In fact after the lukewarm response to the first Ghost Rider film, there is nothing to lose with the second one – and this gung-ho attitude permeates Cage’s Johnny Blaze character too, with oodles of cheap thrills to be had.

In Spirit of Vengeance, Blaze still struggles with his demonic side as he hides out in Eastern Europe. But he is soon called upon by a holy man called Moreau (Idris Elba) to stop the Devil – Roarke (Ciarán Hinds) – and save a young boy’s soul, as Beelzebub tries to take human form in the child.

The visual trickery and nothing else is what animates and drags this weak storyline to the bitter end. The 3D is present sporadically, but is mostly there to divert attention away from the rather daft script.

Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor’s visual stunts do not disappoint though, especially when Ghost Rider and his gun-totting nemesis Ray Carrigan (Johnny Whitworth) start stirring up trouble. Fans will be pleased to hear the Ghost Rider skull effects are also far neater and more sinister in this film than before, complete with blistering leather biker jacket effects that are altogether grungier. However, it’s a long way off ‘scary’ as such.

The clincher of all the chaotic actions scenes is actually Ghost Rider ‘relieving’ himself with a devilish aplomb that has carefree, eccentric, (borderline) deranged Cage written all over it and deservedly gets a big laugh. Cage knows this story’s flaws but in admirable defiance he positions Blaze as the equally flawed and naturally likeable rogue anti-hero, evidently having a blast along the way in some scenes straight out of a latter-day Mad Max road movie. In fact, all else is pretty unremarkable as the film goes on, even with the added presence of a contacts-enhanced Elba and facially compromised Hinds as the Devil soon-to-be incarnate.

There is very little suspense to be had from Scott M. Gimple, Seth Hoffman and David S. Goyer’s screenplay, and the lacklustre end confrontation scene sees Cage as Blaze trying his hardest to whip things into an evil-slaying frenzy – trying to cash in on his persecuted Edward Malus traits from The Wicker Man days, but without much success.

Still, with plenty of goggle-eyed Cage/Blaze warped effects on tap, and Cage gurning if he’s not trying to control his simmering insanity in the more meaningful moments with mother and child, what more does this silly series need?

Better bike effects for starters from those in the sound department who need a lesson on the difference between four- and two cylinders, especially as Blaze/Ghost Rider is a biker at heart.

However, this alone cannot guarantee a whole new movie’s success, and it’s because Segel and Bobin – of The Flight of the Conchords fame – have stuck to making this a puppet character-driven piece full of the coy innocence of the 70s’ franchise, and created another new Muppet character called Walter who gingerly and affectionately takes centre-stage that The Muppets (2011) still triggers the warm and fuzzy nostalgia from 30 years ago.

In the Segel-Bobin film, The Muppets’ biggest fan Walter (voiced by Peter Linz) convinces his human brother Gary (Jason Segel) to make a pilgrimage to the old Muppet studios while Gary and girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams) holiday in LA. But while there, Walter overhears that the studio grounds and the theatre that housed The Muppet Show are being sold to a greedy oil tycoon, Tex Richman (Chris Cooper), who has other fatalistic plans for the site. Geared into action, Walter and co unite to convince The Muppets, including Kermit The Frog, to strive to raise the funds to save the historic site by putting on another The Muppet Show/telethon.

Although unoriginal, the plot has wisely been kept simplistic, allowing the focus to be reintroducing The Muppets and their personalities.

Walter represents the ardent, ever-loyal fan, like a human-puppet ambassador to guide new viewers to Muppet nirvana. In doing so the often-overpowering and self-depreciating Segel screen personality actually takes a back seat with chirpy Adams, content with playing the goofy human support in some awkward but hilarious song-and-dance moments, letting the true felt-made stars shine.

Even with ample ammunition to go on an entertainment offensive against the likes of reality TV shows and faddy TV diets the TV corporations now deliver, the writers never get preachy or cynical, and in turn lose the gracious charm and ever lovable, sweet nature of the original show – even with some of the latter having fallen on hard times, like Fozzie Bear performing in some back-of-beyond bar with his less talented Muppet tribute band, The Moopets.

