Doctor Who: Boom: Review

Essentially a rejoinder against faith and a rebuttal of the loss felt in life, Steven Moffat's latest Doctor Who script is packed with the kind of tension and character moments that signal the show working at its best.

However, while it is let down by a deus ex machina and a sentimental ending to offset some of the bleakness, what Boom does is showcase Ncuti Gatwa at his best. 

Set on the war-torn planet of Kastarion 3, the Doctor comes running when he hears an unknown scream, and ends up stuck on a landmine about to explode if he moves any further. Placing him in one position focuses the story scope and while a few scenes take in some cursory exposition over the clerics who are fighting against forces unknown, Boom is an exercise in tension that sees Moffat rip from his own playbook.

From flirtatious tensions between seemingly opposed lovers to AI elements, you only have to look back at what Moffat's done in stories like Silence in Library to see where he's coming from.

But what sells Boom outside of its premise are the character moments between Millie Gibson's Ruby Sunday and Ncuti Gatwa's 15th Doctor. 

Whether it's her resolve not to leave him at a time when death could claim them both, or his demeanour at how events play out, both actors continual to sell the relationship of the two, no matter how few episodes there have been (and are) to play out the dynamic.

With nods to Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi the show continues to move forward while slyly looking backwards, but what Boom does is demonstrate there is a more serious side to the casual almost puerile nature of the opening episodes.

Perhaps more disconcertingly, there are several nasty swipes at faith, before deciding that having something like that is not necessarily a bad thing and that love is signified by loss as well - these are not new ideas in Doctor Who and get bandied around a lot, despite this time feeling a little more cynical and mean-spirited.

Ultimately, though Boom is perhaps the strongest episode of the season - with tension and a taut performance from both Gatwa and Gibson, and a surprise early turn from new companion to be Varada Sethu, it makes a compelling and explosive case for the series' latest iteration.

Carve your legacy as Shinobi and Samurai in Assassin's Creed: Shadows

Ubisoft announced that the next installment in the Assassin’s Creed® franchise, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, will release worldwide on November 15. The game will be available on Ubisoft+*, PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S, Macs with Apple silicon via the Mac App Store** as well as Windows PC through the Ubisoft Store and the Epic Games Store.  Players who subscribe to Ubisoft+ or purchase the Ultimate Edition can get the game three days early on November 12.

Led by Ubisoft Québec (Assassin’s Creed Odyssey), Assassin’s Creed Shadows will immerse players in 16th century Japan. The country is heading towards a brutal path to unification, and unrest grows as new coalitions appear and corruptive foreign influences infiltrate the land.

Players will experience the intertwined stories of Naoe, an adept shinobi Assassin from the Iga Province, and Yasuke, the powerful samurai of historical legend. Discover their personal stories, meet pivotal historical figures, and shape the duo’s common destiny as they usher in a new era for Japan.

As Naoe and Yasuke, players can master two complementary playstyles, with each character featuring their own progression paths, skills, weapon options, and stats. Whether they embrace Naoe’s stealth skills or Yasuke’s combat prowess, players will have plenty of ways to approach objectives. With Naoe, they will experience refined infiltration mechanics, using light, noise, shadows, and changing surroundings to avoid detection. With Yasuke, they will be able to take on larger groups of enemies with brutal precision.

The game will let players explore a vast open world with a variety of landscapes evolving through weather and seasons. From spectacular castle towns and bustling ports to peaceful shrines and pastoral landscapes, feudal Japan comes to life with unprecedented dynamism built from the ground up with the latest version of Anvil engine and the power of new-gen consoles.

In this troubled period, information is key and will be at the heart of the renewed exploration mechanics. Players will build their own spy network to unveil new areas and hunt down targets. Allies with highly specialized skills and abilities can also be recruited to help during missions. The creation of their own customisable hideout will enable players to enhance their network and train their new crew. From base building and layout to decorations and accessories, they will be able to craft a unique place to call home.

