The more intimate scenes are almost unbearably poignant.

Terrific performance alone can't mask the lack of originality.

To steal from Ali, this one floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee.

Compared to its ultra-slick predecessor, it's a bit of a mess. But it maintains a breezy sense of fun and certainly looks as cool as its minus-one equivalent.

The garish, exotic, retro styling is Anderson at his visual best. In terms of character and sensibility, though, this is sadly Anderson at his worst.

Masterfully manipulative and bloody scary.

Some gorgeous imagery – mostly in pictures taken by the kids – and heartbreaking stories, but the directors' appearances sometimes feel self-indulgent.

It’s almost as structurally daring as "Memento," demanding that the audience fills in the gaps.

This is how action movies should be made.

A must for movie buffs, but too much of the charm resides in the clips and exhibits and those unaffected by the nostalgia will find the romantic triangle a touch too contrived.

Inventive and lyrical, A Very Long Engagement is a joyous contradiction in terms: a war-torn romantic comedy.

Unwieldy and flawed, but Stone remains a tornado in an era of airless formula and -- to paraphrase our Ptolemy -- its failings are greater than most films’ successes.

Brings a lump to the throat without resorting to emotional manipulation. Deserves an A for effort.

Style over substance, but very stylish indeed.

A lot of fun.

As horror, it's a worn-out succession of gory, meaningless, hard-to-enjoy deaths, and too much of the running time is given over to puppets arguing with each other.

For the most part, Edge Of Reason is as saggy and well-worn as Bridget's big knickers.

A deftly directed, superbly acted and occasionally witty biopic which is not afraid to engage with the complexities of its central character.

Law's slick, pretty-boy reincarnation is less icy and insensitive than Caine's wide-boy original, so we still have all the painfully confused "What's it all about?" soul-searching.

Looks like 2004 has given birth to a new superhero franchise after all.

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.

Falling on the meaty, potential role of a lifetime like a ravenous lion, erstwhile comedian Jamie Foxx, so good in "Collateral," is just wonderful as the eponymous star.

As good an all-out, non-camp horror movie as we’ve had lately.

Imagine if Stanley Kubrick had made Ghost and you're some way to this classily restrained oddity, but its morbid preoccupations and ambiguity might prove too cuckoo for most.

Some great acting and visuals make up for this thriller’s frostiness.

This tale of Mexican poverty refuses to lapse into sensation or melodrama.

Brilliantly observed characters are becoming second nature to Payne and Taylor, and the performances here are uniformly terrific. This is wonderful, original stuff.

A lean, atmospheric and acutely creepy little horror pic - nothing more, nothing less.

As it is, an unbearably irritating, shouty, gurning Affleck takes the anaemic script and injects it with strychnine.

It's a result so painfully logical it would make Lynch's hair stand on end.

While the quirky structure could be taken as a bold move, the story still feels frustratingly incomplete, rendering the preceding hour or so a tantalising glimpse at what could have been.

It makes for a patchy comedy that's stronger as a genre-mocker than a political satire.

It's a shame the suggested theme of identity remains undeveloped, but there are enough laughs and splashes of nostalgic glamour to excuse that.

Poetic, provocative and unstoppably powerful. But, depressingly, it probably won't change a thing.

Very 'talky', but the three lead females are excellent, as are the costumes and sets.

Painful for many reasons, but highly recommended.

The best sports movie for years, as it's not about sport at all. Forget fears of jingoistic grandstanding, this is an un-American all-American tale that deserves attention.

One of those films that seems like it was made mainly for film festivals - and it has the awards to show for it.

It's a puzzle as much as a plot, but when it's in focus (which it isn't for long stretches) it's remarkable brain-food.

A film that, despite being about theatre itself, is remarkably cinematic and entirely unafraid to revel in the English language.

Irresponsible, exploitative trash.

It's loud, it's stupid, yet against all the odds, enjoyable.

For all the courage and ingenuity of this extraordinary film, it's clear that Caouette has actually resolved few issues and that his life is still very much a work in progress.

Dull.

Although the vocal performances often amuse and delight, the overall design is charmless.

A fresh, funny little romp.

A vibrant and vivid documentary masterwork, DiG! will have you celebrating independent filmmaking while lamenting the state of independent music-making.

Holmes’ wholesome charm keeps the movie afloat, but only just.

A premise neutered by daft supernatural shenanigans, which raise as many questions as they answer.

Yet in spite of the affable Mr. Moog, the mood remains distant, too fetishistic to be passionate. Great noises, though.

