Latest news with #DisneyPlus
West Australian
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- West Australian
Screen Queen TV Reviews: The Rookie, The Summer I Turned Pretty, The Institute, Bookish and Lively Vs Baldoni
As someone who gets paid to watch television, I like to think I'm something of an expert — not a lot passes me by. But I'm ashamed to say this long-running series, about a mature-age rookie policeman (played by perennial favourite Nathan Fillion) and his colleagues, sailed straight past me. Which is odd, because it's been on air since 2018 and streams in Australia on no less than three services. I know! What? And HOW? It wasn't until I recently hit the streets of suburban Perth that I even realised The Rookie was a thing . Ever on the search for a good yarn, I took to the streets to vox pop the good people of my home city to find out what they were watching, and it was there that I discovered every second person was inhaling this show. What was stranger, it appeared love for it crossed race, age, gender and socio-economic demographics. Intrigued, I figured I should take a look — and actually, I kinda liked it. It felt a little bit like that other beloved long-running series, Law & Order. It's a crime procedural with a tune-in-and-tune-out flavour to it: you can dip in and out each episode to enjoy the stand-alone stories, but like that other show, it has some really well-drawn characters whose story arcs are enough to keep you interested through the seasons. Turns out, there are plenty ahead for me to dive into — season six is dropping this week on Disney Plus, and 7Plus is up to date with all seasons and has all episodes, with the most recent seventh season imminent (they will have this exclusively for a year). So it looks like I have roughly 125 episodes to get across. Better get my skates on! This third and final season sees Belly finishing up her junior year at college and setting off to reunite with everyone's favourite brothers. Who truly has her heart? Conrad or Jeremiah? Or perhaps neither? Over three seasons I've adored spending summers in this idyllic world, and I'm bursting with anticipation to see how producers wrap up Jenny Han's trilogy of novels for the small screen. Word on the street is that it differs from the books — colour me intrigued! Sorry, not sorry: I adore this teen drama. Fifteen-year-old me can't get enough. Honestly, I've never met a Stephen King novel I didn't love. So I'll be tuning in to see how this tale, about a boy who's mysteriously kidnapped and sent to live at a strange facility, translates to the small screen. Bonus points: Mary-Louise Parker stars. Big Sherlock-shaped hole in your life since Cumberbatch went on to bigger and better things? Fill it with this period crime drama, set in 1946 London. It's from the same creator, so chances are it will have some of the flavour. This is getting lots of buzz. Love yourself a bit of Hollywood tea? You'll no doubt have the best china laid out and ready for this deep dive into one of Tinseltown's most explosive feuds. Features new interviews from friends and former colleagues on both sides. Pour me out a big cup.
Perth Now
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Why is everyone losing their minds over The Rookie?
As someone who gets paid to watch television, I like to think I'm something of an expert — not a lot passes me by. But I'm ashamed to say this long-running series, about a mature-age rookie policeman (played by perennial favourite Nathan Fillion) and his colleagues, sailed straight past me. Which is odd, because it's been on air since 2018 and streams in Australia on no less than three services. I know! What? And HOW? It wasn't until I recently hit the streets of suburban Perth that I even realised The Rookie was a thing . Ever on the search for a good yarn, I took to the streets to vox pop the good people of my home city to find out what they were watching, and it was there that I discovered every second person was inhaling this show. What was stranger, it appeared love for it crossed race, age, gender and socio-economic demographics. Intrigued, I figured I should take a look — and actually, I kinda liked it. It felt a little bit like that other beloved long-running series, Law & Order. It's a crime procedural with a tune-in-and-tune-out flavour to it: you can dip in and out each episode to enjoy the stand-alone stories, but like that other show, it has some really well-drawn characters whose story arcs are enough to keep you interested through the seasons. Turns out, there are plenty ahead for me to dive into — season six is dropping this week on Disney Plus, and 7Plus is up to date with all seasons and has all episodes, with the most recent seventh season imminent (they will have this exclusively for a year). So it looks like I have roughly 125 episodes to get across. Better get my skates