Movies reviews by Jeff Vice
SPECIAL SCREENINGS
BOLT 3-D — Select theaters are showing the new animated feature in the Disney Digital 3-D format. (Carmike 12, District, Jordan Commons, Ritz)
BREWVIES SPECIAL SCREENINGS — This week's films include "Flash Gordon" (1980) "Highlander" (1986), "The Last Starfighter" (1984) and "Rear Window" (1954). A schedule is available at www.brewvies.com. (Brewvies, must be 21 or older)
THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL: THE IMAX EXPERIENCE — Select theaters are showing the new science-fiction thriller in the large-screen format. (Jordan Commons)
PARK CITY FILM SERIES — This week's movie is "Happy-Go-Lucky." A schedule is available at www.parkcityfilmseries.com. (Dec. 19 and 20, 7 p.m.; Dec. 21, 6 p.m.: Park City Library)
SALT LAKE FILM CENTER SCREENINGS — This week's movie is "It's Still Elementary." A schedule is available at www.slcfilmcenter .org. (Dec. 28, 7 p.m.: Salt Lake City Library)
LARGE-FORMAT FILMS
AFRICAN ADVENTURE: SAFARI IN THE OKAVANGO — Ranger Liesl Eichenberg and a camera crew take audiences on a "photo-safari" in Africa. Shown in 3-D, running time: 40 minutes, not rated, probable G (nothing offensive)
DEEP SEA 3-D — ★★★ — This entertaining documentary is an up-close look at various forms of aquatic life. Running time: 40 minutes, G (animal violence)
DINOSAURS 3-D: GIANTS OF PATAGONIA — ★★★ — The makers of this IMAX science film get us about as close as we'd ever want to be to these enormous creatures. Shown in 3-D, running time: 48 minutes, not rated, probable PG (violence) — Jeff Strickler, Star-Tribune (Minneapolis)
FLY ME TO THE MOON — ★★ — This state-of-the-art cartoon shows how the 3-D format can be used effectively. But it falls short in other crucial areas. Shown in 3-D, running time: 45 minutes, G (violence, vulgarity)
NASCAR 3-D — Large-screen documentary about auto racing, narrated by Kiefer Sutherland. Shown in 3-D, running time: 40 minutes, PG (violence)
SANTA VS. THE SNOWMAN 3-D — An expanded version of a 1997 TV short with Jonathan Winters as the voice of Santa Claus. Shown in 3-D, running time: 35 minutes, not rated, probable G (animated violence)
WILD OCEAN 3-D — Large-screen documentary that examines fish migrations off the coast of South Africa. Shown in 3-D, running time: 45 minutes, not rated, probable PG (violence)
CONTINUING FILMS
AUSTRALIA — ★★ — An overlong, unfocused, would-be historical "epic" that tries to tell too many stories. Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman star. Running time: 165 minutes, PG-13 (violence, gore, slurs, profanity, brief sex, vulgarity)
BEDTIME STORIES — ★★ — This comic fantasy mostly consists of Adam Sandler doing silly voices and mugging shamelessly for the camera. And once he shows up, the film's sensibilities get cruder. Reviewed Thursday, running time: 95 minutes, PG (violence, vulgarity, slurs, mild profanity)
BEVERLY HILLS CHIHUAHUA — ★★ — This too-chatty, too-plot-driven chew toy from the director of "Scooby-Doo" has just enough Spanglish flavor to go over. Running time: 89 minutes, PG (mild themes) — Roger Moore, The Orlando Sentinel
BOLT — ★★½ — Disney's digitally animated comedy-adventure about a heroic pooch starts out pretty slow and never really quite finds its footing. Running time: 95 minutes, PG (violence, vulgarity, brief drugs)
BODY OF LIES — ★★½ — A sloppy, only modestly diverting spy thriller that boasts good performances from Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe. Running time: 128 minutes, R (violence, profanity, gore, torture, slurs, brief drugs, vulgarity)
CADILLAC MAN — ★★ — Even more cursory and rushed than the average music biopic, a genre that's already lapsing into self-parody. Running time: 107 minutes, R (profanity, sex) — Christy Lemire, Associated Press
CHANGELING — ★★★ — Parts of this well-done, fact-based mystery are far more horrifying than anything the makers of "Saw" could ever imagine. Running time: 141 minutes, R (violence, gore, profanity, brief drugs, brief partial nudity, vulgarity)
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON — ★★½ — While David Fincher's fantasy about a man (Brad Pitt) who ages backward is not a complete disaster, it's at least 45 minutes too long. Reviewed Thursday, running time: 159 minutes, (violence, profanity, sex, vulgarity, slurs, brief gore, brief partial nudity, drugs)
THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL — ★½ — The remake of the prescient 1951 classic resembles a bad episode of TV's "The X-Files." Keanu Reeves stars. Running time: 103 minutes, PG-13 (violence, gore, profanity, drugs)
DELGO — ★½ — This shoddy-looking animated fantasy sat on the studio shelves for quite a while ... and probably should have remained there. Running time: 90 minutes, PG (violence, vulgarity, brief drugs, slurs)
DOUBT — ★★½ — The adaptation of the acclaimed stage play doesn't quite live up to its expectations. It's only merely watchable. Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman star. Reviewed Thursday, running time: 104 minutes, PG-13 (violence, slurs, profanity, brief drugs)
EAGLE EYE — ★★★ — A thriller that's either one of the year's sillier films or one of its most enjoyable ones. Or possibly both. Running time: 118 minutes, PG-13 (violence, profanity, vulgarity, brief drugs, slurs)
FOREVER STRONG — ★★★ — This sports drama is the most polished film to emerge from a recent glut of locally produced features. Running time: 110 minutes, PG-13 (violence, drugs, vulgarity, slurs, brief gore)
FOUR CHRISTMASES — ★½ — A noxious Christmas comedy featuring the chemistry-free pairing of Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon. Running time: 89 minutes, PG-13 (vulgarity, brief sex, violence, profanity, brief drugs, slurs)
FROST/NIXON — ★★★½ — A well-acted, compelling piece with a strong whiff of topicality. Michael Sheen and Frank Langella star as the title characters. Reviewed Thursday, running time: 122 minutes, R (profanity, vulgarity, slurs, brief drugs)
GHOST TOWN — ★★★ — A surprisingly charming fantasy-comedy starring Ricky Gervais as a man who can converse with the dead. Running time: 102 minutes, PG-13 (profanity, vulgarity, drugs, violence, slurs, nude art)
HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3: SENIOR YEAR — ★★½ — It might not appeal to any new audiences, but the big-screen "musical" does have a likable cast and a lot of energy. Running time: 112 minutes, G (violence, mild vulgarity, slurs)
IGOR — ★★ — The joke-and-heart-starved script lets down this animated misfire's solid voice cast. Running time: 80 minutes, PG (violence, mild profanity) — Roger Moore, The Orlando Sentinel
I'VE LOVED YOU FOR SO LONG — ★★½ — We're just not that enthralled by this French import's "mystery." But the cast bails the film out, especially its star, Kristin Scott Thomas. French with subtitles, running time: 115 minutes, PG-13 (profanity, vulgarity, slurs, brief sex, nude art, brief drugs)
JCVD — ★★½ — While this at-times appealing mix of goofiness and grittiness may not be a grand comeback vehicle for Jean-Claude Van Damme, the film is his best in quite some time. French with subtitles, running time: 96 minutes, R (violence, profanity, slurs, vulgarity)
LET THE RIGHT ONE IN — ★★★½ — The Swedish vampire tale starts a little slowly, but it gets more disturbing and more effective as it goes. Swedish with subtitles, running time: 115 minutes, R (violence, gore, profanity, slurs, drugs, brief nudity, vulgarity)
MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA — ★★ — The same dozen or so jokes that worked in the 2004 animated hit are repeated in its uninspired, inevitable sequel. Running time: 89 minutes, PG (violence, vulgarity, slurs, brief nudity, brief drugs)
MARLEY & ME — ★★½ — Animal lovers will probably enjoy this comedy-drama, which stars Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston as the owners of a disobedient canine. Reviewed Thursday, running time: 115 minutes, PG-13 (vulgarity, violence, sex, profanity, brief drugs, brief gore, slurs)
MILK — ★★★ — A surprisingly balanced drama about slain gay-rights activist Harvey Milk, with a great ensemble cast. Sean Penn stars. Running time: 128 minutes, R (violence, slurs, profanity, drugs, brief sex, brief nudity, vulgarity, brief gore)
THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR — ★★ — A half-hearted "medley" of other summer movies that exists simply to cash in on the success of the earlier "Mummy" films. Running time: 112 minutes, PG-13 (violence, vulgarity, profanity, brief gore, brief sex, brief drugs, nude artwork)
