Search: Starring Kathy Baker

The sheer predictability of the plot means it doesn't really stand up to the scrutiny of anyone older than 15.

By contrasting an artificial man with the real but unsubtly false men and women of the world and their queer existences, Burton presents satire with a dull thud.

Teen shockers are growing up. This is an excellent example of the cruel step-parents scenario, which, in the past, would have degenerated into mad-axe behaviour.

Pleasing enough for those seeking nothing deeper than formulaic romance, but the pleasantness of an employment does not always evince its propriety.

If you're looking for something to while away a weekday evening or waste a carefree afternoon, you're in for a treat.

It is commendable that Gerard Butler, director Marc Foster and writer Jason Keller have tried to bring the issue of child soldiers to as wide an audience as possible - but though its heart may be in the right place, it never finds a steady rhythm.

The end result, though well-mounted and featuring knock-the-soot-out-of-your-chimney performances from Emma Thompson as Travers and Tom Hanks as the movie mogul, feels more like a Disney theme park version of events than the real story.

Every frame is exquisitely constructed, every breath measured.

An astounding film.