On Video Guide

Source Code, Trust, Limitless, Potiche, Take Me Home Tonight, Rango, The Lincoln Lawyer, Insidious, Miral, Hobo With a Shotgun, Of Gods and Men,

2011-08-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

Video Guide for: Source Code, Trust, Limitless, Potiche, Take Me Home Tonight, Rango, The Lincoln Lawyer, Insidious, Miral, Hobo With a Shotgun, Of Gods and Men, 13 Assassins.

Source Code

Vitals: Director: Duncan Jones. Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright, Michael Arden. 2011, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 93 min., Sci-Fi Thriller, Box office gross: $52.233 million, Summit Entertainment. 3 stars

When soldier Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) wakes up in the body of an unknown man, he discovers he's part of an experimental government program called the "Source Code" that enables him to cross over into another man's identity in the last eight minutes of his life. Armed with the task of identifying the bomber of a Chicago commuter train, Colter must re-live the incident over and over again, gathering clues until he can solve the mystery and prevent an even deadlier second terrorist attack.

Trust

Vitals: Director: David Schwimmer. Stars: Clive Owen, Catherine Keener, Liana Liberato, Jason Clarke, Viola Davis, Chris Henry Coffey, Noah Emmerich. 2011, CC, MPAA rating: R, 104 min., Drama, Box office gross: $.117 million, First Look.

A suburban family is torn apart when 14-year-old Annie (Liana Liberato) meets her first boyfriend online. After months of communicating via online chat and phone, Annie discovers her friend is not who he originally claimed to be: he's a 41-year-old internet predator. Shocked into disbelief, her parents (Clive Owen and Catherine Keener) are shattered by their daughter's actions and struggle to support her as she comes to terms with what has happened to her once innocent life. While her father becomes obsessed with revenge fantasies, Annie enters therapy, where she refuses to admit she's been victimized.

Limitless

Vitals: Director: Neil Burger. Stars: Bradley Cooper, Abbie Cornish, Robert De Niro. 2011, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 105 min., Sci-Fi Thriller, Box office gross: $77.563 million, Fox. 3 stars

Aspiring author Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper) is suffering from chronic writer's block, but his life changes instantly when an old friend introduces him to NZT, a revolutionary new pharmaceutical that allows him to tap his full potential. With every synapse crackling, Eddie can recall everything he has ever read, seen or heard, learn any language in a day, comprehend complex equations and beguile anyone he meets -- as long as he keeps taking the untested drug. Soon Eddie takes Wall Street by storm, parlaying a small stake into millions. His accomplishments catch the eye of mega-mogul Carl Van Loon (Robert De Niro), who invites him to help broker the largest merger in corporate history. But they also bring Eddie to the attention of people willing to do anything to get their hands on his stash of NZT. With his life in jeopardy and the drug's brutal side effects grinding him down, Eddie dodges mysterious stalkers, a vicious gangster and an intense police investigation as he attempts to hang on to his dwindling supply long enough to outwit his enemies.

Potiche

Vitals: Director: Francois Ozon. Stars: Catherine Deneuve, Gerard Depardieu, Fabrice Luchini, Karin Viard, Judith Godreche, Jeremie Renier, Sergi Lopez. 2011, CC, MPAA rating: R, 103 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $1.611 million, Music Box Films. 3 stars

Set in 1977 in a provincial French town, "Potiche" is a witty and charming comedy starring Catherine Deneuve as Suzanne Pujol, a housebound "trophy housewife" (or "potiche") who steps in to manage the umbrella factory run by her tyrannical husband (Fabrice Luchini) after the workers go on strike and he gets ill. To everyone's surprise, Suzanne proves herself a competent and assertive woman of action. Gerard Depardieu plays a union leader and Suzanne's ex-beau who still holds a flame for her. A satirical and hilarious take on the war between the sexes and classes. In French with English subtitles.

Take Me Home Tonight

Vitals: Director: Michael Dowse. Stars: Topher Grace, Anna Faris, Dan Fogler, Teresa Palmer, Chris Pratt, Michelle Trachtenberg, Michael Ian Black, Michael Biehn. 2011, CC, MPAA rating: R, 98 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $6.7 million, Fox. 2 stars

Recent MIT grad Matt Franklin should be working for a Fortune 500 company and starting his upward climb to full-fledged yuppie-hood. Instead, the directionless 23-year-old takes a part-time job behind the counter of a video store at the Sherman Oaks Galleria. But, Matt's silent protest against maturity comes to a screeching halt once his unrequited high school crush, Tori Frederking, walks into the store. When she invites him to an epic, end-of-summer party, Matt thinks he finally might have a chance with the girl of his dreams. With his cynical twin sister Wendy and best friend Barry, Matt embarks on a once-in-a-lifetime evening that will change the course of their lives on one unforgettable night in the Go-Go '80s.

Rango

Vitals: Director: Gore Verbinski. Stars: Voices of Johnny Depp, Abigail Breslin, Isla Fisher, Alfred Molina, Ray Winstone, Harry Dean Stanton, Bill Nighy, Claudia Black, Alanna Ubach, Stephen Root, Beth Grant, Kym Whitley. 2011, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 107 min., Animated, Box office gross: $120.8 million, Paramount. 3 stars

An original animated comedy-adventure that takes moviegoers for a hilarious and heartfelt walk in the Wild West. The story follows the comical, transformative journey of Rango (Johhny Depp), a sheltered chameleon living as an ordinary family pet who accidentally gets separated from his owners and winds up in the gritty, gun-slinging town of Dirt -- a lawless outpost populated by the desert's most wily and whimsical creatures. The less-than-courageous lizard suddenly finds he stands out and is welcomed as the last hope the town has been waiting for: a new Sheriff to fend off the bad guys terrorizing the town. Rango is forced to play his new role to the hilt as he uncovers a nefarious scheme by a greedy landowner to control the town's water supply. In a blaze of action-packed situations and encounters with outrageous characters, Rango starts to become the hero he once only pretended to be. It'd kind of like 'Chinatown' meets 'The Lion King.' There's so many homages to Westerns that we don't even know how to begin to list them: "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly," "High Plains Drifter," "High Noon" and "Cat Ballou" as well as nods to the aforementioned "Chinatown," "Apocalypse Now" and "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas." And Hans Zimmer's score is a definite nod to Ennio Morricone.

The Lincoln Lawyer

Vitals: Director: Brad Furman. Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, Ryan Phillippe, Josh Lucas, John Leguizamo, Michael Pena, Bob Gunton, Frances Fisher, Bryan Cranston, William H. Macy. 2011, CC, MPAA rating: R, 119 min., Drama, Box office gross: $56.1 million, Lionsgate. 3 stars

Matthew McConaughey stars as Michael "Mick" Haller, a slick, charismatic Los Angeles criminal defense attorney who operates out of the back of his Lincoln Continental sedan. Having spent most of his career defending petty, gutter-variety criminals, Mick unexpectedly lands the case of a lifetime: Defending a rich Beverly Hills playboy (Ryan Phillippe) who is accused of attempted murder. What initially appears to be a straightforward case with a big money pay-off swiftly develops into a deadly match between two masters of manipulation and a crisis of conscience for Haller.

Insidious

Vitals: Director: James Wan. Stars: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Ty Simpkins, Barbara Hershey, Lin Shaye, Andrew Astor, Leigh Whannell, Angus Sampson, Ruben Pla, Heather Tocquigny, John Henry Binder. 2011, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 103 min., Horror, Box office gross: $52.4 million, Sony. 2 stars

Terrifying story of a family who, shortly after moving, discover that dark spirits have possessed their home and that their son has inexplicably fallen into a coma. Trying to escape the haunting and save their son, they move again only to discover that it was not their house that was haunted.

Miral

Vitals: Director: Julian Schnabel. Stars: Freida Pinto, Hiam Abbass, Willem Dafoe, Vanessa Redgrave. 2011, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 112 min., Drama, Box office gross: $.371 million, The Weinstein Co./Anchor Bay. 2 stars

Story of a Palestinian girl coming of age amidst the war zone of the Israeli-Arab conflict -- unflinchingly told through the perspective of Miral (Pinto) herself. Following the death of her troubled mother, Miral's father is forced to entrust her to the orphanage of Hind Husseini. Hind's commitment to peace through education has a profound impact on the maturing young woman, and Miral's epic journey to self-esteem and social consciousness proves both harrowing and hopeful as she's torn between resistance and education as separate paths to political change.

Hobo With a Shotgun

Vitals: Director: Jason Eisener. Stars: Rutger Hauer, Brian Downey, Molly Dunsworth, Gregory Smith, Nick Bateman, Jeremy Akerman. 2011, CC, MPAA rating: R, 86 min., Horror-Thriller, Box office gross: $.672 million, Magnolia Home Entertainment. 3 stars

The winner of the Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez SXSW Grindhouse Trailer Competition, "Hobo With a Shotgun" was transformed into a full-length horror thriller that won accolades as a double-barrelled killer of a film; it's the explosive tale of one man pushed to his bloody breaking point by the surrounding chaos and violence of the grotesque urban hell in which he lives. Synopsis: A train pulls into the station -- it's the end of the line. A Hobo (Rutget Hauer) jumps from a freight car, hoping for a fresh start in a new city. Instead, he finds himself trapped in an urban hell. This is a world where criminals rule the streets and Drake, the city's crime boss, reigns supreme alongside his sadistic murderous sons, Slick and Ivan. Amidst the chaos, the Hobo comes across a pawnshop window displaying a second hand lawn mower. He dreams of making the city a beautiful place and starting a new life for himself. But as the brutality continues to rage around him, he notices a shotgun hanging above the lawn mower. Quickly, he realizes the only way to make a difference in this town is with that gun in his hand and two shells in its chamber.

Of Gods and Men

Vitals: Director: Xavier Beauvois. Stars: Lambert Wilson, Michael Lonsdale. 2011, CC, MPAA rating: R, 120 min., Drama, Box office gross: $3.556 million, Sony. 3 stars

Eight French Christian monks live in harmony with their Muslim brothers in a monastery perched in the mountains of North Africa in the 1990s. When a crew of foreign workers is massacred by an Islamic fundamentalist group, fear sweeps through the region. The army offers them protection, but the monks refuse. Should they leave? Despite the growing menace in their midst, they slowly realize that they have no choice but to stay ... come what may. This film is loosely based on the life of the Cistercian monks of Tibhirine in Algeria, from 1993 until their kidnapping in 1996.

13 Assassins

Vitals: Director: Takashi Miike. Stars: Koji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Yusuke Iseya, Goro Inagaki, Masachika Ichimura. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 141 min., Action, Box office gross: $.301 million, Magnolia Home Entertainment. 3 stars

Legendary cult director Takashi Miike ('Ichi the Killer,' 'Audition') delivers a bravado action film set at the end of Japan's feudal era in which a brave group of elite samurai are enlisted to bring down a sadistic lord and his army to prevent him from ascending to the throne and plunging the country into a war-torn future. In the era of the Shogun, an evil young lord rapes and kills, assured of immunity by law. But he doesn't count on the Thirteen Assassins. A feared secret force, each with their own deadly skill, the Assassins undertake a suicide mission to wipe out the Lord. As the Lord embarks on a perilous journey, the Assassins close off his escape route and ambush him in a village of death. But little do they know that they are outnumbered four to one by the Lord's crack team of bodyguards.

Video Guide for: Barney's Version, Beastly, Sucker Punch, Season of the Witch, The Warrior's Way, The Adjustment Bureau, Unknown, Cedar Rapids, ..

2011-07-01T00:02:00.001-07:00

Video Guide for: Barney's Version, Beastly, Sucker Punch, Season of the Witch, The Warrior's Way, The Adjustment Bureau, Unknown, Cedar Rapids, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, Ceremony, Elektra Luxx, The Eagle, Battle: Los Angeles, The Concert, Hall Pass, Big Mommas: Like Father Like Son, True Grit, Another Year, The Company Men, Carancho, Just Go With It, Sanctum

Barney's Version
Vitals: Director: Richard J. Lewis. stars: Paul Giamatti, Dustin Hoffman, Rosamund Pike, Minnie Driver, Rachelle Lefevre, Scott Speedman. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 134 min., Drama, Box office gross: $7.431 million, Sony. 3 stars

Based on Mordecai Richler's prize-winning comic novel, "Barney's Version" is the warm, wise, and witty story of Barney Panofsky (Paul Giamatti), a seemingly ordinary man who lives an extraordinary life. Barney's candid confessional spans four decades and two continents, and includes three wives (Rosamund Pike, Minnie Driver, and Rachelle Lefevre), one outrageous father (Dustin Hoffman), and a charmingly dissolute best friend (Scott Speedman). A candid confessional, told from Barney's point of view, taking us through the different acts of his unusual history. There is his first wife, Clara (Lefevre), a flame-haired, flagrantly unfaithful free spirit with whom Barney briefly lives 'la vie de Boheme' in Rome. The second Mrs. Panofsky (Driver) is a wealthy Jewish princess who shops and talks incessantly, barely noticing that Barney is not listening. It's at their lavish wedding that Barney meets, and starts pursuing, Miriam, his third wife (Pike), the mother of his two children and his true love. With his father Izzy (Hoffman) as his sidekick, Barney takes us through the many highs, and a few too many lows, of his long and colorful life.

Beastly
Vitals: Director: Daniel Barnz. stars: Vanessa Hudgens, Alex Pettyfer, Mary-Kate Olsen, Peter Krause Neil Patrick Harris. 2011, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 86 min., Fantasy Drama, Box office gross: $27.598 million, Sony. 2 stars

A modern-day take on the "Beauty and the Beast" tale where a New York teen is transformed into a hideous monster in order to find true love. Seventeen-year-old Kyle (Alex Pettyfer) is the spoiled, shallow and incredibly popular prince of his high school kingdom. Entirely captivated and empowered by his own physical appearance, Kyle foolishly chooses Kendra (Mary-Kate Olsen), a classmate rumored to be a witch, as his latest target for humiliation. Unfazed by his cruel behavior, Kendra decides to teach him a lesson -- she transforms him into someone as unattractive on the outside as he is on the inside. Now he has one year to find someone who can see past the surface and love him, or he will remain "Beastly" forever. His only hope, an unassuming classmate he never noticed named Lindy (Vanessa Hudgens), may be his best chance to prove that love is never ugly.

Sucker Punch
Vitals: Director: Zack Snyder. stars: Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Chung, Scott Glenn, Oscar Isaac, Carla Gugino, Jon Hamm. 2011, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 120 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $36.323 million, Warner. 2 stars

Action fantasy that takes us into the vivid imagination of a young girl whose dream world provides the ultimate escape from her darker reality. Unrestrained by the boundaries of time and place, she is free to go where her mind takes her, and her incredible adventures blur the lines between what's real and what is imaginary. She has been locked away against her will, but Babydoll (Emily Browning) has not lost her will to survive. Determined to fight for her freedom, she urges four other young girls -- the outspoken Rocket (Jena Malone), the street-smart Blondie (Vanessa Hudgens), the fiercely loyal Amber (Jamie Chung) and the reluctant Sweet Pea (Abbie Cornish) -- to band together and try to escape their terrible fate at the hands of their captors, Blue (Oscar Isaac), Madam Gorski (Carla Gugino) and the High Roller (Jon Hamm). Led by Babydoll, the girls engage in fantastical warfare against everything from samurais to serpents, with a virtual arsenal at their disposal. Together, they must decide what they are willing to sacrifice in order to stay alive. But with the help of a Wise Man (Scott Glenn), their unbelievable journey -- if they succeed -- will set them free.

Season of the Witch
Vitals: Director: Dominic Sena. stars: Nicolas Cage, Ron Perlman, Claire Foy, Stephen Campbell Moore, Stephen Graham, Stephen Graham, Robert Sheehan. 2011, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 95 min., Fantasy Thriller, Box office gross: $24.823 million, Fox. 2 stars

Supernatural action adventure about a heroic 14th century crusader, Knight Behmen (Nicolas Cage) and his fellow soldier, Felson (Ron Perlman), who return to a homeland devastated by the Black Plague. A beleaguered church, deeming sorcery the culprit of the plague, commands the two knights to transport an accused witch (Claire Foy) to a remote abbey, where monks will perform a ritual in hopes of ending the pestilence. A priest, a grieving knight, an itinerant swindler and a headstrong youth who can only dream of becoming a knight join a mission troubled by a mythically hostile wilderness and a fierce contention over the fate of the girl. The arduous journey across perilous terrain tests their strength and courage as they discover the girl's secret and find themselves battling a terrifyingly powerful force that will determine the fate of the world.

The Warrior's Way
Vitals: Director: Sngmoo Lee. stars: Jang Dong Gun, Geoffrey Rush, Kate Bosworth, Danny Huston. 2011, CC, MPAA rating: R, 100 min., Martial Arts/Western, Box office gross: $5.664, million, Fox. 2 stars

After a lifetime of training in swordsmanship and hand-to-hand combat, the world's most dangerous fighter (Jang Dong Gun) flees his homeland after refusing a mission and tries to start a new life in the American West. But soon the hunter becomes the hunted, and the legendary warrior must wage a fierce, all-out battle against a renegade gang of outlaws and a pack of murderous assassins from his own past.

The Adjustment Bureau
Vitals: Director: George Nolfi. stars: Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Terence Stamp, Anthony Mackie, John Slattery. 2011, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 106 min., Science Fiction, Box office gross: $60.735 million, Universal. 3 stars

Do we control our destiny, or do unseen forces manipulate us? Matt Damon stars

in this thriller -- based on the short story "Adjustment Team" by Philip K. Dick.-- as a man who glimpses the future Fate has planned for him and realizes he wants something else. On the brink of winning a seat in the U.S. Senate, ambitious politician David Norris (Damon) meets beautiful ballet dancer Elise Sellas (Emily Blunt). But just as he realizes he's falling for her, mysterious men conspire to keep the two apart. David learns he is up against the agents of Fate itself -- the men of The Adjustment Bureau -- who will do everything in their considerable power to prevent David and Elise from being together. In the face of overwhelming odds, he must either let her go and accept a predetermined path ... or risk everything to defy Fate and be with her. We've never met a Philip K. Dick story, novel or big-screen adaptation we didn't like -- but if we had to pick one to anchor the bottom of our list of faves, 'The Adjustment Bureau' would be it. Director George Nolfi just can't seem to put any oomph into the proceedings, and the film can't decide if it's a sci-fi thriller, a conspiracy mystery, a love story or a religious tract -- and given the ending that accedes to a higher power, maybe even He (or She) didn't know either. This one sounds better on paper than it plays.

Unknown
Vitals: Director: Jaume Collet-Serra. stars: Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger, January Jones, Aidan Quinn, Bruno Ganz, Frank Langella. 2011, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 109 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $61.094 million, Warner. 3 stars

Dr. Martin Harris (Liam Neeson) awakens after a car accident in Berlin to discover that his wife (January Jones) suddenly doesn't recognize him and another man (Aidan Quinn) has assumed his identity. Ignored by disbelieving authorities and hunted by mysterious assassins, he finds himself alone, tired and on the run. Aided by an unlikely ally (Diane Kruger), Martin plunges headlong into a deadly mystery that will force him to question his sanity, his identity, and just how far he's willing to go to uncover the truth. Liam Neeson's career has always been a mixed bag. One day he's playing Darkman, the next Oskar Schindler. When he's not handling a light sabre as Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, he's brandishing a clip board in 'Kinsey.' Lately he's taken up residence as the big screen's elder statesman of action (he just hit 59), first in 'Taken' and now in 'Unknown.' This straight-ahead action-thriller by director Jaume Collet-Serra (who did the freaky thriller 'Orphan') is pushed along by Neeson's charisma and charm but starts to peter out after the plot twist is revealed in the film's last third. Still, we revel in Neeson's "dad-next-door-with-fists-of-steel" persona.

Cedar Rapids
Vitals: Director: Miguel Arteta. stars: Ed Helms, John C. Reilly, Anne Heche, Sigourney Weaver, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Stephen Root, Kurtwood Smith, Alia Shawkat, Rob Corddry. 2011, CC, MPAA rating: R, 96 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $6.732 million, Fox. 2 stars

Ed Helms (of 'The Office' and 'The Hangover' fame) plays naive Tim Lippe, a small-town mid-Western insurance agent who's never left his hometown, never stayed at a hotel, never had a hard-drink ... and he's never experienced anything like Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Sent to represent his company at the annual insurance convention, Tim is soon distracted by three convention veterans (John C. Reilly, Anne Heche and Isiah Whitlock Jr.) who show him the ropes and push his boundaries ... and lend him a hand when his innocence gets him into raunchy trouble. Helms is cutting a swathe for himself as kind of an everyman loser who eventually rises to the occasion and saves the day. Here he plays it to the hilt as an insurance salesman whose libido is just on the edge of bursting -- though he doesn't yet know it. On the one hand he's having an affair with his ex-elementary school teacher (Sigourney Weaver), on the other he marvels at the peanuts he's served on his airline flight. The film veers from sweetness and light to nasty bathroom humor with almost nothing in between -- but it all comes together as a kind of goofball Odyssey.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
Vitals: Director: David Bowers. stars: Zachary Gordon, Robert Capron, Peyton List, Devon Bostick, Rachael Harris, Steve Zahn. 2011, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 96 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $48.122 million, Fox. 2 stars

Just back from summer vacation, Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon) and his friend Rowley (Robert Capron) enter the next grade as undersized weaklings in their school. A bully favorite, Greg tries not to get noticed by anyone except the pretty new girl, Holly Hills (Peyton List). And at home, Greg is still at war with his older brother, Rodrick (Devon Bostick), until their mom Susan (Rachael Harris) instigates a "Mom Bucks" program so Greg and Rodrick can earn play money by doing chores and being nice to each other. Calamity ensues when their parents return from vacation and dad Frank (Steve Zahn) finds evidence that Rodrick secretly threw a houseparty with his band, Loded Diper. As they struggle with school and compete for "Mom Bucks," the brothers discover that avoiding trouble is easier if they unite -- and their once-twisted partnership grows into a hilariously playful and sometimes mischievous friendship.

Ceremony
Vitals: Director: Max Winkler. stars: Uma Thurman, Lee Pace, Michael Angarano, Rebecca Mader, Reece Thompson. 2011, CC, MPAA rating: R, 89 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $.021 million, Magnolia Home Entertainment. 2 stars

Aspiring children's book author Sam Davis (Michael Angarano) convinces his former best friend Marshal (Reece Thompson) to spend the weekend with him to rekindle their friendship at an elegant beachside estate owned by a famous documentary filmmaker Whit Coutell (Lee Pace). But it soon becomes clear that Sam has ulterior motives when Marshal learns that Whit's fiancee, Zoe (Uma Thurman) is Sam's older ex. His plan is to crash and thwart their impending nuptials, but it begins to unravel as he is forced to realize how complicated love and friendship can be.

Elektra Luxx
Vitals: Director: Sebastian Gutierrez. stars: Carla Gugino, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Marley Shelton, Timothy Olyphant, Malin Akerman, Adrianne Palicki, Emmanuelle Chriqui. 2011, CC, MPAA rating: R, 104 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $.010 million, Sony. 1 stars

Recently retired from the adult film industry, superstar Elektra Luxx (Carla Gugino) is pregnant with the child of late rock star Nick Chapel. She's trying to make ends meet by teaching a community college sex education class aimed at housewives when a figure from her past, flight attendant Cora (Marley Shelton), approaches her with a proposition. In exchange for the (stolen) lyrics to Nick Chapel's last record, all of which is about Elektra, Cora needs Elektra to seduce her fiancee. Elektra reluctantly agrees to do this favor, setting in motion a series of events that will see her come face to face with a studly private investigator, an obsessed sex blogger, emotionally unstable clothing-challenged neighbors and the Virgin Mary herself as she wrestles with the prospect of motherhood and tries to become a person of substance. Silly, amateurish production is a waste of a lot of good talent.

The Eagle
Vitals: Director: Kevin Macdonald. stars: Channing Tatum, Denis O'Hare, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland. 2011, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 114 min., Action, Box office gross: $19.478 million, Universal. 2 stars

In 2nd-Century Britain, celebrated Roman soldier Marcus Aquila (Channing Tatum) embarks on a dangerous quest to restore the tarnished reputation of his father and find the golden emblem that disappeared with him and thousands of troops twenty years earlier. But the highlands of Caledonia are a savage wilderness, and Marcus must rely on his embittered slave, Esca (Jamie Bell), to navigate the perilous region. Their journey pushes them beyond the boundaries of loyalty and betrayal, friendship and hatred, deceit and heroism.

