Vue Birmingham

• 2019
• US
• 2h 8min
• PG

• Directed by: Guy Ritchie
• Cast: Will Smith, Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott, Marwan Kenzari, Navid Negahban, Nasim Pedrad, Numan Acar, Billy Magnussen, Alan Tudyk, Frank Welker

Disney’s live-action version of 1992’s Aladdin features a fun, fast-talking and scene-stealing Smith and terrific work from Massoud and Scott as Aladdin and Jasmine, but against that there’s some weird VFX, odd directorial choices and a well-intentioned but clunky female empowerment number. Enjoyable and entertaining nevertheless.

• 74%
• 53%

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• 2019
• India

• Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
• Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana

A police officer from a privileged urban background is sent to rural north India, where his honesty does not sit well with the corrupt system.

• 79%

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• 2019
• US
• 3h 1min
• 12A

• Directed by: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
• Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Don Cheadle, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Letitia Wright, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana

Five years after Thanos’s victory, the Avengers are in despair until Ant-Man (Rudd) kicks the story back into action. The final film in the saga verges on fanservice, but there’s intelligent character development, everyone (except Johansson) is given enough to do, and some arcs have a truly poignant sense of closure. Playful, inventive and highly entertaining.

• 87%
• 78%

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• 2019
• India

• Directed by: Ali Abbas Zafar
• Cast: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Disha Patani

Adaptation of Korean film Ode to My Father.

• 58%

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• 2019
• US
• 1h 45min

• Directed by: Olivia Wilde
• Cast: Skyler Gisondo, Kaitlyn Dever, Lisa Kudrow

Molly (Feldstein) and Amy (Dever) are proud to be brainiacs, but on their last day of high school they resolve to fit as much fun as they can into a single night. Wilde’s debut feature is zesty and confident with box-fresh writing, well-drawn characters and a swaggering hip-hop soundtrack; Feldstein, in particular, steps up to leading lady status.

• 74%
• 84%

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• 2019
• US

• Directed by: David Yarovesky
• Cast: Elizabeth Banks, David Denman, Jackson A Dunn

Brandon (Dunn) is a small boy born in a small Texas town who develops superhuman powers; unfortunately, he then uses them to terrorise the locals. Despite some eye-catching effects, it’s a tired and middling effort. Banks, who brings real intensity as Brandon’s mother, is wasted.

• 64%
• 44%

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• 2019
• India
• 1h 47min
• PG

• Directed by: Karan R Guliani
• Cast: Sargun Mehta, Gippy Grewal

A woman travels to a different city to reject a potential groom, but another man walks into her life.

• 91%

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• 2019
• Pakistan

• Directed by: Wajahat Rauf
• Cast: Mehwish Hayat, Aashir Wajahat, Adnan Shah

Urdu romantic comedy.

• 42%

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• 2019
• US
• 2h
• 15

• Directed by: Lars Klevberg
• Cast: Aubrey Plaza, Gabriel Bateman, Brian Tyree Henry, Mark Hamill

Chucky (voiced by Hamill) is a high-tech doll whose safety features are removed by a vengeful sweatshop worker and so learns to be bad. Tonally it’s a mess, and the doll design is horrific in a bad way, but there are some good ideas, Hamill is a hoot and it’s good to see Chucky given a reason for being.

• 65%
• 48%

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• 2019
• India

• Directed by: Akiv Ali
• Cast: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Rakul Preet Singh

A 50-year-old man faces the disapproval of his family after falling in love with a woman nearly half his age.

• 70%

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• 2019
• UK
• 2h 10min

• Directed by: Asif Kapadia

Kapadia provides another documentary portrait of a fallen star, after Senna and Amy. If this one isn’t as moving or compelling as its predecessors, it still has enough emotional heft to make it more than a celebration of great goals.

• 77%
• 75%

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• 2019
• US
• 2h 11min
• 12A

• Directed by: Michael Dougherty
• Cast: Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, Millie Bobby Brown, Bradley Whitford, Sally Hawkins, Charles Dance, Thomas Middleditch, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Ken Watanabe, Zhang Ziyi

Long-awaited sequel to 2014's Godzilla reboot.

