Kick-Ass 2 (out Aug 22) misses the mark. This story of ordinary people putting on masks and taking justice into their own hands could have illustrated the thin line between heroes and villains. Instead, it's a "black & white" action film with nothing to say and only a splattering of funny gags. Grade: C+.

Frances Ha (out now) features a charmingly irritating performance from Greta Gerwig as a directionless dancer trying to forge a life/career in New York City. I kind of wished there was more to the story but this is still an easy-to-like comedy from Noah Baumbach (The Squid And The Whale). Grade: B+.

We're The Millers (out Aug 15) sees 4 strangers pretend to be a family and then attempt to smuggle drugs from Mexico into the United States. The ending doesn't fit (although I'm not sure what ending would work) but enough jokes hit the mark to make this a touch better than the trailers suggest. Grade: B-.

The Bling Ring (out now) is based on the true story of a group of teenagers who robbed the homes of their favourite Hollywood celebrities. The story is repetitive and treats the subject matter too simply but it's still a disturbing/hilarious look at messed up kids in a messed up society. Grade: B.

Elysium (out Aug 15) is a sci-fi action film, set in year 2154, with strong political/social undertones. It's too action-heavy in its second half and the ending a little simplistic... but it's to be commended for its thought provoking premise and its interesting, metaphoric look into the future. Grade: B.

Red Obsession (out Aug 15) is a terrific Australian-made documentary that looks at China's sudden fixation with French red wine and how, with soaring prices, wine has almost become too expensive to drink! Narrated by Russell Crowe, this is both entertaining and informative. Grade: A-.

Pain & Gain (out Aug 8) is a dark comedy that centres on 3 moronic criminals trying to get ahead in life. The "dumb & dumber" antics get tired quickly and the film is way too long at 129 minutes. If you want to see this type of film done well... check out Fargo from the Coen brothers. Grade: C.

Now You See Me (out Aug 8) pulls an amazing trick on the audience. The opening credits roll and then SHAZAM... all sense of logic magically disappears. I can enjoy a fun heist flick (such as 2011's Tower Heist) but there are just too many gaps in this one. Cast is wasted. Grade: C.

100 Bloody Acres (out now) is an Aussie horror-comedy with a few surprising / cringe-worthy gags. I realise it's not meant to be taken seriously but I was still frustrated by the illogical way in which so many of the characters behaved. Grade: B-.

The World's End (out Aug 1) is a British comedy about five 40-something guys who head back to their old home town and embark on an epic pub crawl. The opening hour is darker than you might expect and I think Simon Pegg's irritating persona is overdone. There's more fun to be had in the second hour when the film ventures into the sci-fi genre. Grade: B.