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Movie Reviews

March 12th, 2010

The following movies have been evaluated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Office for Film and Broadcasting according to artistic merit and moral suitability. The reviews include the USCCB rating, the Motion Picture Association of America rating, and a brief synopsis of the movie.

The reviews can be heard by calling 1-800-311-4CCC. The movie review line is updated each Friday and includes information about recent theater releases and a Family Video of the Week.

The classifications are as follows:

• A-I -- general patronage;
• A-II -- adults and adolescents;
• A-III -- adults;
• A-IV -- adults, with reservations (an A-IV classification designates problematic films that, while not morally offensive in themselves, require caution and some analysis and explanation as a safeguard against wrong interpretations and false conclusions);
• O -- morally offensive.

Movies in Wide Release

• Green Zone—Idealistic but raw combat drama, set in the early days of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, as a dedicated Army officer (Matt Damon) tries to discover why his unit's search for the Saddam regime's weapons of mass destruction continually comes up empty, and finds himself caught in a power struggle between a Defense Department intelligence agent (Greg Kinnear) who's indifferent to the justification for American intervention and a rogue CIA station chief (Brendan Gleeson) who believes the whole operation rests on a foundation of lies and fabrications. Director Paul Greengrass' uneasy mix of political conspiracy yarn and action adventure, loosely inspired by journalist Rajiv Chandrasekaran's 2007 bestseller "Imperial Life in the Emerald City," increasingly takes on the qualities of a personal crusade by its hero, thus blunting its ability to dissect larger questions of real-life morality. Considerable action violence, some of it bloody, torture, several uses of profanity, frequent rough and crude language.  L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. (R) 2010
  
  
  
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  Brooklyn's Finest—Seamy New York police drama chronicling a week in the lives of a cynical patrolman (Richard Gere) on the verge of retirement, an undercover operative (Don Cheadle) desperate for promotion to a safe desk job and a narcotics officer (Ethan Hawke) tempted to steal drug money to provide for his ill wife and growing family. Though Catholic imagery pervades director Antoine Fuqua's grim journey through Gotham's criminal underworld, faith provides no meaningful guidance to the conflicted characters as they cross legal and moral boundaries, and as the obscenity laden-script lurches from bloodshed to explicit scenes of sexuality. Frequent bloody violence, including beatings, shootings and strangulation, graphic nonmarital sexual activity, upper female nudity, a few uses of profanity, unremitting rough and crude language.  O -- morally offensive. (R) 2010
  
• Alice in Wonderland—Very loosely inspired by, but not recklessly departing from, Lewis Carroll's famous books, this 3-D fantasy-adventure mixes animation and live action as it follows its plucky Victorian heroine (Mia Wasikowska) -- here a 19-year-old -- down the rabbit hole into a strange, nonsensical realm where she conspires with the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp) and various frazzled fauna to end the despotic rule of the Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter). Although younger viewers will be frightened by certain sequences, director Tim Burton refrains from indulging in the more macabre or avant-garde aspects of the tale; and yet, while it conveys a salubrious message with vaguely Christian echoes, the film's aesthetic impact is lessened by the lack of a coherent visual style. Sequences of fantasy action and violence, including a skewered animal eyeball, human characters striking one another; images of mild animal cruelty, some discussion of beheadings, a character smoking a water pipe and one instance of light profanity.  A-II -- adults and adolescents. (PG) 2010
  
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  Cop Out—This vulgar buddy comedy follows two unconventional New York police detectives (Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan) as they try to recover the valuable baseball card Willis' character was planning to sell to finance his daughter's wedding but which was stolen by a petty thief (Seann William Scott), and passed on to a memorabilia-obsessed drug lord (Guillermo Diaz). As penned by Robb and Mark Cullen and directed by Kevin Smith, foul-mouthed dialogue and bullet-riddled action sequences drown out the mostly smile-free script's faint messages about marital trust and self-sacrificing parental love. Considerable, sometimes gory, action violence; a scene of torture; pervasive rough and crude language; about a dozen uses of profanity; and much sexual and scatological humor.  O -- morally offensive. (R) 2010
  
• The Crazies—A small-town sheriff (Timothy Olyphant), his deputy (Joe Anderson), the sheriff's doctor wife (Radha Mitchell) and her office assistant (Danielle Panabaker) fend off their neighbors who have been transformed into homicidal maniacs by an environmental accident affecting the local water supply while also struggling to evade capture by Army troops bent on quelling the outbreak at any cost. A potentially thought-provoking parable about ecological irresponsibility and military excess in an emergency is lost amid the bloodletting in director Breck Eisner's relatively lavish updating of George A. Romero's low-budget 1973 horror exercise. Excessive gory violence, some gruesome images, at least a half-dozen uses of profanity, pervasive rough and much crude language.  O -- morally offensive. (R) 2010
  
  
  
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  Shutter Island—Prolix psychological thriller set in 1954 follows a U.S. marshal (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his new partner (Mark Ruffalo) to a storm-swept island in Boston Harbor on which an asylum for the criminally insane becomes the venue for elaborately staged hysterics borne of trauma and guilt. Adapted from a Dennis Lehane novel, the picture amounts to a genre exercise for director Martin Scorsese, and affords DiCaprio and other respectable actors the chance to declaim excessively coarse dialogue in service of an overblown mystery. Pervasive rough, crude and crass language; frequent profanity; a number of sexual references and discussions of violent acts; many potentially disturbing images of corpses in a concentration camp setting and in connection with an act of infanticide; a number of fairly graphic episodes of gun violence; and an instance of partially obscured frontal male nudity.  O -- morally offensive. (R) 2010
  

• Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief—A mildly troubled New York high school student (Logan Lerman) discovers his true identity as a demigod -- offspring of the Greek sea god Poseidon (Kevin McKidd) and a human mother (Catherine Keener) -- and embarks on a quest to prevent a war among the deities of Mount Olympus, assisted by a semi-divine teen girl warrior (Alexandra Daddario) and a courageous but untested adolescent satyr (Brandon T. Jackson). Director Chris Columbus' glossy but shallow screen version of the first in novelist Rick Riordan's best-selling series of children's novels relies on some slick special effects to keep the adventure moving forward, though the titular hero's transformation from a 12- to a 17-year-old introduces elements unsuitable for some of the book's younger fans, while parents who see the tale's mythological premise as more than a literary device will hesitate to allow impressionable youngsters to view it. Pagan themes, brief domestic discord, a few instances of sexual innuendo, a couple of crass terms. A-II -- adults and adolescents. (PG) 2010
  
  
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  Valentine's Day—Ensemble romantic comedy, directed by Garry Marshall, charting the amorous ups and downs of a series of interconnected Los Angelinos over the titular holiday, including a newly engaged florist (Ashton Kutcher) and his live-in fiancee (Jessica Alba), a teacher (Jennifer Garner) and her doctor beau (Patrick Dempsey), a long-married couple (Shirley MacLaine and Hector Elizondo) preparing to renew their vows, and a pair of 18-year-old high school students (Emma Roberts and Carter Jenkins) planning to lose their virginity together. As unengaging as it is unwieldy, screenwriter Katherine Fugate's tale of loves lost and found rejects marital infidelity, but otherwise takes the full physical expression of affection as a given, before marriage, before college and between members of the same gender. Implicit approval of nonmarital sexual activity and homosexual acts, partial nudity, adultery and phone-sex themes, sexual references and jokes, brief irreverent humor, a half-dozen crude and some crass terms.  O -- morally offensive. (PG-13) 2010
  
  
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  The Wolfman—Alternately spooky, savage and silly, this remake of the 1941 monster classic starring Lon Chaney Jr. tells of a decent if troubled man (Benicio Del Toro) periodically transformed into a hirsute beast after returning to his ancestral estate in England following the brutal murder of his brother in 1891. Striking a tone that might be described as "visceral camp," director Joe Johnston entertains by rendering the trappings of lycanthrope lore with first-rate special effects and actors -- Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt and Hugo Weaving -- willing to feast on the material. Frequent episodes of moderately graphic violence including fleeting images of human entrails, decapitations and severed limbs; an instance of partial upper female nudity; several references to prostitution; one use of profane language. A-III -- adults. (R) 2010
  