Red Riding Hood
Vitals: Director: Catherine Hardwicke. stars: Amanda Seyfried, Gary Oldman, Lukas Haas, Shiloh Fernandez, Max Irons, Billy Burke, Virginia Madsen, Julie Christie. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 100 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $37.186 million, Warner. 3 stars

Dark interpretation of the Grimms' fairy tale (already pretty dark), set in medieval times. Valerie (Amanda Seyfried) is a beautiful young woman torn between two men. She's in love with brooding outsider Peter (Shiloh Fernandez), but her parents have arranged for her to marry the wealthy Henry (Max Irons). Unwilling to lose each other, Valerie and Peter are planning to run away together when they learn that Valerie's older sister has been killed by the werewolf that prowls the dark forest surrounding their village. For years, the people have maintained an uneasy truce with the beast, offering the creature a monthly animal sacrifice. But under a blood red moon, the wolf has upped the stakes by taking a human life. Hungry for revenge, the people call on famed werewolf hunter, Father Solomon (Gary Oldman), to help them kill the wolf. But Solomon's arrival brings unintended consequences as he warns that the wolf, who takes human form by day, could be any one of them. As the death toll rises with each moon, Valerie begins to suspect that the werewolf could be someone she loves. Panic grips the town as Valerie discovers that she has a unique connection to the beast -- one that inexorably draws them together, making her both suspect ... and bait. Take two snarky, handsome heroes at odds with each other over the love of an independent, petulant heroine, throw in Catherine Hardwicke as director, and what do you get? No, not 'Twilight,' but an adult-themed facsimile. Unfortunately, where 'Twilight' has a syrupy, involving story line, 'Red Riding Hood' is a messy tale at best, with a sloppy plot and aimless acting -- there's one scene in which Seyfried stands around, looking as if she's waiting for acting instructions. At least the sets are medieval lush and the sound -- especially the creak and crash of doors slamming and wood shattering -- is stupendous.

Battle: Los Angeles
Vitals: Director: Jonathan Liebesman. stars: Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez, Ramon Rodriguez, Bridget Moynahan, Ne-Yo, Michael Pena. 2011, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 116 min., Science Fiction Action, Box office gross: $82.649 million, Sony. 3 stars

For years, there have been documented cases of UFO sightings around the world -- Buenos Aires, Seoul, France, Germany, and China. But in 2011, what were once just sightings will become a terrifying reality when Earth is attacked by unknown forces. As people everywhere watch the world's great cities fall, Los Angeles becomes the last stand for mankind in a battle no one expected. It's up to a Marine staff sergeant (Aaron Eckhart) and his new platoon to draw a line in the sand as they take on an enemy unlike any they've ever encountered before. If you liked the shaky vérité-like camerawork of 'Cloverfield' or 'Skyline' you'll love this one, which puts you on the ground with the Marines as they fight off one alien after another. But that's pretty much it for this film: There's no overriding, big picture for the action, just one skirmish after another, one close escape after another, one more dead marine or civilian or alien. Admittedly, the sets of smashed freeways, wrecked vehicles and destroyed buildings are a marvel to behold, but the shapeless, impersonal film keeps you isolated from caring for anyone or even rooting for the humans. Despite all the expensive effects, the film goes nowhere -- kind of like rush hour in L.A.

The Concert
Vitals: Director: Radu Mihaileanu. stars: Melanie Laurent, Aleksei Guskov, Dmitri Nazarov, Valeiy Barinov, Miou-Miou. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 119 min., Comedy Drama, Box office gross: $.657 million, The Weinstein Company/Arc Entertainment. 3 stars

"The Concert" is the new film from Radu Mihaileanu, the acclaimed writer-director of "Live and Become," starring Melanie Laurent ("Inglorious Basterds"), Francois Berlsand; ("Transporter" series) and Alexei Guskov. Guskov stars

as Andrei Filipov, a once celebrated Russian conductor of the Bolshoi orchestra who was fired 30 years ago for hiring Jewish musicians. Now a mere cleaning man at the Bolshoi, he learns by accident that the Chatelet Theater in Paris has invited the Bolshoi orchestra to play there and he masterminds a plan to pose as the leader of the group in order to make a triumphant return to the music scene. With a motley bunch of old Jewish and Gypsy musicians at his side, Andrei sets off for Paris, impersonating the Bolshoi, to fulfill his destiny and return to his glory as a great conductor. But to make it work, he needs to persuade a young violinist virtuoso, Anne-Marie Jacquet, to accompany his musicians. Along the way there's missed rehearsals, lost musicians, a little bit of intrigue, and a glimmering hope for second chances. One of the centerpieces of the film: the gorgeous, moving performance of "Violin Concerto in D Major op. 35" by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. In French and Russian with English subtitles.

Hall Pass
Vitals: Director: Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly. stars: Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Jenna Fischer, Christina Applegate, Nicky Whelan, Richard Jenkins. 2011, CC, MPAA rating: R, 105 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $44.870 million, Warner. 2 stars

Rick (Owen Wilson) and Fred (Jason Sudeikis) are best friends who have a lot in common, including the fact that they have each been married for many years. But when the two men begin to show signs of restlessness at home, their wives (Jenna Fischer, Christina Applegate) take a bold approach to revitalizing their marriages: granting them a "hall pass," one week of freedom to do whatever they want ... no questions asked. At first, it sounds like a dream come true for Rick and Fred. But it isn't long before they discover that their expectations of the single life -- and themselves -- are completely out of sync with reality ... especially when it appears that both wives are engaging in extramarital activities as well. At the risk of being stoned by angry fans, I must make this disclaimer: I have never, ever liked a Farrelly brothers movie. There's always an undercurrent of meanness and nastiness in their films that emphasize the worst aspects of our culture, from selfishness to disrespect to plain, outright adolescent stupidity (one of their upcoming projects: 'Walter the Farting Dog'). That said, the brothers seem to have dialed back some of their patented gross-out humor for 'Hall Pass,' but their storytelling still rests on the back of immature, superficial men who ogle passing female rearends but really only know how to handle poker, pizza and beer. Which means it's all downhill from there.

Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son
Vitals: Director: John Whitesell. stars: Martin Lawrence, Brandon T. Jackson, Jessica Lucas, Michelle Ang, Portia Doubleday, Emily Rios, Faizon Love. 2011, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 107 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $37.499 million, Fox. 2 stars

Martin Lawrence's career must have hit rock bottom for him to star in this uninspiring second sequel After stints as an undercover grandmother and an undercover nanny, FBI agent Malcolm Turner (Lawrence) adds "undercover housemother" to his resume to unmask a murderer. Big Momma is hired to go deep undercover as the Headmistress of the Atlanta Girls' School for the Arts attended by aspiring music student and leading love interest Haley (Jessica Lucas). Proving "like father, like son," Turner brings along his stepson Trent (Brandon T. Jackson) to double as Big Momma's grand-niece Charmaine and go undercover as a student in the school. The duo tries in vain to derail attempts by the school's security guard (Faizon Love) to get control of the debauchery.

True Grit
Vitals: Director: Coen brothers. stars: Hailee Steinfeld, Josh Brolin, Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Barry Pepper. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 110 min., Western, Box office gross: $169.381 million, Paramount. 4 stars

The Coen brothers' version of "True Grit," Charles Portis' novel is about a 14-year-old girl who, along with an aging U.S. marshal and another lawman, tracks her father's killer in hostile Indian territory. Mattie Ross's (Hailee Steinfeld) father has been shot in cold blood by the coward Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), and she is determined to bring him to justice. Enlisting the help of a trigger-happy, drunken U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges), she sets out with him -- over his objections -- to hunt down Chaney. Her father's blood demands that she pursue the criminal into Indian territory and find him before a Texas Ranger named LeBoeuf (Matt Damon) catches him and brings him back to Texas for the murder of another man. Features an incredible bravura performance as Bridges, who makes the role of Rooster Cogburn his own. The original 1969 film was a showcase for John Wayne, and starred Kim Darby as the teen, Wayne and Glen Campbell as the lawmen, Jeff Corey as the killer and featured Robert Duvall and Dennis Hopper as fellow outlaws.

Another Year
Vitals: Director: Mike Leigh. stars: Jim Broadbent, Lesley Manville, Ruth Sheen, Oliver Maltman, Peter Wight, David Bradley, Martin Savage. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 129 min., Drama, Box office gross: $3.162 million, Sony. 4 stars

A happy couple for over 30 years, Tom (Broadbent) and Gerri (Sheen) act as a steady anchor to their unmarried circle of family and friends, including their son, a male friend from Hull, and single, unhappy, middle-aged Mary (Manville). But as the seasons change and another year passes, Tom and Gerri's support is put to the test in this masterful look at life, love and the meaning of friendship. Using his trademark production method of improvisation, director Mike Leigh once again delivers a moving and detailed portrait of his characters' inner lives. This process has yielded some of the finest performances ever put on film, and it has generated an Oscar-nominated screenplay for four of his previous films: "Happy Go Lucky," "Vera Drake," "Topsy Turvy," and "Secrets and Lies."

The Company Men
Vitals: Director: John Wells. stars: Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper, Kevin Costner, Tommy Lee Jones, Maria Bello, Rosemarie Dewitt, Craig T. Nelson. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 109 min., Drama, Box office gross: $4.266 million, The Weinstein Co./Anchor Bay. 2 stars

Bobby Walker (Ben Affleck) is living the American dream: great job, beautiful family, shiny Porsche in the garage. When corporate downsizing leaves him and co-workers Phil Woodward (Chris Cooper) and Gene McClary (Tommy Lee Jones) jobless, the three men are forced to re-define their lives as men, husbands, and fathers. Walker, whose sense of self crumbles after losing his job, soon finds himself enduring enthusiastic life coaching, a job building houses for his brother-in-law (Kevin Costner) which does not play to his executive skill set, and perhaps the realization that there is more to life than chasing the bigger, better deal. Company founder McClary tries to fight the good fight against the layoffs, only to discover that he has made himself a target. And older worker Woodward gives in to blind fury as he waits for the inevitable. With humor, pathos, and keen observation, writer-director John Wells (the creator of "ER," "The West Wing," "Southland" and "Shameless") introduces us to the new realities of American life.

Carancho
Vitals: Director: Pablo Trapero. stars: Ricardo Darin, Martina Gusman. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 107 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $.074 million, Strand Releasing. 3 stars

Sosa (Ricardo Darin, "The Secret in Their Eyes") is an ambulance-chasing personal injury attorney with questionable ethics who makes his living in the flourishing, barely legal Argentinean industry founded on insurance payouts from traffic accidents. Sosa tours the A&E Departments of the public hospitals and the police stations in search of potential clients. Lujan (Martina Gusman) is a young, idealistic country doctor, new to the city. Sosa and Lujan first meet in the street: She's trying to save a man's life; he wants him on his client portfolio. After their paths repeatedly cross, the two form an unlikely romance that is threatened by Sosa's turbulent past. In Spanish with English subtitles.

Just Go With It
Vitals: Director: Dennis Dugan. stars: Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, Nicole Kidman, Nick Swardson, Brooklyn Decker, Bailee Madison, Griffin Gluck, Dave Matthews, Kevin Nealon. 2011, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 116 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $101.917 million, Sony. 2 stars

After telling his much younger schoolteacher girlfriend (Brooklyn Decker) that he's married as a means of avoiding real commitment, a plastic surgeon (Adam Sandler) must recruit a fake family to prove his honesty. So he enlists his loyal assistant (Jennifer Aniston) to pretend to be his soon to be ex-wife, in order to cover up his careless lie. When more lies backfire, the assistant's kids become involved, and everyone heads off for a weekend in Hawaii to sort things out.

Sanctum
Vitals: Director: Alister Grierson. stars: Richard Roxburgh, Ioan Gruffudd, Rhys Wakefield, Alice Parkinson. 2011, CC, MPAA rating: R, 108 min., Action, Box office gross: $18.035 million, Universal. 2 stars

Conceived and shot in 3D. From executive producer James Cameron comes a thrilling underwater adventure based on true events. Master diver Frank McGuire leads a team -- including his 17-year-old son -- to explore the largest, most beautiful and least accessible cave system on Earth. But when a tropical storm cuts off their only escape route, the team must work together to find their way through an uncharted and dangerous underwater labyrinth to make it out alive.

Biutiful, Drive Angry, Gnomeo and Juliet, I Am Number 4, The Mechanic, The Rite, The Roommate, Blue Valentine, No Strings Attached, The Illusionist..

2011-06-01T15:40:00.000-07:00

Video Guide for: Biutiful, Drive Angry, Gnomeo and Juliet, I Am Number 4, The Mechanic, The Rite, The Roommate, Blue Valentine, No Strings Attached, The Illusionist, Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, The Green Hornet, The Dilemma, Mao's Last Dancer, From Prada to Nada

Biutiful

Vitals: Director: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. Stars: Javier Bardem, Maricel Alvarez, Hanaa Bouchaib, Guillermo Estrella, Eduard Fernandez. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 148 min., Drama, Box office gross: $3.772 million, Lionsgate. 3 stars

A love story between a father and his children. This is the journey of Uxbal, a conflicted man who struggles to reconcile fatherhood, love, spirituality, crime, guilt and mortality amidst the dangerous underworld of modern Barcelona. His livelihood is earned out of bounds: either by helping smugglers and illegal aliens, by selling knock-off goods, or as a spiritual advisor to his neighbors. He lives for his children and navigates the shoals of the Spanish underclass, an unfaithful wife (who's having an affair with his brother) and impending death. But through it all a spark of humanity glows, handed down from father to children. An incredible performance by Javier Bardem. In Spanish with English subtitles.

Drive Angry

Vitals: Director: Patrick Lussier. Stars: Nicolas Cage, Amber Heard, David Morse, William Fichtner, Christa Campbell, Katy Mixon, Billy Burke. 2011, CC, MPAA rating: R, 104 min., Action, Box office gross: $10.510 million, Summit Entertainment. 3 stars

Milton (Nicolas Cage) is a hardened felon who has broken out of Hell intent on finding the vicious cult that brutally murdered his daughter and kidnapped her baby: he has three days to stop them before they sacrifice his infant granddaughter beneath a full moon. He joins forces with Piper (Amber Heard) -- a sexy, tough-as-nails waitress with a '69 Charger, who's also seeking redemption of her own. The two of them are hot on the trail of the charismatic Jonah King and his murderous followers. King will throw every one of his faithful under the wheels of Milton's car to fulfill hist destiny and unleash hell on earth. But the bloodthirsty cult is the least of Milton's problems. The police are after him, too. And worse. An enigmatic killer known only as "The Accountant." The Accountant -- who has been sent by the Devil to retrieve Milton and deliver him back to Hell -- knows what Milton is trying to and simply doesn't care. With wicked cunning and hypnotic savagery, the Accountant will relentlessly pursue Milton at high speed across the forgotten back roads of the American south. Fueled by high octane and pure rage, Milton and Piper must battle the onslaught of King's disciples, avenge his murdered daughter, and save his granddaughter before his last chance at redemption is revoked. A true guilty pleasure for exploitation and grindhouse freaks.

Gnomeo and Juliet

Vitals: Director: Kelly Asbury. Stars: Voices of James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Michael Caine, Jason Statham, Ashley Jensen, Patrick Stewart, Ozzy Osbourne, Maggie Smith. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: G, 84 min., Animated, Box office gross: $96.866 million, Disney. 3 stars

Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" is recast in this modern animated update with garden gnomes as the star-crossed lovers. Caught up in a feud between neighbors, Gnomeo and Juliet must overcome as many obstacles as their namesakes. But with flamboyant pink flamingos and epic lawn mower races, can this young couple find lasting happiness? Features music by Elton John. In 3D.

I Am Number 4

Vitals: Director: D.J. Caruso. Stars: Alex Pettyfer, Timothy Olyphant, Dianna Agron, Teresa Palmer, Callan McAuliffe. 2011, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 104 min., Science Fiction, Box office gross: $53.868 million, DreamWorks. 2 stars

Three are dead. Who is Number Four? Extraordinary teen John Smith (Alex Pettyfer) is a fugitive on the run from ruthless enemies sent to destroy him. Changing his identity, moving from town to town with his guardian Henri (Timothy Olyphant), John is always the new kid with no ties to his past. In the small Ohio town he now calls home, John encounters unexpected, life-changing events -- his first love (Dianna Agron), powerful new abilities and a connection to the others who share his incredible destiny. Based on the young adult novel by Pittacus Lore.

The Mechanic

Vitals: Director: Simon West. Stars: Jason Statham, Ben Foster, Tony Goldwyn, Donald Sutherland. 2011, CC, MPAA rating: R, 92 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $97.952 million, Sony. 3 stars

Arthur Bishop (Jason Statham) is a "mechanic" -- an elite assassin with a strict code and unique talent for cleanly eliminating targets. It's a job that requires professional perfection and total detachment, and Bishop is the best in the business. But when his mentor and close friend Harry (Donald Sutherland) is murdered, Bishop is anything but detached. His next assignment is self-imposed -- he wants those responsible dead. His mission grows complicated when Harry's son (Ben Foster) approaches him with the same vengeful goal and a determination to learn Bishop's trade. Though Bishop has always acted alone, he can't turn his back on Harry's son, and he takes the impulsive student deep into his world -- and a deadly partnership is born. But while in pursuit of their ultimate mark, deceptions threaten to surface and those hired to fix problems become problems themselves.

The Rite

Vitals: Director: Mikael Hafström. Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Colin O'Donoghue, Alice Braga, Ciaran Hinds, Toby Jones, Rutger Hauer, Marta Gastini. 2011, CC, MPAA rating: R, 112 min., Horror, Box office gross: $32.310 million, Warner. 2 stars

Follows skeptical seminary student Michael Kovak (Colin O'Donoghue), who reluctantly attends exorcism school at the Vatican. While in Rome, he meets an unorthodox priest, Father Lucas (Anthony Hopkins), who introduces him to the darker side of his faith.

The Roommate

Vitals: Director: Christian E. Christiansen. Stars: Leighton Meester, Minka Kelly, Cam Gigandet, Aly Michalka. 2011, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 91 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $37.300 million, Sony. 2 stars

She's cute. She's loyal. She's psychotic. And, unfortunately for college freshman Sara , she's her new roommate. When Sara arrives at school, she finds new romance with Stephen and forms a fast friendship with her roommate Rebecca. What begins as camaraderie soon turns creepy, and Sara comes face-to-face with the terrifying realization that her new best friend is obsessive, unbalanced ... and maybe even a killer.

Blue Valentine

Vitals: Director: Derek Cianfrance. Stars: Ryan Gosling, Michelle Williams, Faith Wladyka, John Doman, Mike Vogel. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 120 min., Drama, Box office gross: $8.829 million, The Weinstein Co./Anchor Bay. 3 stars

Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams star in this honest, moving, and uninhibited love story. A complex portrait of a contemporary American marriage, "Blue Valentine" tells the story of David and Cindy, a couple who have been together for several years but who are at an impasse in their relationship. While Cindy has blossomed into a woman with opportunities and options, David is still the same person he was when they met, and is unable to accept either Cindy's growth or his lack of it. The narrative unfolds in two distinct time frames, juxtaposing scenes of first love and youthful sexuality, with those of disenchantment and discord as they spend a night away from their daughter in an attempt to save the failing marriage. Director Derek Cianfrance creates a raw, naturalistic portrayal of the relationship, while simultaneously depicting two young people making that first, intoxicating romantic connection through music, dance and silly jokes. As it traces the arc of Dean and Cindy's relationship, the film poses questions that touch us all: How do you sustain love? Is it even possible to do so? What do you when your dreams don't come true, or your life doesn't go as planned? What do you do when your partner doesn't deliver on the promise of his or her potential? Highlighted by uncompromising scenes of sexual intimacy and emotional intensity.

No Strings Attached

Vitals: Director: Ivan Reitman. Stars: Natalie Portman, Ashton Kutcher, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Olivia Thirlby, Mindy Kaling, Cary Elwes, Greta Gerwig, Kevin Kline, Lake Bell. 2011, CC, MPAA rating: R, 108 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $70.257 million, Paramount. 2 stars

Emma (Natalie Portman) and Adam (Ashton Kutcher) are life-long friends who almost ruin everything by having sex one morning. In order to protect their friendship, they make a pact to keep their relationship strictly "no strings attached." "No strings" means no jealousy, no expectations, no fighting, no flowers, no baby voices. It means they can do whatever they want, whenever they want, in whatever public place they want, as long as they don't fall in love. The question becomes -- who's going to fall first? And can their friendship survive?

The Illusionist

Vitals: Director: Sylvain Chomet. Stars: Voices of Jean-Claude Donda, Eilidh Rankin. In French with English subtitles. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 80 min., Animated, Box office gross: $1.974 million, Sony. 3 stars

Based on the script by French comic legend Jacques Tati and directed by two-time Oscar-nominee Sylvain Chomet ("The Triplets of Belleville"). A rich and touching animated feature about the father-daughter relationship between an aging magician whose art is slowly becoming obsolete and a young orphan girl just at the start of life's journey. The script -- originally penned by the late Jaques Tati ("Mr. Hulot's Holiday," "Mon Oncle") as a love letter to his daughter -- serendipitously found its way into the hands of Chomet by way of his sole surviving daughter, Sophie Tatischeff, who thought his hand-drawn animation style would perfectly suit the film. An outdated, aging magician, forced to wander from country to country, city to city and station to station in search of a stage to perform his act, meets a young girl at the start of her life's journey. Alice is a teenage girl with all her capacity for childish wonder still intact. She plays at being a woman without realizing the day to stop pretending is fast approaching. She doesn't know yet that she loves The Illusionist like she would a father; he already knows that he loves her as he would a daughter. Their destinies will collide, but nothing -- not even the magic or the power of illusion -- can stop the voyage of discovery.

Justin Bieber: Never Say Never

Vitals: Director: Jon M. Chu. 2011, CC, MPAA rating: G, 105 min., Documentary, Box office gross: $72.686 million, Paramount. 3 stars

Inside look at the rise of Justin Bieber from street performer in the small town of Stratford, Ontario to internet phenomenon to global super star culminating with a dream sold out show at New York's famed Madison Square Garden. In 3D no less.

The Green Hornet

Vitals: Director: Michel Gondry. Stars: Seth Rogen, Jay Chou, Tom Wilkinson, Christoph Waltz, Cameron Diaz. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 108 min., Action, Box office gross: $96.637 million, Sony. 2

Britt Reid (Seth Rogen) is the son of L.A.'s most prominent and respected media magnate and perfectly happy to maintain a directionless existence on the party scene -- until his father (Tom Wilkinson) mysteriously dies, leaving Britt his vast media empire. Striking an unlikely friendship with one of his father's more industrious and inventive employees, Kato (Jay Chou), they see their chance to do something meaningful for the first time in their lives: fight crime. But in order to do this, they decide to become criminals themselves -- protecting the law by breaking it, Britt becomes the vigilante The Green Hornet as he and Kato hit the streets. Using all his ingenuity and skill, Kato builds the ultimate in advanced retro weaponry, The Black Beauty, an indestructible car equal parts firepower and horsepower. Rolling in a mobile fortress on wheels and striking the bad guys with Kato's clever gadgets, The Green Hornet and Kato quickly start making a name for themselves, and with the help of Britt's new secretary, Lenore Case (Cameron Diaz), they begin hunting down the man who controls L.A.'s gritty underworld: Benjamin Chudnofsky (Christoph Waltz). But Chudnofsky has plans of his own: to swat down The Green Hornet once and for all.

The Dilemma

Vitals: Director: Ron Howard. Stars: Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, Jennifer Connelly, Winona Ryder, Channing Tatum, Queen Latifah. 2011, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 118 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $48.221 million, Universal. 2 stars

Since college, confirmed bachelor Ronny (Vince Vaughn) and happily married Nick (Kevin James) have been through thick and thin. Now partners in an auto design firm, the two pals are vying to land a dream project that would really launch their company. With Ronny's girlfriend, Beth, and Nick's wife, Geneva, by their sides, they're unbeatable. But Ronny's world is turned upside down when he inadvertently sees Geneva out with another man and makes it his mission to get answers. As the amateur investigation dissolves his world into comic mayhem, he learns that Nick has a few secrets of his own. Now, with the clock ticking and pressure mounting on the biggest presentation of their careers, Ronny must decide how and when he will reveal the truth to his best friend.

Mao's Last Dancer

Vitals: Director: Bruce Beresford. Stars: Chi Cao, Bruce Greenwood, Kyle MacLachlan, Joan Chen, Amanda Schull. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 117 min., Drama, Box office gross: $4,664 million, Fox. 3 stars

Based on Li Cunxin's bestselling autobiography of the same name, "Mao's Last Dancer" is the fascinating and epic tale of Li Cunxin, a peasant boy from rural China who beats impossible odds to become a world-renowned ballet dancer. At the age of 11, Li was plucked from a poor Chinese village by Madame Mao's cultural delegates and taken to Beijing to study ballet. In 1979, during a cultural exchange to Texas, he fell in love with an American woman. Two years later, he managed to defect and went on to perform as a principal dancer for the Houston Ballet and as a principal artist with the Australian Ballet.

