Cinema
Please Don't Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain
If you're familiar with the US comedy sketch series Saturday Night Live, then you'll no doubt know how big a deal it is for up-and-coming comedians to get a regular slot on the show.
After all, it did launch the Hollywood careers of comedy legends like John Belushi, Eddie Murphy, Jim Carrey and Will Ferrell, to name but a few.
So, when a comedy trio known as 'Please Don't Destroy' started to go viral on TikTok and other social media platforms, the Saturday Night Live team couldn't wait to give the three lads a shot. Proving an instant hit with audiences, Ben Marshall, John Higgins and Martin Herlihy have a knack for writing and directing wacky and inventive sketches and it was only a matter of time until the trio got the chance to exercise their comedic talents on the big screen.
The Treasure of Foggy Mountain is their first foray into feature length entertainment and it remains to be seen if their particular brand of irreverent, obscure and just plain daft comedy will strike a chord with a wider international audience.
Basically, the action here sees the trio play three twenty-something friends who have never really grown up and have limited options in terms of their careers, with all three barely holding down a job in Ben's dad's fishing supplies store.
In an attempt to get rich quick, or die trying, the guys set out on a quest into Foggy Mountain to find a hidden bust of the infamous Marie Antoinette that's worth 100 million dollars. Needless to say, their expedition does not go according to plan.
Playing out like a Gen Z mash-up of Stand by Me, The Goonies and Super Troopers, the humour on display here will either be right up your street, or go way over your head.
If you're a dedicated SNL fan and familiar with Please Don't Destroy's particular brand of skits, then The Treasure of Foggy Mountain is sure to help you while away a few carefree hours at the cinema. But, if you’re new to all of this, you may end up scratching your head and wondering what the hell is going on.
Netflix
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget
It's hard to believe Chicken Run was released 23 years ago and, if you're a fan of everything that Aardman animation studios has ever created, then this charming and unexpected little sequel is certifiably guaranteed to ruffle your feathers, but in a good way.
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER: Dawn of the Nugget comes 23 years after the success of the original Chicken Run adventure
While Mel Gibson and Julia Sawalha voiced the star-crossed chicken lovers in the first movie (a poultry farm ode to The Great Escape), the action here sees Thandiwe Newton and Zachary Levi step into the leading roles.
Rocky and Ginger are now living in peace on a secluded island in the middle of a lake, far away from the dangers of the outside world.
But when their adventurous daughter Molly makes a run for it, she ends up getting busted and locked up in an industrial chicken farm that specialises in producing world-class nuggets by the truckload.
With no other options on the table, Ginger and Rocky set out on an adventure to break into the factory and save Molly from a deep-fried, crispy-coated fate.
With a great story and fine performances set off by Aardman's trademark animation and sense of humour, Dawn of the Nugget will not disappoint.
