OPENING THIS WEEK

QUANTUM OF SOLACE Review on Page 8

LARGE FORMAT FILMS

Cricket Imax Theater at Jordan Commons

MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA (1 hr., 29 min.; PG for some mild crude humor) Alex the Lion vs. wild Africa in IMAX widescreen!

Showtimes daily. 9355 S. State St., Sandy. (801) 304-INFO.

Xango Mammoth Screen Theater at Thanksgiving Point

DINOSAURS: GIANTS OF PATAGONIA (40 min.; No MPAA rating) Learn about the discovery of super-large dinos in South America.

WILD OCEAN 3D (45 min.; No MPAA rating) Massive aquatic feeding frenzies off the coast of Africa in 3D!

AFRICAN ADVENTURE: SAFARI IN THE OKAVANGO (40 min.; No MPAA rating) Visit the wild jungles of Africa's Okavango Delta in Botswana.

Showtimes daily. 3003 N. Thanksgiving Way, Lehi. 768-2300.

CONTINUING

CHANGELING (2 hrs., 21 min.; Rated R for some violent and disturbing content, and language) The true crime saga at the heart of Clint Eastwood's sharply crafted period police thriller is grim, heartbreaking stuff. Eastwood gets great performances from a large cast, especially from Angelina Jolie as the resolute mother of a young boy who goes missing. [A]

THE DARK KNIGHT (2 hrs., 32 min.; PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and some menace) With crisp, comprehensible action scenes, stellar acting and a dense, thoughtful script, this dark, hard-egded chapter would be the high point of the long-running Batman saga even without the amazing, chilling performance of the late Heath Ledger as Joker. [A]

EAGLE EYE (1 hr., 48 min.; Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence, and for language) Big Brother (who talks like Big Sister, at least in this movie) is either out to harm or help a callow youth who's mistaken for a secret agent man in this slick, surface-level reworking of "North by Northwest." The action is crisp, though true paranoia never really seeps in. [B-]

THE EXPRESS (2 hrs., 3 min.; Rated PG for thematic content, violence and language involving racism, and for brief sensuality) The inspiring true story of Ernie Davis, the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy, is somewhat formulaically retold in this earnest sports drama. Rob Brown, as Davis, leads a well-chosen cast. [B-]

FOREVER STRONG (1 hr., 52 min.; Rated PG-13 for thematic material involving teen drug and alcohol use, and for some disturbing images) There's an excellent true story to be told about Highland Rugby and local legend Larry Gelwix, so it's a shame that the club and coach are largely bystanders in a crisp, well-intentioned and ultimately superficial tale of teenage rebellion. [B]

GHOST TOWN (1 hr., 42 min.; Rated PG-13 for some strong language, sexual humor and drug references) After discovering that he can see dead people, Bertram Pincus, D.D.S. (Ricky Gervais) finds himself falling for a sweet widow -- against her late husband's wishes. British comedy icon Gervais brings his "A" game to this snarky, sweetly romantic comedy. [A-]

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3: SENIOR YEAR (1 hr., 52 min.; Rated G) The Wildcats are back in school, but not back in form. The new movie's best musical number is the first one, which is also one of the only ones that isn't preeningly radio-ready and/or overproduced. There are scenes between the songs, but not much story to speak of. A fans-only affair. [C]

THE HOUSE BUNNY (1 hr., 37 min.; Rated PG-13 for sex-related humor, partial nudity and brief strong language) Anna Faris stars as a revered "Playboy" Playmate who gets booted from the House of Hef after she turns 27 and tries to make a new life for herself in the house of Zeta Alpha Zeta. Funnier than you might expect, thanks to the fearless Faris. [C-]

JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH (1 hr., 32 min.; PG for intense adventure action and some scary moments) It's Jules Verne for Dummies! Brendan Fraser deploys his exaperated action hero persona from the "Mummy" movies as a geologist who, after being trapped with his nephew in the bowels of the Earth, discovers that deeply silly action gimmicks are what lies beneath. [D+]

