The Independent Recommends: Film

NOBODY DOES cheap machismo better than Nicolas Cage and in Snake Eyes (left) he shoulders into the brown, shiny jacket-from-hell to play corrupt cop Rick Santoro. Caught up in a deadly political conspiracy, Santoro surprises everyone by finding some moral fibre. Like its lead character, Snake Eyes is big and flashy, but cold around the heart. Brian de Palma executes the plot with technical brilliance and the film is worth seeing for his breathtaking opening shot alone.

On general release

Woody Allen provides the voice for "Z", a neurotic worker-ant and "middle child in a family of 500", in Antz, the droll computer animation from Dreamworks. Trapped in a totalitarian state, Z makes a break for freedom with Princess Bala, dodging fly swats, raindrops and giant trainers to make it to Insectopia. Political popcorn with plenty of eye-poppingly surreal set-pieces.

On general release