• From Paris With Love—A Paris-based American diplomat and low-level CIA agent (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) yearns to be a real spy but finds himself bewildered when assigned to partner a trigger-happy visiting operative (John Travolta) whose wild pursuit of drug dealers and terrorists sees the pair cutting a bloody swath through the French capital's criminal underworld while the novice's prolonged absence from home causes friction with his live-in Gallic girlfriend (Kasia Smutniak). As directed by Pierre Morel, the proceedings are occasionally amusing but far more often gleefully violent, with Adi Hasak's F-word heavy script glamorizing the mayhem and winking at the Travolta character's tawdry encounter with a streetwalker. Constant, sometimes bloody action violence, offscreen sexual activity with a prostitute, cohabitation, drug use, a couple of profanities, pervasive rough and much crude language. O -- morally offensive. (R) 2010
  
  
  
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  Dear John—This frequently sentimental drama, set in South Carolina, charts the love-at-first-sight romance between a Special Forces sergeant (Channing Tatum) home on leave to visit his mildly autistic father (Richard Jenkins) and an affluent college student (Amanda Seyfried), their prolonged separation due to his reenlistment following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and their efforts to maintain their bond by long-distance letter writing. Though the portrayal of the conflicted filial relationship is moving, director Lasse Hallstrom's adaptation of Catholic writer Nicholas Sparks' best-selling 2006 novel focuses mostly on the emotionally unrealistic evolution of the lovers' attachment, and endorses its premature consummation along the way. Nongraphic premarital sexual activity with partial nudity, a few uses of profanity, at least four instances of the S-word. A-III -- adults. (PG-13) 2010
  
  
  
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  Edge of Darkness —After his adult daughter (Bojana Novakovic) is brutally murdered, a Boston police detective (Mel Gibson) investigates her secretive work for a nuclear research firm (led by Danny Huston), aided by her fearful boyfriend and co-worker (Shawn Roberts) and by a shadowy fixer (Ray Winstone) whose loyalties are ambiguous. In a reasonably absorbing but gritty adaptation of the acclaimed 1985 BBC miniseries of the same title, director Martin Campbell mixes sometimes shocking violence into a stark tale of loss and corruption, and skirts the dark edges of vigilantism. Complex moral issues, considerable and sometimes bloody violence, an implied premarital relationship, a few uses of profanity, much rough and some crude language. L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. (R) 2010
  
  
  
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  When in Rome—Perky romantic comedy about a work-obsessed New York museum curator (Kristen Bell) who travels to Rome for her sister's (Alexis Dziena) wedding and falls for the best man (Josh Duhamel), but their path to bliss takes a detour when she defies local custom by removing several coins from the "Fountain of Love," causing the quartet of eccentric strangers who deposited the change (Danny DeVito, Will Arnett, Jon Heder and Dax Shepard) to become hopelessly infatuated with her. While the youthful, slightly pixilated priest (Keir O'Donnell) who performs the nuptials comes in for some gentle ribbing, director Mark Steven Johnson's pleasantly diverting, blithely illogical ensemble piece is mostly worry-free with only a fleeting scene of newlywed friskiness barring endorsement for teens. Brief nongraphic marital lovemaking with implied nudity, mildly irreverent portrayal of a clergyman and a few crass expressions.  A-III -- adults. (PG-13) 2010
  

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  Legion—Theologically skewed apocalyptic horror outing in which a despairing God unleashes hordes of demonic angels to destroy human civilization but, rebelling against the plan, the archangel Michael (Paul Bettany) battles to defend a remote roadside cafe (owned by Dennis Quaid and Charles S. Dutton) long enough for its pregnant waitress (Adrianne Palicki) to give birth to humanity's future savior. Director and co-writer Scott Stewart's feature debut intersperses relentless violence with metaphysical mush to create a long, grim slog that leaves viewers feeling as besieged as the characters (also including Lucas Black and Tyrese Gibson) trapped in the lonesome eatery. Convoluted religious themes; constant, though mostly nongraphic, violence; an out-of-wedlock pregnancy; a couple of uses of profanity; much rough language (including at least 25 uses of the F-word); and some crude and crass terms. O -- morally offensive. (R) 2010
  
  
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  Extraordinary Measures—Engaging medical drama, based on actual events, about the often prickly partnership between a successful pharmaceuticals executive (Brendan Fraser) -- two of whose children (Meredith Droeger and Sam M. Hall) are afflicted by the same rare and fatal disease -- and the eccentric scientist (Harrison Ford) whose pioneering but underfunded research may offer the only hope of saving the kids. Director Tom Vaughan's adaptation of Geeta Anand's 2004 book "The Cure," which also features Keri Russell as the businessman's rock-solid spouse, makes no mention of the Catholic faith that helped to sustain the real-life dad, but does chart his relentless, against-the-odds struggle to overcome the illness, a battle which initially seemed likely to derail his career and deprive him of what little time he might have left to spend with his son and daughter. Brief nongraphic marital lovemaking, at least five uses of profanity, about a dozen crude and a half-dozen crass terms.  A-III -- adults. (PG) 2010

• Tooth Fairy—Feeble fable in which a disillusioned minor-league hockey player (Dwayne Johnson) who discourages children from dreaming big and denies the existence of the titular sprite is sentenced by the matriarch of Fairyland (Julie Andrews) to spend two weeks as a winged tooth fairy, a secret mission that complicates his relationship with his girlfriend (Ashley Judd) and threatens his macho standing among his teammates (including skateboarding star Ryan Sheckler). Director Michael Lembeck's mostly family-friendly comedy, which also features Stephen Merchant as Johnson's officious but good-hearted pixie mentor, never really takes flight, while scenes of unnecessary roughness on the ice and an out-of-place exchange about the onset of puberty preclude endorsement for all. Moderate hockey violence, some mild sexual references and brief scatological humor.  A-II -- adults and adolescents. (PG) 2010
  
  

• The Spy Next Door—Generally good-hearted but thin martial-arts comedy in which an undercover spy (Jackie Chan) posing as a mild-mannered pen salesman is left in charge of his divorced girlfriend's (Amber Valletta) three kids (Madeline Carroll, Will Shadley and Alina Foley), even as he works to thwart the evil schemes of a Russian criminal (Magnus Scheving) bent on cornering the international petroleum market. Director Brian Levant's family-oriented offering -- which also features country singer Billy Ray Cyrus and comedian George Lopez as Chan's CIA colleagues -- while sketchy, is mostly free of worrisome content and charts its central character's self-sacrificing efforts to protect the youngsters and win their trust, but scenes of hand-to-hand combat makes it unsuitable for the smallest viewers and brief interludes of mildly risque humor further restrict its appropriate audience. Considerable, though nongraphic martial arts violence, acceptability of divorce, some vaguely sexual humor, at least one crude term.  A-II -- adults and adolescents. (PG)  2010
  
  
  
  

• The Book of Eli—This unexpectedly contemplative and lyrical, if violent, homage to spaghetti Westerns, martial arts films and religious faith follows a lone hero (Denzel Washington) as he traverses a post-apocalyptic landscape using his considerable fighting skills to safeguard the only extant copy of the King James Bible. Director siblings Albert and Allen Hughes have succeeded at making an entertaining and relatively substantive movie, while refraining from saturating the proceedings in blood or prolonging the violent passages. Still, some moviegoers will find the pairing of scripture with stylized aggression unnecessary and avoidable. Intermittent strong violence including gun- and swordplay and a killing intended to be merciful, much rough language, some crude language, and brief sexual innuendo. L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. (R) 2010
  
  
  
  

• Daybreakers—This potentially intriguing, but excessively violent tale, set in a futuristic world where a mysterious plague has transformed the vast majority of the population into vampires, and where the blood supply drawn from the few remaining mortals is rapidly dwindling, follows the efforts of a conscientious undead researcher (Ethan Hawke) to develop a viable substitute, his conflict with the greedy chief (Sam Neill) of the conglomerate sponsoring his work and his eventual partnership with two fugitive humans (Willem Dafoe and Claudia Karvan) who may have discovered an alternative solution to the crisis. Co-writers and directors Peter and Michael Spierig effectively conjure a society where blood-suckers are the norm and use it to make satiric points about corporate excess and environmental irresponsibility, but the intermittently gory proceedings move toward a climactic scene of orgiastic bloodletting. Graphic gruesome violence, including decapitation, dismemberment and exploding bodies; upper female nudity; at least three uses of profanity; and some rough and crude language. O -- morally offensive. (R) 2010
  
  

