It’s close encounters of the deferred kind in Stephen Spielberg’s wondrous conspiracy spectacular.

Alien life has long been confirmed and concealed from the public. Disclosure Day opens in the middle of the fight to declassify that information. Whistleblower Daniel (Josh O’Connor), a cybersecurity expert at the Wardex corporation, is on the run with a bit of alien technology, while his girlfriend Jane (Eve Hewson) is in Wardex’s custody (headed up by a villainous Colin Firth). Daniel and fellow whistleblower, Hugo (Colman Domingo), stand firm against the idea that corporations should have control over information any more than they should air or light.

And then there’s meteorologist Margaret Fairchild (Emily Blunt, completely stealing the film), suddenly gifted with telepathic abilities (channelling a mysterious alien language). She must face reality in a more intimate way, tearing open the closed-off parts of her childhood years.

The plot is something straight out of an episode of the X-Files, but Spielberg sprinkles in enough of his movie magic and sense of awe to make it feel like a huge event. See it big, see it loud. See it here.

Pixar returns to the franchise that started it all for a fifth go-around. Woody, Buzz, and the toy gang are now competing against every parents nightmare: the electronic tablet!

The story picks up a few years after the last instalment, and things have drastically changed. Aside from the new toys added to the mix, the biggest shocker is how Woody (Tom Hanks) has actually aged. At first glance, it doesn’t seem like much, until everyone’s favourite pull-string cowboy toy removes his hat and reveals he is balding.

The gang are then thrust into the digital age with the introduction of Lilypad (Greta Lee). All the kids are glued to their tablets and screens. Bonnie, now 8 years old, and her friends use their devices to interact with one another via group chats and online games. Lilypad becomes the film’s main antagonist as the toys grapple with her. Are they in danger of facing extinction now that kids don’t spend as much time with their toys?

This is the dilemma our heroes must face in this new adventure. Pixar once again showing they are masters of their craft.

This A-list ensemble is electrifying in Olivia Wilde’s spiky and riotous comedy about sex, marriage and partner-swapping.

The Invite puts the spotlight entirely upon four quite different actors playing two adult couples negotiating anxieties surrounding sex with other people.

A remake of the Spanish film The People Upstairs, it focuses on one disastrous hangout as Joe (Seth Rogen) and Angela (Wilde) invite the freewheeling, un-married couple, Pina (Penélope Cruz) and Hawk (Edward Norton) from the apartment above them over for drinks. Tensions soon rise as uncomfortable truths are revealed and we get to revel (not to mention squirm) in the ever increasing awkwardness.

It might be too easy to compare this to vintage Woody Allen – sophisticated pitter-patter dialogue over wine – but there are shades of his best work here. The film knows how much we all vicariously enjoy watching couples spar, and it’s impossible not to insert ourselves into the night, turning us all into deeply invested armchair commentators. It seems that the chance to watch a genuinely funny and uncommonly intelligent comedy for adults is an invite we have all been waiting for

This new documentary follows Wham!’s tour in China, using newly restored footage alongside new and extensive, personal interviews.

George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley wanted to rule the charts in America. They wanted to sell out arenas, in a country where they were barely known. They needed a big, huge public relations strategy, something that would guarantee everyone in America would know who they were, so the idea of being the first Western pop act to play China was born.

On their famous 10-day visit to China in ’85, Wham! played two concerts in Beijing and Guangzhou. Despite the expectations, the culture and language problems, and the constant surveillance that weighed heavily on members of the band, the singular expectation of turning themselves into the biggest pop band in the world was met.

Wham! made history as the first Western pop act to perform in communist China. Their concerts were a cultural milestone – East meets West, music meets politics. Now, the restored archival footage reveals the untold story of the iconic tour that helped launch Wham! to global superstardom.

Knives Out meets Babe in this light-hearted, wooly whodunnit, starring Hugh Jackman.

