21 BRIDGES
(15)
HHHHH OPPORTUNISTIC thieves are in the wrong place at the wrong time, sparking a night-time police manhunt through the streets of Manhattan, in Brian Kirk’s propulsive action thriller.
Screenwriters Adam Mervis and Matthew Michael Carnahan milk droplets of dramatic tension from their simple and efficient set-up, running a stopwatch on the frenetic gun fights and car chases from the moment the lead investigating officer reminds colleagues: “If we don’t catch these guys in the next three to four hours, they vanish.”
Chadwick Boseman trades Black Panther’s figure-hugging Vibranium weave mesh suit for more simple, functional attire as a morally incorruptible NYPD detective.
Michael (Stephan James) and his militarytrained buddy Ray (Taylor Kitsch) receive a tip-off that a swanky restaurant in New York is a temporary hold for a 30kg shipment of cocaine.
The low-level criminals storm the premises after hours and point automatic weapons at a lone waiter, who eventually gives Michael and Ray a key to the downstairs safe.
Inside, the shocked duo find a whopping 300kg of white powder.
A police patrol arrives as the trigger-happy pair escapes. Eight officers perish in a hail of bullets and Ray and Michael flee to Chinatown to offload their stash.
Detective Andre Davis (Boseman), son of a decorated cop who was killed in the line of duty, is assigned to lead the manhunt.
Andre proposes a bold plan of action – the temporary closure of all 21 bridges out of Manhattan and a suspension of train and subway services, trapping the killers on the island. Flanked by feisty narcotics division officer Frankie Burns (Sienna Miller), Andre screeches into Chinatown to apprehend Ray and Michael, using lethal force if necessary.
21 Bridges shoots to thrill on familiar territory, emboldened by Boseman’s portrayal of a stoic and softly spoken man of honour.
Northern Irish director Kirk is a willing accomplice to explosive skirmishes in a cityscape that never sleeps.
With a sleek 99-minute running time, there’s no time for us to slumber.
ACCORDING to lovable snowman Olaf (voiced by Josh Gad), who is a permafrosted font of wisdom about the natural world, water has memory.
It’s safe to assume that the audience’s memory of Chris
Buck and Jennifer Lee’s Oscar-winning adventure will ebb and flow throughout this visually stunning sequel to the highest-grossing animated film of all time.
Water and the other classical elements – air, earth and fire – play pivotal roles in Frozen II.
The realistic movement of aqua has always been a chink in the armour of computer animators. Not so here.
Disney’s platoons of digital wizards repeatedly quench our thirst with jaw-dropping set pieces including a thrilling gallop over crashing waves of an angry sea astride an untamed water horse.
We’ve had six years to commit to memory every note, key change and lyrical flip of Do
You Want To Build A Snowman?, For The First Time In Forever, Love Is An Open Door and Let It Go.
It would be churlish to expect returning songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez to ride the crest of those sound waves again on a first listen.
In the sequel, Elsa’s call to arms Into The Unknown soars to dizzying high notes and Kristoff’s faux 1990s rock ballad Lost In The Woods is a hoot, replete with four-legged backing singers. Anna’s solo The Next Right Thing is a beautifully melancholic distillation of grief.
Three years have passed since Elsa (Idina Menzel) ascended the throne of Arendelle.
An ethereal voice from the enchanted forest beckons her to unlock the secret of a bedtime story told to Elsa and sister Anna (Kristen Bell) by their parents, King Agarr (Alfred Molina) and Queen Iduna (Evan Rachel Wood).
“The truth must be found. Without it, there is no future,” confirms troll king Grand Pabbie (Ciaran Hinds).
Thus, Elsa, Anna, her goofy beau Kristoff (Jonathan Groff ), reindeer Sven and Olaf journey to an ancient stone circle shrouded in swirling mist, which designates a hidden pathway to the
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COMPUTER-ANIMATED sequel. Red (voiced by Jason Sudeikis), speedy livewire Chuck (Josh Gad) and self-combusting worrywart Bomb (Danny McBride) spearhead the birds’ efforts to stay one cluck ahead of the pigs’ leader, Leonard (Bill Hader), and his second-in-command (Awkwafina). The frenemies soon discover a third colony called Eagle Island, where embittered ruler Zeta (Leslie Jones) and her daughter Debbie (Tiffany Haddish) are plotting to overthrow the birds and pigs. Red assembles a crack team – including Chuck’s inventor sister Silver (Rachel Bloom) and Mighty Eagle (Peter Dinklage) – for a daring mission.
■ Available from November 25 to stream and download and from December 2 on DVD/Blu-ray.