FILM: Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol (dir: Brad Bird, 2011)

"How could that work?"

Tom Cruise is back with a bang, as the fourth Mission: Impossible movie sees him at the top of his game and giving 100% to this movie which at one point seemed destined never to happen and which was never likely to be this much fun.  Made secure by an exceptionally tight and effectively-constructed script, Brad Bird finds the balance between light-hearted caper and serious action which made the original 1960s series a success.  Right from the opening jailbreak, the action set-pieces are spectacular and at times dementedly enjoyable, and - as is acknowledged in the film itself - there is a real sense of 'team' at play here.  Simon Pegg is good fun but also shows he can handle the serious moments, and the addition of the excellent Jeremy Renner sees Cruise visibly raise his acting game.  The plot is light, but it carries through the whole film effectively, and the film is beautifully shot in strongly-used globetrotting locations both day and night.  Ghost Protocol definitely puts Cruise and the franchise back on track - a fifth entry in the series can now be looked forward to optimistically.

FILM: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (dir: David Fincher, 2011)

"....actions have consequences."

The Scandinavian lit-hit and David Fincher's film-making seem the perfect match: chilly, cerebral and utterly absorbing.  This lengthy adaptation is more straightforward and less flashy than some of Fincher's efforts, making it more Inspector Morse than Seven, but the director's grip on the viewer never falters, the interesting (and often British) cast is excellent - Craig and Rooney utterly inhabit their already-iconic roles and their on-screen relationship works well - plus the mystery at the heart of the tale unfolds carefully and effectively.  The Swedish backdrop across the seasons is beautifully shot, and Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross provide yet another superb soundscape.  It can still be argued that Salander's abuse sub-plot is unnecessary and its removal would not detract from the central investigative tale (and if Salander had been male, Hollywood would not have gone near it), but overall Fincher delivers another strong, fascinating and satisfying tale.

FILM: Sherlock Holmes - A Game Of Shadows (dir: Guy Ritchie, 2011)

"I don't want anything with a mind of its own bobbing about between my legs!"

Quite simply, the success of the new Sherlock Holmes movies rests on the inspired pairing of Robert Downey Jnr and Jude Law, both excellent actors whose laddish chemistry but pin-sharp timing is even tighter and more effective in this second movie and both provide much to enjoy.  The sequel's brisk romp around Europe has a broader scope this time round and hardly draws breath; if one scene is weak, no matter, the movie soon moves on.  Jared Harris gives a strong, coolly insane performance as Moriarty, although his threat works better as a personal vendetta than as a genuine powerful arch-villain, his manipulation of Governments coming across as narratively lightweight.  The rest of the cast get little to do, although Stephen Fry steals every scene as Sherlock's brother.  Never the tidiest of directors, Guy Ritchie delivers more of the same, with some lively set-pieces and the conceit of visualising Holmes's thought processes proving interesting but which defuse the momentum of every action sequence.  The last scene plays one final and funny visual trick, leaving the audience in no doubt that this latest incarnation of Holmes is one that we want to see more of.

FILM: New Year's Eve (dir: Garry Marshall, 2011)

"Where is your charm school?  Guantanamo?"

Like the traditional Christmas selection box, inevitably, New Year's Eve has bits you really enjoy, others that are acceptable and some that you would like to get rid of at the earliest opportunity.  Like Valentine's Day, here is fun to be had in the ensemble cast celeb-spotting, and some fare considerably better than others: De Niro is effective, the Michelle Pfeiffer/Zac Efron story hits the mark surprisingly well thanks to their game performances, and Halle Berry manages to remind us that she deserves another great role, but the rest are saddled with limp dialogue and such underdeveloped scenarios that even the best have little they can do (and the 'teenagers' strand is unwatchable).  What the film gets right in abundance is the over-expectant over-the-top fake USA Dec 31st stereotype, yet Lea Michele's sincere rendition of Auld Lang Syne is well worth the wait.  The film has more endings than The Return Of The King, but the amusing credits bloopers are good value, although they cleverly leave you feeling as if you enjoyed the film much more than is the actual case.  So, what next?  My money's on Thanksgiving....

FILM: Hugo 3D (dir: Martin Scorsese, 2011)

"Thank you for the movie today.  It was a gift."

If you love cinema, you will love Hugo with all your heart.  Give Scorsese and long-time associates Robert Richardson (cinematography) and Thelma Schoonmaker (editor) the 3D toybox and a massive re-creation of the Gare du Nord as a set, and James Cameron was right: this is possibly the most stunning use of 3D seen in recent times, allied to an utterly enchanting tale of loss and discovery, tied in cleverly with the story of one of the original pioneers of film.  Hugo is consistently staggeringly beautiful, from the gorgeously detailed sets to the extraordinary camera movements, all carried along by a charming Howard Shore score and numerous wonderful performances from both young and old actors alike.  The scenes of early cinema resonate beautifully with the modern filming techniques on display, and the whole film's nods to the Silent Era and European film (even the station's recurring character vignettes feel like Tati) are crafted lovingly.  A little narrative clumsiness creeps in later in the film, and Sacha Baron Cohen's Station Inspector feels forced at times (although the characterisation ultimately works in context), but these are very minor complaints; in Hugo, Scorsese provides one of the most emotionally and cinematically complete films of this year which is, quite simply, an utter joy to watch.

FILM: Puss In Boots 3D (dir: Chris Miller, 2011)

"Show him the golden eggs!"

For a movie that spins off from an exhausted franchise, Puss In Boots holds many pleasant surprises.  The film gives the Shrek series' Puss a sound Spanish-flavoured backstory that stands alone from the parent films, but cleverly uses the same fairy-tale world to tell a straightforward story of revenge with some neat takes on Jack and Jill, Humpty Dumpty and the Jack and the Beanstalk tales in particular.  This is an enjoyable children's animated adventure with a good grown-up sensibility in its script and film-making - and as is usual with Dreamworks Animations, there is some bold and adventurous use of 3D.  Antonio Banderas clearly makes this film work as the title voice, with Salma Hayek providing an excellent foil as the somewhat obvious rival/love interest Kitty SoftPaws.  This film is neither essential nor necessary, but it is generally good entertainment in its own right.

FILM: The Thing (dir: Matthijs van Heijningen Jr., 2011)

"You're not here to think."

