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First Take: Despicable Me 4 - sometimes minions can't save a film from daddy issues

SYNOPSIS: Gru, Lucy, Margo, Edith, and Agnes welcome a new member to the family, Gru Jr., who is intent on tormenting his dad. Gru faces a new nemesis in Maxime Le Mal and his girlfriend Valentina, and the family is forced to go on the run.

Illumination have had a cracker of a summer - big box office returns with this film, and on account of their animation studio being based there, the Minions featuring during the opening ceremony of this year's Olympics in Paris. But Despicable Me 4 is a release which proves that overusing a franchise, even if it hasn't had a main line entry since 2017, can be a bad idea.

Returning to direct this one is Chris Renaud - a man who went over to fellow Illumination IP The Secret Life of Pets for a few years - and while it comes in at 1 hour 34 minutes, it is a bit on and off at times, feeling like it has no idea what kind of film it wants to be, mostly due to its script from Mike White and Ken Daurio. This is the same Mike White who co-wrote The Emoji Movie. Just let that sink in folks. It is cliched, predictable, and even with the Minions providing much needed comic relief, it is, quite simply, a mess. It genuinely feels like they had one idea, abandoned it mid-production and decided to run with another plot entirely - one with some BLATANT shots at more successful, rival films (super serum is all I shall say). Saying that, the team at Illumination Paris have done, as ever, a fine job animating this, and the now traditional Heitor Pereira/Pharrell Williams collab for the score just about does the trick.

The voice cast do an alright job, obviously the regulars of Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Miranda Cosgrove and Steve Coogan carry this one (with Pierre Coffin voicing the Minions as usual), Will Ferrell uses one of the most bonkers French accents I've heard for a long time, Sofia Vergara gets a big billing on the PR but barely any lines, with the cast being rounded out by Joey King, Stephen Colbert and Chloe Fineman. To put it simply, there is too much going on in this film, which is a good thing for its main audience (family/children) but this is a true case of sequel bait - Illumination know this is gonna do well at the box office, and having seen some much better made, solo animated shorts fairly recently as part of LYIFF coverage, I'm now of the belief that Despicable Me as a franchise has run its course.

THE VERDICT

Unlike earlier films, Despicable Me 4 is mostly forgettable. Considering Illumination's work over the last few years it properly feels like they prioritised Migration, and especially last year's Mario movie (likely at Nintendo's request) and just worked on Despicable Me when they could. Somehow it's been a box office success, but the time has come to let this franchise have a good amount of time away. They need to rest.

RATING: 2.5/5

TheJackSmit.com at the 2024 Lytham International Film Festival

August Bank Holiday meant only one thing - the mother of all storms - but also the second edition of a film festival that's making waves in the North and far beyond. LYIFF returned to the Lowther Pavilion, with 105 submissions from across the globe, 15 world premieres, 3 'foot in the door' workshops for aspiring filmmakers, and plenty of opportunities to meet the talent behind the films in competition. As usual, here at TheJackSmit.com we're quite proud of the North, so it is always a joy to be able to cover the event, and actually talk to the movers and shakers in this industry.

HERE'S SOMETHING WE MADE EARLIER: LYIFF becomes the first festival to feature on The Journal

Usually we'd have a huge written piece on all of the highlights when it comes to the shorts - but we doubled our coverage to see 35 of the 105 selections across features, shorts and music videos in the 2024 festival. So, naturally... we went all out and added The Journal to the mix. Seeing as we made the episode before knowledge of the award winners came through to Smit HQ - we had to wait to be able to name them. So without any further delay, here are this year's winners, all films you should 100% have a read up about.

THE LYIFF AWARDS 2024

BEST FEATURE: The Way to Happiness (dir: Nicolas Steil)

BEST SHORT: Good Boy (dir: Tom Stuart)

BEST REGIONAL FILM (sponsored by Chris Allen Mazda): Autonomous Winter Shelter (dir: Dean Cooper)

BEST ACTOR: Tillman Eckardt (Once and For Real)

BEST ACTRESS: Daria Panchenko (A Day in February)

BEST DIRECTOR: Parker Croft (As Easy As Closing Your Eyes)

BEST SCREENPLAY: Baby On Board (Stephen Volk)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: The Last Embrace (Paul Meyers, dir: Diego Contreras)

BEST EDITING: [Insert Short Film Title] (dir: Kory Orban)

BEST VFX: Wild Summon (Saul Freed, dir: Karni Arieli & Saul Freed)

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE - Judged by John Parr (best known for St Elmo's Fire [Man in Motion], and LYIFF 23 winning short Unconquered): The First Time I Never Met You (Joseph Alexander, dir: Eric Kole)

BEST MUSIC VIDEO - Judged by John Parr: You Feel It Too (Moxy the Band)

LYIFF CREATIVITY AWARD: Sound 7406 (dir: Goran Sporcic)

BEST COMEDY: The Snip (dir: Ben S. Hyland)

BEST AFTER DARK (Horror/Thriller): Rain, Rain, Go Away (dir: Sebastiano Pupino)

BEST EXPERIMENTAL: Ava (dir: Stella Brajterman)

BEST ANIMATION: Nerd (dir: Gus Menese)

BEST FACTUAL: Beyond the Beach: The Hell and the Hope (dir: Graeme Scott & Buddy Squires)

BEST DRAMA: In 100 Years (dir: Hektor Hornsleth)

BEST FIRST TIME DIRECTOR: Kathryn Georghiou (Changing Tides)

LYIFF RISING STAR: Csnad Noll (dir: The Files - aged just 15 and showcasing his debut short at the Festival, judges have identified him as a talent to watch in the future)

During our day on site, I got to chat with Kathryn Georghiou (director of Changing Tides), Johnny Herbin (director of Cakes!), Rosie Fox (writer/composer/star of Bonny Chip) and Goran Sporcic (director of Sound 7406) at the various Q&As and between screenings, and this is what makes LYIFF unique- as one minute you can literally be sat with the filmmakers, talking shop about the business, before seeing their work on the big screen. It's a proper family vibe, and I know a lot of the people who attended the festival can attest to that.

