Kick-Ass 2

Matthew Vaughn’s Kick-Ass was a guilty pleasure for comic book aficionados because it managed to strike the perfect balance between parodying and paying homage to the superhero genre. Jeff Wadlow’s Kick-Ass 2 has none of the wit and innocence of its predecessor and instead features balls to wall action and, for some reason, Union J music videos. It is arguably a funnier film than the first installment, but that’s not really the point. Hit-Girl’s awkward attempts to ditch the switchblades and fit in at high school is the only interesting subplot, but even that feels more like a preview to Chloe Grace Moretz’ upcoming Carrie remake.

2/5  

Inception

Every once in a while, there comes a sci-fi film with a premise so mind-blowing, you instantly feel compelled to watch it. The Terminator, Jurassic Park and The Matrix are a few that come to mind, and while Inception definitely shares a shred of DNA with the Wachowski siblings’ cyberpunk thriller, Christopher Nolan’s vision and execution ensure it’s a modern classic in its own right. A heist movie taking place in a dream reality, it packs a multinational cast headed by Leonardo diCaprio and marries breathtaking action sequences with complex notions on the way we perceive reality. A bit of a head trip then, but definitely worth the ride.

5/5 

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa

Considering that most of the comedic appeal of the TV series derived from the stiff, mundane nature of both the character and Norfolk’s bucolic setting, Alan Partridge really shouldn’t work as a feature film. Yet it’s these very qualities that have somehow made Alpha Papa the most hilarious film of the summer, as the hapless DJ ends up becoming the misguided negotiator during a heist at North Norfolk Digital. Writers Armando Ianucci and Rob & Neil Gibbons know how to tickle the audience’s funny bone, but it’s Steve Coogan’s bumbling, gloriously narcissistic performance as Partridge that will have you quoting this film for some time. Back of the net!

4/5