October 2016 - Queen of Katwe, Trolls and more...

The end of this month sees the release of a couple of great films but the film that I think a lot of movie fans will be most looking forward to is Doctor Strange, who will be Marvel's latest addition to their Cinematic Universe since Scott Lang got his first solo movie, Ant-Man, in July 2015. We have already seen characters in the MCU with magic, like Loki and Scarlet Witch (even though Marvel currently explain it away as science) but now the Universe is delving deeper in Marvel's "magical" source materials. 

After a horrific car accident, Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is forced to turn away from conventional science to learn about the mystic arts as traditional medicine cannot save him and after searching for an alternative cure he finds a mysterious enclave known as Kamar-Taj. Here he learns of a battle against unseen dark forces that aim to destroy reality as we know it. With his new powers, Dr. Strange has to choose whether to return to his world of fame and fortune or to leave that life forever and protect the world as its most powerful sorcerer.

I did say there were "a couple of great films" to mention in this post, and the second of those is Keeping Up with the Joneses. We've seen these types of movie before, like Mr. and Mrs. Smith or, to a lesser extent, The Incredibles, where the everyday, normal suburban family (or couple) turn out to be more than they say they are. In this case, Jeff and Karen Gaffney (Zach Galifianakis and Isla Fisher) grow increasingly suspicious of their impossibly gorgeous and ultra-sophisticated new neighbours, Tim and Natalie Jones (Jon Hamm and Gal Gadot), who are actually covert government spies and before long the Gaffney's become embroiled in the Jones's world of international espionage.

So we have an action comedy above, now we have a romantic comedy that will not be so well known. One Crazy Thing sneaked out last year with its international premiere at the East End Film Festival in London. It stars Ray Panthaki, a little-known (unfortunately) British actor, as Jay - a former television host now haunted by a sex-tape that went viral - who now tries to stay unnoticed and is always fearful of being recognised for his one stupid mistake. Jay's life brightens when he meets Hannah (Daisy Bevan), a bright and beautiful music student who hates modern life, but when he begins to fall for her he knows he must tell her about the tape. There's just one question - how?

And lastly, we have an animated comedy. Trolls is the latest world that DreamWorks have come up with after worlds with fairy tale characters, animal martial artists and globe-trotting zoo escapees, this time it's full of overly optimistic Trolls and comically pessimistic Bergens, who are only happens when they have trolls in their stomachs. After the Bergens invade Troll Village, Poppy (Anna Kendrick), the happiest troll ever born is joined by the overly-cautious Branch (Justin Timberlake) as she sets off on a rescue mission full of adventure and mishaps to save her friends.

It's been four years since we first saw Jack Reacher, the military police officer turned private investigator, jump from the pages of Lee Childs' novel to the big screen, and now he's back in Jack Reacher: Never Go Back. In the second film of the series, Jack (Tom Cruise) is accused of murder and must go on the run, becoming a fugitive from the law, to clear his name and discover the truth behind a major government conspiracy, all the while uncovering potential secrets from his past that could affect his life forever.

Next is another action adventure film, this time with a sci-fi twist. Based on the Mattel action figures of the same name and blended with a little imagination, Max Steel is the story of sixteen year old Max McGrath (Ben Winchell) who is just trying to fit into a new town when he discovers that he is the most powerful source of energy in the universe. When Max meets Steel (Josh Brener), a slightly rebellious and hilarious techno-organic extra-terrestrial, they find that together they form Max Steel, a powerful superhero stronger the anything in this world and now they are hunted by sinister forces seek to control their powers, as well as an unstoppable enemy from another galaxy.

The latest release from Disney is out next week and while it may not have the blockbuster appeal of some other Disney properties, like The Force Awakens or The Jungle Book, Queen of Katwe is still definitely worth a watch. This biographical drama follows Phiona Mutesi (Madina Nalwanga) as she goes from a slum-dwelling ten year old in Kampala to an international Ugandan chess champion. First introduced to the game by missionary Robert Katende (David Oyelowo), her fascination for the game leads to continual tournament successes but as the tournaments become greater, she must learn to cope with life outside of Katwe as she dreams of escaping a poverty-ridden life for her and her family.

UK Release Dates
One Crazy Thing                                 18 October 2016  TRAILER
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back                20 October 2016  TRAILER
Queen of Katwe                                 21 October 2016  TRAILER
Trolls                                                21 October 2016  TRAILER
Doctor Strange                                  28 October 2016  TRAILER
Keepng Up With The Joneses                28 October 2016  TRAILER
Max Steel                                         28 October 2016  TRAILER