“Funny People”
***
Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen star as a comic with a terminal diagnosis and the aspiring stand-up comedian he hires in this thoughtful (if at times self-serving) movie about comedy, celebrity and the toll they take on comics who are — but also aren’t — mere mortals. Written and directed by Judd Apatow, this is a morality tale with a mortality setup. What happens when a funny guy (Sandler) stands on the brink? And what does he learn as he takes a step back from that long drop? Is it funny? Yes. Is it riotous, ribald yet empty? Absolutely not. R. 2 hours, 26 minutes. Lisa Kennedy
“Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian”
* 1/2
Amelia Earhart (Amy Adams) has to become the sidekick of Larry Daley (Ben Stiller), who has faked his resume to get hired as a security guard and rescue his buddies from “Night at the Museum” (2006). What has happened, see, is that the Museum of Natural History is remodeling. They’re replacing their beloved old exhibits, like Teddy Roosevelt mounted on his horse, with ghastly new interactive media experiences. His friends are doomed to go into storage at the National Archives, part of the Smithsonian Institution. PG. 1 hour, 45 minutes. Roger Ebert “Terminator Salvation”
**
The year: 2018. Resistance leader John Connor must decide if a cyborg (who believes he’s human) can be trusted to save the teen who will become the rebel leader’s father. Yes, “Terminator” returns with its space-time tease about past, future and apocalypse. And the right tensions (about what makes us human) are in this fourth installment, starring the ever-grim Christian Bale as Connor. But director McG and the writers never achieve the sweet combo of humane story, indelible characters and visceral action that made the first two “Terminators” unforgettable. Aussie Sam Worthington plays Marcus, Skynet’s advanced cyborg assassin. PG-13. 1 hour, 55 minutes. Lisa Kennedy
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