IF panto isn’t quite your idea of entertainment and you feel the need to escape from all those Christmas repeats on television why not check what’s on at the various local cinemas over Christmas and New Year?

There is plenty of variety from computer animated feature films and the latest blockbusters to a chance to see some of those films you missed earlier in the year.

Malvern Cinema has the newly released Sherlock Holmes with Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law as the famous detective and his assistant Watson. The film is showing from Boxing Day until January 7.

At The Conquest Theatre in Bromyard there is a screening of the huge hit musical Mamma Mia on December 30. If you’ve already seen the film that broke all UK box office records when it was released see it again and stretch your vocal chords because this is the sing-a-long version. The film is at 7.30pm and booking is recommended. Tickets cost £4.50.

The Conquest also has Vicky Cristina Barcelona on January 8 at 8pm. This return to form for Woody Allen was one of the most talked about films of 2009.

The Courtyard in Hereford has the latest Pixar sensation Up(U) showing until December 31. This computer animated story combines adventure, slapstick comedy and tender drama in a story about a chubby boy scout and a grumpy old man who ties a thousand balloons to his house and flies away to fulfil his dreams.

There’s more computer-animated fun at The Conquest with Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs(U) on Saturday,January 2. This comedy is about a disaster-prone inventor who builds a machine that can turn water into food. Be prepared for giant ice cream drifts and pizza tornadoes. There are screenings at 11am and 2.30pm.

For the grown-ups The Conquest has the moving drama Creation(PG), a film about Darwin’s struggle to come to terms with the loss of his daughter Annie and whether or not he should publish his world-shaking theory of evolution. The film is being shown from January 2-6. There is also the Meryl Streep film Julia and Julia a comedy drama about a bored New York secretary who sets out to cook every recipe in a famous French cookery book. The film is showing from January 2-6.

At The Roses in Tewkesbury there is An Education(12A), a film set in swinging sixties London and starring Carey Mulligan who is being described as the new Audrey Hepburn. The film about the schoolgirl who dreams of becoming a cultured socialite is showing from January 6-11.

For full details, timings and tickets prices at all the above venues visit their websites.