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Movies in Wide Release
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For example, enter "Artic Tale" with the quotes for best results to find the movie review.
Current Review(s) of Movies in Wide Release
 -- Buoyant musical film chronicling the struggles of a young Caribbean immigrant (Rutina Wesley) who, in the wake of her sister's death and the financial ruin of her parents (Conrad Coates and Melanie Nicholls-King), seeks comfort in "stepping," a traditional style of African-American dance and, despite the opposition of a former friend (Tre Armstrong), joins an all-male crew led by a charismatic step veteran (Dwain Murphy) to compete for prize money she hopes to use for tuition. While sequences of tightly choreographed stomping provide the entertainment high points of director Ian Iqbal Rashid's movie, the drama is also effective and the emphasis on education welcome. The film is possibly acceptable for older teens. Two uses of the f-word (one only mouthed), much crude and crass language, one use of profanity, one obscene gesture, drug references and suggestive dancing. A-III -- adults. (PG-13) 2008 Full Review
 -- Energetic but seamy study of characters trapped by their own passions through four interconnected stories involving a gangster (Andy Garcia), a reckless gambler (Forest Whitaker) who's in debt to him, his vulgar nephew (Emile Hirsch), one of his enforcers (Brendan Fraser), a popular singer whose career he controls (Sarah Michelle Geller), and a doctor (Kevin Bacon) who's desperate to make contact with the pop star. Director Jieho Lee's film, though it shows marks of craftsmanship, ultimately registers as contrived, as well as excessively gory, with a nonstop stream of four-letter words. Graphic violence, including mutilation and beatings, upper female and rear nudity, themes of suicide, prostitution and abortion, pervasive rough and frequent crude and crass language, two uses of profanity, sexual references and innuendo. L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. (R)2007 Full Review
 -- Ludicrously overblown fantasy adventure, based on a video game, in which a peaceable farmer (Jason Statham) is victimized by an invading army of mutant dogs who are being controlled by an evil wizard (Ray Liotta) and goes off in pursuit of his kidnapped wife (Claire Forlani), eventually having to choose whether to abandon his stubborn independence and ally himself with a wise king (Burt Reynolds) and the good wizard (John Rhys-Davies) who serves him. Director Uwe Boll's banal, lumbering film offers some effective battle scenes, but virtually nothing else. Fantasy violence, an implied nonmarital sexual relationship and one crass insult. A-II -- adults and adolescents. (PG-13) 2008 Full Review
 -- Skillful, effective horror exercise in which the amateur videotaping of a going-away party for a young executive (Michael Stahl-David) hosted by his brother (Mike Vogel) and attended by the girl who's awakened his interest (Odette Yustman), as well as a number of other friends (Lizzy Caplan, Jessica Lucas and T.J. Miller), is interrupted by the arrival in Manhattan of a rampaging monster. Director Matt Reeves' film cleverly contrasts the intimate feel of the ubiquitous camcorder with the vast scale of the havoc being unleashed and also benefits from believable characters and a script rich in deadpan humor. Some graphic images of the wounded, two uses of the f-word, pervasive crude and frequent profane language, and sexual references. A-III -- adults. (PG-13) 2008 Full Review
 -- Glossy but formulaic romantic comedy about a perennial bridesmaid (the engaging Katherine Heigl) and the wedding reporter (James Marsden) who pursues her incognito, while she silently pines for her boss (Edward Burns) who, in turn, has fallen for her glamorous but superficial kid sister (Malin Akerman). Anne Fletcher's smooth direction, Heigl's self-deprecating charm and the rest of the personable cast compensate somewhat for the predictable script with results never less than pleasant, and there's a satisfying and morally sound plot resolution. Some crude language, crass expressions, a superfluous bathroom scene, an implied nonmarital sexual encounter, and mild sexual banter and innuendo. A-III -- adults. (PG-13) 2008 A-III -- adults. (PG-13) 2008 Full Review
 -- Clever, fast-paced caper comedy about three cash-strapped women -- a middle-class housewife (Diane Keaton) whose husband (Ted Danson) has just lost his job, a single mom (Queen Latifah) with two young boys to support, and a dippy but clever young woman (Katie Holmes) -- who join forces to smuggle money out of the Federal Reserve Bank where they work. The time-honored conventions of heist films, and the lighthearted "Ocean's Eleven"-ish tone throughout outweigh elements that would be morally problematic if viewed from a strictly literal point of view. The stars make a surprisingly effective and appealing team, and there's assured direction from Callie Khouri. Some crude expletives, crass expressions, one use of profanity, mild sexual talk and innuendo, an implied nonmarital encounter and brief drug reference. A-III -- adults. (PG-13) 2008 Full Review
 -- Lively ensemble comic drama in which two friends, one (Ice Cube) desperate for money to keep his ex-girlfriend (Regina Hall) from leaving town with his son (C.J. Sanders) and the other (Tracy Morgan) in debt to Jamaican gangsters, break into a church and end up holding hostage the pastor (Chi McBride), his daughter (Malinda Williams), a deacon (Michael Beach), the church secretary (Loretta Devine), the choir director (Katt Williams) and various prominent members of the congregation. Writer-director David E. Talbert's film serves up a serious message about bad decisions and second chances with more than a dollop of enjoyable humor. Occasional crude and profane language, pervasive crass language, some irreverent and sexual humor, implied nonmarital sex and an obscene gesture. A-III -- adults. (PG-13) 2008 Full Review
 -- Engaging but, by the end, surprisingly intense fantasy adventure, set during World War II, in which a forlorn Scottish boy (Alex Etel), coping with the absence of his sailor father (Craig Hall), discovers an egg in the waters of the local loch that hatches a rapidly growing dinosaurlike creature which he eventually identifies as the "Water Horse" spoken of in Celtic legends and which he nurtures with the help of his sister (Priyanka Xi) and a war-veteran handyman (Ben Chaplin), while concealing its existence from his housekeeper mother (Emily Watson) and the strict Army officer (David Morrissey) whose soldiers are encamped on the estate she serves. Director Jay Russell's screen version of Dick King-Smith's 1990 children's book, like its title character, starts off unthreateningly, but gets steadily more ominous as it moves toward a turbulent climax that would likely frighten most young children. Fantasy violence, one crass expression and one profanity; acceptable for less sensitive younger viewers. A-II -- adults and adolescents. (PG) 2007 Full Review
 -- Inspiring tale, based on true events, about a gifted and demanding debate coach (Denzel Washington) at a small African-American college in 1930s Texas who guides his forensics team of three male (Denzel Whitaker, Nate Parker and Jermaine Williams) and one female (Jurnee Smollett) student to unprecedented nationwide success. Washington, who also directed, creates an intimate character study that transcends the formulaic and presents an uplifting message in a thoroughly enjoyable way. Scenes of violence, including a lynched corpse; brief nongraphic, nonmarital sexual activity; and four uses of the s-word and two profanities. Possibly acceptable for older teens. A-III -- adults. (PG-13) 2007 Full Review
 -- Moving World War II romance of a well-to-do young Englishwoman (Keira Knightley) serving as a nurse and the working-class soldier (James McAvoy) she has loved for years, but from whom she had been separated years before when her kid sister (Saoirse Ronan) wrongly accused him of a crime, an injustice that will haunt the accuser (now played by Romola Garai) ever after. Director Joe Wright, working from Christopher Hampton's adaptation of Ian McEwan's novel, persuasively limns an unusual story of betrayal, steadfast love, forgiveness and redemption with some surprising twists, and with further pluses in the sensitive performances and period detail. A fully clothed nonmarital sexual encounter, an implied encounter between an adult and an underage girl, use of the f-word among soldiers, brief profanity, wartime dead and wounded imagery, and a crude written sexual remark. A-III -- adults. (R) 2007 Full Review
 -- By-the-numbers (literally) remake of the 2003 Japanese film "Chakushin Ari," without either the satire or the gore of the original, involving an evil spirit that leaves messages for its victims on their cell phones. Director Eric Valette and screenwriter Andrew Klavan transfer the action to an American college town, where plucky coed Shannyn Sossamon and inept police detective Edward Burns try to figure out why ring tones are becoming death knells. Rough and profane language, a half-dozen deaths involving varying degrees of violence, scenes of intense terror, an instance of nonexplicit mother-daughter child abuse, another instance of a little girl physically abusing her sister, a couple of gory corpses, and a sacrilegious image of a leering crucifix during an attempted exorcism by a nondenominational evangelist. O -- morally offensive. (PG-13) 2008 Full Review
 -- Extraordinarily fine drama loosely based on Upton Sinclair 1927 novel, "Oil!" set during the early 20th century, about the rise and fall of a ruthless oil tycoon (Daniel Day-Lewis) who, accompanied by his young son (Dillon Freasier), fleeces a poor central California family of their land, and eventually finds himself pitted against one of the family's sons, a charismatic preacher (Paul Dano). Director Paul Thomas Anderson has used the novel as a springboard to fashion a classic piece of American cinema, with Day-Lewis' galvanizing performance among the great ones, though the confrontation between the tycoon and the preacher that forms the film's climax is truly disturbing. Some brief but brutal violence, murder, three uses of profanity and several crude expressions. L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. (R) 2008 Full Review
USCCB Classifications
The following movies have been evaluated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishop's 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 classifications are as follows:
- A-I -- general patronage;
- A-II -- adults and adolescents;
- A-III -- adults;
- L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. L replaces the previous classification, A-IV.
