Ride Along (12A)

Ride Along (12A)

Dir: Tim Story

With: Ice Cube, Kevin Hart

Runtime: 100 minutes

TIM Story's buddies caper has "wannabe franchise" written all over it. The set-up is familiar - odd couple are thrown together by circumstance (in this case, moody cop Ice Cube is the prospective brother-in-law of dorky newbie Kevin Hart). What are the chances they begin to feel differently about each other? The ice man cometh and maketh an impression, while Hart takes care of the comedy. Amusing in parts.

The Book Thief (12A)

Dir: Brian Percival

With: Emily Watson, Geoffrey Rush

Runtime: 131 minutes

MARKUS Zusak's beloved children's novel, set in Germany during the Second World War, is given a lavish but sensitive adaptation. Sophie Nelisse stars as Liesel, a girl sent to live with foster parents (Emily Watson, Geoffrey Rush) as madness poisons the country. Percival has a difficult path to tread in telling a story that all ages can understand at the same time as reflecting the horrors of war. While taking an overly long time to do so, he manages to find a way through.