WORKSHOPS FOR THE FUTURE

New for this edition was the LYIFF Foot in the Door programme, a way for the filmmakers of the future to learn from those involved in the festival's selections. On the Friday, festival director (and also the director of The Renata Road) Ed Greenberg lead a workshop on exactly what it takes to produce a quality short film, on any budget, that will do well on the festival circuit - including all the ways to get funding, in a 45 minute workshop that ended up going an hour because there was so much valuable information on offer. On the Saturday, the aspiring screenwriters got to talk to filmmaker and author Andrew David Barker about writing for the short form, ahead of a screening of his short film Baby on Board later that evening. Then on the Sunday morning, Richard Albiston gave the workshop most filmmakers want to hear: the inside line on getting your film seen and distributed. Richard knows his onions about all this, as owner of The Cannon Film Company (as well as being the protege of the late Menahem Golan), he has an eye for identifying promising low budget films that will do big things internationally, as well as being a filmmaker in his own right.

2025 AND BEYOND: Northern Film Matters

Artists impression of the Lowther Pavilion's new Education Centre and Studio, due to open April 2025

Speaking to the team at the festival, as well as staff at the Lowther Pavilion, the next two years for LYIFF are going to see some serious evolution - all being well, next April the Pavilion will open their Education Centre and Studio, providing a second indoor venue to supplement the main 450 seater screen and The Tent, as it has become known. There is a serious passion amongst everyone involved in putting it on to take this as big, and as far-reaching as it can, just like the music festival held on Lytham's promenade every July has done since 2015.

All of these chats have prompted us here at TheJackSmit.com to start developing a very special little strand, which we'll reveal more about once submissions open for next year's festival - that hashtag in the Journal is a small hint as to what it's called...

Submissions for LYIFF 2025 open on FilmFreeway.com/LYIFF on September 1st.

First Take at LYIFF: The Way to Happiness - a delicatessen themed around film, taking its owner on a very personal journey

SYNOPSIS: Saül Birnbaum is a “hidden child”, separated from his parents at the age of 6 to escape the upcoming Shoah, sent by a Kindertransport abroad, from Vienna to Brussels. In 1986, Saül is on the road to resilience, he tries to reinvent his life, to re-enchant it. On the stage of the Délicatessen he owns, the 7th Art triumphs every day. With his protégé Joakin, a young Chilean director who fled Pinochet, they decide to write the story of Saül’s childhood and make a film of it. But love comes knocking on his door and confronts him with his past.

It is a common understanding that cinema has the power to change lives. This film, screened as the second feature of this year's Lytham International Film Festival, came in from Luxembourg from director Nicolas Steil - and while it is a heartfelt piece of filmmaking that has good intentions, based on the general audience response, and reading some of the Letterboxd comments, it feels like some elements may have been lost in translation.

English Language Subtitles available on this trailer - click the CC button to turn them on.

Steil uses a lot of the knowledge he gained making his first feature Réfractaire (The Undercover War as it is known in English territories, another World War 2 inspired piece) in 2009 and the many years of experience he's had in the film and TV production industry to turn in a relatively well paced 1 hour 52 minute feature, that gets a lot right, but in terms of the execution of a pretty heavy plot, does feel a bit of a mish-mash of ideas. Henri Rouanne-Rosenblatt adapts his own book very faithfully to the best of my knowledge, working with Michel Fessler, but the multiple stories ongoing at the same time probably didn't land as well with a British audience as well as it would've done elsewhere - there's the story of back in the war, then back to 1986, then back to the war, again, showing the TV influence of the director more than anything. It's shot well by Pierre Milon, and the original music from Kyan Bayani just about does the job for a film like this.

As for the cast, Simon Abkarian and Django Schrevens are two very likable leads, Pascale Arbillot plays the love interest (central to Abkarian's character Saul going on this journey to discover his past really well), Andre Jung provides comic relief following some of the heavier moments that the film deals with, and rounding out the cast is Eric Caravaca, Helena Noguerra, and Mathilda May. All things considered, the message of the film certainly landed even with it being a subtitled screening, but the general style of the film and how it does the story of 'finding the past while making a whole fictional movie about it' did take a bit of getting used to.

THE VERDICT

The Way to Happiness is a well made, poignant, and very raw tribute to not only what film can do for escapsim, but also what it can do to rediscover the past - I can see why the LYIFF panel selected it, especially as it followed a workshop (for which a lot of what was said in terms of personal films being the hardest to make), but crucially - it has some serious potential on the festival circuit.

