Ratings as appeared in Beacon Journal film critic and wire-service reviews:
♥=Weak
♥♥=Mediocre
♥♥♥=Worth Seeing
♥♥♥♥=Shouldn't Be Missed

Opening Friday
BRICK LANE — ♥♥♥1/2
(PG-13 — some sexuality, brief strong language) — Monica Ali's best-seller about a 17-year-old Bangladeshi woman (Tannishtha Chatterjee) who leaves her village for an arranged marriage to a fat, balding man at least 20 years older (Satish Kaushik). After another 17 years, true love enters her life through an affair with a younger man, but the usual formulas don't apply, and the husband is not the conventional oppressive beast. Dreamy photography, carefully thought dialogue, a political kick near the end. 1 hour, 41 minutes.
Cedar Lee

THE DARK KNIGHT — ♥♥♥3/4
(PG-13 — intense sequences of violence and some menace) Batman isn't a comic book anymore. Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight is a big, thoughtful, pain-laced, violence-streaked, unsettling movie in which the late Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker is one of many virtues. 2 hours, 32 minutes.
Carnation Cinema, Cinemark Aurora 10, Garrettsville Cinemas, Great Oaks Cinema, Hickory Ridge Cinema 8, Highland Theatre, Hudson Cinema 10, Huntington Street Cinema 16, Independence 10, Interstate Park Cinemas 18, Kent Plaza Theatre, Macedonia Cinemark 15, Massillon 12, Rolling Acres Cinema, Shaker Square Cinemas, Tinseltown USA, Tower City Cinemas, Valley View 24, West Market Plaza 7, Wooster Movies 10, Magic City Drive-In, Midway Twin Drive-In

MAMMA MIA! — ♥♥1/4
(PG-13 — some sex-related comments) — Movie version of the hit stage musical, with Meryl Streep as the villa owner on a Greek isle and Amanda Seyfried as her about-to-be married daughter. The girl doesn't know who her father is, but finds an old diary and invites three likely candidates to her wedding: Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgard. Wall- to-wall with ABBA songs. 1 hour, 38 minutes.
Cinemark Aurora 10, Hickory Ridge Cinema 8, Hudson Cinema 10, Huntington Street Cinema 16, Interstate Park Cinemas 18, Kent Plaza Theatre, Macedonia Cinemark 15, Massillon 12, Montrose 12, Plaza Cinemas at Chapel Hill, Shaker Square Cinemas, Tinseltown USA, Tower City Cinemas, Valley View 24, Wooster Movies 10

MY WINNIPEG — ♥♥♥♥
(No industry rating) A hallucinatory documentary about his hometown by Guy Maddin, ''the mad poet of Manitoba.'' The facts may not all be true, but they're not boring. Starring Ann Savage, the star of the noir classic Detour, in the thankless role of mother. A film like no other — even itself. 1 hour, 20 minutes.
Cedar Lee

REPRISE — ♥♥
(R — sexuality and language) — If there was ever a movie that seems written and directed by its characters, that movie is Joachim Trier's Reprise. Here is an ambitious and romantic portrait of two young would-be writers that seems made by ambitious and romantic would-be filmmakers. 1 hour, 45 minutes.
Cedar Lee

SPACE CHIMPS — ♥♥♥
(G) Space Chimps is a goofy animated space opera that sends three U.S. chimpanzee astronauts rocketing to a galaxy, as they say, far, far away. There they encounter strange life forms and the evil Zartog, who has captured an earlier space probe. Not in the same science fiction league as Wall-E, but successful, with lots of whiz-bang action and some witty dialogue. 1 hour, 20 minutes.
Cinemark Aurora 10, Garrettsville Cinemas, Hickory Ridge Cinema 8, Hudson Cinema 10, Huntington Street Cinema 16, Interstate Park Cinemas 18, Kent Plaza Theatre, Macedonia Cinemark 15, Massillon 12, Montrose 12, Plaza Cinemas at Chapel Hill, Tinseltown USA, Tower City Cinemas, Valley View 24, Wooster Movies 10

Playing Friday through
next week
BABY MAMA — ♥♥
(PG-13 — crude and sexual humor, language and a drug reference) A career-driven single woman (Tina Fey) hires a surrogate (Amy Poehler) to carry her child to term. Starring Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. 1 hour, 36 minutes.
Jackson Township Movies 10

