Jack Brown
@tlmaths
Subject leader of A-Level Maths, see TLMaths.com for all my teaching videos, BIG YouTuber, Film reviewer. youtube.com/c/TLMaths
I rated Moana (2026) 6/10 #IMDb Disney’s at it again but this one plays it safe and is almost a scene for scene remake. It’s enjoyable to watch but there’s so much CGI (chicken, pig, sea, crab) that you may as well just watch the original animation.
I rated Minions & Monsters (2026) 6/10 #IMDb It turns out that the Minions had a big hand in Hollywood in the formative years of cinema. I loved the references to Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd etc and there’s lots of fun but after a while all the Minionsness gets a bit tiring.
I rated Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) 8/10 #IMDb This was me watching the 4K83 version, which is a 4K restoration of the original prints (as opposed to the despecialised reconstruction). The forest scenes look quite washed out colour-wise. Less of Chewbacca as Tarzan please
I rated Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) 9/10 #IMDb This was me watching the 4K80 version, which is a 4K restoration of the original prints (as opposed to the despecialised reconstruction). A number of scenes don’t look very 4K at all, particularly early scenes in the snow.
I rated Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) 8/10 #IMDb This was me watching the 4K77 version, which is a 4K restoration of the original prints (as opposed to the despecialised reconstruction). It’s great to see Star Wars as close to the original as you can get, but some scenes are quite dark.
Textbook find of the day: Bostock & Chandler’s Applied Mathematics 2, £2.49 in an Oxfam book shop #ALevelMaths
I rated Field of Dreams (1989) 8/10 #IMDb Kevin Costner hears voices that instruct him to build a baseball field on his farm. This is one of the most relaxing movies to watch - funny and poignant when it needs to be. James Earl Jones and Burt Lancaster are both great. Deserves rewatching.
I rated The Invite (2026) 9/10 #IMDb Olivia Wilde, Seth Rogen’s partner, invites neighbours Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton over for dinner. An excellent mix of drama, comedy and awkwardness. Olivia Wilde is perfect throughout and also directs. Has an Annie Hall feel. Well worth catching.
I rated Toy Story 5 (2026) 8/10 #IMDb It’s toys vs tech in this 5th instalment with Joan Cusack’s Jessie taking centre stage. It’s a solid, entertaining story with poignant moments. The series has run out of steam now though and 3 should have been the final one.
Dani @danihosford.bsky.social & I's A-Level Further Maths Core Pure Part 2 textbook is now available! It's been a huge project and we really hope you and your students get as much out of it as we do with ours! We do bulk orders as well - so please email us! #ALevelMaths www.tlmaths.com/home/shop
I rated Enola Holmes 3 (2026) 5/10 #IMDb Millie Bobby Brown must find her missing brother, Henry Sherlock Cavill, in Malta during her wedding. Good location work and Sharon Duncan-Brewster is the standout. Two big issues: MBB just isn’t any good, and the plotting is very slapdash
I rated Little Brother (2026) 5/10 #IMDb Real estate agent John Cena has his life turned upside down when his little brother Eric André reappears. Essentially a rip-off of What About Bob?, it has a few funny moments but very little charm. Netflix comedy standard.
At the MEI Conference today with @danihosford.bsky.social introducing our third textbook to fellow teachers and educators. Really great opportunity to network and attend some interesting sessions on how to develop maths teaching. #MEIConf2026
Come and meet @danihosford.bsky.social and I at the MEI Conference tomorrow to talk A-Level Maths / grab a selfie / sign a textbook / talk about movies #MEIConf2026
I rated The Sheep Detectives (2026) 6/10 #IMDb There’s a death on the farm and the flock of sheep set out to solve the murder. Once you get used to the slightly dodgy CGI sheep, which doesn’t take long, it’s a fairly amiable affair. It’s probably a bit too made-for-kids than it needs to be
I rated Man on the Run (2025) 8/10 #IMDb Documentary follows Paul McCartney’s post-Beatles lift with Wings. It’s a well-constructed doc with lots of narration from Paul himself as he struggled going it alone. A good companion piece to Get Back.
I rated Balls Up (2026) 4/10 #IMDb Mark Wahlberg and Paul Walter Hauser try to promote a new condom design during the World Cup. Gross-out Farrelly comedy did see me shamefully laugh a couple of times but it’s a good half hour too long.
I rated Supergirl (2026) 4/10 #IMDb Supergirl must track down the bad guy who poisoned her dog. Even more forgettable than the recent Superman. Jason Mamoa turns up dressed like a Thundercat and has no relevance to the plot. Pretty boring stuff.
I rated Outcome (2026) 5/10 #IMDb Keanu Reeves is a well-liked movie star who must deal with some bad press. Jonah Hill directs and co-stars but he’s really bad in this unfunny comedy. Some backdrops look AI. There is, however, a good film wanting to come out. Cameron Diaz is a highlight.
I rated Melania (2026) 2/10 #IMDb Produced by Melania Trump herself, this PR exercise disguised as a documentary sees the First Lady getting into cars, into planes, and into dresses, while narrating platitude after platitude. Interesting only as a historical exercise in propaganda.
I rated Disclosure Day (2026) 7/10 #IMDb Emily Blunt starts talking gibberish and Colin Firth is on a mission to keep secrets under wraps. A film where seeing the trailer wasn’t a good idea. Spielberg directs with great pace and it’s got a feel of Hitchcock about it.
I rated Shelter (2026) 5/10 #IMDb Jason Statham is an ex-marine who must come out of hiding to protect a young girl. This is just like any other Statham “Rambo” movie and doesn’t give us anything new. Bill Nighy phones in some support, while Daniel Mays at least tries.
I rated Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026) 6/10 #IMDb Mando and Grogu must do the bidding of the Hutts to locate an Imperial bad guy. Everything with Grogu is great, but the film has weird pacing issues. And every CGI character looks absolutely awful. More practical effects required.
So who’s going to the MEI Conference? @danihosford.bsky.social and I will both be there at the TLMaths table in the exhibition hall on the Thursday (only) 2nd July. Come and meet us as we unveil our brand new textbook for A-Level Further Maths: Core Pure Book 2! #ALevelMaths #MEIConf2026
I rated The Northman (2022) 6/10 #IMDb Viking prince Alexander Skarsgård returns to avenge his father’s murder. Directed by Robert Eggers so the cinematography throughout is excellent, but the film never engages you. The story is thin and there’s little effort to develop characters.
I rated Scary Movie 6 (2026) 4/10 #IMDb The Wayans are back in charge and they have a number of years of horror movies to spoof since the last outing. But there are no big laughs. I smirked four times but that’s about it. It’s a tired franchise and hopefully this is the end of it.
I rated Ladies First (2026) 5/10 #IMDb Male chauvinist Sasha Baron Cohen knocks his head and wakes up in a female first society. Similar vibe to What Women Want and concept of Yesterday, but unfortunately it wasn’t particularly funny. It’s got a great cast but nearly all of them are underused.
I rated Scary Movie 5 (2013) 3/10 #IMDb We’re scraping the bottom of the barrel now with this 5th entry, with attempts to spoof Paranormal Activity, Black Swan, Planet of the Apes and Inception for some reason. There are so few laughs, thank goodness it’s mercifully short.