on! The Summer I Turned Pretty is back for a third and final season. Credit: Erika Doss/Prime This third and final season sees Belly finishing up her junior year at college and setting off to reunite with everyone's favourite brothers. Who truly has her heart? Conrad or Jeremiah? Or perhaps neither? Over three seasons I've adored spending summers in this idyllic world, and I'm bursting with anticipation to see how producers wrap up Jenny Han's trilogy of novels for the small screen. Word on the street is that it differs from the books — colour me intrigued! Sorry, not sorry: I adore this teen drama. Fifteen-year-old me can't get enough. Honestly, I've never met a Stephen King novel I didn't love. So I'll be tuning in to see how this tale, about a boy who's mysteriously kidnapped and sent to live at a strange facility, translates to the small screen. Bonus points: Mary-Louise Parker stars. Bookish is streaming on Max. Credit: Supplied / UKTV/Toon Aerts Big Sherlock-shaped hole in your life since Cumberbatch went on to bigger and better things? Fill it with this period crime drama, set in 1946 London. It's from the same creator, so chances are it will have some of the flavour. This is getting lots of buzz. Lively V Baldoni: The Hollywood Feud is coming to Max. Credit: Gotham / GC Images Love yourself a bit of Hollywood tea? You'll no doubt have the best china laid out and ready for this deep dive into one of Tinseltown's most explosive feuds. Features new interviews from friends and former colleagues on both sides. Pour me out a big cup.
Digital Trends
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Digital Trends
If you have to watch one Disney+ movie this July 2025, stream this one
Unlike most streaming services, the movies available on Disney+ tend to conform to a fairly standard mold. You've got a lot of big franchise films and a lot of movies aimed at children, and not a whole lot in between. If you're looking for something a little more robust, or at least aimed at adults, you might want to check out Saving Mr. Banks. The movie tells the story of Walt Disney's quest to adapt Mary Poppins and his various attempts to woo the author of the book series it's based on, P.L. Travers. While the film is undeniably a little hagiographic, here are three reasons you should check it out. Recommended Videos We also have guides to the best new movies to stream, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on HBO Max, and the best movies on Disney+. It features an incredible Emma Thompson performance Few performers are more capable of playing a cynical, hard-hearted woman than Emma Thompson, but even so, her performance in Saving Mr. Banks is remarkable precisely because she manages to be incredibly charming despite her character's cynicism. Much of the movie is framed around Disney's attempts to prove that his company and personality are more than a stunt designed to rake in profit. Ultimately, the movie's heart is with Travers, a woman who poured everything she had into her work and does not want to see it destroyed. It emphasizes Disney's good qualities There are plenty of things that Saving Mr. Banks either does not address or just straight up lies about. Walt Disney was famously anti-Semitic, and Travers didn't actually care for the final version of Mary Poppins. Even so, Saving Mr. Banks is persuasive in selling you the best parts of what Disney is about. The movie is an argument for the importance of telling stories because of what they mean to the people who craft and consume them. Does it help that telling those stories makes people richer? Sure, but that doesn't mean the stories themselves aren't important. It will remind you just how good Mary Poppins is There are definitely pros and cons to a movie relying on the legacy of another. Saving Mr. Banks mostly gets away with reminding you about the greatness of Mary Poppins. This movie definitely wouldn't exist if Mary Poppins had been a disaster, and in fact, this movie will deepen your appreciation for Mary Poppins and all the weighty ideas it's playing around with. Although there's plenty of whimsy at work in that movie, the core story is one of a man — who has almost no connection to his children — realizing that they are the thing in his life that actually matters. You can watch Saving Mr. Banks on Disney+.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Superman, 'Jaws @ 50' and beyond: Your guide to this weekend's top movies to watch in theaters and at home
