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

Films

Kate Beckinsale stars in the thriller, “Whiteout.” Warner Bros. (Warner Bros. / The Spokesman-Review)

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

Opening today:

Sorority Row

A killer threatens to expose the fatal secret binding a group of sorority sisters. Running time: 1:41 Rating: R (language, partying, sexuality/nudity, bloody violence)

NorthTown Mall: 1:50, 5:15, 8, 10:30. Post Falls: 1:15, 3:35, 5:40, 7:45. River Park Square: 11:55 a.m., 2:20, 4:50, 7:15, 9:55. Riverstone: 1:30, 4:30, 7:45, 10:15. Spokane Valley Mall: 12:05, 2:30, 4:55, 7:20, 9:55. Village Centre: 12:30, 2:45, 5, 7:15, 9:30.

Tyler Perry’s I Can Do Bad All By Myself

Madea (Tyler Perry) and a Mexican immigrant give a boozy singer an attitude adjustment. Running time: 1:53 Rating: PG-13 (drug references, sexual assault of a child, violence) NorthTown Mall: 1:25, 4:15, 7, 9:45. River Park Square: 11 a.m., 1:30, 4:15, 6:55, 9:40.

Whiteout

The only U.S. Marshal assigned to Antarctica (Kate Beckinsale) has just three days to solve a murder. Running time: 1:41 Rating: R (language, grisly images, nudity, violence)

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

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)

Hayden: 1:20, 3:40, 6:20, 8:30. River Park Square: 11:15 a.m., 1:35, 4:05, 6:30, 9:15.

9

A sentient rag doll (Elijah Wood) emerges as a leader in a post-apocalyptic world. Running time: 1:19 Rating: PG-13 (scary images, violence)

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

All About Steve

•1/2 Not really about Steve, but about Mary (Sandra Bullock), an insufferably kooky crossword puzzle constructor who starts stalking the news-cameraman title character (Bradley Cooper) across the country. Strained screwball comedy ensues. Running time: 1:39 Rating: PG-13 (innuendo, sexual content) NorthTown Mall: 1:10, 3:40, 7:15, 9:55. River Park Square: 11:40 a.m., 2:05, 4:25, 6:50, 9:15. Riverstone: 1:40, 4:25, 7:10, 9:40. Spokane Valley Mall: 12:25, 2:45, 5:05, 7:15, 9:35. Village Centre: 12:15, 2:30, 4:45, 7, 9:20.

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): 1, 3, 5.

District 9

South Africa assigns a restricted area for extraterrestrial refugees. Running time: 1:51 Rating: R (bloody violence, language)

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

Extract

••1/2 Mike Judge’s minimalist satire stars Jason Bateman as a factory owner facing problems at work, and with his marriage. A comedy at cross purposes, smarter than most, but not necessarily funnier. With Ben Affleck, Mila Kunis and Kristen Wiig. Running time: 1:31 Rating: R (language, sexual references, drug use)

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

The Final Destination

Horrible fates await friends who narrowly escaped death during a horrific racecar crash. Running time: 1:22 Rating: R (violent and gruesome accidents, sexuality, language)

River Park Square: 11:30 a.m., 1:45, 4:10, 6:40, 9:10.

The Final Destination 3D: NorthTown Mall: 12:50, 2:55, 5:10, 7:20, 9:40. Riverstone: 1:45, 4:15, 7:15, 9:30. Village Centre: 11:20 a.m., 1:20, 3:20, 5:20, 7:20, 9:20.

Forces of Nature

••• Natural disasters are the focus of this IMAX film, namely volcanoes, earthquakes and tornadoes. Never has the power of a volcanic eruption seemed more in-your-face awesome. Running time: :40 Rating: not rated

IMAX (Riverfront Park): noon, 2, 4.

G-Force

•• Disney’s 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)

Post Falls: 1:55, 3:55, 5:55, 7:55.

G-Force in Disney Digital 3D: Village Centre: 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 (mayhem, violence)

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

Gamer

A death-row inmate (Gerard Butler) must battle other prisoners in a weekly online game. Running time: 1:35 Rating: R (language, nudity, sexual content, brutal violence)

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

Halloween II

Unstoppable Michael Myers (Tyler Mane) continues his murderous rampage in Haddonfield. Running time: 1:45 Rating: R (crude sexual humor, language, sexuality)

River Park Square: 11:20 a.m., 1:50, 4:30, 7, 9:35. Riverstone: 9:45 a.m.. Spokane Valley Mall: 9:25.

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: 1:50, 4:35, 7:20. Village Centre: 7:45, 9:50.

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

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.

In the Loop

Opportunistic British and American bureaucrats jockey for position as the U.S. prepares for war. Running time: 1:46 Rating: Not rated

Magic Lantern: 6, 8, 9:50.

Inglourious Basterds

•• Quentin Tarantino’s tonally schizoid Jewish revenge fantasy rewrites World War II history to give Brad Pitt and company a chance to do a lot of jive riffing, while the movie mashes up the combat exploits of the “Dirty Dozen,” the madcap slapstick of “Duck Soup” and “Hostel” gore. Running time: 2:32 Rating: R (sexuality, language, graphic violence)

Hayden: 1:30, 5:10, 8:10. NorthTown Mall: 12:35, 3:50, 7:05, 10:20. Post Falls: 7:05. River Park Square: 11 a.m., 1:30, 2:25, 5, 6:15, 8:30, 9:40. Riverstone: 1:05, 4:25, 8. Spokane Valley Mall: 2, 6, 9:15. Village Centre: 12:10, 3:10, 6:15, 9:15.

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

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

Hayden: 1:35, 3:50. Post Falls: 1:45, 3:45, 5:45, 7:45. River Park Square: 11:10 a.m., 1:35, 4:05, 6:30, 9.

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, 9:50. Riverstone: 1:20, 3:55, 6:40, 9:20.

The Room

A quirky black comedy about love, passion, betrayal and lies. Running time: 1:39 Rating: R (sexuality, language and brief violence)

Magic Lantern: 10:20

Shorts

••1/2 In this kiddie comedy, a young boy discovers a mysterious rock that grants his every wish – in other words, a disaster waiting to happen. The movie gets off to a great start but eventually loses steam. With Jon Cryer and Leslie Mann. Running time: 1:29

Rating: PG (rude humor) Post Falls: 1:20, 3:20, 5:10. Spokane Valley Mall: 11:55 a.m., 2:30. Village Centre: 11:40 a.m.

The Song of Sparrows

City life erodes the kindness and generosity of a former ostrich farmer (Reza Naji). Running time: 1:36

Rating: PG (language) Magic Lantern: 6:30, 8:30.

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: 9:55.

Taking Woodstock

••• The fabled festival as seen through the blinkered eyes of Elliot Teichberg (Demetri Martin), the real-life guy who hooked up concert promoters with the permit they needed. With Eugene Levy, Liev Screiber, Imelda Staunton and Henry Goodman. Running time: 2:00 Rating: R (drug use, graphic nudity, language, sexual content)

Hayden: 6:15, 8:45. River Park Square: 2:40, 6:45, 9:30.

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 six. Remarkably dull for such a wild, woolly idea. Running time: 1:47 Rating: PG-13 (disturbing images, nudity, sexuality)

Hayden: 1:45, 4:05, 6:25, 8:50. Post Falls: 1:30, 3:35, 5:40, 7:40. River Park Square: 11:20 a.m., 1:55, 4:35, 7:15, 9:50. Riverstone: 1:35, 4:20, 6:55, 9:35. Spokane Valley Mall: 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 and language)

Garland: 5:05.