Film Reviews
Action overload in polished 'Star Trek Into Darkness'
In the captain’s log from the 1960s TV series, James Tiberius Kirk brazenly split an infinitive as the crew of the Enterprise embarked on a five-year mission “to boldly go where no man has gone before”.
Confused mish-mash of genres in poorly-scripted 'Deadfall'
Set largely during a blizzard along the Michigan-Canadian border, ‘Deadfall’ sends a chill of disappointment down the spine. 
'21 & Over' like 'The Hangover', only sweeter
Scott Moore and Jon Lucas, co-writers of the first chapter of ‘The Hangover’ trilogy, make their directorial debut with a raucous and gleefully foul-mouthed comedy that attempts to replicate the boozy shenanigans of their earlier script. 
Sexual chemistry abounds in gripping 'Dead Man Down'
Like so many European film-makers, Niels Arden Oplev has answered Hollywood’s siren song. 
'All Stars' an inoffensive dance movie for younger audience
Forged in the same creative fire as ‘StreetDance’ and its sequel, ‘All Stars’ is a resolutely feel-good family comedy about a group of resourceful tykes who take matters into their own hands to stop bureaucrats from wrecking their local community. 
Sharp script meets thrills and spills in 'Iron Man 3'
Now there’s a hint of sunshine in our lives, we can actually contemplate the arrival of summer and in the cinematic terms that means the blockbusters are coming. 
Funny 'The Look of Love' let down by lack of character depth
Headline-grabbing publisher and club owner Paul Raymond had a simple business philosophy: give the public, or more specifically men, what they want. 
Fracking film 'Promised Land' spoiled by clumsy conclusion
Director Gus Van Sant and actor Matt Damon share a rich creative history. 
Cast make the most of 'Evil Dead' script
In 1981, Sam Raimi re-invigorated the horror genre with 'The Evil Dead', an overtly camp, low-budget journey of terror in the company of five university students who encounter malevolent forces in the Tennessee Hills. 
'Olympus Has Fallen' implausible but exhilarating popcorn fodder
Antoine Fuqua’s testosterone-fuelled thriller contrives a ‘Die Hard In The White House’ scenario from an assault on Capitol Hill by heavily armed Korean terrorists who are fed up with America meddling in their affairs. 
Frothy romantic fun in 'Love Is All You Need'
In her recent films, Oscar-winning Danish director Susanne Bier has meditated on the ability of the human spirit to endure all-consuming grief. 
'Oblivion' visually stunning but emotionally flimsy
If Planet Earth was decimated by a series of earthquakes and tsunamis, followed by an alien invasion designed to exterminate the pockets of human resistance, you’d stake money on Tom Cruise emerging unscathed from the melee. 
'The Place Beyond The Pines' impeccably crafted
The sins of fathers are revisited upon the sons in Derek Cianfrance’s doom-laden triptych, which reunites the award-winning writer-director with his ‘Blue Valentine’ star, Ryan Gosling. 
Thick veneer of voyeuristic sleaze in 'Spring Breakers'
Writer-director Harmony Korine has repeatedly stuck two fingers up to the cosy conventions of mainstream film-making. 
Solid performances from young cast in 'Dark Skies'
Every year, thousands of people claim to have been abducted by aliens. 
'Trance' gets pulses racing
Following the triumph of his opening ceremony for the London 2012 Olympic Games, which attracted an estimate worldwide TV audience of 900 million, Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle returns to the smaller canvas of the big screen. 
Classic 'Finding Nemo' gets stunning 3D treatment
Ten years after it was first released, Pixar’s hugely entertaining comedy swims back into cinemas in the 3D format – and it is still the cinematic catch of the day. 
'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' an improvement on mindless predecessor
If at first you don’t succeed, churn out a sequel. 
Off-balance screenplay ruins potential of 'Identity Thief'
Identity theft affects an estimated millions of people, leading to months of worry and stress. It’s hardly a laughing matter. Nor is Seth Gordon’s brash comedy. 
