CAPTAIN America: Brave New World hits screens this week, looking for a late Summer boost as Anthony Mackie tries to make the role his own, facing off against Harrison Ford as “Thunderbolt” Ross (previously played by the late William Hurt) as a newly elected president who may be harbouring a super-secret.

This is the first of the Marvel films to bank on audiences accepting new versions of characters while establishing a new status quo.

Of greater interest is whether Harrison Ford is on board with any sense of enthusiasm, or just collecting what was sure to be a very large cheque.

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy is an astoundingly long-awaited sequel to the two films that once cemented Renée Zellweger as a bona fide star.

The film reunites an impressive number of cast members, including Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson and Colin Firth, and has been penned by the enthusiastic creator of the original book, Helen Fielding.

Will the distinctly British Bridget still appeal with her wildly varying luck in love and life?

Heart Eyes attempts to embed a new holiday-themed horror/slasher masked-maniac into the pop-culture psyche.

Director Josh Rubin has been responsible for a few moderate horror hits on streaming platforms (Scare Me, Werewolves Within) but this release has a big studio push behind it.

Undoubtedly it will appeal to the somewhat cynical, alternative crowd who typically eschew Valentine’s Day, but it’s likely the film leans too far in favour of humour to make a real, gory impact.

Ne Zha 2 continues the saga of the 2019 Chinese animated adventure based on a legendary 16th century novel.

While films like this go largely unnoticed in Western countries, this and the original Ne Zha have been some of the greatest successes in their country of origin.

Such stories are almost impossible to communicate across cultures, relying heavily on so many aspects of mythology and folklore.

Suffice to say the film is bold, filled with creative and colourful characters and is certainly never boring.

Grand Tour journeys through the early 20th Century Asian cities under British colonial rule, starting in Rangoon, and taking in Bangkok, Manila, Shanghai and more in a black and white, melancholy daze.

Edward, a British bureaucrat, panics at his prospective marriage and runs away, only to be chased by his optimistic and determined bride-to-be.

It sounds like the set-up for a romantic comedy, but there aren’t many laughs to be had in this drama, instead exploring the gulf between the life-changing adventure many of us dream of, and the drudgery of the reality we ultimately face.

The documentary The Cats of Gokogu Shrine will definitely become a low-key favourite for a particular sort of animal lover.

At the titular Shinto shrine in the province of Ushimado local residents have accepted the responsibility to care for a rather sizable community of cats who have adopted the place as their home.

Deva is a Hindi-language Indian action film about a police officer suffering amnesia who must attempt to piece together the last case he was working on.

Director Rosshan Andrrews remakes his own 2013 film Mumbai Police, this time around with a bigger budget, global stage and more charismatic leading man.

By Lindsay HALL