James King's big 7: best films coming to cinema and streaming this week
There are plenty of major names and blockbuster franchises to keep you and the family entertained this week, including Brad Pitt taking on the bad guys in Japan and Chris Evans heading to infinity and beyond. Happy viewing!
MORE: James King's big 7: best films in cinema and streaming this summer
Bullet Train (cinemas)
Category: Action
Bullet Train arrives in cinemas with some serious action movie pedigree. Its director also made John Wick, Atomic Blonde and Deadpool 2 whilst its star - a certain Brad Pitt - is certainly no stranger to fight scenes (or fight clubs). Add in a great trailer, a super stylish poster and a lot of hype and Bullet Train is the coolest film of the summer.
WATCH: Brad Pitt and his secret with Sandra Bullock at the Bullet Train premiere
Well, on paper anyway. The actual film - about a group of assassins battling for their lives on a train from Tokyo to Kyoto - is fun but much of it feels over-familiar, outdated and just too silly to be really jaw-dropping. Luckily Brad remains effortlessly cool and his co-star Joey King - so great in Netflix’s The Kissing Booth series - proves herself to be one of the most exciting young actresses around.
Thirteen Lives (Amazon Prime Video)
Category: Drama
You may remember the incredible true story of the young Thai soccer team who were trapped in a cave during an unexpected rainstorm back in the summer of 2018 and the global effort to rescue them from a maze of flooded, narrow tunnels. Whilst last year saw the release of a (very good) documentary about the rescue, now comes the feature film version, starring Viggo Mortensen and Colin Farrell as two of the British cave divers who led the task force.
And even if you know how the story ends, this is still a remarkably immersive and nerve-shredding experience that puts you right at the heart of the action (think water, darkness, claustrophobia and huge risks to life). An uplifting testament to real heroism.
Father of the Bride (Sky Cinema)
Category: Comedy
It’s hard to imagine that this story - already adapted into a movie several times over the years - actually began its life as a novel in the 1940s. Following Steve Martin’s successful version three decades ago, the likeable family comedy has now been brought to life once again, this time with Andy Garcia and music legend Gloria Estefan starring as a couple on the verge of divorce and seriously shocked when one of their daughters announces that she is engaged to be married in just a month's time.
Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie (Netflix)
Category: Family
Are your children (or you?!) fans of the Ninja Turtle animated series on Nickelodeon? If the answer’s ‘yes’ then here’s some perfect summer holiday entertainment which picks up where the TV show left off. The plot sees the iconic reptiles faced with their greatest challenge yet, despite having defeated their longtime archenemy Shredder. Why? It’s all down to the arrival of a mysterious stranger from the future, who comes to the green superheroes with a warning.
Lightyear (Disney+)
Category: Family
The origin story of Buzz Lightyear, the heroic astronaut who inspired Andy’s favourite action figure in the Toy Stories movies, sees the square-jawed Space Ranger marooned on a hostile planet million of light-years from Earth alongside his commander and crew. Avengers star Chris Evans does a decent job taking over the voice of Buzz from Tim Allen and whilst the confusing plot doesn’t have the class of the Toy Story films, this is still bright, action-packed and full of energy, boasting a strong message about working together and never giving up.
Luck (Apple TV+)
Category: Family
Cute animation from the writers of the Kung Fu Panda and Trolls films, telling the story of Sam Greenfield (voiced by Broadway star Eva Noblezada), the unluckiest person in the world who finds herself in the never-before-seen Land of Luck. If she can work with the magical creatures who live there she might just manage to turn her life around. Also featuring the voices of Simon Pegg, Jane Fonda and Whoopi Goldberg.
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Fire of Love (cinemas)
Category: Documentary
The team at National Geographic continue their run of remarkable real-life stories with this unforgettable look at the life and work of legendary French volcano experts Katia and Maurice Krafft. From the 1960s onwards the intrepid - and eccentric - couple investigated the mysteries of these giant mountainous ruptures, trying to understand what they called “the earth’s heartbeat”, filming constantly. This spectacular and moving tribute to their work features both stunning natural history and the duo’s own love story, all set to a haunting score. See it on as a big a screen as possible.
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