Brave 3D: Disney/Pixar’s first heroine is a fiery redhead who uses magic to change her mother and then, bearly a moment later, regrets it. *** HH
Chernobyl Diaries: Interesting premise and authentic sets, but short on suspense or originality. *** HR
Safe: Jason Statham kicks butt and takes names with a super smart Chinese girl by his side. *** HH
Westlife – the Concert: the last concert Westlife ever gave, recorded for posterity... and to make some more money off the fans. (not reviewed)
That’s My Boy: When he’s in primary school, a boy (Adam Sandler) has sex with his maths teacher and becomes a celeb after she becomes pregnant, goes to jail and leaves him with custody of the kid. This doesn’t end well. ** TG
Darling Companions: Don’t let the title, the director or cast persuade you to trot off to this one. But if you’re of the baby boomer generation, dealing with ageing in all its many nuances and facets, you might just get what the Kasdan couple (Lawrence and his wife Meg) are talking about. *** DdeB
The Dark Knight Rises: Intelligent, morals-questioning epic third and final installment in the Chris Nolan-directed film franchise starring Christian Bale. *** HH
In the Land of Blood and Honey: Based on the horrific Bosnian War, the story follows a Serb soldier who falls for a captured Bosnian woman he knew before the war. Their relationship clouds their judgement on who they are in the conflict. Angelina Jolie did a great job at not taking the subject lightly, so brace yourself. **** MV
Lucky: It’s the heart-wrenching yet hopeful story that mirrors the horrific lives of so many Aids orphans in this country. Not only do they lose their sole providers and often only parent, they also lose their livelihood. This is an authentic story with soulful performances. **** DdB
Magic Mike: Channing Tatum heads a cast of six packs and tight buns in a film about male strippers. *** TS
The Woman in Black: A period horror starring Daniel Radcliffe as a grieving widower either going mad or in the midst of a haunting. *** TS
Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: Seven British retirees discover a newfound lust for life when they retire to India. Beautiful character study, even if the plot is a bit clichéd. *** TS
Ice Age: The prehistoric crew is back for a side-splitting adventure of fun, humour and heartfelt messages that make for winning family entertainment. **** TG
Madagascar 3: Europe’s most wanted: Bright, highly detailed with a gorgeous set piece which sees the Bronx zoo escapees join the circus. *** TS
Mad Buddies: Leon Schuster teams up with Kenneth Nkosi for a slapstick road trip movie. Crass humour and poo jokes abound. *** if you’re a six-year-old boy; H if you’re not. TS
Rock of Ages: Ensemble cast featuring Tom Cruise, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Russel Brand and Alec Baldwin in mommy jeans in an adaptation of the Broadway musical. *** HH
Set Up: Ryan Phillipe, Bruce Willis and… 50 Cent… in a heist drama. Better than you think. *** HH
Shame: Michael Fassbender plays an emotionally vacant sex addict. ** HH
Snow White And The Huntsman: A beautifully lensed retelling of the favourite fairy tale goes for a dark edge. *** TS
The Amazing Spider-Man: You’ve
seen this story before but you have
never seen it told this way. Director Marc Webb chooses character development over meaningless
CGI. Superb acting helps too.
****H MV
The Dictator: Sacha Baron Cohen’s latest character is a witty one-liner despot who is part Gadaffi, part Hussein and all sorts of crazy. *** HH
The Romantics: Anna Paquin, Josh Duhamel, Elijah Wood, Katie Holmes and Candice Bergen in a posh wedding romcom. (Not reviewed)
The Rum Diary: Johnny Depp brings to life the novel of legendary journalist Hunter S Thompson’s pre-gonzo days. *** TG
Think Like a Man: It’s battle of the sexes in this ‘how to get a man’ flick. Enjoyable if you take it for what it is. *** KM
Vincent Wants to Sea: Deftly building on some quirky scenes, director Ralf Huettner manages to get beyond the clichés of the beginning sequences to tell a believable and charming story about not always being able to save everyone. *** WP
What to Expect When You’re Expecting: Expecting more from this movie, based on the fact that it has a stellar cast and is a New York Times
best-seller, will see you labour through unrealistic, almost farcical plots. ** DT
Younge Goethe in Love: German director Philipp Stölzl’s film falls gently between the stools of high-brow camp and genuine seduction by its many period charms, fine actors and lovely landscapes. The highbrow pedigree is mostly window dressing for a commercial period romance about Germany’s literary giant.
*** HR