A_Northerner

There's no denying that watching Blue Valentine, a film that tells the story of the complete breakdown of a couple's marriage is not an easy watch (especially for someone just married!) and is certainly an intense, claustrophobic experience, as the audience never really gets a break from the two characters but honestly I was slightly disappointed that the film didn't turn out to be quite the emotional heart-breaker I was expecting. Perhaps in anticipation I had turned my heart to it's complete stone setting. That's not to take anything away from the film's leads who gave brilliantly sincere and convincing performances as the troubled couple. Special comment for the 'Future Room' which with it's tacky futuristic decor and lighting must have been director Derek Cianfrance's ideal shooting location!

Absolutely. Everybody should watch this just for Al Pacino's performance alone. Another Oscar nominated, passionate and all round fantastic leading man performance from one of my favourite actors of all time. Serpico begins with the film's protagonist being escorted to hospital with a gunshot wound to the face and as the police chiefs begin to discuss the ramifications of it being Serpico that was shot and not any other police officer, the audience begins to understand that Serpico isn't just the average cop. It was a brave decision to start the film on this note but it works brilliantly as the audience is aware for the whole film of where Serpico's actions are leading him towards and it makes for gripping viewing as even being at work places his life at risk from those whose motto is to protect and serve. The film does look dated, the blood in the first few scenes leaves you in no date as to the film's age, but as a character study and crime drama, Serpico really is a great film that I now consider to be a classic.

I wasn't expecting Contraband to deliver too much and I ended up being pleasantly surprised. You can always count on Mark Wahlberg too deliver a steely, non-nonsense, man-caught-in-a-drama type performance. I'm a big fan of Ben Foster, although I think he has had better roles than this one, and with Ribisi, the two provide strong counter foils to Wahlberg, who does what he does best. Kate Beckinsdale is really just window dressing caught up in the drama. Character development isn't top priority and the film suffers because of it but in the end for a short and punchy heist film, that gives an interesting insight into the world of international smuggling, you could do worse.

Wrath, clash, smash, bash, it's all the same for Sam Worthington as he returns as Greek demigod Perseus. Wrath is very similar in style, plot and well just about everything else to Louis Leterrier's 2010 Clash of the Titans. It treads the same ground, impressive visuals, monsters, battles, the reluctant hero, nothing is new. The film certainly doesn't score any points for it's dialogue. Somebody needs to explain to me why writers continually load scripts with cheesy lines. Point in case being Perseus looking up at the cyclops towering over him for the first time and saying to himself, 'You gotta be kidding me'. WHY, WHY, WHY, doesn't anyone from the directors to the actor themselves resist spouting garbage like this. I struggle to comprehend why the likes of Ralph Fiennes, Liam Neeson and Bill Nighy, making his first appearance of the franchise, bother with this type of mediocrity. Wrath of the Titans is not going to win any awards for originality, script or its acting. I guess that no-one watches this film with those kind of expectations, however for mindless, action blockbusters there are better options.

J. Edgar is a strange film. While I wouldn't go as far as saying I really enjoyed sitting through it's two hours plus running time, I found the subject matter incredibly interesting and DiCaprio's powerhouse performance as Hoover kept me glued to the screen. The film is certainly not lacking for strong performances as DiCaprio is well supported by Armie Hammer and Naomi Watts. I think writer Dustin Black struggled to balance the elements of character study with the events taking place around Hoover. The film is definitely at it's most interesting when Hoover is leading the FBI through the pursuit of Dillinger, investigating the Lindbergh kidnapping and plotting against Martin Luther King. When the film remembers it's a biopic it turns to Hoover's personal life and time is spent analysing his relationships with close friend Clyde and his mother, played by Judi Dench. This narrative, from various times in Hoover's past, both professional and private life, to the current day, does jump around without too much coherence but I didn't find it as troubling as many critics seem too have. J. Edgar will not appeal to those with no interest in American history yet for those keen to understand Hoover's dogged role in the creation of the FBI and some of the major political events of the twentieth century, and willing to forgive it it's flaws, it offers a fascinating look at the achievements and legacy of the man while touching on his character, all told through the great performances. Oh and yes, some of the make-up and prosthetics used on DiCaprio and Hammer during the later years are distractingly laughable.

If you have watched the previous three you might as well watch Continental Drift, though you will know exactly what to expect. Producing a third sequel is an indicator of how successful the franchise has been but also underlines how dependent studios can be to roll-out another sequel, devoid of too much development, for a guaranteed return. Anyway that's not Continental Drift's fault. As with Dawn of the Dinosaurs there are additional characters this time around, a whole heap of them in fact. Sid's Grandma arrives, Diego has a love interest, Manny's daughter's gang, the film's villain and his posse of pirates to name a few. The producers clearly made a decision to make Continental Drift more teeny than the previous films, perhaps to match the age of the audience that has grown up with the franchise and the casting of the likes of Nicki Minaj, Drake and Jennifer Lopez underlines this, while the writing for Minaj's and Drake's characters does not so much underline it as write in capital letters, LOOK AT US COOL WRITERS, THIS IS WHAT TEENAGERS SOUND LIKE. Anyway, it's a kids film, who can get mad. Thankfully the troublesome teens are kept on the side of the plot which serves just to occupy the half of the cast which aren't cut adrift and captured by Captain Gutt, brilliantly voiced by Peter Dinklage (Tyrion from GoT). Nick Frost voices Flynn, an effeminate seal in Gutt's employ, and his lines were the stand-out moments for me. Scrat's acorn hunt is still going and is always an enjoyable distraction from the central storyline. As ever the film looks great, kids will enjoy the action and fun but for the rest of us the franchise feels tired, in the sense of characters and plots. However, with Continental Drift making over $800M it may be that Sid and co. are not on the verge of extinction just yet.

Probably not. It's difficult to see what attracted such an ensemble cast to this mediocre, underwhelming school reunion yarn. Most people's own school reunion's are uninteresting enough and the array of characters in 10 Years do not strike enough of a chord with the audience to make their story engaging. The characters are introduced almost en-mass and it's really difficult to invest in anyone in particular, especially considering the typical run of the mill issues and relationships involved, old flames, bullies, the popular girl etc., that all took place ten years ago. The script does achieve some small levels of poignancy, the highlight being Oscar Isaac's song written for his secret high school crush, and their are a few funny running gags throughout but ultimately the reunion finishes, the story is told and my detachment from it left me wondering what was the point in watching.

I wasn't expecting much from this film, I wasn't even going to watch it but For A Good Time, Call... actually turned out to be a pretty decent comedy that put a smile on my face time and time again. Much of that is down to the subject matter, smutty raunchy sex humour will always be funny to my juvenile side. Credit needs to also be given to the leading pair, Lauren Miller and Ari Graynor. Miller (Seth Rogen's wife) co-wrote the film and Graynor is brilliantly cast as the Katie, the imposing, raunchy alpha-female masking vulnerability. I don't think the film would be as funny without her. Considering the female writing team and cast the film certainly rivals, but not quite beats, stand-out female comedy Bridesmaids. Justin Long plays an over the top gay friend and cameo's from Rogen and Kevin Smith are among the film's highlights. Short, funny and with predictable heart in the final third, For A Good Time, Call... is worth checking out.