From Prada to Nada

Vitals: Director: Angel Gracia. Stars: Camilla Belle, Alexa Vega, Wilmer Valderrama, April Bowlby, Nicholas D'Agosto. 2011, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 107 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $3.016 million, Lionsgate. 2 stars

A contemporary, Latina version of Jane Austen's classic novel "Sense and Sensibility." Two sisters, one a young beauty who chooses passion over logic, the other a law student whose fixed moral compass keeps her from following her desires, are uprooted from their luxurious home when their father suddenly passes away. Out of money and out of options, the women move into their Great Aunt Aurelia's modest, but lively home in the Latino-centric Boyle Heights neighborhood of East L.A., where they find themselves thrown into a world that, despite their heritage, seems completely foreign. Over time, they discover the beauty of the culture they once fought so desperately to hide. And in the process they find the one thing that had eluded them: love.

3 Idiots, The King's Speech, Rabbit Hole, Somewhere, The Way Back, Gulliver's Travels, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 1, Country Strong,

2011-05-04T21:02:00.000-07:00

Video Guide for: 3 Idiots, The King's Speech, Rabbit Hole, Somewhere, The Way Back, Gulliver's Travels, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 1, Country Strong, TRON: Legacy, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Little Fockers, Casino Jack, I Love You Phillip Morris

3 Idiots
Vitals: Director: Rajkumar Hirani. Stars: Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Madhavan, Boman Irani, Sharman Joshi. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 164 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $6.296 million, Fox. 3

This Bollywood comedy somehow got overlooked by the mainstream film review press in the states and it's a real shame. There's an infectious, devil-may-care boyishness about this story that follows the college antics of three young men working their way through one of India's most prestigious engineering universities. Led by the rambunctious outsider, free-thinking rebel and super brain Rancho (Aamir Khan), Frahan (Madhavan) and Raju (Sharman Joshi) proceed to turn things upside down for the other students -- and the arch-conservative dean, dubbed "Virus" by the students -- as they play prank after prank and continually test the limits of the strict Indian social system. The film begins with Frahan and Raju going on a quest to find their missing friend 10 years after graduation, and the film is told in flashbacks. Throw in some colorful singing and dancing routines and here's one delightful, enjoyable outing. On the surface '3 Idiots' plays out as a college comedy about three undergrads getting into trouble with a stoic, conservative administration. But the laughs go deeper, striking at the conformity of the Indian social system that forces students to go into fields of learning not for that which suits them but because that is what their parents expect of them -- kind of the educational/employment version of an arranged marriage. Rancho's attacks on rote memorization can only remind one of the some U.S. films in the 60 and 70s that cast a jaundiced eye at America's educational system. We have only two gripes with the film: It's title makes it seem like it's an Indian version of 'Dumb and Dumber' but that is so far from the truth it's painful that it's title -- and poster art --n may have scared off viewers. The other: its two-and-a-half-plus running time needed to be shortened. Otherwise, this definitely is a gold-star outing. Aamir Khan has been a superstar in India for more than two decades -- he's in his mid-forties -- and '3 Idiots' -- 'Ghajini' -- became the highest grossing Indian comedy of all time.

The King's Speech
Vitals: Director: Tom Hooper. Stars: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce, Derek Jacobi, Timothy Spall, Michael Gambon. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 118 min., Drama, Box office gross: $72.217 million, The Weinstein Company. 4 stars

After the death of his father King George V (Michael Gambon) and the scandalous abdication of his brother King Edward VIII (Guy Pearce), Bertie (Colin Firth) -- who has suffered from a debilitating speech impediment all his life -- is suddenly crowned King George VI of England. With his country on the brink of war and in desperate need of a leader, his wife, Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter), the future Queen Mother, arranges for her husband to see an eccentric speech therapist, Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush). After a rough start, the two delve into an unorthodox course of treatment and eventually forge a genuine friendship. With the support of Logue, his family, his government and Winston Churchill (Timothy Spall), the King will overcome his stammer and deliver a radio-address that inspires his people and unites them in battle. Based on the true story of King George VI, "The King's Speech" follows the Royal Monarch's quest to find his voice, inspire his people, and rally the world.

Rabbit Hole
Vitals: Director: John Cameron Mitchell. Stars: Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart, Dianne Wiest, Tammy Blanchard, Sandra Oh, Giancarlo Esposito, Jon Tenney, Miles Teller. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 92 min., Drama, Box office gross: $1.7 million, Lionsgate. 3 stars

Becca and Howie Corbett (Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart) are returning to their everyday existence in the wake of a shocking, sudden loss. Just eight months ago, they were a happy suburban family with everything they wanted. Now, they are caught in a maze of memory, longing, guilt, recrimination, sarcasm and tightly controlled rage from which they cannot escape. While Becca finds pain in the familiar, Howie finds comfort. The shifts come in abrupt, unforeseen moments. Becca hesitantly opens up to her opinionated, loving mother (Dianne Wiest) and secretly reaches out to the teenager involved in the accident that changed everything (Miles Teller); while Howie lashes out and imagines solace with another woman (Sandra Oh). Yet, as off track as they are, the couple keeps trying to find their way back to a life that still holds the potential for beauty, laughter and happiness. The resulting journey is an intimate glimpse into two people learning to re-engage with each other and a world that has been tilted off its axis.

Somewhere
Vitals: Director: Sofia Coppola. Stars: Stephen Dorff, Elle Fanning, Chris Pontius, Benicio Del Toro, Michelle Monaghan, Laura Ramsey. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 97 min., Drama, Box office gross: $1.768 million, Universal. 3 stars

Sofia Coppola's witty and moving story about the special bond between a father and his daughter. Actor Johnny Marco (Stephen Dorff) is leading the fast-paced lifestyle of a tabloid celebrity. He lives at the legendary Chateau Marmont hotel in Hollywood; he drives a Ferrari and numbs his life with a constant stream of girls and pills. Then, his 11-year-old daughter Cleo (Elle Fanning) from his failed marriage arrives unexpectedly at the Chateau. Their encounters encourage Johnny to face up to where he is in life and confront the question that we all must: which path in life will you take? Filmed entirely on location.

The Way Back
Vitals: Director: Peter Weir. Stars: Ed Harris, Colin Farrell, Jim Sturgess, Saoirse Ronan, Mark Strong, Dragos Bucur. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 132 min., Drama, Box office gross: $2.636 million, Image Entertainment. 2 stars

The year is 1940, and seven prisoners have daringly escaped from a brutal Siberian gulag. But they find that having escaped one prison they are now surrounded by another: the brutal, unforgiving Siberian landscape. But freedom is tempting and the men begin a treacherous 4,500-mile trek, with little food and supplies. Their trust in each other is even less, but in order to withstand nature at its most terrifying extremes, they must learn to rely on each other and overcome their suspicions. Their compassion is further tested when they meet a teenage runaway who begs to join them on their quest. Based on the book "The Long Walk" by Slavomir Rawicz.

Gulliver's Travels
Vitals: Director: Rob Letterman. Stars: Jack Black, Amanda Peet, Jason Segel, Emily Blunt, Chris O'Dowd, Billy Connolly. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 85 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $42.174 million, Fox. 2 stars

Jack Black brings his irreverent humor to this adventure-comedy based on the classic tale. To impress a pretty newspaper travel editor (Amanda Peet), an underachieving mail room clerk named Gulliver (Black) takes a writing assignment to travel to Bermuda. When a shipwreck lands him on the fantastical island of Lilliput, he transforms into a giant in size and ego. Gulliver's tall tales and heroic deeds win the hearts of the tiny Lilliputians, but when he loses it all and puts his newfound friends in peril, Gulliver must find a way to undo the damage. Through it all, Gulliver may just learn that it's how big you are on the inside that counts.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 1
Vitals: Director: David Yates. Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Brendan Gleeson, Richard Griffiths, John Hurt, Jason Isaacs, Alan Rickman, Fiona Shaw, Timothy Spall, Imelda Staunton, David Thewlis, Julie Walters. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 147 min., Fantasy Action, Box office gross: $292.223 million, Warner. 3 stars

The final chapter of the "Harry Potter" film series begins as Harry, Ron and Hermione leave Hogwarts behind and set out to find and destroy the Horcruxes -- the secret to Voldemort's power and immortality. Meanwhile, Voldemort's Death Eaters seize control of the Ministry of Magic and even Hogwarts, terrorizing and arresting anyone who might oppose them. But the one prize they still seek is the one most valuable to Voldemort: Harry Potter. Harry's only hope is to find the Horcruxes before Voldemort finds him. As he searches for clues, he uncovers the legend of the Deathly Hallows. And if the legend turns out to be true, it could give Voldemort the ultimate power he seeks. No longer just a boy, Harry Potter is drawing ever closer to the ultimate battle with Voldemort

Country Strong
Vitals: Director: Shana Feste. Stars: Garrett Hedlund, Gwyneth Paltrow, Leighton Meester, Tim McGraw. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 117 min., Drama, Box office gross: $20.218 million, Sony. 3 stars

Soon after a rising young singer-songwriter (Garrett Hedlund) gets involved with a fallen, emotionally unstable country star (Gwyneth Paltrow), the pair embarks on a career resurrection tour helmed by her husband/manager (Tim McGraw ) and featuring a beauty-queen-turned-singer (Leighton Meester). Between concerts, romantic entanglements and old demons threaten to derail them all. The toe-tapping hit soundtrack includes the Academy Award and Golden Globe-nominated song "Coming Home," performed by Paltrow, as well as the new single, "Me and Tennessee," sung by McGraw and Paltrow, and music by country superstars including Ronnie Dunn, Sara Evans, Faith Hill, Hank Williams, Jr. and Lee Ann Womack.

TRON: Legacy
Vitals: Director: Joseph Kosinski. Stars: Jeff Bridges, Olivia Wilde, Garrett Hedlund, Michael Sheen, Bruce Boxleitner, James Frain. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 125 min., Science Fiction, Box office gross: $168.758 million, Disney. 3 stars

Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), a rebellious 27-year-old, is haunted by the mysterious disappearance of his father Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), a man once known as the world's leading video-game developer. When Sam investigates a strange signal sent from the old Flynn's Arcade -- a signal that could only come from his father -- he finds himself pulled into a digital world where Flynn has been trapped for 20 years. With the help of the fearless warrior Quorra (Olivia Wilde), father and son embark on a life-and-death journey across a visually-stunning cyber universe -- a universe created by Kevin himself that has become far more advanced with never-before-imagined vehicles, weapons, landscapes and a ruthless villain who will stop at nothing to prevent their escape.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Vitals: Director: Michael Apted. Stars: Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, Ben Barnes, Will Poulter, Gary Sweet, voices of Liam Nee

Third installment of the beloved "The Chronicles of Narnia" fantasy-adventure series by C.S. Lewis. Precocious siblings Lucy (Georgie Henley) and Edmund Pevensie (Skandar Heynes), along with their cousin Eustace (Will Poulter), are swallowed into a painting and transported back to Narnia. They join King Caspian (Ben Barnes) and a noble mouse named Reepicheep in a quest to rescue noble lords who had been lost fighting evil on another island. Aboard the magnificent ship The Dawn Treader, the courageous voyagers face magical Dufflepuds, sinister slave traders, roaring dragons and enchanted merfolk. Only an entirely uncharted journey to Aslan's Country -- a voyage of destiny and transformation for each of those aboard the Dawn Treader -- can save Narnia, and all the astonishing creatures in it, from an unfathomable fate.

Little Fockers
Vitals: Director: Paul Weitz. Stars: Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Dustin Hoffman, Barbra Streisand, Owen Wilson, Teri Polo, Blythe Danner, Jessica Alba, Laura Dern, Harvey Keitel. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 98 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $147.233 million, Universal. 2 stars

The test of wills between Jack Byrnes (Robert De Niro) and Greg Focker (Ben Stiller) escalates to new heights in the third installment of the Fockers series. It's taken 10 years, two little Fockers with wife Pam (Teri Polo) and countless hurdles for Greg to finally get "in" with his tightly wound, ex-CIA father-in-law, Jack. But after the cash-strapped Greg takes a job moonlighting for a drug company, however, Jack's suspicions about his favorite male nurse come roaring back. When Greg and Pam's entire clan -- including Pam's lovelorn ex, Kevin (Owen Wilson) -- descends for the twins' birthday party, Greg must prove to the skeptical Jack that he's fully capable as the man of the house. But with all the misunderstandings, spying and covert missions, will Greg pass Jack's final test and become the family's next patriarch?

Casino Jack
Vitals: Director: George Hickenlooper. Stars: Kevin Spacey, Barry Pepper, Kelly Preston, Jon Lovitz, Ruth Marshall, Graham Greene, Rachelle Lefevre. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 108 min., Drama, Box office gross: $.894 million, Fox. 3 stars

Kevin Spacey stars as Jack Abramoff, the real-life Washington power player who resorted to jaw-dropping levels of fraud and corruption to support his lobbying efforts on behalf of corporate clients and special interests. Megalomaniacal lobbyist Abramoff used his power and influence to create an extravagant lifestyle that included private jets, exotic cars, and even an offshore gambling business. High-rolling excess and outrageous escapades were all in a day's work for Abramoff, as he went to outrageous lengths to promote the Indian gambling industry, earning him the nickname "Casino Jack." But when Jack and his womanizing protege Michael Scanlon (Barry Pepper) enlist a dimwitted mob-connected buddy (Jon Lovitz) for an illegal scheme, they find themselves ensnared in a web of greed and murder that explodes into a worldwide scandal.

I Love You Phillip Morris
Vitals: Director: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa. Stars: Jim Carrey, Ewan McGregor, Leslie Mann, Rodrigo Santoro, Antoni Corone. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 102 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $1.881 million, Lionsgate. 2 stars

The improbable but true story of a spectacularly charismatic con man's journey from small-town businessman to flamboyant white-collar criminal, who repeatedly finds himself in trouble with the law and on the lam. Based on a book by Houston Chronicle crime reporter Steve McVicker, the fact-based film casts Jim Carrey as Steven Russell, a married father whose exploits landed him in the Texas criminal justice system. He fell madly in love with his cellmate, who eventually was set free, which led Russell to escape from Texas prisons four times.

Royal Wedding

2011-04-26T22:44:00.000-07:00

Recently, most of people in the world talking about Royal Wedding of Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton on 29 April 2011 (forthcoming)

As we know that A royal wedding is a marriage ceremony involving members of a royal family. Weddings involving senior members of the royal family are often seen as important occasions of state and attract significant national and international attention.

BTW, there is Royal Wedding movie...Royal Wedding (MGM) is a 1951 Hollywood musical comedy film known for Fred Astaire's dance performance on a ceiling and with a coat rack.

The story is set in London in 1947 at the time of the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip, and stars Astaire, Jane Powell, Peter Lawford, Sarah Churchill and Keenan Wynn, with music by Burton Lane and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner. The film was directed by Stanley Donen.

Royal Wedding is one of several MGM musicals (another being Till the Clouds Roll By) that have lapsed into public domain. As such it is widely available on Video and DVD, but the quality of these versions varies.

In 2007, however, Warner Home Video issued a restored version of Royal Wedding in a DVD set along with The Belle of New York. The film was later featured in an episode of Cinema Insomnia.

Anyway, Congratulation to Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton

Happy Forever :)

Black Swan, Tangled, Fair Game, Made in Dagenham, All Good Things, Skyline, The Tourist, How Do You Know, Yogi Bear, The Fighter, Hereafter, Switch

2011-04-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

Video Guide for: Black Swan, Tangled, Fair Game, Made in Dagenham, All Good Things, Skyline, The Tourist, How Do You Know, Yogi Bear, The Fighter, Hereafter, The Switch, Inside Job, Jackass 3D, Morning Glory, The Next Three Days, 127 Hours, Love & Other Drugs, Faster, Burlesque.

Black Swan

Vitals: Director: Darren Aronofsky. Stars: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Barbara Hershey, Winona Ryder. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 108 min., Drama, Box office gross: $99.337 million, Fox. 4 stars

Nina (Natalie Portman, Best Performance by an Actress Oscar winner) is a ballerina in the New York City Ballet trying to make it to the top. When artistic director Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) decides to replace prima ballerina Beth MacIntyre (Winona Ryder) for the opening production of their new season, Swan Lake, Nina is his first choice. But a new dancer, Lily (Mila Kunis), also impresses Leroy and becomes Nina's competition. Nina fits the White Swan role perfectly with her innocence and grace, but Lily is the personification of the Black Swan with her fiery personality. As the two young dancers expand their rivalry into a twisted friendship, Nina begins to get more in touch with her dark side with a recklessness that threatens to destroy her.

Tangled

Vitals: Director: Nathan Greno, Byron Howard. Stars: Voices of Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Donna Murphy, Ron Perlman, M.C. Gainey, Jeffrey Tambor, Brad Garrett, Paul F. Tompkins, Richard Kiel. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 100 min., Animated, Box office gross: $186.356 million, Disney. 3 stars

When the kingdom's most wanted -- and most charming -- bandit Flynn Rider (voice of Zachary Levi) hides out in a mysterious tower, he's taken hostage by Rapunzel (voice of Mandy Moore), a beautiful and feisty tower-bound teen with 70 feet of magical, golden hair. Flynn's curious captor, who's looking for her ticket out of the tower that she's been locked away in for years, strikes a deal with the handsome thief, and the unlikely duo sets off on an action-packed escapade, complete with a super-cop horse, an overprotective chameleon and a gruff gang of pub thugs. A musical comedy re-imagining of the classic Brothers Grimm fairytale.

Fair Game

Vitals: Director: Doug Liman. Stars: Naomi Watts, Sean Penn, Ty Burrell, Michael Kelly, Bruce McGill. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 108 min., Drama, Box office gross: $9.382 million, Summit Entertainment. 3 stars

A suspense-filled glimpse into the dark corridors of political power, Fair Game is a riveting action-thriller based on the autobiography of real-life undercover CIA operative Valerie Plame (Naomi Watts), whose career was destroyed and marriage strained to its limits when her covert identity was exposed by a politically motivated press leak. As a covert officer in the CIA's Counter-Proliferation Division, Valerie leads an investigation into the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Valerie's husband, diplomat Joe Wilson (Sean Penn), is drawn into the investigation to substantiate an alleged sale of enriched uranium from Niger. But when the administration ignores his findings and uses the issue to support the call to war, Joe writes a New York Times editorial outlining his conclusions and ignites a fire storm of controversy.

Made in DagenhamMade in Dagenham

Vitals: Director: Nigel Cole. Stars: Sally Hawkins, Bob Hoskins, Rosamund Pike, Miranda Richardson, Rupert Graves. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 113 min., Drama, Box office gross: $.997 million, Sony. 3 stars

Based on a true story about a group of spirited women who joined forces to demand equal rights for working women in Britain in the 1960s. Although far from the Swinging Sixties of Carnaby Street, life to the women of Dagenham is tinged with the sounds and sights of the optimistic era, heard on their radios and seen on their TV sets. Rita O'Grady (Sally Hawkins) reflects that upbeat era, along with her friends and co-workers at the city's Ford Motor Factory, who laugh in the face of their poor conditions. Lisa (Rosamund Pike) is a fiercely intelligent Cambridge-educated woman who feels a bit trapped, tending to the home with a husband who suggests she keep her opinions to herself. No one thought the revolution would come to Dagenham, until one day, it did. Rita, who primarily sees herself as a wife and mother, is coerced into attending a meeting with shop steward Connie, sympathetic union representative Albert (Bob Hoskins) and Peter Hopkins (Rupert Graves), Ford's Head of Industrial Relations. What she expects to be simply a day out of work, complete with a free lunch, turns into much more when she and her colleagues become enraged by the lack of respect shown in the meeting to the women employees. With humor, common sense and courage Rita and the other women take on their bosses, an increasingly belligerent local community and finally the government, as their intelligence and unpredictability proves to be a match for any of their male opponents. Daring to stand up and push boundaries, the women changed a system that no one wanted to admit was broken.

All Good Things

Vitals: Director: Andrew Jarecki. Stars: Ryan Gosling, Kirsten Dunst, Frank Langella, Lily Rabe, Philip Baker Hall, Diane Venora, Kristen Wiig. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 101 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $.428 million, The Weinstein Co./Magnolia Home Entertainment. 2 stars

Inspired by the most notorious missing person's case in New York history, the film is a love story and murder mystery set against the backdrop of a New York real estate dynasty in the 1980s. Director Andrew Jarecki's (the documentary "Capturing the Friedmans") first dramatic feature is based on the story of Robert Durst, scion of the wealthy Durst family. Durst was suspected but never tried for killing his wife Kathie who disappeared in 1982 and was never found.

Skyline

Vitals: Director: Colin Strause, Greg Strause. Stars: Eric Balfour, Scottie Thompson, Donald Faison, David Zayas, Brittany Daniel, Crystal Reed, Neil Hopkins. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 100 min., Science Fiction, Box office gross: $20.955 million, Universal. 3 stars

It was supposed to be a simple birthday weekend in Southern California. But when sunrise arrives two hours early in the form of a haunting light from an unknown source, a group of friends watch in terror as people across the city are drawn outside and swept into massive alien ships that have blotted out the L.A. skyline. From tankers to drones and hydra-like extraterrestrials, the aliens are inescapable and seemingly indestructible. Now, it will take every survival instinct the group has to elude capture.

The Tourist

Vitals: Director: Florian Henckel Von Donnersmarck. Stars: Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie, Paul Bettany, Timothy Dalton, Steven Berkoff. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 103 min., Action Thriller, Box office gross: $66.559 million, Sony. 2 stars

During an impromptu trip to Europe to mend a broken heart, Frank (Johnny Depp) unexpectedly finds himself in a flirtatious encounter with Elise (Angelina Jolie), an extraordinary woman who deliberately crosses his path. Against the breathtaking backdrop of Paris and Venice, their whirlwind romance quickly evolves as they find themselves unwittingly thrust into a deadly game of cat and mouse -- full of international web of intrigue and danger. Director Florian Henckel Von Donnersmarck helmed the Academy Award-winning film "The Lives of Others" (Best Foreign Language Film, 2006).

How Do You Know

Vitals: Director: James L. Brooks. Stars: Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Owen Wilson, Jack Nicholson, Kathryn Hahn, Molly Price, Mark Linn-Baker, Lenny Venito, Shelley Conn, Tony Shalhoub. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 121 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $30.2 million, Sony. 2 stars

Lisa (Reese Witherspoon) is a woman whose athletic ability is the defining passion of her life, having been her focus since early childhood. When she is cut from her softball team, everything she has ever known is suddenly taken from her. Not knowing what to do, she begins a fling with Matty (Owen Wilson), a major league baseball pitcher, a self-centered ladies man -- a narcissist with a code of honor. George (Paul Rudd) is a straight-arrow businessman whose complicated relationship with his father, Charles (jack Nicholson), takes a turn when George is accused of a financial crime, even though he's done nothing wrong. Though he may be headed to jail, George's honesty, integrity, and unceasing optimism may be his only path to keeping his sanity. Before Lisa's relationship with Matty takes root, she meets George for a first date on the worst evening of each of their lives: She has just been cut, and he has just been served. When everything else seems to be falling apart, they will discover what it means to have something wonderful happen.

Yogi Bear

Vitals: Director:Eric Brevig . Stars: Dan Aykroyd (voice), Justin Timberlake (voice), Anna Faris, Tom Cavanagh, T.J. Miller, Nathan Corddry, Andrew Daly. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 82 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $96.307 million, Warner. 2 stars

Live action/CGI. Jellystone Park has been losing business, so greedy Mayor Brown decides to shut it down and sell the land. That means families will no longer be able to experience the natural beauty of the outdoors -- and, even worse, Yogi and Boo Boo will be tossed out of the only home they've ever known. Faced with his biggest challenge ever, Yogi must prove that he really is "smarter than the average bear" as he and Boo Boo join forces with their old nemesis Ranger Smith to find a way to save Jellystone Park from closing forever.

The Fighter

Vitals: Director: David O. Russell. Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Melissa Leo. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 104 min., Drama, Box office gross: $82.400 million, Paramount. 3 stars

Inspired by the life story of boxer "Irish" Mickey Ward (Mark Wahlberg)and his trainer brother Dick Eklund (Christian Bale), chronicling the brothers' early days on the rough streets of Lowell, Mass., through Eklund's battle with drugs and Ward's eventual world championship in London. It's a gritty, affectionately humorous, yet stirring comeback tale of the unlikely boxing hero his half-brother, who had to come apart as opponents before coming together as brothers in a scrappy fight to win a long-shot championship and strengthen the bonds of their family.