Hello, Yahoo readers! My name is Brett Arnold, film critic and longtime Yahoo editor, and I'm back with another edition of Trust Me, I Watch Everything. This week, James Gunn's Superman is flying into theaters. I found the alleged franchise starter to be disappointing, though comic book fans may find things to love. Luckily, there are some great flicks freshly available to rent in Sovereign and The Unholy Trinity. Plus, there are even more that are brand new to streaming, like a documentary celebrating the 50th anniversary of Jaws on Disney+ and Hulu, the Hitchock-esque thriller Drop on Peacock and plenty more, including The Bear star Ayo Edebiri in Opus, which is now on HBO Max. Read on because there's something here for everyone, including 5 key highlights and several other options for each of the below categories. What to watch in theaters Movies newly available to rent or buy Movies newly available on streaming services you may already have Why it doesn't really work: James Gunn's Superman, which damn near singlehandedly carries the weight of the future of DC movies on its broad shoulders, has to be the most disappointing movie of the year so far. It falls almost entirely flat, relying on the audience's pre-existing relationship with the characters rather than using any of the film's runtime to set up this world or build any sort of emotional connection to these people. Gunn certainly has a take on the character, but he never came up with a hook. By the time we meet our hero, played here by relative newcomer David Corenswet in an underwhelming attempt at a star-making turn, he and Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) are already a couple, and we're supposed to buy their relationship simply because it's there on-screen. You don't feel the romance; they are simply already dating! Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) already hates Superman and is secretly controlling the enemies that Kal-El faces throughout, with no real pathos added. We are introduced to Superman himself as he loses his first-ever fight, with text very briefly informing viewers of the history of meta-humans and Superman's place in our world. The movie wastes zero time getting political, setting up a conflict in which Superman unilaterally steps in to prevent a war between two fictional countries. It all amounts to an unsubtle critique (that ultimately winds up as an endorsement) of United States interventionism abroad, and Gunn wades even further into politics by leaning into the "Superman is an alien immigrant" metaphor, botching the specifics regarding his parentage, no matter how well-intentioned. It's actually wildly offensive! Superman is also overstuffed, full of side characters, a problem that countless superhero movies as of late have fallen victim to, making tentpole movies feel like a small part of something larger rather than a singular satisfying product. It plays as if you flipped to a TV show on a random episode in its sixth season, having seen none of it before. It shoots for Saturday morning cartoon and "comic book come to life" energy and instead lands at "chintzy streaming-era TV feel." All of this would be easy to forgive if it delivered action worthy of a summer blockbuster superhero movie spectacle, but that is arguably its worst asset, as the overlit look and its complete and total reliance on rubbery CGI renders all that action cartoonish, boring, and repetitive. It just has no weight to it. The repeated use of Superman's (entirely CGI) dog Krypto for comic relief gets old, too. Hardcore fans of comic books and/or Superman may find things to praise here, but casual audiences are likely to be underwhelmed by it as it really lacks the sort of rousing crowd-pleasing energy and charm that made Gunn's Guardians trilogy and his Suicide Squad entry a lot of fun. It's a flat nothing of a movie, a fact made starkly clear any time there's supposed to be a moment of genuine emotion. It's ultimately just another superhero movie, even if it looks more like a CW show. 🍿 What critics are saying: My negative opinion is actually in the minority, so don't be dissuaded just yet! The Telegraph's Robbie Collin wrote that "Gunn's kitchen-sink approach feels refreshingly generous, and his excitement for the character shines through." Jake Coyle at the AP noted that "a weird Superman is better than a boring one." 👀 How to watch: Superman will be in theaters nationwide Friday Get tickets Why you should watch it: Nick Offerman is absolutely terrific and perfectly cast in Sovereign, a movie based on the true story of Jerry and Joe Kane, a father and son were self-proclaimed sovereign citizens involved in a deadly confrontation with police in West Memphis, Ark., in 2010. It's a fictionalized take on the incident and not a direct retelling. It amounts to a dual character study that tragically builds toward the aforementioned incident; a thriller of sorts, but with real emotional weight behind it. It's a specific parenting story that speaks to the inherent dynamic of the father-son relationship: the father trying to mold the son to their worldview, and the son resisting, or embracing, that. Offerman is sublime in the role, making you almost pity the man who is so staunch in his convictions as those convictions are revealed to be watery and not based in reality. The filmmakers are essentially weaponizing his well-known "Ron Swanson" persona from Parks and Recreation to great dramatic effect. Jacob Tremblay, child actor of Room and Wonder fame, now almost 20 years old, plays the son. It's also a strong turn from him even if Offerman steals the show. 