In Theaters
By Compiled by Jennie Tal | The Roanoke Times | jennie.tal@roanoke.com
“American Teen” (PG-13)
*** A documentary-esque film following students at Indiana’s Warsaw Community High School. Writer-director Nanette Burstein collected footage for an entire school year before shaping it around the stories of five seniors, each fitting into a specific stereotype. One hour, 35 min.
Parents advisory:
Parents should consider taking their own teenagers to see this one, a movie that may portray cliched behavior but also imparts lessons to kids struggling with adolescence: “See? Everybody goes through this.”
–Jeff DeBell
“Brideshead Revisited” (PG-13)
*** 1/2 Based on the 1945 book by British writer Evelyn Waugh. Charles Ryder (Matthew Good), the son of a widowed, middle-class father, wants to be an artist and luckily gets accepted to Oxford, where he meets Sebastian Flyte (Ben Whishaw). Infatuated with his new friend, Sebastian takes Charles to his family’s estate. There, Charles encounters Lady Marchmain (Emma Thompson) and Sebastian’s beautiful sister Julia (Hayley Atwell), who competes with her brother for Charles’ affection. Two hours, 15 min.
–Chris Gladden
“The Dark Knight” (PG-13)
**** 1/2 The latest installment of the “Batman” franchise centers around the villain, the Joker (Heath Ledger), a man with a disfigured face that he covers with grease paint. His only goal is to cause terror and chaos and, of course, to destroy Batman. Meanwhile, Batman’s alter ego, Bruce (Christian Bale), is rich, but not happy. He’s lost Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal), the love of his life, and Batman isn’t exactly on the top of everyone in Gotham’s list of favorite people. Two hours, 33 min.
Parents advisory:
The violence takes this thing right to the precipice of an R rating, worth considering before taking anybody 10-and-under.
–C.G.
“Death Race” (R)
** 1/2 Sometime in the near future, corporations run prisons in America and one in particular has figured out a way to make money off destruction-loving citizens– inmates race cars to the death and the warden (Joan Allen) sells the privilege to watch them. When her star is out of the picture, former racing driving Jensen Ames (Jason Statham), in jail for the murder of his wife, takes his place. Also starring Ian McShane, Natalie Martinez and Tyrese Gibson. One hour, 45 min.
–C.G.
“Fly Me to the Moon” (G)
** A group of young flies are inspired by their grandfather (voiced by Christopher Lloyd) to join the Apollo 11 crew and fly to the moon. They build space suits and get onto the ship, only to find that some sneaky Russian flies (one voiced by Tim Curry) have different ideas. Showing only in 3-D at Carmike 10 at Tanglewood and the Carmike Valley 8 in Salem. One hour, 20 min.
Parents advisory:
This one is for the very youngest movie-goers in your family, 6 and under.
–Orlando Sentinel
“The House Bunny” (PG-13)
* Shelley (Anna Faris) is evicted from the Playboy mansion and somehow ends up as house mother for a sorority of less-than popular girls. As she teaches them how to use water bras and eyeliner, the girls give Shelley a “mental makeover.” Also starring Colin Hanks, Emma Stone, Kat Dennings, Rumer Willis and Dana Goodman. One hour, 38 min.
–Star Tribune
“The Longshots” (PG)
** Jasmine Plummer (Keke Palmer) is an outsider who lives vicariously through her books. She doesn’t want to join any after- school programs so mom (Tasha Smith) enlists Jasmine’s Uncle Curtis (Ice Cube). He teaches his niece how to play football, and Jasmine becomes the first girl to play in the Pop Warner league’s version of the Super Bowl. One hour, 30 min.
Parents advisory:
Surprisingly family-friendly, with lots of positive messages about expectations, sexism and sportsmanship.
–Orlando Sentinel
“Mamma Mia!” (PG-13)
*** Based on the Broadway musical that was based on the music of ABBA, the story starts with 20-year-old Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) who was raised in Greece. She’s getting married and invites three of her mom’s (Meryl Streep) old beaus to find out which is her father. Also starring Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Julie Walters, Stellan Skarsgard and Christine Baranski. One hour, 48 min.
Parents advisory:
Probably more of a mother-daughter bonding musical than anything else, it’s perfectly fine for ABBA fans, 12-and-up.
–Orlando Sentinel
“Mirrors” (R)
** Ben Carson (Kiefer Sutherland) is a New York City detective on suspension who has taken a job as a night watchmen. The store he’s patrolling was built on the site of a former mental hospital whose head doctor’s theory on schizophrenia involved mirrors before the hospital suffered a mass suicide. At first no one believes him, but then the haunted mirrors start acting up at home– threatening his family. One hour, 50 min.
