“Tangled”
Rapunzel (voiced by Mandy Moore) discovers she doesn’t need a hero to save her in this animated offering from Disney. It is the 50th animated theatrical release from Disney Studios dating back to the 1937 release of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.”
Directors Nathan G
reno and Byron Howard use elements that have made for great Disney animated films of the past: interesting characters, a great villain and a good score.
Grade: A
“Black Swan”
Natalie Portman earned an Oscar for her portrayal of a young woman struggling with the pressure of dancing the lead in “Swan Lake.”
Director Darren Aronofsky’s look at a young ballerina is such a kaleidoscope of emotions it’s initially overwhelming. It takes time to think about it — and it was difficult not to think about it — to fully appreciate its brilliance.
Grade: A-
“Fair Game”
Naomi Watts and Sean Penn star in the story of former CIA agent Valerie Plame whose job becomes compromised when a journalist reveals her identity.
The spy parts are interesting, but they never reveal anything that hasn’t been covered thoroughly by the media. What saves the film is how much time director Doug Liman devotes to the marriage of Plame and former Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson (Sean Penn).
Grade: B
“Made in Dagenham”
This film is the Brit’s answer to “Norma Rae.” The battle for equal rights by a group of female employees in 1968 at the British Ford plant is an uplifting tale of politics, family and the human spirit.
“Made in Dagenham,” like “Norma Rae,” takes the complicated — and potentially dull — story of a labor-management dispute and gives it a human face.
Grade: B+
Rick Bentley, The Fresno Bee (Fresno, Calif.).
Also new
“The Capture of the Green River Killer”: Tom Cavanagh stars in this cable miniseries based on a true story.
“Upstairs, Downstairs Complete Series: 40th Anniversary Edition”: The 21-disc collection features all five series.
“Where Did We Come From?”: Scientists look at how the earliest life forms emerged billions of years ago.
“The Ten Commandments”: A fully restored version is being released to mark the film’s 55th anniversary.
“The Civil War”: The much heralded Ken Burns series is on a six-disc set.
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