1408 (PG-13, 94 minutes) Somebody found another unadapted Stephen King short story. By law they’ve all got to be made into movies before his death, so here we go again. John Cusack plays an author who specializes in debunking claims of the paranormal. To those ends, he checks into the infamously haunted Dolphin Hotel, whose titular room is supposed to be the site of uncounted deaths. Naturally, this being a horror story and all, our protagonist is beset by assorted physical and psychological terrors. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6
The Bourne Ultimatum (NR) The third (loose) adaptation of Robert Ludlum’s spy thriller series wraps things up for our amnesiac assassin Jason Bourne (Matt Damon). This time, our boy is racing around the globe, trying to shake a government agent and uncover the final mysteries about his dark past. This will most likely involve shooting a whole lot of people. Opening Friday; check local listings
Bratz: The Movie (NR) Looking for evidence that future generations are doomed? Look no further than this painfully shallow live-action adaptation (if that’s the right word) of the inexplicably popular doll line. By combining Barbie, Paris Hilton and a Hollywood Boulevard hooker, the toys have inspired a generation of prepubescent girls to dress like total hoochie mamas. The storyline (if that’s the right word) has something to do with a quartet of teenage girls who battle the popular cliques in school through the liberating power of fashion. Paula Abdul guest stars. I feel ill. Opening Friday; check local listings
El Cantante (R, 116 minutes) Marc Anthony and wife Jennifer Lopez star in this depressing biopic about salsa music pioneer Hector Lavoe. It’s mostly a quick downward spiral for Lavoe (Anthony), who blows through a mountain of booze, cocaine and heroin while fighting with his devoted but difficult wife (Lopez, who narrates). The music is spirited, but the drama is all downhill. Opening Friday; check local listings
Hairspray (PG, 107 minutes) It seems redundant to remake the Broadway remake of John Waters’ 1988 film. But it’s hard to grouse when the results are such top-notch fun. Newcomer Nikki Blonsky takes over for Ricki Lake, proving herself a spunky little sparkplug. Surrounding her is an able cast of singers and dancers including John Travolta, Christopher Walken, Queen Latifah, Amanda Bynes and Michelle Pfeiffer. The costumes are great, the music is infectious and the story (about the racial integration of a 1960s TV dance show) quite sincere. It’s hard not to grin you way from start to finish. Playing at Regal Seminole Square Cinema 4
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (PG-13, 138 minutes) The fifth Harry Potter film hits theaters over summer for a change. This time around, meddling bureaucrats have taken over the Hogwarts School. It’s up to Harry and his friends to practice their evil-busting skills in secret in order to combat the growing menace of Lord Voldemort. …Oh, and there’s kissing. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6
Hot Rod (PG-13) Andy Samberg, the dude behind the much-e-mailed "SNL" video "D**k in a Box," gets his own movie. Samberg plays Rod Kimble, a dorky thrillseeker who fancies himself a "Jackass"-style stunt man. When his abusive stepfather needs a lifesaving heart operation, Rod vows to raise the money by performing a record-setting motorcycle jump. A dumb but laughable throwback to Adam Sandler’s Billy Madison period of man-boy humor. Opening Friday; check local listings
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (PG-13, 140 minutes) In this slight twist on La Cage au Folles, two straight firefighters (Adam Sandler, Kevin James) pretend to be a homosexual couple so they can receive domestic partner benefits. For the next two hours and 20 minutes, Sandler and James "act gay" so no one will catch on. More rude silliness (with a big message at the end) from the director of Big Daddy and Beverly Hills Ninja. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6
Knocked Up (R, 129 minutes) From the team behind The 40-Year-Old Virgin comes another witty sex comedy. Seth Rogen ("Freaks and Geeks") is a fun-loving party animal whose life gets turned upside down when a one-night stand (Katherine Heigl from "Grey’s Anatomy") shows up on his doorstep with the info that she’s pregnant. Playing at Regal Seminole Square Cinema 4
License to Wed (PG-13, 90 minutes) Robin Williams is at his most annoying as a wacky priest who subjects an engaged couple (John Krasinski and Mandy Moore) to a series of "relationship challenges" during a grueling marriage preparation course. Krasinski is great in "The Office," but he’s little more than the straight man for Williams’ over-the-top shenanigans here. Playing at Regal Seminole Square Cinema 4
Live Free or Die Hard (PG-13, 130 minutes) You’d think poor, bedraggled cop John McClane (Bruce Willis) would be tired of saving the world by now, but no. NYC’s favorite supercop returns for the fourth time. For this outing, he’s teamed up with the kid from the Mac/PC commercials (Justin Long) to defeat a cabal of Internet-based terrorists who are systematically shutting down the United States. Realistically, you could probably stop cyber-criminals with a case of Bawls energy drink and a beta test version of Halo 3. McClane, however, goes the heavy caliber weapons and huge explosions route. Playing at Regal Seminole Square Cinema 4