This prequel needed to be an amazing film in order to come close to John Carpenter's 1982 classic, and whilst it is moderately successfully, its weaknesses stem from not only the weight of expectation but also from its own shortcomings.  There are commendable aspects on display: the creature's awakening and first attack are promising; leads Joel Edgerton and Mary Elizabeth Winstead do good work throughout; efforts to dovetail with details of forthcoming events are pleasing; and there is some good body horror on display (even if it is not as groundbreaking as it was back in the 80s, and the CGI is not too unpalatable).  The paranoia/horror-from-within angle kicks in rather late, but when it does, it lifts the film considerably from the straightforward monster-movie that is the first half.  This version lacks the gravitas of the original's small band of seasoned character actors, and the dialogue is nowhere near as sharp here.  There are many moments where the easy shock is used and tension is frittered away instead of making audience and characters suffer more, an obvious example being the substitute for the classic 'blood test' scene which, although a good idea, is less dynamic and considerably less nerve-shredding, and the movie's ending is vague rather than open.  The Thing 2011 is at best adequate, and it has some effective moments and ideas, ending up as an appropriate if slightly underwhelming companion piece to a movie classic.

FILM: Happy Feet Two 3D (dir: George Miller, 2011)

"Today is a victory for defeat."

It was inevitable that a sequel to the immensely enjoyable Happy Feet would be made (in spite of its extraordinary penguin-mental-breakdown section), but Happy Feet Two shows that the concept has nowhere else to go.  The first movie was not only successful solely because of dancing/singing penguins but also benefitted from a focussed emotional journey for the charming central character.  Here, a number of subsidiary characters are given more screen time (and to its credit, an expansive starry voice cast does sterling work), themes and narrative wander arbitrarily, and the attempt to make Will The Krill an appealing comedy character like Ice Age's Scrat is k(r)illed by excruciating puns.  The 80s pop catalogue is  plundered randomly- indeed, the whole movie feels less organic than the original - and whilst the baby penguins are cute, and the 3D/digital animation is never less than breathtaking, Happy Feet Two creates a disappointing lack of engagement in terms of emotion, comedy and general entertainment.

DVD: Saint (Sint) (dir: Dick Maas, 2010)

"What else rhymes with 'luck'?"

At last, a seasonal slasher to rival Silent Night, Deadly Night!  Dick Maas (Amsterdamned, The Lift) writes and directs this gleefully old-school Dutch horror which unashamedly plunders John Carpenter's early back catalogue (notably The Fog and Halloween), plays it straight and is a lot of fun.  As the old evil Saint Nicholas returns with his helpers to kidnap and terrorise whenever a full moon rises on December 5th, festively snowy Amsterdam is the setting for a policeman to take revenge on his family being killed by 'Santa' in the 1960s, joined by the hapless student Frank, an enjoyable lead performance by Egbert Jan Weeber.  With four deliriously-realised set pieces (the rooftop chase is a highlight) and some well-executed gore, Saint is an utterly daft and very enjoyable yuletide romp for horror fans.

DVD: Rare Exports - A Christmas Tale (dir: Jalmari Helander, 2010)

"That's the message of Christmas!"

This curious little Finnish film has lots of ambition, telling the story of an archaeological dig that unearths the entombed ancient 'bad' Santa in the run-up to Christmas in an isolated outpost.  The film builds slowly and carefully, and it is very precisely plotted which pays off beautifully in the latter stages in a manner of an old Twilight Zone episode.   At its heart is a bleak and honest single-parent father-son relationship that is well-played and evokes Spielberg, which is put to the test as the strange events unfold.  Like Troll Hunter, legend is extrapolated into fact, and the action builds to an unexpectedly large-scale climax and a clever coda.  Rare Exports is a small film that is well-made and presents an unusual and interesting festive tale.

FILM: 50/50 (dir: Jonathan Levine, 2011)

"Makes you kind of a d*ck."
"Is that, like, a medical term?"

The shortcut reviews of 50/50 claim it is a 'cancer comedy', but the humour is only one aspect of this wonderful film.  By turns harrowing, heartbreaking, joyous and - yes - very funny, the film is just as concerned with the young man who develops a rare form of spinal cancer as it is with the people around him.  50/50 is without doubt Joseph Gordon-Levitt's film (amazingly a short-notice replacement), giving yet another immensely credible and considered performance that marks him out as one of the very best actors of his generation, yet there are many fine performances on display to enjoy: Seth Rogen underplays beautifully and offers fine support as the best friend, Anjelica Huston (curiously underused here) does the Shirley MacLaine-mother-role most effectively, Anna Kendrick is delightful as the naive care worker, and even Bryce Dallas-Howard as the girlfriend's initially seemingly-overplayed characterisation makes perfect sense as her character arc develops.  There is a tendency to resort to cliche at times, which is perhaps unavoidable in the life-threatening-illness genre, from the insipid indie-styled soundtrack to predictable visuals (the close-up chemo drip with a rainy window pane in the background is a standout), but the characters at no point feel false or forced.  Inspired by the writer's own true story and his friendship with Rogen, 50/50 takes the viewer on quite an emotional journey and provides much to admire all round.

FILM: The Twilight Saga - Breaking Dawn Part 1 (dir: Bill Condon, 2011)

"You have to accept what it is."

With its core cast intact, the Twilight franchise enters the home straight and finally grows up...a little.  As the saga's story breaks new territory with the wedding, the honeymoon and Bella's accelerated pregnancy, Bill Condon's direction is reliably assured (and even manages to get in a nice Bride of Frankenstein reference), but unfortunately the combination of a relentlessly soporific soundtrack and a heavy-handed script (which could use some serious editing) robs the film of much of its potential dramatic tension, leaving a lot of flat melodrama in its wake.  Some of the humour works well - Jacob's reaction to Bella's female baby-name suggestion is priceless - but there are also many unintended laughs as well.  Pattinson and Lautner remain adequate in their limited roles, but this time out Pattinson shows some genuine moments of tenderness in the relationship with Bella, and Lautner manages more than merely looking puzzled.  The surprising revelation in Breaking Dawn Part 1 is Kristen Stewart, who - from the outset - gives a less restrained and more mature performance which makes Bella a much more engaging character than in the previous films.  Nevertheless, the final showdown comes across well, and the infamous birth scene is handled effectively, but overall this installment is a step back from the action and darker tone which made Eclipse more enjoyable for non-fans.  A thought to consider: as directors, would Bill Condon's style have been more suited to the original Twilight film, and Catherine Hardwicke to Breaking Dawn Part 1?