Politically powerful, but filmically flawed.

The tennis itself is ridiculously far-fetched, and yet this may still be the best tennis movie ever made.

For its writer-director, Sky Captain was a labour of love. For almost everyone else - including the wooden cast - it’s just a labour.

Smart, intriguing, funny and sad, with some primo wisecracking dialogue.

The visuals are an animation student's wet dream, the dialogue an English student's nightmare - but for Japanimation fans it's a big-screen must-see.

Wry and haunting.

The chief horror here is the cliffhanger promising a third instalment.

Apart from an irritating plot glitch this is a solidly entertaining ride, more than competently directed and played.

Both women are impeccably played by Maria Bonnevie.

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

A serious misfire.

The comparisons are inevitable, so let's get them out of the way. Hero is a better film than "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."

Exactly as ordinary as you're already expecting it's going to be.

Disappointing.

It isn’t quite hell, but clambering to the end of this dusty remnant of an idea is certainly purgatory.

A gripping insight into the problems faced by men trying to sustain interest in playing the music of their youth.

Estes enriches the plot by refusing to present each character's emotional dilemmas in black-and-white terms.

Accomplished and assured.

Fans beware - your fave two sci-fi franchises have been stripped of all their guile and maturity.

No doubt its small fans are thrilled, but even young kids will have to be pretty undemanding to enjoy this mess.

If you're looking for a film to put you off marriage, children, affairs, and indeed life itself, look no further than this melancholic ensemble piece about listless adulterous couples in small-town New England.

Perhaps the best film ever aimed at eight year-old girls to be directed by a 69 year-old man.

Perhaps the best premise for thrills since "Speed," only this time the bad guy’s on board and the battle of wits is more philosophical debate than pop quiz.

Yeah. Light and fluffy it may be, but this is undeniably entertaining stuff.

Cinematography, production design and music are all top-notch, but the film largely succeeds because of the leads -- two fine actors at the top of their game.

This isn’t your average against-the-odds survival story.

This needs its 'based on a true story' caption because otherwise you'd never believe it.

A cracking conspiracy thriller that's well-cast, slyly satirical and -- as a solid, glossy, contemporised remix of a classic -- rings enough creepy changes to surprise.

Made with such elegance, atmosphere and wonderfully mannered performances it will nestle deep inside your head, refusing to budge. The more you ponder it, the better it becomes.

If "Ichi The Killer" stressed the extreme natureof Takashi Miike's cinematic sensibility, Gozu hammers it home… with a blood-spattered mallet.

A great debut from a promising talent.

Andersen makes a far from inspiring guide, intoning his humourless points in a dry-as-powder monotone.

Undermined by a plot that doesn’t make sense and plays like three-and-a-half genre movies fighting for screentime in one overlong one.

The Bourne Supremacy builds on and exceeds the original, delivering, quite simply, one of the finest big-budget thrillers in years.

If "Spider-Man 2" is this summer's main comic-book-movie course, Catwoman is clearly the leftovers.

Still creepy, ooky, mysterious and spooky, but trying to follow the storylines is like sorting spaghetti.

If you're returning for more Donnie, you'll still have tears in your eyes come the sublime Mad World conclusion. If it's your first viewing, you should still be wowed by an astounding masterpiece. But this is undoubtedly the lesser of the two cuts, and since you have the choice, you should stick with version one.

This is simple, lazy storytelling rendered merely functional by appealing leads and the eternal lure of romantic fantasy.

The effects, arguably the best of the year, only add to the thrill.

Not for anyone with a sensitive gag reflex. Joshua Marston provides a harrowing depiction of drug- muling for dummies. The raw, revolting, dangerous details of such an undertaking are graphic.

This better-than-the-book adaptation casts quite a spell.

If it were any more manic you’d have to put it on Ritalin.

This is poorly shot, edited and scored, while any acting talent feels wasted.

Tautly scripted by director Per Fly and bullishly played, this is soap for the ciné-sophisticate.

An excruciating watch at times, the unflinching bluntness is captivating and somehow, despite their flaws, the group’s rock godhood is maintained.

This story is emblematic of the passion, obsession and solitary poetry of surfing.

Nothing aligns, nothing builds, and before you know it we’re hip-deep in the big showdown -- a free-wheeling frenzy of choreographed combat that neglects to find much space for the cast.

Fortunately, the fabulous songs, performed by scads of contemporary artists, provide some relief in an overlong, overdone portrait.