TV Movie Guide
Bolt TVNZ 2, 5.20pm
Voices John Travolta, Miley Cyrus. It’s no Pixar production, but the clever premise of this animated action adventure helps save it from mediocrity. John Travolta voices the movie’s star, a dog who features in his own TV show about a super-powered canine. Trouble is, the confused pooch thinks his powers are real, leading to all sorts of trouble when he escapes into the big wide open. ★★★
The Smurfs Three, 7pm Starring Hank Azaria, Neil Patrick Harris. Adult Smurfs fans hoping to nostalgically revisit the gloriously smurfy memories of their youth may find themselves a little disappointed by this big-screen adaptation, but as a family film, in general, this is a great one to watch with the kids. ★★★
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island TVNZ 2, 7pm
Starring Josh Hutcherson, Dwayne Johnson. Silly but enjoyable family adventure in which Josh Hutcherson reprises his role from 2008’s Journey To The Centre Of The Earth, this time taking along his new stepfather for good measure after he receives a distress call from a mysterious island. There are no surprises, but it is everything a young teen could wish for and Josh even has a love interest thrown in for good measure. ★★★
The Beguiled Sky Premiere, 8.30pm Starring Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman. Sofia Coppola’s slowly paced thriller, which is a remake of the 1971 Clint Eastwood film, lacks the emotional kick of the original but it forces viewers to question their own behaviour. The action is set in a Virginia boarding school where a wounded Union solider throws himself on the mercy of its female inmates. In a world without men, passions are stirred and sex becomes the currency to sell a story which comes perilously close to comedy at times. But Farrell and Kidman are superb, raising The Beguiled above the usual historical drama. ★★★★
Amal M ori TV, 8.30pm Starring Rupinder Nagra, Naseerudin Shah. Captivating, story-driven Canadian film about a kind-hearted New Delhi rickshaw driver who is rewarded for his generosity after unknowingly helping a passenger who turns out to be a millionaire. A warmly presented, feel-good movie which accurately captures the frenetic street life of urban India as seen through the backseat of a rickshaw. ★★★★
Time Out Of Mind Choice, 8.30pm Starring Richard Gere, Jena Malone. Richard Gere plays a confused, harmless alcoholic who is thrown out of his apartment and forced to sleep on the streets. From then on, his life becomes a minefield of navigating the welfare system and trying to find somewhere to live. It’s a well-meaning socially aware film, but Gere is probably not the best pick for the role. ★★★
William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet Three, 8.55pm Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Claire Danes. A bold, self-consciously hip, contemporary update of Shakespeare’s famed tragedy, in which doomed lovers Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes conduct a forbidden tryst while their respective families engage in a violent gangland feud. At times it can be difficult to make out the actors’ lines against the pounding music and stylised action sequences, but for
novelty value alone this film is definitely worth a watch. ★★★
Reign Of Fire TVNZ 2, 8.35pm
Starring Matthew McConaughey, Christian Bale. X-Files veteran Rob Bowman directs this seriously delivered tale of a near-future Earth that is plagued by dragons. Matthew McConaughey and Christian Bale play two of humanity’s few survivors who butt heads over how best to vanquish the sole male dragon that is fertilising its population. ★★★
The Fugitive TVNZ 2, 10.35pm
Starring Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee Jones. Heart-pumping action thriller inspired by the popular 60s TV series starring David Janssen. Harrison Ford is a respected vascular surgeon unjustly accused of murdering his wife. Escaping custody during a spectacular bus crash/train wreck, he pursues the real killer, while scene-stealing federal agent Tommy Lee Jones relentlessly closes in. ★★★★