Fantasy and Christmas films usually dominate the box office during the winter and festive period but this year crime and cop movies are fighting back.

American Gangster
With an estimated budget of $100 million American Gangster tells the story of seventies drug lord Frank Lucas.And with Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington either side of the law it's the first time the two Oscar winners have locked horns on the big screen in over a decade. American Gangster also re-unites Crowe with Gladiator director Ridley Scott.It tells the story of Frank Lucas (Washington) who masterminded a drug enterprise that saw him smuggle heroin from South East Asia and Vietnam before distributing it on the streets of New York. In fact some the extras in the movie used to run drugs for Lucas. Given the job of stopping this enterprising criminal is Detective Richie Roberts (Crowe) as the police set up a special investigations unit with the sole purpose of capturing Lucas.

But this has been a troubled project at one point Terry George was directing with Don Cheale and Joaquin Phoenix in the leading roles.

Then Antoine 'Training Day' Fugua was on board to direct with Denzel Washington and Benicio Del Toro before securing Crow and Scott.

American Gangster is out now.

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We Own The Night

We Own The Night re-unite director James Grey with the stars of his 2000 movie The Yards Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Wahlberg.

In 1988 the drug trade in New York city is out of control. Bobby Green (Phoenix) has turned his back on his family to be the manager of the successful nightclub El Caribe.

His brother Joseph (Wahlberg) is an up and coming NTPD cop following in the footsteps of his father (Robert Duvall).

Joseph's job, as head of the narcotics unit, is to clean up New York and get the drugs off the streets, and he heads straight for El Caribe.

We Own The Night put loyalty and family ties to the test.

The movie, which was shot for a mere $28 million, was booed at Cannes Film Festival - which isn't always a bad thing. Since then it has received mixed reviews.

Some critics claim that it is a carbon copy of The Yards while others state that it's a fast paced exciting movie despite bringing nothing new to the genre.

You can make up your own mind when We Own The Night is released 14th December.

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The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

Jesse James is the most famous outlaw in American history and has been the subject of myths and stories for decades.

James and his gang were robbers, killers and terrorised railroad owners in the 1870s.

But due to the glorification of their actions by some newspapers they became, in the eyes of some, heroes, in particular to Robert Ford.

Director Andrew Domink is behind another projects based on the novel by Ron Hansen which follows Jesse James in the last few months before his assassination.

Hansen's book looks at the relationships, and in particular the betrayal by one of his own men Robert Ford (Casey Affleck). These ideas have been carried forward into the film.

Brad Pitt stars as James a role which won him the Best Actor prize at this year's Venice Film Festival and he is hotly tipped for an Oscar nomination.

The film was also nominated for the Golden Lion prize at Venice Film Festival.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is released 30th November.

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Hitman

Has there ever been a half decent videogame adaptation? We have had Tomb Raider, Doom and Resident Evil all of which have been below par.

But Xavier Gens, Hitman's director, is confident that all this is about to change with his current project.

Starring Timothy Olyphant (Die 4.0) as Agent 47 who has been educated to become a professional assassin and is hired by a secret group known only as 'The Agency'

But he finds himself being pursued by both Interpol and the military of Russia as well as experiencing unknown emotions for a mysterious Russian woman.

The film originally starred Vin Diesel as Agent t 47 as well as executive producer but he stepped down in December 2006. Timothy Olyphant was hired a month later.

Hitman is released 30th November

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Sweeney Todd

Like Jesse James the character of Sweeney Todd has become somewhat notorious as the demon barber of Fleet Street.

But Hollywood's most successful marriage of director Tim Buton and acting favourite Johnny Depp bring Sweeney Todd to the big screen as a musical.

Depp stars as a man unjustly sent to prison losing his wife and his daughter.

On his release, with the help of Mrs Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), they plot revenge on Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman) who sent him to prison and who is now his daughter's Ward.

This is the sixth collaboration between Depp and Burton after Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Charlie and the Chocolate Factor and The Corpse Bride.

Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street is released 25th January.

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Helen Earnshaw