In this witty, new breed of mystery, Jackman is George Hardy, a shepherd who loves his sheep and raises them only for their wool. Every night he reads aloud a murder mystery, pretending his sheep can understand, never suspecting that not only can they understand but they argue for hours afterwards about whodunnit

Then, when someone is actually found dead under mysterious circumstances, the sheep realise at once that it was a murder and think they know everything about how to go about solving it. The local cop Tim Derry (Nicholas Braun), on the other hand, has never solved a serious crime in his life, so the sheep conclude they will have to solve it themselves, even if it means leaving their meadow for the first time and facing the fact that the human world isn’t as simple as it appears in books.

The Sheep Detectives is a fun, wholesome murder mystery with an all-star voice cast including: Bryan Cranston, Regina Hall, and Patrick Stewart. Don’t miss.

(Subtitled)

Language: French

A light-footed, time-spanning drama that explores how the past quietly shapes the present.

When a large extended family in Normandy are asked to clear out their long-abandoned ancestral home ahead of a redevelopment, four distant relatives take on the task. As they sift through letters, photographs and paintings, one of them, Seb, begins to imagine the life of a young woman from the 19th century, Adele, whose journey to Paris opens up a parallel story that gradually intertwines with the present.

Director Cédric Klapisch moves fluidly between timelines, drawing connections across generations with a playful, inventive touch. The film finds its rhythm in small discoveries and shifting perspectives, using visual echoes and gentle humour to link past and present without ever feeling heavy. Moments of curiosity, coincidence and imagination keep the narrative buoyant, even as deeper themes about identity and belonging come into focus.

A strong ensemble brings warmth and personality to a wide range of characters, grounding the story in recognisable emotions as new relationships form and old ones are reconsidered.

Easygoing yet thoughtful, it’s a quietly uplifting reflection on connection, memory and the traces people leave behind.

Dustin Hoffman and Leo Woodall make quite the pair in in an offbeat rom-com turned heist thriller, that’s far better than it sounds.

Harry Horowitz (Hoffman) is losing his hearing, while his shy apprentice Niki White (Woodall) has a condition called hyperacusis, which obliges him to wear special noise-cancelling earplugs at all times. Even the slightest sounds bother him, but despite that, this pair are the best piano tuners in town. Niki begins a blossoming romance with music student Ruthie (Havana Rose Liu); the light-hearted, bouncy tone of the opening where we see him undertaking various tuning jobs with her helps you buy into their natural chemistry.

It lends Niki a special knack for this practice. He makes nothing of at first, until he finds out his condition can help him crack safes. A bunch of shady Israelis, led by Uri (Lior Raz) quickly ropes him into their small-time criminal enterprise, which involves swiping cash and luxury items. Niki relents after learning that Harry, currently hospitalised after a heart attack, has $36,000 in past due medical bills.

Tuner is reminiscent of Soderbergh’s Ocean’s trilogy with its stylish, fast-cut montages and energetic pacing.

A defining work from Paul Thomas Anderson, Boogie Nights remains a dazzling portrait of ambition, insecurity and reinvention, returning in a stunning 4K restoration that highlights why it remains one of modern cinema’s great ensemble dramas.

Set across the late 1970s and early 1980s, the film follows Eddie Adams (Mark Wahlberg), a young man from the San Fernando Valley who is discovered by adult filmmaker Jack Horner (Burt Reynolds) and transformed into rising star Dirk Diggler. As he finds fame within a colourful community of performers, filmmakers and outsiders, he becomes part of a makeshift family whose fortunes rise and fall alongside the changing adult film industry.

Following Anderson’s recent awards success, this restoration offers a timely reminder of the remarkable confidence he displayed from the beginning. Blending comedy, drama and tragedy, the film captures a world of excess while treating its characters with unexpected warmth and humanity. Wahlberg gives one of his finest performances, while Reynolds, Julianne Moore, Heather Graham and the extraordinary supporting cast create a group of flawed, unforgettable personalities.

