Cert – PG, Run-time – 1 hour 47 minutes, Director – Tom McGrath

Distant brothers Tim (James Marsden) and Ted (Alec Baldwin) are transformed into their younger selves to investigate the actions of the mysterious principal (Jeff Goldblum) of a new advanced, high-tech school.

2017’s The Boss Baby was a film with plenty of obviousness. However, it was a success and therefore a sequel has arrived. But, in terms of this sequel perhaps the most obvious thing is the fact that, when looking at the credits, of course Gary Barlow wrote the main song Together We Stand. There are certainly still elements of predictability within Family Business, and indeed not every joke lands, but with even one chuckle it has more of a success rate than the original film.

Brothers Tim (James Marsden) and Ted (Alec Baldwin) have grown up and apart since we last saw them. Tim is happily a stay-at-home dad to his two daughters, Tabitha (Ariana Greenblatt) and baby Tina (Amy Sedaris), while Ted is fittingly the billionaire CEO of a major business. In many ways Tabitha is growing up to be more like her uncle, formal and pushing forward with serious matters. It contrasts with what is branded as her own father’s ‘active imagination’. “I think it’s time we both grow up. I look forward to greeting you at the breakfast table” she states in the manner of a business email exchange rather than a child being put to bed.

Her behaviour is perhaps an effect of the school she attends. A new high-tech school developing advanced, competitive minds run by energetic, yet mysterious, headteacher Dr. Erwin Armstrong (Jeff Goldblum). On seeing Armstrong’s character design, like a tall, bubbly sheep which has been partly shaved to make the knitted jumper it’s wearing, the thought does arise that he doesn’t overly match Goldblum’s mystical tones. It’s a thought that comes to mind a couple of times when the character appears on-screen, gradually fading as more is learned about him and you simply embrace the fact that Jeff Goldblum is a part of this film. Nonetheless he runs a tight ship which Ted and Tim investigate after discovering that Tina is in fact able to talk and ‘in the family business’ by working for Babycorp, who are themselves looking into Armstrong and just what’s happening inside the school. Thus, after agreeing to take on the mission, the brothers set aside their differences to transform into their younger selves for 48 hours so they can feed back.

Unlike the first film Ted is much less in the spotlight here. There’s much less reference to his pretentious nature and those of which there is manages to raise a mild chuckle on one or two occasions. While the relationship between the brothers is certainly a focus for the film the narrative feels tighter and much more about the mission at hand, and indeed Tabitha. Tim’s younger self watches her excel in class while being made fun of by other, jealous, students attempting to spoil her performance at the upcoming Christmas pageant. Overall the film doesn’t feel as lazy as the 2017 feature. While it might not be anything overly brilliant it’s certainly not dreadful and makes for watchable, mildly amusing content. Providing enough chuckles and exhales of amusement along the way, particularly from Gandalf like Wizard alarm clock Wizzie (James McGrath), to avoid all the humour being a miss.

Initially you’re caught off guard by this and begin to think that it might just be for the time we see Tim as an adult, before he and his sibling ‘shrink’. However, as things continue you’re able to properly settling into them and simply become able to enjoy the film and get slightly caught up with its flow. Things might seem slightly slotted and taped together at times, mostly for when linking from scene to scene, or rather location to location, but there’s still some amusement to be found. The laughs might not be in abundance, although there are still some scattered throughout, but generally as The Boss Baby 2: Family Business expands itself and dwells on more than just the one-note gags of the first film, exploring the family dynamic at the centre of this film and the narrative in general, a fairly likeable course is set out that provides enough amusement for the run-time and makes for a pleasant enough watch.

Expanding both in terms of character and narrative from the first film The Boss Baby 2: Family Business strikes thanks to feeling generally less lazy and, even if slightly, more detailed. Providing fine amusement, and one or two chuckles along the way, for the duration of the run-time.

Cert – 18, Run-time – 1 hour 45 minutes, Director – David Gordon Green

The residents of Haddonfield unite to finally take down Michael Myers (James Jude Courtney/ Nick Castle) after he survives a fire in Laurie Strode’s (Jamie Lee Curtis) home, while she recovers in hospital believing him to be dead.

