Wish I Was Here (out Sep 18) is the latest from writer-director Zach Braff (Garden State). He plays a struggling actor trying to balance his own priorities with those of his wife, kids, brother and dying father. There are some nice father & son moments late in the film but aside, I struggled to grasp onto Braff's central character. Grade: B-.

Planes: Fire & Rescue (out Sep 18) sees our beloved plane Dusty (voiced by Dane Cook) take on a new career path as a firefighter. Young kids will probably be satisfied but this is a formulaic, by-the-book animated feature that won't be regarded as a Disney classic. Grade: C+.

We Are The Best (out Sep 18) is a cool Swedish comedy/drama about three teenage girls who start a punk rock band... despite having no idea. Took me a little while to warm to the characters but once I did, I found it to be both fun and heart warming. Grade: B+.

Step Up All In (out Sep 11) brings together characters from the previous Step Up flicks for more elaborate dance sequences. Fans will probably enjoy but there's no appeal for anyone else. It's the same old stuff. Grade: C.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (out Sep 11) is a no frills reboot with a predictable, seen-it-all-before storyline and a surprising lack of humour. I can't see this film reinvigorating the franchise. Grade: C+.

The Giver (out Sep 11) follows in the footsteps of The Hunger Games and Divergent in that it is told from the perspective of rebellious teenagers and set in some kind of dystopian future with a super-controlling government. It explores interesting concepts (e.g. sameness) but sadly, it rushes to the finish and offers few surprises. Grade: B-.

Into The Storm (out Sep 4) is following in the footsteps of 1996's Twister. Using the hand-held footage concept, a group of tornado chasers go in search of something big. There's some tension in the later stages but the film fails to generate a single interesting character. Grade: C+.

What We Do In The Shadows (out Sep 4) is a fake (obviously) documentary that centres on a group of vampires living in a New Zealand share house. It's a cool concept and the film features plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. Grade: A-.

Boyhood (out Sep 4) is masterpiece that chronicles the process of “growing up” through the eyes of an introverted kid named Mason. Director Richard Linklater shot this fictional tale over 12 years using the same actors! It seamlessly jumps between time frames and the character interaction feels amazingly natural. Sure to release the valve on your own childhood memories, this is about as good as cinema can get. Grade: A+.

If I Stay (out Aug 28) is a supernatural romantic drama about a quasi-dead girl (she's somewhere between here and the afterlife) who is trying to decide whether she wants to return to the world. A few moments tug at the heartstrings but the dialogue is woeful in places. Grade: B-.