Craig's Cinematic Critique

Back in 2006, Ben Stiller donned a black jacket and a torch to play heroic security guard Larry in the hit family-adventure Night at the Museum.

An underwhelming sequel soon followed in 2009 but despite that film’s lack of attention, the There’s Something About Mary and Meet the Parents star is back for a third outing which takes place in familiar surroundings.

Entitled Secret of the Tomb, the latest film of the unlikely trilogy has released its official trailer.

Directed yet again by Shawn Levy, the plot sees Larry (Stiller) and his museum friends having to travel to London to stop their artefact from decaying thus ending their ability to come alive.

Other familiar faces to return for this installment include Ricky Gervais (Dr. McPhee), Robin Williams (Theodore Roosevelt), Owen Wilson (Jedediah), Steve Coogan (Octavius), Dick Van Dyke (Cecil) and the late Mickey Rooney (Gus). However there is no comeback for Amy Adams as Amelia Earhart.

Sir Ben Kingsley (Gandhi, Schindler’s List), Dan Stevens (Downton Abbey) and Rebel Wilson (Bridesmaids, Pitch Perfect) are amongst the newcomers to the versatile cast.

Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb will be out in cinemas on December 19th.

Fifteen years since production first began on the Lord of the Rings trilogy, many would not have believed that the epic fantasy series would have expanded to six films.

But as was the case with the Star Wars saga, director and producer Peter Jackson has stretched out his much-loved franchise via the prequel route and is finally set to bring the curtain down on Middle Earth once and for all with the final Hobbit film, The Battle of the Five Armies.

A marvelous trailer for the concluding edition has finally premiered online which includes the clever use of Pippin’s Song from Return of the King.

Adapted from the short Hobbit book from author J.R.R. Tolkien, the film follows on from the thrilling events of The Desolation of Smaug as Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), Thorin (Richard Armitage) and the dwarf group attempt to stop the deadly dragon Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch) from causing havoc. In the meantime, Gandalf the Grey (Sir Ian McKellen) tries to gather help from men and elves in order to prevent a war that could signal the end of Middle Earth.

Orlando Bloom (Legolas), Evangeline Lily (Tauriel), Luke Evans (Bard the Bowman) and Cate Blanchett (Galadriel) also return for the epic conclusion.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies will be released in cinemas on December 12th.

Last time Mad Max dominated our screens way back in the 80s, Tina Turner was belting out her thumping rendition of “We Don’t Need Another Hero”.

But almost thirty years later, creator George Miller is bringing back his rogue hero for a bad-ass fourth outing albeit with a different leading man.

British actor Tom Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises, Locke) is taking on the iconic role made famous by Mel Gibson (Lethal Weapon, Braveheart) as he appears in the exhilarating Comic-Con trailer for the fourth film, Mad Max: Fury Road.

It certainly looks like they’ll be no cheesy music this time around!

Directed by Miller, the action-thriller sees Max (Hardy) continuing his struggle to survive in a post-apocalyptic world dominated by vicious bandits. He ends up encountering a female rebel named Furiosa who is seeking to return to her homeland as the pair look to overcome great obstacles.

Oscar-winner Charlize Theron (Monster, A Million Ways to Die in the West) dons a shaved head to play Furiosa with additional support coming from Nicholas Hoult (About a Boy, Jack the Giant Slayer), Zoe Kravitz (X-Men: First Class, Divergent) and British model Rosie Huntington-Whitely (Transformers: Dark of the Moon).

The film is expected to be released in cinemas on May 15th 2015.

One of the most renowned settings for us film/television/comic-book loving folk is the annual Comic Con event which takes place every summer in San Diego.

Stars from some of the biggest blockbusters and television series gather together to promote their projects and talk about what to expect. There are also lucrative pieces of footage shown to the fortune fans and journalists who get a taster of what to expect.

First things first, the hotly-anticipated superhero blockbuster Superman vs Batman: Dawn of Justice has unveiled an image of Gal Gadot in her ambitious role as Wonder Woman.

