Dinner for Schmucks *

When told the premise of the "Dinner for Schmucks" - invite the most ridiculous moron he can find to see who's schmuck is the winner - Paul Rudd's character says, "That's really messed up!" He's right. A few funny, but mostly cringe-worthy moments in this disappointing movie. Must have sounded good in the high-concept pitch. Or at least better in the original French version. Lots of wasted talent here.

Rated PG-13. 114 minutes. Jay Roach - Director / Producer, David Guion - Writer (screenplay),Michael Handelman - Writer (screenplay), Francis Veber - Writer (film "Le Diner de Cons"), Laurie MacDonald -Producer, Walter F. Parkes - Producer, Jim Denault - Cinematographer, Theodore Shapiro - Composer, Michael Corenblith - Production Designer,Alan Baumbarten - Editor, Jon Poll - Editor. Distributed by Paramount Pictures.

Principal actors: Steve Carrell, Paul Rudd, Zach Galifianakis.

Inception ****

A very smart action thriller about a hired commando (Leonardo DiCaprio) who leads a team of operatives in a shared dream with a target who they plan to influence at a deep level without his knowledge. Director / writer / producer Christopher Nolan ("The Dark Knight," "Memento") invents a dream technology and then explores and exploits its ramifications in a mesmerizing, dizzying, brain teaser of a movie. Never mind that the dreams seem to follow action movie conventions, and make a lot more sense than say, my dreams ever do. It's a fully engaging and wonderfully realized project that will prompt many interesting conversations. Expect statuette nominations galore for this one.

Rated PG-13. 148 minutes. Christopher Nolan - Director / Writer / Producer, Emma Thomas - Producer, Wally Pfister - Cinematographer, Hans Zimmer - Composer, Guy Hendrix - Production Designer, Lee Smith - Editor. Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Principal actors: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ken Watanabe, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Marion Cotillard.

The Girl Who Played With Fire ***

"The Girl Who Played With Fire," the second of the movies based on the Stieg Larsson Millennium trilogy of novels, is workmanlike, advancing the further story of journalist Michael Nyqvist's investigations, and Lisbeth Salander's final attempt to settle her scores, once and for all, with her evil father. Thankfully, the three movies were shot in sequence with all creative and performing talents the same. However, perhaps endemic to its position, the middle of the three stories seems more transition than drama. It is nevertheless well done, and a must see for Larsson fans, who can only anticipate the final movie coming soon.

Rated R. 129 minutes. Daniel Alfredson - Director, Jonas Fryberg - Writer (screenplay), Stieg Larsson - Writer (novel), Peter Mokrosinski - Cinematographer, jacob Groth - Composer, Mattias Morheden - Editor. Distributed in the U.S. by Music Box Films.

Principal actors: Mikael Blomkvist, Noomi Rapace.

The Kids Are All Right ****

Complications ensue when the children of lesbian parents track down their sperm donor biological father. It sounds like it could be a comedy, and there are funny moments, but director/writer Lisa Cholodenko has constructed a thoughtful, insightful, and dramatic film that exposes the strengths and weaknesses of the relationship of the two moms.

With the older child (Mia Wasikowska of "Alice in Wonderland") approaching college age, and the younger (Josh Hutcherson of "Bridge to Terabithia") dealing with adolescent growing pains, the kids are becoming adults and questioning everything. Annette Benning, in an Oscar-worth performance, and Julianne Moore play the parents. Mark Ruffalo completes the outstanding cast. This movie is much more than all right, it's superb.

Rated R. 106 minutes. Lisa Cholodenko - Director / Writer, Stuart Blumberg - Writer, Gary Gilbert - Producer, Philippe Hellmann - Producer, Jordan Horowitz - Producer, Jeffrey Levy-Hinte - Producer, Celine Rattray - Producer, Daniela Taplin Lundberg - Producer, Igor Jadue=Lillo - Cinematographer, Carter Burwell - Composer, Julie Berghoff - Production Designer, Jeffrey M. Werner - Editor. Distributed by Focus Features.

