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| Opening today: Aeon Flux Four centuries into the future, in the world’s only remaining city, a secret operative named Aeon Flux (Charlize Theron) is sent to assassinate a government leader and, in the process, discovers a bushel basket of secrets. | Running time: 1:35 Rating: PG-13 (sequences of violence, sexual content) | NorthTown Mall: 12:20, 2:35, 4:55, 7:20, 9:40. River Park Square: 2:30, 5:20, 7:50, 10:20. Spokane Valley Mall: 1:50, 4:20, 7:10, 10:20. Riverstone (Coeur d’Alene): 12:10, 2:40, 5:15, 7:45, 10:10. Post Falls: 12:35, 3:25, 6:05, 8. |
| Christmas in the Clouds When the staff of a Native American-owned ski resort prepares for a visit by an anonymous reviewer, the manager’s dad expects a visit from a female pen pal whom he’s never met – and a case of mistaken identity provides some holiday fun. | Running time: 1:36 Rating: PG (mild sexual content, language) | The Met: 5:30 and 8 on Tuesday through Dec. 9. |
| First Descent A half dozen snowboarders do a bunch of steep slopes, showing the thrill – and danger – of what they do. | Running time: 1:50 Rating: PG-13 (brief strong language, brief drug reference) | River Park Square: 1, 3:35, 6:55, 9:35. |
| Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang Fleeing the site of a bungled robbery, a small-time hood (Robert Downey Jr.) stumbles into an acting audition and gets the part – playing a thief. | Running time: 1:42 Rating: R (language, violence, sexuality/nudity) | River Park Square: 2:10, 4:45, 7:20, 9:50. |
| No Pain, No Gain A small-town bodybuilder (Gus Malliarodakis) uses natural techniques, augmented by a lot of gym time, to challenge a muscle-bound roid-head named Jake Steel (Dennis Newman). | Running time: 2:00 Rating: Not rated | NorthTown Mall: 3 p.m. Saturday only. |
| Continuing: Capote •••1/2 In the last years of his life, the writer Truman Capote was a mess – dazed by too much alcohol, too many drugs and, ultimately, either too much or too little attention. In this bio-pic, based on the book written by Gerald Clarke, director Bennet Miller documents the supposed start of that slide – the years that Capote spent researching and writing his nonfiction masterpiece, “In Cold Blood.” It begins in 1959 and ends in 1965, with Capote well on his way to alienation and, ultimately, rejection by the very socialite crowd that he so desperately wanted to join. | Running time: 1:38 Rating: R (violent images, brief strong language) | River Park Square: 7:25, 10:05. |
| Chicken Little ••• It’s an old story: Chicken Little (voice by Zach Braff) scares the scat out of his town by telling them that the sky is falling. Right. When he can’t prove it, everyone loses faith him except for his three friends, Abby Mallard (Joan Cusack), Runt of the Litter (Steve Zahn) and Fish Out of Water (Dan Molina). Worst of all, Chicken Little loses the trust of his father, Buck Cluck (Garry Marshall). When he finds out the secret of the falling sky, again no one believes him. | Running time: 1:28 Rating: G | NorthTown Mall: 12:45, 2:55, 5:20, 7:45, 9:50. River Park Square: 2, 4:10, 6:20, 8:40. Spokane Valley Mall: 1:40, 4, 6:30, 9:20. Riverstone (Coeur d’Alene): 12:35, 2:50, 5:05, 7:35, 9:45. Post Falls: 1:20, 3:05, 4:45, 6:30. |
| Derailed •• On the surface, this dark-themed film seems to have a lot in common with the films noir of the 1940s and ‘50s. But then you notice the strings being pulled Hollywood-style, and everything falls pretty much apart. The plot involves a regular guy (Clive Owen), facing a litany of pressures in his everyday life, who is tempted to cheat on his wife (Melissa George) when he meets an attractive woman (Jennifer Aniston) on the commuter train. But their quickie affair is interrupted by violent hood (Vincent Cassel) who proceeds to blackmail him. | Running time: 1:50 Rating: R (strong disturbing violence, language, sexuality) | NorthTown Mall: 12:10, 2:40, 5:05, 7:40, 10:10. River Park Square: 2:25, 5, 7:40, 10:10. Spokane Valley Mall: 1:15, 6:55. Riverstone (Coeur d’Alene): 12:55, 4:05, 6:50, 9:35. |