- O -- morally offensive.
Latest Reviews of Movies in Wide Release
 - -- Limp sequel to 2004's "Alien vs. Predator," set in a remote Colorado town having the misfortune to be near where a Predator spacecraft full of the slimy, fast-breeding, insectlike aliens (seen in five previous films) crash-lands. Directing brothers Colin and Greg Strause and screenwriter Shane Salerno opt for stale, predictable chaos rather than originality, and the Predator, a rogue warrior whose powers include invisibility, is reduced to plodding through a sewer. Brief partial nudity; rough, crude and profane language, nearly all of it by fighting teenagers; a very brief attempted seduction by a teenage girl; and aliens who, as expected, pop out of a couple of rubbery human midsections; but most of the gore consists of special-effects blood splashing on windows. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. (R) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Entertaining comedy with music in which the three familiar animated warblers (voiced by Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler and Jesse McCartney) befriend a failing ad man and would-be composer (Jason Lee) and inspire him to write a hit Christmas song, which they record, while also trying to reunite him with the ex-girlfriend (Cameron Richardson) to whom he could not commit before then being tempted away by a greedy record producer (David Cross) who seeks to exploit them. Director Tim Hill’s film is full of enjoyable chaos, yet manages to send messages about family solidarity and rule keeping that parents will appreciate. Some crude and scatological humor. A-II -- adults and adolescents. (PG) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Gritty, chaotically filmed 1970s New York true life story about a scrupulously honest if womanizing cop (Russell Crowe) investigating a notorious drug kingpin (Denzel Washington) who's shipping heroin from Thailand to the States in Vietnam War soldiers' body bags all the while posing as an upstanding family man. Director Ridley Scott, working from Steven Zaillian's fact-based script, captures the tumultuous era's spirit and skillfully counterbalances the prosperous criminal with the struggling hero, but the squalid milieu and strong violence will not be to everyone's taste, despite a moderately redemptive ending. Pervasive rough language and profanity, racial epithets, upper female nudity, adultery, a graphic sexual encounter without nudity, violence, murder, suicide, brief torture and drug dealing. L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. (R) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Unusual and compelling Western dramatizing the circumstances that lead up to the shooting of notorious outlaw Jesse James (Brad Pitt) by Robert Ford (Casey Affleck), a member of his own gang, and the publicity generated afterward. Writer-director Andrew Dominik tells the story intelligently at a leisurely but controlled pace with penetrating close-ups of the excellent cast -- Affleck is particularly outstanding -- to probe psychological motivations, while the relatively restrained violence is presented with an admirable realism devoid of glamorization. Some crude language and profanity, innuendo, a nongraphic sexual encounter, several shooting deaths with blood and scenes of physical violence, suicide and brief rear male nudity, A-III -- adults. (R) 2007 Full Review
-- Moving World War II romance of a well-to-do young Englishwoman (Keira Knightley) serving as a nurse and the working-class soldier (James McAvoy) she has loved for years, but from whom she had been separated years before when her kid sister (Saoirse Ronan) wrongly accused him of a crime, an injustice that will haunt the accuser (now played by Romola Garai) ever after. Director Joe Wright, working from Christopher Hampton's adaptation of Ian McEwan's novel, persuasively limns an unusual story of betrayal, steadfast love, forgiveness and redemption with some surprising twists, and with further pluses in the sensitive performances and period detail. A fully clothed nonmarital sexual encounter, an implied encounter between an adult and an underage girl, use of the f-word among soldiers, brief profanity, wartime dead and wounded imagery, and a crude written sexual remark. A-III -- adults. (R) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Unabashedly romantic fable in which an 11-year-old musical prodigy (Freddie Highmore) embarks on a search for the cellist mother (Keri Russell) and rock-singer father (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) from whom he was separated at birth through the machinations of his grandfather (William Sadler), encountering along the way a Fagin-like ex-musician (Robin Williams) who seeks to exploit him and a social worker (Terrence Howard) who tries to help him. Director Kristen Sheridan's warm-hearted tribute to the power of music blithely eschews all connection to reality, and will likely strike some as charmingly poetic and others as merely naive. An implied premarital sexual encounter, one use of profanity, one use of the s-word and one crass expression. A-II -- adults and adolescents. (PG) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Softheaded, slightly sordid if effective thriller about a billionaire heart transplant patient (Hayden Christensen) torn between his possessive mother (Lena Olin) and the fiancee (Jessica Alba) he marries on an impulse. Writer-director Joby Harold builds this improbably twisty plot on a rare medical phenomenon in which anesthetized patients are awake during surgery and is fortunate to be working with a cast that lends plausibility, including Terrence Howard as the victim's friend and surgeon. Frequent rough language and profanity, a sequence in which one character experiences intense physical and psychological pain, graphic images of open-heart surgery, some violence, a fleeting instance of drug use, a few sexual references and partial upper nudity. A-III -- adults. (R) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Generally delightful animated feature about a scrappy bee (voice of Jerry Seinfeld) who decides to sue the human race for stealing the honey manufactured by his hard-working bee brethren and brings the case to court, with the help of a sympathetic florist (Renee Zellweger). An often very funny script (by Seinfeld and others), terrific voice work from a cast including John Goodman, Chris Rock, Kathy Bates, and many more, and ultimately, a valuable ecological lesson, make this film -- directed by Simon J. Smith and Steve Hickner -- above-average family fare. Mild innuendo. A-I -- general patronage. (PG) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Sweetly sentimental story about an unmarried New York waitress (an especially fine Tammy Blanchard) who loses her job after becoming pregnant, and her restaurant's empathetic chef (Mexican soap favorite Eduardo Verastegui) -- an ex-soccer star whose career ended after his car fatally struck a child -- who gives the young woman emotional support, takes her to visit his loving family, and gently tries to persuade her to keep the baby. Director and co-writer Alejandro Monteverde's impressive feature film debut is sometimes dramatically slack and implausible, but the sensitive performances, positive depiction of the chef's warm Latino family, and most of all, its affirmative pro-life message -- along with themes of self-forgiveness, reconciliation and redemption -- should resonate with Catholic viewers. Partially subtitled. A couple of crass words, a child's death, a drug reference, and the out-of-wedlock theme aside, film is admirably free of objectionable elements. A-II -- adults and adolescents. (PG-13) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Generally impressive 3-D animated reworking of the Beowulf legend, dramatizing the warrior's (Ray Winstone) vanquishing of the tortured Grendel (Crispin Glover), his encounter with the demon's mother (Angelina Jolie), and his later troubled kingship. Director Robert Zemeckis has taken some dramatic license with the venerable but sketchy original narrative, but writers Neil Gaiman and Roger Avery's intelligent screenplay has remained faithful to the essentials, including its mix of Christian and pagan elements, while several of the action sequences, including the climactic battle with a flying dragon, are excitingly done. Nearly full male and female nudity, sexual references and innuendo, period bawdiness, adultery, implied nonmarital encounters, intense violence with gore and a suicide. Possibly acceptable for older teens. A-III -- adults. (PG-13) 2007 Full Review