More than a story about pornography, this is a classic Hollywood rise-and-fall tale about chasing recognition and belonging. Nearly three decades on, its energy, ambition and emotional depth remain impressive

A young astronomer pushes back against the conventions of Edwardian society in Tina Gharavi’s dreamy adaptation.

Based on the most conventional of her novels, which makes it ripe for British realist, period filmmaking, Night and Day sees Haley Bennett as young Katharine Hilbery, the only child of wealthy parents (Timothy Spall and Jennifer Saunders), who are burdened by the reputation of Katharine’s late grandfather, an illustrious poet, whose unwieldy biography her mother is in fact trying to write.

Katharine is a self-taught astronomer trying to gain admission to Cambridge to read maths, and battling academia’s anti-women attitudes. With her queer pacifist cousin Cyril (Misia Butler) she dresses as a man to gatecrash a pompous male-only astronomical society.

Realising that her intellectual ambitions are only possible as a married woman, Katharine impulsively gets engaged to her clueless childhood friend William Rodney (Jack Whitehall). But it is at this moment Katharine realises she might have feelings for Ralph Denham (Elyas M’Barek), the young writer that her mother has hired as her personal secretary to edit that sprawling biography. Night and Day is an entertaining, cameo-stuffed period piece

Milly Alcock stars as Supergirl on an intergalactic quest for revenge in Craig Gillespie’s scruffy, punk-rock spin on the DC universe.

Superman has been the poster boy of all-American heroism. However, his cousin, a hungover, hot-headed vagabond carrying enough emotional baggage to fill the galaxy, is a little less reluctant to take on the hero mantle.

Gutsy alien teen Ruthye (Eve Ridley), joins forces with Kara, aka Supergirl (Alcock) to avenge the death of her father at the hands of the evil human trafficker Krem (Matthias Schoenaerts), an odious pirate who kidnaps women for breeding stock purposes. Kara, too has a personal stake in the mission; her super canine, Krypto has been poisoned and needs the antidote from Krem to save him. Kara’s reluctancy to become Supergirl is rooted in the destruction of her homeworld, Krypton; which she must overcome to save the day.

What follows is a rough n’ ready, Star Wars inspired jaunt through the cosmos, as Ruthye and Kara hop from planet to planet, getting into all kinds of trouble. Supergirl is a blast, with some excellent needle-drops.

Nominated for 8 Oscars, sees a powerhouse duo: Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman as Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, the two Washington Post journalists who uncovered the bones of the legendary Watergate Scandal.

Opening with a bang. It is 1972. A late duty policeman arrests five burglars at the Democrat HQ - Watergate building. Believing it to be a minor news item, the Post sends new boy Woodward (Redford) to cover the story. But when he discovers the burglars were no ordinary chancers, the thrill ride begins.

The cool thoughtful, Woodward is assigned the hasty, ankle biting, over ambitious, Bernstein (Hoffman) to assist. Not a good mix. Somehow, reluctance settles in to a chemistry that bounces.

“Remarkably intelligent, working both as an effective thriller, and as a virtually abstract charting of the dark corridors of corruption and power.” (Time Out)

(research Adam Protz)

A detective thriller of words, notebooks, clacking typewriters and desk telephones (landlines to you) Redford and Hoffman’s ‘Woodstein’ is a subtle double act, on every level. Pakula’s direction is a masterpiece of slow-to-build wordplay, enjoying a beautifully satisfying complex tension. Ahead of its time by 22 years, it is the natural big screen sequel to The Post.

One chance at The Rex, don’t miss it.

A warm, reflective family drama about grief, memory and the complicated bonds between sisters.

For her directorial debut, Kristin Scott Thomas draws on personal experience to tell the story of three sisters reuniting in the English countryside for their mother’s third wedding. As Diana (Scott Thomas) prepares to marry again, daughters Katherine (Scarlett Johansson), Victoria (Sienna Miller) and Georgina (Emily Beecham) are forced to confront old family wounds, lingering memories of their late fathers and the uneasy feeling that life is continuing to move forward without them fully ready.

