Caught Stealing is a nostalgic slice of '90s New York City life that comes out swinging. Set in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, Darren Aronofsky’s new movie captures the nostalgic atmosphere of the time in this cat-and-mouse crime caper chase.
Austin Butler (Elvis; Eddington) plays Henry Thompson, a former baseball player turned bartender with a drinking habit, who insists on being called Hank. Tormented by a car accident that ended his promising sports career, the San Francisco Giants fan has been lifted straight from the pages of Charlie Huston’s novels that the movie is based on.
Hank gets caught up in a case of mistaken identity when his neighbor Russ, played by Matt Smith (The Crown; Doctor Who) – who looks like a punk-rocker that just stepped out of Camden in London (mohawk, studded leather jacket, piercings – the full uniform's here) – asks him to look after his Maine Coon cat named Bud (who you might recognize from Pet Sematary), setting in motion a chaotic chase with a growing group of eclectic goons across underpasses, subways and basements through East Village.
Caught Stealing is a chaotic crime caper crashing into the summer box office (Image credit: Columbia Pictures; Protozoa Pictures)
You wouldn’t expect that cat-care could get you killed, but that’s exactly the catalyst that drives the next 107 minutes of the white-knuckle drama. The bone-splitting violence splattered throughout does not hold back, letting you hear every crunch and snap against the backdrop of a soundtrack composed by Rob Simonsen (The Whale; Deadpool & Wolverine).
What starts with Russian mafia, played by Yuri Kolokolnikov (Tenet; The White Lotus) and Nikita Kukushkin (Attraction), beating up Hank (Kukushkin's mobster has a signature headbutt move) quickly snowballs as more players become involved to look for a mysterious key that they all believe Hank is hiding.
This hunt has got the attention of not just the Russian mobsters but a Puerto Rican gangster, played by Benito Martínez Ocasio aka Bad Bunny (Bullet Train; Happy Gilmore 2), and two extremely ruthless Orthodox Jewish brothers.
These last two might be the most threatening characters of the movie, but who also happen to have the most comedic lines. That's largely down to menacing performances from Liev Schreiber (Spotlight; X-Men Origins: Wolverine) and Vincent D'Onofrio (Full Metal Jacket; Men in Black) that make for a humorous contrast when you find them slurping soup or refusing to drive during Shabbat.
Liev Schreiber and Vincent D'Onofrio provide some of the best laughs in the film (Image credit: Columbia Pictures; Protozoa Pictures)
There may not be any baseball in this film (apart from the brief opening scene) but funnily enough, it's the more violent scenes where it really comes out as we watch Hank sprinting past pedestrians like he's on a home run and swinging a baseball bat at his assailants as if he's a deadly batter.
The sport offers a bridge between the violence and Hank's soft nature. After all, Hank's not a fighter – a fact we're reminded of throughout by police detective Roman, played by Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk; Ray), as well as by his relationships with people (and creatures) around him, from his mother to the homeless man on the street outside of his apartment that he helps out.
Zoë Kravitz’s (The Batman; Blink Twice) Yvonne, Hank’s girlfriend, is a welcome respite from all the violence, breaking up the gut punches and shootouts with a softer charm that shares the heart of the film with the weight of a drink driving accident from when Hank was younger.
Bad Bunny joins Russian mobsters played by Yuri Kolokolnikov and Nikita Kukushkin. (Image credit: Columbia Pictures; Protozoa Pictures)
The biggest highlight of the movie is the nostalgic set created by production designer Mark Friedberg (Joker; Noah) that immerses the characters in the gritty streets of East Village in 1998 during its transformation into the trendy art scene it is today. This is complemented by a soundtrack that includes '90s hits such as Bitch by Meredith Brooks and Wandering Star by Portishead.
However, unlike the secrets of Bud’s litter tray, Caught Stealing isn’t too mysterious, relying on action movie ideas you've seen many times before. From the reluctant hero to the classic revenge storyline, it goes exactly where your brain naturally expect it to go based on the familiar elements – despite it coming from an interesting an unpredictable filmmaker in Darren Aronofsky.
It also lacks the intensity that his movies are known for, and can feel disjointed at times as it transitions from scene to scene, sometimes brushing over key moments. For instance, a lingering shot of a chameleon seems like it could be a reference to Hank's resourcefulness, but this idea isn't hinted at again, making it feel like a stray musing rather than an interesting theme.
Caught Stealing is not a deep psychological character study like Aronofsky's The Whale or Black Swan, it's an action-packed adventure centered around a self-destructive protagonist that's trying to turn the corner.
Indeed, the sunny grasses of California where Hank is originally from are in real contrast to the grimy streets of the Lower East Side, where he now finds himself, is not the subtle backstory that we're used to seeing from the filmmaker. They say stealing third base is a high risk, low reward play in baseball; unfortunately, I think that phrase captures the end result of Aronofsky's push into a new genre.
Nobody 2 is a far cry from being one of the best new movies of the year so far. Before I dig a little deeper into what went wrong, I must stress that I cannot think of a single word more apt to describe it than ‘naff’.
For anyone unfamiliar with UK slang, the dictionary definition tells us the word ‘naff’ is “something that lacks taste or style,” and you’d generally use it to describe something that’s a little cringeworthy in its rubbishness. If you went to see a musical put on by a local amateur dramatics society, if your mum ordered something off of eBay that’s arrived looking nothing like its picture, if you’ve watched a total comedic flop like Nobody 2… they’re all excellent times to use it as a descriptor.
Four years after the original Nobody film – which was one of the most-watched movies on Netflix – took place, Bob Odenkirk’s oddball hitman Hutch Mansell is back, and this time, he just wants to catch a break. Taking his family on holiday to Plummerville – a quaint Midwestern town where his dad took him on his one and only vacation as a kid – Hutch unknowingly walks into the middle of a crime syndicate operated between the local cops and boss Lendina (Sharon Stone). From there, it’s outright chaos to get the freedom to be left alone, and it comes at a price for almost everyone involved. That, my friends, is more interesting than watching it. Better Call Saul, it is not.
It blows my mind that an action movie that’s so incredibly gory can be as simultaneously mundane as Nobody 2. If you took away the (genuinely impressive) kills, standoffs, and fluke accidents, you’re left with an end product that’s so forgettable, it wouldn’t even live up to being a satisfying movie to watch on the plane. Weirdly, it’s difficult to decide who or what is at fault, with everything blending together in one homogenous blur that if it was a spice, it would be flour.
Nobody 2 has managed to make violence boring with no laughs to boot
The main takeaway from Nobody 2 is that it’s just not funny. Odenkirk tries his best with a plain Jane script to land some comedic blows, but even his sharp and wry wit doesn’t really get very far. The concept of a hitman taking his family on vacation unknowingly to a criminal hotspot should be a slam dunk, but once you’ve seen the reality blow up in Hutch’s face once, you’ve seen the whole narrative arc. We don’t really move on from the “I don’t know what I’m doing here, but I’m going to take every wrong’un I see on to hopefully be left alone” mentality, which means structurally, Nobody 2 is more of a small hill than a giant rollercoaster. Which in itself is ironic, as there are some excruciatingly brilliant deaths involving various fairground rides.