FILM: Arthur Christmas 3D (dir: Sarah Smith, 2011)

"You bring a genuine aura of seasonal positivity."

Largely thanks to James McAvoy's quite brilliant voicework and the accompanying animation of the awkward, naive and joyous title character, Arthur Christmas is an absolute delight from start to finish.  It starts off at a blistering pace, and the story flits betweeen quite demented silliness and touching moments with confidence and spirit.  Nods to other movies come thick and fast, including the wonderful visual conceit of Santa's latest sleigh resembling a cross between Star Trek's Enterprise and the ships from Independence Day.  The 3D is used to convey a terrific sense of space and scale, and visually the film is frequently beautiful.  It was interesting to note that adults in the audience were laughing more than the children, and this was probably largely owing to the fully-realised screenplay and the sheer pace of the story.  Arthur Christmas is packed with ideas, inventively realised and hugely enjoyable.

FILM: Immortals 3D (dir: Tarsem Singh, 2011)

"Witness Hell!"

Immortals is very clearly a Tarsem Singh film - at times it does look like the cast of 300 has wandered into the more out-there scenes in The Cell - and as a result it is visually interesting, dramatically flat (it lurches rather than flows) and remarkably tedious.  Delivery of dialogue is generally painfully low-key in spite of a number of good performances: Mickey Rourke has real presence as the bad guy; Frieda Pinto provides rare and surprising moments of warmth; Stephen Dorff, Luke Evans, Kellan Lutz and Joseph Morgan provide more-than-adequate support; and Henry Cavill is a stoic and committed lead.  Thankfully, the film delivers a lively (and squelchy) final showdown, but Immortals is definitely a case of artistry over entertainment.

FILM: In Time (Dir: Andrew Niccol, 2011)

"Was I going too fast?"
"Not fast enough."

In a reverse Logan's Run conceit, the core narrative idea that everyone stops ageing at 25 but have to earn or buy time is simple but works well, providing in-built tension through numerous countdowns and the giving-taking of time to stay alive.  However, this is tied to a timely anti-capitalist metaphor which - whilst uncomfortable and thought-provoking - proves a little too fuzzy, as Niccol's controlled style provides beautifully-composed shots but smooths out any real edge, particularly with respect to the antagonists.  Timberlake and Seyfried both do a lot of good work in this movie, but there are also noteworthy performances by Cillian Murphy, Olivia Wilde and - shaking off his sit-com day-job's one-note turn - Johnny Galecki showing what a nuanced actor he can be.  Craig Armstrong provides a glorious soundtrack (that at times wonderfully echoes Vangelis's Blade Runner score), and there are some good (if brief) action sequences amongst the somewhat stagey duologue scenes.  In Time is generally worthy, well-made and entertaining, but it lacks the spark to let it really take off.

FILM: Tower Heist (dir: Brett Ratner, 2011)

"The maid's gone rogue!"

Unusually for a vehicle with such big stars, Tower Heist came in under the radar and turns out to be a fairly entertaining if rather underwhelming comedy.  For two-thirds of its running time, Tower Heist proves inconsistent, with occasionally successful humour and achieving varying levels of piquing audience interest, but the actual heist has many wonderfully daft and ridiculous moments with a bold and successful final pay-off.  The eclectic cast gels well, with Stiller playing a good 'straight man' and Murphy almost being let off the leash and showing flashes of his old style.  At its heart, Tower Height seems to want to be a joyous 1960s-style crime-comedy caper, but director Ratner and the script both lack the lightness of touch and the consistent flow that the film would need to achieve that.

FILM: Contagion (dir: Steven Soderbergh, 2011)

"Blogging is not writing - it's graffiti with punctuation."

Contagion takes  the well-worn pandemic scenario and presents it in a cool, compelling and matter-of-fact way, taking the viewer on a hard-hitting and credible journey pieced together from a variety of angles.  Director Soderbergh (at times seeming to channel Fincher) deftly juxtaposes the growing global medical and social crises with the way it isolates everyone from  individuals' fear of others to the lonely task of the scientists trying to find a solution, making the developing story both frightening and heartbreaking.  The starry ensemble cast is uniformly great, making Contagion a relentlessly grim but wonderfully-executed movie.

FILM: The Adventures of Tintin - The Secret of The Unicorn 3D (dir: Steven Spielberg, 2011)

"I'd rather you kept your trousers on, if it's all the same to you."

Perhaps the best aspect of this 2011 take on Tintin is that it is pitched as a resolutely old-fashioned rollicking adventure, whose only real concession to modern audiences is the huge-scale frantic action sequences.  The film creates a visually rich and detailed world of its own, retaining the charm and simplicity of Herge's style and making it a very easy film to watch and to enjoy.  The problems of movement and weight for the mo-capped characters are largely overcome, and the delightful performances - Bell, Craig, Pegg and Frost, Serkis - actually shine through the pixels.  There is some truly staggering virtual cinematography on display supported by the excellent use of 3D, in particular the low-level shots in the early pickpocket chase and the inventive pirate ship attack, and a number of match transitions are handled creatively.  John Williams is clearly having fun with his eclectic score, and Spielberg demonstrates again that he is a master craftsman in yet another cinematic field.  As well as a few Spielbergian trademarks along the way, there is even a nice visual reference to Jaws (think Tintin's trademark haircut).  The Adventures of Tintin feels very different to the majority of recent CG-animations, as did Pixar's The Incredibles, and as a result provides enchanting and quite innocent entertainment.

FILM: Paranormal Activity 3 (dirs: Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, 2011)

"When are you gonna stop taping us?"

The silliest of franchises - the cinematic equivalent of paying to watch your kitchen and someone popping up and shouting 'BOO!' every twenty minutes - reaches its third (annual) installment and scores the biggest horror opening ever in the USA.  Apart from a self-conscious near-contemporary prologue to bring in the two supernaturally-hounded sisters and set up the VHS-taped found-footage conceit, this film is set in 1988 and attempts to show what happened in their childhood that led up to numbers 1 and 2.  In its favour, Paranormal Activity 3 is more playful and slightly less clinical than its predecessors, and the scarce subsidiary characters are better served, but this film follows the franchise's own conventions and visual/aural language to the letter and therefore does little to either shock or surprise.  The last ten minutes, however - in a desperate attempt to explain the series - is an extraordinary grab-bag of Blair Witch, Poltergeist and Halloween 6, which not only undermines the sisters' stories in the previous two films but also shows how ridiculous the concept has become.

