On February 11, 1990 when Nelson Mandela walked free from Robben Island after more than a quarter of a century of incarceration in his eight feet by eight feet cell, he discovered a country divided by apartheid. How could he bring people together? By uniting team and supporters on the rugby pitch. Director Clint Eastwood has done it again with Invictus, a wonderfully uplifting film that follows the true story of Nelson Mandela’s quest to reuinte his fractured country through the peaceful bonds of of giant men bashing into each other.

Astro Boy is the classic tale of a young boy trying to get along with what life gives him. Making friends, getting by and generally having a good old time, he’s just like you and me. The only difference is that this kid is a robot. And people want to kill the death out of him. It’s a futuristic Pinnocchio-inspired CGI romp, and whilst it has a lot to recommend it, ultimately there’s not a lot of human heart beating behind it.

Space travel has always been an inexhaustable topic for film-makers, but upon watching Pandorum, you can’t help but feel like you’ve seen everything it has to offer before. And you’ve seen it done better. Though it’s made by the same guys who brought us Resident Evil, this film lacks any real originality and it’s consistantly dark and moody shots are more likely to leave you with eye-damage than anything else.

n terms of hype, Precious is the only film in months that has managed to come close to the endless Avatar onslaught. This is in part due to the number of people that were genuinely affected by the film’s story – that of a 16-year-old girl lived in Halem, horribly abused and hopeless scrabbling through life with only dead ends in front of her. And it is in part (perhaps the more significant part) due to the massive impact that Oprah Winfrey’s opinion has on the American public.

It turns out hell does have a fury like a woman scorned – a father’s loss. Just ask Liam Neeson in Taken and now Mel Gibson in his new ‘actioner’, Edge of Darkness. After a good few years dedicating himself to his behind the camera endeavours, Gibson returns to his -just this side of sanity- best with Edge of Darkness. Bad guys beware, you went after his daughter, now he’s coming for you!

It may be strange to think it, but in an age where we’re so used to 3D creatures, pixilated flying houses and talking toys, a 2D film can be considered pushing the boundaries of today’s kids entertainment. Gone is the golden age of Disney classics- The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin – all-singing, all dancing, all bloomin’ marvelous. Today what kids want is action explosions, nifty special effects and some smooth-talking robots, right?

Whatever happened to Matt Dillon? He was going great guns in the ’90s with Wild Things and There’s Something About Mary, then dropped off the scene with the sort of speed usually reserved for people who, well, died. Turns out he’s now starring in this armoured-car heist thriller from competent (if b-grade) action maestro Nimrod Antal. Maybe he shouldn’t have bothered coming out of premature career retirement though – Armored is predictable, missable and forgettable, floundering in the wake of the action genre’s more intelligent January offerings.

Watching Gamer is a bit like trying to play Grant Theft Auto when drunk; you know very vaguely that there’s a story you should care about, but all that really matters is that things are getting blown up, big style. If there was a coherent point to Gamer, we couldn’t find it.

Oliver Parker’s adaptation of the classic Oscar Wilde novel has everything you’d want from a gothic bodice ripper; sex, gore, and darkly chiselled cheekbones. Young Dorian Grey wishes to stay young forever, and so binds himself in a deal with the devil to always retain his beautiful good looks. But what is the cost? This dark and smoky tale is a great warning against vanity everywhere However, amongst all the Burton-esque moody shots of Victorian England, the biting essence of Wilde’s classic story gets slightly lost.

Set in the 1950s, Revolutionary Road centres on the relationship between Alice (Kate Winslet) and Frank Wheeler (Leo DiCaprio); a married couple in their late twenties. Seen as the shining example of wedded bliss by their friends and neighbours living on Revolutionary Road, they have two children, a secure future and a beautiful home. But beneth their flawless exterior both Alice and Frank feel as though their lives are being wasted. Revolutionary Road is a poignant, heartbreaking and piercing look into what makes up a relationship, and how it is that deep love can turn to hatred.