THE Marvel juggernaut continues to roll through multiplexes but, in its wake, studios are taking the opportunity to release some of their lighter fare in an attempt to snare audiences unmoved by blockbuster carnage.

This week sees the arrival of a number of major comedies looking to ensure that audiences leave the cinema with smiles on their faces.

Here's the best and the worst of movies in Dorset for this weekend.

New releases

Bad Neighbours 2 (Cert:15, 92 mins)

The gender tables are turned and then flooded with sticky sentiment in Bad Neighbours 2, which plays out a foul-mouthed battle of the sexes and pleads with us to care about archetypal characters on both sides of the bitter conflict.

Gags from the original film are recycled and the five scriptwriters, including lead actor Seth Rogen, lovingly embrace every demographic, eschewing the usual homophobic humour by decking their narrative with rainbow flags.

Indeed, Zac Efron verbally acknowledges his gay fanbase and panders to them shamelessly by spending extended sequences of the film dressed in nothing except a pair of tight-fitting shorts.

Timely messages about the perils of modern parenting, gender equality and the political incorrectness of fraternities who put bros before hoes are merrily flung into the scatological mix.

Sweetness is the sequel's weakness and ultimately, the only casualty of this hard-fought war is realism.

Florence Foster Jenkins (Cert:PG, 110 mins)

Anchored by tour-de-force performances from Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant that perfectly harmonise humour and pathos, Florence Foster Jenkins is an unabashedly joyful period piece that stands resolutely behind the eponymous socialite as she massacres the Laughing Song from Die Fledermaus or the Queen Of The Night aria from The Magic Flute.

Streep is mesmerising, bringing tenderness and vulnerability to a role that could so easily have been played as a pitiful figure of mockery.

Grant is a wonderful comic foil and he demonstrates a light touch in moving scenes that remind us of his oft-ignored abilities as a dramatic actor.

Period design is impeccable and director Stephen Frears builds to a rousing emotional crescendo worthy of one of Jenkins' standing ovations.

Still in cinemas

Captain America: Civil War (Cert:12A, 147 mins)

Arriving only a month after comic book rival DC's Batman v Superman, the latest Marvel big screen outing is a prime example of how to marry superpowered spectacle with weighty drama and murky morality.

Chris Evans as Cap and Robert Downey Jr as Iron Man find new depths and dimensions of characters they have played for almost a decade, but the elegant script also finds plenty of room for supporting characters to make an impact.

Newbie heroes Spiderman and Black Panther are introduced seamlessly and the political issues of state control and the role of law enforcement mesh with relative ease into the broader franchise canvas.

It struggles to pack everything in to its expanded runtime and leaves a few too many threads dangling unresolved, but this is one of Marvel's most accomplished movies to date.

Eye in the Sky (Cert:15, 103 mins)

The incredibly complex issue of drone warfare is given a nail-biting big screen examination in Eye in the Sky, from Ender's Game director Gavin Hood.

Helen Mirren is tremendous as the miltary boss overseeing a capture operation in Kenya, which soon becomes an opportunity to eliminate a high value target and avert a terrorist incident with an attack from the sky.

Hood's film is a more balanced take on the debate than last year's Good Kill and does a solid job of weaving genuine thrills and drama in amongst the necessary scenes of panicked exposition.

The film also benefits from a powerhouse final performance from screen legend Alan Rickman, who died earlier this year. His is a turn of genuine gravitas that lends a real poignancy to the film's final scenes.