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Gran Torino arrives as a drama directed by Clint Eastwood, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Clint Eastwood and Bee Vang give Gran Torino a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in Gran Torino comes into focus without a long explanation: After a Hmong teenager tries to steal his prized 1972 Gran Torino, a disgruntled, prejudiced Korean War veteran seeks to redeem both the boy and himself. Across its 1h 56m run

Sex and the City arrives as a comedy directed by Michael Patrick King, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall give Sex and the City a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in Sex and the City comes into focus without a long explanation: Carrie is finally getting married to her Mr Big, but heartbreak ensues when an observation by Miranda inadvertently causes him to jilt her. Acr

Horton Hears a Who! arrives as an animated adventure directed by Jimmy Hayward, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Jim Carrey and Steve Carell give Horton Hears a Who! a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in Horton Hears a Who! comes into focus without a long explanation: Horton the Elephant struggles to protect a microscopic community from his neighbors who refuse to believe it exists. Across its 1h 26m run

Quantum of Solace arrives as an action film directed by Marc Forster, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Daniel Craig and Olga Kurylenko give Quantum of Solace a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in Quantum of Solace comes into focus without a long explanation: James Bond tries to stop an organisation from eliminating a country's most valuable resource. Across its 1h 46m running time, Marc Forster keeps Qua

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa arrives as an animated adventure directed by Eric Darnell, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Ben Stiller and Chris Rock give Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa comes into focus without a long explanation: The Madagascar animals fly back to New York City, but crash land on an African nature reserve in Kenya, where they m

Twilight arrives as a romance directed by Catherine Hardwicke, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson give Twilight a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in Twilight comes into focus without a long explanation: When Bella Swan moves to a small town in the Pacific Northwest, she falls in love with Edward Cullen, a mysterious classmate who reveals himself to be a 108 year old va

Kung Fu Panda arrives as an animated adventure directed by Mark Osborne, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Jack Black and Ian McShane give Kung Fu Panda a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in Kung Fu Panda comes into focus without a long explanation: To everyone's surprise, including his own, Po, an overweight, clumsy panda, is chosen as protector of the Valley of Peace. Across its 1h 32m running time, Mar

WALL·E arrives as an animated adventure directed by Andrew Stanton, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Ben Burtt and Elissa Knight give WALL·E a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in WALL·E comes into focus without a long explanation: A robot who is responsible for cleaning a waste covered Earth meets another robot and falls in love with her. Across its 1h 38m running time, Andrew Stanton keeps WALL·E assure

Hancock arrives as a comedy directed by Peter Berg, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Will Smith and Charlize Theron give Hancock a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in Hancock comes into focus without a long explanation: Hancock is a superhero whose ill considered behavior regularly causes damage in the millions. Across its 1h 32m running time, Peter Berg keeps Hancock capable of strong moments without fi

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull arrives as an action film directed by Steven Spielberg, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Harrison Ford and Cate Blanchett give Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull comes into focus without a long explanation: Set in 1957, it pits Indiana Jones against S

Iron Man arrives as an action film directed by Jon Favreau, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow give Iron Man a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in Iron Man comes into focus without a long explanation: After being held captive in an Afghan cave, billionaire engineer Tony Stark creates a unique weaponized suit of armor to fight evil. Across its 2h 6m running time, Jon Fa

The Dark Knight arrives as an action film directed by Christopher Nolan, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Christian Bale and Heath Ledger give The Dark Knight a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in The Dark Knight comes into focus without a long explanation: When a menace known as the Joker wreaks havoc and chaos on the people of Gotham, Batman, James Gordon and Harvey Dent must work together to put an en