The standard edition of the game will be available here for a price of AU$109.95 on new-gen platforms and AU$99.95 on PC and Macs with Apple silicon via the Mac App Store. Additionally, fans pre-ordering Assassin’s Creed Shadows will receive an additional quest for any pre-ordered edition. The Gold, Ultimate, and Collector’s Editions of Assassin’s Creed Shadows have also been announced:

·        The Gold Edition will include the base game, the Season Pass (including a bonus quest with additional unlockable content as well as two upcoming expansions) and 3 days early access to the game.

·        The Ultimate Edition will include the base game, the Season Pass, the Ultimate Pack and 3 days early access to the game. The Ultimate Pack will contain the Sekiryu Character Pack (Naoe and Yasuke outfit and weapon, trinket and mount), the Sekiryu Hideout Pack, 5 Skill points and a Red and black photo mode filter.

·        The Collector’s Edition will include the base game, the Season Pass, the Ultimate Pack, physical content and 3 days early access to the game. The physical content will be a Steelbook, the World map, Naoe & Yasuke Figurine, life-size Naoe's Katana Tsuba, a Wall Creed Scroll, an 84 pages collector's artbook and 2 sumi-e lithographs.

The first gameplay trailer will be revealed in June.

The Holdovers: Blu Ray Review

Cast: Paul Giamatti, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Dominic Sessa
Director: Alexander Payne

The Holdovers is a classic in the making.

With a premise that begins like a sort of Breakfast Club update (5 boys are made to stay behind at a 1970s prep school during Christmas under the curmudgeonly eye of a joyless teacher), The Holdovers could easily be dismissed.

But within moments, the film's easy charms become apparent, and its whimsical warmth and smart humour kicks in. 

Giamatti plays professor Paul Hunham, a brutal tutor who doesn't have time for his presumed spoiled students and the college staff; Sessa plays the obstreperous Angus, who believes he's about to escape for the holidays but is let down at the last moment and Only Murders in the Building star Randolph, plays Mary, the college cook who has just recently lost her son to the Vietnam war.

When all three are forced to spend time at Barton Academy, it's no surprise what happens to them all, nor does Payne care to deviate from the obvious cliches of where the story could - and indeed does - go.

But that's not to dismiss The Holdovers in the slightest.

If anything, after reuniting with his Sideways star Giamatti in what will undoubtedly be an Oscar-nominated role, The Holdovers makes a great fist of examining relationships and grief in all stages of life. From Hunham's denial that he's stuck, through to Mary's abject grief at her still-raw loss via Angus' punkish misplaced anger at everyone and everything, The Holdovers becomes a metaphor for stasis and being shocked out of it.

Yet, it's also acutely funny as well. Hunham's cantankerous verbosity is beautifully realised by Giamatti who has the kind of sadsack appearance in this that's perfect for conveying what's needed. 

As the gradual sadness between the professor and Angus is brought to the surface, Payne does nothing orginal to convey it, and does nothing to overegg it either. In truth, it's the previous 2 hours of the film that have managed to cast a compassionate lense over their lives and leave the audience caring for this core trio of characters.

The Holdovers is one of those films where nothing major happens, but everything changes within the course of its unspooling. As a result, don't be surprised if you fall hard for it.

The Beekeeper: Blu Ray Review

Cast: Jason Statham, Josh Hutcherson, Jeremy Irons, Emmy Raver-Lampman
Director: David Ayer

While beginning like an extended ad warning of the perils of scam sites and clicking on wrongful links on your computer, David Ayer's The Beekeeper soon reveals its shoddy action intentions.

When Statham's Adam Clay finds out the woman who rented him land to keep his bees has committed suicide after being caught in an online scam, he vows one man revenge and sets about burning down the world of those who burned down his friend's world.

But with the FBI in pursuit, and with Clay discovering there is more to the infestation than he first thought, his one man campaign threatens to overturn more than he could have ever believed.

Admittedly pulpy and OTT in parts, The Beekeeper works in some of its action sequences (and one particularly brutal fight toward the end) but on all other levels, it's risible fare.