Hereafter

Vitals: Director: Clint Eastwood. Stars: Matt Damon, Cecile de France, Frankie and George McLaren, Jay Mohr, Bryce Dallas Howard, Marthe Keller, Thierry Neuvic, Derek Jacobi. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 126 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $31.448 million, Warner. 3 stars

Tells the story of three people who are haunted by mortality in different ways. Matt Damon stars as George, a blue-collar American who has a special connection to the afterlife: he has a pyschic gift to communicate with the dead. On the other side of the world, Marie (Cecile de France), a French journalist, has a near-death experience that shakes her reality. And Marcus (Frankie/George McLaren), a London schoolboy, loses his twin brother in a truck accident and desperately wants to reconnect with himt. Each are on a path in search of the truth; their lives will intersect, forever changed by what they believe might -- or must -- exist in the hereafter.

The Switch

Vitals: Director: Josh Gordon, Will Speck. Stars: Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, Jeff Goldblum, Juliette Lewis, Patrick Wilson. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 100 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $27.758 million, Miramax Films/Lionsgate. 2 stars

The film is based on Jeffrey Eugenides' short story "Baster," which was first published in The New Yorker. Kassie (Jennifer Aniston) is a smart, fun-loving, 40-year-old single woman who, despite her neurotic best-friend Wally's (Jason Bateman) objections, decides it's time to have a baby -- even if it means doing it herself ... with a little help from a charming sperm donor (Patrick Wilson) and a turkey baster. Wally, however, gets drunk at a party celebrating the soon-to-be artificial insemination, and surreptitiously replaces her donor's semen with his own -- without remembering a thing. When Wally and Kassie reunite years later, he gets acquainted with her cute -- though slightly neurotic -- son, and is then forced to live with the secret that he is the boy's real father.

Inside Job

Vitals: Director: Charles Ferguson. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 120 min., Documentary, Box office gross: $3.884 million, Sony. 3 stars

Documentary chronicles the events that led to the $20 trillion global financial crisis. Through interviews with key financial insiders, politicians and journalists including Congressman Barney Frank, former New York governor Eliot Spitzer, Financial Times associate editor and chief economics commentator Martin Wolf and former Chairman of the Federal Reserve Paul Volcker, this insightful film reveals that the 2008 economic downturn was a result of the disastrous collision of the unchecked investment banking bubble, rampant deregulation and corrupt economists. Nominated for a 2011 Producers Guild Award for Outstanding Producer of Documentary and Writers Guild Award for Best Documentary Screenplay.

Jackass 3D

Vitals: Director: Jeff Tremaine. Stars: Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Ryan Dunn, Preston Lacy. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 94 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $117.109 million, Paramount. 2 stars

The Jackass guys are back for another round of mischief and mayhem. Johnny Knoxville goes head-to-head with an angry bull, Bam Margera stumbles through a tunnel of high-voltage tasers, and Steve-O takes to the skies in a fully loaded porta-potty.

Morning Glory

Vitals: Director: Roger Michell. Stars: Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton, Patrick Wilson, Jeff Goldblum, 50 Cent. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 107 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $30.982 million, Paramount. 3 stars

When hard-working TV producer Becky Fuller (Rachel McAdams) is fired from a local news program, her career begins to look as bleak as her hapless love life. Stumbling into a job at "Daybreak" (the last-place national morning news show), Becky decides to revitalize the show by bringing on legendary TV anchor Mike Pomeroy (Harrison Ford). Unfortunately, Pomeroy refuses to cover morning show staples like celebrity gossip, weather, fashion and crafts, let alone work with his new co-host, Colleen Peck (Diane Keaton), a former beauty queen and longtime morning show personality, who is more than happy covering morning "news." As Mike and Colleen clash, first behind the scenes and then on the air, Becky's blossoming love affair with fellow producer, Adam Bennett (Patick Wilson), begins to unravel. And soon Becky is struggling to save her relationship, her reputation, her job and ultimately, the show itself.

The Next Three Days

Vitals: Director: Paul Haggis. Stars: Russell Crowe, Elizabeth Banks, Olivia Wilde, Liam Neeson, Jonathan Tucker, Brian Dennehy, RZA. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 122 min., Action, Box office gross: $21.1 million, Lionsgate. 2 stars

Life seems perfect for John Brennan until his wife, Lara, is arrested for a murder she says she didn't commit. Three years into her sentence, John is struggling to hold his family together, raising their son and teaching at college while he pursues every means available to prove her innocence. With the rejection of their final appeal, Lara becomes suicidal and John decides there is only one possible, bearable solution: to break his wife out of prison. Refusing to be deterred by impossible odds or his own inexperience, John devises an elaborate escape plot and plunges into a dangerous and unfamiliar world, ultimately risking everything for the woman he loves.

127 Hours

Vitals: Director: Danny Boyle. Stars: James Franco, Kate Mara, Amber Tamblyn, Sean Bott, Treat Williams, John Lawrence, Kate Burton, Clemence Poesy. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 94 min., Drama, Box office gross: $11.299 million, Fox. 3 stars

The true story of mountain climber Aron Ralston's (James Franco) remarkable adventure to save himself after a fallen boulder crashes on his arm and traps him in an isolated canyon in Utah. Over the next five days Ralston examines his life and survives the elements to finally discover he has the courage and the wherewithal to extricate himself by any means necessary, scale a 65 foot wall and hike over eight miles before he is finally rescued. Throughout his journey, Ralston recalls friends, lovers (Clemence Poesy), family, and the two hikers (Amber Tamblyn and Kate Mara) he met before his accident. Will they be the last two people he ever had the chance to meet? A visceral, thrilling story.

Love & Other Drugs

Vitals: Director: Edward Zwick. Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, Oliver Platt, Hank Azaria, Josh Gad, Gabriel Macht, Judy Greer, George Segal, Jill Clayburgh. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 112 min., Romantic Comedy, Box office gross: $31.999 million, Fox. 3 stars

Smooth-talking playboy Jamie Randall (Jake Gyllenhaal) is on a fast track to the top of the pharmaceutical sales industry -- promoting the miracle drug Viagra by day and charming the ladies by night. However, Jamie is taken aback when he meets Maggie Murdock (Anne Hathaway), a radiantly sexy free spirit who doesn't allow her treatment for Parkinson's get in the way of living her life. As Jamie and Maggie juggle their respective medications, they are forced to reassess their budding romance when they realize that love is the ultimate high. Based on the best-selling book "Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman" by Jamie Reidy

Faster

Vitals: Director: George Tillman Jr. Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Billy Bob Thornton, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Maggie Grace, Carla Gugino, Moon Bloodgood. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 98 min., Action, Box office gross: $23.081 million, Sony. 2 stars

The return of hard-core action hero Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson after attempts at Arnold Schwarzenegger-inspired comedy movie gigs (not including his stint as governor of California). We'd rather see The Rock crack heads than jokes. After 10 years in prison, Driver has a singular focus -- to avenge the murder of his brother during the botched bank robbery that led to his imprisonment. Now a free man with a deadly to-do list in hand, he's finally on his mission ... but with two men on his trail -- a veteran cop just days from retirement, and a young egocentric hitman with a flair for the art of killing and a newfound worthy opponent. The hunter is also the hunted. It's a do or die race to the list's finish as the mystery surrounding his brother's murder deepens, and new details emerge along the way hinting that Driver's list may be incomplete.

Burlesque

Vitals: Director: Steven Antin. Stars: Christina Aguilera, Cher, Stanley Tucci, Kristen Bell, Cam Gigandet, Julianne Hough, Eric Dane, Alan Cumming, Peter Gallagher. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 119 min., Musical, Box office gross: $38.633 million, Sony. 2 stars

Contemporary musical with 12 song-and-dance numbers about a small-town girl with big vocal talent who gets a job working at a modern day burlesque nightclub. Ali (Christina Aguilera) is a small-town girl with a big voice who escapes hardship and an uncertain future to follow her dreams to L.A. After stumbling upon The Burlesque Lounge, a majestic but ailing theater that is home to an inspired musical revue, Ali lands a job as a cocktail waitress from Tess (Cher), the club's proprietor and headliner. Burlesque's outrageous costumes and bold choreography enrapture the young ingenue, who vows to perform there one day. Soon enough, Ali builds a friendship with a featured dancer (Julianne Hough), finds an enemy in a troubled, jealous performer (Kristen Bell), and garners the affection of Jack (Cam Gigandet), a bartender and fellow musician. With the help of a sharp-witted stage manager (Stanley Tucci) and gender-bending host (Alan Cumming), Ali makes her way from the bar to the stage. Her spectacular voice restores The Burlesque Lounge to its former glory, though not before a charismatic entrepreneur (Eric Dane) arrives with an enticing proposal.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Get Low, Due Date, Megamind, Waiting for 'Superman', You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, Unstoppable, You Again,

2011-02-28T02:56:00.000-08:00

Video Guide for: Get Low, Due Date, Megamind, Waiting for 'Superman', You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, Unstoppable, You Again, My Soul to Take, Paranormal Activity 2, It's Kind of a Funny Story, Life As We Know It, A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop, Welcome to the Rileys, Conviction, Never Let Me Go, Let Me In, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 1

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 1
More than just taxes will be due April 15 this year -- "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 1" will arrive in a three-disc Blu-ray/Combo set (with digital copy) from Warner Home Video. With the final installment set to open theatrically July 15, fans of Harry and the Hogwarts' crew will have three months to savor the film and the disc, which comes packed with more than two-and-a-half hours of bonus features, including a sneak preview of the opening scene from "Part 2." $35.99. This second-to-last Potter film has grossed more than $292 million at the domestic box office and the DVD/Blu-ray release will be a summer tentpole for WHV -- they're also releasing a "Harry Potter Years 1-7: Part 1 Gift Set" on DVD and Blu-ray, priced at $78.92 and $134.99, respectively. Read more about "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 1."

Let Me In
Vitals: Director: Matt Reeves. Stars: Chloe Moretz, Richard Jenkins, Sasha Barrese, Elias Koteas, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Cara Buono, Dylan Kenin, Chris Browning, Ritchie Coster, Dylan Minnette. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 116 min., Horror, Box office gross: $12.067 million, Overture Films. 3 stars

Twelve-year old Owen is viciously bullied by his classmates and neglected by his divorcing parents. Achingly lonely, Owen spends his days plotting revenge on his middle school tormentors and his evenings spying on the other inhabitants of his apartment complex. His only friend is his new neighbor Abby, an eerily self-possessed young girl who lives next door with her silent father. A frail, troubled child about Owens's age, Abby emerges from her heavily curtained apartment only at night and always barefoot, seemingly immune to the bitter winter elements. Recognizing a fellow outcast, Owen opens up to her and before long, the two have formed a unique bond. When a string of grisly murders puts the town on high alert, Abby's father disappears, and the terrified girl is left to fend for herself. Still, she repeatedly rebuffs Owen's efforts to help her and her increasingly bizarre behavior leads the imaginative Owen to suspect she's hiding an unthinkable secret. American remake of the Swedish cult hit "Let the Right One In" (2008).

Never Let Me Go
Vitals: Director: Mark Romanek. Stars: Carrie Mulligan , Keira Knightley, Andrew Garfield, Sally Hawkins, Charlotte Rampling. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 103 min., Romantic Drama, Box office gross: $2.284 million, Fox. 3 stars

A powerful story revolving around Kathy (Carey Mulligan), Ruth (Keira Knightley) and Tommy (Andrew Garfield), three best friends who grow up together at a seemingly idyllic English boarding school with a chilling secret. As they grow into young adults, they find that they have to come to terms with the strength of the love they feel for each other, while preparing themselves for the haunting reality that awaits them. When they learn the shocking truth -- that they are genetically engineered clones destined to be organ donors -- they embrace their fleeting chance to live and love. Adapted from highly acclaimed novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, in which he posed the fundamental question: "What makes us human"?

Conviction
Vitals: Director: Tony Goldwyn. Stars: Hilary Swank , Sam Rockwell, Minnie Driver, Juliette Lewis, Peter Gallagher, Melissa Leo. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 107 min., Drama, Box office gross: $6.022 million, Fox. 2 stars

The inspirational true story of a sister's unwavering devotion to her brother. When Betty Anne Waters' (Hillary Swank) older brother Kenny (Sam Rockwell) is arrested for murder and sentenced to life in 1983, Betty Anne, a Massachusetts wife and mother of two, dedicates her life to overturning the murder conviction. Convinced that her brother is innocent, Betty Anne puts herself through high school, college and, finally, law school in an 18-year quest to free Kenny. With the help of best friend Abra Rice (Minnie Driver), Betty Anne pores through suspicious evidence mounted by small town cop Nancy Taylor (Melissa Leo), meticulously retracing the steps that led to Kenny's arrest. Belief in her brother -- and her quest for the truth -- pushes Betty Anne and her team to uncover the facts and utilize DNA evidence with the hope of exonerating Kenny.

Welcome to the Rileys
Vitals: Director: Jake Scott. Stars: James Gandolfini, Kristen Stewart , Melissa Leo. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 111 min., Drama, Box office gross: $.116 million, Sony. 2 stars

James Gandolfini is Doug Riley, a man at a crossroads. Ever since the tragic death of his teenage daughter, he's led a life of quiet desperation ... and now, something has to give. On a business trip to New Orleans, he encounters Mallory (Kristen Stewart) -- a raw, angry runaway living a dangerous life as a stripper. Moved by emotions he barely understands, Doug abandons his old life to save hers. The tenuous balance is threatened when his wife Lois (Melissa Leo) shakes off the fears that have kept her homebound for years. Now three lost souls seek hope and forgiveness in each other ... and together, they discover a rare gift of connection that feels like family.

A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop
Vitals: Director: Zhang Yimou. Stars: Ni Dahong, Xiao Shenyang, Yan Ni , Sun Honglei. 2009, CC, MPAA rating: R, 95 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $.185 million, Sony. 3 stars

Wang (Ni Dahong) is a gloomy and cunning noodle shop owner in a desert town in China. Feeling neglected, Wang's wife (Yan Ni) secretly goes out with Li (Xiao Shenyang), one of his employees. A timid man, Li reluctantly keeps the gun the landlady bought for "killing her husband later." Every single move they make, however, does not escape the boss's notice. Wang decides to bribe patrol officer Zhang (Sun Honglei) to kill the illicit couple. It looks like a perfect plan: The affair will come to a cruel but satisfying end ... or so he thinks, but the equally wicked Zhang has an agenda of his own that will lead to even more violence. Director Zhang Yimou's remake of Joel and Ethan Coen's 1985 "Blood Simple." In Chinese with English subtitles.

Life As We Know It
Vitals: Director: Life As We Know It. Stars: Katherine Heigl , Josh Duhamel, Josh Lucas, Hayes MacArthur, Christina Hendricks, Sarah Burns. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 112 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $50.754 million, Warner. 2 stars

Holly Berenson (Katherine Heigl) is an up-and-coming caterer and Eric Messer (Josh Duhamel) is a promising network sports director. After a disastrous first date, the only thing they have in common is their dislike for each other and their love for their 1-year-old goddaughter, Sophie, the daughter of their best friends. But when the best friends die, they leave Sophie in their joint guardianship, and Holly and Messer are forced to put their differences aside. Juggling career ambitions and competing social calendars, they'll have to find some common ground while living under one roof.

It's Kind of a Funny Story Vitals: Director: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck. Stars: Keir Gilchrist, Zach Galifianakis, Emma Roberts , Zoe Kravitz, Viola Davis, Lauren Graham, Jim Gaffigan, Dana DeVestern. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 102 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $6.350 million, Universal. 3 stars

Sometimes what's in your head isn't as crazy as you think ... that's certainly true for Craig (Keir Gilchrist). Sixteen-year-old Craig , stressed out from the demands of being a teenager, checks himself photointo a mental health clinic. But the youth ward is temporarily closed, so he finds himself stuck in the adult ward. One of the patients, Bobby (Zach Galifianakis), soon becomes both Craig's mentor and protege. Craig is also quickly drawn to another 16-year-old displaced to the adult ward, the sensitive Noelle (Emma Roberts), who just might make him forget his longtime unrequited crush Nia (Zoe Kravitz). With a minimum five days' stay imposed on him by the adult ward's staff psychiatrist, Craig is sustained by friendships on both the inside and the outside as he learns more about life, love, and the pressures of growing up.

Paranormal Activity 2
Vitals: Director: Tod Williams. Stars: Katie Featherston , Brian Boland, Molly Ephraim, Seth Ginsberg, Sprague Grayden. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 91 min., Horror, Box office gross: $84.723 million, Paramount. 2 stars

Prequel to 2009's horror phenomenon. After experiencing what they think are a series of "break-ins", a family sets up security cameras around their home, only to realize that the events unfolding before them are more sinister than they seem.

My Soul to Take
Vitals: Director: Wes Craven. Stars: Max Thieriot, John Magaro, Denzel Whitaker, Zena Grey , Nick Lashaway, Paulina Olszynski. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 107 min., Horror, Box office gross: $14.637 million, (Universal). 2 stars

Wes Craven is back at again and he wants to scare the heck out of you -- as always. In the sleepy town of Riverton, legend tells of a serial killer who swore he would return to murder the seven children born the night he died. Now, 16 years later, people are disappearing again. Has the psychopath been reincarnated as one of the seven teens, or did he survive the night he was left for dead? Only one of the kids knows the answer. Adam "Bug" Heller (Max Thieriot) was supposed to die on the bloody night his father went insane. Unaware of his dad's terrifying crimes, he has been plagued by nightmares since he was a baby. But if Bug hopes to save his friends from the monster that's returned, he must face an evil that won't rest ... until it finishes the job it began the day he was born. The legendary Craven ("A Nightmare on Elm Street," "Scream") keeps your heart racing with a suspense-thriller filled with twists, turns and a dark secret that will send your soul searching for cover.

You Again
Vitals: Director: Andy Fickman. Stars: Kristen Bell , Sigourney Weaver, Jamie Lee Curtis, Odette Yustman, Kristin Chenoweth, Victor Garber, Betty White, Patrick Duffy, Christine Lakin, Jenna Leigh Green, Kyle Bornheimer. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 105 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $25.258 million, Disney. 2 stars

No matter how old you are, you never get over high school. Successful PR pro Marni (Kristin Bell) heads home for her older brother's (Jimmy Wolk) wedding and discovers that he's marrying her high school arch nemesis (Odette Yustman), who has conveniently forgotten all the rotten things she did so many years ago. Then the bride's jet-setting aunt (Sigourney Weaver) bursts in and Marni's not-so jet-setting mom (Jamie Lee Curtis) comes face to face with her own high school rival. The claws come out and old wounds are opened in this comedy about what happens when you're reunited with the one person you'd like to forget.

Unstoppable
Vitals: Director: Tony Scott. Stars: Denzel Washington, Chris Pine, Rosario Dawson, Jessy Schram , Jeff Wincott, Kevin Dunn, Kevin Chapman, Ethan Suplee, T.J. Miller. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 98 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $80.020 million, Fox. 3 stars

A runaway train, transporting deadly toxic chemicals, is barreling down on Scranton, Pennsylvania, and only two men can stop it: a veteran engineer (Denzel Washington) and a young conductor (Chris Pine). Thousands of lives hang in the balance as these ordinary heroes attempt to chase down one million tons of hurtling steel and prevent an epic disaster.

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger
Vitals: Director: Woody Allen. Stars: Antonio Banderas, Josh Brolin, Anthony Hopkins, Gemma Jones, Freida Pinto, Lucy Punch, Naomi Watts . 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 98 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $3.186 million, Sony. 2 stars

Follows a pair of married couples, Alfie (Anthony Hopkins) and Helena (Gemma Jones), and their daughter Sally (Naomi Watts) and her husband Roy (Josh Brolin), as their passions, ambitions, and anxieties lead them into trouble and out of their minds. After Alfie leaves Helena to pursue his lost youth and a free-spirited call girl named Charmaine (Lucy Punch), Helena abandons rationality and surrenders her life to the loopy advice of a charlatan fortuneteller. Unhappy in her marriage, Sally develops a crush on her handsome art gallery boss, Greg (Antonio Banderas), while Roy, a novelist nervously awaiting the response to his latest manuscript, becomes moonstruck over Dia (Freida Pinto), a mystery woman who catches his gaze through a nearby window. Despite these characters' attempts to dodge their problems with pipe dreams and impracticable plans, their efforts lead only to heartache, irrationality and perilous hot water.

Waiting for 'Superman' Vitals: Director: Davis Guggenheim . 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 102 min., Documentary, Box office gross: $5.891 million, Paramount. 3 stars

Every morning, in big cities, suburbs and small towns across America, parents send their children off to school with the highest of hopes. But a shocking number of students in the United States attend schools where they have virtually no chance of learning -- failure factories likelier to produce drop-outs than college graduates. And despite decades of well-intended reforms and huge sums of money spent on the problem, our public schools haven't improved markedly since the 1970s. Why? There is an answer. And it's not what you think. From "An Inconvenient Truth" director Davis Guggenheim comes "Waiting for 'Superman'," a provocative and cogent examination of the crisis of public education in the U.S. told through multiple interlocking stories -- from a handful of students and their families whose futures hang in the balance, to the educators and reformers trying to find real and lasting solutions within a dysfunctional system. Tackling such politically radioactive topics as the power of teachers' unions and the entrenchment of school bureaucracies, Guggenheim reveals the invisible forces that have held true education reform back for decades.

Megamind
Vitals: Director: Tom McGrath. Stars: Voices of Will Ferrell, Brad Pitt, Tina Fey , Jonah Hill, David Cross, Justin Theroux, Ben Stiller, J.K. Simmons. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 96 min., Animated, Box office gross: $144.658 million, DreamWorks. 3 stars

Megamind is the most brilliant supervillain the world has ever known. And the least successful. Over the years, he has tried to conquer Metro City in every imaginable way. Each attempt, a colossal failure thanks to the caped superhero known as Metro Man, an invincible hero until the day Megamind actually kills him in the throes of one of his botched evil plans. Suddenly, Megamind has no purpose. A supervillain without a superhero. He realizes that achieving his life's ambition is the worst thing that ever happened to him. Megamind decides that the only way out of his rut is to create a new hero opponent called Titan, who promises to be bigger, better and stronger than Metro Man ever was. Pretty quickly Titan starts to think it's much more fun to be a villain than a good guy. Except Titan doesn't just want to rule the world, he wants to destroy it. Now, Megamind must decide: Can he defeat his own diabolical creation? Can the world's smartest man make the smart decision for once? Can the evil genius become the unlikely hero of his own story?

Due Date
Vitals: Director: Todd Phillips. Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Zach Galifianakis, Michelle Monaghan , Juliette Lewis, Jamie Foxx. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 95 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $99.231 million, Warner. 3 stars

Peter Highman (Robert Downey Jr.) is an expectant first-time father whose wife's due date is a mere five days away. As Peter hurries to catch a flight home from Atlanta to be at her side for the birth, his best intentions go completely awry when a chance encounter with aspiring actor Ethan Tremblay (Zach Galifianakis) forces Peter to hitch a ride with Ethan -- on what turns out to be a cross-country road trip that will ultimately destroy several cars, numerous friendships and Peter's last nerve. A kind of "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" for the 21st century, from "The Hangover" director Todd Phillips.

Get Low Vitals: Director: Aaron Schneider. Stars: Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek , Bill Murray, Lucas Black, Gerald McRaney, Bill Cobbs, Scott Cooper. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 103 min., Drama, Box office gross: $9.097 million, Sony. 3 stars

For years, townsfolk have been terrified of the backwoods recluse known as Felix Bush (Robert Duvall). People say he's done all sorts of unspeakable things -- that he's killed in cold blood; that he's in league with the devil; that he has strange powers -- and they avoid him like the plague. Then one day, Felix rides to town with a shotgun and a wad of cash, saying he wants to buy a funeral. It's not your usual funeral for the dead that Felix wants. On the contrary, he wants a living funeral, in which anyone who ever has had a story about him will come to tell it, while he takes it all in. Sensing an opportunity for a big payday, fast-talking funeral home owner Frank Quinn (Bill Murray) enlists his gentlemanly young apprentice, Buddy Robinson (Lucas Black), to win Felix's business. Buddy is no stranger to Felix's dark reputation, but what he discovers is that behind Felix's surreal plan lies a very real and long-held secret. As the funeral approaches, the mystery -- involving the widow Mattie Darrow (Sissy Spacek), the only person in town who ever got close to Felix, and an Illinois preacher Charlie Jackson (Bill Cobbs), who refuses to speak at his former friend's funeral -- only deepens. But when the big day comes, Felix is in no mood to listen to other people spinning made-up anecdotes about him. This time, he's the one who is going to do the telling about why he has been hiding out in the woods.

Saw 3D: The Final Chapter, Red, Secretariat, Nowhere Boy, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's nest, Takers, Stone, Buried, Alpha and Omega, Piranha 3D..

2011-02-02T17:51:00.000-08:00

Video Guide for: Saw 3D: The Final Chapter, Red, Secretariat, Nowhere Boy, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's nest, Takers, Stone, Buried, Alpha and Omega, Piranha 3D, The Social Network, Howl, Catfish, Case 39, The Last Exorcism, Dinner for Schmucks, Machete.

