YOUR WEEKEND PIC Dec 15 - 17

A Guide to help you plan your weekend viewing

1. ERAGON (Fantasy adventure with Jeremy Irons, Edward Speleers and Sienna Guillory) Rated * * 1/2 (out of 4): Farm boy finds dragon egg and is destined to save the people from a despotic king. Sounds familiar? Well, that's that. Nothing else in the way of subplots or comedy.

2. BARNYARD (Animated comedy voiced by Kevin James, Courteny Cox and Andie MacDowell) Rated: * * 1/2 (2.5 stars): This is basically a kiddie cartoon with rather stereotype characters and story (about the exploits of a bunch of farm animals). Udderly childish.

3. DEJA VU (Action thriller with Denzel Washington, Val Kilmer and Paula Patton) Rated * * * : For a time-travel movie by Jerry Bruckheimer and director Tony Scott, Déjà Vu has enough plot, intellect and action to sustain it. And it also has one of the most nail-biting car chase scenes to date!

4. AFTER THIS OUR EXILE (Shot in Malaysia HK movie with Aaron Kwok,
Charlie Young and Gouw Ian Iskandar) Rated * * *: A touching and engaging drama of a nine-year-old boy who is caught between an abusive, gambling-addict father (Kwok) and a runaway mom. He learns to steal for his dad and faces life the hard way.

5. HAUNTED APARTMENTS (Japanese horror starring Mei Kurokawa and Mitsuru Fukikoshi) Rated * * (2 stars): A rather tame thriller about a schoolgirl and her father 'trapped' in a haunted apartment block. Cliched and reminiscent of 'Ringu'.