IRON MAN 2 (12A)
JON Favreau and his cast return for the explosive sequel to the 2008 blockbuster, based on the red and gold armoured Marvel Comics superhero. Billionaire industrialist and inventor Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) embraces his dual life as the supersonic Iron Man in the full glare of the media spotlight and wins countless adoring fans in the process. However, the US government and private investors are keen to acquire his technology for their own needs and Stark resists at all costs.
STAR RATING: ***
THE LOSERS (12A)
ELITE Special Forces commander Clay (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and his team oversee the bombing of a drugs factory in the jungles of Bolivia. Having given the order to attack, Clay spots a bus full of children arriving at the compound. Unable to call off the air strike, Clay rallies the troops, including communications and tech wizard Jensen (Chris Evans). They rescue the tykes in the nick of time only to see their escape transport blasted to smithereens by criminal mastermind Max (Jason Patric). A mysterious US operative called Aisha (Zoe Saldana) promises to smuggle the entire squad back on to American soil if they hunt down and kill Max. So the highly trained men return from the dead to capture their nemesis.
STAR RATING: ***
MUGABE AND THE WHITE AFRICAN (12A)
LUCY Bailey and Andrew Thompson co-direct this BAFTA-nominated covertly filmed documentary exploring the plight of white farmers in Zimbabwe, specifically following the progress of Michael Campbell and Ben Freeth’s attempts to take President Mugabe to court for racism and human rights violations. Showing at Clwyd Theatr Cymru in Mold on Thursday.
STAR RATING: ***
THE PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME (12A)
INSPIRED by the best-selling video games series, the film sees Dastan (Jake Gyllenhaal) and brothers Tus (Richard Coyle) and Garsiv (Toby Kebbell) head for a fortress controlled by Princess Tamina (Gemma Arterton), rumoured to be the source of weapons for enemies of their father King Sharaman (Ronald Pickup). During the assault on the fortress, Dastan acquires a mythical dagger which allows the holder to reverse the flow of time. Dastan is framed for his father’s murder and is forced to flee for his life with Princess Tamina in tow, as his brothers vow to kill him in return for their father's murder, spurred on by their nefarious uncle Nizam (Ben Kingsley).
STAR RATING: ***
[REC] 2 (18)
JAUME Balaguero and Paco Plaza continue their horror story using some of the same characters and locations. Authorities have lost contact with the people trapped inside a Barcelona apartment block apparently overrun with flesh-crazed killers, and a SWAT team has been drafted in to investigate. We see Jefe (Oscar Sanchez Zafra) and his team enter the block – which has been hit by a supposed viral outbreak – through the group's helmet-mounted cameras. The SWAT team gradually ascends the central staircase, which is slathered in blood and entrails, sensing that the supposed viral outbreak is something far worse.
STAR RATING: ***
ROBIN HOOD (12A)
RUSSELL Crowe and Cate Blanchett are a match made in heaven in this rollicking good adventure from director Ridley Scott. They are perfect as Robin and Marian in an origins story that takes the legend in a different direction to the many past attempts at bringing to life the hero of Sherwood Forest, setting it all in a convincing and surprisingly accurate historical context.
STAR RATING: ***
A SINGLE MAN (12A)
FASHION designer Tom Ford’s much-lauded directing debut stars Colin Firth in an Oscar-nominated performance as George, an ex-pat college professor left desperate by the sudden death of his partner. Showing at Clwyd Theatr Cymru in Mold from Friday-Monday.
STAR RATING: ***
STREETDANCE 3D (PG)
TALENTED street dancer Carly (Nichola Burley) is forced to work with five ballet students in exchange for rehearsal space for her and her team just weeks before the finals of the UK Street Dance Championships. Struggling to keep the team together after her boyfriend Jay (Ukeweli Roach) leaves, Carly meets ballet schoolmistress Helena (Charlotte Rampling), who offers the street dancer a rehearsal space for free if she agrees to include five ballet students in the performance.
STAR RATING: ***
TOOTH FAIRY (PG)
DEREK Thompson (Dwayne Johnson) is a veteran ice hockey player who has acquired the nickname of Tooth Fairy because his aggressive play frequently relieves opposition players of their bicuspids. While he excels on the ice, Derek struggles to connect with 14-year-old Randy (Chase Ellison) and five-year-old Tess (Destiny Whitlock), the children of his girlfriend Carly (Ashley Judd). It doesn't help that Derek insists on trying to dissuade the youngsters from believing in the real Tooth Fairy. As punishment, Derek is sentenced to serve one week as a tooth fairy, sprouting wings whenever he must recover a tooth from beneath a child's pillow and leave a dollar bill in its place.
STAR RATING: ***
THE UNLOVED (15)
ACTRESS-turned-director Samantha Morton’s debut addresses deeply disturbing issues from her own childhood. Shot from the point of view of 11-year-old Lucy (Lauren Socha), we follow her story as she’s rescued from her abusive home life only to be put into a dismal care home. Showing at Clwyd Theatr Cymru in Mold on Tuesday and Wednesday.
STAR RATING: ***
