It's been 14 years since Nia Vardalos' warm comedy about her raucous extended family became the sleeper hit of the 2002, and now she's back with more of the same silliness. It all feels rather predictable this time around, although there are some terrific comical moments along the way. And the cast is genuinely likeable, even if the characters are fairly thin. So after all this time, Toula (Vardalos) and her husband Ian (John Corbett) are still living on the same street as Toula's many relatives. She's also running the family cafe with her parents Gus and Maria (Michael Constantine and Lainie Kazan), who are bickering because they just discovered that they're not legally married. Meanwhile, Toula and Ian are struggling to rekindle the spark in their marriage as they both worry about the coming day when their 17-year-old daughter Paris (Elena Kampouris) goes off to university. As meddling Aunt Voula (Andrea Martin) tries to find a suitable Greek boy for Paris, everyone is planning Gus and Maria's wedding. Which of course can't be a small occasion. None of the movie's interwoven plot threads has any tension at all in it, so the film meanders amiably along. There's never any doubt that Toula and Ian will reawaken their romance, that Gus and Maria will renew their vows or that Paris will find her independence. And without any proper conflict, the film struggles to get the audience involved in any meaningful way beyond laughing at the engaging characters. Director Kirk Jones (who made the original Nanny McPhee) occasionally tips things over into physical slapstick or full-on farce, plus several very cheap gags, but most of the humour is centred on the wacky cultural antics of these colourful family members. The actors invest plenty of charm into their roles, with Martin once again stealing the film as the uproariously over-involved Voula. Fans of the original film will get pretty much what they expect here, but there's nothing more on offer: no additional depth, no bigger laughs, no surprising revelations. It's so oddly un-ambitious that it feels more like the next episode of a sitcom than a proper movie sequel. At least the film is assembled in a messy style that reflects this family's nonstop chaos, as the large number of hyperactive characters barge in and out of scenes with noisy abandon. And it's all so undemanding that the audience is free to just sit back and smile at the vaguely recognisable goofiness. Although it only occasionally feels anything like real life.
The filmmakers behind Tangled and Wreck-it Ralph join forces for this entertaining animated action comedy, which has clearly been planned as a franchise-launcher. Energetic and funny, the movie is packed with wonderfully engaging characters and animated with clever visual inventiveness. But even though it's a lot of fun, it's difficult to escape the feeling that Disney is trying to sell us a whole new range of products. The setting is a world populated only by animals, where predators and prey have learned to get along. The story centres on feisty rabbit Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin), who grew up under pressure to work in the family carrot-farming business. But she wants to be a cop, even though no bunny has ever made the force. Top of her class at police academy, she's assigned to the Zootropolis Police Department, where Chief Bogo (Idris Elba) makes her a meter maid. But she's too ambitious to write parking tickets all day, and teams up with con-artist fox Nick (Jason Bateman) to look into the strange case of a missing otter, which might be linked to a series of unexplained events in which predators suddenly became aggressive and dangerous. The writers and directors have a great time with the premise, peppering scenes with knowing references mainly to other movies but also to resonant aspects of society, such as the genius casting of sloths as government workers. And there are also much bigger themes rattling around the edges, from how other peoples' expectations constrain us to how politicians use fear to control the public. There's also a cleverly pointed undercurrent about prejudice and diversity. And at the centre, Goodwin and Bateman give solid vocal performances as natural enemies who find a way to trust each other. Of the supporting cast, Elba is the standout as a buffalo who is all bluster. The setting also offers the animators with a lot to play with, mainly in Zootropolis' various zones, including a desert, a snowscape, a rainforest and a miniature neighbourhood for rodents. The movie is a riot of colour and motion, with a steady stream of hilarious one-liners and a naggingly catchy Shakira song. It's also so carefully constructed that everything promises more to come, from party costumes to toys, plus the possibility of videogames, theme park rides and, of course, sequels and spin-offs. Thankfully, it's so enjoyable that the audience will be looking forward to new ways to enter into this world. And Disney is going to make a lot of money from it.