• Youth in Revolt—Sometimes witty but consistently sex-focused coming-of-age comedy about a lonely California teen (Michael Cera) whose sophisticated cultural tastes make him a fish out of water in his divorced parents' (Jean Smart and Steve Buscemi) lowbrow world, and his obsessive love for a like-minded girl (Portia Doubleday) he meets on vacation at a trailer park. Director Miguel Arteta's adaptation of "Youth in Revolt: The Journals of Nick Twisp" -- the first in C.D. Payne's series of novels about the titular adolescent -- sees Cera developing a suave but amoral alter ego willing to cause mayhem to help his timid original reunite with, and lose his burdensome virginity to, the object of his desire. Explicit animated images of intercourse, nongraphic premarital (and probably underage) sexual activity, masturbation, drug use, at least one profanity, much sexual humor and considerable rough and crude language. O -- morally offensive. (R) 2010
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  Leap Year—Likable romantic comedy in which a controlling Boston real estate consultant (Amy Adams) follows her commitment-shy live-in boyfriend (Adam Scott) to Ireland, where he's attending a cardiologists' convention and where she hopes to take advantage of a national tradition allowing women to propose on Leap Day, but bad weather derails her plans, forcing her to rely on a laidback rural innkeeper (Matthew Goode) to get her to Dublin in time. Though the background details are closer to 1952's "The Quiet Man" than to the post-Celtic Tiger contemporary reality, the central opposites-attract relationship in director Anand Tucker's Hibernian idyll is old-fashioned in the best sense, with physical restraint allowing room for a dexterously acted, if somewhat formulaic, portrayal of deepening emotional engagement, and helping to make this -- despite the elements described below -- probably acceptable for older teens. Implied cohabitation, some mildly sexual humor, at least two uses of profanity and one of the S-word, and a few crass terms.  A-III -- adults. (PG)  2009
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  The Lovely Bones—Narrating from beyond the grave, a 14-year-old girl (Saoirse Ronan) recounts her murder at the hands of a psychopath (a squirm-provoking Stanley Tucci) and the effects of the crime on her devastated parents (Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz), her boozy but sensible grandmother (Susan Sarandon) and her sensitive younger sister (Rose McIver), who eventually joins the obsessive dad in a determined hunt for redress. Director and co-writer Peter Jackson's adaptation of Alice Sebold's best-selling 2002 novel features a visually rich, though theologically vague vision of "the In-Between," a picturesque purgatory in which the youthful heroine is trapped as she works through her rage and desire for revenge, but the attempt to blend genres with a story that mixes elements of suspense, emotion-driven drama and a morality tale about the limits of human justice and the dangers of fixation eventually becomes scattershot. Themes of perversion and crime, gory images, scenes of harsh violence, brief nongraphic marital lovemaking, at least one use of profanity and of the F-word, a few crude and crass terms.  A-III -- adults. (PG-13) 2009

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  It's Complicated—A decade after their divorce, a couple (Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin) reconnect and have an affair, despite his second marriage to a much younger wife (Lake Bell) and her budding romance with an architect (Steve Martin). Though it highlights the lasting emotional toll exacted on children when their parents split, writer-director Nancy Meyers' aesthetically smooth-running romantic comedy is aptly titled from a Catholic moral perspective, since -- assuming their union was valid to begin with -- the pair's seeming adultery, presented as a daring feminist adventure for Streep's well-delineated character, would in fact be marital lovemaking, yet the breach of trust with the new "spouse" can hardly be excused, and adds a further twist to an ethically tangled story demanding careful evaluation by mature viewers. Complex moral issues; skewed values; implied sexual activity, some of it adulterous; off-screen masturbation; fleeting rear nudity; considerable drug use; some sexual references and humor; and a half-dozen crude or crass terms. L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. (R) 2009
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  Sherlock Holmes—This vigorous but frequently violent addition to the chronicles of the iconic sleuth sees Holmes (entertainingly sly Robert Downey Jr.) and his perennial sidekick Dr. Watson (Jude Law) on the trail of a Satan-worshipping homicidal aristocrat (Mark Strong) who has inspired a wave of public panic by apparently rising from the dead after his execution, while Watson's plans to abandon detective work to marry the young woman (Kelly Reilly) for whom he's fallen, as well as the appearance of a femme fatale (Rachel McAdams) who has bested and befuddled Holmes in the past, heighten the tension. As envisioned by director Guy Ritchie, this brawny Sherlock slugs his way through several bone-crunching square-offs across Victorian London while investigating the dark doings of the Masonic-style secret society to which the errant lord belonged and which may hold the key to his seemingly supernatural powers. Considerable action violence, occult themes, satanic activity, brief irreverence, a sexual situation, a few sexual references and jokes. A-III -- adults. (PG-13) 2009
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  Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel—Harmless but mostly routine comedy with music, mixing animation and live action, in which the familiar trio of harmonizing rodents (voices of Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler and Jesse McCartney) have a series of slapstick misadventures, eventually winding up in the inept care of a gadget-obsessed slacker (Zachary Levi), becoming school students, and entering a singing competition that pits them against a group of chipmunk divas (voices of Amy Poehler, Anna Faris and Christina Applegate). A bit of gently rude humor aside, director Betty Thomas' extension of the 50-year-old franchise, which includes hit recordings, a pair of TV cartoon series and this feature's 2007 predecessor, "Alvin and the Chipmunks," is unobjectionable, though its positive lessons about choosing loyalty over selfishness come wrapped in an entertainment package that feels somewhat shopworn. A-I -- general patronage. (PG)
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  Avatar—Among the most expensive and highly anticipated films ever made, director James Cameron's visually arresting science-fiction adventure sends a paraplegic soldier (Sam Worthington) to a planet called Pandora where he falls in love with a native princess (Zoe Saldana) and must choose between her ecologically enlightened culture and his own violent, rapacious species. Amid passages resembling a Vietnam War movie, a western -- pitting bellicose interlopers against spiritual natives in harmony with their natural environment -- and a Disney animated musical, Cameron marshals impressive resources to tell an entertaining story, though whether the aliens' pantheistic religion is meant to be a model for humanity or merely an indigenous cult remains unclear. Frightening action sequences with much intense, war-related violence, an implied sexual encounter, partial upper female and rear nudity, a consistently sensual undercurrent, frequent profanity, considerable crude and crass language A-III -- adults. (PG-13)
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  Did You Hear About the Morgans?—Pleasant, if largely predictable, romantic comedy in which a recently separated New York couple (Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker) accidentally witness the contract killing of an arms dealer and, as part of the government's protection program, are abruptly relocated to rural Wyoming where, sheltered and shielded by a no-nonsense federal marshal (Sam Elliott) and his gun-toting wife (Mary Steenburgen), they gradually discover the joys of down-home living as they reassess their relationship. Writer-director Marc Lawrence's fish-out-of-water tale is an unabashed celebration of marriage and family life and, though it features extensive discussion of the negative effects of infidelity, is mostly free of objectionable material, making it probably acceptable for older teens. Adultery and infertility themes, off-screen marital lovemaking, a few mildly sexual jokes, at least one crude and one crass term. A-III -- adults. (PG-13)
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  Nine—Glossy but morally shallow musical drama -- set in 1965 Italy and based on the life of Federico Fellini -- in which a celebrated film director (Daniel Day-Lewis) suffers a creative and personal crisis, scrambling to conceal the fact that his latest work, about to go into production, has no script, and struggling to maintain his relationships with his wife (Marion Cotillard), his mistress (Penelope Cruz), his favorite actress and muse (Nicole Kidman) and his costume designer confidante (Judi Dench). Director Rob Marshall's adaptation of Arthur L. Kopit and Maury Yeston's 1982 Broadway hit, itself an homage to Fellini's "8 1/2," treats adultery as a symptom of sophistication, and present the Catholic Church as, by turns, irrelevant, repressive and hypocritical. Pervasive negative portrayal of Catholicism, brief nongraphic adulterous sexual activity, recurrent adultery theme, partial upper female and rear nudity, a couple of uses of profanity, a few crass terms. O -- morally offensive. (PG-13)