Principal actors: Annette Benning, Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Mia Wasikowska, Josh Hutcherson

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work ***

Or you could call it "Joan Rivers, Inc." An up-close and intimate look at her life at 75, from the daily ritual of the heavy makeup to the hard-won gigs (and she will almost literally work anywhere) we see her life as it is and, in archival footage, what it was as she worked her way to the top. Nothing, it seems, is off limits, and the most painful parts of her life are there along with the most joyful. Shot over a 14 month period by Ricki Stern and her sister, Annie Sundberg, this amazing documentary provides a backstage portrait that is intriguing, involving, sad, raucously funny, and thought-provoking.

Rated R. 84 minutes. Ricki Stern - Director, Annie Sundberg - Co-Director, Seth Keal - Producer, Anne Sundberg - Producer, Charles Miller - Cinematographer, Paul Brill - Composer, Penelope Falk -Editor. Produced by Break Thru Films. Distributed by IFC Films.

Principal subjects (as themselves): Joan Rivers, Flo Fox, Kathy Griffin, Don Rickles, Melissa Rivers.

Avatar ***

"Avatar" is a technically dazzling, seamlessly crafted sci-fi adventure tale set on a far-off planet where a paraplegic marine is able to inhabit and control the body of a specially-engineered native, who can not only survive, but thrive in the poisonous atmosphere. In his avatar body, he befriends the natives to advance the aims of the company that brought him there to extract a valuable mineral. The marine learns the ways of the natives, and comes to understand and respect the interconnectedness of life on this beautifully-imagined world. The movie is great fun and emotionally engaging, even if you do wonder if you're cheering a tribe that has disturbing parallels to the peoples and cultures that the U.S. has fought, or is fighting, here and abroad. See it for the superb special effects, battle scenes, and the best transfer of actors to animated images to date.

Rated PG-13. 162 minutes. James Cameron - Director / Writer / Producer / Editor, Jon Landau - Producer, Mauro Fiore - Cinematographer, James Horner - Composer, Rick Carter - Production Designer, Robert Stomberg - Production - Productiion Designer, John Refoua - Editor, Stephen Rivkin - Editor. Produced and distributed by Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.

Principal actors: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez, Giovanni Ribisi, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Peter Mensah, Laz Alonso, Wes Studi, Stephen Lang, and Matt Gerald

Sherlock Holmes ***

This is not your father's "Sherlock Holmes." The new Sherlock, starring Robert Downey Jr. as the title character, with Jude Law as his friend and partner Dr. Watson, bursts on the scene not just as a neatness challenged, keenly observant, and incredibly intelligent detective, but as the muscular, brawling action hero heir to a raft of James Bond and comic book character action movies. Throw in a woman in love with Holmes (Rachel McAdams) who is not only smart, but who can steal, fight, and shoot as well as the men, and you've got a thoroughly modern Hollywood formula set in Victorian London. For me, it's a guilty pleasure two hour escape, and a lot of fun.

The plot Holmes must defeat is similarly exotic, involving black magic at the highest levels of government and ingenious gadgets in service of a scheme for world domination. I told you it wasn't your father's, or even Conan Doyle's, Sherlock Holmes. The action scenes are well done, the special effects creating circa 1870's London are superb, and the quick flash-back sequences visually explaining how Holmes reached his conclusions are economical and effective. I enjoyed the movie, and would love to see the sequel that is sure to follow.

Rated PG-13. 128 minutes. Guy Ritchie - Director, Michael Robert Johnson - Writer (screenplay) (screen story), Anthony Peckham - Writer (screenplay), Simon Kinberg - Writer (screenplay), Lionel Wigram - Writer (screen story) / Producer, Arthur Conan Doyle - Writer (characters Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson), Susan Downey - Producer, Dan Lin - Producer, Joel Silver - Producer, Joel Silver - Producer, PHilippe Rousselot - Cinemmatographer, Hans Zimmer - Composer, Sarah Greenwood - Production Designer, James Herbert - Editor.

Principle actors: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong, Eddie Marsan, and Kelly Reilly.