To call WALL•E Pixar's best film would potentially denigrate films that deserve no scorn. But this is their most ambitious undertaking since "Toy Story" and storytelling of such charm and visual wit that it can stand proudly alongside the studio’s best. Absolute heaven.

Not as dark as its source material, Wanted works exceptionally on its own terms. McAvoy crashes the A-list, Jolie finally gets to be as big a star on screen as she has been in print, and Bekmambetov proves the most exciting action-oriented emigré since John Woo.

Despite a plot that should be simpler, Get Smart is as big on action as it is on laughs and works because it?s less a tired spoof and more a quality comedic adventure movie in its own right.

A disappointingly slight offering from a filmmaker that we know is capable of so much more. Shyamalan says that The Happening was his easiest film to shoot. Sadly, it shows.

A franchise rebooted with efficiency, energy and sporadic invention, although Hulk 2.0 hardly smashes it out of the park.

Witty, moving and visually dazzling.

Rudimentary plot and merely decent gags aside, this is the finest DreamWorks Animation effort since the first Shrek, chiefly because of its astonishing visuals and kinetic kung fu sequences.

A strange, mostly enjoyable mix of big political questions and crude comedy, Zohan overcomes its skeletal plotting and uneven gag ratio through Sandler?s sheer commitment to nonsense.

With its breathtaking landscapes, bloody battles, bitter betrayals and an aching love story, Mongol is a sumptuously crafted epic.

Savage Grace is simply hysterical: a film as harsh, brittle and unbalanced as its characters.

If you are immune to the charms of Carrie and co., this will do little to convert you. Still, it has more than enough sass, style and sentiment to keep the faithful satisfied. Add a star if you're a fan.

A slick, fun film that has by no means sacrificed the fast action beats of the first three.

Significantly better than the first film or, say, the first two Harry Potters, but we still can’t love it as much as we do the books. That said, if they keep improving at this pace, Dawn Treader should be a fantastic experience.

Too many generic tropes for this downbeat, detached melodrama to convince as a work of social realism but a strong central performance and convincing depiction of the compartmentalisation of Argentina's women.

It'll split the ranks like a pizza cutter: you might admire it as a Warholian blur of pop art, gawp and gasp at its Hot Wheels-for-real dynamism, or get a headache.

Plenty of mileage is derived from Dujardin's dismissal of everything Arab, Michel Hazanavicius also throws in some supremely silly running gags, while keeping the plot moving at a clip and establishing a rapport between the hapless hero and his insouciantly accomplished assistant, Bérénice Bejo.

Bland enough to make millions as culture edges closer to oblivion.

While the characters sometimes feel roughly drawn, the casting is spot on.

It's not sure where to go once the final Iron Man suit is constructed, and seems in a rush to get there, but Downey Jr and the supporting cast are so perfectly placed we're already looking forward to the bound-to-be-better sequel.

A strong opening, bursting with wit and vigour, gives way to a predictable, patronising and immensely lazy second half. Could have been so much more.

The plywood acting’s pretty funny, as is the coy sex; what amazes is the beautifully lurid, near-fetishistic set design.

Mildly titillating, but not very good.

The missing link between '00s wushu, '80s kids' fantasy and '70s chop-socky, this manages to be thoroughly entertaining - and the face-off between Chan and Li is worth the entrance price alone.

A tropical sex comedy that’s a little unfocused, but Segal and co throw plenty of funniness at the wall - and most of it sticks.

A frustratingly soft documentary that would sooner teach the world to sing than get to the bottom of the Bin Laden enigma.

A brilliantly high-concept title and some decent gore aside, you're better off watching the version in your head. It will be infinitely more fun and have markedly improved production values.

Strong performances and a few laughs, but the story feels lazy next to superior efforts recently in the same genre.

Another mean, violent and decently acted slab of Ellroy-flavoured criminality, with an impressively battered Keanu Reeves, but Ayers is no Curtis Hanson.

The tension dips occasionally but stick with it and you'l be richly rewarded.