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No Reservations (PG, 105 minutes) Liberally stealing its title from Anthony Bourdain’s TV series, this standard-issue romantic comedy finds Catherine Zeta-Jones cast as a stuck-up, self-centered chef who learns to live and love when she suddenly becomes the guardian of her young niece (Abigail Breslin). Yes, the plot has been recycled endlessly (this one’s actually a remake of the German film, Mostly Martha), but the cast (including Aaron Eckhart as the would-be love interest) is at least pleasant to look at. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6
Ratatouille (G, 110 minutes) Animation lovers can breathe a sigh of relief. Pixar, the team behind The Incredibles, Toy Story and so much more, returns with another CGI comedy for the whole family. The star is a food-loving rodent living inside a famous Paris bistro who dreams of becoming a world-class chef—not a career path open to most rats. To realize his gastronomic potential, he teams up with a hapless young kitchen helper to wow the cooking world. Patton Oswalt, Ian Holm, Brian Dennehy, Peter O’Toole and Janeane Garofalo are among the voice cast. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6
Once (R, 85 minutes) This scruffy alt-rock musical is already shaping up to be the sleeper hit of summer. Glen Hansard of the Irish pop group The Frames stars as a lovelorn street busker who bares his soul in song, but keeps people at a distance. Into his life comes lonely single mother/Czech immigrant/singer-songwriter Markéta Irglová. The two have an instant chemistry, but are too shy to act on it. In a genre characterized by showy production numbers and over-the-top emotions, this thoroughly modern musical drama makes its mark with a subdued, melancholy mood and a low-key, lo-fi sense of realism. Playing at Vinegar Hill Theatre
Resurrecting the Champ (PG-13, 116 minutes) Josh Hartnett and Samuel L. Jackson star in this sort-of-based-on-a-true-story drama about an ambitious, up-and-coming sports writer who stumbles across a knockout human interest story. After rescuing a homeless man, our journalist discovers the down-and-out guy is actually a boxing legend believed to have passed away years ago. This one’s partially an uplifting sports movie and partially a flick about the basic human need to inflate one’s own glory. Opening Friday; check local listings
Sicko (PG-13, 113 minutes) Michael Moore (he of Fahrenheit 9/11 infamy) returns with another rabble-rousing documentary. This one trains its eye on the American health care system (currently ranked 37th in the world by the World Health Organization). Moore contrasts our corporate-controlled, HMO-dominated, pharmaceutical company-backed lack of universal health care with other countries (England, Canada, France and, you heard it right, Cuba), who actually care for their sick and injured. Surprisingly, this is one of Moore’s more apolitical films, offering plenty of health care horror stories with hardly an ambush interview in site. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6
The Simpsons Movie (PG-13, 87 minutes) Who doesn’t love "The Simpsons"? Here, America’s favorite animated family comes to the big screen. Seems Homer has lost his job at the power plant after causing a nuclear accident that forces the evacuation of Springfield, possibly forever. In a word: D’oh! Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6
Sunshine (R, 107 minutes) Director Danny Boyle (28 Days Later, The Beach, Trainspotting) tries something different with this sci-fi adventure about a team of astronauts sent into space to re-ignite our dying sun 50 years from now. Rose Byrne (Troy), Chris Evans (Fantastic Four), Cillian Murphy (Batman Begins) and Michelle Yeoh (Memoirs of a Geisha) are among the diverse cast. The film keeps focussed on the human element, detailing the assorted errors, tensions and personality conflicts that jeopardize the possible suicide mission. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6
Transformers (PG-13, 144 minutes) The wildly popular toy-line-turned-cartoon-series from the ’80s returns as a big-budget, big-screen film directed by the man who gave us Bad Boys, The Rock and Armageddon. (At least he knows how to make things blow up real good.) Seems Earth has been invaded by space robots—some of whom are good, some of whom are bad, all of which can transform into cars and trucks and planes and stuff. Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Jon Voight and Bernie Mac are among the humans caught in the middle of this frenetic, far-fetched but ultimately action-packed war. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6
Who’s Your Caddy? (PG-13) An Atlanta rap mogul (Atlanta rap mogul Big Boi, obviously acting against type) tries to join a conservative country club, causing all the uptight white people to go into a tizzy. Basically, it’s Caddyshack with… No, wait, it’s just Caddyshack. Opening Friday; check local listings
