Movies playing in town
10,000 B.C. (PG-13, 109 minutes) Roland Emmerich (Stargate, Independence Day) directs this big-budget SPFX extravaganza. It’s, well, 10,000 B.C., and a hairy, mammoth-hunting hero (unknown Steven Strait) is prevailed upon to rescue his tribe from a civilization of pyramid-dwelling slavers. Omar Sharif is in there, doing his best prehistoric work since The 13th Warrior. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6
The Bank Job (R, 110 minutes) Jason Statham (The Italian Job, The Transporter) is in familiar territory, starring in this early-’70s crime caper about a would-be bankrobber targeting a London bank stuffed full of cash and jewelry. Unbenownst to our protagonist and his crew, the bank’s safety deposit boxes are also packed with secrets revealing a web of corruption stretching from London’s criminal underworld to the highest echelons of the British government. The mechanics are awfuly familiar, but director Roger Donaldson (Cocktail, Species) keeps things lively. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6
Be Kind Rewind (PG-13) With Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) at the helm, you know you’re in for a weird ride. Jack Black and Mos Def play a couple of video store employees who accidentally erase every videotape in the store. In order to retain the store’s one loyal customer, an elderly lady with a shaky grip on reality, they set out to recreate every film in stock, armed with only a cheap video camera. The result is a two-man tour-de-force, covering The Lion King, Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, Driving Miss Daisy, Robocop and more. Soon, the whole town is getting in on the filmmaking action. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6
College Road Trip (G, 83 minutes) Plump ex-“Cosby” kid Raven-Symoné continues to wish upon a star that she’ll morph into Miley Cyrus (Disney Channel show? Check. Recording career? Check. Nintendo DS videogame? Check. Tween-targeted movie? Check.) Here, Raven plays an overachieving high school student who decides to travel the country looking for the perfect college. Naturally, her overprotective dad (Martin Lawrence) insists on going with her. Oh, and there’s also a wacky pet pig in the car. Hijinks—you guessed it—ensue. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6
Definitely, Maybe (PG-13) Ryan Reynolds stars in what looks like a feature film version of “How I Met Your Mother.” He plays a Manhattan political consultant in the midst of a divorce who recounts his past relationships to his 10-year-old daughter (precocious kid du jour Abigail Breslin). But which of these past relationships actually ended up as his wife? That’s a secret…for some reason. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (PG-13, 112 minutes) Reviewed here. Playing at Vinegar Hill Theatre
Doomsday (R, 105 minutes) British director Neil Marshall (The Descent, Dog Soldiers), heads back to the ’80s for inspiration, cobbling together as many post-apocalyptic films (The Road Warrior, Escape From New York, 1990: The Bronx Warriors) as he can. After a lethal virus wipes out most of the U.K., a team of crack soldiers is sent into the walled-off quarantine zone to locate a cure. Apparently, evil people with mohawks don’t want them to succeed. Opening Friday; check local listings
Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who (G, 88 minutes) Wacky Jim Carrey proably isn’t the best choice to play Dr. Seuss’ timid, persecuted environmentalist Horton, but at least the CGI animation does its utmost to replicate the author/illustrator’s wild worlds. Scattered around this tale of a selfless elephant who tries to convince his jungle cohorts that a microscopic world needs his protection are vocal ringers like Steve Carrell, Will Arnett, Carol Burnett, Dane Cook, Isla Fisher, Jonah Hill, Amy Poehler, Jamie Pressly and Seth Rogan. Opening Friday; check local listings
Fool’s Gold (PG-13, 110 minutes) An estranged couple’s sense of adventure is rekindled when sunken treasure-hunting hubby (Matthew McConaughey, finding a valid excuse to act without a shirt) discovers the possible whereabouts of a fortune in gold. Naturally, he drags along his doubting ex (Kate Hudson, in no apparent hurry to land another Oscar nomination). Think Romancing the Stone with a bad case of swimmer’s ear. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4
Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour (G, 74 minutes) OMG! Tween goddess Miley Cyrus and her Disney Channel alter ego, Hannah Montana, sing their biggest hits on screen! In 3-D! Whether or not this actually counts as the “best” depends largely on gender and age. If you’re a girl under the age of 12, you’ll probably be there screaming along. Did I mention the Jonas Brothers will be performing as well? Playing at Carmike Cinema 6
In Bruges (R, 107 minutes) A pair of mismatched British hitmen (Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson) are sent to cool their heels in the backwater Belgian tourist town of Bruges after a particularly brutal job. At first bored out of their minds amid the Gothic architecture tours and peaceful cobblestone streets, the two eventually adjust to the local groove–at least until their psycho boss (Ralph Fiennes) shows up. The film gets kinda talky and features a lot of European in-jokes, but mostly manages to transcend the blackly comic hitman genre solidified by Guy Ritchie a decade or so ago. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6
