We Bought a Zoo ***

Coping with death of his wife and its effect on his teenage son and precocious seven year old daughter, adventurist/journalist Benjamin Mee took the highly unconventional step of buying a run-down animal park teetering on the brink of failure. The movie based on his book, "We Bought a Zoo," is warm, good-humored, and enjoyable. Matt Damon as Mee is completely believable, as is, almost unbelievably, Scarlett Johansson as the zookeeper he inherits. There is the expected conflict with his son, his doubting brother the accountant (a grounded Thomas Hayden Church), and the exacting state inspector (a suitably supercilious John Michael Higgins). The twin challenges of dealing with great loss and dealing with a teenager are well handled for a PG movie, and the couple of weepy scenes are well earned. I thought it was fine.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo ****

If you've read the book and seen the Swedish version, David Fincher's "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" is still worth seeing, not for the suspense, of course, but for the beautiful craft and art of a master. I found it better paced than Niels Arden Oplev's 2009 effort, better composed, more expressive, and with greater economy in the story telling.

As for the principals, while Michael Nyqvist looks more like the Bloomkvist described in the novel, Daniel Craig is equally convincing as the journalist, and more convincing as the object of female desire, which always seemed to me a bit of wishful projecting on the part of journalist/author Stieg Larsson.

Noomi Rapace created the role of Lisbeth Salander, and in my opinion, remains untouchable as this most fascinating character. Reportedly Rapace was ready to move on, and seems to have done well doing so, adding some much-needed life to the recent, ridiculous "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows." Which is not to say that Rooney Mara fails in any way - her performance is truly outstanding in a very difficult role. I think Fincher was right to cast a relative unknown in the role of Lisbeth rather than a better-known actress who would inevitably bring a certain amount of baggage and expectations.

If you have not read the book or seen the previous version, do see this one, but be warned that it is a dark, often violent story set in a Sweden that is far from the beautiful, bloodless IKEA society of rationality and justice you might imagine. In fact, the Sweden of the Dragon Tattoo trilogy is a lot like the film noir world at home, with serial killers, right-wing extremists, an insulated 1%, and spectacularly dysfunctional families.

The Artist ****

"The Artist"very cleverly introduces the idea of a silent movie as a popular performance in the very beginning, as we see the '20's star George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) at the premiere of his latest triumph, accompanied by a live orchestra and showing to an enthusiastic black-tie audience in an opulent movie palace. Wordlessly, he takes a bow, makes the audience laugh, brings out his dog for a bow, and finally his impatient co-star. Before you know it, the story takes off, and there's still no dialogue, just this very appealing actor and the star-struck girl he meets by chance, with an expressive and beautiful score emphasizing the action and adding to the emotional impact.

Director/writer/editor Michel Hazanavicius has mastered the conventions of the silent era to tell this comic story of an actor's struggles in the transition to talkies. Thoroughly enjoyable, this nearly wordless film delights, involves, and entertains. This silent movie is so good, in fact, that by the time the talkies arrive in the story you can understand why Valentin, the artist, does not feel the need to make the change. Berenice Bejo, as chorus girl turned star Peppy Miller, is equally talented and likable, and the magic she and Dujardin create on screen is glorious. See it and have fun!

Young Adult ***

A telling portrait of a "psycho prom queen bitch," in the words of a former classmate, "Young Adult" shows what happens when ghostwriter Mavis Gary (Charlize Theron) decides to return to her home town and win back her now-married ex-boyfriend, Buddy (Patrick Wilson). The bad choices this now 37 year old have made become clear and old connections and histories reappear. While not autobiographical, there is surely a good deal of closely-observed real life in Oscar-winner Diablo Cody's screenplay. Mavis writes the sequels to another, more famous author's original work for "young adults," which is marketing code for high school girls. Mavis, it seems, has never left that phase, and the quest she embarks on has only the slightest chance of helping her grow up. Director Jason Reitman ("Up in the Air") once again captures a slice of Americana, here of high school culture, fast food lifestyle, alienation, and unexamined lives. Illuminated by a stunning, fearless performance by Theron, "Young Adult" is a humorous, fine, serious drama.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol ***

For me, with "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" the magic is back. The plot, the schemes, the disguises, the daring feats, the dazzling technology, the improvisation when the technology doesn't quite function as planned are all back. Shot entirely with IMAX cameras, the locations are stunning, sometimes breath-taking. This one is great fun, with just enough twists and turns. Tom Cruise is in top form, and seems quite relaxed and comfortable in the role. Cruise has been conspicuous by his absence on the promo circuit for this movie, but I think now it's safe for him return if he wants to. Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, and Paula Patton all fit in to the new Force supplying the requisite brainy brawn, humor, and cool sex, although not always in that order. This is what a fun action movie should deliver.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows **

Full of action, battles of wit, red herrings, a bit of steam punk, and slightly more than cutting-edge 100-year old science, the second of the new Sherlock Holmes incarnations attempts to dazzle. Again with Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law as the iconic characters of Holmes and Watson, this edition, "Sherlock Holmes: A Games of Shadows," was, for my taste, a bit too self-consciously clever, too much of a show-off. Up against his smartest foe, Professor Moriarty, the games of out-thinking and out-maneuvering depict Holmes as a paragon of prognostication, a gleeful mental and physical combatant that often veers over the line into self-parody.

Director Guy Richie employs here a short-hand device, disconcerting at first, that compresses flashbacks into a fast-motion swirl of hidden history that aptly suits his purpose. The movie has style to burn, a beautiful dark gypsy (Noomi Rapace, last seen as Lisbeth in the Swedish version of "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"), Holmes' eccentric brother (hysterically underplayed by Stephen Fry), and enough gun fire, both in slow motion and Gatling gun fast, to start a major war (which it foretells). For me, it partook too much of the senselessness of a Michael Bay violence orgy, and its set pieces were well-crafted, operatic duds.