On paper it looks like a gem – roaring 20s setting, verbal fireworks and a silly sport in its rude infancy. In practice, it's way off the pace, far too slow for its screwball pretensions and the kind of film that confuses pastiche with period detail.

Smarter than it sounds and carried by a very funny performance by Foster, this is a kids’ movie that’s bearable for adults too.

Slick, sick stuff, but save the odd squirm, a killer-plant horror that doesn’t grow anywhere.

A triumph for Scorsese and a document for the band, Shine A Light is a five-star experience for Stones fans. For those less enamoured with the ageing rockers, it goes a long way to explaining their longevity.

The Ocean’s Eleven: The College Years mood makes for a breezy good time, even if there is, like Vegas, precious little substance beneath the glitz.

Thanks to the captivating performances, this is well worth checking out.

A farcical romp but, being French, it's hugely glamorous and dripping with style.

Strong performances from the young cast make a compelling case that the US govt is failing its soldiers, but the film’s a little too much of a blunt instrument.

This super-powered spoof just doesn't fly.

An interesting first effort from Nichols - making him a director to look out for in the future.

It just scrapes two stars on the strength of Wilson’s best efforts. But for God’s sake, someone give this man a sparring partner.

There's a heartwarming quality that softens the hardcore setting but this does lack an assured, er, hand.

Marshall's film is crammed full of good ideas but doesn't have the cohesion to pull them all together. Less effective than "Dog Soldiers," never mind "The Descent."

Charming, funny and great turns from a cast with no finger-wagging. But if you don’t like psychosis-inducing imagery, steer clear.

"The Karate Kid" meets "Fight Club" but it's no way near as good as it sounds.

A stylish, darkly satirical horror-thriller, raising serious questions about Hollywood’s sanitisation of violence.

The mammoths aren’t all that is wild and woolly in this innocent, old-fashioned, amusingly self-important, entertainingly mad, rip-snorting throwback to vintage Saturday matinee fare, with all the swell set piece thrills state-of-the-art technology can throw at it.

A quartet of great performances and gorgeous scenery go some way to compensating for some strange variances in tone.

A rather titillating take on a racy historical novel, this is perhaps too ambitious in intent. More time, or more pruning (perhaps they should just have focused on The Boleyn girl), would have produced a richer and more enjoyable film.

After a strong start, the story ceases to challenge itself and its characters, offering easy options and a Prozac-soft finish.

The remake/parody sequences - trailers for which are on the official site - are outstanding, but Black’s all-over-the-place mania and Mos Def’s slightly too bland orphan hero don’t quite tie the rest of the picture together. Still, it has heart. And you’d rather see this version of "Rush Hour 2" than the original.

Some okay thrills with good performances and some smarts. But the last reel plunge spoils things. Myth for the new millennium: any average, out-of-shape middle-aged Yank, including the President, can get in a punch-up with a few well-armed, super-trained terrorists, and win.

A raw, vivid despatch from the frontline, this melds content with frights in classic Romero style. An outstanding exercise in showing the kids how to do it.

Sweet, funny, simple, entertaining -- everything a good rom-com should be. Definitely...

It’s Liman’s least charismatic action movie and the least developed, but it still packs some cracking action into its brief running time and lays foundations on which a great franchise could be built.

A late entry in a crowded field, Spiderwick works hard to set itself apart from the competition, and almost entirely succeeds - no mean feat these days.

A heartfelt, wry and decidedly spry film.

Absolute tosh. A ridiculous, unerringly tedious plot is weighed down by listless performances from a cast who clearly wished they were somewhere else, despite the sumptuous locations.

Ugly in more ways than one.

With In Bruges, the British gangster movie gets a Croydon facelift. It may not be new, but it’s a wonderfully fresh take on a familiar genre: fucked-up, far-out and very, very funny.

An effective look at women's lives in a decidedly non-Hollywood setting.

Rambo could have been a satisfying romp - wherein bad dialogue and cardboard characters can be forgiven - but for the sin of making the main man step to the sidelines in favour of charisma-free fillers. Bad move, Sly...

A competent suspenser, helped by the always-dependable Diane Lane, but it suffers by following the modern thriller playbook to the letter.