RATING: 3.5/5

Projection Room: open for business at last - Prime Video, meet The Renata Road

Stills from The Renata Road courtesy of Beyond The Bar Ltd

Long-time readers of the blog - especially those who have been here from the UCLan days onwards - will likely remember a review of a film made here in the North West that for so long, has remained unreleased to those here in England. A film about a remote hotel where not all is as it seems, a film featuring a lead best known for his quizzing prowess back in the day on a certain BBC light entertainment programme, and a film that's been a real passion project for all involved in front of and behind the camera. That film is of course, Ed Greenberg's directorial debut, psychological thriller The Renata Road.

For the uninitiated, in 2016 I was told of the project through a friend of a friend in a foyer of a local cinema, as the print was being tested on actual projection/sound equipment, and before long, I was invited to an early preview screening of the film to write the first review - since then the blog's been on the ride with the Beyond The Bar team, through the highs and the lows of taking an independently made, crowdfunded film from script to screen, something I've seen more in depth with the film production students I got to shadow back in 2018/19. Obviously we can't reveal too much about the plot beyond what went in that original review - this is a film that has twists and turns at its core, but since the Kickstarter backers seen it, we've been a key part of the journey here at TheJackSmit.com - so much so that we're featured in the international trailer. But today is a day I've been very, very, very excited for, purely because I get to type these words:

The Renata Road is now available on Amazon Prime Video in the UK.

Since we last updated you all on the film in 2022 following its world premiere in LA, and the subsequent US streaming release on Valentines Day last year, Richard Albiston and his team at The Cannon Film Company have worked their magic alongside Beyond The Bar to bring this film home, and with the folks at Burning Bulb, at long last the Renata is truly open for business. The film is out, it's real, and now, at last, audiences can see it with their trusty Prime subscriptions.

Reading through the press kit, the film's director says it best: "there’s been an increasing demand from the public these past years for more challenging content; for stories that make you think and look beyond the surface-level narrative. Films that inspire discussion and interpretation". I hope audiences understand it as well as the two packed cinema screens I seen it with during the search for a distributor - as I said back then, it won't be everyone's cup of tea, but it is a distinctly Northern film that gets you talking. Which, in essence, is what a good film should do. But while today is a day of celebration, there is a small amount of sadness as it would be wrong not to mention a key part of the Renata family who isn't here to see the big day - in 2019 production designer, set builder and all round top man Craig Priestley lost his battle with cancer. I had the honour of meeting him in the summer of 2018, playing many board games with him, and quite rightly, the film is dedicated to his memory. If anything, the last few years covering this film has shown how much of a family this industry can create.

A huge thanks to the teams at Beyond The Bar, The Cannon Film Company and all involved in the production of The Renata Road for their support in TheJackSmit.com coverage of the film over the years.

First Take: Deadpool and Wolverine - zero Fox given in the long-awaited threequel

Spoiler free as usual. Because the MCU is back.

SYNOPSIS: Wolverine is recovering from his injuries when he crosses paths with the loudmouth Deadpool. They team up to defeat a common enemy.

Sometimes it takes a full on corporate acquisition - a corpacq, if you will - to speak things into existence. In 2014 the infamous ‘leak’ prompted Fox to greenlight a Deadpool film within the X-Men universe, one which didn’t have his mouth sewn shut. A sequel followed. Then… the void. Covid. The Disney buyout. The downfall of the MCU as the multiverse saga began. But now the self proclaimed Marvel Jesus is back with the happy ending - one which brings the curtain down on a 25 year legacy for certain properties.

Shawn Levy takes the helm of this threequel, following Tim Miller and David Leitch into the universe where breaking the 4th wall doesn’t get you fired for creative differences - and he’s a director who knows Ryan Reynolds’ mind incredibly well having directed The Adam Project and most notably Free Guy. What we get is a 2 hour 8 minute ride that brings the best of the Fox era into the MCU - albeit not as rudely as anticipated… even more rudely. Having co-written the script with Reynolds, veteran Deadpool writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, along with Zeb Wells, Levy’s input on this film shows a classy understanding of what it takes to pull off a 15 certificate Marvel Studios film, and even with elements of the TVA plotline that viewers of Loki will be very familiar with, this is a film that makes it easier for those who don’t follow the Disney+ shows to understand everything, almost like a full reset of Marvel’s storytelling. It’s shot incredibly by George Richmond (of Kingsman fame - one particular sequence gave me ‘church scene’ vibes) and the score from Rob Simonsen just about does the job, with a cracker of a soundtrack album for good measure.

As for the cast, trying to stay spoiler free is easier said than done - so we’ll give it a damn good go. Reynolds provides the fun as ever with all the self-referential jokes you could potentially think of, Hugh Jackman returns, and boy is it fantastic to see him back with the claws in a way which respects the ending of THAT 2017 solo film, and supporting them is Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Leslie Uggams and Karan Soni to represent the Deadpool franchise - with new additions Matthew Mcfadyen and Emma Corrin leading the charge from the old regime into the Feige world. It is worth staying back, as is protocol on these films, as there is a fantastic tribute to the journey which brought us to this major turning point for Marvel’s film output, and ultimately, what could be the last time we see the words 20th Century Fox on a cinema screen. This isn’t just a Deadpool movie, this is the powers that be acknowledging that some storylines backfired big time - and they have heard us. With Comic-Con this weekend, for the first time in a while… I’m excited to see where Marvel Studios will take us.

