ANNIHILATION *

I'm all for more good roles for women n the movies; that's just stating the obvious but does re-inventing the roles once played by men in the horror and sci-fi genres really mark a step forward? Surely the talents of the actresses in these films could be better served than in such fare as "Bird Box" or here, in "Annihilation", a kind of feminist take on both "Stalker" and "Predator" from sci-fi aficionado Alex Garland. It ought to be as pretentious as hell and for most of the time it is, (the po-faced performances certainly don't help), although if you accept the film's ridiculous premiss it is quite imaginative at times and even quite beautiful. Of course, I would still prefer to see the likes of Natalie Portman and Jennifer Jason Leigh in real roles that stretch their dramatic talents rather than simply marching through the jungle as the female alter-egos of Arnie and Vin Deisel but then, hey...if they are enjoying themselves and earning a buck who am I to spoil their fun.