Back in 2001 to truly show the ridiculous lengths that it had stretched to the Friday The 13th franchise came up with, arguably the worst film in the series, Jason X. Not only launching the silent killer into space but also turning him into a literal machine, kitted out with full shining silver armour, the kind you only find in cheap early-2000s sci-fi flicks. While Michael Myers (James Jude Courtney/ Nick Castle) doesn’t get the same treatment, after surviving being trapped in a fire-flooded basement, in Halloween Kills he certainly feels almost frustratingly indestructible. Although, perhaps this is because there’s not much around him that can possibly kill him as he seemingly attempts to make his way back to his childhood home – killing everyone in every house and park along the way. It becomes apparent that almost every character we spend more than five minutes with, preparing to do battle with the masked figure in the dead of night, is being set up to die because of their own ineptitude. Almost every character in this film is an idiot.

As we barely see Jamie Lee Curtis’ staggeringly underused Laurie Strode spend most of her small amount of screen time in a hospital bed – recovering from the events of the previous film, this one picking up immediately after – or shouting at the growing mob in the corridors, the residents of Haddonfield prepare to end the terror of Michael Myers once and for all. Led by previous victims or people who have encountered him, particularly Anthony Michael Hall taking on the role of Tommy Doyle, there are plenty of scenes focusing on the escalating numbers and anger of the mob.

Strode’s daughter Karen (Judy Greer) and granddaughter, Allyson (Andi Matichak), also play bigger roles in this sequel as they try to prevent Laurie from discovering that Michael is in fact still alive, while assisting the mob or going out on their own missions. If the last film was about trauma this one is about generational trauma. It’s stated at one point that Michael “has infected my family, he’s infected your family; with grief and fear for 40 years”. However, amongst the other points and themes that the film is juggling many ideas simply get drowned out and never really have as much effect as they would perhaps like. This is amongst various flashbacks to moments in Michael Myers’ past (Airon Armstrong taking on duties for the 1978 figure) – to show just how many people are still hurt from his actions 40 years prior and just how much stronger he becomes every time he is knocked down – and of course killings in the present (2018) day. There’s a lot crammed in to Halloween Kills and it certainly feels busy on a number of occasions.

Many scenes come with plenty of build-up just to get to one short burst of summarised dialogue. It generally feels as if the film could be made much shorter by just having characters get to the point more quickly. It would also perhaps help boost some of the film’s tension and mean that certain points have more room to breathe instead of having to wait for crowds of people to run through multiple hospital corridors for a not overly effective conclusion where the outcome can be seen by the viewer a fair while before it’s finally delivered.

Amongst everything that the film brings up it’s sometimes hard not to question whether the film is trying to be a parody of the slasher genre. Certainly certain actions and indeed killings begin to stray towards laughter territory rather than that of fear – and for some audience members, at one point myself included, this clearly becomes the case. It comes from the truly stupid decisions of a number of characters, none of whom we form a connection with, partly due to their own idiocy when confronting the armed figure of Michael Myers and also the general lack of screen-time that anyone gets. This all comes after initial killings which almost seem to dwell too much on the justifiably 18 rated gore and violence of the film. Not that this is generally a negative, but certainly as it seems to almost be emotionless in depiction during the first couple of instances and there’s a lack of response from the viewer it almost feels as if the film dwells on such moments for just a bit too long.

In a number of ways, for both plotting, themes, character, etc Halloween Kills feels a rather different film from the one that came before it. The feeling of a bridge film – before Halloween Ends comes out to complete what is currently a trilogy of sequels to the 1978 original – isn’t quite present throughout, although it does make an appearance at the very end, as is perhaps to be expected from a bridge film. Generally the structure, tone and feel of this second film fluctuates throughout. At times feeling like a gore-dwelling slasher, at others something of a parody of the genre; due to plenty of frustrating character decisions. The film is very busy and manages to both rush and stagger through its various themes with not a great deal of response – aside from occasional bafflement and slight irritation – from the viewer. Hopefully it’s just juggling all the elements so that we can get a smoother, more consistent final showdown (properly featuring and using Laurie Strode) when Halloween Ends.

While building up to having its moments Halloween Kills knocks itself down with inconsistent, not always properly established, tones that only lead to further frustration for the viewer who’s already dealing with the many baffling decisions of the multiple characters throughout the film.

