BONES SEASON 11

Debuting in 2005 in the wake of CSI, and inspired by the life and writing of forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs, Bones follows Dr. Temperance ‘Bones’ Brennan (Emily Deschanel), foremost in her field who partners with FBI agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz) to solve the most heinous murders. As with many similar police procedurals, they’re supported by a team of quirky specialists. Domestic dramas mix with slowly developing season-long character arcs and killer-of-the-week plots.

By this 11th season, Bones has long-resolved the will-they-won’t-they romantic tension between Brennan and Booth by having them get married and start a family. The season starts by upping the stakes with Booth vanishing and presumed to either be a murderer or murdered himself. It’s no spoiler to say answers are found quickly and with the investigating status quo re-established the team gets on with the job of solving various seemingly baffling crimes.

America leads the world in a lot of culture for good and bad. In the case of television, this is a good thing. We get defining series like Game of Thrones from premium cable, classic shows like The Shield on basic cable, and on the networks a high variety of every conceivable genre. In the crime field, we’ve had everything from genuinely welcome oddities like Hannibal to behemoth franchises like Law & Order and the aforementioned CSI strand.

From the start, Bones attempted to stand out within this crowded market by mixing humour with the grimness. Brennan is one of those TV-style geniuses – frequently comically antisocial and abrupt, but softened by her colleagues and ultimately the relationship with Booth. It’s a set-up that works well for the show and little has changed in that regard for this last-but-one season. Gory crime scenes (and they are gorily entertaining) mix with jokey banter and the interpersonal to make each episode a breezy, strangely comforting 40-ish minutes.

Bones does like to put its characters through the wars and this season brings about some profound changes for some of the group, which agreeably helps with shaking the show’s paradigm up. This penultimate season also brings a crossover with Sleepy Hollow, which actually works pretty well.

For fans of the show, Bones remains remarkably consistent and none of the relationships between characters changing has distracted from its core appeal. It’s one of those series where the skill it takes to put each episode together at this level of quality is quite subtle, where being network and generic works in its favour. Even if you’ve never seen an episode, and after everything that’s happened up to this point, you could still pick it up and follow easily, but at the same time, there’s enough to keep long-term fans invested. That takes some doing.

Glossy, superficial and formula-driven, nevertheless in its 11th year Bones is generally still a commendably creepy good time.

BONES: SEASON 11 / CERT:15 / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: VARIOUS / STARRING: EMILY DESCHANEL, DAVID BOREANAZ, MICHAELA CONLIN / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

 

TEEN WOLF: SEASON 4

The sixth and final season of the hit MTV series based on the Michael J. Fox movie of the same name hits USA screens this month. We’re a little behind over in the UK with the fourth season now available on DVD thanks in no small part to the passion of the show’s hard-core online fan base.

The series hasn’t quite taken off on our shores in quite the same way as it did across the pond so for anyone with a hankering for some wolf-esque adventures allow us to recap.

The main character is still a teenager named Scott (Tyler Posey), and he’s still a werewolf. That’s pretty much where the similarities between the film(s) and television series end. Basketball has been replaced by the frat-bro favoured lacrosse and Scott’s transition from ‘normal teenager’ to ‘normal teenager hiding a furry secret’ occurred following a werewolf bite rather than a hereditary inheritance from his father. The most significant difference is one that affects the series overall, and that’s the tone. The movie was a comedy but Teen Wolf 2.0 is a wittily written drama that stands alone from its parent film and lives within its own mythological universe that includes species like Banshees, Druids, and Kitsunes, all of which have been deployed to great effect in the previous series.

Season 4 picks up two months after the tragic events of the third season finale (read: big showdown fight, numerous main characters killed, including Allison, Scott’s love interest). Scott and his depleted pack (including best pal Dylan O’Brien who provides much of the show’s comedic moments) rock up in Mexico hunting for a missing Derek who they quickly discover has been taken by Kate Argent (Allison’s aunt, a previously recurring character). En route to a second rescue attempt, a creature with bone-like armour, later revealed to a Berserker, attacks the gang, and they barely escape with their lives.

