What’s it about?
A series of highly implausible coincidences sees a widower (Adam Sandler) and his three daughters forced to share South African holiday accommodation with a divorcee (Drew Barrymore) who he went on a terrible blind date with and her two sons. Predictable hijinks and the titular “blending” of the families ensue.

What did we think?
It’s not often one thinks to use the term “poor man’s Brady Bunch” but that pretty much sums up this painfully unfunny vehicle. For some reason it seemed a good idea to pair Sandler – doing his wisecracking, sad-sack buffoon shtick yet again – with Barrymore for a third, worst outing. Racial stereotypes and way too many gender-based “jokes” abound. Best to avoid.

The Cherry Ripe I consumed during the screening was quite nice, though, so silver linings and all.
 

What’s it about?
A non-combat officer finds himself caught in a time loop during a war with an alien race. He combines with a special forces officer but will it be enough to save the world?

What did we think?
Anthony Sherratt says: Yes, it’s Groundhog Day mashed with Independence Day. And it works. With more laughs than I would have expected, the latest Tom Cruise sci-fi offering has a great balance of action, good characterisation and interesting plot. Emily Blunt is amazing and it has to be said Cruise plays the unlikeable Major/Private Cage really well. The story is well-told so the repetition doesn’t (quite) grate and you’re not actually not quite sure how it’s going to end which is a nice change.

Even anti-Tom Cruise fans should enjoy it as they at least get to watch him die a hundred or so times.

What it’s about?
Hazel Grace is 17, smart and obsessive. She’s also taking an experimental drug that gives her the ability to resist the build up of tumors in her lungs and to breathe. She falls for dreamy cancer survivor Augustus Waters, but wrestles with the guilt of the damage she will cause when she leaves.
What did we think?
Dan says: It may lack the explosions of a ‘summer blockbuster’ but Hazel and Augustus are so beautifully portrayed it doesn’t matter. A film about cancer will always have that sword of Damocles hanging over the characters’ heads. It is impressive that knowing this going in, you still can’t help yourself falling for them both, knowing full well that every moment there’s a medical discovery to be revealed, your heart will screw itself up into a knot.

If you are, or even have been, a 17-year-old girl you should definitely see this gripping love story (remove half a star from the review if you’ve never been a 17-year-old girl, but it’s still pretty good).