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The Dictator ***
(Sacha Baron Cohen, Anna Faris, Ben Kingsley) A tyrannical North African dictator (Cohen) gets lost in New York City and struggles to adjust. It’s not always as biting as it should be, but similar to “Borat” the funny film is at its best when Cohen pokes at American culture. Rated R.
Girl In Progress *
(Eva Mendes, Matthew Modine, Cierra Ramirez) An overworked and distant single mother (Mendes) doesn’t notice that her teenage daughter (Ramirez) is acting out. Manipulative and painfully predictably, there is nothing you won’t see coming and none of it is done very well. Rated PG-13.
Dark Shadows **
(Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Eva Green) Buried alive for 200 years, vampire Barnabas (Depp) awakens and finds trouble amongst his family and a rival business owner (Green) with a tie to his past. There are some nice parts, including some quirky humor and inspired montages, but as a whole it drags to 113 minutes and never inspires interest. Rated PG-13.
The Perfect Family ***
(Kathleen Turner, Jason Ritter, Emily Deschanel) Good Catholic woman Eileen Cleary (Turner) alienates her family in her quest to win Catholic Woman of the Year. Turner gives a solid performance as a pitiful and desperate woman, but the film lets her off too easily at the end and feels somewhat incomplete. Rated PG-13. -Andrew Hudak
The Avengers ***1/2
(Robert Downey Jr., Tom Hiddleston, Chris Evans) When Thor’s (Chris Hemsworth) brother Loki (Hiddleston) tries to take over Earth, S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) assembles Earth’s finest superheroes for the fight. Hulk has the best moments and the last half-hour is as exciting as it gets. This is everything a summer movie should be. Rated PG-13.
The Raven **
(John Cusack, Luke Evans, Alice Eve) When a killer uses Edgar Allen Poe’s (Cusack) work as inspiration for his crimes, Poe is recruited to help a detective (Evans) solve whodunit. The tone is appropriately dark and gloomy, but you’re never able to make sense of why the murderer would help his pursuers as much as he does. Rated R.
Think Like A Man ***1/2
(Gabrielle Union, Kevin Hart, Michael Ealy) It’s a battle of the sexes when a group of guy friends fall prey to women who use the dating lessons in Steve Harvey’s book “Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man” against them. This is one of the most honest movies about relationships I’ve ever seen, and it has a superb mix of comedy and sweetness. Rated PG-13.
Chimpanzee **
(Narrated by Tim Allen) Young chimp Oscar is raised by his mother but soon must fend for himself. The filmmakers shot for three years in African jungles, but struggle to build a compelling story from the footage. Hardcore animal lovers may enjoy it, but it’s not for everyone. Rated G.
The Three Stooges **1/2
(Chris Diamantapoulos, Sean Hayes, Will Sasso) The three delightfully inept title characters try to raise money to save the orphanage in which they lived until they were 35. It’s not always funny, but this is an earnest homage to the classic “Stooges” shorts from the 1930s. Rated PG.
Lockout ***
(Guy Pearce, Maggie Grace, Peter Stormare) In 2079, an ex-C.I.A. agent (Pearce) is sent to an outer space prison to rescue the president’s daughter (Grace) from the convicts who’ve taken over. Some of the visual effects are cartoonish and the story is predictable, but it’s also a fun premise that delivers on the action. Rated PG-13.
Bully ***
(Alex, Kelby, Ja’Maya) Filmmaker Lee Hirsch chronicles various schoolchildren who are victims of bullying throughout the United States. It’s maudlin and manipulative, and lacks perspective outside of that of the victims, but it nicely accomplishes its goal of inspiring you to act against bullying. Rated PG-13.
Life Happens **1/2
(Krysten Ritter, Kate Bosworth, Geoff Stults) Young twenty-something Kim (Ritter) finds that having a kid is an impediment to meeting men like Nicolas (Stults), so she tells him that her kid belongs to friend Deena (Bosworth). The dialogue is sharp and the relationship between Kim and Deena is the best part of the story, but too much time is spent on cliché plot devices that force the film to just go through the motions. –Andrew Hudak
American Reunion *1/2
(Jason Biggs, Tara Reid, Eugene Levy) The “American Pie” gang reunites for its high school reunion, and of course crazy things happen. Only Stifler (Sean William Scott) is funny in this uninspired and unnecessary sequel. Rated R.
Wrath of the Titans ***
(Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes) Perseus (Worthington) must rescue his father, Zeus (Neeson), from the capture of Hades (Fiennes) in the underworld. The story is serviceable, but the action and visual effects are top quality. Rated PG-13.