The Fast and the Furious 6 star was a surprise choice for the role of the iconic female superhero and was in attendance to promote the film alongside director Zack Snyder and co-stars Henry Cavill (Clark Kent/Superman) and Ben Affleck (Bruce Wayne/Batman).

Gadot’s Amazonian warrior is seen sporting a warrior outfit and arming herself with a sword.

The actress follows in the footsteps of Lynda Carter, who portrayed DC Comics’ main heroine in the 1970s Wonder Woman TV series.

Dawn of Justice will be released in the UK on August 29th 2016.

On the subject of superheroes, Marvel Studios have had a busy time announcing further news with regards to their upcoming productions.

They have officially confirmed that their latest film, Guardians of the Galaxy (which is out at the end of the week) will definitely be receiving a sequel.

The sci-fi adventure has already gained excellent reviews by critics which has led to the studio green-lighting an immediate follow-up.

The film will open in cinemas on July 28th 2017.

As well as that, the Marvel boys also revealed that Oscar-nominated actor Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For) has officially been cast as the villainous titan Thanos in the upcoming superhero sequel The Avengers 2: Age of Ultron.

On the casting, producer Kevin Feige said:

“Josh brings all the weight and stature necessary for a character as iconic and significant as Thanos. We’re incredibly excited for fans to see more of him as the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to expand.”

Monster films have also dominated the Comic Con panel recently with two of the great cinematic beasts earning new big-screen outings.

Nine years since his last appearance, King Kong is set to return for a new film entitled Skull Island, which will focus on the giant gorilla’s origins prior to his tragic fate in New York.

The announcement was made to coincide with further news from the Godzilla crew as director Gareth Edwards confirmed that he would not only be returning to helm the action-sequel but that there would be three new villains for the reptilian monster to clash with.

Legendary CEO Thomas Tull also appeared to introduce concept footage, which revealed that Rodan, Mothra and Ghidorah will all appear in Godzilla 2.

The fact that new big-screen outings for King Kong and Godzilla seem to suggest that a potential showdown film between the pair will eventually occur.

Exciting times ahead for all you film buffs!

Ladies and gents, brace yourselves….

The first promo for the Fifty Shades of Grey film has arrived with fans of the best-selling novel finally getting a glimpse of what to expect on the big-screen.

Based on the hugely-successful erotic book series by EL James, the film focuses on the sexual love affair between student Anastastia Steele and seductive businessman Christian Grey.

Irish actor Jamie Dornan (The Fall) plays Grey with newcomer Dakota Johnson (The Social Network, Need for Speed) tackling the female lead role.

Directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson (Nowhere Boy), the film’s support cast includes musician Rita Ora as well as complex actresses like Jennifer Ehle (Pride and Prejudice, The King’s Speech) and Oscar-winner Marcia Gay Harden (Pollock, Mystic River).

The Fifity Shades series has sold more than 100 million copies worldwide, and been translated into 52 different languages.

The Fifty Shades of Grey film will be released in cinemas on Valentine’s Day 2015.

Last year was rather packed British actor Benedict Cumberbatch as he produced sterling performances in well-received films like Star Trek into Darkness, The Fifth Estate and 12 Years a Slave.

But the Sherlock star is now looking to be taken more seriously as a leading star as he takes on the challenging role of real-life pioneer Alan Turing in The Imitation Game.

The upcoming war-drama unveiled its official trailer earlier today.

Directed by Morten Tyldum (Fallen Angels, Headhunters), the film charts the life of Turing, a renowned mathematician/scientist who used code-breaking tactics to help defeat Germany during World War II.

However he was lambasted by his colleagues for his homosexuality which eventually led to tragic circumstances.

Making a welcoming comeback to lucrative projects, Keira Knightley (Pride and Prejudice, Atonement) co-stars as Turing’s close friend Joan Clarke with additional acting support coming from Matthew Goode (A Single Man, Stoker), Mark Strong (Sherlock Holmes, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) and Charles Dance (Last Action Hero, Game of Thrones).

With the Weinstein Company backing it for awards season, the film is set to open this year’s BFI Film Festival with a release date scheduled for November 14th.