Cinema Listing

FROM 22 AUGUST

Hellboy II: The Golden Army (12A)

Graphic novel done good.

Get Smart (12A)

Based on a madcap ’60s television series, Get Smart is a comic caper about an accident-prone yet sensitive secret agent who might just be mankind’s last, great hope. Maxwell Smart is a surveillance expert for secret US agency CONTROL, monitoring conversations from Russian agency KAOS. When the secret identities of CONTROL’s operatives around the world are compromised, Maxwell is dispatched to Russia under the guidance of feisty mentor Agent 99.

Mamma Mia! (PG)

This rollicking romance set to the ABBA songbook is 108 minutes of pure joy ñ it should be prescribed on the NHS.

The Dark Knight (12A)

The Dark Knight swoops onto these shores amidst 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.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (PG)

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.

The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor (12A)

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.It may be full of Eastern promises, but it doesn’t deliver on any of them.

WALL-E (U)

The technical wizards at Pixar dispel the myth that size matters in their magical animated fable about a little robot cleaning up a futuristic Earth ravaged by pollution.

You Don’t Mess With Zohan (12A)

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.

Wild Child (12A)

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.