Zootropolis (PG)
(Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Rich Moore, 2016, US) Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Shakira, Idris Elba, JK Simmons. 108 mins
The city’s a jungle, or is the jungle a city? Disney’s latest gives us a society where prey and predator have put aside their natural urges and put on clothes, although a bunny is still judged on her “cuteness” when she tries to join the police. The conceit proves remarkably durable: on the surface you get a snappy, witty buddy-cop caper, but beneath this it’s a laudable primer in identity politics.
Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice (12A)
(Zack Snyder, 2016, US) Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Jesse Eisenberg. 151 mins
Faced with Marvel’s supremacy, DC puts all its eggs (including Wonder Woman) in one expensive basket. Typically for Zack Snyder, the result is a giant omelette of city-trashing cataclysm and dark superheroic angst. Anything less than awesome will be considered a failure.
Court (PG)
(Chaitanya Tamhane, 2014, Ind) Vira Sathidar, Vivek Gomber, Geetanjali Kulkarni. 116 mins
The very opposite of a taut legal thriller, this rich, rewarding Indian drama wanders well beyond its central case (of a folk singer accused of abetting suicide) to conduct a top-to-bottom survey of its society.
Disorder (15)
(Alice Winocour, 2015, Fra/Bel) Matthias Schoenaerts, Diane Kruger, Paul Hamy. 98 mins
Schoenaerts in brooding mode (again). His traumatised bodyguard struggles to separate reality from paranoia as he watches over a wealthy client (Kruger).
The Club (18)
(Pablo Larraín, 2015, Chi) Alfredo Castro, Roberto Farías, Antonia Zegers. 97 mins
Another provocative angle on Chilean history from Larraín, set at a coastal “retreat” for disgraced priests. Bloodshed and past crimes soon upset their unrepentant existence.
Welcome To Me (15)
(Shira Piven, 2014, US) Kristen Wiig, Wes Bentley, Linda Cardellini. 85 mins
The perfect role for Wiig: a deluded lottery winner with the means to live out her twisted TV fantasies. Offbeat and unpredictable, it strikes the right balance between funny and tragic.
Mojave (15)
(William Monahan, 2015, US) Oscar Isaac, Garrett Hedlund, Mark Wahlberg. 91 mins
A desert encounter prompts a drawn-out game of kill-or-be-killed, which could either be read as “existential” or simply “pretentious”.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (12A)
(Kirk Jones, 2016, US) Nia Vardalos, John Corbett, Lainie Kazan. 94 mins
Another mezze of broad ethnic laughs with Vardalos and her interfering family.
Speed Sisters (PG)
(Amber Fares, 2015, Pal/US/Qat/UK/Den/Can) 78 mins
Lively documentary about an all-female Palestinian racing team negotiating all manner of barriers.
Iona (15)
(Scott Graham, 2015, UK) Ruth Negga, Douglas Henshall, Ben Gallagher. 83 mins
A mother and son’s return to the Scottish isle reopens old wounds within a community so insular and untalkative that working out what happened becomes a detective story.
Out from Friday
Eddie The Eagle Taron Egerton plays the cherished ski-jumping underdog.
Victoria Acclaimed German one-take thriller capturing a night of adventure in real time.
Ran Akira Kurosawa’s samurai retelling of King Lear gets a restoration.
Anguish Possession horror anchored in teen trauma and mental illness.
Martyrs Abduction, torture and gore in a US remake of the French horror.
Black Mountain Poets Crime, camping and improv poetry in a low-budget Welsh comedy.
A Warrior’s Tale Fairytale animation for kids.
Battle Mountain: Graeme Obree’s Story The cyclist and bike-maker sets himself a new challenge.
Papusza The story behind the Polish-Romani poet’s hard-earned success.
Natural Born Pranksters YouTube stars bring their pranking to the big screen.
Pandorica Low-budget woodland sci-fi charting a tribal leadership contest.
Motley’s Law Doc about a female US defence lawyer in modern Afghanistan.
Coming soon
In two weeks... Adam Driver in sci-fi indie Midnight Special… Jacques “A Prophet” Audiard’s 2015 Cannes-winner Dheepan…
In three weeks... Disney’s live-action retelling of The Jungle Book… Helen Mirren stars in drone thriller Eye In The Sky…
In a month... Don Cheadle channels Miles Davis in Miles Ahead… Idris Elba foils Paris attacks in Bastille Day…