That said the Muppet global roundup that takes up a good percentage of the run-time, which includes Kermit, Walter and co relocating Kermit’s lost love, Miss Piggy, in Paris, working as the fashion editor of Vogue with Emily Blunt as her assistant (a Devil Wears Prada nod), is both a necessary introduction and a counterproductive snag in that its significance triggers more thrill factor for established fans, but might leave the younger viewers the filmmakers hope to target a little restless.

Indeed the only saving grace is the Muppets are so recognisable that both demographics are likely to rally behind the troupe to save the establishment, and the good-natured and earnest way they go about getting support wins over in a family-friendly way. And every Muppet Show needs its star guest that allows us to rekindle our fond affection for the zany Jack Black comedy, who as the ‘kidnapped star victim’ actually plays against type in trying to escape. There are also a host of other celebrity appearances to boost the campaign too, while Cooper has a ball in true one-dimensional baddie mode trying to bring the curtain down on the night.

We defy anyone over the age of 30 not to get emotional when the lights do go up and Kermit takes the stage – after the inevitable speedy, made-for-TV tidy-up. With all the firm favourites united and back where they belong, and old and new tunes to inanely grin along to, the Segel-Bobin resurrection is nothing short of inspiring, thought provoking and filled with authentic affection, making it a trip out to the cinema not to be missed.

The ‘Avatar’ star takes on the role of Nick Cassidy, a cop convicted of a crime he didn’t commit. Needless to say, he’s not going to sit back and take it. Instead he concocts a daring plan to escape custody and prove his innocence.

Beginning with a brawl at his father’s funeral and ending up on a hotel ledge, Cassidy’s plan sets in motion an audacious heist which will rely on the ingenuity of his brother (Jamie Bell) and the predictability of police negotiator Lydia Mercer (Elizabeth Banks).

A high concept thriller at its most absurd, ‘Man On A Ledge’ takes the quite interesting premise of an escaped con/ex-cop on the brink of disaster as he negotiates with his former peers for his life, and turns it into a full-on heist movie where the coveted prize is his own innocence.

Asger Leth takes a while to get us to that point however, grinding the gears as he introduces us to Cassidy’s situation and building us up to the point where he finally mounts the ledge. It’s a seat-shiftingly dull period that proves all the more worthless when he makes it clear where the film’s going.

Once it gets there, however, he shows a deft hand at deploying tension-builders and playful twists and turns as Cassidy’s team work to clear his name. The time on the ledge itself is particularly handy at picking up the pace, providing a ticking time-bomb and a watchful overview from which the heist proceedings can be monitored.

But to enjoy these most basic of pleasures, you have to cut through some serious low-rent cliché and a few absolutely ridiculous plot twists.

Nick’s brother Joey, for example, brings his sexy girlfriend along on the heist for, apparently, some rowdy relationship building and what they’d probably like billed as ‘outrageous humour’. In fact this should’ve signalled to the filmmakers that the entire project would be better served as a comedy, the material certainly had the potential to trump ‘Tower Heist’ in terms of sheer silliness.

Similarly silly were moments where Nick displays an uncanny amount of organisational skill, and manipulates the crowd below him to carefully cover the tracks of the nearby heist. A whoop of fear here, a choreographed stunt there, and apparently the crowds on the streets of New York will bend to his every whim.

If you can ignore, or laugh off, nonsense like this, then there’s a bit of fun to be had here.

Although the cast didn’t look like they had much of a laugh themselves. Every last one of them seemed to put in the bare minimum to get through this film, from Worthington and his patchy American accent to the wooden wonders of Jamie Bell’s near characterless brother they all just went through the motions.

But then this was never intended to be a character-driven drama.

Marcy May (Elizabeth Olsen) has just fled the confines of a rural cult. Under the brutal patriarchy of its leader (John Hawke) she had been forced to work the land, follow his orders, and submit to his sexual whims.

