PREVIEW: Give Me A Word The Collective Soul Story (2025 Documentary)

Preview by Jon Donnis

More than thirty years after their breakout, Collective Soul are still writing, recording and performing with the kind of tight-knit energy most bands lose after a decade. Give Me A Word: The Collective Soul Story is the new documentary that captures how they've managed to do it. Set for UK digital release on 7 July 2025 via Miracle Media, the film charts the journey of the multi-platinum Atlanta band from early struggles to long-term success, while highlighting the bonds that have kept them together.

Directed by Joseph Rubinstein and produced by Greg Richling and Jonathan Sheldon of Phonetic, the team behind Immediate Family, this new feature goes beyond the usual tour stories and press clips. It looks closely at the people behind the music. From Ed and Dean Roland's sibling dynamic to the creative relationships with Will Turpin, Jesse Triplett and Johnny Rabb, the film shows how the group has stayed a unit across different eras and line-ups. It also traces the original line-up, which included Ross Childress and Shane Evans, giving a full picture of the band's evolving chemistry.

Collective Soul have sold more than 15 million albums worldwide, with six of them reaching gold or platinum. They've scored seven number-one hits, including Shine, December and The World I Know, all of which helped define the sound of American rock radio in the 1990s and beyond. The documentary reflects on that success, but also spends time on the quieter parts of their story. The periods of rebuilding. The years of touring without headlines. The choice to keep creating new material when many of their peers called it a day.

One of the key sequences was filmed during sessions for their most recent album, Here to Eternity, recorded at Elvis Presley's former estate in Palm Springs. They are the only artists since Presley to record in that space, and the film uses it as a backdrop for scenes that are both intimate and reflective. Combined with rare archival footage and behind-the-scenes material, it becomes the framework for a deeper portrait of a band still looking forward.

The documentary arrives just one day before the launch of Collective Soul's Summer Unity Tour with co-headliners +LIVE+, their first shared tour in 17 years. That timing gives the film an extra sense of momentum, reminding audiences that this isn't just a retrospective. It's also a celebration of a group still actively making music and touring at full strength.

Throughout the film, Ed Roland reflects on how the group functions: they talk, they figure things out, they make decisions together. It's that approach, he says, that has kept the band together and the music flowing. Rubinstein calls the story tragic and beautiful, and Richling admits the project was eye-opening, even as someone familiar with the industry. What emerges is a band whose journey has defied the usual pattern, and who still enjoy the process of writing and discovering where a song might go.

Give Me A Word is more than just a rockumentary. It's a close-up of five musicians who still enjoy the work, and who've built something that's lasted longer than most would have expected. The film doesn't pretend it's all been smooth, but it does show how real commitment, shared purpose and creative trust can carry a band through three unpredictable decades.

Give Me A Word: The Collective Soul Story set for its UK debut on 7 July 2025

Check out more Collective Soul at https://amzn.to/4e6ci4q

REVIEW: Karate Kid: Legends (2025 Film) - Starring Jackie Chan, Ralph Macchio and Ben Wang

Review by Jon Donnis

There's something quietly reassuring about a film that knows exactly what it is. Karate Kid: Legends doesn't try to reinvent the wheel. It leans into the nostalgia, embraces the familiar beats, and then slips in just enough new energy to make it feel fresh. The result is a tight, spirited martial arts drama that feels like a proper chapter in the franchise rather than just a spin-off or legacy cash-in.

This time around, we meet Li Fong, played by Ben Wang, who gives a grounded, honest performance as a young kung fu prodigy uprooted from his life in Beijing and dropped into the rougher corners of New York City. You feel the weight on him. He's dealing with grief, change, cultural dislocation, and teenage awkwardness, all while trying to stay true to himself in a world that's clearly lost its balance. His dynamic with his mother, played by Ming-Na Wen, is tense and believable, especially as she urges him to leave martial arts behind for good.

Things shift when he crosses paths with Mia Lipani and her dad, Victor, a former boxing champ turned pizzeria owner, both of whom bring a warm, blue-collar energy into the mix. Their world feels real, like something you'd find in the Bronx or Queens on a weekday evening. That comfort doesn't last long, though. There's trouble, of course, in the form of Conor Day, a smug, technically brilliant karate champion who pushes Li to his limits, both in and out of the ring.

