"African Cats" (G). Not reviewed. Big-screen Disney documentary. Opens Friday.
"Apollo 18" (PG-13). Not reviewed. Science-fiction about the real final manned mission to the moon. Opens Friday.
"The Greatest Movie Ever Sold" (PG-13). Not reviewed. Boundary-pushing filmmaker Morgan Spurlock explores the world of product placement in a film that was fully financed through product placement, all transparently integrated into his film. Opens Friday in a limited run.
"Stake Land" (R). Not reviewed. Nick Damici and Danielle Harris star in this modern horror film about a world overrun with vampires in which the unaffected suvivors are forced to become the stalkers. Opens Friday.
"Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family (PG-13). Not reviewed. The resourceful independent filmmaker returns with another comedy featuring the black matriarch and her brood. Opens Friday.
"Water for Elephants" (PG-13). Not reviewed. Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon star in this romantic drama set against the world of a traveling circus. Opens Friday.
"Arthur" (PG-13). This remake of the 1981 comedy features Russell Brand in the title role originated by Dudley Moore. Brand definitely knows how to play a fun-loving, alcoholic heir, but the drunk routines eventually start to seem less amusing and more strained. With Helen Mirren, Greta Gerwig, Jennifer Garner, Geraldine James, Luis Guzman and Nick Nolte. Grade: B- Snowden Square 14, AMC Columbia Mall 14, Cinemark Egyptian 24
"Battle: Los Angeles" (PG-13). Alien invasion movies routinely take over movie theaters, but this one is pretty good. Although soldiers including Aaron Eckhart and Michelle Rodrigeuz are saddled with ponderous dialogue, they also fight the mysterious invaders in battle scenes that really pull you into the action. Grade: B Cinemark Egyptian 24
"Born to Be Wild 3-D" (G). Morgan Freeman narrates this documentary about orphaned African elephants and Asian orangutans that are cared for by devoted people who worry about the fate of these species. It's especially aimed at young viewers who will respond to its nurturing lessons. Grade: B AMC Columbia Mall 14
"The Conspirator" (PG-13). Director Robert Redford's static historical drama does manage to highlight a post-Civil War episode that deserves more attention. When Southern sympathizer Mary Surratt (Robin Wright) is arrested for her alleged role in the Lincoln assassination, she is defended by a lawyer (James McAvoy) who feels her trial before a military tribunal will not give him a fair chance to make a case on her behalf. Grade: B- Snowden Square 14, Cinemark Egyptian 24
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules" (PG). So-so sequel in which two brothers work through their sibling squabbles. This family comedy has its mildly amusing moments, but the plot is slight and slack. Grade: C+ Snowden Square 14, AMC Columbia Mall 14, Cinemark Egyptian 24, Hollywood 4
"Hanna" (PG-13). On a superficial level, there is much to savor in this expertly crafted thriller about the title character (Saoirse Ronan) being raised in isolation by a stern father figure (Eric Bana) and eventually unleashing her near-superhuman strength against a C.I.A. official (Cate Blanchett) and other spy types. Although there's little psychological or political substance, that surface appeal carries you along. Grade: B- Snowden Square 14, AMC Columbia Mall 14, Cinemark Egyptian 24
"Hop" (PG). Young viewers may enjoy this comedy, but it's an illogical mess. After asserting that the Easter bunny tradition goes back 4,000 years, the movie proceeds in a way that thematically owes more to Santa Claus making overnight deliveries than it does to Easter traditions. Grade: C+ Snowden Square 14, AMC Columbia Mall 14, Cinemark Egyptian 24, Hollywood 4
"Insidious" (PG-13). Rose Byrne and Patrick Wilson come to the horrible realization that they're raising their young family in a haunted house. Although some of the scary effects are convincing, the movie can't seem to decide whether it wants to be a supernatural thriller or a spoof of that genre. Grade: C+ Snowden Square 14, AMC Columbia Mall 14, Cinemark Egyptian 24
"Jane Eyre" (PG-13). Mostly satisfying adaptation of the Charlotte Bronte novel with Mia Wasikowska as Jane Eyre and Michael Fassbender as Edward Rochester. If the story's emotional nuances are not as powerfully rendered as one could imagine, you do feel immersed in that story thanks to the beautifully photographed moors. Grade: B Senator Theatre