My Week with Marilyn ****

"My Week With Marilyn" amuses and instructs as it dramatizes the memoir of a movie-struck young Colin Clark, just out of university, who becomes a gopher and a bit more on the set of his first film, "The Prince and the Showgirl," starring Marilyn Monroe and Sir Lawrence Olivier. Olivier directed this romantic comedy, shot in the late summer of 1956 in England, and the expected clashes between the moody Method actress and the old-school professional were in full flower. From Colin's perspective, it was all wonderful, and his insight into the forces at work was mature beyond his years. "You represent the future to him," he tells Marilyn, "and he represents respectability to you, and neither of you will get what you want from this film."

Colin becomes a trusted confidant, almost a friend, of Marilyn, and he's clearly, deeply infatuated, despite all the warnings from everyone around him. Sometimes it's just commiseration he gets. Watching him on the set, Dame Sybil Thorndike, deliciously played by Judi Dench, observes, "Young love is such sweet despair."

Kenneth Branagh plays the buttoned-up Olivier with relish, and his increasing clenched-jaw frustration with the always late and seldom prepared Marilyn is a masterpiece of contained fury. But this is Michelle Williams' movie, who captures the "blond bombshell" persona that Norma Jeane so carefully created. Williams doesn't try to explain Marilyn, but she succeeds beautifully in showing us her many sides, without apology, without filters or distance. It's a beguiling performance, and a superb film.

The Muppets ***

"The Muppets" is an enjoyable, nostalgic diversion for adults and a good time for kids, who I suppose don't know the characters. I doubt that it's a reboot of the franchise, but it's a nice addition to the canon. The Muppets, now retired or working other jobs, all get together again to save the old Muppet Theater from a nefarious oil man (a suitably oily Chris Cooper) who just wants to drill, baby, and not, as he claims, to restore its former glory.

Aided by super-fans Gary and Mary from the heartland (Jason Segal and Amy Adams), along with Gary's kid brother Walter, who now knows himself to be a Muppet, Kermie assembles the old gang and starts rehearsing a show to raise the money to buy out the oilman before their time runs out. Even Miss Piggy takes a break from her high fashion job to lend a hand. It's a time-honored device, and with tongue firmly in cheek, a fun one.

If the movie has a flaw, it's the surfeit of tongues in cheek, meant I guess as knowing winks to the adults in the audience. I think we're capable of getting it without the winks. Otherwise, the songs are fair to good, the dancing energetic and resolutely cheerful, and the performances are fine, by both the Muppets and the humans alike. Take the kids and enjoy.

Melancholia ****

Graced with a mercurial, incandescent performance by Kirsten Dunst, Lars von Trier's lyrical, beautiful "Melancholia" examines both the clinical depression of Justine, Miss Dunst's character, and the harried panic of her sister Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg) as both face the end of the world. The end is coming from the imminent collision of a rogue planet, called Melancholia, with Earth.

Isolated on their seaside estate, surrounded by golf links with riding horses at hand, the sisters, along with Claire's husband and young son face the end, each in their own way. The atmosphere of this disaster movie is low tech and poetic, with nothing more than a telescope and a loop of wire for scientific props. The science seems quite solid, once you accept the existence of such a planet as Melancholia, but the subject is the damaged people on screen.

The first half of the film concerns the disastrous wedding reception that Claire has organized for Justine, and hand held camerawork, as throughout the movie, infuses the scenes with a verisimilitude that is mesmerizing. The second half hurtles toward the termination of life and mankind in an operatic and almost mystical progression, accompanied by the ecstatically tragic and accepting strains of the Liebestod from "Tristan und Isolde."

You may choose to interpret "Melancholia" as a metaphor for depression and suicide, or a judgement against the cancer of life on an insignificant planet, or a film tone poem about disconnection and isolation, or an unusually subtle science fiction movie, but it will most certainly make an impression.

The Descendants ****

Remarkable for George Clooney's best performance in years, for it's depiction of Hawaii as a place where people live and have lived for generations, for its respectful, sympathetic, and realistic portrayal of family life dealing with the impending death of a loved one, "The Descendants" is a heartfelt drama without histrionics. Director Alexander Payne ("Sideways") achieves in this film an evenness of tone appropriate not just to Hawaiian life, but to the everyday prose of American experience these days.

When his wife suffers a severe head injury in a boating accident, busy lawyer, family trust executor, and "back-up parent" Matt King (Clooney) must reconnect with his daughters, ages 10 and 17, and the life and the wife he seems to have been too busy to deal with. We see his connections and his history as he must deal with his responsibilities as a father, as business head of his clan, and as a husband. Adapted from the novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings, the screenplay does a masterful job of saying just enough, and leaving it to Clooney to convey what is unspoken, the sharp retorts that are swallowed before they can erupt.

I'll even grant a dispensation for the violation of one of my cardinal rules: show, don't tell (when a screenwriter dies, he becomes a narrator, you know), because the voice over by Matt King not only gives context, and allows the film to devote its time to him and his daughters, but in its just-the-facts plainness, provides some insight into his character and defenses. Not just Clooney, but the rest of the cast is first rate, especially Shailene Woodley as the older, recovering addict daughter. For a truly excellent film with no visible special effects, this one is my pick.

Hugo 3D *****

Martin Scorsese's reported gift to his daughter and her friends, a movie they can see without adult supervision, is also a gift to movie lovers everywhere. And not just because it's an utterly charming, beautiful, sweeping mix of story, fable, and spectacular special effects, but because it's about movies, making movies, and preserving movies, themes all dear to Scorsese and to those who love the art of the cinema.

"Hugo," from the award-winning, quasi-graphic novel by Brian Selznick, "The Invention of Hugo Cabret," tells the story of an orphan in 1930's Paris who lives in the walls of a train station and who has an automaton from his father which holds the key to a treasure trove of art and history. Beautifully staged, convincingly acted, and, need I say, superbly directed, the movie is a holiday gift all can enjoy. To say more might spoil the fun, but I dare say this movie will become one of those Christmas classics we go back to year after year.

