Anyone who's criticised Ringo Starr's drumming recently can't have been listening to The Beatles' remastered albums. Thanks to the painstaking work of a crew of engineers at Abbey Road Studios over the last four years, the 14 CDs now sound remarkably crisp and clear, as well as revealing hidden depths even diehard fans never knew existed. It's the equivalent of only ever having seen a film on a grainy old videotape, then suddenly watching it on widescreen HD. But the most striking thing about the music is - and it's something that's obvious to all except the most cloth-eared and taste-bypassed - how great Ringo's drums sound.

This shouldn't be a surprise. The Beatles didn't have room for any passengers (much to Noel and Liam Gallagher's eternal regret, they weren't Oasis) and Ringo played a vital part in their success. John Lennon's joke about him being 'not even the best drummer in The Beatles' was exactly that: a joke. John also said: 'Ringo's a damn good drummer. He was always a good drummer,' but that comment obviously doesn't lend itself so easily to lazy quotation. In 1969, the day after the band played their impromptu final gig on the roof of Apple Studios, Paul McCartney sent Ringo a postcard that stated simply: 'You are the greatest drummer in the world. Really.'

If you want further evidence, have a bash at The Beatles Rock Band. And I mean that literally. If you play the game as Ringo, I'm willing to bet you'll have renewed respect for his skills behind the drum kit of the best band there's ever been. For example, Tomorrow Never Knows is driven by his powerful, relentless rhythms, while Come Together's subtle flourishes are outstanding. Beatles expert Marc Lewisohn says that very few of the band's recording sessions ground to a halt because of Ringo making a mistake. See if you can be that good when you play the game. I doubt it.

Something that's rarely challenged, though, is Ringo's status as the best actor in The Beatles. Admittedly, considering John, Paul and George's less than glorious performances on the big screen, that's damning him with praise so faint it's in need of some serious remastering itself. However, we are a film blog, so let's take a look at the cinematic career of Richard Starkey MBE and what's currently available on DVD...

A Hard Day's Night (1964) What a debut. Ringo steals the show in director Richard Lester's marrying of the nouvelle vague and British kitchen-sink drama. And he came up with the title.

Help! (1965) One year later, the band make the leap from grainy monochrome to dazzling colour. Unfortunately, the film is less than the sum of its parts - a series of nascent pop promos loosely tied together by a plot about a stolen ring and a religious cult. Ringo acts naturally and again shows that he's the most relaxed Beatle in front of a camera.

Candy (1968) The sexual adventures of an all-American teen making her way across the USA act as a metaphor for the state of the nation. They loved that sort of thing in the 1960s. Candy was panned on release, but has developed cult status now. Sharing billing with the likes of Marlon Brando, Richard Burton, John Huston, Walter Matthau, Anita Pallenberg and Sugar Ray Robinson, Ringo plays a Mexican gardener about as capably as someone from the Dingle, Liverpool, can be expected to do. At least he wasn't typecast.

The Magic Christian (1969) Like Candy, The Magic Christian leapt from the pen of Terry Southern. Unfortunately, it doesn't leap out from the screen in the same way because the frustratingly episodic structure prevents it building up any satirical momentum. But Ringo is good as a homeless man who gets taken under the wing of a billionaire (played by Peter Sellers) and joins him in playing practical jokes on all and sundry.

That'll Be The Day (1973) His finest hour. In what's possibly the best film about the impact of rock 'n' roll on British youth, Ringo is superb as know-it-all Teddy Boy Mike, who gives David Essex's naive Jim MacLaine some lessons in life. In the sequel Stardust, his role is played to lesser effect by Adam Faith.

Lisztomania (1975) Directed by Ken Russell and Ringo plays The Pope, which are probably the only things you need to know. No doubt he was able to relate to certain aspects of this story of classical music's first superstar, but Ringo has little to do here except wear robes and be Catholic. Job done.

Sextette (1978) Eighty-seven-year-old Mae West stars in this grand folly of a musical comedy about a movie star's attempts to consummate her marriage. Ironically, considering the lack of direction, Ringo plays a film director. To give you some idea how bad it is, if it were a Beatles song it would be Maxwell's Silver Hammer. Eleven years earlier, a cardboard cut-out of Mae West appeared on the cover of Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. It's still a toss-up which Mae gave the better performance.

Caveman (1981) The film's opening credit reads: 'One Zillion BC. October 9th.' And that's as good as it gets. But let's be upbeat - well, he is a drummer - because Ringo met his wife Barbara Bach while making the film.

Also available on DVD is the Ringo-directed 1972 T-Rex concert film Born To Boogie, which is well worth checking out. Last but not least, The Beatles: The First US Visit, directed by the genius documentary filmmaking team of Albert and David Maysles and chronicling the insanity of the band's all-conquering 1964 tour from within the eye of the storm, is an absolute must-see to understand why Ringo was America's favourite Beatle. And I haven't even mentioned Thomas The Tank Engine.

Colin Houlson