🍿 What critics are saying: Everyone agrees that Offerman is the highlight; Frank Scheck at The Hollywood Reporter specifically praised the performance as "terrific" (jinx!) and says it's "uncomfortable but necessary viewing." Indiewire's David Ehrlich, too, praised Offerman but was less sold on the movie overall, writing that it's "too vague and scattered to chart a legible path toward his breaking point." 👀 How to watch: Sovereignis in limited release theatrically and is also now available to rent or buy. Rent or buy 'Sovereign' Why you should watch it: The Unholy Trinity is a good old-fashioned revisionist western that transcends how barebones and cheap it is because the filmmakers were smart enough to cast Pierce Brosnan and Samuel L. Jackson in lead roles. The A-listers really elevate the material, which is a blessing, as the true lead character played by Brandon Lessard is a total zero of a presence that makes you wonder how he landed the role. In the film, a young man returns to an old Montana town to reclaim his legacy. He's caught between a law-abiding sheriff and a destructive stranger as old secrets lead to violence. The dialogue is sharper than you'd expect from this kind of production, and the gunfights are well-staged and exciting in a way that they often aren't here. 🍿 What critics are saying: It's a mixed bag, with more negative reviews than positive ones. Variety's Joe Leydon dug it, agreeing that it "provides more than enough rapid-fire shootouts, impressive stunt choreography, shifting allegiances and moderately clever plot twists to keep things interesting." William Bibbiani at the Wrap, however, did not, writing that members of the cast are "all trying to make a meal out of starvation rations. The cast's efforts aren't in vain, and the film is better for having them, but a thing can get a whole lot of 'better' before it gets 'good.'" Oof. 👀 How to watch: The Unholy Trinity is now available to rent or buy Rent or buy 'The Unholy Trinity' 🤔 But that's not all! : Wes Anderson's latest is a decidedly sillier follow-up to his extremely personal Asteroid City, but it's a laugh riot that still manages to be emotionally affecting all the same despite being as cartoonish as anything Anderson has ever made, including his actual animated films like The Fantastic Mr. Fox and Isle of Dogs. Benicio del Toro is sublime in the lead, and newcomer Mia Threapleton, daughter of Kate Winslet, steals scenes with her deadpan delivery. Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, and other familiar faces appear throughout. — Rent or buy. :This unwieldy legacy sequel tries to connect all the disparate eras of the franchise, to mixed results. If the movie had any room to breathe, it might've been more compelling; in its current form, it feels truncated and like entire character arcs are missing. It plays more like several separate movies smushed together than a coherent whole. Despite being extremely messy, the lead karate kid himself, Ben Wang, is very good, and it's fun to see Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio share the screen. — Rent or buy. Why you should watch it: To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Jaws, arguably the most popular movie ever made, a new documentary from a storied behind-the-scenes documentary filmmaker sets out to tell the story of the movie, its influence and maestro Steven Spielberg's relationship to the film. There's new talking head-style interview footage with Spielberg, which includes a few bits of insight from him that feel personal and newly shared, like how he suffered from PTSD and intense nightmares after the tumultuous production was finally finished. Spielberg's musings are interspersed alongside chats with dozens of others, from collaborators like the local islanders who ended up in the movie to other famous filmmakers like Steven Soderbergh and Jordan Peele, whose careers were influenced by the movie. There's a sequence in here that breaks down the iconic Alexander "Alex" Maxwell Kintner scene that is an excellent analysis of what makes Spielberg a great director, showing how effortlessly he moves his camera, quite literally directing the audience where to look. It's a masterclass in filmmaking and a great showcase of how the best directing is invisible and intuitive. Nobody needs a documentary to tell you how great Jaws is — though this is far from the first one — but this is a fun watch that does a great job of telling the nuts and bolts of the making of the movie itself as well as its legacy half a century later. 