Machete
Vitals: Director: Robert Rodriguez. Stars: Danny Trejo, Jeff Fahey, Robert De Niro, Jessica Alba, Lindsay Lohan, Steven Seagal, Cheech Marin, Michelle Rodriguez. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 105 min., Action, Box office gross: $25.090 million, Fox. 3 stars

Set up, double-crossed and left for dead, Machete (Danny Trejo) is an ass-kicking ex-Federale who lays waste to anything that gets in his path. As he takes on hit men, vigilantes and a ruthless drug cartel, bullets fly, blades clash and the body count rises. Based on the fake trailer in Robert Rodriguez's 2007 "Grindhouse," featuring Danny Trejo and Jeff Fahey reprising their original roles. Machete is a renegade former Mexican Federale, roaming the streets of Texas after a shakedown from drug lord Torrez (Steven Seagal). Reluctantly, Machete takes an offer from spin doctor Benz (Fahey) to assassinate McLaughlin (Robert De Niro), a corrupt Senator. Double crossed and on the run, Machete braves the odds with the help of Luz (Michelle Rodriguez), a saucy taco slinger, Padre (Cheech Marin), his holy brother, and April (Lindsay Lohan), a socialite with a penchant for guns. All while being tracked by Sartana (Jessica Alba), a sexy ICE agent with a special interest in the blade slinger.

Dinner for Schmucks
Vitals: Director: Jay Roach. Stars: Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Stephanie Szostak, Bruce Greenwood, Ron Livingston, Zach Galifianakis, Jemaine Clement, Jeff Dunham, David Walliams, Lucy Punch, Chris O'Dowd, Patrick Fischler. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 114 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $65.8 million, Paramount. 2 stars

Tim is a guy on the verge of having it all. The only thing standing between him and total career success is finding the perfect guest to bring to his boss' annual Dinner for Extraordinary People, an event where the winner of the evening brings the most eccentric character (read: buffoon) as his guest. Tim's fiancee, Julie, finds it distasteful and Tim agrees to skip the dinner, until he bumps into Barry -- an IRS employee who devotes his spare time to building elaborate taxidermy mouse dioramas -- and quickly realizes he's struck idiot gold. Tim can't resist, and invites Barry, whose blundering good intentions soon sends Tim's life into a frenzied downward spiral and a series of comic misadventures, threatening a major business deal, bringing crazy stalker ex-girlfriend, Darla, back into Tim's life and driving Julie (or so Tim thinks) into the arms of another man.

The Last Exorcism
Vitals: Director: Daniel Stamm. Stars: Patrick Fabian, Iris Bahr, Ashley Bell, Louis Herthum, Jamie Alyson Caudle, Shanna Forrestall, Allen Bourdreaux, Tony Bentley, Caleb Landry Jones. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 87 min., Horror, Box office gross: $40.1 million, Lionsgate. 2 stars

When he arrives on the rural Louisiana farm of Louis Sweetzer, the Reverend Cotton Marcus expects to perform just another routine "exorcism" on a disturbed religious fanatic. An earnest fundamentalist, Sweetzer has contacted the charismatic preacher as a last resort, certain his teenage daughter Nell is possessed by a demon who must be exorcised before their terrifying ordeal ends in unimaginable tragedy. Buckling under the weight of his conscience after years of parting desperate believers with their money, Cotton and his crew plan to film a confessionary documentary of this, his last exorcism. But upon arriving at the already blood drenched family farm, it is soon clear that nothing could have prepared him for the true evil he encounters there. Now, too late to turn back, Reverend Marcus' own beliefs are shaken to the core when he and his crew must find a way to save Nell -- and themselves -- before it is too late.

Case 39
Vitals: Director: Christian Alvart. Stars: Renee Zellweger, Jodelle Ferland, Ian McShane, Bradley Cooper, Callum Keith Rennie, Adrian Lester, Kerry O'Malley. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 109 min., Horror, Box office gross: $13.248 million, Paramount. 2 stars

Devoted family services specialist Emily Jenkins (Renee Zellweger)has seen it all -- lies, neglect, abuse -- domestic horrors of every type. That is, until she takes on Case 39: the case of 10-year-old Lillith Sullivan, whose eerie, secretive family leaves Emily shaken and disturbed. When Lillith's parents attempt to harm their only child in a late-night ritual, Emily intervenes. Heartbroken by Lillith's loneliness and innocence, Emily decides to do something she has never allowed herself to do in the past: get personally involved. Hoping to do the right thing for the withdrawn girl, Emily offers Lillith a caring, happy home until she can find an adoptive family. That's when the real terror begins. Shot in 2006, this dud sat on the shelf for more than three years before Paramount released it this fall.

Catfish
Vitals: Director: Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman. Stars: Megan Faccio, Melody C. Roscher, Ariel Schulman, Yaniv Schulman. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 94 min., Documentary, Box office gross: $3.151 million, Universal. 3 stars

Is-it-or-is-it-not-documentary about the world of online social relationship. Nev, a 24-year-old New York-based photographer, has no idea what he's in for when Abby, an 8-year-old girl from rural Michigan, contacts him on MySpace in 2007, seeking permission to paint one of his photographs. When he receives her remarkable painting, Nev begins a friendship and correspondence with Abby's family. But things really get interesting when he develops a cyber-romance with Abby's attractive older sister, Megan, a musician and model. Prompted by some startling revelations about Megan, Nev and filmmakers Ariel Schulman (Nev's brother) and Henry Joost embark on a road trip in search of the truth.

Howl
Vitals: Director: Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman. Stars: James Franco, Jon Hamm, Mary-Louise Parker, Jeff Daniels, David Strathairn, Alessandro Nivola, Treat Williams, Bob Balaban. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 84 min., BioDrama, Box office gross: $.540 million, Oscilloscope Laboratories. 3 stars

James Franco stars as Allen Ginsberg in the story of how the young poet's seminal work broke down societal barriers in the face of an infamous public obscenity trial. In his famously confessional style, Ginsberg -- poet, counter-culture icon, and chronicler of the Beat Generation -- recounts the road trips, love affairs and search for personal liberation that led to "Howl," the most timeless work of his career. The film interweaves three stories: the unfolding of the landmark 1957 obscenity trial; an imaginative animated ride through the prophetic masterpiece; and a unique portrait of a man who found new ways to express himself and, in doing so, changed his own life and galvanized a generation.

The Social Network
Vitals: Director: David Fincher. Stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Joseph Mazzello, Rooney Mara, Liam Ferguson, Brenda Song, Rashida Jones, Max Minghella, Armie Hammer, Douglas Urbanski. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 120 min., Drama, Box office gross: $91.0 million, Sony. 4 stars

On a fall night in 2003, Harvard undergrad and computer programming genius Mark Zuckerberg sits down at his computer and heatedly begins working on a new idea. In a fury of blogging and programming, what begins in his dorm room soon becomes a global social network and a revolution in communication. A mere six years and 500 million friends later, Mark Zuckerberg is the youngest billionaire in history ... but for this entrepreneur, success leads to both personal and legal complications. David Fincher's loose interpretation of this story explores the moment at which Facebook, the most revolutionary social phenomena of the new century, was invented -- through the warring perspectives of the super-smart young men who each claimed to be there at its inception. The result is a drama rife with both creation and destruction; one that audaciously avoids a singular POV, but instead, by tracking dueling narratives, mirrors the clashing truths and constantly morphing social relationships that define our time. Drawn from multiple sources, the film captures the visceral thrill of the heady early days of a culture-changing phenomenon in the making -- and the way it both pulled a group of young revolutionaries together and then split them apart.

Piranha 3D
Vitals: Director: Alexandre Aja. Stars: Elisabeth Shue, Adam Scott, Jerry O'Connell, Ving Rhames, Steven R. McQueen, Jessica Szohr, Kelly Brock with cameos by Eli Roth, Richard Dreyfuss and Christopher Lloyd. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 89 min., Horror, Box office gross: $24.736 million, Sony. 2 stars

Every year the population of sleepy Lake Victoria explodes from 5,000 to 50,000 for Spring Break; a riot of sun and drunken fun. But this year, there's something more to worry about than hangovers and complaints from local old timers; A new type of terror is about to be cut loose on Lake Victoria. After a sudden underwater tremor sets free scores of the prehistoric man-eating fish, an unlikely group of strangers must band together to stop themselves from becoming fish food for the area's new razor-toothed residents.

Alpha and Omega
Vitals: Director: Anthony Bell and Ben Gluck. Stars: Voices of Justin Long, Hayden Panettiere, Christina Ricci, Danny Glover, Dennis Hopper, Larry Miller, Vicki Lewis, Kevin Sussman, Eric Price, Chris Carmack, Brian Donovan. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 78 min., Animated Fanily Adventure, Box office gross: $23.5 million, Lionsgate. 2 stars

What makes for the ultimate road trip? Hitchhiking, truck stops, angry bears, prickly porcupines and a golfing goose with a duck caddy. Just ask Kate and Humphrey, two wolves who are trying to get home after being taken by park rangers and shipped halfway across the country. Humphrey is an Omega wolf, whose days are about quick wit, snappy one-liners and hanging with his motley crew of fun-loving wolves and video-gaming squirrels. Kate is an Alpha: duty, discipline and sleek Lara Croft eye-popping moves fuel her fire. Humphrey's motto -- make 'em laugh. Kate's motto -- I'm the boss. And they have a thousand miles to go. Back home rival wolf packs are on the march and conflict is brewing. Only Kate and Humphrey can restore the peace. But first, they have to survive each other.

Buried
Vitals: Director: Rodrigo Cortes. Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Samantha Mathis, Robert Paterson, Stephen Tobolowsky, Jose Luis Garcia Perez, Erik Palladino, Ivana Mino. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 95 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $1.028 million, Lionsgate. 3 stars

Paul Conroy is not ready to die. But when he wakes up 6 feet underground with no idea of who put him there or why, life for the truck driver and family man instantly becomes a hellish struggle for survival. Buried with only a cell phone and a lighter, his contact with the outside world and ability to piece together clues that could help him discover his location are maddeningly limited. Poor reception, a rapidly draining battery, and a dwindling oxygen supply become his worst enemies in a tightly confined race against time -- fighting panic, despair and delirium, Paul has only 90 minutes to be rescued before his worst nightmare comes true.

Stone
Vitals: Director: John Curran. Stars: Robert De Niro, Edward Norton, Milla Jovovich. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 105 min., Drama, Box office gross: $1.7 million, Anchor Bay Entertainment. 2 stars

Jack Mabry (Robert De Niro), a parole officer days away from retirement, is asked to review the case of Gerald "Stone" Creeson (Edward Norton), who's in prison for arson. Now eligible for early release, Stone needs to convince Jack he has reformed, but his attempts to use his wife Lucetta (Milla Jovovich) to influence the older man's decision have profound and unexpected effects on them both. This tale of passion, betrayal and corruption skillfully weaves together the parallel journeys of two men grappling with dark impulses, as the line between lawman and lawbreaker becomes precariously thin.

Takers
Vitals: Director: John Luessenhop. Stars: Matt Dillon, Idris Elba, Paul Walker, Chris Brown, Michael Ealy, Tip "T.I." Harris, Hayden Christensen, Jay Hernandez. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 107 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $57.744 million, Sony. 2 stars

A notorious group of criminals (Elba, Walker, Harris, Brown, Christensen and Ealy) continue to baffle police by pulling off perfectly executed bank robberies. They are in and out like clockwork, leaving no evidence behind and laying low in between heists. But when they attempt to pull off one last job with more money at stake than ever before, the crew finds their plans interrupted by a hardened detective (Dillon) who is hell-bent on solving the case.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's nest
Vitals: Director: Daniel Alfredson. Stars: Michael Nyqvist, Noomi Rapace, Lena Endre, Annika Hallin, Jacob Ericksson, Sofia Ledarp, Anders Ahlbom. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 148 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $1.0 million, Music Box Films. 4 stars

The third film to be adapted from Stieg Larsson's acclaimed series of crime novels (which has sold over 11 million books in the U.S., 45 millions books worldwide), "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" is the final chapter in the story of Larsson's fiery heroine Lisbeth Salander, a pierced and punked-out, computer-hacking beauty. Swedish author Larsson's "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," "The Girl Who Played With Fire" and "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest" -- his Millennium Trilogy -- were all published after his death in 2004. Their popularity has since made him the world's second best-selling author of 2008 and 2009. In this last installment, Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) lies in critical condition, a bullet wound to her head, in the intensive care unit of a Swedish city hospital. She's fighting for her life in more ways than one: if and when she recovers, she'll be taken back to Stockholm to stand trial for three murders. With the help of her friend, journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist), she will not only have to prove her innocence, but also identify and denounce those in authority who have allowed the vulnerable, like herself, to suffer abuse and violence. And, on her own, she will plot revenge -- against the man who tried to kill her, and the corrupt government institutions that very nearly destroyed her life. In Swedish with English subtitles.

Nowhere Boy
Vitals: Director: Sam Taylor Wood. Stars: Aaron Johnson, Kristin Scott Thomas, Anne Marie Duff, Thomas Brodie Sangster. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 98 min., Biodrama, Box office gross: $1.394 million, The Weinstein Co. 3 stars

In 1955, future international rock sensation John Lennon was a mischievous teenage boy living with his Aunt Mimi in Liverpool, England and trying to reconnect with his free-spirited mother Julia. The tensions of his early life would drive young John to escape from the world around him through music, and catapult him to join Paul McCartney in the formation of one of the most influential rock 'n' roll bands of all time. Lennon is an ordinary 15-year-old boy on the streets of Liverpool. Funny, smart, naughty, a real edge to him. But life is not simple for John -- he grew up in a family of secrets and was raised by his Aunt Mimi from the age of five. When he is suddenly reacquainted with his mother, Julia, they form an unbreakable bond. A bitter war rages between the two sisters for John's love. Faced with bringing it to an end, he learns the secret heartbreak of his past. But his mother gives him one great gift -- music. A wayward boy finds his voice, and walks into The Beatles.

Secretariat
Vitals: Director: Randall Wallace. Stars: Diane Lane, John Malkovich, Dylan Walsh, James Cromwell, Kevin Connolly, Nelsan Ellis, Margo Martindale, Fred Thompson, AJ Michalka. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 116 min., Family biodrama, Box office gross: $57.946 million, Disney. 3 stars

Based on the story of Secretariat, the 1973 Triple Crown-winning racehorse and its owner, Penny Chenery (Diane Lane). Chenery was a mother and housewife who knew little about horses when she was pressed to take over her ailing father's horse farm in Virginia. Though Secretariat came along and began to take shape as a potential champion, Chenery was pressured to sell the farm after her father died and she was hit with a multimillion-dollar inheritance tax. She saved both the farm and the horse, and watched as Secretariat became the first thoroughbred to win the Triple Crown in 25 years, taking the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes in dominating fashion. Chenery became known as the "first lady of racing."

Red
Vitals: Director: Robert Schwentke. Stars: Bruce Willis, Mary-Louise Parker, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, Karl Urban, Morgan Freeman, Rebecca Pidgeon. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 111 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $88.430 million, Summit Entertainment. 3 stars

Frank (Bruce Willis), Joe (Morgan Freeman), Marvin (John Malkovich) and Victoria (Helen Mirren) used to be the CIA's top agents -- but the secrets they know just made them the Agency's top targets. Framed and targeted for assassination, they must use all of their collective cunning, experience and teamwork to stay one step ahead of their deadly pursuers and stay alive. To stop the operation, the team embarks on an impossible, cross-country mission to break into the top-secret CIA headquarters, where they will uncover one of the biggest conspiracies and cover-ups in government history. Based on the DC Comics graphic novel.

Saw 3D: The Final Chapter
Vitals: Director: Kevin Greutert. Stars: Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Betsy Russell, Cary Elwes, Sean Patrick Flanery. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 91 min., Horror, Box office gross: $45.261 million, Lionsgate. 1 stars

A deadly battle rages over Jigsaw's brutal legacy, and a group of Jigsaw survivors gathers to seek the support of self-help guru and fellow survivor Bobby Dagen, a man whose own dark secrets unleash a new wave of terror.

Inception, Shrek Forever After, Despicable Me, The Other Guys, The Town, Legend of the Guardians, The A-Team, Cyrus, Exit Through the Gift Shop..

2011-01-07T03:20:00.000-08:00

Video Guide for: Inception, Shrek Forever After, Despicable Me, The Other Guys, The Town, Legend of the Guardians, The A-Team, Cyrus, Exit Through the Gift Shop, Nanny McPhee Returns, Mother and Child, Micmacs, Salt, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, Easy A, Devil, Resident Evil: Afterlife, The American

Inception
Vitals: Director: Christopher Nolan. Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page , Tom Hardy, Ken Watanabe, Dileep Rao, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, Marion Cotillard, Pete Postlethwaite, Michael Caine, Lukas Haas. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 148 min., Science Fiction Thriller, Box office gross: $288.405 million, Warner. 4 stars

Director Christopher Nolan ("The Dark Knight") took a common sci-fi story premise -- people invading the dreams of others -- and wove it into a fantastic, mesmerizing sci-fi mystery thriller that takes viewers through layers and layers of real, surreal, and unreal worlds. Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a skilled thief, the absolute best in the dangerous art of Extraction, stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state, when the mind is at its most vulnerable. Cobb's rare ability has made him a coveted player in this treacherous new world of corporate espionage, but it has also made him an international fugitive and cost him everything he has ever loved. Now Cobb is being offered a chance at redemption. One last job could give him his life back -- but only if he can accomplish the impossible: Inception. Instead of the perfect heist, Cobb and his team of specialists have to pull off the reverse: Their task is not to steal an idea but to plant one. If they succeed, it could be the perfect crime. But no amount of careful planning or expertise can prepare the team for the dangerous enemy that seems to predict their every move. An enemy that only Cobb could have seen coming.

Shrek Forever After
Vitals: Director: Mike Mitchell. Stars: Voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Julie Andrews, Jon Hamm, John Cleese, Craig Robinson, Walt Dohrn, Jane Lynch, Lake Bell, Kathy Griffin, Mary Kay Place, Kristen Schaal, Meredith Vieira. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 93 min., Animated, Box office gross: $238.371 million, DreamWorks. 3 stars

After challenging an evil dragon, rescuing a beautiful princess and saving your in-laws' kingdom, what's an ogre to do? Well, if you're Shrek, you suddenly wind up a domesticated family man. Instead of scaring villagers away like he used to, a reluctant Shrek now agrees to autograph pitch forks. What's happened to this ogre's roar? Longing for the days when he felt like a "real ogre," Shrek is duped into signing a pact with the smooth-talking dealmaker, Rumpelstiltskin. Shrek suddenly finds himself in a twisted, alternate version of Far Far Away, where ogres are hunted, Rumpelstiltskin is king and Shrek and Fiona have never met. Now, it's up to Shrek to undo all he's done in the hopes of saving his friends, restoring his world and reclaiming his one True Love.

Despicable Me
Vitals: Director: Chris Renaud, Pierre Coffin. Stars: Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Miranda Cosgrove, Julie Andrews, Russell Brand, Kristen Wiig, Will Arnett, Danny McBride, Jack McBrayer, Jemaine Clement. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 95 min., Animated, Box office gross: $244.701 million, Universal. 3 stars

In a happy suburban neighborhood surrounded by white picket fences with flowering rose bushes, sits a black house with a dead lawn. Unbeknownst to the neighbors, hidden deep beneath this home, is a vast secret hideout. Surrounded by an army of tireless, little yellow Minions, we discover Gru (Steve Carell), planning the biggest heist in the history of the world. He is going to steal the moon. Gru delights in all things wicked. Armed with his arsenal of shrink rays, freeze rays and battle-ready vehicles for land and air, he vanquishes all who stand in his way. Until the day he encounters the immense will of three little orphaned girls who look at him and see something that no one else has ever seen: a potential Dad. One of the world's greatest super-villains has just met his greatest challenge: three little girls named Margo, Edith and Agnes.

The Other Guys
Vitals: Director: Adam McKay. Stars: Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Samuel L. Jackson, Dwayne Johnson, Eva Mendes, Michael Keaton, Daman Wayans Jr., Rob Riggle, Bobby Cannavale, Steve Coogan, Anne Heche, Lindsay Sloane. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 107 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $117.697 million, Sony. 3 stars

NYPD Detectives Christopher Danson (Dwayne Johnson) and P.K. (Samuel L. Jackson) are the baddest and most beloved cops in New York City. They don't get tattoos -- other men get tattoos of them. Two desks over and one back, sit Detectives Allen Gamble (Will Ferrell) and Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg). You've seen them in the background of photos of Danson and Highsmith, out of focus and eyes closed. They're not heroes --they're "the Other Guys." But every cop has his or her day and soon Gamble and Hoitz stumble into a seemingly innocuous case, one no other detective wants to touch but one that could turn into New York City's biggest crime. It's the opportunity of their lives, but do these guys have the right stuff?

The Town

Vitals: Director: Ben Affleck. Stars: Ben Affleck, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renne, Blake Lively, Pete Postlethwaite, Chris Cooper. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 125 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $87.843 million, Warner. Due Friday, December 17
3 stars

There are over 300 bank robberies in Boston every year. And most of the professionals live in a one-square-mile neighborhood called Charlestown. One of them is Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck), but he is not cut from the same cloth as his fellow thieves. Unlike them, Doug had a chance at success, a chance to escape following in his father's criminal footsteps. Instead, he became the leader of a crew of ruthless bank robbers who pride themselves on taking what they want and getting out clean. The only family Doug has are his partners in crime, especially Jem, who, despite his dangerous, hair-trigger temper, is the closest thing Doug ever had to a brother. However, everything changed on the gang's last job when Jem briefly took a hostage: bank manager Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall). When they discover Claire lives in Charlestown, Jem gets nervous and wants to check out what she might have seen. Knowing what Jem is capable of, Doug takes charge. He seeks out Claire, who has no idea that their encounter is not by chance or that this charming stranger is one of the men who terrorized her only days before. As his relationship with Claire deepens into a passionate romance, Doug wants out of this life and the town. But with the Feds closing in and Jem questioning his loyalty, Doug realizes that getting out will not be easy and, worse, may put Claire in the line of fire. Any choices he once had have boiled down to one: betray his friends or lose the woman he loves. "The Town" is a dramatic thriller about robbers and cops, friendship and betrayal, love and hope, and escaping a past that has no future.

Legend of the Guardians
Vitals: Director: Zack Snyder. Stars:. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 97 min., Family, Box office gross: $52.896 million, Warner. Due Friday, December 17
3 stars

Director Zack Snyder makes his animation debut with the fantasy family adventure based on the beloved books by Kathryn Lasky. The film follows Soren, a young owl enthralled by his father's epic stories of the Guardians of Ga'Hoole, a mythic band of winged warriors who had fought a great battle to save all of owlkind from the evil Pure Ones. While Soren dreams of someday joining his heroes, his older brother, Kludd, scoffs at the notion, and yearns to hunt, fly and steal his father's favor from his younger sibling. But Kludd's jealousy has terrible consequences -- causing both owlets to fall from their treetop home and right into the talons of the Pure Ones. Now it is up to Soren to make a daring escape with the help of other brave young owls. Together they soar across the sea and through the mist to find the Great Tree, home of the legendary Guardians of Ga'Hoole -- Soren's only hope of defeating the Pure Ones and saving the owl kingdoms.

The A-Team

Vitals: Director: Joe Carnahan. Stars: Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Sharlto Copley, Jessica Biel. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 117 min., Action, Box office gross: $77.213 million, Fox. 2 stars

Remake -- or rather redo -- of TV's "The A-Team," about an unofficial team of Vietnam vets who stopped at nothing to get the bad guys. Sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit, the four commandos escaped from a maximum-security stockade and survived in the Los Angeles underground as soldiers of fortune. The original series, which ran from 1983-87, starred George Peppard, Mr. T, Dirk Benedict and Dwight Schultz. In this version, the four are Iraq War veterans.

Cyrus

Vitals: Director: Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass. Stars: John C. Reilly, Jonah Hill, Marisa Tomei, Catherine Keener, Matt Walsh. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 91 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $7.445 million, Fox. 3 stars

Using the innovative improvisational techniques that have earned them critical accolades and a devoted following, Jay Duplass and Mark Duplass enter the mainstream with a touching, original story that blends humor and heartbreak, much like life itself. Still single seven years after the breakup of his marriage, John (John C. Reilly) has all but given up on romance. But at the urging of his ex-wife and best friend Jamie (Catherine Keener), John grudgingly agrees to join her and her fiance Tim (Matt Walsh) at a party. To his and everyone else's surprise, he actually manages to meet someone: the gorgeous and spirited Molly (Marisa Tomei). Their chemistry is immediate. The relationship takes off quickly but Molly is oddly reluctant to take the relationship beyond John's house. Perplexed, he follows her home and discovers the other man in Molly's life: her son, Cyrus (Jonah Hill). A 21-year-old new age musician, Cyrus is his mom's best friend and shares an unconventional relationship with her. Cyrus will go to any lengths to protect Molly and is definitely not ready to share her with anyone, especially John. Before long, the two are locked in a battle of wits for the woman they both love -- and it appears only one man can be left standing when it's over.