When you stop and consider the subject matter, you realise how gifted Pixar actually are in being able to turn a story about monsters hiding in children's closets to scare them into a funny and warm children's animation. Imagine if Tim Burton has got his hands onto the story! Monsters, Inc. looks great and tells a hugely original story, however I did find that the film largely relies heavily on slapstick jokes, for the younger audience, and lacks more subtle jokes for adult appreciation that some other children's animations do successfully integrate. John Goodman is perfectly cast as the gentle Scarer Sully while Billy Crystal, voicing Mike, does become frustratingly annoying as the irritatingly talkative one of the pair.

The film that launched Madonna's one time husband Guy Ritchie to the masses is a triumph of the East End gangster culture laced with a heavy dose of humour and inept characters. One long Mexican stand off in the making with a sharp script full of memorable lines, 'it's been emotional', it's easy to imagine Lock Stock as a film Tarantino would be proud of. The opening scene belongs to Jason Statham, in his first film, playing a dodgy dealer in a role different to the action tough guys he would go on to trademark, as he wheels and deals fenced items with a slang heavy script, 'it's a deal, it's a steal'. Ritchie does a good job of gradually introducing the film's characters as the layers of the story develop through narration and hearsay and the characters, from drug kingpin Rory Breaker to Rob Brydon's traffic warden, score the film major plus points. Lock Stock also boasts a brilliant soundtrack of contemporary British music, Ocean Colour Scene, The Stone Roses and some classic songs, Zorba the Greek, that are well used in the film.

I almost felt as disinterested in writing this review as I did watching the film so this will a short one. The Raven is an average film that never delivers anything above typical cat and mouse serial killer mediocrity. Director James McTeigue (V for Vendetta) manages to create some darkly Gothic settings but it's all shamefully wasted as the narrative never gets its teeth into the audience. When the serial killer was revealed, it lacked any twist, shock or suspense of any form and this sums up the film's general lack of intrigue. While reading other reviews, I've seen mentions to Se7en and when you hold The Raven up against David Fincher's great serial killer film, you realise how wasteful The Raven is considering the Gothic setting and characters involved. Leads John Cusack and Luke Evans perform admirably and the producers deserve a gold star for not casting Johnny Depp as Poe (shudder). If you are watching to see Alice Eve, you may be disappointed unless her being trapped in a coffin for the majority of the film is your idea of fun.

For 90% of this film I would have said absolutely yes. Unfortunately, the other 10% (and you've guessed it, it's the ending) is a ridiculous example of writers trying to be too clever with twists. Imagine sitting through two M. Night Shyamalan style twists, each more damaging to the previous 80 minutes than the last, in the space of the final three minutes. Up to this point I had greatly enjoyed Brake. I've never really noticed Dorff in any films I've seen him in before but here he is excellent as the hero in the box and gives his all to the performance as he is put through a series of physical and mental trials designed to make him give up the top secret info. Until the ending the plot is clever, fast paced and full of suspense and the writers use sensible plot devices to help move the narrative along without the audience just watching Jeremy wriggle around for 80 minutes. The direction (Gabe Torres) is also sharp and avoids too much darkness (like a car boot really would be by cleverly using the red illumination from the clock to create a tense mood in boot space. Also Brian Tyler provides the score and he doesn't disappoint as usual. Overall Brake has so many things going for it and is a surprisingly taught thriller for those who enjoy this genre of thrillers, however it will also be damaged by the unnecessary and frankly bonkers ending.

There is no doubting that director Ruben Fleischer produced a stylish film, or perhaps the word flashy is actually more fitting, but to use a line as clichéd as the film itself, it's all style over substance. I would like to see the original story behind the unit just to see how many of the unit's members were of the writers own making. The unit is literally an identi-kit of clichéd characters, the war veteran, the ladies man, the black dude, the nerdy one with the family, the old-should-be retired one. With the exception of Brolin and Gosling's characters, and Penn's over the top scene chewing Mickey Cohen, the rest of the film's big names are wasted on flimsy two dimensional roles. But hey, the slow-motion gun fire and car chase looks great though right? The film's production was not trouble free, what with the re-writing of a pivotal scene following the Aurora cinema tragedy but I really can't imagine that this missing scene could have saved Gangster Squad from being any other than an average crime flick. The main problem with Gangster Squad is it's competition. This story has been told before, think of L.A. Confidential (1950's LAPD) or The Untouchables (police unit against Al Capone), and both times the storytelling was superior. Considering how good the film could have been with the cast and story at hand, Gangster Squad is a disappointingly average film but it's still probably worth checking out as one of 2013's biggest releases.

Madagascar 3 is probably the most colourful, bright and energetic film you will see this year. Freshened up with additional characters, the writing is funny for both children and adults, although slightly uneven throughout the film. Most of the laughs come from Stefano the sea lion, King Julien or the penguins rather than the main characters, the voices of which can become borderline irritating after hearing them in three films. The writing makes homages to plenty of other films, my favourite being the banana gun fired from the plane, which shot in slow-motion as with many stylish action sequences, had banana skins flying out and building up rather than shell casings. The nationalities represented by the new characters of the circus, specifically Eastern Europe and Italy, are shamelessly stereotyped. Although I don't take issue with it, on the contrary the Italian sea lion (voiced by Martin Short) was the funniest character in my view, it is lazy writing to rely on these stereotypes so heavily. The sequence from the film's start to the end of the chase through Monte Carlo, along parts of the F1 circuit no less, was a brilliant and the highlight of the film. It's unfortunate that this was the first twenty minutes. Colourful, energetic and often funny third outing for the popular franchise

