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Disney+ fans rave 'this is what streaming is for' as 'immaculately crafted' new action movie debuts with epic 97% Rotten Tomatoes score

Disney+ fans rave 'this is what streaming is for' as 'immaculately crafted' new action movie debuts with epic 97% Rotten Tomatoes score

Daily Mail​a day ago

A new generation of action fanatics are about to meet the terrifying and legendary Predator as a hit new instalment of the 38-year franchise lands on Disney+.
Predator: Killer Of Killers is the very first animated Predator film, directed by action-specialist Dan Trachtenberg, who has worked on hit series such as Black Mirror and The Boys.
This hasn't been Trachtenberg's first encounter with the Predator; he successfully directed critically-approved spin off Prey in 2022, which was hailed as a 'prequel done right' by Rotten Tomatoes.
Galaxies away from the central American jungle of the 1987 original, the animated epic explores the arrival of the 'Yautja' to Earth, and a series of visceral alien attacks that span the entirety of human history.
In three anthological (but connected) tales, a Viking Chiefess, a Samurai Warrior and a US NavyJet Pilot each come face to face with a lethal opponent that supercedes their diplomatic troubles.
The band of fighters, while 'killers in their own right, are merely prey for their new opponent — the ultimate killer of killers.'
From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop.
Having been available on Disney+ for only three days in the UK, the new movie has gained a huge amount of traction, boasting a whopping 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and a flurry of rave reviews from critics online:
'Trachtenberg's imagination here seems literally boundless. The Predator franchise is more than safe in his hands — it's thriving.' (Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence)
'I'd go so far as to say that this is what streaming should be for: Immaculately crafted bonus treats that stand on their own two feet.' (David Ehrlich, IndieWire)
'Emotionally satisfying, albeit with an open-ended conclusion, the gruesome anthology continues to assert animation as a versatile and viable storytelling vehicle for all genres.' (Carlos Aguilar Variety)
It wasn't just critics who shared their opinion; fans flocked to X to share their thoughts after watching:
'Er, okay, so Predator: Killer Of Killers is fr***ing awesome. Would happily take a new one of these every couple of years, or even a series!'
'Just watched Killer Of Killers. So so cool. A 90 minute action bonanza. Dan Trachtenberg being given the reigns to the Predator franchise might be the best thing to ever happen.'
'Killer Of Killers just straight up might be the best predator movie ever in existence.'
'Do yourself a favor and watch Predator: Killer Of Killers this weekend. Absolute masterpiece.'
'Predator Killer Of Killers, 10/10, more please. Great story telling and the action was perfect I need a TV series. Why not live action TV show, but if not, animated would be great and end credits scene. I'm looking forward to predator bad lands.'
A titan of the movie monster world, the Predator, aside from a monumental seven movies of its own, has permeated the sci-fi/action genre, featuring in genre giants such as the COD games, Rick and Morty, Halo and even a series of films titled Alien Vs Predator in collaboration with the 1979 Alien franchise.
Luckily for fans, the Predator's sci fi reign is far from over, with a second Trachtenberg film, 'Predator: Badlands' set to premiere in theatres this year, on 7th November 2025.
The upcoming movie will be 'Set in the future on a remote planet, where a young Predator (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), outcast from his clan, finds an unlikely ally in Thia (Elle Fanning) and embarks on a treacherous journey in search of the ultimate adversary…'

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Gavin and Stacey star Laura Aikman reveals mystery illness that nearly ended her career - and how she was told to give up acting to save her health
Gavin and Stacey star Laura Aikman reveals mystery illness that nearly ended her career - and how she was told to give up acting to save her health

Daily Mail​

time26 minutes ago

  • Daily Mail​

Gavin and Stacey star Laura Aikman reveals mystery illness that nearly ended her career - and how she was told to give up acting to save her health

