby meets Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor and ends up on a collision course with a ship in the sky populated by goblins...

It's obvious where The Church on Ruby Road is going with its opening lines "Once upon a time"; the show's headed to fantasy, and elements of Time Bandits mix with the bluster and silliness of a Gremlins-styled chicanery throughout.

But in the middle of this fast-paced seasonal romp, it quickly becomes very clear that Davies' penchant for writing real characters in real social situations hasn't lost any of its edge.

From Ruby's mum being a foster parent to many children through to another mention of The Timeless Child mythology, Davies' quick carefree approach to coloring the characters and their backstories is obvious from the beginning. 

It's a welcome touch but throughout the episode, all eyes are really on Gatwa and Gibson.

Gatwa chiefly owns the screen from the start, carrying on the charisma that was obvious in The Giggle and presenting a Doctor who can go through a range of emotions and manic behaviours in just seconds, while continuing to command the mavity of a situation. But he's now also a Doctor who's most adept at human interaction, who's at ease with himself (largely) and less encumbered with his past. 

As a result, it feels like Doctor Who has become a more caring and compassionate show that weaves its strongest tales from a family dynamic and from a friendship.

Equally, while Gibson's Ruby will draw comparisons to Billie Piper's Rose given her no-nonsense approach to life in general, there's a sense she as she says is "still waiting for my life to begin" but is willing to try anything to kickstart it. Gibson's by turns, punkish, feisty and vulnerable - a perfect foil for the Doctor's companion.

While The Church on Ruby Road is not flawless (its resolution ultimately feels rushed), it is the perfect addition to the excesses of the Christmas season - an adventure that doesn't require too much from its viewers, but signals the show's intentions when it returns in 2024.

The Church on Ruby Road airs on the BBC on December 25, and on Disney+ worldwide from December 26.

What's on Shudder in January

Here's everything streaming on Shudder in January.

Destroy All Neighbors – Shudder Original Film

Streaming Exclusively on Shudder

Premieres Friday 12 January

William Brown, a neurotic, self-absorbed musician determined to finish his prog-rock magnum opus, faces a creative roadblock in the form of a noisy and grotesque neighbour named Vlad. Finally working up the nerve to demand that Vlad keep it down, William inadvertently decapitates him. But, while attempting to cover up one murder, William’s accidental reign of terror causes victims to pile up and become undead corpses who torment and create more bloody detours on

his road to prog-rock Valhalla. Destroy All Neighbors is a twisted splatter-comedy about a deranged journey of self-discovery full of goopy practical FX, a well-known ensemble cast, and LOTS of blood.

Starring Jonah Ray Rodrigues (Mystery Science Theater 3000) and Alex Winter (Bill and Ted franchise).

Suitable Flesh – Shudder Exclusive Film

Streaming Exclusively on Shudder

Premieres Friday 26 January

Psychiatrist Elizabeth Derby becomes obsessed with helping a young patient who's suffering from extreme personality disorder. However, it soon leads her into occult danger as she tries to escape from a horrific fate. Starring Heather Graham (Boogie Nights) and Barbara Crampton (Superhost).

The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula – Shudder Original

Series

Streaming Every Tuesday Exclusively on Shudder

Season Finale on 16 January

Horror’s new icons The Boulet Brothers are on the hunt to find the world’s next drag monster superstar in this brand new, star-studded fifth season of their hit reality competition show. With new competitors, their challenges, special effects makeup, costumes, and performances, it promises to be truly terrifying and out-of-this-world.

NEW ADDITIONS TO SHUDDER’S FILM LIBRARY

1 January

Possession (1981)

A woman starts exhibiting increasingly disturbing behavior after asking her husband for a divorce. Suspicions of infidelity soon give way to something much more sinister.

Tower Block

Several months after witnessing a murder, residents of Tower Block 31 find themselves being picked off by a sniper, pitting those lucky enough to be alive into a battle for survival.

Homebound

A trip to the countryside turns out to be far from idyllic for a father and his new fiancée when his kids decide the house is a little too crowded.

8 January

Swallowed

Follows two best friends on their final night together, with a nightmare of drugs, bugs and horrific intimacy.

The Outwaters

Four travellers encounter menacing phenomena while camping in a remote stretch of the Mohave Desert.

15 January

The Passenger

A man is forced to face his fears and confront his troubled past. He must find a way to survive when his co-worker snaps and goes on a violent killing spree.

Next Exit

Two unhappy strangers find themselves on a road trip across the U.S. to partake in a scientist’s radical experiment with the afterlife.

18 January

Sympathy for the Devil

After being forced to drive a mysterious passenger at gunpoint, a man finds himself in a high-stakes game of cat and mouse where it becomes clear that not everything is as it seems.

22 January

The Beta Test

An engaged Hollywood agent receives a mysterious letter for an anonymous sexual encounter and becomes ensnared in a sinister world of lying, infidelity and digital data.  