I am going to dedicate one paragraph and one paragraph only to the subject of the film being massively different and inferior to the book it is allegedly based upon. Max Brooks' novel is a collection of accounts of the worldwide war against zombies and covers social, religious and political repercussions stemming from the global war. Marc Forster's film is a zombie based action film led by Brad Pitt with occasional references to locations (Israel) or terminology (Zeke) from the source material. The term 'based on' has never been so loosely used. Being a massive fan of the book, I lowered my expectations for the film to match my disappointment after finding out that the screenplay was not staying truer to the spirit of the book. Anyway, that's out of the way now and this review will now attempt to assess the film on it's own merits. The film wastes no time, racing out of the traps with only a few minutes used to introduce the Lane family, father Gerry (Pitt), mother Karin (Mireille Enos) and two daughters, before the zombie outbreak takes over Philadelphia. From this point it's all zombie tension and action, including some well shot action sequences in an eerily lit apartment complex, until Gerry gets his family out to the UN fleet off the coast of America. This domestic introduction to the outbreak gives way to a more global perspective as the UN look to investigate the source in order to develop a vaccine. I felt this worldwide globe-trotting series of locations and discussions of the differing strategies of different nations following the outbreak was much more consistent with the spirit of the book. In my mind, introducing the zombies so early on in the film (we discover the world is overran within thirty minutes) underlines that Forster saw the film as more **** thriller investigating the world's ability to cope with a zombie outbreak more similar to the likes of Contagion rather than a true zombie horror flick like Dawn of the Dead. I had no issue with this, and neither did I have any complaints (as I have seen consistently made) with either the lack of gore (only a 15 in the UK) or the speed of the zombies. Firstly with the gore, I personally don't see it as a prerequisite for a zombie film, if the director (or studio I imagine) choose to include it then so be it but I think there has been enough on The Walking Dead to see me through to the next season. Secondly with the zombies, there are some inconsistencies in their relative speed and intelligence and they did look very similar to the vampires from I Am Legend, but the fast nature of the herd is a change from the norm and does lead to some awesome looking scenes. Also, I don't think the film ever really confirmed that the infected were zombies or the undead, only that these were literal translations of terms used in other countries. I found the film capable of a decent level of tension and suspense in places although I really did begin to get frustrated with the repeatedly clumsy nature of the cast as they banged into everything in their way and attracted the attention of zombies. Doesn't anyone look where they are going? I thought that the rehashed ending (courtesy of rewriters Drew Goddard and Damon Lindelof) lost it's way in comparison with the more international nature of the film's first two acts and became more of a typical zombie film without being anything special, and this act was definitely the film's weakest part. Considering the delays and re-writes, World War Z is a success, in that it made it to the big screen at all and I actually enjoyed large parts of it. However, it's inconsistent writing and ending, not to mention the huge divergence from the book will always be a source of frustration to many.

I wouldn't go out of my way to watch it again. Defiance is a fairly run of the mill film that, considering the subject matter, is not as inspiring or emotionally intense as it could have been. The plot just seems to move along without being able to grab you and pull you in to the plight of the Bielski group, despite the deaths and suffering of it's members. Also, the plot doesn't really feature any twists, none in fact, so any increase in excitement or suspense is really limited. The acting scores a plus for the film, if you are prepared to accept some fluctuating Eastern European accents. All three leads turn in good performances but the supporting cast of Alexa Davalos and Allan Corduner are more than worthy of equal mention. A well made and acted film that surprisingly lacks in genuine drama and emotion.

If the plot described above sounds nothing like any Robin Hood film or TV show you have seen before you would be right. This is Ridley Scott's story behind the legend. It's certainly a fresh take on the well known character and I think Scott should be applauded for not repeating the same story of Robin Hood and his band of merry men running amok in Sherwood forest. The true story of Robin Hood is shrouded in doubt and conflicting myths but I think that Brian Helgeland's (L.A. Confidential) screenplay probably stretches historical accuracy to the maximum you may expect of an American-produced film of a British myth. That leads me onto my next point, the cast. Casting Russell Crowe as Robin, hmmm. Crowe brings a fairly stoic grittiness to the role but I can't help but feel that there were better options. The fact that Crowe is one of the films producers suggests his role as Robin was paid for. As angry as this may make Crowe, there is no denying that his accent in the film was plain off and seems to cover almost all UK regions at some point in time. With the exception of Mark Strong and Mark Addy, the cast is largely American and I found that frustrating as there are scores of British actors that could have played the likes of Little John, Will Scarlett and King Richard I at least as well as Danny Huston. Shows like Game of Thrones have shown that a largely British cast can deliver the goods. Cate Blanchett can be excused as I thought she was excellent as Lady Marian. Towards the film's end I thought that the film began to morph into Kingdom of Heaven as Robin lead the British defence en masse against the French invasion force on the beaches of the South Coast. At this stage the story seemed to have veered too far away from the Robin Hood we know and love. An alternative take on the much told story of one of Britain's favourite characters and one that is worth a watch even if the gritty nature of Robin and his story take away some of the fun and adventure that always been associated with the character.

I'm going to compare this Immortals to 300, I can't help myself. The film was marketed as 'from the producers of 300' so they can't blame me. If you want to watch a Greek mythology based film loaded with impressive visuals and special effects then watch Zack Snyder's. Don't get me wrong, director Tarsem Singh delivers some eye-popping visuals and fight scenes that rival those of Snyder but in truth the rest of Immortals really falls short of being anything close to a great movie. Soon to be Superman Henry Cavill looks the part as Theseus but I thought he was pretty wooden although he certainly wasn't working with an award winning script. The army rousing speech scene (think 'tonight we dine in hell' with Gerard Butler, no acting great either) made me pity the guy for having to read the lines. Unfortunately, Mickey Rourke doesn't fare much better either, his performance made even more comical by his venus fly-trap/playboy bunny headpiece. Seriously, what were they thinking? Immortals didn't even manage to hold my attention for the duration, which for me is almost unheard of, but hey, it looks good right.

So, could Baz Luhrmann, with Jay-Z at his side, deliver a modern adaptation of the the Great American Novel that would be well received by all? I think the answer from the offset was always going to be no. Instead, Luhrmann delivers a visual feast of a film, one that tries to balance Luhrman's big number style with an authenticity to the source material but one that relies too heavily on narration, some cheap visual effects and ends up failing to fully flesh out the key relationship central to the story. I don't have any specific problem with Baz Luhrmann's style, I liked his take on Romeo & Juliet and have managed to avoid Moulin Rouge so far. I thought he would be a good match for the glitz, glamour and decadence of the period and I thought this side of the film worked out well. The style factor was never going to be in doubt. The use of music in the film has been the subject of some debate and I'm going to side with the positive. It worked fairly well for me, hip hop goes hand in hand with excess and the modern songs fitted well with the music video style of Gatsby's parties. Lana Del Rey's song Young & Beautiful is mesmerisingly haunting and is the perfect accompaniment for the film's troubled lovers. Having not read the book and therefore not being aware of the literary themes in place this may be an unfair comment, especially if fans of the book appreciated the inclusion, but I felt the direction was slightly heavy handed in places, I certainly felt the references to the all-seeing eyes and green light were more than driven home. Leonardo DiCaprio gives a mature, refined performance befitting the great nature of the man. Carey Mulligan is also excellent as Daisy, giving what I call a 'bambi' type performance complete with beautifully innocent doe eyes. She is let down by the direction/narrative, wherever you want to lay the blame, which doesn't do enough to make you understand the passion of Gatsby for the girl, especially given the choices she ultimately makes. Tobey Maguire is suited to the role of Carraway, though his key role in the film as narrator, really limited my enjoyment. The guy always seems to come off so square, disapproving and lame. I enjoyed The Great Gatsby but I'm sure it won't suit all tastes.

