Step Up: Revolution 3D ***

Graced with energy, inventive choreography, two appealing leads, and Miami for a backdrop, "Step Up: Revolution" delivers good music and dancing with a minimum of rich-girl-aspiring-dancer and working-boy-aspiring-dancer backstory. I found it very enjoyable, sometimes surprising, and all with an added punch from 3D. Channing Tatum got a boost from his turn at bat in this franchise, and it could be the same for Ryan Guzman, whose looks, talent, and chiseled abs are all of this movie.

Take This Waltz ****

"Take This Waltz" is a beautifully rendered portrait of a slow-motion seduction of young married woman who discovers how unhappy she is being married to a really sweet guy she doesn't want to hurt. This low-budget gem showcases spot-on performances from Luke Kirby as the neighbor, Seth Rogen as the comfortable and funny chef husband, and a quiet masterpiece of acting from Michelle Williams as a free lance writer discovering and exploring her feelings and her situation. Director/ writer/ producer Sarah Polley tells her story as a comedy/drama, with many well-observed details of present day relationships, set in a riot of color in the artist-haven Little Portugal section of Toronto. This movie is an impressively-crafted work from a filmmaker who clearly is going places.

The Dark Knight Rises ****

"The Dark Knight Rises" delivers on multiple levels with a larger-than-life peril to Gotham, an aging Batman ending his voluntary exile for one last heroic effort, stunning and expressive photography (much of it in IMAX), top quality performances from top-drawer talent, and white-knuckle action sequences featuring Christopher Nolan's trademark live action over CGI.

Of the actors, I have no favorite, but I particularly liked Anne Hathaway as the brilliant and coldly calculating cat burglar Selina Kyle looking for a second chance. I was disappointed that Tom Hardy as the evil Bane had a mask even more obscuring of his acting talent than the Batman costume. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, a bit older and more mature now, was superb as the orphan who became a cop, and who hopefully has a future in the franchise. Marion Cotillard drew me in hook, line, and sinker as Wayne Enterprises board member Miranda Tate. Christian Bale made me feel every creaky and damaged joint that results from a crime-fighting career without using guns. And of course Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, and Morgan Freeman delivered as usual. It is truly remarkable that Nolan is able to assemble such talent, write such compelling parts, and elicit such impressive performances from his cast. This movie is a highlight of a really good year.

To Rome With Love ***

In "To Rome with Love" Woody Allen creates four stories to paint a picture of what Rome means today. These are not intersecting stories, but parallel, mixed together like the symphony of automobiles directed by the Roman traffic cop who introduces and closes the movie. The tales are like short stories, each with a comic conceit and Allen's particular brand of humor, heavy on both absurd exaggeration and realism, and played by a fantastic collection of actors. I found it a delightful meditation on young love, art, and celebrity, all told with a decidedly sunny outlook. Very Italian, I suppose.

Beasts of the Southern Wild ****

"Beasts of the Southern Wild" presents a primal story of nature and survival in the bayou from the viewpoint of six-year-old Hushpuppy, a near-orphan living near, if not exactly with, her father, who fights to keep her world together with courage and magic. The unromantic, hand-held camera, almost documentary style of the movie contrasts sharply with the fantastical world Hushpuppy lives in, and the viewpoint of a child reveals more to us than she grasps. It's a wonderfully rich, unflinching, and fable-like telling of the progress of a tiny hero as she searches for family and meaning in a world full of huge, violent forces. A first-rate film.

The Amazing Spider-Man ****

A reboot and an upgrade from the 2002 version, "The Amazing Spider-Man" operates better on many levels, from the more techy back story, to the quality of the cast, to the energy and dexterity of the special effects, and yes, even to the two main actors, Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone. It's fast and fun, and fabulous on the IMAX screen. Hats off to director Marc Webb, who made the leap from "(500) Days of Summer" to the super-big-budget world with grace and aplomb.

Bernie ****

Usually I don't enjoy or recommend Jack Black movies. There is often something too uncontrolled, too gross to his performances that gets in the way. Not with "Bernie." This true story of small-town Texas undertaker Bernie Tiede who befriends a cranky rich widow (Shirley MacLaine) and becomes her constant companion, is a masterfully-controlled character study. Interspersed with documentary-style interviews with townspeople, both real and impersonated, the story of Bernie is fascinating, funny, and touchingly sad. Matthew McConaughey appears, believably and deliciously, as the local prosecutor upholding the law when the sentiment of the town is clearly with Bernie, no matter what he might have done to Margorie Nugent. The movie is insightful, fascinating, wry, and will leave you shaking your head in both disbelief and understanding.

Ted ****

Raunchy, irreverent, profane, drug-using, and foul mouthed, Ted is not your usual plush toy. No, he was the answer to a young boy's wish, a boy he's grown up with, and has become a decidedly bad influence upon, if you ask the boy's girl friend. In this hilarious fantasy from Seth MacFarlane (creator of "Family Guy"), the eponymous creature from Hasbro has settled into a single guy classic slacker life while his best friend John (Mark Wahlberg) struggles to grow up and settle down with the girlfriend (Mila Kunis) who is clearly better than he deserves. For MacFarlane, it's open season on pop culture, especially saccharine kids movies and rom coms. Wahlberg and Kunis deliver spot on comedic performances, and the special effects guys get a fun workout. I loved it.

Magic Mike ****

Channing Tatum does have the magic. "Magic Mike," the story of a male stripper loosely based on Tatum's early work history, tells a familiar story of the allure of easy money and easy sex from a male point of view. Playing an aspiring furniture designer who works in construction and the female fantasy world of males on display, Tatum brings his solid acting skills to the role of Mike. But there is definitely something special that happens when he's on stage. The man has an attraction and star quality that can be turned on like a switch.

Of course it's director Steven Soderberg's job to showcase that talent, if not to invent it. The story of Mike and his tutelage of a newcomer (Alex Pettyfer) whose sister he falls for presents some familiar life lessons. But Soderberg's techniques keep the story fresh. He avoids tired tropes, cuts quickly when you get the point, and makes good use of inventive camera angles. Actors are relaxed and natural, and he makes especially good use of Cody Horn, who, as the protective sister of Mike's protege, has a grounded presence that allows her to be the truth-teller in many scenes.

Other than Tatum, the standout performance comes from Mathew McConaughey as club owner Dallas. Taking the business of sleaze and false camaraderie to a new level, McConaughey creates an entrepreneur and manipulator who keeps the club cranking, looking to move his operation on to a bigger market.

This movie will attract a big, enthusiastic female (and gay) audience, but there's enough fantasy material about the life of a male stripper to interest the straight guys as well.