A dark and stormy Knight ...
Warner Home Video. Out on Monday
FROM the very first shot to the haunting final image, the latest and finest in the Batman series grips like a vice.
Somehow, it contrives to be at once dark and dazzling; invigorating and enervating.
Having vanquished The Scarecrow, the Caped Crusader (Christian Bale) Wayne must be on his mettle when deranged criminal mastermind The Joker (the late Heath Ledger) declares war.
Director Christopher Nolan bashes down the barriers between critical and popular taste, delivering a bums-on-seats blockbuster with the invention, integrity and intelligence of an arthouse classic.
Simply put, you'll go batty for The Dark Knight.
Rating: 5/5
Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging (12)
Paramount Home Entertainment . Out on Monday
THIS is a silly adaptation of Louise Rennison's well-thumbed book Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging, a kind of Bridget Jones's Diary for teens.
The heroine is Georgia Nicholson (Georgia Groome), who aims to land a gorgeous sex-god as her boyfriend and throw the best 15th-birthday party ever.
It claims to be a very British take on American high school movies such as Clueless and Mean Girls, but I thought it was further evidence of the decline of Bend It Like Beckham filmmaker, Gurinder Chadha.
The script, casting, direction and performances are all below par.
Rating: 2/5
Hellboy 2: The Golden Army (12)
Universal Pictures UK. Out on Monday
THERE are few film directors who can match the imaginative vision of Guillermo del Toro.
He created a masterpiece with Pan's Labyrinth and this sequel to the 2005 Hellboy is another.
Ron Perlman reprises his role as the red-tinged anti-hero, on call again as an ancient truce between humankind and the realm of the fantastic is broken.
A ruthless leader (Luke Goss – yep, the ex-Bros bloke) awakens a seemingly unstoppable army of creatures ready to take over the world.
Now, it's up to the planet's toughest, roughest superhero to battle the merciless dictator and his marauders.
This epic feat of imagination feels like an ancient fable. I thought it was magical.
Rating: 5/5
Star Wars – The Clone Wars (12)
Warner Home Video. Out on Monday
THE Star Wars saga continues with this eye-popping animation, which is at least on a par with the last three live action films.
The Clone Wars are raging, with the Galactic Republic, led by the Jedi Knights, battling the separatist movement of Chancellor Palpatine.
Familiar characters such as Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi team up with new heroes such as Anakin's apprentice, Ahsoka.
Rating: 4/5
Heath Ledger, in his final role
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