DVD: Tucker and Dale vs Evil (dir: Eli Craig, 2011)

"We have had a doozie of a day!"

This may have gone straight to DVD in the UK and shot quickly and cheaply, but Tucker and Dale vs Evil is made and performed with real attention and love of the genre.  It is a delightfully daft story of misrepresentations and misinterpretations that unwittingly pits two hillbillies (wonderfully played by Tyler Labine and the ever-brilliant Alan Tudyk) against vacationing college kids in an escalating and deadly battle which neither of the parties realise is completely unnecessary.  Tucker and Dale is one of the best-written and best-realised double-acts of recent times, the script is mostly cleverly-constructed and very wry (co-written by director Eli Craig), and amongst the general humour are a couple of genuine laugh-out-loud moments (the woodchipper scene is simply comedy genius).  The low budget clearly shows in the limited locations and the sometimes flat TV-style shooting, and the final act does not quite hit the heights of the rest of the film, but Tucker and Dale... is well-crafted, hugely enjoyable and very entertaining.

FILM: Real Steel (dir: Shawn Levy, 2011)

"People wanted more carnage, more show."

Real Steel is an awkward collision of the boxing, mecha, melodrama and road movie genres, and its increasingly ridiculous narrative plods relentlessly towards its inevitable ending, yet it somehow manages to be genuinely entertaining. The direction is lively and frequently interesting, both cinematography and design are quite wonderful throughout, and the film benefits greatly from its three core performers: Hugh Jackman gives one of his best performances as genial loser ex-boxer Charlie; his estranged 11-year-old son is portrayed through an immensely watchable performance by Dakota Goyo, who never becomes irritating or saccharine and whose relationship with Charlie is beautifully played; and Evangeline Lilly provides nicely-detailed support in the improbable role of gym-owning (although no-one else is ever seeen there) robot-fixer love-interest.  At the end of the day, it is a futuristic Rocky-with-robots, but the mo-capped robot action is excellent and provides some real spectacle  In spite of this futuristic twist, and the considerable amount of high-quality work on display, Real Steel ultimately cannot quite shake off the limitations of its over-familiar story beats.

FILM: The Three Musketeers 3D (dir: Paul W.S. Anderson, 2011)

"Satisfied?"
"Immensely."

This latest take on The Three Musketeers is huge, daft fun.  This mash-up of scriptwriters Andrew Davies (the historical drama) and Alex Litvak (the action elements) defies the odds by providing a cracking romp that is big on fun, spectacle and crowd-pleasing entertainment of the kind that has mostly eluded the Pirates Of The Caribbean movies.  The much-vaunted steam-punk additions only really come into play in the final act, providing an exciting airship-on-airship battle reminiscent of the nebula confrontation in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and subsequent rooftop swordfight.  Shot in genuine 3D, the stunning historical locations come to life beautifully and the action scenes use the effect thoughtfully and vividly.  The cast are clearly enjoying themselves and this comes off the screen well, from the easy-going camaraderie of the main trio to Orlando Bloom's unusual villainous turn - in particular, Matthew Macfadyen (Athos) and Milla Jovovich (the duplicitous Milady) are a delight to watch - and even the rather dull Logan Lerman comes to life in the fight scenes.  The film skitters along at a fairly breathless pace, and it is all completely insubstantial and utterly silly, but The Three Musketeers 3D is very well made and performed and could turn out to be 2011's guilty pleasure.

FILM: Footloose (dir: Craig Brewer, 2011)

"That was smooth!"

Footloose 2011 is surprisingly close to the 1984 original and therefore survives the re-make process well, with original scribe Dean Pitchford back as co-writer this time.  There are inevitable updates, and narrative tweaks are made to improve the flow, but this is a very faithful adaptation that will not upset fans of the first take - even the hit songs and key sequences are mostly intact and used cleverly.  The classic teenagers vs. elders story is indestructible (and irresistible), but for a film that is pitched at a slightly younger audience this time round, there are still moments that are quite jarring: Ariel's break-up with Chuck is still physical and harsh yet slightly softened here, but there is an horrific tonal jolt in the prologue and a fight sequence at the end is quite violent.  Performances are good all-round, from the reliable Dennis Quaid as the town preacher to Kenny Wormald as Ren - no Kevin Bacon, but he makes the character less intense and more grounded.  The weak link in the 1984 version - Lori Singer's bland reading of Ariel - is fixed by a finely-pitched performance from Julianne Hough.  The narrative drive remains utterly predictable, but this is a well-made and effective updating that raises nostalgic smiles all the way and provides solid if unremarkable entertainment.

FILM: Johnny English Reborn (dir: Oliver Parker, 2011)

"I'm a trained agent.  I don't leak."

The Johnny English sequel is straightforward, innocuous and pleasantly entertaining, and it is better-made and slicker than the original.  Like Atkinson's Bean movies, the material is lightweight and the comedy is patchy, but when it hits the mark it is very funny.  Rowan Atkinson inhabits the character well and demonstrates his Tati-like timing and physical wit, Dominic West clearly enjoys his panto-villain role, and there is some quite delightful work from the 'straight' characters, notably Gillian Anderson as English's ice-cool boss, Rosamund Pike as an unconvincingly shoehorned-in love-interest and Daniel Kaluuya as Agent Tucker, English's naive young partner.  The set-ups mostly lead to exactly where you expect, but there is one totally unexpected and hilarious use of  a big 1970s ballad that works very well.  There is nothing new on offer here, but Johnny English Reborn is well-made, enjoyably daft and benefits from a solid story on which the silliness hangs.

FILM: The Lion King 3D (dirs: Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff, 1994/2011)

"Everything the light touches is our kingdom."

