This week we will be reviewing the highly anticipated fourth instalment of Tom Holland's Spider-Man, Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

WARNING - Spoilers

Plot 

Following the third movie, after Dr Strange cast a spell to make the world forget Peter Parker's identity, Peter is now left with no one, not even his girlfriend, MJ, and best friend, Ned. With the hope of reintroducing himself in this movie, fast forward four years, and Peter is celebrated as a great hero across New York City. Whilst also earning the trust of a police detective called Jean DeWolff.

Peter stops Frank Castle from causing collateral damage to a truck which is headed for the Department of Damage Control (DODC) prison. After forcing the door open to the truck, Peter is faced with an elderly woman who is possessed by a telepath that body hops from person to person, but can't enter Peter's mind. He discovers that their facilities have been attacked by a person searching for "V-Max". Director of DODC, Bill Metzger, denied any knowledge of "V-Max".

Peter attends Ned's and MJ's housewarming party after the pair graduated from MIT together. However, he witnesses MJ kiss her new boyfriend, and has no choice but to leave. The next morning, he wakes up to heightened senses and organic webs on his wrists. Peter is later faced with fighting a possessed Gargan (Scorpion) and eventually loses control of his abilities, injuring a police officer in the process. Peter then visits college professor Bruce Banner and ends up making his own inhibitor. While testing it, the telepath finds Peter's apartment and ends up possessing MJ, which almost gets her killed. Peter learns that the person behind the telepath is Jean Grey.

MJ is moved to Castle's hideout for safety, and she helps Peter build his inhibitor and a universal one too. Jean attacks the DODC's headquarters, where she also possesses Banner, transforming him into the Hulk. Jean then possesses Frank to open a vault hiding the DODC agents. Peter then blocks Jean's powers with the universal inhibitor, and she is also tranquillised. She mentions the name "Sara" before she is knocked out.

MJ finds the letter Peter wrote with the intention of eventually reading to her and tells her that he loves her. She tells him she doesn't remember and turns down his feelings for her. She later invites him to her apartment, and Peter chats with her and Ned. Peter then finds out that Sara is Jean's sister, who was kidnapped by the DODC.

Metzger experiments on Jean, and while being strapped in a chair, she happens to look up and realise an air vent labelled as "V-Max". This was the last thing her sister communicated to her before she died. Jean then creates a psionic field that freezes a proportion of the city except for Peter. Peter stops her from killing Metzger and removes his inhibitor, letting her enter his mind. Jean is presented with the memory of Aunt May telling Peter she loves him. However, Frank takes a shot from his gun, injuring Peter, who shields Jean. He later wakes up in the hospital with a remorseful Frank, who says Jean kept Peter alive with her powers. Fast forward, and Peter meets Ned in a shop, reintroducing himself with their old handshake.

My Analysis

As a movie watcher who hasn't seen the majority of the Marvel movies, this is my favourite movie by far. Tom Holland really delivered his part as not only Peter Parker, but also Spider-Man.

The action scenes throughout the movie made my heart race on the big screen. They were beautifully filmed with a mixture of sound effects, music, timed shots and picturesque scenes.

My favourite moments across the movie were the visual sequences that recreated the iconic Spider-Man comic book covers. A classic touch to the movie and a memorable experience to witness. Furthermore, as soon as it reached the heightened moment when Peter discovered he had organic webs, the movie just got better and better.

A truly phenomenal movie to witness on the big screen!

Post-Credit Scene

At the very end, after the credits had finished rolling, there was a small scene of Ned's Spidey tracker. It beeped and beeped until it tracked Spider-Man away from the Earth and the Moon.

Box Office

The movie has grossed $1.689 million worldwide, making it the second-highest-grossing Spider-Man movie and the highest-grossing film of 2026.

This week we will be reviewing a 1999 movie called Double Jeopardy. A movie full of commitment and dedication.

Warning - Spoilers 

(L-R) Ashley Judd, Benjamin Weir, Credit - Courtesy of Paramount Pictures Corporation 

Plot 

Libby and Nick Parson live on Whidbey Island with their four-year-old son, Matty. At the beginning of the film, the couple hold a private school fundraiser at their home, where Nick displays three original 1911 watercolour paintings by artist Wassily Kandinsky. Meanwhile, he is also facing embezzlement charges and financial pressure. Later on, Nick surprises Libby with a weekend getaway on her favourite sailboat. They part, and Matty stays with Libby's friend Angela.

Aboard the boat and during their first night, Libby awakens to the sight of blood all over the boat. Nick is missing, but the coastguard arrives after receiving a call from Nick claiming to have been stabbed. He arrives and finds Libby on deck with a knife in her hand.

