The International **

"The International" wants to be a taught, intelligent thriller most of the time, but casts caution to the wind in favor of a totally baroque shoot-out in the Guggenheim in NYC that makes no sense at all. A nefarious international bank as villain is topical, and there are some stunning locations in Italy and Istanbul. Clive Owen and Naomi Watts turn in workman-like performances. You could do worse for a popcorn escape.

Rated R. 118 minutes. Tom Tykwer - Director / Composer, Eric Warren Singer - Writer, Lloyd Phillips - Producer, Charles Roven - Producer, Richard Suckle - Producer, Frank Griebe - Cinematographer, Reinhold Heil - Composer, Johnny Klimek - Composer, Uli Hanisch - Production Designer, Mathilde Bonnefoy - Editor. Produced by Relativity Media. Distributed by Columbia Pictures.

Principal actors: Clive Owen, Naomi Watts, Armin Mueller-Stahl, and Brían F. O'Byrne.

Coraline ****

Inventive, fanciful, funny, scary, lush, imaginative, and dreamlike, the stop-motion animated feature "Coraline" is a feast for the eyes, especially in 3D. Director/writer Henry Selick uses 3D to enhance the story, as Coraline crawls through a magic door in her drab new house to find an alternative, visually deeper, and much more interesting version of her life there, complete with an Other Mother. The story may be too intense for young children, but older kids and adults will revel in its sophistication, wit, dazzling visuals.

Rated PG. 100 minutes. Henry Selick - Director / Writer (screenplay), Neil Gaiman - Writer (book), Claire Jennings - Producer, Mary Sandell - Producer, Pete Kozachik - Cinematographer, Bruno Coulais - Composer, They Might Be Giants - Composer, Christopher Murrie - Editor, Ronald Sanders - Editor.

Voices: Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, and Ian McShane.

Under the Sea 3D ****

The fish pictured above like small bites of the stinging jellyfish they surround, but I'll bet you don't know who has the cast iron stomach to chow down on the whole thing.  That's just one of the amazing and beautiful things you'll learn from the IMAX documentary "Under the Sea 3D."  Relatively short (40 minutes) and relatively expensive ($14.25 adult, $11.00 senior and child in Denver), this amazing movie dazzles as it informs.  

Shot in the tropical waters off Papua and Australia, there is not one uninteresting shot, not one view or possibly creature that you've seen before, and certainly not in IMAX 3D.  The colorful schools of fish have exquisite detail and depth, and the narration, voiced by Jim Carrey, is intelligent and fascinating.  Music and sound effects are beautiful and effective. Everyone should like it, and the short form makes it appropriate for even very young viewers.

Rated G.  40 minutes.  Howard Hall - Director, Toni Myers - Producer, Micky Erbe - Composer, Maribeth Solomon - Composer.  Produced and distributed by IMAX and Warner Bros. Pcitures.

Narrator: Jim Carey.

The Pink Panther 2 **

Tolerable and mildly amusing for adults, and slapstick fun for the younger set, "The Pink Panther 2" has many of the same virtues and drawbacks as its predecessor. Steve Martin reprises his idiot savant interpretation of Inspector Clouseau. Production values are good; minor characters have solid players, and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is decorative, rather than being asked to break a sweat acting, much like Beyonce in the first one.

Rated PG. 92 minutes. Harald Zwart - Director, Scott Neustadter - Writer (screenplay) (story), Michael H. Weber - Writer (screenplay) (story), Steve Martin - Writer (screenplay), Maurice Richlin - Writer (characters), Blake Edwards - Writer (characters), Robert Simonds - Producer, Denis Crossan - Cinematographer, Christophe Beck - Composer, Rusty Smith - Production Designer, Julia Wong - Editor. Produced by MGM. Distributed by Columbia Pictures.

Principal actors: Steve Martin, Jean Reno, Alfred Molina, Emily Mortimer, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Andy Garcia, Lily Tomlin, and John Cleese.