Cert – 18, Run-time – 2 hours 33 minutes, Director – Ridley Scott

A pair of knights (Matt Damon, Adam Driver) find themselves competing in a duel to the death after one accuses the other of raping his wife (Jodie Comer), who will burn at the stake if her husband loses.

Amongst the effectively bloody battles of 14th Century medieval France Nicole Holofcener, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s screenplay (the first joint script for the latter duo since their Oscar winning turn for 1997’s Good Will Hunting) for The Last Duel bubbles beneath with the slight memory based drama (each writer tackles a different stage/ memory in the narrative) largely for the two parties involved in the titular duel. There hasn’t been a duel to the death in France for many years, however when his wife Marguerite (Jodie Comer) claims to have been raped by Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver), knight Jean de Carrouges challenges the man he believed to have been his closest friend to prove his protests of innocence wrong. We see the events play out from the perspectives of the three main parties, all building up to the duel – which also acts as our dramatic introduction to the film – where Marguerite could find herself burned alive for providing false witness if her husband loses.

As the film travels across its lines it shifts from simply being about the responses and changing behaviours of the two central figures over the course of the film’s events and begins to delve into the gender politics of the time. The belief that women were property to provide men with an heir – it’s claimed that “rape is not a crime against a woman, it is a property crime against her husband”. There are certainly some interesting points as the film begins to touch upon such subject matter, and there’s particularly potential for the final strand focusing on Comer’s character, however it feels that after what has come beforehand that her strand – which should really be the most pivotal – feels somewhat underwritten. Even as the film finally turns to focus on her Marguerite feels like the support in her own truthful take on events. The feeling of the film becoming more basic and less detailed certainly begins to settle in as the three takes on the tragic event come together in the fateful duel.

It’s testament to the film that you don’t really feel the two and a half hour run-time and largely this comes from the interest created within Driver and Damon’s own segments. The relationships that twist and turn around them as they put across their own worries and arguments, particularly as their friendship is already on uneven ground before de Carrouges leaves his wife alone at home – although believing her to be with his cold mother (Harriet Walker) and servants. Director Ridley Scott does a good job of piecing things together throughout the narrative, showing the different perspectives while still reminding us of how other characters appear to have ‘perceived’ the events. This even goes for those of whom we don’t see the viewpoint of – such as Ben Affleck’s Pierre d’Alençon, a close ally of Le Gris with a high sex-drive who seems both oddly fitting for the film and yet somewhat out of place with his levels of comic relief; either way Affleck’s clearly having a great deal of fun playing the character.

Scott’s direction also helps to capture the atmosphere and visual flair of plenty of scenes. The detail that has gone into the sets and costume design of the piece demonstrates the high budget of the film. It helps to engage you within the world and the unfolding events – particularly within the first two strands, and it’s perhaps what helps keep you somewhat in place during the point which should really be Comer’s time to shine. We do get some brief yet engaging courtroom style drama, and by the time we finally get to the big battle it’s well done, yet you can’t help but feel that things would be heightened if Comer’s character truly had more room rather than still having her story told through those around her, and what begins to feel like their words and actions over hers. The drama still generally works and keeps you in place, it just feels as if it shifts and not quite to the right place to allow the character who should be the central focus to be just that.

There’s plenty to like about the detail of The Last Duel. Both visually and within the course that it takes throughout the narrative. Helped by Ridley Scott’s direction there are a handful of themes to pass through over the two and a half hour course – which isn’t overly felt – and most of them are dealt with rather well. While the first two perspectives are well dealt with and detailed when it comes to the relationships that build up to the titular duel you can’t help but feel that the third strand is somewhat pushed back and not as detailed as it could be, particularly when it comes to truly giving material for Jodie Comer to shine with. The final fight still works, and the drama still has effect, just not in the way you would perhaps hope.

The detail, themes and drama of The Last Duel are generally well held, particularly when it comes to the relationships and conversations in the build up to the duel for the two central figures. It’s just a shame that Jodie Comer’s underdeveloped pivotal character doesn’t ever completely come to the fore.

