Films
Capsule reviews with star ratings are written by reviewers for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Opening today:
Humpday
Two straight pals decide to make a gay porno. Running time: 1:34 Rating: R (drug use, language, sexual content) Magic Lantern: 7:30, 9:10, 10:45.
Inglourious Basterds
Jewish-American soldiers seek Nazi scalps in German-occupied France. Running time: 2:32 Rating: R (sexuality, language, violence) Hayden: noon, 3, 6, 9. NorthTown Mall: noon, 12:30, 3:30, 4, 7, 7:30, 10:20, 10:45. River Park Square: 10:15 a.m., 11 a.m., 12:15, 1:30, 2:30, 3:40, 5, 6:15, 7, 8:30, 9:40. Riverstone: noon, 3:25, 6:55, 10:30. Spokane Valley Mall: 12:15, 3:30, 7, 10:15. Village Centre: 12:30, 3:30, 6:30, 9:30.
Post Grad
A recent graduate must move back in with her eccentric family while she tries to sort out her life. Running time: 1:29 Rating: PG-13 (language, sexual situations) River Park Square: 10:20 a.m., 12:40, 2:50, 5:10, 7:25, 9:50. Riverstone: 12:55, 4:05, 7:45, 10:25. Spokane Valley Mall: 12:05, 2:15, 4:25, 6:50, 9:20. Village Centre: 11:40 a.m., 1:40, 3:40, 5:40, 7:40, 9:45.
Shorts
The appearance of a wish-granting rock leads to chaos in the small town of Black Falls. Running time: 1:29 Rating: PG (rude humor) Hayden: 12:30, 2:45, 5:05, 7:05, 9:10. NorthTown Mall: 11:30 a.m., 2, 4:15, 6:30, 9:35. Post Falls: 12:30, 2:30, 4:30, 6:30, 8:30. River Park Square: 10:15 a.m., 12:40, 3, 5:15, 7:30, 9:50. Riverstone: 12:15, 3:30, 7:15, 9:35. Spokane Valley Mall: 12:50, 3, 5:10, 7:20, 9:35. Village Centre: 11:15 a.m., 1:15, 3:15, 5:15, 7:15, 9:15.
Unmistaken Child
A Nepalese monk begins a long search for the reincarnation of a revered Buddhist master. Running time: 1:44 Rating: Not rated Magic Lantern: 3:30, 5:30.
X Games 3D: The Movie
Shaun White, Travis Pastrana and other athletes pursue glory at the X Games. Running time: 1:32 Rating: PG (accidents, extreme sports) NorthTown Mall: 11:45 a.m., 2:10, 4:45, 7:15, 9:50. Riverstone: 12:20, 4:25, 7:30, 9:50. Village Centre: 11 a.m., 1, 3, 5, 7:10, 9:25.
Continuing:
(500) Days of Summer
••• Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel star in this engagingly breezy tale of a guy with a broken heart and the girl who broke it. Too cute at times, but easy to live with. Running time: 1:35 Rating: PG-13 (language, sexual material) River Park Square: 10:30 a.m., 12:45, 3, 5:20, 7:45, 10. Village Centre: 10:50 a.m., 12:50, 3, 5:10, 7:15, 9:20.
A Perfect Getaway
Honeymooning hikers (Milla Jovovich, Steve Zahn) find trouble in paradise. Running time: 1:37 Rating: R (violence, language, sexual references, drug use) Post Falls: 6:25, 8:25. Village Centre: 11:25 a.m., 4:35, 9:40.
Aliens in the Attic
Vacationing youths battle an invading force of tiny aliens bent on conquering the world. Running time: 1:26 Rating: PG (violence, language, suggestive humor) Post Falls: 12:35, 2:35, 4:35.
Amazon
Filmmaker Kieth Merrill journeys through rain forests to follow the route of the Amazon River. Running time: :39 Rating: not rated IMAX (Riverfront Park): 11 a.m., 1, 3, 5, 7.
Bandslam
••• In this upbeat high-school musical that plays like a garage-band cover of “The Breakfast Club,” Gaelan Connell is terrific as Will, the new kid on the quad who navigates the perils of popularity and wows classmates with his talents as a rock impresario. With Lisa Kudrow, Aly Michalka and Vanessa Hudgens. Running time: 1:51 Rating: PG (language) NorthTown Mall: 12:40, 4:20. River Park Square: 11:55 a.m. Riverstone: 12:05, 4:30. Spokane Valley Mall: 6:40, 9:25. Village Centre: 1:30, 6:30.
Dinosaurs Alive!
Dinosaurs from the Triassic to the Cretaceous period come to life on the giant IMAX screen. Running time: :40 Rating: not rated IMAX (Riverfront Park): noon, 2, 4, 6.
District 9
South Africa assigns a restricted area for extraterrestrial refugees. Running time: 1:51 Rating: R (bloody violence, language) Hayden: 12:05, 2:30, 5, 7:20, 9:35. NorthTown Mall: 12:55, 5, 8, 10:40. Post Falls: 12:55, 3:20, 5:40, 8. River Park Square: 10:30 a.m., 11:05 a.m., 1:15, 1:45, 3:50, 4:30, 6:45, 7:15, 9:25, 10. Riverstone: 1, 4:35, 7:40, 10:20. Spokane Valley Mall: 12:45, 4, 7:40, 10:30. Village Centre: noon, 2:20, 4:50, 7:20, 9:50.
