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When the original
Heroes
series smashed onto our
screens in 2006, we couldn’t get enough of that
superpowered stuff. But it petered out over its four
seasons, and few thought much more about it. Creator
Tim Kring did though, and he reminds us of everything
that we first loved about the show in this ace 13-episode
‘event miniseries’. Many new faces – including Chuck
himself (Zachary Levi) – join several originals as things
begin with a human and ‘Evo’ love-in. It all goes horribly
wrong, as somebody has a vendetta against the highly
evolved. This all plays out against a backdrop of impending great balls of
fire – yep, Earth’s about to go all crispy fried, and heroes are required.
Just the right length to burn out rather than fade away, the comic book
stylings of
Heroes Reborn
make for power-packed viewing.
AF
A new phenomenon begins
HEROES REBORN
Ron Howard's ambitious, seafaring
adventure concerns the events
that inspired Herman Melville
to pen
Moby Dick
– the sinking
of the whaling ship
Essex
by
an albino leviathan in 1820. This
whale of a tale is told in flashback
to the author (Ben Whishaw) by
the
Essex
's now elderly cabin
boy (Brendan Gleeson), and
includes the crew's subsequent
ordeal aboard a lifeboat. Howard
obviously wanted to make a
spectacular remake of
Moby Dick
under the guise of an origin story,
and it's a visual feast. However,
you'll find yourself rooting for
the whale and caring less about
the characters, even if one of them
is Chris Hemsworth.
SH
IN THE HEART OF
THE SEA
Release Date:
06/04/16
Format:
After the dazzling wit and invention
of the Oscar-winning
Inside Out
,
the latest Disney adventure is
a good-looking but formulaic
throwback. The premise here is
that the meteorite that spelled the
end of dinosaurs 65 million years
ago actually missed Earth, meaning
that the great lumbering creatures
have now evolved into farmers
and ranchers. Raymond Ochoa
voices the character of the timid
apatosaurus Arlo, who blames
himself for his father’s death, but
gets the chance to redeem himself
when he is washed away on a
fantastic adventure with a primitive
humanoid creature. Kids will love
the cute creature, but it can be
hard going for grown-ups.
JF
THE GOOD
DINOSAUR
Release Date:
06/04/16
Format:
Release Date:
20/04/16
Format:
With terrorism continuing to cast a lengthy shadow
over the real world,
Homeland
has plenty to draw
upon for inspiration, and ISIS and the crisis in Syria
provide much of the impetus for this season. Carrie
has relocated to Berlin and is now working as head of
security for a billionaire, but quickly finds herself back in
a war zone during a trip to a refugee camp in Lebanon.
And she goes off her meds again! The hacking of
classified CIA files threatens US and German relations
and brings Saul into the action, Quinn finds himself in
the midst of a terrorist cell planning a major attack, and Miranda Otto
joins the cast as an icy CIA station chief. Even more tense and topical
than the previous season,
Homeland
continues to up the stakes and
reinvent itself after laying Brody to rest. Must-see TV.
SH
Better call Saul
HOMELAND:
THE COMPLETE FIFTH SEASON
Single folk gather in a hotel,
where they must find a suitable
partner during an allotted time
period or get turned into an
animal of their own choosing.
Divorcee Colin Farrell chooses
a lobster, should he fail to find
his perfect match. This insane
premise springs from the mind of
writer-director Yorgos Lanthimos,
who gave us the equally brilliant
and deadpan
Dogtooth
. His
English-language debut isn't as
mean-spirited as that film, but its
evocation of a bizarre and insular
community governed by strict
rules is just as spellbinding. And
the cast – especially Farrell and
Olivia Coleman – is fantastic. Cult
status awaits.
SH
the lobster
Release Date:
21/04/16
Format:
The shameful story of Hollywood's
Cold War witchhunt is memorably
retold in this colourful drama,
which focuses on the life of the
celebrated writer Dalton Trumbo.
Bryan Cranston is in his element
as the irascible, maverick screen
scribe whose refusal – along
with nine other writers – to
testify at the House Un-American
Activities Committee’s inquiry
into Communist influence in the
film industry saw him imprisoned
then blacklisted. Helen Mirren also
enjoys herself immensely as his
nemesis, gossip columnist Hedda
Hopper, and keep an eye out,
too, for Kiwi star Dean O’Gorman
as Kirk Douglas, who eventually
resurrects Trumbo’s career.
JF
TRUMBO
Release Date:
27/04/16
Format:
Release Date:
27/04/16
Format:
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