With laugh out loud dialogue that sees plenty of characters espousing their horror that Clay is just a beekeeper who's trying to protect the hive, and with one on his tail taking the philosophy and ethos of beekeeping from a manual, the film tries to lean too heavily on the symbolic and actually feels like a film in search of some kind of meaning it's too thick-headed to even grasp.

If you're willing to suspend your disbelief there are moments that The Beekeeper works. Given Statham's propensity for action films and his continued presence within fight sequences, there's a grittiness to proceedings that allows for the crunching of bones, the offing of bad guys and the idea of one man outwitting everyone despite being monotone and invulnerable to feel almost plausible at times.

But The Beekeeper never leans into those intentions, preferring instead to go po-faced and feel restrained rather than fully embracing what it really is at heart - a poor man's Wrath of Man set within a scam system.

There's little buzz about The Beekeeper despite well choreographed action sequences, and it's more than inevitable you'll end up being stung by how bad it actually is in parts. Statham feels at times like he's phoning it in rather than imbuing his Terminator-like character with any kind of charisma.

The most frustrating thing about The Beekeeper is the potential that's wasted here - it could have been more than what it was; instead it's an occasionally competent action film that buzzes and subsequently irritates.

Trolls: Band Together: Blu Ray Review

Cast: Justin Timberlake, Anna Kendrick, Eric Andre, Amy Schumer, Andrew Rannells
Director: Walt Dohrn, Tim Heitz

With some shameless puns, a hyperactive sparkle and a jukebox full of music, Trolls: Band Together knows exactly what it's doing - and does it with reasonable aplomb.

When Poppy (Kendrick, endlessly hyper) discovers Branch (Timberlake) was part of her favourite boyband Brozone, she's shocked. But things get worse when Branch is approached by a former member John Dory (Andre) and told Brozone member Floyd is in danger thanks to new pop sensations Velvet and Veneer (Schumer and Rannells).

Setting out on a rescue mission to reunite Brozone and save Floyd, Poppy and Branch must dig into their family pasts to save the day.

Trolls: Band Together is a film that simply goes for nostalgia - whether it's on the music front with its montage mixes of songs by Lizzo, Dolly Parton and Sister Sledge or whether it's down to the fact the Trolls series goes back to basics, the film's keen to hit all the right (auto-tuned) notes as it plays out.

Eschewing some of the formulaic but also heading into psychedelia overload thanks to its colour scheme and trippy visuals, Trolls: Band Together is a candy-covered confestion that manages to make a case for the franchise continuing. 

At a little shy of 90 minutes, there's no sign that this one feels like the series is outstaying its welcome, but creatively, it all leads up to a shameful marketing ploy for N'Sync's latest film and a feeling that the shine may be coming off the Trolls the next time unless they radically reinvent the perenially popular formula which is in danger of becoming safe and stale.

Silent Night: Blu Ray Review

Cast: Joel Kinnaman, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Kid Cudi

Director: John Woo

It would take a cinematic simpleton to bet against the outcome of Silent Night, a revenge movie about a man seeking justice after his son is accidentally killed by a stray gang member's bullet in suburbia.

With its trademark John Woo slow-mo shots and extreme violence in parts, Silent Night has all the hallmarks of an 80s revenge thriller. But what marks Silent Night out is its use of sound from its mute protagonist. It's less a film, more an extended tease with the heightened anticipation of a showdown.

Beginning with a slowed down shot of a Christmas-jumpered Godlock (Kinnaman) chasing after the cars who wreaked havoc on his domestic bliss, Silent Night ends with a shock as the protagonist is shot in the throat rendering him mute.

It's a clever touch that instantly rids most of the movie of the usual cliched trappings of revenge movie dialogue (which, let's face it, is never the most nuanced) and frees the film to concentrate on its physicality instead. 

As a result, Kinnaman's thrust into the spotlight in various training montages, some close quarter combat and some frustrated reflections on life snatched brutally away. But the film is more a balletic dance through depression and destruction as tightly choreographed fight scenes propel the film along.