Libby is convicted of murder, and Nick's body isn't found. Her assumed motive is a $2 million life insurance policy, and her knowing that Nick was facing embezzlement. Libby asks Angela to adopt Matty while she serves her prison sentence. Angela stops bringing Matty to prison to see Libby, so she tracks them down and finds out she is residing in San Francisco. She calls Angela, and while the pair are talking, Matty calls out "Daddy," and the phone line disconnects. Libby realises Nick faked his death.

One of Libby's inmates tells her that she can kill Nick without fear of being charged under the Double Jeopardy Clause in the US Constitution. After six years of training, Libby is moved to a halfway house under the supervision of a parole officer named Travis Lehman. However, she is caught breaking her curfew when she is found in Matty's old school to retrieve Angela's records. As she is taken back to prison, she drives Lehman's car off a ferry and swims to shore. She visits her mother and borrows some money and an old truck from her.

Libby finds out that Angela moved to Colorado but later died from a natural gas leak after marrying another man. Fast forward, and Libby spots one of the Kandinsky paintings that she and Nick bought in an old newspaper clipping in Angela's home and traces the sale record to New Orleans, where Nick is currently running a boutique hotel under a new identity.

Libby confronts him during a party and demands that he return Matty in exchange for her not exposing him. She arranges to meet Nick at a cemetery the next day. However, Nick pays off a look-alike boy to act as Matty and tombs her in a casket, but Libby frees herself. Lehman gets a photocopy of Nick’s driver's license and goes to his hotel to confront him. He settles for $100,000 in return to keep quiet. However, Libby enters with a gun and is told that Matty is in a boarding school in Georgia. Libby kills Nick after shooting and injuring Lehman. Later, she visits Matty's school, and they embrace after he recognises her.

Analysis 

This movie was a brilliant example of suspense and drama. It truly had me on the edge.

Ashley Judd's acting was excellent. I was left thinking, what master plan will Libby come up with next? It was also very emotional at times to see her portray a mother who would go to such extreme lengths to see her child again.

The action scenes were executed very well, especially the car stunts and Libby’s attempt to free herself from the locked coffin.

This is a perfect watch for those looking for a thrilling, entertaining and action-packed movie.

This week we will be reviewing the fourth instalment in the Despicable Me franchise. 

Warning - Spoilers 

Plot

Gru faces a reunion with former classmate Maxime Le Mal, who believes Gru stole his talent show act when they were young. Gru has him arrested by the AVL, but he later escapes after enhancing himself with cockroach body parts. He invents a new device called a ray gun, which he intends to use to transform Gru's son, Gru Jr., into a cockroach hybrid.

Silas Ramsbottom visits the Gru household to inform them of Maxime's escape. Eventually, the family have to relocate to a safer house in a new town under new identities. Some of the minions are transformed into Mega Minions, which doesn't go to plan.

Gru meets his new neighbours, the Prescotts and their daughter Poppy. She's an aspiring villain and recognises Gru from his career. However, she threatens to blow his cover unless he helps her steal a honey badger from his old school. They successfully steal her with the help of Gru's minions, but the school's principal identifies Gru and informs Maxime.

The next day, Gru and Lucy are out playing tennis with Poppy's parents, and Poppy is made to look after the girls and Gru Jr. The school's principal visits the house, and after being alerted by Margo, Gru and Lucy rush home to fight the principal. Gru Jr. leaves the house and is kidnapped by Maxime and his girlfriend, Valentina. Gru and Poppy go after Gru Jr.

Gru uses a flying car to enter Maxime's ship. Maxime reveals he has brainwashed Gru Jr. into a human cockroach. Gru is almost thrown off a building, but with encouraging words to his son, he instead attacks Maxime.

Gru reunites with the girls and returns to his original home. He later visits Maxime in an AVL prison to talk. During this scene, we also see some previous villains in the same prison.

Analysis 

Was this my favourite movie out of the Despicable Me franchise? No, for me it personally wasn't.

It was great to see familiar faces throughout the movie, like Dr. Nefario and previous villains.

The colouring throughout the movie was beautifully done, and the soundtrack matched the scenes very well.

The movie centred heavily around the relationship between the Gru family, particularly between Gru and Gru Jr. It is a perfect watch for children and families looking for an entertaining and humorous watch.

This week we will be diving an anticipated movie which was created based off of a trending novel called The Hating Game. 

Warning - Spoilers 

Plot 

Lucy and Josh are workmates who work in the same office space, directly opposite each other, after their publishing companies were merged. The pair hate each other and are both after the same promotion. They make a bet that whoever doesn't get it has to quit.

However, the pair become attracted to one another and share a kiss in the work elevator, before Lucy goes on a date with a co-worker called Danny. Lucy collapses at their company's paintball event and is taken home by Josh, who instructs his brother, Pat, to check on her.