Cert – PG, Run-time – 1 hour 47 minutes, Directors – Sarah Smith, Jean-Philippe Vine, Octavio E. Rodriguez

After spending too long at school as the only person without a B*Bot, Barney (Jack Dylan Grazer) finally gets his own (Zach Galifianakis), only to discover it damaged and not properly programmed to be his best friend.

A panicked, frustrated tech director exclaims “it’s like Mad Max meets Sesame Street livestreaming” as he watches one of his company’s products cause havoc in the streets of a small American town. In a number of ways this line of dialogue is perhaps one of the best ways to pitch Ron’s Gone Wrong – the debut feature from Locksmith Animation. Capturing the chaotic charm that comes from titular B*Bot Ron (Zach Galifianakis) as he learns how to be lonely schoolkid Barney’s (Jack Dylan Grazer) best friend out of the box. He should come with this ability already, however after being damaged and bought cheaply – Barney’s dad (Ed Helms) and grandmother (a delightfully surprising reveal in the credits, a Bulgarian-accented Olivia Colman) can’t afford a brand-new one in the Bubble store; a disproportionate Apple store meets McDonalds soft play – Ron comes without the code that the B*Bots of every other kid at Barney’s school comes with.

Therefore it’s up to Barney (or as Ron initially calls him Absalom), with his wall of post-it notes in the chicken coop in the back garden, to teach Ron how to be his best friend. All in the hope that he’ll finally be able to survive middle school. There’s a rather charming connection that grows between the two, much of it helped by Galifianakis’ voice performance. After 2019’s Missing Link the actor has perhaps begun to find something of a home voicing charmingly hilarious characters. He brings to life Ron’s glitches and robotic innocence as he strives to try and please Barney and achieve his goal of being his best friend, first of all learning how to be a friend.

However, as Ron’s glitches and breaks against coding become more noticeable as he roams the streets putting up poster friend requests for his owner word gets back to the high-ranking officials of the Bubble company. While creator Marc (Justice Smith) is fascinated at how this has been achieved and the connection that the pair have, actually becoming friends as was the intended use for the B*Bot, fellow owner Andrew (Rob Delaney) is worried about how the havoc Ron creates will affect sales, income and the views of other stakeholders. In his mind Ron must be destroyed in the nearest Bubble crusher as soon as possible. As Andrew begins to play more of a role in the narrative it’s clear that there are comments being made about social media and privacy. Just how much we rely on technology and digital media today – it’s clear to see why there have been a number of comparisons between this and earlier 2021 release The Mitchells Vs The Machines.

As the tech company begins to play more of a role, and Ron’s lack of coding begins to impact other B*Bots near him, with not best results for Barney’s fellow students, there begins to be more to wrap up in the third act. It slightly extends the run-time of the film, which would perhaps be better suited towards the 90 minute mark. The laughs, while still present, do slightly die down as the narrative attempts to wrap up each of its various arcs, which it manages to do rather well if sometimes shifting into more generic fashion. The film doesn’t exactly lose steam, but it does feel as if we’ve seen some of its second half – particularly third act – elements before as laughs do begin to fade away to focus on the plot. Yet, there’s still something enjoyable to be found here for all ages. An entertaining, consistently funny; mostly within the first half, look into the relationship between the boy and his best friend out of the box. There’s enough charm within that central pairing, much of it down to the frequent laughs from titular voice performance, to carry things through and make for an interesting and enjoyable debut venture from Locksmith Animation, who have certainly put more than a firm foot into the door as a new voice in mainstream animation.

While the third act begins to feel somewhat lengthy with its more generic leanings, there’s plenty of laughs and charm within the characters of Ron’s Gone Wrong to make it delightfully worthwhile.

Cert – 15, Run-time – 1 hour 37 minutes, Director – Andy Serkis

While trying to live with each other’s differences Venom and reporter Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) must take on the murderous force of serial-killer Cletus Kasady, and new symbiote Carnage (Woody Harrelson).

Venom: Let There Be Carnage is a film of many unexpected surprises. In fact, that itself may be one of the unexpected surprises. Back in 2018 Venom worked in its third act after embracing its ridiculousness and having fun with its events. From the off the sequel runs with this by being a full-on buddy comedy between the titular symbiote and reporter Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy), whose body he still inhabits. The two bicker about rules and what can and can’t be eaten. Eddie feeds Venom on a diet of chocolate and chicken – except for two specific ones, Sonny and Cher, which Venom insists “are best friends” – however, the alien craves more. The heads, or even full bodies, of criminals who the pair put a stop to.

