Now You See Me 2 (2016)
Genre: Action thriller
Certification: 12A
Duration: 129 minutes
Directed by: Jon M. Chu
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Daniel Radcliffe, Dave Franco, Lizzy Caplan, Sanaa Lathan, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman
KRS Releasing Ltd

The caper thriller is a sequel to the 2013 hit film which saw a team of illusionists pulling off bank heists during their performances and rewarding their audiences with the money.

Woody Harrelson, Lizzy Caplan, Jesse Eisenberg and Dave Franco elevate the limits of stage illusion in Now You See Me 2 (2016).Woody Harrelson, Lizzy Caplan, Jesse Eisenberg and Dave Franco elevate the limits of stage illusion in Now You See Me 2 (2016).

These four illusionists are back – Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Lizzy Caplan – and this time they take the limits of stage illusion to new heights and around the globe.

One year after outwitting the FBI and winning the public's adulation with their Robin Hood-style magic spectacles, the illusionists resurface for a comeback performance in hopes of exposing the unethical practices of a tech magnate. The man behind their vanishing act is a certain Walter Mabry (Daniel Radcliffe), a tech wizard who threatens the four into pulling off their most impossible heist yet. Their only hope is to perform one last unprecedented stunt to clear their names and reveal the mastermind behind it all.

Jon M. Chu (Step Up 2 & 3D and G.I. Joe: Retaliation) takes over directing duties from Louis Leterrier, to not-so-good results. Most critics, in fact, lamented that the sequel is much less ‘magical’ than the first film, despite it having so many Hollywood A-listers to its credit.

The critics’ consensus on Rotten Tomatoes reads: “Now You See Me 2 packs in even more twists and turns than its predecessor, but in the end, it has even less hiding up its sleeve.”

Chris Hewitt of Empire Magazine wrote: “ It’s an impressively starry cast, but sadly, this lacks the charm, wit and, yes, magic of the original. You’ll like it, not a lot.”

Lenika Cruz of The Atlantic was much more blatant: “The sequel takes the worst elements of the first – a bloated plot, excessive CGI – and doubles down on themover an exhausting 129-minute running time.”

The film did not fare that badly, however, at the box office. Made on a budget of $90 million, it has so far earned $240.6 million in box office receipts since its opening in the US on June 6.

Ratings
IMDB: 7/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 33%
Empire Magazine: 2 stars

Ice Age: Collision Course (2016)
Genre: Animation
Certification: U
Duration: 106 minutes
Directed by: Mike Thurmeier, Galen T. Chu
Voices of: Ray Romano, Denis Leary, John Leguizamo, Queen Latifah, Seann William Scott, Josh Peck, Adam Devine, Simon Pegg, Jennifer Lopez
KRS Releasing Ltd

The fifth instalment of the animated film series features new wacky adventures for the beloved sabertooth tiger, sloth and woolly mammoth.

The beloved Ice Age mammals meet new, wacky characters in Ice Age: Collision Course.The beloved Ice Age mammals meet new, wacky characters in Ice Age: Collision Course.

Collision Course sees Scrat's epic pursuit of the elusive acorn catapulting him into the universe where he accidentally sets off a series of cosmic events that transform and threaten the Ice Age world.

To save themselves, Sid, Manny, Diego and the rest of the herd must leave their home and embark on a quest full of comedy and adventure, travelling to exotic new lands and encountering a host of colourful new characters.

The film, which is due to open in most European countries on Friday and the US a week later, has received some mixed reviews so far.

Owen Gleiberman of Variety said: “It may be a slight entertainment in the grand scheme ofthings, but it’s been made with a busy, nattering joy that is positively infectious.”

On the other hand, Michael Rechtshaffen of The Hollywood Reporter wrote: “It’s as if co-directors Michael Thurmeier and Galen Tan Chu, both veterans of the Ice Age franchise, sensed that there was essentially nowhere left to go with the concept and opted to instead overstuff the production with too many characters breathlessly doing tired, pop culture-heavy ‘bits’.”