 - -- This lightning-paced, globe-trotting follow-up to "The Bourne Identity" and "The Bourne Supremacy" wraps up Bourne's (Matt Damon) quest to discover his true name and history even as CIA project head (David Strathairn) orders his immediate termination, but is continually stymied by Bourne's lethal skills at evasion and unexpected help from female CIA operatives (Joan Allen and Julia Stiles). Director Paul Greengrass orchestrates sustained and eye-popping action-excitement throughout while a top-notch cast (including a climactic appearance by Albert Finney) manages to flesh out their characters, resulting in a satisfying if somewhat exhausting thriller. Much intense and fierce violence and intermittent profanity. A-III -- adults. (PG-13) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Adept, sophisticated political drama, based on real events, recounting how an obscure, high-living Texas congressman (Tom Hanks) united with a wealthy, ostensibly pious political supporter (Julia Roberts) and a gifted but volatile CIA agent (Philip Seymour Hoffman) to defeat the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Director Mike Nichols' rollicking film revels in the comic divide between its central character's disreputable lifestyle, which is portrayed at times quite graphically, and his historic achievement, with perhaps an invitation to excuse or even celebrate the one in light of the other. Sustained upper female and rear nudity, implied nonmarital sex, drug use, sexual humor, irreverent dialogue, pervasive rough and some crude and crass language, and scenes of wounded children. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. (R) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Absurd sports satire in which a perennially losing coach (David Koechner), at the request of a colleague (Carl Weathers), returns from retirement to try to lead a college football team to victory, even at the risk of alienating his wife (Melora Hardin), while two of his players (Matthew Lawrence and Jackie Long) compete for the affections of his daughter (Brooke Nevin). Director Tom Brady's broad, bawdy comedy is as much slapdash as slapstick, lurching incoherently from one gag to the next, scoring a few hits, but more often than not missing the ball. Pervasive sexual and scatological humor, nongraphic sexual activity, a same-sex kiss, some crude and crass language, five uses of profanity, adultery and drug references, and a transvestite character. L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. (PG-13) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Steve Carrell shines as the widowed father of three girls who takes them to a family reunion at his parents' rambling house in Rhode Island, and while there falls in love with an empathetic woman (Juliette Binoche) he meets in a bookstore, only to learn she's the girlfriend of his younger brother (Dane Cook). Also on the plus side of director Peter Hedges' leisurely paced, likable but only mildly amusing film are the positive depiction of Carrell's large, loving family, and the almost total lack of objectionable elements. But the basic setup seems contrived, the ostensible romance earthbound, and the formulaic script not terribly funny. Mild innuendo. A-II -- adults and adolescents. (PG-13) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Quirky, bittersweet odyssey about three estranged siblings -- the eldest, controlling brother recovering from a near-fatal injury (Owen Wilson), anxious father-to-be middle son (Adrien Brody), and the youngest, a writer (Jason Schwartzman) -- who set out on a spiritual journey on a train through India after their father's death, including a visit to a Himalayan monastery where their widowed mother (Angelica Huston) has become a nun. Though the colorful film, as per director and co-writer Wes Anderson's usual style, is not conventionally structured, it becomes more involving as well as genuinely touching as it progresses, with some off-putting antics of the brothers at the start of their trip yielding to reflection and transformation after a tragic occurrence along the way. A nonmarital sexual encounter without nudity, brief rough language and profanity, and a drug reference. A-III -- adults. (R) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Inspiring if sobering true story of a French magazine editor (Mathieu Amalric) whose massive stroke left him completely paralyzed but who was able to tap into his imagination to take in the world around him, appreciate the important things in his life, and even dictate his memoirs by blinking his eye for every letter. Julian Schnabel's film begins entirely from the perspective of the paralyzed patient, but gradually expands to a third-person view. Though some may find his situation difficult to watch, the strongly life-affirming way he responded to adversity rather than succumb to despair is praiseworthy beyond measure. In French. Subtitles. References to past adultery, partial-male and upper-female nudity, nongraphic sexual encounter, and some crass words and sexual talk. A-III -- adults. (PG-13) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Sweeping, but historically slipshod biography in which England's "Virgin Queen" (Cate Blanchett), with the help of a wise counselor (Geoffrey Rush), prepares to fend off the Armada, sent against her by King Philip of Spain (Jordi Molla), and defeat the intrigues of the captive Mary, Queen of Scots (Samantha Morton), while also contending with one of her ladies-in-waiting (Abbie Cornish) for the affections of Sir Walter Raleigh (Clive Owen). The film, as directed by Shekhar Kapur, is rich in spectacle, yet it whitewashes its subject, even as it darkly caricatures the cause of Spain and of Catholicism. Rear and partial upper female nudity, scenes of torture, blood with gore and occasional crass language. A-III -- adults. (PG-13) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Delightful musical romance follows a maiden (the sparkling Amy Adams) from the world of animated fairy tales into contemporary, live-action Manhattan where she falls in love with a lawyer (Patrick Dempsey), despite the entreaties of her princely suitor (James Marsden) and the meddling of an evil queen (Susan Sarandon). With affection and wit, director Kevin Lima and his team gently spoof the cartoon fairy-tale genre on which Disney built its reputation, never losing sight of its traditional values and perennial charms. A few scary images, some sexual innuendo and a brief instance of scatological humor. A-I -- general patronage. (PG) 2007 Full Review
 - --Low-key but good-hearted sports drama in which a new high school baseball coach (Sean Astin) tries to extend the winning streak established by his formidable predecessor (Powers Boothe) even as his small town's citizens battle over their school's future, meanwhile romancing a state education official (Rachael Leigh Cook) and having a positive influence on a troubled team member (Michael Angarano) who has been sent to live with his grandparents (James Gammon and Angela Paton) by his widowed, workaholic father (Tom Arnold). Director David Mickey Evans' film, based on true events, is as much an examination of contemporary challenges to small-town America as a celebration of baseball, and it works competently in both capacities. Occasional crude and some crass language, underage smoking, and drug and underage drinking references. A-II -- adults and adolescents. (PG) 2007Full Review
 - -- Generally funny yet bittersweet tale of a sad-sack Chicago repo man (Vince Vaughn) who travels to the North Pole to help his younger, more popular brother, St. Nicholas (Paul Giamatti), at Christmas, while a devious efficiency expert (Kevin Spacey) threatens to shut down the elves' toy factory. Underneath the laughs, Dan Fogelman's script is a surprisingly resonant take on sibling rivalry, with lots of heart-tugging sentiment, and solid messages about family, self-esteem, forgiveness and ultimately redemption. Under David Dobkin's deft direction, there's sharp work by the leads and the classy supporting cast (Miranda Richardson, Rachel Weisz, Kathy Bates and John Michael Higgins). Mild innuendo, an implied premarital living arrangement, a suggestive costume, and some crass humor and expressions. A-II -- adults and adolescents. (PG) 2007 Full Review
-- Lively ensemble comic drama in which two friends, one (Ice Cube) desperate for money to keep his ex-girlfriend (Regina Hall) from leaving town with his son (C.J. Sanders) and the other (Tracy Morgan) in debt to Jamaican gangsters, break into a church and end up holding hostage the pastor (Chi McBride), his daughter (Malinda Williams), a deacon (Michael Beach), the church secretary (Loretta Devine), the choir director (Katt Williams) and various prominent members of the congregation. Writer-director David E. Talbert's film serves up a serious message about bad decisions and second chances with more than a dollop of enjoyable humor. Occasional crude and profane language, pervasive crass language, some irreverent and sexual humor, implied nonmarital sex and an obscene gesture. A-III -- adults. (PG-13) 2008 Full Review
