30 Days of Night (R, 113 minutes) The hit graphic novel about a savage (but clever) band of vampires who emigrate to Alaska to bask in the extended darkness of the Arctic Circle’s sunless winter hits the big screen. Josh Hartnett (40 Days and 40 Nights) headlines as the small-town sheriff who tries to fend off the bloodthirsty gang until the sun returns. An energetic, scary and tense addition to the well-worn vampire mythos. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6
American Gangster (R, 157 minutes) Based on an article by Marc Jacobson (who also inspired 2001’s The Believer), this crime saga dramatizes the life of Manhattan drug kingpin Frank Lucas. Denzel Washington stars as the slick thug who builds an empire during the ’70s while battling a determined police detective (played by Russell Crowe). Ridley Scott (Alien, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down) does camera duty. Playing at Regal Seminole Square Cinema 4
Bee Movie (PG, 100 minutes) Jerry Seinfeld not only voices the main character in this computer-animated fable, but penned the script about a disillusioned bee who doesn’t want to spend his life making honey. On a trip outside the hive, he meets and falls in love with (sort of) a New York florist (Renée Zellweger). Matthew Broderick, John Goodman, Chris Rock, Kathy Bates, Larry King, Ray Liotta, Oprah Winfrey and Sting (of course) are among the stars crowding up the credits block. Playing at Regal Seminole Square Cinema 4
Beowulf (PG-13, 113 minutes) From the director who brought you The Polar Express (bad thing) and the writer who gave you The Sandman comic book (good thing), comes this motion-capture CGI update of the quintessential good-versus-evil fable. Ray Winstone (Sexy Beast) voices our warrior hero, Crispin Glover (Wild at Heart) does Grendel duty and Angelina Jolie plays our monster’s disturbingly sexy mama. A bit on the rough side for kids. Opening Friday; check local listings
Dan in Real Life (PG-13, 95 minutes) Steve Carell almost entirely makes up for Evan Almighty with this sweet, entirely authentic romantic comedy. Carell plays the widowed father of three young girls who makes a living as an advice columnist—a job for which the permanently depressive Dan seems singularly unqualified. While on a family vacation/reunion in Rhode Island, Dan meets a lovely, smart, down-to-earth woman (Juliette Binochet). Unfortunately, she turns out to be the new girlfriend of Dan’s brother. A weekend of severe discomfort ensues. Not even the presence of Dane Cook can spoil this near-perfect blend of humor and emotion from writer/director Peter Hedges (Pieces of April). Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6
The Darjeeling Limited (R, 91 minutes) Wes Anderson (Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums) reunites with a few old pals to write and direct this comedy about three estranged American brothers (Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, Jason Schwartzman) who reunite for a "spiritual quest" across India. Like all of Anderson’s film, this one is slow, stylized and painfully clever. An absolute must for fans.Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6
Fred Claus (PG, 114 minutes) Tim Allen seems to be taking this holiday season off, so it’s up to Vince Vaughn to fill in the slot. Vaughn plays the bitter, black sheep brother of Santa Claus (Paul Giamatti), who is forced to move to the North Pole after his girlfriend kicks him out. Hijinks ensue as Fred parties with the elves, incites sibling rivalry and generally creates some North Pole anarchy. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6
Trailer for Fred Claus. |
The Game Plan (PG, 110 minutes) Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson stars as a cocky professional quarterback who, out of the blue, finds the 8-year-old daughter he never knew dumped on his doorstep. This lazy family comedy recycles the most clichéd elements available from the sports movie genre and the “selfish adult learns a lesson from the impossibly cute little kid” genre. Suitable only for those mourning the loss of very special episodes of “Full House.” Playing at Carmike Cinema 6
Into the Wild (R, 140 minutes) Sean Penn directs this poetic, true-life biopic about Chris McCandless, a middle-class college grad who abandoned his possessions, renamed himself "Alexander Supertramp" and hitchhiked to Alaska to live a Thoreau-like existence in the wilderness. He starved to death after a few months. Emile Hirsch (The Girl Next Door) gives a strong performance and Penn avoids romanticizing the misguided rebel too awfully much. Playing at Vinegar Hill Theatre
