28 Weeks Later (R, 99 minutes) 2002’s apocalyptic zombie flick 28 Days Later was a shot in the arm to a stagnant horror film industry. Unfortunately, director Danny Boyle isn’t back for this follow-up. Substitute Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (Intacto) can’t quite replicate Boyle’s kinetic camerawork; but he does O.K., adding a few honest jump scares to a fairly standard script. It’s six months after the initial outbreak of the Rage Virus, and the U.S. Army has arrived in England, helping to secure a small section of London for repopulation. Naturally, everything goes wrong and those American boys start getting a tad trigger-happy. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6
Away From Her (PG-13, 110 minutes) Actress Sarah Polley (Dawn of the Dead, My Life Without Me) writes and directs this drama/romance, based on a short story by Alice Munro. The story concerns a Canadian man (Gordon Pinset) torn apart by the rapid onset of Alzheimer’s in his wife (Julie Christie). After being put into a full-time care facility, she begins to forget her husband, transferring her affections to a mute resident (Michael Murphy). There are plenty of heartbreaking moments with a slight undercurrent of humor. Polley displays skills beyond her years, offering up a subtle, well-shot character study about love and loss. Playing at Vinegar Hill Theatre
Bug (R, 101 minutes) Ashley Judd headlines this somewhat misleading horror thriller directed by Exorcist helmer William Friedkin. Judd plays a lonely woman trapped in a spooky Oklahoma motel room with a paranoid, possibly unhinged Gulf War vet who believes he is being persecuted by invisible insects. It’s based on the claustrophobic stageplay by Tracy Letts and features far more psychological drama than cinematic horror. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6
Disturbia (PG-13, 104 minutes) It’s a blatant steal of Hitchcock’s Rear Window, but the film is fairly honest about it. Shia LaBeouf (Holes, Constantine) stars as a teen stuck at home under house arrest. Bored out of his skull, he takes to spying on the neighbors. Before long, he spots one who might just be a serial killer, bumping off victims in his garage. Is this observation real, or just the product of an overactive imagination? Playing at Carmike Cinema 6
Fracture (R, 112 minutes) Anthony Hopkins as a manipulative killer behind stuck bars? Haven’t we seen this somewhere before? Ryan Gosling plays the young D.A. caught up in a game of cat-and-mouse with Hopkins’ could-be killer. TV producer Gregory Hoblit (“NYPD Blue,” “L.A. Law”) directs. The film misses a lot of opportunity for suspense, but the absorbing script and quality acting make this a good bet for legal drama fans. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6
Gracie (PG-13, 92 minutes) According to the hands on my watch, it’s time for another inspirational, based-on-a-true-story sports movie. This one’s about a teenage gal (Carly Schroeder from Disney Channel’s “Lizzie McGuire”) who faces an uphill battle of sexism and prejudice when she fights for the opportunity to play on a competitive soccer team. Dermot Mulroney and Elizabeth Shue (who says this story is based on something that happened to her) play the caring parents. Personally, I’m inspired enough as it is, but you may feel differently—especially if you’ve already worn out your copy of Bend it Like Beckham. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6
Hostel: Part II (R) Eli Roth follows up his horror roughie Hostel with this inevitable sequel. This time around, it’s three female college students backpacking through Eastern Europe who are tortured and killed. …Ah, progress. Opening Friday; check local listings.
Hot Fuzz (R, 121 minutes) Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright, the team behind the 2004 gem Sean of the Dead, reunite to tweak another movie genre. This time around, Pegg stars as a top London cop who is sent to a sleepy English hamlet and teamed with a dimwit partner (Sean’s Nick Frost) by jealous colleagues. Eventually, the mismatched duo are prevailed upon to solve a series of bloody murders. The film has a blast making fun of classic ’80s buddy cop movies, and the laughs are—more often than not—explosive. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 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 Downtown Mall 6
Mr. Brooks (R, 120 minutes) Kevin Costner is cast severely against type as a mild-mannered suburban hubby who is occasionally controlled by his alter ego, a vicious serial killer embodied by William Hurt. A sleazy amateur photographer (Dane Cook, also playing against type) finds out about our hero’s little split personality problem and tries to blackmail him. (Is it too much to hope that Cook gets slaughtered?) The film nearly chokes to death on subplots (including one with Demi Moore as a soon-to-be-divorced detective), but the story is clever and Costner does a commendable job. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6
Ocean’s Thirteen (PG-13) George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and crew add one to the guest list and go out pranking for money once again. In this third heist-heavy go-around, the boys are getting even with evil casino owner Al Pacino. Expect plenty of breezy hijinks, a wealth of celebrity in-jokes and a script that is slightly more sensical than the second ridiculous outing. Opening Friday; check local listings
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (PG-13, 168 minutes) After the two-and-a-half-hour cliffhanger that was Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest comes the nearly three-hour conclusion. This time, Orlando Bloom, Geoffrey Rush and Keira Knightley have sailed to the ends of the Earth to rescue Johnny Depp. They’re also required to gather a massive pirate army to fight the forces of nastiness and villainy (still embodied by squid-faced Bill Nighy and uptight Tom Hollander). Playing at Regal Seminole Square Cinema 4
Shrek the Third (PG, 93 minutes) Kids and fart-loving adults are welcome for this third gathering of the CGI Shrek cast. Seems that our titular ogre’s father-in-law has fallen ill. Now it’s up to Shrek to assume the throne of the fairy tale-filled kingdom—a job he’d rather not take. The voice cast is getting crowded, with Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Julie Andrews, John Cleese, Rupert Everett, Eric Idle and Justin Timberlake on board for this go-around. Playing at Regal Seminole Square Cinema 4
Spider-Man 3 (PG-13, 140 minutes) The third time is supposed to be a charm, but poo
r Spider-Man is having an awfully bad time of it in this second sequel to the smash hit superhero flick. Seems that Spidey’s best friend (James Franco) has gone insane and is now trying to kill him. He’s also been possessed by a malevolent alien life force and is trying to bring a sand-powered supervillain (Thomas Hayden Church) to justice. Oh, and he’s thinking of getting married. The film’s a bit long, but there’s plenty of action and the special effects should please hardcore comic book fans. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6
Surf’s Up (PG) If you found the tap-dancing penguins of Happy Feet odd, then the surfing penguins of Surf’s Up will prove equally confusing. This sub-par CGI toon (by Sony Pictures) is a basically a remake of old surf documentries like Endless Summer, only with penguins instead of people. The voice cast is fresh. (Shia LaBeouf, Jeff Bridges, Zooey Deschanel, Jon Heder and James Woods head it up.) But unless you’ve got a burning desire to see what surf legends Kelly Slater and Rob Machado look like as penguins, the film has only minor appeal. Opening Friday; check local listings
Waitress (PG-13, 107 minutes) In this guilt-free Southern-fried treat, Keri Russell (“Felicity”) stars as an unhappy waitress in a small-town cafe. She’s blessed with an unearthly ability to bake pies, but cursed with an emotionally abusive lout of a hubby (Jeremy Sisto from “Six Feet Under”) and a sudden, unwanted pregnancy. Her life turns around when she meets her obstetrician, though, an awkwardly charming new hunk in town (played by Nathan Fillion of “Firefly” fame). The film occasionally surrenders to its more sitcom-esque moments, but it’s mostly a good-natured, emotionally complex dramedy about pregnancy, infidelity and delicious desserts. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6