The opportunity to see The Lion King in the cinema again gives a real chance to re-discover why it has become one of Disney's most successful and popular films.  Like the other films from the late-80s/early80s when Disney Animation got back its mojo  (The Little Mermaid, Beauty And The Beast, Aladdin), The Lion King features bold and ambitiously beautiful animation, a classically powerful score (Hans Zimmer) and great songs (Elton John and Tim Rice), a wonderfully-crafted script and story, and recognisable characters, life situations and relationships which offer something to everyone in the audience - and The Lion King may well be the best of them all, drawing on the best of Disney's Gold and Silver Ages' animated movies to create its timeless appeal but adding unpatronising contemporary elements.  The 3D rendering is mostly simple, sympathetic and effective, adding impressive depth rather than creating redundant effects which adds to the whole experience.  This 3D version does not improve an already-terrific film, but it simply creates a wonderful cinematic viewing experience.

FILM: Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark (dir: Troy Nixey, 2011)

"I know.  I made silly."

With Guillermo del Toro as co-producer and co-writer featured heavily in the promotion, this version of Don't Be Afraid... feels surprisingly and oddly bland and underwritten overall.  All the ingredients are fine - good direction, rich visuals, effective CG creatures, strong design, a well-executed Marco Beltrami soundtrack, eerily spacious sound design - yet it never really rises above its old-fashioned TV-movie melodrama roots.  Katie Holmes and Guy Pearce are excellent actors and both give good, credible performances here but have little to actually do and little with which to work. This is a good-looking film that does well with its budget, but it leaves little impression.

FILM: Red State (dir: Kevin Smith, 2011)

"I don't want to die!"
"You did already."

After waiting a long time for Red State to finally see the light of day, it turns out to be a rather odd, challenging and interesting film.  Kevin Smith can still completely draw in the audience (he can cleverly loosen up with a couple of sparks of humour before whiplashing the viewer back to harsh ground on more than one occasion), and the casting is superlative with many strong performances (especially Michael Parks as the shockingly convincing fundamentalist, and the magnificent John Goodman) but all this is slightly undermined by the relatively thin narrative material and lack of anything really new to say.  As always with Smith, there are pay-offs that make the build-ups worth the wait, especially towards the end and notably the wicked humour on display in Goodman's superlative de-brief session.  This is not Kevin Smith's 'horror' film, more a progressively bizarre mix of Porky's at the outset, then Hostel and finally the siege genre, which demonstrates Smith's engaging inventiveness, addressing of confrontational themes and wit with varying degrees of success.

FILM: Shark Night 3D (dir: David R. Ellis, 2011)

"Someone's got to raise the bar!"

As director, David R. Ellis is a good fit to the material, and to his credit he gives the film a reasonably fresh and youthful feel.  Shark Night 3D makes no pretence about what it is, dispensing with the inevitable Jaws comparison in its opening sequence by re-enacting that film's opening sequence in a cut-down version in broad daylight.  Plot, dialogue, performances (by the alumni of various US TV shows) and CGI are all pure B-movie cheese (think The Asylum with a budget and a modicum of talent), but it is all done with a degree of conviction that makes it quite enjoyable.  3D is particularly good in the underwater sequences, and the attacks by a variety of sharks are lively.  It is surprisingly light on actual threat and gore, but is does have many instances of not so much Idiot Plot as Stark Raving Bonkers Plot.  There are some serious themes afoot and briefly addressed (out-of-towners vs locals, snuff media), but for the most part this is an upmarket cabin-in-the-woods slasher with sharks instead of a masked maniac.

FILM: Abduction (dir: John Singleton, 2011)

"You don't trust me?"
"You murdered my parents!"

Is Abduction the birth of a new sub-genre - the action thriller written for tweenage girls?  This clear targeting of the Lautner-friendly audience has to be kept in mind throughout watching this film, else the silly plotting and weak (slowly-delivered) dialogue verges on parody far too closely and sometimes crosses that line.  John Singleton is a curious choice for director, but he demonstrates his usual cinematic eye in ordinary locations.  After a disturbingly flat opening quarter-of-an-hour, things pick up considerably with the attack on the family home, but nothing after that really hits the mark.  Lautner is shaping up to be the new Paul Walker on this evidence - well-meaning, easy on the eye, weak on delivery but an amiable screen presence.  Abduction is action-lite, but that does not excuse the lame pacing and shoddy dialogue.  One fact is also true: no-one gets 'abducted'!

FILM: Warrior (dir: Gavin O'Connor, 2011)

"You gotta better shot at starting a boyband."

The story - two estranged brothers destined to battle each other for $5 million in the ultimate MMA tournament - should not work, but Warrior is a a clever and very powerful piece of entertainment.  The film sets itself up as a world apart from the standard sports movie by giving more characterisation (between father and son) in the opening scene than most movies manage in their entire running time.  Whilst the lead characters lack the colour and vivacity of The Fighter clan, they make up for it with sensitivity and heart: Nick Nolte as the recovering alcoholic father is given a role which showcases just what a fine actor he is, Joel Edgerton makes a good job of the least interesting role as the son who gave up on the family to lead a seemingly straightforward life (as a physics teacher!), and Tom Hardy is phenomenal as the angry, damaged powerhouse who cannot relate to either his father or brother.  Motivations work, the parallel stories build effectively, and the fight scenes are filmed with extraordinary energy.  The entire final act - the progressive cage battles of the 16 contestants at the showdown in Atlanta - is overwhelmingly tense and at times almost unbearable to watch, which is a testament to how affecting the story is told.  Terrific direction and wonderful performances make Warrior a genuine and unmissable surprise.

FILM: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (dir: Thomas Alfredson, 2011)

"That was a great time, George."
"It was the War, Connie!"

Remarkably, this adaptation of le Carre's Cold War classic is almost too good, the remarkable artistry from every department so dazzling that it threatens to distance the viewer from the terrific storytelling.  Alfredson creates another bleak and starkly beautiful film, hooking the audience with unreliable half-information and unfinished conversations from (largely) emotionally closed-off men and providing the viewers with the same journey as George Smiley, brought out of retirement to identify the mole at the heart of MI6.    Every frame is beautifully composed, the design work is gorgeous and Alberto Iglesias provides another sumptuous silky music score.  The acting is simply sublime: Oldman is outstanding, but there is whole raft of excellent performances throughout, notably from Mark Strong, Kathy Burke, Tom Hardy, Benedict Cumberbatch and the remarkable John Hurt. This is an exquisite film which is both demanding and very rewarding.

FILM: crazy, stupid, love. (dirs: Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, 2011).

