On the Road: Comfort movies

One of the hazards of being a film critic is the airline entertainment system: scrolling through the hundreds of movies that are on offer looking for something that (1) I haven't seen before and (2) want to watch. Occasionally something that fits this criteria pops up but, on my recent flight to California to spend some time with my family, there wasn't anything. In these cases I tend to turn to favourite comedies or musicals that will amiably pass the time. On this flight, the 1999 classic Galaxy Quest did just the trick. I hadn't seen it in years, and I'd forgotten how great the cast is: including Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tim Allen, Sam Rockwell, Tony Shalhoub and Daryl Mitchell (above). This isn't a film you ever get tired of revisiting. I also revisited the 2005 musical Rent, a film that isn't quite as potent as the stage version but still boasts excellent performances. And I watched all eight episodes of The Franchise (it's a long flight!), an amusing comedy series about the cast and crew of a superhero movie. It's likeable and sometimes very funny, but feels a bit random.

Before leaving London I also watched two very small American dramas: Midnight in Phoenix is a micro-budget thriller about two guys who go on the run after witnessing a violent robbery. It's a bit uneven, but has strong emotions and solid characters. Things Like This is a snappy New York romantic comedy that's a little awkward but features nicely complex characters and connections.

While I'm out here, I am hoping to catch Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, and possible also Disney's live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch. But my emphasis is on spending time with my family, and it's nice to have movies take the back seat for a couple of weeks.

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Critical Week: Man's best friend

Press screenings went to the dogs, literally, this week as critics were invited to bring their pets to the screening of A Dog's Purpose. They were surprisingly alert audience members, actually. And the humans enjoyed it too, especially since it wasn't the expected schmaltz-fest. Louder thrills were had at the Imax press screening of The Fate of the Furious (or Fast & Furious 8, as it's known in the UK). Loud and flashy, funny and preposterous, it's exactly what you expect from this franchise: mindless entertainment.

Off the beaten path, there was the sensitive, resonant indie drama Bwoy, starring Anthony Rapp as a married man in New York who gets into an internet relationship with a guy in Jamaica; the cleverly inventive true story The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Maki, about a Finnish boxer trying to balance romance with his career; and Nick Broomfield's strikingly well-made documentary Whitney: 'Can I Be Me', which has its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival this month.

It's a very short week ahead (with a four-day weekend in it!), so there are only a few films in the diary at the moment, including Rachel Weisz in My Cousin Rachel, Katherine Heigl in Unforgettable and Michael Shannon in Salt and Fire. Happy Easter!