STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS (PG)

At Odeon Kettering, Cineworld Northampton, Vue Northampton
Just when you thought George Lucas had milked his intergalactic cash cow dry with endless re-issues of the Star Wars saga on DVD, he executive produces this computer-animated adventure that slips neatly into the narrative divide between Attack Of The Clones and Revenge Of The Sith. Although the weight and inertia of human and alien characters isn't convincing.
Rating ***


YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE ZOHAN (12A)

At Odeon Kettering, Cineworld Northampton, Vue Northampton
A comedy about an Israeli agent who dreams of becoming a hairdresser. But sadly, there's no touch of genius here, just puerile humour and cultural stereotypes born from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, plus a waft of homophobia. Centuries of conflict are neatly resolved as Israelis and Palestinians join forces in the closing minutes to defeat an even greater foe: Rampant American capitalism.
Rating **


WILD CHILD (12A)

At Odeon Kettering, Cineworld Northampton, Vue Northampton
A culture clash comedy which dons similar narrative garb to St Trinian's, transplanting a fashion-obsessed American teenager to the dusty corridors of an English boarding school. However, Poppy soon learns to look behind the draconian rules and unflattering grey school attire, and finds camaraderie where she least expects it. The film pays a cursory glance to themes of grief and bullying, but not to the extent that occasional tears dampen the underlying mood of optimism.
Rating ***


THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR (12A)

At Odeon Kettering, Cineworld Northampton, Vue Northampton
Stephen Sommers, writer-director of The Mummy and The Mummy Returns, and leading lady Rachel Weisz sensibly bailed on this dull third chapter of the globetrotting adventure series, leaving Brendan Fraser to gamely battle on with a plodding and predictable script. The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor may be full of Eastern promises, but it doesn't deliver on any of them.
Rating ***


MAKE IT HAPPEN

At Vue Northampton
Make It Happen is a disappointing facsimile of screenwriter Duane Adler's previous films, Save The Last Dance, Step Up and its high-energy sequel. Actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead can certainly perform a dizzying array of pirouettes, somersaults, leg kicks and splits without breaking a sweat, but she's let down by dreary choreography and a vapid script.
Rating **


THE FOX AND THE CHILD (U)

At Odeon Kettering
Luc Jacquet, director of the Oscar-winning March Of The Penguins, heads for sunnier climes in this family feature, which smudges the line separating wildlife documentary from sentimental drama. It's blessed with gorgeous cinematography and a haunting orchestral score but the flimsy storyline struggles to hold our interest for 94 minutes.
Rating ***


SPACE CHIMPS (U)

At Odeon Kettering, Vue Northampton
After the otherworldly pleasures of WALL-E and the high-kicking lunacy of Kung Fu Panda, Kirk DeMicco's computer-animated comedy is a crushing disappointment. There's plenty of monkey business in this outlandish adventure but the screenplay and the animation lack the necessary sophistication to engage audiences, young or old.
Rating **


THE DARK KNIGHT (12A)

At Odeon Kettering, Cineworld Northampton, Vue Northampton
With a record-breaking opening weekend in America tucked under its utility bat-belt, The Dark Knight swoops onto these shores amid a storm of hype and feverish anticipation. No film could live up to such expectations but The Dark Knight soars tantalisingly close, probing the inner demons of Gotham's favourite crime-fighter as he duels with his most famous adversary.
Rating ****


ANGUS, THONGS AND PERFECT SNOGGING (12A)

At Odeon Kettering, Vue Northampton
Gurinder Chadha's new film is a comic portrait of growing pains filmed on location in Brighton and Eastbourne. This light-hearted slice of angst and alienation will strike a chord with the target audience - teenage girls - as the socially awkward heroine takes kissing lessons and endures humiliating a luminous fake tan in her battle to win the best boy in school.
Rating **


WALL-E (U)

At Odeon Kettering, Cineworld Northampton, Vue Northampton
The technical wizards at Pixar (Toy Story, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles) dispel the myth that size matters in their latest computer-animated fable about a little robot cleaning up a futuristic planet Earth ravaged by pollution. WALL-E is a magical, out-of-this-world love story, distinguished by amazingly detailed visuals. Director Andrew Stanton's futuristic film shoots for the moon and exceeds the hype. Likely to be the year's best film.
Rating *****


MAMMA MIA! (PG)

At Odeon Kettering, Cineworld Northampton, Vue Northampton
Director Phyllida Lloyd and writer Catherine Johnson, who masterminded the smash hit stage version of the all-singing all-dancing musical, work their magic here too with an all-star cast including Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan. This rollicking romance set to the Abba songbook is 108 minutes of pure joy - it's so much fun, Mamma Mia! should be prescribed on the NHS.
Rating ****


KUNG FU PANDA (PG)

At Odeon Kettering, Cineworld Northampton, Vue Northampton
Mark Osborne and John Stevenson's computer-animated comedy does exactly what it says on the tin, spinning a familiar story of triumph against the odds around a rotund bear with a passion for martial arts. Jack Black is perfectly cast as the voice of the eponymous guzzler and the film is the best family-oriented offering from DreamWorks Animation since box office smash Shrek.
Rating ***