• Invictus—Uplifting sports drama, based on actual events, about South African President Nelson Mandela's (Morgan Freeman) campaign to unite his country behind the national rugby team (led by Matt Damon), once a widely hated symbol of white privilege under apartheid, as it became an unlikely contender in the 1995 World Cup competition. Adapted from John Carlin's book, "Playing the Enemy," director Clint Eastwood's account effectively chronicles how Mandela transformed the race for the championship into an opportunity to break down lingering racial prejudice and to demonstrate the generosity and openness to reconciliation of the newly empowered black majority, a salutary tale whose moral and artistic merits counterbalance the elements listed below, making it probably acceptable for mature teens. Brief scenes of violence, at least one use of the F-word, a few instances of crude and crass language and some mild sexual references. A-III -- adults. (PG-13) 2009
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  Up in the Air—Polished but morally ambivalent comic drama about an emotionally isolated, though contented, single businessman (George Clooney) who spends his life in chain hotels and airports as he travels from city to city firing employees on behalf of downsizing corporate clients until his rootless lifestyle is threatened by a tech-savvy new colleague (Anna Kendrick), who wants their company to terminate workers via the Internet, and by his deepening feelings for a fellow executive wanderer (Vera Farmiga) with whom he initiated a casual romp. Director and co-writer Jason Reitman’s screen version of Walter Kirn’s novel is initially engaging and adroitly acted throughout, but the script winks at commitment-free encounters, while what appear at first to be the life-altering events of the plot turn out to be mere incidents with little spiritual impact. Off-screen adulterous and nonmarital sexual activity, brief rear nudity, much sexual talk including lesbianism and masturbation references, a few uses of profanity, much rough and crude language. L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. (R) 2009
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  ARMORED—Negligible heist flick about six guards employed by a Los Angeles armored car company who attempt to pull an inside job, during which only an Iraq War hero (Columbus Short) exhibits scruples and smarts; his greedy colleagues, led by his godfather (Matt Dillon), instead demonstrating the old adage about the paucity of honor among thieves. Working from a flimsy script, director Nimrod Antal keeps the nondescript action moving along without undue complications. Considerable, though not excessive, action violence, including gunplay and knife use, some profanity, much crude language. A-III – adults. (PG-13) 2009
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  Transylmania—Witless, grotesque, badly performed horror spoof about a group of sex-obsessed, pot-smoking college students (Patrick Cavanaugh, James DeBello, Tony Denman, Paul H. Kim, Jennifer Lyons, Oren Skoog) spending a semester at a vampire-infested Romanian castle, where one bloodsucker (also Skoog) seeks the return of a music box while a deranged dean (David Steinberg -- not the comedian) chops up a visiting co-ed to provide a perfect body for his humpbacked daughter (Irena H. Hoffman). Nothing about directors David and Scott Hillenbrand’s satiric misfire even rises to the level of potentially amusing rubbish. Pervasive drug use, images of mutilation, upper female nudity, sexual banter, implied sexual situations and constant profane, rough and crude language. O -- morally offensive. (R) 2009
  
  
  
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  The The Road—This moving but relentlessly grim drama, set in the wake of an unspecified apocalypse, follows the desperate journey of a father (Viggo Mortensen, mesmerizing) and son (fine newcomer Kodi Smit-McPhee) as they travel through a devastated America encountering cannibals, thieves and shell-shocked survivors (notably Robert Duvall) on their way to what they hope will be a marginally better life along the coast. Occupying the pitted no-man's-land between a Samuel Beckett play and "The Road Warrior," director John Hillcoat's adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel is a stark examination of one man's efforts to preserve, and pass on, humane values, refreshed only by the instinctive goodness of his youthful companion, though his quasi-idolatrous view of the boy, like the borderline-blasphemous sentiments expressed by other characters, would be unacceptable in a less extreme context. Complex moral and theological issues, grisly images, cannibalism and suicide themes, rear and brief partial nudity, a few uses of profanity, occasional rough and crude language. L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. (R) 2009
  
  
  
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  Brothers—After his upstanding Marine brother (Tobey Maguire) is reported dead in Afghanistan, a newly released ex-con and charming ne'er-do-well (Jake Gyllenhaal) matures as he cares for his grieving sister-in-law (Natalie Portman) and young nieces (Bailee Madison and Taylor Geare), but his sibling, who has actually been taken prisoner, suffers a moral breakdown in captivity that threatens to haunt him for life. Though a fine cast that also includes Sam Shepard as the family's Vietnam-vet patriarch do their best to lend intensity to this cautionary tale about the dehumanizing effects of war and the gulf between combat and civilian life, the cliches and simplistic characterizations in David Benioff's script leave director Jim Sheridan's adaptation of Susanne Bier's 2004 Danish film flatfooted. Sporadic intense violence, including torture; drug use, adultery and suicide themes; a few uses of profanity; frequent rough and some crude language. A-III -- adults. (R) 2009
  

• The Princess and the Frog— Enchanting animated musical, set in 1920s New Orleans, in which a voodoo sorcerer (voice of Keith David) casts a spell that complicates the lives of a visiting prince (voice of Bruno Campos), the headstrong heiress he hopes to marry (voice of Jennifer Cody) and her industrious working-class best friend (voice of Anika Noni Rose). As directed and co-written by John Musker and Ron Clements, the lavish hand-drawn romance, which also features delightful voice work by Michael-Leon Wooley as a jazz-loving alligator and Jim Cummings as a Cajun firefly, emphasizes the value of love over material wealth and provides quality entertainment for all ages, though images of fire-breathing masks and evil sprites may scare some tots.  A-I -- general patronage. (G)
  
  
  
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  Ninja Assassin— Hyperactive, contrived and excessively violent comeback for the martial-arts genre with a thin plot, a heavily ramped-up spatter factor and soulful Korean pop star Rain (aka Jeong Ji Hoon) playing a stone-cold ninja fighter, trained from childhood to become an assassin, who breaks with his gang in time to stop a string of murders in Germany, save the agent (Naomie Harris) investigating them and wreak revenge on his former comrades. Pervasive violence, with mutilation, stabbings and gunplay, frequent bloody and grisly images and some rough and crude language.  O -- morally offensive. (R) 2009
  
  
  
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  Old Dogs— Passable comedy in which a sports marketing executive (Robin Williams) learns, seven years after the fact, that his quickly annulled second marriage produced fraternal twins (Conner Rayburn and Ella Bleu Travolta) whose mother (Kelly Preston), on the eve of being imprisoned briefly for an environmental protest, entrusts the kids to his care, distracting him from work on a major business deal, much to the annoyance of his longtime partner and best friend (John Travolta). Its morally murky back story aside, director Walt Becker's dizzy dad escapade is mostly harmless, though a talented cast can do little with David Diamond and David Weissman's thin, derivative script. A drunken wedding, a few instances of vaguely sexual and mildly scatological humor, some rough slapstick. A-II -- adults and adolescents. (PG) 2009
  
  
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  The Twilight Saga: New Moon—Lovelorn gothic romance sequel in which a well-mannered vampire (Robert Pattinson), anxious to protect the mortal high school student (Kristen Stewart) who has captured his heart from the less controlled members (especially Jackson Rathbone) of the undead clan with which he lives, breaks off their relationship and disappears, but the American Indian friend (Taylor Lautner) to whom she turns for solace not only wants to be more than mere pals, he has a supernatural secret of his own. With temptations of the flesh kept at bay for fear of temptations of the blood in director Chris Weitz's adaptation of the second book in Stephenie Meyer's best-selling series of young-adult novels, the chaste but intermittently violent proceedings play out against a picturesque background ranging from the misty Northwest to the sunny hills of Tuscany. Considerable action violence, a vague sexual reference, at least one mildly crass term.  A-II -- adults and adolescents.  (PG-13)
  
  
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  The Blind Side —Inspirational family drama, based on real events, in which a wealthy white couple (Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw) in Memphis, Tenn., offer shelter to a homeless black student (Quinton Aaron) from their children's (Lily Collins and Jae Head) school and, as he becomes an increasingly integral part of their clan, help him to hone his football skills while also hiring a determined tutor (Kathy Bates) to raise his academic standing. Driven by Bullock's field-sweeping performance as the feisty, religiously motivated adoptive mother, writer-director John Lee Hancock's unapologetically Christian tale of human solidarity across racial and class divides, adapted from Michael Lewis' 2006 best-seller "The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game," is funny, shrewd and ultimately uplifting. Brief nongraphic marital lovemaking, at least one profanity, a few sexual and drug references, a half-dozen crass terms.  A-III -- adults. (PG-13) 2009
  
  
  
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  Planet 51—Delightful animated comedy based in a galaxy far, far away where little green aliens live in a 1950s "Happy Days"-style suburbia, complete with white picket fences, backyard barbecues and monster movies playing at the drive in. When a real alien, in the shape of a human astronaut (voice of "The Rock," Dwayne Johnson), drops from the sky, all heck breaks loose as this E.T. tries to return home with the help of a gaggle of teens led by a shy would-be astronomer (voice of Justin Long). Some mildly suggestive humor aside, co-directors Jorge Blanco, Javier Abad and Marcos Martinez's generally wholesome film, which features positive life lessons about friendship, loyalty, and acceptance of others, offers fun for all ages.  A-I -- general patronage. (PG) 2009
  
