Snohomish County
Alderwood, Lynnwood 425-776-3535
The Protector (R) (11:55-1-2-3:10-4:05-5:15) 6:10-7:30-8:20-9:50-10:35
The Wicker Man (12:30-3-5:30) 8-10:30
Crank (R) (12:50-2:55-5) 7:20-9:40
Beerfest (R) (12-2:35-5:05) 7:45-10:25
Idlewild (R) (5:10) 10:20
Trust the Man (R) 9:30
Step Up (PG-13) (12:20-2:45) 7:55
Barnyard (PG) (12:10-2:25-4:35) 7
Alderwood Mall, Lynnwood 425-921-2980
Hollywoodland (R) (10-10:55) 12:45-1:40-3:40-4:30-6:30-7:30-9:20-10:20-12
The Covenant (10:10-11:10) 12:30-1:30-3-4:05-5:30-7-8-9:30-10:30-11:50
Crossover (PG-13) (10:25) 12:40-2:55-5:15-7:45-10:05-12:25
The Illusionist (PG-13) (10:40) 1:15-3:45-6:40-9:15-11:45
How to Eat Fried Worms (PG) (10:20) 12:25-2:40-4:55
Invincible (10:05-11:05) 12:35-1:45-3:05-4:10-5:40-7:05-8:05-9:35-10:40-12:05
Snakes on a Plane (R) (10:45) 1-3:15-5:35-7:50-10:15-12:30
Accepted (PG-13) (10:30) 12:50-3:10-5:25-7:40-9:55-12:10
World Trade Center (PG-13) (10:15) 1:10-4:15-7:10-10
Talladega Nights (PG-13) (11) 1:35-4:20-7:15-9:45-12:15
The Descent (R) 7:20-9:40-11:55
Miami Vice (10:35) 1:25-4:25-7:35-10:35
Little Miss Sunshine (R) (11:15) 1:50-4:45-7:25-9:50-12:20
Pirates: Dead Man’s Chest (PG-13) 12:10-3:35-6:50-10:10
Edmonds Theater 425-778-4554
Little Miss Sunshine (R) 5-7-9
Everett Stadium 425-353-3505
Hollywoodland (R) (12:50-4) 7-9:50
The Protector (1-3:40) 6:10-8:20-10:40
The Covenant (12:20-2:40-5) 7:20-10:35
Crank (R) (1:50-4:10) 6:20-8:40-10:45
The Wicker Man (2:10-5:10) 7:40-10:10
Idlewild (R) (3:30) 9:30
How to Eat Fried Worms(12:40-2:50-5:30)
Invincible (1:40-4:20) 7:10-8-9:40-10:25
Beerfest (R) (12:10-3:10) 7:45-10:15
The Illusionist (12-2:30-5:20) 7:50-10:20
Accepted (PG-13) (1:20) 6:40
Step Up (PG-13) 6:45-9:10
World Trade Center (PG-13) (12:30-3:20) 6:30-9:20
Barnyard (PG) (12:15-2:20-4:40) 6:50
Talladega Nights (PG-13) (2-4:50) 7:30-10
Little Miss Sunshine (R) (1:30-3:50) 8:10-10:30
Monster House (PG) (12:45-3)
Pirates: Dead Man’s Chest (PG-13) (1:10-4:30) 8:30
Superman Returns (PG-13) 9
Galaxy Monroe 360-863-0909
The Covenant 12:15-2:30-4:45-7-9:15
Hollywoodland (R) 1:40-4:20-7:05-9:45
The Protector (R) 1-3-5-7:05-9:05
Invincible (PG) 12:10-2:30-4:50-7:10-9:30
Little Miss Sunshine (R) 12:15-2:45-5:05-7:25-9:45
The Wicker Man 12:40-3-5:20-7:40-10:05
Crank (R) 1-3:10-5:15-7:20-9:25
Beerfest (R) 2:35-5:05-7:35-10
Talladega Nights 12:30-2:55-5:20-7:45-10:10
Step Up (PG-13) 12:50-5:30-10:10
Snakes on a Plane (R) 3:05-7:55
Barnyard (PG) 12:30-2:35-4:40
World Trade Center (PG-13) 7-9:45
Pirates: Dead Man’s Chest (PG-13) 12:25-3:30-6:35-9:30
Marysville 360-659-1009
The Protector (R) (1:35-4:55) 7:50-9:55
