R.I.P.D. (3D) (2013, Dir. Robert Schwentke, USA) (Cert: 12a/PG-13) **

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Bacon

Boston cop Nick Walker (Reynolds) is about to confess his part in swiping gold from a recent bust when he's shot dead by his partner, Bobby Hayes (Bacon). Whilst awaiting judgement in the afterlife, Nick is assigned to the Rest In Peace Department (or R.I.P.D.) paired up with Old West lawman, Royseifus "Roy" Pulcipher (Bridges) and given the task of apprehending bad souls that have gone back to Earth.

Watching R.I.P.D. does beg the question; why exactly was this film made? A comic-book-styled mess of a movie, R.I.P.D. is too adult for kids and too childish for (at least, mature) adults. Whilst the premise does bring some comparisons with Ghostbusters (1984), really the film takes much of its cues from Men In Black (1997) and the level of imitation is pretty obvious, whilst the plot bizarrely morphs towards The Avengers (Avengers Assemble) (2012) towards the end. The script is dull with an astounding number of plot-holes and errors (why would you entrust a cop suspected of corruption on the case of capturing bad guys?) and few laugh-worthy gags while the rather impressive cast (Kevin Bacon, Jeff Bridges, James Hong, Mary-Louise Parker) don't seem to live up to potential, although Parker has her moments, whilst Jeff Bridges' southern accent is, at times, impenetrable. Visually, the film isn't particularly impressive and  the 3D coupled with the constant camera movement is a little bit of an eyesore. Robert Schwentke has his strengths as a film-maker as can be seen with RED (2010) (this prior collaboration with Mary-Louise Parker may explain why she gives a relatively strong performance) and as derivative as R.I.P.D. is, there's a nugget of fun in the material. Unfortunately, that was never really used to its best potential and so the film comes off as rather lacklustre.

Next time, Hugh Jackman plays a determined father trying to solve a case of child abduction in Prisoners.

Diana (2013, Dir. Oliver Hirschbiegel, UK/France/Belgium/Sweden) (Cert: 12a/PG-13) ***

Starring: Naomi Watts, Naveen Andrews, Geraldine James

It's 1995 and Diana Princess Of Wales (Watts) is the most famous woman in the world and going through a tumultuous separation from her husband, Prince Charles, whilst also travelling the world on various humanitarian efforts. Within this whirlwind she meets Hasnat Khan (Andrews), an eminent heart-surgeon from Pakistan, working in London. The two begin a love affair under the constant view of the paparazzi. 

In terms of quality, the filmography of director Oliver Hirschbiegel has been rather inconsistent. Hirschbiegel first came to international attention with Downfall (2004), a tense and detailed account of the last days of Adolf Hitler. Diana has Hirschbiegel trying his hand at putting the life of a real person on the screen to less impressive results. Downfall worked because it presented a man who was almost entirely condemned and who had been dead for decades, presenting a three-dimensional view of a real and morally-complex (if ultimately despicable) human being who loved his dog and was kind to his staff whilst also calling for millions to die, including his own people who he believed had failed him. Princess Diana died only sixteen years ago and still holds a difficult reputation to assess without upsetting either those who saw her as a manipulative self-publiciser or a tragic and almost angelic figure. These may be extreme opinions but the film has to walk a tightrope with them nonetheless.

The direction the film takes as a result is a strange one that doesn't entirely work. For the most part, the film is respectful and even tilts towards being admiring whilst showing a very exceptional level of celebrity for Diana (during a televised interview, men n a pub are stood around looking at the tv, looking like they're watching aliens landing on Earth) but also displaying a figure starved of love. This is taken to rather odd ends when we have a sequence of her cleaning her lover's flat whilst he's away after a massive, possibly relationship ending, argument. It's played lightly and romantically, but it's a rather disturbing thing to do.

