James Mottram

A nifty lift-off and a tense first hour lead us, disappointingly, to a very bumpy landing. While Neeson and co. do their best, the script just doesn’t deliver where it really matters.

With McAvoy acting as if his life depends on it, Filth is the Irvine Welsh film we’ve been waiting years for. Tastier than a deep-fried Mars Bar.

It’s not a film for everyone, especially if you’re craving fast-moving action. But for Poe fans, it’s a grisly treat.

Powell is a very watchable everyman, convincingly demonstrating the man of the people integrity of his character. There’s great work too from Colman Domingo as the show’s slick presenter Bobby T and Michael Cera, who plays a loose-cannon contact that Richards makes during his quest for survival. Wright also handles the explosive action well, orchestrating elaborate, kinetic set pieces that throb with excitement.

Shepard’s film is fun but forgettable in the first hour, then disappointing in the final third. But Law’s raucous turn keeps you watching.

Full of fizz, filth and fun, I’m So Excited! is like an ’80s retro-blast. Its scattershot comedy may not impress latecomers to Almodóvar’s career, but old-school fans will love it.

A grand folly that makes the Wachowskis’ "The Matrix" trilogy look prosaic, Cloud Atlas is a fascinating if flawed work that will leave you gasping one minute and gagging the next.

With Yakin's all-action plot operating like clockwork, an on-song Statham proves anything but expendable in a genre he dominates. Predictable, sure, but equally pleasurable.

But for the most part it’s Neanderthal compared to the Pixar stable.

Rude, crude and packed with more laughs than Jay’s had lovers (6,004, apparently), Inbetweeners fans will lap this up. All this, and a killer twist at the end.

A rich, rewarding crime film, shot with real skill. Riz Ahmed confirms his status as one of the most exciting Brit actors of his generation.

Most of the gags fall flatter than a Knoxville belly-flop.

An engrossing biopic. More than just another author/creation story, Curtis’ film has things to say about celebrity, wartime and family.

Childminders rejoice: the formulaic but family-friendly series is back and it's business as usual.

The cast is given a boost by the star power of Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig and Paolo Núñez all reprising their roles as members of AMMO (Advanced Miami Metro Operations), plus Better Call Saul’s Rhea Seehorn joining as the ballsy US Marshall daughter of the accused Captain Howard. It’s just a shame they’re all woefully underused in a story that feels so same-old-same-old.

It’s not groundbreaking, but the impressionistic approach at least strives for more than your standard-issue bio.

Led by a trio of Oscar winners knocking it out of the park, The Little Things is a murky must-see.

Its love-in-later-life insights are well-worn, but with Staunton on song, Richard Loncraine’s film mines genuine feeling.

Fascinating story, flawed telling.

This is a typically unsophisticated, heart-in-the-right-place comedy from Sandler, complete with Happy’s four sons mooning and making dick jokes.

Rowling’s universe just got bigger and more complex, but Yates never forgets to sprinkle stardust on top.

The farcical third act, wrapped up too neatly by director Lucia Aniello, softens the blows. More edges needed.

Ritchie makes a solid return to his wheelhouse with a crime yarn that turns the air so blue you can swim in it.

A generic cop thriller that rumbles along thanks to a quality cast but ultimately offers nothing fresh.

A superior thriller, with Cruise and McQuarrie slotting together like a bullet in a clip. Like Reacher on the firing range, the aim isn't always true – but the misses are fractional.

There’s Fassbender’s charisma, an unhinged Sean Harris and Tom Rowland music.

But while DaCosta’s Candyman reboot was thrilling, this never musters the same level of engagement, despite a script that is chock full of good lines and a cast of willing participants. More meh than marvel, you might say.

Sagnier is appealing in her first real romantic role and there’s Gallic charm galore.

With robotic depictions of Iran's 'morality police', the political subtext is strictly one-dimensional. But with ace choreographer Akram Khan on board, the dancing is powerful.

A credible, if slightly limited, prequel that recaptures the atmosphere if not the originality of Rosemary’s Baby.

Definitely not Killer Queen, but thanks to a blinding turn from Malek, fans of the band will get their kicks.

Alongside Sheehan’s charms, it’s Belleville’s intoxicating visuals that truly fire the imagination. India has rarely seemed so seductive.

It’s not a naive film, but rather a hopeful one. Despite a world where darkness lurks, there’s light at the end of this tunnel.