The Covenant (1:55-4:40) 7:40-10:10
Hollywoodland (R) (1:25-4:15) 7-9:50
The Wicker Man (2-4:30) 7:25-9:45
Crank (R) (1:20-3:50) 7:30-9:35
How to Eat Fried Worms (PG) (1:40-4:25)
Invincible (PG) (1:50-5) 7:35-10:20
Beerfest (R) 7:55-10:30
The Illusionist (1:30-4:20) 6:50-9:30
Accepted (PG-13) (2:05-4:50) 7:45-10
Step Up (PG-13) 9:25
World Trade Center (1:05-4:05) 7:10-10:15
Barnyard (PG) (1:45-4:35) 7:05
Talladega Nights (PG-13) (1:10-4) 7:15-9:40
Little Miss Sunshine (1:15-3:55) 6:40-9:20
Pirates: Dead Man’s Chest (PG-13) (1-4:10) 7:20-10:25
Mountlake 425-744-1112
The Covenant (12:10-2:30-5) 7:30-9:50
Hollywoodland (R) (1-4) 7-10
The Protector (12:30-2:40-4:50) 7:10-9:20
Invincible (PG) (1:10-4:10) 6:40-9:10
Crank (R) (12:20-2:50-5:10) 7:20-9:40
The Wicker Man (1:20-4:40) 7:40-10:10
Little Miss Sunshine (1:30-4:20) 6:50-9:30
Talladega Nights (12:40-3:50) 7:50-10:20
Pirates: Dead Man’s Chest (PG-13) (12:50-4:30) 8
Olympic, Arlington 360-435-3939
Invincible (PG) 7:30
Puget Park Drive-In, Everett 425-338-5957
Box office opens at 7:45
Invincible (PG) w/ Step Up (PG-13)
Stanwood Cinemas 360-629-0514
Invincible (PG) 1:40-4:05-6:50-9
The Wicker Man (PG-13) 1:20-3:30-7-9:15
The Covenant 1:25-3:45-7:05-9:20
How to Eat Fried Worms (PG) 1:45-4-6:45
Beerfest (R) 8:45
Talladega Nights 1:30-3:50-6:55-9:15
King County
Cinerama, Seattle 206-441-3080
Protector (11:15) 1:10-3:15-5:20-8-10:05
Crest, Shoreline 206-781-5755
A Scanner Darkly (R) 7-9:10
Cars (G) 6:45-9:20
The Da Vinci Code (PG-13) 8
Wordplay (PG) 7:15
Lady in the Water (PG-13) 9:30
Egyptian, Seattle 206-781-5755
Factotum (R) (5:10) 7:20-9:30
Lost in Translation (R) midnight
Guild 45th, Seattle 206-781-5755
Little Miss Sunshine (R) (2:15-3:30-4:45) 6-7:15-8:30-9:45
Harvard Exit, Seattle 206-781-5755
Half Nelson (R) (2:15-4:45) 7:15-9:45
Talk to Her (R) (4:30)
The Flower of My Secret (R) 7
All About My Mother (R) (2) 9:30
Meridian, Seattle 206-223-9600
Crossover 12:30-2:45-5:05-7:25-9:40
Crank (R) 12:05-1:20-2:15-3:30-4:30-5:40-6:55-8-9:10-10:10
Trust the Man 12:25-2:50-5:20-7:45-10:20
How to Eat Fried Worms (PG) 12:20-2:35-4:50-7:05
Beerfest (R) 12-2:30-5:10-7:50-10:30
Snakes on a Plane 12:15-2:35-4:55-7:15-9:35
Accepted (PG-13) 12-2:20-4:40-7-9:20
Step Up 12:10-2:40-5:10-7:40-10:05
Barnyard (PG) 12:35-2:50-5-7:10-9:25
The Descent 12:20-2:35-4:55-7:15-9:35
Miami Vice (R) 1-4-7-9:55
John Tucker Must Die (PG-13) 9:10
Scoop (PG-13) 7:05-9:20
Monster House (PG) 12:10-2:25-4:45
You, Me and Dupree (PG-13) 12:15-2:45-5:20-7:55-10:25
Pirates: Dead Man’s Chest (PG-13) 12-3:10-6:20-9:30
The Devil Wears Prada (PG-13) 12:05-2:40-5:15-7:45-10:15