🍿 What critics are saying: Jump right in, the water's fine! Shawn Van Horn at Collider agreed that it's worth a watch, calling it "joyful and inspiring." Movieweb's Julian Roman noted that it "serves as a victory lap of sorts for Spielberg." 👀 How to watch: Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story is now streaming on Disney+ and Hulu. Stream 'Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story' Why you should watch it: The specifics are best left unspoiled, but if you're into Alfred Hitchcock-inspired thrillers, and don't mind if they get a little silly, Drop is a lot of fun and perfect streaming fodder now that it's available on Peacock. The movie centers around Violet, played by Meghann Fahy, who you may recognize from The White Lotus or The Bold Type, who, while on a first date, begins receiving threatening messages via "air drops" to her phone, demanding she carry out increasingly dangerous acts. It recalls similar films like Cellular,When a Stranger Calls and Phone Booth, and it feels particularly indebted to Wes Craven's Red Eye, but it's entertaining enough to stand on its own, even if it does admittedly fall apart in the third act. It's a rollercoaster ride more than a coherent film, and sometimes that's OK! 🍿 What critics are saying: Most agreed that this movie is a blast, including Ty Burr at the Washington Post, and it sports an 82% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Amy Nicholson, however, at the Los Angeles Times, found certain elements 'aggravating.' 👀 How to watch: Drop is now streaming on Peacock. Stream 'Drop' 🤔 But that's not all! Dave Bautista and Milla Jovovich star in this bats*** crazy post-apocalyptic western based on a short story by George R.R. Martin of Game of Thrones fame. Jovovich plays an omniscient witch, and Dave Bautista is the bounty hunter she teams up with to journey into dangerous territories on a job hunting down a shape-shifting werewolf for a power-hungry queen. If that sounds like the right kind of wacky to you, you will enjoy it. Otherwise, steer clear!— Now streaming on Hulu. This meta-documentary-biopic hybrid is intentionally difficult to pin down, but fans of the '90s indie band Pavement will get a kick out of this movie that's equally earnest as it is making fun of itself. It's often hard to tell when it's doing which! As I wrote when I recommended it for rental, "even those unfamiliar [with the band] may get something out of it." — Now streaming on Mubi. In this A24 film that bombed at the box office earlier this year, Ayo Edebiri plays a young writer invited to the remote compound of a legendary pop star (John Malkovich) who mysteriously disappeared thirty years ago. The pop music concocted for Malkovich is actually not bad, but that's about the only nice thing to say about it. Besides that Edebiri is also good, as it falls apart in a way typical of this kind of barely-a-horror movie with vague cult-y vibes. — Now streaming on HBO Max. The latest film from director David Cronenberg sees the legendary Canadian filmmaker getting more personal than ever before with this movie about death and dying, made not long after Cronenberg lost his wife of nearly 40 years. All the usual themes of his work, like the destruction of the human body, are on display but distilled through a distinctly modern lens, and dealing with new concerns from beyond the grave. The conspiracy here is reminiscent of the Coens' Burn After Reading, which is a delightful meshing of my specific interests. — Now streaming on Criterion Channel.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE 'Spencer's a hard person to be friends with': JAMIE LAING reveals truth about Spencer Matthews 'feud' in exclusive interview - and tells what happened with Palace and Meghan twerking
Is Jamie Laing, great-great grandson of Sir Alexander Grant, inventor of the McVitie's digestive biscuit, the busiest man in Britain? He runs three businesses, presents two weekly podcasts, hosts the Radio 1 teatime slot four days a week, has just moved house and is preparing for the arrival of his first baby. His ankle is still sore from the 150-mile run he did for Comic Relief in March, raising more than £2 million in the process, and now he and his wife of two years are filming a six-part fly-on-the-wall series for Disney+. He arrives flustered for our interview at his office in Marylebone. This is The Sweet Factory, a big building tucked away down a mews – Crittall glass doors, big sofas and so many jars of pick 'n' mix it could kill a diabetic. From here, Laing presides over his growing empire: confectionery business Candy Kittens upstairs, podcast studios downstairs. But he has lost the keys to his new West London house, which he and Habboo only moved into last night (his next-door neighbours are David and Samantha Cameron, more on which later). A locksmith has been called.
