THE AVIATOR (12A): Martin Scorsese's biopic of reclusive industrialist Howard Hughes, paints a vivid and sumptuous portrait of the Hollywood golden age. Leonardo DiCaprio is incredibly assured as the tormented mogul with strong support from Cate Blanchett, Alan Alda and Alec Baldwin.

WHITE NOISE (15): Horror-thriller starring Michael Keaton as a successful architect, whose live is thrown into turmoil when his wife dies. Life gets a whole lot more confusing though when it seems she's trying to contact him from the other side!

ALEXANDER(15): Oliver Stone's long-winded biopic of the legendary historical figure, Alexander, played by Irish wild bad boy Colin Farrell. Despite an all-star cast, including Sir Anthony Hopkins and Angelina Jolie, it falls short of the mark, though some of the action scenes are a thrill.

VERA DRAKE (12A) Moving story set in 50s London where Vera Drake's happy life with her family is thrown into turmoil when she is arrested for helping vunerable pregnant women.

NATIONAL TREASURE (PG) Nicholas Cage goes on a dare-defying mission to capture the priceless Knights Templar. Problem is, he's got to steal the Declaration of Independence to find it!

ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER'S THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (12A) The hugely successful stage musical fails to hit quite as many high notes in this big-sceen version.

HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS (15) A visual treat in which every frame shimmers with colour in a sumptuous, gravity-defying extravaganza of death-defying swordsmanship and acrobatics. Director Yimou Zhang successfully combines the incredible action sequences with a tender romance.

WITHOUT A PADDLE (12A) Three mismatched city boys return to their hometown for the funeral of a childhood friend and embark upon a jaunt through the countryside to find hidden treasure.

ELLA ENCHANTED (PG) Using a similar formula to cult classic The Princess Bride, this clever re-imagining of the Cinderella fairytale is set in a sassy world of giants, elves, witches and talking serpents.

BLADE: TRINITY (15) Having twice been thwarted by Blade the vampire hordes gather deep in the Syrian Desert to orchestrate their most daring plan yet: to resurrect Dracula, the progenitor of their race.

THE POLAR EXPRESS (U) A colourful computer animation about the magic of Christmas involving an eight-year-old boy who is whisked off to the North Pole and a meeting with Santa Claus on board a gleaming steam train.

THE INCREDIBLES (U) A family of superheroes, forced into suburban anonymity 15 years ago, emerge from retirement to battle evil. Unmissable computer-animated masterpiece from the makers of Toy Story and Finding Nemo.

BRIDGET JONES: THE EDGE OF REASON (15) Renee Zellweger makes a welcome return as the much-loved heroine who finds the course of true love doesn't always run smoothly.