Metro, Seattle 206-781-5755
The Protector (R) (2-4:50) 7:30-9:45
The Wicker Man (1:45-4:45) 7:15-9:40
Lassie (PG) (1:30-4:30) 7-9:35
Trust the Man (R) (1:25-4:15) 6:45-9:15
Crank (R) (1:50-4:40) 7:20-9:30
Scoop (PG-13) (1:10-4:20) 6:50-9:05
Talladega Nights (1:15-3:50) 6:55-9:25
Invincible (PG) (1:40-4:10) 7:10-9:50
Quinceanera (R) (1-3:45) 7:05-9:20
The Devil Wears Prada (PG-13) 6:40-9:10
Boynton Beach Club (NR) (1:20-4)
Neptune, Seattle 206-781-5755
The Illusionist (PG-13) (2:30-5) 7:30-10
Oak Tree, Seattle 206-527-1748
Pacific Place, Seattle 206-652-2404
Hollywoodland (R) (11) 1:30-2:30-4:20-5:20-7:20-8:20-10:10-11:05
The Covenant (PG-13) (10:40) 12:30-2:50-5:15-7:40-10/10:40
The Protector (R) (10:40) 12:40-2:45-4:50-7-9:05-11:05
Lassie (1994) (PG) (11:20) 2-4:30
The Illusionist (11:40) 2:15-5:10-8-10:40
The Wicker Man (PG-13) (10:50) 1:20-3:40-6:05-8:30-10:45
Idlewild (R) (11:10) 1:50-4:40-7:30-10:15
Invincible (11:30) 2:10-4:50-7:15-9:45
Talladega Nights(PG-13) (11:50) 2:20-5-7:45-10:20
Little Miss Sunshine (R) 12:20-3-5:30-7:10-8:10-9:30-10:30
Seven Gables, Seattle 206-781-5755
Hollywoodland (R) (1:30-4:10) 7-9:40
Uptown, Seattle 206-285-1022
The Quiet (2003) (NR) (11:30) 4:45-9:40
World Trade Center (PG-13) 2-7
A Prairie Home Companion (PG-13) (11:40) 2:15-4:30-7:10-9:20
An Inconvenient Truth (PG) (11:50) 2:30-5-7:20-9:30
Varsity, Seattle 206-781-5755
The Puffy Chair (R) (1:30-3:30-5:30) 7:30-9:30
Another Gay Movie (2:15-4:45) 7:10-9:20
Beerfest (R) (4:30) 9:10
Conversations W/ Other Women (2:30) 7
Woodinville 425-398-1400
Hollywoodland (R) (10:30) 1:30-4:30-7:30-10:30
The Covenant (PG-13) (11:10) 1:50-4:35-7:10-9:40
The Protector (R) (10:50) 1:10-3:25-5:45-7:50-10:10
Lassie (1994) (10:15) 12:40-3:10-5:35
Crank(10:40) 1:05-3:20-5:40-8:10-10:25
The Wicker Man (PG-13) (11:30) 2:10-5-7:40-10:15
Beerfest (R) (11:40) 2:20-5:10-8-10:40
Invincible (PG) (11:20) 2-4:40-7:20-10
Accepted (PG-13) 8:05-10:35
Step Up 11:35) 2:15-4:50-7:25-10:05
Barnyard (10:45) 1-3:15-5:35-7:55-10:15
Talladega Nights (PG-13) (11) 1:40-4:20-7:05-9:50
Pirates: Dead Man’s Chest (PG-13) 12:20-3:40-7-10:20
Island &Skagit counties
Blue Fox Drive-In, Oak Harbor 360-675-5667
Pirates: Dead Man’s Chest (PG-13) 8 w/
Talladega Nights (PG-13)
Cascade Mall, Burlington 360-707-2727
The Clyde, Langley 360-221-5525
The Devil Wears Prada (PG-13) 7:30
Lincoln, Mount Vernon 360-336-2858
A Scanner Darkly (R) 5:30-8
Oak Harbor Plaza 360-279-2226
World Trade Center (PG-13) 1:30
The Descent (R) 1:45-4-6:50-9
Accepted (PG-13) 4:10-6:55-8:50
Invincible (PG) 2-4:15-6:45-8:55
ollywoodland (10:40) 1:20-4:10-7-9:45
The Covenant (PG-13) (10:30) 12:40-2:50-5:10-7:30-9:55
