ALSO SHOWING

THE GENTLEMEN (18)

AFTER the quick-stepping theatricality of a live-action Aladdin, Guy Ritchie returns to the crime-riddled streets of London. The dodgy geezers and expletive-laden doubledealing of Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels, which saddled the writer-director as a one-trick pony more than 20 years ago, are enthusiastically rehashed here.

Ritchie feeds us morsels of his predictable story in fragmented flashbacks, as told by an odious private detective named Fletcher (Hugh Grant), who wants a hefty £20m pay-off for incriminating photographs and documentation of marajuana dealer Mickey Pearson (Matthew McConaughey).

The American has built himself a lucrative empire aided by right-hand man Raymond (Charlie Hunnam). Mickey is poised to sell the business and retire with his wife, Rosalind (Michelle Dockery, pictured above with McConaughey). Unfortunately, trigger-happy rival Dry Eye (Henry Golding) intends to scupper the deal.

The Gentlemen has the usual Ritchie swagger, but his bag of stylistic tricks can’t enliven this dud.

JO JO RABBIT (12A)

ADAPTED from Christine Leunen’s novel Caging Skies, Jojo Rabbit is a daring comedy drama.

Johannes Betzler (Roman Griffin Davis), lives in Germany with his mother (Scarlett Johansson). The youngster undergoes training in the Hitler Youth with best pal Yorki (Archie Yates) at a camp run by Captain Klenzendorf (Sam Rockwell).

When Johannes can’t bring himself to kill a rabbit as part of his training, he leans on an unusual imaginary friend for advice – the Fuhrer himself (director Taika Waititi, pictured with Davis), but the discovery of a Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie) hiding in his house complicates the youngster’s life further.

LITTLE WOMEN (PG)

GRETA GERWIG’S splendid adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s 1868 novel sees Marmee (Laura Dern) preside warmly over the March family home while her husband (Bob Odenkirk) is enlisted in the American Civil War.

Her four daughters pursue their dreams: Jo (Saoirse Ronan) wishes to become a writer, Meg (Emma Watson) hopes to become a famous actress, Amy (Florence Pugh) yearns to step out of Jo’s shadow so that handsome next-door neighbour Laurie (Timothée Chalamet) might look her way, and Beth (Eliza Scanlen) loves to play the piano.

The siblings’ paths start to diverge courtesy of romantic dalliances and grave sickness, while clucky Aunt March (Meryl Streep, pictured above) advises the brood to marry well.