Christmas 2023 Gift guide recommendations

With just a week before Christmas, the pressure is on to get it all prepped.

Here are some gift recommendations within the Entertainment and gaming sphere that could help.

(Note - some of the listed items have been sent to Darren's World of Entertainment for use and trial).

PlayStation Plus membership

PlayStation's subscriber service has run for many years now, with many gamers getting the benefit of accessing regular games and optional services for higher subscription levels.

While it's fair to note that the price for the basic level has gone up amid complaints the service isn't offering the value in terms of access to monthly games of quality, paying just a little more for the higher tiers provides more value.

Taking a leaf out of the Xbox Game Pass service to a degree, a major bonus is the access to the catalogue and trials which allow you to play from the depth of the catalogue and from Sony's vaults.

Plans range from $126 a year to $250; monthly options are also available.

Xbox Game Pass membership

While there's always a rivalry between PlayStation and Xbox as far as its community is concerned, it's worth noting this subscription service continues to grow in value thanks to its access to Day One releases of big titles on Xbox.

Over the past year there has been an increase in the depth and range of the catalogue as well as the chance to play big release games like Starfield from Day One thanks to a membership.

It's the range of the catalogue here that gives PlayStation a run for its money, and while titles are being added throughout the months, it's the simple fact that subscribers can play big games at the same time as everyone else that the service is growing in popularity.

Xbox Game Pass prices start from $12.95 a month

Technics A800 

When it comes to headphones and wireless earbuds, the market is awash with product all fighting for your hard-earned cash.

The Technics A800 over ear headphones give wireless noise cancelling requirements a run for their money, with high-res audio and a comfort fit good enough reason to see you use them for the 50plus hours Technics claims you can use them for. It's about immersion of sound, and these headphones deliver.

With seamless switching to flick between work, music and calls, there's really no need to use any other headphones or headsets for your daily life.

Technics AZ60M2 

Wireless earbuds offer much these days, but the Technics range has been working on ensuring premium call quality as well as musical audio fidelity.

With a simple press of touch sensors and an app on your phone, the control of these sleek earbuds is in your hand in more ways than one. 

Offering up to 24 hours of battery time with noise-cancelling features engaged, these are earbuds to use for the whole day rather than just for a few work elements - Technics has always been ahead of the game, and with minor tweaks in their technology that have significant impact throughout, the bar has clearly been raised.

Technics AZ60M2 retail from $250

Ooni pizza oven

Finally as New Zealand's summer kicks into gear, the idea of outdoor entertaining is back on the menu. 

Ooni's Pizza oven may predominantly only cook pizzas (you can do wraps at a push), but given how quickly they're done while connected to the gas, they're essential for bigger gatherings where you want to spend time entertaining rather than worrying about catering.

From under 2 minutes, the oven can fire out a pizza and for families that like to eat together the idea of prepping taking longer than cooking is not a bad thing at all.

Ooni's Karu 12 pizza oven retails from $599.

JBL Boombox 3

A ghettoblaster that's just a Wifi speaker in many ways, the chunky JBL Boombox 3 weighs in at over 6.7kg, but produces a sound as big as its weight.

While speakers on the side vibrate with the music's bass as it sounds off, the kit gives out a cool quivering look as the Boombox 3 sits on a table. It's enough to ensure it's the life of a party, but given its hefty price tag, you may be asking people to bring a plate to any do you throw over summer.

JBL Boombox 3 retails from $650

PlayStation Pulse Explore Earbuds

Moving into the wireless world and taking examples from the Pulse headphones, PlayStation's first foray into this techno world are all about boosting the gaming experience.

Using planar magnetic drivers, the cool white earbuds channel deep bass to help you feel each epic in-game encounter.

Comfortable and lightweight, these can not only be used for gaming but also everyday life should you want to as well, thanks to clear, crisp audio and a solid microphone.

Perhaps the only downside is the battery life - but as with most technology these days, it's a stumbling block every provider has to overcome.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2

A PlayStation 5 exclusive that packs in both the fun of Spidey and the 21st century sensibilities of Miles Morales and the widening Spidey Universe, Insomniac Games' sequel is well worth swinging out and buying.

Packing in fan villain favourite Venom and a deep storyline of acceptance and growth, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 doesn't get wrapped up in just its story - its in-game mechanics of swinging and web-slinging are also masses of fun and may see you wanting to keep playing long after the main storyline is wrapped up.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is exclusive to PlayStation.

The Flash: Blu Ray Review

Cast: Ezra Miller, Michael Keaton, Ben Affleck

Director: Andrew Muschietti

There's a certain cheekiness running through the first half of The Flash, a superhero film that's greatly buoyed by a lead performance from Ezra Miller that's earnest, real and relatable.