 - -- Thought-provoking mystery about a private investigator (a superlative Casey Affleck) and his girlfriend-partner (Michelle Monaghan) hired to investigate the disappearance of the 4-year-old daughter of a drug addict (Amy Ryan) in the Boston area, with the reluctant cooperation of the police (Morgan Freeman and Ed Harris). Ben Affleck makes an auspicious directorial debut in this adaptation of Dennis Lehane's novel, and though the seedy environment, pervasive expletives and sporadic but graphic violence will not be to everyone's taste, mature viewers will find those elements and some morally troublesome actions handled with gravity and intelligence. Pervasive rough language, profanity, violence with blood, corpses, an impulsive vigilante-style killing, drug use, implied nonmarital relationships, and child abuse references. L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. (R) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Raunchy comedy about a dentist (Dane Cook) cursed with being a steppingstone for women seeking Mr. Right is obnoxious, humorless and often downright nauseating. Even with the charming Jessica Alba at his disposal, first-time director Mark Helfrich can't make the vulgar material flow or soften its warped take on modern relationships and physical intimacy. Dozens of sexual encounters and pervasive explicit banter, frequent rough, crude and crass language, masturbation, bathroom humor, drug use, rear male nudity, and numerous shots of upper female nudity. O -- morally offensive. (R) 2007 Full Review
-- Inspiring tale, based on true events, about a gifted and demanding debate coach (Denzel Washington) at a small African-American college in 1930s Texas who guides his forensics team of three male (Denzel Whitaker, Nate Parker and Jermaine Williams) and one female (Jurnee Smollett) student to unprecedented nationwide success. Washington, who also directed, creates an intimate character study that transcends the formulaic and presents an uplifting message in a thoroughly enjoyable way. Scenes of violence, including a lynched corpse; brief nongraphic, nonmarital sexual activity; and four uses of the s-word and two profanities. Possibly acceptable for older teens. A-III -- adults. (PG-13) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Wry, often tasteless farce about a commitment-shy bachelor (Ben Stiller) who, under pressure from his father (Jerry Stiller) and his best friend (Rob Corddry), finally takes the plunge, only to discover on his honeymoon in Mexico that his new wife (Malin Akerman) is a vulgar, whiny shrew, after which he promptly falls in love with another woman (Michelle Monaghan) who's staying at the same resort. Peter and Bobby Farrelly's remake of Elaine May's 1972 marital comedy (scripted by Neil Simon) has some genuinely funny moments, but these are more than overshadowed by scenes of outrageous coarseness. Graphic sexual activity, full-frontal and upper female nudity, grossly scatological humor, implied bestiality, drug use, comic adultery theme, pervasive rough and crude language, and occasional use of profanity. O (R) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Slick but exceedingly violent action film in which an assassin (Timothy Olyphant), trained to kill from childhood, is hired to gun down the president of Russia (Ulrich Thomsen), inexplicably fails, kidnaps the president's girlfriend (Olga Kurylenko) and goes on the lam, pursued at cross purposes by an Interpol agent (Dougray Scott) and the head of the Russian secret service (Robert Knepper). Director Xavier Gens' adaptation of the titular video game is a blood-spilling, bone-crunching rampage with stops along the way for pompous dialogue and misogynistic humor. Pervasive graphic violence, rear and sustained upper-female nudity, nongraphic sexual activity, much rough and some crude language, and two uses of profanity. O -- morally offensive. (R) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Sweet-natured, occasionally surreal comedy about an aimless youth (Andy Samberg of "Saturday Night Live") who aspires to be a professional stuntman and wants nothing more than to raise enough money so his abusive stepfather can have a heart transplant -- so he can beat him up. Director Akiva Schaffer (also of "Saturday Night Live") and screenwriter Pam Brady (lately of "South Park") adorn this flimsy plot with pop-culture references and dark satire, but unless you find every twitch and utterance of Samberg screamingly funny you're likely to miss some of the humor. Much cartoonish and bloodless violence, all played for laughs, and some coarse and crass language. A-II -- adults and adolescents. (PG-13) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Grim but effective thriller has a brave scientist (Will Smith) as the last surviving person in New York battling ferocious animal and human mutants as he struggles to find a cure for the virus that has eliminated most of the world's population. Director Francis Lawrence's remake of Richard Matheson's 1954 novel has some eerie scenes of a decimated New York, and the computer-generated images of mutants attacking are scary enough when they come, but though Smith is a compelling presence and there are some pointed and admirable spiritual elements, the basic setup ultimately grows tiresome and more depressing than exciting. Intense if isolated violent sequences, including the killing of the creatures, and scantily clad mutants. Might be acceptable for older teens. A-III -- adults. PG-13 2007 Full Review
 - -- Effective, frequently exciting remake of the 1950s science fiction classic "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," centers on a Washington-based psychiatrist (a tense Nicole Kidman) who, aided by her doctor boyfriend (Daniel Craig), must rescue her young son (Jackson Bond) from her ex-husband (Jeremy Northam), whose body -- like that of much of the populace -- has been taken over by alien forces. Director Oliver Hirschbiegel generates considerable suspense, and the pace rarely flags, despite some continuity flaws and a rather muddled political agenda that fails to better the "red scare" McCarthy subtext of the original. A few instances of crude words and profanity, intense action violence with some blood, killings, a vicious attack by a dog on a child, and brief female disrobing but no nudity. A-III -- adults (though it's acceptable for older adolescents). (PG-13) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Genteel, nicely acted "chick flick" about friends (Kathy Baker, Maria Bello and Emily Blunt) who start a book-discussion group on Jane Austen as a catharsis for their friend (Amy Brenneman) whose husband (Jimmy Smits) has announced he's leaving her, and who hope she'll fall for the young man (Hugh Dancy) who's joined the group. Writer-director Robin Swicord moves the action at too leisurely a pace, and though the story is for the most part resolved on moral lines -- with most of the characters doing the right thing, thanks to the lessons they've learned in the Austen novels -- and there are several poignant moments, the premise seems contrived, and a relatively minor lesbian subplot is morally questionable. Casual acceptance of premarital sex and divorce, nongraphic sexual encounters, an inappropriate teacher-student flirtation, same-sex attraction, adultery theme, some rough and crude words, and drug use. L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. (PG-13) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Thoughtful, though unabashedly adulatory and overlong, documentary portrait of the 39th president as he takes a cross-country book tour to promote his controversial 2006 volume on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with some reflections on his early life and presidential administration. Versatile director Jonathan Demme's film makes the most of its subject's genuine virtues while also examining the frenzy-prone contemporary media and the ongoing search for Middle East peace. Scenes of people wounded and killed in a bombing. A-II -- adults and adolescents. (PG) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Smart, funny and ultimately moving comedy-drama with a strong pro-life message about an unwed teen (an outstanding Ellen Page) who decides not to have an abortion, and promises the coming baby to a childless couple (Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner) who long to adopt. The narrative has just the right moral wrap-up; performances are tops, including J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney as the girl's supportive parents and Michael Cera as the shy classmate responsible for her condition. Jason Reitman's direction strikes just the right piquant tone, though Diablo