What’s it about?
A dramatic retelling of Whitey Bulger and his rather rocky “alliance” with the FBI.

What did we think?
Nick says: Depp delivers a terrific performance that I’d count as Oscar nomination worthy and the ensemble shines when they’re given room to breathe, but there are a few questionable narrative choices and a lack of striking imagery that would have made this something special.

What’s it about?
A 70 year-old retiree (Robert De Niro) gains an internship at an online fashion store run by a harried young woman (Anne Hathaway). Hijinks and life lessons ensue.

What did we think?
Lisa says: On paper, The Intern sounds like simple, inoffensive fun. It’s a cute concept, helmed by an accomplished (in this genre) director and has a great cast.

Disappointingly the end result is far less than the sum of its parts. The tone is incredibly uneven, varying from sweetly sad, to zany, to hackneyed and borderline offensive.

The second half of the film is especially a drag, weighed down by preachy dialogue and plot points that seem both improbable and clichéd at the same time.

Only tolerable if you’re home alone with nothing better to watch.

What’s it about?

During a fierce storm on a mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney is impaled by debris and left behind by his crew, assumed dead. When Watney wakes up, his mission becomes one of survival, where he must think out of the box and “science the shit” out of his limited supplies to contact NASA and let them know he is alive.

What did we think?

Francesca Percy says: First things first: unlike the vast majority of movies, this is absolutely worth seeing in 3D. Every detail is stunning and utterly convincing – 99 per cent of the time I forgot I was watching a film – I was completely immersed in the story unfolding. This was also due to the pitch perfect direction from Ridley Scott, central performance from Matt Damon as Watney and the wonderfully-cast supporting actors.

The story really never lost my attention – I was on the edge of my seat for much of it, but that was balanced by the ingenuity and enthusiasm of Watney and the people trying to find a way to bring him home, the surprising moments of humour, and the genuine moments of joy that must come from being a pioneer on another planet.

What’s it about?
When Harry Potter met Neverland. An orphan is spirited away to the magical Neverland where he meets Han Solo James Hook and embarks on an adventure of flight, fantasy and fairies.

What did we think?
Pan is oozing with over-the-top charm and is actually a good fun film but you’re left feeling it could – and should – have been so much more.

It’s whimsically wonderful, a visual feast that boasts an amazing cast and effects, using colour and contrast delightfully. But while the individual facets are impressive, it falls a little short in the story. Normally a slow-build is balanced by depth of character – but this doesn’t quite eventuate.

Take James Hook, who IS Han Solo (down to the American accent) with a bit of Indy thrown in. One of the dangers of the dreaded prequel is the unexplained tangents and here it feels particularly discordant.

What’s it about?
Based on the true story of a freak weather event in 1996 that lead to to several climbers’ deaths, the film follows two expeditions who attempted to make the summit of Everest, but were thwarted in their descent. Starring Jason Clarke, Jake Gylenhaal, Emily Watson, Josh Brolin and Keira Nightley.

What did we think?
Angela Young says: The word epic can, for once, be rightly used here. Director Baltasar Kormakur should be very proud of producing such a powerful, accurate and dignified memorial to those who lost their lives on the mountain that day. Strong, but not over dramatised performances (how refreshing!) from a superb cast, along with stunning visual effects, brought the hideous chill, frightening winds and sheer adrenalin mixed with fear pouring through the screen. Moving and enlightening (why the HELL do people want to do climb that thing??), you should see Everest – and preferably in 3D.

What’s it about?
When aliens misinterpret video feeds of classic arcade games as a declaration of war, they attack the Earth in the form of the video games.

What did we think?
Amy Currie says: You know what’s a really good video game movie? Wreck-It Ralph. Wreck-It Ralph is funny, moving and has a plot that makes sense. Wreck-It Ralph isn’t confused about whether it’s supposed to be for children or adults. Wreck-It Ralph entertains both without resorting to recurring jokes about slut-seeking missiles. Nobody repeatedly screams ‘bitch’ in Wreck-It Ralph, and nobody receives an adoring scantily-clad warrior woman who never speaks as a (quite literal) trophy. No beloved video game characters urinate on themselves. In Wreck-It Ralph, the King of Queens is not the President of the United States.

Watch Wreck-It Ralph, watch the not-half-bad 2010 short film on which Pixels was based or watch the episode of Futurama with a similar alien-video-game-battle plot. Do not, under any circumstances, watch Pixels.