On local screens this week

Movie showtimes and reviews Jan. 17-24
Posted: Jan 17, 2008 by Bill White

27 DRESSES: “Knocked Up” and “Grey’s Anatomy” star Katherine Heigl is a perennial bridesmaid whose own happy ending is nowhere in sight. (PG) – BW

ALIENS VS. PREDATOR: REQUIEM: Two of the universe’s great hunters battle once again for space supremacy. (R) – BW

ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: The story of how the Chipmunks become rock stars and almost get burned out on the rock circuit.  Jason Lee stars as Dave Seville, who accidentally brings them home and is soon shouting “Alvin!” at the top of his lungs.  David Cross is the rock promoter who wants them to lip-synch their concerts, and Alvin is the one with the big “A” on his red sweater.  I admit I am not a fan of those squeaky little voices.  If you are, you’ll have a whole different experience. (PG) Two stars – RE

ATONEMENT: An event on the lawn of an English country house is misinterpreted by a 13-year-old girl and leads her to a wicked lie that destroys all possibility of happiness for herself, her older sister (Keira Knightley) and her sister’s lover (James McAvoy).  Begins in sheer happiness, ventures through the horror of the war in France and London, ends in darkest irony.  One of the year’s best films, a certain best picture nominee. (R) Four stars – RE

THE BUCKET LIST: Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman play geezers who Meet Cute in a hospital room, where they’re both given a year to live.  Freeman keeps a list of things he means to do before kicking the bucket, and Nicholson, a billionaire, gleefully insists they use his private jet to circle the globe, see the pyramids, the Himalayas, the Taj Mahal, etc. (none of which are on Freeman’s list).  The premise is absurd, and the execution is painful. (PG-13) One star – RE

CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR: Based on a true story.  Tom Hanks as a hard-drinking Texas congressman who, at the urging of a Houston socialite (Julia Roberts), uses his congressional subcommittee to arrange a secret $1 billion arms deal between Israel and Afghan freedom fighters, with Pakistan as the intermediary.  That results in the defeat of the Russians, and the beginning of the end of the Cold War.  Philip Seymour Hoffman is droll and funny as a rogue CIA man who becomes Charlie’s partner in deception.  A smart, funny, wicked political comedy by Mike Nichols, written by Aaron (“West Wing”) Sorkin. (R) Three stars – RE

CLOVERFIELD: See review page 21.

ENCHANTED: Amy Adams, Oscar-nominated for “Junebug,” is effortlessly charming as Giselle, a young girl from a fairy-tale world who is transported to modern New York City by a jealous queen (Susan Sarandon).  The film starts as animation, then becomes live action but still plays by fantasy rules, in a winning musical romance also starring Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden and Timothy Spall. (PG) Three stars – RE

FIRST SUNDAY: Ice Cube and Tracy Morgan are best friends and bumbling petty criminals.  They get more than they bargained for when they try to rob a neighborhood church and are forced to spend the night in the presence of the Lord. (PG-13) – BW

FRENCH THEATER: Check out these films on Fort Lewis: Babies Night Out, Enchanted (PG) Thurs 7. I Am Legend (PG-13) Fri-Sun 7. The Golden Compass (PG-13) Fri 9:30. Sat-Sun 2.

THE GREAT DEBATERS: An affirming and inspiring film, retelling the story of a remarkable team and their coach.  Little Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, in the heart of the Jim Crow 1930s South, fielded a debate team coached by Melvin Tolson (Denzel Washington) that won the national championship.  But there’s much more to the story than just their victory; the film, directed by Washington, portrays the racist society against which they endured and prevailed.  One of the year’s best. (PG-13) Four stars – RE

THE GOLDEN COMPASS: A darker, deeper fantasy epic than the “Rings” trilogy, “The Chronicles of Narnia” or the Potter films, offering more complex villains and posing more intriguing questions.  As a visual experience, superb.  As an escapist fantasy, challenging.  With gifted newcomer Dakota Blue Richards, a 12-year-old who won the role in competition with 10,000 others.  Also starring Daniel Craig, Nicole Kidman, Sam Elliott. (PG-13) Four stars – RE

I AM LEGEND: Will Smith is the last healthy man on Manhattan, maybe on Earth, as a virus mutates humans into zombies.  Kept company by his loyal dog, he is a scientist trying to find a cure for the plague, while barricaded inside a town house.  Two more survivors turn up, played by Alice Braga and young Charlie Tahan; can he protect them?  Awesome special effects of an abandoned Manhattan, dicey special effects of unconvincing zombies; works, despite raising lots of questions. (PG-13) Three stars – RE

IN THE NAME OF THE KING: A DUNGEON SIEGE TALE: Jason Statham plays a simple peasant who is inspired to arms against an evil sorcerer (Ray Liotta) who burns his village and captures his wife.  Lots of dark magic, spectacular battles and royal treachery.  Also starring the former coolest guy in the world: Burt Reynolds (before he slipped on the toupee and married Lonnie Anderson). (PG-13) – BW

INTO THE WILD: Sean Penn directed this much anticipated adaptation of Jon Krakauer’s bestselling book about a college student who drops out of society to hitchhike across America with Alaska being his final destination.  Emile Hirsh stars as the adventurous and tragic Chris.  Also stars Marcia Gay Harden, William Hurt, Catherine Keener and Vince Vaughn. (R) – BW 