Set largely within a cosy countryside home, the film balances gentle humour with more emotional conversations about loss, identity and family expectations. The wedding itself becomes less about romance and more about the shifting relationships between the women gathered around it, each carrying very different ideas about love, loyalty and the past.

The performances give the film much of its warmth, with Johansson, Miller and Beecham creating a believable sibling dynamic filled with affection, irritation and shared history. Johansson in particular brings a grounded emotional steadiness that quietly anchors the ensemble.

Bittersweet and heartfelt, it’s an intimate drama that finds comfort in connection, even amid unresolved feelings

(Subtitled)

Sophy Romvari’s deeply personal debut traces a Hungarian immigrant family’s turbulent new life in Canada through the eyes of its youngest child.

Blue Heron is a sun-bleached portrait of a dysfunctional family of six, told through a series of hazy pre-millennial memories following their migration from Hungary.

It is the mid-90s and a little girl called Sasha (Eylul Guven) lives with her two brothers and older half-brother Jeremy (Edik Beddoes) on Vancouver Island. They have just arrived at their new house, having previously moved around a lot for reasons we shall soon learn. Their mum and dad, played by Iringó Réti and Ádám Tompa, are Hungarian and switch to the mother tongue when they don’t want the kids to know what they are saying.

Despite Sasha making friends in town, the mother discourages her from inviting them to their house, lest gossip about her brother, who exhibits increasingly erratic, sometimes dangerous behaviour, spread and cause her to become socially isolated. The film then dips into a timeline involving an older version of Sasha (Amy Zimmer).

Sombre and painful, complex yet unshowy; Blue Heron is a wonderful and emotionally generous film

This illuminating documentary details the undimmed curiosity and enthusiasm of the grand old man of British painting.

When you think of the artist David Hockney, your mind goes straight to those iconic 1960s portraits: cool, stylish and sun-soaked. Exhibition on Screen focuses not on Hockney’s back catalogue, but the art he was making in later life.

A key figure of the Pop Art generation, Hockney reminds us that when he started out, abstraction was king. Hockney’s instinct to go in his own direction paid off. While Hockney was undoubtedly an innovator, the documentary remarks on his debt to fellow artists. His vitality is underpinned by an appreciation of the masters.

There’s copious interview material with the artist, conducted by Tim Marlow. Hockney still seemingly maintained his transnational life, moving backwards and forwards between the US (where he created seminal works such as A Bigger Splash) and the UK, where his regular driving trips encouraged a new appreciation for his home country’s landscape.

Hockney comes across as an ever-enthusiastic, always curious figure, forever concerned with painting and how to make his marks on the canvas.

A knowingly playful reboot of a famously over-the-top franchise, this live-action take on He-Man embraces its own absurdity with a straight face and a raised eyebrow.

Prince Adam of Eternia (Nicholas Galitzine) is heir to a fantastical kingdom protected by the Sorceress (Morena Baccarin) and warriors like Man-At-Arms (Idris Elba), until the villainous Skeletor (Jared Leto) launches an assault that forces the young prince through a portal to Earth. Stripped of his memory and separated from the sword that connects him to his destiny, Adam grows up far from home, only to rediscover his past when the weapon resurfaces and draws the attention of Skeletor’s forces. With help from childhood ally Teela (Camila Mendes), he is pulled back into a battle that stretches from Earth to Eternia, with Castle Grayskull looming as the destination.

Leaning into the material’s silliness, the mythos is treated with a light touch and plenty of visual flair. The tone stays bright and self-aware, with bold design and exaggerated characters keeping things moving.

Slick, camp, colourful and knowingly daft, it works best when it trusts its comic instincts, delivering a spirited dose of nostalgia-driven fun that never pretends to be anything more serious.

Aardman’s gloriously inventive animated adventure returns to cinemas, proving its rapid-fire humour and infectious charm have lost none of their appeal.