Some time has passed since I watched John Carter and I certainly hold no grudges against it. It wasn't the complete write-off I was expecting, although it is certainly not without it's flaws. I think I preferred it to Battleship, although I can't think of what I must have done to deserve being forced to choose between either. There are times during John Carter where you could really be watching either Indiana Jones or Star Wars (Episodes I-III) such is the old fashioned, character-led, gung-ho adventure and sci-fi nature of the film. However, despite it being an adventure film of massive budget, I struggle to recall any action set pieces that took place, with the exception of the picture below, despite knowing that there must have been some. This cannot be a good recollection for an action blockbuster. I am not familiar with any of Burrough's stories and the screenplay certainly didn't help matters. Although the screenplay doesn't assume any knowledge of the character and the universe he belongs to and I appreciate that the writers are working with the original material, they made a seemingly simple plot far too complicated through the method of delivery. Surprisingly, and the surprise is relative, the script is only slightly clichéd in places and didn't stink to high heaven in the way Battleship's did. I did really like the context of the story being told from a young Burrough's perspective and the twist at the end was unexpected and satisfying. My biggest gripe with the acting, and being such a massive fan of The Wire it pains me to do this, was with Dominic West. I thought he almost looked embarrassed to be on screen in most scenes and delivered one of the hammiest performances I think I've ever seen. Sorry Dominic. Lyn Collins was a vibrant presence and I felt Taylor Kitsch did enough in shouldering the responsibilities of the lead role, considering the film's inherent flaws. He certainly can't be held accountable for the films failings at the box office.

It is too easy to compare Marc Webb's Amazing Spider-Man to Raimi's first effort, primarily because for the first half at least they are the same film, or are at least both films telling the same story. Pages and pages have been written on the reboot debate so I won't add to them only to say that I think I enjoyed the updated take on the origin story more. The conspiracy behind Peter's parents deaths adds some complexity to the story and Peter's first experience of Spider-Man's abilities is made into an amusing sequence. Credit for that must go to Andrew Garfield, who improves on Maguire's take on Parker no end, proving that Peter can be geeky without being too pathetic. Perhaps it was setting the story in high school, with the sympathies that come with being different in that environment, that makes Garfield's Peter more likeable. Once the origin of Spider-Man is complete, the film moves through the gears and the budding romance and chemistry between Peter and Gwen is sincere and likeable. With a supporting cast including veterans Martin Sheen and Sally Field, there is no shortage of strong performances. The film is a bit heavy handed with it's vigilante right or wrong mantra and I was hugely disappointed with Rhys Ifan's Lizard. Ifan's performance as Connor's is decent enough but for me visually the Lizard didn't fit closely enough with the character's traditional appearance. Maybe it was an attempt to make the character realistic in a Christopher Nolan manner but rather than look like a lizard (with a lizards head) he looks like a generic green monster that could appear in any film. An enjoyable, if unnecessary, return to Spider-Man's roots with a fresh bunch of characters that is worth a watch even if just for a comparison with the original trilogy.

Director Derek Cianfrance's film links together three separate, yet interlinked, stories of two families in a manner that is certainly not without risk. Roughly a third of the film's two hour plus running time each, the shift in narrative and characters, certainly from the first to second, is so sudden that it caused the film to lose all momentum on two occasions. Being led, deliberately no doubt, in one direction by the trailer, I found myself checking my watch after 50 minutes, so sudden is the shift in story. Second time around was less of a shock, as I began to appreciate what Cianfrance was trying to achieve. However, given the fragmented nature of the narrative, being asked to invest in three stories, each slightly less enjoyable than the previous, totalling two hours plus is stretching the capacity of the audience. That's the negatives out of the way. Saving and driving The Place Beyond the Pines into success, is the standard of the film's cast and Cianfrance's and cinematographer Sean Bobbitt's visuals. Starting with the cast, the performances of leads Gosling and Cooper are first rate. Gosling's bank robbing rider channels all of the raw, stoic cool, audiences have become accustomed to, while Cooper is excellent as the troubled, professionally and emotionally, police officer, under pressure from wife, father and colleagues. The accolades shouldn't stop there, Mendes gives an emotionally fraught performance as Luke's old flame, Ben Mendelsohn was my favourite as Luke's partner in crime and Ray Liotta dials in the menace as only he can as a corrupt cop asking more of Avery. Youngsters Dane De Haan and Emory Cohen, also hit the right notes with their performances, even though I have to say I didn't like either character. Going back to the visuals, the film looks stunning, with some excellent vistas and use of colours, interspersed amongst the scenes of bikes racing through streets and forests and personal nature of close-up shots during more intimate scenes. Certainly different to what I was expecting when I took my seat, Cianfrance took some risks with the plot and didn't win them all but The Place Beyond The Pines is nonetheless a strong film anchored by an excellent cast, superb visuals and strong script.

I'm going to get straight to it, upset fans of the original and say that on the whole I quite enjoyed this film. Don't get me wrong it is definitely not without it's flaws, none more so than the hugely anti-climatic ending, cut-out bad guys (except Travolta) and terrible character writing for James Gandolfini's Mayor but up until the ending I enjoyed Tony Scott's fast paced and stylish direction and Washington's performance. The opening sequence, in which the train is hijacked, is a fantastic sequence of New York both above and below ground, framed through quickly edited long-taken blurred shots of colourful taxis and trains all played out to Jay-Z's 99 Problem's. Travolta's role see him reprise his familiar, unhinged and over the top villain from Face/Off (as Cage) that I can cope with in reasonable doses. Unfortunately, he is given a really clichéd profanity heavy script that doesn't do the film any favours. The film works best when Ryder and Garber are separate and playing traditional roles of terrorist and negotiator and begins to stall when Garber leaves the office to meet up with Ryder. The less said about the film's ending the better.

For me, Lockout is one of those odd guilty pleasures. It was probably far from the best film released during it's week of release, never mind the month or year. It's a straightforward, short, fast paced, guns blazing, one man action vehicle that doesn't make any attempts to be cleverer than it needs to be. Guy Pearce stands in for the likes of Russell, Seagal, Willis, Arnie or Sly as the likeable rogue protagonist. It's unusual to see Pearce play a genuine all action-hero but he seems to be enjoying himself delivering some of the most sarcastic one-liners in film history, courtesy of co-writer Luc Besson and directors Saint & Mather. In fact, Snow literally barely says anything at all other than acerbic barbs directed at either villains or his damsel in distress. The relationship between Snow and Emilie, and the situation they find themselves in, reminded me of that of Steven Seagal and Erika Eleniak in Under Siege. With a budget of $20M, Lockout is relatively low budget and almost B-movie like but if you can get past the occasionally ropey CGI, place tongue firmly in cheek and accept it for the guilty pleasure it is it's capable of satisfying that action movie itch you get from time to time. Just imagine the most average parts of Die Hard, Under Siege and Escape from New York all rolled into one!

Led by strong performances by Greenwood and Culp, Thirteen Days is an interesting and taught political drama, even if the final outcome is known to all (hint we weren't all incinerated by mutual nuclear destruction). In addition to the Kennedy administration, the narrative covers the roles of both the military and US UN representatives in the crisis. I've always thought that the roles of military personnel in movies is clichéd in the manner they always push for war, but seeing as this film depicts actual events (according to the source book) it turns out that that is actually the case. In fact, in this case the military chiefs repeatedly undermine JFK's restrained by not cancelling a planned atom bomb test or spy flights close to the Soviet Union. The script faithfully recreates actual speeches given by JFK during the crisis, 'not merely peace in our time but peace for all time' and both Greenwood and Culp accurately nail the Boston Irish accent of the Kennedy family. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for the film's lead and producer, Kevin Costner. His accent veers from credible to laughable to non-existent during the film and his failings are only highlighted by his co-stars' performances.