Happy Feet Two IMAX 3D ***

Quite a lot of fun, with tuneful singing and energetic animated dancing, and the story of a young penguin struggling to realize his gifts. The colony faces a grave danger, and cross-species cooperation is the only hope to save them. Returning voices work their magic, and two new characters, Bill the Krill and Will the Krill, add perspective and sly commentary, and a drastic change of scale and viewpoint that is expertly handled by director/writer/producer George Miller. The Krill are voiced by Brad Pitt and Matt Damon, whose exuberance and cheer are infectious. The music runs the gamut in style, even veering once into the operatic, to good effect. A visual and auditory feast, especially in IMAX.

J. Edgar ***

"J. Edgar" is an intimate look at the life of the man who created and embodied the FBI, from directing its predecessor in the '20's until his death in 1972, still at the helm, and still devoted to his long time associate and friend, Clyde Tolson. This collector of secrets had secrets of his own, and, according to this portrait, illusions and delusions that aggrandized himself and his beloved FBI. Hoover's great accomplishments - a central fingerprint repository, the application of science to crime investigation, defeats of organized crime - are footnotes to the story.

The movie is not easy to keep up with, shifting in time backwards and forwards to illustrate themes so easily that it appears unmoored at times. But there is a structure, and much of what the older Hoover dictates to a succession of compilers of his autobiography turns out to be as untethered as the film seems. Leonardo DiCaprio captures the character of the man convincingly in all his ages, from the energetic and ambitious young agent to the combative old protector of his kingdom, ready to go toe to toe with whoever might occupy the White House.

The one constant of his life was his friend, confidant, co-worker, constant lunch, dinner, and traveling companion, Clyde Tolson, sweetly played by Armie Hammer. Director Clint Eastwood has chosen to portray Tolson as utterly smitten with Hoover, a love that J. Edgar was too inhibited by his rigid upbringing by his domineering mother (an icy Judi Dench), to reciprocate fully. A complex portrait of Hoover emerges: a child of his times, a driven visionary and innovator, sometimes trampling the Constitution he was sworn to protect in the pursuit of real and imagined enemies, sometimes spying for his own salacious reasons or for blackmail to protect himself and his institution. It's not a simple story and it's hard to give it a simple score, but it's a very good movie.

Immortals 3D *

Largely a gory excuse for cruel scenes of battle interrupted by slow-motion special effects of cruel scenes of gory decapitations and disembowelment, "Immortals" is a comic book without the intellectual heft. It has a main character called Theseus (a buff Henry Cavill) whose mission and ancestry have no relation to the Theseus of myth, except once with a Minotaur-like opponent whose appearance is never explained. The script is less than juvenile, chock full of disjointed cliches, and repeatedly insults the audience with references to the "faith" that sustains the downtrodden good guys. The movie is such a mocking mess that you have to wonder if it was written as high camp to amuse those paying attention while the fan boys eagerly await the next mutilating battle scene. There is a kind of apotheosis of mayhem in the movie, and occasional glimpses of the arresting stylistic sensibility that Tarsem Singh brought to the woefully under-appreciated "The Fall," but the movie itself in the end has very little to offer. Oh, and there are the gods of Olympus watching and sometimes participating, led by a Zeus who seems to make up the rules of being a god on the fly. I haven't seen such a wasteful and screeching mess since "Transformers 3."

The Skin I Live In ****

Skill, obsession, tragedy, family secrets, and revenge are the themes of Pedro Almodovar's "The Skin I Live In," the story of a brilliant plastic surgeon (Antonio Banderas) who performs his own forbidden experiments and creates his own monster while exacting his own particularly ruthless payback. As usual with Almodovar, the composition of each frame is arresting, expressive, and fitting; the performances flawless; and the screenplay an interlocking puzzle of elements that slowly gives up its secrets. More mystery/thriller than a horror movie, as I've seen it labeled, there are elements that borrow from horror, as the obsession of Dr. Ledgard and his quest to create an indestructible skin mix with baser motives with tragic results. More detail would, I fear, decrease the pleasure of experiencing this film, so I'll leave it at that. In Spanish with English subtitles.

Tower Heist ***

"Tower Heist" delivers a satisfying meal of hot revenge of the 99%, represented by the employees of a luxury New York condo tower, against the 1%, embodied by the billionaire Madoff-like character in the penthouse who managed their now-gone pensions in what turns out to have been a Ponzi scheme. Ben Stiller plays Josh Kovacs, the super-efficient building general manager whose meticulous attention to detail keeps everyone happy and the building running at top efficiency. When the affable Mr. Shaw (an unrepentant Alan Alda) turns out to be a confidence man, and Josh gets fired for taking revenge on a piece of Mr. Shaw's property, desperate measures are called for. Kovacs organizes a heist of the cash Shaw surely must be hiding somewhere, according to the beautiful but no-nonsense FBI agent (Tea Leoni). But a rag tag group of straight arrow former employees and a hapless evicted former resident (a hilarious Matthew Broderick) obviously need some experienced advice in thievery. Enter small-time crook and Kovacs neighbor Slide (Eddie Murphy in good form and obviously having fun). There are thrills befitting a tower, and twists befitting good caper movie. It's fine popcorn entertainment.

Puss in Boots IMAX 3D ***

A truly delightful prequel to the "Shrek" features, where Puss became a favorite, "Puss in Boots" details the orphaned childhood of Puss (smoothly voiced by Antonio Banderas) in a small Spanish town, and his friendship with the flawed Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis). Puss meets his match in Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek), and together the three embark on a grand adventure involving magic beans and a castle in the sky. The story is clever enough for adults to enjoy, the music is catchy, and the high style and 3D action will keep everyone entertained.

Anonymous *

A preposterous idea, that Shakespeare wasn't the author of his works, and that he was a nobleman who started churning out sublime plays at the age of nine (if you do the math), is given the big movie, special-effects treatment by director Roland Emmerich ("Independence Day," "The Day After Tomorrow," "Godzilla"). The story jumps back and forth between the young Elizabeth (Joely Richardson) and the young Edward De Vere (Jamie Campbell Bower) and the later Elizabeth I (Vanessa Redgrave) and older De Vere, Earl of Oxford (Rhys Ifans) at the end of her reign.

