STAR WARS: EPISODE II

ATTACK OF THE CLONES (PG)

sEQUEL set 10 years after Phantom Menace. The awesome action scenes will delight - see review.

I AM SAM (12)

Sean Penn was nominated as Best Actor at this year's Oscars for his performance as a mentally challenged single father battling for custody of his seven-year-old daughter, although his portrayal has polarised opinion with some critics feeling that his approach is too simplistic. The critics are united in being less than knocked out by Michelle Pfeiffer's performance as his lawyer.

DOG SOLDIERS (15)

Shot on a minuscule budget, Neil Marshall's werewolf horror flick splices gore and lashings of blood, with a sick and twisted sense of humour. A squad of British Army officers, led by Sergeant Wells (Sean Pertwee), takes part in a routine military exercise on the Scottish Highlands, where they stumble on a pile of human remains and an injured comrade who appears to have been attacked by an animal. Wells and his men soon find themselves under attack from wolf-like creatures.

SLACKERS (15)

If at first you don't succeed, cheat. That seems to be the mantra of Dewey Nicks's teen sex comedy, which wears its heart on its sleeve, but has its mind in the gutter. Dave (Devon Sawa), Jeff (Michael C Maronna) and Sam (Jason Segel) have cheated their way through college and when geek Ethan (Jason Schwartzman) uncovers their ruse, he blackmails Dave into helping him win the affections of the beautiful Angela (James King).

PANIC ROOM (15)

white-knuckle thriller in which divorcee mother Meg Altman (Jodie Foster) takes refuge in her New York mansion with her young daughter Sarah (Kristen Stewart) by hiding in a sanctuary called the panic room when three criminals - Burnham (Forest Whitaker), Raoul (Dwight Yoakam) and Junior (Jared Leto) - besiege their home searching for a fortune that just happens to also be in the panic room.

THE SCORPION KING (12)

BIG-budget adventure prequel. Evil warlord Memnon (Steven Brand) is helped to win each of his battles by a sorcerer and Mathayus (six-times WWF wrestling champion The Rock) is sent to assassinate him, but finds he's a she.

SHOWTIME (12)

Two LA cops are forced to agree to take part in a tabloid-style reality show. Detective Mitch Preston (Robert De Niro) is a no-nonsense veteran whose buddy is hot-headed patrol officer Trey Sellars (Eddie Murphy). The show's producer, Chase Renzi (Rene Russo), and Trey are delighted, but Mitch is unamused. Comedy and action mix with flair.

ABOUT A BOY (12)

Hugh Grant is on good form as 38-year-old slacker Will Lightman, who charms suicidal hippy mother Fiona (Toni Collette) and accepts the role of surrogate father to her 12-year-old son Marcus (Nicholas Hoult). Grant and Colette are good but the young Hoult is terrific.

ROADKILL (15)

Paul Walker is persuaded by his ne'er do well brother Steve Zahn to play a prank on a trucker, who has a sense of humour bypass and gets murderous.