IF THE programmers stick to their plans, you can see the New Year in with Stieg Larsson’s Tattoo girl in English; Tom Cruise doing crazy stunts in Moscow and Dubai; Antonio Banderas getting a fur ball; the dancing penguin; and an oriental tale of the bonds of friendship.

Odeon, Dumfries

Given the variability of programme schedules the plans as this column goes to press is the much anticipated re-make of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (18) with Daniel Craig as Mikael Blomkvist the journalist engaged by wealthy Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer), to investigate the disappearance of his niece years before.

In the central role of Lizbeth Salander, Rooney Mara is a whirlwind of Gothic action woman teaming up with Blomkvist in Stieg Larsson’s dark world of treachery and sexual violence. Not an easy watch, director David Fincher plays this as a fast and furious thriller that will leave you in shock.

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (12A) has the irrepressible Tom Cruise defying the years and the age lines in a cracking adventure thriller that sees the Kremlin blown up and the lad scaling the world’s tallest building in Dubai.

Pixar’s Brad Bird brings The Incredibles to life with gadgets galore and Simon Pegg goofing things up as a variation on Q. This is terrific popcorn movie-making that leaves you breathless.

For a post-Christmas family treat try Puss In Boots-3D (U), with Antonio Banderas as the ginger Tom with star appeal.

Robert Burns Centre Film Theatre, Dumfries

Happy Feet 2 3D (U) rounds off the year tonight and tomorrow.

George Miller’s sequel to his big animated hit comedy adventure has had a muted reception largely due to a complicated plot that takes time to get going but the animation is still a delight and uncannily real. I suppose most penguins look like Pingu but this lot could cheerfully fool you in Edinburgh Zoo if you are not preoccupied with the pandas!

Elijah Wood and Robin Williams lead a star-studded voice cast giving character and life to the CGI creations and the whole thing ends with a big sing-along tune to send you out cheerful. The kids will love it.

Next Wednesday and Thursday The Snowflake and The Secret Fan (12A) is based on the book by Lisa See that explored the deep female friendship forged between two seven-year-old Chinese girls in a life-long pact known as “laotong”.

While their lives follow different paths, they communicate through a secret language in the folds of a white silk fan. The film adds a parallel story of two women in the present day but linked to the past through a book that one is writing.

Faced with the strains of modern life in Shanghai, the women draw lessons from the past that may be generations apart but are universal in the spirit of love, hope and friendship.

A beautifully crafted film from Wayne Wang of The Joy Luck Club and there is the bonus of a cameo from Hugh Jackman.

The centre has just had a new digital projector installed and will be changing to the new format almost completely next month.

The advance of digital has been forceful and speedy over the last two years and 2012 will see the new format dominating to replace the 100-year-old 35mm celluloid film that has served the industry well.

The change is industry driven for largely economic reasons, but there are technical improvements in picture and sound quality – no more scratches or jumps.

This all comes at a cost for independent cinemas but there is no choice with 35mm prints gradually disappearing.

In our area, Newton Stewart Cinema, Odeon in Dumfries and now RBC are digital and the twin screens at Annan are due to convert early in the New Year. Welcome to the digital world!

Lonsdale, Annan

In traditional 35mm, and still very good, you can catch Tom Cruise and friends saving the world again in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (12A); the equally action-packed Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (12A) plus Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (U) and the cat lover’s delight, Puss In Boots (U).