So, where does the problem come from? For me, it’s a combination of script, general story direction, and a tendency to rely on gimmicks. Why do we need to properly unpack relationships and motives when we can just watch Odenkirk punch people, set money on fire (yes, something we saw the first time, big shock) and watch Stone’s villain stab people over a game of poker. Stone herself is introduced way too late in the game, making Plummerville’s criminal hierarchy convoluted and difficult to follow. We don’t really care about who she is (which apparently has no more substance than just ‘being crazy’) by the time we see her as we’ve been led to believe someone else is the main antagonist… but despite an objectively cool tonal switch, it’s hard to be invested in the stakes.
Of course, good is going to triumph over evil and a lot of bad guys are going down in the interim. Of course, our leads will fix their romantic family problems, and fall more in love with each other than they ever have been in their fractured little lives. If a film is going to hit so many expected plot points, it has to have something else to offer. Aside from bombastic violence choices – and more on that in a moment – Nobody 2 fails to check this box (although I’ll give it the surprise pipeline of Queen Vic landlord to M-style mafioso, but that probably only chimes a chord with the Brits).
It’s not all bad news… it’s just mostly bad news
Bob Odenkirk as Hutch in Nobody 2. (Image credit: Universal Pictures)
I’m not that mean, though… Nobody 2 does have a few redeeming qualities. For starters, our cast put in solid ensemble performances, with Connie Nielsen’ Becca particularly stealing the spotlight while rightly putting Hutch in his place. It’s light-hearted fun to follow the family as they get in a few successful holiday frolics, and this is largely where the few laughs that do translate pay off. What really steals the show is the fight scenes. I know I’ve slated them a bit here, but boy, are they something to behold.
I do have to give it to the team for coming up with such creative ways for somebody to meet their maker. Faces get sliced horizontally in half, men are impaled on surfboards, and one even gets his head cut open on a table saw. Hutch kills people with the apologetic bumbling of a dad who just can’t help getting in the way, and the contrast works well in the heat of the moment. You’re probably going to dry heave, bring your hands to your mouth or gasp out loud in sudden shock. I did all three, and I’m feeling queasy just thinking back to those moments.
There might not be a method in the madness, but there is some fun. Nobody 2 is a pretty poor follow-up to an already pretty poor original action movie, though as my friends and I discussed after watching, the sequel (despite its dullness) is a definite improvement. We should all quit while we’re ahead and not make this a trilogy… Hutch said he wanted a rest, so let’s give him one.
Zach Cregger burst onto the horror scene in 2022 with what looked to be a simple tale about a double booked Airbnb in the movie Barbarian. With the film praised so highly by horror fans, how could he possibly outdo himself?
Enter Weapons, a new movie that I genuinely believe is even better than Barbarian due to its wonderful cocktail of horror, dark comedy and mystery that keeps you guessing throughout.
Weapons has had some of thebest viral marketing I’ve ever seen for a horror movie. Indeed, it's not all hype and no substance, as after watching the movie I can report that it lives up to all the scary videos and the real looking website you've seen online.
Weapons follows a shocking mystery that shocks a small town. At 2:17am, all but one child mysteriously vanishes from the same class, leaving a sea of worried parents and baffled police officials behind to pick up the pieces.
Fingers are soon pointed towards Justine Gandy (Julia Garner) after the town realizes that it was only the teacher's class impacted by this terrifying phenomenon. CCTV footage shows the children all running, arms outstretched, their destination unknown, and Gandy becomes ostracized as a result.
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)
She's just one of the main characters we follow in the movie, though. The others are Archer Graff (Josh Brolin), a worried father, Paul Morgan (Alden Ehrenreich), a police officer, and Andrew Marcus (Benedict Wong), the school principal.
The less I say about this movie, the better because it's good to know as little as possible before watching Weapons. But just know that this mystery leaves the entire community stumped and soon puts them in danger too.
This is a movie that doesn't let up. Often with horror movies we feel safer when there's scenes set in the daytime, but Weapons has you constantly on edge from the ominous intro all the way to the final credits. It's terrifying and anxiety inducing – everything you could want from a Barbarian follow-up.
Cregger told me during an interview that "if you liked Barbarian, this is more – and in a good way" – and he's absolutely right. It does dial the horror up to 100, and left my jaw on the floor for a lot of it. Some of Weapons scariest moments happen when you least expect it as you find yourself absorbed in the investigation.
This is a very character driven movie. As a result, we do spend a lot of time getting to know the members of the town, often when they're alone. There's some excellent scenes that give us insight into how they're feeling while at their homes, or during nightmare sequences.
It's easy to feel sympathy for the characters but also frustration as well. Each character feels very well-rounded. This troubled town is full of very different personalities and they all shine through here.
The town of Maybrook becomes scarier thanks to the eerie score, composed by Cregger alongside his two friends, brothers Ryan and Hays Holladay. This was Cregger's first time composing for one of his own movie's and he's done a brilliant job.
For me, Weapons is a masterpiece but I know some fans might not like the non-linear pacing, as it can feel slow at times when the tension is building. But if you like character-driven horrors that build to a shocking reveal, you're going to love this.
In the trailer, the child narrator teases that “a lot of people die in a lot of weird ways in this story" and that's very true. To find out how, exactly, you'll have to be brave and go and watch it when it arrives in theaters on August 8 in the US and UK, and August 7 in Australia.
Light spoilers follow for The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
It's not an exaggeration to say The Fantastic Four have been represented poorly on the big screen. 20th Century Fox's two attempts to launch live-action franchises starring Marvel's First Family in the early and mid-2000s were at best average, and at worst utterly abysmal.
A well-made film that captures the spirit of the iconic quartet's comic-book adventures is long overdue, then – and The Fantastic Four: First Steps duly delivers. It falls short of being, well, fantastic but, considering what's come before it's easily the eponymous team's best live-action adventure to date.
Space oddity
First Steps is set in a '60s-inspired universe that's full of space-age wonder and optimism (Image credit: Marvel Studios)
Set in a parallel universe – one designated Earth-828 – to Earth-616, i.e., the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), First Steps reintroduces audiences to the titular team. For those who don't know, the individuals who comprise this group are Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn), and Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach).
The only heroes who exist in this retro-futuristic alternate dimension, these superpowered scientists-cum-celebrities have not only created a utopia built upon ground-breaking technological advancements, but also keep their planet safe from those who wish to destroy it.
First Steps is arguably the most accessible Marvel Studios project since 2008's Iron Man movie
That's until Galactus (Ralph Ineson), an immortal, world-consuming cosmic entity, and his surfboard-riding lieutenant The Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) come calling, anyway. With the duo marking the group's planet for death unless they hand over Reed and Sue's newborn son Franklin for reasons I won't spoil, The Fantastic Four face their biggest obstacle yet as they try to stop a seemingly unstoppable space god from tearing their family – and their world – apart.
