HHH "AVATAR" (PG-13) Alive in a way that few films have ever been, this is a unique motion-picture experience--a visual feast that puts you in the action. Our "hero," paraplegic Marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) winds up in a project that injects his consciousness into the body of a Na'vi on a planet called Pandora. Rated PG-13 for intense epic battle sequences and warfare, sensuality, language and smoking. 150 min. [RF, RA, M]
HHH "THE BLIND SIDE" (PG-13) This is a captivating tale of a rich family that adopts a huge, poor black youth to a positive end. The filmmakers let the saga of Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Michael Oher unfold simply and select Sandra Bullock to be the single-minded spitfire of a mom. Rated PG-13 for scenes involving brief violence, drugs, sexual references. 126 min. [RF, RA]
HH "THE BOOK OF ELI" (R) Only a commanding performance from Denzel Washington earns this otherwise humdrum post-apocalyptic tale the extra half-star. He plays a pilgrim making his way slowly to the West Coast in a world destroyed by nuclear war, carrying a book he believes will set things right. Rated R for brutal violence and language. 118 min. [RF, RA, M]
HHH "IT'S COMPLICATED" (R) With a lesser actress in the lead of this funny but bittersweet tale of a divorced couple rejoining for a fling, this would have been madcap and silly. With Meryl Streep handling that role, it's deliciously funny and touchingly real. Alec Baldwin is good as the boorish husband. Rated R for some drug content and sexuality. 114 min. [RF]
H "LEGION" (R) This tale of God's apocalypse is so bad, you'd think they were trying to be funny. But they're serious, trotting out a dull script, stock characters and little more than skirmishes between zombie-like folks, and a good angel and bad fighting it out in a dive of a restaurant in the desert. With actors like Paul Bettany and Charles S. Dutton, this should be better. Rated R for strong bloody violence, language. 100 min. [RF, RA, M]
HH "THE LOVELY BONES" (PG-13) A young girl is raped and murdered, then is stuck between heaven and earth pining for justice and healing for her family. But given such a grisly start, the filmmakers hit a strange note by having the in-between world look like a Disney cartoon. Stanley Tucci is chilling as the killer. Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material involving disturbing violent content and images, and some language. 135 min. [RF, M]
HHH "PRECIOUS" (R) This is a powerful, gut-wrenching film about a poor young woman who's abused and devalued growing up in Harlem. It's impossible to watch this and not feel for Precious, beaten by her mother and impregnated by her father. But the film fumbles its power because fledgling actress Gab-ourey Sidibe can't convey the pain and rage Precious feels. Rated R for child abuse including sexual assault, and pervasive language. 109 min. [RF]
HHH "SHERLOCK HOLMES" (PG-13) Most people don't associate Sherlock Holmes with action and adventure. That is, they didn't until director Guy Ritchie brought us Robert Downey Jr. as Holmes in an action film, one that thankfully retains the sleuthing. Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some startling images and some suggestive material. 128 min. [RF, RA]
H "THE TOOTH FAIRY" (PG) Julie Andrews is the only one who shouldn't apologize for this waste of time. She's classy in anything she does. But Dwayne Johnson in a tutu? Really, is that reason enough for us to suffer through this silly mishmash about a hockey player as the tooth fairy? Nope, even kids will find this lame. Rated PG for sequences of action violence and some mild rude humor. 92 min. [RF, RA, M]
HHH "UP IN THE AIR" (R) Star George Clooney makes the main character here, who lives his life on the road, an interesting but unsatisfied soul. He's convincing in the role, but the ending feels overly abrupt. Rated R for language and some sexual content. 109 min. [RF, RA]
M: Marquee Cinemas,
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