Lucy offers to accompany Josh to his brother's wedding as his plus one. However, Josh tells her to end things with Danny as he refuses to be her fling. That evening, she visits Josh's apartment and tells him she has no chemistry with Danny. Josh tells her that he has a problematic relationship with his father, as his brother was always favoured. They begin flirting, but Josh tells Lucy that he refuses to have sex with her, making her angry.

The pair end up going to the wedding, as Lucy still owes Josh the favour. At the inn, they have to share a room, and things get heated fast.

Fast forward, and Lucy learns from Pat's bride, Mindy, that she is Josh's ex-girlfriend. He reassures her that he is over her, and they officially start their relationship. Back in the office, Lucy misunderstands the conversation between Josh and their boss and thinks he was using their romance to distract her from the job promotion. However, Lucy gets the promotion after Josh quits. They happily become a couple.

Analysis 

There is no doubt that Lucy and Austin had a great level of chemistry throughout the movie, which kept me on my toes and made me wonder when they would become official.

However, the story was very minimalistic, especially with scenes missing from the novel which I expected to appear in the movie adaptation. Personally, the movie is easy to predict after a while, and eventually, I did get bored. Don't get me wrong, the humour elements were nice to see, especially the back-and-forth bickering between Lucy and Josh.

This movie had the opportunity to showcase the true power of rom-coms, but The Hating Game didn't quite live up to that.

This week, we will be diving into the classic comedy film Happy Gilmore 2. Is Happy back to shoot some more incredible shots?

Warning - Spoilers 

Plot

After Happy Gilmore won his first World Championship in 1966, he won many more. Alongside his five children, whom he had with his wife, Virginia, a PR director at the professional golf tour. However, after she dies, from being hit in the head, Happy quits golf and becomes an alcoholic and is sued.

Happy then ends up working at a supermarket, living with his only daughter and youngest child, Vienna, whilst his four sons work to support the family. Vienna wants to pursue ballet school, but with annual fees costing $75,000, Happy resorts to playing golf to win enough money for his daughter to attend ballet school.

His first golf tournament doesn't go to plan, due to his drinking problem, Happy gets fired and has to attend an alcohol treatment programme to remove all his charges. The programme leader happens to be Hal L., the caretaker who looked after Happy's grandmother.

After joining the Tour Championships, Happy suggests they battle against Maxi Golf. Happy, alongside his new caddie, Oscar, plays well to begin with, but collapses during the round held on Mother's Day, after seeing visions of Virginia.

Shooter McGavin, who was released from psychiatric care by the CEO of Maxi Energy Drink, is given an offer to join as their captain, but he refuses after finding out their driving performance is dependent on a severed ligament. Shooter visits Virginia's grave and reconciles with Happy there. Slim Peterson, whose father coached Happy in 1966, agrees to help him.

Fast forward, and the golf course is designed to put Maxi Golf at an advantage. Happy comes face-to-face with a tie breaker, but the course is altered, making it impossible to putt. Happy wins and gets to send Vienna to ballet school.

Analysis 

Personally, the first movie is better, but there is no doubt that the sequels' entertainment lived up to my expectations. However, the narrative and plot development of the second movie followed on from the first, with many references throughout its duration.

I really enjoyed the character development and personal life of Happy and his children, and the aim of trying to get Vienna into the ballet school of her dreams. It is also perfectly silly in places, which is exactly what makes this movie so enjoyable to watch.

This movie is perfect for families and friends who are looking for a wholesome yet entertaining watch.

Going forward, we will be discussing Netflix films and series. But let's begin with the 2025 Thriller, The Woman in Cabin 10.

Warning - Spoilers

Plot

An investigative journalist, Laura (Lo) Blacklock, receives an invitation from a billionaire, Anne Bullmer, who is terminally ill. She accepts the invitation and joins Anne and her husband, Richard, aboard their superyacht as they sail to Norway for a fundraising gala. Where she is going to write about their charitable foundation.

Lo stays in Cabin 10, avoiding her ex-boyfriend Ben, who is a professional photographer working for the Bullmers. She also notices a mysterious blonde woman on board. Anne reveals to Lo that she has stopped taking her medication and her plans to donate her fortune. She gives a copy of the speech to Lo.

That night on the yacht, Lo awakens to a woman's scream, a bloody handprint by Cabin 10 and witnesses someone falling overboard. She alerts the ship's crew, but records show that there is no one staying in Cabin 10, and mysteriously, the handprint disappears.

Lo spots the blonde woman in one of Ben's photos of a party, and during her spa session, someone writes "STOP" on her shower door. Adam, who attended the party, denies seeing the blonde woman and writing the message on her shower door. Lo sneaks into Cabin 10 and finds some blonde hair stuck in the sink drain, and hides it in her own room. She later believes her room has been searched after finding a button on the floor.

After nearly drowning from a push into the yacht's swimming pool and the button and hair going missing, Lo spots the woman from Cabin 10 and follows her. However, she knocks Lo unconscious and hides her.