The start of high school waits for no wolf so the small matter of a missing ally and newfound enemy are temporarily put on hold as Scott begins a new semester. New student Liam (Dylan Sprayberry – who played a young Clark Kent in Man of Steel, fact fans), quickly joins Scott’s pack and becomes his first Beta, which adds a new dimension of responsibility for our hero who up until this point has been a little wet behind the ears. With new enemies circling in (watch out for a gang of teenage serial killers called ‘the Orphans’) and friendships tested at every turn, the stakes have never been higher for Scott and his pack.

The series consists of just 12 episodes and benefits from a sharper and more focused narrative as the Teen Wolf-verse continues to evolve with all the twists and turns fans expect and enjoy. Netflix has made the first two seasons available for UK viewers so you have the chance to binge online before swearing allegiance to the new Alpha of the supernatural genre.

TEEN WOLF: SEASON 4 / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: TYLER POSEY, DYLAN O’BRIEN, HOLLAND RODEN, LINDEN ASHBY / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

MIDDLE EARTH – SIX FILM LIMITED COLLECTORS EDITION

Ask yourself a question: which version or versions of Peter Jackson’s Middle-Earth films do you currently own? The original DVDs of the theatrical release? Perhaps the Blu-rays? Maybe the special editions with extended footage? The chances are that if you’re a regular reader of this magazine then you own at least one copy of these trilogies. Now, though, comes the ultimate Middle-Earth Collection; 30-discs (that’s 30!!) containing extended Blu-ray versions of all the films and gathering together more extras than there is gold in Erebor. But if you own one of the above, do you really need it?

Well, no. But you’re going to want it all the same.

There is no need to review the films here; that has already been done more times than is necessary. Suffice to say the three Rings films are undoubted classics, while The Hobbit Trilogy is visually spectacular, if understandably a little baggy in places. You’re not here for the films, though. This collection is all about the additional material. You might think watching extensive behind-the-scenes mini-documentaries might not be that interesting, you might consider viewing the dwarf actors learning their native dialects, or how they were strapped to a spit not in the least bit entertaining. But you’d be wrong.

The intricate details that went into producing each of these epic films is simply mind-blowing. However many times you’ve seen them (and with the Rings films that’s probably a few) you’ll appreciate them in a new light; the thought and thoroughness is astonishing in both its scale and minutiae.

All this detail does come at a price, both in terms of money and time. The running times of the films vary from a relatively jaunty 164 minutes for The Battle of the Five Armies to an evening-consuming 263 minutes for the Oscar-heavy The Return of the King. Each film comes with a series of production videos, in-depth featurettes and all manner of other goodies including music videos and interviews too numerous to mention. Everything told, each film with its extras will demand at least 6 hours of your time. If you choose the “standard “ Blu-ray version of this collection your pocket will be around £60 lighter, but if you opt for the Limited Collector’s Edition, you’ll become the proud owner of a solid wood bookshelf approved by Peter Jackson himself and some faux leather book binders for the discs – yours for just £299.

Extensive, expensive, exhausting and extraordinary – this is a collection not for the faint hearted, but one that will reward the owner many times over. These are without doubt some of the most important and impressive films of the last 20 years – surely they’re worth the investment?

MIDDLE EARTH – SIX FILM LIMITED COLLECTORS EDITION / CERT: 12 / DIRECTOR: PETER JACKSON / SCREENPLAY: PHILIPPA BOYENS, GUILLERMO DEL TORO, PETER JACKSON, FRAN WALSH / STARRING: IAN MCKELLEN, ELIJAH WOOD, MARTIN FREEMAN, VIGGO MORTENSEN, RICHARD ARMITAGE, ANDY SERKIS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

THE PRISONER OF ZENDA (1979)

There have been countless screen adaptations of Anthony Hope’s 1894 novel, but Richard Quine’s 1979 version – his last as director – is the least timely. Less than two years after Star Wars changed the cinematic landscape, fewer than six months after Doctor Who introduced robot doubles into its own variation on the story, and exactly three weeks after Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Dick Clement and Ian Le Frenais’ script harkens back to the likes of the 1950s Ealing comedies, and Sellers’ own The Mouse That Roared – but feels misplaced in the year that produced Alien, Monty Python’s Life of Brian and, later on, Sellers’ reinvention shortly before his death in Being There.

