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October 5, 2006 12:50 am

HH FLYBOYS (PG-13) This tale of Americans who volunteer to join the fledgling French biplane air force during World War I is fun to watch, but it doesn't have the actors or dramatic weight to make it much more than a curiosity. That's largely because of the film's lead, James Franco, who flees trouble on the ranch at home to find adventure and fulfillment as one of the world's first pilots. Though World War I is ravaging the countryside and pilots are going down at a ferocious rate, this tale has a jaunty, "Cool! They're flying!" feel to it that undercuts any real attempt at making a serious statement about the war. Jean Reno does his normal solid duty as the officer who oversees a group of American flyboys, but the action they take part in feels more like something on the Disney Channel than real warfare. Rated PG-13 for war-action violence and some sexual content. [RF, M]

H JACKASS: NUMBER TWO (R) If there were ever a movie to divide generations, this is it. Yes, there are funny moments buried among the gross and hurtful bits that are difficult to watch. But I don't really think it's funny to see a guy jab a huge fishhook through his cheek and then get used as bait for sharks. Or get branded on the butt, attacked by bees or abused during a stunt with a beer bong. I could have hung with this if Johnny Knoxville and company did the stunts that got them famous on television, flying through the air on rocket-powered bikes or running from bulls in a suburban street. But on the big screen, and faced by the need to be absurd, dangerous or strange enough to be really out there, there are scenes with snakes, horses and more that push this film beyond what I was comfortable with. Rated R for extremely crude and dangerous stunts throughout, sexual content, nudity and language. [RF, RA, M]

HH JET LI'S FEARLESS (PG-13) For those who love martial arts or are fascinated with the way they all came to be, this subtitled story of a great fighting master might really do it. For the rest of us, this tale that seems oh so very familiar gets old after the first few skirmishes. Yes, Li has a presence onscreen and manages to make you believe that he can bend the laws of gravity to fight in this ancient way. But the quest to unite all the various types of martial arts to help promote his country's future takes a back seat to a tale that becomes as tedious as it is expected. Rated PG-13 for violence and martial-arts action throughout. [RF, M]

HH GRIDIRON GANG (PG-13) We've seen this David and Goliath tale a million times or so. This time, it's about a bunch of kids in a juvenile detention center who learn to play football from a character played by The Rock. But if you can set aside quibbles about whether kids charged with murder could find someone to play against, this film will provide that slow-burning "Hurrah!" that you get from watching some troubled young men earn something. Rated PG-13 for some startling scenes of violence, mature thematic material and language. [RF, RA, M]

HHH THE ILLUSIONIST (PG-13) This taut drama about a master illusionist is one of the best things out so far this year, largely because of a great performance by Edward Norton as master illusionist Eisenheim. Aided by great outings by Paul Giamatti, Jessica Biel and Rufus Sewell, the film is a tale of young love and its lasting magic, of absolute power and of the power of doing what's right. Appearances are everything in this story of a young boy who falls for a beautiful young royal (Biel), then leaves her to see the world. He returns dozens of years later as a master illusionist, only to find her trapped in an empty and dangerous arranged marriage with a young prince (Sewell). Rated PG-13 for some sexuality and violence. [RF]