"I am actually begging you to stop this!"

When you look at the roster of acting talent on offer, it is astonishing how dull this movie is.  The script is so thin, even poor Kevin Bacon is unable to wring anything out of it.  The drama is shallow, the comedy almost entirely inhabits tumbleweed territory and the big narrative 'surprise' towards the end is instantly given away by the casting (what physical trait is shared by Julianne Moore and Emma Stone?)  The only truly bright spot in this slightly seedy, weak and unconvincing movie is the wonderfully-timed delivery by Liza Lapira as Stone's friend.

FILM: Friends With Benefits (dir: Will Gluck, 2011)

REVIEW No. 200!

"Time to update your fairytale, baby."

Although the sexual aspect of the film, is significant, Friends With Benefits is more romantic-comedy or even sit-com in its stylings.  The two leads both inhabit that fantasy realm of rom-coms - affluent, pretty, great jobs, amazing apartments - and it is fortunate that not only do Timberlake and Kunis have the comic ability to carry off the film but also work together extremely well as they are both on-screen for most of the running time.  The two actors fare less well in scenes where they are merely required to rattle off carefully-scripted rapid-firequips, but when given time and room to breathe emotionally they genuinely shine.  Thankfully, the second half develops sufficient bite to sustain interest, leading to a standard but well set-up finale that ultimately leads nowhere.  There are plenty of good lines and a lot of ground (and dialogue) covered in this generally warm, attractive, well-played and satisfactory film.

FILM: Colombiana (dir: Olivier Megaton, 2011)

"You'll thank me later."

Colombiana looks terrific, its lush and expansive location visuals mostly bathed in a warm golden sunshine glow, contrasting with the cooler interiors.  Oliver Megaton directs like Michael Mann on steroids, with impressive coverage on some sequences.  Co-writer/producer Luc Besson's fingerprints are all over this film in terms of characters, relationships, motivations and even the ending, and whilst the film is generally well-executed, the over-familiarity means there is little to surprise.  The superb Zoe Saldana rises above the material in a strong and controlled central performance, but there is also some good supporting work, notably from Lennie James as the pursuing detective.  Colombiana is a slick, glossy thriller that provides reasonable entertainment but little else.

FILM: The Troll Hunter (dir: Andre Ovredal, 2011)

"Are you nuts?"

The Troll Hunter is easily one of the best examples of the found-footage genre: enjoyable, fun and engaging.  The clean, grounded narrative has great momentum throughout, its credibility enhanced immeasurably by three energetically naive performances by the college students who become embroiled with Norway's lone troll hunter, a gritty and hard-bitten performance that gives the film gravitas in the same way that Robert Shaw gave to Jaws.  The spectacular grand-scale vistas provide a believable backdrop for the fantasy elements - these trolls are huge - and the escalating encounters are cleverly shot with a level of camerawork that winningly conforms to the found-footage conceit and also demonstrates a strong degree of creativity and professionalism.  The mix of humour, documentary, tragedy and fantasy is for the most part convincingly handled, making this movie a strong piece of film-making and which renders the proposed American remake utterly redundant.

FILM: Kill List (dir: Ben Wheatley, 2011)

"Sometimes, God's love is hard to swallow."
"Not as hard as a dinner plate."

Kill List is 98% magnificent.  This is a dark, disturbing and brutal film, both emotionally and physically - there were walkouts at this screening - which is exploited fully by the audaciously-controlled use of sound and editing, caustic dialogue and characterisation, utterly extraordinary performances (especially by Neil Maskell and MyAnna Buring as the lovingly self-destructive central couple) and a narrative that frequently leaves the viewer dreadfully unsettled as to where is it going along the way.  The only problem - and it is a big one - is that if you are a genre fan, one early event immediately gives away where the film is ultimately heading, indeed leading to a disappointingly generic ending and final 'shock' twist.  Nevertheless, Kill List is a fantastic piece of film-making on every level, which is challenging, demanding and superbly executed.

FILM: Apollo 18 (dir: Gonzalez Lopez-Gallego, 2011)

"Something's not right."

Apollo 18 is a standard found-footage movie - the conventions of the genre are now firmly in place - but it does have some merits.  This is Blair Witch in Space rather than Paranormal Activity on the Moon, as its initially interesting but increasingly daft and unconvincing premise unfolds more as a character piece than shocker.  The cast play it admirably straight and performances are generally strong, together with good use of the confines of space vehicles and light/dark on the lunar surface.  The technical treatment of the footage is good and direction and editing are generally well-handled, making the found-footage conceit work well, and there are a couple of good shock moments.  The fundamental problem with this style of movie is that it inevitably comes across as cheap-looking, there is a lot of non-action and dull scenes, and there is an overall sense that the narrative and the film as a whole simply underwhelm, and whilst Apollo 18 is undoubtedly an above-average example of the genre, it still does not actually do very much over its running time.

FILM: Fright Night 3D (dir: Craig Gillespie, 2011)

"That is fiction.  This is real."

Fright Night is an intelligent remake that respects the original but uses it as a springboard to make an effective contemporary horror film.  It is very attractively shot, and it uses 3D in a mostly natural way, with only a couple of unnecessary and jarringly obvious digital blood-spurts at the audience.  The daftness of the tale uses popular vampire mythology (old and new) to entertaining effect without labouring the point, and there is a well-handled mix of humour and horror from beginning to end.  The film is blessed with superb casting: Anton Yelchin gives Charley Brewster a grounded innocence which works better as the film progresses and he faces up to the harsh truth of what is happening; David Tennant has a ball hamming it up in the role of Peter Vincent but is saved by his usual expert timing of delivery; and Toni Collette and Imogen Poots provide strong if limited support as Charley's mother and girlfriend.  The film belongs to a very in-form Colin Farrell, giving Jerry the vampire a truly dark, dangerous and ruthless demeanour that fills the screen in every scene.  In terms of horror, there is little that is truly edge-of-your-seat, but overall Fright Night is well-written, beautifully-crafted and entertains throughout.

FILM: The Art Of Getting By (dir: Gavin Wiesen, 2011)

"How can you call yourself a painter if you don't paint?"

