300: Rise of an Empire (7 March)

300’s cutting edge visuals and iconic story of outnumbered Spartans charging fearlessly into battle worked beautifully. However, it has taken eight years for the Snyder-produced sequel to emerge. The real battle with the sequel must have been in the screenwriting department, as simply regurgitating the same visual flair would not make a sequel necessary.

300: Rise of an Empire sees Game of Thrones actress, Lena Headey, reprise her role as Queen Gorgo with the introduction of Casino Royale’s Eva Green. Otherwise, the cast is relatively unknown, headed by Sullivan Stapleton as Themistocles and Rodrigo Santoro as Xerxes. It looks promising, but no one’s holding their breath after Immortals flopped.

Why watch? Epic + blood + carnage = extra man points.

The Lego Movie (14 March)

While most people who grew up with Lego have a soft spot for the famous building block toy brand, it’s still considered to be a rite of passage for kids. The Lego Movie is all about entertainment and laughs, thanks to Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs directors, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, who truly understand the creative force behind the long-running toy series.

Expect a dazzling mix of realistic stop-motion and CGI animation, laugh-a-minute pop culture gags and a stellar voice cast including: Will Arnett, Morgan Freeman and Will Ferrell. This “story about a nobody who saved everybody” is a movie for all ages.

Why watch?  So you can spoil the child inside.

Captain America: Winter Soldier (28 March)

Captain America is just not quite as super as the rest of The Avengers and while he’s a poster boy for regular Joes, Chris Evans is a bit cold and distant. This probably explains the sequel’s movie title and why the actor decided to make the superhero switch from being The Human Torch.

What’s a little worrying is that it’s directed by the Russo brothers, responsible for You, Me and Dupree. Luckily, they’re working with the same writing team that brought us Thor: Dark World and the Captain America reboot. Add Samuel L. Jackson and Scarlett Johansson to the mix and the Cap’n could surprise us yet.

Why watch? Johansson… Scarlett Johansson.

Need for Speed (21 March)

Need for Speed, the hot pursuit video game of choice, is finally making the leap to the big screen with the help of stunt co-ordinator turned director, Scott Waugh. Add a screenwriter debut from George Gatins, an unknown lead actor in Aaron Paul, and you’ve got yourself a bit of a gamble.

The cast is reinforced by the likes of Dominic Cooper, Imogen Poots and Michael Keaton, but is this decidedly vanilla video game adaptation going to do enough to distinguish itself from, and win over fans of The Fast & The Furious, which is about to unleash its seventh film?

Why watch?  Slick cars, slicker car chases – this time with people!

NEW ON DVD

Captain Phillips
This emotionally taut rollercoaster ride was unlucky not to get more recognition at the Academy Awards. Tom Hanks returns to form with a devastating performance opposite nominated co-star Barkhad Abdi, to anchor frenetic camerawork and pulsating storytelling from Bourne Ultimatum director, Paul Greengrass. Captain Phillips is based on actual events, which makes this real-life hostage scenario even more exciting and a film that deserves a repeat viewing.

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

Mandela’s long-awaited biopic is a must-see for all South Africans. While Idris Elba isn’t on par with Morgan Freeman when it comes to resembling Madiba physically, his towering performance captures the icon’s unmistakable accent and strong presence. Anant Singh’s epic and sprawling drama focuses on Mandela’s fractious relationship with Winnie Mandela, played by Naomie Harris. It’s a powerful film that reminds us how far we’ve come as a nation, and far we’ve still got to go.