My knowledge of baseball is very limited (my choice of US sports is football), thankfully however this didn't limit my enjoyment of Moneyball (even if I did have to Google 'on-base percentage', but I got the gist of it). At its heart, the film is a real life underdog story revolving around Billy Beane's unshirking determination and belief in Peter Brand's methods, in the face of extreme consternation and criticism. Moneyball's script was co-written by Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network) and Steven Zaillian (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) and the result is a clever and witty narrative that delivers some amusing scenes, usually involving Jonah Hill's shy and uncomfortable Assistant GM Brand. Hill himself is a revelation (Academy nominated for Supporting Actor) in a straight role, playing against his norm yet still being responsible for most of the film's light hearted moments. It seems a shame he even considered starring in The Sitter after this performance. Brad Pitt is another who stands out with an admirable performance as the main character, embodying just the right amount of likeability, softly spoken confidence and self-belief, without crossing into meglomaniac territory, despite practically shutting down his scouting department. When considering the three leading names, Philip Seymour Hoffman seems to be underused as Coach Art Howe, mostly seen standing around in disbelief as his team is dismantled. I would have liked to have seen more of him, given what the man can really bring to a role. A really enjoyable sports underdog story, and not just for baseball fans.

Considering a third film in a franchise? Considered a time-travel plot to breathe some life into the story? This is exactly what MiB 3's writer, Etan Cohen, did and it largely works, taking Will Smith out of the present, dropping him into 1969 and adding either new characters or younger versions of characters from the previous two films. Trying to splice elements of time travel into a story always runs the risk of tying the narrative up in knots and although MiB 3 steered clear of these complications, I still found myself pondering the repercussions much afterwards. Due to the plot this instalment features considerably less Tommy Lee Jones than before, but fear not, the buddy movie concept is not lost as Josh Brolin accurately replicates, not just impersonates, Agent K some forty years earlier to butt heads with Smith's fast talking Agent J. Brolin's note perfect performance as a younger Jones is the highlight of the film, helping the plot move forward in anticipation of the event that leads to K's even more dead pan and serious demeanour. What causes this actually turns out to be a surprisingly tender ending to the film, and one that deserves to finish the franchise. Michael Stuhlbarg (gangster Arnold Rothstein from Boardwalk Empire) has an amusing, scene stealing turn as Griffin, the quirky alien capable of seeing all possible permutations of the future, all that was missing was a mention of Schrodinger's Cat. All things considered, MiB 3 is a likeable return to the form for the franchise, but one that isn't truly funny or inventive enough to suggest that the franchise can go much further.

First time director and writer J.C. Chandor delivers a gripping, tense film with Academy nominated screenplay, told largely over the hours of a single New York night. The majority of the 'action' takes place in dimly lit offices, often lit solely by the banks of computer monitors flashing with the doomed data, with the neon skyline of New York as a backdrop through the office windows. It's a setting that reflects the severity of the situation, once aware of the issue no-one ever suggests calling it a night. The sense of importance is also highlighted by the manner in which the disaster-in-the-making is passed up through the chain, with each manager, head of department, or senior executive, only able to pass it on until the CEO choppers in at 3 AM to rule on the matter. Justifiably, the banking industry has been criticised and penalised for the greed that led to the 2008 crisis but interestingly, despite the firm making a decision that will ultimately lead to the crisis, Chandor gives a voice to the industry to justify their greed and existence. Will Emerson (Bettany) argues that the bankers greed is only able to exist due to the demands of 'real people' to own things they cannot afford, while CEO Tuld (Irons) is considerably more blasé, stating that the downturn is simply part of the economic cycle and even that there will simply be more starving dogs than fat cats for a while. The narrative is balanced however, with Sam Rogers (Spacey) and several others voicing their discontent at the irresponsibility about to be shown by Tuld and Cohen (Baker), while scapegoat Sarah Robertson (Moore) goes down declaring that her warnings were not listened to. A great cast, an interesting subject and great film making, Margin Call is a must for those wanting a film to test the old grey matter.

My viewing experience of Chronicle was incredibly mixed. In equal measures I enjoyed some parts and got bored of others. I loved the boys will be boys element of the groups discovery, using the powers for fun and stupidly testing the limits of their growing abilities. It seems exactly the sort of behaviour you would expect from teenage boys. As you would also expect, it isn't too long before someone goes too far when showing off and that person is Andrew (Dane DeHaan). Bullied at school and with an abusive father and dying mother at home, you can certainly sympathise with Andrew's outlook on life and understand his temptation to allow his anger to exploit his powers. That said, his character (and partially that of his cousin Matt too) was the main reason for my annoyance with the film. I didn't like them, simple as. The pair were incredibly whiny, and their arguing and screaming at each other dragged the script down into soap opera territory. Considering the budget, the special effects are pretty respectable and the story itself is an interesting journey, dealing with the loss of self-control and responsibility past the point of no return, culminating in the film's frantic finale.

Let's get straight to it, Battleship is a bad bad film. Taylor Kitsch was greatly mocked for starring in this film and John Carter, two of 2012's lesser acclaimed releases but I don't think he can shoulder too much of the blame here. Battleship's faults lie almost solely at the feet of the writers, Jon and Erich Hoeber. The script is riddled, absolutely riddled with stinking dialogue and the while obviously a certain amount of disbelief is required to even consider watching a film of Battleship's ilk, the plot has some laughable moments. I don't know which was worse, watching a previously decommissioned battleship being started up by a crew of geriatric veterans in no time at all, seeing said ship perform a handbrake turn at full speed by dropping anchor, the cringe-worthy references to The Art of War or seeing Rihanna try to act. Her speech about her father's alien prophecy is the stuff of nightmares. Thankfully for his sake, Liam Neeson's performance as the isolated Fleet Commander is limited. I was sceptical of how the film might incorporate anything resembling the Battleship game, but the night battle using educated pot-shots at grid references in the style of the board game actually worked reasonably well. The enemy, or more importantly, its odd passive-aggressive, your turn-our turn behaviour, is conveniently never explained. I know the film is supposed to be action-led, fun and O.T.T. and visually director Peter Berg does nothing wrong but most of the action is pretty stationary and quite repetitive and there is only so much you can forgive a terrible script. Come back Michael Bay, we forgive you for Transformers!

Due to its very nature, in making a film of the post nuclear war against machines between the Resistance and Skynet, director McG was already onto a hiding to nothing. James Cameron's films featured an occasional shot of the war but were always based around a single Terminator relentlessly pursuing its targets as part of an intelligent time travel plan. By focusing on the war, what made the previous films successful is lost. Connor and Reese fight against motorbike terminators, hunter-killer planes, aerobots and giant terminator robots, proving successful against them all. To say the tension is missing would be an understatement. Bale does his deep Batman voice thing, less forgiving here, and in places the script suffers from cheese overload in places, none more so than Connor stealing (or a lazy tribute to) Arnie's seminal line, 'I'll be back'. This was almost too much to take. Yelchin is also given some equally cheesy lines that seem out of kilter with his character's previously strong willed and determined nature. Visually, McG does deliver some decent looking action scenes but the film doesn't have the charm of the originals. Salvation is an overblown, sledgehammer approach to the series, and as a standalone action film it would be average but as an entry into the Terminator franchise it is a weak one and one that does not need repeating.

