THOR 3D

Marvel Studios have been methodically making their way towards a "Every Summer Box Office Domination", especially since they got into bed with Disney.

Their juggernaut now faces another barrier with the release of what was considered one of their "harder sells" to a public that have recently lapped up the grounded-in-reality exploits of Christopher Nolan's Batman saga... a Norse God of Thunder. And directed by The Bard Man himself... What could possibly go wrong?

In a word, nothing! Literally, despite all the factors stacked up against it, THOR is a perfect Blockbuster and yet another solid foundation block for Marvel to build their inter-connected saga's upon. Just like the unlikely pairing of a washed-up actor (Downey Jr.) and a kids movie director (Favreau) created the deserved surprise hit of Iron Man, director Kenneth Branagh (best know for his Shakespeare affiliations such as Henry V, Much Ado About Nothing) tries his hand at action and adventure whilst tackling the subject of a mythological God when modern audiences are queuing up to see "more realistic" heroes.

By going all out for it, Branagh melds different worlds to a point where a cut between the humoures exploits taking place on Earth doesn't jar with the serious implications occurring on Asgard - which is no mean feat. He balances the "fish out of water" Thor banished to Earth - smashing coffee cups and demanding more as if he were in the halls of Valhalla drinking beer - with the Shakespearean quarrelling brothers fighting for their father's favour. And none of it feels forced or out of place.

Pine, Portman, Hopkins and Hiddleston play it straight, letting the written dialogue deliver the jokes (of which there are plenty) rather than hamming it up for laughs, and Branagh in turn tilts his camera as much as possible to subtly remind us of its comic-book origins (if it ain't between 30 to 45 degrees to evoke the idea of comic story boards, then the camera isn't placed correctly!) Whether it's an in-yer-face opening sequence where Thor and his buddies take on the Frost Giants (graphically gripping) or where Portman and her human buddies reflect upon Thor's quirks (smirk-inducing), it gives hope for the rest of the entries from the Marvel cannon to come before they launch The Avengers next year.

And this time, do NOT leave your seat until the end credits have finished, you'll thank me for it.

UK release date: 27.04.11

Certificate: 12A

THE EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES OF ADELE BLANC-SEC

Of late, director Luc Besson has been noticeably absent from camera duties, with his name instead appearing in a "screenplay by" or "story by" category.

Well, the man that gave us the likes of "Leon," "Nikta," and "The Big Blue" is back and it is right to give him thanks and praise...

Based on a graphic novel, Besson delivers a story that only European cinema can seem to tell to its audience - a young, head-strong female reporter travels the globe to find a cure for her comatose sister whilst Paris, and her search, are inexplicably linked to the appearance of a pterodactyl high above the early 1900's city. Try watching Hollywood do that kind of story (actually, hopefully they won't!)...

For those of you have loved his films, you may find yourself wondering where Besson has stamped his mark on the film because it feels nothing like his previous body of work. This wonderfully kooky, surreal and insanely funny film talks, walks and looks more like it came from Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro - the two behind "The City Of Lost Children," "Amelie," and "Micmacs." Either way, you get to sit back and watch delights that swing between clever homages - Adele running through a corridor in a pyramid being chased by fire rather than a large rolling boulder takes Lara Croft's crown of female Indiana Jones away - to a sequence where the true nature of delegation is shown through the medium of phone calls from the President all the way down to the put-upon Inspector given the task of resolving the case. They even have their own version of "Raiders Of The Lost Ark's" Herr Flick!

Swinging from genre to genre, and high-brow to slap-stick, Besson and his cast go from a Peter Sellers-type attempt at a prison break straight to a botched execution I promise you you wouldn't have seen coming! You then get nods to Tintin's The Thompson Twins bumbling detectives and a sequence involving the best sheep disguises ever committed to celluloid - yep, this is an old-fashioned screwball comedy heavily laced with adventure and helped along with decent CGI to create a smile-inducing time. Even if you don't think you do subtitles, do it!

And don't leave your seat when the end credits start to roll - you'll be missing out if you do!

UK release date: 22.04.11

Certificate: 12A

YOUR HIGHNESS

In a decade where remakes, re-imagining and re-hashes are the norm, isn't a pleasant change when homages, or, if done very badly, rip-offs, are presented to the popcorn pundits? Well, that isn't always strictly true...

As time invariably marches on, audiences tolerances towards such things as vulgarity, violence and nudity have become more casual and dare we say, more demanding. An imitation nowadays needs to up-the-ante to even compete in the multiplex's busy schedule to stand a chance and register on the cinema visitors radar.

