Po (voiced by Jack Black) embarks on new thrilling adventures in Kung Fu Panda 3.

Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016)
Genre: Animation comedy
Certification: U
Duration: 95 minutes
Directed by: Alessandro Carloni, Jennifer Yuh Nelson
Voices of: Jack Black, Bryan Cranston, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Kate Hudson, Jackie Chan
KRS Releasing Ltd

Po and his furry friends return in another instalment of one of the most successful animated franchises in the world.

When panda Po’s (voiced by Jack Black) long-lost father suddenly reappears, the reunited duo travels to a secret panda paradise to meet scores of hilarious new panda characters.

But when the supernatural villain Kai (J. K. Simmons) begins to sweep across China defeating all the kung fu masters, Po must do the impossible to train a village full of his fun-loving, clumsy brethren to become the ultimate band of kung fu pandas.

The 3D American-Chinese production reunites the crew of the second film, including director Jennifer Yuh Nelson, producer Melissa Cobb, screenplay writers Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger, and Oscar-winning director and writer Guillermo del Toro (Hellboy, Pan’s Labyrinth) as executive producer.

The voicing cast includes a who’s who of Hollywood A-list stars such as Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, Kate Hudson and Jackie Chan among others.

The music score is also worthy of note. It comes from well-known German composer and producer Hans Zimmer (The Lion King, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Last Samurai) and includes performances from renowned Asian musicians such as Chinese pianist Lang Lang, Chinese cellist Jian Wang and erhu (a two-stringed bowed musical instrument) virtuoso Karen Hua-Qi Ottosson who returned for her third time on franchise.

The film received generally positive reviews from critics.

Justin Chang of Variety wrote: “Emotionally, dramatically and, perhaps most of all, visually (it’s worth seeing in 3D), this delightful trilogy capper is almost as generously proportioned as its cuddly warrior hero.”

Alex Needham of The Guardian agreed: “With its spectacular set pieces and a formidable array of stars, this latest instalment of the animated franchise will charm kids and adults.”

Cinemagoers in fact welcomed Po’s comeback. Made on a budget of $145 million, the film received $323.8 million in box office receipts since its release on January 29 in the US.

DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg has confirmed that the panda franchise will see more sequels, bringing it to a six-film series.

Ratings
IMDB: 7.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 84%
Empire Magazine: 4 stars

Gerard Butler reprises his role as an MI-6 agent who trusts no one in London Has Fallen.

London Has Fallen(2016)
Genre: Crime thriller
Certification: 15
Duration: 99 minutes
Directed by: Babak Najafi
Starring: Gerard Butler, Melissa Leo, Aaron Eckhart, Angela Bassett, Morgan Freeman, Radha Mitchell, Robert Forster
KRS Releasing Ltd

The sequel to the 2013 actioner Olympus Has Fallen is set in London, where the prime minister has passed away under mysterious circumstances.

His funeral is a must-attend event for leaders of the western world. However, what starts out as the most protected event on earth turns into a deadly plot to kill the world's most powerful leaders, devastate every known landmark in the British capital and unleash a terrifying vision of the future.

Only three people have any hope of stopping it: the president of the US (Aaron Eckhart), his formidable Secret Service head (Gerard Butler) and an English MI-6 agent who rightly trusts no one.

Butler, Eckhart and fellow actors Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett, Melissa Leo, Robert Forster and Radha Mitchell reprise their roles from Olympus Has Fallen, which was directed by Antoine Fuqua.

The new director, Babak Najafi – who has here made his most important film so far – however, does not do justice to his talented cast, nor the viewers.

The critical consensus on Rotten Tomatoes states: “Fallen traps a talented cast – and all who dare to see it – in a mid-1990s basic-cable nightmare of a film loaded with xenophobia and threadbare action-thriller clichés.”

Other critics panned the movie, such as Peter Travers of Rolling Stone. He said: “Make American movies great again. You can start by boycotting this one.”

Mark Kermode used equally harsh words. He wrote: “Dreary action sequences, Gerard Butler’s Bruce Willis act and pitiful effects make this action sequel well worth avoiding.”

Ratings
IMDB: 6.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 23%
Empire Magazine: 2 stars

Mark Strong (left) needs Sacha Baron Cohen to save the world in The Brothers Grimsby.

The Brothers Grimsby (2016)
Genre: Action comedy
Certification: 15
Duration: 83 minutes
Directed by: Louis Leterrier
Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen, Mark Strong, Penélope Cruz, Isla Fisher, Rebel Wilson, Annabelle Wallis
KRS Releasing Ltd

Sacha Baron Cohen, known for his satirical characters Ali G, Kazakh reporter Borat and Austrian fashionista Bruno, makes his comeback as sweet but dimwitted English football hooligan Nobby.

He has everything a man from the northern English town of Grimsby could want, including 11 children and the most gorgeous girlfriend in the northeast of England (Rebel Wilson).

There's only one thing missing: his little brother Sebastian, who Nobby has spent 28 years searching for after they were separated as kids. At one point he sets off to reunite with him, unaware that not only is his brother MI6's deadliest assassin, but he has just uncovered plans for an imminent global terrorist attack.

On the run and wrongfully accused, Sebastian realises that if he is going to save the world, he will need the help of its biggest idiot.

Despite drawing a lot of media attention, especially through Baron Cohen’s presence at the film’s premieres – he walked the chilly London red carpet drinking from a beer can and wearing just a polo neck and underwear – the Sony spy film bombed at the box office.

Critics agreed that it is quite an unimaginative comedy.

Helen O'Hara of Empire Magazine summed it up: “It may occasionally shock a laugh from you, but between those moments your face will be a rictus of horror.”

Ratings
IMDB: 6.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 38%
Empire Magazine: 1 star