THE VERDICT

The mad lads did it. A proper Deadpool movie under the constraints of the MCU, and still a lovely 15 certificate. Obviously it does feel a smidge more corporate, but all things considered, it’s the film we all wanted, with a Wolverine we have begged to see on-screen since 2000.

RATING: 4/5

First Take: IF - rumours of the U certificate's death are greatly exaggerated

SYNOPSIS: A young girl who goes through a difficult experience begins to see everyone's imaginary friends who have been left behind as their real-life friends have grown up.

Well, here was the surprise for this year's marathon - when it opened to a 48% on Rotten Tomatoes, a lot was made of John Krasinski's first foray outside of the more adult realms (having done A Quiet Place and several episodes directing The US Office). But having now finally got round to seeing it, for the first time I have to say to the higher ups - you're wrong, but kinda right.

Krasinski does a hell of a job at the helm of writing and directing this U certificate - yes, this a U certificate - film, clocking in at a neat 1 hour 44 minutes. Cynically, it could've been cut down a bit to get it to 1 hour 40 (including credits), but to do that would ruin a lot of the work done with choreographer Mandy Moore (of La La Land, and I can't believe I'm writing this on the blog in light of its cinema release last year, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour fame) to make a 'live action Pixar movie' as it has been described - and that fits this film perfectly. Yes, it has the heart - the script is a major part of that - but it also has the key life lessons that Pixar films have lacked in recent years. But sadly the ending did feel a little predictable, which was my only minor issue with it - saying all that, it is shot really well by Janusz Kaminski and on scoring duties, it was a joy to see Michael Giacchino's name on the credit roll - which explains why he had less involvement on another film which has been featured this weekend.

With the cast, as well as directing and taking a role himself Krasinski brought some of his talented friends along - namely Ryan Reynolds, with SNL alumni Bobby Moynihan, Liza Colon-Zayas and Fiona Shaw rounding out the live action talent, but the undoubted star of this film is Cailey Fleming. Having honed her craft on the sets of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Walking Dead and Loki, to lead a film like this, at this age takes some doing. A big career potentially beckons - and on the other side, the voice cast are more voice cameos. Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Steve Carell are the two most prominently featured names, with Emily Blunt, Jon Stewart, George Clooney, Bradley Cooper, Awkwafina, Bill Hader, Matt Damon, Blake Lively... it is a who's who in the Maximum Effort (Reynolds' production house) and Sunday Night Productions (Krasinski's production company) phonebooks, with it also being the last film for Louis Gossett Jr. - all in all, this film deserved a bit more love from critics.

THE VERDICT

If is a film that takes the best bits of the archetypical 1990s family movie and applies it to a modern cinemagoing landscape - obviously it is making its way onto digital at this point, so it is a miracle a screening went on when it did, but this, had it released officially around July 26th, would be one hell of a summer holidays film.

RATING: 3.5/5

First Take Classics: The Mummy (1999) - let's pretend Tom Cruise never ruined the franchise

SYNOPSIS: At an archaeological dig in the ancient city of Hamunaptra, an American serving in the French Foreign Legion accidentally awakens a mummy who begins to wreak havoc as he searches for the reincarnation of his long-lost love.

25 years ago Stephen Sommers and a group of producers had an idea to take the iconic 1932 Universal Monsters story and modernise it for what was, at the time, a very lucrative blockbuster market. What they ended up doing was starting what would become a goliath of a franchise with associated theme park rides, sequels, and, dare I say it, that failed reboot in 2017. With the reissue playing to surprisingly packed houses, it felt like the right time to get this one online.

Sommers used the 1932 original as a loose inspiration, instead choosing to create a little action/romance rather than hard horror, and it worked - the resulting 2 hour 4 minute film he wrote and directed would save Universal after some pretty rough box office flops. Paced very well, written with intent, and shot incredibly smartly for the time by Adrian Biddle, the technical side of things certainly pleased audiences, and this is before we mention the CGI. It may look pretty rough now but the boffins at Industrial Light and Magic definitely had some fun making this one. Plus, who can argue with a Jerry Goldsmith score? On a more nerdy level - the current UK re-release is from the Blu-ray master, so for the first time the 14 seconds that were cut to allow a 12 rather than a 15 certificate in 1999 are restored for a modern 12a rating.

Now it would be wrong not to mention Brendan Fraser's performance. This was the role which put him on the map, and looking back 25 years on, with his Oscar for The Whale in hand, it is a crying shame it took him this long to get the love from the industry he deserved - holding his own with Rachel Weisz and John Hannah alongside him, he is the glue that held this film together. Supporting a very likeable trio is Kevin J O'Connor, Jonathan Hyde, Oded Fehr, a young Omid Djalili, and of course Arnold Vosloo as the one this film is all about - Imhotep. It's a cast that gets the job done and gets it done well, and importantly a film that has stood the test of time unlike a lot of these early 1990s blockbuster releases. Last night in a ridiculously packed screen 1, there were MANY fans of the film (and the franchise) in-screen, even quoting the comedic lines. It's a beloved Universal IP, and a cracker of a way to finish 12 hours of films.

THE VERDICT

Yes, the CG might not hold up as well on a remastered 4K print that Park Circus have sent out to cinemas - but this is the version of The Mummy that should be remembered within a crowd-pleasing blockbuster context. Sommers of course tried (and failed) to do the same to Van Helsing in 2004, but it cannot be understated how important this film was for the action/horror blockbuster genre going into 2000, especially as follow-up The Mummy Returns introduced a certain Scorpion King to Hollywood...

