AT THE CINEMA: A weekly round-up of the latest films

Grab the popcorn for the newest movies in your local cinema now.Â
Ant-Man And The Wasp is in cinemas nowAnt-Man And The Wasp is in cinemas now
Ant-Man And The Wasp is in cinemas now

ANT-MAN AND THE WASP (12A):

Adopting a more intimate style of storytelling, Ant-Man And The Wasp choreographs outrageous set-pieces without sacrificing the broad humour or tender emotion that made the original 2015 film a sizeable hit.

Notably, this is Marvel's first action-packed feature with a female superhero proudly name-checked in the title and Evangeline Lilly's airborne assassin dominates bruising fight sequences when she isn't catalysing molten on-screen chemistry with Rudd's reluctant saviour.

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Ant-Man's ability to shrink to the size of an insect at the touch of his powersuit's button, or expand to the hulking form of a skyscraper-toppling giant, is exploited to greater comedic effect in the second film with the aid of seamless digital effects.

Following the cataclysmic events of Captain America: Civil War, Scott is sentenced to two years under house arrest followed by three years of probation.

"Any violation means 20 years in prison. Minimum," warns his parole officer Jimmy Woo (Randall Park).

Dr Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), inventor of the Ant-Man technology, and his daughter Hope (Lilly) are in hiding, conducting experiments that will allow them to rescue Hope's mother Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer) from the quantum realm.

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A ghostly figure called Ava (Hannah John-Kamen) who suffers from molecular disequilibrium, black marketeer Sonny Burch (Walton Goggins) and lecturer Bill Foster (Laurence Fishburne) become entangled in Hank and Hope's plans.

When disaster strikes, Scott defies the terms of his house arrest to don the Ant-Man suit and retrieve a stolen power source.

His workmates at X-Con Security - Luis (Michael Pena), Dave (Tip "T.I." Harris) and Kurt (David Dastmalchian) - pledge their support but could inadvertently hinder Scott at a critical juncture.

Plot is flimsy and the quest to rescue Janet from the quantum realm is unnecessarily protracted.

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Ant-Man And The Wasp draws heavily on Rudd's boyish charm and impeccable comic timing to deliver big laughs.

Out now

 

DAMASCUS COVER (15):

Damascus Cover resets the book to late 1980s Germany just before the fall of the Berlin Wall. Israeli spy Ari Ben-Zion (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) returns home in disgrace after he botches an important mission.

His boss Miki (John Hurt) is duly unimpressed so Ari vows to repair the damage by travelling to Syria under a false identity in order to smuggle an important chemicals weapons scientist and his family out of Damascus. 

The carefully calibrated plan threatens to fall apart when Suleiman Sarraj (Navid Negahban), head of the Syrian Intelligence Agency, pays a visit to his friend Ludin and voices concerns about Ari's cover story.

Released tomorrow

 

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THE BIG BAD FOX AND OTHER TALES'¦Â (U)'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹:

Benjamin Renner, one of the creators of the Oscar-nominated animation Ernest & Celestine, co-directs a charming trio of short tales, adapted from Renner's acclaimed graphic novel.

The Stork grows weary of delivering babies and leaves the latest newborn in the care of Rabbit, Duck and Pig.

These ill-equipped animals must now accept responsibility for safely carrying the child to its expectant parents.

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Meanwhile, Fox discovers he isn't an expert hunter after all and might be better suited as a parent to a clutch of needy baby chicks. Whereas Duck has an epiphany. 

Follow each animal through their short tale.

Released tomorrow

 

THE PRODUCERS (PG):

For one day only, a sparkling 4K restoration of Mel Brooks's zany 1968 comedy starring Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder screens in selected cinemas to mark the film's 40th anniversary.

Producer Max Bialystock (Mostel) is crestfallen when his latest theatrical endeavour flops.

He retires downhearted to his office where he glumly entertains accountant Leo Bloom (Wilder), who needs to examine the company's books.

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A chance comment by the lonely number-cruncher sparks an ingenious plan: to secure major investment to produce the worst play ever written, to employ the worst director in Broadway history, ensure another flop and take the money and run.

Aided by Swedish secretary Ulla Inga Hansen Benson Yansen Tallen Hallen Svaden Swanson (Lee Meredith), Max and Leo find the perfect script, a musical called Springtime For Hitler, A Gay Romp With Adolf And Eva In Berchesgarten, written by Nazi-loving Franz Liebkind (Kenneth Mars).

The plan cannot fail: Springtime... is offensive, politically incorrect and artistically devoid of merit.

Released Saturday

 

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