Cody's script contains a high expletive level for its appealing but sassy heroine. Crude language and at least one instance of the f-word, some crass expressions, an irreverent remark, a nongraphic premarital teen encounter with brief partial nudity, out-of-wedlock pregnancy, sexual talk and divorce. A-III adults. (PG-13) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Riveting but disturbingly violent drama in which a team of four FBI agents (Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper, Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman) is dispatched to Saudi Arabia to investigate a major terrorist attack on Americans living there, a hunt they must pursue under the watchful and initially suspicious eye of a Saudi colonel (Ashraf Barhom). It's hard to tell the good guys from the bad in director Peter Berg's stylish, all-too-relevant film, and it's also difficult to know whether the use of force is being glorified or denounced. Sudden, bloody violence with gore, torture and much rough, crude and profane language. L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. (R) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Superb adaptation of Khaled Hosseini's bestseller about an Afghan writer (Khalid Abdalla) now living in the U.S. who recalls how as a boy (played by Zekiria Ebrahimi) in his native homeland, he failed to help and subsequently betrayed his best friend (Ahmad Khan Mahmoodzada), and now finds he has a chance to atone for that misdeed. Under Marc Forster's sensitive direction , the beautifully acted film provides a fascinating portrait of pre- and post-Taliban Afghanistan; its fine human values, strong affirmation of friendship and family, and redemptive ending should move even the most stone-hearted. In Dari and English. Partially subtitled. A single profanity and use of the f-word, a brief rape scene with no nudity involving a small boy and a bully, two discreetly worded sexual references, illegitimacy theme, a violent beating and a woman's stoning. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults (PG-13) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Poignant story of emotionally fragile delusional man (a brilliant Ryan Gosling) who -- unable to make human connection -- buys a life-size female doll whom he presents as his girlfriend, and how his brother and sister-in-law (Paul Schneider and Emily Mortimer), his office mates, fellow churchgoers and townspeople accept "her" as human out of love and compassion for him. Though suspension of disbelief is essential, director Craig Gillespie, working from Nancy Oliver's delicate script, makes this improbable tale utterly believable, while the themes of family, community, religion, forgiveness, redemption and a strong affirmation of human decency override those very few elements that might preclude younger teens. Two nonexplicit images of a porn site, mild innuendo, discreet sexual references and brief profanity. A-II -- adults and adolescents. (PG-13) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Charming but ultimately dull sword and sandals adventure, based on the novel by Valero Manfredi, about the ancient Roman roots of King Arthur. Director Doug Lefler and screenwriters Jez Butterworth and Tom Butterworth spin a fictional epic about young Romulus Augustus, who fortunately finds the sword of Julius Caesar, named Excaliburum, and even more fortunately heads to Britain. Violence merely confined to bloodless swordfights. A-II -- adults and adolescents. (PG-13) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Well-intentioned but static plea for noncomplacency as a slick senator (Tom Cruise) plants an exclusive story about a new U.S. initiative in Afghanistan with a critical TV reporter (Meryl Streep); the idealistic students (Derek Luke and Michael Pena) of a university political science professor (Robert Redford) decide to join the struggle in that country; and the professor tries to convince a disillusioned student (Andrew Garfield) to abandon his cynicism and try to make a difference in the world. Redford's usually solid directorial gifts fail to give life to an exceedingly talky, heavy-handed and artificial script, while even the action scenes in Afghanistan are murky and bland. Pervasive conversational expletives, crude expressions, some profanity and wartime battle violence. L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. (R) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Superbly crafted romantic tale of a young woman (Tang Wei in an extraordinary feature film debut) who becomes a spy for the resistance during the Japanese occupation of Shanghai in the 1930s and '40s, who must seduce a married collaborator (Tony Leung) in order to lure him to his death. Director Ang Lee's glossy adaptation of revered Chinese writer Eileen Chang's short story is a meticulously detailed, beautifully designed period thriller, recalling iconic Hollywood films of that era, with exquisite performances all around, making it all the more unfortunate that Lee felt it necessary to shoot the somewhat aberrant sex scenes so explicitly -- even if just a few minutes out of a long, serious-minded film -- precluding endorsement from a moral viewpoint. Subtitles. Graphic nonmarital sexual encounters, full-frontal and rear nudity, a violent stabbing death, adultery theme, vigilante justice, and a single use of the f-word. O -- morally offensive. (NC-17) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Well-acted though downbeat tale of neurotic short-story writer (a superb Nicole Kidman) and her teenage son (Zane Pais) on the brink of puberty who attend the wedding of her often-estranged sister (Jennifer Jason Leigh), who's about to marry an out-of-work artist (Jack Black). Writer-director Noah Baumbach's keenly observant drama (interlaced with mordantly comic moments) has much the same feel as his more autobiographical "The Squid and the Whale" about a singularly dysfunctional family, and may offer to some the same grim fascination even though the mostly unlikable characters' actions are often reprehensible. Pervasive rough language and profanity, brief partial and rear nudity, masturbation, adultery, adolescent sexuality, premarital pregnancy, drug use, some physical violence and much domestic discord. L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. (R) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Delicate, highly unusual story about widowed science fiction writer (John Cusack) who adopts a strange little boy (a perfectly cast Bobby Coleman) who insists he's come from Mars. Director Menno Meyjes sustains a slightly surreal tone throughout which keeps you guessing whether the child is simply delusional or actually an extraterrestrial being, while an outstanding Cusack's fervent sincerity helps makes the premise all the more plausible, as the poignant script underscores themes of nonconformity, loss, and the power of love. Mild profanity, innuendo, some peril. A-II -- adults and adolescents. (PG) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Potent legal drama focusing on a few days in the complicated life of the title character (George Clooney), a "fixer" for a high-powered law firm whose managing partner (Sydney Pollack) dispatches him to deal with the apparent nervous breakdown of the firm's top litigator (Tom Wilkinson) and with its effects on a multimillion-dollar, class-action lawsuit against an agrochemical company whose chief counsel (Tilda Swinton) is prepared to protect her company's interests by whatever means necessary. Writer-director Tony Gilroy's masterfully absorbing film begins at a gallop and the pace -- driven forward by uniformly intense performances -- never slackens. Much rough and crude and some crass language, frequent use of profanity, one scene of a female character in clinging underwear. A-III -- adults. (R) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Technically skillful but relentlessly pessimistic horror tale in which an unnatural fog, alive with murderous mutant animals, descends on a small Maine town, leaving a representative sampling of the locals trapped in a grocery store, where a courageous but sensible movie-poster artist (Thomas Jane), accompanied by his son (Nathan Gamble) and aided by the store's plucky manager (Toby Jones), must battle the malevolent critters while also trying to arbitrate between opposing groups led by a religious fanatic (Marcia Gay Harden) and a relentlessly skeptical lawyer (Andre Braugher). Writer-director-producer Frank Darabont's adaptation of Stephen King's novella has the makings of a diverting, old-fashioned monster movie, but -- in addition to being excessively bloody -- it instead becomes talky and meandering as it attempts to analyze social dynamics, religion and the polarities of human nature. Bloody violence and mutilation, mercy