The Tameside Radio presenter and movie fanatic gives his verdict after seeing DC League of Super-Pets and Bullet Train at the cinema this week.

I had the cinema to myself watching DC League of Super-Pets on Tuesday morning, much to the amusement of my Quest Media colleagues Adam and Katie. I always feel a little strange as a 45 year old bloke going to watch a kids' film alone, but it turns out I needn't have worried...they were probably all outside enjoying the sunshine.

DC's latest summer animation is a pleasant way of spending a couple of hours, but doesn't break any moulds. I liked Keanu Reeves as the voice of The Batman, and Kevin Hart as Ace the dog was pretty amusing too. If your little ones liked The Secret Life Of Pets, you won't go far wrong with this one, and it would make an ideal first superhero film for them.

Basically, Superman gets kidnapped, and his mutt Krypto the Super-Dog (Dwayne Johnson) has to convince a ragbag collection of creatures to embrace their newfound powers and help to rescue him. I thought the jokes were a bit feeble at times, but to be fair, I'm probably not the scriptwriters' target audience. It's not one to rush out to see on the big screen, as I'm sure it will arrive on streaming services in a matter of weeks, but if you need a helpful holiday diversion, you could do far worse.

Elsewhere this week, Brad Pitt's Bullet Train rolled into town, and this is a really enjoyable ride. Everyone on board the super quick service has ulterior motives, with a range of sub plots and fast moving scenes as a suitcase stuffed full of cash becomes the target of many miscreants. It's almost exclusively set on board the train, aside from a bit of platform action, but this didn't limit its potential to keep up the momentum, and I found the two hour running time whizzed by.

Pitt increasingly doesn't seem to take himself too seriously in movies, and I get the impression he is really enjoying himself, as also evidenced in recent action rom com The Lost City, where he starred alongside Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum. In Bullet Train, Pitt plays trained assassin Ladybug, and several A listers pop up in enjoyable cameo roles as the train thunders towards its final destination.

It has action galore, it has humour in generous dollops, and also a lot of Thomas the Tank engine references from one character...there's even a venomous snake on the loose on board the train to add an extra layer of venom to proceedings. I'd recommend buying yourself a ticket and climbing aboard. In fact, I'm off to see it on Sunday for a second time!

As releases have been a little thin on the ground, I've also watched Thor: Love and Thunder a second time this week, and that stood up well to another viewing. Russell Crowe as Zeus is undoubtedly a highlight, and although some have questioned its inclusion, I felt the cancer storyline was dealt with sensitively and had no issue with it. I actually thought the bravery of Natalie Portman's character Jane was a real standout of the movie.

The big release this weekend is Jordan Peele's much trailed third picture Nope, and if you haven't seen his first one Get Out, which Sofia and I watched in Edinburgh at a mystery screening years ago when it first came out, it's unmissable. Catch it on Film4 this Friday night.

Have a good week and let me know if you watch anything good on streaming or at the cinema. It's alex.cann@questmedianetwork.co.uk.

You can listen to Alex every weekday from 7am to 11am and on the 'Super Scoreboard' show on Saturdays from 3pm to 7pm, on Tameside Radio 103.6FM. 

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