Lars and the Real Girl (PG-13, 106 minutes) A lonely, delusional young dude (the suddenly really good Ryan Gosling) surprises his family when he brings home a gal he met on the Internet. Turns out she’s actually a life-sized plastic love doll. But since his "relationship" with her seems rather chaste, the family decides to indulge the illusion at the urging of a psychiatrist (Patricia Clarkson). Despite the seemingly outrageous premise, this one’s surprisingly funny and sweet—if a little self-consciously off-kilter. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6
Lions for Lambs (R, 88 minutes) Audiences don’t seem very interested in dramas that touch on America’s current War on Terror. But this one is directed by Robert Redford. In it, two young college students fighting in Afghanistan create a tie that binds an idealistic college professor (Redford), a charismatic NeoCon senator (Tom Cruise) and a probing TV journalist (Meryl Streep). The whole thing is meant as a criticism of failed government policies, but good writing and solid acting aside, it’s a bit hard to connect the dots. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6
 Giovanna Mezzogiorno and Benjamin Bratt grasp each other’s hopefully clean hands in Love in the Time of Cholera. |
Love in the Time of Cholera (R, 140 minutes) After much struggle and strife, Gabriel García Márquez’s much-celebrated novel comes to life in movie theaters. Javier Bardem stars as the Argentinian man who stalks his lady love (distinctly non-Argentine Giovanna Mezzogiorno) for 50 years after being rejected by her as a boy. Hector Elizondo, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Benjamin Bratt and John Leguizamo fill out the somewhat odd cast. Mike Newell (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) keeps things mostly on the melodramatic tip. Opening Friday; check local listings
Martian Child (PG) John Cusack headlines this feel-good drama/comedy about a brokenhearted writer who adopts a troubled 6-year-old boy who believes that he is from Mars. But what if, like, magically, this kid really is from Mars? This well-meaning family-ish film feels a bit like About a Boy, but has an uncomfortable whiff of K-PAX about it. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6
Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium (G, 93 minutes) Giving off a faint but forgivable whiff of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, this family fantasy proposes a fantastical toy store whose magical 243-year-old operator (Dustin Hoffman) is looking for a replacement. He finds it in the form of efficient, responsible Natalie Portman. Unfortunately, the store seems to have a mind of its own, and the new owner isn’t proving all that adept at keeping things in line. The directing debut of writer Zach Helm (Stranger Than Fiction). Opening Friday; check local listings
Michael Clayton (R, 119 minutes) George Clooney toplines this hard-hitting legal drama about an in-house "fixer" at a top New York law firm. When one of the firm’s defense attorneys goes bonkers working on a questionable class action lawsuit, our titular character is called in to clean house. Naturally, our protagonist starts to uncover all sorts of dirty truths that could potentially sabotage the case. Will he do his job or do the right thing? Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton and Sydney Pollack round out a topflight cast for screenwriter-turned-director Tony Gilroy (The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum). Playing at Carmike Cinema 6
Nightmare Before Christmas in 3-D (PG, 76 minutes) Yup, 3D. Tim Burton’s stop-motion animated horror musical is a certified cult classic, but it’s up to you to decide if it’s worth paying 12 bucks to see again in 3D. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6
P2 (R, 98 minutes) That mysteriously banal title refers to the second level of a parking garage, which is where a young businesswoman (Rachel Nichols, "Alias") is trapped on Christmas Eve by an obsessive, psychopathic security guard (Wes Bentley, Ghost Rider). The director’s a first-timer, but it’s produced by the same guys who gave us the stylish, edgy horror thriller, Haute Tension. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6
Saw IV (R, 108 minutes) Not even death can keep a good killer down. Despite having passed away in the last Saw film, our conscientious serial killer Jigsaw is back from beyond the grave. While trying to sort out the remains of the last deadly game, two FBI agents fight to save a SWAT team commander stuck in a series of ingenious traps left behind by Jigsaw. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6
