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1) In Bruges	6) Vantage Point
2) Step Up 2 the Streets	7) Jumper
3) The Spiderwick Chronicles	8) Cloverfield
4) 10,000 B.C.	9) The Bucket List
5) Definitely, Maybe	10) The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

IN BRUGES
Director: Martin McDonagh. Starring: Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Ralph Fiennes, Peter Dinklage. Details: UK / Belgium / 107mins (16).

After his debut hit goes badly, suicidal Ray (Farrell) and culture-loving Ken (Gleeson) are sent to Bruges by their quick-tempered boss Harry (Fiennes) to chill out and wait until the hubbub blows over. However, Harry wants Ray and Ken in Bruges for a reason - a reason that only becomes clear when it's too late. The trailer (and the poster) is a little misleading - the comic tone doesn't warn the viewer of the depths of darkness the film descends to. That darkness, however, comes with a little implausibility but by that stage, you're on board and are able to accept what's dealt. In Bruges is a darkly comic continent crime caper and all the boxes are ticked with a few surprises - the pockets of violence happen unexpectedly, which is tough to pull off, considering the genre. The leads do the job asked of them, even though Farrell's comic delivery is lacking at times and Gleeson nudges ahead with the best performance. They are almost eclipsed by Fiennes, however, who does his best Michael-Caine-meets-Ben-Kingsley's-Don-Logan and all the laughs he jumps for land on two feet. In Bruges, despite Ray's repeated 'it's a shit hole' will do wonders for the city's tourist board - Bruges looks fantastic with its medieval buildings and canals; even Fiennes' Harry insists that "It's like a fairytale," and he's not wrong, while cinematographer Eigil Bryld (The King, Becoming Jane) probably couldn't believe his luck - he could just turn on the camera and point it in any direction. Martin McDonagh delivers a more-than-promising debut and could very well be a big name for the future.

STEP UP 2 THE STREETS
Director: John Chu Starring: Briana Evigan, Robert Hoffman, Will Kemp Details: US / 98mins (PG) Andi (Evigan) is part of a crew of street dancers who express themselves by free-style dancing in competition and on public transportation. When her guardian threatens to send her to live with relatives in Texas for truly inexplicable reasons, she agrees to attend a prestigious dance school as a compromise. But her group aren't happy; thus numerous energetic 'dance-offs' ensue as she forms her own crew along with resident 'hottie' Chase (Hoffman).

Linked to the first movie only through a fleeting cameo by Channing Tatum, Step Up 2 is pretty much just as bad as you knew it was going to be. It suffers from the same problems as its predecessor, as the progressive plot, narrative and characterisation all feel like an excuse to get to the next montage or dance sequence. When Andi forms her crew to enter 'the streets' competition, you'll be left perplexed as to why the filmmakers thought it was a good idea to have a bunch of well-to-do teenagers essentially crash their financially-inferior urban counterparts' only real outlet for creative expression. Granted, said public expression is hardly anarchic, though it somehow ends up on the news and up the cops' noses - even though the group only seem to simply dance around on a train, entertaining some baffled passengers thoroughly. Changing the delinquent protagonist to a girl, too, is a lazy attempt to appear to do something different, and merely serves as an excuse to see some sweaty female midriff. All of that said, anyone who enjoyed the first film probably won't be disappointed with its sequel, as the main cast offer lively turns and are obviously a talented bunch. The selling point is the music and the dance choreography, both of which deliver - especially one extended rain-soaked sequence towards the end - but it's still nothing you can't see at home on MTV Base for free. So, ultimately what we have here is an extended Missy Elliot music video, with the volume turned down sporadically so you can swig from your Coke and not really miss anything. Perfect for the baggy-clothed, expletive-spewing, hip-hop-obsessed teenager in your life.

THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES
Director: Mark Waters Starring: Freddie Highmore, Sarah Bolger, Mary-Louise Parker, David Straithairn Details: US / 97mins (PG) Standing out from the current barrage of fantasy-tinted adaptations of children's books - mainly because it's actually quite good - The Spiderwick Chronicles centres on trouble-making twin Jared (Highmore), who is dragged to live in small town nowhere after his mother and father split. Looking to amuse and distract himself from his Daddy issues, he stumbles across a book that once read, unleashes a world of monsters and fairies that somehow leaks into ours. He and his siblings must fight off the evil Mulgarath and his amassed gang of vicious foot-high goblins, to stop them taking over the world. Coming from a similar place as last year's underrated kiddie flick Zathura, Spiderwick offers us many things that the recent influx of fantasy films had seemingly forgotten - the main one being a genuine story amidst the otherworldly effects and whimsical tone. Set in a semi-rational now, the creatures come to our world, not the other way round; so parallels with the likes of Narnia or The Golden Compass are redundant, simply because it's a different kind of film. The contemporary setting creates an intimacy that few other fantasy films had properly explored, while our hero has an identical twin (also played by Highmore) and argumentative sister to bounce off. This is predominantly where the film shines, as the relationship between the three progresses as the tightly condensed plot unfolds - with care, and with a steady hand from a director who found a tone and stuck with it. Highmore may frighten some with the 'manchild' thing, but there's no doubting his acting ability, while Sarah Bolger does a flawless American accent, offering hope that Saoirse Ronan may not be the only young Irish actress vying for the A-list in years to come. Sure, there are plot holes galore and the bad-guy is severely lacking in anything resembling a personality - but this is a film you really shouldn't mind bringing the kids to. Despite its flaws, The Spiderwick Chronicles manages to engross and amuse thoroughly.

10,000 B.C.
Director: Roland Emmerich Starring: Camilla Belle, Steven Strait, Omar Sharif Details: USA / New Zealand / 104mins (12A) D'Leh (Strait) is a young man who was forced to grow up without any family after his father bolted from their village amidst a huge famine. Years later he has developed into a sturdy hunter, even picking off a hairy mammoth all on his lonesome. His reward is the much-coveted 'white spear', and the pick of any woman in the village - which is the beautiful and mysterious Evolet (Belle).

But it all goes pear-shaped when a bunch of wrong-sorts suddenly turn up and start your general hacking, killing and kidnapping - with his beloved Evolet taken away on horseback. Vowing to save his people and his new bird, he sets along to track the kidnappers and find his true love. You used to know exactly what you were getting with a Roland Emmerich joint. As the director of Independence Day and Stargate, he regularly churned out the explosive visuals with minimal context - but 10,000 BC does not come close those films and it's all the worse for it. Anyone who has seen and enjoyed Mel Gibson's Apocalypto will have an unrelenting feeling of deja-vu throughout the running time - but while Gibson's edgy-epic excelled in the naturalistic performances, showing a genuine flair for the material, Emmerich barely delivers on the fundamentals. The relative newcomers Strait and Belle do their best, but are constantly hampered by awful dialogue and flimsy characterisation - only succeeding in looking uncomfortable and out of their depth. Expressing emotions through longing looks and grunting is fine if said emotions can be conveyed appropriately; but it just comes off as forced when the few intimate moments lack subtlety. There are some stunning shots of the gorgeous landscape, with particular pleasure to be had with a lot of the visuals in the last twenty minutes or so; but there is precious little action to speak of. While it may find an audience on the director's reputation, or the ostensible similarities to 300, this film's perceived core audience will likely come away feeling disappointed. 10,000 BC is far too languid to work as a blockbuster, while a mishandling from its director renders it worthless as an epic.

DEFINITELY, MAYBE
Director: Adam Brooks Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Abigail Breslin, Rachel Weisz, Elizabeth Banks Details: US / TBC (12A) Will (Reynolds) is the soon-to-be-divorced father of Maya (Breslin), a bright young thing who is subjected to some ill-advised 'sexual education' at school, causing her to probe father for some awkward answers about his previous botched relationships: 'What's the man word for slut?'. He agrees to tell her about three episodes that had a profound effect on his life, finding a somewhat warped clarity in retrospect, and all are told through three vaguely intertwined narratives in engaging flashback form. The tagline of 'from the makers of Love, Actually' may put off your average viewer generally not inclined to watch such films, because the last time they did, the mediocrity that unfolded before their eyes almost brought on a personal cinematic apocalypse. Definitely, Maybe was never going to change the world, or even state a insightful declaration of anything in particular, nor does it set out to do any of those things. What it does set out to do is entertain its audience in a 'puppy dogs and ice cream' manner, pausing sporadically so you can take in the cuteness (and genuine ability) of the talented Breslin, and revel in a enormously capable cast doing exactly what was asked of them. Ryan Reynolds continues to grow in a commendable manner as an actor, becoming more understated with each performance. Sure, this role is hardly going to see a bestowing of plaudits come his way; but after thoroughly impressing in The Nines and Smokin' Aces, the fledgling leading man proves that his enviable range is growing, by equipping the affable and somewhat bland Will with enough charisma to carry the film. All three female supporting players give solid turns in underwritten roles, and each manage to give their respective character some depth - with Fischer standing out and proving again that she has a bright future ahead of her, once she picks the right roles (more Wedding Crashers and less Wedding Daze).

