Films

Capsule reviews with star ratings are written by reviewers for The Philadelphia Inquirer, unless otherwise indicated.

Opening today:

Avatar

A former Marine (Sam Worthington) falls in love with a native (Zoe Saldana) of a lush alien planet. Running time: 2:42 Rating: PG-13 (intense battle sequences, language, sensuality, warfare)

Hayden: 1:20, 5, 8:15. NorthTown Mall: 9 a.m., 12:30, 4, 7:30, 9, 10:55. River Park Square: 10:30 a.m., 2:15, 6, 9:45. Riverstone: 11:55 a.m., 12:20, 3:25, 3:50, 7, 7:20, 10:30, 10:45. Spokane Valley Mall: 12:40, 4, 7:20, 10:40.

Avatar 3D: Airway Heights: 11:40 a.m., 3, 6:20, 9:30. NorthTown Mall: 3:30, 7, 8:30, 10:25. River Park Square: 11 a.m., 2:45, 6:30, 10:10. Riverstone: 11:30 a.m., 3, 6:40, 10:15. Spokane Valley Mall: 12:20, 3:40, 7, 10:20. Wandermere: 10:40 a.m., 11:40 a.m., 2, 3, 5:20, 6:20, 8:40, 9:30.

Avatar: An IMAX 3D Experience: River Park Square: 11:30 a.m., 3:15, 7, 10:40.

Did You Hear About the Morgans?

Federal agents whisk two Manhattan murder witnesses (Hugh Grant, Sarah Jessica Parker) to Wyoming. Running time: 1:43 Rating: PG-13 (sexual content)

Airway Heights: 12:15, 2:30, 4:50, 7:10, 9:35. NorthTown Mall: 11:30 a.m., 2, 5:15, 8, 10:30. River Park Square: 10:45 a.m., 11:45 a.m., 1:30, 2:30, 4:15, 5:15, 6:50, 7:50, 9:25, 10:25. Riverstone: 12:45, 4:15, 7:45, 10:25. Spokane Valley Mall: noon, 2:25, 4:50, 7:25, 9:55. Wandermere: 12:15, 2:30, 4:50, 7:10, 9:35.

Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire

Pregnant and abused, a Harlem teen (Gabourey Sidibe) looks for a way to change her life. Running time: 1:49 Rating: R (child abuse, language, sexual assault)

River Park Square: 11:15 a.m., 1:55, 5, 7:45, 10:20.

The Maid

A live-in maid (Catalina Saavedra) resents her employer’s new help. Running time: 1:36 Rating: Not rated

Magic Lantern: 8:30.

The Road

A father (Viggo Mortensen) and son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) wander through a post-apocalyptic world. Running time: 1:52 Rating: R (disturbing images, language, violence)

River Park Square: 11:05 a.m., 2, 4:40, 7:20, 10.

Continuing:

2012

••1/2 This preposterously diverting doomsday film starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, John Cusack and Danny Glover is a wild ride that says, it’s OK if 8 billion die as long as eight movie stars and the dog live. Running time: 2:38 Rating: PG-13 (disaster sequences, language) Airway Heights: noon, 3, 6:10, 9:10. Hayden: 5:15, 8:20. NorthTown Mall: 11:50 a.m., 3:20, 6:40, 10. River Park Square: 10:45 a.m., 2:25, 6, 9:15. Riverstone: 11:35 a.m., 3:05, 6:35, 10:20. Spokane Valley Mall: 11:50 a.m., 3:10, 6:30, 9:50. Wandermere: 12:10, 3:10, 6:10, 9:10.

Armored

Employees at an armored-transport business plan a heist against their own company. Running time: 1:25 Rating: PG-13 (language, violence, disturbing images)

Airway Heights: 5:30, 7:30, 9:30. NorthTown Mall: 7:55, 10:05. Spokane Valley Mall: 6:35, 9. Wandermere: 1:30, 5:30, 9:30.