The Protector (11:30) 1:30-3:30-5:50-8-10
Crank (R) (10:50) 1-3-5:20-7:15-9:30
The Wicker Man (PG-13) (10:35) 12:50-3:10-5:40-7:50-10:10
How to Eat Fried Worms (PG) (10:45) 12:30-2:40-4:50
Beerfest (R) (11:15) 1:45-4:20-6:45-9:20
Invincible (PG) (11:45) 2:20-5-7:20-9:40
Accepted (PG-13) 6:50-9
Step Up (11:20) 2:30-5:30-7:45-10:05
World Trade Center (PG-13) (10:55) 1:50-4:30-7:40-10:15
Barnyard (PG) (11:40) 2-4-6:20-8:50
Talladega Nights (11) 2:10-4:40-7:10-9:35
Little Miss Sunshine (R) (11:10) 1:40-4:15-6:40-9:10
Pirates: Dead Man’s Chest (PG-13) (11:50) 3:20-6:30-9:50
Films
Snohomish and Island counties
The Silents in the Summer series: Includes silent screen classics, second Tuesdays May-October. Organist Dennis James performing on the theater’s pipe organ. Everett Theatre, 2911 Colby Ave., Everett; 425-258-6766, www.everetttheatre.org.
Skagit County and north
At the Lincoln: Lincoln Theatre, 712 S. First St., Mount Vernon; 360-336-2858. $7.50, $7 student/senior/military. $5 kids 12 and younger. Sept. 8-12 “A Scanner Darkly,” Friday and Saturday 5:30 and 8 p.m., Sunday 5 p.m., Monday and Tuesday 7:30 p.m. Rated R for drug and sexual content, language and brief violence.
Daughters of Norway: Meeting and slide show, 10 a.m. Sept. 9; 1720 Harris Ave., Bellingham. Free and open to public; www.daughtersofnorway.org or 360-752-2225.
Seattle and south
Frye Film Series: Film clips and discussion with Herald movie critic Robert Horton. Free admission, with tickets available one hour before event at Frye information desk. Why Hasn’t Ingmar Bergman Won the Nobel Prize?, 2 p.m. Sept. 10. Frye Art Museum, 704 Terry Ave., Seattle; 206-622-9250, www.fryeart.org.
“Beavers”: 1 and 3:30 p.m. daily. Boeing IMAX Theatre, Pacific Science Center, 200 Second Ave. N., Seattle; 206-443-4629, www.ticketweb.com.
“Deep Sea 3D”: 10:30 and 11:45 a.m., 2:15 p.m. daily. Boeing IMAX Theatre, Pacific Science Center, 200 Second Ave. N., Seattle; 206-443-4629, www.ticketweb.com.
“The Eruption of Mount St. Helens”: 11:30 a.m., 1:30, 3:30 and 5:30 p.m. daily. Eames IMAX Theatre, Pacific Science Center, 200 Second Ave. N., Seattle; 206-443-4629, www.ticketweb.com.
“Greece: Secrets of the Past”: 12:30, 2:30, 4:30 p.m. daily. Eames IMAX Theatre, Pacific Science Center, 200 Second Ave. N., Seattle; 206-443-4629, www.ticketweb.com.
Movie reviews
“Accepted” H A college comedy with lots of anti-authority attitude but not nearly enough laughs. Justin Long is appealing as the inventor of an imaginary college, which becomes real when tuitions starts flowing in. (PG-13, for language, subject matter.)