Once Jackie Chan's Mr Han re-enters the picture, the tempo picks up. There's a satisfying rhythm to his scenes, with the humour and dry wisdom that Chan always nails. He's not just there for a cameo or fan service either. Mr Han genuinely feels like a character who's been living in this world all along, quietly shaped by loss and duty. His decision to call in Daniel LaRusso feels earned, not gimmicky, and when Ralph Macchio finally shows up, the nostalgia hits hard.

There's something almost surreal about seeing Macchio and Chan sharing scenes together. It's long overdue. And weirdly, it works. They balance each other well. Macchio still has that earnest, slightly awkward charm, and you can tell he's playing LaRusso with a bit more depth now, like someone who's seen too much but still believes in doing the right thing. The two mentors tag-teaming Li's training, mixing Miyagi-Do with Han's kung fu, gives the film a fresh twist while respecting its roots.

The action is slick without going over the top. It's not wire-fu or Marvel-level madness. It's more grounded, focused on technique and impact. When Li starts training for the Five Boroughs Tournament, the choreography steps up, and you can tell they put thought into blending the different fighting styles. Still, part of me missed the slower, more meditative training montages the older films did so well. The rooftop garden stuff is lovely, but it could've used more breathing room.

There are a few bumps. It takes nearly an hour for LaRusso to show up, which feels like a missed opportunity considering how much weight his name still carries. And while Johnny Lawrence's late cameo is a blast, it leaves you wanting more. He steals every second he's on screen, delivering some brilliantly sharp lines, and you can't help but wish he'd been threaded into the story earlier.

But the film's strength is how it ties things together. It doesn't just go through the motions. There's emotional weight behind Li's choices, especially when you learn more about his brother Bo and how that trauma has shaped his mother's fears and his own hesitations. The final confrontation hits hard not just because of the physical stakes, but because it represents something bigger for Li. A reckoning. A kind of peace.

Clocking in at around 90 minutes, it never overstays its welcome. It's lean, well-paced, and surprisingly heartfelt. You get a proper arc, some cracking fight scenes, moments of genuine humour, and that warm, familiar glow that only Karate Kid stories seem to manage without turning saccharine.

Karate Kid: Legends isn't trying to be clever. It doesn't need to be. It knows the formula, it respects it, and it executes it well. And with Ben Wang leading the way, there's every chance this franchise might still have a few more rounds in it.

A confident, well-crafted return. I'd give it a solid 9 out of 10.

In Cinemas Now!

REVIEW: The Accountant 2 (2025 Film) - Starring Ben Affleck, Jon Bernthal, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, and J. K. Simmons

Review by Jon Donnis

Nine years on from the first film, The Accountant 2 picks up with Christian Wolff still doing what he does best, solving violent problems with forensic precision. This time, though, he's not alone. The sequel dials up the emotional core and makes a smart shift in tone, leaning into the oddball chemistry between Christian and his estranged brother Braxton. The result is a more human, often funnier film that never quite loses the edge that made the original stand out.

Ben Affleck slips comfortably back into Christian's blank-eyed stare and clipped rhythms. He's still ruthlessly efficient, still autistic, and still unflinchingly violent when necessary. Jon Bernthal, as Braxton, steals more than a few scenes. Their awkward, grudging reconnection is where the film finds most of its heart, with the pair bickering one minute and working in perfect sync the next. It's like a strange mix of action thriller and dry sibling comedy, and somehow, it works.

The story opens with the death of Raymond King, the former FinCEN director played once again by J. K. Simmons. His cryptic final message drags Christian back into a search for a missing Salvadorean family and a conspiracy involving human trafficking, memory loss, and black-ops contracts. Marybeth Medina (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) finds herself caught in the middle again, trying to work within the law while Christian and his team bend or break it with every step.

Daniella Pineda joins the cast as Anaïs, an assassin with a forgotten past and a direct link to the mystery. Her arc gives the film its momentum early on, but also its emotional weight. She's more than just another deadly character. Watching her slowly piece together who she is and what was taken from her gives the film a quiet intensity beneath the gunfire and surveillance chatter.

Justine, the autistic tech prodigy from the first film, is back too. She now lives at the Harbour Neuroscience centre, coordinating Christian's jobs and operations with eerie calm. Her team of children with advanced tech skills might stretch believability, but the film handles them with care. It's one of the stranger aspects of the story, but it adds a kind of off-kilter charm that keeps the film from feeling like just another action sequel.

