AMELIA (PG)

HILARY Swank stars as the gloriously intrepid adventurer Amelia Earhart who, in 1937, set off to become the first woman to fly solo around the world. Co-starring Ewan McGregor, Christopher Eccleston and Richard Gere. Showing at Clwyd Theatr Cymru in Mold from Friday-Monday.

STAR RATING: ***

AVATAR (12A)

FOUR years after his underwater IMAX documentary Aliens Of The Deep, director James Cameron (Titanic) unleashes his latest special effects-laden blockbuster, which is rumoured to push the boundaries of big-screen technology. When warmonger Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), decides to attack an alien race, his methods change the face of warfare and the fate of a planet.

STAR RATING: ***

THE BOOK OF ELI (15)

IN A lawless and perilous wasteland that once was America, Eli (Denzel Washington) holds the secret to civilisation's rebirth – a secret he guards with pride, dispatching anyone who dares jeopardise his mission to deliver the precious information to those who can carry out his wish. One man, despot Carnegie (Gary Oldman), understands the vital importance of the secret and he covets this treasure for himself, enlisting his henchmen to bring down Eli with violence.

STAR RATING: ***

DAYBREAKERS (15)

“LIFE'S a bitch then you don't die” grumbles a vampire in Daybreakers in a world decimated by a mysterious plague which has transformed the vast majority of the population into fanged fiends. Peter and Michael Spierig's sci-fi thriller injects fresh blood into the creatures of the night, with undead scientist Edward (Ethan Hawke) working to preserve the precious blood resources of the few humans left alive.

STAR RATING: ***

EDGE OF DARKNESS (15)

Based on the award-winning BBC mini-series, and directed by Martin Campbell, Edge Of Darkness is a gripping tale of one father's crusade for justice set in the murky world of corporate and government cover-ups. Homicide detective Thomas Craven (Mel Gibson) clashes with CIA operative Darius Jedburgh (Ray Winstone) as he tries to uncover the secret life of his murdered daughter, while exposing corruption extending to the uppermost echelons of power.

STAR RATING: ***

IT'S COMPLICATED (15)

MERYL Streep stars as a divorcee who embarks on a passionate affair with her ex-husband (Alec Baldwin) in writer-director Nancy Meyers's romantic comedy.

STAR RATING: ***

NINJA ASSASSIN (18)

A RELENTLESS orgy of slashing and dismemberment, glued together by a flimsy revenge plot. Gifted ninja Raizo (Rain) turns against the secret fraternity which trained him, after his clan brother kills his sweetheart. Meanwhile, a feisty Europol agent is investigating high profile political assassinations and, along with Raizo, tries to bring down the clan.

STAR RATING: **

PRECIOUS (15)

HARROWING account of the life of 16-year-old Precious, who is living in Harlem with her abusive mother, and the journey of self-discovery that leads her out of the darkness. Directed by Lee Daniels, and starring Gabourey Sidibe, Mo'Nique and Mariah Carey, the film expertly conveys Precious' troubled life, and Sidibe fully deserves an Oscar nomination as Best Actress for her compelling portrayal of the title character.

STAR RATING: ****

THE ROAD (15)

THE future isn't bright, not in the slightest, in John Hillcoat's Oscar-tipped, post-apocalyptic thriller, adapted by Joe Penhall from the novel by Cormac McCarthy. A heavily bearded Viggo Mortensen and Australian child star Kodi Smit-McPhee are cast as father and son in a desolate landscape littered with dangers. The Road is unremittingly downbeat, bolstered by terrific performances. It's not a road movie you'll forget in a hurry.

STAR RATING: ****

THE SEA WALL (12)

ADAPTATION of Margaret Duras’ novel about a young widow (Isabelle Huppert) who finds herself left penniless in 1930s colonial Cambodia with her two children. She fights the authorities for better living conditions for herself and the local people around her. Showing at Clwyd Theatr Cymru in Mold on Tuesday and Wednesday.

STAR RATING: ***

SHERLOCK HOLMES (12A)

GUY Ritchie's reinvention of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's legendary sleuth has produced an entertaining triumph of style over substance as Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law track a killer who comes back from the dead.

STAR RATING: ***

UP IN THE AIR (15)

GEORGE Clooney plays a loveless man who earns his living by flying around America and making total strangers redundant in Jason Reitman's comedy drama. Having no time for family or emotional ties, he finally meets his match in fellow jetsetter Alex (Vera Farmiga). Up In The Air should secure Clooney another Oscar nomination as Best Actor, if not the actual statuette, for his mesmerising portrayal of a corporate middleman, who loathes the prospect of standing still and is now almost numb to the anguish he wreaks.

STAR RATING: ****

VERTIGO (PG)

ONE of Alfred Hitchcock’s best, most complex and influential thrillers features an extraordinary performance from James Stewart as a detective who becomes obsessed when a girl who falls to her death seems to reappear safe and well. Showing at Clwyd Theatr Cymru in Mold on Thursday only.

STAR RATING: ***