If you are an angst-ridden teenage art student, this film will probably seem 'like, totally awesome'.  Otherwise, this vacuous and limply-drawn tale of a misanthropic teen who not only finds a friend and falls in love is a real test of patience.  Freddie Highmore gives a disappointingly bland reading of a dull role, whilst Emma Roberts again shows an engaging stillness on-screen.  There is a strong adult supporting cast including Rita Wilson, Blair Underwood and an unrecognisable Alicia Silverstone all in insignificantly-written character roles, and there is some nice work by Michael Angarano as ex-student artist Dustin.  The passage of time through the college year is handled nicely, but in the final act any remaining semblance of credibility is thrown out in a mad dash for an inappropriate punch-the-air happy ending.  The Art Of Getting By clearly has its heart in the right place, but it lacks depth in its rather flimsy treatment of the characters and issues.

DVD: Hatchet II (dirt: Adam Green, 2011)

"You mean, like a Jason Vorhees or something?"

After the slick efficiency of Frozen, Adam Green returns to the land of the low-budget slasher with an inevitable sequel.  Following on directly from the end of the first film, the character of Marybeth is here taken over by the wonderful Danielle Harris and genre giant Tony Todd gets an expanded central role, both actors doing their best with long scenes of very thin dialogue.  The structure remains the same: a strong opening gore gag (with a good flashback expansion of Victor Crowley's backstory), forty minutes of extremely slow set-up, then a final half-hour of outrageous (but well-handled) comedy gore that picks off the cast one by one (and sometimes in pairs!).  Although touted as old-school American horror, the Hatchet films have much less plot than many of the original 80s slashers.  Hatchet II is a watchable, better film than the original, but its weaknesses do not make it a strong example of the genre.

FILM: The Skin I Live In (dir: Pedro Almodovar, 2011)

"The things a madman's love can do!"

The Skin I Live In may bring to mind Eyes Without A Face and the cool control of classic Hitchcock and Cronenberg, but this film is unmistakably Almodovar and one of his best.  It is sumptuously filmed, seductively smooth and leads the viewer calmly through its audacious, shocking and smart narrative, so that even the most outrageous plot twists become acceptable.  Almodovar's key themes - family, identity, gender, the bearer of the look - are interwoven seamlessly in this fascinating and bizarre tale, even if the issues raised are ultimately placed to service another of the director's tragic melodramatic outcomes.  Performances are terrific across the board, with Banderas proving that he is still capable of so much more than Hollywood children's fodder.  The Skin I Live In suits Almodovar perfectly, and he delivers a beautifully-constructed film that delivers real horror in an understated and exquisite manner. 

FILM: Conan The Barbarian 3D (dir: Marcus Nispel, 2011)

"Conan?  That's it?"

Nispel's latest workman-like re-imagining does little to add to the 80s sword-and-sorcery efforts - it is more gritty, less camp and less cartoonish - and it certainly ticks all the genre boxes, with plenty of digital squelch and blood for today's audience.  This is a painfully simple revenge tale which consequently holds no narrative surprises, coupled with very basic characters, yet it merrily zips along from one set piece to the next leading to a berserk showdown at the end.  Jason Mamoa gives the title character imposing physicality and glowers a lot, and Stephen Lang and Rose McGowan are passable as one-dimensional baddies.  There is some excellent location shooting and design, and the soundscape is created to very good effect, including a suitably epic score by Tyler Bates that throws in the soaring heavenly choirs and the orchestral kitchen sink.  However, this film displays some of the most uneven post-3D-conversion work since The Green Hornet, which can be distractingly disappointing at times.  Conan The Barbarian 2011 is lively and well-mounted but ultimately does little that is new or truly engaging.

FILM: One Day (dir: Lone Scherfig, 2011)

"That's a very serious face.  You're not having a wee, are you?"

Scherfig's follow-up to the excellent An Education is as pleasing visually but is a considerably shallower affair.  The novel's conceit of revisiting the same day each year over twenty years works surprisingly well on screen - an one of the simple pleasures of the film is the varied appearances of the animated datelines - and the short, episodic nature of the narrative gives the otherwise thin material some drive.   Jim Sturgess gives a terrific performance as Dexter and handles his character's arc extremely well, but Anne Hathaway seems mis-cast as Emma and her work varies wildly from scene to scene (and not just the accent).  The dialogue in the early scenes is insufferably smug and self-consciously witty, but the film does gain more emotional sensibility as it progresses.  One Day is a cynically female-targeted film - all men are wrecks who rely on women, Sturgess gets his shirt off a lot - and lacks real depth and conviction overall.

FILM: Final Destination 5 3D (dir: Steven Quayle, 2011)

"I'm surprised I'm here at all."

Thanks to the power of box office, The Final Destination proved to be not so conclusive after all, and this fifth entry is a big improvement on its predecessor.  3D is used very effectively, from the typical poke-you-in-the-eye gags to the creation of considerable and purposefully-used depth in the excellent opening set-piece set on a suspension bridge.  This movie has two main strengths: a script which treads a very fine line between knowing awareness of the franchise and taking the events seriously, plus the strongest ensemble cast since the first sequel, with Nicholas D'Agosto making an assured and sympathetic lead.  The Final Destination franchise is in danger of becoming the new Saw, in which the audience is only waiting for the next outrageous death, but here there is a good mix of sudden shocks and suspensefully drawn-out tension.  The new kill-or-be-killed narrative twist is a positive move if played out rather late in the film, and the way that this movie finds its place in the franchise mythos as a whole is done in a very clever and satisfying way.  As a fifth installment, it may not hit the heights of Fast & Furious 5, but Final Destination 5 is a solid and entertaining formula horror.

FILM: The Guard (dir: John Michael McDonagh, 2011)

"This is better than f**king Christmas!"

If you 'get' this style of film, you will know within the first couple of minutes that you are going to love The Guard.  Apt comparisons have been made to In Bruges and Father Ted, and writer/director McDonagh has indeed nailed the maniacal boredom and resignation to everyday life on display here, but the tone is more Twin Peaks than Hot Fuzz.  A lot of 'fish out of water' and 'mismatched cops' cliches are utilised, but with the characters' knowing and self-deprecating dialogue and dead-pan delivery, the players and the unfolding story remain interesting throughout.  Brendan Gleeson strides through this movie as Garda officer Gerry Boyle with incredible strength and wit, matched by an impeccably-delivered turn by Don Cheadle as the visiting FBI agent and Mark Strong clearly relishing his role as a world-weary drug dealer.  Even the piquant sub-plot featuring Boyle's cancer-stricken mother (played by the superb Fionnula Flanagan) is handled with great honesty rather than sentimentality.  The Guard is a clever, exquisitely-handled and beautifully-performed film that is truly satisfying and maintains its high quality throughout.