Turning to the sister she abandoned long ago (Sarah Paulson), Marcy May returns to the outside world, and her original name – Martha, to try and escape. But the past is a tough thing to escape, both psychologically and, in this case, physically.

From the opening scenes of Martha’s trembling flight from her psychological captors, this film is pinned to the performance of Elizabeth Olsen. Writer/director Sean Durkin wants us to feel every shudder of fear, every accelerated heartbeat and every chill that runs down her spine.

It’s a bold move, one that shifts the subject matter from an examination of cults, family and society squarely to an unwavering gaze right into our own identities. By making the story all about Martha’s personal, intimate experiences, Durkin questions how strongly any of us can hold a grip on our own reality, and the fragile societal structures to which we pin our lives.

Olsen rises to the challenge with distinction, delivering a performance that balances the realism necessary to draw us into her murky world with the powerful emotions that so unsettled us for the duration of the film.

Sarah Paulsen does equally admirably in her supporting role as sister Lucy. Her instinctive attempts to calm Martha and bring her back into the folds of ‘normal life’ are as easily shaken as Martha’s sense of security. Lucy has become an alien to Martha, and her life with husband Ted (Hugh Dancy) sometimes ventures into just as uncomfortable territory as Martha’s life on the farm.

The shifting stances on these opposed lifestyles is polarised further by vivid memories and dreams which Durkin sends to haunt Martha. The languid way they waft in and out of her life, and the murky, dull cinematography with which Jody Lee Lipes paints them means that we are always kept uncertain as to what is real and what is not.

As elements from her past drift back into the comfortable home she has retreated too, it’s impossible not be unnerved. So uncertain is every element of this woman’s life that there is no way of being sure whether she can ever escape the cult, especially when her sometimes-terrifying memories show how much of a shine its leader Patrick took to her.

By the time this film reaches its nerve-shredding conclusion, we guarantee you’ll be completely drawn in. And even when you leave the cinema, you’ll be looking over your shoulder and you won’t even know why.

The shift away from corny pagan subject matter (don’t try and remember ‘Wake Wood’) is a welcome one, and a tried-and-tested ghost story seems a good move. It’s already had successful incarnations as a novel, stage play and surprisingly decent TV movie, so there don’t seem to be too many risks involved with bringing it to the big screen… unless you doubt the talents of erstwhile wizard Daniel Radcliffe of course.

The tale begins with young lawyer and father Arthur Kipps (Radcliffe) in a spot of bother. He’s been mired in depression since the death of his wife in childbirth, and now his job is at risk. The only hope of redeeming his ailing career is to travel to the Yorkshire moors and complete the paperwork on a derelict manor house, before selling the reportedly unsellable property.

Once he arrives, the shady locals warn him off the abandoned manor – telling tales of woe. But Arthur can’t risk his job and leave his son destitute. So he flies in the face of their fears and heads across the moor. What he finds is pretty creepy, the ghostly visage of a woman in black, but the dire consequences of the sighting are worse still.

It’s a simple ghost story/haunted house flick par excellence, and this back-to-basics approach is just what the horror genre needs to begin its revamp. After exhausting Japanese films in the remake arena, and tiring audiences with the found footage approach, it’s time to go back to good, old-fashioned storytelling.

Director James Watkins isn’t afraid of deploying a few typical tactics to get the scares, there are sound vacuums and loud noise galore. All the familiar tropes make a token appearance too, the ghost-detecting dog, the cat that leaps from nowhere etc. But these can be forgiven for the genuine atmosphere of misgiving that he creates.

The town is shrouded in fog, the locals steeped in mystery; the terrors brought by the ghost are, well, terrifying and its ghostly existence brought vividly to life in a storm of creepy old toys, creaky rocking chairs and spine-tingling goings-on.

Even the plot-fuelling locals are created surprisingly well. Ciarán Hinds’ supportive local is a well-rounded man of the world who brings the believable cynicism, while his wife, played superbly by Janet McTeer, delivers a mesmerising dose of the paranormal.

The underlying themes of loss, betrayal and revenge are as fertile as you’d expect, and add a meaningful dimension that is often lacking in the more crass horrors which attempt only to shock and scare rather than truly get under your skin.

