Dog Man
Cast: Pete Davidson, Isla Fisher, Poppy Liu, Lil Rel Howery, Billy Boyd, Maggie Wheeler
Director: Peter Hastings
Rating: PG
Synopsis: Dog Man, a half-dog, half-human hero, is dedicated to protecting and serving as he relentlessly hunts down the cunning feline supervillain, Petey the Cat.
Reviews
I liked the movie fine when it started, but I thought once they introduced Li’l Petey it got better. Kind of like the books, actually. The books are cute at first, but once Li’l Petey comes along and Petey becomes a more complicated character, then they’re not just silly or funny they also have a nice message.
Screen Crush
It’s very flashy, but it doesn’t make it incomprehensible, as the editing is superb, and there wasn’t a single moment where I thought, “What even happened there?” I don’t have much to say on the character designs other than it looks like the graphic novel designs but in 3D.
Prospector Now
A Minecraft Movie
Cast: Jack Black, Jason Momoa, Jennifer Coolidge, Jemaine Clement, Emma Myers
Director: Jared Hess
Rating: PG
Synopsis: Four outsiders are unexpectedly transported through a mysterious portal into a strange, cube-shaped world driven by imagination. To return home, they must navigate this realm and embark on an adventure alongside an unlikely yet skilled crafter.
Reviews
For the uninitiated, the Microsoft-owned “Minecraft” is a sandbox game that drops players into the Overworld, a whimsical dimension made up of blocky voxels that look like boxes. There’s no storyline or single way to play: Users can make objects, build structures, fight enemy mobs, befriend animals and explore the islands crafted by other players. Picture Legos in a world with infinite possibilities.
Variety
A Working Man
Cast: Jason Statham, Jason Flemyng, Maximilian Osinski, Noemi Gonzalez, Isla Gie, Arianna Rivas
Director: David Ayer
Rating: R
Synopsis: Levon Cade traded his old life for a job in construction and a chance to be a good father to his daughter. But when a local girl goes missing, he’s called back to use the skills that once made him a legend in the covert world of counter-terrorism.
Reviews
Besides the fact that I generally enjoy Jason Statham movies, it looks like a perfect palate cleanser for after Oscar season.
Lainey Gossip
Interestingly, this project continues a trend that’s been present in almost all of Jason Statham’s recent movies. Whether it’s The Beekeeper, Wrath of Man, or now A Working Man, the actor has made a habit of playing characters who are seemingly “normal” on the surface but later reveal themselves to have an extensive history of combat that allows them to beat down anybody in their path.
Screen Rant
Death of a Unicorn
Cast: Jenna Ortega, Paul Rudd, David Pasquesi, Anthony Carrigan, Richard E. Grant
Director: Alex Scharfman
Rating: R
Synopsis: Father and daughter, Elliott and Ridley, accidentally hit a unicorn with their car and take it to the remote retreat of a billionaire pharmaceutical CEO.
Reviews
The idea behind Death of a Unicorn is a novel one, and Scharfman’s commitment to over-the-top spectacle is commendable. But seeing the greedy elite get taken down in brutal, gory fashion should be far more satisfying than this is.
Bloody Disgusting
My Everything
Cast: Laure Calamy, Charles Peccia, Julie Froger, Rebecca Finet
Director: Anne-Sophie Bailly
Rating: PG
Synopsis: Mona, a woman in her 60s, is ready to focus on herself for the first time. However, when her disabled son unexpectedly becomes a father, she faces a new responsibility.
Reviews
Calamy brings a modest international appeal to the role of Mona, a woman in her late forties who works in a beauty salon, and buyers who took Full Time may circle this element of Bailly’s well-acted, if one-sided film – in which characters with disabilities take second place to Mona’s problems as a harried single mother.
Screen Daily
Bailly’s screenplay is quite beautiful: meager in exposition, but the dialogue is brimming with this constant sense of empathy. Casting Froger and Galletto, who are themselves disabled, provides a continuous sense that Bailly is making her art progressive, while the disability of the two actors is never distracting. Their chemistry is one of the highlights of the film.
Next Best Picture
Guess How Much I Love You – An Enchanting Easter
Cast: Holly Simon, Monique Hore, Dylan Elchaar
Director: Jo Boag
Rating: G
Synopsis: When Little Nutbrown Hare sets out on a journey to find a pure white fawn, his friends doubt she even exists. But when they finally discover her, they are reminded of the world’s many wondrous creatures.