Food, Inc.
•••• Robert Kenner’s absolutely alarming documentary examines how the industrialization of the food making and food delivery systems over the last fifty years have impacted our health and environment. This is advocacy filmmaking at its strongest and most essential. Running time: 1:34 Rating: PG (disturbing images) Magic Lantern: 4, 5:50, 7:45, 9:30.
Funny People
••• Adam Sandler stars as a famous funnyman not unlike … well, Adam Sandler in Judd Apatow’s ambitious comic meditation on death, celebrity, sex, buddydom and the stand-up biz. With Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Eric Bana, Jonah Hill, Aubrey Plaza and Jason Schwartzman. Running time: 2:26 Rating: R (crude sexual humor, language, sexuality) NorthTown Mall: 7:05, 10:10. River Park Square: 3, 6:25, 9:35. Village Centre: 1:35, 6:45.
G-Force
•• Disney’s 3-D dud about a team of high-tech guinea pig spies is a perpetual motion machine of meaningless action, as a squad of elite rodents tries to thwart a housewares industrialist’s plan of world domination. A mix of CG and live action, with real humans Bill Nighy and Zach Galifianakis, and the voices of Nicolas Cage, Penelope Cruz, Sam Rockwell and Tracy Morgan. Running time: 1:28 Rating: PG (rude humor) Hayden: 1, 3:10, 5:15, 7:15, 9:15. NorthTown Mall: 11:55 a.m., 2:25, 4:50. Post Falls: 12:20, 2:20, 4:20, 6:20, 8:20. River Park Square: 10:40 a.m., 12:50, 3:10, 5:10, 7:20, 9:25. Riverstone: 12:25, 3:35. Spokane Valley Mall: 12:35, 2:55, 5:25, 7:50.
G-Force in Disney Digital 3D
Village Centre: 10:50 a.m., 3, 7:20.
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
••1/2 Channing Tatum stars in this loud, long, crowd-pleasing action film. The battles are so fast and furious, you’ll hardly notice how thin and cartoonish the plot is. With Marlon Wayans and Sienna Miller. Running time: 1:58 Rating: PG-13 (violence) Hayden: 12:15, 3:15, 6:15, 9:05. NorthTown Mall: 12:45, 4:30, 7:45, 10:25. Post Falls: 12:45, 3:05, 5:30, 7:55. River Park Square: 11:15 a.m., 2, 4:45, 7:35, 10:15. Riverstone: 12:45, 4:15, 7:20, 10:15. Spokane Valley Mall: 12:30, 3:40, 6:45, 9:30. Village Centre: 11 a.m., 11:45 a.m., 2:15, 4, 4:45, 7:15, 9, 9:45.
The Goods: Live Hard. Sell Hard.
•• Jeremy Piven stars as a slick, cynical salesman who brings his team into Temecula, Calif., to try to save a floundering used car lot. Not without its laughs, but not with anyone to like, either. Running time: 1:29 Rating: R (nudity, language, sexual content, drug material) River Park Square: 10:45 a.m., 1:05, 3:25, 5:40, 7:50, 10:10. Riverstone: 12:50, 4:20, 6:40, 10:05. Spokane Valley Mall: 12:55, 3:05, 5:20, 7:35, 9:45.
The Hangover
••• Four guys go to Vegas for a bachelor party, and mayhem and memory-loss ensue. A loopy farce from the warped mind that brought you “Old School,” with a scene-stealing performance from indie comedy dude Zach Galifianakis. Running time: 1:39 Rating: R (nudity, language, sexual content, drug material) River Park Square: 11:45 a.m., 2:10, 4:35, 7:10, 9:45. Riverstone: 1:10, 3:50, 7:05, 9:45. Spokane Valley Mall: 10:10 a.m. Village Centre: 2:40, 7:20.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
••• Slower and talkier than its predecessors, but not in a bad way, “HP6” is a bubbling cauldron of hormonal angst, as Harry, Hermione and Ron contend with Draco, the Death Eaters and the evil Professor Snape and with their respective amorous urges. Like a high school romance, only with wands, spells and potions. Running time: 2:33 Rating: PG (language, sensuality, scary images, violence) NorthTown Mall: 11:35 a.m., 3:05, 6:40, 9:55. Post Falls: 12:50, 3:55, 7. River Park Square: 11 a.m., 2:15, 6:15, 9:40. Riverstone: 1:15, 6:30, 9:55. Spokane Valley Mall: 1:05, 4:30, 7:45. Village Centre: noon, 3:10, 6:20, 9:30.
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs 3D
•• Call it “The Crass Menagerie,” this attempt to wring every last nickel from the animated series about a clan of prehistoric animals. Running time: 1:34 Rating: PG (peril, rude humor) Village Centre: 12:50, 5:10, 9:30.