At heart Oz is a moral story of good and bad (the witches), and good and great (Oz), though the journey of the characters from one to the other are not always as complete (Oz) or credible as they could be (the wicked witch). Starting with Oz himself, a 'magician' in Kansas, nothing wrong with that, he knows he is a fraud, but he is also an arrogant, womanising, unscrupulous shyster. By the end of the film, I'm not sure how many of those traits he has learnt the error of, despite upsetting most of Oz, before saving the day with a combination of earthly illusions and charm. James Franco's casting raised eyebrows, however I think he brought a degree of humility to the role that made Oz vaguely likeable. I am certain I could not have coped with Robert Downey Jr's (the producers first choice) style of arrogance in the role. Franco is supported by an accomplished cast of witches in Kunis, Weisz and Williams, and its Williams who wins hands down with her measured and gentle performance. Kunis is smouldering as always while Weisz seems to be trying too hard. Without giving anything away, I was disappointed in the transformation of one of the witches to the famous Wicked Witch of the West. The gravitas of the role seemed too much for the actress in question. Zach Braff adds value as Oz's beleaguered assistant in Kansas and the voice of a comedy sidekick flying monkey in Oz. The same can be said for Joey King, voicing China Girl with a sincerity that belies her years. Director Sam Raimi delivers a vibrant, colourful landscape, similar to Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, that looks sublime at times but sometimes the CGI was overpowering. The green screen certainly earned its pay-check. Raimi adds some neat references to the film's source, most notably the 4:3 sepia tone introduction in Kansas, which looks great in addition to the old fashioned style of shots. Overall, considering my expectations I was slightly disappointed but there is just enough magic here, in Raimi's visuals and elements of the plot, to suggest the return to Oz was worthwhile.

I sat down to watch The Artist with a certain degree of apprehension, it was the first black and white or silent film I have ever really watched. Sadly these factors put off Mrs Media Worm so I watched it solo. The Artist is like no other film I have seen (stating the obvious) before, in the same way I often lean towards black and white photography, I found the lack of colour enhanced the film's stylish presentation. After a short time I forgot I was watching a film with no dialogue, and enjoyably so. Ludovic Bource's score sublimely supports the cast, with necessary dialogue provided by the occasional old fashioned dialogue intertitles. Before seeing the film, I'll be honest, I was sceptical of the film's hype, especially seeing actors unknown to a wide audience wining awards for Best Actor, but Jean Dujardin's performance as the proud, egocentric star George Valentin is as wonderful as I have seen lately. Dujardin seems built for silent film where expressions count for so much, ironic given the film's story. The contrast between his over-acted performances as the silent film actor and his toned down but still expression led performance as an actor in what is a silent film is subtle but fascinating. Berenice Bejo is just as rapturous as Peppy Miller and together the two are enchanting. Considering the film is French, I was surprised by the faces that popped up amongst the supporting cast, notably John Goodman, Malcom McDowell and James Cromwell. Credit must also go to Uggie the dog, probably now the most famous on screen canine since Snowy. Academy Award Best Director Michel Hazanavicius includes some stylish shots, my favourite being the shot of George and Peppy talking on the stairway of the Bradway Building while extras busily move around them on all levels at a seemingly faster speed. The film's plot is actually a sombre, simple little romance story where very little actually happens but what does transpire does so leisurely, at an easy going pace, as befits the time.

As long as you can handle the deliberately gratuitous gore, boobs, more gore and more boobs (the things I go through for the purposes of a review!), Piranha 3D is a hilarious and enjoyable B-movie horror. It is probably the goriest film I have ever seen, but whereas the likes of Hostel cross in to 'gorno' territory, director Alexandra Aja provides horror and violence of the comedy kind. Aja sacrifices a few lone lake inhabitants over the first half of the action and moving underwater shots suggest that no-one is safe. However, once Sheriff Forrester (Shue) discovers the truth behind the random attacks, Aja releases the army of piranhas on the partying spring break masses in a ten minute scene that can only be described as total carnage, with a body count that makes Rambo look like Disney. Some of the deaths are so hilarious, they must be seen to be believed. Elisabeth Shue is the film's hero, Ving Rhames barely appears and Christopher Lloyd adds to the general craziness with his small part, but it's O'Connell's crazed, coked up adult film director who is most memorable. Although it owes a lot to Jaws and the original parody Piranha, Aja ensures that Piranha 3D is it's own beast (at one point the music does sound similar to John Williams' theme though!).

While probably not quite on a par with The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, bigger and darker than the previous instalments, is certainly worthy of being the closing chapter to Christopher Nolan excellent Dark Knight trilogy. From the awesome opening plane hijack stunt that introduces Bane, the film is littered with action sequences and really is one huge spectacle. On top of the action, the film is balanced by the soul-searching and recovery of Bruce Wayne, not once but twice as well as reasonably well handled themes of social equality. Tom Hardy brings an intensity to Bane, a different, more physically imposing intensity than Heath Ledger's Joker, and the character is certainly an improvement on the previous portrayal of Bane (Batman Robin!). He is given the best lines of the script to deliver through his menacing mask-affected voice. Anne Hathway plays Selina Kyle (never referred to as Catwoman), and here is where I have an issue with the Nolan brothers. I was intrigued how they would adapt Catwoman into their Dark Knight universe, and for me it was a let down. She is not the true villain of the comics, instead she is pitched as an ambiguous distraction from the battle with Bane, chasing anonymity from her thieving background and willing to side with whoever can grant it to her. At 165 minutes, TDKR is stretching the limits of an action film run time but managed to keep my attention. Some of the film's plot holes have earned some attention from critics, the only one I had a problem with was how Wayne got back to Gotham with no money, connections and with the city under lock-down. I imagine Christopher Nolan must have spent many night wondering how to conclude his trilogy. Leave it open ended? Retire Batman? Kill Batman? Anyway, his decision worked for me (despite the ending having remarkable parallels to 2011's Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows).

First Class is one of the strongest, if not the most enjoyable, members of the X-men film franchise. It's plot is perhaps overly congested, dealing with a range of characters going through the self-doubt and insecurities of being 'different' on top of the relationship between Charles and Erik in addition to stopping Schmidt from causing the Cuban Missile Crisis from going from military stand-off to full blown war. As usual with X-Men, too many characters are included purely for bodies in the fight scenes. Step forward Angel, Banshee, Havok, Darwin, Azazel and Riptide. Avengers leads the way in accommodating a group of major superheroes without shoehorning wafer-thin characters for cannon fodder. Special mentions for January Jones, who gives the flattest, monotone performance I can remember as the Schmidt's female sidekick, Emma Frost and Kevin Bacon, for performing scenes in German and Russian! On to the positives......Michael Fassbender. It is not often you associate a superhero movie with powerhouse performances, but Fassbender's intense, brooding portrayal of Erik, hinting at the flaws that ultimately come to the surface as Magneto, is just that, and is a joy to watch. Only a few leagues below (and given Fassbender's performance this is still high praise) is James McAvoy's performance as Charles Xavier. All things said and done, First Class is an enjoyable action film, benefiting from some excellent actors and the curiosity attached to seeing younger versions of familiar characters.