Sure, it's all conventional enough fare, and there are moments where the obligatory cliches almost ram-raid proceedings; but Definitely, Maybe offers enough charm and talent to warrant a viewing - thanks mostly to a likeable cast.

VANTAGE POINT
The President of The United States of America (Hurt) is shot by an unknown assailant, as several narrative strands unravel to reveal the true goings-on in a shattering conspiracy, that will see many innocent bystanders dead. There's a very funny line, in the very funny Knocked Up when Seth Rogen spews: "You know what's interesting about Matthew Fox? Absolutely nothing". As funny as it is harsh, Rogen obviously knew something we didn't. Granted, it's somewhat unfair to single out Fox, as he's just one bad thing in a film bulging with them; but you can't deny the precision of such an observation when watching his seemingly redundant character predictably unravel, like a crusty carpet rolled down a muddy hill. Everything here has an underlining bang of cheese, from Quaid's veteran Secret Service agent returning after having previously saved the President's life, to the utterly useless-until-the-final-reel Forest Whitaker, who loves kids, and tells total strangers about his marital difficulties to give his wafer-thin character some context. I can almost hear the Oscar-winner shouting down the phone to his agent: "I was the president of Uganda a bleedin' year ago, now I'm a fat dude with a camera in a shabby ensemble piece!? Get me Ari Gold". Director Pete Travis had been mooted by some as the new Paul Greengrass, having thus far followed a similar career path by directing a made-for-television project based on a sectarian incident (Omagh); but that really is where the similarities end. Travis appears to simply join the cinematic dots, from a bad script riddled with some hilariously cliched dialogue ("Meeeeeedic, someone get me a meeeedic").

It's not so much the monotonous plot that makes this such a mess, but the sheer lack of effort from everyone involved. There was potential here - and not just to entertain your regular cinema-going sort - but proper potential to say something relevant about the current state of the world. If all concerned simply wanted to make a watchable popcorn-chewer, then they should've concentrated on that as opposed to shoving a mixed and contrived political message down our throats. Also, the car chase is crap, whatever the posters say. Director: Pete Travis Starring: Matthew Fox, Sigourney Weaver, Forest Whittaker Details: USA / 90mins (12A)

JUMPER
Director: Doug Liman Starring: Hayden Christensen, Samuel L. Jackson, Diane Lane Details: USA / 88mins(12A) A young boy figures out he has a genetic gift to teleport through space at an instant when he almost drowns, after collapsing into a frozen lake. Eight years later, he's handsomed-up into Hayden Christensen, and makes a living using his gift to rob banks, while occasionally taking momentary holidays on top of historic landmarks. But a mysterious group, fronted by Samuel L. Jackson's sociopathic 'Paladin' are about to end his fun and put his life, and that of those around him, in imminent danger. Jumper promises an awful lot - not least from the calibre of director Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity) and the co-scripters (of Fight Club and Batman Begins) involved, but it fails to engage the audience on a consistent basis, due to a blinding lack of character development and a script with more holes than a cheap murder mystery weekend. The plot is an incoherent, nonsensical mess; throw in a protagonist devoid of an ounce of charisma and some general bland and uninspired acting and you've a recipe for an almost heave-inducing stew of disappointment. Liman is a director with indisputable flair and talent, and even the first two-thirds of Mr. And Mrs. Smith were great fun - but here, his luck seems to have run out, and he has essentially directed a series of cool-looking sequences and nothing else. Sure, when one of the 'Jumpers' teleport it looks great, especially when they're taking a bus or sports car with them; but when they're endlessly jumping, it's increasingly hard to follow proceedings. Liman has not given the cast any breathing space to perform either, rendering the likes of Bilson redundant and Jackson into by-the-book snarling mode. There is also a total lack of humour and irony, something that made Smith an enjoyable romp, and normally helps development-shy characters become that bit more congenial. Liman's run of four films without a disappointment comes to a grinding halt, as his fifth feature feels like a franchise spark with nothing to light. Jumper fails to deliver anything other than cheap thrills and aesthetically pleasing leads.

