Cinema
Napoleon
An old-school Hollywood historical epic in every sense imaginable, Ridley Scott's thundering biopic of the infamous military leader is a cinematic feast, festooned with stunning visuals, intense battle scenes and a coolly aloof performance from the one and only Joaquin Phoenix.
Released amid a certain amount of hype concerning Scott's formidable back catalogue of genre-defining films, the British film-maker's reputation precedes him, as film-fans delight at the prospect of Scott directing another historical thriller in the hope Napoleon has as much clout as his most famous history flick, Gladiator.
Rest assured, Napoleon has plenty of clout, not to mention an abundance of bravado and ego to boot.
This is not film that wants to revaluate the man behind the legend, nor does it attempt to tell Napoleon's story using any unconventional storytelling methods. It doesn't skew timelines or present the events in anything other than a bog-standard, biographic structure.
In this sense, Napoleon doesn't offer anything new.
What it does well, however, is offer the scale and magnitude as might expected from an historical epic. Scott's prowess at delivering grand and sweeping visuals cannot be faulted, and the film takes flight when we're exposed to the majestic violence and military might displayed with each battle scene.
Napoleon's complex character and his complicated relationship with his muse Josephine adds another layer of obscurity to this tall and magnificent tale.
While it's certainly not Scott's greatest ever film, there's no denying it is a broad, conventional and entertaining epic that's well worth a trip to the big screen.
Wish
It's a big year for Disney as the mammoth corporation celebrates its centenary year and, this suitably fitting tribute is nothing more than a very simple tale about the power of dreams and of wishing upon a star.
That pretty much sums Wish up. Its playful simplicity, from the traditional storytelling to the character design and animation, all pay homage to the classic Disney style we've all grown up with.
SO-SO: Wish is a standard adventure that’s strictly for Disney fans 
But don't go into this one expecting another Frozen-type, runaway hit. For all its simplistic charm and dreamy efforts, Wish offers little razzle and very light dazzle.
The action here is centred around a sorcerer named Magnifico who rules an idyllic island in the the middle of the Mediterranean.
Protecting his subjects from the evil of the outside world, all that Magnifico demands from his people is their most desirable wish when they turn 18. Once every month, he plucks a wish from the heavens and then grants it to a lucky recipient.
But when a unassuming girl called Asha produces one particularly powerful wish, it sets in motion a series of dramatic events that are set to change life for Magnifico's happy and sheltered people forever.
One for the true Disney fanatics out there, Wish will delight the hardcore fanbase, but will fail to ignite the passions of your average punter.