–J.D.
“The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” (PG-13)
* The story picks up with Rick (Brendan Fraser) and Evelyn O’Connell (Maria Bello) and their now-grown son, Alex (Luke Ford), 12 years after their last mummy adventure. Their son finds a cursed evil ancient emperor and his army that one Chinese faction wants to revive to restore “order.” Also starring John Hannah, Jet Li, Michelle Yeoh and Isabella Leong. One hour, 46 min.
Parents advisory:
Entirely too violent for 10-and-unders, but if you’re the sort of parent who dragged Junior to “Dark Knight” …
–Orlando Sentinel
“Pineapple Express” (R)
** 1/2 A stoner buddy movie about Dale (Seth Rogen), a process server who smokes between subpoena deliveries and Saul (James Franco), his dealer. Dale tries Saul’s newest product, “pineapple express” before witnessing a murder and going on an on-the-run adventure with new buddy Saul. Two hours.
–C.G.
“The Rocker” (PG-13)
** 1/2 Twenty years after drummer Robert “Fish” Fishman’s (Rainn Wilson) band members kick him to the curb before they reach fame and fortune, Fish lives in his sister’s house and listens to rehearsals of his nephew Matt’s (Josh Gad) garage band. The band is scheduled to play at prom when their drummer is pulled by his mom. Enter Uncle Fish. Also starring Emma Stone, Teddy Geiger, Christina Applegate and Jason Sudeikis. One hour, 40 min.
Parents advisory:
Pretty kid-friendly for a big Hollywood comedy these days, with positive messages in between the irresponsible “party like a rock star” examples.
–C.G.
“The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2″ (PG-13)
*** Four very differently shaped friends stay connected through a magical pair of blue jeans that somehow fits them all. The four girls (America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn, Alexis Bledel and Blake Lively) are in college now pursuing their dreams (and boys) in Greece, New York, Vermont and New Haven. One hour, 57 min.
Parents advisory:
A little less boy crazy than the original “Sisterhood,” this one has the girls older and skews in its messages and appeal. OK for 13- and-up.
–Orlando Sentinel
“Step Brothers” (R)
* 1/2 Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly each play a 40-year-old who has never left home and loves dinosaurs, martial arts and crass put-downs. When their parents get married, they’re forced to share a bedroom, immediately hate each other then become best friends. One hour, 52 min. Parents advisory:
If you’re not afraid of language, this could be a teaching opportunity for “Why I’m kicking you out when you’re 18″ lessons to your 13-, 14- or 15-year-old.
–Associated Press
“Star Wars: The Clone Wars” (PG)
*** A computer animated son of Jabba the Hutt has been larvae- napped and since Jabba controls trade, both the Jedi and the Sith want to rescue him complete with space wars and combat animation. Voiced by Samuel Jackson, Christopher Lee and Anthony Daniels. One hour, 38 min.
Parents advisory:
If your kids are old enough to have seen the other movies or earlier “Clone Wars” TV series, they can handle it.
–Orlando Sentinel
“Tropic Thunder” (R)
*** 1/2 A satire featuring insecure, but full of themselves actors, ruthless producers, snake-like agents and everything we love to hate about Hollywood. Ben Stiller (playing an action star with a dying career), Robert Downey Jr. (playing a white Australian method actor that surgically darkens his skin so he can play a black soldier), Jack Black, Jay Baruchel, Nick Nolte and Brandon T. Jackson (playing a hip-hop star gone actor) play a group of actors shooting a war movie. One hour, 56 min.
–C.G.
“Vicky Cristina Barcelona” (R)
** 1/2 Americans Vicky (Rebecca Hall), a student engaged to a straight-edge, predictable Wall Street guy, and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson), a would-be tortured artist, are summering in Barcelona where they meet Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem) who isn’t shy about wanting to get them both in bed. The trouble comes when Juan’s ex- wife (Penelope Cruz) comes back into the picture. One hour, 40 min.
–C.G.
“WALL-E” (G)
**** A love story of two robots who meet in a dusty, ruined Earth of the future. WALL-E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter-Earth Class) spends every day cleaning up trash humans left behind when they departed for a luxury space cruise when he meets EVE, Extra- terrestrial Vegetation Evaluator. When she is called back to Axiom, the spaceship where the Earthlings have lived for 700 years, WALL- E hitches a ride and follows his new love into space. One hour, 37 min. Parents advisory:
Pixar returns to its kids-first mission with this cartoon, which, because it is so visual and not verbal, should be your 2- to 3-year- old’s first trip to the movies.
–J.D.
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