Julie & Julia
•••1/2 In Nora Ephron’s captivating film about Julia Child and her influence, Meryl Streep’s performance as Child is cuisine disguised as comfort food, a complex preparation yielding effects both broadly entertaining and subtly moving. With Amy Adams as Julie Powell, the cook-blogger besotted by Child, plus Stanley Tucci and Chris Messina. Running time: 2:04 Rating: PG-13 (language, sensuality) Hayden: 12:10, 2:50, 6:10, 8:50. NorthTown Mall: 12:25, 3:40, 7:20, 10:15. River Park Square: 10:40 a.m., 1:30, 4:20, 6:30, 7:25, 9:20, 10:05. Riverstone: 12:10, 3:40, 6:45, 9:40. Spokane Valley Mall: 1, 3:45, 6:30, 9:15. Village Centre: 11:15 a.m., 1:40, 4:15, 7, 9:35.
Kung Fu Panda
Standard story of a panda (Jack Black) who finds his inner bear will appeal to kids and lovers of CGI. Running time: 1:31 Rating: PG (martial arts action) Garland: 9:30 a.m.
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
•• Ben Stiller returns in this knee-jerk sequel to the surprise 2006 family-friendly smash, a super-sized rehash transplanted from New York’s Museum of Natural History to the sprawling Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., with lots of running around and CG effects. Amy Adams, Robin Williams and Owen Wilson are among the gang of museum figures come-to-life. Running time: 1:45 Rating: PG (language) Garland: noon, 5:05.
Ponyo
•••1/2 Hayao Miyazaki’s animated fable about a goldfish who would be a girl elicits pie-eyed, gape-mouthed awe. Running time: 1:40 Rating: G NorthTown Mall: 12:10, 2:35, 5:10, 7:35, 10. River Park Square: 10:45 a.m., 1:10, 3:40, 6:20, 9. Riverstone: 12:35, 3:55, 6:50, 9:30.
The Proposal
••• This romantic lark (do you call it a rom-romp?) features Sandra Bullock as a prickly boss and Ryan Reynolds as her human pincushion of an assistant. She wants a green card, he wants a promotion, so they make a deal. With Betty White. Running time: 1:48 Rating: PG-13 (language, nudity, sexual content) River Park Square: 11:10 a.m., 2, 4:40, 7:10, 9:55. Riverstone: 6:35, 9:25. Spokane Valley Mall: 12:25, 3:20.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
This offbeat 1975 musical remains best enjoyed in the dramatic environment of a movie theater; it’s the toilet-paper-throwing, squirt-gun-soaking audience that makes this an experience. Running time: 1:35 Rating: R (sexual situations, crude humor, language) Garland: midnight.
Star Trek
•••1/2 J.J. Abrams’ enjoyable reboot of the sci-fi saga takes a refreshing chug from the fountain of youth, imagining what happened when Kirk met Spock. With Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana and Leonard Nimoy. Running time: 2:06 Rating: PG-13 (sexual content, violence) Garland: 10 p.m.
The Time Traveler’s Wife
•• A kooky, head-spinning romantic mess, adapted from the best-selling novel, with Eric Bana as the time-traveling hunk and Rachel McAdams as the starry-eyed miss who has loved him since she was 6. Remarkably dull for such a wild, woolly idea.. Running time: 1:47 Rating: PG-13 (disturbing images, nudity, sexuality) NorthTown Mall: 12:15, 3:15, 6:45, 9:45. River Park Square: 10:50 a.m., 1:25, 4:10, 7:05, 9:45. Riverstone: 12:30, 4, 7:10, 10. Spokane Valley Mall: noon, 2:30, 5, 7:30, 10. Village Centre: 11:40 a.m., 2:10, 4:40, 7:10, 9:40.
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
•• Michael Bay’s follow-up to his entertaining 2007 film is bigger, longer and louder – but in this case, more is less. Charismatic Shia LaBeouf and saucy Megan Fox reprise their roles as the teenagers caught up in an alien blood feud between 20-ton iron giants. Running time: 2:29 Rating: PG-13 (drug material, crude and sexual material, violence, language) Garland: 2:10, 7:10. Spokane Valley Mall: 12:20, 9:10.
The Ugly Truth
•1/2 Career woman meets caveman in this unfunny comedy starring Katherine Heigl as the tightly wound, loveless producer of a morning TV show, assigned to produce segments for a randy relationship guy (Gerard Butler) who says that men can’t evolve. Running time: 1:35 Rating: R (language, sexual content) NorthTown Mall: 7:50, 10:30. River Park Square: 11:50 a.m., 2:20, 4:55, 7:15, 9:30. Riverstone: 7:25, 10:10. Spokane Valley Mall: 3:35, 6:35. Village Centre: 12:10, 5, 9:35.
Up
•••• Buoyant Pixar film about a childless grouch (voice of Ed Asner) and a fatherless boy (Jordan Nagai) who float off to the wilds of Venezuela in a house lashed to helium-filled balloons. It darts unpredictably between comedy and adventure, defying gravity and age alike. Running time: 1:29 Rating: PG (peril) River Park Square: 10:25 a.m., 12:50.