• 66%
• 48%

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• 2019
• India

• Directed by: Raj Kumar Gupta
• Cast: Arjun Kapoor, Rajesh Sharma, Prasanth

Hindi crime drama about a group of intelligence officers tracking down an international criminal.

• 35%

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• 2019
• US
• 2h 10min
• 15

• Directed by: Chad Stahelski
• Cast: Keanu Reeves, Halle Berry, Laurence Fishburne, Mark Dacascos, Asia Kate Dillon, Lance Reddick, Saïd Taghmaoui, Jerome Flynn, Jason Mantzoukas, Tobias Segal, Boban Marjanović, Anjelica Huston, Ian McShane

John Wick (Reeves) is a global exile with a $14m bounty on his head, and is forced to ask snarly assassin Sofia (Berry) for the help she owes him. The third instalment of this action franchise is the best, with spectacular fight sequences, numerous genius details and excellent performances. Violent, hilarious, surprising and cool.

• 80%
• 73%

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• 2019
• India

• Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
• Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Arjan Bajwa

Remake of the Telugu film about a surgeon who turns to addiction as his girlfriend is forced to marry another person.

• 82%

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• 2019
• US
• 1h 42min
• 15

• Directed by: Nisha Ganatra
• Cast: Emma Thompson, Mindy Kaling, John Lithgow

Katherine (Thompson) is a seasoned talk show host who, when forced to hire new writing staff, takes on former chemical plant employee Molly (Kaling). Kaling’s script is peppy, good-natured and has a good grasp of the issues, and Thompson has her best role in years. Piquant and winning.

• 64%
• 71%

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• 2019
• US
• 2h 5min
• 15

• Directed by: Jonathan Levine
• Cast: Charlize Theron, Seth Rogen, June Diane Raphael

Charlotte Field (Theron) is US Secretary of State and soon-to-be presidential candidate, Fled Flarsky (Rogen) is a journalist who she used to babysit; romance ensues. The gags are great and Raphael is hilarious as Charlotte’s chief of staff; the romance is less compelling, but it’s nice to see a hero happy to support a more powerful female partner.

• 72%
• 67%

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• 2019
• US
• 1h 39min
• 15

• Directed by: Tate Taylor
• Cast: Octavia Spencer, Diana Silvers, Juliette Lewis

A group of teenagers start doubting the intentions of a lonely woman who lets them have parties at her house.

• 59%
• 53%

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• 2019
• US

• Directed by: F. Gary Gray
• Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, Rebecca Ferguson, Kumail Nanjiani, Rafe Spall, Les Twins, Emma Thompson, Liam Neeson

Molly (T. Thompson) is a wannabe MIB agent who’s given a chance by Agent O (E. Thompson) and teamed up with golden boy Agent H (Hemsworth). It’s not so much that it’s bad, more that the franchise wasn’t much to begin with: here, a CGI-heavy story relies far too much on Hemsworth’s insouciant charm. A high-budget non-event.

• 56%
• 38%

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• 2019
• India
• 1h 52min
• PG

• Directed by: Simerjit Singh
• Cast: Sonam Bajwa, Ammy Virk, Gurpreet Ghuggi

Drama set in the pre-partitioned era following the wedding custom of a newly-wed bride visiting her husband's home.

• 64%

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• 2019

Live screening of the National Theatre's adaption of Andrea Levy's award-winning novel.

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• 2019
• USA
• 44min
• U

• Directed by: Charles E. Bastien
• Cast: Devan Cohen, Drew Davis, Samuel Faraci

A meteor lands in Adventure Bay and gives the pups superpowers, but also gives superpowers to nasty Harold of neighbouring Foggy Bottom. Basically a 70-minute extended episode of the series, enjoyably innocuous and easy to follow, although parents won’t be pleased when the toy requests come in after the end credits roll.

• 70%

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• 2019
• Japan / US
• 1h 44min
• PG

• Directed by: Rob Letterman
• Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Justice Smith, Kathryn Newton, Suki Waterhouse, Omar Chaparro, Chris Geere, Ken Watanabe, Bill Nighy

Tim (Smith) is a former Pokémon trainer who teams up with Pikachu (voiced by Reynolds) to solve a mysterious car accident which leaves his detective father presumed dead. Reynolds’ voice skills are incredible, you don’t need to know about the franchise to get what’s going on and it’s a quirky and lovingly crafted surreal comedy thriller.

