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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Films

Capsule reviews with star ratings are written by reviewers for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Opening today:

G-Force

The U.S. government dispatches a specially trained team of rodents to capture a mad billionaire. Running time: 1:28

Rating: PG (rude humor) Post Falls: 1:10, 3, 5:10, 7:10. River Park Square: 10:10 a.m., 11:10 a.m., 12:25, 1:45, 2:40, 3:55, 5, 6:10, 7:25, 8:30, 9:45. Riverstone: 12:20, 3:50, 7:30, 9:50. Spokane Valley Mall: 12:05, 2:30, 4:55, 7:20, 9:45. Village Centre: 10:40 a.m., 12:45, 3, 5:10, 7:15, 9:25.

G-Force in Disney Digital 3D

NorthTown Mall: 11:45 a.m., 2:15, 4:40, 7, 9:30. Riverstone: 11:45 a.m., 3:15, 7, 9:20. Village Centre: 10 a.m., 12:10, 2:20, 4:30, 6:45, 8:50.

Orphan

A woman suspects that her recently adopted daughter is behind a series of strange occurrences. Running time: 2:03

Rating: R (disturbing violent content, language, sexuality) NorthTown Mall: 1, 4:05, 7:15, 10:30. Post Falls: 12:45, 3:15, 5:40, 8:05. River Park Square: 12:50, 3:35. Riverstone: 12:45, 4:15, 7:40, 10:30. Spokane Valley Mall: 12:45, 4, 7:40, 10:30. Village Centre: 11:15 a.m., 1:50, 4:30, 7:10, 9:50.

The Ugly Truth

A chauvinist puts a romantically challenged producer (Katherine Heigl) through outrageous tests. Running time: 1:35

Rating: R (language, sexual content) NorthTown Mall: 12:15, 2:45, 5:15, 7:45, 10:05. Post Falls: 1, 3:10, 5:30, 7:35. River Park Square: 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 12:30, 1:30, 2:50, 3:50, 5:15, 6:45, 7:45, 9:15, 10:15. Riverstone: 12:15, 3:45, 7:10, 10:15. Spokane Valley Mall: noon, 2:20, 4:50, 7:15, 10:10. Village Centre: 10:10 a.m., 12:20, 2:40, 5, 7:20, 9:40.

Continuing:

Angels & Demons

••1/2 Ron Howard’s trimmer follow-up to his bulky “The Da Vinci Code” is a ticking-bomb thriller tightly wrapped in a papal plot and cinched in the ribbons of religion and science. With Tom Hanks as the symbologist teamed with a fetching physicist (Ayelet Zurer) to save the Vatican. Running time: 2:18

Rating: PG-13 (disturbing images, sequences of violence) Garland: 9:35.

Away We Go

••• Likable John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph co-star as expectant parents in this alterna-quirk comedy/drama in the spirit of “Garden State” and “Juno,” a shaggy story directed with unnecessary sharpness by Sam Mendes. Running time: 1:37

Rating: R (language, sexual content) River Park Square: 10:15 a.m., 12:45, 3:15, 5:40, 8.

The Big Lebowski

••• Confused for one of Los Angeles’ richest men, Jeff Lebowski (Jeff Bridges), better known as “The Dude,” gets involved in a kidnapping-extortion plot that ultimately leads to murder. Running time: 1:57

Rating: R (nudity, sexual content, drug use, language) Garland: midnight

Brüno

•• An audacious Austrian fashionista comes to America seeking celebrity and success. Packed with talking penises, celebrity ambushes and butt jokes galore, the latest provoc-umentary from Sacha Baron Cohen (“Borat,” “Ali G”) is a crude, cringeworthy and intermittently funny affair that triggers the gag reflex. Running time: 1:22

Rating: R (strong and crude sexual content, graphic nudity, language) NorthTown Mall: 9:45. River Park Square: 11:15 a.m., 1:25, 3:35, 5:45, 7:50, 10. Riverstone: 3:20, 9:35. Spokane Valley Mall: 10:15. Village Centre: 9:50.

Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk

A raft ride down the Colorado puts a spotlight on water conservation. Running time: 43

Rating: (dangerous and frightening situations, violence) IMAX (Riverfront Park): 11:30 a.m.

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) NorthTown Mall: 11:50 a.m., 2:25, 4:50, 7:55, 10:35. River Park Square: 11 a.m., 1:20, 3:45, 6:50, 9:25. Riverstone: 12:50, 4, 7:20, 10:05. Spokane Valley Mall: 12:40, 3, 5:25, 7:50, 10:20. Village Centre: 5, 7:20, 9:40.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Hogwarts students face attacks from Voldemort and their own rampaging hormones. Running time: 2:33

Rating: PG (language, mild sensuality, scary images, some violence) NorthTown Mall: noon, 12:45, 3:15, 3:55, 4:25, 6:45, 7:30, 8, 10:45. Post Falls: 1:05, 4:10, 7:25. River Park Square: 10:45 a.m., 11:15 a.m., 12:15, 1:30, 2:15, 3, 3:45, 5, 6:15, 7, 7:15, 8:20, 9:40, 10:10. Riverstone: 11:30 a.m., noon, 12:30, 1, 3, 3:30, 4:05, 4:35, 6:30, 6:55, 8, 9:30, 10:20. Spokane Valley Mall: 11:50 a.m., 12:15, 1, 3:30, 4:15, 6, 6:45, 7:30, 10, 10:45. Village Centre: 10 a.m., 11:20 a.m., noon, 1, 2:30, 3:10, 4, 5:40, 6:20, 7, 8:50, 9:30.