The Blind Side

••1/2 Sandra Bullock stars as a Southern woman who takes a destitute teen (and future football star) into her home. Based on a true story, it’s part sports saga, all tearjerker. Running time: 2:08 Rating: PG-13 (violence, drug and sexual references) Airway Heights: 10:45 a.m., 1:20, 4, 6:40, 9:20. Hayden: 12:45, 3:25, 6:05, 8:45. NorthTown Mall: 10:45 a.m., 3, 6:45, 10:20. River Park Square: 10:30 a.m., 11:50 a.m., 1:30, 3:15, 4:25, 6:20, 7:25, 9:20, 10:10. Riverstone: 12:05, 3:35, 4:05, 6:45, 7:15, 9:35, 10:05, 12:35. Spokane Valley Mall: 12:30, 3:45, 6:45, 9:45. Wandermere: 10:45 a.m., 1:20, 4, 6:40, 9:20.

The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day

The MacManus brothers return to Boston to avenge the murder of their priest. Running time: 1:55 Rating: R (bloody violence, language, nudity)

Magic Lantern: 6:30, 8:45, 11.

Brothers

•••1/2 Jake Gyllenhaal, Tobey Maguire and Natalie Portman deliver the best work of their careers in this keenly observed and heartbreaking remake of the 2004 Danish film about a soldier gone to war, and the wife and black-sheep brother he leaves behind. Running time: 1:44 Rating: R (language, disturbing and violent content)

NorthTown Mall: 12:20, 4:20, 7:45, 10:35. River Park Square: 11:20 a.m., 2:05, 4:40, 7:10, 9:55. Riverstone: 11:40 a.m., 3:40, 7:25, 10:35. Wandermere: 11:15 a.m., 1:45, 4:15, 6:45, 9:15.

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

Townspeople become overwhelmed when an overabundance of food falls from the sky. Running time: 1:30 Rating: PG (language)

Garland: 5:35, 7:30.

Couples Retreat

•• Vince Vaughn, Malin Akerman, Kristen Bell and Faizon Love are part of a large cast in a skimpy comedy that is more adult than its rating indicates. Running time: 1:54 Rating: PG-13 (language, sexual content)

Garland: 9:25.

Disney’s A Christmas Carol

•• Robert Zemecki’s visually immersive, emotionally uninvolving animation of the Charles Dickens evergreen features motion capture performances by Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman and Robin Wright Penn. Lost in the video-game effects and ghostly grotesquerie is the redemptive saga of the man who learns that his stinginess has spiritually deformed him. Running time: 1:35 Rating: PG (scary images)

Airway Heights: 10:40 a.m., 12:50, 3, 5, 7:10, 9:20. NorthTown Mall: 9:10 a.m., 11:35 a.m., 1:55, 4:50, 7:25, 9:40. River Park Square: 11:30 a.m., 1:50, 4:15, 6:30, 9:10. Riverstone: 11:50 a.m., 3:10, 6:30, 9:45. Spokane Valley Mall: 12:50, 4, 6:40, 9:05. Wandermere: 10:45 a.m., 12:50, 3, 5, 7:10, 9:20.

Everybody’s Fine

••• This prickly weeper stars Robert De Niro in his best role in a decade, as a widower trying to reconnect with his far-flung children. Running time: 1:35 Rating: PG-13 (language)

Wandermere: 11:30 a.m., 3:30, 7:30.

Fantastic Mr. Fox

••• The fur flies in Wes Anderson’s stop-motion animation gem about an erudite predator and his burrowing brood. With the voices of George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman and Bill Murray, this adaptation of a Roald Dahl book is the best animated film of the year, and maybe the best film, period. Running time: 1:28 Rating: PG (slang humor)

River Park Square: 11:40 a.m., 1:45, 3:55, 6:35, 9:25. Wandermere: 10:15 a.m., 12:15, 2:30, 4:40, 6:50, 9.

Forces of Nature

Natural disasters are the focus of this IMAX film, namely volcanoes, earthquakes and tornadoes. Running time: :40 Rating: not rated

IMAX (Riverfront Park): noon, 3:25.

Good Hair

Comic Chris Rock explores the relationship between hairstyles and black culture. Running time: 1:35 Rating: PG-13 (nudity, sex and drug references, language)

Magic Lantern: 6:30.

Invictus

••• Rousing sports inspirational starring Morgan Freeman as newly elected South African President Nelson Mandela, who seizes upon the gladiatorial game of rugby to unify angry blacks and scared whites in his nation after the fall of apartheid. Running time: 2:14 Rating: PG-13 (language)

Airway Heights: 11 a.m., 1:40, 4:20, 7, 9:40. NorthTown Mall: 12:15, 4:10, 7:15, 10:10. River Park Square: 10:50 a.m., 1, 1:40, 4:20, 4:45, 7:20, 8, 10:15. Riverstone: noon, 3:45, 7:10, 10:10. Spokane Valley Mall: 12:15, 3:30, 7:05, 10. Wandermere: 11 a.m., 1:40, 4:20, 7, 9:40.