Its soundscapes and OST do much of the heavy lifting, but fight sequences feel real, painful and carry an unusual emotional heft.

Just occasionally, there's the feeling the concept is creaking under the atmospheric execution, but given the novelty factor helping to kick some ass when needed, Silent Night provides some welcome escapism from the usual action movie fare to concentrate more on their emotional devastation wrought by grief, loss and revenge.

Ferrari: Blu Ray 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 Zone of Interest: Blu Ray Review

Cast: Sandra Huller, Christian Friedel

Director: Jonathan Glazer

Loosely based on Martin Amis' 2014 novel of the same name, Under The Skin director Jonathan Glazer's Zone of Interest is more a film about atmosphere and horror than any driven plot.

It's also a film of extreme dissociation which is evocative and terrifying in equal measure as the entirely mundane plays out.

Friedel and Huller play Rudolph and Hedwig Höss, who live in the house behind Auschwitz. Rudolph runs the camp and is concerned with efficiencies, whereas Hedwig is more concerned with making a life for their children and tending to the garden.

Both seem disconnected with the daily horrors that emerge from nearby, with Hedwig even revealing they're living their dream life and revelling in her title as "Queen of Auschwitz".

There's little plot as such in Zone of Interest, and it's more a film of atmospherics, unsettling imagery and unanswered questions of why they don't ever remark on what goes on over the walls.

Glazer is less interested in providing these answers, but what emerges from the Oscar-nominated film is a damning indictment of how complicit people can be in the horrors around them and how the banality of evil emerges in the most harrowing ways.

Interestingly much of the film is shot from a distance, as if to suggest Glazer doesn't want you to empathise with his subjects when they're told they have to leave their home; there's a distinct lack of intimacy that makes this movie feel even more upsetting - almost as if audiences are being compelled to disassociate from the subjects on screen and consequently your horrot at their ignorance is magnified.

Complete with Mica Levi's dissonant soundtrack, Glazer crafts some disturbing imagery, always just in the background of the frame. From shots of chimneys belching out endless smoke from the Nazis' push to exterminate the Jews to the orange glow that lights up the bedroom windows at night, there's plenty that will take your breath away - and not in a good way.

From conversations about how best to improve efficiencies at the camp to a confession that Höss makes that he was thinking of ways to gas a room full of his peers saluting his work, the Zone of Interest is shocking in ways you'd never, ever expect.

But the fact it does it all in such a matter of fact way is equally as disturbing. 

The end result is utterly numbing; and while this isn't a film about drama or a film about giving answers as to why the Höss family adults never mention what's going on around them, it's a horrifying indictment of those in the past - and also the present - who simply carry out orders or who wilfully choose to ignore what is around them.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes: Movie Review

Cast: Owen Teague, Freya Allan, Lydia Peckham, Kevin Durand, William H Macy, Peter Macon, Travis Jeffery

Director: Wes Ball

Potentially kickstarting a new trilogy for the Weta Digital-led 2011 Apes series is a major challenge for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.

In truth, it doesn't quite hit the highs it needs to to launch a compelling new narrative, but an intriguing second half of the film hints at what could lie ahead for the franchise.

Set "many generations" after the death of Caesar the ape, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes focuses on Teague's Noa, an ape who's forced to embark on a journey after his clan is attacked by a rogue faction of apes.

As Noa heads out of the life he's known driven by revenge, he discovers Freya Allan's Mae, a human who appears lost - but has a dangerous secret of her own.

Much like the prior Apes franchise entrants did, this latest dwells on the duality of human nature - but at times, it distinctively feels more serviceable than sensational, lacking an emotional edge that was inherent in the first films from the get go.

That's not to say Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes isn't visually spectacular, with lush backdrops and villages overgrown with foliage resembling some of the Downtown vistas of The Last Of Us Part II videogame in parts. Once again the apes FX are sensationally done, but there's a distinct nagging sensation that there's nothing as new as there was in 2011 some 13 years on.