Ratings
IMDB: 6.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 19%
Empire Magazine: N/A

Gods of Egypt (2016)
Genre: Action fantasy
Certification: 12A
Duration: 126 minutes
Directed by: Alex Proyas
Starring: Gerard Butler, Geoffrey Rush, Brenton Thwaites, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Chadwick Boseman, Elodie Yung
KRS Releasing Ltd

In this fantasy inspired by Egyptian deities, the survival of mankind hangs in the balance when Set (Gerard Butler), the merciless god of darkness, usurps Egypt's throne and plunges the prosperous empire into chaos and conflict.

Gerard Butler plays the merciless god of darkness in Gods of Egypt.Gerard Butler plays the merciless god of darkness in Gods of Egypt.

Hoping to save the world and rescue his true love, a defiant mortal named Bek (Brenton Thwaites) forms an unlikely alliance with the powerful god Horus (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau).

Their battle against Set and his henchmen takes them into the afterlife and across the heavens for an epic confrontation.

The film raised some controversy over its mainly white cast portraying Egyptian gods and the director, Alex Proyas, eventually apologised for ethnically inaccurate casting. This, however, did not save the picture from some harsh reviewer criticism.

Olly Richards of Empire wrote that it is the worst blockbuster this summer while Justin Chang of Variety described it as “a dreadful movie”. With a budget of $140 million, the film, in fact, made only $145 million since its release in February.

Ratings
IMDB: 5.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 16%
Empire Magazine: 1 star

Precious Cargo (2016)
Genre: Action
Certification: 18
Duration: 90 minutes
Directed by: Max Adams
Starring: Bruce Willis, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Claire Forlani, Daniel Bernhardt, John Brotherton
Eden Leisure Group

The Canadian action film, which marks Max Adams’s directorial debut, received very negative reviews, with Rotten Tomatoes giving it a rare zero per cent score.

Bruce Willis is a murderous crime boss in Precious Cargo.Bruce Willis is a murderous crime boss in Precious Cargo.

Bruce Willis plays Eddie, a murderous crime boss who hunts down seductive thief Karen (Claire Forlani) who failed him in a heist. In order to win back his trust, Karen recruits her ex-lover and thief Jack (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) to steal a cargo of rare precious gems. But when the job goes down, allegiances are betrayed and lines are crossed as Jack, Karen and Eddie face off in a fateful showdown.

Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter did not understand how Willis accepted to take part in this film. He says that the action scenes are well-staged but, overall, the film is very forgettable.

Martin Hafer of Influx Magazine is more positive: he believes that the stunts are “crazy exciting” and that the film delivers some “mindless fun”.

Ratings
IMDB: 4.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 0%
Empire Magazine: N/A

Colonia (2015)
Genre: Thriller
Certification: 15
Duration: 110 minutes
Directed by: Florian Gallenberger
Starring: Emma Watson, Daniel Brühl, Richenda Carey, Vicky Krieps, Michael Nyqvist
Eden Leisure Group

The historical romantic thriller is set against the backdrop of the 1973 Chilean military coup and the Colonia Dignidad, a notorious cult in the south of Chile.

Emma Watson of Harry Potter fame plays the heroine Lena, a stewardess who tries to rescue her boyfriend (Daniel Brühl) when he is abducted by General Augusto Pinochet's secret police during the military coup.

She tracks him to a sealed-off organisation called Colonia Dignidad, which presents itself as a charitable mission run by a lay preacher, Paul Schäfer.

Emma Watson joins a sect in a bid to save her love interest in Colonia.Emma Watson joins a sect in a bid to save her love interest in Colonia.

Lena joins the organisation to rescue her boyfriend, only to learn it is a cult from which no one has ever escaped.

The German, Luxembourg and French production received mixed reviews.

Neil Genzlinger·of The New York Times wrote: “Colonia somehow manages to feel more like a Hallmark Channel romance than like a serious film.”

But Wendy Ide seems to have a different opinion, as she wrote: “Emma Watson and Daniel Brühl make a swashbuckling escape from a dark corner of Chilean history in this ill-judged romantic thrilller.”

Last week, the fact that the film earned only £47 in its opening weekend at the UK box office hit the news. However, it’s not as bad as it may sound because the film was already released on video on demand and it was only shown in three film theatres.

Ratings
IMDB: 7.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 21%
Empire Magazine: 2 stars

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