Push **

A passable present-day sci-fi action/thriller, "Push" makes excellent use of Hong Kong for flavor, decor, color, and multi-faceted, layered sets that are great fun to destroy. Kudos to director Paul McGuigan and cinematographer Peter Sova, who have worked together before ("Lucky Number Slevin," "Wicker Park.") The energy and movement in the film are its best features.

The script is low on developmental power, resorting to narration to set it all up, and features a deadly power-enhancing serum that "no one has survived." (So why do they keep trying to use it?) The acting is flat. Even Dakota Fanning, who admittedly doesn't have much to work with, struggles to find the right tone as a kid who can see the future and tries to save fellow second-generation mutant Chris Evans. Evans disappoints; I would rather have seen more intensity and less Keanu Reeves from him.

The story involves a slew of supernaturally talented humans who have various powers: telekinesis, clairvoyance, healing, suggestion (as in implanting false memories), and screams that can shatter rocks, let alone glass. The good ones are hiding from the evil government agency that wants to use them as weapons. There are some good fights, double-crosses, and a raft of colorful characters.

See it for the color, action, and locations. Pay no attention to the story and you'll be just fine.

Rated PG-13. 111 minutes. Paul McGuigan - Director, David Bourla - Writer, Bruce Davey - Producer, William Vince - Producer, Glenn Williamson - Producer, Peter Sova - Cinematographer, Neil Davidge - Composer, François Séguin - Production Designer, Nicolas Trembasiewicz - Editor. Produced and distributed by Summit Entertainment.

Principal actors:Chris Evans, Dakota Fanning, Camilla Belle, Djimon Hounsou, Maggie Siff, and Scott Michael Campbell.

He's Just Not That Into You ***

A refreshing change from the usual rom-com formulas, "He's Just Not That Into You" follows the interweaving stories of a group of young Baltimore professionals trying to navigate the choppy waters of dating and mating. Ginnifer Goodwin is a standout as the neurotic and needy Gigi in a top drawer cast that includes Jennifer Aniston, Ben Afleck, Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Connelly, Scarlett Johansson, and Bradley Cooper. In fact two other little-knowns, Justin Long as the worldly-wise friend of Gigi, and Kevin Connolly as Scarlett Johannson's lapdoggy boyfriend, turn in more memorable performances than the big names.

I'm not saying this is a chick flick, but there may have been two other males besides me in the theater Friday at a well-attended first show.

Rated PG-13. 129 minutes. Ken Kwapis - Director, Abby Kohn - Writer, Marc Silverstein - Writer, Greg Behrendt - Writer (book), Liz Tuccillo - Writer (book), Nancy Juvonen - Producer, John Bailey - Cinematographer, Cliff Eidelman - Composer, Gae S. Buckley - Production Designer, Cara Silverman - Editor. Produced by Flower Films (II). Distributed by New Line Cinema.

Principal actors: Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Connelly, Kevin Connolly, Bradley Cooper, Ginnifer Goodwin, Scarlett Johansson, Kris Kristofferson, and Justin Long.

Inkheart **

A diverting fable and vivid metaphor for the power of the written word to engage our imagination, "Inkheart" tells the tale of Mo "Silvertongue" Folchart who has the ability to literally bring characters to life from the printed page, which, it turns out, can be quite a dangerous business. The story, pacing, performances, and, of course the special effects, are all fine. This movie will especially appeal to young ladies.

Rated PG. 106 minutes. Iain Softley - Director / Producer, David Lindsay-Abaire - Writer (screenplay), Cornelia Funke - Writer (novel) / Producer, Ileen Maisel - Producer, Diana Pokorny - Producer, Roger Pratt - Cinematographer, Javier Navarrete - Composer, John Beard - Production Designer, Martin Walsh - Editor. Produced by New Line Cinema. Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Principal actors: Brendan Fraser, Paul Bettany, Helen Mirren, Jim Broadbent, Andy Serkis, Sienna Guillory, Eliza Hope Bennett, and Rafi Gavron.