Blu-ray

A group of heavily-armed cops find themselves trapped inside a 15-storey apartment block and facing overwhelming odds when a raid on a local crime lord goes horribly wrong. And that's all the plot there is to Gareth Evans' turbo-charged movie, The Raid. That pretext leads into a feature-length orgy of violence, showcasing some of the best-choreographed, most imaginative action scenes committed to film in years. Unmissable.

A Christmas Carol as envisaged by Robert Zemeckis, is a rather darker retelling of the Dickens classic than you mighty imagine from the Disney Empire. It also has the distinction of being the first 3D Blu-ray from the 'House of the Mouse'. While some might argue that Toy Story 3 should have led the charge, this is actually the better choice. Despite a requirement to wear spex theatrically, Toy Story 3D is a flat viewing experience. This is much more in, on and around your face. 

This televised adaptation of Robert Kirkman's best-selling independent comic book series rumbles on with this extended 13 episode run (which plays much better when viewed en mass like this, rather than on a weekly basis). The main thrust this time is the gang's belief that their search for a safe haven from the zombie hordes may be over after the chance discovery of an isolated farmstead. However, tragedy is never far away and there are plenty of surprises – even for those who know the comics well.

Iron Man might not be the best known of Marvel’s superheroes, but his cinematic debt is possibly the company’s most important movie to date. The first feature Marvel has self-financed, Iron Man represents the first film in a flood of titles that will create a cohesive on-screen universe of Marvel superheroes that is planned to culminate with 2011’s The Avengers.

What can be said about the second part of Romero's epic zombie saga that hasn't be written before? Not much I'd wager given the weight of critical and academic analysis it has been repeatedly subjected to since its original release back in 1978. As such I'm not going to waste much time on the movie itself, after all every self-respecting horror fan will already be familiar with the film (in all of its many incarnations - replicated here with the inclusion of three different cuts) and those who have yet to see it are in for a gore-filled treat with an underlying subtext that is every bit as relevant today as it was thirty-plus years ago. As such, I'll just skip the waffle and reiterate the oft-repeated claim that Dawn of the Dead remains one of the greatest, and most influential, horror films ever made.

Iron Man 2 received a fair amount of flak when it hit cinemas earlier this year. But for the life of us, we’ve no idea why. The very definition of big-budget blockbuster moviemaking, this sequel takes everything that made the first such a smash, and ramps it all up to eleven while not forgetting to stimulate the brain as well as the eyes and ears. So, while the action and special effects are mind-blowing, it’s the character stuff that really makes it all work, with the narrative through-line about responsibility and consequences allowing Downey Jr to really stretch his legs and showcase an onscreen chemistry with his co-stars that’s sadly all-to-rare in Hollywood blockbusters.