Film reviews: Rise Of The Guardians | The Hunt | Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan | Happy Happy | Great Expectations

By SIOBHAN SYNNOT
Published on 25/11/2012 15:35

A round up of other new releases.

Rise Of The Guardians (PG)

* * *

Superpowered kids’ favourites, including a tattooed East European Santa Claus (Alec Baldwin) and a boomerang-chucking Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman), fight the bogeyman (Jude Law) in this hectic 3D animation. Newest guardian Jack Frost (Chris Pine) has esteem issues, while the Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher) appears to be investigating a new business model by subcontracting her molar transactions to hummingbirds. If Cirque du Soleil overdid the Calpol, it would probably look like this.

On general release from Friday

The Hunt (12A)

* * * *

Thomas Vinterberg hits some topical nerves with a drama about a divorced teacher (Mads Mikkelsen) impulsively accused of paedophilia in a small town. It’s familiar territory but Mikkelsen is terrific, and the movie is earnestly engaged.

On selected release from Friday

Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan (12A)

* * *

No-one influenced the art and craft of stop-motion animation more than Harryhausen. This celebration of a one-man creature workshop is a little too exhaustive in its detail, but if you loved his febrile creations in Jason And The Argonauts or the Sinbad movies, it’s worth catching. Contributors include Steven Spielberg, Tim Burton, Nick Park and good egg Peter Jackson, who is helping to preserve Harryhausen’s work.

Cameo, Edinburgh, and Belmont, Aberdeen, Wednesday

Happy Happy (15)

* * *

Good-natured Norwegian culture-clash comedy between city folks and their new small-town neighbours.

Glasgow Film Theatre, Tuesday to Thursday

Great Expectations (12A)

* * *

In this handsomely staged, stodgy Dickens adaptation, Helena Bonham Carter is the youngest Miss Havisham to date, Jeremy Irvine is Pip, and Ralph Fiennes is Magwitch. It’s reasonable as undemanding Sunday afternoon telly, but as a movie event you’d better lower your expectations.

On general release from Friday