STACK October 2016 Issue 144

Dwayne as rock hard CIA agent Bob Stone? Yeah,

predictable casting. But add a fanny pack plus a love

of unicorns and Molly Ringwald? That’s just part of the

fun of

Central Intelligence

, which starts with Bob – or

Robbie Weirdicht as he was then – as a chubby, bullied

kid. Meanwhile, Calvin Joyner (Kevin Hart) was the guy

most likely to succeed. Anyway, 20 years later Calvin’s

an accountant, and we know Bob’s situation. With a

school reunion impending, the two meet, and Calvin’s

yawn-worthy life is about to go all Rubik’s Cube. Bob

needs a numbers guy for a case, but there aren’t just bad guys after

him. Johnson’s a lovable lug who makes any flick better. Teaming him

with Hart was genius, and

Central Intelligence

is a darn good action

comedy. But not

Sixteen Candles

good, duh!

A little Hart and a big Johnson.

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE

Release Date:

05/10/16

Format:

If Edgar Rice Burroughs had a dollar for every movie

based on his creation Tarzan then, um, he’d still be dead

(and long may he rest in peace). Seriously though, they

number over 50, yet this latest one still adds to the

impressive legacy and legend – and boy is it adventure-

packed! The bloke formerly known as Tarzan (Alexander

Skarsgård) now lives in London with Jane (Margot

Robbie) under his birth name of John Clayton III. All’s

rather fine and decidedly dandy, until an old enemy

demands a swap – diamonds needed to keep Belgium’s

economy afloat in exchange for Tarzan. King Leopold subsequently

issues an invite for the couple to visit the Congo, which they decline. But

when a US envoy reveals he suspects Congolese slavery, it’s time for

Tarzan and Jane to revisit their swinging old hangout.

Lord of the abs.

THE LEGEND OF TARZAN

Release Date:

19/10/16

Format:

That Scrat and his blasted acorns! While trying to

bury his latest conquest he activates an abandoned

alien craft and ends up hurtling into the cosmos.

Hey, at least we’ll finally be safe from his propensity

for causing havoc, right? Wrong! His intergalactic

shenanigans inadvertently send asteroids hurtling

straight towards – you guessed it – Earth. Naturally

our ever-growing herd, led by Manny, Diego and Sid,

are clueless as to what they’ll soon be in for, as they

deal with everyday dramas from the genuine to the

stupid (you can guess who’s responsible for the latter). Then some

asteroids hit, and the herd are lucky to escape. Weasel Buck believes

a stone pillar has the answer – to save Earth they need to visit the

site of a previous asteroid hit. Cue one event-filled ‘road’ trip!

One small step. One giant mess.

ICE AGE 5: COLLISION COURSE

Release Date:

26/10/16

Format:

Swedish director David F. Sandberg has turned his

simple but scary YouTube video into a feature (produced

The Conjuring

's James Wan), and it's a pretty

impressive debut that doesn't rely solely on the jump-

scare premise of the viral short. There are shades of

The Babadook

in this tale of a depressed mother (Maria

Bello), a frightened young boy (Gabriel Bateman), and

a sinister black apparition that's only visible in the

darkness – and creeps closer whenever the lights are

flicked on and off. The dysfunctional family dynamic

adds depth to this brisk frightener, as does the intriguing backstory

surrounding the entity's existence. Bello and Teresa Palmer are solid

as the estranged mother and daughter, and the suspense and shocks

sustained throughout. One to watch with the lights blazing.

Be afraid of the dark.

LIGHTS OUT

Release Date:

26/10/16

Format:

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OCTOBER

2016

DVD&BD

REVIEWS