Superintelligence

The fourth collaboration between actress Melissa McCarthy and her director husband Ben Falcone is a sometimes awkward marriage of sci-fi and romcom that still manages to be defiantly entertaining. McCarthy plays Carol, a former tech high flyer who quit her career to focus on good causes, but has found herself floundering. She's targeted by a technological superintelligence, who assumes the voice of her favourite star, James Corden (playing himself). Initially infiltrating every device in Carol's home, the AI explains that it wants to observe humanity before it decides whether to save, enslave or destroy mankind - and then, oddly, it sets about reuniting Carol with her ex. Bobby Cannavale plays the ex in question, an affable professor who is "tall, tan and tenured", and Falcone's buoyant approach to the romance is appealing. There's also fun to be had in the omnipresence of Corden's strangely helpful AI, but the tonal shifts are awkward, and Falcone fails to really sell the sci-fi - the global peril feels particularly scribbled in. Shot through with an appealing sweetness, the film leans heavily on McCarthy's charm, comedic chops and ability to deliver nuanced emotion. Fortunately, she's more than capable of delivering.