"Limitless" (PG-13). Bradley Cooper plays a New York writer whose writer's block is cured by a mysterious new drug that also gives him all sorts of additional extraordinary mental powers. The witty tone makes it easy to excuse the choppy storytelling and borderline-ridiculous developments. Grade: B Snowden Square 14, AMC Columbia Mall 14, Cinemark Egyptian 24
"The Lincoln Lawyer" (R). Matthew McConaughey has never been taken seriously as an actor, but he has a potentially career-transforming role as a sleazy Los Angeles lawyer whose devious client (Ryan Phillippe) makes him look like a saint by comparison. The plot complications are enjoyable to follow, and McConaughey's fine performance is complemented by impressive supporting players. Grade: B+ Snowden Square 14, AMC Columbia Mall 14, Cinemark Egyptian 24
"Miral" (PG-13). Artist-turned-director Julian Schnabel has made such intelligent films as "Basquiat," "Before Night Falls" and "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly," but he stumbles in this muddled drama about Palestinian women in modern Israel. Big themes are expressed through ponderous dialogue and choppy storytelling. Grade: C Charles Theatre
"Of Gods and Men" (PG-13). Based on a true story, this spiritually moving drama concerns French monks living in a monastery in Algeria in the 1990s. When Muslim terrorists invade this mountainous region, the Roman Catholic monks must decide whether to stay or leave. Grade: A- Charles Theatre
"Paul" (R). The laughs soon wear thin in this extraterrestrial comedy about two UFO-obsessed British guys (Simon Pegg and Nick Frost) whose road trip through the American Southwest brings them into contact with a pop culture-savvy alien creature (voiced by Seth Rogen). The satirical targets are obvious and the overall tone seems lazy, but some of the jokes score. Grade: C+ Cinemark Egyptian 24
"Rio" (G). Two tropical birds (voiced by Jesse Eisenberg and Anne Hathaway) are chased by smugglers through the Brazilian rain forest and also through the carnival-festooned streets of Rio in this animated 3-D comedy. The hectic chases and colorful musical production numbers are likely to amuse the kids. Grade: B Snowden Square 14, AMC Columbia Mall 14, Cinemark Egyptian 24
"Scream 4" (R). Director Wes Craven works again with Courteney Cox, David Arquette and Neve Campbell in a slasher movie that constantly acknowledges its own status as a slasher movie. It merits a yawn, not a scream. Grade: C Snowden Square 14, AMC Columbia Mall 14, Cinemark Egyptian 24
"Soul Surfer" (PG). This inspirational drama is based on the true account of a teen surfer in Hawaii who loses an arm in a shark attack, but is determined to competitively surf again. Predictable dialogue makes it seem a bit formulaic, but heartfelt conviction sees it through. With AnnaSophia Robb as the girl, and Dennis Quaid and Helen Hunt as her parents. Grade: B- Snowden Square 14, AMC Columbia Mall 14, Cinemark Egyptian 24
"Source Code" (PG-13). Jake Gyllenhaal wakes up on a commuter train outside Chicago and has reason to question his very identity just moments before a bomb explodes. This metaphysical thriller is like a somber variation on "Groundhog Day" as it constantly returns to variations on that opening scene. It plays fast and loose with the laws of the universe, but does hold your attention. Grade: B- Snowden Square 14, AMC Columbia Mall 14, Cinemark Egyptian 24
"Sucker Punch" (PG-13). Director and co-writer Zack Snyder ("300," "Watchmen") desperately wants this to be a cult favorite, but instead it only seems desperate. A young woman named Babydoll (Emily Browning) is committed to a gothic-looking New England mental hospital, where the only treatment is sadistic. Reality and nightmare soon melt into each other in what turns out to be a bad trip for all. Grade: D AMC Columbia Mall 14, Cinemark Egyptian 24
"Winston Churchill: Walking with Destiny" (PG). This documentary benefits from the striking archival footage it deploys to tell the story of how the British Prime Minister rallied his nation to fight the Germans in World War II. Grade: B Charles Theatre
"Your Highness" (R). Here's a stoner comedy in which a lot of naughty words get tossed around by medieval characters. The anachronism-obsessed, genre-spoofing adventure quickly wears out its welcome. With James Franco, Danny McBride, Natalie Portman and Zooey Deschanel. Grade: C- Snowden Square 14, AMC Columbia Mall 14, Cinemark Egyptian 24
All capsule reviews and grades are by Mike Giuliano unless otherwise noted. Bookings change on Friday. For showtimes and to confirm listings, call the phone number in Screen Scene .
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