First Steps isn't your typical origins story for the iconic quartet (Image credit: Marvel Studios)
Sure, there are Easter eggs and references to the group's various villains in the comics. Those include Doctor Doom, who wasn't considered as First Steps' main villain before Galactus and who'll be played by returning MCU superstar Robert Downey Jr in Avengers: Doomsday. Still, given it's devoid of ties to the increasingly complex MCU, First Steps is the most accessible Marvel project – for first-time viewers and fans who've fallen off the cinematic juggernaut's bandwagon – since 2008's Iron Man movie.
But this isn't your typical origins story. With two prior film adaptations covering the team's backstory, First Steps takes a leaf out of Tom Holland's debut as Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War, plus his standalone MCU film trilogy, by introducing heroes who already possess their cosmic radiation-sourced superpowers. As the film tells us, Richards and company have been operating as superheroes for four years by the time it begins.
First Steps' opening act is one of the most tonally jarring I can remember in any movie
Its breezy opening takes a similar approach to another of 2025's most exciting new movies and fellow superhero film in James Gunn's Superman.
Like the most recent entry of a long-running comic book series you've just picked up off the shelf, both films drop you right into the thick of things and expect you to figure things out as you absorb their story. It's a refreshing change of pace for a Marvel project and its DC Universe (DCU) counterpart, and helps to quickly establish these pre-existing universes without prolonging their first acts via another superfluous re-tread of their origins.
First Steps' plot spans one whole year, with Franklin's (center) growth helping to show the passage of time (Image credit: Marvel Studios)
That doesn't mean this movie's first 30 minutes aren't without fault. In fact, its opening act is one of the most tonally jarring I can remember in any movie.
Indeed, the Marvel Phase 6 flick is all too keen to flit between melodrama, comedy, and the occasional splash of horror between scenes, and sometimes within the same sequence. These narrative jolts make for an emotionally polarizing first act and detract from the grave, existential threat posed by the omnipotent and seemingly unkillable space tyrant (i.e. Galactus) at crucial moments.
Imagine how Avengers: Infinity War's incredibly shocking ending would've been emotionally undercut if one of the surviving heroes made an unnecessary joke amid the heart-shattering silence that follows. That's what First Steps does all too often in its first act and its narrative suffers as a result.
Heavy lies the crown
First Steps only offers a taste of its space horror vibes through its antagonists (Image credit: Marvel Studios)
Thankfully, The Fantastic Four's latest big-screen reboot becomes a much stronger movie once its opening act ends.
Part of that is down to the lack of hard cuts between scenes, which aid the natural flow of its unfolding story. However, the film's narrative improvement also owes much to a greater focus being placed on the four primary members of The Fantastic Four: First Steps' cast and the unwavering mutual bond that exists between them.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps' narrative improvement owes much to a greater focus being placed on its four primary cast members
Much was made of Pascal, Kirby, Quinn, and Moss-Bachrach's hirings when Marvel confirmed they'd be playing The Fantastic Four in February 2024, with some observers questioning whether they were the right fit and/or if they'd gel as a collective.
First Steps proves those naysayers wrong. Arguably the movie's biggest strength, their chemistry is on point from the outset, with quips and witty insults aplenty, plus their collective resolve amid individual and group disagreements, highlighting the easy rapport that exists between the actors and the characters they portray.
Galactus is one of the most terrifying villains Marvel has even put in an MCU movie (Image credit: Marvel Studios)
Individually, Moss-Bachrach does a great job of capturing Grimm's long-standing position as the heart and soul of the team. Pascal is similarly stellar as the group's incredibly intelligent yet oft-times emotionally awkward de-factor leader.
I wish there were more scenes showcasing their collective camaraderie and quieter moments between each pairing
However, the Storms are the real standouts. Kirby and Quinn steal the show as the superpowered siblings who, throughout The Fantastic Four's early comic book runs, were simply depicted as the team's tokenistic female/damsel in distress and stereotypical cocksure ladies' main.
As they have in more recent comic book stories, though, the pair's representation on the screen have undergone highly satisfying evolutions akin to how they're not portrayed on the page. Indeed, Sue is positioned as the group's strongest member from emotional and superpower perspectives. Meanwhile, Johnny is a fully-formed, three-dimensional character with his own intellectual intuition that ties into a intriguing subplot that makes full use of his multifaceted persona.
If there's a criticism I can level at First Steps from a cast viewpoint, I wish there were more scenes showcasing their collective camaraderie and quieter moments between each pairing.
Some scenes used in TV spots or one of its three main teasers, including First Steps' official trailer and the final trailer Marvel released for its new Fantastic Four movie, are absent from the final cut. Given the movie's sub-two hour runtime, though, there was certainly scope for their inclusion, and I wouldn't have scoffed at seeing more humorous, heartfelt, and dramatically heavy interactions that would've further sold me on these all-important dynamics.
Julia Garner does a good job of demonstrating the nuances of The Silver Surfer's emotional conflict (Image credit: Marvel Studios)
The same is true of the film's villains. I've been eager to see Ineson's take on Galactus since his hiring last May and Garner's version of the Big Bad's Herald following her casting a month earlier, especially given the Shakespearean tragedy elements that define their antagonistic sensibilities.
Sadly, both characters are underused. Garner gets more to do than Ineson and , after looming large as a terrifying off-screen presence for much of the film, the latter's humanoid monstrosity gets his due in First Steps' intense final act. Nevertheless, the pair weren't lying when they told me they never filmed a single scene together for First Steps, which is abundantly clear in the final edit. Their characters aren't given the requisite screentime to really dig into their motivations, nor does the flick lean into the cosmic horror they could've delivered individually and collectively.
My verdict
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is an entertaining, distinct, and at-times emotional Marvel film that MCU diehards and newcomers will equally enjoy. Still, while I applaud its brave storytelling and unique selling points, it could've benefitted from some narrative refinement to enhance its primary themes and multi-genre formula.
Those frustrations aside, this is still the most authentic representation of the superteam outside of Marvel literature. Considering what's come before, it wasn't a particularly high bar to clear, but I commend Shakman and company for giving us a Fantastic Four film that won't make me shudder at the thought of rewatching it. For that reason alone, it's not a small step forward, but rather a giant leap in the right direction for Marvel's First Family on the silver screen.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps launches in theaters on Thursday, July 24 (UK) and Friday, July 25 (internationally). The group's three other film adaptations are available now on Disney+.
Jurassic World Rebirth is the latest entry into the beloved dinosaur film franchise, following its revival in 2015 where we were introduced to Jurassic World for the first time. The first movie was great and I loved being back, but since then, it's definitely gone downhill.
By far the worst installment to date is Jurassic World Dominion, which has so far received a very low Rotten Tomatoes score of 29% from the critics, making it the lowest rated film in the franchise.
With audiences left frustrated by the direction that movie went in, there was a lot of pressure on filmmakers to restore it to its former glory, ironically, not unlike their efforts to revive a jurassic theme park as seen in the movies, following the collapse of the original.