After 2013's beefy Man of Steel, director Zack Snyder goes even bigger and darker with this sequel, cross-pollenating Clark Kent's story with flashbacks to the origins of Bruce Wayne and his Dark Knight alter-ego. The problem is that the film is so big and loud that it can't help but feel bloated, especially since so much of what's on screen feels rather vacuous. But it looks amazing and is relentlessly gripping. After a Bat-origin prologue, the story kicks off with the climactic battle from Man of Steel as seen from the perspective of Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck), watching his city being destroyed by Superman (Henry Cavill). This further fuels the rage that began when his parents were murdered. And that fire is stoked by the mischievous millionaire Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg). Meanwhile, Superman/Clark is struggling with how the world is revering him as a god, which is straining his relationship with intrepid reporter Lois (Amy Adams). As these very different vigilante heros head toward a climactic confrontation, Luthor is up to something seriously nefarious. And the ensuing chaos brings another hero into the open, Wonder Woman Diana Prince (Gal Gadot). While the various plot threads are fascinating, and Snyder maintains a snappy pace, the overall story centres on the fact that Affleck's prickly, bitter Bruce is easily manipulated into doing terrible things, which makes him rather unlikeable. And Cavill's fundamentally good Clark isn't much easier to identify with. Both are also oddly constrained by their costumes and bulked-up physicalities, which leave them unable to move properly. This allows the side characters to steal the show: Adams adds emotion and passion, Eisenberg provides the nutty nastiness, Irons is hilariously cynical as Bruce's butler Alfred, and Fishburne is all bluster as Lois' editor. But in the end, the film belongs to the gorgeous, clear-headed Gadot, instantly making her stand-alone movie the most anticipated superhero project on the horizon. Snyder gives this film such a massive scale that fans get plenty of bang for their buck. But while it looks amazing and feels hugely emotional, it's difficult not to notice the problems. All of the dream sequences are utterly unnecessary (especially when Bruce bases his entire quest for vengeance on a dream in which he's in a Mad Max-style desert dystopia). And there's also the issue that much of the gadgetry seems to have been created by a 10-year-old boy, which actually makes it boring (like the indestructible Batmobile). It may look achingly cool, and there's never a dull moment, but in the end it's so brutally violent and full of itself that it leaves us gasping for fresh air.
Propelled by the commercial success of the ultimately annoying 'Ho Hey', The Lumineers self-titled debut album was a top ten success in multiple territories, with sales in the US alone topping 1.3 million units. Anticipation is high for the quintet's second effort, with their busy touring schedule for the next six months featuring many sold out shows, such as all of the UK dates.
But all too often when a band makes a commercial breakthrough, the desire to capitalise on it leads to a second-rate batch of material or evidently desperate attempts to repeat the tricks that got them noticed. To that end, the four year wait for 'Cleopatra' is evidence of a different approach - and there's certainly no contrived recreation of their best known hit. They do, however, continue what they know and create - this is no MGMT second album crisis - warming indie folk. 'Sleep On The Floor' is a slow, stirring opener which will have you convinced that starting over again is the greatest idea, while 'Ophelia' has an urgent piano melody that'll lodge itself in your mind. The title track tries a little too enthusiastically to raise the tempo, while 'Angela' proves an almost alluring acoustic cut. A couple of the latter tracks, namely 'Long Way From Home' and 'Sick In The Head' see any momentum curtailed, but 'My Eyes' is a reminder before the record ends of what The Lumineers are capable of when they dont try too hard.
Lets Rock Leeds returns on 18th June 2016. As if the stella line up doesnt do it, our exclusive discounted tickets should make you dig out those ra-ra skirts and Frankie Say tshirts! The line up at Temple Newsham includes
BILLY OCEAN / JASON DONOVAN / SOUL II SOUL / JIMMY SOMERVILLE / TOYAH / CHESNEY HAWKES / MODERN ROMANCE / CHINA CRISIS / CUTTING CREW / JOHNNY HATES JAZZ / KATRINA / OWEN PAUL We can exclusively offer tickets at the following all fee inclusive rates: Adult (13+)£48.00 Normally £49.50 plus print at home fee Child (3-12yrs)£22.50 Normally £23.10 plus print at home fee Family (2 adults + 2 children) £119.50 Normally £123.20 plus print at home fee VIP£144.50 Normally £148.50 plus print at home fee. Get a group together and save ££s, its the summer festival with all the bands and songs you remember...
Watch highlights of last years superb day here To make these savings or ask us anything about this offer, please email us or tweet us @jmyorks and we will get straight back to you. We have limited tickets at these prices, all ticket sales are handled securely by Lets Rock Leeds and tickets are sold with their express permission.
