Vue Stroud

• 2018
• US
• 2h 29min
• 12A

• Directed by: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
• Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Josh Brolin, Chris Pratt

Thanos (Brolin) aims to become all-powerful, in the first part of this two-part superhero mash-up. Death, destruction, torture and sacrifice are the order of the day, in a grand space opera that mixes tragedy with pathos, fleshed out with the usual Marvel humour. Truly remarkable.

• 88%
• 68%

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• 2018
• US
• 1h 59min
• 15

• Directed by: David Leitch
• Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Zazie Beetz, Morena Baccarin

When tragedy splinters Wade Wilson’s own life, it takes a meeting with a mutant kid (Dennison) and vengeful cyborg Cable (Brolin) to renew his sense of purpose. Filthy, ferocious and funny, it surpasses its predecessor by doubling down on the gleeful self-awareness and excess; the whole cast shines, and the climax is surprisingly touching.

• 82%
• 66%

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• 2018
• 1h 31min
• PG

• Directed by: Christopher Jenkins
• Cast: Jim Gaffigan, Zendaya, Lance Lim

An animated comedy in which a young male goose, Peng, is forced to make an unlikely bond with two lost ducklings as they journey south for the winter.

• 52%

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• 2017
• US
• 1h 45min
• PG

• Directed by: Michael Gracey
• Cast: Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya

A musical version of the life of showman and genius of hype PT Barnum (Jackman), and how he went from running a museum of ‘curiosities’ to promoting Swedish soprano Jenny Lind (Ferguson). Jackman has rock-star charisma and Gracey delivers a kaleidoscopic, family-friendly spectacle.

• 78%
• 48%

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• 2018
• UK
• 2h 4min
• 12A

• Directed by: Mike Newell
• Cast: Lily James, Michiel Huisman, Jessica Brown Findlay

Juliet (James) is a successful writer in post-WWII London who discovers the eponymous book club, and learns about their lives under the German occupation of the island. Don’t let the twee title put you off, as it’s a beguiling and affecting celebration of friendship, courage and the joys of reading, full of warmth and good humour.

• 70%
• 64%

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• 2018
• US, China
• 12A

• Directed by: Abby Kohn, Marc Silverstein
• Cast: Amy Schumer, Michelle Williams, Rory Scovel, Emily Ratajkowski

Renee (Schumer) is a gawky and downtrodden worker in a luxury cosmetics company who becomes convinced she is gorgeous after hitting her head at SoulCycle. Conflicted comedy which tries to argue that one shouldn’t judge by appearances, even while it does so itself; Schumer is a gifted performer who needs better material.

• 46%
• 47%

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• 2018
• US
• 1h 41min
• PG

• Directed by: Wes Anderson
• Cast: Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Kunichi Nomura, Greta Gerwig, Frances McDormand, Courtney B. Vance, Fisher Stevens, Mari Natsuki, Harvey Keitel, Koyu Rankin, Liev Schreiber, Bob Balaban, Scarlett Johansson, Tilda Swinton

When the corrupt Mayor of Megasaki City sends all the dogs to Trash Island, his 12-year-old ward Atari (Rankin) goes there to find out what happened to his beloved Spots (Schreiber). Sensationally rendered stop-motion tribute to Japanese cinema, rich in detail and full of deadpan heroism and epic ineptitude. Delightful.

• 82%
• 82%

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• 2018
• US
• 1h 45min
• 12A

• Directed by: Ben Falcone
• Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Gillian Jacobs, Adria Arjona, Maya Rudolph

When Deanna (McCarthy) is abruptly divorced by her husband, she decides to enrol in her daughter’s university to complete the degree she gave up. Frothy comedy which provides a welcome reunion of McCarthy and Rudolph, and fine work from Gardner and Jacobs; lightweight fun.