The first half of the film feels clunky in parts, a script demanding acquaintance with our new heroes and while Teague and latterly Macon as orangutan and Caesar-teachings follower Raka form a strong bond on the journey, some of the emotional beats feel off when they should soar.

Themes of religious idolatry, perversion of beliefs and elements of Mad Max Fury Road pervade much of the back half of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes as ideologies clash. And it's here, in the second half of the 2hour 25 minute run time that Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes finally starts to come alive, with Noa facing ethical dilemmas that feel nuanced and offer stakes. It's also where Allan comes a little more into her own and the potential for future episodes begin to take form.

Granted those in charge faced an insurmountable task given how the 2011 franchise offered real stakes - emotional edges, narrative thrills and of its time FX; but while Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is perfectly serviceable fare that has some genuine moments of tension and suspense, its drive to launch a new franchise feels more muted than perhaps could be expected.

Dream Scenario: Blu Ray Review

Cast: Nicolas Cage, Dylan Gelula, Michael Cera, Julianne Nicholson
Director: Kristoffer Borgli

A seemingly cautious tale about the perils of newfound fame, Kristoffer Borgli's Dream Scenario starts off in an offbeat manner and continues down that winding path to a slightly disturbing conclusion.

Cage is Paul Matthews, a balding, bewildered, Parka-clad college professor, whose career is stalled and whose desire to be a published author is frustrated. Sidelined at home, Matthews yearns to be more - and inadvertently finds that coming true when he is told by strangers that he appears nightly in their dreams.

Initially troubled by the comments that he's too passive in the dreams, Matthews leans into the new-found fame. But the more consumed he is by it, the more aggressively he appears in peoples' dreams, ultimately forcing them away from him.

A mix of comedy and horror, packed into a dreamlike state, Dream Scenario's rhythms take a bit to get used to as the more surreal and satirical edges come to the fore. But they never quite deliver something sharp and incisive about Matthews' predicament, nor do they explicitly say much about the social media world and ethos of fame they look to poke fun at.

Thankfully Cage delivers a strong performance as his character enjoys the trappings of fame while negotiating the crippling insecurities of his own. Borgli, whose last film Sick of Myself also ploughed a similar furrow, gets the best out of his lead, but never once mocks his predicament or his reaction to it. Cage is never beneath debasing his character but manages to keep it all together in scenes that both feel prescient and awkward.

The result is a kind of empathetic take on the narcissism of the culture, but with a more gentle edge throughout. Blessed with menace and sadness in equal measure, the dark comedy comes to the fore, but there's an inescapable lingering feeling at the end that it could have been more.

Doctor Who: The Devil's Chord: Preview

The second episode (technically the third counting the Christmas special) of the Doctor Who reboot is likely to be the most polarising among long-term fans.

It's also the hardest to preview, as most of the shocks and surprises come from some truly brazen moments committed to screen, most of which are too spoiler-heavy to reveal in a preview.

When Ruby's given the choice to go anywhere, she chooses Abbey Road in 1963 to see the Beatles at work. But when the Doctor takes her there, the pair discover the world is in danger and sits on the brink of chaos thanks to the intervention of Jinkx Monsoon's Maestro, an enemy the Doctor does not believe he can defeat...

The Devil's Chord takes some big, big swings - but it opens in a way that both shows off how Who works best by making the most mundane of things as menacing as possible. In the way that plastic was irrevocably made evil way back in The Terror of the Autons, Russell T Davies makes a simple piano lesson one of the darkest and most terrifying moments thanks to the show's opening scenes.

With the production design catching all the elements of the era with ease, it's the details that makes The Devil's Chord shine. 

But this episode is easily Jinkx Monsoon's time to shine - and they seize with incredible gusto, bombast and occasionally moments of OTT scenery-chewing.  It's like the Cheshire Cat crossed with the Joker.

