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A bit of directorial zest, a serviceable lead and some Dirty Dozen energy are the only weapons in the arsenal of this otherwise plotless movie

Here’s yet another low-budget, straight-to-streaming British second world war flick: just as much of a men-on-a-mission throwback as last month’s War Blade, but a few notches more competent thanks to a more compact setup, occasional bursts of galvanic film-making from director Bill Thomas, and a grimier tone that is more Dirty Dozen than Saving Private Ryan.

It’s backs-to-the-wall time; Sergeant Mason (James Oliver Wheatley) and his not-especially-crack commando squad bungle a raid on a Nazi convoy and find themselves running across Normandy from an ever-growing pack of Wehrmacht. Retreating to a shabby farmhouse, they dig in for the imminent siege, despite the reluctance of Belgian owner Julien (Allan Relph), who doesn’t fancy being labelled as a partisan. Julien is also hiding a secret there,...

Lebanon (15)

(Samuel Maoz, 2009, Israel) Yoav Donat, Oshri Cohen, Michael Moshonov. 93 mins

You can see why they made Top Gun about jet fighters. This is set entirely within the confines of an Israeli tank during the 1982 Lebanon war, and it's not much of a recruitment ad. The gimmick is both the movie's strength and its weakness. The space and visibility restrictions make this a neat minimalist thriller and a nervy, unpredictable combat experience, but it's one safely insulated from the questions – and victims – of the real-life conflict. Despite the sweat and grime, you feel like the really dirty stuff is going on elsewhere.

Robin Hood (12A)

(Ridley Scott, 2010, Us) Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Max Von Sydow, Mark Strong. 140 mins

Scott attempts to pull another Gladiator, ditching the familiar tights and tropes and reimagining the legend through a combination of mangled history, epic set pieces and deadly earnest heroism. It's more of a prequel,...