NEW MOVIES

NEW MOVIES
'THE CORPORATION'
sss A stinging if redundant and overlong documentary from directors Jennifer Abbott and Mark Achbar, who conclude that the corporation is a psychopath -- an evil, single-minded entity that will lie, cheat and maraud to feed its never-ending hunger. Not rated, but contains themes that children may not understand; at Austintown Movies 3.
'GHOST IN THE SHELL 2:INNOCENCE'
s 1/2 The first "Ghost in the Shell" was a skillful -- albeit talky and pretentious -- blend of science fiction and philosophy. Unfortunately, its sequel is a rehash that takes a timely theme, mankind's obsession with technology, and bloats it to the point of incomprehension, cramming meaning into dialogue that has none. (PG-13) for violence, language, nudity and sexuality; at Austintown Movies 3.
'RAY'
sss Beyond the physical resemblance, Jamie Foxx is so good, so earnest, so authentic as Ray Charles that you practically forget he's an actor playing a part and start to feel that he IS Ray Charles. (PG-13) for drug addiction, sexuality and language; at Austintown Commons 10, Boulevard Centre, Tinseltown, Westgate.
'SAW'
ss Liked it better when it was called "Seven." Much more intelligent. And complex. Cared about the characters then. This time not so much. "Saw" is likely to impress only those who've lately become eligible to watch R-rated movies (or have recently figured out how to fool the system). (R) for strong grisly violence and language; at Austintown Commons 10, Boulevard Centre, Cinema South, Hermitage, Westgate.
LAST WEEK'S TOP 10
'THE GRUDGE'
ss 1/2 Sarah Michelle Gellar stars as an American exchange student and social worker who stumbles upon supernatural horrors while helping an elderly, catatonic woman (Grace Zabriskie). This remake of a hit Japanese movie is sufficiently moody, but it's never deeply frightening. (PG-13) for disturbing, occasionally violent imagery and mild sensuality; at Austintown Commons 10, Boulevard Centre, Hermitage, Elm Road Drive-In, Tinseltown, Westgate Cinemas.
'SHARK TALE'
s 1/2 You'll have a sinking feeling that you've seen this all-star animated extravaganza before. That's because you have -- and you've seen it done better -- in the form of "Finding Nemo" and "Shrek." (PG) for some mild language and crude humor; at Austintown Commons 10, Boulevard Centre, Hermitage, Elm Road Drive-In, Tinseltown, Westgate.
'SHALL WE DANCE?'
ss The setting has been moved to Chicago and Richard Gere plays a lawyer, but otherwise this remake is nearly scene-for-scene identical to the 1996 Japanese original about a man who breaks out of his midlife rut by secretly taking ballroom dance lessons. Tonally, it's utterly devoid of subtlety. With Jennifer Lopez. (PG-13) for some sexual references and brief language; at Austintown Commons 10, Boulevard Centre, Cinema South, Hermitage.
'FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS'
sss High school football really is a way of life in Texas. H.G. "Buzz" Bissinger captured it with eloquence in his 1990 best seller "Friday Night Lights," and director Peter Berg does it again in his film of the same name. (PG-13) for thematic issues, sexual content, language, some teen drinking and rough sports action; at Austintown Commons 10, Boulevard Centre, Hermitage, Tinseltown, Westgate.
'TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE'
ssss A nearly nonstop assault on politics and patriotism that cuts across party and national lines by "South Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. (R) for graphic, crude, sexual humor, violent images and strong language; at Austintown Commons 10, Boulevard Centre, Cinema South, Hermitage.
'LADDER 49'
ss Joaquin Phoenix plays a veteran firefighter whose career plays out in flashbacks while he's trapped in a burning building as mentor John Travolta directs a rescue effort. (PG-13) for intense fire and rescue situations and for language; at Austintown Commons 10, Boulevard Centre, Hermitage, Tinseltown, Westgate.
'SURVIVING CHRISTMAS'
s 1/2 Ben Affleck plays an obnoxious, successful Chicago executive who's tired of spending each holiday season alone. So he returns to his childhood homestead and "rents" a family for the holidays. James Gandolfini and Catherine O'Hara play his grudging surrogate parents. (PG-13) for sexual situations, drug use and raw language; at Austintown Commons 10, Boulevard Centre, Cinema South, Elm Road Drive-In, Hermitage, Westgate Cinemas.
'TAXI'
s 1/2 Queen Latifah plays a cabby whose souped-up taxi is commandeered by a bungling cop (Jimmy Fallon) to chase a gang of gorgeous women robbing banks. (PG-13) for language, sensuality and brief violence; at Austintown Commons 10, Boulevard Centre, Tinseltown, Westgate.
'THE FORGOTTEN'
sss Brooklyn free-lance editor Telly (Julianne Moore) still pines inconsolably for her young son, Sam (Christopher Kovaleski), who died in a plane crash along with five other children 14 months before the film's story starts. Or so Telly believes. (PG-13) for intense thematic material, some violence and brief language; at Austintown Commons 10, Boulevard Centre, Cinema South, Elm Road Drive-In, Westgate.
'I u HUCKABEES'
ss David O. Russell's head-scratcher about big-box stores and the meaning of life stars Jason Schwartzman as a community activist furious at a superstore chain and its sunny sellout corporate spokesman, Jude Law. (R) for profanity, sex; at Cinema South.