Lo learns that Richard killed Anne after she found him kissing Carrie, the blonde woman, and dumped her overboard. Richard would be disinherited, so he arranged for Carrie to perform as a lookalike to impersonate Anne and to sign over her fortune to him. However, Carrie needs the money to help her family, but Lo warns her that Richard will kill her after she signs the will.

Robert Mehta, Anne's doctor, is ordered by Richard to kill Lo. She is saved by Ben, who is stabbed with a lethal injection. Lo jumps aboard and swims to shore. Carrie signs the will, and Lo explains Anne's murder to Sigrid Nilssen, Anne's bodyguard. Lo reads Anne's speech in front of the gala attendees. Richard takes Carrie hostage with a knife and ushers her to the dock. But he is later wounded in the shoulder, and Lo kills him with a crank.

Lo publishes Richard's crimes, and Carrie returns home to her daughter.

(L-C) Keira Knightley, Guy Pearce Image Courtesy of: Sister Holdings Limited and Netflix 

Analysis

This movie is a good watch for those interested in psychological thrillers and mysteries. For me, the movie lacked certain elements of character development, and the changes in its narrative were a little rushed. It was a lot to squeeze into 90 minutes.

I found the twist to be quite obvious to predict, and as an expected murder investigation, it wasn't as engrossing as I thought it would be.

Lo was denied all the assumptions and scenes she witnessed, from the bloody hand, the scream and the traces of hair. Until the whole turning point was revealed all at once to us.

However, the cinematography of the movie was one to credit. The moody scenes and the luxury shots that took place all over the yacht were highly executed.

This week we will be into the 2025 action movie, Superman, staring David Corenswet. 

Warning - Spoilers  

Plot 

Superman stops Boravia and Jarhanpur, two places in the DC Universe, from invading one another. In Metropolis, he is defeated by a metahuman and retreats to his home in the Fortress of Solitude with the help of his dog, Krypto. He is followed by an ally of Lex Luthor. Superman is healed by his robots, and he listens to a half-recorded message from his birth parents, who sent him to Earth before their planet was destroyed.

Lois Lane, a reporter for the Daily Planet and Superman's girlfriend, discusses his actions in Boravia. Luthor causes a distraction in Metropolis, captures Krypto and restores the damaged part of the recording. The message is broadcast to the whole city, where his parents wanted him to conquer Earth and restore the Kryptonian race.

Superman surrenders himself to the US government, where he is handed over to Luthor and is held in a pocket universe along with Krypto. He also comes face-to-face with Kryptonite after it transmutes through Metamorpho's hand. However, he helps free Superman along with Krypto.

Luthor lures Superman back to Metropolis by creating a split in the city. Green Lantern, Hawk Girl and Metamorpho try to stop the invasion in Boravia and Jarhanpur. Superman later realises that Ultraman is a clone of himself created by Luthor, but defeats him by knocking him into a black hole and the city's split is eventually restored. Luthor admitted that he created the conflict to place the blame on Superman. Luthor is arrested, and Superman is greeted with a special visit from Kara Zor-El, also known as Supergirl.

Analysis 

This movie, for me, provided a fresh change in characters and themes for James Gunn's franchise, The DC Universe (DCU). It is a sharp turn from Zach Synder's franchise, DC Extended Universe, especially Man of Steel, portrayed in 2013 by British actor Henry Cavill. The movie is heavily centred on the loving and caring personality of Superman and the development of Lois Lane as a Journalist.

It is a warm and family-oriented movie which balances superhero strength with human kindness.

Supergirl Release 

Following on from the Superman movie, Supergirl is due to premiere in UK cinemas on 26 June 2026. Featuring Milly Alcock as Supergirl, where she celebrates her birthday by travelling across the galaxy with Krypto until she meets Ruthye Marye Knoll. 

This week, we will be diving into F1 The Movie, starring Brad Pitt, which was released in UK cinemas on June 25, 2025.

Warning - Spoilers

Plot

Sonny Hayes, a former Formula 1 driver, has spent the past few years as a racer-for-hire, after a crash in 1993 left him doubting his full potential. After winning the 24-hour Daytona race, he's approached by a former teammate and owner of the APXGP F1 team, who asks him to be their second driver. He tells Sonny that unless their team win one of the Grand Prix races left in the season, his investors will sell the team. With that, Sonny agrees.

Joshua Pierce, a rookie, meets Sonny and fears the downfall of APXGP will affect his career. Sonny studies the F1 machinery and proposes that APXGP use enhanced aerodynamics to build their speed. Sonny and Joshua don't get along, and the pair end up competing at the British Grand Prix, resulting in a crash. Sonny triggers safety car periods at the Hungarian Grand Prix to secure a high finish for APXGP. Joshua ends up in a hazardous accident after not accepting Sunny's advice and misses the next three races. However, he later returns and forces Sunny into an accident.

