Here’s a round-up of some of the most frugal filmic Fundulgence around at the moment, quality entertainment that’ll leave you with enough change from a tenner for popcorn!   

American Gangster (18)

Director Ridley Scott (Gladiator, Alien, Blade Runner) pits Denzel Washington against Russell Crowe in this gritty gangster movie.  There’s no doubting the heavyweight credentials, but as if further clout was needed, the story is based on actual events in 1970′s Harlem.  Unfortunately it doesn’t live up to the mantle of ‘the next Heat‘  that it was so widely tipped to be, but it’s a solid, superbly acted depiction of the attempts of Detective Richie Roberts (Crowe) to bring the ‘untouchable’ crime lord Frank Lucas (Washington) to justice.

Stardust (PG)

This magical fantasy film has a star-studded cast that includes a camp (!) Robert De Niro, a haggard (!) Michelle Pfeiffer, the reliable buffoonery of Ricky Gervais and there’s a sprinkling of familiar faces from the British comedy scene too.  It’s certainly the most commercial film to have come from the pen of comedic fantasy author Neil Gaiman but you can be assured that his tongue never leaves his cheek throughout.  There are plenty of lavish special effects, spellbinding performances and spell-casting in general.  It’s a Princess Bride for the 20th Century and there’s plenty of fun to be had here for both kids and grown-ups alike.

Ratatouille (U)

Pixar’s last release was more than just kid’s fodder, it’s directed by ex-Simpsons scribe Brad Bird, and builds on the success they had together with the Incredibles.  It features Remy, a rat who has aspirations of being a world-class chef in a posh Paris restaurant – surely a tall order for such a small customer?  Needless to say, he has more to contend with along the way than just the Environmental health agency…

Ratatouille manages to serve up a banquet of treats to satisfy a wide range of appetites.

Saw IV (18)

Another year, another instalment of this ‘if it ain’t broke, torture it some more’ franchise.  For fans of the series, and sick little puppies in general, there are plenty of the contrived traps and grisly ways of disposing of hapless victims, even though Jigsaw (the villain of the first three) is now dead.  Needless to say, if you couldn’t face the previous films, then this is unlikely to win you over – in fact, if you haven’t seen the previous instalments, avoid this entry as it’s so embroiled in it’s convoluted plotline it’ll leave newcomers completely bewildered.

Black Sheep (15)

Or ‘Attack of the Killer Sheep’ as it would undoubtedly have been called had it been released back in the 60s.  Last year’s New Zealand based zombie sheep B-movie is surely the best high concept pitch since ‘Snakes on a Plane’, and thankfully, the execution here is actually much better – so the chances are that if you liked that, ewe’ll love this!  (Groan).

The kingdom (15)

One of a growing trend of Hollywood films commenting on international relations in the Middle East, the Kingdom aims to fuse the political subterfuge of Syriana with the intense action of Black Hawk Down.  Despite having a CV bereft of any ‘serious’ films,  director Peter Berg (Very Bad Things, Welcome to the Jungle) may have done just that.  Whilst it may not be as clever as it pretends to be, The Kingdom does gritty, heart pounding action very well.  The contemporary setting and political climate give it an added edge over the usual popcorn fodder.     

View the full review here.