Yet when Maestro needs to flip to malevolence, the speed at which Monsoon changes pace is utterly enthralling. Matched up against Gatwa's charisma, the screen is filled with the kind of characters that make the show what it is.

With mentions of Totters Lane, Susan and the Doctor being scared about his soul being torn in two after bigeneration, there's much to sink your teeth into here. And that's before the question of Ruby Sunday's existence comes under the spotlight again and an apparent issue with the TARDIS. Davies is throwing a lot out in subtle ways throughout; hopefully the episodes stick the landing.

Yet if Monsoon is the star of this episode, it's not to detract from Millie Gibson and Ncuti Gatwa's partnership again, which here feels like mates in space but also gives pauses to consider their characters' vulnerabilities.

There will be much to discuss about The Devil's Chord after its aired (that ending) but for now, suffice it to say that the second episode very much sets the tone after the first - it's big on brassy bold moves and shows every inclination that the series is once again strenuously rebooting and expanding, while staying true to its roots.

Doctor Who: The Devil's Chord premieres on Disney+ on May 10.

Doctor Who: Space Babies: Preview

Finally after what has seemed like months, the brand new season of the brand new iteration of Doctor Who is here, with Ncuti Gatwa at the helm of the TARDIS controls.

And there's no sidestepping it - after the relatively fantastical edges of the Christmas special The Church on Ruby Road that introduced Millie Gibson's Ruby Sunday, the show is bigger, bolder and perhaps more bonkers than could be expected.

Working off a traditional format of a base under siege story from the pantheon of Doctor Who's past, writer Russell T Davies'  first script of this run is about as mad as they come while laying out some more of the ground work of what clearly is to be the series' arc and Ruby Sunday's mysterious birth.

In his first trek across space, the Doctor takes Ruby to a baby farm (via a minor detour into the past and dinosaurs for a quick gag that recalls the Mavity schtick from Wild Blue Yonder) that's being menaced by a bogeyman below. Soon the pair are caught in a battle for survival, while trying to save the babies on the space station.

Even just writing those words seem like madness for Doctor Who - but at its heart, Space Babies has a very traditional first episode for a new companion travelling with the Doctor appeal. 

It may be dismissed as puerile and slight by some, but Davies peppers his script in the opening moments with the basic facts about the Doctor, continuing on with Chris Chibnall's controversial Timeless Child story arc - but long term fans will be thrilled by the teasing of a certain Time Lord name, no doubt thrown in by Davies to titillate and cock a sly nod at canon. (There's also a cheeky reference to Star Trek too.)

But what is clear about Space Babies is how accessible it is for all.

While Davies borrows from his own past for one scene - specifically The End of The World - it's in his Doctor that it feels fresh and new. Sure there are visual parallels to it all, but it is Ncuti Gatwa's performance that ripples with so much charisma, it threatens to pour out of the screen.

It's not hyperbole to say that Gatwa does it all in this episode. From manic edges to solemnity, there's a level of joy in his performance that's addictive. Paired up with Gibson, who's no wide-eyed naif, the two of them positively sparkle with chemistry and while they feel fresh, there's definitely the kind of vibe that both Billie Piper and Christopher Eccleston had in the last reboot of the show - it's infectious stuff.

Space Babies sets the agenda well (including Davies' insistence that everyone is welcome via a speech over being born beautiful and "nobody grows up wrong" delivered by the Doctor), and is a wildly widely accessible story for all to jump on - it may feel slight in parts but it's clear that everyone is having fun on this show. 

From the incredibly slick look the show now has through to the energy that leaps from the screen, what's most noticeable about this new run of Doctor Who is how big it feels - in a way that it has never really done before. However, thanks to its enigmatic leads, there's also a feeling that the drama is ripe and there to be exploited when the time comes.

Doctor Who: Space Babies premieres on Disney+ on May 10.

Win a family pass to see IF in cinemas

To celebrate the release of IF in cinemas May 16, you could win a family pass to see the movie thanks to Paramount Pictures New Zealand!