“Barnyard” HHH A partying cow named Otis (voiced by Kevin James) must come of age as his farm needs him, in this sweet-natured animated film. It’s disconcerting that the male cows have udders, but director Steve Oedekerk makes this into a nice coming-of-age story. (PG, for subject matter.)
“Been Rich All My Life” HHH Documentary portrait of the Silver Belles, a group of octogenarian dancers whose roots go back to the glory days of the Cotton Club and the Apollo Theater. The women are stupendous, and their lives are well worth remembering as a piece of African-American show business. (Not rated; probably PG, for language.)
“Beerfest” H The world’s beer-drinking countries gather for the Olympics of beer, in this new comedy from the Broken Lizard troupe. The premise sounds like it has some stupid-funny possibilities, but except for dazed Jay Chandrasekhar, most of the film is flat. (R, for language, nudity, subject matter.)
“Boynton Beach Club” HHH The denizens of a retirement community enter the world of dating and sex again, in Susan Seidelman’s refreshing comedy. This is a very agreeable sitcom-style movie, with terrific performances from the likes of Joseph Bologna, Sally Kellerman, and Brenda Vaccaro. (Not rated; probably PG-13, for nudity, language.)
“Conversations with Other Women” H Two people meet at a wedding reception and take their flirtation into a hotel room, an evening depicted in a complicated split-screen approach. The idea might work, but not with Aaron Eckhart and Helena Bonham Carter, two capable actors mismatched here. (Not rated; probably R, for language, subject matter.)
“Crossover” H Two close friends in Detroit are going in different directions: one (Wesley Jonathan) to college on a basketball scholarship, the other (Anthony Mackie) to life after prison. The two rising stars sometimes rise above the bargain-basement material, and the movie offers up a classic dragon lady in Eva Pigford. (PG-13, for language, subject matter.)
“The Da Vinci Code” HH There’s not much humor but a lot of bad dialogue in this adaptation of Dan Brown’s huge-selling novel about religious history and speculation. Tom Hanks is miscast in the lead role, and yet there’s enough conspiracy hoo-hah to maintain interest. (PG-13, for violence, nudity.)
“The Devil Wears Prada” HH A frumpy journalism student (Anne Hathaway) is hired as a second assistant to the most powerful fashion editor (Meryl Streep) in Manhattan. The milieu is promising, but there’s not nearly enough Streep in this movie, which spends too long with its dull main character. (PG-13, for subject matter.)
“Factotum” HHH An amusing, shambling adaptation of a Charles Bukowski novel, about a frequently-employed drunk (Matt Dillon) also trying to be a writer. Dillon isn’t quite up to the demands of the role, but the movie’s deadpan humor makes it work. (R, for language, nudity, subject matter.)
“Good Night, and Good Luck.” HHH George Clooney directed this black-and-white look at the showdown between newsman Edward R. Murrow (David Strathairn) and Senator Joseph McCarthy in 1953-54. The story is strong even if the approach is just a bit self-satisfied. (PG, for subject matter.)
“Half Nelson” HHHH Atmospheric look at a crack-addicted teacher (Ryan Gosling) at a black junior high school. His friendship with a student is never what you’d predict, and Gosling gives a fantastic, utterly fresh performance. (R, for language, subject matter.)
“Hard Candy” HHH Two people who met on an Internet chatline, a 32-year-old man (Patrick Wilson) and a 14-year-old girl (the astoundingly good Ellen Page) engage in a battle of wills, which gets brutal very quickly. A creeped-out movie, and it truly makes the audience squirm. (R, for language, violence, subject matter.)
“Heading South” HH In the late 1970s, middle-aged women make their way to Haiti to spend money on the sexually available local men, oblivious to the exploitative nature of the exchange. Laurent Cantet’s one-note film makes its case early, and the characters are so unappealing it’s hard to care. (In French and English, with English subtitles.) (Not rated; probably R, for nudity.)
