Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban
"The Prisoner of Azkaban is a welcome departure in style and tone from the first two films. Daniel Radcliffe, much like the character he plays, is growing up before our eyes and becoming something to keep an eye on. Hopefully, we'll see more of him and his co-stars in future Potter films, however they may come to be..." (full review)

Thunderbirds
"The final result is a strange brew. The film is clearly a kids film, but with its knowing moments it shows that it could have clearly gone in to true tongue in cheek Austin Powers / Starsky and Hutch territory, but in the end the pull of a potential franchise is what guides the outcome, leaving those in the audience that expected a loving homage sadly disappointed, and those expecting a full blown action movie also disappointed. Its very easy to criticise Thunderbirds for being childish, and aiming squarely for the happy meal brigade, but we have to remember that while we, as fans, have grown up, the actual target audience will never grow up. After all, Thunderbirds is shown on kids TV, which should tell you something. The 25 to 35 year old Thunderbirds faithful may come away from this movie feeling like an opportunity has been squandered, but the kids, who are the real fans now, will come away from this film loving it..." (full review)

Raising Helen
"Even with a long career flecked with hits, director Garry Marshall hasn't made a sincerely interesting film in over 20 years of trying. His latest, "Raising Helen," has all the filmmaker's favorite ingredients for story, acting, and manipulation, but it truly is the worst film of his career. And yes, I've seen "Exit to Eden"..." (full review)

The Bad Education
"Almodóvar's films have never been for everyone, and with 'La mala educación' he presents us with his most personal film to date. Personal because firstly the story contains autobiographical elements and secondly it contains his musings on the relation between art and the life of the artist. It seems like 'La mala educación' was the only film he could have made after the triumphs of 'Todo sobre mi madre' and 'Hable con ella', but since it is so personal and so intricately constructed, its audience will be more limited also. The only question now is, where to go on from here?..." (full review)

Undertaking Betty
"Perhaps, the fact that the humour is so gentle is also the movie's biggest obstacle. It never really gets daring or outrageous, and as the character are not really developed either, in the end, what remains are some rather tame jokes that will make the audience chuckle rather than laugh, and forget all about this comedy once the lights come up. The cast is an impressive list of Oscar winners (Walken) nominees (Watts, Blethyn) and generally esteemed actors (Molina, Pugh), though it feels as if they all came together on two rainy saturday-afternoons in Wales and decided to improvise a slapstick-comedy. It all feels rather by the numbers, with no-one of the main characters having even a Welsh accent..." (full review)

"Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban" by 'Paul Fischer'
"Expectations are riding high for Azkaban, with a new director in Alfonso Cuaron, and a darker, complex book third time around to try and cinematically navigate. Fans of the books who are passionate of the films, applauded rapturously over its closing credits, but those of us who are self-confessed ignorers of the novels, the reaction was somewhat more restrained. "If you don't know the books, you're lost," exclaimed a fellow journalist after the screening. And therein lay the conundrum. The good news is, if you're an ardent fan, you'll love the film, for its dark humour, spectacular effects and appealing performances. You'll also be able to follow seemingly inexplicable twists and turns that ensue.

For non-Potter believers, Azkaban is visually impressive, stunning in fact, featuring a scene-stealing performance by the irresistible Emma Thompson, and the magnificent Michael Gambon makes a superb Albus Dumbledore. But if you haven't read the books, you may well appreciate the film's artistry, but get lost in a confusing, rambling, narrative structure, in which characters appear and disappear, plot turns are never realised, and the film is, at times, unbearably slow, almost tedious. If you are young and come to this franchise uninitiated, then you would be sorely disappointed. If the movie was made purely for fans of the books, then one has to wonder whether Azkaban really works as a film in its on right. Visually impressive and mature it may be, but it seems to lack more than it overall delivers. 5/10"