As Venom clutters Eddie’s apartment while making breakfast to a destructive, rumbling rendition of Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off I found myself marvelling at the fact that this could perhaps be one of the best films of the year. A five star film that embraced a buddy comedy, bordering on rom-com, nature with laugh-out-loud hysterical results. It’s certainly an odd feeling to have had, but the entertainment factor is undeniably there within Venom 2. All thanks to the fact that screenwriter Kelly Marcel appears to have pinpointed the dynamic between the central pairing, had fun with it and ran. The same goes for director Andy Serkis and the cast and crew, particularly Tom Hardy. Even Woody Harrelson (and his wig) as the main antagonist of the piece appears to have understood the tone of the film and what he should be aiming for. Chewing up the scenery whenever he gets the opportunity.

Harrelson plays imprisoned serial-killer Cletus Kasady, intent on escaping to reunite with super-powered fiancé Frances Barrison (AKA Shriek, AKA an underused Naomie Harris). When, after an encounter with Hardy’s Brock, Kasady becomes connected to his own murderous symbiote, Carnage, he manages to free himself with the intent to destroy Brock and Venom before moving on to more around him. It’s around this point that more seriousness appears. Of course, it’s present within the somewhat intense and dark-bordering action, however this begins to take over as the core tone. Particularly as we reach the third act the action becomes the dominant factor, which while not being a bad thing does mean the initial tone that brings you into the film in the first place is pushed aside and barely referenced for much of the rest of the run-time; where the seriousness occasionally feels out of place in comparison to what has come before it.

Admittedly, it is nice to see a third act where the stakes aren’t to the extent of city-shattering, world-ending peril. It’s simply a not-always-friendly, neighbourhood not-quite spider-man trying to stop a villain (albeit one with advanced symbiote assisted superpowers) from leading on to further gradual death and destruction. With this in mind it helps that the film is a relatively short 97 minutes (the 2018 film was 112 minutes), both allowing for things to pass by quickly and not feel overlong and also slightly boost the initial comedy feel of the piece. The fights have their moments, although the CG still isn’t always best – The Telegraph’s Robbie Collin’s statement in regards to the first film that Venom “looks like someone drizzled with Creme Egg filling onto a bin bag” still stands – but the feeling that they verge on going on for slightly too long is certainly present in the film’s latter stages. As if Carnage hasn’t been fully developed amongst everything else and therefore his full potential and range of threatening abilities still needs to be scanned through.

Luckily, by the end Let There Be Carnage manages to step back up and remember its original comedic tone and style. Just about leading towards an ending with that same buddy-comedy-cum-rom-com feel. It feels aware of its nature, and certainly embraces the ridiculousness of its premise and scenarios on many occasions throughout the film. Making for a very enjoyable, highly funny first half where the cast and crew clearly understand what they’re making. It’s more in the second half as the more standard comic-book fights of perhaps a few years ago come into play where things slightly drop. However, there’s enough oddly hilarious bickering flatmate bromance between Hardy’s characters to carry things through and not want to entirely call the whole thing off.

While slightly dipping for the action of the third act there’s a lot to like about the frequently funny humour and central dynamic of Venom: Let There Be Carnage and the way that the cast and crew embrace its ridiculousness, particularly in the first half.

Cert – 12, Run-time – 2 hours 43 minutes, Director – Cary Joji Fukunaga

James Bond (Daniel Craig) finds himself forced out of retirement and back to MI6 when his past, and that of his partner (Léa Seydoux), comes back for another attempt on his life.

15 years ago Daniel Craig’s debut as James Bond, in Casino Royale, marked a new; darker, grittier take on the character for the 21st century. Furthermore, gone are the days of: save the day, cheeky joke, fade to black, off to bed. Craig’s Bond has seen further emphasis on his relationships and the way that they have impacted the character. Such elements come to the fore in his fifth and final outing, No Time To Die – a feature which acts as a fond reflection on just what has made this iteration of the classic spy so different to all that have come before him, alongside being his most traditional too.

