SATURDAY

Hot Pursuit Bravo, 2.40pm Starring Sofia Vergara, Reese Witherspoon. What could have been a great comedy showcase of two talented actresses falls flat. The humour is forced, the characters are stereotyped and the script is cliched. The plot centres on a by-the-book cop who is protecting the fiery widow of a drug lord. Need we say more. ★

Tooth Fairy

TVNZ 2, 6.40pm

Starring Dwayne Johnson, Ashley Judd. Even the full force of Dwayne ’The Rock’ Johnson’s not inconsiderable charisma can’t quite overcome the weak scripting of this average family film about a minor league ice hockey player saddled with a fantastical new occupation. ★★

Kung Fu Panda Three, 7pm Voices Jackie Chan, Jack Black. Vibrant animation, rip-roaring action scenes and an all-star voice cast – including Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie and Jackie Chan – make this kung-fu comedy a joy to behold for young and old. If it has a failing, it’s that many of its star voices are severely under-utilised but, given the sheer size and stature of the voice cast, that’s not really surprising. ★★★★

The Reef 2 – High Tide M ori TV, 7pm Voice Drake Bell. Nemo he’s not. This undersea animated adventure from South Korea centres on a fighting fish called Pi who keeps his reef free from sharks. OK for kids. ★★

Joker Sky Premiere, 8.30pm Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro. The back story of the Batman villain, formerly Arthur Fleck, a delusional, lonely man who ekes out a miserable living as a party clown and aspiring stand-up comedian. It’s a clever film, brilliantly scripted and produced, and with a masterful performance from Joaquin Phoenix. Deep down, though, it does raise unease over its dark, violent content, particularly in context of the 2012 massacre of 12 people during a screening of The Dark Knight Rises by a mentally disturbed man who had dyed his hair red. ★★★

Far From The Madding Crowd M ori TV, 8.40pm Starring Carey Mulligan, Michael Sheen. This retelling of Thomas Hardy’s classic tale more than measures up against the classic 1967 version starring Julie Christie and Terrence Stamp – thanks to Carey Mulligan. She oozes class as Bathsheba Everdene, the complicated heroine who attracts the attentions of three very different men – the dashing Sergeant Troy, severe neighbour William Boldwood, and loyal shepherd Gabriel. What starts off as a slow-burn drama, heats up in the final scenes, helped along by splendid costumes and stunning cinematography. A real treat. ★★★★

Bad Boys Three, 8.50pm Starring Will Smith, Martin Lawrence. Formulaic but well-paced action comedy starring footloose bachelor Will Smith and family man Martin Lawrence as Miami narcotics cops who must switch roles in bid to help a murder witness, well played by Tea Leoni.

Hot Tub Time Machine

TVNZ 2, 9.30pm

Starring John Cusack, Craig Robinson. Most people will experience feelings of either pleasant anticipation or utter disdain just from the title of this 80s nostalgia flick alone, but even those belonging to the former group are likely to be disappointed

with this too-crude comedy. While it is headlined by the ever-reliable straight man John Cusack, most of the genuine laughs are delivered courtesy of his scene-stealing co-star Craig Robinson. Chevy Chase and Crispin Glover are also worth a mention for their cameos. ★★

Predator 2

TVNZ Duke, 9.55pm

Starring Danny Glover, Gary Busey. Probably much better than it has any right to be, this predictable sequel replaces Arnold Schwarzenegger’s musclebound commando in the jungle with Danny Glover’s familiar world-weary cop routine on the mean streets of a near-future Los Angeles. ★★★

Lady Bird Three, 11.15pm Starring Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf. A wonderful sense of reality pervades this coming-of-age comedy/ drama. Ronan plays Lady Bird, a fairly typical teenager, who is selfcentred, irresponsible, beset by self doubt and in a rush to grow up as she stumbles through her final year at a Catholic college in Sacramento. This is no soft rom-com. It has sharp edges and, at times, Lady Bird is difficult to like, especially in the way she views and treats her more down-to-earth mother. But many people could scratch themselves and see a reflection here. Writerdirector Greta Gerwig navigates a carefully plotted course on her debut, sailing between poignant dramatic moments and truly laugh-out-loud comedy. It isn’t flawless, but it is fresh. ★★★★

Sphere

TVNZ 2, 11.30pm

Starring Dustin Hoffman, Sharon Stone. Heavy-handed sci-fi thriller adapted from a Michael Crichton novel in which a team of scientists investigate a spaceship found buried on the ocean floor. The ensuing events are so dramatically uninspired that you actually look forward to the group’s dull banter about their host and their own carefully calculated fate. ★★

Southpaw

TVNZ 2, 1.50am (Sun)

Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Rachel McAdams. Jake Gyllenhaal becomes Billy ’The Great’ Hope junior middleweight champion in this heartfelt boxing epic. It’s a committed performance from Gyllenhaal, but even he finds it hard to punch his way through a plot that tries to be gritty but comes across like a giant marshmallow.

The end is never in doubt, making it impossible to deliver a knockout blow, but it just makes it on a points decision. ★★★