It saw Robert Downey Jr reunite with the writer-director of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.
The weekend is among us. As such, why not kick back on the sofa with one of these fine flicks on TV this evening.
Airplane! – ITV 4 – 9pm
This parody of disaster films is one of the funniest movies ever made and anyone who says they disagree surely can’t be serious.
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies – Film Four – 9pm
While audience and critical reaction to the Lord of the Rings prequel trilogy was mixed, this final installment is the most action-packed and energetic of The Hobbit movies.
Escape From L.A. – Turner Classic Movies – 9pm
Kurt Russell returns as the iconic Snake Plissken in John Carpenter’s fun and underrated sequel to his cult classic sci-fi Escape from New York.
Red Sparrow – Channel 4 – 9pm
Jennifer Lawrence plays a ballerina turned Russian intelligence officer who is sent to make contact with a CIA officer in the hope of discovering the identity of a mole.
Red Sparrow’s performances, spy intrigue and sense of style just about make up for its bloated run time and grim tone.
Saving Private Ryan – Sky One – 9pm
Steven Spielberg’s legendary war epic follows a US Army Captain (Tom Hanks) and his squad as they search for a paratrooper (Matt Damon) who is the last surviving brother of four, with the three others having been killed in action.
Piranhas – BBC Four – 9pm
Based on a novel by Roberto Saviano (Gomorrah), this Italian crime thriller centres on a group of 15-year-old boys from Naples who, dreaming to gain power and easy money, make their way into the city’s world of crime.
Green Book – BBC Two – 10pm
In this emotional and incredibly well-acted Oscar best picture winner, a working-class Italian-American bouncer (Viggo Mortensen) becomes the driver of an African-American classical pianist (Mahershala Ali, who picked up a second Academy Award for his role) on a tour of venues through the 1960’s American South.
Iron Man 3 – RTÉ Two – 10.50pm
Our pick for this evening sees a PTSD suffering Tony Stark aka Iron Man investigate a series of terrorist attacks against the US led by the mysterious Mandarin (Ben Kingsley)
Iron Man 3 is co-written and directed by Shane Black, who has been behind some of the best action comedies since the 80s including Lethal Weapon, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and The Nice Guys. Here, the filmmaker injects some of his trademark crackling dialogue and pulpy crime plotting into the MCU – resulting in a superhero flick that is a lot funnier and weirder than many of its contemporaries.
Iron Man 3 was also pivotal for the growth of Tony Stark. With the character out of his Iron Man suit for most of the running time, it forced him to overcome his demons and self-doubt.
Upgrade – Channel 4 – 11.45pm
Upgrade is set in the near-future where technology controls nearly all aspects of life. When Grey (Logan Marshall-Green), a self-labeled technophobe, is left paralysed after a mugging, his only hope for revenge is an experimental computer chip implant.
Feeling like a cross between John Wick and an episode of Black Mirror, what elevates Upgrade is its impressive world-building, breathless action sequences and timely themes, as well as a multi-layered lead performance by Marshall-Green.
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