Films

Fri., July 3, 2009

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

Opening today:

Whatever Works

Sparks fly when an eccentric New Yorker (Larry David) meets a Southern gal and her family. Running time: 1:32

Rating: PG-13 (nudity, sexual situations) River Park Square: 11:35 a.m., 1:45, 3:55, 6:40, 9:15.

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, violence) River Park Square: 3, 9:20.

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: 11:25 a.m., 1:55, 4:35, 7:10, 9:45.

Coraline

•••1/2 A spunky young girl, unhappy with her parents, is lured into the world of her “other parents” but finds that something too good to be true often is. Running time: 1:40

Rating: PG (scary images, language, suggestive humor) Garland: 9:30 a.m.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Johnny Depp portrays gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson in this Terry Gilliam adaptation of Thompson’s best-selling book about his drug-addled alter-ego – Raoul Duke – covering both a motorcycle race and a convention of district attorneys. Running time: 1:59

Rating: R (extreme drug use and related bizarre behavior, language, nudity) Garland: midnight

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past

••1/2 A “Christmas Carol” update with Matthew McConaughey as a heartbreaker who behaves badly because he’s protecting a fragile heart and Jennifer Garner as the one gal who’s onto him. An average rom-com, a better-than-average McConaughey movie. Running time: 1:40

Rating: PG-13 (drug reference, sexual content, language) Garland: 10.

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

Hannah Montana: The Movie

••• Miley Cyrus as brunette Miley Stewart, by day a stuttering, accident-prone high-schooler, by night (under a Barbie blond wig) a strutting pop princess. Can down-home girl co-exist with an upbeat celebrat? Mildly diverting for parents, a three-star entertainment for their spawn. Running time: 1:32

Rating: G Garland: noon.

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

Manny, Diego and the gang encounter dinosaurs during a mission to rescue Sid (John Leguizamo) .Running time: 1:34

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

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs 3D

NorthTown Mall: 10:30 a.m., 1:05, 3:50, 6:45, 9:30. Riverstone: 12:50, 3:35, 7:10, 9:45. Village Centre: 10:20 a.m., 12:40, 2:50, 5, 7:10, 9:20.

Land of the Lost

•• Will Ferrell stars in this lavish Hollywood redo of the cheesy ’70s TV show about three Earthlings transported to a planet of dinosaurs and walking reptiles called Sleestaks. Knuckleheaded comedy ensues. Running time: 1:42

Rating: PG-13 (drug reference, crude and sexual content, language) Garland: 5:55.

Monsters vs. Aliens

••• This goofy computer-animated romp is an amicable amalgam of the vintage sci-fi schlock “Attack of the 50 Foot Woman” and Pixar’s “Monsters Inc.” With the voices of Reese Witherspoon, Seth Rogen and Kiefer Sutherland. Running time: 1:34

Rating: PG (language, crude humor) Garland: 4:05.

My Sister’s Keeper

A girl who was conceived as a bone-marrow donor for her gravely ill sister sues her parents. Running time: 1:48

Rating: PG-13 (teen drinking, language, sensuality, disturbing images) NorthTown Mall: 12:25, 3:55, 6:40, 10:25. River Park Square: 11:10 a.m., 1:50, 4:50, 7:35, 10:10. Riverstone: 12:35, 3:55, 6:50, 9:40. Spokane Valley Mall: 11:55 a.m., 2:25, 4:55, 7:25, 9:55. Village Centre: 11:30 a.m., 2, 4:30, 7, 9:25.

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) Post Falls: 12:45, 3:05. Village Centre: 10:15 a.m., 12:30, 2:45.

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

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

The Taking of Pelham 123

••1/2 Denzel Washington (the good guy) and John Travolta (the bad) star in a whooshing, backspinning remake of the 1974 hostage drama in which a villainous gang takes control of a New York City subway car, holding its passengers hostage. Tense negotiations and some ugly killing ensue. Running time: 1:46

Rating: R (language, violence) River Park Square: 11:45 a.m., 2:30, 5:15, 7:40, 10:05. Village Centre: 5, 7:15, 9:30.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Decepticon forces return to Earth on a mission to kidnap Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf). Running time: 2:29

Rating: PG-13 (drug material, crude and sexual material, violence, language) Hayden: 12:15, 3:15, 6:15, 9:10. IMAX (Riverfront Park): 10 a.m., 1:15, 4:30, 7:45, 11. NorthTown Mall: 10 a.m., 11:45 a.m., 12:15, 3:05, 3:35, 4:40, 6:30, 7, 8, 9:50, 10:35. Post Falls: 12:40, 4, 7:20. River Park Square: 10:15 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:10, 12:40, 1:35, 2:50, 3:35, 4:05, 4:50, 6:25, 7, 7:30, 8:15, 9:50, 10:25. Riverstone: 11:55 a.m., 12:25, 12:55, 1:25, 3:10, 3:40, 4:10, 4:40, 6:30, 7, 7:30, 8, 9:50, 10:15. Spokane Valley Mall: 11:30 a.m., 12:25, 12:55, 3:45, 4:15, 6:30, 7, 7:30, 9:45, 10:15, 10:45. Village Centre: 11:45 a.m., 12:15, 3, 3:30, 6:15, 6:40, 9:20, 9:50.

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

Up in Disney Digital 3D

Village Centre: 11:15 a.m., 1:30, 3:45, 6:15, 8:45.

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 back story and goofy Liev Schreiber-as-a-villain thespianizing. Running time: 1:48

Rating: PG-13 (language, sexual content) Garland: 2, 7:55.

Year One

••1/2 Jack Black and Michael Cera play primitive hunter-gatherers with very modern vocabularies and senses of humor who wander through Old Testament scenarios in this lean but resourceful comedy. Running time: 1:37

Rating: PG-13 (language, comic violence, crude and sexual content) Hayden: 7:40, 9:45. NorthTown Mall: 10:10 a.m., 1:10, 4:10, 7:35, 10:15. River Park Square: 11:10 a.m., 1:40, 4:15, 6:45, 9:05. Riverstone: 1:20, 4:35, 7:25, 10:30. Spokane Valley Mall: 12:15, 2:45, 5:15, 7:45, 10:25. Village Centre: 10:40 a.m., 12:45, 3, 5:15, 7:30, 9:50.

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