Kate McKenna, APXGP's technical director, hears from Sunny that he races to capture the moments when he felt untouchable in his career. After APXGP were forced to remove their upgrades, Sonny realised during the Las Vegas Grand Prix that he wasn't carrying a random playing card with him during his race, resulting in an accident. Rubén Cervantes, APXGP's team owner, discovers that Sonny's previous career injuries left him with risks of blindness and death, and he then fires him. Meanwhile, Joshua uses Sonny's tactics and realises how useful they are. Sonny persuades Rubén to let him return.

Fast forward, and it's a successful win for APXGP, after Sonny sacrifices his own victory so that Joshua can move into first place during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Image courtesy of: Apple Studios/Apple Original Films and Warner Bros. Pictures 

Analysis 

If I could describe this movie in one word, I would say it was exhilarating. Viewers are made to position themselves in the driver's seat of Formula 1 racing and experience the anticipation of driving. Along with some devastating car crash scenes that literally go up in flames!

The movie's use of song choice matched well with the corresponding scenes. I felt like I went through various emotional rollercoasters during the movie, as one minute the racers were taking place and the next minute I was faced with character struggles and tensions.

The vehicle sound design was engineered to a high standard. You could sense when a gear change was about to happen, or a sudden break and even a wheel spin. It was music to my ears and added to the thrill of the storyline.

Damson Idris. Image courtesy of: Apple Studios/Apple Original Films and Warner Bros. Pictures 

Filming During Live Race Weekends/Cameo Appearances

Interestingly enough, the racing scenes in the movie took place at the 2023 and 2024 World Championships during Grand Prix weekends. Along with various cameo appearances from F1 stars, including Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz. 

This week I will be diving into the anticipated sequel, The Devil Wears Prada 2, which premiered in UK cinemas on May 1st 2026.

Warning - Spoilers 

Plot

Andrea Sachs (Andy), a respected reporter in New York City, discovers that she was laid off from her position at Runway magazine almost two decades after leaving, during an awards gala. Her old Runway boss, Miranda Priestly, is being attacked for publishing a piece on sweatshop labour. The owner of Elias-Clarke and Miranda's boss, Irv Ravitz, hires Andy as the new features editor for Runway, much to Miranda's annoyance.

Nigel Kipling explains that nobody reads Runway's print edition anymore, and the brand has had to turn towards online clickbait to maintain its relationships with advertisers. The team find out that Emily Charlton, Andy's former Runway co-worker, has been employed by advertiser Dior.

Andy is tasked with writing articles for the Runway magazine, but unfortunately, they gain minimal traction. However, she manages to secure an interview with Sasha Barnes, the divorcée of a Silicon Valley billionaire and an idol to Miranda.

On Irv's 75th birthday party, he planned to promote Miranda to global head of content at Elias-Clarke, but died from a heart attack before he could announce the news. His son, Jay, takes over the company but lacks any knowledge of Runway. He puts Miranda's promotion on hold and looks into cost cuts.

Andy and her new boyfriend, Peter, experience some issues over their job roles, and she considers writing a book about Miranda. She is offered a contract with a publisher, but is stuck between the two.

Fast forward to Milan Fashion Week, Andy crafts a plan to get Sasha's ex-husband and Emily's current boyfriend to buy Runway from Jay. Andy and Emily unveil their plan to Miranda, who is aware that Emily is trying to take her position. Miranda admits that she got rid of Emily as she had no creative vision. To overthrow Emily and Jay, Andy convinces Sasha to buy all of Elias-Clarke, where Jay accepts the offer. Sasha also gives Miranda the promotion she was waiting for. 

Back in New York, Miranda tells Andy that she knows about her book and encourages her to write it, including the negative aspects of her life. Andy reconciles with her boyfriend and with Emily. Back in the office, Miranda has given Andy a new space to work in. 

Anne Hathaway. Photo by Macall Polay. Credit: 20th Century Studios 

Analysis 

A warm and tingly feeling entered my body when the movie started, it didn't feel like it had been 20 years since the release of the first movie. With fashion and Runway still being the central focus of the movie, it showed a clear development of what can happen to a fashion company almost a decade later in an ever-changing world.

Visually, the film was eye-catching in all aspects. The spotlights, cameras and flashlights really set the scene of Runway. The fashion was impeccable, especially Miranda and Andy's wardrobe, which I believe could be of true inspiration to many women today. Oh, and don't get me started on the humour, especially from the fashion icon himself, Nigel Kipling.

The movie centring around the downfall of print magazines and Runway highlighted the erosion of journalism, and its lack of power across the fashion industry due to artificial intelligence. A truly meaningful message.

