"Fly Me to the Moon" (G). Here's an animated 3-D movie about three juvenile, Florida-dwelling flies that sneak aboard the Apollo 11 mission in 1969. Small kids will like the ride. Grade: B- Opens Friday, Aug. 15, at area theaters.

"Henry Poole Is Here" (PG). Not reviewed. Luke Wilson abandons his fiancee and family business and takes up a new identity in a rundown suburban tract home. Mark Pellington directs the Sundance Festival entry, which co-stars Radha Mitchell and Adriana Barraza. Opens Aug. 15.

"The Last Mistress" (NR). Not reviewed. Controversial indie filmmaker Catherine Breillat directs Asia Argento in a steamy tale about a scandal that shocked even 19th-century France. Opens Aug. 15.

"Mirrors" (R). Not reviewed. This horror entry from the director of "High Tension" involves an ex-cop whose family is targeted by mirror-hopping demons. Opens Aug. 15.

"Tropic Thunder" (R). This boisterous movie industry satire about a jungle shoot that goes way out of control definitely gets your attention. However, it becomes desperately zany and even mildly grating. Grade: B Opens Wednesday, Aug. 13

NOW PLAYING

"Brideshead Revisited" (PG-13). Classy adaptation of the Evelyn Waugh novel about a middle-class college student who becomes close to a dysfunctional aristocratic family in the 1920s. Grade: B Charles Theatre

"Chris Don: A Love Story" (NR). This heartfelt documentary focuses on the relationship between the late writer Christopher Isherwood and the still-active artist Don Bachardy. Grade: B Charles Theatre

"The Dark Knight" (PG-13). This latest "Batman" movie takes awhile to build any narrative momentum. Grade: B- Owings Mills 17, Towson Commons 8, Hunt Valley 12, AMC White Marsh, Senator Theatre

"Hancock" (PG-13). Will Smith is a superhero who is a skid row alcoholic in his personal life.Grade: B- Valley Center 9, Owings Mills 17, Towson Commons 8, AMC White Marsh

"Journey to the Center of the Earth" (PG). Owing more to theme park rides than to its source in a Jules Verne novel, this thrill-a-minute 3-D adventure stars Brendan Fraser as a geologist fighting carnivorous plants and dinosaurs underground. Grade: B- Hunt Valley 12, AMC White Marsh, AMC Owings Mills 17

"Mamma Mia!" (PG-13). You'd better love the silly pop songs by the '70s group ABBA if you attend this entertaining adaptation of the Broadway musical about a young woman's search for the identity of her father. The cast is enjoyable, and the Greek scenery is easy on the eyes. Grade: B+ Valley Center 9, Owings Mills 17, Towson Commons 8, Hunt Valley 12, AMC White Marsh, Rotunda Cinemateque

"The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" (PG-13). This sequel about a Chinese ruler coming back from the dead is mostly just an excuse for computer-generated skeleton armies to fight in modern times. Grade: C+ Valley Center 9, Owings Mills 17, Towson Commons 8, Hunt Valley 12, AMC White Marsh

"Pineapple Express" (R). This drug-obsessed comedy with Seth Rogen and James Franco gets high on all its low jokes. The loosely scripted and relentless pot humor would be easier to take if the action movie-spoofing plot weren't so repulsively violent. Grade: C Valley Center 9, Owings Mills 17, Towson Commons 8, Hunt Valley 12, AMC White Marsh

"The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2" (PG-13). The good luck-delivering pants that are periodically exchanged between gal pals Blake Lively, Amber Tamblyn, America Ferrera and Alexis Bledel seem thematically threadbare in a sequel that awkwardly cuts between their summer adventures around the world. Grade: C+ Valley Center 9, Owings Mills 17, Towson Commons 8, Hunt Valley 12, AMC White Marsh

"Space Chimps" (G). Animated comedy about three chimp astronauts who encounter alien life. Small kids may enjoy it. Voices include Jeff Daniels, Kristin Chenoweth, Andy Samberg and Cheryl Hines. Grade: C+ Valley Center 9, Owings Mills 17, Hunt Valley 12, AMC White Marsh

"Step Brothers" (R). Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly are childish middle-aged men who become squabbling step-brothers. Enough of the jevenile humor hits to make it enjoyable. Grade: B- Valley Center 9, Towson Commons 8, Hunt Valley 12, AMC White Marsh

"Swing Vote" (PG-13). Kevin Costner plays a drunk dad whose vote will decide the next president of the United States. If you can get past that improbable premise, you're also up against a political satire that gets tangled up by its determination not to offend anybody. Although it's thematically confused, individual scenes score and Costner's understated performance may win you over. Grade: B- Owings Mills 17, Towson Commons 8, Hunt Valley 12, AMC White Marsh

"Wall-E" (G). The nearly wordless opening section of this animated movie is quite distinctive, as the title robot explores a skyscraper-filled city that has been abandoned by people. Although the rest of the story becomes much busier and loses some of that special quality, it's always entertaining. Grade: B Valley Center 9, Owings Mills 17, Hunt Valley 12, AMC White Marsh

"Wanted" (R). This special effects-driven adventure assaults your senses. Its comic book-derived story about a supernaturally strong Fraternity makes as much sense as the bullets that curve. Flexing their muscles if not their actorly muscles are Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman and Terence Stamp. Grade: C+ Valley Center 9, AMC White Marsh

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-in number in Screen Scene.

SCREEN SCENE

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

Hunt Valley Cinema 12
Shawan Road,
410-329-9800

Maryland Science Center IMAX Theater
410-685-5225

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

Owings Mills 17
Mill Run Circle,
443-394-0081

Rotunda Cinematheque
711 W. 40th St.,
410-235-4800

R/C's Eastpoint Movies 10
7938 Eastern Blvd.,
410-284-3100

Senator Theatre
5904 York Road,
410-435-8338

Towson Commons 8
York Road at Pennsylvania Avenue,
410-825-5233

Valley Center 9
9616 Reisterstown Road,
410-363-4194

West Nursery 14
Linthicum,
410-850-8999

White Marsh Theatre
White Marsh Boulevard,
410-933-9428

user comments (0)