The Bounty Hunter (out 26 July 10, Cert. 12)

Jennifer Aniston, Gerard Butler, Christine Baranski, Jason Sudeikis, Cathy Moriarty, directed by Andy Tenant, 2010, cert. 12

Monkey Score: 48%

Investigating a story that seem to implicate the local police, reporter Nicole Hurley follows a lead instead of appearing in court for a traffic offence. Skipping bond, she becomes the newest charge of bounty hunter Milo Boyd. To make matters worse, Milo is Nicole's ex, and an ex-cop, too, friendly with some of the officers Nicole is checking on.

Pulling off action comedy demands not only solid acting, but also spot on direction and an iron-clad script. Add to this the chemistry between leads, without which the screen just cannot light up. Think Clooney/Lopez in Steven Soderbergh's Out Of Sight as a good example. In theory The Bounty Hunter looks promising, like a modern take on Midnight Run. Unfortunately, though, the film does not add up to much, let down by a formulaic script that just hits the bum notes. While Butler and Aniston are OK in their respective roles, one may wonder about their ability to gauge a worthwhile project. Andy Tennant (Hitch) directs what he can out of the material but even with decent performances there's only so much one can get out of a paint-by-numbers story. The overall result is a lacklustre and rather boring. In the end The Bounty Hunter misses the point by being neither funny nor romantic.

White Collar - Season 1 (out 26 July 10, Cert. 15)

Starring Matthew Bomer, Tim DeKay, Tiffani Thiessen, Willie Garson, Shrif Atkins, Natalie Morales, 2010, cert. 15

Monkey Score: 69%

A white collar criminal agrees to help the FBI catch other white collar criminals using his expertise as an art and securities thief, counterfeiter and racketeer.

Tom DeKay, as Agent Burke, convinces a so-called 'white collar' criminal to help out with FBI investigations rather than serve his full sentence in jail. Matthew Bomer as Neal Caffrey, the criminal, displays the expected charm and cheekiness expected with the 'gentleman thief' role. White Collar works as nothing is quite what it seems and motivations are not as obvious as set out in the pilot. Caffrey brings in his friend Mozzie (Willie Garson, best-known for his stint as Sex And The City's Stanford), to help with his FBI assignments and the search for his wife. There is also a rather sizeable part for Burke's wife, played by Saved By The Bell's Tiffani Thiessen, now all grown-up. There's plenty going on throughout the first season, and Mozzie adds quirks to an otherwise rather polished affair. The odd internal FBI feud provides added tension throught the series, too. An interesting, well-formed cop show well worth watching.

We have 3 sets of White Collar Season 1 DVDs for you to win - just follow the link below and answer a simple question!

Royal Pains - Season 1 (out 26 July 10, Cert. 15)

Starring Mark Feuerstein, Paul Costanzo, Jill Flint, Reshma Shetty, Campbell Scott, 2009, originally broadcast in the US May to August 2009, cert. 15

Monkey Score: 60%

Episodes List: Pilot, There Will Be Food, Strategic Planning, TB or Not TB, No Man Is An Island, If I Were A Sick Man, Crazy Love, The Honeymoon's Over, It's Like Jamais Vu All Over Again, Am I Blue?, Nobody's Perfect, Wonderland

Dr Hank Lawson (Mark Feuerstein), a young E.R. doctor, moves to the Hamptons after being wrongly blamed for a patient's death. After saving the life of a guest at a very exclusive party, Hank becomes the reluctant "doctor for hire" to the rich and famous. When Jill Casey (Jill Flint), administrator of the local hospital, asks him to help treat the town's less well-off a the free clinic she is setting up, Hank threads the line between doing well for himself and doing good for others.

It may be that Universal Pictures raised the bar rather high in terms of medical TV with House, but somehow Royal Pains doesn't quite hit the right spot. Dr Hank, played by Mark Feuerstein, is cute and given plenty of one-liners to shine. His brother Evan, Joey's Paulo Costanzo, is slightly more annoying but still rather amusing. The concept of a medical concierge service, however, is not particularly successful. The exception comes from the super-rich Boris Kuester von Jurgens-Ratenicz (yes, really), played by a dashing Campbell Scott. Thing is it's all pretty benign. There's none of the House grit, and we're very far indeed from County General's E.R. in terms of proper medical drama. Royal Pains is fun and glossy, but mindless. Definitely not available on the NHS. This may be just what the doctor's ordered on a summery evening, but it's hardly life-affirming stuff.

Shrink (out 26 July 10, Cert. 15)

Kevin Spacey, Joe Nunez, Saffron Burrows, Mark Webber, Keke Palmer, Robert Loggia. Robin Williams, directed by Jonas Pate, 2009, cert. 15

Monkey Score: 79%

Unable to cope with a recent personal tragedy, LA's top celebrity shrink Henry Carter (Kevin Spacey) turns into a pothead with no concern for his appearance and a creeping sense of his inability to help his patients.

Kevin Spacey, aided by a very talented support cast, plays the part of grieving psychiatrist Henry Carter with brio. As Carter loses grip, the assorted characters that populate his life start to have a beneficial effect on him. In their own way the writer with writer's block, philandering A-lister, cuckold star and pro-bono teenager impact his ability to function without drugs. It takes the talent of a Kevin Spacey to pull this off with such a degree of humanity. His Carter is nuanced, brought to life by genuine care and empathy for the character's pain. Spacey's performance is stellar and while Shrink did not lit the box office on fire this is no reflection on the quality of the film. Watch out for an amusing yet touching Robin Williams cameo, and a superb turn as Carter Senior by veteran actor Robert Loggia. Not to be missed.

We have 3 DVDs of Shrink for you to win - just follow the link below and answer a simple question!

Breaking Bad - Season 2 (out 26 July 10, Cert. 15)

Starring Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn, Aaron Paul, Dean Norris, Betsy Brandt, 2010, originally aired in the US March to May 2009, cert. 15

Monkey Score: 78%

Episodes List: Seven Thirty-Seven, Grilled, Bit by A Dead Bee, Down, Breakage, Peekaboo, Negro Y Azul, Better Call Saul, 4 Days Out, Over, Mandala, Phoenix, ABQ

Walt (two-time Emmy® award winner Bryan Cranston) and Jesse (Aaron Paul) are in way over their heads and begin to see the extremes of the drug trafficking business. Their trademark blue meth is making them rich, but it's getting more difficult than ever for Walt to conceal the truth from his wife Skyler (Anna Gunn), his son Walter Jr. (RJ Mitte), and his DEA agent brother-in-law Hank (Dean Norris). Walt struggles to maintain control of his life as he contends with vicious drug dealers, an increasingly distant wife and son, the impending birth of his daughter, and a strung-out business partner – all while battling terminal lung cancer.

With Bryan Cranston on top form as terminal high-school chemistry teacher turned meth supremo, Season Two of Breaking Bad is just as addictive as the first instalment. While Season One whet our appetite it left us wanting more, with its rather short 7-episode run. Season Two feels a lot meatier, and ultimately satisfying. The characters get a chance to expand and grow, as the stakes for Walt and Jesse go from small time to out of control. It's a joyous, riotous ride which is not without reminding us of Weeds, albeit in a grittier, edgier get up. Season Three just finished broadcasting in the US, and we hope that a British TV will pick it up soon (unlike Weeds, which is now on to its sixth season in the U.S. yet not shown beyond Season Three over here.) Breaking Bad is a roaring roller-coaster of a TV show.