Movie Guide
Opening today:
Ashes of Time Redux
Described by the New York Times as a “rambling meditation on love and loss,” this director’s cut of Wong Kar Wai’s 1994 martial-arts epic stars some of China’s biggest stars. Running time: 1:33
Rating: R (violence) River Park Square: 11:55 a.m., 2:40, 5:30, 7:55, 10:10.
The Day the Earth Stood Still
An alien named Klaatu (Keanu Reeves) comes to Earth with a message for humankind: Change your wasteful ways … or else! Running time: 1:44
Rating: PG-13 Hayden: 1:30, 4, 6:30, 8:50. IMAX (Riverfront Park): 12:20, 2:45, 5:10, 7:35, 10:05. NorthTown Mall: 11:45 a.m., 12:20, 2:15, 2:50, 4:45, 5:20, 7:15, 7:50, 9:45, 10:20. Post Falls: 1, 3:30, 6:05, 8:20. River Park Square: 10:45 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:45, 1:30, 2:15, 3:30, 4:15, 5, 6:30, 7, 7:45, 9:15, 9:45, 10:15. Riverstone: 11:30 a.m., noon, 1:30, 3:30, 4, 4:30, 6:30, 7, 7:30, 9:30, 10, 10:30. Spokane Valley Mall: 11 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:40, 2:10, 4:20, 4:50, 7, 7:30, 9:40, 10:10. Village Centre: 11:40 a.m., 12:20, 2, 2:40, 4:20, 5, 6:40, 7:20, 9, 9:40.
Delgo
Two races of beings, former enemies, again battle for supremacy, leaving only a teen boy (voice by Freddie Prinze Jr.) and his friends to stop the violence. Running time: 1:30
Rating: PG (violence) NorthTown Mall: 12:15, 2:25, 4:35, 6:45, 9. River Park Square: 11:50 a.m., 2:05, 4:30, 7, 9:10. Riverstone: 11:15 a.m., 1:35, 3:55, 6:55, 9:25. Spokane Valley Mall: 11:15 a.m., 1:45, 4:10, 6:35, 9:25. Village Centre: 11 a.m., 1, 3, 5, 7, 8:50.
Milk
Sean Penn portrays Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, whose work was cut short by troubled Dan White (Josh Brolin). Running time: 2:08
Rating: R (violence, language, sexual content) River Park Square: 10:45 a.m., 1:40, 4:30, 7:30, 10:15.
Nothing Like the Holidays
A Chicago family gathers for what may be its last Christmas celebration when the mother (Elizabeth Pena) announces that she is divorcing her womanizing husband (Alfred Molina). Running time: 1:38
Rating: PG-13 (drug references, sexual dialogue) River Park Square: 11:20 a.m., 2, 4:45, 7:20, 10:05. Spokane Valley Mall: 1:20, 4, 7:10, 10.
Continuing:
Australia
••1/2 Baz Luhrman’s epic film has all the sweep of a Broadway musical and just as many clichés, both visual and thematic. Set in the years leading up to World War II, it also boasts at least two storylines too many. Running time: 2:45
Rating: PG-13 (sensuality, language, violence) Hayden: 12:45, 4:15, 7:45. NorthTown Mall: 1, 6:05, 9:30. Post Falls: 12:30, 4, 7:30. River Park Square: 11:10 a.m., 12:30, 2:40, 4:15, 6:15, 7:50, 9:45. Riverstone: 12:10, 4:15, 8. Spokane Valley Mall: 12:40, 4:15, 7:50. Village Centre: 11:15 a.m., 2:30, 6:15, 9:30.
Bolt
••• Though he’s just a star in a television show, intrepid pooch Bolt (voice by John Travolta) thinks he’s an actual superdog. After getting loose, he works his way back to the human girl (Miley Cyrus) who loves him, learning lessons on the way. Magical Pixar production lacks only a sense of originality. Running time: 1:36
Rating: PG (peril) Hayden: 12:55, 3, 5:05, 7:15, 9:20. NorthTown Mall: 12:05. Post Falls: 12:35, 2:35, 4:35, 6:35. River Park Square: 11:15 a.m., 1:50, 4:25, 6:40, 9:10. Riverstone: 1:25, 4:10. Spokane Valley Mall: 1, 3:45, 6:45, 9:30. Village Centre: 11:30 a.m., 12:30, 1:50, 3, 4:15, 5:10, 6:30, 7:25, 9:30.
Bolt in Disney Digital 3D
NorthTown Mall: 11:40 a.m., 2:05, 4:25, 7, 9:20. Riverstone: 11 a.m., 1:45, 4:20, 7:15, 9:50.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
A Jewish boy and the son of a concentration camp commander are friends despite a separating fence. Running time: 1:34
Rating: PG-13 (involving the holocaust) River Park Square: 11:40 a.m., 2:50, 5:20, 8, 10:10. Riverstone: 11:55 a.m., 4:25, 7:05, 9:45.
The Dark Knight
•••1/2 Heath Ledger buoys Christopher Nolan’s feature film that has the Batman (Christian Bale) trying to aid a new prosecutor (Aaron Eckhart) in their common fight against the murderous Joker (Ledger).Running time: 2:32
Rating: PG-13 (violence, menace) Garland: 7.
Fireproof
A firefighter (Kirk Cameron) tries to save his struggling marriage. Running time: 2:02
Rating: PG (peril) Village Centre: 1:45, 6:15.
