Movie Reviews

The Story: The vigilante MacManus brothers return to Boston to clean the streets of mobster riffraff. The Lowdown: A flatly directed actioner full of cheesy, broad humor and macho posturing that comes across like a two-hour-long beer commercial full of uninspired bloodletting.

The Story: A rogue ninja assassin and a government official work to bring down the ninja's former clan. The Lowdown: Slight and a bit repetitive, but nevertheless somewhat stylish and agreeably gory as far as mindless entertainment goes.

The Story: Bored with life as a respectable fox citizen, Mr. Fox reverts to a life of poultry thievery and outwitting local farmers. The Lowdown: Witty, sophisticated comedy, splendid voice acting, brilliant animation and personal filmmaking combine to create perhaps the most pure fun to be had at the movies all year.

The Story: A 50-odd-year-old man finds himself saddled with a pair of children he didn't know he had and has to learn how to be a dad. The Lowdown: A pitiful, pathetic, lazy attempt at bilking money out of the market for family-friendly fare during the holiday season.

The Hendersonville Film Society will show Zelig at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 29, in the Smoky Mountain Theater at Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Community (behind Epic Cinemas), 333 Thompson St., Hendersonville.

The Story: A Midwestern college professor searches for answers as his life spins out of control. The Lowdown: An almost painfully black comedy about the search for meaning where meaning may not exist. Yes, it's a comedy, but the laughs are bitter ones and the tone will be off-putting for some.

The Story: Fact-based story of Michael Oher, a poor black kid adopted by an upscale white family. The Lowdown: A manipulative, but effective, uplifting sports drama that benefits from a strong cast, but never escapes a sense of condescension and questionable messages.

The Story: An American astronaut lands on an alien planet, only to be feared by the natives as a brain-eating monster. The Lowdown: A pointless exercise in the loud, frantic and juvenile -- even by the standards of a kids’ picture.

The Story: More teencentric romantic entanglements among the supernatural set and one whiny girl. The Lowdown: It's better made than the first one, but it may be even dumber in its attempt to go for the world's record in moping teens.

Classic Cinema From Around the World will present Black Rain at 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, at Courtyard Gallery, 9 Walnut St., in downtown Asheville. Info: 273-3332.

The Story: A 16-year-old schoolgirl embarks on a romance with a somewhat mysterious 30-plus-year-old man. The Lowdown: A star-making performance from Carey Mulligan, a human and witty screenplay, and beautifully modulated direction make this an unusually accomplished coming-of-age story.

The Story: A documentary focusing on the high-school exploits of NBA star LeBron James and his high-school basketball teammates. The Lowdown: A perfectly agreeable documentary, but it lacks flash and will only really be of interest to sports fans.

The Story: The story of renegade broadcasters operating from a ship off the coast of Great Britain in 1966. The Lowdown: An altogether splendid period piece about camaraderie and rock music with great performers, a killer sound track and a screenplay that's as warm as it is witty.

The Story: Roland Emmerich's take on what happens when the Mayan calendar runs out. The Lowdown: Grotesquely overlong and overproduced, but if you want to see the world end without actually being there, it'll probably fill the bill.

Classic Cinema From Around the World will show Awara at 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13, at Courtyard Gallery, 9 Walnut St., downtown Asheville. Info: 273-3332.

The Hendersonville Film Society will show Chocolat at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15, in the Smoky Mountain Theater at Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Community (behind Epic Cinemas), 333 Thompson St., Hendersonville.

The Story: A fact-based -- at least in part -- comedy about the U.S. Army's experiments in the use of psychic powers. The Lowdown: An enjoyable, often very funny film that never quite crosses the line to be the defining satire it seems to have had in mind.

The Story: Charles Dickens' classic Christmas ghost story gets the Disney treatment. The Lowdown: An overblown, but occasionally interesting, version of the story that often seems more like a theme-park ride than a serious attempt at telling the tale.