ALSO PLAYING
'ANACONDAS: THE HUNTFOR THE BLOOD ORCHID'
ss A lower-budget, no-star (save Morris Chestnut) sequel to the 1997 giant snake scare picture, this one takes place in the jungles of Borneo, where an expedition in search of a rare flower meets up with many large and famished reptiles. (PG-13) for violence, profanity and giant snakes; at Cinemark.
'THE BOURNE SUPREMACY'
ss 1/2 The thrill-ride sequel picks up its amnesiac hero (Matt Damon) two years later, when he eludes the crossfire of double-crossing CIA and KGB agents and remains one car chase ahead of formidable intelligence op Pamela Landy (Joan Allen). (PG-13) for intense violence; at Cinemark.
'CELLULAR'
ss 1/2 Kidnapped Kim Basinger randomly calls a surfer dude's mobile phone for help. (PG-13) for violence, terror situations, language and sexual references; at Cinema South.
'THE COOKOUT'
ss "Barbershop" it's not. Starring Tim Meadows, hip-hop artists Eve and Ja Rule, Danny Glover and Queen Latifah in a story about a young basketball player's post-NBA draft celebration with family, friends and neighbors. (PG-13); at Cinemark.
'CRIMINAL'
sss Gregory Jacobs' zircon remake of that glowing Argentine gem "Nine Queens" teams John C. Reilly as an overconfident confidence man who drafts the watchful Diego Luna as his partner. (R) for amorality, sexual candor, profanity; at Austintown Movies 3.
'EXORCIST: THE BEGINNING'
ss 1/2 Somewhere between a prologue set in the Middle Ages that unintentionally evokes "Life of Brian" and a final shot of Stellan Skarsgerd walking into what looks like a grade-schooler's diorama lies a perfectly mediocre horror film. (R) for strong violence and gore, disturbing images and rituals, and for language including some sexual dialogue; at Cinemark.
'GARDEN STATE'
sss Zach Braff ("Scrubs") plays a young actor who revisits his New Jersey hometown for his mother's funeral. There, he reunites with his buddies and meets an idiosyncratic young woman (Natalie Portman). Likable when it's not trying too hard to be quirky. (R) for profanity, drug use and sexual material; at Westgate Cinemas.
'THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE'
sss Denzel Washington stars in Jonathan Demme's remake of the 1962 Cold War political thriller. It's a satisfyingly sinister update, with Meryl Streep, Jon Voight and Liev Schreiber on board for a wild tale of brainwashing, assassination and a presidential power grab. (R) for violence, profanity, adult themes; at Cinemark.
'MEAN CREEK'
sss The teen prank that spins wildly, inexorably out of control is at the dark heart of Jacob Estes' movie. These kids may have mischief on their minds, but they're hardly what you'd call sociopaths or monsters; they're the vaguely unhappy kids next door who know right from wrong, but on one lazy, hazy afternoon, confuse the two -- with tragic consequences. (R) for profanity; at Austintown Movies 3.
'NAPOLEON DYNAMITE'
ss 1/2 A lightly condescending but ultimately winning look at a geeky young man (Jon Heder) growing up weird in Idaho. Moments of real humor collide with moments in which director Jared Hess strains to be this year's winner in the geek-chic sweepstakes. (PG) for thematic elements and language; at Cinema South.
'THE NOTEBOOK'
ssss This love story deals in clich & eacute;s and hits you where you're most vulnerable. It may be the most effective weepie since the film version of "The Bridges of Madison County." (PG-13) for some sexuality; at Cinemark.
'RAISE YOUR VOICE'
ss 1/2 A "Fame"-ish celebration of music starring Hilary Duff, "Raise Your Voice" is a corny, wading-pool-deep tale about overcoming grief and enjoying a rooftop view of downtown L.A. with a cute English guy with a hedgehog coif. (PG) for profanity, 'tween themes; at Cinema South.
'SHREK 2'
sss 1/2 "Shrek 2" carries the standard for self-esteem while spoofing showbiz, fairy tales, self-help books and every other cultural phenom from animal-testing to the Oscars. (PG) for brief drug reference, crude humor, discreet sexual humor; at Cinemark.
'SILVER CITY'
ss 1/2 This is John Sayles' "Fahrenheit 9/11" and a bit of a narrative disappointment. "Silver City" starts out with great promise but substitutes polemics for the filmmaker's trademark good talk, a sledgehammer for his thoughtful subtlety. It's sometimes provocative and very funny but too often heavy-handed and familiar. (R) for language; at Austintown Movies 3.
'SKY CAPTAIN AND THEWORLD OF TOMORROW'
ss 1/2 This could have been a dazzling success or a dizzying failure. It's actually a bit of both -- an ambitious if highly derivative mix of live actors and digital technology, of futuristic sci-fi fantasy and old-school Hollywood adventure. (PG) for sequences of stylized sci-fi violence and brief mild language; at Cinema South.
'SPIDER-MAN 2'
sss Tobey Maguire returns to his dual role as mild-mannered journalist Peter Parker and the crime-fighting superhero, who this time does battle with Doc Ock (Alfred Molina). (PG-13) for action-film violence; at Cinemark.
'THE VILLAGE'
sss M. Night Shyamalan's recasting of "Little Red Riding Hood" story turns a fairy tale into an eerie scary tale with unusual resonance. (PG-13) for violence, suspense; at Cinemark.
'WIMBLEDON'
ss 1/2 A diverting film about an eccentric courtship on center court that's more fun than it has any right to be. Starring Kirsten Dunst as a rising American ace who resurrects the game of fading British baseliner Paul Bettany. (PG-13) for mildly risqu & eacute; sexual candor, obscene hand gesture; at Cinemark.
Combined wire services