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN — ♥♥♥
(PG — epic battle action, violence) The Pevensie siblings return to Narnia, where they are enlisted to help ward off an evil king and restore the rightful heir to the land's throne, Prince Caspian. 2 hours, 17 minutes.
Montrose 12

FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL — ♥♥♥
(R — sexual content, language, some graphic nudity) The latest issue from writer-producer-director Judd Apatow's anti-stud farm, a sibling of The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up and Superbad. After his TV-star girlfriend leaves him for a British pop singer, Peter (Jason Segel, also the screenwriter) goes to Hawaii to recover — only to find them staying at the same resort. Ranks with the aforementioned Apatow-produced films for laughs and smarts. With Kristen Bell. 1 hour, 41 minutes.
Jackson Township Movies 10

GET SMART — ♥♥♥
(PG-13 — some rude humor, action violence and language) Classic sitcom that cleverly satirized Cold War espionage has been transformed for the big screen into an even smarter vehicle. Steve Carell is in the lead role with Anne Hathaway as Agent 99. 1 hour, 50 minutes.
Cinemark Aurora 10, Hickory Ridge Cinema 8, Hudson Cinema 10, Huntington Street Cinema 16, Interstate Park Cinemas 18, Kent Plaza Theatre, Macedonia Cinemark 15, Massillon 12, Montrose 12, Plaza Cinemas at Chapel Hill, Tinseltown USA, Valley View 24, Wooster Movies 10

GONZO: THE LIFE AND WORK OF DR. HUNTER S. THOMPSON — ♥♥♥1/2
(R — drug and sexual content, language, some nudity) Documentary about the hell-raising journalist who stood astride the '70s, staggered through the '80s, crawled through the '90s and killed himself in 2005. He was first a legend and then a captive of the legend. This doc by Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side) is all you could wish for in a film about Thompson, except information about how he ingested so many controlled substances, and what he was like when he woke up the next day. 2 hours, 1 minute.
Cedar Lee

HANCOCK — ♥♥♥
(PG-13 — some intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and language) An apathetic, hard-living superhero (Will Smith) hooks up with a public-relations professional who wants to improve the superhero's image. 1 hour, 32 minutes.
Carnation Cinema, Cinemark Aurora 10, Garrettsville Cinemas, Great Oaks Cinema, Hickory Ridge Cinema 8, Hudson Cinema 10, Huntington Street Cinema 16, Interstate Park Cinemas 18, Kent Plaza Theatre, Macedonia Cinemark 15, Massillon 12, Montrose 12, Plaza Cinemas at Chapel Hill, Rolling Acres Cinema, Shaker Square Cinemas, Tinseltown USA, Tower City Cinemas, Valley View 24, Wooster Movies 10, Magic City Drive-In, Midway Drive-In

THE HAPPENING — ♥♥♥
(R — violent and disturbing images) One day in New York people start killing themselves. The survivors flee the city, and Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel find themselves trekking through Pennsylvania farmlands, while the thought develops that the planet's vegetation might be taking its revenge on man. Thoughtful, oddly compelling; too uneventful for some, but it can weave a spell. 1 hour, 31 minutes.
Jackson Township Movies 10

HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY — ♥♥♥
(PG-13 — sequences of sci-fi action, violence, some language) Guillermo del Toro's Hellboy II: The Golden Army is in every way the equal of his original Hellboy (2004). It's another celebration of his love for bizarre fantasy and diabolical machines. Ron Perlman is strong again in the title role, and del Toro's imagination provides a new array of fantastical creatures. 1 hour, 50 minutes.
Carnation Cinema, Cinemark Aurora 10, Hickory Ridge Cinema 8, Hudson Cinema 10, Huntington Street Cinema 16, Independence 10, Interstate Park Cinemas 18, Kent Plaza Theatre, Macedonia Cinemark 15, Massillon 12, Tinseltown USA, Tower City Cinemas, Valley View 24, Wooster Movies 10, Magic City Drive-In

THE INCREDIBLE HULK — ♥♥
(PG-13 — sequences of intense action violence, some frightening sci-fi images, and brief suggestive content) Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) works at controlling the anger that unleashes the Hulk while he tries to find a cure. And he pines over old love Betty Ross (Liv Tyler). But Betty's father, General ''Thunderbolt'' Ross (William Hurt), dreams of using Banner's powers as the basis for a human weapon. While the action sequences are impressive at times, the film is far more dependent on audience nostalgia than creativity. 1 hour, 54 minutes.
Big Picture, Independence 10, Jackson Township Movies 10, Valley View 24

INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL — ♥♥1/2
(PG-13 — adventure violence, scary images) Harrison Ford returns as the iconic adventurer who picks up a new sidekick (Shia La Beouf) and an old flame (Karen Allen) for this ride. 2 hours, 4 minutes.
Big Picture, Huntington Street Cinema 16, Interstate Park Cinemas, Linda Theatre, Montrose 12, Tinseltown USA

IRON MAN — ♥♥♥
(PG-13 — some intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and brief suggestive content) Robert Downey Jr. dons a metal suit to fight evil in this Marvel comic adaptation directed by Jon Favreau (Elf). With Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow and Terrence Howard. 2 hours, 6 minutes.
Interstate Park Cinemas 18, Montrose 12

JELLYFISH — ♥♥♥
(No industry rating) Stories of three young women and people in their lives, set in Tel Aviv but not especially Israeli. We meet a newlywed, a waitress and a home-care provider from the Philippines, and also an enigmatic little girl who seemingly emerges from the sea. No vast plot revelations are secreted beneath their stories, which work simply as portraits from life. Winner of the Camera d'Or (for best first feature) from Cannes 2007. 1 hour, 18 minutes.
Cedar Lee

JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH — ♥♥1/2
(PG — intense adventure action and some scary moments) There is a world inside our own, populated by glowing birds, man-eating plants, giant-fanged fish and a T-Rex. Reaching it via a series of dizzying falls, a geologist and his nephew realize Jules Verne must have seen it before writing his novel. With Brendan Fraser, Josh Hutcherson and Anita Briem. Three-dimensional effects are amazing.

1 hour, 33 minutes.
Cinemark Aurora 10, Hickory Ridge Cinema 8, Hudson Cinema 10, Huntington Street Cinema 16, Independence 10, Interstate Park Cinemas 18, Kent Plaza Theatre, Macedonia Cinemark 15, Massillon 12, Tinseltown USA, Tower City Cinemas, Valley View 24, Wooster Movies 10, Blue Sky Drive-In, Midway Twin Drive-In

KIT KITTREDGE: AN AMERICAN GIRL — ♥♥♥1/2
(G) Inspired by one of the American Girl dolls, and just about perfect for its target audience, with a great look, engaging performances, real substance and even a few whispers of political ideas, all surrounding the freshness and charm of Abigail Breslin. Cast has Julia Ormond, Stanley Tucci, Max Thieriot, Chris O'Donnell, Willow Smith, Glenne Headley, Joan Cusack and Wallace Shawn as the snarly local newspaper editor. 1 hour, 44 minutes.
Huntington Street Cinema 16, Independence 10, Interstate Park Cinemas 18, Macedonia Cinemark 15

KUNG FU PANDA — ♥♥♥
(PG — sequences of martial arts action) Po (Jack Black), a reluctant panda bear, is recruited by a team of Kung Fu masters and trained in the ways of the ancient martial art in order to protect the Valley of Peace from an evil snow leopard. 1 hour, 26 minutes.
Big Picture, Huntington Street Cinema 16, Interstate Park Cinemas 18, Kent Plaza Theatre, Linda Theatre, Macedonia Cinemark 15, Montrose 12, Plaza Cinemas at Chapel Hill, Tinseltown USA, Valley View 24

MADE OF HONOR — ♥1/2
(PG-13 — sexual content and language) Patrick Dempsey discovers he's in love with his best friend (Michelle Monaghan), but it's too late. She's getting ready to marry another man and move overseas. 1 hour, 39 minutes.
Jackson Township Movies 10

MEET DAVE — ♥1/2
(PG — bawdy and suggestive humor, action and some language) A crew of miniature aliens operate a spaceship that has a human form. While trying to save their planet, the aliens encounter a new problem, as their ship becomes smitten with an Earth woman. With Eddie Murphy, Elizabeth Banks and Gabrielle Union. 1 hour, 30 minutes.
Carnation Cinema, Cinemark Aurora 10, Hickory Ridge Cinema 8, Hudson Cinema 10, Huntington Street Cinema 16, Independence 10, Interstate Park Cinemas 18, Kent Plaza Theatre, Macedonia Cinemark 15, Massillon 12, Rolling Acres Cinema, Tinseltown USA, Tower City Cinemas, Valley View 24, Wooster Movies 10