With worldwide box office takings of $196M (IMDB), it's safe to say that plenty of people chose to see The Vow. Romance films sell, and let's face it, women love Channing Tattum. I can't say that I have seen many true 'roms', most romantic films I watch have the obligatory 'com' attached. The Vow's script has some light-hearted moments, however it definitely can't be classed as a 'rom-com'. McAdams brings her typical sweetness to the role and Tattum does his best, which might not uproot any trees in the acting world, but through his limited abilities, does bring a certain realness to his character. The plot is inevitably quite predictable, however, the writers deserve credit for not following the stereotypical plot sequence all the way through to the end. When my missus exclaims in horror that "that's not how it's supposed to end!", you know the film has achieved something at least.

Don't let the above plot put you off. Yes, its politics but it's so much more. It's a character study of the highest order. We get to see Lincoln's political machinations, frustrations with public office, as well as his personal strife behind the White House's doors. The narrative never feels dull or anything other than monumentous. I haven't seen any of the films featuring other nominees for Academy Best Actor but I just cannot imagine that any of the performances come close to Daniel Day-Lewis' as Lincoln. Just when you think the guy can't get any better (There Will Be Blood), he steps up to another level. His performance as Lincoln is simply wonderful. Patient, stoic, inspirational, determined, regretful, melancholy, Day-Lewis manages to capture everything. To heap all the praise on Day-Lewis would be disrespectful to the rest of the cast. Credit where due, Sally Fields is excellent as the Mary Lincoln, Tommy Lee Jones turns in a strong, sombre performance and with the cast on offer I could go on all day.

Before seeing Bridesmaids, I genuinely thought it was just a female Hangover rip-off. Maybe that was the marketing or maybe I was being lazy. Having seen the film, the truth lies somewhere between the two. Yes, its about chaotic pre-wedding festivities, the gang intend to go to Vegas and yes, there are some moments of hilarious toilet humour, but that's about it. Melissa McCarthy steals most scenes she is in with her brazen vulgarity, a supporting role for which she was Oscar nominated. Prior to his appearance in Lena Durham's Girls (also produced by Apatow), Chris O'Dowd appears as a traffic officer and Matt Lucas has a cameo as Annie's landlord. After reading that Rose Byrne and Wiig ad-libbed most of the speech scene, Byrne's stock has increased in my eyes, as I would never have thought her capable of a comedy role. What sets Bridesmaids apart is that as well being hilarious, it's script has heart, and genuine heart, not the over the top contrived heart usually found at the end of most comedies. Over everything else, Bridesmaids is a showcase for Kristen Wiig's sharp co-written script and funny portrayal as the flawed and troubled maid of honour. Her inclusion in the upcoming Anchorman sequel is surely down to the success of Bridesmaids. I would even go as far as that the girls have outdone the boys and produced a comedy better than its closest sibling, The Hangover.

Limitless is an above average thriller, not without its flaws, but nonetheless well anchored by Cooper's versatile performance as both bum and success story. The film earns points for its varied cinematography and effects, giving clear distinction between the times when Eddie is experiencing the drugs illumination and not. The plot is a little thin, the ending feels almost tagged on as an afterthought and while Abbie Cornish doesn't really have much to do, Robert De Niro doesn't bring as much gusto as you would expect to his role as the investment kingpin who takes an interest in Eddie's success.

Writer/director Rian Johnson has hit the big time with Looper, a really polished and original clever sci-fi thriller that succeeds by focusing more on its characters and slick action than tying the narrative in loops to explain the intricacies of time travel. In fact the film makes it clear that the time travel discussion is off the table, Willis makes this point abundantly clear to his younger self when the pair discuss their past/future in another great American diner scene. It simply isn't allowed to distract from the film. The action is stylish and the film carries a genuine sense of almost low budget indie cool throughout. Armed with his awesome blunderbuss, Gordon-Levitt copes with playing a lead action man well and is ably supported by Bruce Willis and Emily Blunt. Blunt, in particular, gives a strong performance as a single mother resolutely protecting her son. I have seen some comments to the contrary, but I found the film's ending to be excellent and thought provoking.

Those expecting sharp political satire need look elsewhere. The Campaign is a typical Will Ferrell vehicle that greatly benefits from the added presence of Galifianakis. The duo provide ample laughs throughout and there are some really funny scenes and lines such as Brady trying to recite the Lord's Prayer from his aides actions or Brady's assertions that everything seems to be 'this nation's backbone' including 'Phillipino tilt-a-whirl operators'. While the film does laugh, and laugh well, at the expense of mud slinging campaigns, expectations of the electorate of a 'real American' politician including portrait of a majestic eagle in the home and of the lack of genuine political discussion, the writers of the likes of The Thick of It need not lose any sleep.

Where to start, on the first viewing There Will Be Blood has comfortably become one of my favourite films of all time. From the dialogue-free 15 minute opening of Plainview mining alone, to the intense and violent conclusion, There Will Be Blood is unrelenting. You cannot take your eyes off Daniel Day-Lewis. He is quite simply fantastic as the fiery, vengeful and driven oilman and deserved his Plainview becomes so dislikeable he is likeable, and I found myself routing for him, after all he is the film. The scenes between pastor Eli and Daniel, in particular the two where each humiliates the other, are worth the price of admission alone. Maybe I'm biased, maybe Daniel Day-Lewis is one of my favourite actors, maybe because I work in the oil industry the film's subject appeals to me more, maybe great shots of drilling derricks and flaming oil gushers set against the American West just do it for me. Or maybe not, maybe Paul Thomas Anderson has just created a truly great film, full of memorable images and lines. Although central to the film, the themes of religion and capitalism are allowed to exist without heavy handed interference from Anderson. Ultimately, neither come out of the other side smelling of roses. The reason this film only scores 9/10 is due to the score. Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood is responsible for the score which Tarantino complimented as "one of the great modern original soundtracks of the last decade" but it just didn't agree with me.

Based on the books of the forties, The Adventures of Tintin is good clean fun and is a genuinely enjoyable film suitable for all the family. Spielberg's team of British writers, Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz), Stephen Moffat (Sherlock) and Joe Cornish (Attack the Block) combine elements from three Tintin stories to produce an exciting adventure but simple mystery. Watching the fantastic looking animation, it's easy to forget that with the motion-capture, the actors aren't just providing voices but are responsible for all character movements. In terms of performance, Andy Serkis steals the show as the largely inebriated Captain Haddock. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost pop up as bumbling Interpol officers Thomson and Thompson for comic effect. One thing I couldn't shake from my childhood was how serious, self-righteous and frankly annoying Tintin can be. Obviously that's a criticism of the character not of the movie, but this version didn't go anyway to changing my opinion. Spielberg evokes pleasant memories of Indiana Jones in several chase sequences and action set pieces, none more so than the intrepid reporter and Haddock riding in a motorbike and sidecar. Not a bad thing at all.