Exit Through the Gift Shop

Vitals: Director: Banksy. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 87 min., Documentary, Box office gross: $3.290 million, Oscilloscope Laboratories. 3 stars

A story of street art and what happens when an eccentric shopkeeper-turned-amateur-filmmaker named Thierry Guetta sets out to produce the ultimate documentary on the art form. After spending five years recording many of the world's most infamous vandals at work, he met Banksy, a camera shy British stencil artist who felt Guetta himself would make a more fitting subject for a documentary. Turning the camera back on its owner with wildly unexpected results, the film is a brutal and revealing account of what happens when fame, money and vandalism collide. Banksy tells the incredible true-life story of what happened when Guetta transformed himself into street-art sensation Mr. Brainwash. By turns shocking, hilarious and absurd, this is an enthralling modern-day fairy tale ... with bolt cutters. (Banksy is a graffitti artist with a global reputation whose work can be seen on walls from post-hurricane New Orleans to the Palestinian segregation wall in the West Bank. Most recently he made headlines with his controversial "Couch Gag" that he storyboarded and directed for "The Simpsons."

Nanny McPhee Returns

Vitals: Director: Susanna White. Stars: Emma Thompson, Ralph Fiennes, Ewan McGregor, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Maggie Smith, Rhys Ifans, Daniel Mays. 2009, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 109 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $28.725 million, Universal. 2 stars

Emma Thompson returns to the role of the magical nanny who appears when she's needed the most and wanted the least in the next chapter of the family fable. In the latest installment, Nanny McPhee appears at the door of a harried young mother, Mrs. Isabel Green (Maggie Gyllenhaal), who is trying to run the family farm while her husband is away at war. But once she's arrived, Nanny McPhee discovers that Mrs. Green's children are fighting a war of their own against two spoiled city cousins who have just moved in and refuse to leave. Relying on everything from a flying motorcycle and a statue that comes to life to a tree-climbing piglet and a baby elephant who turns up in the oddest places, Nanny McPhee uses her magic to teach her mischievous charges five new lessons.

Mother and Child

Vitals: Director: Rodrigo Garcia. Stars: Annette Bening, Naomi Watts, Kerry Washington, Jimmy Smits, Samuel L. Jackson, David Morse, Elpidia Carrillo. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R 127 min., Drama, Box office gross: $1.108 million, Sony. 3 stars

Chronicles the compelling stories of three women -- a 50 year-old woman (Annette Bening), haunted by the thoughts of the daughter she gave up for adoption 35 years earlier. Elizabeth (Naomi Watts), who grew up as an adopted child; she's a bright and ambitious lawyer, but a flinty loner in her personal life. And Lucy, an African American (Kerry Washington), just embarking with her husband on the adoption odyssey, hoping for the opportunity to become parents. Their lives become fatefully intertwined by the unbreakable bond between mother and child.

Micmacs

Vitals: Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Stars: Dany Boon, Andre Dussollier, Omar Sy, Dominique Pinon, Julie Ferrier, Nicolas Marie, Marie-Julie Baup. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 104 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $1.248 million, Sony. 3 stars

From the director of "The City of Lost Children," "Delicatessen," "Alien: Resurrection," "Amelie" and "A Very Long Engagement" comes this delightful comedy with vengeance. First it was a mine that exploded in the middle of the Moroccan desert. Years later, it was a stray bullet from a drive-by shooting that lodged in his brain ... Bazil doesn't have much luck with weapons. The first made him an orphan, the second holds him on the brink of sudden, instant death. Released from the hospital after his accident, Bazil is homeless. Luckily, the inspired and gentle-natured dreamer is quickly taken in by a motley crew of junkyard dealers living in a veritable Ali Baba's cave of society's materialistic rejects and cast-offs. The group's talents and inspirations are as surprising as they are diverse: Remington, Calculator, Buster, Slammer, Elastic Girl, Tiny Pete and Mama Chow. Then, one day, walking by two huge buildings, Bazil recognizes the logos of the weapons manufacturers that caused all of his misfortune. He sets out to take revenge, with the help of his faithful gang of wacky friends. Underdogs battling heartless industrial giants, the gang relives the battle of David and Goliath, with all the imagination and fantasy of Buster Keaton. Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet says "'Micmacs' is a little like 'Delicatessen' meets 'Amelie'..." In French with English subtitles.

Salt

Vitals: Director: Phillip Noyce. Stars: Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Zoe Lister Jones, Yara Shahidi, Cassidy Hinkle, Gaius Charles, Corey Stoll, Kevin O'Donnell, Hunt Block, James Cronin, Gary Wilmes. 2009, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 100 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $117.562 million, Sony. 3 stars

Angelina Jolie is terrific as CIA officer Evelyn Salt, who swore an oath to duty, honor and country. Her loyalty is tested when a defector accuses her of being a Russian spy, and she goes on the run, using all her skills and years of experience as a covert operative to elude capture. Salt's efforts to prove her innocence only serve to cast doubt on her motives, as the hunt to uncover the truth behind her identity continues, with twists, turns, betrayals and plenty of stunts, chases and action sequences. There's nary a dull moment here as director Phillip Noyce keeps the action -- and camera -- moving straight ahead to the spectacular ending.

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

Vitals: Director: Oliver Stone. Stars: Michael Douglas, Shia LaBeouf, Josh Brolin, Carey Mulligan, Eli Wallach, Susan Sarandon, Frank Langella. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 136 min., Drama, Box office gross: $52.147 million, Fox. 3 stars

In this sequel to 1987's "Wall Street," ruthless financial wizard Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) returns from a lengthy prison stint and finds himself on the outside of a world he once dominated. Looking to repair his damaged relationship with his daughter (Carey Mulligan), Gekko forms an alliance with her fiance Jacob (Shia LaBeouf), and Jacob begins to see him as a father figure. But Jacob learns the hard way that Gekko -- still a master manipulator and player -- is after something very different from redemption.

Easy A

Vitals: Director: Will Gluck. Stars: Emma Stone, Amanda Bynes, Lisa Kudrow, Alyson Machalka, Thomas Haden Church, Stanley Tucci, Cam Gigandet, Penn Badgley, Patricia Clarkson, Malcolm McDowell, Dan Byrd, Chyna. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 92 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $42.176 million, Sony. 3stars

After a little white lie about losing her virginity gets out, a clean cut high school girl (Emma Stone) sees her life paralleling Hester Prynne's in "The Scarlet Letter," which she is currently studying in school -- until she decides to use the rumor mill to advance her social and financial standing. This comedy of teen morals is smart, sassy and inventive, and showcases a bright new comedy star in the person of Emma Stone. Stone is cute as a button and is imminently watchable; she pretty much holds the film together with her wit and acting chops. She's in good company, too, with fine but all-too-brief supporting roles by Stanley Tucci, Lisa Kudrow, Thomas Haden Church, Patricia Clarkson and Malcolm McDowell. That said, though, one really has to suspend disbelief to put up with the conceit at the core of the story line -- that a high school girl would continue to dig herself deeper into a hole despite the fact that she knows better. But somehow, director Will Gluck manages to pull it off.

Devil

Vitals: Director: John Erick Dowdle and Drew Dowdle. Stars: Chris Messina, Logan Marshall-Green, Jenny O'Hara, Jacob Vargas, Matt Craven, Bokeem Woodbine. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 80 min., Horror, Box office gross: $33.1 million, Universal. 2 stars

Trapped in an elevator high above Philadelphia, five people discover that the Devil is among them -- and no one can escape their fate. Based on an original story by M. Night Shyamalan.

Resident Evil: Afterlife

Vitals: Director: Paul W.S. Anderson. Stars: Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, Wentworth Miller, Shawn Roberts, Kim Coates, Sergio Peris-Mencheta, Spencer Locke, Boris Kodjoe, Sienna Guillory. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 90 min., Science Fiction-Action-Horror, Box office gross: $56.615 million, Sony. 4 stars

In a world ravaged by the T-virus infection, Alice (Milla Jovovich) continues on her lonely and dangerous hunt for survivors in a decimated world crawling with the Undead -- while continuing her deadly battle with the Umbrella Corporation. Searching for the alleged safe-haven "Arcadia," she finds survivors Claire (Ali Larter) and Chris Redfield (Wentworth Miller). A new lead that promises a safe haven from the Undead takes them to Los Angeles, but when they arrive the city is overrun by thousands of the Undead -- and Alice and her comrades are about to step into a deadly trap. The third sequel in the series ups the ante with hotter special effects and zombie-killing action -- this time in 3-D.

The American

Vitals: Director: Anton Corbijn. Stars: George Clooney, Irina Bjorklund, Thekla Reuten, Violante Placido, Paolo Bonacelli. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 105 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $35,562, million, Universal.2 stars

George Clooney stars as Jack, an assassin who is constantly on the move and always alone. After a job in Sweden ends more harshly than expected, Jack retreats to the Italian countryside. He relishes being away from death for a while as he holes up in a small medieval town. While there, Jack takes an assignment to construct a weapon for a mysterious contact, Mathilde (Thekla Reuten). Savoring the peaceful quiet he finds in the mountains of Abruzzo, Jack accepts the friendship of local priest Father Benedetto (Paolo Bonacelli) and pursues a torrid liaison with a beautiful woman, Clara (Violante Placido). Jack and Clara's time together evolves into a romance, one seemingly free of danger. But by stepping out of the shadows, Jack may be tempting fate.

Toy Story 3, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Charlie St. Cloud, photo Grown Ups, The Kids Are All Right, A Christmas Carol, The Last Airbender...

2010-12-01T20:01:00.000-08:00

Video Guide for: Toy Story 3, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Charlie St. Cloud, photo Grown Ups, The Kids Are All Right, A Christmas Carol, The Last Airbender, Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore, The Expendables, Eat Pray Love, I'm Still Here, Flipped, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Knight and Day, Vampires Suck, Going the Distance,

Toy Story 3
Vitals: Director: Lee Unkrich. Stars: Voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Don Rickles, John Ratzenberger, Michael Keaton, Estelle Harris, Jodi Benson, Ned Beatty, Wallace Shawn
. 2009, CC, MPAA rating: G, 102 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $400.8 million, Disney. 4 stars

Woody and Buzz had accepted that their owner Andy would grow up someday, but what happens when that day arrives? In the third installment of "Toy Story," Andy is preparing to depart for college, leaving his loyal toys troubled about their uncertain future. Andy decides to store his friends in the attic, but they're mistakenly sent off to a day care center, where the untamed tots with sticky little fingers don't play very nice. When Woody, Buzz and the gang want to get a chance to be played with by the older kids, they bump up against the Lots-o'-Huggin' Bear, who rules the day care toys with an iron fist. There's only one thing for the gang to do: they plan a great escape.

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Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Vitals: Director: Edgar Wright. Stars: Michael Cera, Mark Webber, Johnny Simmons, Ellen Wong, Kieran Culkin, Anna Kendrick, Jason Schwartzman, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Brandon Routh,Alison Pill
. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 112 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $30.438 million, Universal. 3 stars

A bass guitarist for garage band S*x Bob-omb, the 22-year-old has never had a problem getting a girlfriend. It's getting rid of them that proves difficult. From the girl who kicked his heart's ass -- and now is back in town -- to the teenage distraction he's trying to shake when he finally meets the woman of his dreams, Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), love hasn't been easy. He soon discovers, however, his new crush has the most unusual baggage of all: a nefarious league of exes controls her love life and will do whatever it takes to eliminate him as a suitor. As Scott gets closer to Ramona, he must face an increasingly vicious rogues gallery from her past -- from infamous skateboarders to vegan rock stars and fearsomely identical twins -- all told, seven evil exes who are coming to kill him. And if he hopes to win his true love, he must vanquish them all before it really is game over.

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Charlie St. Cloud

Vitals: Director: Burr Steers. Stars: Zac Efron, Charlie Tahan, Amanda Crew, Augustus Prew, Donal Logue, Kim Basinger
. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 109 min., Drama, Box office gross: $31.136 million, Universal. 2 stars

Zac Efron stars as Charlie St. Cloud, a small-town hero and an accomplished sailor who has it all: the adoration of his mother and younger brother, and a Stanford scholarship. His bright future is cut short when tragedy strikes, taking his dreams with it. Now Charlie is torn between honoring a promise he made years ago and pursuing his newfound love with a former high-school classmate. Based on the acclaimed bestseller.

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photo Grown Ups

Vitals: Director: Dennis Dugan. Stars: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, Rob Schneider, Maria Bello, Maya Rudolph, Salma Hayek
. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 102 min., Comedy-Drama, Box office gross: $159.372 million, Sony. 3 stars

Gathering to mourn the passing of their beloved basketball coach, five childhood best friends and teammates reunite at the summer lake house where they celebrated their biggest championship victory 30 years earlier. Over the course of the Fourth of July weekend, the kids-at-heart realize that just because they've all grown up and started families doesn't mean that they've lost that old spark. Picking up where they left off, they discover that growing older doesn't mean growing up. Adulthood is what you make of it, and no one at the lake house is eager to be the grown up of the gang.

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The Kids Are All Right

Vitals: Director: Lisa Cholodenko. Stars: Julianne Moore, Annette Bening, Mark Ruffalo, Mia Wasikowska, Josh Hutcherson, Julianne Moore
. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 104 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $20.512 million, Universal. 3 stars

Nic (Bening) and Jules (Moore) are your average suburban couple raising their two teens, Joni (Mia Wasikowska) and Laser (Josh Hutcherson), in Southern California. But when the kids secretly track down their "donor dad," Paul (Mark Ruffalo), an unexpected new chapter begins for everyone as family ties are defined, re-defined and then re-re-defined.

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A Christmas Carol

Vitals: Director: Robert Zemeckis. Stars: Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Bob Hoskins, Sammi Hanratty
. 2009, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 98 min., Family, Box office gross: $137.850 million, Disney. 3 stars

Disney's 3-D animated retelling of the Christmas classic. Ebenezer Scrooge (Jim Carrey) begins the Christmas holiday with his usual miserly contempt, barking at his faithful clerk (Gary Oldman) and his cheery nephew (Colin Firth). But when the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come take him on an eye-opening journey revealing truths Old Scrooge is reluctant to face, he must open his heart to undo years of ill will before it's too late.

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The Last Airbender

Vitals: Director: M. Night Shyamalan. Stars: Noah Ringer, Dev Patel, Nicola Peltz, Jackson Rathbone, Shaun Toub, Aasif Mandvi, Cliff Curtis, Seychelle Gabriel
. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 103 min., Action-Fantasy, Box office gross: $131.567 million, Paramount. 2 stars

Air, Water, Earth, Fire. Four nations tied by destiny when the Fire Nation launches a brutal war against the others. A century has passed with no hope in sight to change the path of this destruction. Caught between combat and courage, Aang (Noah Ringer) discovers he is the last Avatar with the power to manipulate all four elements. Aang teams with Katara (Nicola Peltz), a Waterbender, and her brother, Sokka (Jackson Rathbone), to restore balance to their war-torn world. Based on the hugely successful Nickelodeon animated TV series.

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Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore

Vitals: Director: Brad Peyton. Stars: Chris O'Donnell and Jack McBrayer; Voices of
Christina Applegate
, Michael Clarke Duncan, Neil Patrick Harris, Sean Hayes, James Marsden, Bette Midler, Nick Nolte, Wallace Shawn, Roger Moore, Paul Rodriguez, Joe Pantoliano. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 82 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $42.672 million, Warner. 2 stars

In the eternal battle between cats and dogs, one crazed feline has taken things a paw too far. Former elite agent Kitty Galore has gone rogue and plans to unleash a diabolical device designed to not only bring her canine enemies to heel but also to take down her former kitty comrades and make the world her scratching post. Faced with this dire threat, cats and dogs must work together for the first time ever to save themselves and their beloved humans from global cat-astrophe. Blends live action with state-of-the-art puppetry and computer animation.

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The Expendables

Vitals: Director: Sylvester Stallone. Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Mickey Rourke, Terry Crews, Dolph Lundgren, Charisma Carpenter, David Zayas, Randy Couture, Steve Austin, Eric Roberts, Giselle Itie
. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 103 min., Action, Box office gross: $102.516 million, Lionsgate. 3 stars

photo A hard-hitting action/thriller about a group of mercenaries hired to infiltrate a South American country and overthrow its ruthless dictator. Once the mission begins, the men realize things arent quite as they appear, and they find themselves caught in a dangerous web of deceit and betrayal. With their mission thwarted and an innocent life in danger, the men struggle with an even tougher challenge one that threatens to destroy this band of brothers.

Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) is a man with nothing to lose. Fearless and void of emotion, he is the leader, the sage and the strategist of this tight-knit band of men who live on the fringe. His only attachment is to his pickup truck, his seaplane and his team of loyal modern-day warriors. The team behind him is made up of Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), former SAS and a savant with anything that has a blade; Yin Yang (Jet Li), a master at close-quarter combat; Hale Caesar (Terry Crews), a long-barrel weapons specialist; Toll Road (Randy Couture), a skilled demolitions expert and considered the intellect of the group; and Gunnar Jensen (Dolph Lundgren), a combat veteran and an expert in precision sniping who struggles with his own demons.

When the mysterious Church offers Barney a job no one else would take, Barney and his team embark on what appears to be a routine mission: overthrow General Gaza (David Zayas), the murderous dictator of the small island country of Vilena and end the years of death and destruction inflicted on its people. On a reconnaissance mission to Vilena, Barney and Christmas meet their contact Sandra (Giselle Itie), a local freedom-fighter with a dark secret. They also come to learn who their true enemy is: rogue ex-CIA operative James Monroe (Eric Roberts) and his henchman Paine (Steve Austin). When things go terribly wrong, Barney and Christmas are forced to leave Sandra behind, essentially giving her a death sentence. Haunted by this failure, Barney convinces the team to return to Vilena to rescue the hostage and finish the job he started.

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Eat Pray Love

Vitals: Director: Ryan Murphy. Stars: James Franco, Richard Jenkins, Viola Davis, Billy Crudup, Javier Bardem,
Julia Roberts
. 2009, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 140 min., Romance, Box office gross: $79.710 million, Sony. 2 stars

photo Liz Gilbert (Julia Roberts) is a modern woman on a quest to marvel at and travel the world while rediscovering and reconnecting with her true inner self. At a crossroads after a divorce, Gilbert takes a year-long sabbatical from her job and steps uncharacteristically out of her comfort zone, risking everything to change her life. In her wondrous and exotic travels, she experiences the simple pleasure of nourishment by eating in Italy; the power of prayer in India, and, finally and unexpectedly, the inner peace and balance of love in Bali. Based on Elizabeth Gilbert's bestseller.

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I'm Still Here

Vitals: Director: Casey Affleck
. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 108 min., Documentary, Box office gross: $.386 million, Magnolia Home Entertainment. 2 stars

Documenting Joaquin Phoenix's transition from the acting world to a career as an aspiring rapper, this film is a portrayal of a tumultuous year in Phoenix's life. With remarkable access, the documentary follows the Oscar-nominee as he announces his retirement from a successful film career in the fall of 2008 and sets off to reinvent himself as a hip hop musician. The film is a portrait of an artist at a crossroads and explores notions of courage and creative reinvention, as well as the ramifications of a life spent in the public eye.

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Flipped

Vitals: Director: Rob Reiner. Stars: Callan McAuliffe, Rebecca De Mornay, Anthony Edwards, John Mahoney, Penelope Ann Miller, Aidan Quinn, Kevin Weisman, Morgan Lily, Ryan Ketzner, Gillian Pfaff, Madeline Carroll
. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 90 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $1.704 million, Warner. 2 stars

Two eighth graders start to have feelings for each other despite being total opposites. Based on the 2001 novel "Flipped" by Wendelin Van Draanen. When second-graders Bryce and Juli first meet, Juli knows it's love. But Bryce isn't so sure. Girl-phobic and easily embarrassed, young Bryce does everything he can to keep his outspoken wannabe girlfriend at arm's length ... for the next six years, which isn't easy since they go to the same school and live across the street from each other. But if Juli finally looks away, will it be Bryce's turn to be dazzled? Follows Bryce and Juli from grade school to junior high (1957-63), through triumph and disaster, family drama and first love, as they make the discoveries that will define who they are -- and who they are to each other.

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The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Vitals: Director: David Slade. Stars: Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Ashley Greene, Nikki Reed, Jackson Rathbone, Kellan Lutz, Billy Burke, Elizabeth Reaser, Peter Facinelli, Gil Birgmingham, Christian Serratos, Kristen Stewart
. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 124 min., Fantasy-Drama, Box office gross: $295.9 million, Summit Entertainment. Due December 4 3 stars

In the third chapter in the Twilight franchise, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger as Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge. In the midst of it all, Bella is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob -- knowing that her decision has the potential to re-ignite the ageless battle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella is confronted with the most important decision of her life.

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The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Vitals: Director: Jon Turteltaub. Stars: Nicolas Cage, Jay Baruchel, Alfred Molina, Toby Kebbell, Omar Benson Miller, Monica Bellucci, Alice Krige, Teresa Palmer
. 2009, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 111 min., Fantasy Thriller, Box office gross: $63.017 million, Disney. 2 stars

Balthazar Blake (Nicolas Cage) is a master sorcerer in modern-day Manhattan trying to defend the city from his arch-nemesis, Maxim Horvath (Alfred Molina). Balthazar can't do it alone, so he recruits Dave Stutler (Jay Baruchel), a seemingly average guy who demonstrates hidden potential, as his reluctant protege. The sorcerer gives his unwilling accomplice a crash course in the art and science of magic, and together, these unlikely partners work to stop the forces of darkness. It'll take all the courage Dave can muster to survive his training, save the city and get the girl as he becomes

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Knight and Day

Vitals: Director: James Mangold. Stars: Tom Cruise, Peter Sarsgaard, Viola Davis, Paul Dano, Marc Blucas, Maggie Grace, Cameron Diaz
. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 110 min., Action Comedy, Box office gross: $76.307 million, Fox. 3 stars

Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz star in an this action comedy in which a chance encounter thrusts a woman and a charming but lethal operative into a series of adventures across the globe. As if dodging assassins and uncovering world-changing secrets weren't enough, she must now figure out if he is a good guy, a traitor -- or just plain crazy. It's breezy and lightweight but who cares -- the leads are so nice to watch.

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Vampires Suck

Anneliese van der Pol

Vitals: Director: Jason Friedberg, Aaron Seltzer. Stars: Jenn Proske, Matt Lanter, Diedrich Bader, Chris Riggi, Ken Jeong, . 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 80 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $36.365 million, Fox. 2 stars

A spoof of teen vampire-themed movies (you know who you are). Becca, an angst-ridden teenager at a new high school, finds herself torn between two supernatural suitors: a moody vampire and an extremely hairy werewolf. Meanwhile, she has to contend with her controlling father, who embarrasses her by treating her like a child; and deal with all the trials and tribulations of high school life. Becca and her friend's romantic issues all collide at the prom. From Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer, who brought you "Scary Movie."

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Going the Distance

Vitals: Director: Nanette Burstein. Stars: Justin Long, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Christina Applegate, Ron Livingston, Drew Barrymore
.. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 102 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $17.797 million, New Line. 2 stars

Erin and Garrett are good together -- even when they're apart. When aspiring journalist Erin (Drew Barrymore) moves to San Francisco to finish her last year of school, boyfriend Garrett (Justin Long), an assistant music scout, stays in Manhattan to pursue his ambitions and wait on that promotion he's been promised. With a webcam connection and frequent flier miles, the two gamely navigate the pitfalls and miscommunications of their bi-coastal romance, dodging bad advice from friends and some predatory singles who won't take "taken" for an answer. But when it seems their wait is almost over, Erin scores her dream job in California just as Garrett's career heats up in New York. The big breaks they've been hoping for could break them up for good ... unless their love can truly go the distance.

Splice, The Karate Kid, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Human Centipede, How to Train Your Dragon, Jonah Hex, I Am Love, Please Give, Predators...

2010-11-01T18:42:00.000-07:00

Video Guide for: Splice, The Karate Kid, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Human Centipede, How to Train Your Dragon, Jonah Hex, I Am Love, Please Give, Predators, The Girl Who Played With Fire, Winter's Bone, Sex and the City 2, Wild Grass.

