Manny Lewis (out Mar 12) wants to be a darker comedy but it's very light in terms of character development. It stars Carl Barron as a depressed comedian who, unable to commit to a relationship, turns to a phone sex operator for companionship. The film's gimmick is dumb (you'll know what I mean if you see it) and the stuff involving the father needed more work. Grade: C.

Chappie (out Mar 12) is a muddled sci-fi action thing centred around a robot who can think and feel. The actions of these characters made no sense to me. Interesting idea, poor execution. Grade: C.

Top Five (out Mar 12) stars Chris Rock as a super-famous comedian trying to promote his latest movie and his upcoming wedding to a reality TV star. It's covering a lot of material (film journalism, price of fame, life of a comedian, alcoholism, romance) and stretches itself a little too thin. Some decent laughs though. Grade: B.

Inherent Vice (out Mar 12) is set in California, 1970 and follows a paranoid private investigator looking into a supposed crime. If you’ve got a warped, off-beat sense of humour, you should like this. It’s not on the same level as The Big Lebowski (the pinnacle of stoner comedies) but it’s a worthy effort from director Paul Thomas Anderson. Grade: B+.

Seventh Son (out Mar 5) is a mundane action flick about two hunters trying to rid the world of villainous witches. It may have two recent Oscar winners in the cast (Jeff Bridges and Julianne Moore) but the screenplay is void of excitement. Grade: C.

Unfinished Business (out Mar 5) is a straight forward comedy about three hopeless guys trying to trump their major competitor and land a big business deal. The story is weak but the characters are fun. Not as bad as the trailer may suggest. Grade: B-.

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (out Feb 26) reunites us with these beloved characters who continue to reinvigorate their lives in India. I wanted to punch Dev Patel in the face with his over-the-top personality (his sub-story is rubbish) but the rest of it is quite good. The Bill Nighy and Judi Dench love story is the clear standout. Grade: B.

A Most Violent Year (out Feb 26) is "light on" in terms of story but the great performances make it a drama worth watching. Set in New York 1981, it tells the tale of a businessman (Oscar Isaac) who finds himself the target of the police, his competitors, and some unknown gangsters. Grade: B+.

Jupiter Ascending (out Feb 19) is an ambitious but ultimately unsatisfying sci-fi drama about an alien race looking to "harvest" the Earth. It's the cast that bugged me the most. None of them are particularly convincing. Special effects get the thumbs up. Grade: C.

Project Almanac (out Feb 26) is a time travel film shot using the "found footage" approach that is aimed squarely at teenagers. There's not much for older audiences. Aside from the last 20 minutes or so, this is a film with zero tension. Things finally start to get dramatic in the later stages but it's too late and too predictable. Grade: C+.