Trance (our Apr 4) is strange. It's a thriller about a group of criminals who try to hypnotise a man and extract information about the location of a $25m painting. Great concept, poor execution. What starts out as intriguing ends up becoming silly, and hard to believe. Grade: C+.

Identity Thief (Out Apr 4) was savaged by critics in the U.S. but I didn't think it was that bad. It's the story of a man who has his identity stolen by a woman and must apprehend her so he can clear his name. Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy are a good fit in these roles and while the ending doesn't work, there are a few funny, surprising plot developments along the way. Grade: B-.

Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God (out Apr 4) is a documentary that shines the spotlight on the sexual abuse of children by priests and the way in which it was, and still is, covered up by the Catholic Church. It reminded me of the 2006 release, Deliver Us From Evil. Grade: B+.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation (out now) is dumb stuff. You'd think they'd lost a few reels of the film given some of the gaps in the storyline. The villains are poorly defined, the heroes have no charisma and there's very little humour to be found. Reminded me of last year's Battleship - you laugh AT the film as opposed to WITH the film. Grade: C-.

Escape From Planet Earth (out now) has a few nice touches but it's a seen-it-before animated feature without any truly engaging characters. The premise revolves around an arrogant alien astronaut who becomes trapped on the Earth and must learn a lesson in humility before he can be rescued. Grade: B-.

Sleepwalk With Me (out Apr 4) tells the story of neurotic, wanna-be comedian who realises his life is going nowhere. What can he do to change it? These characters irritate during the film's early stages (they're trying too hard to be insightful, funny) but once you get to know them, you'll be interested in how their lives pan out. Grade: B.

The Host (out now) is about an alien race who inhabit the bodies of humans and try to steer the planet in a different direction. There are only a few humans left who can stop them. Based on the novel by Stephanie Meyer (Twilight), this is a story with potential but it's told in such a messy, disjointed fashion. So much is unexplained and the dialogue is abysmal. Grade: C.

Rust & Bone (out Apr 4) has merit as a character study but the fragmented story and abundance of subplots makes it hard to fully invest in. This French-Belgian film follows the up and down relationship between an aimless kick boxer and a woman who is injured while training whales at a theme park. Grade: B-.

The Croods (out Mar 28) is the latest from DreamWorks - a prehistoric animated flick about a family trying to escape earthquakes and adversaries. The themes are nothing new (see last year's Ice Age 4, Brave) but there are some nice Flintstones-like gags along with a quality cast. Grade: B.

Return To Nim's Island (out Mar 28) is like one of those kids shows that airs on commercial TV at 4pm in the afternoon. I realise I don't belong in the target demographic... but this is pretty ordinary. Young Nim (played by Bindi Irwin) teams up with a new friend to save her island from poachers and developers. Grade: C+.