THE APES are on the loose and they are in a mean mood; Brad Pitt searches for the meaning of life; Catherine Deneuve takes to the floor with Gerard Depardieu; and Indiana Jones meets James Bond in the wild west.

Odeon, Dumfries

Jim Carrey is still dancing with penguins in Mr Popper’s Penguins (PG), a likeable family comedy with the bonus of the indefatigable Angela Lansbury defying her 85 years.

The main event is the spectacular Rise of the Planet of the Apes (12A), the latest in the money-spinning series that began in 1967 with Charlton Heston as an astronaut who lands on a planet where apes rule and humans drool. The big payoff was him finding the remnants of the Statue of Liberty buried in sand.

The new film rewinds to the years that led to an altruistic experiment going pear-shaped and letting the apes learn just a bit too much.

James Franco is the scientist researching a cure for Altzheimers’ disease who takes in a motherless chimp called Caesar who develops a remarkable level of intelligence.

He was part of an experimental programme led by scientist Brian Cox but things go belly-up when Caesar and his mates start planning a rebellion.

With a motion capture performance from Andy Serkis as Caesar, this is more convincing than earlier efforts and with liberal references to the original film it is a high tech re-boot of a franchise that still has more to offer.

Robert Burns Centre Film Theatre, Dumfries

Tonight and tomorrow there is a rarity, a film by Terrence Malick, the maverick poet of cinema or perpetrator of perplexity according to your point of view. His new film The Tree of Life (12A) is only his fifth in 40 years but it is a special event, winning the Palme D’Or at Cannes despite critical boos.

The film is centred on the O’Brien family from Texas, grumpy, authoritarian dad, Brad Pitt; angelic mum, Jessica Chastain; grandmother, Fiona Shaw and three sons.

News comes of the death of one of the sons and the film flips back in time to show their early lives but also goes further to take us back to the dawn of time and the dinosaurs.

Malick is posing all the deep and meaningful questions about life and death without necessarily providing answers. A challenging film of great beauty that will be a talking point long after the end credits.

If you have been watching the latest Orange ads recently you will be well aware of the delicious skit on French films with Catherine Deneuve and Gerard Depardieu.

Now you can see the whole film with the correct subtitles in Potiche (15) next Tuesday and Wednesday.

It is a delightful frothy comedy based on a stage play where Deneuve throws off her familiar angst persona as the trophy wife of the tyrannical director of her late father’s umbrella factory.

When he is kidnapped by striking workers, she takes over grief and life takes on a whole new meaning.

The familiar phrase “The soldier’s family has been informed” masks the unbearable grief following fatalities.

But someone has to inform the bereaved families and that is the basis of The Messenger (15) on Thursday.

Iraq veteran Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery (Ben Foster) and recovering alcoholic Captain Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson) are the casualty notification team with the nasty job of breaking the bad news.

They have different approaches and the reaction of parents, wives and families vary widely but the job has an effect on both with back stories that define their personalities.

Beautifully acted, this is a sombre subject but a moving insight into the legacy of war.

Lonsdale, Annan

Of all the recent superhero films, I would rate Marvel’s Captain America (12A) as one of the best. It is a cracking wartime adventure with a patriotic weakling turned into action man with a star spangled shield.

By playing the story straight but with a twinkle in the eye, the comic book characters and situations leap into action, especially in the 3D version now at The Lonsdale.

Chris Evans captures the reckless daring adventurer perfectly and Hugo Weaving is a terrific baddy, the Red Skull, with a classic reveal moment.

Harrison Ford meets Daniel Craig in Jon Favreau’s Cowboys and Aliens (12A).

Craig is a gunslinger with a memory lapse in the town of Absolution in Arizona in 1873.

The town is run by grumpy Harrison Ford as Woodrow Dolarhyde and strangers are taboo.

But there are strange goings-on, involving abductions by creatures from above-aka aliens.

What you get is a hugely enjoyable maverick western with two top stars at their straight jawed best and some surprisingly violent action sequences when the aliens finally face the six shooters. Previews next Wednesday and Thursday.

Four lads and four girls on holiday in Greece just about sums up The Inbetweeners: The Movie (15), a spin-off from the hit TV series.

School’s out and Will, Joe, Jay and Blake head for sun and fun in Crete where they meet up with four girls.

A perfect match you might say but these are the original sad saps heading for every embarrassing moment you can think of. Again this previews next Wednesday and Thursday.

Still on are Mr Popper’s Penguins (U); the terrific alien who wants to go home adventure Super 8 (12A) and for those who like them, the new The Smurfs Movie (U).