It may be reassuring for me to begin by saying Jurassic World Rebirth is nowhere near as bad as Jurassic World Dominion, and is a much better made movie, even though I'm not sure if it really adds much to the story, as it seems to go off doing its own thing once again.
I'm likely not alone in missing the original Jurassic World cast, even though the stars in Jurassic World Rebirth were very strong. With so many big names attached to the project like Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali and Jonathan Bailey, if you're after star power, you're definitely going to get it here. They give it their all, even with a script that doesn't have much substance.
Having said that, it does feel strange not following the characters we're used to seeing in the Jurassic franchise and with no returning faces from older movies, this may come as a disappointment for fans wanting to see some familiar names.
An entirely new cast was a gamble I'm not sure was worth taking, though there's likely going to be some division here from fans. Some may argue that it's nice to see a fresh set of characters, but they didn't grip me the way Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas-Howard did when they dominated the screen in the very first Jurassic World movie.
Still, if you're looking for a fast-paced, loud, exciting trip to the cinema you'll definitely get it here. The action set pieces, when they happen, are great and make good use of a cinema sound system. The sound design is epic as are the visuals, so it's a real bit of escapism.
The T-Rex gets disappointingly little screen time in Jurassic World Rebirth.(Image credit: Universal Pictures)
One thing that disappointed me was that the dinosaurs felt underused. Audiences are flocking to a movie called Jurassic World to be thrilled by the dinosaurs, so it's frustrating when we don't get to see a lot of them. I've had similar criticisms of monster movies like Godzilla v Kong, which took entirely too long for the big monsters to start punching each other. While I'm not asking for a movie devoid of any plot, it's sad when the dinosaurs do seem to take a back seat, when they should be front and center of a movie like this.
The best action movies are ones that don't hold back. These movies don't lull in the middle, whereas I did struggle with some of the pacing issues throughout Jurassic World Rebirth. The script felt weak in places and it's a real shame – I suppose trying to fix the mistakes of Jurassic World Dominion was no easy task, I'm sure.
It's certainly not the worst in the franchise, but for me, even something like Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, which received divisive reviews, entertained me more than Jurassic World Rebirth.
I liked the way Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom leaned into darker topics and borrowed from the horror genre, for example, and there was nothing quite that memorable here, save for one stand out scene involving a T-Rex and a raft, but even then they could've done so much more.
There are worse ways to spend an afternoon at the movies, though, and this one will help you switch off and escape into some beautiful visuals and a good score, but it does make me worried for whether or not this franchise has a future, or if its at rapid risk of extinction just like its subject matter.
28 Years Later reunites Alex Garland and Danny Boyle, and it’s everything you could hope for from this genius writing and directing duo.
It’s been more than two decades since we saw Cillian Murphy wandering around an abandoned London in the opening scene of 2002's 28 Days Later, and the impact of that movie on the post-apocalyptic horror genre can still be seen to this day.
At the time, that movie stood out for its pioneering take on the horror staple that is the zombie, imbuing the 'infected' with an especially terrifying trait: they were able to run. Before this, films like Dawn of the Dead had portrayed zombies as slow-moving, imbecilic creatures, which made the idea of sprinting monsters even more petrifying.
The first sequel, 2007's 28 Weeks Later, wasn't made by the original filmmakers and is not now regarded as canonical, so does not factor into the plot of the new movie28 Years Later. Instead of the infected reaching Europe, as we saw at the end of 28 Weeks Later, in this telling the 'rage' virus, which escaped from an animal testing lab, has been contained by quarantining Britain from the rest of the world.
A recording of Rudyard Kipling's poem Boots features on the soundtrack of 28 Years Later, evoking parallels with Britain's historic wars (Image credit: Sony Pictures)
28 Years Later has a more folk-horror feel compared to the original, centering on a community of survivors who've made a home for themselves on Lindisfarne, an island separated from the coast of northern England, and from the infected, by a gated causeway.
It's here where we meet Alfie Williams' (His Dark Materials) character Spike, a young boy who's about to make what seems to be a rite of passage to manhood by accompanying his father Jamie, played by Aaron Taylor-Jonson (Kick-Ass), to the mainland for his first kill, the quarry being the infected.
Before they leave, the pair are reminded that the rules of their society mean they won't be rescued if they don't return. This adds a foreboding note to their journey, setting us up for our first encounter with the now-evolved infected, which have morphed into new variants that feel inspired by The Last Of Us.
The new infected include fat, crawling bloaters, pack-like families that can still sprint, and ripped 'alphas' that have evolved to be much smarter and bigger than the rest – and these new leaders aren't as easy to kill, even if Spike, like his father, is already a skilled archer.
The introduction of a baby raises a lot of questions about what this means for the lore of the film series (Image credit: Sony Pictures)
The movie soon shifts from a father and son's fight for survival to an equally fraught mission. When Spike sees a opportunity to save his sick mother Isla, who's played by the incredible Jodie Comer (Killing Eve), mother and son set off in search of a reclusive doctor who's rumored to live on the mainland.
Queue perhaps of the best performance of the movie, as we meet Ralph Fiennes' (Schindler's List; The Grand Budapest Hotel) Dr Kelson, surrounded by skulls and bones in one of the most elaborate graveyard shrines I've ever seen. The introduction of Fiennes' multi-layered character marks a turning point for the film, setting up events that will likely play a central role in the next film – 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple – that's set to be released in January 2026.
In a lot of ways 28 Years Later is a coming-of-age story that grapples with themes of loss, grief, and survival, making it a lot different to the societal breakdown that was the focus of 28 Days Later. The themes running through both films, though, are underpinned by Garland's unsparing exploration of what makes us human.
Much as 28 Days Later did with its flower-painting scene, 28 Years Later at times employs a dream-like aesthetic – look out for the galaxy of stars (Image credit: Sony Pictures)
Despite the time between the two films, 28 Years Later pays homage to the original by including the same lingering wide shots, and by featuring the iconic and unsettling track In the House – In a Heartbeat by John Murphy, while also setting the scene for the next chapter.
The opening scene of 28 Years Later, which shows a group of children watching Teletubbies before they have to flee an attack by the infected, may seem disconnected from the rest of the film, but it all makes sense when Spike unknowingly encounters Jack O'Connell's (Eden Lake) character, who wears the same cross we saw one of the children being given, in the closing scene.
This sets up the film series to go forward on a much more larger scale, as it introduces us to different strands of survivors that will no doubt be a big part of the next two movies. As the first of this new trilogy, 28 Years Later is a captivating watch with multi-layered filmmaking, phenomenal performances, and a story that hits closer to home than it might, initially appear.
28 Years Later is available to watch in cinemas around the world from June 19. We don't yet know which of the best streaming services it will be added to, or when.
Ballerina is a real litmus-test moment for the John Wick universe.
The Continental, the franchise's first TV project, was a risky prequel series that lacked Keanu Reeves' star power and, by proxy, indicated that Lionsgate's billion dollar-spinning enterprise couldn't flourish without Reeves' iconic hitman being front and center in its various productions.
