Thursday, November 20, 2008

MOVIE REVIEWS NEW RELEASES

AUSTRALIA An English aristocrat inherits an Australian ranch the size of Maryland. When English cattle barons plot to take her land, she reluctantly joins forces with a rough-hewn cattle driver to drive 2,000 head of cattle across hundreds of miles of the country's most unforgiving land, only to still face the bombing of Darwin by the Japanese forces that had attacked Pearl Harbor only months earlier.

• Starring Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman and David Wenham.
• This film is not yet rated.

BOLT For super-dog Bolt, every day is filled with adventure, danger and intrigue – at least until the cameras stop rolling. When the star of a hit TV show is accidentally shipped from his Hollywood soundstage to New York City, he begins his biggest adventure yet – a cross-country journey through the real world to get back to his owner and co-star, Penny. Armed only with the delusions that all his amazing feats and powers are real, and the help of two unlikely traveling companions – a jaded, abandoned housecat named Mittens and a TV-obsessed hamster named Rhino – Bolt discovers he doesn't need superpowers to be a hero. (96 min.)

• With the voices of John Travolta, Miley Cyrus and Susie Essman.
• PG: Some mild action and peril.

FOUR CHRISTMASES When upscale, happily unmarried San Francisco couple Kate and Brad find themselves socked in by fog on Christmas morning, their exotic vacation plans morph into the family-centric holiday they had, until now, gleefully avoided. Out of obligation – and unable to escape – they trudge to not one, not two, but four relative-choked festivities, increasingly mortified to find childhood fears raised, adolescent wounds reopened and their very future together uncertain. As Brad counts the hours to when he can get away from their parents, step-parents, siblings and an assortment of nieces and nephews, Kate is starting to hear the ticking of a different kind of clock. And by the end of the day, she is beginning to wonder if their crazy families' choices are not so crazy after all. (82 min.)

• Starring Vince Vaughn, Reese Witherspoon and Robert Duvall.
• PG-13: Some sexual humor and language.

TRANSPORTER 3 Frank Martin has been pressured into transporting Valentina, the kidnapped daughter of Leonid Vasilev, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency for the Ukraine, from Marseilles through Stuttgart and Budapest until he ends up in Odessa on the Black Sea. Along the way, with the help of Inspector Tarconi, Frank has to contend with the people who strong armed him to take the job, agents sent by Vasilev to intercept him, and the general non-cooperation of his passenger. Despite Valentina's cynical disposition and his resistance to get involved, Frank and Valentina fall for each other, while escaping from one life-threatening situation after another. (100 min.)

• Starring Jason Statham, Francois Berleand and Robert Knepper.
• PG-13: Sequences of intense action and violence, some sexual content and drug material.

TWILIGHT Bella Swan has always been a bit different, never fitting in with the girls at her school. When Bella is sent to live with her father in the rainy little town of Forks, Wash., she doesn't expect much to change. Then she meets the mysterious and dazzlingly beautiful Edward Cullen, a boy unlike any she's ever met. Edward is a vampire, but he doesn't have fangs and his family is unique in that they choose not to drink human blood. Edward has been waiting 90 years for a soul mate, which he finds in Bella. They are soon swept up in a passionate and unorthodox romance. Edward must struggle to resist the primal pull of her scent, which could send him into an uncontrollable frenzy. But what will they do when a clan of new vampires – James, Laurent and Victoria – come to town and threaten to disrupt their way of life? (120 min.)

• Starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Billy Burke.
• PG-13: Some violence and a scene of sensuality.

CURRENT MOVIES

APPALOOSA A pair of hired guns in the Old West territory of New Mexico come to clean up a dangerous town run by a ruthless, powerful rancher and his band of outlaws. While boldly bringing new order to the town, the two fearless lawmen meet a provocative outsider whose unconventional ways threaten to destroy their decade-old bond. (114 min.)

• Starring Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen and Renee Zellweger.
• R: some violence and language.

BEVERLY HILLS CHIHUAHUA Chloe, a diamond-clad, bootie wearing Beverly Hills Chihuahua, enjoys her luxurious lifestyle so much, she hardly notices Papi, a hilarious Chihuahua who happens to be crazy for Chloe. But when the most pampered pooch gets lost in Mexico with only a street-wise German Shepherd to help her find her way home, Papi heads south of the border – joining forces with a motley crew: three dogs, two humans, a sly rat and a nervous iguana – to rescue his true love. (85 min.)

• Starring Drew Barrymore, Piper Perabo and Jamie Lee Curtis.
• PG: Some mild thematic elements.

THE CHANGELING In 1928 Los Angeles, single mother Christine Collins arrives home to find her son, Walter, gone. Five months later, her prayers are answered and Walter is found in Illinois. But, to Christine's horror, the boy who steps off the train is not her son. The authorities vehemently disagree with Christine's assessment, and her only ally is a clergyman, who sees the case as his chance to expose the corruptness of L.A.'s police and government. (142 min.)