Splice
Vitals: Director: Vincenzo Natali. Stars: Adrien Brody, Sarah Polley
, Delphine Chaneac. 2009, CC, MPAA rating: R, 90 min., Horror, Box office gross: $16.980 million, Warner. 3 stars

Superstar genetic engineers Clive (Adrien Brody) and Elsa (Sarah Polley) specialize in splicing together DNA from different animals to create incredible new hybrids. Now they want to use human DNA in a hybrid that could revolutionize science and medicine. But when the pharmaceutical company that funds their research forbids it, Clive and Elsa secretly conduct their own experiments. The result is Dren, an amazing, strangely beautiful creature that exhibits uncommon intelligence and an array of unexpected physical developments. And though, at first, Dren exceeds their wildest dreams, she begins to grow and learn at an accelerated rate -- and threatens to become their worst nightmare.

The Karate Kid
Vitals: Director: Hard Art. Stars: Jaden Smith, Jackie Chan
, Taraji P. Henson, Wenwen Han, Zhenwei Wang. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 140 min., Action, Box office gross: $172.932 million, Sony. 3 stars

Twelve-year-old Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) could have been the most popular kid in Detroit, but his mother's (Taraji P. Henson) latest career move has landed them in Beijing, China. Dre immediately falls for his classmate Mei Ying (Wenwen Han) and the feeling is mutual -- but cultural differences make the friendship impossible. Even worse, Dre's feelings make an enemy of the class bully, Cheng (Zhenwei Wang). In the land of kung fu, Dre knows only a little karate, and Cheng puts "the karate kid" on the floor with ease. Without any friends in a strange land, Dre has nowhere to turn until he meets maintenance man Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), who is secretly a master of kung fu. As Han teaches Dre that kung fu is not about punches and parries but maturity and calm, Dre realizes that facing down the bullies will be the fight of his life. Remake of the 1984 hit.

A Nightmare on Elm Street
Vitals: Director: Samuel Bayer. Stars: Rooney Mara, Katie Cassidy
, Kyle Gallner, Thomas Dekker, Kellan Lutz, Jackie Earle Haley. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 102 min., Horror, Box office gross: $63.059 million, New Line. 2 stars

Remake of the classic horror film. The kids of Elm Street all have a common bond: At night, they all have the same dream -- of the same man, wearing a tattered red and green striped sweater, a beaten fedora half-concealing a disfigured face and a gardener's glove with knives for fingers. And they're all hearing the same frightening voice. One by one, he terrorizes them within the curved walls of their dreams, where the rules are his, and the only way out is to wake up. But when one of their number dies a violent death, they soon realize that what happens in their dreams happens for real, and the only way to stay alive is to stay awake. Turning to each other, the four surviving friends try to uncover how they became part of this dark fairytale, hunted by this dark man. Functioning on little to no sleep, they struggle to understand why them, why now, and what their parents aren't telling them. Buried in their past is a debt that has just come due, and to save themselves, they will have to plunge themselves into the mind of the most twisted nightmare of all ... Freddy Krueger.

The Human Centipede
Vitals: Director: Tom Six. Stars: Ashley C. Williams
, Ashlynn Yennie, Dieter Laser, Akihiro Kitamura. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 92 min., Horror, Box office gross: $.181 million, IFC Entertainment/MPI Media Group. 1 stars

The plot is diabolically simple: Two pretty American girls (Ashley C. Williams, Ashlynn Yennie) are on a road trip through Europe. In Germany, their car breaks down, leaving them alone in the woods at night. They take refuge in an isolated villa, where they wake the next morning to find themselves trapped in a basement along with a Japanese businessman. An older German man (a maniacally intense Dieter Laser) introduces himself as a retired surgeon who gained fortune and fame by separating Siamese twins. He then calmly tells his three "patients" that, far from being separated, they will be surgically attached to each other in a ghastly operation to connect their gastric systems. Thus will be born a new creature: the human centipede. Ugh!

How to Train Your Dragon
Vitals: Director: Dean DeBlois, Chris Sanders. Stars: Voices of Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson,
America Ferrera
, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Kristen Wiig. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 98 min., Animated, Box office gross: $217.387 million, DreamWorks. 3 stars

photo Set in the mythical world of burly Vikings and wild dragons, and based on the book by Cressida Cowell, the animated action-comedy tells the story of Hiccup, a Viking teenager who doesn't exactly fit in with his tribe's longstanding tradition of heroic dragon slayers. Hiccup's world is turned upside down when he has to pass his Viking initiation by hunting down the fiercest dragon and bringing it into submission. Instead, he ends up with the smallest, most ornery dragon -- it's even toothless -- who challenges the Vikings to see the world from an entirely different point of view.

Jonah Hex
Vitals: Director: Jimmy Hayward. Stars: Josh Brolin, John Malkovich, Megan Fox
, Michael Fassbender, Will Arnett, Tom Wopat, Wes Bentley. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 81 min., Action, Box office gross: $10.539 million, Warner. 2 stars

Jonah Hex (Josh Brolin) is a scarred drifter and bounty hunter of last resort, a tough and stoic gunslinger who can track down anyone ... and anything. Having survived death, Jonah's violent history is steeped in myth and legend, and has left him with one foot in the natural world and one on the "other side." His only human connection is with Lila (Megan Fox), whose life in a brothel has left her with scars of her own. Jonah's past is about to catch up with him when the U.S. military makes him an offer he can't refuse: In exchange for his freedom from the warrants on his head, he must track down and stop the dangerous terrorist Quentin Turnbull (John Malkovich). But Turnbull, who is gathering an army and preparing to unleash Hell, is also Jonah's oldest enemy and will stop at nothing until Jonah is dead. Based on the character from the graphic novels about one man's personal quest for redemption against the vast canvas of the battle between good and evil.

I Am Love
Vitals: Director: Luca Guadagnino. Stars: Tilda Swinton
, Flavio Parenti, Edoardo Gabbriellini, Alba Rohrwacher, Pippo Delbono. 2009, CC, MPAA rating: R, 120 min., Drama, Box office gross: $4.696 million, Magnolia Home Entertainment. 2 stars

photo The story of the wealthy Recchi family of Milan, whose lives are rapidly changing at the turn of the millennium. The family patriarch has surprised the family by willing shared ownership of his massive industrial company to both his son Tancredi (Pippo Delbono) and his grandson Edoardo Jr. (Flavio Parenti). Meanwhile, Edoardo Jr. has other plans, dreaming of opening a restaurant with a talented chef friend, Antonio (Edoardo Gabbriellini). At the heart of the family is Tancredi's wife and Edoardo Jr.'s mother, Emma (Tilda Swinton), a Russian immigrant who has adopted the culture of Milan, and whose existence is shaken when she enters a passionate love affair with Antonio.

Please Give
Vitals: Director: Nicole Holofcener. Stars: Catherine Keener
, Oliver Platt, Sarah Steele, Ann Morgan Guilbert, Rebecca Hall, Amanda Peet. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 90 min., Comedy Drama, Box office gross: $4.010 million, Sony. 3 stars

photo Kate (Catherine Keener) and Alex (Oliver Platt) are a couple living in New York City who specialize in vintage furniture -- which they buy on the cheap at estate sales and mark up at their trendy Manhattan store. Kate and Alex have a teenage daughter, Abby (Sarah Steele) -- who has image problems -- and their apartment is starting to feel a bit small for the three of them; Kate and Alex own the unit next door to them, and once the flat becomes vacant, they plan to knock out a wall and take over the space. However, Andra (Ann Morgan Guilbert), their tenant, is an elderly woman with a poor disposition who doesn't seem eager to go anywhere soon, and it's occurred to Kate and Alex that they're probably going to have wait for her to die, since evicting her would be very awkward. Hoping to make the best of the situation, Kate tries to strike up a friendship with Andra and her fiercely protective granddaughter Rebecca (Rebecca Hall), but Andra isn't especially interested in making new friends, and Rebecca's sister, Mary (Amanda Peet), isn't much easier to deal with. Add in Kate's marriage problem of sharing a partnership in parenting, business and life with Alex but sensing doubt nibbling at the foundations. Add in her guilt over the business -- exploiting grief-ridden relatives to buy furniture at low prices -- and her free-floating 21st century malaise -- the problem of how to live well and be a good person when poverty, homelessness, and sadness are always right outside the door, and this quirky comedic tale of human foibles soon takes an unpredictable turn.

Predators
Vitals: Director: Nimrod Antal. Stars: Adrien Brody, Topher Grace,
Alice Braga
, Walton Goggins, Oleg Taktarov, Laurence Fishburne, Danny Trejo, Louis Ozawa Changchien, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 106 min., Sci-Fi Horror, Box office gross: $51.061, million, Fox. 3 stars

The film stars Adrien Brody as Royce, a mercenary who reluctantly leads a group of elite warriors who come to realize they've been brought together on an alien planet ... as prey. With the exception of a disgraced physician, they are all cold-blooded killers -- mercenaries, Yakuza, convicts, death squad members -- human predators who are now being systemically hunted and eliminated by a new breed of alien Predators. In addition to hunter-of-men Royce, there's an accountant-type whose unassuming facade masks a dangerous serial killer (Topher Grace), a tough female killer (Alice Braga), a man not afraid to die (Mahershalalhashbaz Ali), a loose canon (Walton Goggins), a former Russian special ops agent (Oleg Taktarov) and Cuchillo (Danny Trejo) a hardened warrior with twin uzis strapped to his back.

The Girl Who Played With Fire
Vitals: Director: Daniel Alfredson. Stars: Noomi Rapace
, Michael Nyqvist, Lena Endre, Peter Andersson, Annika Hallin, Per Oscarsson. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 129 min., Mystery Thriller, Box office gross: $5.951 million, Music Box Films. 4 stars

photo Noomi Rapace reprises her role as Lisbeth Salander, the troubled, wise-beyond-her-years genius hacker, along with Michael Nyqvist, who again portrays Mikael Blomkvist, the crusading journalist and publisher of the magazine Millennium. In this fast-paced, edgy thriller, two journalists on the verge of exposing their story in Millennium about an extensive sex trafficking operation between Eastern Europe and Sweden are brutally murdered. Lisbeth Salander's prints are on the weapon. Blomkvist, alone in his belief in Salander's innocence, plunges into an investigation of the slayings that will implicate highly placed members of Swedish society, business and government. Knowing Salander to be fierce when fearful, he is desperate to get to her before she is cornered and alone but she is nowhere to be found. Digging deeper, Blomkvist also unearths some heart-wrenching facts about Salander's past life. Committed to psychiatric care at aged 12, declared legally incompetent at 18, she is the product of an unjust and corrupt system. Meanwhile, the elusive Salander herself is drawn into a murderous hunt in which she is the prey, and which compels her to revisit her dark past.

Novelist Stieg Larsson died suddenly in 2004 and left behind three unpublished novels known as the Millennium trilogy. Since his first novel, "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," was published in Sweden in 2005, the trilogy has become a major international sensation with an estimated 40 million copies of all of Larsson's books sold worldwide. To say it is unusual for a posthumous work in translation to reach No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list is an understatement. To see a posthumous work in translation reach number one around the world is unprecedented. "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest," the third novel in the trilogy, was published in the U.S. on May 25. The film adaptation will be released by Music Box Films in theaters on October 15.

Winter's Bone
Vitals: Director: Debra Granik. Stars: Jennifer Lawrence
, John Hawkes, Kevin Breznahan, Dale Dickey, Garret Dillahunt, Sheryl Lee, Tate Taylor. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 100 min., Drama, Box office gross: $4.017 million, Lionsgate. 3 stars
photo An unflinching Ozark Mountain girl hacks through dangerous social terrain as she hunts down her drug-dealing father while trying to keep her family intact. Seventeen-year-old Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) sets out to track down her father, who put their house up for his bail bond and then disappeared. If she fails, Ree and her family will be turned out into the Ozark woods. Challenging her outlaw kin's code of silence and risking her life, Ree hacks through the lies, evasions and threats offered up by her relatives and begins to piece together the truth.

Sex and the City 2
Vitals: Director: Michael Patrick King. Stars: Sarah Jessica Parker
, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon, Kim Cattrall, David Eigenberg, Evan Handler, Alice Eve, John Corbett, Chris Noth, Jason Lewis, Willie Garson, Liza Minnelli. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 146 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $95.136 million, New Line. 3 stars

The fun, the fashion, the friendship: "Sex and the City 2" brings it all back and more as Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Samantha (Kim Cattrall), Charlotte (Kristin Davis) and Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) take another bite out of The Big Apple -- and beyond -- carrying on with their busy lives and loves. What happens after you say "I do"? Life is everything the ladies ever wished it to be, but life holds a few more surprises for the foursome ... this time in the form of a glamorous, sun-drenched adventure that whisks them away from New York to Dubai, one of the most luxurious, exotic and vivid places on earth, where the party never ends and there's something mysterious around every corner. It's an escape that comes exactly at the right moment for the four friends, who are finding themselves in -- and fighting against -- the traditional roles of marriage, motherhood and more. After all, sometimes you just have to get away with the girls.

Wild Grass
Vitals: Director: Alain Resnais. Stars: Andre Dussollier, Sabine Azema
, Emmanuelle Devos, Mathieu Amalric. 2009, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 104 min., Romantic Drama, Box office gross: $.351 million, Sony. 3 stars

The latest film from legendary director Alain Resnais ("Last Year at Marienbad," "Hiroshima Mon Amour"). In this romantic drama, a wallet lost and found opens the door -- slightly -- to Georges and Marguerite's romantic adventure. After examining the ID of the red wallet he's found, Georges discovers that it's not a simple matter to turn it in to the police. Nor can Marguerite retrieve her wallet without having her curiosity piqued about the person who found it. As Georges and Marguerite navigate the social protocols of giving and acknowledging thanks, turbulence enters their everyday lives. "Wild Grass" is based on the novel "L'incident" by French novelist Christian Gailly.

Solitary Man, Killers, MacGruber, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Letters to Juliet, Just Wright, Robin Hood, The Secret in Their Eyes, Iron Man2

2010-10-01T20:47:00.000-07:00

On Video Guide for: Solitary Man, Killers, MacGruber, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Letters to Juliet, Just Wright, Robin Hood, The Secret in Their Eyes, Iron Man 2, Get Him to the Greek, Babies

Solitary Man
Stars: Michael Douglas, Mary-Louise Parker
, Jenna Fishe, Jesse Eisenberg, Imogen Poots, Susan Sarandon, Danny DeVito.

The dryly funny story of Ben Kalmen (Michael Douglas), a fifty-something New Yorker and former successful car dealer, who through his own bad choices lost his entire business. He's also divorced from Nancy (Susan Sarandon), his college sweetheart and the one person who knows him better than anyone. Although he still finds the time for his daughter Susan (Jenna Fischer) and her adoring grandson, his role as more of a friend than father or grandfather is starting to wear thin on the family. His girlfriend Jordan (Mary-Louise Parker) is the daughter of a very influential businessman who's on the board of a major auto manufacturer. If Ben can just keep his hubris in check for a little while longer, he will be back as big as ever, but some of the same motivations that lead to his demise are threatening to take him down again, and for good. Vitals: Director: Brian Koppelman, David Levien. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 90 min., Comedy-Drama, Box office gross: $.871 million, Anchor Bay Entertainment. 3 stars

Killers
Stars: Ashton Kutcher, Katherine Heigl
, Tom Selleck, Catherine O'Hara, Katheryn Winnick, Kevin Sussman,Lisa Ann Walter, Casey Wilson.

Trying to recover from a sudden break-up, Jen Kornfeldt (Katherine Heigl) believes she'll never fall in love again. But when she reluctantly joins her parents on a trip to the French Riviera, Jen happens to meet the man of her dreams, the dashing, handsome Spencer Aimes (Ashton Kutcher). Three years later, her seemingly impossible wish has come true: She and Spencer are newlyweds living the ideal suburban life -- that is, until the morning after Spencer's 30th birthday when bullets start flying. Literally. It turns out Spencer never bothered to tell Jen he's also an international super-spy, and now Jen's perfect world has been turned upside down. Faced with the fact that her husband is a hit man, Jen is determined to discover what other secrets Spencer might be keeping -- all the while trying to dodge bullets, keep up neighborly appearances, manage the in-laws…and work out some major trust issues. Vitals: Director: Robert Luketic. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 100 min., Action Comedy, Box office gross: $46.859 million, Lionsgate. 2 stars

MacGruber
Stars: Will Forte, Kristen Wiig
, Val Kilmer, Ryan Phillippe, Maya Rudolph, Powers Boothe.

Only one American hero has earned the rank of Green Beret, Navy Seal and Army Ranger. Just one operative has been awarded 16 purple hearts, three Congressional medals of honor and seven presidential medals of bravery. And only one guy is man enough to still sport a mullet ... MacGruber. Will Forte brings "Saturday Night Live's" clueless soldier of fortune to the big screen. In the 10 years since his fiancee was killed, special op MacGruber has sworn off a life of fighting crime with his bare hands. But when he learns that his country needs him to find a nuclear warhead that's been stolen by his sworn enemy, Dieter Von Cunth, MacGruber figures he's the only one tough enough for the job. Assembling an elite team of experts, MacGruber will navigate an army of assassins to hunt down Cunth and bring him to justice. Vitals: Director: Jorma Taccone. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 88 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $8.361 million, Universal. 2 stars

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton
, Ben Kingsley, Alfred Molina, Steve Toussaint.

Jake Gyllenhaal stars as the adopted son of the King of Persia who's framed when his step-father is assassinated. On the run to prove his innocence, he meets a princess ("Quantum of Solace" Bond girl Gemma Arterton) who guards a legendary dagger that contains The Sands of Time, a gift from the gods that allows the possessor to turn back time and, if so inclined, rule the world. Naturally, the pair must safeguard the dagger from the evil forces around them. Vitals: Director: Mike Newell. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 116 min., Adventure, Box office gross: $89.523 million, Disney. 3 stars

Letters to Juliet
Stars: Vanessa Redgrave, Amanda Seyfried
, Gael Garcia Bernal, Chris Egan, Franco Nero.

By the book rom-com about a young American woman (Amanda Seyfried) who travels to Verona, Italy, home of Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers. There she comes across a group of volunteers who act as an Italian Dear Abby, responding to letters written to "Juliet" seeking advice about love. She comes across a lost letter from 1951, and answers it, inspiring its author (Vanessa Redgrave) to travel to Italy in search of her long-lost love, giving everyone (Seyfried included) a new chance at romance. Vitals: Director: Gary Winick. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 105 min., Romantic Comedy, Box office gross: $52.897 million, Summit Entertainment. 2 stars

Just Wright
Stars: Queen Latifah
, Common, Paula Patton, Phylicia Rashad, Pam Grier.

Leslie Wright (Queen Latifah) is a straight-shooting physical therapist who gets the gig of a lifetime working with NBA All-Star Scott McKnight (Common). Everything is going great until Leslie finds herself falling for him. Oblivious to her romantic overtures, McKnight is instead drawn to Leslie's gorgeous childhood friend Morgan (Paula Patton), who has her sights set on being an NBA trophy wife. Is Leslie destined to play the role of "best friend" forever or will Scott finally see that what he has always wanted is right in front of him? Vitals: Director: Sanaa Hamri. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 101 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $21.219 million, Fox. 2 stars

Robin Hood
Stars: Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett
, William Hurt, Mark Strong, Mark Addy, Oscar Isaac, Danny Huston, Kevin Durand, Scott Grimes, Matthew Macfadyen, Eileen Atkins, Simon McBurney, Max von Sydow.

Director Ridley Scott's take on the Robin Hood legend -- before he became Robin Hood. The expert archer Robin Longstride (Russell Crowe), a man interested only in self-preservation during his service in King Richard's army, first during the Crusades, and then against the French, leaves the king's army after Richard dies in battle. King John, who has ascended to the throne, increases taxation and oppresses his people, and appoints the brutal and treacherous thug Godfrey as his Earl Marshal of England. Hoping to stir opposition to the weak King John to set the stage for a French invasion, Godfrey brutally sacks the countryside under the pretext of collecting royal taxes. On his way back home, Robin, along with Will Scarlett, Alan-a-Dale and Little John, encounters the dying knight Robert of Locksley, whose party was ambushed by Godfrey. Robin promises Locksley he will return his sword to his father Walter in Nottingham and upon his arrival, Walter encourages him to impersonate his son to prevent their land from being confiscated. Here he falls for Marian, Robert's widow, and forms a local army to fend off Godfrey's men. When he learns of the impending invasion, Robin helps unite the armies of the English barons under the command of King John (who has, temporarily, come to his senses), and they do battle against the French. Robin's reward: a price on his head and banishment to the forests of Sherwood. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 141 min., Adventure, Box office gross: $105.054 million, Universal. 4 stars

The Secret in Their Eyes
Stars: Ricardo Darin, Soledad Villamil
, Pablo Rago, Javier Godino, Guillermo Francella.

Recently retired criminal court investigator Benjamin (Ricardo Darin) decides to write a novel based on a 25-year-old unresolved case that still haunts him: In the early 1970s -- a time in Argentine history when a military junta ruled the country, waging a Dirty War against the people in which citizens just "disappeared" -- a beautiful young newlywed was raped and murdered in her home while her husband worked at a bank. Benjamin shares his plans with Irene (Soledad Villamil), the beautiful judge and former colleague he has secretly been in love with for years. Benjamin's initial involvement with the case is shown through flashbacks, following his efforts to identify the murderer. But as the mystery of the heinous crime continues to unfold in the present, his search for the truth will put him at the center of a judicial nightmare and will test the limits of a man seeking justice and personal fulfillment at last. A stunning tour-de-force that explores the depths of human emotions -- love, fear, loneliness, yearning, hate -- disguised as a police procedural mystery that effortlessly juggles romance, comedy, suspense and political commentary. Academy Award-winner for Best Foreign-Language Film. In Spanish with English subtitles. Vitals: Director: Juan Jose Campanella. 2009, CC, MPAA rating: R, 129 min., Drama, Box office gross: $5.876 million, Sony. 5 stars

Iron Man 2
Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow
, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Mickey Rourke, Samuel L. Jackson, Sam Rockwell, Kate Mara, Clark Gregg, Garry Shandling, Jon Favreau, John SLattery.

In "Iron Man 2," the world is aware that billionaire inventor Tony Stark is the armored super hero Iron Man. Under pressure from the government, the press and the public to share his technology with the military, Tony is unwilling to divulge the secrets behind the Iron Man armor because he fears the information will slip into the wrong hands. With Pepper Potts and James "Rhodey" Rhodes at his side, Tony forges new alliances and confronts powerful new forces. And don't forget an exciting new nemesis, the resentful Russian science whiz Ivan Vanko, who gives Iron Man a run for his money. Vitals: Director: Jon Favreau. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 17 min., Action, Box office gross: $310.8 million, Paramount. 3 stars

Get Him to the Greek
Stars: Jonah Hill, Rose Byrne
, Russell Brand, Rose Byrne, Sean Combs, Elisabeth Moss, Colm Meany, Nick Kroll, Aziz Ansari, T. J. Miller.

Aaron Green (Jonah Hill) gets things done. The ambitious 23-year-old has exaggerated his way into a dream job just in time for a career-making assignment. His mission: Fly to London and escort a fading rock god to L.A.'s Greek Theatre for the first-stop on a $100-million comeback tour. His warning: Turn your back on him at your own peril. British rocker Aldous Snow (Russell Brand) is both a brilliant musician and walking sex. Weary of yes men and piles of money, the former front man is searching for the meaning of life. But that doesn't mean he can't have a few orgies while he finds it. Aaron has just 72 hours to wrangle the out-of-control rocker across the Atlantic. The seemingly simple assignment devolves into a thicket of groupies and parties, as Snow does his anarchic best to undermine his handler at every turn and Aaron does whatever it takes -- including navigating a minefield of London drug smugglers, New York City brawls and Vegas lap dances -- to keep his unruly charge on track. Vitals: Director: Nicholas Stoller. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 109 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $60.758 million, Universal. 3 stars

Babies
Director: Thomas Balmes
.

Documentary look at one year in the life of four babies from around the world -- from birth to first steps. The children are, respectively, in order of on-screen introduction: Ponijao, who lives with her family near Opuwo, Namibia; Bayarjargal, who resides with his family in Mongolia, near Bayanchandmani; Mari, who lives with her family in Tokyo, Japan; and Hattie, who resides with her family in the United States, in San Francisco. Captures the earliest stages of the journey of humanity that are at once unique and universal to us all. Vitals: 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 79 min., Documentary, Box office gross: $7.291 million, Universal. 3 stars

Harry Brown, Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married Too? , Marmaduke, City Island, The Back-up Plan, The Last Song, Furry Vengeance, Date Night, etc

2010-09-01T16:28:00.001-07:00

On Video Guide for: Harry Brown, Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married Too?, Marmaduke, City Island, The Back-up Plan, The Last Song, Furry Vengeance, Date Night, Death at a Funeral, The Joneses, The Ghost Writer, A Prophet, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Kick-Ass

Harry Brown
Stars: Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer

, David Bradley, Iain Glen, Charlie Creed-Miles, Sean Harris, Ben Drew.
Revenge flick. Set in modern day Britain, "Harry Brown" follows one man's journey through a chaotic world where teenage violence runs rampant. In this desolate urban wasteland, the residents live in fear of the drug dealers who rule the streets ... and the police offer little protection. As a modest, law abiding citizen, Brown lives alone; his only companion is his best friend Leonard. When Leonard is killed -- and Inspector Alice Frampton ("Shutter Island") can't convict the thugs who killed Harry's best friend, he decides to take the law into his own hands. Using skills honed as a Royal Marine, Harry begins to serve his own brand of justice, and no one will stop him. Vitals: Director: Daniel Barber. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 103 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $1.604 million, Sony. 3 stars

Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married Too?
Stars: Janet Jackson
, Michael Jai White, Tyler Perry, Tasha Smmith, Richard T. Jones, Louis Gossett Jr., Sharon Leal, Jill Scott, Denise Boutte, Malik Yoba, Cicely Tyson, Keesha Sharp.