So while ‘The Woman In Black’ may be nothing new, it’s a welcome dose of quality into the world of ghostly chillers.

The story is an interesting cocktail – 1 part pygmalion makeover, 2 parts Mike Leigh ‘awkward’ social satire, with a twist of ‘Focker’s’ farce and a big slice of focus group resolution. Steve Carell is faultless as Cal Weaver, the archetypal middle aged, middle American beta male who is shocked into self-awareness by his wife’s demand for a divorce. Julianne Moore is everything she needs to be in the role of the, once glamorous, now jaded, mid-life crisis, spouse.

The female parts in the film are it’s only shortcoming, each one a tissue thin stereotype. Analeigh Tipton, as the besotted babysitter, eager legal eagle Emma Stone, Marisa Tomei’s mixed-up school mistress and Joey King’s virtually non-existent daughter, all testify to the subtle sexism in the script. That’s not to say that these fine players don’t bring something special to their slight provision’s. Tipton and Tomei give great screen, Stone plays it straight to adequate effect while Joey King’s treatment surely bears testimony to the excluded daughter issues on the part of the ‘busy filming’ daddies at the helm of the movie.

The male characters in the film also start out as archetypal contemporary souls, but at least they are allowed a journey, enlightenment, of sorts, and ‘closure’. The female parts are poorly served in this regard and there is some imbalance in the weight of the story as a result.

The writer Dan Fogelberg, (Tangled, Bolt, Cars 1 & 2), has crafted an excellent script that is more adult than the majority of his prior work and the directorial team behind Bad Santa, Cats & Dogs and I Love You Phillip Morris, Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, bring their skills at engaging infant minds to the adult arena here.

The two stand out performances are from Ryan Gosling and Jonah Bobo. Gosling, as the uber Lothario Jacob Palmer, is a smooth and seductive, amoral, amorous alpha male. His charming easy manner, assured self-confidence and contoured buffness make him irresistible to women. He utilises his assets and abilities to plot a course through the womanscape like a Great White toying with it’s helpless prey.

Johan Bobo is at the outset of his awareness of the sophistications of the fairer sex. Besotted with his babysitter Jess, his ardour knows no bounds. His chutzpah and blinkered devotion set in motion a sequence of torrid tableaux that amuse and appall in equal measure. Bobo plays it with pathos and bathos like a modern day Mickey Rooney, his contribution to the film is a real highlight.

Modern film making, with it’s ruthlessly efficient production skills and it’s ability to manipulate an audience emotionally, is much maligned, but this movie is evidence of the benign effects of refined cinematic artistry. It’s a fantastic romp through the emotional minutiae of middle America and it’s an absorbing and rewarding experience, it’s crazy, I’m stupid but I love it!

The best part is that to win the prizes, there’s no catch, no haunted houses to endure and no tasks to undertake – just answer the following simple question:

‘The Woman In Black’ is well-known for being a terrifying ghost story, but it has also had a previous life in several different formats. But which of the following has the story NEVER BEEN adapted into:

a) A Novel
b) A Play
c) A Sega Mega Drive game

Answers can be sent to us via Twitter, to @MovieVortex, on Facebook (just ‘like’ us and send us a comment) or by emailing your name and address to info@movievortex.com

Competition entrants must be UK residents, and the winner will be chosen at random on Friday 10th February – the exact date that the fabulously frightening ‘The Woman In Black’ hits cinemas.

QUESTION:  Luis, are you like the next action hero?  Because, come on, you’re flying planes, you’re exploring lost cities, you’re like The Rock now.

LUIS GUZMÁN:  [Laughs] It was part of my master plan in life, yeah.

QUESTION:  Was this your plan all along?

LUIS GUZMÁN:  Well, I was reading a Nostradamus book and there was that verse referring to me, which people don’t know about because it’s written secretly, encoded. [Laughs]
But, I tell you, I’m so fortunate to have been part of this project.  It’s great.  It was so much fun.  We had such a great cast.  The director was awesome.

