THIS week Tom Hanks stars in Angels and Demons, the big screen adaptation of Dan Brown's best-selling novel.

May 15 2009 by Kathryn Carr, Southport Visiter

Meanwhile a down-on-his-luck street trader gets thrust into the big money world of bare-knuckle fighting in Fighting, and Hannah Montana is forced to choose between embracing her small-town roots and her secret pop-star persona in Hannah Montana: The Movie.

ANGELS AND DEMONS (12A) New release

Tom Hanks reprises his role as Harvard religious expert Robert Langdon, who once again finds that forces with ancient roots are willing to stop at nothing, even murder, to advance their goals.

When Langdon discovers evidence of the resurgence of an ancient secret brotherhood known as the Illuminati – the most powerful underground organisation in history – he also faces a deadly threat to the existence of the secret organisation’s most despised enemy: the Catholic Church.

Running time: 2hrs 40mins

FIGHTING (15) New release

Small–town boy Shawn MacArthur has come to New York City with nothing.

Barely earning a living selling counterfeit goods on the streets, his luck changes when scam artist Harvey Boarden sees that he has a natural talent for streetfighting. When Harvey offers Shawn help at making the real cash, the two form an uneasy partnership. As Shawn’s manager, Harvey introduces him to the corrupt bare–knuckle circuit, where rich men bet on disposable pawns. Almost overnight, he becomes a star brawler, taking down professional boxers, mixed martial arts champs and ultimate fighters in a series of staggeringly intense bouts. But if Shawn ever hopes to escape the dark world in which he’s found himself, he must now face the toughest fight of his life.

Running time: 2hr 5mins

STAR TREK (12A)

The Star Trek origin story gets a reboot as we go back to the days before the Enterprise crew had formed.

James Kirk is a young rebel with no intention of following in the footsteps of his father, a well respected Starfleet captain who died in service. But all that changes when the world is threatened by an alien force and he meets Spock, Scotty and the rest of his future crew at the Starfleet Academy.

Running time: 2hrs 30mins

CORALINE 2D (PG)

A young girl walks through a secret door in her new home and discovers an alternate version of her life. On the surface, this parallel reality is eerily similar to her real life – only much better. But, when this wondrously off-kilter, fantastical adventure turns dangerous, and her counterfeit parents (including Other Mother) try to keep her forever, Coraline must count on her resourcefulness, determination and bravery to get back home and save her family.

Running time: 2hrs

STATE OF PLAY (12A)

Based on the highly acclaimed BBC TV series of the same name, Crowe leads an all-star cast in a thriller about a rising congressman and an investigative journalist embroiled in the cases of seemingly unrelated murders. Crowe plays D.C. reporter Cal McCaffrey, working to untangle a mystery of murder and collusion among some of the nation's most promising political and corporate figures in State of Play.

Running time: 2hrs 30mins

X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE (12A)

Leading up to the events of ‘X-Men’, ‘X–Men: Origins’ tells the story of Wolverine’s epically violent and romantic past, his complex relationship with Victor Creed, and the ominous Weapon X programme. Along the way, Wolverine encounters many mutants, both familiar and new, including surprise appearances by several legends of the X–Men universe whose debut in the film series have long been anticipated.

Running time: 2hrs 10mins

HANNAH MONTANA: THE MOVIE (U)

Miley Stewart struggles to juggle school, friends and her secret pop star persona; when Hannah Montana’s soaring popularity threatens to take over her life, she just might let it. So her father takes the teen home to Tennessee for a dose of reality, kicking off an adventure filled with the kind of fun, laughter and romance even Hannah Montana couldn’t imagine.

Running time: 2hrs 5mins

GHOSTS OF GIRLFRIENDS PAST (12A)

Celebrity photographer Connor Mead loves freedom, fun and women – in that order. A committed bachelor who thinks nothing of breaking up with multiple women on a conference call, Connor's mockery of romance proves a real buzz-kill for his kid brother, Paul, and a houseful of well wishers on the eve of Paul's wedding. Just when it looks like Connor may single-handedly ruin the wedding, he is visited by the ghosts of his former jilted girlfriends, who take him on a revealing and hilarious odyssey through his failed relationships –past, present and future. Together they attempt to find out what turned Connor into such an insensitive jerk and whether there is still hope for him to find true love... or whether he really is the lost cause everyone thinks he is.

Running time: 2hrs

MONSTERS v ALIENS 2D (PG)

When California resident Susan Murphy mysteriously grows 49 feet, 11 inches tall, she is labelled a monster and taken in by the military to an institution housing other monsters, such as Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D., the Missing Link, B.O.B. and Insectosaurus. Soon this motley crew are called into action to protect the world when a UFO lands, and aliens demand that the earth be handed over to them.

Running time: 1hr 55mins