The Hunger Games ***
(Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson) Set in the future, Katniss (Lawrence) leaves her friend Gale (Hemsworth) behind to fight to the death with Peeta (Hutcherson) and 22 other young adults in the titular “Hunger Games.” It takes too long to get to the games, but once there it’s sufficiently exciting and suspenseful. Based on the Suzanne Collins novel. Rated PG-13.
21 Jump Street ***
(Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube) Youthful police officers Schmidt (Hill) and Jenko (Tatum) go undercover at a high school to infiltrate a drug ring. Off-the-wall funny and with great spirit, this serves as proof that cruddy old TV shows can make darn good movies. Rated R.
Seeking Justice ***
(Nicolas Cage, January Jones, Guy Pearce) After his wife (Jones) is savagely attacked, Will (Cage) makes a deal with a stranger named Simon (Pearce) to “take care of” the assailant. But when Will has to return the favor, trouble ensues. It’s a good, tense thriller that’ll have you questioning your own morality when it’s over. Rated R.
Casa de mi Padre **
(Will Ferrell, Diego Luna, Genesis Rodriguez) Armando (Ferrell) must protect his father’s Mexican ranch from a drug lord (Gael Garcia Bernal). It’s a silly Will Ferrell comedy in every way, except one: It’s entirely in Spanish. Unfortunately the comedy doesn’t consistently translate through subtitles. Rated R.
John Carter **
(Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, Mark Strong) A Civil War veteran named John Carter (Kitsch) is transported to Mars, where he encounters strange alien life and attempts to save a princess (Collins) from certain death. This is a big, bloated action pic that freely steals from other great movies ("Avatar," "Star Wars") but contributes little substance of its own. Rated PG-13.
Project X ***1/2
(Thomas Mann, Oliver Cooper, Jonathan Daniel Brown) Three high school losers (Mann, Cooper and Brown) throw a party that gets so big they become legends. The no-holds-barred approach and first person camera make this a fun and accessible night of debauchery for all to enjoy. Rated R.
Dr. Seuss' The Lorax **1/2
(Voices of Danny DeVito, Ed Helms, Zac Efron) Twelve year-old Ted (Efron) leaves his world of plastic behind and tries to find a real tree in this adaptation of the Dr. Seuss story. It has some amusing moments but the environment-friendly message is too overbearing for the film's own good. Rated PG.
Act Of Valor ***
(Roselyn Sanchez, Nestor Serrano, Alex Veadov) A team of Navy Seals attempts to rescue a kidnapped C.I.A. agent (Sanchez) and stop a terrorist (Veadov) from attacking the U.S. Starring real (and un-credited) U.S. Navy Seals, the action is appropriately intense and, we presume, authentic. The story falters at times, but this is worth checking out. Rated R.
This Means War **1/2
(Reese Witherspoon, Tom Hardy, Chris Pine) Two C.I.A. operatives (Hardy and Pine) compete for the same woman (Witherspoon) in this lighthearted action-comedy. As long as you don’t take it seriously it’s good clean fun. Rated PG-13.
Thin Ice ***
(Greg Kinnear, Billy Crudup, Alan Arkin) Shady insurance salesman Mickey Prohaska (Kinnear) plots to steal a valuable violin from retired farmer Gorvy Hauer (Arkin) and finds himself involved in a murder cover-up with ex-con Randy (Crudup). The director, Jill Sprecher, has a strong track record of making quality films about ordinary people in stressful situations, and this film is a worthy third addition to her filmography. Rated R. –Andrew Hudak
Safe House *1/2
(Denzel Washington, Ryan Reynolds, Vera Farmiga) Young C.I.A. Agent Matt Weston (Reynolds) attempts to keep rogue former agent Tobin Frost (Washington) in custody as they travel through South Africa. The story is predictable and the action is over edited to the point of nausea. Rated R.
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island **
(Dwayne Johnson, Josh Hutcherson, Michael Caine) Punk teenager Sean (Hutcherson) and his mother’s (Kristin Davis) boyfriend (Johnson) search for Sean’s grandfather (Caine) on a lost island. Loosely based on the Jules Verne novel, book lovers will smile at the liberties taken with classic literature, but the acting, dialog, story and visual effects are nothing to write home about. Rated PG.
The Woman in Black ***
(Daniel Radcliffe, Ciaran Hinds, Janet McTeer) A London lawyer (Radcliffe) out to prove himself takes a job in the English countryside searching for a dead woman’s will. Little does he know her house is haunted! Radcliffe is impressive in his first big non-Harry Potter role, and there are some quality scares along the way. Rated PG-13.
Man On A Ledge ***
(Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell) An escaped convict (Worthington) threatens to jump from a New York City high rise in an effort to prove his innocence. There are many layers to the film, each of which is skillfully and gradually unveiled in a tense and exciting way. It’s a fun night out at the movies. Rated PG-13.
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