TV FILMS OF THE WEEK

1 I, ROBOT Tonight, Channel 4, 10.15pm

INSPIRED by a book of short stories written by sci-fi icon Isaac Asimov, this film imagines a future in which robots are engrained in our everyday lives. They are our friends and confidants, but there are strict laws governing their behaviour. All automata must obey orders, and may not injure a human being or allow a human to come to harm. When a robot named Sonny (voiced by Alan Tudyk) is accused of murdering his creator, Dr Alfred Lanning (James Cromwell), Chicago Police detective Spooner (Will Smith) is called in to investigate. I, Robot is an involving dystopian fantasy, which marries a taut plot to eye-popping special effects.

2 MADAGASCAR Tomorrow, Channel 4, 5.25pm

COMPUTER-ANIMATED comedy. Alex the lion, pictured (voiced by Ben Stiller), Marty the zebra (Chris Rock), Melman the giraffe (David Schwimmer) and Gloria the hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith) live at New York’s Central Park Zoo. After a brush with the penguins, the quartet is shipped off to Africa, and end up stranded on the island of Madagascar, where they befriend ring-tailed lemur King Julien the 13th (Sacha Baron Cohen).

3 KILL BILL: VOL 2 Monday, 5STAR, 10pm

RETIRED assassin the Bride (Uma Thurman, pictured) is out for revenge on the former colleagues who left her for dead on her wedding day. She bumped off two of the squad in the first film, but she’s still keen to punish the eye-patch wearing Elle Driver (Daryl Hannah) and, most importantly, her mysterious mentor, Bill (David Carradine). It’s not as action-packed as Volume 1, but it’s undoubtedly the better movie.

4 12 ANGRY MEN Tuesday, Film4, 12.40pm

HENRY FONDA, pictured, heads the cast as Juror Number Eight, who faces the seemingly impossible task of changing the minds of the 11 other men on a hung jury. They’re convinced a young boy must be guilty of murdering an old man in his neighbourhood, but Fonda’s character believes there isn’t enough evidence to convict. It might not sound much, but this is a masterpiece of movie-making.

5 THIS IS 40 Wednesday, Film4, 10.55pm

PAUL RUDD and Leslie Mann (pictured) reprise their roles from Knocked Up in this comedy. Pete and Debbie have raised two beautiful daughters, but are now stuck in a rut. As Debbie goes into denial about turning 40 in the same week that Pete celebrates the same milestone, husband and wife re-evaluate their stagnating marriage. They decide an emotional spring clean is in order, which has dramatic repercussions.

6 THE BOOK THIEF Thursday, Film4, 6.10pm

BEAUTIFULLY crafted adaptation. As tensions escalate across Germany prior to the Second World War, Liesel Meminger (Sophie Nelisse, pictured) bids a tearful farewell to her Communist mother and is delivered into the care of foster parents, Hans and Rosa (Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson). One night, a Jewish refugee called Max (Ben Schnetzer) arrives and Liesel becomes complicit in his concealment.

7 HARRY BROWN Friday, ITV4, 10.15pm

INCREDIBLY accomplished thriller. Harry Brown (Michael Caine, pictured) is a widower who lives alone on a crime-riddled housing estate, which is under the control of a gang of thugs led by the sadistic Noel Winters (Ben Drew). When DCI Frampton (Emily Mortimer) and sidekick Hicock (Charlie Creed-miles) reveal that his best friend has been found stabbed to death in an underpass, Harry swears revenge.