Just two new movies hit South African cinemas this week, in addition to Bollywood romantic drama Cocktail 2. That said, of the two mainstream debuts, one is likely to be a standout hit of the school holidays.
The franchise that ushered in a new animation era back in 1995 returns this week with its fifth installment. Pixar’s Toy Story 5 comes with an extra shot of relevance as it pits Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Tim Allen), Woody (Tom Hanks), Jessie (Joan Cusack) and the rest of the toys against a high-tech threat to their playtime function: Lilypad (Greta Lee) the attention-hoarding tablet, who is intent on dominating Bonnie’s life. Toy Story 5 is directed and written by Andrew Stanton, who has contributed to the story of every film in the series, along with helming other Pixar hits, like Finding Nemo and WALL-E.
On the completely opposite side of the entertainment spectrum is The Death of Robin Hood, released under the A24 banner. This dark historical thriller – from Pig and A Quiet Place: Day One director Michael Sarnoski – puts a gritty, brooding spin on the legend of Robin Hood, adopting the stance that the outlaw was a violent criminal in reality. When an aged Robin (Hugh Jackman) is gravely injured, and expecting to die, he’s nonetheless offered a chance at salvation after being rescued by a mysterious woman (Jodie Comer). Also with Bill Skarsgård.