Star Trek: Into Darkness
Christopher Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana - Dir: JJ Abrams

Worst Star Trek Film Eva! That was the verdict of sad internet Trekkers (or Trekkies), showing either hysterical mob stupidity or collective mass amnesia. Can they really have forgotten Star Trek 5: The Final Frontier, starring and directed by the Fat Shat? Or, gulp, Star Trek: Insurrection?
Amongst the various pleasures on offer here are a classic liberal Gene Roddenberry argument against vigilante justice for terrorists, a spat about following the prime directive, and various philosophical positions as to how best to react to a potentially hostile foreign threat. Timely stuff.
There're also playful and clever reinventions of Star Trek lore (allowed by the previous film's alternative time-line set-up), plenty of Bones/Scotty banter, and a real examination of the emerging Kirk/Spock friendship and what that whole emotionless logic thing is about for Spock.
It also looks absolutely fantastic, showing, in its earth-set scenes, a previously unseen side of Star Trek. And it has Benedict Cumberbatch on villain duties. Bruce Greenwood and Peter Weller provide cast gravitas. And Kirk fights Klingons!
Not enough – apparently – for internet Trekkies (or Trekkers), who dismissed it as just an action film. Oh yes, it also has great action, though too much for them, obviously. Yes, it does get a bit fighty from time to time, but this is sterling stuff, about as good a follow-up as anyone could have wished for. And Kirk fights Klingons!

Spring Breakers caused ripples of disapproval and shock in America, the same witless outrage as provoked by Miley Cyrus's recent 'scandals”. What do expect in a country where a nipple being almost visible at the Superbowl causes mass hysteria. The reason for the 'shock” is that here a number of Disney princess types get their freak on and go topless and shoot people along with other earth-shatteringly antisocial behaviour. Basically the badass babes rob some money to party it up during spring break, before getting involved with James Franco's entertainingly hammy drug dealer. A splashy, vacuous, day-glo adventure, but you know it'll end in tears.

French director (and ex-cop) Olivier Marchal makes tough crime thrillers, his cops and crims skating blurred moral lines. A Gang Story - Les Lyonnais in France – is the (supposedly) true story of retired crim Momon of the infamous Lyon Gang. His quiet family life is rocked when childhood friend and fellow armed robber Serge (unretired) is arrested and he feels obliged to help. It's great stuff, the tense modern day manoeuvrings play out against deft flashbacks showing the men's friendship and criminal past. Beautifully detailed, it's as rich in character as the Godfather films with an added lashing of Gallic cool.

I had just about sworn off zombie films (yet again!) when a hip young thing recommended Warm Bodies, an – apparently – fresh take on the genre. So, once more unto the breach... And, I have to say, it was much better than yer usual undead fare, thanks to a self-aware and self-deprecating voice over from our zombie protagonist R (an excellent Nicolas Hoult). Unexpectedly he falls for a human girl and a sorta half-sweet romance follows. Things lag in the middle but with the welcome appearance of John Malkovich it picks up for an unusual and entertaining final stretch.

The Suspicion of Mr Whicher turns out to be an English television production. Which I thought might be a good thing since it stars the brilliant Paddy Considine and the equally brilliant new Dr Who Peter Capaldi. This was based on an apparently best-selling book and you can see how it might be better in that format. It's a period piece in which the titular detective is sent to investigate a murder but, unable to convict his prime suspect is ruined both mentally and by the establishment. The pacing is near catatonic and the cast seem somnambulant. Considine appears constantly depressed and Capaldi is barely in it. Yawn.