Anna King

Bad Moms is by the dudes who wrote The Hangover, Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. This time around, they take their brand of fratboy comedy and apply it to frazzled young mums Amy, Carla and Kiki (Mila Kunis, Kathryn Hahn and Kristen Bell), who live in a bland Illinois suburb. But don’t go expecting drugs- and booze-fuelled debauchery. Instead of all-nighters involving facial tattoos and kidnapping, the wildest these women get is hitting the supermarket while drunk and sneaking out for an unauthorised spa day. After the all-female Ghostbusters reboot this feels like a return to chick-flick comedy dullness. The stars do their best with a drippy script. Hahn seems to be channelling her inner Juliette Lewis to deliver the movie’s few sizzling one-liners. Mila Kunis, meanwhile, works hard to project dowdy cluelessness, as she ransacks her closet of frumpy clothes before a night out. As the trio fight their nemeses Gwendolyn, Vicky and Stacy (Christina Applegate, Annie Mumolo and Jada Pinkett Smith) for control of the local parent-teacher association, Stacy reveals that she recently got ‘fifty shaded’ by her husband. Why don’t we get to see that? Hardcore this comedy ain’t.

Estamos de acuerdo en que 'Buscando a Nemo' es el tipo de delicia visual que todos podemos esperar de Pixar, aunque su línea argumental no siempre alcanza los niveles de inventiva en la que los estudios han construido su reputación. No hay ni el reto psicológico de 'Del revés', ni la letanía existencial de 'Wall-E', ni la estoica tristeza de 'Up'. Sin embargo, trece años después aquí tenemos una sólida secuela que sigue las aventuras de Dory, el adorable pez azul amnésico, mientras busca por California la familia que de repente recuerda haber perdido.Ambas películas tienen la misma estructura: en una, un padre que busca a su hijo, y en la otra, una hija que busca a sus padres. Evidentemente, la sensación de urgencia que requiere la situación no es exactamente igual. La primera era más lacrimógena, tenía más tensión dramática, mientras que aquí, en cambio, gana la comedia. La trama se dispara en el momento en que Dory redescubre su infancia en un rincón del Instituto Marítimo de California, en el departamento de ictiología, presidido por la voz omnisciente y omnipotente de Sigourney Weaver (recuerda aquellas audioguías de museos narradas por celebridades).Hay algunas diferencias entre las dos cintas, como el hecho de que Dory creció en un entorno donde la vida acuática más perjudicada es "rescatada, reparada y reliberada". Pero en el mundo oceánico de Pixar, los obstáculos son bienvenidos. Porque por muchas dificultades que se encuentren en el camino, ambos seguirán nadando, s

Estem d’acord que 'Buscant en Nemo' és el tipus de delícia visual que tots podem esperar de Pixar, encara que la seva línia argumental no sempre assoleix els nivells d’inventiva en què els estudis han construït la seva reputació. No hi ha ni el repte psicològic de 'Del revés', ni la lletania existencial de 'Wall-E', ni l’estoica tristesa d’'Up'. Tot i això, tretze anys després aquí tenim una sòlida seqüela que segueix les aventures de Dory, l’adorable peix blau amnèsic, mentre busca per Califòrnia la família que de sobte recorda haver perdut. Les dues pel·lícules tenen la mateixa estructura: en una, un pare que busca el seu fill, i en l’altra, una filla que busca els seus pares. Evidentment, la sensació d’urgència que requereix la situació no és ben bé igual. La primera era més lacrimògena, tenia més tensió dramàtica, mentre que aquí, en canvi, guanya la comèdia. La trama es dispara en el moment en què Dory redescobreix la seva infància en un racó de l’Institut Marítim de Califòrnia, en el departament d’ictiologia, presidit per la veu omniscient i omnipotent de Sigourney Weaver (recorda aquelles audioguies de museus narrades per celebritats). Hi ha algunes diferències entre les dues cintes, com ara el fet que Dory va créixer en un entorn on la vida aquàtica més perjudicada és “rescatada, reparada i realliberada”. Però en el món oceànic de Pixar, els obstacles són benvinguts. Perquè per moltes dificultats que es trobin en el camí, t

While 'Finding Dory' is crammed with the kind of visual pleasures we’ve come to expect from Pixar, the story doesn’t always reach the heights of invention upon which the animation giant has built its reputation. The film lacks the psychological probing of 'Inside Out', the existential ponderings of 'Wall-E', the gentle, stoic sadness of 'Up'. But it’s still a moving sequel to 2003’s 'Finding Nemo', following the adventures of Dory (voiced by Ellen DeGeneres), the adorably ditzy amnesiac tang fish, as she hunts for the Californian family she suddenly remembers losing. There’s a neat symmetry here: In 'Finding Nemo', a father, Marlin (Albert Brooks) looked for his lost son (Alexander Gould); now a grown-up daughter searches for her parents. The switch, though, has a resultant lack of urgency: there’s more dramatic tension when a child goes missing than when a parent is suddenly remembered by their adult offspring. Dory rediscovers her childhood home in a corner of the California Marine Life Institute, a place for oceanic study presided over by the disembodied, omniscient voice of Sigourney Weaver, playing herself (think of those museum-guide gadgets narrated by celebrities). Weaver brings a wonderfully surreal note that'll sail over the heads of younger viewers – she’s a welcome presence in a film that has less-than-the-usual number of gags pitched at older viewers. In keeping with the film’s subtle celebration of difference, Dory grew up in a place where damaged aquatic life i