Review
The slightly longer An Enchanting Easter (30 minutes) is suitable for children under six, due to its simple story, clear moral messages of friendship and trust, and attractive animation.
Children and Media Australia
Looney Tunes: The Day the Earth Blew Up
Cast: Eric Bauza, Candi Milo, Peter MacNicol, Carlos Alazraqui, Kimberly Brooks
Director: Peter Browngardt
Rating: PG
Synopsis: Porky and Daffy, the classic mismatched duo, become unexpected heroes when their mischief at a bubble gum factory reveals a secret alien mind-control scheme. Now, they must save their town—and the world—if they can avoid driving each other mad first.
Reviews
‘The Day the Earth Blew Up’ is a stunning return to the traditional ‘Looney Tunes’ style. The animation is done in the traditional 2D/hand drawn style, and to see that get a big screen release in 2025 is worthy of celebration. It’s pure ‘Looney Tunes’ chaos in the best way possible, perfectly nostalgic for fans while inviting new fans into the franchise.
Make the Switch AU
Despite the ’50s sci-fi plot, it all feels quite modern. The (gorgeous) animation is slick and fluid, and the pacing relentless – the jokes-per-minute ratio is astounding.
IGN
Novocaine
Cast: Jack Quaid, Amber Midthunder, Ray Nicholson, Jacob Batalon
Directors: Dan Berk, Robert Olsen
Rating: R
Synopsis: When the woman he loves is abducted, a man who cannot feel physical pain uses his unique condition as an advantage in his mission to save her.
Reviews
The principal reason to check out Novocaine is really the turn by Jack Quaid and his continuing success as an entertaining leading man. Audiences spend a grand total of two whole days with Nathan in the movie, and we see his life go from 0 to 60 (from being afraid to eat solid foods to stealing a cop car to pursue a cadre of armed criminals), but Quaid has the charm to carry that transformation.
Cinema Blend
“Novocaine” is a berserk romp of a time: a film where the badass maintains his title despite getting his ass beat on a loop. Berk and Olsen accomplish a formidable action-comedy, one that puts their horror roots in neon lights and sense of humor on equal display. As blood spatters and bodies bend, crack, and twist, “Novocaine” keeps you laughing, grimacing, and flinching, even as Nate does none of the above.
Roger Ebert
The Penguin Lessons
Cast: Steve Coogan, David Herrero, Bjorn Gustafsson, Jonathan Pryce, Aimar Miranda
Director: Peter Cattaneo
Rating: PG
Synopsis: Featuring Oscar nominee Steve Coogan, this heartfelt dramedy by director Peter Cattaneo explores an Englishman’s personal and political awakening after he takes in a penguin during a turbulent time in Argentina’s history.
Reviews
The Penguin Lessons has something for everyone as it shows how things in this world don’t change but how humanity can change within circumstances if they choose. Sometimes, all it takes is a penguin to make its way into their lives.
Third Space
The Penguin Lessons is a movie that, at its core, shines some light on a time that is darker than most. It is a reminder that people can change, they can grow and love. A movie that will surely warm your heart, make you smile and coo at the cute animal but also make you feel. One of mankind’s greatest strengths is our ability to have compassion for others, especially those smaller and weaker than us, and a human’s love for an animal is beautiful and to be celebrated. We could all learn to be compassionate as Tom does and, perhaps, if we’re lucky, we will find a new way to show love to another in need.
Films Fatale
The Amateur
Cast: Julianne Nicholson, Jon Bernthal, Rami Malek, Rachel Brosnahan, Laurence Fishburne
Director: James Hawes
Rating: PG
Synopsis: A CIA cryptographer coerces his agency into training him so he can pursue the terrorists who murdered his wife.
Review:
In an age where everyone wants their own John Wick, The Amateur’s Rami Malek and James Hawes were eager to take another route. Inspired by Robert Littell’s 1981 homonymous spy novel and Charles Jarrott’s own big-screen adaptation that same year, Malek and his director, Hawes, relied on The Amateur’s foundational premise as a jumping-off point for their modernized take.
The Hollywood Reporter
