Movie Reviews

“Baby Mama” (C):Kate Holbrook (Tina Fey) is a successful businesswoman with an unfortunate T-shaped uterus. Angie Ostrowiski (Amy Poehler) is her underachieving surrogate. When a pregnant Angie leaves her cheating common-law husband (Dax Shepard) and moves in with Kate, the film becomes a sweet-natured buddy comedy about two women learning how to be adults. PG-13 for crude and sexual humor, language and a drug reference. 98 min.

“The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” (A):The sequel to the hugely popular “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” the first of C.S. Lewis’ seven-volume Narnia series to be filmed, “Prince Caspian” is both like its predecessor and different from it. Though it retains a kid-friendly PG rating and is directed with a surer hand by the returning Andrew Adamson, this film is noticeably darker in tone and features extensive, though bloodless, battle scenes. PG for epic battle action and violence. 137 min.

“Don’t Mess With the Zohan” (B): An Israeli commando fakes his own death to pursue his dream of becoming a hairstylist in New York. With Adam Sandler and John Turturro. Directed by Dennis Dugan. PG-13 for crude and sexual content throughout, language and nudity. 113 min.

“The Happening” (C):This fear-mongering story of an airborne toxin that causes victims to snuff themselves will induce seat-squirming as people shove hairpins into their throats or hurl themselves en masse off a high rise. The shock value wears off quickly, though, and Shyamalan strands us in a boring cautionary tale with an infantile eco-message about humanity needing to live in harmony with nature — or else. Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel play a couple racing through the countryside to keep ahead of some mysterious substance that induces suicide. R for violent and disturbing images. 91 min.

“The Incredible Hulk” (C+): There’s a lot more action this time around as you might expect from “Transporter” director Louis Leterrier. This version is indeed bigger-stronger-faster, which seems appropriate in telling the story of a guy who’s been juicing. But the inevitable comparisons to “Iron Man,” Marvel Studios’ first blockbuster this summer, serve as a glaring reminder of what the “Hulk” lacks: wit and heart. Despite the presence of Edward Norton, an actor capable of going just as deep as Robert Downey Jr., we don’t feel a strong sense of Bruce Banner’s inner conflict. That’s surprising, given that the famously detail-oriented Norton worked over Zak Penn’s script. Liv Tyler seems a bit stiff as Bruce’s long-lost love, Dr. Betty Ross, but the movie is livened up by Tim Roth as Bruce’s new nemesis and Tim Blake Nelson as the mad scientist who is trying to help Bruce rid his body of gamma rays. PG-13 for sequences of intense action violence, some frightening sci-fi images and brief suggestive content. 114 min.

“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” (B): The real heroes of this film are director Steven Spielberg and the veritable army of superb technicians behind the film’s numerous stunts and special effects. It was either going to be a worse- or better-than-average Indiana Jones film. It turns out it’s one of the better ones and everyone involved can breathe a sigh of relief. PG-13 for adventure violence and scary images. 126 min.

“Iron Man” (A): Diverting enough in the comic-book-movie mode and with an engaging performance by Robert Downey Jr., this Jon Favreau-directed film lacks dramatic unity. Unlike the irreducible element that is its namesake, “Iron Man” the movie is an alloy, a combination of several different and disconnected components that don’t manage to unite to make a coherent whole. PG-13 for some intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and brief suggestive content. 126 min.

“Kung Fu Panda” (B): A fat, lazy, untrained panda (Jack Black) dreams of becoming a kung fu master in this animated feature from Dreamworks. Easily the best-looking thing the studio has done, this is less addled by pop cultural references than its predecessors. The message is annoyingly familiar, but otherwise the film is an entertaining picture with great action sequences. PG for sequences of martial arts action. 91 min.

“Made of Honor” (D): This redo of “My Best Friend’s Wedding” stars expert romantic comedy leads Patrick Dempsey and Michelle Monaghan in the story of two best friends who don’t realize they’re made for each other until she decides to marry someone else. You may wish, however, that the film had given its stars more of interest to occupy their time. And ours. PG-13 for sexual content and language. 101 min.

“Nim’s Island” (C):The latest film from Walden Media (“The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”) veers perilously close to the negative side (“Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium”) of its tally sheet. The premise, from a book by Australian author Wendy Orr, is terrific, but the execution seems designed to make all but the youngest viewers fling copies of her book at the screen in frustration. When her scientist father disappears, a young girl (Abigail Breslin) teams with the reclusive author (Jodie Foster) of her favorite literary character. PG for mild adventure action and brief language. 95 min.

“Sex and the City: The Movie” (B): Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), Charlotte (Kristin Davis) and Samantha (Kim Cattrall) return to where they left off four years ago only to have their fairy tale endings undone or at the very least questioned. Fans of the series won’t be disappointed. R for strong sexual content, graphic nudity and language. 142 min.

“Speed Racer” (C): It’s hard to imagine a movie better-suited to the aesthetic tastes of an addled 8-year-old boy than this, or one worse-suited to his attention span. Unless of course he really enjoys filibusters. For a movie about speed and forward momentum, “Speed Racer” provides little of either, though it does explode into spurts of frenetic, confusing and hard-to-follow action — and that’s just on the racetracks. PG for sequences of action, some violence and language. 135 min.

“The Strangers” (C) Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman star as a happy couple whose romantic getaway becomes an episode of terror when strangers invade their remote cabin. With Gemma Ward and Kip Weeks. Written and directed by Bryan Bertino. R for violence/terror and language. 90 min.

“What Happens in Vegas” (D): The most annoying expression-turned-official-city-slogan is now a major motion picture starring Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher. The pair play a pair of odd-couple New Yorkers whose initial hostility blossoms into love after a judge (Dennis Miller) orders them to remain in a drunken, joke Las Vegas marriage for six months if they want to keep the $3 million they made in the morning. PG-13 for some crude sexual content, and language, including a drug reference. 99 min.