Gavin and Stacey star Laura Aikman has revealed she was struck down by a mystery illness that left her so unwell, she was advised to give up acting altogether. The actress, 39, who played Smithy's girlfriend Sonia in the hit BBC sitcom, suffered from painful and undiagnosed symptoms for years. Laura then finally discovered she was battling ulcerative colitis, a chronic autoimmune condition that causes inflammation and ulcers in the colon. She told The Sun: 'It took me a long time to get diagnosed. Before I got the diagnosis I was very, very unwell and I didn't know why. 'I'd been to the doctors a lot and they kept telling me that it was probably piles, without examining me, and giving me cream because I had blood in my stool. Nothing worked. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the Daily Mail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. It wasn't until she saw a homeopath that the pieces started to fall into place. She said: 'And then I went to a homeopath and she asked me all of these questions about when I'd been poorly and she was like, "Listen, I've written out a timeline here of when you've not been working, and that is when you've been at your most unwell".' Laura said she was even asked if she could consider doing another job - but insisted acting was her 'whole personality.' She admitted the stress of not working between roles worsened her illness - and led to her feeling like she was letting everyone down when she attended family events and people would ask what she was up to. The star added that she had to actively find other things in her life that gave her self-worth or made her feel important, so she could keep going regardless of whether she was working or not. Despite the health scare, Laura stuck with acting and is now enjoying one of the biggest years of her career. She's currently starring in BBC gangster drama This City is Ours and Disney+'s Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes, where she plays whistleblower Lana Vandenberghe. She also returned as Sonia in last year's Gavin and Stacey Christmas special - and starred as Dyan Cannon in ITV's Archie, a role that saw her face beamed across billboards in Times Square. But Laura says her path to success hasn't been easy. Speaking on the Women & Wellbeing podcast, Laura opened up about the pressure she felt early in her career. She said: 'When you're starting out, you're like, I have to be everything they want. I have to change who I am to fit. I need to be perfect. 'I kind of struggled up until I was maybe in my mid-twenties with what people wanted me to be as a girl, a woman, in this industry and how I needed to present myself. 'I can remember going to auditions and needing to do the lines exactly as they wanted in the blandest way possible, to try to fit whatever I thought the mould was. 'I probably wasn't getting the best parts when I was doing that. I never would, when I was younger, even speak to a producer. 'I would just try to stay under the radar, do my job. 'I'm sure I missed out on loads of work because I did absolutely zero networking. But it was that kind of thing — you're lucky to be there, shut up, look pretty, leave. Find everyone very funny, especially the men, and then go home.' Now approaching her 40th birthday, Laura says she's finally found freedom and no longer feels she has to prove herself through how she looks. She explained: 'I feel like where I am now people are almost disinterested in how I look. 'I've been so lucky with the parts that I've played recently where, even though some of them have been very glamorous women, it's not about me looking beautiful. 'It's about how that person presents themselves.' Still, she admits she doesn't take anything for granted, saying: 'I feel like possibly the last few years I've been able to play some bigger roles in slightly higher profile shows. 'You go through those peaks and troughs in your career where you think, "Oh, maybe this is it", then it isn't. So I thought, "Oh, maybe" at the moment, and then I'm sure I'll slide back down again soon.' Laura grew up in a showbiz family. Her father, Stuart Aikman, and her mother, actress Jean Heard, helped pave the way for her early start in the industry. She made her big-screen debut in Surviving Picasso opposite Anthony Hopkins in 1996, and has since appeared in Casualty, Death in Paradise, The Split and more. She married actor Matt Kennard, 43 — who's appeared in Emmerdale and Coronation Street. Away from the cameras, Laura has trained as a counsellor with the mental health text service Shout, offering support to people in crisis. She said: 'It's brilliant. You can do a shift whenever you want. People text in when they're in crisis. 'Obviously that's more helpful to society than me getting a job in a TV commercial.' She also concentrates on exercising for her health, not just for her body image, to help deal with her ulcerative colitis. She added: 'I drink less now. I'm no saint, I absolutely get smashed at least once a year, I just fall completely off the wagon. But I will always leave a night out early these days. 'I'm just a bit more boring than I used to be. But overall, it really makes me feel much better.' When she is not working, Matt, who she married six years ago, encourages her to relax. She said: 'He is so chilled out and very even-keeled, he's a cool guy. 'I think he has also been really instrumental in encouraging me to allow myself, if I've not got anything on, to be like, 'Why don't you go to the cinema?.' 'I'm like, "Just go and spend money on a day when I haven't got a job?". He'll be like, "Yeah, just go and do something nice for yourself".' 'I think you can be so fooled by hearing other people talk about what they do, to think that they're perfect — and they're not. They're probably falling spectacularly off the wagon. 'So I think be kind to yourself when you're not feeling good and just try and do the things that make you feel good.'

