Reel Picks

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Cats & Dogs: Revenge of Kitty Galore (R)

Even with Bette Midler, Neal Patrick Harris, and Nick Nolte doing the voices of anthropo-morphized pets, it’s a gimmicky, hodge-podge, dog vs. cat version of James Bond that makes you want to trade in your dog for a goldfish.

1 shell

Charlie St. Cloud (PG-13)

After an accident kills his brother Sam (Charlie Tahan), the melancholy Charlie (Zac Efron) gives up his sailing scholarship to Stanford, works as a cemetery caretaker, and meets with his deseased brother every sundown while he waits to find his higher purpose. With Ray Liotta, Amanda Crew, Kim Basinger. Oiy.

1.5 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

Dinner for Schmucks (PG-13)

In a comedy that borders on mean-spirited, Tim (Paul Rudd) participates in what his boss thinks is a fun idea: Find a fool, bring him to dinner so he can be humiliated, and whoever brings the biggest schmuck wins. Tim finds Barry (Steve Carell) who insinuates himself into his life with disastrous results. The schmuck wins.

2 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 do anything, and go anywhere.

4.5 shells

The Kids Are All Right (R)

Teenagers (Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson), find their biological father Paul (Mark Ruffalo) — the sperm donor used by lesbian couple Nic (Annette Benning) and Jules (Julianne Moore) — and bring him into the family. Everything gets scrambled in an insightful, original, often funny way.

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

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

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

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