“The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things” HH A harrowing if scattered look at a childhood abused, directed by and starring the raw, beautiful Asia Argento. It’s based on a novel by the hoax author JT Leroy, who was actually the creation of writer Laura Albert. (R, for violence, language, nudity.)
“The Heart of the Game” HHHH An exciting documentary tracking a few years in the career of Bill Resler, coach of the Roosevelt High School girls’ basketball team in Seattle, especially his tutelage of a talented player, Darnellia Russell, whose school years are marked by incredible drama. (PG-13, for language.)
“The Illusionist” HH It’s 1900 Vienna, and a celebrated magician (Edward Norton) brings his stage show to town. Complication: He loves the woman (Jessica Biel) who’s supposed to marry the Crown Prince (Rufus Sewell). Paul Giamatti plays an inspector, the best thing about this well-appointed but dramatically undernourished movie. (PG-13, for subject matter.)
“An Inconvenient Truth” HHH An illustrated lecture on global warming, presented by Al Gore. The forecast is dire, and the argument is very troubling, even if Gore himself remains a stiff presence. (PG, for subject matter.)
“Invincible” HH The more or less true story of Vince Papale, who came out of nowhere and made the Philadelphia Eagles team in the late 1970s. The usual paces of the inspirational sports movie are here, but Mark Wahlberg makes for a terminally depressed hero. (PG, for subject matter.)
“Lady in the Water” HH M. Night Shyamalan turns his attention to a shabby apartment building, where a water sprite (Bryce Dallas Howard) emerges from the swimming pool, with a purpose of great meaning. The director’s ideas lag behind his innate filmmaking talent, but the movie is still highly watchable, and Paul Giamatti gives a committed performance. (PG-13, for subject matter.)
“Lady Vengeance” HHH The final part of South Korean director Park Chanwook’s trilogy on revenge, which had it apex in the wild “Oldboy.” Here a sweet-faced woman is released from prison for child murder, and turns her attention to taking vengeance. A stylish movie that requires full attention to follow the plot. (In Korean, with English subtitles.) (R, for violence, subject matter.)
“Lassie” HH A throwback to a more genteel era of family films, albeit one in which characters die and hardships are acknowledged. It’s a remake of the original 1943 “Lassie Come Home,” and brings the collie back to Britain. (PG, for subject matter.)
“Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man” HHHH Basically a concert film padded out with interviews, but this tribute to Cohen contains some truly stirring performances. The concert has Cohen songs sung by the likes of Beth Orton, Rufus Wainwright, and Nick Cave, and U2 puts in a guest appearance. (PG-13, for subject matter.)
“Little Miss Sunshine” HHH A dysfunctional American family goes on a road trip, in a pre-digested movie that still has some hearty laughs in it. Good cast too, led by Steve Carell, Greg Kinnear, and Toni Collette. (R, for language, subject matter.)
“Miami Vice” HHH There are problems of plot and chemistry in this update on the 1980s TV hit, but this movie has some electrifying sequences, and you can get high off the muggy atmosphere. Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx play the vice cops, working on a rather generic story about South American drug smuggling. (R, for violence, language, nudity.)
“Monster House” HH A “capture-motion” animation film, with great subtlety in facial expressions but less skill in storytelling. Three neighborhood kids become convinced that the spooky house on the block is actually a malevolent entity-a premise that feels less like a Ray Bradbury story and more like a video game. (PG, for violence, subject matter.)
“Nacho Libre” HHH A dose of sweet silliness, supplied by Jack Black and “Napoleon Dynamite” director Jared Hess. Black is a cook in a Mexican monastery who becomes a masked wrestler-a story short on plot, but with a gentle humor, even if the whole thing never quite lives up to expectations. (PG, for violence.)
“The Oh in Ohio” HHH A sweetly risqu movie about a non-orgasmic wife (Parker Posey) whose husband (Paul Rudd) freaks when she gets a vibrator. Not especially believable, but so nicely played that it stays agreeable throughout. With Danny DeVito. (Not rated; probably R, for language, subject matter.)
“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” HHH The pirate crew, led by Johnny Depp’s uproarious performance, returns in this wild (if overlong) sequel. Depp has to go pretty broad to fill in the holes, but some of the cartoony action sequences are wonderfully daft. (PG-13, for violence, subject matter.)