RATING: 4/5

First Take: The Garfield Movie - love Mondays. Hate this film.

SYNOPSIS: After Garfield's unexpected reunion with his long-lost father, ragged alley cat Vic, he and his canine friend Odie are forced from their perfectly pampered lives to join Vic on a risky heist.

It wouldn't be a multifilm marathon without at least one film that belongs in the depths of hell - and boy did we have a real doozy this year to join the likes of The Queen's Corgi (which was bad enough to get a Journal episode made about it). Somehow, inexplicably, Sony decided to take on a new Garfield film, made independently of the studio. One which has been in development since 2011. I was three cups of Earl Grey deep when venturing into this 'minefield'... and I am so glad I've made it out in one piece. Thermonuclear rant incoming, so longtime fans of the blog will know what happens next: cue the music.

Mark Dindal of Chicken Little and The Emperor's New Groove fame has broken free from Disney to direct this and... oooooof. This is a mess. 1 hour 41 minutes of poorly paced, dumb, stupid, poorly executed animation that serves no purpose other than to get kids into cinemas. I am not angry, just very very very very very disappointed. Script wise, it is three credited writers (and likely more ghostwriters) - Paul A. Kaplan, Mark Torgove, and David Reynolds are the fall guys for this trainwreck of a script that has barely any legible plot, a story that goes all over the place, dialogue that is too on the nose ('I do my own stunts... like Tom Cruise'), and to wrap it all up with a cherry on top, the product placement is worse than the Tom and Jerry film I willingly sat through a few years ago - no, it's worse than Haunted Mansion last year - which explains how this got a cinema release. As for the score, John Debney what were you thinking by besmurching Lorne Balfe's arrangement of the Mission Impossible theme and Hans Zimmer's version of the Top Gun theme for the sake of a punchlime? Technically this is an absolute shambles all over the shop.

Then there's the cast. I have no clue how or why Chris Pratt, Samuel L Jackson, Hannah Waddingham, Ving Rhames and Nicholas Hoult took the contract to make this, as the voice acting is soulless, lacks ANY emotion, feels very phoned in, and believe me this says a lot when even SNOOP DOGG has a character in it! Reading up on when the castings were all confirmed, this definitely feels like a film hit hard by the SAG strike (all very rushed to finish recording) but I have to ask Sony - make it make sense. Apparently there is a videogame and a sequel in active development with Alcon Entertainment, which is mental considering it's a 36% on Rotten Tomatoes, and still grossing over $250million at the box office. This is a film that arguably completes a full collection of mediocrity across the 11 years I've done this - just when I thought The Emoji Movie and Nine Lives were the benchmark of terrible movies... this one comes and blows both of them out of the water.

THE VERDICT POST MORTEM

Lord almighty that was bad. An incoherent plot, voice acting with no emotion, a flat, emotionless script, the abomination of some fantastic licensed music... everyone involved should hang their heads in shame. There's bad films, then, there's this. I legitimately felt like being mummified after watching it.

RATING: Minus 5/5

First Take: Inside Out 2 - bring all the feels

SYNOPSIS: A sequel that features Riley entering puberty and experiencing brand new, more complex emotions as a result. As Riley tries to adapt to her teenage years, her old emotions try to adapt to the possibility of being replaced.

In 2015 Pete Docter and his team at Pixar made what can only be described as the most emotional (in every sense of the word) animated film the studio has made to that point. a lot has happened since then - a reshuffle, Disney focusing on streaming, and the controversial call to use lesser voice talents - but Inside Out 2 definitely feels like it was worth the wait, and a very apt film to open a marathon day of cinema considering the last 48 hours in England and, well, changes which happened on Friday morning (if you know you know).

Kelsey Mann takes over directorial duty for the sequel, and working to a script from Meg LeFauvre and Dave Holstein, this 1 hour 36 minute work has enough pace to make even the England players think again, enough heart (like the original) to justify Pixar’s stature, but even with all the positives, the usual Disney (post covid) issues present themselves with it feeling a smidge too corporate. It is animated incredibly well as you would expect, and taking over from Michael Giacchino on scoring duties is Andrea Datzman, who somehow (with giacchino himself producing the score) takes the beloved music of IO1 and develops it to suit the Riley we see in this followup, with a more grown up sound.

Onto the cast - notable absences aside (Bill Hader and Mindy Kaling did not return, citing pay issues), Amy Poehler leads the cast admirably, with Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black, Diane Lane and Kyle McLachlan all returning from IO1. Big name additions include Maya Hawke, Tony Hale, Liza Lapira, Ayo Edibiri, Adele Exarchopaulos, Paul Walter Hauser and (Community legend) Yvette Nicole Brown, and obviously they've done some good casting in light of the well publicised disputes - while Pixar have been a little hit/miss of late, this one definitely has hints of the golden age of the studio - which is a major relief. The hope is now whether the studio has enough creative prowess to rediscover what made these films so universally beloved, even if, sadly, they eliminate some positions.

THE VERDICT

Inside Out 2 takes what we have already seen with Riley's story and adds to it in very well thought out ways - yes, it doesn't quite land in the same way as the first one did (as some creatives aren't involved as heavily), but with its exclusive cinema run, Pixar are finally on to a winner.

