ALSO SHOWING
DOLITTLE (PG)
★★★★★
ROBERT DOWNEY JR (right) talks to creatures great and small but fails to communicate effectively with fellow humans – including us – in a special effects-clogged odyssey. Following the death of his adventurer wife (Kasia Smutniak), gifted veterinarian Dr John Dolittle (Downey Jr) closes the doors to his animal hospital.
He becomes a recluse, surrounded by a menagerie of chums including lurcher Jip (voiced by Tom Holland), macaw Polynesia (Dame Emma Thompson), gorilla Chee-Chee (Rami Malek), polar bear Yoshi (John Cena) and ostrich Plimpton (Kumail Nanjiani).
The unexpected intrusion of a boy called Tommy Stubbins (Harry Collett) coincides with an urgent summons to Buckingham Palace. Queen Victoria (Jessie Buckley) has been poisoned and the only remedy is the fruit of the mythical Eden tree.
Dolittle and Tommy head to an isle of bandits and thieves ruled by King Rassouli (Antonio Banderas), with fierce rival Dr Blair Mudfly (Michael Sheen) in hot pursuit.
BIRDS OF PREY (AND THE FANTABULOUS EMANCIPATION OF ONE HARLEY QUINN) (15)
★★★★★
MARGOT ROBBIE’S gung-ho embodiment of unhinged Gotham
City psychiatrist Harley Quinn, who lost her heart and mind to the Joker, was the chief undeniable pleasure of 2016 fantasy Suicide Squad.
Birds of Prey opens with a cute animated sequence, which pithily summarises the end to their romance. Once news hits the streets that Harley (pictured )is no longer under the protection of Joker, she runs a gauntlet of grievously wronged low-lives and underworld figures.
The anti-heroine falls into the clutches of sadistic gangster Roman Sionis (Ewan McGregor) and his sidekick Victor Zsasz (Chris Messina).
Harley promises to reclaim a precious diamond, which was stolen from Roman by pickpocket Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco).
PARASITE (15)
★★★★★ THIS Oscar-winning South Korean satire sees wily patriarch Kim Ki-tek (Song Kang-ho, right) preside over a family of con artists, including wife Chung-sook (Chang Hyae-jin), son Ki-woo (Choi Wooshik) and daughter Ki-jung (Park So-dam, pictured with Choi). Good fortune smiles unexpectedly on Ki-woo when friend Minhyuk (Park Seo-joon) recommends him as an English tutor for teenager Park Da-hae (Jeong Ji-so).
Ki-woo falsifies his qualifications to impress Da-hae’s wealthy parents and once he has earned their misplaced trust, he recommends a college friend called Jessica as an art therapist for Da-hae’s younger brother. Ki-jung arrives in the guise of Jessica and soon Ki-tek and Chung-sook seek positions under false pretences. However, the suspicions of housekeeper Mun-kwang (Lee Jung-eun) threaten to expose the deception.