Not content with upending Shakespeare, writer Larry J. Franco ("Batman Begins") throws in a lusty Queen, bastard pretenders to the throne, and even a little incest while he's at it, to de-mythologize the whole lot. I enjoyed Ifans's performance, Redgrave was a joy to watch, and the effects that create early 17th century London were terrific, but the whole project is ridiculous. On the other hand, it it prompts some viewers to revisit the plays and the real history, it might salvage some redeeming merit. Meanwhile, I am reminded of a worthy tradition at Yale, where every year English graduate students would visit the grave of another Shakespeare denier, and piss on it.

The Rum Diary **

Visually engaging with a lush '50s take on Puerto Rico, and graced with seasoned talent headlined by Johnny Depp, "The Rum Diary" suffers from a weak script and disjointed direction. The elements from Hunter Thompson's early novel are there: aspiring novelist working for a sorry excuse for a paper targeted to middle-aged overweight tourists, the irascible editor who may be a thief, the other alcoholic staffers, shady schemes involving government land and a handsome guy with a cleft chin, a gorgeous dangerous girlfriend of someone powerful, cock fighting in the afternoon. But the script, like our hero, seems to be wandering around in a drugged-out haze. Nothing gels, and the attempts at mad-cap humor fall flat. I have not read the book, but it's easy to detect Thompson's later gonzo style aborning. Too bad writer/director Bruce Robinson wasn't able to pull it all together.

Margin Call ****

A tense, ultra-high-stakes drama that takes place over 24 hours at a top Wall Street firm at the beginning of the financial crisis, "Margin Call" presents an inside look at the Street's corporate life, culture, perks, and cool brutality. On a day when the firm is already in trouble and massively downsizing, a hot-shot young risk management analyst finds a formula error that could bring down the company. The danger is apparent to everyone, and the firm, with it's characteristic customs and protocols, springs into action.

An outstanding example of an inside-look movie, of which we've had several this season - "Moneyball," "Contagion," "The Ides of March" - this film shows what it's like to live inside the glass tower on its worst day. Without getting mired in the details and the numbers on the screens, a talented and seasoned cast inhabits a superb script from first-time director/writer J.C. Chandor. How the producers got such a cast - Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Zachary Quinto, Demi Moore, Stanley Tucci - with no budget could doubtless be its own story, but it was clearly key to the success of the movie.

You may not be mad as hell at the end of the movie, like I was with "Inside Job," but you'll certainly have a new appreciation for the house-of-cards confidence game that makes up our bloated financial sector, a game that can build skyscrapers when the music is playing, and reduce citizens to living in tents in parks when it stops.

The Ides of March ***

A political thriller without an overt platform, 'The Ides of March" focuses on the young rising star press secretary of the leading Democratic candidate in the final days leading up to the make-or-break Ohio primary in mid-March. Press secretary Stephen Meyers, expertly played by Ryan Gosling, faces a kind of grown-up test and a loss of innocence, which rather oddly and a little too neatly, parallels the path of his high-principled candidate, Gov. Mike Morris, too smoothly played by George Clooney. The movie is calm and polished on the surface, like its candidate, but underneath there are undercurrents of brinkmanship, betrayal, raw ambition, and sex scandal. Decisions lead to catastrophic consequences, although I was left wondering just how some got to their end game.

A provocative, not great, movie, with a theme that for me echoed Robert Redford's "The Candidate" (1972), "The Ides of March" breaks no new ground. The play on which it was based, "Farragut North" (2008) was written by Beau Willimon, who worked on Gov. Howard Dean's 2004 campaign, and so may show that each generation learns the old lessons anew. I was surprised to discover that the play was so recent, because the political world depicted is such a man's world, it seems like a throwback to an earlier time.

I saw the movie with a group of like-minded political junkies and party activists, and we had a lively discussion afterwards. Situations, decisions, strategies and tactics in the movie reminded us all of similar situations, and I think we all felt the experience was worthwhile for the conversation it provoked. The supporting cast is chock full of talent well-used by director/star/producer George Clooney, and is a nice lead-in to what promises to be a full-throated political year.

Footloose ***

A remake of the iconic 1984 original with Kevin Bacon, "Footloose" tells the story of a city boy who comes to a town where dancing has been banned. The reason for the ban has changed - this time it's a post-dance car crash that killed four teenagers, including the Reverend's son - but the ossified city council and small-town attitudes remain. The dancing is spirited and updated, and the acting, by Kenny Wormald as Ren, Julianne Hough as Ariel, and Dennis Quaid as Rev Moore, is outstanding. Miles Teller as Ren's dancing-challenged buddy Willard adds a skillful and much-needed lighter note to the movie. Wormald and Hough, trained professional dancers, have all the right moves, although I would have preferred more visible footwork and fewer fast cuts. The conflicts seem too heavy and cartoonish for the rest of the movie, and we're not used to seeing such respectful rebels. But maybe that's a throwback to the '80's.

Real Steel ***

A movie for, about, and made by emotional eleven-year-old boys, "Real Steel" brings a robot video fighting game to over-sized life. The special effects are spectacular, with giant robots seen in the round inhabiting a world with humans. And with the violence of boxing transferred to machines, the fans in this world of the near future are free to cheer the mayhem in the ring, as is the present-day theater audience, without the nagging thought that they are participating in something barbarous.

Hugh Jackman plays Charlie Kenton, an ex-boxer turned robot fight promoter, a man who was almost at the top when the game changed. Driving a huge rig with his mechanical fighter as cargo, he goes from one small venue to the next looking for that one win that will turn everything around. At this point his son Max (a feisty Dakota Goyo) appears when his ex-wife dies. Max is just another game piece for Charlie, but circumstances throw them together for a summer, and something starts to click.

The build-up is Rocky-esque, and the fighting is straight out of transformers. The story is thin and the emotions thinner. If you can take an eleven year old, or you want to revisit that time of your life, you'll enjoy this movie, which does manage to create a convincing video game life set in the trappings of American big time sports.