Tense, kinetic, intelligent and real – as if Paul Greengrass had remade Vera Drake.

It's not for nothing that these guys are the world's finest live act.

A dazzling experiment that paid off immensely, this is cinematic pleasure at its purest. One caveat: If they ever make a sequel, we’re taking two stars back.

Cute, cute, cute. No bouquets for originality, but it pushes all the buttons of this mini-genre, and Heigl and Marsden ring dem bells.

A gentle, enjoyable musical fable.

A good old-fashioned horror in the best possible way, this is a beautifully told, terrifying ghost story that lingers with you long after the shivers have stopped.

Uncompromising, intelligent and searing cinema. Along with The Assassination Of Jesse James... and No Country For Old Men, this is the best batch of Western-set dramas in decades. John Huston would have been proud.

An early but strong contender for worst movie of 2008.

The script is weak and obvious and the direction disappointingly unimaginative. But stars are stars, and the old boys are terrific - enough to make this a funny and sometimes moving buddy picture.

The monochrome animation is stark and beautiful, and Marjane’s an appealing narrator. Often hilarious, sometimes tragic, this may be low-tech, but it’s high-class.

Likeable stuff despite being slow paced and rather sentimental.

Extremely enjoyable. Although it’s a little tonally unsure, whenever Hanks and Hoffman are on screen, any misgivings are forgiven.

A turgid action sequel that loses sight of plot and characters in its humourless efforts to impress.

Gerard Butler stars in a very good film where he helps a guarded woman get over a tragedy in her past. It’s called "Dear Frankie" - go rent that instead.

Whether horror fans are ready for high-notes or musical buffs will appreciate Dario Argento levels of gore is an open question, but this is a rich, demented experience.

John C Reilly just about holds together a funny but patchy comedy that puts a ten-megaton bomb under the cliched rock biopic – and never detonates it.

An unflinching and affecting depiction of the region’s tragic lunacies.

Fun musical numbers and cartoonish humour give way to a bland sermon about the evils of the music industry.

While the sun shines, it’s a four-star thriller with a superb turn from Smith. When the moon rises, it’s a two-star horror cartoon with some of the worst FX we’ve seen all year. So, really, it has to average out at…

An engaging melodrama whose less convincing plot points are superseded by some astonishingly affecting performances from the mostly unknown cast.

Not quite a complete write-off, but basically a folly.

The kind of film the tabloids will call to ban. Don't take that as a reason to see it.

Gorgeous cinematography, a lilting score and near-faultless performances, under Wright’s assured direction, make this the first contender for next year’s Best Picture Oscar.

A crushing disappointment for fans and a scuppered opportunity for a cinematic event. That the first book has been so mishandled doesn’t bode well for the (already greenlit) more complicated ones to come.

As in Cocoon, the emphasis is on sentiment, feel-good and reclaiming the elderly from the scrapheap. But the performances are nowhere near as subtle.

Attempting to encompass too many genres dulls the overall effect but this still commands a certain fascination.

A sharp-edged, sweet-centred, warm-hearted coming-of-age movie that’s always just that little bit smarter than you think it is.

A poignant reflection on what it means to be alive and, visually, a true cinematic experience.

An enjoyable satire is let down by a third act that juggles too many ideas for its own good.

A richly nuanced American comedy, with two acting talents working at their absolute peak.

Even thought it's the third such effort to employ handheld camera in a zombie flick, this has more than enough shocks to hold its own.

Unapologetically preposterous, but it is a (very sweet) fairy tale and Highmore is captivating.

It’s essentially, y’know, for kids, but the dedicated fairy tale fan will have tons of fun spotting all the references. Adams, meanwhile, gives one of the comedy performances of the year.

An extraordinary attempt to encapsulate the many faces of Bob Dylan that plays better to the convert than the sceptic. Like the nasal twang of the man in question, the film finally beguiles more than it irritates.

Criminally overlooked in the States, this is one of the best horror movies of the last few years.

Like mum's home-made comfort food, it's warming but not really that good for you.