Gathered together in the Bahamas for their annual one-week reunion, four close couples eagerly reconnect, sharing news about their lives and relationships. But their intimate week in paradise is disrupted by the unexpected arrival of Sheila's ex-husband, Mike, who hopes to break up her new marriage with Troy and win her back. The others soon realize they too are not immune to the challenges of commitment and fidelity. Angela doesn't believe her husband, Marcus, can be faithful now that he's a celebrity television newscaster. Dianne and Terry's relationship is feeling the strain of raising children. And Patricia, a successful self-help psychologist, must finally reveal the deep flaws in her seemingly perfect marriage to Gavin. With their relationships hanging in the balance when they return home, each couple must choose between blame and forgiveness, doubt and faith, with life-altering consequences. Vitals: Director: Tyler Perry. 2009, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 121 min., Drama-Comedy, Box office gross: $60.1 million, Lionsgate. 3 stars

Marmaduke
Stars: Lee Pace, Judy Greer
, voices of Owen Wilson, George Lopez, Keifer Sutherland, Fergie.

For Phil and Debbie Winslow, moving their family from Kansas to the O.C. is a big deal. For their enormous Great Dane Marmaduke, however, the move means a whole new way of life. It's chaos at home and awkward at work as the Winslows struggle to control their angsty teenage canine. Vitals: Director: Tom Dey. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 87 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $32.915 million, Fox. 2 stars

City Island
Stars: Andy Garcia, Julianna Margulies
, Steven Strait, Dominik Garcia-Lorido, Ezra Miller, Alan Arkin, Emily Mortimer.
Set in a quaint fishing community on the outskirts of New York City, "City Island" -- an independent gem that has become a surprise hit that landed in the Top-20 theatrical releases by box office for more than 10 weeks -- is a funny and touching tale about a family whose comfortable co-existence is upended by surprising revelations of past secrets and present day lies. Vince Rizzo (Andy Garcia) is a lifelong resident of the tiny, tradition-steeped Bronx enclave of City Island. A family man who makes his living as a corrections officer, Vince longs to become an actor. Ashamed to admit his aspirations to his family, Vince would rather let his fiery wife Joyce (Julianna Margulies) believe his weekly poker games are a cover for an extramarital affair than admit he's secretly taking acting classes in Manhattan. When Vince is asked to reveal his biggest secret in class, he inadvertently sets off a chaotic chain of events that turns his mundane suburban life upside down. Inspired by the exercise, he decides to bring his long-lost ex-con son Tony (Steven Strait) home to meet the family, and it soon becomes clear that everyone -- including his college student daughter (Dominik Garcia-Lorido, Garcia's real-life daughter), teenaged son Vinnie, Jr. (Ezra Miller), charismatic acting partner (Emily Mortimer) and drama coach (Alan Arkin) -- has something to hide. A perfect storm of deception, half truths and confusion makes Vince and his family members realize that the truth may not set them free, but it is easier to keep track of than all their well-intentioned white lies. Vitals: Director: Raymond De Felitta. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 104 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $6.000 million, Anchor Bay. 3 stars

The Back-up Plan
Stars: Jennifer Lopez
, Alex O'Loughlin, Michaela Watkins, Eric Christian Olsen.

After years of dating, Zoe (Jennifer Lopez) has decided waiting for the right man is taking too long. Determined to become a mother, she commits to a plan, makes an appointment and decides to go it alone. On the day of her artificial insemination, Zoe meets Stan (Alex O'Loughlin) -- a man with real possibilities. Trying to nurture a budding relationship and hide the early signs of pregnancy becomes a comedy of errors for Zoe and creates confusing signals for Stan. When Zoe nervously reveals the reason for her unpredictable behavior, Stan commits fully and says he's in. Never before has love seen a courtship where a wild night of sex involves three in a bed -- Stan, Zoe and the ever-present massive pregnancy pillow. Or, where "date night" consists of being the "focal point" at a near-stranger's water birth which does for kiddie pools what "Jaws" did for swimming in the ocean. The real pregnancy test comes when both of them realize they really don't know each other outside of hormonal chaos and birth preparations. With the nine-month clock ticking, both begin to experience cold feet. Anyone can fall in love, get married and have a baby but doing it backwards in hyper-drive could be proof positive that they were made for each other. Vitals: Director: Alan Poul. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 106 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $36.917 million, Sony. 2 stars

The Last Song
Stars: Miley Cyrus
, Greg Kinnear, Bobby Coleman, Liam Hemsworth, Hallock Beals, Kelly Preston, Stephanie Leigh, Nick Searcy.

Based on best-selling novelist Nicholas Sparks' ("A Walk to Remember," "The Notebook")novel, "The Last Song" is set in a small Southern beach town where an estranged father (Greg Kinnear) gets a chance to spend the summer with his reluctant teenaged daughter (Miley Cyrus), who'd rather be home in New York. He tries to reconnect with her through the only thing they have in common -- music -- in a story of family, friendship, secrets and salvation, along with first loves and second chances. Vitals: Director: Julie Ann Robinson. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 107 min., Drama, Box office gross: $62.933 million, Disney. 2 stars

Furry Vengeance
Stars: Martin Lawrence, Tracy Morgan, Chris Rock, Zoe Saldana, Loretta Devine
, Danny Glover, Regina Hall, James Marsden, Columbus Short, Luke Wilson, Ron Glass, Keith David, Peter Dinklage.

When the patriarch of a dysfunctional family dies, his funeral turns into a family circus. Misplaced bodies, blackmail, indecent exposure and a corpse that won't stay in the box get the party started, but when old family skeletons start tumbling out of the closet, all Hell breaks loose. Vitals: Director: Neil LaBute. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 92 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $42.192 million, Sony. 2 stars

Date Night
Stars: Tina Fey
, Steve Carell, Mark Wahlberg, James Franco, Mila Kunis, Common, Taraji Henson, Leighton Meeste.

Steve Carell and Tina Fey star as a sensible, loving couple with two kids and a house in suburban New Jersey. Their typical date nights include a run-of-the-mill evening with little to no romance, but one night they decide to reignite the spark by going to Manhattan's hottest new restaurant ... without a reservation. They get more than they bargained for when a case of mistaken identity hurtles them into an incredible adventure involving corrupt cops, a mob boss and a crazed cab driver. Vitals: Director: Shawn Levy. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 88 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $95.334 million, Fox. 3 stars

Death at a Funeral
Stars: Martin Lawrence, Tracy Morgan, Chris Rock, Zoe Saldana, Loretta Devine, Danny Glover, Regina Hall
, James Marsden, Columbus Short, Luke Wilson, Ron Glass, Keith David, Peter Dinklage.

When the patriarch of a dysfunctional family dies, his funeral turns into a family circus. Misplaced bodies, blackmail, indecent exposure and a corpse that won't stay in the box get the party started, but when old family skeletons start tumbling out of the closet, all Hell breaks loose. Vitals: Director: Neil LaBute. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 92 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $42.192 million, Sony. 2 stars

The Joneses
In this satirical social commentary, the flawless and fashionable Joneses are the envy of their posh, suburban neighborhood filled with all the trappings of the upper middle class. They are the ultimate trendsetters with an endless supply of high-tech toys, designer clothes, fast cars and the latest gadgets. But as the neighbors try to keep up with the Joneses, none are prepared for the truth about this all too perfect family: the reality is they are a commissioned fake family put together by a marketing company as a way to introduce new luxury-level products to neighborhoods around the world. Vitals: Director: Derrick Borte. Stars: Demi Moore, David Duchovny, Gary Cole, Glenne Headly, Amber Heard. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 111 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $1.411 million, Fox. 2 stars

The Ghost Writer
Stars: Pierce Brosnan, Ewan McGregor, Tilda Swinton
, Tom Wilkinson, Kim Cattrall, Olivia Williams, Jim Belushi, Eli Wallach, Timothy Hutton.

When a gifted ghostwriter (Ewan McGregor) is hired to write the memoirs of former British Prime Minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan), he quickly finds himself trapped in a web of political and sexual intrigue. Lang is implicated in a scandal over his administration's harsh tactics, and as the ghostwriter digs into the politician's past, he discovers secrets that threaten to jeopardize international relations -- as well as his life. A taut and shocking thriller. Vitals: Director: Roman Polanski. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 128 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $15.5 million, Summit Entertainment 3 stars

A Prophet
Stars: Tahar Rahim
, Niels Arestrup, Hichem Yacoubi.

An impressionable and vulnerable Arabic man gets thrust into a hellish prison, and ironically discovers greater opportunities for success than he ever possessed outside of the bars. Tahar Rahim stars as Malik El Djebena, a petty criminal incarcerated for six years. Once inside and subjected to all of the standard brutalities that most prisoners endure (including a rough strip search), he is quickly educated in the "ways" of the prison, an institution torn violently between gangs of Corsicans and Arabs. The head Corsican thug, Cesar Luciani (Niels Arestrup), offers Malik an ultimatum: either he rubs out an Arab inmate named Reyeb (Hichem Yacoubi), or he himself dies. Not only does Malik succeed with the hit, he earns the begrudging respect of the other prisoners, and -- after securing several days' release for good behavior -- uses off-time to forge a deeper and more multi-layered network of criminal ties than he ever dreamed possible. But as his own power and confidence grow, they threaten to outstrip Cesar's own insistence on submission and obedience at all costs. Vitals: Director: Jacques Audiard. 2009, CC, MPAA rating: R, 155 min., Drama, Box office gross: $2.063 million, Sony. 3 stars

Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Stars: Zachary Gordon, Robert Capro, Rachael Harris
, Steve Zahn.

Based on the best-selling illustrated novel by Jeff Kinney (which began as a series of online cartoons). The film chronicles the adventures of wisecracking pre-teen Greg Heffley, who must somehow survive the scariest time of anyone's life ... middle school. Convinced it's the "dumbest idea ever invented," Heffley considers junior high school a place rigged with hundreds of social land mines, not the least of which are wedgies, swirlies, bullies, lunchtime banishment off the cafeteria floor and a festering piece of cheese with nuclear cooties that he must overcome to become popular. His diary -- or "journal" -- chronicles his thoughts, tales of family trials and tribulations, and (would be) schoolyard triumphs. Vitals: Director:. 2009, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 92 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $62.344 million, Fox. 3 stars

Kick-Ass
Stars: Aaron Johnson, Chloe Moretz
, Nicolas Cage, Mark Strong, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Garrett M. Brown, Clark Duke, Evan Peters, Deborah Twiss, Lyndsy Fonseca, Sophie Wu, Elizabeth McGovern.

Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) is an ordinary teenager who goes unnoticed in high school until he takes a chance to "do something" and dons a mask and becomes "Kick-Ass" to fight real-life crime. There's only one problem standing in his way: Kick-Ass has absolutely no superpowers. Bruised and beaten, he is saved by a father-daughter duo (Nicolas Cage as "Big Daddy", Chloe Moretz as 11-year-old sword-wielding "Hit-Girl") who know all the right moves and have a vendetta against a vicious crime-lord, D'Amico (Mark Strong). After a fiery internet storm of publicity for Kick-Ass, D'Amico wants to meet the masked man, and his son (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) dons a costume of his own and becomes "Red Mist" to befriend him and get in his father's good graces. The story comes to a head when D'Amico succeeds in luring the crime-fighters to his home and ass-kicking destruction ensues. Vitals: Director: Matthew Vaughn. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 118 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $48.043 million, Lionsgate. 3 stars

Brooklyn's Finest, A Single Man,The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Bounty Hunter, Our Family Wedding, Chloe, Greenberg, The Losers, Cop Out..

2010-08-01T00:20:00.000-07:00

Talk about:
Clash of the Titans, Repo Men, Mother, The Runaways, Cop Out, The Losers, Greenberg, Chloe, Our Family Wedding, The Bounty Hunter, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, A Single Man, Brooklyn's Finest.

Clash of the Titans

Stars: Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Jason Flemyng, Gemma Arterton
.

Remake of the 1981 adventure film about the myth of Perseus. To win the right to marry his love (Andromeda) and fulfill his destiny, Perseus must complete various quests and battle both Medusa and the Kraken monster in order to save the Princess Andromeda. The ultimate struggle for power pits men against kings and kings against gods. But the war between the gods themselves could destroy the world. Born of a god but raised as a man, Perseus (Sam Worthington) is helpless to save his family from Hades (Ralph Fiennes), vengeful god of the underworld. With nothing left to lose, Perseus volunteers to lead a dangerous mission to defeat Hades before he can seize power from Zeus (Liam Neeson) and unleash hell on earth. Leading a daring band of warriors, Perseus sets off on a perilous journey deep into forbidden worlds. Battling unholy demons and fearsome beasts, he will only survive if he can accept his power as a god, defy his fate and create his own destiny.

Vitals: Director: Louis Leterrier. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 118 min., Fantasy Action Adventure, Box office gross: $160.965 million, Warner. 3 stars

Repo Men

Stars: Jude Law
, Forrest Whitaker, Liev Schreiber, Alice Brava.

In the future, humans have extended and improved their lives through highly sophisticated and expensive mechanical organs created by a company called The Union. The dark side of these medical breakthroughs is that if you don't pay your bill, The Union sends its highly skilled repo men to take back its property…with no concern for your comfort or survival. Jude Law plays Remy, one of the best organ repo men in the business. But when he suffers a cardiac failure on the job, he awakens to find himself fitted with the company's top-of-the-line heart-replacement ... as well as a hefty debt. But a side effect of the procedure is that his heart's no longer in the job. When he can't make the payments, The Union sends its toughest enforcer, Remy's former partner Jake (Forest Whitaker), to track him down. Now that the hunter has become the hunted, Remy joins Beth (Alice Braga), another debtor who teaches him how to vanish from the system. And as he and Jake embark on a chase across a landscape populated by maniacal friends and foes, one man will become a reluctant champion for thousands on the run.

Vitals: Director: Miguel Sapochnik. . 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 113 min., Science Fiction, Box office gross: $13.763 million, Universal. 2 stars

Mother

Stars: Hye-ja Kim, Bin Won
, Ku Jin.

Mother is a devoted single parent to her simple-minded 27-year-old son, Do-joon. His foolish and sometimes dangerous behavior is often a source of anxiety to her. While walking home drunk one night, Do-joon follows a school girl for a while before she disappears into a dark alley. When she is found dead the next morning in an abandoned building, Do-joon is accused and quickly convicted of her murder thanks to an inefficient lawyer and an apathetic police force. His mother refuses to believe her beloved son is guilty and immediately undertakes her own investigation to find the girl's killer. In her obsessive quest to clear her son's name, she steps into a world of unimaginable chaos and shocking revelations. A unique murder mystery about a mother's primal love for her son, directed by Bong Joon-Ho, who helmed the incredible "The Host," the highest-grossing South Korean film of all time. In Korean with English subtitles.

Vitals: Director: Bong Joon-Ho. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 128 min., Drama, Box office gross: $.547 million, Magnolia Home Entertainment. 3 stars

The Runaways

Stars: Kristen Stewart
, Dakota Fanning, Michael Shannon, Stella Maeve, Scout Taylor-Compton.

Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning star as Joan Jett and Cherie Currie in the music-fueled coming of age story of the groundbreaking, all-girl rock band, The Runaways. They fall under the Svengali-like influence of rock impresario Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon), who turns the rebellious Southern California kids into a rock group with outrageous success. With its tough-chick image and raw talent, the band quickly earns a name for itself and so do its two leads: Joan is the band's pure rock 'n' roll heart, while Cherie, with her Bowie-Bardot looks, is the sex kitten. The film chronicles Joan and Cherie's tumultuous relationship on and off stage, as the band starts to break out.

Vitals: Director: Floria Sigismondi. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 105 min., Musical Bio, Box office gross: $3,571 million, Sony. 3 stars

Cop Out

Stars: Bruce Willis, Tracy Morgan, Jason Lee, Michelle Trachtenberg
, Seann William Scott, Fred Armisen, Kevin Pollak, Adam Brody, Rashida Jones, Susie Essman, Juan Carlos Hernandez, Cory Fernandez, Ana de la Reguera.

Two longtime NYPD partners on the trail of a stolen, rare, mint-condition baseball card find themselves up against a merciless, memorabilia-obsessed gangster. Jimmy (Bruce Willis) is the veteran detective whose missing collectible is his only hope to pay for his daughter's upcoming wedding, and Paul (Tracy Morgan) is his "partner-against-crime" whose preoccupation with his wife's alleged infidelity makes it hard for him to keep his eye on the ball.

Vitals: Director: Kevin Smith. 20109, CC, MPAA rating: R, 107 min., Cop Comedy, Box office gross: $44.867 million, New Line. 3 stars

The Losers

Stars: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Zoe Saldana
, Chris Evans, Idris Elba, Columbus Short.

The members of an elite U.S. Special Forces unit sent into the Bolivian jungle on a search and destroy mission find themselves on the receiving end of a lethal betrayal instigated from inside by a powerful enemy known only as Max. Presumed dead, the group makes plans to even the score when they're joined by the mysterious Aisha, a beautiful operative with her own agenda. Working together, they must remain deep undercover while tracking the heavily-guarded Max, a ruthless man bent on embroiling the world in a new high-tech global war.

Vitals: Director: Sylvain White. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 98 min., Action-Adventure, Box office gross: $23.082 million, Warner. 2 stars

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

Stars: Michael Nyqvist, Noomi Rapace
, Lena Endre, Peter Haber, Sven-Bertil Taube.

Forty years ago, Harriet Vanger disappeared from a family gathering on the island owned and inhabited by the powerful Vanger clan. Her body was never found, yet her uncle is convinced it was murder and that the killer is a member of his own tightly knit but dysfunctional family. He employs disgraced financial journalist Mikael Blomkvist and a tattooed, ruthless computer hacker, Lisbeth Salander, to investigate. When the pair link Harriet's disappearance to a number of grotesque murders from almost 40 years ago, they begin to unravel a dark and appalling family history. But the Vangers are a secretive clan, and Blomkvist and Salander are about to find out just how far they are prepared to go to protect themselves. Highest grossing Swedish film in history. In Swedish with English subtitles. Adapted from the first part of deceased mystery writer Stieg Larsson's "Millenium Series" trilogy. The second film in the series, "The Girl Who Played With Fire," will be released theatrically July 9. An American remake, written by Steve Zallian and directed by David Fincher, is due in 2012.

Vitals: Director: Niels Arden Oplev. 2009, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 152 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $10.057 million, Music Box Films. 4

A Single Man

Stars: Colin Firth, Julianne Moore
, Matthew Goode,, Ginnifer Goodwin,, Nicholas Hoult, Lee Pace.

Set in Los Angeles in 1962, at the height of the Cuban missile crisis, "A Single Man" is the story of George Falconer, a 52-year-old British college professor (Colin Firth) who is struggling to find meaning to his life after the death of his long time partner, Jim (Matthew Goode). George dwells on the past and cannot see his future as he moves through a single day, where a series of events and encounters ultimately leads him to decide if there is a meaning to life after Jim. George is consoled by his closest friend Charley (Julianne Moore), a 48 year old beauty who is wrestling with her own questions about the future. A young student of George's, Kenny (Nicholas Hoult), who is coming to terms with his true nature, "stalks" George as he feels in him a kindred spirit. "A Single Man" is a romantic tale of love interrupted, the isolation that is an inherent part of the human condition, and ultimately the importance of the seemingly smaller moments in life.

Vitals: Director: Tom Ford. 2009, CC, MPAA rating: R, 99 min., Drama, Box office gross: $9.166 million, The Weinstein Co./Sony. 3 stars

Brooklyn's Finest

Stars: Richard Gere, Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke, Wesley Snipes, Will Patton, Lili Taylor
, Brian F. O'Byrne, Shannon Kane, Ellen Barkin.

Crime drama follows three conflicted New York City police officers whose lives are dramatically transformed by their involvement in a massive drug operation over the course of one chaotic week. Burned-out veteran Eddie Dugan (Richard Gere) is just one week away from his pension and a fishing cabin in Connecticut. Narcotics officer Sal Procida (Ethan Hawke) has discovered there's no line he won't cross to provide a better life for his long-suffering wife and seven children. And Clarence "Tango" Butler (Don Cheadle) has been undercover so long his loyalties have started to shift from his fellow police officers to his prison buddy Caz (Wesley Snipes), one of Brooklyn's most infamous drug dealers. With personal and work pressures bearing down on them, each man faces daily tests of judgment and honor. When NYPD's Operation Clean Up targets the notoriously drug-ridden BK housing project, all three officers find themselves swept away by the violence and corruption of Brooklyn's gritty 65th Precinct and its most treacherous criminals. During seven fateful days, Eddie, Sal and Tango find themselves hurtling inextricably toward the same fatal crime scene and a shattering collision with destiny.

Vitals: Director: Antoine Fuqua. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 140 min., Crime Drama, Box office gross: $27.062 million, Anchor Bay. 2 stars

Greenberg

Stars: Ben Stiller, Jennifer Jason Leigh
, Rhys Ifans, Greta Gerwig, Chris Messina.

Roger Greenberg (Ben Stiller) is single, fortyish and deliberately doing nothing. In search of a place to restart his life, he agrees to house-sit for his successful/married-with-children brother in L.A. and tries to reconnect with his former bandmate (Rhys Ifans) and ex-girlfriend (Jennifer Jason Leigh). But old friends aren't necessarily still best friends, and Greenberg soon finds himself forging a connection with his brother's much younger personal assistant, Florence (Greta Gerwig), an aspiring singer and also something of a lost soul. Over the course of several weeks, and despite his best attempts not to be drawn in, Greenberg and Florence manage to form a tentative and wonderfully vulnerable connection, and he comes to realize that he may at last have found a reason to be happy. It's an examination of how funny, and terribly unpredictable, love in the modern world can be.

Vitals: Director: Noah Baumbach. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 108 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $3.923 million, Universal. 3 stars

Chloe

Stars: Julianne Moore, Liam Neeson, Amanda Seyfried
, Max Thieriot.

Atom Egoyan's remake of the French thriller "Nathalie ..." Catherine (Julianne Moore) and David (Liam Neeson) are at first glance the perfect couple. Happily married with a talented teenage son, they appear to have an idyllic life. But when David misses a flight and his surprise birthday party, Catherine's long simmering suspicions rise to the surface. Suspecting infidelity, she decides to hire an escort, Chloe (Amanda Seyfried) to seduce him and test his loyalty. Catherine finds herself 'directing' Chloe's encounters with David, and Chloe's end of the bargain is to report back. As the meetings between the two multiply, the descriptions of their encounters become increasingly graphic, putting the family in jeopardy.

Vitals: Director: Atom Egoyan. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 99 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $2.994 million, Sony. 2 stars

Our Family Wedding

Stars: Forest Whitaker, Carlos Mencia, Lance Gross, America Ferrera
, Regina King, Diana-Maria Riva, Shannyn Sossamon, Charlie Murphy.

Clash-of-cultures comedy about two overbearing dads who must put aside their differences to plan a wedding for their children, Marcus (Lance Gross) and Lucia (America Ferrera), in less than two weeks. As the wedding brings out the best and worst in both families, the young couple soon discovers the true meaning of love and finds there is truth to the saying -- that when you marry someone, you marry their entire family.

Vitals: Director: Rick Famuyiwa. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 103 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $19.896 million, Fox. 2 stars

The Bounty Hunter

Stars: Jennifer Aniston, Gerard Butler, Christine Baranski
, Jeff Garlin, Gio Perez, Joel Garland, Jason Kolotouros.

Milo Boyd (Gerard Butler), a down-on-his-luck bounty hunter, gets his dream job when he is assigned to track down his bail-jumping ex-wife, reporter Nicole Hurly (Jennifer Aniston). He thinks all that's ahead is an easy payday, but when Nicole gives him the slip so she can chase a lead on a murder cover-up, Milo realizes that nothing ever goes simply with him and Nicole. The exes continually one-up each other -- until they find themselves on the run for their lives.

Vitals: Director: Andy Tennant. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 107 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $64.065 million, Sony. 2 stars