Extreme, extravagant and often over the top, that was my immediate reaction to Iron Man 2. But that’s what it’s all about right? You don’t go and see a Hollywood superhero sequel unless you expect explosions, a predictable plot and corny dialogue. It’s all part of the package. You just have to embrace it.

Although I’m the first to say I’m adverse to cheesy Hollywood ‘blockbusters’, this for me was acceptable for two main reasons. A. It’s based on a Marvel comic and B. it has Robert Downey Jr. in it. That puts it in a completely new league for me.

Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark a.k.a Iron Man

The film follows on directly from the original, just after Tony Stark’s confession to being Iron Man on live TV. The news comes as a shock to one viewer who decides that it’s time to give Tony Stark and his Iron Man suit a challenge.

When the trailers say; ‘Robert Downey Jr. is Iron Man’, they literally could mean that Robert Downey Jr. is Iron Man. Tony Stark bears so much resemblance to the charismatic and cheeky Downey Jr. we’ve come to know and love in the media. Any actor who played the part with less tongue in cheek might have turned the movie into a straight-to-video. The sheer extremity of the film needs to be weighed out by wit and sarcasm in order not to be taken too seriously. Downey Jr. nails that.

Mickey Rourke as Ivan Vanko.

Mickey Rourke is scarly convincing as Tony Stark’s rival, Russian physicist Ivan Vanko. His mere on screen presence alerts the audience that something bad is about to go down. Trust me, you wouldn’t want to meet him in a dark alley. Don Cheadle borrows one of Stark’s suits to help him do battle and thus becomes the ‘other’ Iron Man, the silver one, that you may have seen in the posters. His role is consistent and well-rounded however not particularly note-worthy as such.

It’s a shame that the Gwynnie/Scarlett rivalry was hammed up so much, as their scenes do not live up to the hype. I think everyone wanted to see a cat fight between the two Hollywood heavyweights. You don’t get one. Gwyneth Paltrow revises her role as Virginia ‘Pepper Potts’, Stark’s assistant, and there’s just as much sexual tension between Pepper and Tony as in the original. Scarlett Johnasson unfortunately just plays a body. What her role lacks in personality, it makes up for with some kick-ass moves though. This is where she is saved. She engages in what can only be described as a ‘Hit-Girl’ style fight scene, which narrowly regains her credibility.

Gwyneth Paltrow as Virginia 'Pepper Potts' and Scarlett Johansson as Natalie Rushman

As I said, the special effects, explosions and high-tech gadgets are excessive but second to none. Some of my favourite scenes take place in Tony Stark’s basement where his suits, cars and machines live. Like most movies of its kind, the effects reach their crescendo at the end, and so you’re constantly being introduced to bigger gadgets and more fire and destruction right up until the credits. Of course it doesn’t all look that realistic, but you’d be a bit stupid to expect it to. If you’re not a big kid, you shouldn’t buy a ticket for this.

You’ll come out of the cinema, look down at your own normal clothes and sigh with disappointment. If you don’t wish you were wearing a full iron body suit when you come out of there, there’s something wrong with you.

Kick-Ass is just that, completely and utterly kick-ass. It has been a while since I’ve seen a movie that made me laugh they way this action comedy did. I’m talking genuine hardcore belly laughs, and plenty of them.

The movie follows Dave Lizewski, a teenage boy who goes through life unnoticed and who doesn’t fall into any of the cliques his high school has to offer. Instead Dave decides to take his love of comics to a whole new level, and become a super hero himself. But Dave’s superhero alter ego Kick-Ass isn’t the only wannabe out there. Red Mist, Hit Girl and Big Daddy are all live and kicking out in the big city and Kick-Ass has some competition.

Aaron Johnson as Kick-Ass

Aaron Johnson is comedy gold and perfectly suited for his role as geeky comic loving Dave who wants nothing more than to help out in society and get the girl of his dreams, Katie. After watching this film once, you’ll definitely wish Hit Girl, (played by Chloe Moretz) was your child, she is a knife-wielding, high-kicking eleven year old with serious attitude. Nicholas Cage plays that character again that anybody could’ve played, bringing hardly any personality to the role. However this is the only film that for me he hasn’t ruined, so I guess that’s something.

The film perfectly epitomises the youth of today and the obsession with technology that we now grow up with. Watching live internet streaming with your mates, uploading fights to youtube from camera phones, the obsession over the number of Myspace friends, this film doesn’t miss a teenage trick.

Nicholas Cage and Chloe Moretz as Damon and Mindy Macready a.k.a Big Daddy and Hit Girl.

What you see isn’t necessarily what you get with this film, despite its seemingly fuzzy storyline it’s not as innocent as it looks. The ‘15’ certificate is definitely there for a reason. Its shocking plot twists will definitely give you a few stomach lurches and the gore…well that just has to be seen to be believed. You may have to look away more than once.

Go see this if you enjoyed Superbad or Zombieland, Superbad’s Christopher Mintz-Plasse even plays Red Mist! You wouldn’t expect anything less crazy from the flame-haired wife of Jonathan Ross, and her screenplay totally works. Being a complete nerd has never been cooler, I’ve just ordered the poster.

You can catch Kick-Ass at the Phoenix Cinema Falmouth, click here for times and ticket prices.

Shutter Island was due for initial release in October, alas it was moved back to November and then December, until eventually it was due for release in February. It didn’t happen then either. So mid-March rolled around and finally I was able to see the film I had been looking forward to, for literally months.

The film takes place on Shutter Island, an island used solely as a fortress to encase the criminally insane. Teddy Daniels and a fellow detective are sent to the infamous Ashecliffe mental hospital to uncover the mystery of a patient who has unexplainedly vanished. Daniels makes it his mission to get to the bottom of the disappearance, and has some issues of his own to solve, eleven miles from the nearest mainland.

Leonardo Di Caprio in Shutter Island

While I found the trailer to be quite explanatory, I was expecting the few clips we were shown were masking a darker secret, a good original thriller from Scorsese. The film is a genuinely creepy and often disturbing story, but somewhere along the line, for me, it lost its originality. If you’re an avid film fan, you may have seen similar plots in recent years, and that’s what let it down slightly for me. If you’re not usually into this kind of movie but are keen to see Scorsese’s latest release, you’ll definitely be more impressed.

Leonardo Di Caprio is infallible as Teddy Daniels, a detective who begins his investigation on Shutter Island with determination and authority. The island’s grasp on Daniels soon affects his stability and certainty of what is real and what is not but Di Caprio’s performance far from falters. He gives constant emotional insight into his troubled character via flashbacks, making it almost impossible not to empathise with him as a main role.

Shutter Island

Sir Ben Kingsley is a true example of casting perfection in his role as Dr. Cawley, the esteemed yet secretive hospital owner. Kingsley’s portrayal of Cawley is almost regal, with his character’s sheer presence having a profound effect on the supporting characters. Only an actor of Kingsley’s calibre could have successfully executed the role with as much grandeur.

Shutter Island, which was shot on Peddocks Island, U.S.A, succeeds as being an unnerving setting for this dark thriller. The secluded location of an island forces on the audience a feeling almost of suffocation and entrapment, whereby panic and claustrophobia are free to play on the mind. The eerie and secretive hallways of the hospital wards are a maze of mysteries on which the story unfolds.

A criminally insane patient on Shutter Island

Overall I enjoyed being completely and utterly frightened by the movie, which is sure to make you jump at least once. The sheer tension sticks with you around every twist and turn and shakes you to the core. Though some may find the plot a little predictable, it is ultimately an enjoyable, thrilling journey into the world of the insane.

Shutter Island is now showing at the Phoenix Cinema Falmouth. For showing times and ticket prices click here.