JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE
OUTNOW/ RATEDPG/119 MINSThere was no wayJumanji: Welcome To The
Jungleshould have been even half the fun it
was, and yet here we are. While I didn’t exactly
have a close emotional connection to the 1995
original (I was just a shade too old to be in the
target audience when it came out), I wondered
and worried as to what the sequel would do to
follow on. Turns out, I should, of course, have
trusted in The Rock. He, plus co-stars Kevin
Hart, Karen Gillan and Jack Black, brought the
goods, and director Jake Kasdan (Bad Teacher,
Sex Tape) stepped far out of his comfort zone
for a fun adventure that pays homage to the
Robin Williams-starrer, but also manages to
stand out on its own, blending comedy and
action to amusing effect. Sure, there are one
or two bumpy moments, but it actually hangs
together far more effectively than it might
have, offering an emotional punch amid
the zaniness.JAMES WHITETHE GREATEST SHOWMAN
OUTNOW/ RATEDPG/105 MINS2017: the year that will be remembered for The
Passions of Hugh Jackman. He started with
comic-book gamechangerLoganand ended
with an original musical almost a decade in the
making, in the waiting. Also-producer Jackman
plays original showman P.T. Barnum, the creator
of the “freakshows” of the mid-19th century.
We follow his journey from poor tailor’s son to
husband, father and successfulbusinessman.
Subtle,The Greatest Showmanis not. The themes
of austerity and aspiration, of authenticity and
difference, of the ringing hollowness of fame and
fortune are navigated with a hand that is heavy.
Jackman gives it his all, as do co-stars Zendaya
and Zac Efron and first-time feature director
Michael Gracey. There is no care given to being
cool (thank God), but to having a goddamn
good time. And the songs: the songs are big,
bombastic, sentimental pearls of joy. So basically
just what the world needs right now.TERRI WHITEBRAD’S STATUS
OUTNOW / RATEDM/102 MINSMovies such asThe Secret Life Of Walter Mitty
andWhile We’re Younghave proved that Ben
Stiller has a real knack for playing men in the
midst of a mid-life crisis, and withBrad’s Status
he may have perfected his shtick. His Brad Sloan
lives a comfortable life, but the self-doubt and
jealousies he’s constantly plagued with reach
their apex while visiting colleges with his teenage
son, Troy (Austin Abrams, in a subtly effective
performance). Mike White’s (School Of Rock,
Freaks And Geeks) razor-sharp screenplay
taps into some very real anxieties we all feel,
and there were multiple moments where I felt
a pang of relatability. But while the film allows
us to empathise with Brad’s fears, it’s also
self-aware enough to avoid white man privilege
clichés and call out its titular character too.
All this and it still manages to be consistently
witty.Brad’s Status? “Worth a watch”.
AMON WARMANNALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD
OUTNOW/ RATEDMA15+/133 MINSAs it’s based on the story of a real-life kidnapping,
I expectedAll The Money In The Worldto be dark.
I did not anticipate it to so skilfully pry scoffs,
gasps and even chuckles from me while relating
the tale, however. Ridley Scott’s crime drama
revels in the absurdity of the situation, doubling
down on J.P. Getty’s ridiculous frugality and
reluctance to pay his grandson’s ransom.
Christopher Plummer — parachuted in at the
last second to replace Kevin Spacey after he
was hit by scandal — plays the billionaire with
a devilish grin and a twinkle in his eye, and yet
never comes close to hamming it up. Given
how caricature-like Getty is (he’s basically one
feather away from being Scrooge McDuck),
it’s certainly an impressive piece of work. As
is Michelle Williams’ anchored performance
as the hapless younger Getty’s mother, which
provides heart and humanity amid the
escalating tension.AMY WESTBATMAN NINJA
OUT9MAY/ RATEDM/85 MINS“You think you’ve heard every Batman story?”
purrs Catwoman. “I promise, you haven’t.” So
begins one of the madder entries in the Caped
Crusader’s canon, which sees Bruce Wayne
transplanted to feudal Japan via some sort of
magic, purple, glowing time-travel doohickey. This
being a cartoon, it’s broader and sillier than your
average Bats outing — think Schumacher rather
than Nolan — but I can’t help but be enamoured
by the gorgeous animation of this feature-length
experiment, which acknowledges the heritage of
both anime and Batman’s own pulpy comics
background. Meanwhile, the intriguing high-
concept mash-up, bonkers though it is,
manages to breathe fresh life into an 80-year-old
character. Word to the wise, though: watch the
original Japanese version; despite sterling work
fromVeep’s Tony Hale as the Joker (taking over
from Mark Hamill), the English dub is distractingly
bad.JOHN NUGENTEVERY NEW
RELEASE YOU NEED
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