Four Christmases
•• Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn star in this comedy about a couple doomed to spend Christmas with their divorced parents. There are as many laughs evoked as lessons learned, but none are particularly inspired. Or inspiring. Running time: 1:28
Rating: PG-13 (language, sexual humor) Hayden: 1:25, 3:25, 5:25, 7:25, 9:25. NorthTown Mall: 12:10, 2:20, 4:50, 7:10, 9:40. Post Falls: 12:45, 2:45, 4:45, 6:45, 8:45. River Park Square: 11 a.m., 11:45 a.m., 1:45, 2:30, 4:15, 5:10, 6:40, 7:30, 9, 9:50. Riverstone: 11:45 a.m., 2:15, 4:45, 7:45, 10:15. Spokane Valley Mall: 2, 4:30, 7:20, 10:05. Village Centre: 11:30 a.m., 12:45, 1:30, 2:50, 3:40, 5, 5:45, 7:10, 7:45, 9:10, 9:40.
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
••• Taking up where the 2005 original left off, our heroes – a lion (voice by Ben Stiller) and his New York Zoo friends – crashland in their Africa homeland. Cute and cuddly as a wildebeest baby. Running time: 1:28
Rating: PG (crude humor) Hayden: 1:10, 3:10, 5:10, 7:05. IMAX (Riverfront Park): 10:30 a.m. NorthTown Mall: 11:50 a.m., 2, 4:15, 6:30, 8:55. Post Falls: 12:50, 2:50. River Park Square: 11:45 a.m., 1:55, 4:10, 6:35, 9:05. Riverstone: 11:25 a.m., 1:50, 4:05, 6:40, 9:35. Spokane Valley Mall: 1:15, 3:55, 6:30, 9:20. Village Centre: 12:30, 2:40, 4:50, 6:50, 8:50.
Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist
••• Two New York high-schoolers (Michael Cera, Kat Dinnings) meet cute, then spend a night trying to help a drunk girl, find a secretive band’s concert site and, in the process, fall in love. Not as cute as “Juno” but still enjoyable in the same general genre. Running time: 1:29
Rating: PG-13 (crude behavior, language, sexuality, teen drinking) Garland: 5:05.
Pineapple Express
•• When a stoner process server (Seth Rogen) witnesses a murder, he and his dealer (James Franco) go on the run. A Cheech and Chong update, the film is never as funny as its two protagonists. Running time: 1:52
Rating: R (drug use, language, sexual references, violence) Garland: 9:50.
Punisher: War Zone
After killing hundreds of mobsters, vigilante Frank Castle finds himself the target both of the disfigured villain Jigsaw (Dominic West) and the FBI. Running time: 1:47
Rating: R (language, violence, drug use) Hayden: 9. NorthTown Mall: 11:55 a.m., 2:40, 5:10, 7:40, 10:15. River Park Square: 11:10 a.m., 1:35, 4:05, 7:05, 9:35. Riverstone: 11:05 a.m., 1:55, 4:40, 7:35, 10:20. Spokane Valley Mall: 3:50, 9:50. Village Centre: noon, 2:20, 4:40, 7, 9:20.
Quantum of Solace
••1/2 Our man 007 (Daniel Craig) tracks down the killers of his lover (see “Casino Royale”), at times going against his own agency and boss (Judi Dench as M). Craig is fine, but too much action tends to makes Bond a dull boy. Running time: 1:45
Rating: PG-13 (action, violence, sexual content) NorthTown Mall: noon, 2:35, 5:05, 7:35, 10:05. Post Falls: 8:35. River Park Square: 10:50 a.m., 1:30, 4:35, 7:10, 9:55. Riverstone: 11:10 a.m., 2:05, 4:50, 7:25, 10:05. Spokane Valley Mall: 12:50, 3:30, 6:50, 9:35. Village Centre: 11:40 a.m., 2:10, 4:40, 7:10, 9, 9:35.
Role Models
••1/2 Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott team up as two guys who, to avoid going to jail, must do community service as mentors to two troubled kids. A formulaic feel-good climax spoils this distinctly non-PC laugh-fest. Running time: 1:39
Rating: R (crude and sexual content, nudity, language) NorthTown Mall: 2:30, 4:55, 7:25, 9:55. River Park Square: 11 a.m., 1:15, 3:45, 6:35, 9:05. Riverstone: 11 a.m., 6:50, 9:40. Spokane Valley Mall: 1:30, 4:25, 7:15, 9:55.
Transporter 3
Frank Martin (Jason Statham) becomes involved with the daughter of a Ukrainian official. Running time: 1:45
Rating: PG-13 (drug material, violence, sexual content) NorthTown Mall: 12:35, 3, 5:25, 7:45, 10:10. Post Falls: 12:25, 2:25, 4:25, 6:25, 8:25. River Park Square: 11:15 a.m., 1:45, 4:10, 6:55, 9:25. Riverstone: 11:20 a.m., 2, 4:35, 7:10, 9:55. Spokane Valley Mall: 1:10, 6:55. Village Centre: 12:15, 2:30, 4:30, 6:45, 9:10.
Twilight
A teen (Kristen Stewart) is caught up in an unorthodox romance with a vampire (Robert Pattinson). Running time: 2:00
Rating: PG-13 (sensuality, violence) NorthTown Mall: 12:25, 3:15, 6:15, 9:15. Post Falls: 5:45, 8:20. River Park Square: 10:55 a.m., 1:35, 4:40, 7:15, 10. Riverstone: 1:20, 4:10, 7:20, 10:10. Spokane Valley Mall: 12:30, 3:40, 6:40, 9:45. Village Centre: 10:50 a.m., 12:45, 3:30, 4:30, 7:20, 9:10, 9:45.
Zack and Miri Make a Porno
••• When they can’t come up with money for their rent, roommates Zack (Seth Rogen) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks) recruit a bunch of friends to make a porn film. Like most all Smith efforts, this movie is profane, full of nudity and filthy jokes … and it’s hilarious. Running time: 1:41 Rating: R (dialogue, graphic nudity, language, crude sexual content) River Park Square: 11:30 a.m., 1:55, 4:20, 6:50.