Dark mediocrity

Thor (Chris Helmsworth) and Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) re-unite to fight the forces of the dark world. The latter are the forces released on a once-in-a-millenium planetary alignment that opens up a portal somewhere in London. Thor: The Dark World Pure entertainment, largely mindless and unmemorable, reminiscent of Star Wars more than Norse fable, and set for much commercial success

11.5/20

Chris Helmsworth

Natalie Portman

Tom Hiddleston

Anthony Hopkins

Christopher Eccleston

Jaimie Alexander

Rene Russo

Stellan Skarsgard

Leading from the Front

Captain Phillips, of the movie of the same name, delights with the return of Tom Hanks, who will lead the crew of the ship Maersk Alabama through the attacks of a Somalian pirate crew. Faced off with a pirate crew led by captain Abduwali Muse (Barkhad Abdi), while the crew are overwhelmed initially, soon the power and might of the US navy overwhelm the pirates in question. The movie is not just an action sequence – it exposes the aspirations and vulnerability of a people who are facing some pretty hard choices for improving their lives. Touching not thrilling in the balance, Captain Phillips – and the men he faces off with – all all winners in this sea encounter

14.5/20

Not your Average Game

Andrew Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield) is blessed (?) with the right quotient of aggression that could wipe the Formics off the face of the universe and once and for all avenge the pogrom they unleashed upon mankind. A series of trials (in near earth space in zero gravity) create the atmosphere for somewhat incongruous preparations for a final assault. And in the latter, the line between fiction and reality becomes increasingly blurred in Ender’s Game. While mildly interesting, clearly did not bowl me over unlike all the hype

13/20

Gamb-le

A heist with a simple little twist in the tale. Harry Deane (Colin Firth) is seeking to take revenge on his former boss Lord Lionel Shabandar (Alan Rickman) by stealing (or is it substituting?) a painting. He is helped by a free spirited girl from Texas PJ Puznowski (Cameron Diaz). You will not see the last twist coming – not, however, that that makes Gambit particularly remarkable

12/20

Fifth and First

The Fifth Estate profiles the groundbreaking work of Julian Assange (Benedict Cumberbatch), whose key contribution to the noble act of whistleblowing was committing to privacy. While exposes on Julius Baer's shady clients, the goings-on of banks in Iceland and dictators in Kenya, were fairly one-sided stories, the possibility of confidential information putting people in harm's way is accentuated in the last episode of release of information of US Government war-room text messages. A good watch, though perhaps not as intense and engaging as it could have been

13/20