killing, pervasive rough and crude language, much crass language and profanity. L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. (R) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Wholesome, well-meaning but only moderately charming tale about a magical toy store run by a 243-year-old eccentric (Dustin Hoffman), his young assistant (Natalie Portman), a 9-year-old boy (Zach Mills), and their new stuffy accountant (Jason Bateman). There are too many holes in writer-director Zach Helm's basic premise even for a fantasy, while the death of a major character and the shop's subsequent temporary transformation into funereal black may be too downbeat for the youngest viewers, while the ultimate messages about "believing in yourself" and "finding the magic within" have been done better elsewhere. An ambiguous remark about the afterlife. A-I -- general patronage. (G) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Diverting, though paper-thin adventure sequel in which a treasure hunter (Nicolas Cage), helped by his technologically gifted but hapless partner (Justin Bartha), his estranged parents (Jon Voight and Helen Mirren) and his archivist girlfriend (Diane Kruger), sets out to vindicate an ancestor accused of conspiring in the Lincoln assassination and to find a legendary city of gold while being shadowed by the descendant of a Confederate officer (Ed Harris) who has his own agenda and by an FBI agent (Harvey Keitel) who always seems to be one step behind. Director John Turteltaub's overlong film will not bear much scrutiny, but those willing to go along for the ride will be rewarded with car chases, journeys through underground passages and an alternative version of U.S. history. Some intense action sequences and a couple of bathroom gags. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. (PG) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Spellbinding, richly detailed thriller based on Cormac McCarthy's 2003 novel set in the Texas borderlands as a cold-blooded, psychopathic killer (Javier Bardem) ruthlessly pursues a welder (Josh Brolin) who's taken a suitcase of loot after stumbling across a brutal drug slaying, while a philosophical small-town sheriff (Tommy Lee Jones) pursues them both hoping to avert tragedy. Co-directors and writers Joel and Ethan Coen create an atmosphere of almost unbearably quiet tension, with powerful performances by a masterful cast (including Woody Harrelson and Kelly MacDonald), underscored by themes of the struggle between good and evil, the changing ethos of the West, temptation, honor and sacrifice. Strong violence and multiple killings with blood, occasional rough language and profanity, and brief partial nudity. A-III -- adults. (R) 2007 Full Review
- -- By-the-numbers (literally) remake of the 2003 Japanese film "Chakushin Ari," without either the satire or the gore of the original, involving an evil spirit that leaves messages for its victims on their cell phones. Director Eric Valette and screenwriter Andrew Klavan transfer the action to an American college town, where plucky coed Shannyn Sossamon and inept police detective Edward Burns try to figure out why ring tones are becoming death knells. Rough and profane language, a half-dozen deaths involving varying degrees of violence, scenes of intense terror, an instance of nonexplicit mother-daughter child abuse, another instance of a little girl physically abusing her sister, a couple of gory corpses, and a sacrilegious image of a leering crucifix during an attempted exorcism by a nondenominational evangelist. O -- morally offensive. (PG-13) 2008 Full Review
 - -- Distasteful horror film about a young woman (Rachel Nichols) who, after working late, is anxious to join her family’s Christmas celebration, but a psychotic parking attendant (Wes Bentley) has other ideas. Director Franck Khalfoun, who co-wrote the generic script, has only managed to serve up an offensively dull Christmas pudding with dispiriting violence, only a few frights and predictable plot turns. Significant violence and gore, including the killing of a dog, frequent rough language and profanity, and two scenes of brief groping. O - morally offensive. (R) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Amiable romantic comedy, narrated by "Mrs. Christmas" (Queen Latifah), in which a divorced mother of three (Gabrielle Union) must cope with the machinations of her egotistical rap star ex-husband (Charles Q. Murphy) and the resistance of her 10-year-old son (Malik Hammond) as she gradually falls, with the help of her daughter (Khail Bryant), for a songwriter and shopping-mall Santa (Morris Chestnut) who's posing as an office supply salesman. Most of the humorous complications of director Lance Rivera's film work well enough, though the end product falls well short of its titular adjective. Implied premarital sex, divorce, some crass expressions and one mild profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults (PG) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Breezy computer-animated children's adventure in which a trio of self-doubting anthropomorphized vegetables (one voiced by Mike Nawrocki, the others by Phil Vischer) who work at a pirate-themed dinner theater get the chance to prove their mettle when they're transported back in time and given the chance to save a prince (Yuri Lowenthal) and princess (Laura Gerow) from the nefarious designs of their power-hungry uncle (Cam Clarke). Nawrocki, who also directed, creates a wholesome, thoroughly enjoyable film which, despite some technical limitations, manages to convey its message about the real nature of heroism quite effectively. Some mild bathroom references. A-I -- general patronage. (G) 2008
Full Review
 - -- Uneven but ultimately touching and well acted love story about a woman (Hilary Swank) who loses her Irish husband (Gerard Butler) to a brain tumor, but is guided through the stages of grief by letters he wrote for her before he died, and arranged to have periodically delivered. Writer-director Richard LaGravenese's film seems contrived at first, but slowly builds in interest as its heroine goes through her healing journey, helped by her girlfriends (Lisa Kudrow and Gina Gershon) and two men who take a romantic interest in her (Harry Connick Jr. and Jeffrey Dean Morgan). Moderate conversational expletives and crass expressions, one nonmarital and a couple of marital nongraphic bedroom scenes and casual acceptance of the former, some sexual banter and passing homosexual references, and brief rear male nudity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. (PG-13) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Delectable animated tale of a cute rat (voiced by Patton Oswalt) who, inspired by the spirit of a famous late chef (Brad Garrett), develops his improbable passion for cooking by becoming the secret adviser to an esteemed Paris restaurant's hapless garbage boy (Lou Romano), turning the latter into a star chef, while the eatery's jealous head chef (Ian Holm) contrives to uncover the secret of the boy's success. Writer-director Brad Bird's gorgeously animated production has a rare sophistication that should entertain adults as much as their children, while the messages of teamwork, honesty and following one's dreams are strongly conveyed. Subtle implication of a character born out of wedlock. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage. (G) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Quietly intense thriller about a wife's (Reese Witherspoon) efforts to discover the whereabouts of her Egyptian-born husband (Omar Metwally) who has been abducted by the U.S. government upon returning to the States from a business trip, and taken to an unspecified North African country where he is tortured and interrogated as a suspected terrorist, while a novice CIA analyst (Jake Gyllenhaal) is given the task of monitoring the case. Director Gavin Hood raises valid questions about the government's use of this abduction procedure called "extraordinary rendition" in combating terrorism, yet the ambiguity about the Egyptian character is frustrating, and a time twist at the end seems rather pointless, but the film is absorbing throughout, and Meryl Streep has a good role as the CIA honcho who orders the arrest. Torture, shadowy partial and rear nudity, a nonmarital relationship, brief profanity, and a suicide bombing with bloodshed. A-III -- adults. (R) 2007 Full Review
