STACK NZ Jul #64

REVIEWS

DVD & BD

When darkness falls, the son will rise SEVENTH SON

The con is on FOCUS

Release Date: 08/07/15

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Release Date: 01/07/15

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Despite being a lavish, big budget fantasy adventure with lots of CGI monsters and A-list actors, Seventh Son isn't exactly The Lord of the Rings . But if you enjoyed the Clash of the Titans remake, you'll find plenty to like here. One of the highlights is Jeff Bridges' bonkers performance as witch hunter (or "spook") Master Gregory – imagine the bastard child of The Dude and Gandalf and you'll understand where he's coming from. Gregory loses his young apprentice ( GoT 's Kit Harington) early on, and his new recruit must be a seventh son

Former Neighbours regular Margot Robbie has suddenly become of one Australia's hottest exports to Hollywood. Having memorably upstaged Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street , Robbie now teams up with Will Smith in the most enjoyable con-artist caper to come along since American Hustle . Smith is a master trickster who mentors the rookie Robbie in the art of the con, using the magician's trick of diverting the mark's focus away from the fact that they're pocketing his expensive watch. But he quickly

(enter Ben Barnes). Together they take on the witch queen Mother Malkin (a strangely subdued Julianne Moore) and her minions, who can shapeshift into dragons in the blink of an eye. Seventh Son is big on spectacular FX, light on plot. Just sit back and enjoy the eye candy.

discovers he may have met his match. This is a terrific showcase for the gorgeous Robbie and a solid comeback vehicle for Smith; their onscreen chemistry is worth a dozen rom-coms. Heist thrillers are rarely as slick and focused as Focus .

There's no place like it! HOME

British India THE SECOND BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL

Release Date: 08/07/15

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Release Date: 22/07/15

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Home is supposedly where the heart is, and this animated adventure has lots of it. A colourful and cowardly alien invader named Oh arrives on Earth, befriends a lonely young girl, and learns what it means to be human. But before you can say "phone home", remember that this is an invasion, albeit a benevolent one, where the occupation of our planet involves shipping the current inhabitants off to an Australian fun park. There's also the threat of the Gorg looming, who are in pursuit of Oh and

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel was a surprise smash hit in 2011, and proved that the grey market was an untapped source of box office revenue. No surprise then that this sequel exists, and the premise of a trio of Britain's finest veteran actors – Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy, Judi Dench – retiring to India is a winner once again. This time around the elderly ensemble find themselves assimilated into the hustle and bustle of Jaipur, with Smith co-managing the hotel, Nighy working as a tour guide, and Dench as a fabric

have more destructive tendencies. Popsters Rhianna and J.Lo are amongst the cast contributing vocal work, and with Oh voiced by the unmistakable Jim Parsons, you could shut your eyes and imagine you're watching a bizarro episode of The Big Bang Theory .

merchant – so much for a quiet retirement. Throw in Richard Gere as a possible hotel inspector (hello Fawlty Towers ) and a couple of big Bollywood production numbers, and all boxes are sufficiently ticked. A charming follow-up that's second best in name only.

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