New and ongoing movies, Aug. 17
August 15, 2012 5:06PM
From left: Tika Sumpter, Carmen Ejogo and Jordin Sparks star in the film "Sparkle." | TriStar Pictures/Sony
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Updated: September 18, 2012 6:07AM
New movies
The Odd Life of Timothy Green
Critic’s rating: 31/2 stars
Rated: PG for thematic elements and language.
Length: 1 hr., 44 min.
Stars: Jennifer Garner, Joel Edgerton, CJ Adams and Odeya Rush.
A childless couple bury in their backyard a box containing all of their wishes for an infant. Soon, a child is born, though Timothy Green is not all what he appears.
The Expendables 2
Critic’s rating: not reviewed
Rated: R for violence.
Length: 1 hr., 42 min.
Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Liam Hemsworth, Randy Couture, Jason Statham, Terry Crews, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren and Chuck Norris.
Mr. Church reunites the Expendables for what should be an easy paycheck, but when one of their men is murdered on the job, a quest for revenge puts them deep in enemy territory and up against an unexpected threat.
ParaNorman
Critic’s rating: 3 stars
Rated: PG for scary action and images, thematic elements, rude humor and language.
Length: 1 hr., 36 min.
Stars: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Anna Kendrick, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Tucker Albrizzi.
A misunderstood boy who can speak with the dead, takes on ghosts, zombies and grown-ups to save his town from a centuries-old curse.
Sparkle
Critic’s rating: Not reviewed
Rated: PG-13 for mature material involving domestic abuse and drugs, violence, language and smoking.
Length: 1 hr., 57 min.
Stars: Jordin Sparks, Carmen Ejogo, Derek Luke and the late Whitney Houston.
Set in the 1960s, three sisters form a group and become Motown sensations, but fame becomes a challenge as the close-knit family begins to fall apart.
Ongoing movies
The Bourne Legacy
Critic’s rating: 21/2 stars
Rated: PG-13 for violence and action scenes.
Length: 2 hr., 15 min.
Stars: Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz, Albert Finney, Edward Norton, Joan Allen and Stacy Keach.
An expansion of the universe from Robert Ludlum’s novels, centered on a new hero whose stakes have been triggered by the events of the previous three films.
The Campaign
Critic’s rating: 3 stars
Rated: R for crude sexual content, language and nudity.
Length: 1 hr., 25 min.
Stars: Will Ferrell, Jason Sudeikis, Dylan McDermott, Zach Galifianakis, Katherine LaNasa and John Lithgow.
In order to gain influence over their North Carolina district, two CEOs seize an opportunity to oust long-term congressman Cam Brady by putting up a rival candidate. Their man: naive Marty Huggins, director of the local Tourism Center.
Hope Springs
Critic’s rating: 3 stars
Rated: PG-13 for mature material involving sexuality.
Length: 1 hr., 40 min.
Stars: Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones, Steve Carell and Jean Smart.
After 30 years of marriage, a middle-aged couple attends an intense, week-long counseling session to work on their relationship.
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Critic’s rating: 4 stars
Rated: PG-13 for thematic material including child imperilment, disturbing images, language and sexuality.
Length: 1 hr., 33 min.
Stars: Quvenzhané Wallis, Dwight Henry and Levy Easterly.
In a forgotten but defiant bayou community cut off from the rest of the world by a sprawling levee, a 6-year-old girl exists on the brink of orphanhood.
Total Recall
Critic’s rating: 3 stars
Rated: PG-13 for violence, sexuality and language.
Length: 2 hr., 1 min.
Stars: Colin Ferrell, Kate Beckinsale, Bryan Cranston, Jessica Biel and Bill Nighy.
Factory worker Douglas Quaid is attracted to an adventure, where his dreams would turn into memories. The mind-trip into the life of a super spy goes terribly wrong and he becomes a hunted man.
Step Up Revolution
Critic’s rating: 3 stars
Rated: PG-13 for suggestive dancing and language.
Length: 1 hr., 39 min.
Stars: Kathryn McCormick, Ryan Guzman and Cleopatra Coleman.
Emily arrives in Miami with aspirations to become a professional dancer. She sparks with Sean, the leader of a dance crew whose neighborhood is threatened by Emily’s father’s development plans.
The Watch
Critic’s rating: 2 stars
Rated: R for sexuality, language and violent images.
Length: 1 hr., 38 min.
Stars: Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn and Jonah Hill.
Suburban dads who form a neighborhood watch group as a way to get out of their day-to-day family routines find themselves defending Earth from an alien invasion.
The Dark Knight Rises
Critic’s rating: 3 stars
Rated: PG-13 for violence, language and sexuality.
Length: 2 hr., 45 min.
Stars: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotilliard and Michael Caine.
Batman returns to Gotham City, the city that has branded him an enemy, this time to battle two new threats — a catburglar and a masked terrorist.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days
Critic’s rating: Not reviewed
Rated: PG for rude humor
Length: 1 hr., 33 min.
Stars: Zachary Gordon, Rachael Harris and Steve Zahn.
Greg “Wimpy Kid” Heffley tries to avoid the misery of the dog days of summer but can’t avoid embarrassing mishaps at the local pool and a camping trip that goes awry.
Ice Age: Continental Drift 3-D
Critic’s rating: 2 stars
Rated: PG-13 for rude humor and action/peril.
Length: 1 hr., 34 min.
Stars: Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary and Queen Latifah.
Scrats’ nutty pursuit of the cursed acorn has world-changing consequences.