  
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  Fantastic Mr. Fox —Droll stop-motion animated adventure, set in the animal world of rural Britain, in which the titular vulpine creature (voice of George Clooney), now a respectable newspaper columnist with a wife (voice of Meryl Streep) and son (voice of Jason Schwartzman), tries to recapture his wild past as a chicken thief poaching on local farms, but his renewed raiding, abetted by his daring nephew (voice of Eric Anderson), enrages a trio of mean-spirited farmers whose escalating countermeasures endanger the whole burrowing community. A touch of menace and a fleeting joke about Mrs. Fox's youthful indiscretions aside, director and co-writer Wes Anderson's clever, lovingly crafted adaptation of Roald Dahl's 1970 children's book offers sophisticated family entertainment, with abundant fun for youngsters and a few insights into the tensions and paradoxes of human nature for adults. A-I -- general patronage. (PG) 2009
  
  
  
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  2012—In the disaster movie to end all fiasco flicks, a doomsday cataclysm results in billions losing their lives as the earth's crust breaks apart, dismantling civilization and rearranging the continents. Director Roland Emmerich gives his special-effects wizards license to test the limits of the technically plausible and morally palatable, while asking moviegoers to take heart as the scenario affords a White House geologist (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and a divorced science-fiction writer (John Cusack) the chance to exhibit altruism, even as their exploits are interspersed with disturbing apocalyptic imagery, including the destruction of St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. Considerable crude and crass language, much profanity, a rough gesture and a few instances of sexual innuendo.  A-III -- adults. (PG-13) 2009

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  Pirate Radio—Energetic but sexually freewheeling ensemble comedy, set in mid-1960s Britain, in which a rebellious teen (Tom Sturridge) is sent by his mother (January Jones) to live on an oil tanker that has been converted into an offshore radio station (led by Bill Nighy) where a team of eccentric disc jockeys (most prominently Philip Seymour Hoffman and Rhys Ifans) broadcast the rock 'n' roll music that the government-sponsored BBC will not. As they battle a bureaucrat's (Kenneth Branagh) efforts to shut them down, he pursues romance with a shipboard visitor (Talulah Riley). Written and directed by Richard Curtis, this fact-based frolic's potentially buoyant celebration of music and camaraderie is torpedoed by its implicit acceptance of all manner of bedroom shenanigans. Benign view of casual, group and gay sex and of drug and condom use, brief rear nudity, a pornographic image, some irreverent and sexual humor, a couple of profanities, at least 20 uses of the F-word.  O -- morally offensive. (R) 2009

   

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  The Box—In 1976 Richmond, Va., a cash-strapped suburban couple (Cameron Diaz and James Marsden) find themselves in a moral dilemma when a mysterious, disfigured stranger (a haunting Frank Langella) presents them with a device that, if they choose to activate it, will kill someone unknown to them but will also gain them a $1 million payment. Spiritually well-grounded adult viewers willing to overlook some improbabilities in writer-director Richard Kelly’s intelligently challenging, if over-elaborate, screen version of Richard Matheson’s 1970 short story “Button, Button” may be intrigued by this reflection on ethical choices and consequences, but the evolving parable includes actions that would be blatantly unacceptable in a more realistic context. Mature themes, complex moral issues, a few uses of profanity, a couple of sexual references.  L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. (PG-13) 2009

   

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  The Men Who Stare at Goats—Fact-based satire, set during the early stages of the Iraq War, in which an eccentric military veteran (George Clooney) regales a reporter (Ewan McGregor) with the history of a secret Army unit (led by Jeff Bridges) to which he once belonged that experimented with psychic and paranormal techniques of warfare. Director Grant Heslov's mildly diverting, though disorganized adaptation of Jon Ronson's 2004 best-seller, which also features Kevin Spacey as the squad's selfish nemesis, sends up the soldierly excesses of both the Cold War era and the more recent conflict, but also showcases pantheistic New Age spirituality and implicitly condones its main characters' indulgence in some questionable high jinks. Rear and brief upper female nudity, neo-pagan religious practices, drug use, a dozen instances of profanity, frequent rough and crude language. A-III -- adults. (R) 2009

  
  
  
  

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  A Christmas Carol—Lavish, well-crafted but frequently eerie 3-D animated adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic 1843 novella in which miserly misanthrope Ebenezer Scrooge (voice of Jim Carrey) is urged to change his ways by the tortured specter of his late business partner (voice of Gary Oldman) and by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come (all voiced by Carrey). Though free of objectionable content, and unabashed about the Christian context of its conversion story, writer-director Robert Zemeckis' largely faithful retelling features images and special effects likely to disturb the most sensitive youngsters. Also shown in Imax. A-I -- general patronage. (PG) 2009

   

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  The Fourth Kind—Supposedly fact-based thriller about a recently widowed Alaska psychologist (Milla Jovovich) who becomes convinced that several patients she has been treating for a sleep disorder are in fact victims of alien abduction, and that the malevolent interplanetary visitors also killed her husband, though the local sheriff (Will Patton) and a colleague (Elias Koteas) she consults remain skeptical. The occasional jolt aside, writer-director Olatunde Osunsanmi's pseudo-dramatization, which intersperses "actual" video and audio of the case with alleged re-enactments, is slow-moving and largely ineffective, though the script's fleeting, potentially troublesome foray into theology is at least partially set right by the main character's explicitly Christian faith. Some violence, including a short scene of gory murder, brief nongraphic marital lovemaking, a half-dozen uses of profanity and a few crude terms.  A-III -- adults. (PG-13) 2009

   

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  Michael Jackson's This Is It —Posthumous documentary capturing the planning and rehearsals for the titular series of comeback concerts by the controversial "king of pop," scheduled to begin in London in July, but forestalled by Jackson's untimely death at age 50 the previous month. Using footage originally intended for other purposes, director Kenny Ortega, who was one of the singer's principal collaborators in crafting the ill-fated live show, creates an energetic, largely unobjectionable tribute that, while casting little light on the eccentric -- if not inscrutable -- personality of an iconic entertainer, does provide insight into the talent, vision and discipline that lay behind his global professional success. Some skimpy costuming and suggestive dancing, and at least one vaguely crass term. A-II -- adults and adolescents. (PG) 2009

   

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  Paranormal Activity— Cohabiting San Diego yuppies (Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat) use a video camera to record disturbing phenomena they fear are being caused by a demonic spirit that has pursued the young woman since childhood. Writer-director Oren Peli's ostensibly fact-based feature debut is mostly gore-free, playing instead -- subtly and quite effectively -- on viewers' primal fears of the unseen, but his script fails to show the same restraint with regard to language and sexual topics. Some sexual content, including a premarital situation, an off-screen encounter and a few jokes and references, a half-dozen uses of profanity, pervasive rough and crude terms, and at least two obscene gestures. L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. (R) 2009

   

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  The Nightmare Before Christmas—Rerelease in 3-D of the minor fantasy of the macabre with puppet animation telling the tale of Halloweentown's skeleton king replacing the kidnapped Santa Claus to spread Christmas fear with scary toys until stopped by a missile, then returning home to free Santa in time to make his accustomed rounds. Producer Tim Burton's story centers on the dark world of hobgoblins and monsters suddenly intruding on the bright expectations of St. Nick's annual visit, but the narrative proves tiresome in padding out the thin concept, despite all its stylish puppetry and ghoulish humor. Considerable menace and threatening atmosphere. A-II -- adults and adolescents. (PG) 2009
  
  
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  Saw VI—The blood flood continues in this predictably gruesome horror sequel as the sadistic life-or-death games initiated by the now-deceased psychopath Jigsaw (Tobin Bell, seen in flashbacks) are secretly carried on by a police detective (Costas Mandylor) even as he pretends to investigate the crimes, his principal current victim being a coldhearted health insurance executive (Peter Outerbridge). Neither its attempts at social relevance nor its twisted moral mutterings can disguise the fact that director Kevin Greutert's needless extension of a noisome franchise is simply a 90-minute descent into gratuitous cruelty. Pervasive gory violence, including graphic torture and mutilation, a half-dozen profanities, at least 40 uses of the F-word, and some crude and crass language.  O -- morally offensive. (R) 2009
  
  
  
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  Amelia—Hilary Swank portrays aviatrix Amelia Earhart in a handsome, mellifluous biography suitable for viewing by multiple generations yet which nevertheless fails to soar as an adventure or romance. No one could expect director Mira Nair, using two literary biographies as source material, to offer the definitive take on Earhart's personality, let alone solve the mystery of her disappearance over the Pacific in 1937, but the vague insights into her character and relationships, both with husband George Putnam (Richard Gere) and intimate friend Gene Vidal (Ewan McGregor), though ultimately affirming the bonds of marriage, prove frustrating, particularly coupled with the film's lack of sustenance for aviation buffs. Discreetly handled adulterous and premarital sexual situations, one instance of crass language, and one use of profanity.  A-II -- adults and adolescents. (PG) 2009
  
  
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  Astro Boy—Set in a futuristic world where an underclass of mechanical servants wait on disdainful human masters, this charming animated adventure concerns a scientist (voice of Nicolas Cage) who, after losing his son (voice of Freddie Highmore) in a lab accident, uses the lad's DNA to program the titular robot replica (also voiced by Highmore) but swiftly rejects his creation, leaving the superpowered but innocent boy 'bot vulnerable to widespread prejudice and the designs of a militaristic politician (voice of Donald Sutherland) intent on using the youth's life-giving energy source for weaponry. Director and co-writer David Bowers' adaptation of Osamu Tezuka's globally popular comic book series, begun in 1951 and previously the basis for three TV series, is by turns amusing, exciting and poignant as it chronicles its altruistic hero's struggle to discover his place in the world. Considerable stylized violence, some menace, and brief instances of vaguely irreverent and mildly scatological humor.  A-II -- adults and adolescents. (PG) 2009
  
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  Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant—A strait-laced high school student (Chris Massoglia) and his rebellious best friend (Josh Hutcherson) get mixed up in a centuries-old conflict between a race of human-friendly vampires (led by John C. Reilly) and a group of homicidal bloodsuckers known as the Vampaneze. Director and co-writer Paul Weitz's unfocused adaptation of three novels in Darren Shan's "Cirque du Freak" series of children's books, which gets off to a stylish start but bogs down in a meandering plot and overlong fight scenes, offers such a bleak outlook on conventional family life that joining the community of the undead and being adopted by the traveling sideshow of the title -- populated by a beard-sprouting lady (Salma Hayek), a Japanese giant (Ken Watanabe) and the like -- is presented as an inviting alternative. Considerable hand-to-hand and knife violence, some crude and crass language, and a pornography reference.  A-III -- adults. (PG-13) 2009
  
  
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  Law Abiding Citizen—Brutish, blood-soaked and ultimately nonsensical revenge fantasy in which, following the murder of his wife and young daughter, an inventor who specializes in killing terrorists (Gerard Butler), goes on an elaborately staged rampage, eventually making deals with a prosecutor (Jamie Foxx)  in his search for "justice." Director F. Gary Gray and screenwriter Kurt Wimmer begin with an homage to the hyper-violent "Death Wish" films and concoct an implausible ending reminiscent of an old “Scooby-Doo” cartoon.  A rape, explicit torture, gun and knife violence, explosions, rear male nudity, pervasive rough and crass language.  O -- morally offensive. (R) 2009
  
  
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  The Stepfather—Slack thriller in which a young man (Penn Badgley) suspects his divorced mother’s (Sela Ward) seemingly affable live-in fiance (Dylan Walsh) may be a murderous psychopath. With viewers deliberately tipped off to the mystery man’s true identity from the start, director Nelson McCormick’s tedious remake of Joseph Rubin’s 1987 chillfest is as lacking in suspense as its villain is devoid of a coherent motive, while J.S. Cardone’s script implicitly endorses an incidental lesbian relationship. Benign view of homosexual acts, cohabitation, brief nongraphic nonmarital (possibly underage) sexual activity, moderate criminal violence, a half-dozen uses of profanity, a few crude and crass terms. O -- morally offensive. (PG-13) 2009
  
  
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  Where the Wild Things Are—Intriguing though melancholy fantasy in which a rambunctious young boy (Max Records) quarrels with his divorced mother (Catherine Keener) and runs away from home, eventually sailing to the island abode of the Wild Things, a close-knit but emotionally unstable community of giants (voiced, most prominently, by James Gandolfini and Lauren Ambrose) whose personalities reflect various aspects of the youth's real-life experiences and of his unsettled psychological state. While objectionable elements are minimal, director and co-writer Spike Jonze's subtle adaptation of Maurice Sendak's classic 1963 children's book -- which combines live action, puppetry and computer-generated animation -- far from being a film for kids, is instead a wistful adult meditation on the interior struggles of childhood. Also shown in Imax. Occasional menace and a few mild oaths. A-II -- adults and adolescents. (PG) 2009
  
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  Capitalism: A Love Story—Hard-hitting but at times overly simplistic documentary in which filmmaker Michael Moore highlights numerous dysfunctional aspects of the capitalist system in the U.S. and their negative effects on working people, who are thrown into unemployment or have their homes seized in foreclosure, ultimately calling for an economic revolution that would bring democracy to the workplace. Though Moore interviews two Catholic priests and Auxiliary Bishop emeritus Thomas Gumbleton of Detroit, who are unanimous in condemning capitalism as inherently sinful, this is not the teaching of the full magisterium, which instead recognizes both the efficiencies of the free market system and its need to be prudently regulated, while upholding the human dignity of workers, particularly their right to unionize. At least three uses of the F-word, a couple of crude terms. A-III -- adults. (R) 2009
  
  
  
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  Couples Retreat—Mostly dull, sexually wayward comedy in which a suburban couple (Jason Bateman and Kristen Bell) on the verge of divorce convince a group of their friends (most prominently Vince Vaughn and Malin Akerman) to join them at a South Pacific resort whose founder (Jean Reno) specializes in marriage therapy. While Peter Billingsley's directorial debut ultimately affirms marital fidelity, viewers have to endure waves of constantly suggestive, occasionally smutty humor and a tide of New Age psychobabble -- an obviously inadequate substitute for faith as a basis for lifelong commitment -- before reaching that safe shore. Strong sexual content, including brief but aberrant adulterous activity, fleeting nongraphic sexual activity within marriage, a flash of rear nudity, many sexually themed jokes, and some crude and much crass language.  L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. (PG-13) 2009
  
  
  
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  Toy Story—Toys come to life when humans aren't looking in this animated fantasy about the rivalry between a cowboy doll (voiced by Tom Hanks) and a flashy plastic spaceman (voiced by Tim Allen) whose subsequent misadventures teach them a lesson in friendship. Director John Lasseter makes good use of computer animation in a slim but imaginative tale featuring the frantic antics of mischievous playthings, though little ones may be frightened by some scenes of a nasty child who enjoys destroying toys.  A-I -- general patronage. (G) 1995
  

   

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  Toy Story 2—The animated adventures of toys that come to life when humans aren't looking continues as cowboy Woody (voice of Tom Hanks) is stolen by a greedy toy collector (voice of Wayne Knight), sending Woody's toy buddies, led by Buzz Lightyear (voice of Tim Allen), to a breathless rescue. Briskly directed by John Lasseter with even better animation, the lively cartoon sequel is a little less original but zippy action scenes and gentle humor should amuse small fry.  A-I -- general patronage. (G) 1999
  Full Review
  
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  The Invention of Lying—Venomous supposed comedy, set in a world where lying is unknown and every word spoken is accepted as truth, and where God does not exist until a failed documentary screenwriter (Ricky Gervais) discovers the ability to deceive and, to comfort his dying mother (Fionnula Flanagan), invents the fable of an afterlife, going on to fabricate the story of a "man in the sky" who rewards good deeds and punishes evil, all of which is eagerly accepted by the credulous masses who flock to hear his message. Along with his co-writer and co-director Matthew Robinson, Gervais launches an all-out, sneering assault on the foundations of religious faith such as has seldom if ever been seen in a mainstream film, despicably belittling core Judeo-Christian beliefs and mocking both the person and the teaching of Jesus Christ. Pervasive blasphemy, some sexual humor and references, and a few rough and crude terms.  O -- morally offensive. (PG-13) 2009
  
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  Whip It—Rough-and-tumble coming-of-age tale about a small-town Texas high school student (Ellen Page) who, with the help of her best friend (Alia Shawkat), defies her socially ambitious mother (Marcia Gay Harden) by secretly joining a hard-edged roller derby team (led by Kristen Wiig), eventually falling for a local rock singer (Landon Pigg) she meets at one of their matches. First-time director Drew Barrymore's adaptation of Shauna Cross' novel is buoyed by heartfelt performances from the principals, but the skimpy outfits and bruising smackdowns of the showcased competition come across as more exploitative than empowering, while Cross' script at least partially glamorizes irresponsible sexuality. Nongraphic nonmarital underage sexual activity, brief partial nudity, underage drinking, occasional irreverence, a few uses of profanity, some sexual humor and references, about a dozen crude terms and much crass language.  L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. (PG-13) 2009
  
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  Zombieland—Wryly amusing but at times wildly gruesome comedy, set in a ruined world where hordes of cannibal zombies prey on the few remaining humans, tracks the odd-couple adventures of a phobia-plagued slacker (Jesse Eisenberg) and a fearless gunslinger (Woody Harrelson) as they team up and hit the road, eventually crossing paths with two sisters (Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin) whose unpredictable antics repeatedly put a strain on their partnership. Adults with a high tolerance for graphic nastiness may discern, behind the uproarious, corpse-ridden proceedings of director Ruben Fleischer's feature debut, a touching nostalgia for more innocent times as well as a beleaguered yearning for solidarity, whether expressed through friendship or romance. Much gory violence, including cannibalism, partial upper female nudity, drug use, a few profanities, frequent crude and crass language, and an obscene gesture.  L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. (R) 2009
  
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  Fame— Ensemble drama with music follows a class of gifted students (most prominently Kay Panabaker, Asher Book, Naturi Naughton and Collins Pennie) and their dedicated teachers (among them Kelsey Grammer, Charles S. Dutton and Bebe Neuwirth) through four years at a New York City high school for the performing arts. Director Kevin Tancharoen's remake of Alan Parker's 1980 celebration of creative exuberance jettisons most of the original's objectionable elements but, some enjoyable musical numbers aside, the results are mostly tepid. A scene involving suicide, a sexual situation, underage drinking, at least one use of profanity, and a half-dozen crude and a few crass terms. The  A-III -- adults. (PG) 2009
   
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  Pandorum — Complex and deeply cliched sci-fi horror excursion in which two astronauts (Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster) awaken from an eight-year hypersleep to learn that their spacecraft, a sort of Noah's Ark designed to keep life from Earth in existence, has a balky power plant and a violent past. Director Christian Alvart serves up a heaping helping of pesky mutants with ninja skills, but the largely routine proceedings are somewhat redeemed by a surprisingly upbeat double-twist ending. At least one rough term, occasional profane and crass language, and some martial arts and knife violence. A-III -- adults.(R) 2009
  
  
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  Surrogates — Generally intriguing futuristic thriller, set in an America where people live their lives through ideal-looking robotic surrogates that they remote-control by their thoughts, follows an FBI agent (Bruce Willis) and his partner's (Radha Mitchell) investigation of a high-profile murder as well as his struggle to reconnect with his wife (Rosamund Pike) who refuses to interact with him except via her mechanical alter ego. Director Jonathan Mostow's adaptation of Robert Venditti's graphic novel is a cautionary tale about the perils of technology, especially its potential to cut us off from human contact and the world of nature, and an exploration of the values undergirding a successful marriage. Considerable action violence, drug use, brief sexual situations, a couple of uses of profanity and a few crude and crass terms.A-III -- adults. (PG-13)2009
  
  
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  Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs— Loosely based on the 1978 children's book, this animated fantasy concerns a previously ridiculed young inventor (voice of Bill Hader) who fashions a machine that makes food fall from the sky, and who finds a kindred spirit in a rookie weather reporter (voice of Anna Faris) assigned to cover the bizarre climactic phenomenon. Serving to warn against overindulgence and extol the virtues of persistence and ingenuity, the film boasts dazzling 3-D visuals deployed to entertaining, if not always appetizing, effect by co-writers and directors Chris Miller and Phil Lord. Considerable cartoon violence, some rude expressions, a scatological reference and a few moderately scary action sequences. A-II -- adults and adolescents. (PG) 2009
  
  
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  All About Steve — Tiresome romantic comedy about a motormouthed, trivia-spouting crossword-puzzle writer (Sandra Bullock) whose isolated life is transformed when she falls instantly for a TV news cameraman (Bradley Cooper) she meets on a blind date, her obsessive love prompting her first to throw herself at him in a bid for immediate intimacy, then to dog him from one news event to the next, egged on, as a practical joke, by a vain reporter (Thomas Haden Church) for his network. Director Phil Traill's feature debut is hobbled by a central character whose supposed quirkiness is grating rather than endearing and, a few digs at media excess aside, neither the humor nor the more serious moments affirming individuality and emotional sensitivity succeed. Nongraphic nonmarital sexual activity, some sexual humor and references, a half-dozen uses of profanity, frequent crude or crass language, and an obscene gesture.  A-III -- adults. (PG-13) 2009  
  

   

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  Aliens in the Attic — Mostly harmless comic adventure in which a group of young cousins (principally Carter Jenkins, Austin Butler and Ashley Tisdale) battle a quartet of aggressive extraterrestrials (voices of Josh Peck, J.K. Simmons, Thomas Haden Church and Kari Wahlgren) who've invaded their vacation home as a preliminary step to world domination. Director John Schultz's mildly diverting fantasy offers lessons about family unity and the value of education, but also includes dialogue inappropriate for younger viewers, who might otherwise enjoy it most. A few sexual references, occasional innuendo and at least one crass term. A-II -- adults and adolescents. (PG) 2009
  
  
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  The Final Destination — Repellent horror sequel in which a young man’s (Bobby Campo) premonition of impending death saves him, his girlfriend (Shantel VanSanten), two of their pals (Haley Webb and Nick Zano) and a number of strangers from perishing in a speedway accident, but the Grim Reaper is not to be cheated, and the survivors begin to die off in a series of horrifically gruesome misadventures. Director David R. Ellis’ utterly callous fourth installment in the franchise amounts to little more than an exercise in gross-out special effects, with a gratuitous scene of debased casual sex tacked on for bad measure. Conventional and 3D formats. Pervasive gory violence, including mutilation, brief graphic nonmarital sexual activity, a couple of uses of profanity, some rough and much crude language.  O -- morally offensive. (R) 2009  
  
  
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  G-Force — 3-D fantasy adventure, combining live action and animation, in which a team of three guinea pigs (voices of Sam Rockwell, Tracy Morgan and Penelope Cruz) and a mole (voice of Nicolas Cage), all trained and equipped as government agents by an innovative scientist (Zach Galifianakis), work to foil the plans of a sinister industrialist (Bill Nighy) bent on world domination. As directed by Hoyt H. Yeatman Jr., this exuberant, at times spectacular, rodent romp portrays the crime-fighting team, which eventually includes an enthusiastic but inept pet-store guinea pig (voice of Jon Favreau), as an improvised family, sustained by cooperation, self-sacrifice and forgiveness; these are positive lessons for all but the most impressionable viewers, who might be frightened by repeated scenes of peril. A-I -- general patronage. (PG) 2009
  Full Review
  
  
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  Halloween ll — Writer-director Scott Zombie creates a horror film so boring and predictable, even Michael Myers (Tyler Mane) looks embarrassed to be put through his desultory homicidal paces. Deborah Myers (Sheri Moon Zombie, the director's wife), is Michael's semi-spooky, cliche-spouting ghost of a mother, and Scout Taylor-Compton reprises her scream-queen role as Michael's disturbingly foulmouthed sister Laurie, with whom he longs to have a violent, delusional reunion. Strong violent content, including multiple stabbings, a strangling and a fatal stomping, fleeting upper female nudity, pervasive rough and crass language and occasional sexual banter.  O -- morally offensive. (R) 2009
  
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  The Hangover — A 100-minute assault of crude behavior, violence, racial stereotypes and male nudity strung along a thin plot of three groomsmen (Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha) searching for their pal the bridegroom (Bradley Cooper) after a drunken and drugged Las Vegas debauch the night before the wedding. Producer-director Doug Phillips and screenwriters Jon Lucas and Doug Moore work on the assumptions that any loutish behavior is hilarious, and if it's funny when a grown man gets hit in the face by a car door, it's even funnier when it later happens to an infant. Intermittent violence; pervasive crass, crude and profane language; upper female and explicit male nudity; drug use; frequent urination; and crude sexual gags, one involving an infant.  O -- morally offensive. (R) 2009
  
  
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  Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince — At the behest of his mentor (Michael Gambon), the now-teenage wizard (Daniel Radcliffe) ingratiates himself with a returning Hogwarts instructor (Jim Broadbent) who once taught his archenemy Lord Voldemort and whose memories may hold the key to defeating the villain, while adolescent romantic tensions complicate the lad's relationship with his two closest friends (Rupert Grint and Emma Watson). As directed by David Yates, this sixth adaptation of J.K. Rowling's hugely popular fantasy novel series is a richly textured, though at times overcrowded, adventure narrative in which good and evil are clearly delineated, but characters present a range of moral shading. Also shown in Imax. Moderate action violence, occasional peril, a couple of crass expressions, and a few vaguely sexual references. A-II -- adults and adolescents. (PG) 2009
  
  
  
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  I Can Do Bad All By Myself — A selfish club singer (Taraji P. Henson) learns the redemptive power of unselfish love when she finds herself caring for her dead sister's three children (Hope Olaide Wilson, Kwesi Boakye and Frederick Siglar). Writer-director Tyler Perry's adaptation of his own stage drama is a hard-driving, if entirely predictable, morality play with music in which his trademark comic character, "Madea" Simmons, has only a brief supporting role. Implied adultery, a brief scene of sexual menace, a fleeting glimpse of a male backside and a bit of crass language. A-II -- adults and adolescents. (PG-13) 2009

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  Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs — Mostly delightful animated sequel in which a mammoth couple (voices of Ray Romano and Queen Latifah), a tiger (voice of Denis Leary) and two possums (voices of Josh Peck and Seann William Scott) search for the missing sloth (voice of John Leguizamo) who rounds out their improvised herd, and discover the underworld of dinosaurs to which he has been unwillingly carried. A few touches of vaguely crude humor aside, director Carlos Saldanha's epic 3-D quest, which also features Simon Pegg voicing the adventurers' wacky weasel guide, is well calculated to charm viewers of all ages with its portrayal of loyalty and teamwork. A-I -- general patronage. (PG) 2009
  
  
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  Inglourious Basterds — Provocative World War II fantasy in which a team of ruthless Jewish-American commandoes led by a hard-bitten Southern officer (Brad Pitt) and a young French Jewish woman (Melanie Laurent) passing as a gentile cinema owner in occupied Paris plot independently to assassinate key Nazi leaders during a gala film premiere, even as the German officer (Christoph Waltz) who killed her family threatens both schemes. Between episodes of graphic bloodletting, writer-director Quentin Tarentino weaves a suspenseful, though somewhat lurid, alternate history, but the Americans' systematic brutality toward enemy soldiers can only be accepted within a genre far removed from Strong violent content, including torture and mutilation, brief graphic sexual activity, complex moral issues, a few uses of profanity, and much rough and some crude language. L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. (R) 2009
  
  
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  Jennifer's Body — A fetching but cynical high school student (Megan Fox) is mysteriously transformed into a cannibalistic demon preying on her male schoolmates, much to the distress of her timid best pal (Amanda Seyfried) whose boyfriend (Johnny Simmons) may become the next item on the monster's menu. Director Karyn Kusama's failed attempt to satirize teen female rivalry by inflating it into an occult struggle for life or death relishes gore and exploits adolescent sexuality. Frequent savage violence, cannibalism, strong sexual content, including graphic (presumably underage) sexual activity and lesbian kissing, a couple of profanities, irreverence and much rough and crude language.  O -- morally offensive. (R) 2009
   
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  Julie & Julia — Charming, frequently funny dramatization of passages in the lives of master chef Julia Child (a marvelous Meryl Streep) and Internet blogger Julie Powell (Amy Adams), who, 40 years after the publication of Child's 1961 blockbuster, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," sets out to prepare every recipe in the extensive volume over the course of a year, aided by her supportive husband (Chris Messina) -- whose solicitude parallels that of Child's own spouse (Stanley Tucci) decades earlier. Writer-director Nora Ephron whips up a delicious melange of the two women's memoirs and, more significantly, details the ingredients, ranging from passion to patience, requisite for a successful marriage. Fleeting nongraphic sexual activity, a few sexual references, a suicide reference, at least one use of the F-word and about a dozen crude or crass terms. A-III -- adults. (PG-13) 2009
  
  
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  Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian — Enjoyable sequel, again directed by Shawn Levy, has the ex-Museum of Natural History night guard (Ben Stiller) traveling to Washington to rescue his formerly inanimate friends -- the museum's display figures (Owen Wilson, Robin Williams, Steve Coogan) -- from being archived in the Smithsonian. With the help of Amelia Earhart (Amy Adams) and General Custer (Bill Hader), they must ward off Egyptian pharaoh Kahmunrah (funny Hank Azaria), Ivan the Terrible (Christopher Guest), Napoleon Bonaparte (Alain Chabat) and Al Capone (Jon Bernthal). Kids will love the gags (the humor stays clean) and excellent special effects, and adults will appreciate the wit of some of the D.C. museum's most iconic paintings and sculptures springing to life.  A-I -- general patronage. (PG) 2009
  
  
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  9 — Artistically accomplished but intellectually problematic animated fantasy in which the doll-like titular creature (voice of Elijah Wood) leads a band of similar beings (voiced by, among others, Christopher Plummer, Martin Landau, John C. Reilly and Jennifer Connelly) -- each also identified by a number -- as they battle giant mechanical monsters amid the ruins of a post-apocalyptic world. Director Shane Acker's feature debut, an expansion of his 2004 short of the same title, implicitly contrasts a naysaying version of religious faith with enlightening science, a false dichotomy that, despite some eventual modifications, requires mature deliberation by spiritually well-grounded viewers. Complex religious themes, moderate action violence and frequent menace.  L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. (PG-13) 2009   
  
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  Ponyo — Enchanting English-language version of a Japanese animated fable about a determined goldfish (voice of Noah Cyrus) who escapes from the underwater realm of her domineering wizard father (voice of Liam Neeson) to explore the world beyond, and comes under the protection of a plucky, affectionate 5-year-old boy (voice of Frankie Jonas), whose love for her is tested both before and after her mysterious transformation into a little girl. Originally written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, the mythic tale, inspired by Hans Christian Anderson's "The Little Mermaid," uses masterful artistry to recapture the innocence and wonder of childhood, while deftly delivering a warning against environmental carelessness.  A-I -- general patronage. (G) 2009
  

   

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  Shorts — Clever children's fantasy about a rainbow-colored rock that grants the wishes of anyone holding it, and the chaos its misuse wreaks on the lives of a bullied schoolboy (Jimmy Bennett), his parents (Jon Cryer and Leslie Mann), his chief persecutor (terrific newcomer Jolie Vanier), her tycoon father (James Spader) and their suburban community in general. Told in a series of nonsequential episodes, writer-director Robert Rodriguez's lively yarn, which carries messages about the dangers of power and the isolating effects of contemporary technology, generally makes for appealing family entertainment, though perilous special effects may overwhelm the most sensitive viewers, while some parents may find a story line about a mucus monster unpleasant. Occasional menace and mildly gross humor. A-II -- adults and adolescents. (PG) 2009
  
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  The Time Traveler's Wife — A librarian (Eric Bana) afflicted with a genetic disorder that causes him to disappear from the present and travel -- involuntarily and randomly -- through time pursues romance with an artist (Rachel McAdams) who has known him since childhood, when he befriended her during visits from his future. At its core the enjoyable tale of a lifelong committed relationship, director Robert Schwentke's adaptation of novelist Audrey Niffenegger's 2003 best-seller features persuasive central performances that divert attention from the logical loose ends, though not from some behavior that would be objectionable in less far-fetched circumstances. Brief nongraphic premarital sexual activity, rear nudity, a sterilization theme, a few uses of profanity, and some crude and crass language. A-III -- adults. (PG-13) 2009
  
  
• Up — Off we go into the wild blue yonder -- literally -- with this instant classic, the story of Carl Frederickson (voice of Ed Asner), a grumpy septuagenarian who decides to get away from it all by relocating his home to South America with the help of thousands of colorful balloons. Joined by an earnest 8-year-old stowaway named Russell (Jordan Nagai), a gigantic squawking bird, and a "talking" dog, Carl finds the adventure of a lifetime as the ragtag group battles evil in the Venezuelan jungle. This touching fable from director/co-writer Pete Docter ("Monsters, Inc.") offers lessons for young and old on love and loss, marriage, friendship, and perseverance in a gorgeously rendered, very amusing and highly entertaining film. Some serious thematic material and a few scenes of intense peril may disturb small children. A-I -- general patronage. (PG) 2009
  
  
  
• Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg — Warmhearted documentary celebrating the life and career of Gertrude Berg, the creator, principal writer and star of "The Goldbergs," a popular radio series about a middle-class Jewish family that became one of TV's first sitcoms in 1949. Filmmaker Aviva Kempner's accomplished profile of this media pioneer, whose scripts promoted familial relationships over possessions, offers insights into the early history of broadcasting, the widespread anti-Semitism against which Berg courageously struggled, and the anti-communism crusade of the 1950s which temporarily drove the show off the air. Mature themes, including suicide, and incidental but negative treatment of Catholic historical figures. A-II -- adults and adolescents. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America. 2009
  

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Last modified: March 17, 2010