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Rango is the first fully computer animated film from the special effects production company, Industrial Light and Magic. They enter an arena occupied by two well known heavy weights, Pixar and Dreamworks. Fair to say, ILM definitely have a hit on their hands. Director, Gore Verbinksi has made some very successful films (Mousehunt, The Ring, all the Pirates Of The Caribbean films) and this is his first foray into animation. Rango is a pretty different type of kids film. Firstly, a lot of the images and violence would probably scare the daylights out of kids under ten, and a lot of the film references and themes would go unnoticed by the young. A lot of work has gone into creating characters that look incredibly real. Each mole and hair is carefully detailed and gives the film a unique texture. The overall design is beautifully ugly. It creates an amazingly detailed desert world where everything is incredibly dry and dirty, and it captures it all in a stylish and creative way. On top of having some of the greatest animation around it also boasts a great voice cast. Johnny Depp's charm and quirkiness comes through in voicing Rango and Isla Fisher throws her Aussie accent away for an American Cowgirl voice to create her character, (Rango's love interest) Bean. Alfred Molina, Abigail Breslin, Bill Nighy and Timothy Olyphant also add their voice talents. Those that are familiar with/like westerns will be overloaded with the amount of film references. On occasion, it even comes across as slightly smug and annoying with the amount of 'look-how-smart-we-are' moments there are. Also, the story is not really original and it doesn't really carry the emotional weight that Pixar films do. Still, this fun and smart animated western has a hell of a lot going for it.

I Am Number 4 is Hollywood's latest start to a new franchise. It is based on a novel by Pittacus Lore (a pseudonym for James Frey and Jobie Hughe), who has another six books planned. The story surrounds John (Number 4), an alien teenager who struggles to keep his true identity secret whilst living on earth. Problems arise when alien enemies begin to kill his kind, beginning with 1, 2 and 3. The film, like the book, is specifically catered to young adults. Clichés abound in this mildly entertaining sci-fi thriller. All characters are right out of every teen film you've ever seen. The bully jocks, the pretty yet quiet love interest, the nerdy kid, and the overly protective father figure are all there to keep young audiences feeling right at home. Alex Pettyfer (Stormbreaker and the upcoming Beastly) definitely has the looks that will have the ladies swooning but his acting still requires some fine tuning. He doesn't bring enough charisma or emotional range to his character. Timothy Olyphant (Hitman, The Crazies, Deadwood) solidly plays John protective father figure but doesn't really have much to do. Dianna Agron (Glee) does a good job playing the love interest and Australia's Teresa Palmer (2:37, The Sorceror's Apprentice) over acts her tough as nails heroine, Number 6. Apart from the formulaic treatment, the film's story unfolds unrealistically and many things go unexplained. The main love story develops overnight, his power's are never really explained, and the 'bad guys' are bad - why? Of course, the fact that they plan on making more of these films means they'll (hopefully) have some explanations ready, but that doesn't make any of it less frustrating. The climax by far has the best parts of the film. The action is exciting and the special effects are quite impressive. The film would have been better with more action and less teen melodrama. Less picky people will probably enjoy this film. It works as simple entertainment and there is some mindless fun to be had.

M. Night Shyamalan used to be considered one of the great Hollywood directors after he smashed box-office records and impressed critics with films like The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable. Now, it will take some time for Shyamalan to redeem himself for cinematic crimes like The Happening and The Last Air Bender. This is the first film made for Shyamalan's 'The Night Chronicles', a venture with Media Rights Capital to create a financing and production partnership that will release films based on his stories. This means that other directors and writers can take a stab at creating decent films out of Shyamalans' ideas. John Erick Dowdle (Quarantine) takes the reigns in this supernatural thriller. The plot surrounds a group of people that get trapped in an elevator, unaware that the devil could very well be among them. The film squeezes every bit of tension for all its worth. It creates a bunch of dubious characters to keep up the 'who-dunnit' aspect and it uses the simple locations very well. The mostly unknown actors do a decent job with some of the silly dialogue and the plot unfolds at a great pace. It's also refreshing to see a horror film with a Christian message under the surface. This isn't high-brow stuff at all, but it is a very entertaining and suspenseful thriller that keeps up the surprises and twists going till its satisfying conclusion.