Cracking pace in 'Jack the Giant Slayer'
The English folktale of ‘Jack And The Beanstalk’ is given a smart CGI-heavy makeover in Bryan Singer’s fast-paced fantasy. 
'Stolen' boring and implausible
Simon West’s lumbering action thriller, which reunites the ‘Con Air’ director with grizzled leading man Nicolas Cage, intends to pickpocket 95 precious minutes of your life. Resist at all costs. 
Plenty of inoffensive family fun in 'The Croods'
Home is where the heart is in Kirk De Micco and Chris Sanders’s energetic romp about a prehistoric family who embark on a perilous quest to find a new settlement. 
'Red Dawn' ludicrous and lacklustre
The 1984 version of 'Red Dawn', directed by John Milius, was a jingoistic action adventure of its time, for its time. 'Welcome To The Punch' a decent addition to the genre
For more than a decade, ‘Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels’ has spawned an array of UK crime thrillers awash with dodgy geezers, graphic violence and Cock-er-ney rhyming slang. 
'Robot & Frank' a consistently gripping character study
The very first moment of ‘Robot & Frank’ is kind of a groaner: a title card flashes before the woodlands of upstate New York, informing the audience that the film is set in "the near future". 
'The Incredible Burt Wonderstone' disappoints despite great cast
Any film which tantalises audiences with a superlative in the title needs to deliver on the promise. 
'The Guilt Trip' mawkishly sentimental
The trailers and posters for Anne Fletcher’s haphazard road movie are unequivocal. 
Dialogue falls flat in 'Parker'
Adapted from the novel Flashfire by Donald E Westlake, 'Parker' is an action thriller about a professional thief who is double-crossed by his team and then swears revenge. 
'Safe Haven' some undemanding fluff
Author Nicholas Sparks is the king of slushy modern romance, tugging heartstrings with his emotionally wrought tales of love lost and found. 
Plot sacrificed for special effects in 'Oz: The Great And Powerful'
Made in 1939 for the staggering sum of $3.7m, 'The Wizard Of Oz' failed to cast a spell over audiences on its initial release. 
Strong script and slick direction will leave 'Side Effects' audience aghast
Walt Disney, one of cinema’s great innovators and visionaries, famously observed that you should never pander to the whims of your audience. 
Expansion of classic fairytale revels in violent overkill
Director Tommy Wirkola puts a bloodthirsty new spin on the classic fairytale in this gleefully violent fantasy. 
Corruption parable ‘Broken City’ fails to maintain neat premise to the end
We don’t need serpentine thrillers such as Broken City to remind us that politics is a grubby business. 
Stamp performance anchors uplifting 'Song for Marion'
Music is the food of eternal love in Paul Andrew Williams’s comedic drama about personal triumph and reconciliation in the wake of terminal illness. 
Ambitious 'Cloud Atlas' falls just short
Big has always been beautiful to Lana and Andy Wachowski, writer-directors of the visually stunning 'Matrix' trilogy. 
Suspense builds nicely in 'Mama' before half-baked ending
Things go bump in the night, repeatedly, in Andy Muschietti’s unsettling ghost story. 
'Beautiful Creatures' like 'Twilight', only better
Based on the first book in the Caster Chronicles series by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, ‘Beautiful Creatures’ is the film that ‘Twilight’ yearned to be. 
'A Good Day to Die Hard' devoid of creativity or invention
Halfway through this outlandish fifth instalment of the ‘Die Hard’ franchise, a Russian henchman scolds John McClane (Bruce Willis) for recklessness in the face of certain death. 
Young audience will enjoy 'Sammy’s Great Escape'
Stealing a march – or should that be swim – on next month’s 3D re-release of ‘Finding Nemo’, ‘Sammy’s Great Escape’ is a sweet and inoffensive computer animation with a gentle message about mankind’s plundering of underwater resources. 
'Wreck-It Ralph' a smashing treat
Video games based on films allow audiences to put themselves in the thick of the action from their favourite Hollywood blockbusters and animated features. It’s a marriage made in merchandising heaven.
