Alan Morrison

Argue that von Trier's latest is theatre and not cinema. But at least acknowledge that Dogville, in a didactic and politicised stage tradition, is a great play that shows a deep understanding of human beings as they really are.

Performances are good but not career best.

Timeline takes the most ridiculous movie plot ever imagined and multiplies it by ten.

The Year Of The Matrix will be remembered as an indulgence for fans, while the original movie will be affectionately held as a separate entity by a bigger crowd, much as the original "Star Wars" trilogy hasn't really been tainted by divisions over Episodes I and II.

A rare film in which the style IS the substance.

Relentlessly juvenile, it will offend moralists while making fans laugh out loud. It's only when demands of storytelling intrude that the film can't keep it up.

Formula is now the name of the game, although a steady diet of stunts and shootouts ensures that the audience is never bored.

Aside from Rose Byrne's complex performance, there's nothing here that improves upon the original.

Morally dubious it may be, but this gory melange of torture, terror and darkly humorous depravity appeals to the sick puppy within us all.