| Flightplan When a woman (Jodie Foster) loses her young daughter on an overnight flight, the crew begins to think that she’s imagined the whole thing. And then she gets violent. | Running time: 1:33 Rating: PG-13 (violence, some intense plot material) | Garland: 7. |
| Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag This IMAX film follows the exploits of an Air Force officer as he strives to survive Red Flag, an elite training exercise aimed at giving fighter pilots the skills they need to survive air-to-air combat. | Running time: :48 Rating: Not rated | IMAX (Riverfront Park): 5:40. |
| The 40-Year-Old Virgin ••• At age 40, Andy (Steve Carell) is a virgin who works in the stock room of a chain electronics store, watches “Survivor” with his upstairs neighbor and paints (and repaints) the collectible models that line the walls of his apartment. When a trio of his co-workers (Paul Rudd, Romany Malco, Seth Rogen) discover his secret they take it upon themselves to “fix” things. | Running time: 1:56 Rating: R (pervasive sexual content, language, drug use) | Garland: 9:10 a.m. |
| Get Rich or Die Tryin’ Curtis Jackson, better known as the hip-hop star 50 Cent, stars as a street gangsta who turns his back on the hood to pursue a career as a rapper. | Running time: 2:14 Rating: R (strong violence, pervasive language, drug content, sexuality, nudity) | River Park Square: 10:25 a.m. |
| Good Night, and Good Luck •••• In 1954, when the Red Scare still had the power to intimidate even the seemingly powerful, broadcast legend Edward R. Murrow (David Strathairn) and his staff at CBS News decided to do a story on the notorious practices of red-baiting U.S. Sen. Joseph McCarthy. Their decision ended up being resisted not only by the McCarthy camp but also from the network ownership (Frank Langella plays CBS president William Paley). Actor/director/activist George Clooney co-wrote the script. Most importantly, he makes sure that his film is a plea not for the nation to adopt Liberal views but to be wary of any cultural sway that causes a creeping, numbing kind of fear among Americans, whether the perceived threat be Communism – or Terrorism. | Running time: 1:33 Rating: PG (language) | River Park Square: 2:15, 5:05, 7:30, 9:55. |
| Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire •••This fourth segment of now-adolescent Harry Potter’s story, while arguably the best made, is also the most gruesome, and dark, what with giant snakes and savage dragons and a rejuvenated Lord Voldemort who is intent on destroying the only person ever to escape his deadly clutches – namely, our young Potter (Daniel Radcliffe). But perhaps even more disturbing to Harry is the threat that we’ve all faced: teen ostracism. | Running time: 2:36 Rating: PG-13 (sequences of fantasy violence, frightening images) | IMAX (Riverfront Park): 11 a.m., 2:50, 6:40, 10. NorthTown Mall: 11:45 a.m., 12:15, 12:50, 3:05, 3:50, 4:25, 6:25, 8, 9:45. River Park Square: noon, 12:30, 2:45, 3:20, 3:50, 6:15, 6:45, 7:15, 9:45, 10:15. Spokane Valley Mall: 11:45 a.m., 12:30, 1, 3:20, 4:10, 4:40, 7, 8, 10:30. Riverstone (Coeur d’Alene): noon, 12:30, 1, 3:30, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9:30, 10:30. Post Falls: 12:40, 1:10, 3:45, 6:20, 6:50. |