Jumper (PG-13, 90 minutes) The bestselling sci-fi series by Stephen Gould gets the action movie treatment by director Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity, Mr. and Mrs. Smith). Hayden Christensen is a confused young man born with the ability to teleport anywhere in the world. Eventually, he discovers a secret order of people with identical abilities and becomes embroiled in a superpowered war that has been raging for thousands of years. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6
Juno (PG-13, 91 minutes) A labor of love from stripper-turned-writer Diablo Cody (author of Candy Girl) and director Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking), this sweet, smart and very funny flick easily earns a spot as one of the best films of the year. Snarky, cynical 16-year-old Juno (Ellen Page, Hard Candy) gets pregnant after a bout of boredom-induced sex with her best friend Bleeker (Michael Cera from Superbad). Ruling out abortion, Juno decides to have the kid and give it away to "some lady with a bum ovary or a couple nice lesbos." The pitch-perfect dialogue, the lo-fi soundtrack, the spectacular cast and the perceptive story make this the cult comedy to beat. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (PG-13, 92 minutes) Amy Adams (Enchanted) and Frances McDormand (Fargo) star in this ’30s-set comedy/drama about a middle-aged London governess (McDormand) who finds herself unfairly dismissed and tries to land a job as a “social secretary” for a glamorous American actress (Adams). It’s all a whirl of cocktails parties and witty banter as our mousy heroine gets a rapid-fire makeover while Cole Porter tunes and air raid sirens fill up the soundtrack. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6
Never Back Down (PG-13, 106 minutes) What if you took the formula for all those endless street dancing movies (Step Up 2 The Streets) and replaced breakdancing with mixed martial arts? Well, you’d get this film, which is basically Bloodsport as recreated by the cast of “The O.C.” Sean Faris (The Brotherhood 2: Young Warlocks) stars as a rebellious new high school student who is lured into an underground fight club, where he must fight for honor and some chick in a spaghetti-strap tanktop. Opening Friday; check local listings
The Other Boleyn Girl (PG-13, 115 minutes) Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson star in this glitzy adaptation of Philippa Gregory’s best-selling novel. The historical storyline finds siblings Anne and Mary competing for the affections of England’s King Henry VIII. As any halfway decent Anglophile knows, neither girl kept her head on her neck for very long—which is part of the film’s problem. It looks good, but it’s notably glum. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6
Penelope (PG, 102 minutes) Christina Ricci stars in this modern romantic fantasy about a young, aristocratic heiress born under a curse. Seems she’s stuck with the nose of a pig until she finds true love with “one who will love her faithfully.” This whimsical ugly-duckling tale is obviously striving for Tim Burton territory. The results are cute and visually vibrant but somewhat erratic. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6
Semi-Pro (R, 90 minutes) The star player/owner/coach of a third-rate ’70s basketball team (Will Ferrell) finds out his Michigan Topics have an outside shot at being folded into the NBA—if they can dramatically increase their attendance. With the help of his teammates (Woody Harrelson, André Benjamin), he stops at nothing to attract attention. Typical but likable retro silliness from Mr. Ferrell. Reviewed here. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4
The Spiderwick Chronicles (PG, 97 minutes) The popular young adult fantasy series comes to the big screen with hardly a whiff of Harry Potter about it. Three young children (including Freddie Highmore playing twins) move to a remote country mansion with their recently divorced mother (Mary Louise-Parker). There, they discover their great uncle’s legacy, a book detailing the lives of the fairies, goblins, brownies and other magical creatures that inhabit our world. Unfortunately, an evil goblin wants to get his hands on that book, forcing our young heroes to defend themselves. The cast is quite good (Nick Nolte, Joan Plowright and David Strathairn are among the adults), and the script (partially credited to John Sayles) is surprisingly mature. Way too scary for the little ones, though. Full review here. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4
Step Up 2 the Streets (PG-13, 98 minutes) Apparently Step Up, You Got Served, Feel the Noise, Honey, Stomp the Yard, Save the Last Dance and How She Move weren’t enough for you people. So here’s another hip hop dance film about kids at a prestigious dance academy who shock the establishment with their “radical” street moves. In real life, your college dance instructor probably wrote her thesis on breakdancing. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4
Vantage Point (PG-13, 90 minutes) Taking its inpiration, as so many other films have, from Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon, this political thriller presents a crime as seen from five different viewpoints. Seems that some terrorists (or are they?) have tried to assassinate the President of the United States (or have they?). A host of witnesses (or are they?), each present their own perspective on the crime, allowing us to see the damn thing again and again and again (and again and again). Starry cast includes Forest Whitaker, Sigourney Weaver, Dennis Quaid, William Hurt and Matthew Fox. Full review here. Playing at Regal Seminole Square 4
