“Burn After Reading” (B): The latest offering in the eclectic filmography of Joel and

“Burn After Reading” (B): The latest offering in the eclectic filmography of Joel and Ethan Coen is not to be taken seriously and it’s certainly not to be compared to their Academy Award-winner from last year, “No Country for Old Men.” But by no means is it a letdown. With its rat-a-tat dialogue and delusional characters, “Burn After Reading” is more like the brothers’ cult-favorite comedies “Raising Arizona” and “The Big Lebowski.” The Coens take their eye for regional detail to Washington for what looks like an espionage thriller, except that the spying uncovers no significant information, everyone is clueless and no one’s ever truly in danger. R for pervasive language, some sexual content and violence. 96 min.

“The House Bunny” (C): Essentially a female remake of “Revenge of the Nerds.” Anna Faris stars as Shelley, a perky Playboy bunny who gets kicked out of Hef’s mansion and becomes the house mother for Zeta Alpha Zeta, a sorority full of misfits. PG-13 for sex-related humor, partial nudity and brief strong language. 98 min.

“Igor” (C): Dr. Frankenstein himself could not revive this animated comedy about a hunchbacked lab assistant playing at mad scientist. A potentially original premise and an eager voice cast led by John Cusack and Molly Shannon are left to decay amid a clunky story vaguely reminiscent of “Monsters, Inc.” and a clutter of cartoon images often resembling visuals rejected from “Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride.” PG for some thematic elements, scary images, action and mild language. 86 min.

“Lakeview Terrace” (C-): Samuel L. Jackson is an overzealous Los Angeles police officer who gets even more prickly when racially mixed newlyweds move in next door. Some of the initial tension is intriguing, but any early good will gets obliterated by the over-the-top ending. PG-13 for intense thematic material, violence, sexuality, language and some drug references. 105 min.

“Ghost Town” (C): Here’s the premise: A guy dies for seven minutes while under anesthesia, then when he comes back to life, he sees dead people. And they see him, and talk to him, and follow him around all day nagging him to help them with their unfinished business. This is a perfect fit for Ricky Gervais, whose brand of humor mines laughs from the moments in life that make you cringe: the awkward pauses, the uncomfortable asides. Unfortunately, director and co-writer David Koepp heads toward sticky sentimentality — and that’s not nearly so good a fit for Gervais. Rated PG-13 for some strong language, sexual humor and drug references. 102 minutes.

“Mamma Mia!” (B): This summer movie based on the ABBA Broadway show is a massive mess, but it’s fun — exuberantly goofy, sloppily crafted fun, especially if you’re not in the mood for thinking too hard. PG-13 for some sex-related comments. 108 minutes.

“Pineapple Express” (C+): The formula is pretty familiar by now in these Judd Apatow-produced comedies. A couple of buddies get into trouble, and as they try to bumble their way out of it, their friendship only grows stronger. Seth Rogen and James Franco star in this dope-smoking comedy. R for pervasive language, drug use, sexual references and violence. 108 min.

“Righteous Kill” (D): It’s not that this crime thriller is spectacularly awful. It’s just thoroughly mediocre — a standard police procedural, a long episode of “Law & Order,” unremarkable but for the pairing of Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. Rated R for violence, pervasive language, some sexuality and brief drug use. 101 min.

“The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2” (C): Yes, the pants still exist, but now they’re covered in patches and jewels and etched with the memories and dreams of the four young women who’ve been wearing them. And they still travel. But the magic in those jeans, and in the bond that linked the friends who’ve shared them over the years, seems to have faded. PG-13 for mature material and sensuality. 111 min.

“Traitor” (C+): Writer-director Jeffrey Nachmanoff takes this tale of terrorism and espionage and runs with it all over the world. And yet by the end, with its much-ballyhooed twist, the whole endeavor leaves you feeling more drained than enlightened. PG-13 for intense violent sequences, thematic material and brief language. 112 min.

“Vicky Cristina Barcelona” (A): You should hate these people, really — these smug American Yuppies chatting gaily about golf, tennis and boating over red wine on a sun-splashed Spanish afternoon. But somehow, Woody Allen makes us not just tolerate these people but find ourselves engaged in their adventures in this, his strongest film in quite a while. Rebecca Hall and Allen’s recent muse, Scarlett Johansson, co-star as the titular Vicky and Cristina, best friends spending the summer in Barcelona who couldn’t be more different in terms of their deeds and dreams. PG-13 for mature thematic material involving sexuality and smoking. 97 min.

“The Women” (D): With her remake of the 1939 George Cukor cat fight, based on the play by Clare Boothe Luce, Director Diane English has applied all the lighthearted instincts of her sitcom background and seemingly none of the insights of the source material. Meg Ryan stars in the Norma Shearer role as Mary Haines, a wealthy Connecticut wife and mother who learns that her husband is having an affair. PG-13 for sex-related material, language, some drug use and brief smoking. 114 min.