| Ice Harvest ••1/2 John Cusack stars as a lawyer, tempted by a suitcase full of cash and a sexy beauty (Connie Nielsen). He has the know-how, while his partner in crime (played by Billy Bob Thornton) has the cojones to rip off the local mob boss (Randy Quaid). And the whole tale is set on an icy Christmas Eve, which gives the whole thing an even dirtier feel than it normally would. | Running time: 1:28 Rating: R (violence, language, sexuality/nudity) | River Park Square: 12:45, 3:10, 5:30, 7:55, 10:25. Spokane Valley Mall: 2, 5, 7:40, 10:10. Riverstone (Coeur d’Alene): 12:05, 2:30, 4:50, 7:30, 10:25. |
| In the Mix When Darrell (Usher) saves the life of a mob boss (Palminteri), he’s brought into the crime family’s fold and given a job protecting the don’s daughter (Chriqui). Complications arise when the two fall in love despite their different backgrounds. | Running time: 1:37 Rating: PG-13 (sexual content, violence, language) | River Park Square: 2:40, 5:10, 7:45, 10. Spokane Valley Mall: 8:05, 10:25. |
| Jarhead ••1/2 Jake Gyllenhaal stars in Sam Mendes’ adaptation of Anthony Swofford’s best-selling memoir of his being a U.S. Marine sniper in the Gulf War. It follows Swofford’s progression from Marine recruit to Gulf War warrior. And as Swofford’s book does, the film ends up being a look at Marine life as the individual members of his platoon wait and wait some more for the battle to being – a battle that carries with it the potential of death. | Running time: 1:57 Rating: R (violence, gore, nudity, sexual situations, strong language) | River Park Square: 1:30, 4:15, 7:05, 10. Spokane Valley Mall: 4:05, 9:40. Riverstone (Coeur d’Alene): 7:05, 10. |
| Just Friends A guy (Ryan Reynolds), no longer the fat boy he was in high school, tries to impress the girl (Amy Smart) whom he has always loved, only he keeps bumbling things up. | Running time: 1:28 Rating: PG-13 (sexual content, including dialogue) | NorthTown Mall: 12:25, 2:45, 5, 7:15, 9:30. River Park Square: 1:45, 4:35, 7:20, 9:55. Spokane Valley Mall: 12:15, 3:50, 7:30, 10. Riverstone (Coeur d’Alene): 11:55 a.m., 2:25, 4:45, 7:20, 9:40. |
| The Legend of Zorro •• When villains pose a threat to California’s pending statehood, adventure-loving Alejandro de la Vega (Antonio Banderas) again becomes Zorro – threatening his marriage to Elena (Catherine Zeta-Jones). | Running time: 2:10 Rating: PG (sequences of violence/peril, action, language) | NorthTown Mall: 7:10, 10:05. Spokane Valley Mall: noon, 6:50. Riverstone (Coeur d’Alene): 12:40, 3:40, 6:40, 9:55. |
| Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon Combining a CGI duplicated lunar landscape, real photos and footage previously unreleased by NASA, this IMAX 3D film is based on the experiences of the 12 men who have walked on the moon’s surface. | Running time: :40 Rating: Not rated | IMAX (Riverfront Park): 1:50. |
| Pride and Prejudice •••1/2 If you’re tired of Keira Knightley, then you need to see her in this newest adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel about a young woman’s attempts to help her family while pursuing her own feelings for true love. Boasting a spirit that can’t be dampened either by the surly nature of a studly nobleman named Darcy (Matthew MacFayden), by the insulting insinuations of the nobleman’s haughty aunt (Judi Dench) or even her own humble family, Knightley’s Lizzie is a true force of nature – both giggly and greatly poised when it’s called for. | Running time: 2:07 Rating: PG (mild thematic elements) | NorthTown Mall: 12:40, 4, 6:50, 9:55. River Park Square: 12:15, 3:45, 7:05, 10:05. |