RATING: 4/5

First Take: The Fall Guy - stuntmen get more love than the people who actually put the films on

SYNOPSIS: A down-and-out stuntman must find the missing star of his ex-girlfriend's blockbuster film.

When you have a film which involves a LOT of stunts naturally you have to look to the work of David Leitch- a former stuntman turned director who brought us the insane violence in John Wick, the self referential madness of Deadpool 2, and most recently making Bullet Train entirely during lockdown. So naturally, a film inspired by the TV series of the same name (not a direct reboot as a lot of people think) required a director like him - and while it is a fun film, it's not without a few major flaws.

Leitch does an OK job pacing this film, coming in at 2 hours 5 minutes it gets the job done, but again, like a lot of these major films coming in at the minute, a few cuts here and there wouldn't have been a bad idea. Sadly, Drew Pearce's script just doesn't know what it wants to be, which is a a shame considering how good his other scripts have been - one minute the romance is crucial, the next minute there's a big action setpiece... it feels like a project which has been in development hell for over a decade. It's shot really well by Jonathan Sela (Leitch's DOP of choice) in the way you'd expect with these two collaborating, and the Dominic Lewis score is pretty genius with its integration of a Kiss track which opens the film in style. And then, of course, the stunts themselves. Most of them practical (especially the car roll which has taken the world record from Casino Royale), some using some fairly obvious CG - and stay back during the credits folks, just to see HOW it was all done.

Onto the cast then, and it is fairly obvious that Emily Blunt and Ryan Gosling - the box office saviours of 2023 (with their involvement in Oppenheimer and Barbie) felt like the ideal choice to carry a silly, very comedic movie like this, and with Hannah Waddingham, Winston Duke, Stephanie Hsu, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Teresa Palmer rounding out a cast who do a really good job with the material given to them, plus without spoiling too much, there are some lovely cameos too for good measure. Tech issues aside, and with a LOT from the trailers not actually making it into the final cut, it's a film which has highlights littered with lowlights - let's just hope that Universal see sense to keep it a one and done entry in the franchise.

THE VERDICT

The Fall Guy is a fun enough film for what it needs to be, one which doesn't take itself seriously - I doubt it'll make much traction in its aim to get the under-the-line talent recognised at a certain award show, and opening now ahead of the big summer window has hurt its chances box office wise. It's a proper Saturday night family outing, not a big blockbuster. It will find its crowd, but it's gonna lose a lot of screens next week in all honesty.

RATING: 3/5

First Take: Challengers - sport can be cruel sometimes

SYNOPSIS: Tashi, a former tennis prodigy turned coach, turned her husband into a champion. But to overcome a losing streak, he needs to face his ex-best friend and Tashi's ex-boyfriend.

And now we see the impact of the actors' strike making its presence felt on the release schedule - this film was initially slated for a September 15th release before the chaos of last summer played out amongst SAG/AFTRA and the studios. So a few months later than anticipated, Luca Guadagino, the visionary behind Call Me By Your Name, has released his new film, opening wide in UK cinemas- and it is a hard sell considering the sport at the centre of it. But aside from the way this one's been marketed, one name is enough to make the mainstream audiences watch this film, and we will get to said performance shortly.

At 2 hours 11 minutes, Guadagino is able to do a lot within the runtime, with the tennis sequences looking relatively authentic - obviously the script from first-time screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes doesn't just deal with the on-court action, but the 13 years leading up to the challenger event for all 3 of our main characters. Admittedly the trailers do oversell some aspects of the plot, but what we do get is a solid story, rooted in realism and crucially told in a non-linear way to keep the tension going throughout the plot. The cinematography from Sayombhu Mukdeeprom is just fantastic (especially some of the shots in the final act of the film) and while the Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross score is being heralded by some as another one of their finest works, the sound mixing on the film lets it down as at some points, with some dialogue being drowned out (a common issue at various cinemas, based on what friends who went to an early screening on Monday have fed in to me)- so be prepared to turn the subtitles on once it goes on Prime later in the year.

Undeniably this trio of leads make the film come alive - we have Zendaya (who also produces the film), Mike Faist and Josh O'Connor at the helm, and it is their performances that are central to the execution of this rather unique love triangle plot that plays out on and off court - and in Zendaya's case, hot off the heels of Dune: Part 2, is it too early to say awards contender? The cast is rounded out by Darnell Appling, AJ Lister, Nada Depostovich and Naheem Garcia, and considering the talent, the way the film has been put together, the fact that Guadagino worked with player turned coach Brad Gilbert to train the core three talents in the sport just to allow it all to be done on-camera... there is a lot to like about this film. Aside from the knee injury central to the plot - even watching rugby week in week out, that snap still provides a proper 'oof' moment.

THE VERDICT

Challengers is a bold, provocative, slow burner of a film, and while the sound mix does make it a challenge to understand a few minor elements, it's a movie which proves that even the most basic of sports can make for a good story in the hands of the right people.

RATING: 4/5

First Take: Dune: Part 2 - he who controls the spice, controls the box office

SYNOPSIS: Paul Atreides unites with Chani and the Fremen while seeking revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family.

Well, the impossible has happened. The book many thought was unadaptable for cinema, has been conquered for modern audiences - three years ago Denis Villenueve helped restart the industry with a star-studded telling of the first half of Frank Herbert’s 1965 book, and now, after another lengthy delay like its predecessor, Part 2 is here. And having now seen it, I can understand why they held it back until March, because this cast on its own is enough to do it justice.