Ballerina appears to suggest otherwise. The fifth film in the series – and the first that doesn't feature Reeves as its lead – is a typically thrilling franchise entry that shows 'The World of Wick' could have a bright future without Reeves at the helm. Well, that is as long as future Wick-Verse movies and shows don't fall into the same hackneyed traps that Ballerina occasionally does.
When you think of me, you should think of fire
Ana de Armas stars as Eve Macarro, a Ruska Roma assassin who goes rogue to avenge her father's death (Image credit: Lionsgate)
The child of an assassin who was gunned down for apparently betraying the criminal organization he was a member of, the orphaned Eve is taken in by the Ruska Roma, the crime syndicate that also raised and trained Wick.
It's easy to draw comparisons between Ballerina and the first John Wick movie
Years later, the now-adult Eve carries out covert missions for the Ruska Roma. However, when she realizes her latest target has ties to the enigmatic gang that murdered her father, Eve ignores the orders of her surrogate family's matriarch in The Director (Angelica Huston) to let things lie. Cue Eve going rogue as she embarks on a one-woman quest to track down her father's killers and seek vengeance.
Eve enlists the help of The Continental New York's manager Winston (Ian McShane) to find her father's killers (Image credit: Lionsgate)
With its classic tale-of-revenge format, it's easy to draw comparisons between Ballerina – or, to type out its full title, From the World of John Wick: Ballerina – and the first John Wick movie.
Sure, there are subtle differences between their plots. 2014's John Wick sees Reeves' retired hitman punish those who stole his beloved Mustang and killed the puppy that his deceased wife posthumously gifted Wick to help him through the process of grieving her loss.
Here, Eve seeks retribution for her dad's murder, and in the process she unearths some big secrets about her past that, as plot twists go, are so derivative I spotted them from the get-go. Those narrative distinctions aside, though, the basic plot structure and themes explored in both films are the same, which is why parallels will inevitably be drawn between them.
Watching Eve's competency in the field improve... makes for pleasant viewing
That said, the narrative disparity between this duo is felt most keenly in how Ballerina sets up its tale. Act one is an origin story in all but name, with the film's first 45 minutes establishing Eve's backstory and events that led to her joining the Ruska Roma before transitioning to the modern day. In that sense, Ballerina's opening act isn't unlike that of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, whose five-act plot plays out in a similar manner.
Interesting as it to witness Eve's transition from traumatized child to skilled assassin, Ballerina's first act feels drawn out. For a movie that clocks in at two hours, the fact that it takes 45 minutes to get to the meat of the story is a disproportionate amount of time to spend on narrative set-up. Sure, it's fun to see Eve's competency in the field improve – she makes plenty of mistakes along the way, mind you – as the first act progresses, but Ballerina could've reached its critical storytelling juncture far earlier than it does.
Enemy of my enemy
Daniel, a mysterious individual played by Norman Reedus, is tracked down by Eve (Image credit: Lionsgate)
Once its actual story gets going, Ballerina becomes an exercise in hasty plot exposition and world-building, and typically breathless and violent action.
Ballerina further embellishes the seedy nature of this fictional world
Where the former is concerned, Ballerina's intriguing expansion of the John Wick universe further proves that it's not just a world where assassin guilds are commonplace.
Previous Wick-Verse films have tentatively spotlighted other criminal gangs that inhabit this franchise. However, Ballerina, which shouldn't be called a John Wick spin-off, according to director Len Wiseman, confidently embellishes the seedy, complicated nature of this fictional world by revealing that the High Table isn't the sole establishment that governs the criminal underworld's various factions. Spoilers notwithstanding, I'm eager to see how future films and TV shows will expand on the splinter organizations introduced in this movie and establish others with their own mythos.
Ballerina's action sequences are as fantastical, violent, and over the top as you'd expect (Image credit: Lionsgate)
As for its physically demanding set-pieces, Ballerina's will draw "oohs" and the odd expletive-laden comment from audiences. Like John Wick, Eve is a quick-thinker who uses everyday items to gain the upper hand in combat and take out the foes she faces in her big-screen debut. The flamethrower-centric action sequence, which featured heavily in Ballerina's official trailer, is likely to be many viewers' most-loved set-piece in this film, but separate fights involving a stack of plates and a pair of ice skates were my particular favorites.
Entertained as I was by Ballerina's action, some moments felt a little amateurish. Indeed, there are a couple of set-pieces in act two where there's a notable delay between actors – or their stunt doubles – taking hits and reacting to said body blows, which temporarily pulled me out of the moment. They're not the worst situations I've seen in an action thriller flick, but they reduce the believability of the duels on show.
Rules and consequences
Yeah, we're thinking he's back (Image credit: Lionsgate)
Those occasional moments may be missteps, but the manner in which Ballerina handles Wick's small but significant appearance isn't.
Fans have known that Reeves' legendary gun-for-hire would turn up since Ballerina's first trailer was released last September. Thankfully, his role in proceedings – I didn't time it, but I'd say Reeves' screentime is around 10 minutes – is not only a natural fit for the story Ballerina tells, but also ensures Reeves doesn't upstage de Armas in her own movie.
Don't worry, though, Wick fans, he gets his own incredibly satisfying action sequence – one that takes place after the suspense-filled confrontation he has with Eve –that'll satiate your desire to see him take names and kick ass.
Angelica Huston's The Director gets a semblance of character development in Ballerina (Image credit: Lionsgate)
The supplemental appearance from Reeves' beloved hitman aside, if I had to be hyper-critical of Ballerina, it doesn't do much with the rest of its starry ensemble.
Norman Reedus' Daniel... is criminally underused
Yes, Huston's The Director earns more screentime here than she has in prior John Wick films. Ian McShane's Winston and the late Lance Reddick's Charon earn their stripes in their respective minor and cameo roles, too. Given Ballerina's sharper focus on the Ruska Roma, plus Winston's active role in shaping Eve's life, though, I expected them to feature more than they did.
The same goes for Norman Reedus' Daniel, a mysterious individual with ties to those who killed Eve's father who, aside from inadvertently complicating Eve's quest for revenge, is criminally underused. ConsideringBallerina's release was delayed so additional photography could take place to include scenes that were initially removed from the script, I'm baffled over the lack of airtime afforded to Reedus and some of his contemporaries.
My verdict
Ballerina is an entertaining, largely self-contained story whose typically high-octane nature will appease John Wick devotees and offers a soft narrative reset that makes it accessible to franchise newcomers. With de Armas' likable badass at the helm, it's an entry that could spawn its own film series within the wider John Wick universe, and it's one I certainly think is worth exploring.
That said, Lionsgate and Wick's chief creative team can't rely on the shock value of its violence, nor copy and paste its revenge tale formula into stories starring other characters, forever. Whether it's the very-early-in-development John Wick Chapter 5, the forthcoming flick starring Donnie Yen's Cain, or the franchise's anime-style TV show, fans will demand something far more creative or fresh in the future.