 - -- When an international conglomerate unleashes a virus on the world, most people are turned into flesh-eating zombies and the earth into a desert, leaving a band of survivors, led by two men (Oded Fehr and Mike Epps) and two women (Ali Larter and Ashanti), to form a convoy in search of other uninfected people, their travels at length bringing them into contact with a superwoman (Milla Jovovich) who is out to fight the evil doctor (Iain Glen) who experimented on her and who still hopes to turn the virus to the corporation's advantage. Watching director Russell Mulcahy's gorefest may be the cinematic equivalent of combat: moments of jarring fear are interspersed with long periods of abject tedium. Nearly constant blood, gore and mutilation, cannibalism, brief frontal and upper female nudity, drug use, and much crude and some crass language. O -- morally offensive. (R) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Quirky and sublime first-love dramedy about a stuttering young high-school boy (Reece Daniel Thompson) and the driven debating champ (Anna Kendrick) who to his surprise wants him as her debate-partner protege. Writer-director Jeffrey Blitz, without being preachy or obvious, shows us how family can come through when you least expect it, and how sometimes we can become better by going through what seems like the absolute worst. One instance each of rough language and profanity, several instances of crude and crass language, three scenes of young teens smoking or drinking, rude gestures, brief nudity in classical-art drawings, some pubescent sex talk, much debate-club discussion of abstinence policies and one instance each of implied sexual groping and off-camera sex sounds, both by adult characters. A-III -- adults. (R) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Cheaply made rip-off of the R.L. Stine "Goosebumps" formula of ghost stories for preteens. The plot involves a plucky 17-year-old (newcomer Rissa Walters), who, visiting Pine Valley, Calif., tries to help an older boy (Brian Comrie, son of the directors-screenwriters) who is haunted by a ghost (Rusty Hanes) who has threatened to kill him on his 21st birthday because the boy's mother (Nicole Des Coteaux) accidentally killed his nephew (Ben Comrie). Incompetently written and directed by the husband and wife team John and Lisa Comrie, and clumsily acted, with only a couple of "hells," fleeting images of ghosts and some spooky music to preclude the youngest viewers. A-I -- general patronage. (PG) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Strongly acted, perceptive study of middle-aged brother and sister (Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney) called upon to care for their emotionally and geographically distant father (Philip Bosco) who has had a stroke. Writer and director Tamara Jenkins accurately etches all the minutiae of dealing with an ailing parent, though the somber situation is leavened with humor and the film ultimately emphasizes the familial bond between the siblings while the conclusion is poignantly life-affirming. Conversational rough language and profanity, adulterous and nonmarital relationships, scatological details, sexual encounters without nudity, drug use and much domestic discord. L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. (R) 2007 Full Review
 - -- The fourth installment of this blood-saturated horror franchise offers more of the same mayhem, even though psychopath Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) is dead. Having lost their anti-hero and much of the shock value, director Darren Lynn Bousman and company delve into Jigsaw’s past, providing a routine back-story to explain what turned the talented engineer into an executioner and self-styled moral tutor. The furious editing technique used to link all the deadly moving parts can’t mask terrible dialogue and acting; it’s time for these killing games to cease. Pervasive bloody violence and gore, including bodily mutilations, much rough language and profanity, images depicting rape, frontal male nudity. O - morally offensive. (R) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Slight but entertaining fantasy about a 14-year-old American boy (Alexander Ludwig) living in England with his parents (John Benjamin Hickey and Wendy Crewson), his sister (Emma Lockhart) and four brothers (Gregory Smith, Drew Tyler Bell, Edmund Entin and Gary Entin), who learns that he is "The Seeker," the last in a succession of supernatural warriors known as the Old Ones. With the assistance of four of his elders in this hearty band (Ian McShane, Frances Conroy, James Cosmo and Jim Piddock) he must undertake to fulfill an ancient prophecy by gathering together six magical signs, all the while battling the forces of darkness embodied by a malevolent equestrian (Christopher Eccleston) and fighting off the distraction posed by an attractive local girl (Amelia Warner) one of his brothers is dating. The film, as directed by David L. Cunningham, makes up for a thin plot with an evocative atmosphere, fun special effects and positive moral values. Passing references to puberty and a few scenes that may frighten very young children. A-I -- general patronage. (PG) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Ultraviolent action film about a mysterious sharpshooter (Clive Owen) and a prostitute (Monica Bellucci) with a baby in tow, on the run from a deadly assassin (Paul Giamatti). Writer-director Michael Davis' film is played tongue-in-cheek and with flashes of genuine wit, the two leads make charismatic adversaries with Giamatti relishing his villain's role, and there's even an anti-gun subtext, but the film is fast-paced to the point of exhaustion, and the intensity of the violence and myriad sordid elements preclude endorsement. Intense visceral violence with numberless killings, torture, a graphic sexual encounter and others less explicit, partial nudity, pervasive rough language and profanity, crude expressions, innuendo and an irreverent sight gag. O -- morally offensive. (R) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Bloody but artful screen version of Stephen Sondheim's Broadway musical (and now a staple of opera houses) recounting the Victorian legend of the crazed barber (an intense Johnny Depp, singing surprisingly well) determined to exact revenge on the lecherous judge (Alan Rickman) who robbed him of his wife and daughter years before. He sets up his business over the shop of a shady baker (Helena Bonham Carter), who minces his victims into her pies. The songs notwithstanding, this is familiar territory for director Tim Burton, who has an affinity for the Grand Guignol aspects of the story, and creates an atmosphere of great tension, but the streams of blood, however stylized, and basic premise will be a turnoff for many. Brief but grisly bloodlettings and grinding of flesh, implied cannibalism, a couple of uses of the s-word, brief irreverence in lyrics and underage drinking. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. (R) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Quirky campus comedy in which an irrepressible tomboy (Amanda Bynes) leaves her home and widowed father (John Schneider) for college, pledges her late mother's sorority with the support of a fellow initiate (Crystal Hunt) and despite the hostility of its snooty president (Sara Paxton), but ultimately finds her true role as housemother and guiding spirit of "the Vortex," a ramshackle dorm occupied by seven of her school's most marginalized students -- including an endearing panallergic student (Jack Carpenter) and a socially inept genius (Jeremy Howard) -- and as the girlfriend of a surprisingly generous fraternity brother (Matt Long). The clever re-imagining of a venerable fairy tale (the title is a hint), director Joe Nussbaum's film is for the most part an appealingly innocent romance that also possesses a commendable set of moral values. Some crass language, some innuendo, implied nudity, alcohol use, brief gay references and a transvestite poet. Such elements may make the film unsuitable for younger teens. A-II -- adults and adolescents. (PG-13) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Epic and effective retelling of the Exodus story using 3-D computer-generated imagery animation and narration by Sir Ben Kingsley to show how Moses (voice of Christian Slater), in obedience to the call of God (Elliott Gould) and with the support of his brother, Aaron (Christopher Gaze), and sister, Miriam (Kathleen Barr), put an end to Israel's enslavement under the Egyptian Pharaoh (Alfred Molina) and, despite the opposition of a clique of complainers, headed by Dathan (Lee Tockar), led God's people into the desert -- where they received his law -- and on to the threshold of the Promised Land. Directors Bill Boyce and John Stronach's film, though occasionally stiff in both action and tone, nonetheless provides a reasonably good introduction to a vital piece of biblical history for children, also serving as a pleasant refresher course for the adults who accompany them. Some images may be mildly frightening for very young children. A-I -- general patronage. (PG) 2007Full Review
