FILM: Prince Of Persia - The Sands Of Time (dir: Mike Newell, 2010)

"Did you know ostriches have suicidal tendencies?"

Prince Of Persia - The Sands Of Time is an enjoyable romp overall . Although it has typical faults of modern blockbusters - overstretched runtime, simple-minded construction, unconvincingly stilted 'serious' dialogue - it largely overcomes these with an enjoyable pairing of Jake Gyllenhaal with an impressive English accent as Prince Dastan and (surprisingly) Gemma Arterton, whose well-timed bickering and developing relationship comes across very well. Mike Newell - here more in Harry Potter mode than Four Weddings - directs the frantic action sequences to great effect, and the opening quarter of an hour in particular captures the spirit of the character/videogame that brings to life the free-running hero in a way that is appropriately just beyond realism. In terms of the main cast, Newell creates an unusually intimate story in amongst the epic scale of the desert and ancient times. The film is efficient rather than thrilling, and as the first outing in what Disney hopes will be their new big franchise, it perhaps lacks some of the genuine charm of the first Pirates of the Caribbean film. Nevertheless, this is considerably better than audiences have come to expect from a computer game adaptation, the setting is created with some beautifully lush visuals, and the film tries very hard to please throughout (and mostly succeeds). Ostrich racing - a movie first?

DVD: Sherlock Holmes (dir: Guy Ritchie, 2009)

"You seem surprised."

The pairing of Robert Downey Jnr and Jude Law - both excellent actors - as Holmes and Watson was inspired, and it is their strength and relationship on-screen that holds the movie together. The story is quite straightforward and just about holds attention. Guy Ritchie does a much better job with his actors than his overall handling of the pace, and Hans Zimmer provides an extraordinarily irritating music score. The recreation of London and its nineteenth-century is largely very successful, in spite of some low-end CGI. This version of Sherlock Holmes sits a little uncomfortably between period piece and modern sensibilities, but overall it is moderately entertaining.

FILM: A Nightmare On Elm Street (dir: Samuel Bayer, 2010)

"I've been here before."

The current trend of remaking 'classic' modern horror movies serves a function in updating old films for a contemporary audience in a similar way that Hammer studios did with their bold colour remakes of the Universal greats half a century ago. The first Elm Street film came at the end of the first wave of 1980s slashers, giving an interesting slant on the increasingly formulaic genre. An enjoyable modern film is not made by the simple addition of mobile phones and computer graphics, as this workmanlike Elm Street remake amply demonstrates. A generally leaden pace and lack of invention is occasionally lifted by a couple of effective set-pieces - in particular Nancy's attack in the chemist's shifts between reality and dreamworld beautifully - and there are a couple of magnificently staged kills. Overall, however, this 2010 version does lack the Grand Guignol energy of Wes Craven's 1984 original. The unusually effective cast punches way above the limply-written dialogue (notably TV veterans Kellan Lutz and Thomas Dekker), and in an unexpected contrast to the original film, the female roles are very underwritten. Jackie Earle Haley's take on Freddy Krueger makes the character come across as a somewhat weedy paedophile rather than the monster of your nightmares. Steve Jablonsky provides a suitably strong, melodic score, and the often aggressive sound mix keeps the viewer awake. If this is your very first experience of the Elm Street franchise, you may find it mildly engaging; for older fans who have grown up with the movies, it it like listening to tepid cover versions of songs from your favourite album with the tracks in the wrong order.