Jim Sturgess, Laurence Fishburne, Robert Luketic Jim Sturgess, Laurence Fishburne, Kevin Spacey, Kate BosworthDirector: Robert Luketic

Cillian Murphy, Catherine McCormack, Danny Boyle, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo

Sanaa Lathan, Raoul Bova, Paul W.S. Anderson Sanaa Lathan, Raoul Bova, Lance Henriksen, Ewen Bremner, Colin SalmonDirector: Paul W.S. Anderson

Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeson, Christopher Nolan Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Gary Oldman, Cillian Murphy.Christopher Nolan (Director)

Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Ridley Scott Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Tom Sizemore, Eric Bana, William FichtnerDirector: Ridley Scott

Daniel Craig, Claudio Santamaria, Martin Campbell Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Claudio Santamaria, Jesper Christensen, Judi Dench, Jeffrey WrightDirector: Martin Campbell

Tilda Swinton, Georgie Henley, Andrew Adamson Tilda Swinton, Georgie Henley, William Moseley, Sophie Winkleman, Liam NeesonDirector: Andrew Adamson

Ben Barnes, Georgie Henley, Andrew Adamson Ben Barnes, Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley, Anna PopplewellDirector: Andrew Adamson

Toby Jones, Martin Landau, Gil Kenan Toby Jones, Martin Landau, Bill Murray, Tim Robbins, Harry TreadawayDirectors: Gil Kenan

Michael Stahl-david, Lizzy Caplan, Matt Reeves Michael Stahl-david, Lizzy Caplan, Mike Vogel, Odette Yustman, Jessica LucasDirector: Matt Reeves

Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Andy Wachowski, Larry Wachowski Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Joe PantolianoDirector: Andy Wachowski, Larry Wachowski

Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Christopher Nolan Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Morgan Freeman, Eric RobertsDirector: Christopher Nolan

Dennis Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaal, Roland Emmerich Dennis Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaal, Ian Holm, Emmy Rossum, Arjay Smith, Austin NichollsDirector: Roland Emmerich

Jason Statham, Joan Allen Jason Statham, Joan Allen, Ian McShane, Tyrese Gibson, Natalie MartinezDirector: Paul W.S. Anderson

Justin Long, Bruce Willis, Len Wiseman Bruce Willis, Justin Long, Timothy Olyhant, Cliff Curtis, Maggie QDirector: Len Wiseman

Shia LaBeouf, Anthony Mackie, D.J. Caruso Shia LaBeouf, Anthony Mackie, Billy Bob Thornton, Michelle Monaghan, Rosario DawsonDirector: D.J. Caruso

Dennis Quaid, Giovanni Ribisi, John Moore Dennis Quaid, Tyrese Gibson, Giovanni Ribisi, Miranda Otto, Tony Curran, Sticky FingazDirector: John Moore

Alexis Dziena, Ray Winstone, Andy Tennant Alexis Dziena, Ray Winstone, Ewen Bremner, Donald Sutherland, Matthew McConaugheyDirector: Andy Tennant

Daniel Radcliffe, Maggie Smith, Chris Columbus Daniel Radcliffe, Maggie Smith, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Kenneth BranaghDirector: Chris Columbus

Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Mike Newell Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Maggie Smith, Timothy SpallDirector: Mike Newell

Helena Bonham-Carter, Robbie Coltrane, David Yates The sixth installment of the Harry Potter series begins right where The Order of the Phoenix left off. The wizarding world is rocked by the news that "He Who Must Not Be Named" has truly returned, and the audience finally knows that Harry is "the Chosen One"—the only wizard who can defeat Lord Voldemort in the end. Dark forces loom around every corner, and now regularly attempt to penetrate the protected walls of Hogwarts School. This is no longer the fun and fascinating world of magic from the first few books—it's dark, dangerous, and scary.

Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) suspects Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) to be a new Death Eater recruit on a special mission for the Dark Lord. In the meantime, Professor Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) seems to have finally removed the shroud of secrecy from Harry about the dark path that lies ahead, and instead provides private lessons to get him prepared. It's in these intriguing scenes that the dark past of Tom Riddle (a.k.a. Voldemort) is finally revealed. The actors cast as the different young versions of Riddle (Hero Fiennes-Tiffin and Frank Dillane) do an eerily fantastic job of portraying the villain as a child. While the previous movies' many new characters could be slightly overwhelming, only one new key character is introduced this time: Professor Horace Slughorn (with a spot-on performance by Jim Broadbent). Within his mind he holds a key secret in the battle to defeat the Dark Lord, and Harry is tasked by Dumbledore to uncover a memory about Voldemort's darkest weapon—the Horcrux. Despite the long list of distractions, Harry, Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione (Emma Watson) still try to focus on being teenagers, and audiences will enjoy the budding awkward romances. All of the actors have developed nicely, giving their most convincing performances to date.

