Recorded Delivery: Film reviews

Space Jam (U) Warner, rental 20 October

Michael Jordan gets together with a horde of cartoon characters to thwart the dastardly plans of a bunch of Lilliputian extra-terrestrials. Having siphoned the talent of five NBA stars, the initially harmless-looking aliens transform themselves into muscle-bound monsters and challenge the Looney Tunes to a game of - you guessed it - basketball. Though his basketball remains first-rate, Jordan retains the bewildered look of a guest on The Muppet Show, while his co-star Bugs Bunny unfairly hogs the limelight over more captivating Warner Brother representatives (Wile E Coyote comes to a prematurely sticky end, and contributions from Yosemite Sam are severely under-subscribed). The film offers a degree of charm and entertainment, but is essentially an unnecessary PR exercise. HHH

The Saint (12) CIC, rental 24 October

A comparatively charmless Val Kilmer replaces Roger Moore as the jet- setting master of disguise who, during the course of his nefarious activities, adopts the name of "the saint". With the endless array of silly wigs and dentures, the film appears to be more a vehicle for the make-up department than an intelligent take off of a cult TV show. HH

The Elite Collection Warner, retail 20 October

The previously unreleased I Confess (PG) and The Wrong Man (PG) are two of Alfred Hitchcock's most sinister works, principally because they are both bereft of his customary black humour. I Confess stars Montgomery Clift, whose priestly vow of silence is put to the test as he hears the confession of a murderer and then finds himself implicated. Its theological theme invites stark, imposing imagery, making it one of Hitchcock's more soul-searching pictures. The Wrong Man is equally grave, and is based on a newspaper story about a family man who was wrongly identified as an armed robber. Starring Henry Fonda, it offers a searing critique of the American justice system. One for ardent Hitchcock fans. HHHH

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