• Starring Angelina Jolie, John Malkovich and Jeffrey Donovan.
• R: Some violent and disturbing content and language.

EAGLE EYE Jerry Shaw and Rachel Holloman are two strangers thrown together by a mysterious phone call from a woman they have never met. Threatening their lives and family, she pushes Jerry and Rachel into a series of increasingly dangerous situations – using the technology of everyday life to track and control their every move. As the situation escalates, these two ordinary people become the country's most wanted fugitives, who must work together to discover what is really happening – and more importantly, why. (118 min.)

• Starring Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan and Rosario Dawson.
• PG-13: Intense sequences of action and violence, and for language.

THE HAUNTING OF MOLLY HARTLEY In this tale of spellbinding suspense, something evil lurks just beneath the lush surfaces of teenaged girl's private school world – and it holds the rights to her very soul. Now, on the eve of her 18th birthday, Molly Hartley is about to discover the truth of just who, or rather what, it is she is destined to become. (87 min.)

• Starring Haley Bennett, Chace Crawford and Shannon Marie Woodward.
• PG-13: Strong thematic material, violence and terror, brief strong language and some teen drinking.

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3: SENIOR YEAR Troy and Gabriella facing the prospect of separation as they head off in different directions to college. Joined by the rest of the Wildcats, they stage an elaborate spring musical reflecting their experiences, hopes and fears about their future. (100 min.)

• Starring Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale.
• G.

MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA Alex, Marty, Melman, Gloria, King Julien, Maurice and the penguins and the chimps find themselves marooned on the distant shores of Madagascar. In the face of this obstacle, the New Yorkers have hatched a plan so crazy it just might work. With military precision, the penguins have repaired an old crashed plane – sort of. Once aloft, this unlikely crew stays airborne just long enough to make it to the wildest place of all – the vast plains of Africa, where the members of our zoo-raised crew encounter species of their own kind for the very first time. Africa seems like a great place – but is it better than their Central Park home? (89 min.)

• With the voices of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock and David Schwimmer.
• PG: Some mild crude humor.

QUANTUM OF SOLACE Following the betrayal and death of Vesper Lynd, James Bond makes his next mission personal. The hunt for those who blackmailed his lover leads Bond to ruthless businessman Dominic Greene, a key player in the organization which coerced Vesper. Bond learns that Greene is plotting to gain total control of a vital natural resource, and must navigate a minefield of danger and treachery to foil Greene's plan. (106 min.)

• Starring Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko and Mathieu Amalric.
• PG-13: Intense sequences of violence and action and some sexual content.

ROLE MODELS Two salesmen trash a company truck on an energy drink-fueled bender. Upon their arrest, the court gives them a choice: do hard time or spend 150 service hours with a mentorship program. After one day with the kids, however, jail doesn't look half bad. Surrounded by annoying do-gooders, Danny struggles with his every neurotic impulse to guide Augie through the trials of becoming a man. Unfortunately, the guy just dumped by his girlfriend has only sarcasm to offer a bashful 16-year-old obsessed with medieval role play. Meanwhile, charming Wheeler tries to trade in an addiction to partying and women to assist a fifth-grader named Ronnie redirect his foul-mouthed ways. It would probably help if Ronnie's new mentor wasn't an overgrown adolescent whose idea of quality time includes keggers in Venice Beach. Once the center's ex-con director gives them an ultimatum, Danny and Wheeler are forced to tailor their brand of immature wisdom to their charges. (95 min.)

• Starring Seann William Scott, Paul Rudd and Elizabeth Banks.
• R: Crude and sexual content, strong language and nudity.

SAW V In the fifth installment of the "Saw" franchise, Hoffman is seemingly the last person alive to carry on the Jigsaw legacy. But, when his secret is threatened, he must go on the hunt to eliminate all loose ends. (88 min.)

• Starring Tobin Bell, Julie Benz and Meagan Good.
• R: Sequences of grisly bloody violence and torture, language and brief nudity.

THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES Haunted by memories of her late mother, 14-year-old Lily Owens runs away with her friend and caregiver Rosaleen to the South Carolina town that holds the key to her mother's past. There, Lily meets the Boatwright sisters, who take her in and teach her about beekeeping, honey and the Black Madonna. (110 min.)

• Starring Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson and Queen Latifah.
• PG-13: Thematic material and some violence.

SOUL MEN Old animosities re-emerge when two estranged singers embark on a reunion tour to honor their late bandleader. (103 min.)

• Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Bernie Mac and Sharon Leal.
• R: Pervasive language and sexual content, including nudity.

ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO Two friends get into the amateur porn business to combat their rising debt, only to realize their underlying feelings for each other while doing so. (101 min.)

• Starring Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks and Craig Robinson.
• R: Strong crude sexual content including dialogue, graphic nudity and pervasive language.

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