Naomi Watts tries hard with this conflicting image but you never get beyond the sense that it's someone playing Diana, although the way she carries herself and embodies Diana's own subtle foibles is impressive. Meanwhile, Naveen Andrews is characterful and gives the best performance of the film. To say Diana is Hirschbiegel's worst work would be untrue (check out his 2003 Invasion Of The Bodysnatchers remake, known as The Invasion to see a worse effort) but here, Horschbiegel struggles a little with a very tough project to do successfully and comes up a little short.

Next time, Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges play two deceased cops bringing runaway souls back to the afterlife in R.I.P.D.

SNEAK PREVIEW: Hawking (2013, Dir. Stephen Finnigan, UK) (Cert: PG/TBC) ***

Starring: Professor Stephen Hawking, Jane Hawking, Nathan Chapple

A look into the life of Professor Stephen Hawking, who at the start of a promising career in physics was struck by Motor Neurone Disease and rendered permanently paralysed. Hawking  has continued to soldier on to make groundbreaking studies into black holes and how we see the universe to becoming the most famous scientist on the planet.

There are few well-known people on living on Earth today who are seen as more extraordinary than Stephen Hawking. Now in his seventies when he was told he wouldn't see his mid-twenties, Hawking is already being compared to such great scientific minds as Sir Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein (he's even played a game of poker with them, well, actors playing them, in Star Trek: The Next Generation) so he's a great choice for a feature-length documentary but as a documentary, Hawking is fairly ordinary. The film does a good job picking bits-and-pieces from Hawking's life to provide a good overview of both his experiences as well as his day-to-day life and you warm to Hawking as a human being.

The prevailing problem is that the film feels much more televisual.  Lacking the depth and dynamism that film documentaries unleash at their best. The film also slows to up its stop, seemingly uncertain about what part of Hawking's life to focus on to a close. As documentaries films go, Hawking is forgettable and throwaway but competent and still often manages to be interesting.

Next time, the most famous woman in the world begins a controversial and highly-publicised romance, Naomi Watts stars in Diana.

Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013, Dir. James Wan, USA) (Cert: 15/PG-13) **

Starring: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Ty Simpkins

After a young boy named Dalton Lambert (Simpkins) is freed from possession by evil spirits,  Elsie Rainer (Lyn Shae) is found dead and Dalton's father, Josh (Wilson), is suspected of killing her whilst also being possessed. As they begin to settle back into their daily lives, the Lambert family discover that the forces of darkness aren't quite finished with them yet.

With a highly-prolific rate of production, horror film director James Wan (who burst into the spotlight in 2005 with Saw) has become a distinctive film-maker within the horror genre, with his love of jump-scares and creepy dolls. Following the Saw franchise, Wan has seemingly moved onto a new series with Insidious, with the first eponymous film (released in 2011) bringing with a mixture of haunted house conventions and surreal horror. The film had its flaws in that it was derivative and (in common with much of Wan's work) melded intensity and surreality to the point of being ridiculous.

Insidious: Chapter 2 doesn't correct these problems, in fact it worsens them. Whilst the initial buildup lacks momentum or anything to maintain interest, when the horror does kick in, its done in such a way to evoke more titters than screams. The plot also leans heavily on other horror works, especially The Shining (1980) with its themes of personal possession steering a character towards insanity and the last act of the film has moments where you feel that all is missing is a child scribbling "Redrum" on a wall. There are some brights spots in that the film cleverly plays with its own narrative and even skips back to the initial Insidious in some truly impressive call-backs, and fortunately James Wan has tone down his irritating obsession with jump-scars and atonal piano chords. If you're in the mood for a horror film to make you laugh (and that does have its own kind of audience) than Insidious 2 is actually pretty good, but if that wasn't James Wan's intentions (and I'm speculating that it wasn't) then it has faltered.

Next time, we take a look into the extraordinary life of the world's most famous physicist in Hawking. 

In A World...(2013, Dir. Lake Bell, USA) (Cert: 15/R) ***

Starring: Lake Bell, Fred Melamed, Ken Marino

Following the death of movie trailer voiceover legend, Don LaFontaine (himself), the spot for being the biggest name in the industry is up for grabs. Vocal coach and aspiring voiceover artist, Carol Solomon wants to start narrating trailers, but her father, the legendary Sam Soto (Melamed), who doesn't believe in her.