Co-starring Sellers’ fourth wife Lynne Frederick in her last film role and one no bigger than those played by Elke Sommer and Catherine Schell, The Prisoner of Zenda tells the tale of a cab driver who is the spitting image of the fatuous King Rudolph V, set to inherit the throne of Ruritania after the death of his father (also Sellers) in a hot air balloon accident. But Rudolph’s half brother Michael (Jeremy Kemp) has other ideas, intending to take the crown for himself – and thus cabbie Sydney Frewin is co-opted into impersonating the king as a diversion, to facilitate the irresponsible Rudolph’s coronation.

It’s a breezy enough film, with a plethora of British character actors – including John Laurie in a small role, and Simon Williams as Frewin’s “handler” – giving it plenty of stiff upper lip, with the usual diversions along the way, among them Gregory Sierra as a cuckolded count determined to get his revenge on the roving would-be king. But much of the comedy is somewhat superannuated, the jokes obvious and the action rather tame. The Henri Mancini score, celebrated on the film’s release, is probably doing rather too much of the director’s work for him, but is as lacking in subtlety as everything else.

Unquestionably it is Sellers who dominates almost every scene. Famous for playing multiple roles (notably in Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove), Sellers is even named twice in the opening titles, and we really are getting two performances from him here. Surprisingly, given the actor’s then recent comments about having everything of himself but the characters he plays “surgically removed”, it is in the parodical Rudolph where he’s weakest, the part being a collection of toffee-nosed ticks and verbal distortions. Whereas Sellers manages to give the modest cockney cabbie just enough life to persuade you to care, and the actor is never less than supremely watchable even when he’s off his best form.

One for Sellers fans, then, or those who like their comedies to remind them of gentler times.

THE PRISONER OF ZENDA (1979) / CERT: PG / DIRECTOR: RICHARD QUINE / SCREENPLAY: DICK CLEMENT, IAN LA FRENAIS / STARRING: PETER SELLERS, PETER SELLERS, LYNNE FREDERICK, LIONEL JEFFRIES, ELKE SOMMER / RELEASE DATE: DECEMBER 5TH

FAMILY GUY: SEASON 16

Cancelled in 2002 and reanimated in 2005, the misadventures of Peter Griffin and his family and friends now find themselves in their sixteenth season. Not bad for a show that people pinned as a poor and infantile copy of The Simpsons. Sure, it is that – and there is even a specific gag about it in one of the episodes – but it is also so much more.

With both a regular voice cast and a plethora of other celebrities that are willing to take the piss out of themselves, Family Guy rarely fails to entertain. The wit is as irreverent and acerbic as ever and, though there a few jokes that only Americans will fully understand, it never takes too long before you are laughing again – normally at something you probably shouldn’t be. That’s Family Guy’s biggest strength; it dares to be the network show that goes there, where you’d perhaps only see gags about certain subjects being made by stand-up comedians rather than on a weekly show.

Episode highlights here include the guys discovering that Quagmire was once the star of a Korean daytime soap opera, Stewie becoming the face of a peanut butter advertising campaign, Chris having to attend a sex offender’s programme, Brian pretending to be a pet in order to continue an affair with an ex-Navy Seal’s wife, Peter being accused of a hate crime when he accidentally shoots Cleveland’s son, Tom Cruise becoming Stewie’s best, clingy friend, and Peter disguising himself and entering a female wrestling contest to take on his bullying sister.

If you have never enjoyed Family Guy before, this is not going to change your mind. If you enjoy the antics of this show then you know you’re going to be entertained already – you don’t need us to convince you – but, just in case you do, then this is definitely a show on form at this stage of its lifespan.

Just do yourself a favour and don’t watch it on the bus. You will look like an absolute nutter as you try not to laugh out loud at some of the sight gags on show, especially if you know your geek stuff.

FAMILY GUY: SEASON 16 / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: VARIOUS / STARRING: SETH MACFARLANE, ALEX BORSTEIN, MILA KUNIS, SETH GREEN, LACEY CHABERT, MIKE HENRY / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

NAPOLEON (1927)

If you’ve never spent much time with them, you could imagine silent films to be creaking, dusty and boring. Static shooting, none of that fancy camera work we might expect these days and all that over gesticulating in lieu of dialogue. That’s true of a lot of programming films of the time, but from those directors that wanted to create new methods it’s a different story. From the earliest days of the studios and their experiments with new techniques and scale, the best silent films are still hypnotically good today.

