It’s been a while between drinks (Bad Boys II came out in 2003, five years after the original), but Will Smith and Martin Lawrence still have unmistakable chemistry. With a high-octane script, plenty of action, and no shortage of good humour, Bad Boys for Life is an unexpected winner. Unexpected because I approached it with…
Energetic, colourful and captivating, this is up there with the very best productions of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s CATS and I have had the good fortune to see several of them. A massive cast of 87 (plus an alternative 13 “kitten” chorus) and a 16-piece orchestra breathe new life into a show that was first staged in…
Talk about disgraceful conduct and an attitude of entitlement when it comes to being a man calling the shots among women trying to make a name for themselves and get ahead in their careers. That is the story of Fox News chief Roger Ailes (John Lithgow), as told in some gory detail in Bombshell. The…
A transparent, highly predictable script underpins a sweet-natured coming of age tale pitched at younger teens. Fifteen-year-old Jack Hooper (William Lodder) and his widowed mother Christie (Frances O’Connor) move to a small town in Western Australia a few years after the death of his father/her husband. She opens a fruit and vegetable shop and he…
An epic and intense tale of bravery in the lead up to and during the First World War, War Horse focuses on the trials and tribulations of a chestnut animal named Joey and on those who come into contact with him. When it was first performed on stage, in London in October 2007, War Horse…
Deeply entrenched racism is at the centre of a drama in which the result is never in doubt and the journey is designed to provoke outrage. First up, there is the political issue of a civilised society condemning felons to death. Regardless of your position on that, it is difficult to feel too much sympathy…
Irish hatred of the British propels a fantastical take on the life and times of bushranger Ned Kelly. Part lyrical, part punk rock, this is a liberal interpretation of a man who became famous in his own lifetime. I tell you, his mother was a real piece of work, according to how she is represented…
It’s party time as some of the greatest artists from the ‘50s to today take to the stage … again. Well, not really … but as reimagined in tribute form. And they are good – very darn good. The history of Legends in Concert dates back close to four decades. It made its Las Vegas debut in…
Shaun the Sheep (2015) was one of the funniest animations – in fact movies per se – that I have seen, so I was mighty keen to see the sequel. It has a lot in it to satisfy children, but not so much adults – as the first one did. Set in the quiet township…
Farming and idealism. They hardly go hand in hand. And yet that is precisely what a young US couple – John and Molly Chester – was looking to create by getting back to traditional farming principles to coexist with nature. She was a foodie, who knew the value of good, wholesome, tasty produce. He was…
