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.

FILM: Iron Man 2 (dir: Jon Favreau, 2010)

" I know exactly what I'm doing."

With most of the 'new' back-story dispensed with in the opening montage, Iron Man 2 gets straight down to business and rattles along at a fairly breathless pace for the most part. The rapid-fire dialogue is delivered effortlessly by a truly staggering cast - Downey Jnr is a joy to watch, his relationship with Paltrow's Pepper Potts is spot-on and more entertaining this time round, and Mickey Rourke gives real gravitas and surprising nuance to Stark's main nemesis Ivan Vanko. When the secondary leads are actors of the calibre of Scarlett Johannon, the excellent Sam Rockwell and even director Favreau himself, quality is never in question, with these three performances all proving highly effective. Some early critics have pointed to a mid-section lull, but that is to misunderstand the nature of the film; it is not an all-out superhero movie as such, more of a drama punctuated by some terrific action scenes. The set-pieces are relatively short, sharp and stunning in execution, with the Monaco Grand Prix sequence a breathtaking standout. The only casualty of the pace of the movie is that characters and issues can feel little short-changed, but this is necessary to create this finely-directed and tightly-presented entertainment.

FILM: Repo Men (dir: Miguel Sapochnik, 2010)

"How can anything be alive and dead at the same time?"

It is this endlessly duelling nature within Repo Men that lies at its heart and is probably the reason which critics have not liked it. It is a pure pulp sci-fi action movie straining to be something much deeper. Jude Law and Forest Whitaker provide one of the oddest cinematic pairings in recent memory, yet they play off each other effectively and as actors give performances way above those of the usual talent that this type of fare attracts. The film displays some excellent if inevitable Blade Runner-influenced dystopian visuals and design, yet it also displays the same ham-fisted voice-over which plagued the initial studio cut of that influential film. There is barely enough gore and action to satisfy genre fans, yet the leads play the more talky, philosophical sections like it is Shakespeare. Repo Men is a curious film, one which should not be overlooked entirely but which ultimately does not wholly satisfy.

FILM: The Ghost (dir: Roman Polanski, 2010)

"Remember: HEART!"

The Ghost is basically a thriller that isn't very thrilling, and a drama that isn't very dramatic, dated rather than old-fashioned in style. The bleak, colourless rainswept landscape is reflected in the emotionally chilly characters which show all that remains of former glories, shattered relationships and cold political machinations. Brosnan and Williams are terrific as the ex-PM and his wife, whilst McGregor and Cattrall's accents are a burden to their flat performances. With a 'shock' revelation at the end that is so signposted that it virtually directs the audience to the 'Exit' signs much earlier in this long film, what little promise the narrative shows in the early stages is replaced by a fairly remorseless trudge towards the film's inevitable and precisely-staged resolution.

FILM: Cemetery Junction (dir: Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, 2010)

"That was the reason why Noddy has a bell on his hat."

Cemetery Junction is warm-hearted, lovingly-crafted and very entertaining, like a gentler version of Boston Kickout. There are many laugh-out-loud moments in the first half, with the laughs less forthcoming as the movie progresses into more serious dramatic territory as all of the characters make big decisions about their lives. It has a dream cast of British comedy/character actors in the adult roles (notably Emily Watson and Anne Reid in fine form), and the three young leads do capable work in their rather obvious roles. The Gervais/Merchant brand of excruciating embarrassment plays for humour well here, but it also has great resonance in the more understated, reflective moments (an insurance worker's too-easily dismissed retirement, for example). The 1970s setting is mainstream and crowd-pleasing (an abandoned Spacehopper, likable pop hits) without being challenging; Freddie's family are straight out of Billy Liar, and even their highlighting of endemic working-class 1970s racism/sexism/homophobia is deliberately soft and almost quaint. Curiously, Cemetery Junction looks and feels like an American indie movie set in a small town about self-discovery and growing up, and by the end the main characters - and the audience - are left in a much happier and positive place.

FILM: Dear John (dir: Lasse Hallstrom, 2010)

"How do you want me to look at you?"

Director Lasse Hallstrom has certainly found his Hollywood niche, and Dear John does nothing to deviate from it, and the movie is mostly inoffensive and harmless. As expected from Hallstrom, it is polished, emotionally restrained and touches on issues (autism, war, terminal disease) without ever addressing them enough to have any real impact - even the 9/11 card is unforced but rather casually played. As leads, Amanda Seyfried and Channing Tatum are more convincing in the first half of the movie - Seyfried's smile can light up the whole world, and Tatum just about copes with this dramatically limited role. The film is doggedly unsurprising to the end in every respect, and it is thankfully nowhere near as ghastly the same author's The Notebook. Even when a succession of life-bombs explode the couple's romantic trajectory, and a faint glimmer of hope for the male population having some emotional self-awareness is shown in the penultimate scene, you just know how it will all end, i.e. without a shred of realism.

FILM: Kick-Ass (dir: Matthew Vaughn, 2010)

"I'm getting the bazooka!"

It took me more than half the film to truly win me over - largely owing to the uneveness of tone - but by the time Kick-Ass reached its Tarantino-esque final showdown, I was completely hooked. This is a smart movie that shows just how much Vaughn has grown in confidence as a director, and he marshals a surprisingly effective cast very well indeed. Kick-Ass is undoubtedly a love-letter not only to superhero fans but also about them, and this clever conceit translates very well between comic and film forms. The wonderful nods to the genre range from the obvious (Spiderman's first building-jumping scene) to the almost surreal (Nicolas Cage channeling Adam West's old-style Batman verbal delivery), but by making the film's world almost realistic, Kick-Ass reflects and entertains in equal measures. Hit Girl is undoubtedly one of the most memorable creations of recent times, but this should not be allowed to overshadow the immensely appealing work done by Aaron Johnson in the title role which holds the film together. The set-up for the sequel is clear - here's hoping.

FILM: How To Train Your Dragon 3D (dir: Dean DeBlois, Chris Sanders, 2010)

"Trolls exist! They steal your socks! But only the left ones - what's with that?"

This is the dragon movie that Eragon should have been. The script hits a winning balance between charming and sassy, with a fine voice cast and hugely engaging characters. The 3D is glorious, and in particular the rendering of lighting is superb. The film is visually adventurous compared with most of the recent crop of 3D-CG animations, and the set pieces - including a very powerful finale - are quite stunning. Once you get past the fact that bizarrely the adult characters have Scottish accents and the youths American ones, How To Train Your Dragon proves to be a hugely entertaining adventure.