Lake Bell writes, produces and stars in this comedy and aside from the occasional problem, In A World...is entertaining fare. The film operates on an amusing and original premise built a little on reality (voiceover artist Don LaFontaine was a genuine person and the phrase "In a world..." was associated with the trailers he worked on. Beyond that, however, the story is a amusing and fun but plays around with a sub-plot when the primary storyline should've deserved all the focus.The film has a nice cast with Lake Bell making a likeable lead and Sam Melamed as her sexist jerk

 of a father deals well with a role that could've been overplayed so easily. The screenplay is the weakest point and needed streamlining and whilst it's also short on belly-laughs, In A World...is still a fairly amusing romp.

Next time, Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne continue to be menaced by the supernatural in Insidious: Chapter 2.

42 (2013, Dir. Brian Helgeland, USA) (Cert: 12a/PG-13) ****

Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Harrison Ford, Nicole Beharie

In 1946, Branch Rickey (Ford), manager of the baseball team, the Brooklyn Dodgers, hit upon the controversial idea of recruiting an African-American, who at the time only played in black-only teams with their own league. Recruiting a promising young player, Jackie Robinson (Boseman), Jackie encounters hostility and racism from both the fans and fellow players, even his teammates.

A film about the early Major League Baseball career of Jackie Robinson is a hard sell in many places outside of North America. A iconic name in both baseball and in the Civil Rights movement, Robison's name has less note outside of the US,as in many places, does the sport of baseball, itself. This definitely works against 42 as the film doesn't take it easy on audiences who don't know a great deal about the sport during the actual sequences of play and unfolding of backstage politics. However, as a dramatic piece, 42 is a perfectly good film. The film is less about baseball and more about race-relations in that period of America and hits that point home ably thanks to a strong dramatic script and a lead performance from Chadwick Boseman. The supporting cast also work well, even if Harrison Ford (as good as he is) feels a little miscast, at least physically, as Branch Rickey.

The evocative use of period details gives the film a sense of warmth and character even if the film teeters at times towards too much sentimentality. This aside, 42 is an admirable film very competently handled.

Next time, Lake Bell directs and stars in In A World, paving the way as a female voiceover artist  for film trailers, a largely male profession.

Justin And The Knights Of Valour (3D) (2013, Dir. Manuel Sicilia, Spain) (Cert: PG/TBC) **

youtube.com/watch?v=c9R9x9RfyGE

Starring: Freddie Highmore, Saoirse Ronan, James Cosmo

Young Justin (Highmore) wants to be a knight and follow in the footsteps of his legendary grandfather, however, knights have become forbidden by the land and Justin's lawyer father (Alfred Molina) wants Justin to study law. When a crown is stolen, Justin teams up with Tara (Ronan), a plucky young girl and the eccentric wizard Melquiades (David Walliams) to get the crown back.

An English-language computer-animated film from Spain, Justin And The Knights Of Valour does have some raw potential to be worthwhile, but mostly squanders it. The film's biggest flaw is in its writing which is derivative to the point of paraphrasing directly from other movies as well as characters that seem largely superfluous to the plot and an overdose of flamboyant caricatures, with Rupert Everett's role as a prissy villain being particularly cringe-worthy, more down to his dialogue and movements than anything else. Freddie Highmore also seems to be deficient in terms of emotions for much of the film despite being a good actor (it's possible that the direction of the actors, or lack thereof, may have been the problem) with Saoirse Ronan's character of Tara being the only end-to-end engaging and enjoyable character, and one that would probably have made for a better lead.

The story actually has some potential as its use of high-adventure and action was perhaps the one thing that was missing from the comparable but otherwise superior Pixar film, Brave (2012) but the action pace is often sluggish and lacks dynamism. The 3D is largely pointless, as it usually is, and despite the occasional merit, Justin And The Knights Of Valour isn't really worth recommending.