This "modernising up" technically should work, unless you forget what made your inspiration so special in the first place that is... Regardless of the various films you can name during it's running time, "Your Highness" owes alot to the cult classic "The Princess Bride" - a charming, delightfully ridiculous and straight-laced but tongue-in-cheek fairy tale movie. Writer, producer and star McBride puts the modern elements into play - in-yer-face violence (stabbing in the heart is bloodily visible), degrees of nudity (Portman's - or her bum doubles - buttocks are engagingly visible), state of the art CGI and a slew of f*ck's, sh*t's and other words are peppered throughout but all these overpower the simplicity of the story and engulf it in a sea of OTT and a sense of over-forced humour. At times it feels like the kid you knew back at school who was OK but always tried too hard to be liked by everyone.*

At parts crude-ishly funny and just plain silly, "Your Highness" should have worked but invariably its sum parts do not add up to a good, let alone perfect, whole. A classic this won't be "as you wish" it would have been... Shame.

UK release date: 13.04.11

Certificate: 15

* Don't even think of saying me!

SCRE4M

So the tagline says that it's a new decade and therefore it's new rules... does that mean that it will break with the rule of diminishing returns for sequels then?...

It was 15 years ago that one of the brightest-but-then-fading lights in the horror genre came back for one final "stab" (sorry, pun intended) at rejuvenating not only his career but the genre that had been done to death so much so that laughs were more on the menu for audiences than screams.

Now, original director Craven and scribe Williamson have reunited to breath life into the franchise that unfortunately opened the gates for the likes of "Saw." This time though, the patient hasn't made it to the ER in time - it's a flat-liner.

What doesn't help the film is that "Scream 2" did already what they've tried to do here - both knowingly say they are sequels and give a large nod to the rules and twists that every other horror sequel feels they have to adhere to. There's even a group of avid horror movie teens discussing the new rules in a classroom, but the ironic value and fresh feeling of this was all dished up back in the second installment, with alot more humour to boot. It feels kinda like you can't teach an old dog new tricks, so just give them new corpses instead.

Now don't go thinking that "Scre4m" is a total waste of time - it does have some genuine delightful moments thanks to Williamson's script - only gay people can survive horror films now as everyone from virgins to main characters are expendable - but the actual scares are few and far between. It's a worrying thing when the biggest audience jumper is a close-call car accident.

As Ghostface says to Campbell's character, "Sydney, you're only good at one thing...surviving," you do wonder whether, by the time the 3 false endings have finally given way to the end credits, that she wasn't so good at it. As they say in the ER, "time of death... 15 years ago."

UK release date: 15.04.11

Certificate: 15

"WHAT ARE YOU?..." "I'M...."

"Life is like a box of chocolates..." "Quite frankly my dear, I don't give a damn." "Don't you just hate those uncomfortable silences?" "Get away from her you bitch!"

The art that is movie can either reflect, harmonise or too some, plagiarise their lives. Like a song at the right time during your life, the lyrics can speak volumes and feel like that they're aimed directly at you. And so with the wonder that is in the celluloid form. A film can either transport you away from the mundane or the situation that you feel incapable of dealing with in your life at that moment, or it can remind you of what you were and all that you thought you could be when you saw it.

So, as a fun challenge, what explains you? What film summarises you? What character or actor is best suited to match the legacy that is your life? What is the soundtrack to your "up's and down's?" And what is your favorite movie scene and....why??? If you feel like throwing out there, list the answers to the following questions and see what others make of it.

I will go first to get the ball rolling and let you all try and decipher what it all means and then read with a raised eyebrow the replies...

1) WHAT FILM BEST SUMS UP YOUR LIFE?

"Die Hard." I feel constantly like I'm the wrong guy in the wrong place at the right time. The odds are against me (12 -1) but I seem to be stupid enough to ignore those odds and carry on regardless.

2) WHO SHOULD PLAY YOU?

John Cusack. The king of misunderstood. He tries to do his best but screws it up royally. See "Say Anything" "High Fidelity" and "The Sure Thing" as prime examples...

3) YOUR MOVIE SONG?

"The Promise" - Michael Nyman/The Piano, "The Raiders March" - John Williams/Raiders Of The Lost Ark.

It's a toss up between the two as Nyman's wonderful tune has always helped me to relax, clear my mind and focus on what needs to be done while evoking stirring images within and Williams' who never fails to nail it on the head - everytime anyone hears the Indiana Jones tune they just wanna step up and be the reluctant hero. That's me - everytime!

4) YOUR FAVORITE SCENE?

This is a hard one because can one movie scene explain yourself away? And what particular scene as it could depend on the mood you're in... So, it would have to be for me the scene that cemented my love for the beautiful mystery that is the Great White Shark... Roy Schiender stops shovelling the "shit" that is chump, lets his cigarette hang from his lips and informs Robert Shaw whilst backing away from the stern of the Orca, that he and all concerned aboard are "gonna need a bigger boat.." A genius understatement and a profound one at that!

Dare you think about your replies and post them? All interpretations on mine are welcome - kinda!