CLOVERFIELD
Director: Matt Reeves Starring: Michael Stahl-David, Mike Vogel, Lizzy Caplan, Jessica Lucas Details:US / 84mins (15A) Pitched squarely as The Blair Witch Project-meets-Godzilla, anyone who has been engulfed in the pre-hype surrounding Cloverfield since that teaser trailer appeared a few months ago, may think they know what to expect from this film - but they'll fall short, as it stands as an anomaly that actually lives up to the hype. The less you know about it, the better your cinema-going experience will be, so there will be no drawn-out plot synopsis explaining proceedings in detail, other than something large and nasty attacks New York and the whole thing is shot realistically (in terms of plot) on a camcorder. Many blockbusters have come and gone over the past year, but not one of them packs as much bang for its buck as this hugely innovative piece of work. Director Reeves has worked hard in assembling controlled chaos on the streets of Manhattan, and it plays out with an unrelenting intensity and horror. But it's his creative use of injecting character into the bedlam (the tape being used to film the carnage records over a happy day with our lead, leading to inventive semi-flashbacks) that really stands out, causing us to actually care about their messed-up plight. Someone far smarter than me once said that all the best horror films have protagonists that you genuinely care for, not just cool monsters; well, here you've got both. The characters are people you will feel you're friends with, and not because they're particularly cool - but because they're just like you or me... real. As for the actual monster, it's a downright nasty piece of work, devoid of personality and dedicated to random destruction and death. Of course, there is a purposeful, resonating sense of the sheer panic that takes place, and you could draw metaphoric parallels with 9/11 and fear-mongering all day. But, as it is, Cloverfield is a hugely-satisfying popcorn flick that brings something new and enigmatically clever to this prehistoric genre. Don't choke on your nails.

THE BUCKET LIST
Whether he's telling us about a year in the life of a penguin, or what it's like being stuck in prison for twenty-odd years, there's something about a Morgan Freeman voiceover that gets you onside immediately. However, his sultry tones need better material than he's afforded here. Morgan plays sharp mechanic Carter Chambers, struck down with terminal cancer; his hospital roommate, the cantankerous Edward Cole (Nicholson, who brings a little of Melvin Udall's surliness to the role), is in the same boat. Given only six months to a year to live, the two unlikely friends join forces and scribble down a list things they'd like to do before they kick the bucket - hence the title. Taking off for a world trip, Carter urges Edward to reconcile with his estranged daughter and Edward urges Carter to return home and spend his remaining time with his wife (Todd).

An amiable enough drama, The Bucket List is a Not-So-Grumpy Old Men-meets-Ferris Bueller's Day Off and it's as obvious as that sounds - it starts and finishes exactly the way you'd imagine, offering little or no surprises along the way. Apart from the very unrealistic backdrops, which are used instead of actual locations, everything you'd expect - love, faith, the afterlife, women - are discussed but, sadly, nothing rings truer than Nicholson's 'never trust a fart' speech. The two leads prove a good partnership initially, but they don't really have anything meaty to chew on (which is a disgrace considering the premise) and their back-and-forth banter soon grows limp and runs out of steam. Director: Rob Reiner Starring: Jack Nicholson, Morgan Freeman, Sean Hayes Details: USA / 97mins (12A)

THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY
Director: Julian Schnabel Starring: Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Seigner, Max von Sydow, Marie-Josee Croze Details: France / USA (12A) How good is The Diving Bell And The Butterfly? It's ridiculously good. In 1995, at the age of only 43, Jean-Dominique Bauby suffered a stroke while driving his car in the countryside. He lapsed into a coma and woke up 3 weeks later only able to move his left eye. Diagnosed with a rare disease called 'locked in' syndrome, Bauby used his good eye to 'blink' out dictation for his novel: the diving bell of the title symbolising Bauby's inability to move, the butterfly his escape; the former documents his day-to-day struggle while the latter sees Bauby indulge in flights of fancy. To make a film about a man trapped in his body and not only make it work, but turn it into one of the most memorable films this reviewer has ever seen, is nothing short of genius - director Julian Schanbel (Basquiat) and writer Ronald Harwood (The Pianist) will be hard-pressed to better this. Opening with an extended blurry point-of-view sequence (about twenty minutes or so) was a brave move; unable to speak, we hear Bauby's (Almaric) confused thoughts as he first tries to get a grip on what's happening, and then his realisation of the private hell he'll be subjected to: "This is life?". To make matters worse (and where this innovative drama manages to find humour even in the darkest of places) his speech and physical therapists are attractive women. Not only does this long sequence allow us inside the man, but we become him - we are trapped in that hospital bed, too (when his therapist asks him to move his tongue, it's hard not to do what she says).

Brilliant.