More dramatic and significant things go down in this movie than any of its predecessors, and the stakes are higher than ever. The creators have been tasked with a practically impossible challenge, as fans of the beloved J.K. Rowling book series desperately want the movies to capture the magic of the books as closely as possible. Alas, the point at which one accepts that these two mediums are very different is the point at which one can truly enjoy these brilliant adaptations. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is no exception: it may be the best film yet. For those who have not read the book, nail-biting entertainment is guaranteed. For those who have, the movie does it justice. The key dramatic scenes, including the cave and the shocking twist in the final chapter, are executed very well. It does a perfect job of setting up the two-part grand finale that is to follow. —Jordan Thompson

Daniel Radcliffe, John Hurt, Chris Columbus Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Richard Harris, Maggie SmithDirector: Chris Columbus

Daniel Radcliffe, David Bradley Daniel Radcliffe, David Bradley, Warwick Davis, Tom Felton, Dawn FrenchDirector:Alfonso Cuarón

Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Ralph FiennesDirector: David Yates

Will Smith, Dash Mihok, Francis Lawrence Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan, Dash Mihok, Will Smith, Salli RichardsonDirector: Francis Lawrence

Will Smith, Bridget Moynahan, Alex Proyas Will Smith, Bridget Moynahan, Alan Tudyk, James Cromwell, Bruce GreenwoodDirector: Alex Proyas

Tim Roth, Liv Tyler, Louis Leterrier Tim Roth, Liv Tyler, William Hurt, Edward NortonDirector: Louis Leterrier

Will Smith, Harry Connick Jr., Roland Emmerich Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Randy Quaid, Robert Loggia, Mary McConnellDirector: Roland Emmerich

Ashley Scott Meyers, Josh Brolin, John Stockwell Jessica Alba, Ashley Scott Meyers, Josh Brolin, Tyson Beckford, Paul Walker Director: John Stockwell

Jeff Bridges, Terrence Howard, Jon Favreau Iron Man, outside of comic-book circles, was never one of the better-known superheroes waiting to enjoy a big screen adventure, but in the aftermath of Jon Favreau’s superb movie, anticipation for 2010’s Iron Man 2 is rightly sky-high.

Fortunately, there’s the small matter of the excellent Blu-ray release of the first film to enjoy while the wait goes on, which offers reference-quality picture and audio to enjoy. And those combine to bring across one of the most downright-enjoyable superhero movies of recent times. Robert Downey Jr is an inspired casting choice as Tony Stark, whose genesis as Iron Man is covered by this first film. Generous with its humour and yet never afraid to throw a spectacular action sequence at the screen, there’s nonetheless real grown-up thinking sitting underneath Iron Man, and the film benefits enormously from it.

Most Blu-ray recommendations inevitably promote the 1080p picture quality of a movie as one of its major selling points. That’s certainly fair here. But also, the audio work on the Iron Man disc is superb. This is a full surround sound track in every sense, with the soundstage ramping up the noise and the intensity as the action takes hold, but also proving its quality in the film’s slower moments too. Backed up with extra features in high-definition too, it’s a rounded and very welcome Blu-ray release. —Jon Foster

Ewan McGregor, Scarlett Johansson, Michael Bay Ewan McGregor, Scarlett Johansson, Djimon Hounsou, Sean Bean, Steve BuscemiDirector: Michael Bay

Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan, Terence Young, John Glen, Lee Tamahori, Guy Hamilton They’ve taken their time getting here, but the 007 back catalogue finally makes its bow in high definition, with a broad choice of films to get things started. And where better to start than with the film that started the James Bond saga off in the first place?

Dr. No, starring Sean Connery, is the first of the official Bonds, and regarded by many as one of the best. It’s inevitably quite raw by recent standards (and arguably better for it), but the balance of humour and action is superbly handled, and it continues to endure far beyond nostalgia value. From Russia With Love, also starring Connery, is even better (and this is the 007 film that plenty cite as their outright favourite), pitting Bond up against SPECTRE in an ambitious and outstanding adventure. The final Connery title in the set is Thunderball, which finds SPECTRE again up to no good, holding a city to ransom under threat of an atomic weapon. It, too, is premium Bond, and great to see in high definition.

Next up in the set is a pair of Roger Moore outings, starting with his debut in the role, Live and Let Die. The memorable title song aside, this is an often-underrated adventure, replete with dramatic boat chase, and drug smugglers needing to be taken down. Then there’s For Your Eyes Only, which pits Bond against Julian Glover’s Kristatos in the hunt for the ATAC weapons system.

The final film in the set is Pierce Brosnan’s swansong as 007, Die Another Day, which also introduces Halle Berry as Jinx, a massive ice castle and the oft-mocked invisible car. But it’s a harder adventure than you’d expect, and again, better than it’s given credit for.