-- Extraordinarily fine drama loosely based on Upton Sinclair 1927 novel, "Oil!" set during the early 20th century, about the rise and fall of a ruthless oil tycoon (Daniel Day-Lewis) who, accompanied by his young son (Dillon Freasier), fleeces a poor central California family of their land, and eventually finds himself pitted against one of the family's sons, a charismatic preacher (Paul Dano). Director Paul Thomas Anderson has used the novel as a springboard to fashion a classic piece of American cinema, with Day-Lewis' galvanizing performance among the great ones, though the confrontation between the tycoon and the preacher that forms the film's climax is truly disturbing. Some brief but brutal violence, murder, three uses of profanity and several crude expressions. L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. (R) 2008 Full Review
 - -- Captivating exploration of the bond between a young widow (Halle Berry) and her late husband's (David Duchovny) best friend (Benicio Del Toro), a charismatic recovering junkie who also influences the lives of her son (Micah Berry) and daughter (Alexis Llewellyn), her brother (Omar Benson Miller), a fellow addict (Alison Lohman) and a generous neighbor (John Carroll Lynch). The film, as directed by Susanne Bier, moves with dexterity from moments of clever humor to painfully deep emotion and features striking cinematography in which detailed close-ups beautifully mirror the script's intimacy. Partial rear nudity, nongraphic sexual activity, much rough and some crude language, one use of profanity and drug use. A-III -- adults. (R) 2007Full Review
 - -- Lurid, over-the-top horror exercise, based on a graphic novel, in which a band of piranha-toothed vampires, led by an undead amateur philosopher (Danny Huston), use a deluded outsider (Ben Foster) to take over the northernmost town in Alaska during its annual month of darkness, leaving a small band of survivors, headed by the local sheriff (Josh Hartnett), his estranged wife (Melissa George) and younger brother (Mark Rendall) trying to hold out till dawn. Director David Slade's film rapidly abandons its initial subtlety, becoming instead needlessly gruesome. Pervasive violence with gore, mutilation, torture, much rough and crude language, occasional crass language, one use of profanity, an irreverent remark and a drug reference. O -- morally offensive. (R) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Spirited but somewhat pat family drama in which a well heeled African-American clan gathers for the holidays at the Los Angeles home of their mother (Loretta Devine) and her companion (Delroy Lindo) who then try to help the oldest daughter (Regina King) cope with her domineering husband (Laz Alonso) -- as well as with the tension between him and her younger sister (Sharon Leal) -- ignore the amorous antics of a third sister (Lauren London) and her visiting boyfriend (Keith Robinson), and attempt to convince the eldest son (Idris Elba) to quit his wandering ways, while two younger sons (Columbus Short and Chris Brown) struggle to find the courage to reveal their closely held secrets. Writer-director-producer Preston A. Whitmore II deftly interweaves the various elements of the plot while adding welcome strands of humor and music to produce, overall, a very pleasant tapestry. A scene of domestic violence, some sexual references and humor, some crude and crass language, implied nonmarital sex and cohabitation, themes of divorce and skimpy costuming. A-III -- adults. (PG-13) 2007 Full Review
 - --Raucous humor alternates with a serious examination of the challenges of married life as four couples gather in the Rockies for their annual vacation and retreat: a best-selling pop psychiatrist (Janet Jackson) resists her architect spouse’s (Malik Yoba) efforts to come to grips with a recent family tragedy; a successful lawyer (Sharon Leal) is too busy for her increasingly exasperated husband (Tyler Perry); a tough talking salon owner (Tasha Smith) tyrannizes her ex-NFL player husband (Michael Jai White); finally, an emotionally abusive husband (Richard T. Jones) heaps insults on his overweight wife (Jill Scott) while reserving his affection for her supposed friend, and his mistress (Denise Boutte). The film, as written, directed and produced by Tyler Perry features some very effective comedy and, though the dramatic elements are less successful, the script as a whole presents a resounding reaffirmation of the value of committed marital love. Some crass language, two uses of profanity, frank sexual discussions, including references to a character with venereal disease, one incident of domestic violence, domestic discord and divorce,. A-III -- adults. (PG-13) 2007 Full Review
 - -- An ordinary dog is given extraordinary powers in this charming film adaptation of the classic 1960s television cartoon series. Director Frederik Du Chau's updated, live-action adventure combines the best of 21st-century special effects with a genuinely engaging story line, some wry humor and unimpeachable family values. Occasional crass language, some mild innuendo, and scatological humor and cartoon violence perhaps preclude the film for very young children. A-I -- general patronage. (PG) 2007 Full Review
 - -- Cleverly satiric but excessively crude "mockumentary" about the life of the titular rock star (John C. Reilly) who must overcome the enmity of his father (Raymond J. Barry), the complaints of his sequential wives (Kristen Wiig and Jenna Fischer) and the lure of a druggie band mate (Tim Meadows) as well as various career detours in his rise to fame. Director Jake Kasdan's film is at times a genuinely funny sendup of the music industry and of recent social trends, but succumbs to the outrageous. Graphic sexual activity, full frontal male, upper female and rear nudity, adultery, bigamy, implied group sexual activity, much sexual humor including risque song lyrics, some irreverent humor, frequent rough and crude and some crass language, drug use, approval of drugs and highly suggestive dancing. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. (R) 2007 Full Review
 - -- In this brutal police thriller, an FBI agent (Jason Statham) has his hands full when the legendary assassin (Jet Li) who murdered his partner (Terry Chen) returns to San Francisco and sparks a war between the absent leader of the Japanese Yakuza (Ryo Ishibashi), who is represented locally by his ruthless daughter (Devon Aoki), and the very present commander of the Chinese Triads in the city (John Lone). Philip G. Atwell's noisy, overblown film offers some interesting plot developments, but ultimately tries to substitute sound and fury for genuine drama. Extensive violence with gore, torture and mutilation, rear and upper female nudity, frequent rough and crude language, and occasional profanity. O -- morally offensive. (R) 2007 Full Review
-- Engaging but, by the end, surprisingly intense fantasy adventure, set during World War II, in which a forlorn Scottish boy (Alex Etel), coping with the absence of his sailor father (Craig Hall), discovers an egg in the waters of the local loch that hatches a rapidly growing dinosaurlike creature which he eventually identifies as the "Water Horse" spoken of in Celtic legends and which he nurtures with the help of his sister (Priyanka Xi) and a war-veteran handyman (Ben Chaplin), while concealing its existence from his housekeeper mother (Emily Watson) and the strict Army officer (David Morrissey) whose soldiers are encamped on the estate she serves. Director Jay Russell's screen version of Dick King-Smith's 1990 children's book, like its title character, starts off unthreateningly, but gets steadily more ominous as it moves toward a turbulent climax that would likely frighten most young children. Fantasy violence, one crass expression and one profanity; acceptable for less sensitive younger viewers. A-II -- adults and adolescents. (PG) 2007 Full Review
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Powerful character-driven drama set in 1980s New York about a drug-taking nightclub manager (a splendid Joaquin Phoenix) who changes his dissolute ways when his police-officer brother (Mark Wahlberg) is shot -- and their police-chief father's (Robert Duvall) life threatened -- by the Russian mobsters who control the venue. Writer-director James Gray sustains a taut, tragedy-drenched mood, the action secondary to the human drama; performances are fine, including Eva Mendes as Phoenix's girlfriend; and the narrative has an admirable gravitas, marred from a moral standpoint only by a revenge killing that is out of step with Catholic teaching. Sporadic but strong violence, rough language, some crude expressions and profanity, vigilante killing, some grisly crime images, drug use, sexual encounter and upper female nudity. L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. (R) 2007 Full Review
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