QUESTION:  Did Dwayne [Johnson] teach you the ‘pec pop’ for you to do at home and with the kids and stuff?

LUIS GUZMÁN:  I tried to do that a few times and I pulled a couple of muscles doing that.  You’ve got to really have skills to do that, apparently.
Well, I tell you, working with Dwayne Johnson, first of all, was really, really cool.  He’s such a good, good human being, such a good soul.

QUESTION:  Did you have a nickname for Dwayne on set?
LUIS GUZMÁN:  I used to call Dwayne ‘Papi’ all the time.  ‘Papi, come here, what are you doing, man?  Come here, man.’

QUESTION:  Why did you like him so much?  Why did you steal all those scenes from him?
LUIS GUZMÁN:  That’s my job.  No, no.  [Laughs]  I never look at it that way.  I just love what I do and love being a complement to it all.  And I’m glad I made the movie because, like you said, I stole all those scenes.  [Laughs]  No.  But you know, I think, and I do believe this, that we complemented each other so well.  We just had so much fun doing it.  And I never, ever anticipated what he would do or he would never anticipate what I would do.  And [director] Brad Peyton and I had an agreement.  Brad Peyton and I, we had an agreement that I would get the last take, you know.  So that gave me every opportunity to improvise and, you know, the element of surprise and stuff like that.

QUESTION:  What about the bird poop scene, what was that like?  You’re holding onto Dwayne.
LUIS GUZMÁN:  They would never give me the phone number to Amnesty International, you know, because I felt so much abuse.  Every day, there was that bucket that I hated and the brushes came out.  But I got pooped on, man, considerably.

QUESTION:  But you also miraculously got cleaned up a little bit before the end.
LUIS GUZMÁN:  That was, like, my only clean day.  And I think that was the first shot of the movie.  Can you believe that?  After that, it was downhill.

QUESTION:  Can you talk about Vanessa Hudgens because you played her father.  Did you know her before?

LUIS GUZMÁN:  Well, I never knew who Vanessa was until I called my daughter.  ‘Can you help me out, honey?  Vanessa Hudgens.’  ‘Oh, yeah, she did this stuff with Disney.’  ‘Okay.’  And we met and we hit it off really well.  I have three daughters, three teenage daughters, and I want you all to know that I cared very much about Vanessa, her character, because being a dad, you look out for your daughters.  And I take a lot of pride in that.
When we shot, and any time we were on set together, my whole attitude was, I care about my child very much and I look out for her, even if she doesn’t listen to me.  But that’s the job of a teenager.

QUESTION:  You are a scene stealer in so many films—one of the best character actors out there.  Is that what you set out to be?  What did you set out to do?

LUIS GUZMÁN:  I just always set out to do good work and show up and do what I do.  I’m just a very well-grounded person.  I believe in myself.  I love in complementing people.  I love being complemented.  My goal is never to outdo anybody because then that does not make you a good actor.  I just love being a pleasant human being, a good soul, and I love being invited back.

QUESTION:  Could you tell us where you grew up?  How did you start?
LUIS GUZMÁN:  I grew up on the lower east side of New York City.  I was a social worker.  And acting was not part of my master plan; acting was a hobby.  We used to do, like, a lot of street theater on the lower east side, so I would get a phone call from one of my buddies, ‘Hey, I wrote this play and can you play these seven characters?’  ‘Oh, yeah, bro, I’m there.  I’m there.’
And what happened one day, two young people didn’t show up to my program.  I went out into the street looking for them.  I ran into a friend of mine who I hadn’t seen for a few years.  He was writing for a TV show.  They were coming to New York.  He gave me the phone number.  I called up.  I stand around for, like, three hours to wait through three lines.  I go in.  The lady tells me, ‘Kill me with your eyes.’  I said, ‘That’s not what it says here.’  ‘No, just give me a mean look.’  And I go, ‘Oh, okay.’  And three weeks later, I’m co-starring in the season premiere of Miami Vice.
I had no clue what I was doing.  All I wanted to get out of it was enough money to buy me a used car so I can drive to the beach on the weekends and not have to take mass transit.  I got the car.  My best friend totaled it the next day after I got it, and I went back to work as a social worker because I didn’t understand.
But somehow I got an agent and I was, like, ‘Killer 69,’ ‘Drug Dealer 22,’ ‘Drug Addict 16.’  So, little by little, my career built up.  And then I ran into a wonderful human being named Sydney Lumet.  I did a movie for him called Family Business.  I had one scene with Dustin Hoffman.
Dustin had off-camera lines to me.  He did not say anything that was scripted.  My brain was, like, ‘Oh, my God.’  And I had, like, [snaps fingers] that much time to say, ‘That’s not the line,’ or just go with it.  I went with it, and in that one moment, I grew up ten years in this business and my career because I learned to do one thing, most important, trust my instincts and just go with it.
And then, after that, Sydney put me in a wonderful movie called Q & A and pretty much my career took off from there.