If Ballerina is popular and financially successful to warrant a sequel, and if said follow-up cracks the originality code, we could look back on this de Armas-fronted film as the one that proved the Wick-Verse is in safe hands without Reeves steering the ship. Fail to do so and, to paraphrase Marvel anti-hero Wade Wilson from Deadpool and Wolverine: "Lionsgate will make Reeves do this until he's 90!".
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina opens in theaters worldwide on Friday, June 6.
If you’d have told a 33-year-old Tom Cruise at the 1996 premiere of Mission: Impossible that he’d be promoting — and not just promoting, living — the same film franchise 29 years and seven instalments later, he probably would’ve believed you right there and then.
There are plenty of seemingly impossible things about Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, but Cruise’s commitment to the character of Ethan Hunt is not one of them. Brian De Palma’s big-screen reboot of the 1966 Mission: Impossible TV series was the first to be produced by Cruise’s then-new production company C/W Productions, and the ageless star has since committed to going bigger and better with each subsequent instalment.
The Final Reckoning is, we presume, the last Mission: Impossible movie for some time (maybe ever!), and though it’s certainly no better than what’s come before – in truth, it probably places fifth or sixth in our ranking of the Mission: Impossible movies – it’s most definitely bigger than anything else you’ve seen (or will see) this year.
Back in the saddle
The series' eighth entry picks up where 2023’s Dead Reckoning left off, with Ethan and the rest of the IMF gang still trying to outfox the rogue artificial intelligence system known as 'the Entity'. It’s essentially the same Big Bad as before, except now the Entity is hell-bent on nuclear armageddon, and it’s also started to brainwash small pockets of the populace into supporting its apocalyptic cause (some people just have to be part of a club).
To ensure its own survival when the bombs start to fall, the Entity needs access to a secure digital bunker in South Africa, and it’s here that our heroes hope to trap ChatGPT-on-steroids using a combination of various hard-to-get-hold-of MacGuffins, including an elaborate USB stick buried in the belly of a sunken Russian submarine. So far, so Mission: Impossible.
There are many, many other facets to The Final Reckoning’s convoluted story, which is even more difficult to follow than the plot of the original Mission: Impossible, but the film is essentially a '90s disaster movie dressed up as a commentary on AI and misinformation.
That’s not necessarily unbecoming of the franchise – Ethan has always been dropped into a race against time to save the world – but, to its detriment, The Final Reckoning feels distinctly more grandiose than any other Mission movie before it, with more time devoted to politicking and fate-of-the-world decision-making than to ingenious gadgetry and covert spycraft.
Ethan spends precious little time with his IMF crew in The Final Reckoning (Image credit: Paramount)
Mission: Impossible is at its best when Ethan and his band of IMF misfits are infiltrating a famous landmark or pulling off an improbable escape, quipping at each other as they do so (the Burj Khalifa sequence in Ghost Protocol is an all-timer example of that formula in action). The Final Reckoning swaps this playful tone for doom and gloom in a bid to raise the emotional stakes, but the trade-off is a more serious, arguably un-Mission: Impossible-like experience overall.
This sentiment isn’t helped by an exposition-heavy first hour, which jumps between locations, characters, and plot threads like a YouTube recap of the Mission: Impossible series so far. Flashbacks are fine in moderation, but the sheer number of them deployed by director Christopher McQuarrie in the opening moments of The Final Reckoning is an indictment of the film’s unwieldy story.
Getting down to business
The underwater sequence is an instant Mission: Impossible classic (Image credit: Paramount)
Mercifully, things take a turn for the action-packed about halfway through, when Ethan jumps into the Bering Sea in search of that aforementioned Russian submarine. It’s here that we’re introduced to Captain Bledsoe, played with scene-stealing aplomb by Severance star Tramell Tillman, and the first of two outrageously gripping stunts gets underway.
If you’ve seen any of The Final Reckoning’s trailers or posters, you’ll know that the biplane sequence – shot at 8,000 feet in 140mph winds with no CGI – is being framed as the film’s centerpiece, and while it’s undeniably impressive, the earlier submarine sequence is arguably the bigger highlight. Here, McQuarrie and Cruise use a combination of digital effects and practical wizardry to simulate the inside of a missile-filled submarine at the bottom of the ocean, and the sense of scale and jeopardy the pair achieve is staggering.
Watching Cruise dodge nuclear warheads under life-threatening amounts of pressure will have you, too, feeling like you’re trapped on the ocean floor, especially if you experience this ordeal in the expanded aspect ratio afforded by IMAX.
Quite frankly, The Final Reckoning is saved by its two major set-pieces. They bring a much-needed injection of excitement to an otherwise drawn-out disaster story, and while the film as a whole could do with more action and less situation-room drama, these stunts will remind you why you paid the ticket price. Nobody is doing it like Tom Cruise, and this eighth and potentially final entry in the Mission: Impossible franchise – for all its many shortcomings – hammers home that truth and then some. Cue the theme music!
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning arrives in theaters and IMAX on May 21 (UK) and May 23 (internationally).
Thunderbolts* was always going to be viewed as the Marvel movie underdog of 2025.
In a year that saw the arrival of a new Captain America film and The Fantastic Four's highly anticipated addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), a movie starring a ragtag team of lesser-known anti-heroes and reformed villains might not have been high on many people's theatrical agenda.
Like the titular team, though, Thunderbolts* has battled against the odds to cement its place as one of the best Marvel movies since 2019's Avengers: Endgame. Armed with a supremely talented cast on top form, and the MCU'smost affecting story to date when it comes to exploring themes of vulnerability – a story that struck a huge chord with me – it's also an emotionally resonant movie that encouraged me to reflect on my past, and not let it define me.
Shadow selves
Thunderbolts* is the latest MCU movie to feature a group of outsiders coming together for the greater good (Image credit: Marvel Studios)
Like The Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy (GotG), Thunderbolts* tells the tale of a maladjusted group of individuals thrust together to battle a common enemy.
Boil the movie down to its simplest form, and comparisons to those two films are easy to make, in terms of both its storytelling structure and the archetypal characters who inhabit all three movies, such as John Walker/US Agent (Wyatt Russell) and Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) being the serious soldier stand-ins for The Avengers' Captain America and GotG's Drax.
Thunderbolts*' humor-laden moments... are belly-achingly effective in their delivery and plot placement
The same can be said of Thunderbolts*' whip-smart humor. Like many of its MCU counterparts, Thunderbolts* is full of snarky retorts, quippy one-liners, and other wisecracks. However, rather than being throwaway jokes that do little else but raise a smile, its humor-laden moments are belly-achingly effective in their delivery and plot placement.
Yelena and Alexei's strained relationship is a core part of what makes Thunderbolts*' story so engaging (Image credit: Marvel Studios)
The on-screen rapport between the Thunderbolts – unlike in the comics, the unpopular team name isn't derived from Thaddus 'Thunderbolt' Ross – is equally electrifying. In fact, I'd wager the chemistry between Thunderbolts*' eclectic cast of characters is the most natural in an MCU film for a while.