FILM: Spy Kids: All The Time In The World in 4D (dir: Robert Rodriguez, 2011)

"Our stepmother's a SPY?"
"Impossible.  She's not cool enough."

It is remarkable that Rodriguez continues to extend the Spy Kids franchise, and this quasi-reboot prolongs it for another round.  For a long time, the script of Spy Kids 4 is so anodyne that it leaves little impression, until plot overload kicks in for the finale.  As always, the Spy Kids films work best when they acknowledge that they are nothing more than live-action cartoons, and there are a couple of nice sight and sound gags here, together with some useful and interesting (3D) design.  The original 'kids' are here looking much older, and the new generation (the stepchildren) appear to improve as the film progresses.  Jessica Alba and Joel McHale are bland parental leads, whilst Ricky Gervais provides a little bite as the talking dog.  The dialogue contains more clunky time-related puns than could be squeezed into a 1960s Batman episode, meaningless to the target audience but irritating for the adult viewer.  There is a reason why the scratch-'n'-sniff  '4D Aroma-Scope' gimmick has never caught on: it simply doesn't work, and apart from a couple of the 'sweets' smells on the card provided for viewing this film, the weak and similar scents simply distract from watching the film.  This is another harmless, colourful and innocuous entry in the Spy Kids series that - box office permitting - will simply run and run.

FILM: The Inbetweeners Movie (dir: Ben Palmer, 2011)

"How's this for a wet look, then?"

The Inbetweeners Movie is adequately entertaining, getting by on the goodwill built up over the three TV series for its four main characters, whilst sadly failing to avoid some of the usual pitfalls of the transition from TV to big screen.  It does have good typical gross-out and embarrassing moments and serves the main characters well, but very little actually happens over the course of the film, suggesting that the screenplay was perhaps a little rushed to capitalise on the TV version's peaking success and to use the ageing and increasingly successful actors whilst they can still play the characters with some conviction.  Indeed, The Inbetweeners Movie feels more like a TV special than a movie, as it adds very little that is cinematic to the experience, and it does retain the show's almost gentle regard for the characters. Neil is undoubtedly a superb comic and acting creation; Joe Thomas as Simon remains the best performer overall;  Will is actually allowed a little character development; and James Buckley gives Jay some very nice character moments, most notably when trying to muscle in on an older, 'cooler' gang.  The four female counterparts that the lads encounter are all played excellently, giving the boys' character 'arcs' more strength.  It is a shame that the movie simply peters out rather than giving a strong ending.  Just as the four women in Sex and the City are supposed to represent four aspects of the typical woman, the four characters in The Inbetweeners could act similarly as representing the archetypal male Sixth Form student, and whilst the movie does not serve any real additional purpose to the satisfying TV finale, it is passable Summer holiday entertainment, and it does finally unite these four disparate friends with a one purposeful final message: appreciate what is right there in front you.

FILM: Cowboys & Aliens (dir: Jon Favreau, 2011)

"I told you not to call her that."

Whilst last year's True Grit remake was able to sell itself on being an authentic and iconic film property with the direction by the Coen Brothers thrown in for good measure, this comic-book-inspired Alien franchise/spaghetti Western/abduction mash-up was always going to be a tougher sell to the mass market, as its soft U.S. opening showed.  Indeed, the fact that there is much more Western than Sci-Fi on screen may make the movie a challenging experience for younger viewers, but therein lies the movie's strength.  The Western elements are established very effectively, with good-looking design, wonderful hard-bitten performances by Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford as amnesiac 'stranger' and town leader respectively (with notable character work by Clancy Brown and Sam Rockwell) and Favreau's usual strong direction and attention to detail.  The action beats are brief but enjoyable, and the violence is very direct for the 12A rating, yet the whole affair feels strangely low-key and small-scale.  The script is tight and well-structured, if a little clinical in terms of plot progression.  Cowboys & Aliens as a concept is of course utterly daft, but on its own terms, this movie is solidly entertaining and to a reasonable extent delivers on the ideas it offers.

FILM: The Devil's Double (dir: Lee Tamahori, 2011)

"I will never let you go.  I will never let you go, mmm?  I love you too much."

This remarkable tale of the House of Hussein in late 80s Iraq, shown through Saddam's son Uday (with his Scarface-style descent into excess and madness) and his enforced body double, gives director Tamahori possibly his best film to date.  The conceit of having Dominic Cooper play both lead characters works fantastically, with two excellent individual performances by Cooper and the interaction between the two contrasting characters utterly convincing and showing remarkable nuance (only a couple of poor head-paste shots in one scene stick out), with many excellent supporting performances on show throughout.   The beautiful cinematography is mostly bathed in a sumptuous golden tint, a bleached palette introduced for scenes in which the atrocities occur.  Christian Henson provides the film with an intriguing score which augments many scenes effectively.  There are moments which truly shock, but there is an overall feeling that the film merely touches the surface - the arcs of both of Cooper's characters are complementary and well-handled, but the film sadly fails to deliver an explicitly strong pay-off that both the movie and the audience deserve.  Nevertheless, this is a strong, interesting and bold film, elevated by Dominic Cooper's superb and challenging work.

FILM: The Smurfs 3D (dir: Raja Gosnell, 2011)

"What do you get if you cross a Smurf with a cow?"
"Blue cheese."

With a storyline reminiscent of Enchanted, the Smurfs are transported from their village (charmingly realised in the opening scenes) to New York in this predictable but gently entertaining adventure.  The movie is well shot and effectively directed, and the integration of CG Smurfs and live-action works very well throughout.  3D looks fantastic in the city scenes but is inessential.  Hank Azaria delivers a mildly-evil Gargamel, and Neil Patrick Harris and Jayma Mays use their comedic experience well as the couple who look after the Smurfs - Harris's reaction on finding the Smurfs still in his flat the morning after their arrival is priceless.  Even if the relentless replacing of words with 'smurf' rapidly becomes annoying, The Smurfs is harmless, simple, well-made and shows some real thought has been put into it.