Called into Gotham by Jeremy Iron's Alfred, the self-confessed "janitor of the Justice League" is tasked with helping Batman stop a heist, but in reality, finds himself clearing up after the chaos of the robbery. As multiple life-ending situations ensue, Muschietti slows down the action and lets the charm and comedy through as Miller's super speedster Barry Allen races to save the day in an homage to X:Men's Quiksilver slow-mo sequence.

It's in these earlier strokes that The Flash becomes a breathtaking revitalisation that closes out this iteration of the DC Comics Universe before the James Gunn reboot takes hold. But as the film progresses, and the plot of Barry trying to unravel the multiverse after going back in time to save his mother, it becomes tied up in fan service, some truly awful CGI and a lot of what if shenanigans.

Mostly best when it concentrates on the two iterations of Barry created by parallel timelines, Muschietti's kinetic and almost hyper take on The Flash relies too much on nostalgia to pull it through. From Danny Elfman's Batman music cues to Michael Keaton's wiry and wondrous performance as the Bruce Wayne the world no longer needed, the film almost collapses in its reverence to its past, and almost forgets it's a Flash film first and foremost.

While this is all perfectly fine and crowd-pleasing fare as the Butterfly Effect takes hold, the self-deprecation and ultimate humility that Miller brings to the tragedy of the older Allen trying to readjust his life and stumbling toward a realisation is mightily impressive stuff, a sign that the comics world can bring to life a fully rounded character that doesn't rely on cliche and bombast to win over audiences.

It's Miller's powerhouse performance that elevates The Flash from the nostalgia-led bombast that it lapses into toward the end as it tries to unravel the spaghetti level mess it's created for itself. Their time on screen is utterly compelling, with both Millers demonstrating their nervous energy and their fragility in the face of it all.

While Muschietti's to be commended for most of what transpires on the screen (including a riff on Back To The Future, a film which The Flash clearly apes), some truly awful CGI mars the usual rote formulaic smash and bash of the comics book genre as Michael Shannon's General Zod tries to conquer Earth once again. 

Not everything works - certainly Sasha Calle's Kara Zor-El feels more like a plot device than a fully rounded character and the film leans too heavily into audience nostalgia for Keaton's Batman.

But The Flash speeds to victory on the strength of Miller alone. 

Seldom in the comics world has there been a presence that's so jittery, so nervy and so much of a livewire that you can't take your eyes off them as it transpires. It's to be hoped they can be engaged for future installments, because this Flash deserves to have another day in the sun - the race may be over for the flimsy DCEU, but emerging victorious from the rubble makes Miller one of the soaraway talents of their generation.

The Boys in the Boat: Movie Review

Cast: Callum Turner, Joel Edgerton, Sam Strike, Peter Guinness

Director: George Clooney

Based on Daniel James Brown's adaptation of the book of the same name, George Clooney's somewhat formulaic undertaking is obviously trying to stir up feelings of patriotism, coping with an economic depression and triumph under adversity.

On that front, this retelling of how nine men came together in Washington in 1936 under the watchful eye of the hopeful coach (played in the film by Joel Edgerton) has admirable intentions.

But its execution feels underwhelming and very workmanlike with little room for creativity in the retelling of both the story and the scenes of men pumping wood together as a team on the water. As Joel Edgerton's Coach Al Ulbrickson says halfway through: "We need an edge" - and so does Clooney behind the camera.

A young David Wenham lookalike Callum Turner is Joe Rantz, an abandoned child who studies engineering while living on the bare bones of his backside inside a car. Desperate for work to carry on his learning, Rantz tries out for the Washington junior rowing team and ends up being selected for the crew.

However, along with eight similar hopefuls, Rantz faces the seemingly overwhelming odds as they plot their way to the Olympics.

The Boys in the Boat is a very sanitisied, prestige picture attempt that has all the elements needed for a rousing underdog film. Personal adversity, a romance and drone shots on the river - they're all here for the taking and Clooney deploys them throughout.

But what emerges from these cinematic waters is more a shallow affair than perhaps would be anticipated. 

Using broad brush strokes for characterisation throughout, Clooney somehow manages to sideline most of the occupants in the boat to only the most basic of story beats. Added into that is the fact the less sanitary elements of the book which condemn Hitler's treatment of the Jews are turned into a more stereotyped Hitler and the German "bad guys" in the final third of the film.

This is basic storytelling presented in its finest form though - everything looks stunning, period recreations dazzle with detail and the romance will capture some hearts. Yet in truth, look below the surface and there's little else going on in this rowing film that should be about adversity, camaraderie and uplift.

Instead, despite a two hour run time that's beautifully presented, The Boys in the Boat skims only the surface of it all, deploying the most formulaic of sports beats (montages, poverty porn) to leave it not entirely lost at sea, but sadly lagging severely behind.