Chappie: Neill Blomkamp explores what it means to be human in his latest action sci-fi flick set in Joburg, which stars Hugh Jackman, Sigourney Weaver, Dev Patel and Sharlto Copley as the robot. *** TS
Focus: Though it has too many twists and turns, this one almost skates by on the glamourous setting and effortless charm of actors Will Smith and Margo Robbie. ** IND
Strange Magic: This ill-conceived take on a Shakespeare play makes for one bad dream. Lovely to look at but not much is happening beneath the surface. ** HR
The Cobbler: An enjoyable but disappointingly ordinary Adam Sandler vehicle in which he discover a magical shoe-repair machine. ** HR
The Crucible: South African director Yael Farber directs Arthur Miller’s play for the National Theatre, making of it a scorching indictment on power gone off-kilter. **** DdB
The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them: Led by strong performances from Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy, this is a haunting rumination on love and loss. *** HR
The Gambler: Well-paced and mostly entertaining, this remake suffers in comparison to the James Caan original. Mark Wahlberg can’t quite shed his likeable off-screen persona and the dialogue is very self-conscious. ** IND
50 Shades of Grey: EL James’ best-selling kinky fan fiction gets the Hollywood make-over. *** HR
Addicted: Adapted from a 90’s soft-core bestseller the film dispenses with the complex plot, three-dimensional characters and plausible dialogue and goes straight for spoonfuls of the gooey goodness promised by its premise: one woman’s insatiable appetite for sex and Boris Kodjoe’s really cute behind. HH WP
American Sniper: With well-choreographed fight sequences and hyper-real sets this film resembles a role-playing video game featuring a sniper out to kill people. Bradley Cooper bulks up and turns off the charm, but this is not about the US’s fight on terror, it is about one person’s perspective. *** TS
Annie: This remake of the musical-turned-movie stars a very cute Quvenzhané Wallis and a bored Jamie Foxx. Bland material for adults, but little fans of Frozen will lap this up. *** TS
Barbie in Princess Power: Computer generated Barbie is Princess Kara who has an alter ego with super powers, Super Sparkle. (Not reviewed)
Birdman: Alejandro González Iñárritu directs an ambitious technical showcase powered by a layered story and outstanding performances from Michael Keaton and Edward Norton. **** WP
Blackhat: Michael Mann does a really hack job of his hacker flick with prisoner Nicholas Hathaway (Chris Hemsworth) helping out on an international cyber warfare case in exchange for his freedom. A glamourised and vacuous thriller set in a divergent hi-tech world. ** DT
Dying of the Light: The plot may not make much sense, but Nicolas Cage gives a typical OTT performance. ** IND
Jupiter Ascending: The Wachowski siblings go big on visual splendour, forgetting to flesh out the characters or plot in their latest sci-fi actioner. *** TS
Hear Me Move: A high-energy South African dance film set against the backdrop of a dramatic coming-of-age story that is bound to be a hit with dance flick fans. **** LN
Kill the Messenger: Factual inaccuracies and the occasional narrative stumble are overshadowed by the potent fury of its real-life subject, played by Jeremy Renner. *** WP
Kingsman: The Secret Service: Smart, funny and super-stylish, this is both spy movie spoof and homage to the genre that gave us James Bond, Jason Bourne and Jack Bauer. Except it’s Colin Firth, Mark Strong and Michael Caine, with ab-tastic Taron Egerton to boot. **** TS
Mortdecai : An anachronistic mess that never succeeds in re-creating the breezy tone or snappy rhythm of the classic caper movies that it aims to pastiche. ** HR
Nightcrawler: Restless and visually sleek, this dark, thought-provoking and pulse-pounding thriller features a star performance from Jake Gyllenhaal. **** IND
Paddington: The marmalade-loving bear from Peru is realistically brought to life on the streets of London, amidst gorgeous art design, bringing home the idea that there is a home for everyone. **** TS
Shaun the Sheep: Cute, wondrously animated story about Shaun the Sheep leading his flock into the city to rescue the farmer. Very British humour with old-school nostalgic claymation stop-motion animation. *** TS
Spongebob Squarepants: Sponge out of Water: Once Spongebob and co leave the water they also leave behind the surreal silliness that we love. Luckily that happens late on in the otherwise zany yet sweet, mostly animated, kiddies movie. *** TS
Still Alice: Heroic yet harrowing tale of a woman whose life and livelihood depend on her love of language, but Alzheimers is stripping away her mind and therefore her very self. Julianne Moore is scarily sublime with an extraordinary supporting cast. **** DdB
Taken 3: Badly edited action sequences, clichéd characters and worn-out plot for an action film with no thrills or spills. Even Liam Neeson looks bored. HH TS
The Imitation Game: Benedict Cumberbatch is compelling in this haunting biopic about Alan Turing, the mathematician widely credited as the father of theoretical computer science and artificial intelligence. **** TS
The Remaining: Low-budget, low-impact attempt to rewrite the Book of Revelation as a horror flick. Basically Left Behind, but supposedly made using found-footage. ** WP
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: The star-studded cast from the original are back in India in a humorous, poignant take on life that will lift your spirits. **** LdM
The Theory of Everything: It’s all about the performances of Eddie Redmayne (who was rewarded with an Oscar) and Felicity Jones as Stephen Hawking and his wife Jane on whose book it is based. A story of love rather than science. **** DdB
The Wedding Ringer: This stale comedy about a friendless schlub who rents a best man for his big day was written more than a decade ago and it shows. ** HR
The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death: Not as good as the original, but it nonetheless satiates the appetite of fans. This time a teacher tries to save her mute student from an unfortunate death. Harper is solid with the directing but he is working off an average plot. *** DT
Whiplash: It’s the battle of the bully who believes he is living his life to further the success of others and being the hard taskmaster means his victim’s ultimate saving grace. JK Simmons is the perfect fit as the relentless teacher who pushes too hard. It’s tough, troubled and pitch perfect for our times. **** DdB
Wild: Reese Witherspoon stars in this biopic based on the experiences of American essayist-turned-novelist, Cheryl Strayed, who embarked on a 1 000 mile solo hike across the Pacific Crest Trail to redeem herself, after her life went into a downward spiral. *** LdM