Dolphin Tale 3D ***

Very good for its type, this heart-tugging Disney rendition of the rehabilitation of a tail-less dolphin hits all the familiar notes without screeching or putting you to sleep. Based on a true story (that of the dolphin, who plays herself), the movie centers on a withdrawn boy who comes out of his shell when he gets involved with saving Winter, the dolphin. The boy, Sawyer (Nathan Gamble), who lives with his single mom (Ashley Judd) gets to know the dedicated head of the marine hospital (Harry Connick Jr) and his perky daughter (Cozi Zuehlsdorff), and assist the prosthetics specialist (Morgan Freeman) who works at the nearby VA hospital where the Sawyer's cousin, his hero, is recuperating from a war injury. See what I mean by familiar notes?

But don't worry, the movie is well-written, everybody does a fine job, and the story doesn't cloy. And there are some obvious tropes they passed on, for which I was grateful. I saw it in 3D, but I can't say it added much to the experience. Maybe it's subliminally more involving to see a movie in 3D, but I'd say see it in 2D, and save the $3. And don't forget the hankies!

Tucker & Dale vs. Evil ***

"Tucker & Dale vs Evil" is a hilarious send up of horror slasher movies. Picture two backwoods types on their way to their cabin in the West Virginia mountains. They look creepy to the carload of college girls and dudes who see them when they stop to buy beer, on their way to camp out near the cabin, it turns out. The college kids' worst suspicions seem to be confirmed when the pretty one goes missing, and the two backwoods boys, who are really sweet, normal guys, seem to be responsible. A slasher comedy of errors ensues, and the body count starts to rise. All the conventions of this horror genre are fair game for ridicule, along with popular culture, college stereotypes, and pop psychology. Whatever your opinion of the count-the-ways-they-die horror flick, this one will make you laugh.

What's Your Number? **

An enjoyable and funny bit of fluff, "What's Your Number" showcases the goofy and adorable Anna Faris and the charming hunk next door, Chris Evans. Alarmed by a magazine article that says any woman with as many sexual partners as she's had is doomed to remain single, Ally Darling (Faris) decides not to add to the tally and to look up her old flames in the hopes that the one could be lurking there. Colin (Evans), the womanizer next door, trades his sleuthing skills in exchange for using her apartment as a hideout from his many conquests, none of whom he ever calls back. No, wait! You're jumping ahead too quickly! You don't know what will happen! Really, you don't! OK, maybe you do, but it's still fun getting there, and there are worse things to look at than these two. This movie will appeal to young women a bit older than the mall-dwelling teens who usually go to romantic comedies, and they'll have some good conversation and a few laughs talking about it afterward. And there are some genuinely funny lines, and the boyfriends who get dragged along can enjoy watching Anna Faris even if they can't compete with the sculpted abs of Mr. Evans.

50/50 ****

Based on the real-life experience of screenwriter Will Reiser and producer/actor Seth Rogen, "50/50" stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a young man who learns he has an even chance of surviving the cancer he is diagnosed with, and co-stars Rogen as the supportive best friend. This may not sound like a premise for a comedy, but it's a genuinely funny and insightful look at twenty-something life in general, and young, stricken, play-by-the-rules Adam and his total hound buddy Kyle in particular. Adam is aided through the stages of his emotional journey by an impossibly young and inexperienced doctor in training, Katherine, whose walls of separation and professional defenses against involvement show signs of cracking, wonderfully played by Anna Kendrick. Add a needy girlfriend (Bryce Dallas Howard) and a smothering mother (Anjelica Huston), and you have a potent, volatile mix. The dialogue is fresh and rings true, as you might expect from a writer who lived it. Good use is made of the Seattle setting, which comes across as a real place with real houses, neighborhoods, and weather.

Moneyball ****

A business case study masquerading as a sports story, "Moneyball" uses the conventions of baseball movies to construct a drama as interesting as it is emotionally satisfying. A baseball movie like no other baseball movie, "Moneyball" tells the true story of Oakland A's manager Billy Beane's endeavor to put together a baseball team with little money by using a quantitative analysis of the characteristic performance of players who would fit together, rather than paying big bucks for all-around stars. Brad Pitt as Beane turns in a characteristically workmanlike portrayal that is pitch perfect. Jonah Hill as the number cruncher Peter Brand, a Yale graduate in economics who came up with the analysis, is just as good and believable portraying the walking, talking baseball computer and encyclopedia that Brand was. It may sound like a marketing cliche, but you definitely do not have to be a baseball fan to enjoy this well-made movie.

Drive ****

"Drive," a Los Angeles-set film noir starring Ryan Gosling and directed by cult favorite Nicolas Winding Refn ("Bronson," "Pusher," "Valhalla Rising"), is all about style. There is a spareness, an economy, an unhurried pace that allows actors long silences that nevertheless communicate, a dreamlike use of slow motion and lyricism that is operatic in its concentration of emotion that is the mark of a true master. It's no wonder that Refn won the Best Director prize at Cannes this year for this film.

Gosling plays a movie stunt driver and mechanic who moonlights as a getaway driver. All cool control, his competence is all we know about him. Then he meets a neighbor (Carey Mulligan) who has a young son, and he starts to show some signs of feelings. Then the violence of his moonlighting world and her past change everything. The violence that comes is brutal and shocking, but his cool command continues.

"Drive" is an unsettling film, but beautiful in its way, and full of sharply drawn characters from the underbelly of L.A.

Contagion ****

With considerable economy despite a large number of characters and story lines, director Steven Soderberg masterfully tells the story of a high-mortality world-wide flu epidemic in "Contagion." Starting with Day 2 of the outbreak, the film follows a visitor to Hong Kong who turns out to be patient zero in the outbreak. Soon ever-widening effects involve her family, the CDC, the World Health Organization (WHO), Homeland Security, Internet rumor-mongers, and authorities and first responders at all levels. Taut at 106 minutes, and grippingly suspenseful, carefully-chosen characters played by truly stellar actors represent very personal and relateable stories, sometimes for the briefest of periods. The main story lines follow patient zero (Gwyneth Paltrow) and her husband (Matt Damon); CDC head (Laurence Fishburn), field investigator (Kate Winslet), and vaccine researcher (Jennifer Ehle); a WHO investigator (Marion Cotillard); and a health and alternative medicine blogger (Jude Law). It's a reality-based story with real science underpinnings, not another cinematic Armageddon, which, in the end, only adds to the drama.