Pampered pet mouse Roddy (Hugh Jackman) enjoys a comfortable life in a luxury London home until an unwelcome visitor, sewer rat Sid (Shane Richie), literally flushes him into the sprawling underground world beneath the city. There he teams up with resourceful scavenger Rita (Kate Winslet), only to find themselves pursued by the villainous Toad (Ian McKellen), whose grand plan threatens everyone living below the streets. With henchmen, hired muscle and plenty of unlikely allies in pursuit, the pair embark on a fast-moving race back to safety.

Although computer animated, the film cleverly preserves Aardman’s distinctive stop-motion style, filling every frame with visual invention and unmistakably British wit. The voice cast embraces the playful script, with Jackman and Winslet making an engaging partnership, while McKellen clearly relishes every moment as the deliciously theatrical Toad. The lovingly recreated underground London is packed with clever sight gags, background jokes and affectionate nods to British culture that reward repeat viewings.

Nearly two decades on, this is a lovely reminder of just how funny family animation can be, delivering laughs for children and adults in almost every scene.

A striking exploration of the highs and lows of US society, American Utopia is grounded in one overall vision; to simply have people performing for people. Introducing each musical number, Byrne takes us on a journey into our attitudes and perceptions. As he speaks directly to the audience or breaks into choreographed song, Bryne is accompanied by a group of 11 lively singers, musicians and dancers. The stage is simple but makes incredible use of inventive lighting and textures.

Songs included here range from Talking Head classics like Once in a Lifetime and Road to Nowhere to more recent hits like 2004's Lazy. But it is so much more than a greatest hits package. A superb performance of Janelle Monae’s Hell You Talmbout is the films stunning centrepiece, expertly augmented by Lee.

Jonathan Demme's Stop Making Sense, his movie of an iconic 1983 Talking Heads live show is considered one of, if not the greatest concert films of all time. Elegant and exciting, American Utopia can proudly sit alongside as a unique, inimitable triumph. (Chris Coetsee) Thanks Chris, yes about time we screened Stop Making Sense - Look Out…

A fast-paced family adventure packed with laughs sees the lovable yellow troublemakers unleashed on another delightfully chaotic mission.

This time, the Minions find themselves in 1920s Hollywood, where an ambitious young filmmaker accidentally unleashes a collection of magical monsters. As the creatures escape and chaos spreads, the Minions do what they do best: make everything considerably worse before somehow making it better. Along the way, they stumble through one madcap situation after another, with plenty of mishaps, misunderstandings and explosive slapstick.

The pace rarely lets up, packing every scene with colourful animation, quick-fire jokes and the Minions' trademark gibberish humour. Younger viewers will love the constant visual comedy, while parents can enjoy the playful references and a story with just enough heart to hold everything together.

Bright, cheerful and consistently funny, this is exactly the kind of animated adventure we expect from the Minions. It may not reinvent the formula, but its infectious sense of fun, lovable characters and endless stream of gags make it an easy crowd-pleaser for audiences of all ages, with plenty of laughs to reward repeat viewings.

Every screening sold out since its first in Sept 2006, and ever since. It will take you on an unanticipated, emotional ride. The characters are beautifully drawn, and unlike those that leave you empty, this will warm your heart. It tells the story of the Hoovers, one of the most endearingly fractured families you’re ever likely to meet. To fulfil the dream-wish of seven-year-old Olive, the whole motley family, trek to the Little Miss Sunshine pageant in California. Along the way they must deal with crushed dreams, heartbreaks and a broken-down van. The family is made up of an uncommonly natural little miss Olive, a silent, Nietzsche-reading teenager, a suicidal uncle, an embarrassingly optimistic dad, a scatty mother, and a horny, coke-snorting grandfather with a penchant for creative profanity (the wholly original Alan Arkin, got Best Supporting Oscar for this) This is a beautifully observed road movie, where sanity takes a back seat, while innocence and hope drive it every step of the way. Come now, see it afresh, untampered on our big screen, before it goes missing.