We see Bond’s past come back to not just haunt him, but attempt one final attack on his life; which he’s happily spending globetrotting with Léa Seydoux’s Madeline Swann (who we also previously saw in Spectre). Gradually secrets and danger catch up with the pair and we quickly see them split and divided. It’s during these opening 30-45 minutes, as things are still gradually building up, where character is perhaps most at the centre of the film. It’s the core element of the action that occurs and causes scenes during this opening portion of the film to feel slower than what is to come. As the lines of character and action are blended later on in the film – during a number of strongly well shot and staged sequences, particularly in the third act – things become more engaging and enjoyable. Going in hand with the fact that the narrative clears up, generally feeling less busy, and is easier to follow.

As things move along and become clearer Craig’s performance is allowed more space to shine. It’s a strong portrayal of the character, one who has developed over the five films he’s led and the relationships that they’ve brought about. Returning to MI6, he finds his classic 007 title now belongs to Lashana Lynch’s Nomi. Lynch gives a great slightly-sparring performance against Craig, as his former-agent discovers just how much has and hasn’t changed in the 5+ years he’s been out of active service. It’s a shame that even in the nearly three hour course of the film that she doesn’t get more to do. In fact, the same goes for nearly all of the supporting cast. The likes of Moneypenny (Naomie Harris), Q (Ben Whishaw), M (Ralph Fiennes) and new figure Paloma (a delightful, if one-sequence, Ana de Armas) all land an impact in their handful of scenes, however do sometimes feel slightly underused – even if this is Bond’s film, and the big farewell to the actor playing this ground-breaking version of the character.

However, perhaps the most side-lined figure is the main antagonist himself; Rami Malek’s Safin. Throughout much of the film we see very little of the occasionally three-quarter-masked villain, however when he becomes more of a focus in the third act this adds up and causes him to feel rather weak. Landing little impact due to a lack of detail Safin almost feels like an afterthought in the later stages of the film rather than a complete villain. His exchanges with Bond lack the punch and intrigue that are present when the spy confronts old nemesis Blofeld (Christoph Waltz) in a confrontational scene that acts as one of the true highlights of the film – thanks to being led by two great performances.

However, at the end of the day it’s the blending of character and action that are central to the events of the third act. Things come together to create an enjoyable, entertaining and slightly enthralling conclusion. It, much like most of the events before it, firmly establishes just what has made Craig’s iteration of Bond so different, while still paying a fine ode to the more traditional elements of Bond’s gone by. Things move by quickly, and not without their hints of tension. Allowing the supporting cast to have just as much of a moment as Craig’s bond who binds a fond and excellently done farewell to the character he has both solidly brought into the 21st century and very much made his own over the last 15 years.

While things take time to build up, once the narrative is clearer and more direct the lines between character, plot and action blend together well to make No Time To Die a fitting reflection on Daniel Craig’s well-performed James Bond.

Cert – 15, Run-time – 2 hours 10 minutes, Director – David Lowery

Sir Gawain (Dev Patel) sets out on a long journey to the Green Chapel, where he will receive the same treatment he gave to the Green Knight (Ralph Ineson) a year before, having his head cut off.

There’s a highly traditional feel to writer-director David Lowery’s latest feature, The Green Knight. Not traditional in a filmic sense, but in terms of a medieval folktale. The look and feel of the piece is deeply rooted in its setting – both visually and in terms of the way the story is told. We see Dev Patel’s Sir Gawain, nephew to King Arthur (Sean Harris), venture out into the world to find the Green Chapel. It’s here that he will reencounter the towering, tree-like figure of the Green Knight (Ralph Ineson), to receive the same treatment that he gave to him a year ago in Arthur’s court as part of a challenge – to be beheaded.

Throughout his slow-burn journey he comes across thieves, lords and a talking fox. The film feels as if it knows that it’s constructed with an episodic nature. And while this does heighten the detail of the film it does cause certain elements to slightly drag; and the need to adjust from scene to scene, or rather location to location, element to element. There’s some interesting elements dotted throughout, however because of the generally slow nature of the two hour plus run-time the film doesn’t manage to properly grab your attention without you gradually drifting away. In the end the style prevents the true dramatic extent of multiple scenes from properly coming through.

