Author:   Ken Hanke

The Story: Jack Sparrow and company are back in this third installment in the phenomenally successful Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. The Lowdown: Not as fresh as the first, slightly more serious than the second and boasting at least one large misstep, the third film is still an adventure worth having.

The Hendersonville Film Society will show Winged Migration at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 3, in the Smoky Mountain Theater at Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Community, 333 Thompson St., Hendersonville. (From Asheville, take I-26 to U.S. 64 West, turn right at the third light onto Thompson Street. Follow to the Lake Point Landing entrance and park…

The Story: A couple (Julie Christie and Gordon Pinsent) married for 44 years must face the wife's descent into Alzheimer's. The Lowdown: Heartfelt, deeply moving and without cheap sentiment, Sarah Polley's Away from Her is a small-scale triumph, especially for viewers burned-out on mainstream summer blockbusters.

The Story: A Danish expatriate working at an orphanage in India is forced to return to his homeland in order to obtain a donation that will save the facility from shutting down. The Lowdown: Convoluted and intricate plotting and fine performances raise a frankly melodramatic story to something more.

The Story: When King Harold dies, Shrek goes in search of an heir to the throne in order to avoid becoming king. The Lowdown: Mildly amusing and painless, but overall a major disappointment.

The Hendersonville Film Society will show A Midsummer Night's Dream at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 27, in the Smoky Mountain Theater at Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Community, 333 Thompson St., Hendersonville. (From Asheville, take I-26 to U.S. 64 West, turn right at the third light onto Thompson Street. Follow to the Lake Point Landing entrance…

Sirens is part of a series of Classic Cinema From Around the World being presented at 8 p.m. Friday, May 25, at Courtyard Gallery, 9 Walnut St. in downtown Asheville (enter at Walnut next to Scully's or at 13 Carolina Lane).

The Story: It's 28 weeks after the "rage virus" destroyed most of Great Britain. The U.S. army is heading up efforts to rebuild the country, but the supposedly controlled threat isn't as controlled as they think. The Lowdown: Political allegory and horrific thrills meet head-on in this worthy -- and smart -- sequel to 28…

The Story: Three misfit army reservists accidentally invade Mexico thinking they're liberating Iraq. The Lowdown: The return of Larry the Cable Guy -- and a pretty sight it's not.

The Story: A mother at her wit's end takes her troubled daughter to spend the summer with her mother in hopes of straightening the girl out. The Lowdown: A basic generational dramatic comedy that strangles itself by trying to be more than it is.

Dark Habits is part of a series of Classic Cinema From Around the World being presented at 8 p.m. Friday, May 18, at Courtyard Gallery, 9 Walnut St. in downtown Asheville (enter at Walnut next to Scully's or at 13 Carolina Lane).

The Hendersonville Film Society will show Song of Love at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 20, in the Smoky Mountain Theater at Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Community, 333 Thompson St., Hendersonville. (From Asheville, take I-26 to U.S. 64 West, turn right at the third light onto Thompson Street. Follow to the Lake Point Landing entrance and…

The Story: Estranged father and son, both compulsive gamblers, face off against each other in the World Series of Poker. The Lowdown: A wayward, badly conceived gambling drama that thinks it's a romantic comedy and ends up wasting a good cast.

The Story: Spider-Man is back for more adventures -- and personal angst -- with a new set of villains. The Lowdown: Unless you're a dyed-in-the-wool fan, this is an overstuffed, underdeveloped, overlong, lumbering behemoth of a movie that just never takes flight.

Last Stop for Paul is being presented by the Twin Rivers Media Festival as its winning feature at 8 p.m. Friday, May 11, at Courtyard Gallery, 9 Walnut St. in downtown Asheville (enter at Walnut next to Scully's or at 13 Carolina Lane). Short film winner, the quirky Moondance, will also be screened at this…

M*A*S*H, Nashville and The Player comprise a Robert Altman retrospective being hosted by film historian Peter Loewer in Lord Auditorium at Pack Memorial Library. M*A*S*H screens Monday, May 14; Nashville Tuesday, May 15; and The Player Wednesday, May 16. All films begin at 6 p.m.

M*A*S*H, Nashville and The Player comprise a Robert Altman retrospective being hosted by film historian Peter Loewer in Lord Auditorium at Pack Memorial Library. M*A*S*H screens Monday, May 14; Nashville Tuesday, May 15; and The Player Wednesday, May 16. All films begin at 6 p.m.

M*A*S*H, Nashville and The Player comprise a Robert Altman retrospective being hosted by film historian Peter Loewer in Lord Auditorium at Pack Memorial Library. M*A*S*H screens Monday, May 14; Nashville Tuesday, May 15; and The Player Wednesday, May 16. All films begin at 6 p.m.

The Story: A cheesy Vegas magician who can see two minutes into the future is recruited by the FBI to thwart a terrorist attack on L.A. The Lowdown: Another silly Nicolas Cage movie. Maybe even sillier than Cage's recent turn as Johnny Blaze in Ghost Rider, and because of that a little more fun.

The Twin Rivers Media Festival Short Films will be shown at 8 p.m. on Saturday, May 5, at Courtyard Gallery, 9 Walnut St. in downtown Asheville (enter at Walnut next to Scully's or at 13 Carolina Lane). A selection of animated films will also be shown from 3 to 5 p.m. and from 5:30 p.m.…

The Story: A Jewish girl becomes a spy for the Dutch resistance during World War II. The Lowdown: A wildly entertaining, exciting WWII thriller with complex characters and a fresh outlook.