• 55%
• 46%

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• 2000
• Germany/Netherlands/US
• 1h 35min
• U

• Directed by: Uli Edel
• Cast: Jonathan Lipnicki, Richard E Grant, Jim Carter, Alice Krige

Tony (Lipnicki), fresh from the orange groves of California, moves with his family to Scotland. He quickly becomes the leas popular kid in his class, but finds a playmate when a 10-year-old vampire conveniently falls down his chimney. Despite its Hollywood revamp, Angela Sommer-Bodenburg's well-loved novel emerges with its sense of fun intact. However, while this film certainly doesn't suck, it ultimately lacks real bite.

• 58%
• 45%
• 55%

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• 2018

• Directed by: Rufus Norris
• Cast: Anne-Marie Duff, Rory Kinnear

Shakespeare’s most intense and terrifying tragedy, directed by Rufus Norris sees Rory Kinnear and Anne-Marie Duff return to the National Theatre to play Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.

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• 2018
• US / Australia
• 1h 33min
• PG

• Directed by: Will Gluck
• Cast: Rose Byrne, Domhnall Gleeson, Sam Neill, Daisy Ridley, Elizabeth Debicki, Margot Robbie, James Corden

Mischievous bunny Peter (Corden) and his sisters Flopsy (Robbie), Mopsy (Debicki) and Cotton-Tail (Ridley) contend with Thomas (Gleeson), an uptight cottage garden owner. The interweaving of CGI animals with live action is flawless, Gleeson proves to have fine comedy chops and there’s a lot of slapstick, but anyone looking for Beatrix Potter will be sorely disappointed.

• 66%
• 51%

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• 2018
• US
• 1h 35min

• Directed by: John Krasinski
• Cast: Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Noah Jupe

Lee Abbott (Krasinski), his wife Evelyn (Blunt), son (Jupe) and deaf daughter (Simmonds) live and work in an empty dystopian world in complete silence, hiding from creatures who hunt by sound. Krasinski's third film as director is a smart, weird sci-fi frightener that is beautifully simple but thoughtfully composed.

• 80%
• 82%

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• 2017
• US
• 1h 59min
• 15

• Directed by: Guillermo del Toro
• Cast: Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Doug Jones, Lauren Lee Smith, Michael Stuhlbarg, Octavia Spencer

In 1962 Baltimore, Eliza (Hawkins) is a mute who works as a cleaner in a secret government facility alongside the chatty Zelda (Spencer); there she makes a connection with a mysterious monster (Jones). A wondrous tale of underwater love, with an apt and refreshing approach to female sexuality; from screenplay through casting, score and production, it all gels superbly.

• 74%
• 87%

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• 2018
• UK/US
• PG

• Directed by: John Stevenson
• Cast: Emily Blunt, Johnny Depp, Michael Caine

When the gnomes of London go missing, the titular detective (Depp) and his long-suffering sidekick (Ejiofor) go looking for them. Despite vivid animation and a fine voice cast, there’s just not enough story to fuel this hardly-necessary sequel to the lacklustre 2011 original.

• 47%
• 36%

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• 2018
• US / UK
• 1h 32min
• PG

• Directed by: Raja Gosnell
• Cast: Will Arnett, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Natasha Lyonne, Alan Cumming

NYPD Rottweiler Max (Ludacris) goes undercover with FBI agent Frank (Arnett) at the Canini Invitational, a prestigious Vegas dog show. Arnett gives an uncharacteristically lacklustre turn, although Lyonne takes being the love interest in her stride, but despite spirited voice acting it’s both overly silly and vaguely moralistic.

• 28%
• 35%

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• 2018
• US
• 2h 14min
• 12A

• Directed by: Ron Howard
• Cast: Alden Ehrenreich, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover, Thandie Newton, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Joonas Suotamo

The origin story of the young Han Solo (Ehrenreich), as he gets out of Corellia, meets Chewbacca (Suotamo) and Lando (Glover) for the first time, and runs into former lover Qi’ra (Clarke). Ehrenreich has just the right easy charm and despite some missteps it’s an enjoyable yarn with fine set-pieces.

• 63%
• 63%

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