My main concern with The Avengers was, in encompassing all of the members, the film would be spread too thinly between the characters, resulting in a watered down attempt to integrate characters and personalities, a little like the X-men films. Thankfully this is not the case, although it's interesting that co-writer Zak Penn was involved in two of the X-men group films. Penn and Joss Whedon find enough screen-time for all the Avengers and by introducing them gradually through the film's opening third, sufficient emphasis is placed on each character. Similarly, I was disappointed when I discovered that the film's antagonist would be Loki, as I was not overly impressed with him in Thor. Again though, due to Hiddlestone's improved performance this time around and with Whedon's direction, I felt Loki was a much more interesting villain and one more fitting of the collective's film. The team dynamic of between the superheroes is what really makes the film, alongside the blockbuster action sequences. Thor and Hulk clash, Captain America and Tony Stark routinely throw barbs at each other while Stark shows a surprisingly sincere side when offering support to Bruce Banner. Mark Ruffalo plays Banner with a sense of fear and regret of his destructive, uncontrollable power and I found him to be the most interesting character of the team. There's a slightly contrived back-story thrown in to give Hawkeye and Black Widow something of interest but its the funny moments between Stark and co. that gives the film its spark. Samuel. L. Jackson's brings his usual 'don't mess with me' cool factor and his larger role also benefits the movie. Being critical, I'm not sure the plot gave enough explanation as to why Banner returned to fight alongside the others after showing nothing but resistance to let 'the other guy' appear, or how he was able to control Hulk more effectively in contrast with the film's earlier events. The so called Battle of New York finale is a really exciting well-directed battle, especially when you consider it's similarities to the frantic city battles Michael Bay treated us to in his Transformer films. A genuine action blockbuster fit for it's cast.

Ghost Protocol is probably the strongest entry in the Mission Impossible series so far. It's a fast paced, strong plot loaded with exciting action set pieces, none more so than the Burj Khalifa stunts, which look fantastic. With clever gadgets, missions, disguises and Hunt working as part of a true IMF team, Ghost Protocol stays true to the Mission Impossible mantra. Speaking of the IMF team, Paula Patton, Jeremy Renner and Simon Pegg add to the film's dynamics as well as most of the film's humourous moments. Make no mistake though, Ghost Protocol is Tom Cruise's film. When Ethan Hunt is on form, and is he in Ghost Protocol, Cruise probably doesn't play a better character these days. He seems to thrive on the stunts he performs himself and the film is better for it. The film isn't without its flaws however, I didn't feel that anywhere near enough emphasis was placed on Michael Nyqvist's villain. In fact, I could barely remember him the following day! Also, for the fact that the film is based on a protocol that supposedly renders the team with no support or back-up, it didn't really seem to have any impact at all on the mission. I can't remember it really being mentioned later on. All things considered though, Ghost Protocol is a really enjoyable action film with some fantastic action sequences.

Knowing anything regarding the plot, it will probably be pretty obvious to all how the story ends and unsurprisingly Friends With Benefits stays true to expectations. That said, what happens prior is largely enjoyable thanks to a strong script, energetic performances from the leads and fantastic chemistry between Timberlake and Kunis. Woody Harrelson turns up as a gay sports editor to some amusement. I did get a little frustrated at how flippant and **** the pair are in assuming that their friendship will be unaffected, especially when as a viewer you know what's around the corner, perhaps that's the whole rub of the film though I guess. The writers try unashamedly hard to pitch their characters as the coolest inner city hipsters, Jamie from N.Y. and Dylan from L.A, listening to Semisonic, with flash mob contacts and friends with street artists. As the pair make fun of romantic film stereotypes, the writers just about avoid falling into the traps they mock.

I was quite disappointed with Ted to be truthful. I actually found that Ted became slightly annoying as the movie went on, which is a pretty major problem. The script is packed with Family Guy style lines for Ted, but I found them to be very hit and miss, even more so once Ted began to grate on me. That's not to say that Ted doesn't have some very funny moments and nice touches. For instance, it begins with nods to magical Christmas films as Patrick Stewart narrates John's Christmas wish as the camera pans over the neighbourhood at night to witness a shooting star. I also liked the way that Macfarlane made the magic of Ted visible to all and that Ted had become an overnight celebrity before his novelty and popularity wore off. It's a refreshing but necessary take on the traditional children's magic tale. Overall, it's a shame I didn't enjoy the film more as Mark Wahlberg plays the role of the lazy, childish grown-up well and also shows a good handle for the comedy aspect.

It has to be said that The Sitter is not without it's funny moments. I'm sure that plenty of people laughed along in places. Any film in which Hill is on camera for it's entirety is bound to have some decent gags. It's just that for the most part the 'jokes' are either pretty lame or unoriginal. Think True Romance for the old 'fighting over a bag of coke until it tears open all over the face of a car's occupant' scene. I get that the children are supposed to be annoying for the sake of laughs, but they are really annoying in a particularly unfunny sense. Jonah Hill does his best to lead the film while things fall down around him but it's too much for his broad shoulders to cope with and the film lurches through some awkward scenes in which Hill provides sincere fatherly advice to the children to it's finish inside of 80 minutes.

Academy Award winner Ang Lee's Life of Pi is a stunningly beautiful film. Supposedly an 'unfilmable' novel, Yann Martel's book gives Lee ample opportunity for great visual imagery, an opportunity Lee and cinematographer Claudio Miranda grab with both hands. Whether its shots of Pi's boat floating adrift on a sunrise-reflecting ocean, of an island inhabited by a thousands of meerkats or of close-ups of the tiger, the visuals are unrivalled. Lee dedicates enough time either side of Pi's incredible journey, with an adult Pi narrating his story to a writer (Rafe Spall), to give meaning to Pi's emotional ordeal. Although perhaps because of the nature of live action, in particular with facial expressions of the actors, some of the ending's ambiguity may have been lost in translation to the big screen. Newcomer Suraj Sharma gives a fantastic performance as Pi, playing the role against a fully CGI tiger in what must have been a difficult filming environment. The other true star of the film is Richard Parker the tiger, the special effects for which really are outstanding. In not staying true to the book, I was slightly disappointed that the writers felt the need to give Pi a love interest at the film's start, I don't feel that this added anything to Pi's character or to the story once the family set sail. Did the writers didn't want anyone to think he was gay or something?! Anyway, I also felt that Pi's gradual blindness from dehydration which for me was one of the most harrowing parts of the novel, could have been featured to add some more despair to Pi's journey, not that it needs more! However, my grumbles about how the film relates to the book count for little. I had incredibly high expectations for this film after reading the book and seeing the trailers and thankfully Lee's adaptation lived up to those. Life of Pi is a beautiful film of a boy's unbelievable journey and how he finds a home for it among his eclectic religious beliefs. Bring on the Oscar nominations.