The Light Before Christmas

Animated family film explains how Christmas is more than just presents. Running time: :28 Rating: not rated

IMAX (Riverfront Park): 1, 1:50, 2:40, 4:25, 5:15.

The Men Who Stare at Goats

••• George Clooney, Jeff Bridges and Ewan McGregor star in this nutty based-on-true-stuff farce about a gang of psychic-powered military men going about their remote viewing business during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Running time: 1:33 Rating: R (nudity, language, drug content)

River Park Square: 11:40 a.m., 2:30, 4:50, 7:30, 9:55.

Old Dogs

••1/2 John Travolta and Robin Williams are tapped to be caregivers for 7-year-old twins in this brisk, family-friendly comedy as broad as the waistlines of its stars. Running time: 1:28 Rating: PG (rude humor)

Airway Heights: 11:15 a.m., 1:15, 3:15, 5:15, 7:15, 9:15. Hayden: 1:05, 3:10, 5:25, 7:30, 9:25. NorthTown Mall: 2:30, 4:45, 8:50, 11:15. River Park Square: 11:55 a.m., 2:15, 4:30, 7:15, 9:40. Riverstone: 12:15, 4:10, 7:30, 9:50. Spokane Valley Mall: 12:45, 2:55, 5:05, 7:15, 9:30. Wandermere: 11:15 a.m., 1:15, 3:15, 5:15, 7:15, 9:15.

Planet 51

•• This computer-animated feature is a low-IQ “E.T.” in reverse, set on a faraway planet that looks like the “Happy Days” set, where a wayward American astronaut freaks out the antenna-headed locals. Running time: 1:31 Rating: PG (mild sci-fi action, some suggestive humor)

Airway Heights: 10:50 a.m., 1, 3:10. Hayden: 1:15, 3:15. Spokane Valley Mall: 1:05, 3:20. Wandermere: 10:50 a.m., 1, 3:15, 5:15, 7:20, 9:25.

The Princess and the Frog

•••1/2 This jazzy, pizazzy and enchanting Disney animated musical of the old-school, hand-drawn style features a scrappy new-school heroine. Anika Noni Rose is the voice of Tiana, a hard-working waitress hoping to save enough tips to buy her own restaurant, and Bruno Campos is a Mediterranean prince who steps into some deep voodoo when he disembarks in 1919 New Orleans. Running time: 1:35 Rating: G

Airway Heights: noon, 2:15, 4:30, 6:45, 9. Hayden: 12:55, 3, 5:05, 7:10, 9:20. NorthTown Mall: 1:45, 2:15, 4:30, 5:05, 7:10, 7:40, 8:40, 9:35, 9:55, 10:30, 11. River Park Square: 11 a.m., 12:30, 1:25, 3, 4:10, 5:30, 6:45, 7:50, 9:15, 10:15. Riverstone: 11:45 a.m., 12:30, 3:15, 4, 7:05, 7:35, 9:30, 10. Spokane Valley Mall: 11:55 a.m., 12:25, 2:20, 2:50, 4:45, 5:15, 7:10, 7:40, 9:35, 10:05. Wandermere: 10 a.m., noon, 2:15, 4:30, 6:45, 9.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon

••• Swoony love triangle plus swoopy camerawork equals this abstinence-makes-the-heart- grow-fondler adaptation of Stephenie Meyer’s young-adult romance novel. With angst-princess Kirsten Stewart, passion prince Robert Pattinson and studmuffin Taylor Lautner. Running time: 2:10 Rating: PG-13 (language, sexual references, drug use)

Airway Heights: 11 a.m., 1:40, 4:20, 7, 9:40. Hayden: 12:50, 3:10, 6:10, 8:50. NorthTown Mall: 11:05 a.m., 3:15, 6:30, 9:50. River Park Square: 11:45 a.m., 3:50, 6:55, 10. Riverstone: 12:10, 3:55, 6:55, 9:55. Spokane Valley Mall: 12:05, 3, 6:15, 9:10. Wandermere: 11 a.m., 1:40, 4:20, 7.