“High School Musical 3”
*** RATING | After two cable films on the Disney Channel, with the cast singing and dancing through the halls of East High School, the action moves to the big screen. It’s senior year. And in a piece of obvious writing, the gang gets cast in the school play called “Senior Year.” No one wants to concentrate on the play — they’re too busy thinking about what they will be doing after high school. This one is for the fans who go to sleep each night in their “High School Musical” pajamas under their “High School Musical” blankets after turning off their “High School Musical” lights. G. 1 hour, 58 minutes. Rick Bentley, McClatchy Newspapers
“Body of Lies”
** 1/2 RATING | “Trust No One. Deceive Everyone” provides the tagline for director Ridley Scott’s latest. So prepare to plunge into the murk of intelligence work, where relationships are painfully provisional and enemies can serve a vital purpose. Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe star as a CIA operative working in the Middle East and his arrogant-savvy handler who does his anti-jihad plotting from his suburban Washington, D.C., home. Scott and screenwriter William Monahan use a lot of firepower (stars and pyrotechnics) to deliver what in the end feels idea-skimpy. This comes as a vexing news, given the movie’s source: Washington Post journalist David Ignatius’ novel. Films that toy and torment with images of terror and torture should deliver something serious (or authentically cathartic). Terrorism flicks should not become just another genre, like mob movies. (Mark Short as the Jordanian security chief is the one exception to the film’s utter familiarity.) Complete with an embarrassing love story involving DiCaprio’s character and an Iranian nurse, “Body of Lies” is escapism about matters that deserve more presence. R. 2 hours, 8 minutes. Lisa Kennedy
“Changeling”
** 1/2 RATING | It’s a period piece, a true-crime mystery and a slice of history, vintage Clint Eastwood in many ways. Jolie plays Christine Collins, a single mom in 1928 Los Angeles. She has to leave her 9-year-old son home one Saturday. When she gets home, he’s missing. After many months police return another boy and try to convince her it’s her son. “Changeling” is a fascinating, high-minded and ambitious story, with twists and turns and implications far beyond the “true crime” origins of the tale. R. 2 hours, 2 minutes. Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel
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