That might be a bold statement to make, particularly in light of the absorbing dynamic between Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman in Deadpool and Wolverine. As an ensemble, though, the playful and melodramatic manner with which this film's cast bounce off each other is a far cry from the camaraderie (or, rather, lack thereof) of other films' casts.
The on-screen rapport between the Thunderbolts is utterly electrifying
The team's 'found family' dynamic fizzes and pops with a pleasing poise that captivated me from the moment that many of them meet, too.
Indeed, a western stand-off-style showdown between Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), US Agent, Ava Starr/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) in the first act, which occurs after each agent is sent to take down one of the others by shady CIA director Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), is as frenetic and wonderfully farcical as you might expect.
Yelena and Bob's relationship is one of Thunderbolts*' most moving elements (Image credit: Marvel Studios)
Of the dynamics on display, I was most emotionally invested in Yelena's relationships with Alexei and Bob.
The estranged familial dynamic between Yelena and Alexei is full of histrionics, hilarity, and heartfelt moments that underline, if further evidence was needed, Pugh's and Harbour's standing as two of the greatest actors of their generation. Emotionally engaging tour de forces, they most certainly are.
That said, the relationship between Yelena and Bob is the one that really captured my attention, because theirs is the earnest fulcrum that really drives the Marvel Phase 5 movie's emotionally-charged narrative. I'm not afraid to admit that their bond drew visceral reactions for me on two occasions – as I write this review, just thinking about one specific moment in the film's final act leaves me teary-eyed and with a lump in my throat.
Fight off your demons
Thunderbolts*' opening scene features Yelena figuratively standing on the edge of the emotional abyss (Image credit: Marvel Studios)
The emotional intensity Thunderbolts* delivers narratively won't be lost on anyone who watches one of 2025's most anticipated new movies, either.
Indeed, where the Avengers assembled to protect New York City – and the wider world – from Loki and his Chitauri army, and the Guardians united to defeat Ronan the Accuser, this film's unruly cast of characters have a far tougher foe to overcome: themselves.
Thunderbolts* is following Moon Knight's lead with its sensitive approach to mental health issues
You see, while Thunderbolts* includes conventional antagonists in de Fontaine and someone you probably expected to be a good guy, it's the ensemble's darkest, most secret inner selves who are their greatest nemeses.
This isn't new territory for Marvel. As a medium, comic books are widely regarded for telling stories that reflect the world around them, so there's no reason why comic book/superhero films wouldn't do likewise.
That's reflected in the fact that the MCU has tackled such difficult subject matter before, too. However, where Iron Man 3 made light of and danced around Tony Stark's grapples with PTSD following The Avengers, Thunderbolts* is following Moon Knight's lead with its sensitive approach to mental health issues.
Despite his past, Bucky Barnes is the most well-rounded character in Thunderbolts* (Image credit: Marvel Studios)
Whether it's Yelena's disillusionment with life itself, Bob's split-personality disorder, US Agent's deep shame, or the team's collective feelings of regret, Thunderbolts* is cognizant of the mental health issues that many of us battle everyday or at some point in our lives. These are characters who lack the individual ability to deal with their past mistakes and/or who feel trapped in an endless loop of despair, and Thunderbolts* does a terrific job of not only humanizing them through the traumatic experiences they've endured, but also making them incredibly relatable.
Pugh and Pullman's raw, multi-layered performances are as impactful as any MCU acting display you're likely to see
Again, Pugh and Pullman are particularly worth highlighting. The rest of the cast are superb, but the pair's raw, multi-layered performances, which build on the emotionally rich script penned by MCU stalwart Eric Pearson, and The Bear, Hacks, and BoJack Horseman scribe Joanna Calo, are as impactful as any MCU acting display you're likely to see.
A brief flashback showcasing De Fontaine's (right) tragic backstory helps to humanize even the CIA's duplicitous overlord (Image credit: Marvel Studios)
Thunderbolts* isn't without its niggles, mind you. For one, its ending feels a bit abrupt. Despite the emotional impact on display in the movie's final action set-piece, the manner with which the Marvel movie's Thanos-level-esque 'main villain' is dealt with is contrived – and, likely in the eyes of some viewers, eye-roll inducing – as well. The lack of screen time afforded to Louis-Dreyfus' megalomaniac and master manipulator is a bit of a sore point, too.
The logic used to 'depower' Sentry is also a bit too convenient. I'm sure Captain Marvel will have something to say about this, as will Gi'ah from Secret Invasion – we don't talk about that terrible Disney+ show here, though – but he's arguably the most powerful superhuman in the MCU now. With Robert Downey Jr's Doctor Victor von Doom due to upend things from a multiverse perspective in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, a supremely powerful individual like Sentry would be handy to have around.
My biggest bugbear with Thunderbolts*, though, is the unceremonious and unnecessary demise of a character who deserved better in this movie, and in the MCU as a whole. I don't like how it played out, or how the immediate and long-term impact of what happened is handled. For a film that does so much right from a character introspection viewpoint, Thunderbolts* frustratingly drops the ball over this incident.
My verdict
Thunderbolts* is an expectation-defying, incredibly moving MCU entry that unashamedly wears its heart on its sleeve. It balances its melodrama, cathartic story, and deconstruction of heroism with the MCU's classic, fun-filled elements so well that it's a Marvel film I can see myself watching in a theater and/or at home many times over. Considering there are many other MCU movies I haven't seen since I initially watched them on the big screen, that's high praise indeed.
It would be easy to say Thunderbolts* is the best MCU film since, say, Avengers: Endgame. I've certainly been guilty of doing that with Shang-Chi, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and Deadpool & Wolverine.
Thunderbolts* deserves to be part of the 'best Marvel movies' conversation
Compared to some of Marvel's less impressive movie offerings in the years since Endgame, though, Thunderbolts* deserves to be part of that conversation. It doesn't reinvent the team-up movie formula, nor will it win any awards for its action sequences (for what it's worth, though, the stunts are mostly real rather than relying on CGI, and most of those sequences are great).
What it does do is tell a deeply emotional story about a group of alienated individuals who could purposefully walk away from problems that don't concern them, but who nonetheless do the right thing when the world needs them. If that doesn't make them deserving of "being the heroes on the Wheaties box with the little kiddie toy" – Red Guardian's words, not mine – I don't know what would.
Thunderbolts* arrives in theaters on May 1 (UK) and May (internationally).
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It's not hyperbole to say we're in the midst of a golden age of video game adaptations.
From Arcane, Fallout, and The Last of Us TV shows, to the Sonic the Hedgehog films and The Super Mario Bros Movie on the big screen, there have been plenty of fantastic animated, live-action, and hybrid reimaginings to enjoy recently.
That's not to say there hasn't been the occasional dud and, unfortunately, A Minecraft Movie falls squarely into that category. Lacking a clear identity, and at times hideous and garish to look at, Warner Bros' take on the best-selling game of all time isn't the blockbuster video game adaptation I was hoping for.