About IF

From writer and director John Krasinski, IF is about a girl who discovers that she can see everyone’s imaginary friends — and what she does with that superpower — as she embarks on a magical adventure to reconnect forgotten IFs with their kids. 

IF stars Cailey Fleming, Ryan Reynolds, John Krasinski, Fiona Shaw, and the voices of Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Louis Gossett Jr. and Steve Carell alongside many more as the wonderfully unique characters that reflect the incredible power of a child’s imagination.

IF is in cinemas May 16

Unfrosted: Movie Review

Cast: Jerry Seinfeld, Melissa McCarthy, Jim Gaffney, Amy Schumer, Hugh Grant

Director: Jerry Seinfeld

Leaving a lot to be desired, Jerry Seinfeld's take on the evolution of breakfast snack Pop Tarts takes a bit of his Seinfeld-esque show and stand up ("The great thing about cereal is eating and drinking with one hand") and a hint of the aesthetic of Asteroid City and bundles it up into something that's tepid and almost tedious at times.

Seinfeld plays Kellogg's marketing executive Bob Cabana, who tells the story of the rivalry between cereal makers Post and Kellogg's to a child who's run away and is sat at a diner.

It's a "marketing man's" take on the history of what happened, but with no sign of any flair or real skill, Unfrosted mixes reality with fantasy in a mix of elements that feels contrived and barely with any fluidity at all.

With a lack of absurdity and a lack of gags, Unfrosted teeters too dangerously on the uneven.

There are precisely two laugh out loud moments that show frustratingly what could have been. Firstly, an attack on Kellogg's building that channels the January 6 assault and the leading shaman works brilliantly thanks to Hugh Grant's shamanic and frustrated Tony the Tiger mascot; and secondly, a riff on Mad Men with the original cast is just brilliance.

But it's moments like this in the 100 minute run that make Unfrosted so viciously unfunny. Seinfeld's never been a great comic actor - channeling once again the shouting high-pitched antics he used to roll out when trying to act in the TV series, the film shows his limitations while others around him flounder thanks to flat dialogue and generally uninspired direction.

There's so much talent here, it feels criminal to have wasted so much of it.

A generous person would say in parts, Unfrosted is amiable genial fare. But it's partly because of that it feels so frustratingly undercooked throughout. With neither a Pop nor any Tart material this film is perhaps one of the most disappointing of 2024 - a real cereal killer.

South Park: Snow Day: PS5 Review

Developed by Question
Released by THQ Nordic
Platform: PS5

If you're expecting high art with South Park, you're out of luck.

While the series in its heyday had real potential and offered scabrous entertainment in amongst the scabrous machinations of Cartman, Kyle, Kenny and Stan, as well as a side-splittingly good first film, the show's various manifestations have fallen from grace over the years.

And while its video gaming incarnations have had varied success, this latest feels like a slight entry into the canon of the world, being more of a wave-based co-op PVE game that never really rises above its hack and slash RPG-based mechanics.

In terms of plot, South Park is swamped by snow, leading to a county-wide snow day and a chance for Cartman to reinstate his fantasy game of wizards and elves. You play the new kid in town, who's thrown into a war against first graders.

Using cards to instigate power ups and essentially just hacking and slashing your way through waves to go on to the next achievement, South Park: Snow Day feels like an endless wave of tedium at times, no matter how well it develops and seizes on the South Park vibe.

There's also a lack of the traditional South Park humour with a few cutting comments early on in the gameplay ultimately feeling unoriginal thanks to their repetitive use throughout.

Graphically while the game's 3D look is anything but original, it does make good use of the source material, and certainly the opening animation provides plenty of hope for what could have laid ahead.

Ultimately, thanks to small environments and a gameplay that's quite familiar and repetitive after a few goes, the overwhelming impression of South Park: Snow Day is one that suggests future DLC drops or storylines will help it reach its potential; as for now, it feels like it's a base game that's been rushed out rather than polished.