The Debt ***

A tense and intense but unusual suspense thriller set in two time periods, "The Debt" jumps back from 1997 Israel to a mission in 1966 when three Mossad agents, now older and widely respected, were sent to East Germany to capture a notorious Nazi war criminal. There is clearly something about the adulation they have lived with that doesn't sit right, and a shocking event forces the older Rachel Singer, masterfully played by Helen Mirren, to remember the events in East Berlin as they closed in on their target. The remarkable Jessica Chastain ("The Tree of Life") plays the young Rachel, working with the leader Stephan (Marton Csokas) and David (Sam Worthington). The raw dynamics of the trio affects their work and their lives forever, and the older Rachel must undertake to set things right. Beautifully realized in both time periods, and provocative in its implications, this movie is both a well-crafted work of art and an incitement to debate. It's the kind of serious movie many want, but seldom find.

Our Idiot Brother ***

"Our Idiot Brother" is humorous, touching, almost fable-like, in its study of the effect that an innocent can have on lives that are too caught up in the less than innocent schemes and posturings of every day life. Three very normal sisters, normal, that is, by contemporary middle-class American standards, deal with the trials and failings of their brother Ned, who is something of a throw-back to the 'sixties, a resolutely, nay, adamantly trusting soul. It's hard to imagine anyone else than Paul Rudd playing Ned. The child-like purity he projects rings true, and creates the perfect foil for the driving ambitions of his sisters, convincingly played by a trio of talented actresses: Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel, and Emily Mortimer. The extended family, from Mom to husbands, boyfriends, and girlfriends are sharply drawn, but quirky and real, while the villains are suitably one-dimensional, and more to be pitied for their lack of depth than hated. It's a sweet film that will excite laughter and a knowing smile or two.

The Whistleblower ****

A gritty drama based on the true experiences of Kathryn Bolkovac, a Nebraska cop who served as a peacekeeper in post-war Bosnia, "The Whistleblower" recounts the story of a dedicated officer uncovering and finally exposing the involvement of the U.N. in very troubling sex trafficking. Rachel Weisz plays the part of Bolkovac in a very straight-forward manner, both as one sworn to serve and protect as well as a mother concerned for the treatment of women and young girls in the male-dominated, brutal conditions she finds in her assignment. The movie covers a lot of ground, from her background in the U.S. to the origins of the exploited girls, to the web of involvement and cover-up she confronts, but manages to hold it all together. Basically a dirty-cop story, writer/director Larysa Kondracki takes a very intimate, personal approach to her subject. Weisz, as usual, delivers outstanding work, and supporting players, which include Vanessa Redgrave and David Strathairn, are solid. Overall, it's an excellent, serious movie well told.

The Guard ****

An enjoyable, intriguing, funny cop story with a thriller edge that pits a free-thinking, prejudiced Irish cop with authority issues (Brendan Gleeson) against an uptight visiting American FBI agent (Don Cheadle) in a drug smuggling case. The Irish setting makes for interesting local color, although the heavy brogue might make it a better Netflix candidate so you can replay the dialogue when necessary. The script, by John Michael McDonagh, who also directed, for me has echoes of "In Bruges." And not just because of the towering presence of Brendan Gleeson, but in its self-conscious and ironical tone and movie and pop culture references. Like that earlier movie, it has heart and lots of laughs.

The Help ***

A kind of history-light drama, this story of the unlikely friendship that develops between aspiring young white writer Skeeter (Emma Stone) and the black house maids of Jackson, Mississippi in the 1960's, presents an engaging and emotional look at the sharp divide between their worlds. While the spoiled and pampered white world of the Junior League is a bit on the cardboard cut-out side, the portraits of the two principal subjects of Jeeter's book, Abileen (Viola Davis) and Minny (Octavia Spencer) emerge powerfully in two incandescent performances. Supporting performances from a host of strong actors, including Sissy Spacek, Bryce Dallas Howard, Mary Steenburgen, and Cicely Tyson (who no longer needs lots of make-up to look as old as Miss Jane Pitman) are fantastic. The setting, decor, and, above all, the hair-dos are spot on. The movie reminds us that this is the time of the murder of Medgar Evers right there in Jackson, but its focus is on the everyday world of a small sliver of Southern society and its spoken and unspoken racist code. It's a fine, if not transcendent, effort, and judging by the reaction of the almost all-white audience at its first showing today in Denver, will be a commercial success.

The Change-Up ***

Yes, the two buddies above, one an established lawyer with wife and kids, the other an "actor" who never grew up, are peeing in the fountain after a night of drinking and male bonding. In front of this statue of the Greek goddess Metis (wisdom but also magical cunning), they impulsively wish for each other's lives, and to their chagrin and amazement, wake up the next morning inhabiting each other's bodies. Raunchy comedy - and it did make me laugh a lot - and the expected life lessons ensue.

One of the things I enjoyed most was seeing Jason Bateman, as the buttoned up lawyer, letting his freak flag fly, and secondarily seeing Ryan Reynolds, the man-child, impersonating an adult. Leslie Mann is excellent as the long-suffering wife, and the quite beautiful Olivia Wilde ("Tron: Legacy" and the recent "Cowboys & Aliens") provides an interestingly unbuttoned performance as the secretly uninhibited new lawyer at the firm. What I didn't enjoy were some old jokes (projectile baby poop again? really?) and the hints of character development that never really happened. But it's a fun light comedy, and rated R for a change.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes ****

How did "The Planet of the Apes" get that way? And why do they all speak English? This and other questions you never asked are answered in this gripping, fast-paced, visually convincing and dramatic sci-fi thriller. James Franco plays a dedicated researcher who wants to enable the brain to repair itself, not least because of the advancing dementia of his father. He experiments on chimps and succeeds beyond all hope, achieving "Limitless"-like results that are apparently passed along genetically to the baby chimp he ends up raising when his first formula's subject is terminated because of bad side effects.

