Mini-review: Doctor Who - Empress of Mars

Gatiss turns out another pastiche drawing heavily on Victorian sci-fi like Men in the Moon. The result is a lot of fun and provides a wonderful showcase for the Ice warriors who have never looked better.  One oddity, Bill seems to have become something of a cult sci-fi film buff as she rattles off references to Terminator and the Thing. 

Watch out for the fun cameo at the end.

Mini-review: Edge of Tomorrow

Cruise plays slightly against type in this sci-fi actioner which owes more than a little to Groundhog day.  It's an imaginative premise which is well realised and Blunt more than holds her own against Cruise as fellow traveller. I also enjoyed the sprinkling of well-defined British characters, dark humour and London/France setting.

Mini-review: The Mummy

Handsome action packed remake of the Universal horror classic. Inspired casting, tight plotting and witty script helps make this a worthy inheritor of the Indiana Jones mantle.

Mini-review: Doctor Who - The Lie of the Land

And so to the final part of the Monk trilogy. Who's take on fake news together with the effort in world building meant this felt like a step up over previous Earth invasions.

Having recently read Homo Deus, the idea of humans collectively constructing reality and it being able to be changed just by us agreeing on a different one was something that resonated with me.

The resolution while similar to one of the Russell T Davies era episodes did at least feel more plausible.

Lastly, I'm enjoying the additional range Gomez seems to have been given for Missy in this series. It's not just the setting which makes her performance feel Hannibal Lecteresque.

Mini-review: To Kill a Mockingbird

Perhaps the quintessential coming of age film that seems to be almost timeless. It deftly combines light humour with serious themes to create a spellbinding atmosphere. Peck excels as the 1930s small southern town lawyer called to defend a black man on a rape charge. But really it's the kids, and in particular - Badham as Scout - who steal the film.

Mini-review: T2: Trainspotting

Older but not much wiser, the gang mostly reunite for a long awaited sequel to the iconic 90s movie.  It doesn't recapture the original's magic - never mind its anarchic energy.

But, it's a worthwhile outing that taps into this fan's nostalgia for the original and the times. Pleasantly surprised to find it including a few laugh out loud moments.

Mini-review: The Rocket

Story of Laos boy apparently cursed with the bad luck of being a surviving twin who tries to win a local village rocket competition. The result is an earthy, funny, sad and ultimately optimistic tale populated with some fantastically surreal characters such as a local James Brown enthusiast called Uncle Purple and a goat travelling in the side car of a motorbike combination.