Better Man (out Dec 26) is biopic about the life of British entertainer Robbie Williams. Heavy on CGI and narration, it shows him to be a gifted, narcissistic, insecure, drug abusing, alcoholic show-off who loved his grandmother and wanted to play at Knebworth. By illustrating these qualities again and again, the film becomes repetitive and runs out of puff. Grade: B-.

Mufasa: The Lion King (out Dec 19) is an improvement on the 2019 release and largely serves as a prequel. We meet a young Mufasa and learn about the adventurous, perilous journey he took in becoming a great leader. Directed by Barry Jenkins (Moonlight), it’s good family entertainment. Grade: B+.

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (out Dec 19) has a runtime of just 79 minutes and is easy-to-follow for kids with plenty of humour for adults. Feathers McGraw doesn’t say a word and is built entirely from coloured clay… but he’s the equal of any James Bond baddie. This series keeps delivering. Grade: A-.

Kraven the Hunter (out Dec 12) is a disappointing Marvel origin story that stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson as a super-fast, super-agile human who enjoys hunting the world's villains. The backstory is meh (daddy issues) and the bad guys lack spark (one of them just wants a business partner). Grade: C.

Black Dog (out Dec 12) won the Un Certain Regard competition at Cannes this year and is an excellent Chinese film set in 2008 about a small township about to be bulldozed at the direction of the government, and a softly spoken young man who befriends a wild dog. It showcases a part of the world we rarely see on screen. Great performances (the dog included)! Grade: A-.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (out Dec 12) is set roughly 200 years before the events of The Lord of the Rings and is largely a standalone adventure with new characters. I liked the anime-style animation but it's a simple story with a one-note, power-hungry villain. Grade: B.

Out of Season (out Dec 5) is a tiring French romantic drama that features two uninteresting people having long, uninteresting conversations. Grade: C.

My Favourite Cake (out Dec 5) is a beautiful Iranian film about an elderly widowed woman who has a simple romantic encounter with a kind-hearted taxi driver.  It’s the wonderful performance which reel you in. Grade: A-.

The Dead Don't Hurt (out Dec 5) is a slow-ish Western set in 1860s America about an abused woman trying to survive in a male-dominated world. The emotions don't resonate strongly enough but liked the production values. Grade: B-.

Rumours (out Dec 5) is a dismal political comedy about G7 leaders who must fend for themselves after an apocalyptic event. It's the same joke for 90 minutes (i.e. politicians are dumb and selfish) and I didn't laugh once. Grade: C-.