Hotel for Dogs

•• What Animal Planet is this from? Only casually related to the popular Lois Duncan novel about the youths who keep strays in an abandoned house, the film is about foster kids who hide pups in a condemned hotel they convert into a doggie theme park. With Emma Roberts, Jake T. Austin and Don Cheadle. Running time: 1:40

Rating: PG (language, crude humor) Garland: 9:30 a.m.

The Hurt Locker

Members (Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie) of an elite bomb squad pull hazardous duty in Iraq. Running time: 2:07

Rating: R (language, war violence) River Park Square: 10:30 a.m., 1:40, 4:35, 7:30, 10:15.

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

•• 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) NorthTown Mall: 12:30, 2:55, 5:20, 7:40, 10. Post Falls: 12:35, 2:50, 5:05, 7:15. River Park Square: 11:35 a.m., 1:50, 4:10, 6:35, 9. Riverstone: 12:10, 3:35, 6:45, 9:25. Spokane Valley Mall: 12:35, 2:50, 5:05, 7:25, 9:40. Village Centre: 11 a.m., 1:10, 3:20, 5:30, 7:45.

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs 3D

Village Centre: 10:20 a.m., 12:20, 4:40, 6:50, 9.

I Love You, Beth Cooper

•1/2 In this insipid teen comedy, “Superbad”-ded up with underage drinking and a little raunch, Chris Columbus directs unknown Paul Rust as an ubergeek high school grad who confesses his love for the cheerleader hottie (Hayden Panettiere) during his valedictory speech. No fun ensues. Running time: 1:42

Rating: PG-13 (violence, crude and sexual content, drug references, language, teen drinking) River Park Square: 11:20 a.m., 2:10.

Moon

••• Sam Rockwell gives a virtuoso performance as an astronaut alone on the moon, accompanied only by a robot (soothingly voiced by Kevin Spacey) and operating a mining enterprise for Earth, in this eerie near-futuretale from first-time filmmaker Duncan Jones (David Bowie’s son). A deceptively simple study of isolation, paranoia and the darker side of science. Running time: 1:37

Rating: R (language) River Park Square: 4:50, 7:15, 9:45.

My Sister’s Keeper

••1/2 A melodramatic adaptation of the Jodi Picoult bestseller about a young girl (Abigail Breslin, “Little Miss Sunshine”), her teenage sister stricken with leukemia, and the parents (Cameron Diaz, Jason Patric) doing everything they can to defy death. Bring Kleenex. Running time: 1:48

Rating: PG-13 (teen drinking, language, sensuality, disturbing images) NorthTown Mall: 11:35 a.m., 10:15. Riverstone: 9:55. Spokane Valley Mall: 3:05, 9:15.

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: 12:30, 5:05.

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) NorthTown Mall: 12:50, 4:15, 7:05, 9:40. River Park Square: 11:10 a.m., 2, 4:40, 7:20, 10. Riverstone: 11:55 a.m., 3:40, 7:35, 10:10. Spokane Valley Mall: 12:55, 3:25, 6:40, 9:30. Village Centre: 11:15 a.m., 1:45, 4, 6:30, 8:50.

Public Enemies

G-man Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) vows to nab notorious criminal John Dillinger (Johnny Depp). Running time: 2:20

Rating: R (gangster violence, language) NorthTown Mall: 12:25, 3:30, 6:40, 10:20. River Park Square: 10:10 a.m., 1:10, 4:10, 7:10. Riverstone: 11:35 a.m., 3:05, 6:40, 9:45. Spokane Valley Mall: 12:25, 3:20, 6:50, 9:50. Village Centre: 10:20 a.m., 1:10, 4, 6:50, 9:40.

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) Riverstone: 11:50 a.m., 6:35. Village Centre: 11:10 a.m., 1:40, 4:30, 7, 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) IMAX (Riverfront Park): 12:30, 3:45, 7, 10:15. NorthTown Mall: 11:30 a.m., 3, 6:30, 9:50. Post Falls: 12:40, 4, 7:20. River Park Square: 11:30 a.m., 2:50, 6:25, 9:40. Riverstone: 12:35, 4:25, 7:50. Spokane Valley Mall: 12:10, 3:35, 6:55, 10:25. Village Centre: 11:45 a.m., 3, 6:20, 9:30.

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) NorthTown Mall: 12:05, 2:30, 4:55, 7:20. River Park Square: 11:25 a.m., 2:05, 4:30, 7:05, 9:50. Spokane Valley Mall: 11:55 a.m., 2:45, 5:15, 7:45. Village Centre: 10:15 a.m., 12:30, 2:45.

Up in Disney Digital 3D

Village Centre: 2:20.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

•• Hugh Jackman revisits his X-Men role to show how Wolverine came into being in this meaningless mishmash of combat sequences, passable visual effects, Marvel Comics backstory and goofy Liev Schreiber-as-a-villain thespianizing. Running time: 1:48

Rating: PG-13 (language, sexual content) Garland: 2:45.