Opening Friday
The Golden Compass ** — PG-13 for sequences of fantasy violence. A girl travels to rescue a friend in this adaptation of Philip Pullman's fantasy novel. Nicole Kidman stars. 114 minutes. Review on Page 12. Park Place, El Con, Century Park, Foothills, Tower, DeAnza, Desert Sky, Cinemark, Oasis.
Noëlle — PG for thematic elements and a fight. A faith-based drama in the vein of "A Christmas Carol." David Wall. 90 minutes. El Con.
Redacted ** — R for disturbing, violent content including a rape, pervasive language and some sexual references and images. Brian De Palma directs a compilation of horror stories from the war in Iraq. 90 minutes. Review on Page 14. The Loft.
What Would Jesus Buy? *1/2 — PG for thematic material and brief mild language. Rob VanAlkemade directs a documentary that rails against consumerism. 90 minutes. Review on Page 14. The Loft.
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Continuing Friday
Across the Universe *** — PG-13 for some drug content, nudity, sexuality, violence and language. A musical of Beatles songs set amid the world of 1960s protests. Evan Rachel Wood. 131 minutes. Century Park .
American Gangster **** — R for violence, pervasive drug content and language, nudity and sexuality. A police detective pursues a drug kingpin in Harlem. Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe. 157 minutes. El Con, Century Park, Park Place, Oasis, Foothills, Tower.
The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford **1/2 — R for some strong violence and brief sexual references. The outlaw Jesse James plans a giant bank robbery and falls victim to subterfuge. Brad Pitt. 160 minutes. Crossroads
August Rush * — PG for some thematic elements, mild violence and language. A musically talented orphan searches for his parents. Keri Russell. 114 minutes. El Con, Century Park, Park Place, Cinemark, Desert Sky, Foothills, Oasis, Tower.
Awake — R for language, an intense, disturbing situation, and brief drug use. A man wakes up paralyzed during heart surgery. Hayden Christensen. 84 minutes. El Con, Century Park, Park Place, Cinemark, DeAnza, Oasis, Foothills.
Bee Movie *** — PG for mild suggestive humor. An animated film involving a bee angry about human use of honey. Jerry Seinfeld lends his voice. 84 minutes. El Con, Century Park, Park Place, DeAnza, Foothills, Oasis, Uptown.
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead *** — R for a scene of strong graphic sexuality, nudity, violence, drug use and language. A man and his brother rob their parents' shop. Philip Seymour Hoffman. 117 minutes. The Loft.
Bella ** (Star rating derived from Metacritic.com) — PG-13 for thematic elements and brief disturbing images. A famous athlete becomes a cook who connects with a waitress. Eduardo Verástegui. In English and Spanish, with subtitles. 91 minutes. El Con, Desert Sky.
Beowulf ***1/2 — PG-13 for intense sequences of violence including disturbing images, some sexual material and nudity. Based on the ancient epic poem, a warrior does battle with the monster Grendel to save the Danish people in this motion-captured animated movie. Ray Winstone. 113 minutes. El Con, Century Park, Park Place, Cinemark, DeAnza, Foothills, Oasis, Tower.
The Bourne Ultimatum *** — PG-13 for violence and intense action. A government assassin seeks to discover his identity. Matt Damon. 111 minutes. Gateway, Crossroads, Oracle View.
Dan in Real Life *** — PG-13 for some innuendo. A widower falls in love, then realizes the object of his affection is dating his brother. Steve Carell. 95 minutes. Park Place, Desert Sky, Foothills, Tower.
The Darjeeling Limited ***1/2 — R for language. Estranged brothers embark on a spiritual quest through India in this quirky Wes Anderson comedy. Owen Wilson. 90 minutes. The Loft.
Dragon Wars: D-War ** (Star rating derived from Metacritic.com) — PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and creature action. Dragons cause havoc in the world in this story based on a Korean legend. Jason Behr. 100 minutes. Gateway.
Elizabeth: The Golden Age ** — PG-13 for violence, some sexuality and nudity. A drama about Queen Elizabeth I's relationship with Sir Walter Raleigh. Cate Blanchett. 114 minutes. Crossroads.
Enchanted *** — PG for some scary images and mild innuendo. A princess is banished from a magical cartoon realm into the real world in this animated/live-action adventure comedy. Amy Adams. 108 minutes. El Con, Century Park, Park Place, DeAnza, Foothills, Oasis, Cinemark, Desert Sky, Tower.
Feel the Noise ** — PG-13 for sensuality and innuendos, violence, some drug use and language. A Bronx man tries to make it as a rapper and is forced to flee to Puerto Rico to be with his absentee father. Omarion Grandberry. 86 minutes. Gateway, Oracle View.
Fred Claus *** — PG for mild language and some rude humor. Santa Claus' disgruntled older brother is forced to work at the North Pole. Vince Vaughn. 105 minutes. El Con, Century Park, Park Place, DeAnza, Foothills, Uptown, Tower.
The Game Plan * — PG for some mild thematic elements. A pro quarterback learns he has a young daughter. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. 115 minutes. Gateway, Crossroads, Oracle View.
Gone Baby Gone *** — R for violence, drug content and pervasive language. Boston detectives investigate a girl's kidnapping. Casey Affleck. 111 minutes. Crossroads.
Good Luck Chuck ** — R for sequences of strong sexual content including crude dialogue, nudity, language and some drug use. Dane Cook stars as a loser whom date because they think they'll find the man of their dreams after they dump him. 96 minutes. Gateway.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix *** — PG-13 for sequences of fantasy violence and frightening images. Things get even more serious for boy wizard Harry Potter in Year Five at his witchcraft and wizardry school. Danger ensues as Lord Voldemort mounts his comeback. Daniel Radcliffe. 138 minutes. Oracle View, Gateway.
The Heartbreak Kid ***1/2 — R for strong sexual content, crude humor and language. The Farrelly brothers direct a romantic comedy about a man who believes he has married the woman of his dreams and falls in love with someone else on his honeymoon. Ben Stiller. 116 minutes. Oracle View. Hitman *1/2 (Star rating derived from Metacritic.com) — R for strong bloody violence, language and some sexuality/nudity. Timothy Olyphant stars in this video-game adaptation, in which a troubled man ekes out a violent living. 114 minutes. El Con, Century Park, Park Place, Cinemark, DeAnza, Tower, Foothills, Oasis.
Into the Wild *** — R for language and some nudity. A college grad abandons all his money and possessions to hitchhike to Alaska. Emile Hirsch. 140 minutes. El Con.
The Kingdom **1/2 — R for intense sequences of brutal violence, and for language. An American counter- terrorism unit seeks to solve the murders of Americans by terrorists in a foreign country. Jamie Foxx. 110 minutes. Oracle View.
Lions for Lambs **1/2 — R for some war violence and language. A journalist, congressman and professor become entangled over events in Afghanistan. Tom Cruise. 88 minutes. Gateway, Crossroads, Desert Sky, Oracle View.
Love in the Time of Cholera *1/2 — R for sexual content/nudity and for brief language. An obsessed man longs for a married woman for five decades. Javier Bardem. 138 minutes. Crossroads, Desert Sky, Gateway.
Martian Child **1/2 — PG for thematic elements and mild language. A boy who says he's from Mars is adopted by a widowed science-fiction writer. John Cusack. 108 minutes. Gateway, Crossroads, Oracle View.
The Mist ***1/2 — R for violence, terror and gore, and language. Based on a Stephen King tale, this is a horror movie in which people hole up in a grocery store to protect themselves from an ominous mist. Thomas Jane.125 minutes El Con, Century Park, Park Place, DeAnza, Foothills, Oasis, Tower, Cinemark.
Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium * — G for all audiences. A young woman who manages a bizarre toy store faces a crisis when the 243-year-old owner wills the business to her. Natalie Portman, Dustin Hoffman. 93 minutes. El Con, Century Park, Park Place, Foothills, Oasis, Tower, Uptown.
No Country for Old Men **** — R for strong graphic violence and some language. A hunter wandering along the Rio Grande stumbles onto dead bodies and millions of dollars. The Coen brothers direct. Tommy Lee Jones. 122 minutes. El Con, Tower.
Once **** — R for language. This musical is set in Dublin and involves a street musician and a Czech immigrant who strike up a creative partnership and romance. Glen Hansard, Markéta Irglová. 95 minutes. Crossroads.
Rush Hour 3 *** — PG-13 for sequences of action violence, sexual content, nudity and language. Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker star in the third entry in their action/comedy franchise. 85 minutes. Gateway, Oracle View.
Saw IV *1/2 (Star rating derived from Metacritic.com) — R for sequences of grisly violence and torture throughout, and for language. The Jigsaw Kill-er's reign of terror stretches on, with the fourth horror film in as many years. Tobin Bell. 108 minutes. Gateway.
Stardust *** — PG-13 for fantasy violence and some risqué humor. In this adventure, a young man attempts to retrieve a falling star for his love. Claire Danes. 128 minutes. Gateway.
Superbad **** — R for pervasive crude and sexual content, strong language, drinking, some drug use and a fantasy/comic violent image — all involving teens. Best-friend high school-ers try to buy alcohol for a wild party. Jonah Hill. 114 minutes. Gateway, Crossroads, Oracle View.
The Ten Commandments * (Star rating derived from Metacritic.com) — PG for some mild peril. Ben Kingsley narrates this biblical tale of Moses and the Ten Commandments. 88 minutes. Oasis.
This Christmas **1/2 (Star rating derived from Metacritic.com) — PG-13 for comic sexual content and some violence. A family reunites for its first holiday together in years. Preston A. Whitmore II writes and directs. 117 minutes. El Con, Century park, Park Place, Cinemark, Foothills, Oasis, Tower.
3:10 to Yuma **** — R for violence and some language. In a remake of a classic Western, a rancher tries to hold a captured criminal at bay. Christian Bale, Russell Crowe. 117 minutes. Gateway, Crossroads, Oracle View.
– Phil Villarreal