(Center-Right) Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Stanley Tucci. Photo by Macall Polay. Credit: 20th Century Studios 

The Return of the Original Cast

It was truly refreshing to see the return of the original cast, Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci and Emily Blunt. Their character return felt effortless and somewhat breathtaking to witness after such a long time. 

WARNING - Spoilers 

Plot

After Ethan Hunt secures the key to the source code for the Entity, he receives a message from Erica Sloane, the U.S. President, informing him that the Entity has ceased to take control of nuclear systems all over the world. Ethan refuses to surrender the key and continues to search for Gabriel, who failed to steal it.

Ethan visits team member, Luther Stickell, who presents Ethan with a "Poison Pill" that he has created to target the entity. Fast forward to Austria, and the team break out Gabriel's former lieutenant, Paris, and recruits Theo Degas, a partner of Jasper Briggs.

Ethan and Grace are captured by Gabriel's men. He orders Ethan to recover the "Podkova" module from a sunken Russian submarine, so he can have control over the Entity. The Entity states that Luther will die, and Ethan demands access to a secure bunker in South Africa. 

The team need to retrieve Sevastopol's coordinates, whilst Ethan aims to save Luther. Gabriel, however, traps Luther with a time bomb and steals the Poison Pill. Ethan is captured and taken to an emergency operations centre. Grace, Benji, Paris and Degas travel to St. Matthew Island, where they meet a former CIA analyst who memorised the coordinates and transmits them to Ethan.

Ethan uses an experimental diving suit to secure the Podkova from the submarine wreck, but narrowly escapes it without his diving suit. He faces decompression sickness, but is revived after Grace uses a portable chamber to help him. He reunites with his team and aims to trick the Identity by plugging the Poison Pill into the Podkova, so it enters into a physical drive.

Back to the bunker, and the team is caught by Gabriel, but is also interrupted by Kittridge. During the fight, Benji is shot, and the bomb is activated. Gabriel escapes with the Poison Pill. Ethan chases after Gabriel by climbing onto his plane and takes back the Poison Pill. Trying to escape, Gabriel kills himself after hitting his head on the plane's stabiliser. Ethan inserts the Poison Pill mid-air into the Podkolva, where Grace traps the entity just before the launch. 

Ethan listens to a farewell message recorded by Luther, which self-destructs afterwards. The team parted their ways, with Ethan left with a drive containing the Entity.

Analysis 

Was this the best movie out of the whole Mission Impossible series? Not personally, it wasn't. 

The movie relied heavily on the AI-powered Entity, which I believe required lengthy explanations to progress the plot. However, it was an emotional rollercoaster as it was the final send-off for Ethan Hunt and the team.

The stunts and action-packed scenes were no doubt amazing to witness. Tom Cruise went above and beyond my expectations. From the intriguing submarine dive to the pacing plane fight, the array of stunts were truly thrilling and exceptionally executed.

The Burning Parachute Stunt

Cruise's burning parachute stunt was one of my favourites. After performing it 16 times, he received a Guinness World Record for the most burning parachute jumps by an individual.

A truly spectacular scene!

WARNING - Spoilers

Plot

Judy and Nick are sent on a smuggling case, but Judy later discovers a fresh piece of snake skin, which has never been discovered in Zootopia for many years. She suspects the snake may be at the Zootennial Gala, hosted by Milton Lynxley. A celebration of his grandfather's discovery, Ebenezer, of Zootopia, marking its 100th anniversary.

At the Gala, Judy meets Pawbert Lynxley, the youngest son of the family. Later, a hooded creature in disguise kidnaps Milton, using his eye to unlock a glass case and retrieve a journal that explains the city's weather walls, which regulate Zootopia's climate zones.

Judy and Nick are then framed by Lynxley for an attack on Chief Bogo, which in fact was caused by the snake. The pair are on the run with the journal, and an unknown creature on a motorcycle takes the snake.

The pair meet Nibbles Maplestick, who leads them to an area of Zootopia where reptiles hide and live. Captain Hoggbottom of the Zootopia Police Department (ZPD) locates Judy and Nick, but they escape. The snake returns and steals the journal, escaping through a water tunnel. They attempt to locate the journal and climb a rocky cliff, which later results in an argument and Judy's carrot pen breaking.

Nick is arrested, but Judy is rescued by the snake, who reveals himself as Gary De'Snake and Pawbert on a motorcycle. Gary reveals that his great-grandmother was the author of the journal and the founder of Zootopia. Ebenzer, the investor, plagiarised her work and framed her for murder. After her death, the population turned against all reptiles and ushered them out of Zootopia.

Nick escapes the prison, freeing all the others, and locates Judy at the Desert-Tundratown weather wall. Judy, Pawbert and Gary believe the patent for the reptile district is located in Agnes's house and the buried reptile district beneath an old clock tower. Pawbert later betrays Judy and Gary, intending to destroy the patent so his family will acknowledge him. He uses snake venom to inject Judy and steals the antivenom. Nick arrives, aiming to take down Pawbert and retrieves the antivenom, which Gary uses to cure Judy. The pair track down Pawbert and locate Agnes' house.