NICK & NORAH'S INFINITE PLAYLIST — ★★★ — It's fortunate that the cast is around to bail this teen romance tale out when it starts taking on water. Running time: 90 minutes, PG-13 (vulgarity, profanity, brief sex, substance abuse, slurs, violence)
PUNISHER: WAR ZONE — ★ — Bodily fluids and the sounds they generate are a big part of this gory and wholly unsatisfying slasher film. Running time: 100 minutes, R (violence, profanity, drugs) — Roger Moore, The Orlando Sentinel
QUANTUM OF SOLACE — ★★★ — It's a little convoluted, but this lean-and-mean spy thriller will appeal to those who have enjoyed the modern James Bond "re-envisioning." Running time: 106 minutes, PG-13 (violence, gore, torture, profanity, brief nudity, brief sex, drugs, vulgarity)
QUARANTINE — ★★½ — The best "Blair Witch" knockoff is basically a zombie movie seen through the viewfinder of a TV news camera. Running time: 89 minutes, R (violence, gore, profanity) — Roger Moore, The Orlando Sentinel
THE READER — ★½ — This misbegotten, post-World War II drama has several poor-taste elements and wastes the talents of its star, Kate Winslet. Reviewed Thursday, running time: 123 minutes, R (sex, nudity, vulgarity, slurs)
RELIGULOUS — ★★ — Basically 100-plus minutes of Bill Maher making fun of others (including LDS Church members) for their religious beliefs. Running time: 104 minutes, R (violence, profanity, vulgarity, drugs, slurs, brief sex, brief nudity)
ROLE MODELS — ★★★ — The funniest of a recent lot of calculated-to-offend comedies, and not just by a little. Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott star. Running time: 99 minutes, R (vulgarity, profanity, drugs, nudity, violence, slurs, brief sex)
SAW V — ★ — Another "Saw" movie … as fresh as a jack-o'-lantern left out in the sun until Thanksgiving. Running time: 88 minutes, R (violence, gore, torture, profanity, brief nudity) — Roger Moore, The Orlando Sentinel
SEVEN POUNDS — ★★ — The re-teaming of Will Smith and the "Pursuit of Happyness" filmmaker is a solid misfire with only a few really engaging moments. Running time: 120 minutes, PG-13 (violence, sex, profanity, gore, brief drugs, slurs, vulgarity)
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE — ★★½ — This gimmicky, supposedly comic fable has some real nastiness and poor-taste elements to it. With subtitles, running time: 121 minutes, R (violence, profanity, slurs, vulgarity, torture, brief nudity, brief drugs)
THE SPIRIT — ★ — An eye-popping but awful, comic book action movie that suggests a bizarre combination of Warren Beatty's 1990 movie version of "Dick Tracy" and "Frank Miller's Sin City." Reviewed Thursday, running time: 108 minutes, PG-13 (violence, gore, profanity, drugs, slurs, brief partial nudity, vulgarity)
THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX — ★★★ — This animated adventure tale is the best cartoons we've seen in a while. It definitely has some charms and enough action and intrigue to keep the kids interested — and enough of both to ensure that their parents aren't completely bored. Running time: 93 minutes, G (violence, mild profanity)
TWILIGHT — ★★½ — This romanticized horror/fantasy tale isn't a classic redefining of the vampire mythology. But it's not awful. Running time: 122 minutes, PG-13 (violence, brief gore, mild profanity, slurs, brief drugs)
VALKYRIE — ★★½ — What Bryan Singer's fact-based, World War II assassination thriller really has going for it is a good supporting cast. Tom Cruise stars. Reviewed Thursday, running time: 120 minutes, PG-13 (violence, profanity, brief gore, slurs, vulgarity, nude art, brief drugs)
W. — ★★ — Josh Brolin is the best part of Oliver Stone's inconsistent biography of President Bush. Running time: 129 minutes, PG-13 (violence, profanity, vulgarity, drugs, slurs, brief gore)
YES MAN — ★★ — A pretty lazy comedy that relies on crudity and on other easy, cheap humor and jokes rather than trying to do something that's actually clever. Jim Carrey stars. Running time: 104 minutes, PG-13 (profanity, vulgarity, sex, violence, partial nudity, slurs)
ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO — ★★ — Kevin Smith's already controversial sex comedy doesn't work, and the whole thing feels forced and insincere. Running time: 101 minutes, R (vulgarity, profanity, nudity, sex, slurs, violence, brief drugs)