| Rent •••1/2 Jonathan Larson’s “Rent” was an immediate sensation on Broadway, taking Puccini’s opera “La Boheme” as a framework to tell the story of homelessness, heroin addiction and, most of all, AIDS in late 1980s New York. It centers on eight individuals, each with his or her own story of struggle, from Roger’s (Adam Pascal) struggle to write one song before he dies, of his roommate Mark’s (Anthony Rapp) being caught between his former girlfriend (Idina Menzel) and the documentary he wants to make, of the love affair between the drag queen Angel (Wilson Jermaine Heredia) and the sometime college professor Collins (Jesse L. Martin) and of Mimi’s (Rosario Dawson) struggle between her love for Roger and her addiction to H. | Running time: 2:15 Rating: PG-13 (mature thematic material involving drugs, sexuality, some strong language) | NorthTown Mall: 12:30, 3:30, 6:30, 9:25. River Park Square: 12:50, 4:05, 7:15, 10:10. Spokane Valley Mall: 1:20, 4:30, 7:50. Riverstone (Coeur d’Alene): 12:50, 3:55, 7:10, 10:15. |
| Rocky Horror Picture Show •••1/2 Long out on video, it remains best enjoyed in the dramatic environment of a movie theater. Only there can you truly get into the performances of Barry Bostwick, Susan Sarandon, (yes, the Oscar-winning actress) and composer-songwriter Richard O’Brien. Tim Curry’s over-the-top characterization of Dr. Frank N. Furter is one of the all-time greats and O’Brien’s rock score is stirring. But it’s the toilet-paper-throwing, squirt-gun-soaking audience that makes this an experience. | Running time: 1:38 Rating: R | Garland: midnight. |
| Saw II Jigsaw locks a few unlucky people in a booby-trapped shelter; they must find a way out before they inhale too much of a lethal nerve gas and die. But they must watch out, for the traps Jigsaw has set in the shelter lead to death also. | Running time: 1:31 Rating: R (grisly violence, gore, terror, language, drug content) | NorthTown Mall: 7:25, 9:35. |
| Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride ••• When a man, practicing for his impending marriage, places a ring mistakenly on the finger of a corpse, she comes alive and claims to be his legal bride. Co-directed by Tim Burton and Mike Johnson, this animated film features the voices of Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter and Emily Watson. | Running time: 1:26 Rating: PG (scary images/action, brief mild language) | Garland: 5:15. |
| Walk the Line •••1/2 Joaquin Phoenix plays Johnny Cash, in this bio-pic about Cash’s rise from being the son of a cotton farmer to becoming “the man in black” and one of Sun Records’ original recording stars and on through his years of troubled behavior and drug addiction. Reese Witherspoon stars as the woman, June Carter, with whom Cash will fall in love. Considering that both Phoenix and Witherspoon sang their own songs, and sang them well, the whole project is a surprising achievement. | Running time: 2:16 Rating: PG-13 (language, thematic material, depiction of drug dependency) | NorthTown Mall: noon, 3, 7:05, 10. River Park Square: 12:10, 12:40, 3:15, 3:55, 6:25, 7:10, 9:30, 10:20. Spokane Valley Mall: 1:30, 4:50, 8:10. Riverstone (Coeur d’Alene): 12:20, 1:05, 3:35, 4:10, 6:45, 7:15, 9:50, 10:20. Post Falls: 1:15, 4, 6:40. |
| Yours, Mine and Ours Confusion, and life lessons, result when a widower (Dennis Quaid) with eight kids hooks up with a widowed mother of 10 (Rene Russo). | Running time: 1:30 Rating: PG (mild crude humor) | NorthTown Mall: 12:05, 2:15, 4:20, 6:35, 9:20. River Park Square: 12:20, 1:15, 3, 3:40, 5:15, 6:30, 7:25, 9, 9:40. Spokane Valley Mall: 1:10, 3:30, 6:40, 9:30. Riverstone (Coeur d’Alene): 12:25, 2:45, 5:10, 7:40, 10:05. Post Falls: 1, 3:10, 6:15, 8:05. |
| Zathura ••1/2 Director Jon Favreau, working from a script written by David Koepp among others, tells the story of two young brothers who are drawn into an intergalactic adventure when their house is magically hurtled through space. | Running time: 1:53 Rating: PG (fantasy action, peril, language) | NorthTown Mall: 11:55 a.m., 2:20, 4:45. River Park Square: 1:05, 3:50. Spokane Valley Mall: 3:40, 9:50. Riverstone (Coeur d’Alene): 1:10, 3:45. Post Falls: 4:10. |