Abel Gance was a French pioneer in movies, responsible for one of cinema’s earliest iconic moments when dead soldiers return to demand answers of the living in 1919’s J’accuse. A few years later, and released in 1927, Gance embarked on what was planned as the first of 6 films that tell the entire life story of Napoleon. Only this first part would ever be made, but what a film it is.

Napoleon tells of Bonaparte’s younger years and early days as a soldier leading up to him being promoted through the army and meeting and falling in love with Josephine, all part of his ultimate journey to becoming emperor. Stanley Kubrick referred to the acting and storytelling as ‘crude’, though to us that’s an unfair assessment as the performances range from serviceable to excellent and are in keeping with the time, and the film is packed with compelling incident. What’s true is neither are why this movie is more revered than ever nearly 90 years later.

Instead it’s the sheer dizzying array of the daring in technique employed throughout that make the film something truly special, deserving of the descriptive ‘epic’. Any formal or restrained consideration of style was ditched almost entirely, replaced by a dazzlingly inventive approach that encompasses a variety of different camera work (hand-held, tracking, POV, close ups, just to start with), fast editing, split screen, tinting and any number of other tricks that culminate with the climatic Triptych sequence.

It’s breath-taking in scope and scale, with battle sequences and intimate scenes afforded the same level of innovation, whether the screen is full of spectacle or focussing on only Napoleon himself. That Gance’s vision was pursued with this kind of passion, abandon and creativity ensures it stands out as a monument in cinematic history.

This five-and-a-half-hour restoration by Kevin Brownlow has been decades in the making and is the most complete version of the film that exists.

Napoleon is a celebration of what cinema can achieve, so if you have any interest in the history of film and how adventurous new ways of presenting stories came to be, this is utterly essential. Filmmaking like this demonstrated the impact possible from a unique, relatively new storytelling medium and consequently Napoleon‘s influence continues into the present. Never boring or dusty, it’s a stirring, magnificent example of how much a film’s ambition can absorb and enthral and remains a pinnacle of brilliance for the hugely creative Gance.

NAPOLEON / CERT: PG / DIRECTOR & WRITER: ABEL GANCE / STARRING: ALBERT DIEUDONNE, VLADIMIR ROUDENKO, EDMOND VAN DAELE, ALEXANDRE KOUBITZKY, ANTONIN ARTAUD / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A. (1986)

‘The Director of The French Connection is back on the streets again’ said the promotion for William Friedkin’s 1985 thriller To Live and Die in L.A. and for fans of that 1971 classic, it was a return to form.

Although it didn’t make that much of a ruckus at the box-office upon its original release, like a number of that decade’s releases, it has undergone a crucial reassessment, not only as a representation of the decade’s ideals and optimism, but also as a remarkably influential film like Scarface a couple of years prior.

Fans of Grand Theft Auto might sense a nod here, given the classic soundtrack by underrated British band Wang Chung (who were lauded in the States more than they were in the UK) and the overall visual style and editing by Cinematographer Robby Muller and Editor Bud Smith does evoke some of the style incorporated later on in the classic multi-platform game blockbuster.

In the context of its release, it was at the height of Miami Vice‘s success and creator Michael Mann might have decided to lift some of the essence of Friedkin’s film in L.A Takedown, the start-off point for the Pacino/De Niro classic Heat.

Co-scripted by Friedkin with Gerald Petievich from his novel of the same name, it chronicles the attempts of two Secret Service agents, Richard Chance (William Petersen) and John Vukovich (John Pankow) to nail expert counterfeiter Rick Masters (Willem Dafoe), who Chance is after for the alleged murder of his long-term retiring partner Jimmy Hart (Michael Greene) when he checks out Masters’ desert operation. With help from an informant, Ruth Lanier (Darlanne Fluegel) amongst others, the plot and case deepens…

Although it doesn’t quite hit the legendary iconic status of the Oscar-winner 15 years earlier, TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A. remains a tough, uncompromising insight into the world of California law enforcement, thanks in no part to Petievich’s history as a former Secret Service Agent and Friedkin’s assured direction. Jane Leeves also made her main American debut here (credited as Jane Leaves) as Serena, a lesbian friendly with Master’s girlfriend Bianca Torres (Debra Feuer). Also notable are John Turturro as stooge Carl Cody and Darlanne Fluegel (who also appeared alongside Billy Crystal in 1986’s Running Scared; as well as Nanelia in the Roger Corman classic Battle Beyond the Stars)

Arrow Video’s Blu-ray release to mark the 30th Anniversary also contains an alternate ending (and rather bizarre when you watch the original version) and a host of interviews and reflections, notably one from Wang Chung about the soundtrack evolution. Picture and sound are first-rate, bringing out the sunshine and dust of the City of Angels.

TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A. (1986) / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: WILLIAM FRIEDKIN / SCREENPLAY: WILLIAM FRIEDKIN, GERALD PETIEVICH / STARRING: WILLIAM PETERSEN, WILLEM DAFOE, JOHN PANKOW, DEBRA FEUER / RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 21ST

 

DIGIMON: DIGITAL MONSTERS SEASON

Digimon Season 2 follows a new group of old and new DigiDestined as they work to save both the digital and physical world.

Season 2 starts off as a decidedly mixed bag. The cast might have been shaken up but the first bunch of episodes feels like they are adhering to the formula of the previous season, and the characters suffer as a result. Take the character of Davis for instance. In the episode in which he gets his second character upgrade the character acts in a way that he hasn’t before and won’t again for the sake of the moral of the episode. It feels completely forced. One of the other new characters, Cody, suffers from much the same problem. Furthermore, while the Season 1’s humour was hit and miss it did provide the show with a goofy charm that is missing here.

Once the show hits its stride these problems do fall away to an extent. To its credit, Season 2 makes up for some of the failings of its predecessor. In Season 1, the villains were never really expanded upon as they could be, and with some exceptions the actual fight with them weren’t satisfying. Season 2 makes up for this problem by having fewer villains who benefit from greater individual focus. In  Digimon Season 1, the final villain came almost entirely from out of left field and was dispatched as quickly as he had arrived. In Season 2, the villain is one that has been built up by the show prior to his appearance. Unlike Apocalymon, he manages to tie into the events and themes of the show prior to his arrival.

Later episodes of the season even make up for the earlier ones in terms of character development. The friendships forged over the course of the season feel genuine and subject to the highs and lows as regular friendships. The character arc of DigiDestined Ken, in particular, is everything in his later episodes that it wasn’t at the beginning of the season. We see him develop in a character over time and learn from his actions in prior episodes through genuine growth rather than through a forced epiphany contrived in a single episode.

Digimon Season 2 both fails and succeeds as a follow up to the original season. The overall quality isn’t quite as good, thanks in part to a less humorous vibe. However, its best moments stand out as a marked improvement over what came before. Digimon: Digital Monsters Season 2 stumbles at first but manages to correct its faults in time for the show to be worth watching by the end.

DIGIMON: DIGITAL MONSTERS SEASON 2 / CERT: PG / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: VARIOUS / STARRING: BRIAN DONOVAN, TIFANIE CHRISTUN, PHILECE SAMPLER, DOUG ERHOLTZ, LARA JILL MILLER, DEREK STEPHEN PRINCE / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

 

ZOMBIE WOMEN OF SATAN 2

Let us begin with a confession. Zombie Women of Satan 2 was destined for a review score of zero. That it is receiving a measly, and yet at the same time monumental, the score of one is based purely on the assumption that the filmmakers don’t know any better, and as such deserve our sympathy. So, one it is.

The reasons for the paltry score are numerous, too many to mention in fact, but several do need highlighting. To kick things off, it is nothing short of astonishing that there is a ‘2’ in the title, leading you to the obvious and sigh-inducing conclusion that this is not the first film to carry the words Zombie Women of Satan in that order; spare yourself the trauma and don’t bother seeking out the original – it’s beyond terrible also. Anyway, this sequel picks up with its predecessor’s ‘hero’ Pervo the Clown (actor, writer, producer, director and the man principally to blame Warren Speed) coming to the end of his fifteen minutes of fame after releasing a film based on the events from the first film. Still with us? In a desperate attempt to regain popularity, and in a meta twist no-one wanted, Pervo heads off on tour to promote this sequel. Lured to a mystery party with the promise of investment, Pervo and his team are set upon by a family bent on revenge.