JUNO: Very smart, very funny and then very touching; it begins with the pacing of a screwball comedy and ends as a portrait of characters we have come to love.  Ellen Page in an Oscar-worthy performance as a pregnant 16-year-old who decides to keep the child.  With J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney wonderful as her parents, older and wiser than most parents in teenage comedies.  And Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman as the would-be adoptive parents, and Michael Cera, shyly winning as Juno’s boyfriend.  Screenplay by Diablo Cody, directed by Jason Reitman; the best movie of 2007. (PG) Four stars – RE

THE KITE RUNNER: Another magnificent film by Marc Forster (“Monster’s Ball”), based on the much-loved best seller about two boys in 1970s Afghanistan and the lives they go on to lead.  Doesn’t depend on stars, effects or genres, but simply fascinates us with how it will turn out.  Superimposes human faces and a historical context on the tragic images of war.  One of the year’s best. (PG-13) Four stars – RE

NATIONAL TREASURE: BOOK OF SECRETS: Without a doubt the most absurd and fevered plot since “National Treasure” (2004).  What do I mean by fevered?  What would you say if I told you that Mount Rushmore was carved only in order to erase landmarks pointing to a fabled City of Gold built inside the mountain?  Starring Nicolas Cage, Helen Mirren, Ed Harris, Jon Voight, Diane Kruger, Harvey Keitel and Justin Bartha, who were all but one in the first adventure, but never once mention it.  I’d just about forgotten it, too (PG) Two stars – RE

NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN: Regards a completely evil man with wonderment, as if astonished that such a merciless creature could exist.  He is Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), who travels Texas and kills people with a cattle stun gun.  He is one strand in a plot involving a drug deal gone bad.  Another is a sheriff (Tommy Lee Jones) and a third is a hunter (Josh Brolin), a poor man who comes across $2 million in drug money.  A masterpiece based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy, written, directed and edited by Joel and Ethan Coen.  As good as their “Fargo,” which is saying something. (R) Four stars – RE

ONE MISSED CALL:  Evil is a tech head.  Evil has found a way to phone folks with chilling messages detailing their final moments.  Then, a couple of days later these frightened people end up dying the exact same gruesome deaths.   Beth Raymond (Shannyn Sossamon) is traumatized when she witnesses two of her friends die and teams with Detective Jack Andrews (Edward Burns) to discover the mystery of their demise.  But, they must work fast.  Beth’s cell phone is blinking a message: “one missed call.” (PG-13) – BW 

THE ORPHANAGE: Raised as a girl in an orphanage, Laura (Belen Rueda) returns as an adult to buy it and run it as a hospital for needful children.  Married with a young son, she begins to have disturbing ideas and visions, and her son sees ghosts, or maybe they’re not ghosts.  A superior psychological thriller by Juan Antonio Bayona, produced by Guillermo del Toro (“Pan’s Labyrinth”) and depending not on shock but on a sense of mounting dread. (R) Three and a half stars – RE

P.S. I LOVE YOU: Oscar winner Hillary Swank takes a leap into the romantic comedy genre and a real tear-jerker at that.  She plays Holly Kennedy a beautiful and smart woman married to the love of her life, Gerry (Gerard Butler).  Alas, a love that strong can never last and soon Holly is a widow.  The real hook of this film is when Gerry, knowing his wife would take his loss hard, continues to communicate with her in the weeks and months following his death.  With letters and tapes Gerry attempts to push her into a new future, signing off each in the same way: P.S. I Love You … puke!  Hey, I’m a guy. (PG-13) – BW

SPIRIT OF THE MARATHON: Sneak preview. (NR)

SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET: Tim Burton’s macabre, blood-soaked, brilliant film version of Stephen Sondheim’s hit musical.  Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter do their own singing, and very effectively, too, as the cut-throat barber and the landlady he supplies with fresh meat for her pies.  With Alan Rickman as a vile judge and Timothy Spall as his flunky.  A dark look at London poverty and desperation, filmed with bizarre intensity. (R) Four stars – RE

THERE WILL BE BLOOD: See review page 23.

VEGGIE TALES: PIRATES WHO WON’T DO ANYTHING: Another installment of the successful Veggie Tales series drafting on recent pirate adventure hits. (G) – BW

WALK HARD: THE DEWEY COX STORY: The versatile John C. Reilly in a spoof of biopics about singing stars; he does plausible versions of Johnny Cash, Elvis, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison and on and on.  He’s like a kid who locked himself in his room singing along with his record collection and finally made it pay off.  Funny, but sometimes curiously close to real sentiment.  Directed by Jake Kasdan, written by him and Judd (“Superbad”) Apatow. (R) Three stars – RE

THE WATER HORSE: LEGEND OF THE DEEP: An enchanting family film, set in wartime Scotland, where a 12-year-old finds an egg that hatches into an amphibian that grows so large it has to be moved to the nearest large body of water, which is, you guessed it, Loch Ness.  Based on a book by the author of “Babe,” made by the director of “My Dog Skip,” starring Alex Etel, star of “Millions” — and lives up to this heritage.  A great choice for the holiday season. (PG) Three and a half stars – RE