A mere 41 years since the landmark 1984 mock- rockumentary This is Spinal Tap comes Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, a fitting and very funny follow-up that proves how well long-overdue sequels can work.
In the lead up to their one-off reunion concert in New Orleans, director Marty DiBergi (Rob Reiner) catches up with ageing band members David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean), Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) and Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer).
Tensions between David and Nigel still run deep as they rehearse for the big arena gig and cope with two new managers, one of whom has no interest in music.
Tap fans – of which there are now legions across the globe – who might have been skeptical of this venture will be very pleased with how closely it recaptures the straight-faced comic spirit of the original film, weaving in guest appearances by Elton John and Paul McCartney, the latter regarded by David as a marginally talented guitarist.
The jaunt is huge fun with a killer finale as the Tap classic Stonehenge finally gets the big stage production values it deserves.
The luminous Margot Robbie and a somewhat haggard Colin Farrell team up for A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, a sweet, if ultimately unexceptional romantic fantasy.
Meeting at a wedding, the two singletons embark on a road trip guided by a self-aware sat-nav that guides them to various magical doors on their route, each leading to key moments from their past.
Perfectly likeable with some strong doses of humour, the mystical premise is very cleverly set up and the performances are good, even if the film’s eventual message would sit comfortably in any standard rom- com.
Already a huge hit in the US and UK, the animated action-comedy The Bad Guys 2 finds Mr Wolf (voiced by Sam Rockwell) and his eccentric gang of critters forced back into a life of crime in the quest for a giant magnet that attracts gold.
If anything, this caper is even more enjoyable than the 2022 film, with Mr Wolf getting involved in a risky romance amidst all the beautifully animated mayhem. Kids will love it almost as much as adults.
An overlong opus saved mainly by a strong ending, One Battle After Another finds an alcoholic former urban guerrilla (Leonardo DiCaprio) searching for his renegade daughter, hoping to find her before the evil Colonel Lockjaw (Sean Penn, in the film’s best performance).
Essentially a prolonged chase movie, there are way too many detours and scenes that go on and on as DiCaprio, wearing a dressing gown, traipses across a dusty landscape.
To be fair, the film has received wall-to-wall raves and is being touted as an Oscar frontrunner. Hmm. We’ll see.
On Disney+ you should discover Elio, the delightful Pixar sci-fi film about an army brat who is willingly abducted by aliens who think he is the leader of Earth.
Having slipped through its cinema run fairly quickly and without leaving much of an impression – apart from scoring the lowest opening weekend of any Pixar movie – Elio turns out to be a luminously animated space adventure as the titular hero is charged with winning over a brutal warlord who wants to take over the “Communiverse”.
It’s running hot on Disney+. Check it out with the kids.
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