• 68%
• 53%

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• 2019
• UK / US
• 2h 1min

• Directed by: Dexter Fletcher
• Cast: Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden, Bryce Dallas Howard

This Elton John biopic, exec-produced by its subject, could have been a vanity project, but it’s a fun and cute fantasy musical; Egerton as John as exuberant and sympathetic, and the framing device is sensible. Hardly revelatory, but Fletcher does a good job and sprinkles some inventiveness. Classic songbook helps.

• 77%
• 69%

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• 2019
• USA / Japan / France

• Directed by: Chris Renaud, Jonathan del Val
• Cast: Patton Oswalt, Eric Stonestreet, Kevin Hart

Max (Oswalt) lives with owner Katie (Kemper) in apartment with other pets Gidget (Slate), Chloe (Bell) and Snowball (Hart); then Max becomes worried about Katie’s new baby Max. There’s not enough humour, charm or sense to win over parents, but kids will enjoy the vivid animation and animal antics.

• 66%
• 55%

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• 2019
• India
• 2h 8min

• Directed by: Jagdeep Sidhu
• Cast: Diljit Dosanjh, Neeru Bajwa, Anita Devgan

A young man seeks love amidst pressure from his family.

• 83%

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• 2019
• US
• 2h 9min
• 12A

• Directed by: Jon Watts
• Cast: Tom Holland, Samuel L. Jackson, Zendaya, Cobie Smulders, Jon Favreau, J. B. Smoove, Jacob Batalon, Martin Starr, Marisa Tomei, Jake Gyllenhaal

Follow-up to Spider-Man: Homecoming.

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• 2019
• US
• 1h 40min
• U

• Directed by: Josh Cooley
• Cast: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts, Joan Cusack, Blake Clark, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Estelle Harris, Jodi Benson, Michael Keaton, Jeff Pidgeon, Kristen Schaal, Bonnie Hunt, Timothy Dalton, Jeff Garlin, Laurie Metcalf, Lori Alan

Woody (Hanks) joins new owner Bonnie at kindergarten where he finds a new purpose in protecting her improvised toy Forky (Hale). Pixar manages to further the story with fine new characters and a satisfyingly teary conclusion, for a fine last chapter in the saga.

• 85%
• 84%

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• 2019
• Spain / US
• PG

• Cast: Brianna Denski, Jennifer Garner, Ken Hudson Campbell

June (Mali and Denski) is faced with being shipped off to math camp while her mother (Garner) seeks medical assistance; then she finds herself in a parallel universe where she has to save a theme park. An animated film with big ideas and some notable omissions, ultimately a slight but rewardingly bittersweet experience.

• 57%
• 45%

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• 2019
• Pakistan

• Directed by: Yasir Nawaz
• Cast: Sami Khan, Neelam Muneer, Sana Fakhar

A rich heiress falls in love with a man below her socio-economic status, whilst former lovers interfere.

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• 2019
• US
• 1h 53min
• 12A

• Directed by: Simon Kinberg
• Cast: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Tye Sheridan, Sophie Turner, Alexandra Shipp, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Evan Peters, Jessica Chastain

When Jean Grey (Turner) is involved in a space rescue that goes awry, her malevolent alter ego Dark Phoenix is let out of the box. There’s real heft to the plot and characterisation, and Turner lives up to her growing maturity, but then it’s like it runs out of time and ideas, relapsing into routine, effects-drive action.

• 61%
• 43%

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• 2019
• UK
• 1h 52min

• Directed by: Danny Boyle
• Cast: Himesh Patel, Lily James, Kate McKinnon

Singer-songwriter Jack (Patel) is knocked unconscious when a bus hits his bike, and he wakes up in a world where the Beatles are unknown. There’s some fine comedy (including from Sheeran, playing himself) but it gets less surefooted; Patel can’t stop Jack from being rather morose and it’s neither a classic Curtis rom-com nor as infectiously euphoric as Boyle’s best work.

• 65%
• 54%

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