In the early hours of the morning, a young, middle-class couple are interviewed by the police about an altercation with their neighbours. While they claim it’s their neighbours who are in the wrong, the police seem convinced that is they who have committed a crime. The story of how they ended up being interviewed by the police is revealed through a series of flashbacks to the ‘evidence’ they have recorded on CCTV cameras and other devices at their home. The People Next Door, which premieres later this month on Channel 4, explores the story of young expectant parents Richard (Karl Davies – Happy Valley, Emmerdale) and Gemma (Joanna Horton – Fish Tank, The Suspicions of Mr Whicher,) who, upon purchasing their first home, had no idea they were moving in next door to the ‘neighbours from hell.’ The disturbing sounds they hear through the wall – arguments, screams, and what sounds like violence, soon become daily intrusions and they suspect a child is being mistreated. After consulting friends, Gemma and Richard start an evidence blog to document the problems and they soon come to believe that one child in particular could be being abused. Whilst Richard is reluctant to get involved or cause trouble with the neighbours, Gemma is convinced they could be living next door to another Baby P case and they have a moral duty to investigate. Frustrated by the apparent lack of intervention by the authorities, they turn to increasingly elaborate forms of surveillance to find out what is happening behind closed doors. But is their increasingly intrusive invasion of their neighbours privacy really morally justified? Or are Richard and Gemma actually the ‘neighbours from hell’? Channel 4 Head of Documentaries Nick Mirsky said, “The Raw team have created a tense, gripping drama that could play out behind the curtains of almost any home in Britain. The People Next Door is terrifying relatable – and speaks loudly to the increasing mistrust many Britons have about what might be happening on their own doorstep.” Executive Producer Richard Bond told us, “We are delighted that Channel 4 have let us make another experimental drama and we hope the audience find it both riveting and thought provoking in equal measure" We have seen the first three episode and we can assure you we do!
London Has Fallen Review It didn't seem possible, but somehow this action movie is even more preposterous than its predecessor, 2013's over-serious Olympus Has Fallen. Gerard Butler is back as a Secret Service agent protecting US President Aaron Eckhart, this time in a Taken-style scenario in which they leave America only to be immediately thrown into the middle of a massive terrorist attack. But the script is so lazy that there isn't a moment when any of this is remotely believable. Events are put into motion when the British prime minister dies of a heart attack and security services only have a few days to lock down London so that the world's leaders can arrive for the funeral at St Paul's Cathedral. Mike (Butler) flies in with his boss Lynn (Bassett) on Air Force One, accompanying President Asher (Eckhart) and a platoon of bodyguards. Then just before the funeral, a carefully orchestrated series of bombings and gun attacks take out five heads of state. Of course, Mike and Lynn get Asher out of the fray, but an army of bad guys led by terror mastermind Kamran (Waleed Zuaiter) pursue them across the city. Back in Washington, Vice President Trumbull (Morgan Freeman) and the panicky cabinet (including Haley, Forster and Leo) watch all of this unfold on video screens and coordinates a counter-attack. Even with four screenwriters, the movie makes no real sense. And worse than that, the filmmakers never take advantage of the story's potential or the heavy-hitting cast. There's a line about how all of London's landmarks have been destroyed, but the on-screen destruction is limited to just one of Westminster Abbey's towers. The depiction of world leaders is laughably cliched. And the award-winning actors have nothing to do but stand there looking worried. By contrast, Butler charges around shooting and stabbing everybody who moves in a display of shockingly brutal machismo. Eckhart is more believably reluctant to join in and dispense some violence, but of course he does. Both films in this series come from that appalling perspective (as in Taken) in which anyone who looks even vaguely shifty deserves to die in the most painful way possible. In this world, America is strong and right and everyone else is weak and useless. This is an especially odd approach for Iranian-born filmmaker Babak Najafi to take, although he does at least add a sense of global perspective. But it's all so straight-faced that it's more insulting than entertaining. That said, audiences who don't care about things like originality, credibility or meaning will probably enjoy the movie's fast pace and wanton death and destruction.
![Zootopia [aka Zootropolis] Movie Still](http://www.contactmusic.com/images/home/zootopia-fr-670-380.jpg)
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