Office Christmas Party (out Dec 8) has a small number of laughs but for the most part, it's a limp comedy. It focuses too much on a dull story about "saving the company" and less on the outrageous Christmas party that features prominently in the advertising. Grade: C.

Queen of Katwe (out Dec 1) is based on a true story and follows a young girl who rises from the slums of Uganda to become an international chess champion. There's not a lot of subtlety in the film but it's still a feel-good underdog tale that will warm hearts. Grade: B+.

Little Men (out Dec 8) reminds us that life often throws up situations where there are no winners. Two well-meaning families find themselves caught up in a property dispute which threatens the friendship of their 13-year-old sons. This is a well-told tale that comes together nicely in the last half-hour. Grade: B+.

The Founder (out Nov 24) is slow at times but as a whole, it's still an enlightening drama about how Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton) created the world's largest fast food empire. Grade: B+.

Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk (out Nov 24) is from director Ang Lee and explores the way in which Americans distance themselves from the realities of war and the way in which it is packaged as "entertainment". It's discussion worthy but there's a level of repetition in the film that makes it less interesting that it could have been. Grade: B.

Underworld: Blood Wars (out Dec 1) is "more of the same" in this long running franchise. It's light on narrative and heavy on gory fight sequences. Aside from a creative action piece on a frozen lake, there's not a lot to get excited about. Grade: C+.

Dancer (out Dec 1) is a documentary that chronicles the life of Sergei Polunin, a Russian ballet dancer who took the world by storm 10 years ago but then fell from grace. It's an interesting story but not a fascinating one. Grade: B-.

Bad Santa 2 (out Nov 24) contains plenty of insults but there's not much to offer in the way of narrative and laugh-out-loud moments. This time around, Billy Bob Thornton's foul-mouthed character teams up with his mother and former colleague to rob a dodgy charity. Grade: C.

Up for Love (out Dec 1) is an odd French film about a woman who falls in love with a man but has conflicting thoughts about his short stature. It struggles to mix goofy comedy with heartfelt drama and ends up being a disappointment. Grade: C.

Trolls (out Dec 1) is about a cute group of creatures (kind of like Smurfs) who are trying to hide from some hideous monsters out to eat them. It's easy to see the family-friendly message the film is trying to push but the screenplay is not as interesting as it could be. Grade: B-.