As confusingly dumb as the plot is, Zombie Women of Satan 2 is made wholly unwatchable through the filmmaker’s insistence in peppering the story with random scenes of unpleasant sexual deviance. Whether it be supposedly comedic sado-masochism, misguided ‘hilarious’ homosexual insinuations or simply sub-Benny Hill levels of preposterous nudity, this is a film tedious in its attempts to shock or titillate. No stone of pubescent fantasy is left unturned as Speed guides you clumsily through a mishmash of set pieces and tropes lazily stolen from the worst grindhouse cinema has to offer.

As you might expect the performances are dreadful, yet given the lines that the cast are given, it is perhaps understandable they are not delivered with any level of conviction. And the direction? Well, that’s just terrible. If Zombie Women of Satan 2 is some kind of cinematic joke, then it is as ill-conceived as it is unfunny. Bordering on the offensive, it is a film to be avoided, which should be easy enough as we cannot imagine where you would find it. Do not allow your curiosity to get the better of you, however; Zombie Women of Satan 2 is far worse than could possibly be expressed here. We’re just sorry we had to write about it at all. Should you wish to experience it for yourself, you can purchase the DVD from www.growlingclown.com.

ZOMBIE WOMEN OF SATAN 2 / CERT: TBC / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: WARREN SPEED, CHRIS GREENWOOD / STARRING: WARREN SPEED, PETE BENNETT, KATHY PAUL, CAROLINE ELYSSIA, IAN BROWN / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

 

SPACE JAM (1996)

The Looney Tunes are among some of the best cartoon characters of all time, standing alongside the likes of Disney and their line-up of classic characters. Also, Michael Jordan is one of the greatest basketball players of the 1990’s, and basketball is a universally adored sport. Combining both of them together, however, is like the equivalent of mixing matter with anti-matter, resulting in one epic catastrophe, which this movie sadly is. Granted, there are some audiences out there who still enjoy it for what it is, but to this reviewer, though, it does both the Looney Tunes and Michael Jordan with basketball a huge, massive disservice.

Starting out life as a short Nike commercial, Warner Bros. decided (for some reason) to turn that into a feature-length film, and watching the movie, you can tell this is just one long commercial to advertise products rather than trying to actually be a film. Regardless of what everyone thought of Looney Tunes: Back in Action, at least that was a massive improvement and actually cared about being a film. This feels very much like a product that was made by committee, built and structured to make sure it aimed at certain demographics. Being the product that it is, there is no sign of a comprehensible story whatsoever with Michael Jordan’s story being so dull, boring and woodenly-acted, it makes you want to go back to the Looney Tunes aspect of the story.

Aaaaaaand then you get into the Looney Tunes aspect and, surprisingly, even they aren’t funny in the slightest. It’s like as if the four writers involved haven’t researched or watched these characters before, and as a result, the characters come off as pale imitations of their original counterparts. If this were actually Looney Tunes, Bugs Bunny would’ve easily outsmarted the aliens (regardless of how big or small they are) in a few minutes flat and then go back to taking care of Elmer Fudd or Yosemite Sam. Even Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies legend Chuck Jones was bitterly disappointed with how the film turned out. True, the animation is incredible and the voice acting is spot-on, but that’s not enough to help salvage this film. Another major problem is the fact that the film occasionally devolves into extreme close-up shots with weird camera angles. Is this supposed to be avant-garde filmmaking or are they deliberately trying to invade our personal space? Oh, and the soundtrack is just abominable.

Space Jam is really a product of its time, but that just only shows how badly dated it is. There’s no form of narrative in sight, the live-action segments and actors are lifeless, the Looney Tunes themselves are surprisingly lacklustre, but most of all, it feels like an extended commercial that we didn’t ask for. The fact that both Bill Murray and Wayne Knight aren’t actually that funny in the film shows just how badly things have turned out. If you want a solid movie that combines live action with the Looney Tunes then check out the underrated Back in Action, which wasn’t perfect but was a hell of a lot better than this thing. Oh, and the fact that Warner Bros. is still trying to get a sequel of the ground is absolutely mind-boggling.

SPACE JAM (1996) / CERT: PG / DIRECTOR: JOE PYTKA / SCREENPLAY: LEO BENVENUTI, STEVE RUDNICK, TIMOTHY HARRIS, HERSCHEL WEINGROD / STARRING: MICHAEL JORDAN, WAYNE KNIGHT, LARRY BIRD, BILL MURRAY / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW