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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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)

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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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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 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
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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

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
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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
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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

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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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
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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
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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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