Our top pick of the movies out in cinemas this week is The Secret Life of Pets, an animated comedy from the makers of Despicable Me.

Here are all the new flicks you’ll be able to go see from today…

(And here are 11 other things to do this weekend.)


THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS

An animation about pets is unlikely to appeal to anyone who doesn’t have/isn’t a child. At least, that’s what we thought before we looked at the voice talent for The Secret Life of Pets, which lists some of the best comedians in the business as its stars: Kevin Hart, Louis CK, Jenny Slate and Steve Coogan to name a few. The film follows the story of Max, a pampered pooch in New York who ends up lost and being taken in by a gang of abandoned pets, led by the wonderfully deranged bunny Snowball. Kids will love it, and grown-ups will find plenty to laugh about.


SKIPTRACE

There are two things Jackie Chan and Johnny Knoxville have in common: (1) Neither has scored a big hit since the early noughties  and (2) they both star in Skiptrace, the kind of action blockbuster buddy comedy that Chan excelled at with the likes of Rush Hour. Knoxville is a con-man on the run from a notorious Chinese gang after he witnessed the murder of Chan’s partner. Chan is the strait-laced cop set on justice. A decent comedy that’s worth a watch if only to marvel at how Chan is still doing those high kicks at the age of 62!


WAR DOGS

This new film from The Hangover director Todd Phillips is loosely based on a true story from a Rolling Stone article called Arms and the Dudes, which is about two young men (played by Miles Teller and Jonah Hill) who become involved in trading arms in Iraq and Afghanistan. Needless to say, the guys are way out of their depth and the plan inevitably backfires. Hill is as amusing as ever (not a far cry from his Wolf of Wall Street turn) and Teller is likeable enough to make you sympathise with his morally ambiguous character.


UNINDIAN

This sweet, low-key rom com has echoes of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, with our two love birds separated by contrasting cultures. What’s also worth noting is that the film stars former cricketer Brett Lee as the romantic lead. Lee plays Will, a teacher who falls for the beautiful Meera (Tannishtha Chatterjee), a divorced single mother. Unfortunately, Meera’s family don’t approve of the romance, dubbing it ‘UnIndian’. Will they come to accept the match (no cricket pun intended)?


HAPPY BHAG JAYEGI

This Bollywood rom-com tells the story of a wedding cut short when the bride runs away – so enthusiastically that she ends up crossing over the border between India and Pakistan. In no time at all, authorities from both countries are in hot pursuit, as well as her jilted fiancé. Starring Ali Fazal as the groom and Diana Penty as his flighty fiancé, expect lots of action, laughs and music.