YOUR GUIDE TO THIS WEEK'S NEW CINEMA RELEASES

Happy New Year to all you movie lovers! It’s pretty confusing, at the moment, working out when new release movies are starting because cinemas are opening movies on public holidays. So check your cinema for times for the following new movies this week.

TOP PICK

Top pick this week goes to THE PEANUTS MOVIE in which Snoopy embarks upon his greatest mission as he and his team take to the skies to pursue their arch-nemesis, while his best pal Charlie Brown begins his own epic quest back home to win the love of his life. It’s been nominated for Best Motion Picture — Animated at this year’s Golden Globes and looks like it is being enjoyed by general viewers. Critics are averaging around 3 to 3.5 stars. For Village Voice’s Alan Scherstuhl, What's surprising - even wondrous - is how often Schulz's precisely crooked line work informs the big-budget gloss.

MAYBE/MAYBE NOT

There’s an episode of the TV series, Sherlock popping up in some cinemas on January 2 — and often only for one showing. So if you want to see it, check your cinema’s times. It’s called THE ABOMINABLE BRIDE. That’s all I know about it so if you catch it, let us all know what you think of it.

TO AVOID

One to avoid this week. POINT BREAK is a story about a young FBI agent who infiltrates an extraordinary team of extreme sports athletes he suspects of masterminding a string of unprecedented, sophisticated corporate heists. "Point Break" is inspired by the classic 1991 hit. It’s not getting good scores. According to Movie Nation’s Roger Moore, The casting does the film few favors. Ramirez is charismatic, but has none of Patrick Swayze's mad twinkle. It's a humorless film that makes you go “Wow” more than it involves you. Looks like it’s more about the cinematography than anything else. Give it a miss.

That's it for this week. See you at the movies!

NOTE Movie summaries are adaptations of movie summary on IMDB. Opinions are mine unless credited. These updates are written from an Australian perspective so openings of the movies in cinemas may vary in other parts of the world.