That mistaken termination is emblematic of the movie's point of view, which works to keep the audience on the apes' side, even when the result could be the end of humanity, which is admittedly odd. As is usual in these kinds of movies, the supposed science doesn't bear deep scrutiny, but the pace keeps you from noticing, and the drama of the apes and baby chimp Caesar's development pulls you along. Caesar's rise in the prison-like animal control center reads like a silent movie classic.

Special effects work with the apes is masterful, and using motion-capture actors allows director Rupert Wyatt to dispense with ape suits and concentrate on their eyes as an indicator and metaphor for intelligence. Franco's performance is all bustling, impatient dedication, and John Lithgow as his Alzheimer's-afflicted father displays his usual affecting range. "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" is a very enjoyable example of sci-fi film-making.

Crazy, Stupid, Love ****

A kind of modern American bedroom farce, "Crazy, Stupid, Love" examines the loves and longings of Cal (Steve Carell) and Emily (Julianne Moore) and their family, from the 13 year-old with a crush to the baby sitter and various others whose unexpected appearances make for for some of the movie's funniest moments. Cal and Emily's separation and impending divorce throw their lives into disarray, as suddenly single Cal learns the moves from smooth operator Jacob (Ryan Gosling) and Emily explores her affair with co-worker David (Kevin Bacon). Emma Stone plays a prominent part in a parallel story about a law student's aspirations for love and commitment. It's a first-rate cast with good material for all, and even the kid and the baby sitter get uncommonly serious treatment and provide uncommonly good performances. It's really more adult than the PG-13 rating, and adults will be the ones who go see it, and who will enjoy it.

Cowboys & Aliens ***

They had me when I heard the title, and the still from the movie above is more or less what I imagined I would see in "Cowboys & Aliens." While there are fascinating encounters between the two worlds, what we have here is a largely successful blend of mostly Western with sci-fi themes. We have the stranger come to town, who is an amnesiac with Ninja reflexes, a local strong man, the straight-arrow sheriff, a mysterious woman, a gang of thieves, and marauding Indians, all of whom must uneasily unite in the face of an evil alien invasion. The playout is exciting and fun in the way only special-effects-heavy comic book fantasy movies can be, but also satisfying in the way only a good old-fashioned Western can be. Harrison Ford and especially Daniel Craig are superb in their roles, and director Jon Favreau does a masterful job emulating and juggling the cinematic genres, and keeps it gritty.

How to Live Forever **

You get more of the flavor by paying attention to the asterisk in "How to Live Forever*" (*Results May Vary). Baby Boomer Mark Wexler travels the world looking for the secrets to long life, and interviews many researchers, hucksters, celebrities, funeral directors, centenarians, and the oddly badly-dressed old age verifier for the Guinness Book of World Records. It's often fascinating, and ends up being more of a movie about How to Live, forget the Forever part. It's also a bit disjointed, and could have used more focus in the writing and organization. Rent this one if your interested, but I wouldn't recommend a trip to the cinema to see it.

Friends With Benefits ***

Contemporary, witty, saucy, funny, fast-paced, and full of chemistry between two likable, attractive stars - what more could you ask for in a romantic comedy? "Friends with Benefits" follows Los Angeles art director Dylan (Justin Timberlake) who is lured to New York by headhunter Jamie (Mila Kunis). There is lots of the usual "meet cute," which is deft and feels authentic, and the two become friends after he takes the job.

Both are bouncing off unsuitable romantic entanglements and decide that it would be better just to have a "friend with benefits" than to get entangled again. OK, what happens from there may be predictable, but the journey is fun, and full of some delicious, unpredictable moments, like Woody Harrelson as an aggressively gay sports editor, and delightful cameos.

I also liked the movie's irreverence for its own cliches, as Dylan and Jamie watch rom coms together and talk about their ridiculous conventions, not to mention the obvious use of L.A. locations for New York. Oh look, there's the Statue of Liberty! Just beyond the palm trees! "Friends" is so cheeky, it does some of the same itself. It's an adult comedy, but does not stoop to raunchy comedy for its own sake, and slyly but knowingly forgoes some tried and trues while embracing others. It's fun.

Captain America: The First Avenger ****

An unexpectedly muscular and artistic origin movie, wonderfully evocative of the '40s, a sepia-toned, immersive 3D experience, "Captain America: The First Avenger" delivers on all levels. Chris Evans is perfectly cast, first morphed, Benjamin-Button like, into the spunky, skinny kid with heart who can't get into the WWII Army, transformed by an experiment into a paragon of physical prowess. Sent on the road as Captain America to sell war bonds rather than do any actual fighting, he gets his chance save a friend and his company while entertaining the troops in Italy. Evans' Steve Rogers is definitely qualified to stand alongside Robert Downey Jr's Tony Stark and Chris Hemsworth's Thor in the upcoming Avenger movies.

Supporting players are all top notch: Stanley Tucci as the scientist, Dominic Cooper as a rich dare-devil government contractor, Tommy Lee Jones as the irascible commanding officer, the imposing Hugo Weaving as the megalomaniac du jour, the lovely Sebastian Stan as the best friend, and of course the cantilevered Hayley Atwell as the resourceful government agent, coach, and love interest. The music is rousingly patriotic, and the editing is sure-footed and clean.

But it is the look and feel of the movie that sets it apart. Much of this is doubtless due to the vision of director Joe Johnston, who has a background in special effects, but he has powerful collaborators in cinematographer Shelly Johnson and production designer Rick Heinrichs, who has created an award-caliber series of sets. Not since "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" have I seen such a complete vision of another time mixed with other-worldly technology, a steam punk tour de force.