Mercy for None Season 1 Review – A gripping one-man journey of revenge
Mercy for None Season 1 Review – A gripping one-man journey of revenge

The Review Geek

time29 minutes ago

  • The Review Geek

Mercy for None Season 1 Review – A gripping one-man journey of revenge

Season 1 Episode Guide Episode 1 -| Review Score – 4/5 Episode 2 -| Review Score – 4/5 Episode 3 -| Review Score – 4/5 Episode 4 -| Review Score – 4/5 Episode 5 -| Review Score – 3/5 Episode 6 -| Review Score – 3.5/5 Episode 7 -| Review Score – 3.5/5 Whether it is the blood-soaked journey of Kill Bill or the gun-slinging extravaganza of John Wick, audiences have always loved watching a revenge-fuelled hero mow their way through a crowd of villains. There is a unique thrill to watching a formidable one-man army tear through enemies like it's nothing, all in the name of justice. Mercy for None follows in the same vein, giving us a gritty, action noir with gangsters, murders, and one man's quest for revenge. The 7-episode K-drama follows Nam Gi-jun, a gangster who was exiled 11 years ago and whose younger brother Gi-seok is now second in command. When Gi-seok is killed, Gi-jun takes it upon himself to expose the murderer and kill anyone who was involved. And so begins Gi-jun's violent warpath, as he sifts through the members and traitors of the two major gangs — Juwoon Group and Bongsan Group — and uncovers a larger conspiracy. Gi-jun is very much the hook here. From the outset, the exiled gangster is talked about with reverence and the other gang members even bow to him when he arrives at Gi-seok's funeral. He's often described as legendary and people exchange cryptic warnings about him. At one point, a character calls Gi-jun a God while describing how he single-handedly turned the tide during a gang war back in the past. This mythology around his character works really well and as the action kicks off, you're eager for Gi-jun's rivals to get what they deserve. Despite sporting an ankle injury — a token from his banishment — Gi-jun is practically invincible and takes down professional fighters and assassins. He is hit and stabbed and shot but none of that stops him. Every once in a while, he does fall down but that only makes it more satisfying to watch him get up again. When he comes across newer gang members, you gleefully wait for them to realise just who he is. This plot armour is quite apparent and you do have to suspend your disbelief to enjoy Gi-jun's crusade. But the action choreography is executed quite well and supplemented by the camerawork, which accentuates Gi-jun's moves. Dark sets and neon lighting often make the backdrop for these fights, making it a visual treat. And for lovers of gore, that last episode really ups the ante. So Ji-sub's performance is excellent as well. Rather than depicting Gi-jun as an angry, vengeful brother, he infuses the character with quiet determination and heartwrenchingly sad eyes. Gi-jun is grieving and he doesn't want to murder so many people but he will do it, because he must. While incredibly effective, his performance could be a tad monotonous for some people. Mercy for None Season 1's story doesn't live up to the level of its action sequences, though. The first few episodes are short, fast-paced and end with tantalising cliffhangers that hook you into the show by focusing on Gi-jun's fights. However, the latter half of the season unravels the larger conspiracy behind GI-seok's death. But in doing so, the episodes lose some of the former tight, gripping storytelling. What's more, there is a surprising lack of depth in the writing. For all the talk about the gang's business and power, we never actually find out what they do. The word illegal gets thrown around a lot but nobody bothers to expand on this. Similarly, there are supporting characters that seem to play very important roles, but we never dive into them. Many of the emotional beats center around Gi-jun fighting people who were once an important part of his life. It's clear that it pains him to hurt them but there's nothing to back these claims. We don't know or understand their relationship or its significance and the sentimentality, often played really well by a teary-eyed So Ji-sub, falls flat. I also have to mention that this is an entirely testosterone-driven drama that features exactly one woman who isn't an extra and even then, her role is minimal. Ultimately, your experience of this drama entirely hinges on whether the magic of So Ji-sub's Gi-jun and his superhero-like prowess works on you. If you're looking for a deep and complex take on the gangster drama, Mercy for None is not it. But if you enjoy watching one man shoot, slice, and hit his way through gangsters for the sake of his little brother, you will enjoy this K-drama and likely finish it all in one go.

Squid Game concludes after six years and three seasons
Squid Game concludes after six years and three seasons

The Independent

time37 minutes ago

  • The Independent

Squid Game concludes after six years and three seasons

Director Hwang Dong-hyuk expressed mixed feelings at the London premiere of Squid Game season three, noting "happiness", 'relief', and 'sadness' as the show concludes after six years of his life dedicated to it. Lee Jung-jae, who plays Seong Gi-hun (Player 456), shared that returning to the dormitory set evoked intense memories, while new cast members expressed awe at being on the iconic set. Lee Jung-jae teased that season three will explore whether Gi-hun will revert to his old, kind self or succumb to the "dark side" after hitting rock bottom in season two. Hwang Dong-hyuk revealed the difficulty in creating new games for the final seasons, confirming that the last game of season three will be a completely new one. Park Gyu-young discussed the challenges of portraying a pink guard, highlighting the discomfort of the costume and the emotional depth of her character, Kang No-eul, who represents someone who has lost something important.

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