QUESTION:  That’s an amazing story.

LUIS GUZMÁN:  Yeah.

QUESTION:  So do you get a chance to get back involved in social work trying to get young kids to see acting as a way out?

LUIS GUZMÁN:  I go and I try to motivate people to help themselves to not become third, fourth, fifth, six generation welfare recipients.  You know, to say, there’s a better life for you out there, you’ve just really got to pursue it, and it could be anything.  It could be being an actor.  It could be being a librarian, a teacher.  It could be someone going into the Coast Guard, Search and rescue.  It could be becoming a chef.  It could be becoming a journalist, you know.
But I’m getting into producing.  I’m doing, like, a little reality show right now that I’m going to be putting together with a friend of mine.  And what we’re going to be doing is makeovers of homeless shelters across America.
I have five children.  I adopted four of them.  They’re my pride.  I’m at a point in my life that I just want to keep giving back because I love what I do.  I love entertaining people.  I love being an actor.  I’m in a position, finally, that I could say, ‘Well, this is what I’m going to do and this is what I’m going to give back.’  I want to be an example; I want to make a difference, but also to empower people and to say, ‘Yeah, you know what?  You can change your life; you’ve just got to take charge of it.’

QUESTION:  The reality TV show that you mentioned, what is that going to be called?

LUIS GUZMÁN:  Well, right now, it’s called, “The NIMBY Project,” and NIMBY stands for Not In My Back Yard.
QUESTION:  You sound like such a proud dad.  How’s being a dad changed your life?
LUIS GUZMÁN:  I read a wonderful book.  It’s called The Hardest Job You Will Ever Have Is Being a Parent.  It’s been the most challenging, but at the same time, the most rewarding.  You see your kids grow up.  You see them take shape and form.  And you know, the beautiful thing about what I do is I travel with my children.  I have my 17-year-old daughter with me.  She reminds me of that.  Just molding these children and keeping them grounded.  And like I say, I came out here when we were filming, and my children came out Thanksgiving week, and we spent Thanksgiving Day serving out meals in the homeless shelter because I feel that that’s important to instill.  I mean, I have that opportunity to do that.  I wish other people would do that.

QUESTION:  You have the ability to kill with your eyes.  Have you used that on any boys that have come home?

LUIS GUZMÁN:  Well, my favorite thing is, ‘Okay, buddy, I’ve got apple cider, I’ve got some water, a couple of beers, which one?’  That’s like the trick question.  So they go, ‘Well, what kind of beer you have?’  ‘Give me a second, kid.  I’ll be right back.’  Go to my daughter, ‘Honey, I’m driving him home.  He won’t be staying for dinner.’
My daughters, I’m very frank with them, be careful.  Make good choices.  And the same thing with my sons. I actually told my daughter, ’Honey, you’re going to be 18.  You know what happens.’  And she goes, ‘Pop, please, I’ve got it.’

QUESTION:  In terms of the roles that you choose, do you choose roles with what you’re offered, or do you say, ‘Whatever comes, I’ll tackle?’

