"The Bounty Hunter" (PG-13). Not reviewed. Gerard Butler and Jennifer Aniston star in this action comedy about bounty hunter hired to track down his ex-wife. Opens Friday, March 19.

"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" (PG). A slightly nerdy youngster desperately wants to be accepted by the cool kids at his middle school. Young moviegoers will relate to this sharply observed comedy. Grade: B Opens Friday, March 19.

"Repo Men" (R). Not reviewed. Jude Law stars in this sci fi adventure as a futuristic repo man who learns an artificial organ he received is about to be repossessed. Opens Friday, March 19.

NOW PLAYING

"Alice in Wonderland" (PG). Director Tim Burton's take on the Lewis Carroll story has its share of cleverly realized 3-D special effects, but it also has its share of more commercially conventional passages. With Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter and Alan Rickman. Grade: B-

"Avatar" (PG-13). Director James Cameron ("Titanic") retains his mastery of special effects, because this 3D sci-fi epic is a visual treat that really makes you feel like you're on a distant planet. However, Cameron's handling of character, plot and theme remains earthbound. Grade: B

"Brooklyn's Finest" (R). Hackneyed dialogue really hurts this drama about crooked cops. Many of the action sequences orchestrated by director Antoine Fuqua are burdened with a crushing sense of self-importance. With Richard Gere, Ethan Hawke, Don Cheadle, Wesley Snipes, Will Patton, Lili Taylor and Ellen Barkin. Grade: C

"Cop Out" (R). A white New York cop (Bruce Willis) and a black cop (Tracy Morgan) fire snappy banter at each other even more often than they fire bullets at the bad guys. Director Kevin Smith ( "Clerks") presumably is trying to put a hip existential spin on this familiar material, but it mostly seems like he's just cashing in with this inanely formulaic picture. Grade: C

"The Crazies" (R). Director Breck Eisner has remade George A. Romero's 1973 horror movie about a mysterious virus that makes people go crazy. Although this movie hews too closely to zombie movie conventions to make a distinctive impression of its own, it's more stylishly shot than the genre norm. Grade: C+

"Crazy Heart" (R). The story about an alcoholic, washed up country singer is as overly familiar as, well, a misfortune-tabulating country song, but Jeff Bridges' excellent performance makes it work. He receives strong acting support from Maggie Gyllenhaal, Colin Farrell and a "Tender Mercies"-reminiscent Robert Duvall. Grade: B+

"Dear John" (PG-13). This adaptation of Nicholas Sparks' novel concerns a soldier in Afghanistan (Channing Tatum) who exchanges letters with his girlfriend back home (Amanda Seyfried). Its honest sentiment cuts through some of the melodramatic contrivance. Grade: B

"Green Zone" (R). Matt Damon has a fine role as an American soldier in Iraq in 2003 who gets himself into trouble when he personally questions the existence of weapons of mass destruction. Although director Paul Greengrass' nervous camerawork often seems like movement for its own sake and his action thriller storyline has more thrills than substance, this is a well-intentioned and effective drama. With Greg Kinnear, Brendan Gleeson and Amy Ryan. Grade: B-

"Our Family Wedding" (PG-13). This very broad comedy about a Mexican-American woman marrying an African-American man relies on such extreme ethnic stereotypes that it seems desperate for a laugh. Grade: C

"Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The L"Remember Me" (PG-13). Oppressively heavy drama with Robert Pattinson as a troubled young New Yorker who is at odds with his wealthy father (Pierce Brosnan) and also uncertain where he stands with his new girlfriend (Emilie de Ravin). Potentially moving scenes sink under the weight of all that dramatic underscoring. Grade: C

"She's Out of My League" (R). Jay Baruchel plays an ordinary guy and Alice Eve a gorgeous woman in this weak romantic comedy. There is not much wit, but there are plenty of rude jokes. Grade: C

"Shutter Island" (R). Martin Scorsese's thriller about federal marshall Leonardo DiCaprio investigating a missing patient at a hospital for the criminally insane is pretty crazy itself. It's an entertaining potboiler that benefits from the director's technical mastery. Also stars Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley and Max von Sydow. Grade: B

SCREEN SCENE

AMC Security Square 8
1717 Rolling Road, Woodlawn,
410-265-6911

Charles Theatre
1711 N. Charles St.,
410-727-FILM

Maryland Science Center IMAX Theater
410-685-5225

Muvico Egyptian 24
Arundel Mills Boulevard at Route 100,
443-755-8992

R/C Hollywood Cinema
5509 Oregon Ave., Arbutus,
410-242-1188

UA Westview Mall 9
5824 Baltimore National Pike, Baltimore,
410-719-9000

user comments (0)