Winnie the Pooh ****

The new "Winnie the Pooh" from Disney would be wonderful for kids in the early years of reading, but just fine for younger and older, too. There are layers of meaning and life lessons for all. And at just over an hour, it won't tax many attention spans. Hand drawn in the old style, and interspersed with forays onto the written page by various characters, this story of a day with a Very Important Thing To Do brings all of the beloved characters - Tigger, Rabbit, Piglet, Kanga, Roo, Owl, and poor Eeyore, who has lost his tail - into play with all of their characteristic foibles. It's also chocked full of new songs that will make this version a daily favorite for some young fans come DVD release, I'm sure. Voices are spot on, and the narration by John Cleese is superb.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2 *****

A completely satisfying, epic conclusion to the film series, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2" is the most grim, dark, and grownup installment of the most successful film franchise in history. The movie inserts us easily into the last quest of Harry and his faithful wizard lieutenants Ron and Hermione as they continue their mission to find and destroy the multiple objects that house the soul of Lord Voldemort. Shot entirely in IMAX 3D, it's fitting to have the latest gadgetry serve to heighten the drama, although it seldom calls attention to itself. The actors we have watched grow up have all matured in their craft, especially Daniel Radcliffe as Harry, and multiple Potter episodes director David Yates once again draws the very highest caliber performances from a thoroughbred stable of British acting talent. Special effects deliver a visceral punch at every turn, and composer Alexandre Desplat, who has been delivering amazing work lately ("The King's Speech," "The Tree of Life," "A Better Life") continues the dramatic and sweeping musical components he started in Pt. 1. This last of the Harry Potter movies deserves the huge box office it is sure to earn.

A Better Life ****

A moving story about an undocumented immigrant single father in Los Angeles working hard to provide for his teen age son, "A Better Life" vividly portrays the strands of life they both must deal with, from gangs to the uncertainties of day labor. Clearly estranged from each other at the beginning, a crisis brings them together as they embark on a quest to salvage the future which the father, Carlos Galindo, was building. Low key and dispassionate, the movie rings with authenticity and will pull you into its world. Mexican star Damian Bichir as the father, best known in the U.S. for a stint on "Weeds," is the steady, beating heart of the drama, and young Jose Julian brings fire to his role as the son learning some life lessons. Remarkable in the genre for dealing with a father and son relationship, "A Better Life" presents a perspective that will make you think about immigration in a new way.

Larry Crowne ***

Even though I knew I was being manipulated, and even though I knew that going to college in middle age after losing your job would not mean falling in with the cool crowd, and even though I knew that the chances of getting Julia Roberts as a professor were exceedingly slim, I still found myself smiling throughout "Larry Crowne." Tom Hanks, as star/writer/director suffuses this movie with his own sunny personality, and you just want to believe that good guys will win out in the end, and that hard work in college will pay off, even if it didn't when you gave your all to the big box store that used you up and tossed you aside. It's a fairy tale version of life after the harsh reality of contemporary retail capitalism, but one you want to embrace and enjoy. Supporting players are all fine, and the pacing is good, which speak well to Hanks' skill as a director in what I think is his first time behind the camera. But the script is too weak to support all of the superstructure, and wastes a great opportunity for Hanks and Roberts, who do have on-screen chemistry, to really connect.

Page One: Inside the New York Times ****

A fascinating and timely look at the U.S. newspaper of record in a year of sweeping changes in media usage patterns, as newspaper advertising income drops 30% at the same time readership on competing outlets on the Internet increases, and paper after paper goes out of business or into bankruptcy. Focusing largely on the Media desk and editor David Carr, "Page One" provides an intimate look at the jockeying for A1 story placement and how the Times is responding and adapting to the changing media landscape. There are no easy answers, and no clear way forward, punctuated by the layoff of 100 of the paper's 1400 journalists, but there is a clear sense of the institution's dedication to integrity and the real value of on-the-round journalism versus online aggregators and bloggers.

Horrible Bosses ****

Funny, inventive, quirky, and foul-mouthed raunchy, "Horrible Bosses" is a welcome adult comedy in the post-Apatow tradition. Chocked full of fine comedic turns by a truly stellar cast, it's also a showcase for actors you wouldn't expect to see together. The story follows three buddies, played in low key by Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, and Jason Sudeikis, who suffer daily from over-the-top horrible bosses. And the bosses, all certifiable, are played to the hilt by Jennifer Aniston as a sexually voracious dentist, Kevin Spacey as a castrating corporate megalomaniac, and an unrecognizable Colin Farrell as a comb-over playboy cokehead. Trapped by circumstances, including the economy and other pressures, the trio decide that murder is their only way out. What happens when these white bread brothers embark on a criminal plot is embarrassingly hysterical. It's great fun and rated R for good reason.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon IMAX 3D *

Huge, impressive, expensive special effects battle scenes, screeching scenes of destruction, and the totally improbable survival of the major human characters once again define the latest installment of Michael Bay's Transformer series. This time instead of re-writing ancient history, "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" rewrites recent history, explaining the moon race as a mission to investigate an alien spaceship that crashed on the other side of the moon.

The movie is high on visual style, and features a particularly decorative girlfriend for Sam Witwicky (Victoria's Secret supermodel Rosie Huntington-Whitely), who was doubtless chosen for this part because of her amazing ability to come out of the most harrowing dangers, like free falling from skyscrapers and sliding down the glass sides of tilting buildings, with her high heels still on and intact. Shia LaBeouf and Josh Duhamel return, with some welcome characterizations from Frances McDormand, Patrick Dempsey, and John Malkovich.

The plot again pits the robot Decepticons against our friends the robot Autobots. Through a series of twists too ridiculous to recount, it becomes necessary for the Decepticons to lay waste to Chicago. I must say it's nice to see another metropolis besides New York, Tokyo, or L.A. suffer an apocalypse. The movie is just what you would expect, although about half an hour longer than even the most rabid fan would ask for.

The Trip ***

When his girlfriend backs out of a planned trip to great northern England restaurants for The Observer, actor/writer/producer Steve Coogan must take his best friend and source of eternal aggravation, Rob Brydon. This movie documents their trip and conversations along the way on their week-long road trip. There are moments of high hilarity, as Brydon trots out his repertoire of impressions, and they both speculate about the lives of the famous writers whose homes and heaths they visit. But there's always an undercurrent, as Coogan indifferently beds a succession of women and deals on the phone with his ex-wife, son, agents, assistants, and girlfriend on assignment in the U.S., and confronts his middle age and stalled career. It's an interesting slice of life effort with a bleak final image, of Coogan in his posh London apartment, alone, surveying the foggy view.