Ancient Egypt! Where gods and goddesses deign to live among humans, and squabble over who should be in charge. Just as Horus (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), Lord of the Skies, is about to inherit the crown, Set (Gerard Butler) – whose godly portfolio includes stirring up deserts, making darkness and generally creating unpleasantness – ruins everything with a well-timed coup. Mere mortals Zaya and Bek (Courtney Eaton and Brenton Thwaites, looking like escapees from a Justin Bieber/Selena Gomez biopic) are enslaved, and a new reign of evil begins. The filmmakers have already issued apologies for the predominately Caucasian casting choices, a swifter mea culpa than the one Ridley Scott offered for 'Exodus: Gods and Kings', which cited budgetary concerns as the reason behind his colour-blind picks. Still, it seems as though a decent chunk of the 'Gods of Egypt' budget went toward Butler’s skin bronzer – money that would have been better spent on the cheap-looking special effects, which appear to be culled from 'Ghostbusters II'. Is Ra (Geoffrey Rush) channeling Vigo the Carpathian? This swords-and-sandals escapade could easily have been milked for laughs, but its handful of jokes, delivered deadpan, fall flat. Even a campy Chadwick Boseman performance comes off as heavy-handed and unwelcome. As the film totters to its predictable finale, the closing moments set up a sequel, a prospect far more terrifying than anything we've just seen.

There’s a peculiar sense of anxiety that accompanies the watching of a Nicholas Sparks adaptation; it’s never if tragedy strikes, but when. The opening scene of 'The Choice' occurs in a hospital, with handsome young vet Travis (Benjamin Walker) striding sadly but purposefully forward, clutching flowers. The disaster has already happened, but it takes a flashback spanning seven years to learn exactly what horrific punishment Sparks has in store for his characters this time. Meanwhile, know this: as usual, love will be declared, tears will be shed, rain will fall, stars will be gazed at and dogs will be shamelessly treated as humans by their owners. Director Ross Katz lingers over the perfect landscapes of coastal North Carolina and the equally perfect contours of the beachwear-clad Gabby (Teresa Palmer) and Travis, whose early squabbling can only mean one thing: love at first sight. The two are soon sharing flirtatious moments and enjoying wholesome American pastimes like barbequing, church-going and truck riding, all while basking in a seemingly endless summer. When disaster does come, it is signalled by a pathetic rumble of thunder from an approaching storm cloud. All of this would be harmless enough, even down to its bland message, delivered in husky voiceover by Travis – that the choices you make in life can change everything (well, duh). But Sparks’s insistent, socially conservative vision of life blares through the fluff: whenever Gabby says 'no', all any man hears is 'y

Po the panda (voiced by Jack Black) returns as a lovable, paunchy bundle of fur tasked with saving his homeland from disaster in the latest 'Kung Fu Panda' instalment. It’s the first to be co-produced by Oriental Dreamworks—a savvy move, given that China will soon be the world’s top-grossing market. In the final scene of 'Kung Fu Panda 2', we saw that Po’s biological father, Lee, supposedly killed by a genocidal peacock, was alive and well. The new movie follows Lee (Bryan Cranston), who discovers Po at the noodle shop of his goosey adoptive dad, Mr Ping (James Hong). Po is persuaded to visit Lee’s village, but his idyllic time with other giant pandas is shattered by news that the villainous Kai (JK Simmons) has escaped the spirit realm to steal the chi—that's the life force, kids—of China’s inhabitants. Only Po, aided by Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) and his friends, can stop him. It won't be easy, and life lessons are lurking, such as, sometimes, it takes a village. While the scriptwriters happily riff on franchise gags like the excruciating Wuxi finger-hold and excessive dumpling-gorging contests, the new sequel lacks the tear-jerking revelations and darker edge that characterized its predecessor. Visually though, 'Kung Fu Panda 3' is a candy-coloured 3D treat, from the exquisite sunset that shimmers over the panda enclave to the psychedelia of the spirit world. The addition of a love interest for Po, a ribbon-swirling panda called Mei-Mei (Kate Hudson), is a firecracker t

If you're heading downtown to the Tribeca Film Festival, we're here to help. Check out our picks for the 10 best movies in the lineup, as well as our guide to the best Tribeca restaurants (you'll need to eat and debate the movie afterward). But there’s a lot more than movie screenings at this year’s TFF. Here's where to rock out, stargaze and more. RECOMMENDED: Full coverage of the Tribeca Film Festival Tribeca Talks: J.J. Abrams with Chris RockStar Wars: The Force Awakens helmer Abrams sits down for a chat with Oscar host and revolutionary comedian Chris Rock to talk about the Lost-like twists and turns of Abrams’s career. (Both were outspoken in the #oscarssowhite conversation, so expect some seriousness between laughs.)JZT @ BMCC. Fri 15 at 6pm; rush tickets only. Hard Lovin’ WomanJuliette Lewis has reassembled Juliette and the Licks and rejoined that eccentric pantheon of actor-led rock bands (we’re looking at you, Jared Leto). Rejoice with a screening of this doc about the group from Michael Rapaport, followed by a performance of punk-rocking insanity from the woman herself.Tribeca Festival Hub. Fri 15 at 9pm; $43.50. Virtual ArcadeThis year, the Tribeca team has assembled a bunch of boundary-pushing virtual reality projects. Strap on a headset and plunge into the world of Invasion!, by Antz and Madagascar honcho Eric Darnell, where only you can help a bunch of adorable cartoon bunny rabbits save the world from a vicious alien attack. Or, consider delving deep into the o