Villenueve once again commands a true big screen epic, and on every film he’s made he just gets better and better - sure, this is a long film at 2 hour 45 minutes, but it is a length that is justified with just how complex the plot gets. This certainly isn’t cookie cutter storytelling, this is proper arthouse cinema that just happens to have a $190million budget, and a key part of that is a script he has co-written with Jon Spaihts, one that is more action heavy by design following the journey that was central to the first part - and it works so well, especially as most of the major setpieces are predominantly practical and in-camera. Pretty much all the technical crew from part 1 are back, with Greig Fraser once again returning as DOP, and Hans Zimmer following up his Oscar-winning score (with Loire Cotler, Guthrie Govan and the musicians who made it such a unique experience) in very similar fashion.

Where this adaptation comes alive is in the cast, and, well, I just need to say their names really - Timothee Chalamet continues evolving his craft, Zendaya once again proves herself as an incredible talent, Rebecca Ferguson drives the film’s emotional elements and Javier Bardem also helping to set up what will hopefully play out in the third film, with Charlotte Rampling, Dave Bautista, Josh Brolin and Stellan Skarsgard all coming back too. Of course there are also new additions Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, Christopher Walken and Lea Seydoux - if there’s one cast list which screams ‘nominate this, Academy’, this is it, and it probably will get that attention this time next year.It's big, bold, and a film best experienced loud.

THE VERDICT

If Denis gets his way, the final part of this trilogy will be Dune Messiah. I hope to god this comes to fruition because that will be the film that seals his legacy as a Hollywood legend- but only if he does what he’s done here: stay true to source material, and make it on HIS terms.

RATING: 5/5

First Take: Wicked Little Letters - Colman + Buckley + swearing = madness

SYNOPSIS: When people in Littlehampton--including conservative local Edith--begin to receive letters full of hilarious profanities, rowdy Irish migrant Rose is charged with the crime. Suspecting that something is amiss, the town's women investigate.

When the first promotions for this film rolled out at the end of last year, a lot of audiences were taken back by the bonkers nature of this TRUE story. But when you add two fine comedic actresses in their own right, as well as a swear count so large it would outnumber the Glaswegian reaction to the Wonka experience which was in the news this week, you end up getting this: a decent enough film for what it needs to be.

Thea Sharrock is in the director's seat for this 1 hour 40 minute ‘experience’, and while it is paced well, there are a few minutes that could’ve been tightened up to hone it all in and keep the story going, but it is passable enough for what it needs to be (especially with Film4 putting money into it). My main bugbear lies with Jonny Sweet’s script - yes, it passes the 6 laugh test, but if this was a 12 certificate film though, without as much of the spicy language, then the film just wouldn’t land- as unlike the trailer above, it's all uncensored in the film itself. The whole mystery of who’s sending the letters relies on the choice words in them, making the BBFC’s decision to pass it at 15 for very strong language totally justified. The legendary Ben Davis is behind the camera, and in true British indie film style, a familiar last name to TV viewers provides the score, as it is Isobel Waller-Bridge (yes, Phoebe’s sister) in charge of the music.

On to the cast then, and what do you say about the combined power of Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley? They have worked together before on a more serious film (2021’s The Lost Daughter), so to see them flex their skills in a black comedy, something Colman especially is rather good at, is ultimately this film’s USP. Plus this is a good supporting cast too- Timothy Spall, Dame Eileen Atkins, Anjana Vasan, Malachi Kirby, Joanna Scanlan, Gemma Jones, Lolly Adefope and Hugh Skinner all round out this group relatively nicely. But I have to take a moment to mention, once again, young Alisha Weir - the last time she was seen on cinema screens she was singing about being a little bit naughty, and on her second film, with Buckley by her side, she’s a scene stealer. For what it’s worth, this film isn’t one to be taken seriously, but one designed for those wanting a good, fun film to watch with mates.

THE VERDICT

For a comedy film inspired by true events, Wicked Little Letters just about delivers on the high expectations that the now-viral trailer set out, and while it could do with a few trims to tighten it here and there and a script that works without the swearing, the nuance of Colman and Buckley just about keep this film on the right track.

RATING: 4/5

First Take: Anyone but You - nothing fake about this 'rom-con'

SYNOPSIS: After an amazing first date, Bea and Ben's fiery attraction turns ice-cold... until they find themselves unexpectedly reunited at a destination wedding in Australia. So they do what any two mature adults would do: pretend to be a couple.

It has become the highest grossing romcom since Bridget Jones had her baby in 2016. Audiences haven’t been receptive to the genre for nearly 10 years. Sydney Sweeney wanted to change that. And with an extended version hitting cinemas today (well, 4 minutes of new footage) in light of its success, Anyone But You has become a film that has really punched above its weight in terms of its quality.

Will Gluck (of Easy A, Friends With Benefits… and Peter Rabbit fame), takes the directors chair on his first ‘adult’ movie since the aforementioned adventures with a certain rabbit - and it is so good to see him back making the films he is known for. Coming in at 1 hour 43 minutes in its original cut, this is a decent runtime for a comedy like this, but where the issues lie are with the script he and Ilana Wolpert have turned in. What they've hidden VERY well is that this is actually based on Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, albeit without the complicated language, and as such, some elements are a little long winded for their own good, but on the other hand there are some charming moments which pass the 6 laugh test. It is shot pretty well by Danny Ruhlmann, and handling the music side of things, well, you can tell which audience this film is targeted at, as Este Haim scores her debut theatrically-released film with long-time collaborator Chris Stracey- plus there’s also the soundtrack too. In 2024, never has a Natasha Bedingfield song been more well used in a film - to say more will spoil the experience.