MONGOL — ♥♥♥1/2
(R — sequences of bloody warfare) A ferocious film, blood-soaked, pausing occasionally for passionate romance and more frequently for torture. As a visual spectacle, it is all but overwhelming, putting to shame some of the recent historical epics from Hollywood. If it has a flaw, and it does, it is expressed succinctly by the wife of its hero: ''All Mongols do is kill and steal.'' At the end of two hours, its hero, not yet known as Genghis Khan, has two more movies to go. 2 hours, 6 minutes.
Cedar Lee, Montrose 12

NIM'S ISLAND — ♥♥♥
(PG — mild adventure action, brief language) A popular author (Jodie Foster) teams up with the adventure-loving Alex Rover (Gerald Butler) in order to help a young girl (Abigail Breslin), who lives on an island where her father has gone missing. Two problems the author faces: her crippling fear of leaving her house, and Alex is merely the main character in her best-selling novels. 1 hour, 35 minutes.
Jackson Township Movies 10

PRICELESS — ♥♥
(PG-13 — sexual content, including nudity) An ultimately tasteless, empty story about people who do degrading things to themselves and others. That said, it's all done with clear-eyed insight and a light touch that makes it a palatable comedy with a delightful adult sensibility. With Audrey Tautou and Gad Elmaleh. In French with subtitles. 1 hour, 44 minutes.
Cedar Lee

SEX AND THE CITY: THE MOVIE — ♥♥♥
(R — strong sexual content, graphic nudity, language) Set four years after we last saw the ladies, Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Samantha (Kim Cattrall), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), and Charlotte (Kristin Davis) negotiate their friendships, romances and careers in New York City. At the center of it all is Carrie's pending nuptials to Mr. Big (Chris Noth). 2 hours, 15 minutes.
Montrose 12

SPEED RACER — ♥♥
(PG —sequences of action, some violence, language) The brothers behind the Matrix trilogy, Andy and Larry Wachowski, direct this family adventure about a driver forced to fight for his family's honor on the racetrack. With Emile Hirsch and Christina Ricci. Based on 1960s Japanese anime TV series. 2 hours, 16 minutes.
Jackson Township Movies 10

THE STRANGERS —♥♥1/2
(R — violence/terror and language) A couple (Scott Speedman and Liv Tyler) cozied up in a vacation home are terrorized by unknown assailants. 1 hour, 20 minutes.
Jackson Township Movies 10

THE VISITOR — ♥♥♥
(PG-13 — brief strong language) Walter Vale (Richard Jenkins) gets caught up in the lives of a couple of foreigners, who are in the country illegally. The film carries a harsh statement about post-9/11 immigration procedures, and while timely, relevant and compelling, it doesn't overshadow the heart of the story, which is about the human connection. 1 hour, 46 minutes.
Cedar Lee

WALL-E — ♥♥♥1/2
(G) Delightful animated story of a robot, in a world so filled with garbage that humans have escaped into orbiting spaceships. Directed by Andrew Stanton, it is a story that is intelligent and sweet. 1 hour, 38 minutes.
Carnation Cinema, Cinemark Aurora 10, Hickory Ridge Cinema 8, Hudson Cinema 10, Huntington Street Cinema 16, Independence 10, Interstate Park Cinemas 18, Kent Plaza Theatre, Macedonia Cinemark 15, Massillon 12, Shaker Square Cinemas, Tinseltown USA, Tower City Cinemas, Valley View 24, Wooster Movies 10, Blue Sky Drive-In, Midway Drive In

WANTED — ♥♥♥
(R — strong bloody violence throughout, pervasive language and some sexuality) Stars James McAvoy as a meek office worker initiated into a secret society of assassins. Mindless, heartless, preposterous, and very well done as a high-tech action thriller. With Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman, Common, Terence Stamp. 1 hour, 50 minutes.
Cinemark Aurora 10, Huntington Street Cinema 16, Interstate Park Cinemas 18, Kent Plaza Theatre, Macedonia Cinemark 15, Massillon 12, Montrose 12, Plaza Cinemas at Chapel Hill, Tinseltown USA, Tower City Cinemas, Valley View 24, Wooster Movies 10, Magic City Drive-In

WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS — ♥♥♥
(PG-13 — some sexual and crude content, language, including a drug reference) A formulaic romantic comedy that would be nothing more than a lame laugher, except for the skill of Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher, who milk this story for all it's worth. This tale of opposites attracting — and finding themselves accidentally hitched in Vegas — is an amusing tale of love and loss, with a $3 million payday. 1 hour, 39 minutes.
Jackson Township Movies 10