It’s been some wait for James Bond fans eager to get their hands on high definition versions of their favourites. And while there are still plenty of Bond movies to make the jump to 1080p, this collection is a great way to get the ball rolling. Let’s hope James Bond will return to hi-def. And soon. —Jon Foster

Samuel L. Jackson, Jamie Bell, Doug Liman Hayden Christensen, Samuel L. Jackson, Diane Lane, Jamie Bell, Rachel BilsonDirector: Doug Liman

The Killers

Evangeline Lilly, Matthew Fox, Jack Bender - Evangeline Lilly, Matthew Fox, Josh Holloway, Naveen Andrews- Director: Jack Bender

Will Smith, Tony Shalhoub, Barry Sonnenfeld

Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger, Jon Turteltaub Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha, Sean Bean, Jon VoightDirector: Jon Turteltaub

Nicolas Cage, Jon Voight, Jon Turtletaub Nicolas Cage, Jon Voight, Harvey Keitel, Ed Harris, Diane KrugerDirector: Jon Turtletaub

Owen Wilson, Jake Cherry, Shawn Levy Ben Stiller, Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, Robin Williams, Ricky Gervais, Steve Coogan Director: Shawn Levy

Elliott Gould, Casey Affleck, Steven Soderbergh Geroge Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Al Pacino, Andy Garcia, Don CheadleDirector: Steven Soderbergh

Mack Dawg

Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Gore Verbinski Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Stellan SkarsgaardDirector: Gore Verbinski

Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Gore Verbinski Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Stellan SkarsgaardDirector: Gore Verbinski

Johnny Depp, Keira Knightly, Jerry Bruckheimer Johnny Depp, Keira Knightly, Orlando Bloom, Geoffrey RushDirector: Jerry Bruckheimer

David Attenborough David Attenborough

Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Marc Forster

Samuel L. Jackson, Michelle Rodriguez, Clark Johnson Samuel L. Jackson, Colin Farrell, Michelle Rodriguez, LL Cool J Director: Clark Johnson

Matthew McConaughey, Penelope Cruz, Breck Eisner Matthew McConaughey, Penelope Cruz, Steve ZahnDirector: Breck Eisner

John Travolta, Denzel Washington, Tony Scott John Travolta, Denzel Washington, James GandolfiniDirectors: Tony Scott

Arnold Schwarzenegger, S. Epatha Merkerson, James Cameron Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, Edward FurlongDirector:James Cameron

Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, McG Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Bryce Dallas HowardDirector: McG

Lena Headey, Thomas Dekker Lena Headey, Thomas Dekker, Summer Glau

Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Doug Liman, Paul Greengrass Finally making its Blu-ray bow, The Ultimate Bourne Collection defies the convention for how these things are supposed to work. The theory runs that a trilogy’s best film is the first, and it’s a case of diminishing returns from that point onwards. The Bourne movies? They just keep getting better and better.

Things kick off well with The Bourne Identity, which introduces Matt Damon as Jason Bourne. When we meet him, he’s no idea who he is, but he quickly learns that he’s in possession of some quite extraordinary, and lethal, skills. The film is slap bang on the money for the first two thirds, before a slightly muddled last act. Yet it still gets the franchise off to a good start.

The directorial reigns passed over from Doug Liman (of Swingers and now Mr and Mrs Smith fame) to Paul Greengrass (United 93, Bloody Sunday) for The Bourne Supremacy, and it proved to be a wise choice. Supremacy is a faster, more intense film, that this time sees Jason Bourne framed for murder, and gradually closing in on the secrets of his part. It’s pulsating stuff.

The icing on the proverbial cake though is the superb The Bourne Ultimatum, arguably one of the finest blockbuster movies of the past decade or two. Effectively a two-hour chase movie, it’s a staggering achievement that returning director Greengrass manages to keep the momentum going right the way through. Damon, by this point, utterly owns the role, and it’s a film that demands to be re-watched time and time again.

As you’d hope and expect, high definition is both kind and effective where the Bourne films are concerned, with the fast action looking quite superb in 1080p. Backed up by a vibrant, brilliant surround sound mix, all three of the films benefit from the upgrade, and ultimately leave you salivating for the much-rumoured fourth installment. A terrific trilogy. —Simon Brew

F. Murray Abraham, Shannon Elizabeth, Steve Beck F. Murray Abraham, Shannon Elizabeth, Embeth Davidtz, Matthew Lillard, Tony ShalhoubDirector: Steve Beck

Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson, James May Jeremy Clarkson, James May, Richard Hammond

Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight, Michael Bay Shia LaBeouf, Megan FoxDirector: Michael Bay

Tonio Descanvelle, Matt Schulze, Corey Yuen, Louis Leterrier Jason Statham, Shu Qi, Francois Berleand, Matt Schulze, Ric YoungDirectors: Louis Leterrier & Corey Yuen

Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, Andrew Stanton Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, Fred Willard, John Ratzenberger, Jeff GarlinDirector: Andrew Stanton

Kestie Morassi, Cassandra Magrath, Greg McLean Kestie Morassi, Cassandra Magrath, Nathan Phillips, John JarrattDirector: Greg McLean

Vin Diesel, Samuel L. Jackson, Rob Cohen Vin Diesel, Samuel L. Jackson, Asia ArgentoDirector: Rob Cohen

Ice Cube, Samuel L. Jackson, Lee Tamahori