Movie Reviews

The Story: An 1845 wagon train becomes perilously lost when its guide suggests taking a cutoff he claims is a shortcut. The Lowdown: Deliberately paced Western drama that immerses the viewer in the wagon-train experience, with all the quiet terror and paranoia produced by such a journey.

The Story: When the future of China is threatened by the rise of the evil Shen, it falls to Dragon Warrior Po and the "Furious Five" to set things to rights. The Lowdown: A visually beautiful sequel that in most ways more than lives up to the original.

The Story: The guys of the original Hangover are back, with another botched bachelor party, but this time in Thailand. The Lowdown: A mostly painless rehash of its predecessor that’s basically the original all over again, meaning there’s little reason to really care or remember that this film even exists.

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

The Asheville Film Society will screen 7th Heaven Tuesday, May 31, at 8 p.m. in the Cinema Lounge of The Carolina Asheville and will be hosted by Xpress movie critics Ken Hanke and Justin Souther. Hanke is the artistic director of the AFS.

The Thursday Horror Picture Show will screen Inferno Thursday, May 26, at 8 p.m. in the Cinema Lounge of The Carolina Asheville and will be hosted by Xpress movie critics Ken Hanke and Justin Souther.

The Story: A lonely security guard and an equally lonely immigrant woman meet at a speed-dating event and seem to click, but things are not exactly what they seem. The Lowdown: Delightful in its various twists and turns where the viewer is increasingly unsure of how real what's being shown is, but ultimately a little…

The Story: A small band of samurai set out to assassinate an evil lord before he plunges the entire country into violence and warfare. The Lowdown: Top notch action -- with an absolutely amazing showdown -- combined with an intelligent story that has something to say make this one of the best films of the…

The Story: When a Tennessee family’s patriarch returns after 40 years away, his family -- namely his grandson -- must deal with the fallout. The Lowdown: A Southern Gothic tale that’s entertaining enough when its working, but which unfortunately begins to unravel as it goes along.

The Story: Jack Sparrow is shanghaied to join a search for the legendary Fountain of Youth. The Lowdown: If you like Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow, chances are you'll like this fourth entry just fine, especially with the addition of Penelope Cruz. Otherwise, there's no real reason to see it.

The Asheville Art Museum and Fanaticon2 are presenting Marwencol for one show only at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 19, at the Fine Arts Theatre. Admission is $8 for Museum Members and $10 for nonmembers. Seats may be reserved by contacting Nancy Sokolove, Adult Program Manger for reservations at (828) 253-3226 ext. 120 or at…

The Hendersonville Film Society will show Topkapi at 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 22, in the Smoky Mountain Theater at Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Community (behind Epic Cinemas, 333 Thompson St., Hendersonville).

The Story: When her husband is taken ill, a trophy wife has to take over the family umbrella factory -- and proves better at it than he is. The Lowdown: French farce of the lightest kind that's made charming and satisfying thanks to stylish direction and two iconic stars.

The Asheville Film Society will screen The Hudsucker Proxy Tuesday, May 24, at 8 p.m. in the Cinema Lounge of The Carolina Asheville and will be hosted by Xpress movie critics Ken Hanke and Justin Souther. Hanke is the artistic director of the A.F.S.

The Story: A friendship dating back to childhood is threatened by the encroachment of a new friend during preparations for a wedding. The Lowdown: A coarse comedy that trades heavily in gross-out humor is made agreeable by the humanity and believable nature of its characters.

The Thursday Horror Picture Show will screen Invaders from Mars Thursday, May 19, at 8 p.m. in the Cinema Lounge of The Carolina Asheville and will be hosted by Xpress movie critics Ken Hanke and Justin Souther.

The Story: Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock attempts to make a movie about product placement in film, funded solely by product placement. The Lowdown: An entertaining documentary that leaves one giant question unanswered -- what’s the point?

The Story: A group of friends decide to rob a bank, but end up on the wrong side of a gangster. The Lowdown: Should’ve been a straight-to-DVD release -- and stayed there -- except it's Corey Haim’s final film, meaning the world must suffer through this bargain-basement effort.

The Story: A retired vampire-fighting priest returns to his profession when his niece is kidnapped by blood-suckers. The Lowdown: An utterly ridiculous melange of elements slapped together from various genres and movies that reaches a level of insanity that's entertaining for all the wrong reasons.

Classic World Cinema by Courtyard Gallery will present Alice at 8 p.m. on Friday, May 20m at Phil Mechanic Studios (109 Roberts St., River Arts District, upstairs in the Railroad Library). Info: 273-3332, www.ashevillecourtyard.com

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