Press play
Four human outcasts accidentally travel to the Overworld, aka Minecraft's block-based universe (Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures/Mojang Studios)
A Minecraft Movie tells the story of four human misfits who are inadvertently transported to the Overworld, a surreal, cube-based reality where your imagination is the only limitation to what you can craft.
However, the quartet – washed-up gaming champion Garrett (Jason Momoa), struggling realtor Dawn (Danielle Brooks), and orphaned siblings Henry (Sebastien Hansen) and Natalie (Emma Myers) – soon realize that this idyllic dimension isn't all it seems.
It's hard not to be impressed by... how incredibly faithful A Minecraft Movie is to Mojang's hugely popular sandbox game
When the malevolent Piglin leader/sorceress Malgosha (voiced by Rachel House) learns that the group possesses the Orb of Dominance, a magical cube that grants its wielder unlimited power, she sends her Nether-based forces after them. Cue Henry and company teaming up with Steve (Jack Black), another human outcast who's made the Overworld his home, to stop the Orb falling into Malgosha's hands – or, rather, hooves.
Right off the bat, it's hard not to be impressed by the scope of this film, nor how incredibly faithful A Minecraft Movie is to Mojang's hugely popular sandbox game.
Indeed, the attention to detail is tremendous. From the gorgeous, block-based backdrops, whose draw distance adds to the movie's scale, to the sheer number of Minecraft references and other gaming secrets dotted throughout its 100-minute runtime, A Minecraft Movie is a near-perfect example (from an Easter egg viewpoint, anyway) of a video game adaptation done right.
Many Minecraft fans have taken exception to its movie adaptation's art style (Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures/Legendary Pictures)
Unfortunately, that's where A Minecraft Movie's positives largely begin and end. Awestruck though I was by the background imagery, Warner Bros' live-action-animated hybrid flick isn't pleasant to look at.
Warner Bros' live-action-animated hybrid flick isn't pleasant to look at
Whether it's the uncanny valley nature of the fauna that inhabits the Overworld or the film's fleshy, nightmare-fuel-inducing take on Minecraft's villager contingent, I just couldn't get on board with its aesthetic.
There's no reason, as some long-time fans like Alumio on YouTube have demonstrated, that A Minecraft Movie couldn't have stuck with the game's block-based, pixel art style. In fact, I'd argue it would have a far better chance of not only succeeding but also getting fans on side if its creative team had retained the video game's 16-bit-esque visual approach.
Player selection issues
A Minecraft Movie doesn't know who it wants its protagonist to be (Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures/Mojang Studios)
There's little to shout about on the human cast front, too.
For one, A Minecraft Movie doesn't know who it wants its protagonist to be. Yes, there's an argument to be made that Minecraft is more enjoyable as a multiplayer experience than a single-player one. From that perspective, it makes sense to build the movie's plot around an ensemble and ensure each character, who all possess unique personalities, strengths, and weaknesses, has their fair share of screentime.
A Minecraft Movie doesn't know who it wants its protagonist to be
A Minecraft Movie fumbles the bag with this approach. Its prologue, which outstays its welcome by a good 10 minutes, suggests Steve will be its central character. One quick pivot later, though, and Garrett is set up as the movie's primary hero. No sooner has Momoa's character been established as the protagonist than Henry is installed as its champion-in-chief. Simply put, A Minecraft Movie's multifaceted main character energy outweighs the group dynamic nature it desperately wants to emulate.
The subplot involving Jennifer Coolidge's Marlene is the funniest thing that A Minecraft Movie has to offer (Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures/Mojang Studios)
It doesn't help that it somewhat relegates its female characters to the sidelines.
A Minecraft Movie tries to make Dawn and Natalie feel important to the story, but they're just kind of... there. Character-wise, they're not as fully formed as their male counterparts, which feels like a huge misstep in the current climate. Their burgeoning friendship is only fleetingly explored when the boys are off having much more thrilling adventures, too.
A Minecraft Movie... doesn't devote enough time to establishing bonds between its core cast of characters
But theirs isn't the only dynamic that feels half-baked. A Minecraft Movie spends so much time on slapstick moments and winking to the camera that it doesn't devote enough time to establishing bonds between its core cast of characters.
The exception to that rule is the slightly gratifying expansion of Steve and Garrett's relationship. What starts out as an amusing rivalry, as they attempt to one-up each other, leads to a deep respect for what their former frenemy has to offer. Black and Momoa may be playing archetypal individuals – Black's character, in particular, is just a heightened version of himself – that we've seen them portray many times before, but they play the parts well, so I can excuse their trite character portrayals to some degree.
Refusing to enable creative mode
A Minecraft Movie should be more creative than it actually is (Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures/Mojang Studios)
What's less forgivable is A Minecraft Movie's lack of innovation from narrative and thematic standpoints.
As I said, Hess and company deserve credit for their meticulous approach to Minecraft's in-game lore and other homages to Mojang's hugely popular video game. But, in a virtual world where creativity is king, A Minecraft Movie's inflexible and derivative approach to its story, and lack of action-based invention, leaves a lot to be desired.
A Minecraft Movie would've shone far brighter if it had been braver on the originality front
There are moments when A Minecraft Movie seems like it's ready to break free from its self-imposed shackles.
Henry and Garrett's respective crafting of a Tater Tot Gun and Buck-Chuckets (the latter being two buckets joined by an iron-link chain) are unorthodox, but at least they're wholly original weapons that aren't copy-and-paste jobs from Minecraft's extensive items list. The movie's final battle does something similar with the leader of an Iron Golem army, too – further evidence that A Minecraft Movie would've shone far brighter if it had been braver on the originality front.
A Minecraft Movie's plot doesn't creep along like one of the game's iconic Creepers do (Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures/Mojang Studios)
I'm always hesitant to criticise a movie or TV show for its plot pacing, especially one like A Minecraft Movie that, at its core, is designed for kids.
However, it gets off to a slow start due to the aforementioned sluggish prologue before performing a dizzying U-turn and barreling through its main quest. It's certainly lean in its make-up and, therefore, tailor-made for young minds with shorter attention spans, but I do wish it had been slightly more methodical tempo-wise.
My verdict
Two questions have dominated my thoughts since the press screening of A Minecraft Movie.
The first – 'Will families and/or Minecraft devotees enjoy this?' – can be answered with an emphatic 'yes'. Whichever way you slice it, A Minecraft Movie is a child-friendly film that's also designed to nostalgically appeal to those of us who have spent countless hours exploring procedurally-generated maps that allowed our imaginations to run wild.
As much as I want to recommend A Minecraft Movie, though, the answer to the second question that's been on my mind means I can't. Whenever I leave a film screening, I always ask myself, 'Did I enjoy that?' and, unfortunately for this movie, the answer is a firm 'no'.
A Minecraft Movie had the building blocks to be a great video-game film, but, for me, it's been crafted on shaky ground, rather than a layer of bedrock. My advice? Quit this game while you're ahead and wait for one of 2025's new movies to be available to stream on Max instead.
A Minecraft Movie launches exclusively in theaters worldwide on April 4.