Alan Arkin 26/3/34 – 29/6/23

Pedro Almodóvar’s vibrant and deeply human drama about family, memory and the complicated bonds between mothers and daughters returns for its 20th anniversary.

Raimunda (Penélope Cruz) is a fiercely determined woman keeping her family together while dreaming of building a life on her own terms. With her elderly aunt nearing the end of her life and her troubled husband creating further strain at home, Raimunda focuses on protecting her teenage daughter Paula (Yohana Cobo). Meanwhile, her sister Sole (Lola Dueñas) encounters the ghost of their late mother (Carmen Maura), whose return begins to uncover long-buried secrets and unresolved wounds from the past.

Almodóvar blends melodrama, humour and mystery with remarkable ease, creating a story that feels warm and familiar while gradually revealing darker emotional layers. Beneath the colourful settings and everyday conversations lies a thoughtful exploration of grief, forgiveness and the ways families carry their histories. Cruz gives one of her finest performances, bringing strength, vulnerability and complexity to Raimunda, while the entire ensemble captures the film’s mix of affection and pain.

Two decades on, its celebration of female characters, emotional honesty and distinctive visual style continuing to inspire filmmakers. A modern classic that still feels full of life

A gentle and contemplative family drama, The Summer Book captures the quiet rhythms of grief, memory and connection through a simple summer spent together.

On a remote Finnish island, young Sophia (Emily Matthews) spends the summer with her grandmother (Glenn Close) and father (Anders Daniel Lie) at their family cottage. While they explore the landscape and share stories from the past, an unspoken sadness remains following the death of Sophia’s mother. Rather than addressing their loss directly, the family finds comfort in everyday routines, small discoveries and the natural world around them. Their days unfold through conversations, minor disagreements and moments of curiosity, creating a portrait of a family learning to exist alongside absence.

Adapted from Tove Jansson’s celebrated novel, Charlie McDowell’s film embraces an understated approach, finding emotion in conversations about memories, traditions and changing seasons rather than dramatic revelations. Close brings warmth and subtle humour to the grandmother, while Matthews gives Sophia a natural curiosity and sensitivity. Their relationship develops through shared experiences, observations and comfortable silences.

Patient and beautifully observed, this is a thoughtful portrait of family life and the ways people navigate change, finding meaning in ordinary moments rather than grand gestures.

A glossy portrait of Michael Jackson’s rise from child prodigy to global superstar, covering the years from the Jackson 5 through the height of his 1980s fame.

The film traces Michael’s journey from performing under the demanding eye of his father Joseph Jackson (Colman Domingo) to breaking away as a solo artist alongside key figures including Quincy Jones and manager John Branca. Along the way, it highlights both the extraordinary pressure surrounding his success and the intense spotlight that shaped his life from childhood onwards.

Much of the film’s appeal relies on the music itself, with elaborate recreations of iconic routines and concert moments serving constant reminders as to why Jackson became one of the defining entertainers of modern pop culture. In his screen debut, Jaafar Jackson impressively captures both the physicality and mannerisms of his uncle, while Domingo brings real force to the role of Joseph.

The film closes before the most controversial chapters of Jackson’s life, but its major box-office success and audience appeal have paved the way for a follow-up. Any continuation, however, would inevitably have to confront the darker scandals and complexities surrounding his later years more directly.

Stephen Spielberg’s sci-fi tale, which he took over from the late Stanley Kubrick, still resonates today. A beautiful, haunting look at what it means to be human, and what it means to love, and to be loved.

What was slightly misunderstood upon release has now blossomed into a surprising Spielberg all-timer. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience; a bleak film about human nature disguised as a sentimental, Pinocchio-inspired fairytale.

Opening up with a familial drama, a forlorn couple Monica (Frances O’Connor) and Henry (Sam Robards) are selected to take on David (Haley Joel Osment), a “mecha” child capable of love. But once you encode the love circuits there's no going back. Monica finds it hard to bond with this robot that is replacing their terminally ill son, and so reluctantly abandons him in a panic.