You'd think Greta Gerwig's bones were hurting, so achingly hip is this irritating New York indie.

All set around the American Civil War, Chapter 1 is a three-hour slow-burn that takes some patience, but rewards with handsome vistas, moments of thrilling action and characters that will likely grow in significance in subsequent instalments.

Sharply observed with a top-notch cast and a pleasing old-school vibe, The Instigators is tremendously entertaining.

Certainly, this lacks the cheekiness of, say, M3GAN. With the exception of an amusing riff about Depeche Mode (better than Mozart, according to Ares), it requires a much-needed humour injection. In Tron terms, the future is less bright than po-faced.

Loyal to the novel, but welcoming enough for newbies, Divergent does a decent if not jawdropping job of bringing its dystopian world to life.

If your humour skews towards the sick and twisted, then this box-fresh Child’s Play will give you one almighty kick.

Guilty of being slavishly loyal, Taylor’s film never quite translates into the cinematic equivalent of Hawkins’ page-turner. Blunt, though, is excellent.

The excessive CGI can be distracting, some performances veer towards caricature, but this is still a big-hearted take on London’s classic.

Luchini’s excellent, but this is guilty of gross tonal uncertainty.

A neat mash-up of high-school comedy and horror tropes. Pity it flounders in the final third, though.

Wingard does try out something different here, creating long dialogue-free sequences where it’s just the monsters going toe-to-toe. With Wingard relying on gestures, grunts and groans from his alpha-beasts, it’s like watching the most expensive silent movie ever made.

For the most part returning director Simon McQuoid does little to turn this into anything but a serviceable follow-up to a film that feels outdated and outdone by much better recent video game adaptations.

With the story lacking real jeopardy, the feeling this leaves isn’t quite fury, but it’s certainly apathy.

A fun romp with a great comic performance from Oyelowo. Doesn’t linger, but you’ll enjoy it while it lasts.

Too many characters and callbacks plus a formulaic plot means Frozen Empire doesn’t touch the original movies, but it’s a likeable-enough brand extension.

The film falters mostly with its disappointingly one-note female characters ... It’s a shame, for Reminiscence has some impressive ingredients floating around in its murky mix.

Not as groundbreaking as the original, nor as expansive as all the best sequels are. But with some excellent cast additions, and Miller on murky form, this still sizzles to the touch.

While the film arguably lacks the rage-fuelled intensity of Joker, this is still a brooding tale that works hard to reinvent the comic book movie.

There’s a lack of genuine emotional heft, not helped by some clunky dialogue (lines like "we are literally living on borrowed time"). But what the film really misses, amid several ear-splitting, CG-heavy alien-attack set-pieces, is humour.

From the generic title to the formulaic plot (stolen plutonium, highest bidder etc.), you can imagine the rest. But director Michael Cuesta (Kill the Messenger) injects vitality where it’s needed.

It’s a big old mess of a movie, in other words: flawed and (sometimes) fun.

Powered by the magnetic Aaron Taylor-Johnson, it’s rough around the edges, but still intoxicating.

A thoroughbred origin story and rollicking good adventure in one, led by an excellent Ralph Fiennes. It’s a hoot.

Admittedly, the film’s oddly paced, elliptical middle section may leave you scratching your head. But then the twisty third act pulls it all together, sending shivers down the spine.

The odd spirited turn aside, this is a throwback to the bad old ’90s days of comic-book movies.

A damp-squib horror with zero thrills. Russell and Condon deserve much better.

A competent if occasionally clunky biopic, enlivened by a superb Marisa Abela, who truly inhabits Winehouse and brings those songs to life.

A huge misfire that even the most hardcore X-Men fans will find hard to warm to. Avoid, avoid.

A competent rather than classic follow-up. If the action feels generic at times, the addition of Watts, more Winslet and the strength of Woodley are worth watching.

A notch above its predecessors.

A few fights enliven proceedings, including one on a road lined with cherry blossom trees. But this is largely dull and disappointing.

Opus is as off-kilter as they come. Perfectly suited, then, to a man like Malkovich.

Hardy is immaculate as Leo, from accent to demeanour. Now on his fourth film with Hardy, Oldman is a pleasure to watch, and even the smallest of roles have been carefully cast, with the likes of Vincent Cassel, Paddy Considine and Clarke all enjoying their moment.

Classy work from director and cast, but an anti-climactic second half doesn’t quite knit together the incident and intrigue.