Better Man
Out in cinemas 26 December (Available at Shaw Theatres)
Stars: Robbie Williams, Jonno Davies, Steve Pemberton
The pop star Robbie Williams found enduring fame after becoming the youngest member of the boy band Take That. So how did a boy who grew up interested in acting become a global superstar who also has a successful solo career? This biopic attempts to answer that question by charting Williams’ early life and career journey, all while presenting his top hits, including She’s The One, Angels, and Let Me Entertain You. One more thing: Williams is portrayed as a chimpanzee in this film because he said he’s always felt “less evolved” than others.
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Robbie Williams: He’s the one
The former member of popular boy band Take That has his life story, including a highly successful 25 years as a solo artist, told with an ape avatar in a new biopic.
Robbie Williams is not an actor, but he will soon have top billing in a new film.
A former member, but not the front man, of the 1990s boy band, Take That, Williams has undoubtedly become the most successful among his peers.
When he first found fame, his bandmates got more attention for various reasons.
Gary Barlow was the lead singer and Take That, modelled after the American band New Kids on the Block, really was built around him.
Mark Owen was the most popular member of the band in the beginning, while Howard Donald and Jason Orange were known for their dancing ability. But Williams, the youngest member of the band – he was only 16 when he joined – soon stood out for his extroverted personality.
Williams, now 50, has had his fair share of ups and downs. Over the years, he’s had problems with drug abuse and erratic behaviour.
He first left Take That in 1995, ostensibly to pursue a solo career, after his bandmates confronted him about his behaviour. He would not reconcile with them until 2010.
Despite his issues, including mental health struggles and alcoholism, Williams has had a brilliant career. With more than 77 million records sold worldwide, he is one of the best-selling artists of all time.
His most notable songs include Feel, Rock DJ, Millennium, Better Man, She’s the One, and Angels, which the British public once voted as the number one song they would like to be played at their funeral.
In recent years, he has been in a reflective mood, participating in a Netflix documentary about his career, and now appears – sort of – in a new biopic about him.
Directed by Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman), Better Man tells the story of Williams’ life in the form of a musical. The most striking thing about this biopic?
Williams is presented as a chimpanzee using computer-generated imagery. It’s a bold choice, one that’s fitting given Williams’ famous ego, originality, and self-deprecating humour.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
Out in cinemas now (Available at Shaw Theatres)
Stars: Brian Cox, Miranda Otto, Lorraine Ashbourne
Long before the War of the Ring, another tale of conflict played out between two peoples in Middle Earth. The King of Rohan, Helm (Cox), is approached by the leader of the Dunlendings in the name of alliance. The proposal: would Helm agree to let his daughter Hera marry the Dunlending heir apparent, Wulf? After Helm sees through the Dunlending proposal as nothing more than a power grab, he accidentally sparks off a war by killing his counterpart. With conflict imminent, the fate of Rohan and its horsemen, the Rohirrim, lies in Hera’s hands.
Werewolves
Out in cinemas now (Available at Shaw Theatres)
Stars: Frank Grillo, Katrina Law, Lou Diamond Phillips
People are turning into werewolves. Those who turn into werewolves kill many of those who do not. Those who do not try their very best not to be killed. That is essentially the plot of this horror thriller starring Grillo, the action star you may remember as Crossbones from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. One year after the horrific “werewolf apocalypse”, scientists try to figure out why millions of seemingly normal people turn into werewolves – and how to stop it from happening again.
Hellboy: The Crooked Man
Out in cinemas 12 December (Available at Shaw Theatres)
Stars: Jack Kesy, Jefferson White, Adeline Rudolph
Your favourite big, red demonic hero is back. Hellboy (Kesy), a demon raised by humans, returns as a powerful employee of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, or BPRD. Along with his partner Bobbie Jo (Rudolph), Hellboy comes across a powerful demonic entity deep in the Appalachian Mountains. There, they meet a local man, Tom (White), who shares his knowledge of the entity, known as The Crooked Man, and some strange goings-on. Together, they must stop The Crooked Man and his followers, a coven of witches who are up to no good.
Mufasa: The Lion King
Out in cinemas 19 December (Available at Shaw Theatres)
Stars: Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr, Seth Rogen
This follow-up to 2019’s The Lion King looks back upon the origins of the kinship between Mufasa and Taka, who would later become known as Scar. As a cub, Mufasa is an orphan who is befriended by Taka, a young lion prince who is supposed to become the next king. Despite some reservations by his family, Taka sees Mufasa as a new brother. As they grow up inseparable, the pair go on many adventures, some innocent, others more perilous. A rival pride soon targets the pair, seeking to establish their own choice for the lion king.
The Prosecutor
Out in cinemas 21 December (Available at Shaw Theatres)
Stars: Donnie Yen, Julian Cheung, Michael Hui
The prosecution should convict the guilty and establish the innocence of the innocent. Fok (Yen) is a former policeman with experience in apprehending criminals. After he becomes a prosecutor, he realises that the legal system does not always ensure that justice is served. When he sees a young man being wrongfully accused of a crime he did not commit, the prosecutor becomes hell- bent on clearing his name and bringing the real perpetrators to justice.
Even if this puts him in the firing line and threatens his career, Fok is relentless.
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