The Lynxleys are arrested, Judy and Nick are freed, and Agnes is credited as the founder of Zootopia, where all the reptiles return to Zootopia. Gary reunites with his family, and Nick gifts Judy a new carrot pen. The pair are now on a mission to track down the escaped prisoners that Nick released.

Possibility of a third movie?

The post-credit scene shows Judy playing a clip Nick recorded on her carrot pen where he tells her how he loves her. Interrupted by her noisy neighbours, Judy leaves the room, but something passes by her window and leaves a feather from a bird on her windowsill.

(L-R) Nick Wilde, Judy Hopps Credit: The Walt Disney Company

Analysis

The character development between Nick and Judy was joyful to witness. Their love and gratitude for one another grew stronger as the movie progressed. I was glad to see that they also still had their bickering personalities towards each other.

All the new characters gave the movie a breath of life, but I did notice some old faces here and there!

The humour added to the comedic qualities of the story, something younger audiences are drawn to in animated movies.

A no doubt entertaining watch, for all ages. Zootopia remains one of my favourite animated Disney movies!

WARNING - Potential Spoilers 

Plot

The film begins with the introduction of Princess Rosalina, who was kidnapped by Bowser Jr., the son of Bowser, who was defeated by Mario and Luigi in the first movie after being shrunken by Princess Peach's powers.

Mario and Luigi are called to the Mushroom Kingdom, where they also bring Yoshi, a green, odd-looking dinosaur with a big nose. They cover the kingdom after Rosalina sends one of her Lumas to get help from Peach and Toad.

Bowser Jr. gets revenge in exchange for Mario and Luigi shrinking his father and lifts Princess Peach's castle out of the Mushroom Kingdom. But it is later dropped in the Honeyhive galaxy. Bowser provokes Mario into a fight, which evidently unshrinks him and returns him to his normal size.

Peach meets Wart, a casino owner, and forces him to tell her where Rosalina is, but he alerts Bowser after she finds out she is in the Space Junk Galaxy. The gang, Mario, Luigi, Toad, Yoshi and Peach reunite and travel to the Space Junk Galaxy in Fox McCloud's aircraft. However, it later crashes, and Bowser uses a shrinking machine to shrink Mario and Luigi into babies. Yoshi rescues the brothers and restores them to their normal size.

Fast forward to the Comet Observatory, and Peach discovers her relationship with Rosalina and the powers she holds. Peach, Mario, Luigi and Toad are sent to the new Planet Bowser, where they begin a battle with him on a bridge located on top of a river made of lava. He later falls into the river, but returns in skeleton form. On the other side of the kingdom, Peach tries to rescue Rosalina in a hopeful plan to save her and rebuild her castle.

(L-R) Luigi, Yoshi, Mario, Toad - Credit: Courtesy of Nintendo Co., Ltd, Illumination Entertainment and Universal Studios/Pictures

Analysis

I am sure fans have been waiting for the long-awaited arrival of Yoshi after the first movie because I can tell you I was itching to see his dramatic reveal in the second instalment. The typical sound he makes and his friendly personality really tied his whole character together. 

The film was also very fast-paced, as it jumped from scene to scene. It did draw on the character development of Rosalina, Peach and the father-son bonding relationship between Bowser and Bowser Jr., but there was little development of the other characters.

The graphics throughout the whole movie were simply beautiful. The opacity of colour and vibrance in each character and background detail brought the film to life. 

It's nostalgia, as a Mario Kart fan, that brought me back to my childhood years. A joyful and exciting watch, particularly for younger audiences and adults, of course!

WARNING - Potential Spoilers 

Plot

Set in Los Angeles, an increase in crime cases across the country is assessed by an AI-powered court named the Mercy Capital Court. The judge, also AI-powered, Maddox, gives the defendants 90 minutes to prove their innocence by utilising available resources such as text messages and video recordings. She is presented with defendant Christopher Raven (Chris), a detective in the Los Angeles Police Department. He's currently on trial for the murder of his wife, Nicole. Interestingly, his probability of guilt must be below 92% to avoid execution, but things don't start off too well. 

Initially, all the evidence points to Chris, and he struggles to fall below the 92% threshold. He was captured as the last person entering the family home before his wife was killed, along with blood stains on his clothes. 

He later learns what his wife was hiding from him and hunts through video footage of a work barbecue they hosted to better identify Nicole's work colleagues. Also, he discovers that her work emails show reports of missing chemicals. While searching for evidence, Chris recounts how his alcohol addiction eventually led to his aggression towards Nicole. 

