Some reviews originate at newspapers that do not award star ratings. Ratings range from zero to four stars.
OPENING THIS WEEK
“The Sitter”***
Reviewed on Page 1D
“New Year’s Eve”**
Reviewed on Page 6D
“Young Goethe in Love” ***
Reviewed on Page 7D
“The Other F Word” ***
Reviewed on Page 7D
“Elite Squad: The Enemy Within”
Reviewed on Page 7D
CONTINUING
Here are selected mini-reviews of films in theaters, listed alphabetically. “Arthur Christmas 3D”
Amimated comedy. * * * PG. Santa’s young son tries to help out for Christmas. (David Germain, Associated Press) 97 minutes
“The Descendants”
Dramedy. * * * 1/2 R. George Clooney does emotionally wrought work in Alexander Payne’s hushed and humorous dramedy about a father who becomes chief parent to his teen and tween daughters when his wife is injured in an accident. Alas, that’s not all Matt King faces. He learns his spouse cheated on him at the same time he’s charged with deciding what to do with his family’s land trust in Hawaii. With a great ensemble — including Shailene Woodley and Judy Greer — one the world’s biggest movie stars is not alone in making this story funny and sad and deeply humane.
(Lisa Kennedy, The Denver Post) 115 minutes
“Happy Feet Two”
Animated sequel. * * * 1/2 PG. Downy penguin chicks on an adventure, a flying puffin and two chatty krill seekers (voiced by Brad Pitt and Matt Damon) populate director George Miller’s vibrant sequel set in Antarctica. It’s a musical with a philosophical bent. (Kennedy) 100 minutes
“Hugo”
Adventure. * * * PG. Orphan Hugo is a tinkerer in Paris between the wars. (Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel) 130 minutes
“Immortals”
Action. * 1/2 R. Theseus (Henry Cavill) must rally the troops to stop the evil King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke) from wiping out most of Greece with help from a handful of gods. There are some plot elements about a magic bow and arrow and a group of oracles who look like Justin Bieber backup dancers, but this is a one-note story that never resonates. (Rick Bentley, McClatchy Newspapers) 110 minutes
“J. Edgar”
Historical drama. * * * R. A studied, mildly old-fashioned portrait of J. Edgar Hoover (Leonard DiCaprio), a man who exploited secrets because he lived one. Armie Hammer is Clyde Tolson, Hoover’s longtime deputy and, the film speculates, his longtime beloved. (Kennedy) 137 minutes
“Le Havre”
Immigration fable. * * * 1/2 Not rated. Aging bohemian Marcel Marx (André Wilms) takes in a young African refugee named Idrissa (Blondin Miguel) who’s dodging the authorities in the French port town of Le Havre. Finnish writer-director Aki Kaurismäki’s gem of an immigration fable manages to be touching and strange without becoming overly sentimental.
(Kennedy) 93 minutes
“Like Crazy”
Romance. * * * PG-13. The romantic drama is the primal tale of two young people who begin by holding hands and move on to exchanging vows in search of something lasting. But it’s the rapport between audience and screen that’s the real love story here. (Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune) 89 minutes
“My Week With Marilyn”Drama. * * * R. In 1956, a young and eager Colin Clark was third assistant editor on the London set of “The Prince and the Showgirl.” The trifle was directed by Sir Laurence Olivier, who starred opposite Marilyn Monroe. Based on Clark’s memoirs, this well-acted drama starring Michelle Williams, doesn’t illuminate the mystery of Monroe so much as remind us how complicated, demanding and intimate the role of spectator can be. At the core of “My Week With Marilyn” is the time Clark (Eddie Redmayne) spent squiring Monroe around the English countryside after third husband Arthur Miller departed for New York
.
(Kennedy)
99 minutes
“Melancholia”
Apocalyptic drama. * * * R. Kirsten Dunst stars as a women who disappears into melancholy as the Earth is on a collision course with another planet. (Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times) 135 minutes
“The Muppets”
Musical comedy.
6 6 6 5
PG. The Muppets try to get back together to save a tatty theater and their old movie theater. (Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel) 120 minutes
“Puss in Boots”
Hello-kitty flick. 6 6 6 5 PG. This “Shrek” spinoff lacks the lasting lessons required of fairy tales. Still, there are funny bits about cats, as well as the people who love them. (Kennedy) 90 minutes
“The Skin I Live In”
Horror. * * * R. Pedro Almodóvar’s latest is an outrageous and engrossing brocade of horror and thriller remnants. Antonio Banderas is Dr. Robert Ledgard, a well-regarded, increasingly reclusive plastic surgeon attempting to perfect a skin that is as tough as armor but sensitive to a caress. Elena Ayana portrays his stunning patient/prisoner. (Kennedy) 117 minutes
“The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1”
Vampire wedding. * * 1/2 PG-13. Packed with as many emotional and contemplative moments as the brooding vampire, while the second half will have the kind of action that makes a werewolf howl. (Rick Bentley, McClatchy Newspapers) 115 minutes
GIANT SCREEN
IMAX — Denver Museum of Nature & Science
DinoMax 3-D double feature: “Dinosaurs Alive!” and “Waking the T. Rex: The Story of SUE”; “Under the Sea 3D” and “Born to Be Wild 3D.” Dates, times and tickets vary. 2001 Colorado Blvd., 303-322-2009,
IWERKS — The Wildlife Experience “Turtle Vision 3D,” “Sharks 3D,” “The Alps” and “Heli Skiing: Living the Dream.” Dates, times and tickets vary. 10035 S. Peoria St., Parker, 720-488-3300,