“A Prairie Home Companion” HHHH Robert Altman directs this deeply pleasurable movie about (supposedly) the final performance of Garrison Keillor’s music-comedy radio show. A big cast performs songs and backstage melodrama, including Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin, and Kevin Kline; emcee Keillor himself is no more important than anybody else. (PG-13, for subject matter.)
“The Protector” HHH Whenever the action stops, this movie is atrocious-but the action almost never stops. The astonishing Tony Jaa unleashes a series of incredible fighting moves, all without camera trickery or special effects. (In Thai and English, with English subtitles.) (R, for violence.)
“The Quiet” HHH Strange little indie about an impeccable but vaguely sinister household that welcomes a deaf teenage girl (Camilla Belle) into the family. Elisha Cuthbert is the bad-girl cheerleader, but all is not what it seems in this effective if uneven thriller. (R, for nudity, language, violence.)
“Quinceanera” HH As a Hispanic girl’s 15th birthday approaches, she discovers she’s pregnant-one of many complications superficially treated in this comedy set in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. (In Spanish and English, with English subtitles.) (R, for language, subject matter.)
“Step Up” H Rough kid Channing Tatum finds his streetwise dancing a good match for ballet dancer Jenna Dewan, in this by-rote tale of love and tights in a Baltimore school for the arts. The underwhelming actors don’t help the premise. (PG-13, for subject matter, language.)
“Strangers with Candy” HH A big-screen prequel to the Comedy Central cult series, about a 47-year-old ex-con junkie (Amy Sedaris) who returns to high school. The TV show was more consistently funny, although Sedaris and co-star Stephen Colbert get their share of gloriously twisted laughs. (R, for language, subject matter.)
“Superman Returns” HHH This blockbuster officially stands as a sequel to the Christopher Reeve “Superman” movies, but in spirit and structure it’s a virtual remake of the 1978 original, with a corresponding sense of dj vu. Newcomer Brandon Routh plays the Man of Steel, who returns to Metropolis after an outer-space layover; arch-nemesis Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey) is still up to mischief. (PG-13, for subject matter.)
“Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby” HHH A solid vehicle for Will Ferrell, who plays a self-centered NASCAR driver challenged by a crash and by a French Formula One intruder (Sacha Baron Cohen). Some great improv jokes, and Ferrell has the wisdom to let other good people-including sidekick John C. Reilly-have their share of the gags. (PG-13, for language, subject matter.)
“Trust the Man” HH A weightless look at a two couples in Manhattan and their relationship problems. A bunch of good actors make it enjoyable enough to watch, but by the time you get to the end you may feel that these people deserve each other-and their problems. With David Duchovny, Julianne Moore. (R, for language, subject matter.)
“Who Killed the Electric Car?” HHH A jaw-dropping documentary about how General Motors introduced an electric car in the 1990s, and then mysteriously deep-sixed it. Filmmaker Chris Paine doesn’t try for even-handedness, but then the evidence strongly indicts automakers and oil companies in the electric car’s demise. (PG, for language.)
“World Trade Center” HHH Despite the title, Oliver Stone’s film is actually one story of Sept. 11, 2001: The unbelievable saga of two Port Authority policemen (Nicolas Cage and Michael Pena) who survived the collapse of the towers in an elevator shaft. A more conventional movie than we expect from Stone, but it works anyway. (PG-13, for violence, language, subject matter.)
“X-Men: The Last Stand” HH A letdown from the witty “X-Men” movies, this third and final installment kills off some main characters and builds to an exciting climax in San Francisco Bay. The characters are too crowded to make much impact, although Ian McKellen brings some grandeur and newcomer Kelsey Grammer is amusing. (PG-13, for violence.)
“You, Me and Dupree” H A comedy without laughs, in which Owen Wilson plays a 36-year-old manchild who moves in with buddy Matt Wilson and new wife Kate Hudson. The film goes for scatological and sexual humor, but fails to make it funny, and Wilson is running on fumes. (PG-13, for subject matter.)
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