Chris suspects one of Nicole's co-workers, Holt Charles, who has discussed the chemical disappearance with Robert Nelson. Chris suspects that Holt may have killed Nicole. He contacts Rob, but instead Holt answers and places the chemical disappearance on Rob. Chris's daughter, Britt, is a social media fanatic, and after reviewing her posts, he finds a stranger who has been hiding in their basement. His neighbour's CCTV footage also reveals Rob exiting the trunk of their car.

Jacqueline Diallo, Chris's partner in the police force, is sent to Rob's house to search for clues. However, the SWAT team find detailed plans for the crafting of a bomb in his shed. 

Fast forward, and Rob has kidnapped Britt and is heading to Mercy Court in a truck full of explosives to seek revenge for his brother's execution, David Webb. The bomb fails to detonate after crashing into the building, causing a network glitch. However, Maddox also experiences a glitch, but is rebooted in time and frees Chris before the trial ends. Jacqueline and Rob are taken away after we learn how she was involved in David's case, ultimately proving that the AI court works.

Rebecca Ferguson - Credit: Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios

Analysis

One word I would use to describe the film is tense. I was left wondering whether Chris would successfully lower his probability of guilt below 92%, all with sweaty hands!

Chris Pratt captured the true emotion of his character in the movie. He was committed to proving his innocence even whilst strapped tightly to an explosive chair with a timer ticking away in his ears. 

The equipment used in the movie: guns, explosives, hover-cars, drones, doorbell cameras and phones highlighted the extent to which technological advancements can capture a human's every move. They were also extremely detailed, with strong sound effects you would expect from something like a gun.

At first, I thought the movie would be quite repetitive in the sense that it would just show Chris strapped to a chair, battling between various screens. However, the cuts between the courtroom and character flashbacks added depth and understanding to the storyline. 

A perfect watch for those seeking a movie full of anticipation and thrill. 

I am excited to be working as a blogger with Devote Radio, creating a ten-part series on a topic of my choice. This series will begin with anticipated cinema watches and my personal favourite movies of 2025 and 2026, even including cartoons. Film fanatics are up for a treat!

This week, we will be diving into an anticipated romance directed by Kristoffer Borgli, starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson. Some of his previously directed films include Dream Scenario and Sick of Myself. 

The Drama really is The Drama!

WARNING - potential spoilers 

Plot

The film begins with the backstory of Charlie Thompson and Emma Harwood, detailing how they later became a happily engaged couple. Charlie met Emma at a Cafe in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States and decided to approach her, seemingly to get close by pretending he had read the book she was reading at the time. She ignored him, but later Charlie approached her again, and Emma explained why she couldn't hear him. She tells him to start his act over again.

The encounter leads to a date, and two years later, marriage plans are approaching for the couple. They have a small dinner with their best man and maid of honour, Mike and Rachel. As the dinner progresses, the group begin asking each other the worst thing they have ever done. Stories unfold, and Emma reveals her dramatic teenage story.

The group prepare for Charlie and Emma's wedding, under friend constraints and awkward behaviour. The couple grow agitated with each other as preparations won't go smoothly. Charlie asks for advice from a coworker at his office named Misha, but later regrets his actions after their encounter turns sideways.

Fast forward to their wedding day, and the awkwardness is still lingering. Emma finds out what happened between Charlie and Misha. But Charlie is determined to power through the wedding plans and recites a forced speech for his partner, ending the day at home with a bloody face after Emma left when the chaos began.

He searches for Emma and eventually ends up at the couple's favourite diner spot. Emma later enters and sits opposite Charlie in a booth. They begin re-introducing themselves in a hopeful plan to start over. 

Emma (Zendaya)

A character who tries her very best to persevere and make things work when faced with difficult situations. She's calm and collected but can be feisty when she wants to. She's a woman who wants her soon-to-be marriage to work out, despite her teenage years. Emma tries to encourage Charlie to forget about her past and her old character by urging him to forgive her and start over. I believe Emma wanted to show how she had changed and transitioned from her teenage years to her adult years, and was no longer the person she was when she was a teen. 

Charlie (Robert Pattinson)

Charlie ignores Emma's lack of humanity, rather so, to be with the so-called love of his life. He had a rather fairy-tale-like perception of Emma, a perfect woman, a perfect marriage, therefore a perfect life. But when he discovers her story, Charlie goes to extreme lengths to continue believing she still is his perfect woman. We see Charlie's behaviour change as the movie progresses; he overthinks and assesses situations even when he aims to seek clarity that Emma is a good person through workplace colleagues.  

Overall

The Drama is a worthy cinema watch for those interested in romances with twists and turns. The flashbacks between Emma and Charlie's past and current encounters made me understand how a story can change the relationship between two people in a matter of time. It is a movie which presents the realities of love and how blinding it can be, even when situations become messy and entangled.