SATURDAY

Planes

TVNZ 2, 5.20pm

Voices Dan Cook, Stacy Keach. Cars isn’t many people’s favourite Pixar movie, and this spin-off set in the same world isn’t likely to top anyone’s list either, with a seen-it-all-before storyline that makes for a safely entertaining kids’ film, but not much more. ★★

The Secret Life Of Pets Three, 7pm Voices of Louis CK, Eric Stonestreet, Kevin Hart. This is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser from the creators of Despicable Me. It is essentially an animated buddy comedy centred on a pampered terrier and the rescue dog his owner adopts. While the storyline is undemanding, there are enough laughs to gratify audiences of all ages. Kids will love the cute chaos while adults will appreciate the one-liners that come thick and fast. Warm and friendly with a first-rate voice cast, this is a real winner – especially for dog-loving watchers. ★★★★

The Dark Knight Rises

TVNZ 2, 7pm

Starring Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy. Director Christopher Nolan takes what he started in Batman Begins and continued with The Dark Knight, and ramps up the action to complete his trilogy in spectacular fashion. The fight scenes between Tom Hardy’s seriously villainous Bane and Christian Bale’s broodingly heroic Batman are electric and serve as a reminder of how much the caped crusader has changed, banishing forever the Bang! Pow! Smack! of the television era. ★★★★★

Beatriz At Dinner Sky Premiere, 8.30pm Starring Salma Hayek, John Lithgow. You wouldn’t have to be a genius to recognise John Lithgow’s character, Doug Strutt, as a thinly disguised version of Donald Trump. Strutt is a boorish billionaire who finds himself at the same dinner party as a Mexican immigrant (Selma Hayek), who is working as a massage therapist. Yes, it gets really predictable. But Hayek is simply brilliant. ★★★★

Eat Drink Man Woman M ori TV, 8.30pm Starring Sihung Lung. Nominated for the best foreign language film Oscar in 1995, this charming comedy drama about a widower master chef and his three adult daughters is a perfectly pleasing blend of family and food. ★★★★ The Runaways Choice, 8.30pm Starring Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning. Much was made of the lead performances of Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart in this coming-of-age biopic about notorious 70s girl-band The Runaways, and these two teen titans certainly live up to the hype with their portrayals of lead singer Cherie Currie and guitarist Joan Jett respectively. Fans of the real-life band may be slightly disappointed with the movie’s limited scope, but it is an intriguing watch nevertheless. ★★★

Black Hawk Down TVNZ 2, 9.55pm

Starring Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor. This fact-based war movie about the disastrous 1993 rescue mission of trapped troops in Somalia may have skimped a little on character development, but there is no resisting the almost non-stop excitement of the relentless action scenes. ★★★★

Thelma & Louise Three, 10.25pm Starring Geena Davis, Susan Sarandon. An Oscar-winning script sets this chick-flick road-trip movie apart from the rest. A well-paired Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon leave their old lives

behind for a weekend of kicking up their heels, only to become fugitives after an unfortunate incident. The movie also stars a just-starting-out Brad Pitt. ★★★★

Alex & Eve TVNZ 1, 11.10pm

Starring Richard Brancatisano, Andrea Demetriades. Feelgood Australian movie about a Greek Orthodox teacher who falls for a Lebanese Muslim lawyer. Based on a long-running stage show, it is funny and gently challenging in a cultural sense. ★★★★

At Any Price TVNZ 2, 12.40am (Sunday)

Starring Dennis Quaid, Zac Efron. Thoughtful film about a big-time farmer who tries to make his son give up his dreams of becoming a racing driver and join the family business. ★★★