On to the cast then, and it is an understatement to say that Sweeney and Glen Powell arguably carry this film (which makes a lot of sense as Sweeney is an executive producer), making the ‘situationship’ at the heart of the plot work incredibly well, which is understandably the big USP of this release, and one which has been front and centre of all the promotional material (even the ones issued during the SAG strike). With a supporting cast that includes Alexandra Shipp, Davionte ‘GaTa’ Ganter, Hadley Robinson, Michelle Hurd, Dermot Mulroney, Darren Barnet, Bryan Brown and Rachel Griffiths, it is clear to see that this was a fun film to be involved in, and it all shows on screen- hence a box office success of $152million from a $25million budget.

THE VERDICT

Anyone But You is a perfectly fine film for a night out at the local cinema, and while some elements of it don’t quite land properly with how it is written, it is a film that has definitely found its audience since it opened in the UK over Christmas - the literal definition of a sleeper success.

RATING: 3.5/5

First Take: Poor Things - 'jumping' so furious it got (rightly) cut by the BBFC

SYNOPSIS: The incredible tale about the fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter; a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist, Dr. Godwin Baxter.

When you see the name Yorgos Lanthimos attached to a film, you know it's going to get incredibly strange. This is the man who brought us The Lobster, Killing of a Sacred Deer and of course The Favourite. But give him a Hollywood budget, a 1992 book by Alasdair Gray and the lead actress he can get some fine performances out of in any situation, and you get this: a mad, bonkers but incredibly bold film that leaves no stone unturned. To say any more about the plot beyond what’s been given by Searchlight WILL spoil it. It’s that kind of film.

Anyone who knows Lanthimos’ style will know exactly what to expect in this 2 hour 21 minute ‘experience’ - because that’s the best way to describe it really - which is surreal at moments but has a lot of heart to it, such is the way Tony McNamara’s adaptation of the book is written, and of course, this is really well paced and in keeping with the look and feel of both the book and Lanthimos’ work- and a key element of that is DOP Robbie Ryan. Shot on specially struck Kodak film, this is a colourful film that looks right at home on the big screen even with the darker edge of the plot, and on top of this, for the first time since he started making films in the English language, Lanthimos has employed a more conventional score - well, more conventional in the terms of it being ‘original music’ - from musician Jerskin Fendrix, all of which you’ll have heard in the trailers which have done the rounds for the last few months.

Undeniably this film is Emma Stone's finest performance in some time, taking this character and cleverly showing her development - subtly and effectively - as this plot plays out, plus with Mark Ruffalo, Ramy Youssef and Willem Dafoe as your main supporting talent, you know you are on to a winner, with Ruffalo acting as a cleverly written foil to the Bella character as this crazy journey unfolds. Rounding out the cast is Margaret Qualley, Vicki Pepperdine, Jerrod Carmichael and Christopher Abbott also being involved, this entire cast bought in to the vision of Lanthimos big time. Sadly there is one major thing of note to mention from an industry standpoint, quite rightly this is an 18 certificate for fairly understandable reasons if you read the information that’s been put out, but this has been cut globally after an infamous BBFC advice screening in post production. One scene fell victim due to the Protection of Children Act 1978, that's how heavy this film gets at times. It’s not an easy watch. But it’s got the attention of the awards voters alright.

THE VERDICT

On opening day here in the UK this film confused, baffled, and shocked cinemagoers - as well as the poor staff who had to do a screen check during the film’s most shocking moments - but Poor Things is rightly one of this year’s Oscar contenders. It’s already picked up 2 Golden Globes, and with the other major awards shortlists due imminently, it’s a dead cert for a few more nominations at the very least.

RATING: 4.5/5

2023 Wipe: The Journal Year in Review

Start your engines - once again, it’s time to Wipe off 2023 and review it in style. Jack Smit takes a look back at a 12 months of strikes, solid films, and the best TV, sport and events of a year defined by the colour orange.

2023 Wipe is coming...

It's almost time for the big end of year wrapup episode of The Journal that a lot of our fans ask us to make. 2023 Wipe is being cooked in the edit suite as we speak, but to get you in the mood - here's links to enjoy our 2020, 2021 and 2022 episodes in the ways Jack intended them to be seen.

2020 Wipe

It was the 'bad' year. Cinemas shuttered, a pandemic, and barely any films to cover. But we got there with the help of a few friends, and with barely any issues with YouTube...

2021 Wipe: The Director's Cut

2021's episode was blocked on YouTube (cheers UEFA) - but it is online on the Internet Archive. Click the link above to go and watch it as Jack intended this look back at 12 months of lockdowns, vaccines, variants, and a lot of great movies, sport, TV and more to air.

2022 Wipe

The Wipe which foreshadowed what would become a cracker of a year on and off cinema screens. And crucially a Wipe all about a year of great films, English sporting dominance and downfalls, crazy pop culture stories, and a revolving door of political scandals so unclean that it deserved a full 1 hour 10 minutes.

Our feature length 2023 Wipe will be on YouTube and TheJackSmit.com very very soon - stay tuned to our social media to find out exactly when.