LUIS GUZMÁN:  I have people that screen stuff for me, go over the stuff.  And I’ve been, like, really fortunate because I’ve gotten such really, really good material to work with.  No, I won’t take anything.  I mean, I guess I did that early on in my career, but that’s because you’ve got to build a foundation, you know?
But I’m to the point that I’ll read it and if I like it and who’s doing it and who’s directing it—all those components have to come into place.  And it’s a wonderful place to be as an actor, to be making those choices based on that.  I don’t do it anymore because I’ve got to do it.  I do it because I want to do a good quality of work and a good body of work, and I’ve been so fortunate to have that.

QUESTION:  What was it about Journey 2: The Mysterious Island?

LUIS GUZMÁN:  This movie is really special to me because, again, it brought me to this beautiful, magical place called Hawaii, which I love.  I got to work with an incredible young director.  Man, I have never worked with someone that was so well-prepared as Brad Peyton.
And, again, working with someone as iconic as Michael Caine; working with Dwayne Johnson, who truly, truly such a good human being; and Josh and Vanessa, who are two wonderful young people.  I look forward to going to work every day.  I don’t care if I have to get up at 5:00 in the morning, but we have such a great crew of people.

QUESTION:  Because you can do both comedy and drama, do you decide which projects to do based on a balance, or does it just work out that way?

LUIS GUZMÁN:  Pretty much it works out that way.  I’m thankful.  I mean, I love being funny, but I also love the humanity that I bring to some of my characters because I believe it’s so important to have that kind of balance.  I don’t think it takes a lot of skills on my part because it’s, like, pretty much I just employ my life.  Like being a dad could be hysterical and could be dramatic at the same time.

QUESTION:  What do you know at your age now that you wish you could tell your younger self?

LUIS GUZMÁN:  You know what, man?  We go through so many hardships to get to a place and just appreciate life every day and the life that we have.  And I’ve had a pretty rough upbringing.  I lost a lot of my friends back in the day to drugs and AIDS.  I lost my first child and I went on to adopt four children and having one of my own.
And having a wonderful career that, at times, took me away from the things that I love the most, and that was my family.  But you make sacrifices, and [I appreciate] being in a position that gives me so much pleasure of just being able to give back to my community, to be a role model, to be that guy that people can call on and say, ‘Yo, we’re doing this fundraiser.  Can you show up?’

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island is out now.

To celebrate the release of Drew’s latest film, Big Miracle, we wanted to look back at Drew’s top ten greatest movies.

E.T: EXTRA TERRESTRIAL (1982)

A classic movie that no household should be without, E.T was Drew’s first hit movie at just seven years old. Drew plays Elliot’s little sister who has just stumbled across a lost little alien called E.T. With the help of his sister and friends, Elliot must try and send E.T back to his home. A touching and heartfelt tale of love and friendship.

SCREAM (1996)

Scream is the story of a small American town being harassed by a masked killer who is attacking students at the local high school. Drew plays a cameo role in Scream, opening the movie with a tense and unforgettable scene. No one can forget the question, ‘What’s your favourite scary movie?’ A brief but memorable part has secured Scream a place in Drew’s top ten movies.

THE WEDDING SINGER (1998)

The Wedding Singer helped establish Drew as a must-have-star when it comes to romantic comedies. Hilarious, cute and filled with 80s nostalgia, this is a movie where Drew shines. Drew plays Julia, a waitress who meets Wedding Singer, Robbie. They are both engaged, but eventually realise that they are in love with each other and engaged to the wrong people. The question is, do they realise in enough time so they can be together?

NEVER BEEN KISSED (1999)

‘Josie Grossie! Josie Grossie!’ This was the chant that high school geek, Josie Gellar faced when walking into school, and made her life hell. Once Josie left school she swore she would never return, but when offered a promotion if she successfully goes undercover at a high school and writes a detrimental newspaper story, she can’t say no. Now all Josie has to do is avoid falling in love with her English teacher and make friends with the cool kids…

CHARLIE’S ANGELS (2000)

Drew ‘kicked ass’ as Dylan, one third of the Charlie’s Angels. Based on the 70s TV show, the movie was huge hit. Following instructions from their mysterious boss Charlie who only communicates by telephone, the three women must use their sex appeal, tech skills and martial arts to bring down arch nemesis, Corwin. Destiny’s Child sang the memorable soundtrack, ‘Independent Woman.’

