Black Sea (15, 115 mins)

Black Sea (15, 115 mins)

Director: Kevin Macdonald

4 stars

You may have seen the trailer for Black Sea in which Jude Law appears to be channelling Christopher Lambert in Highlander with his attempt at a Scottish accent.

In truth, it's nowhere near as bad as the trailer suggests, with his accent hitting authentic maybe three quarters of the time, not a bad hit rate, and certainly not enough to unbalance what's actually a rather fun movie.

Law plays Robinson, who is made redundant after decades as a submariner, a job that's cost him dearly over the years in terms of his personal life.

Running low on options, he takes a reluctant interest when a colleague tells him of what may or not be a legend, that there's millions worth of Nazi gold preserved in a sunken U-boat at the bottom of the Black Sea.

Getting together a ragtag crew of Brits and Russians, a strong sense of impending doom is set up as they encounter the battered old tub they'll be using for their covert dive mission.

Along with that there's the antagonism and aggro going on among the crew even before they've come close to finding any gold, meaning tension levels are high from the off as director Kevin Macdonald skilfully pulls the strings.

When you've got the likes of Ben Mendelsohn and Michael Smiley skulking around the bottom of a submarine, things are unlikely to go smoothly, with this shifty pair still able to provide moments of levity along with the crushing pressure.

Law is authoritative in another example of his recent reinvention as a character actor of stature, following the solid Dom Hemingway.

Reinforcing that it's a film about greed, Treasure of the Sierra Madre often comes to mind, and there's stuff in there about the death of traditional industry and the gulf between rich and poor that means it's not simply working on the level of a heist movie.

But at heart it's a thriller, and the midsection where it all kicks off is cracking, delivering several nail-biting sequences, with the Black Sea living up to its name as they step out into its terrifying inky depths.

If it isn't quite able to find the knockout ending required, this is still well paced, exciting stuff that proves you really can't beat a good submarine movie.

See it if you liked: The Hunt for Red October, Crimson Tide, Sorcerer

Penguins of Madagascar (U, 92 mins)

Directors: Simon J. Smith, Eric Darnell

3 stars

The psychotic penguins from the three Madagascar movies were the best thing about them, although it's possible there ends up being just a bit much penguin in this madcap spin-off.

A neat prologue shows how they shook off their Antarctic roots before setting out on a mission to stop a crazed octopus with a beef against how everyone loves penguins.

John Malkovich is a riot as the octopus and Benedict Cumberbatch as a wolf secret agent adds quality, while the four penguins themselves, led by crackpot Skipper, are able to exhibit distinct personalities.

Frantic, inventive action and chase sequences and delightful touches like a documentary filmmaker voiced by Werner Herzog keep the energy levels up and it's positively rammed with jokes, many of them decent.

There's not much substance beyond the jokes and it probably won't demand repeated viewings, but the unstinting commitment to anarchy and silliness means it's more than just a cash-in.

See it if you liked: Madagascar, Happy Feet, Ice Age

St. Vincent (12A, 102 mins)

Director: Theodore Melfi

3 stars

Every few years Bill Murray gets a great role, one that combines his world-weariness with his sardonic wit and charm.

In flashes his slobby and broke Vincent here is one of them, but the film around him isn't quite strong enough to support him.

Needing money to pay off his bookies, he takes to babysitting the son of his new neighbour (Melissa McCarthy), getting him into disreputable scrapes that can be sharp and funny.

There's a hint of Two and a Half Men in it, and the loose plotting recalls a sitcom, but it wouldn't work if the kid wasn't good too, and young Jaeden Lieberher works off Murray well.

It's also McCarthy's best role in a couple of years, playing a character of relatable depth and leaving behind the foulmouthed redneck trap she seemed to be falling into.

With a skilful balance of humour and poignancy and more than a hint of schmaltz, St Vincent trundles along amiably without ever approaching memorable.

See it if you liked: Scrooged, Gran Torino, Bad Santa

Get Santa (U, 102 mins)

Director: Christopher Smith

3 stars

With reindeer loose on the streets of London and Rafe Spall just out of prison, his young son finds Santa (Jim Broadbent) in the garden shed and must reunite him with the reindeer or Christmas will be cancelled.

Made very much with kids in mind, this is a pleasant family adventure, cheery and fun with a dash of sentiment although not a great deal of magic.

Broadbent scores decent laughs when Santa ends up behind bars and has to adopt a prison hardman persona, but disappears for much of the second half and Spall does the exasperated straight man well.

There's nothing particularly clever about it, but kids won't feel short-changed with the farts and slapstick and parents get nice Godfather and Shawshank references to keep them going.

See it if you liked: The Santa Clause, Elf, Arthur Christmas

Men, Women & Children (15, 120 mins)

Director: Jason Reitman

1 star

This oftentimes gruesome multi-strand drama follows a number of characters from the same town, largely parents and teenagers, through personal or relationship problems or various forms of mental turmoil.

The thesis is that, for reasons raised but never adequately explored, the cause of these societal ills is the way in which we're all disconnected from the real world because of our addiction to technology and the internet.

It's simplistic and condescending, filled with too many ludicrous characters, the worst by some way being Jennifer Garner policing and controlling every aspect of her daughter's life.

It's a wholly unbelievable caricature of a character with a woefully mannered performance to match, while the addition of a smug Emma Thompson voiceover grates more than you'd have thought this wonderful actress ever could.

See it if you liked: The Social Network, Juno, Thank You for Smoking

The Grandmaster (15, 108 mins)

Director: Wong Kar Wai

2 stars

The oft-told story of the life of Ip Man, the martial arts master who trained Bruce Lee, gets another airing in this long-delayed, visually ravishing but really quite tedious Chinese drama.

Tony Leung stars as we're taken through the decades of his life in kung fu, with the big draw supposedly the exquisitely filmed fight sequences.

But even these are often rendered ineffectual through far too many close ups and cuts rather than letting them breathe, with director Wong more interested in the rain bouncing off Leung's hat than rhythm or coherence.

And as the second half drifts off on brutally dull tangents concerning secondary characters, The Grandmaster becomes a serious slog and a major disappointment.

See it if you liked: Ip Man, Ip Man 2, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon