Reel Picks

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A-Team (PG-13)

Quirky characters, slam-bam action, and absolutely no suspense. Bradley Cooper, Jessica Biel, Liam Neeson.

2 shells

Cyrus (R)

Sweet schlub John (John C. Reilly) meets dream girl Molly, (Marisa Tomei), who has 21-year-old son, Cyrus (Jonah Hill), determined to wreck the relationship. Funny.

3.5 shells

Despicable Me (PG)

Animated exploits of a nasty but redeemable curmudgeon who adopts a tiny trio of orphaned sisters to further his plot to steal the moon.

4.5 shells

Get Him to the Greek (R)

A nervous record company rep (Jonah Hill) escorts rock and let-the-good-times-roll star (Russell Brand) from London to the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles.

3 shells

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (R)

A sadistic murder mystery in which a computer hacker, Lisbeth, helps a determined journalist, Mikael, solve a missing person case, only to uncover a gory mess. Tough stuff.

3 shells

Grown Ups (PG-13)

In their usual paint-by-number roles: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Rob Schneider, David Spade, and Chris Rock.

2 shells

Inception (PG-13)

Complicated, sci-fi thriller. A corporate espionage team travels across multiple levels of dreamscape realities to steal ideas by entering a person’s brain during the dream state. Leonardo DiCaprio as a master extractor.

2.5 shells

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work (R)

Documentary of what it’s like to be a driven and indomitable 75-year-old comedian with 50 years in the business, and still willing to doing anything, and go anywhere.

4.5 shells

Karate Kid (PG)

The triumph of the underdog. Jackie Chan as Mr. Miyagi, and an irresistible Jaden Smith as the kid who gets bullied and learns kung fu.

3.5 shells

Knight and Day (PG-13)

It’s who-do-you-trust played by the beautiful people. Cameron Diaz, gets tangled up with an apparently crazed international spy — Tom Cruise.

2.5 shells

The Last Airbender (PG)

A combination of Asian mythology and martial arts. Human “benders” of the four basic elements, Earth, Water, Fire, and Air, wage a century-long war until one Avatar discovers the power to restore peace.

4 shells

Predators (R)

The sequel: an international group of oddball killers, dropped into a jungle game preserve, are hunted by humanoid predators.

2.5 shells

Salt (PG-13)

Ruthless superspy Salt (Angelina Jolie) — tortured, shot, leaping tall buildings — is accused of being a Russian counterspy, her husband’s missing, and mayhem and mystery abound.

3 shells

Shrek Forever After (PG)

Shrek has a midlife crisis, and we see life as it might have been if everyone’s favorite ogre never existed. Fun.

5 shells

Toy Story 3 (G)

Andy goes to college and Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and the gang are sent to a romper room of slam and slash toddlers.

5 shells

Twilight Saga: Eclipse (PG-13)

Romance or friendship, vampire or werewolf, acceptance or revenge, life or death.

2.5 shells

Winter’s Bone (R)

With the look and sounds of the Ozarks, the dirt-poor Ree (Jennifer Lawrence), responsible for her siblings and her mentally ill mother, sets out to find their outlaw dad before he loses their house. Affecting.

5 shells