What's on Neon in May

Here's everything on Neon in May.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz (May 6)

Adapted from the novel of the same name, this compelling narrative unveils the true-life saga of Lale Sokolov, a Jewish prisoner entrusted with the harrowing duty of tattooing identification numbers onto fellow prisoners' arms within the confines of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp during World War II.

Stars: Anna Próchniak, Melanie Lynskey, Harvey Keitel and Jonas Nay.

Pretty Little Liars: Summer School (May 10)

Twenty years ago, a series of tragic events almost ripped the town of Millwood apart. In the present day, a new group of teenage girls are tormented by an unknown assailant, forced to pay for the secret sin of their parents - as well as their own!

Stars: Sharon Leal, Maia Reficco, Malia Pyles and Bailee Madison

MOVIES

Barbie (May 8)

Barbie and Ken enjoy a vibrant life in Barbie Land. When they venture into the real world,  they encounter both its pleasures and challenges, discovering what it means to live among humans.

Stars: Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling

Meg 2: The Trench (May 1)

Jonas Taylor leads a research team on a dive into the ocean's depths. Chaos ensues when a mining operation threatens them, leading to a battle against prehistoric sharks and environmental plunderers. They must outwit their predators to survive.

Stars: Jason Statham and Shuya Sophia Cai

Gran Turismo (May 8)

A working-class gamer, a failed former race car driver, and an idealistic motorsport exec risk it all to take on the most elite sport in the world.

Stars: Orlando Bloom and David Harbour

Expend4bles (May 13)

A new generation of elite mercenaries join the Expendables to prevent a mysterious terrorist from igniting World War III.

Stars: Jason Statham and Sylvester Stallone

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom: Blu Ray 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.

Win a double pass to see Back to Black in cinemas

To celebrate the release of Amy Winehouse film Back To Black in cinemas May 2, thanks to StudioCanal New Zealand, you can win a double pass!

About Back To Black

A celebration of the most iconic – and much missed – homegrown star of the 21st century, BACK TO BLACK tells the extraordinary tale of Amy Winehouse. 

Painting a vivid, vibrant picture of the Camden streets she called home and capturing the struggles of global fame, BACK TO BLACK honours Amy’s artistry, wit, and honesty, as well as trying to understand her demons.

An unflinching look at the modern celebrity machine and a powerful tribute to a once-in-a-generation talent.

Back To Black stars Marisa Abela, Jack O'Connor and Eddie Marsan

Back To Black is in cinemas May 2

The Idea of You: Movie Review

Cast: Anne Hathaway, Nicholas Galitzine, Ella Rubin, Reid Scott
Director: Michael Showalter

Prime Video's latest movie slice manages to slightly eviscerate the perception of the romantic comedy as fluff.

Adapted from Robinne Lee's book, it's the story of Solene (Hathaway, avoiding the kookiness of the genre) who's forced to escort her daughter (Rubin) to Coachella when her former husband (Scott) drops out last minute.

Corralled into a meet-and-greet with boyband August Moon, Solene finds an attraction to singer Hayes Campbell (Galitzine). Intrigued, the pair form a tentative relationship that builds against Solene's wishes.

While the second half of the film falls into the obvious pitfalls of becoming more serious and solemn as the ramifications of their relationship bubble up to the surface, large swathes of The Idea Of You are to be commended for shaking up the genre.

Whether it's choosing not to play Solene as a ditz or channeling real-life insecurities over body image around younger women, there's a lived in quality to The Idea of You that lends the film a degree of credibility where typically there would be none.

The initial meet-cute shows off the attraction of the pair, and while some of the more outrageous edges of the narrative come to the fore as quirks, there's a lot of The Idea of You that feels real, human and relatable.

It helps that Hathaway underplays her role and distracts from some edges of the story that feel underexplored and underutilised.

The Idea of You doesn't majorly reinvent the wheel - it's a little too safe to do that, and its ending feels like fan fiction more than it should, but thanks to two leads that have an easy-going charm, it's eminently more watchable than it has any right to be.

The Idea of You streams on Prime Video from May 2.