The film then drastically shifts gear as David journeys to the "real" world. Accompanied by a groovy talking teddy bear, he pals up with love-bot Joe (Jude Law), escapes from the nightmarish Flesh Fair, and ventures to the dizzying lights of Rouge City. It’s Spielberg at his most perplexing, but also his most profound. Unmissable

A bold reimagining of Homer’s epic, Christopher Nolan brings The Odyssey to the screen on an immense scale, combining myth, history and adventure into a sweeping cinematic spectacle.

After the fall of Troy, Odysseus (Matt Damon) begins the long journey home to Ithaca, where his wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) and son Telemachus (Tom Holland) continue to wait as ambitious suitors, led by Antinous (Robert Pattinson), threaten their future. Along the way, Odysseus and his dwindling crew encounter legendary figures including Circe (Samantha Morton) and Calypso (Charlize Theron), facing storms, monsters and seemingly impossible trials.

Rather than treating these encounters as straightforward fantasy, the story explores how myths are born, weaving together fragmented memories, flashbacks and competing accounts of past events. Nolan makes striking use of IMAX photography throughout, while the expansive ensemble gives the story a strong dramatic foundation. Damon leads confidently, supported by assured performances from Hathaway, Holland and Pattinson, with Samantha Morton and John Leguizamo making particular impressions in smaller but memorable roles.

Rich in spectacle and ideas, this ambitious adaptation offers a fresh perspective on a timeless story, balancing epic adventure with an intriguing exploration of memory, legend and the cost of war

Ricky (Julian Dennison) is a chubby hip-hop loving pre-teen who’s been moved from home to home for most of his 13 years. Described by his child-services worker, Paula (Rachel House) as a ‘very bad egg’, his new foster placement is his last chance before being sent to juvenile lockup. Bella (Rima Te Wiata) and Hec (Sam Neill) a self-sustaining old-ish couple living in a remote clearing at the edge of the bush, become Ricky’s guardians and, despite a slightly rocky start, their domestic situation seems promising. When tragedy strikes, Ricky escapes into the bush to avoid the inevitable return to the public system. Fortunately, his cantankerous “Uncle Hec” finds him hungry and cold in the wilderness. Then the real adventure begins. There’s Haiku poetry from Ricky who turns out to be the right foil for Hac’s laconic outdoorsman (and Neill’s great role). Director Taika Waltiti’s last film was the truly fabulously silly vampire comedy What We Do In The Shadows with the Flight of the Conchords boys “It’s formulaic at heart but has a sweet predictable sense of humour and a nice way with words…” (ST Culture) (review Heather Graves) It’s fabulous. Don’t miss.

Jurassic Park is the perfect celluloid equivalent of a theme park ride; its flawless pacing assures nary a dull moment, and in the audience participation dept, you can count on a few screams!

Eccentric billionaire John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) wants to play God and zookeeper at the same time by cloning a bunch of dinosaurs from preserved DNA. Before giving his exotic island park the green-light, he needs the expert opinions of a palaeontologist, palaeobotanist and a mathematician?

Events get off to a shaky start when a greedy employer knocks out all power around the park, letting the once caged beasts roam free. This leaves the scientists fleeing for their lives, scrambling to find a way off of the island.

Director Steven Spielberg (who was shooting Shindler’s List whilst editing this) keeps everything PG, with a good deal of magical Spielberg ingredients.

No fancy 3D or unnecessary tinkering (save for a puppeteer’s hand removal) this is a perfectly preserved yarn that has hardly dated. Spielberg & Co paved the way for computer animation which large scale productions rely on so heavily today. When you witness that first brachiosaurus stomping across the screen, you’ll shed a tear, or something or other. (Jack W). Don’t forget to go before you leave! Oh yes and, stay out of the kitchen… dar dar dar dar dar dar dar dar