This clearly isn’t a film full of high-stakes drama – although the dread and fear of Patel’s character is clearly shown throughout – and action, that’s not the aim in any way. But, the want for at least a bit more excitement or slight flair within this world does begin to arise. It’s evident that The Green Knight is perhaps not intended for a mass audience, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. There are clearly plenty who have loved it. But, there are likely to also be those who are put off by the slow and episodic pacing that helps to further establish the tone and detail, alongside the detailed visual nature.

As the film finally begins to properly build-up to the next encounter with Ineson’s titular threat things also slightly pick-up. Lowery begins to explore the darkness and fear that Gawain has felt throughout the film in various different ways. From his increasing trepidation to his fearful build-up to the actual event he’s been worrying about over the course of his days-long journey. It’s perhaps the highlight of the film as everything is finally solidified and begins to be rounded off, after a quite lengthy and not always fully engaging journey.

You don’t quite wish for Terry Gilliam to turn up with two coconut halves, but The Green Knight could do with a bit more excitement and flair, aside from the detailed visual nature, to prevent it from being a not completely engaging, although atmospheric, slow-burn.

Cert – 15, Run-time – 2 hours, Director – Alan Taylor

‘Dickie’ Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola) finds his life in organised crime turned into a tumultuous set of betrayals when his father (Ray Liotta) comes home with a younger Italian wife (Michela de Rossi).

For those wary of going into The Many Saints Of Newark without having seen, the series to which it acts as a prequel, The Sopranos it’s very much not the exclusive Tony Soprano origin story that much of the advertising seems to have suggested. Instead, throughout the film we see the figure whom Tony seems to idolise, ‘Dickie’ Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola). In 1960s and 70s Newark he lives a relatively comfortable life within the confines of organised crime. However, when his father, ‘Hollywood Dick’, (Ray Liotta) returns home with the surprise of young Italian wife Giuseppina (Michela de Rossi) things begin to heat up within the family, and Dickie’s own personal life.

Much of the early tensions are set during the 1967 Newark riots. We see Leslie Odom Jr’s – a welcome presence as always – Harold McBrayer divided when it comes to his relationship with the Moltisanti family, delivering violently picked up bets to them, and the events in the city that surrounds him. It all makes for a busy first third as the film goes from character to character trying to establish everything and everyone around Dickie – not quite including a ten-year-old Tony (William Ludwig) whose main function during these early stages is simply to see things going on. As the film goes on and the plot shifts into a more singular centralised focus, Dickie’s growing relationship with Giuseppina and the troubles that it causes in his personal life, we see Odom Jr’s character somewhat fade into the background.

And yet, an older Tony (Michael Gandolfini) is still very much a somewhat small side character. It feels odd when he’s focused on, mostly in the first two acts, and made the centre of a scene simply because he’s clearly not the main character of the piece. Nonetheless as we follow Nivola’s central figure, as he further falls into a world of partly unnoticed darkness and risk, things do move along almost surprisingly quickly. There may be some occasional bumps, shifts and changes in focuses on characters throughout, but there are undeniably some interesting scenes and interactions. Dickie frequently visits his father’s imprisoned brother (also Liotta) and often these quieter scenes where Liotta acts as some form of detective-therapist hybrid have the most impact. Perhaps because it focuses most on the characters and their hidden feelings and anger rather than the way that their reactions to plot points and the way the narrative impacts on them.

Even some larger dramatic moments are sometimes slightly conflicted. They work and have an impact, but sometimes they seem to be more controlled by plot rather than completely by character – which is perhaps much the case with the film as a whole, although it’s certainly not a character study. This being said it is the characters and their interactions that act as the main source of engagement when it comes to The Many Saints Of Newark. It’s not compulsory to have seen The Sopranos to get on with this film – although it’s perhaps likely to heighten engagement. This is very much Dickie’s story, the tensions created within his own personal life and how it impacts his life in the mob, and those around him. It’s the scenes that focus on this that work the best and keep you interested in what’s being shown. Preventing you from completely feeling like Tony Soprano in the earlier stages of the film, simply there to stand and silently watch what’s happening.

Once out of the busy opening stages, The Many Saints Of Newark shifts focus to Alessandro Nivola’s interesting central character, even if it does leave some other behind as it occasionally slightly conflicts between plot and character.