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The Happening ** - This M. Night Shyamalan's latest film is the fear-mongering story of an airborne toxin that causes victims to snuff themselves. Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel play a couple racing through the countryside to keep ahead of some mysterious substance that induces suicide. R for violent and disturbing images. 91 min. Incredible Hulk *** - Scientist Bruce Banner desperately hunts for a cure to the gamma radiation that poisoned his cells and unleashes the unbridled force of rage within him: The Hulk. Living in the shadows--cut off from a life he knew and the woman he loves, Betty Ross--Banner struggles to avoid the obsessive pursuit of his nemesis, General Thunderbolt Ross, and the military machinery that seeks to capture him and brutally exploit his power. As all three grapple with the secrets that led to The Hulk's creation, they are confronted with a monstrous new adversary known as The Abomination, whose destructive strength exceeds even The Hulk's own. Starring: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, William Hurt, Christina Cabot. Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense action violence, some frightening sci-fi images and brief suggestive content. Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull ** - When we last saw Indiana Jones on screen, it was 1938, and the world stood on the brink of war as Dr. Jones chased down evildoers to find the Holy Grail. Nineteen years later, he's cracking his whip again, and many things have changed ... but some have remained the same. Again, the world is at a precipice, this time caused by the specter of nuclear annihilation, and Indy's struggle is once again to ensure that a precious, mysterious object remains safe from those bent on destroying humanity. Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Shia LaBeouf, Cate Blanchett, Ray Winstone. Rated PG-13 for adventure violence and scary images. 132 min. Iron Man *** - Tony Stark, a billionaire industrialist and inventor, is kidnapped and forced by his captors to design and build a weapon. Secretly, Stark instead creates a mechanized suit of armor and escapes. Returning to the U.S., he discovers a dangerous plot and becomes Iron Man to stop it. Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges, Shaun Toub. Rated PG-13. 126 min. Kung Fu Panda *** - "Kung Fu Panda" is surprisingly fun and free of the usual blockbuster bloating, despite its star-packed voice cast. It also has easily the best computer animation of a DreamWorks production yet, far surpassing the look of "Madagascar" or even "Shrek." Our hero, Po, voiced by Jack Black, is an overweight dreamer who has more in common with Black's Nacho Libre than Hsing-Hsing. He puts the giant in giant panda. Despite his lack of talent, the duty of protecting his village is thrust upon Po. But at every turn, the gravity of the kung fu archetype is contrasted with Po's oafishness. He's advised: "Panda, we do not wash our pits in the Sea of Forgotten Tears." He's plucky, but it's not Po's grit that endears us to him; it's his casual good-naturedness. The voice work throughout is good, particularly that by Dustin Hoffman and Ian McShane. Angelina Jolie as Tigress is completely forgettable. PG for sequences of martial arts action. 91 min. Love Guru * ½ - Mike Myers, starrs as a guru with an inferiority complex who falls for the Leafs' owner (Jessica Alba) while counseling the team's lovesick star (Romany Malco), whose wife has run off with a rival goalie (Justin Timberlake). Myers spent years honing his character and he's obviously having fun, his earnestness making some lines seem funnier than they are. PG-13 for crude and sexual content throughout, language, some comic violence and drug references. 88 min. Sex in the City ** ½ - The continuing adventures of Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda as they live their lives in Manhattan four years after the series ended. Starring: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis, Christopher Noth. Rated R for strong sexual content, graphic nudity and language. Rated R. 155 min. The Strangers -Three mysterious strangers terrorize a young couple in a remote house after they return from a wedding. Starring: Liv Tyler, Scott Speedman, Gemma Ward, Kip Weeks, Glenn Howerton. Rated R for violence/terror and language. 85 min. Wanted - 25-year-old Wes was the most disaffected, cube-dwelling drone the planet had ever known. His boss chewed him out hourly, his girlfriend ignored him routinely and his life plodded on interminably. Everyone was certain this disengaged slacker would amount to nothing. There was little else for Wes to do but wile away the days and die in his slow, clock-punching rut, Until he met a woman named Fox. After his estranged father is murdered, the deadly sexy Fox recruits Wes into the Fraternity, a secret society that trains Wes to avenge his dad's death by unlocking his dormant powers. As she teaches him how to develop lightning-quick reflexes and phenomenal agility, Wes discovers this team lives by an ancient, unbreakable code: carry out the death orders given by fate itself. With wickedly brilliant tutors--including the Fraternity's enigmatic leader, Sloan--Wes grows to enjoy all the strength he ever wanted. But, slowly, he begins to realize there is more to his dangerous associates than meets the eye. And as he wavers between newfound heroism and vengeance, Wes will come to learn what no one could ever teach him: he alone controls his destiny. Starring: James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Angelina Jolie, Common , Kristen Hager. Rated R for strong bloody violence throughout, pervasive language and some sexuality. WALL-E - What if mankind had to leave Earth, and somebody forgot to turn the last robot off? WALL-E, spends every day doing what he was made for. But soon, he will discover what he was meant for, as he adventures across the galaxy chasing his dream. Starring: Jeff Garlin, Benjamin Burtt, Fred Willard. Rated G. You Don't Mess with the Zohan ** - Adam Sandler stars as the titular character, an Israeli commando who fakes his own death to escape to the United States and pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a hairdresser. While in New York, he wows his older female customers with his sexual prowess and the haircuts he copies from his 1987 Paul Mitchell book, but he also finds he's fallen for his boss, Dalia (Emmanuelle Chriqui), a salon owner who happens to be Palestinian. He also must elude a group of Arabs, led by cab driver Salim (Rob Schneider), who want to report Zohan's existence to the Palestinian terrorist (John Turturro) who thought he'd killed him. PG-13 for crude and sexual content throughout, language and nudity. 113 min. - The Associated Press |
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