DONNIE DARKO (2001)

As well as playing Donnie Darko’s English teacher, Drew’s production company, Flower Films helped to finance the production of this film. A cult favourite, Donnie Darko is the story of a troubled teenage boy who is haunted by visions of a large bunny rabbit that persuades him to carry out a series of crimes. Drew’s character, Ms. Pomeroy, is one of the only people that connects with Donnie and appreciates his intellect.

CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND (2002)

Directed by George Clooney, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind is the story of legendary Chuck Barris, a US game show host who also works as an assassin for the CIA. Alongside Julia Roberts, Drew Barrymore plays one of his love interests.

50 FIRST DATES (2004)

Drew Barrymore’s company, Flower Film produced 50 First Dates along with co-star Adam Sandler’s company, Happy Madison. Set in luscious Hawaii, Drew plays the lovely Lucy who unfortunately suffers from short term memory loss. This means that when she hits it off with Henry, played by Adam Sandler, she doesn’t remember him the next day, much to his disappointment.

WHIP IT (2009)

Whip It allowed Drew to show off her talents as she not only stared in the movie, but it was also her directorial debut. The film follows Bliss, played by Ellen Page who is awesome at roller derby, but her mother wants her to pursue beauty pageant career.

BIG MIRACLE (2012)

Based on the inspiring true story that captured the hearts of people across the world, the rescue adventure BIG MIRACLE tells the amazing tale of a small town news reporter, John Krasinski, and a Greenpeace volunteer, Drew Barrymore, who are joined by rival world superpowers to save a family of majestic gray whales trapped by rapidly forming ice in the Arctic Circle.

Check out, BIG MIRACLE at U.K cinemas from 10th February 2012!!

Seriously though, Adam Sandler’s continued success has become one of the world’s greatest mysteries. He once started as a purveyor of puerile comedy with a specialty in delivering madcap scenarios featuring big kids who never really grew up.

‘Billy Madison’, ‘Happy Gilmore’, ‘Little Nicky’: all about naive man-boys growing out of their own little world’s. Formulaic, but quirky enough to entertain for 90-minutes. Assuming you can tolerate Sandler screaming toilet humour for the duration.

Now, his template has become a bulging rubbish bin (trash can, if you’re American), a feeble construct containing lazy gags, pitiful characters and, usually, a detour in the story to somewhere fun where Adam Sandler and his friends can enjoy a short break. ‘Grown Ups’ had its cabin and water park, ‘Just Go With It’ had a Hawaiian beach resort, and ‘Jack And Jill’ has a cruise holiday appear for no reason whatsoever.

There is nothing of merit in this particular bin. Even cinema’s most persistent cinematic raccoons have steered clear of this offering in the USA, and it’s easy to see why.

As if he’s learned nothing from the spectacular fall from grace suffered by Eddie Murphy at the end of the last millennium, Sandler decides that, instead of dreaming up a decent story and finding a charming co-lead, he’d get laughs by donning a fat suit and a dress and play his own twin sister.

The plot, as far as there is one, essentially revolves around Jack Sadelstein (Sandler) being a prick. He’s an ad exec with a happy life, but resents his obnoxious twin sister Jill (Sandler) who visits every Thanksgiving. Can you guess the arc his character will go through?

To fill the 90-miniutes before this shocking life lesson, Sandler decides to encourage the humiliation of one of cinema’s greats.

Al Pacino has apparently now decided that it wasn’t enough to rival Robert De Niro for the great dramatic roles of the ’70s and ’80s, but he must also challenge him on how low he can sink. A cinematic limbo, if you will. And boy is Pacino giving De Niro a run for his money. Playing himself, Pacino has to fall in love with Adam Sandler in drag, and it’s painful to watch.

That’s a succinct summary for the experience as a whole, in fact. Painful to watch.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to burn my ‘Godfather’ DVDs.