Where the film falters, again, is in the middle. It runs well over two hours, and there's a noticeable stretch where the pace drags. Characters mope. Threads dangle. The main plot sits idle while scenes wander around in search of tension. Trimming twenty or thirty minutes could have turned this into something much sharper. As it is, the weight of that middle section nearly unbalances the whole thing.

That said, when it's good, it's really good. The action sequences are clean and brutal without being overblown. The banter between the Wolff brothers lands more often than not. And there's something quietly compelling about the way the film handles its characters. damaged, strange, often violent, but still recognisably human.

If there's a criticism to be made beyond the runtime, it's that The Accountant 2 doesn't really build much on the world of the first film. There are familiar faces and a few references, but it often feels like a standalone story with the same characters rather than a natural continuation. That might not matter to most people, but it does leave the film floating in a bit of a vacuum. Then again, after nine years, it's possible the filmmakers weren't expecting much continuity from the audience.

Still, the performances do a lot of the heavy lifting. Affleck is quietly compelling in a way that suits Christian's internal life. Bernthal adds the charisma the first film lacked. And the film knows what it is. It never winks at the camera, but it understands how strange this story is. That awareness gives it a kind of self-possession the original flirted with but never fully embraced.

The Accountant 2 isn't a perfect sequel, and it's definitely too long. But it's entertaining, often funny, and has more emotional substance than most action thrillers. If nothing else, watching Affleck and Bernthal awkwardly bond while gunning their way through a trafficking ring is a strange kind of pleasure.

8.5 out of 10. A solid follow-up with heart, humour, and just enough weirdness to keep it interesting.

Watch on Apple TV - https://apple.co/4458D2g

COMPETITION: Win Talk to Me on Blu-ray

Talk to the hand as Second Sight Films is definitely listening, with their brand new, Limited Edition makeover of Talk To Me, the scary as hell, twisted hair raiser, from the amazingly talented sibling writer–director duo Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou.

And to celebrate we have a copy on standard Blu-ray to give away!

Synopsis:

Talk to Me follows a group of teenage friends who take part in a dangerous new party craze, that uses an embalmed hand to open the door to the spirit world. As they push the boundaries more and more, the group get way more than they bargained for when they unleash deadly supernatural forces… with truly shocking consequences.

The film features cast of brilliant young actors including Sophie Wilde (Babygirl, Boy Swallows Universe), Alexandra Jensen (Beat, The Moogai) and Joe Bird (Rabbit, First Day), star alongside screen favourites Miranda Otto (The Lord of the Rings, The Thin Red Line) and Zoe Terakes (Wentworth, The Office).

The Limited Edition is presented in a rigid slipcase with new artwork by Ann Bembi and a 120-page book with new essays.

You’ll be open-mouthed with excitement for the brand-new Talk to Me Limited Edition from Second Sight Films

Pre-Order from https://amzn.to/3FPiBwP

Enter now for a chance to win.

Who directs Talk to Me?

Send your name, address and of course the answer to competition365@outlook.com

Quick Terms and conditions - For full T&C click here

1. Closing date 30-05-25

2. No alternative prize is available

3. When the competition ends as indicated on this page, any and all entries received after this point will not count and emails blacklisted due to not checking this page first.

4. Winners will be chosen randomly and will be informed via email.

5. Entries that come directly from other websites will not be accepted.

PREVIEW: Jungle Trouble (2025 Film) - In Cinemas from 4th July

Preview by Jon Donnis

During a family picnic that takes an unexpected turn, young Mohsen finds himself deep in the jungle, far from home and even further from his usual world of comics and homework. What he doesn't expect is to meet Tigy, a rare tiger who talks, cracks jokes, and is currently hiding from a group of animal traffickers. The poachers aren't exactly slick, but they're persistent, and the danger is real.

What begins as a strange, slightly surreal encounter quickly turns into a full-on jungle mission. Mohsen and Tigy have to work together to stay one step ahead of their clumsy pursuers. In between daring escapes and sudden scrapes, they end up building a bond that's stronger than either of them expected. It's fast, it's funny, and it doesn't slow down for long.

Jungle Trouble is packed with colourful animation, quick gags and a story that manages to sneak in a bit of heart without getting too soppy. It's about bravery, friendship and stepping outside your comfort zone, with plenty of energy and a solid sense of fun.

Dazzler Media brings Jungle Trouble to cinemas across the UK and Ireland from 4 July.