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Olympus Has Fallen arrives as an action film directed by Antoine Fuqua, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Gerard Butler and Aaron Eckhart give Olympus Has Fallen a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in Olympus Has Fallen comes into focus without a long explanation: Secret Service agent Mike Banning finds himself trapped inside the White House in the wake of a terrorist attack and works with national securit

This Is the End arrives as a comedy directed by Evan Goldberg, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. James Franco and Jonah Hill give This Is the End a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in This Is the End comes into focus without a long explanation: Six Los Angeles celebrities are stuck in James Franco's house after a series of devastating events just destroyed the city. Across its 1h 47m running time, Evan Go

Pacific Rim arrives as an action film directed by Guillermo del Toro, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Idris Elba and Charlie Hunnam give Pacific Rim a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in Pacific Rim comes into focus without a long explanation: As a war between humankind and monstrous sea creatures wages on, a former pilot and a trainee are paired up to drive a seemingly obsolete special weapon in a desp

Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa arrives as a comedy directed by Jeff Tremaine, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Johnny Knoxville and Jackson Nicoll give Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa comes into focus without a long explanation: 86 year old Irving Zisman takes a trip from Nebraska to North Carolina to take his 8 year old grandson, Billy, ba

Captain Phillips arrives as an action film directed by Paul Greengrass, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Tom Hanks and Barkhad Abdi give Captain Phillips a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in Captain Phillips comes into focus without a long explanation: The true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the U.S. Across its 2h 14m running time, Paul Greengrass keeps Cap

Epic arrives as an animated adventure directed by Chris Wedge, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Amanda Seyfried and Josh Hutcherson give Epic a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in Epic comes into focus without a long explanation: A teenager finds herself transported to a deep forest setting where a battle between the forces of good and evil is taking place. Across its 1h 42m running time, Chris Wedge kee

The Hangover Part III arrives as a comedy directed by Todd Phillips, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Bradley Cooper and Zach Galifianakis give The Hangover Part III a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in The Hangover Part III comes into focus without a long explanation: When one of their own is kidnapped by an angry gangster, the Wolf Pack must track down Mr Chow, who has escaped from prison and is on th

The Butler arrives as a biographical drama directed by Lee Daniels, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey give The Butler a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in The Butler comes into focus without a long explanation: As Cecil Gaines serves eight presidents during his tenure as a butler at the White House, the civil rights movement, Vietnam, and other major events affect this m

The Wolf of Wall Street arrives as a comedy directed by Martin Scorsese, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill give The Wolf of Wall Street a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in The Wolf of Wall Street comes into focus without a long explanation: Based on the true story of Jordan Belfort, from his rise to a wealthy stock broker living the high life to his fall involving crime,

Now You See Me arrives as a thriller directed by Louis Leterrier, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Jesse Eisenberg and Common give Now You See Me a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in Now You See Me comes into focus without a long explanation: An FBI agent and an Interpol detective track a team of illusionists who pull off bank heists during their performances, and reward their audiences with the money.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 arrives as an animated adventure directed by Cody Cameron, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Bill Hader and Anna Faris give Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 comes into focus without a long explanation: Flint Lockwood now works at The Live Corp Company for his idol Chester V. Across its 1h 35m r

G.I. Joe: Retaliation arrives as an action film directed by Jon M. Chu, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Dwayne Johnson and Channing Tatum give G.I. Joe: Retaliation a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in G.I. Joe: Retaliation comes into focus without a long explanation: The G.I. Across its 1h 50m running time, Jon M. Chu keeps G.I. Joe: Retaliation uncertain about tone and dramatic emphasis. ⁠ Beneath it