By Damon Smith and Badri Ahmed

Bolt (PG)

4/5

Bolt is the Truman Show for kids, a delightful animated romp which balances thrills and spills with broad comedy.

John Travolta voices the titular dog, who’s been the unwitting star of a hugely popular TV series since he was a pup.

In the show, Bolt plays a genetically-engineered canine with superpowers who saves owner Penny (Miley Cyrus) from the clutches of dastardly Dr Calico (Malcolm McDowell).

But Bolt truly believes that he is a superhero and is blissfully unaware that Penny is an actress and that his every move is captured on hidden cameras.

When fate flings Bolt into the big, bad world, he joins forces with a sarcastic alley cat and a deranged hamster.

The collaboration of Disney and Pixar is a triumph.

The opening action sequence, taken from Bolt’s TV series, is exhilarating. But for belly laughs, nothing surpasses a brilliantly orchestrated break-in to an animal pound. The fun and games build to a scorching finale.

He’s Just Not That Into You (12)

2/5

A big-name cast proves a major let down in this flighty romcom.

Drew Barrymore, Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Connelly, Jennifer Aniston and Ben Affleck are among the stars of this disappointingly familiar scrapbook of relationship highs and woes, culminating in the usual array of broken hearts, kisses and wedding vows.

One thing is clear from Ken Kwapis’s film: men and women are clueless when it comes to making ripples in the dating pool. Screenwriters Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein are equally clueless when it comes to conveying that sentiment with originality.

The Class (Entre Les Murs) (15)

4/5

This thought-provoking drama deservedly won the highest honour at last year’s Cannes film festival.

The film took shape during a year of workshops and improvisation with real-life students and staff from a junior high school in Paris who inhabit their roles without restraint.

Idealistic teacher Francois Marin (Francois Begaudeau, who also wrote the screenplay) hopes to inspire and mould the febrile minds of the 25 culturally and racially diverse teenagers who make up his class.

But run-ins with a belligerent student and an unfortunate choice of words during an argument send shockwaves around the playground.

Anvil! The Story Of Anvil (15)

4/5

Sacha Gervasi’s heart-warming and hilarious documentary pays tribute to two unlikely members of the musical firmament who never betrayed their teenage vow to keep on rocking.

Back in the 1980s, big things were expected of Anvil, but while the likes of Anthrax, Metallica and Slayer achieved their dreams, the Canadian metal band faded into obscurity.

Gervasi’s film meets school friends Steve “Lips’’ Kudlow and Robb Reiner some 20 years after their glory days as they continue to chase the impossible dream during a catastrophic European tour.

Anvil play the Download festival, at Castle Donington on Saturday.

Mini Punjab (12)

2/5

Platitudes abound in this Gurdaas Maan movie all about peace and brotherhood.

It tells the story of a community in Mumbai which creates a ‘mini Punjab’ for itself. This microcosm of the Indian state faces tensions and problems which Gurdaas seeks to heal.

The mini Punjab in India is a representative for communities across the globe and Gurdaas rather labours the point for peace and kinship. He also looks a little bit tired to be playing the hero opposite Jividha Sharma.

Still this is a high values production which has its heart in the right place.