KUNG FU PANDA (1 hr., 30 min.; PG for sequences of martial arts action) With gorgeous animation and excellent kung fu action, this heroic saga of humor and adventure, in which a tubby panda with a love of kung fu discovers an unlikely destiny, more than delivers on its marketers' promise of "awesomeness." Distinguished by its sharp characters, gentle wisdom and excellent acting. [A]

LAKEVIEW TERRACE (1 hr., 46 min.; Rated PG-13 for intense thematic material, violence, sexuality, language and some drug references) Bad, bad Leroy Brow -- er, make that Abel Turner is a man on the edge. On the edge of homicidal harrassment of his new neighbors, that is. Obvious, silly scenes chug toward an obvious, silly resolution. [D+]

MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA (1 hr., 29 min.; Rated PG for some mild crude humor) Alex the Lion and his Central Park Zoo mates are no longer in Madagascar, but not much else has changed. There's less focus on story, more focus on individual characters and funny jokes here and there, but the new movie is mostly a colorless rehash. [C-]

MAMMA MIA! (1 hr., 48 min.; PG-13 for some sex-related comments) Meryl Streep can sing! Meryl can dance! Meryl Streep is having the time of her life. You may not have the time of your life, however, unless you really, really dig ABBA songs. The movie slavishly adheres to the empty-headed Broadway fluff it's based on. [C+]

MAX PAYNE (1 hr., 40 min.; Rated PG-13 for violence including intense shooting sequences, drug content, some sexuality and brief strong language) Based on a video game, this fantasy-tinged thriller follows a DEA agent (Mark Wahlberg) on his quest for vengeance against assorted lowlifes. Brutal, basic and ... kinda boring. More than kinda, actually. Next! [D]

RACHEL GETTING MARRIED (1 hr., 53 min.; Rated R for language and brief sexuality) Anne Hathaway jumps to the head of the list of potential Best Actress Oscar nominees with her smart, touching performance as the dilettante sibling whose return from rehab disrupts her sister's wedding preparations. A thoughtful, if low-key, drama about family and responsibility. [A-]

ROCKNROLLA (1 hr., 54 min.; Rated R for pervasive language, violence, drug use and brief sexuality) British filmmaker Guy Ritchie returns (again) to doing what Guy Ritchie does best with this multifaceted crime caper that's hip-deep in colorful criminal characters. The plot is a mess, but, as per usual with Ritchie, it's the parade of peccant personalities that entertains. [B]

ROLE MODELS (1 hr., 37 min.; Rated R for crude and sexual content, strong language and nudity) Two slacker energy drink salesmen avoid jail time by mentoring "troubled" teens. The half of the movie that's about the nerd kid who loves fantasy role-playing is charming and funny, but the other half, about a stereotypically mouth black kid, is mostly shrill. [C-]

SAW V (1 hr., 52 min.; Rated R for sequences of grisly bloody violence and torture, language and brief nudity) Luke from "Gilmore Girls" battles against another round of grisly dimemberments and solemn indictments of man's petty vices. Series star Tobin Bell appears in flashback scenes, but even Jigsaw adds nothing to this gory, dreary, slapdash money mill. [D-]

SOUL MEN (1 hr., 38 min.; Rated R for pervasive language, and sexual content including nudity) The late Bernie Mac provides many a chortle in his next-to-last film role, meshing nicely with Samuel L. Jackson as two members of Motown trio who try to rediscover the magic in their AARP years. The movie is fomulaic and silly, but the stars are agreeably on key. [B-]

TIM BURTON'S THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS (1 hr., 16 min.; Rated PG for some scary images) Directed by Henry Selick, written by Caroline Thompson and drawn out of the demented imagination of, yes, Tim Burton, this cheerful tale of topsy-turvy Halloween vs. Christmas madness is still enchanting 15 years after its initial release. [A]

TRAITOR (1 hr., 54 min.; Rated PG-13 for intense violent sequences, thematic material and brief language) Don Cheadle ("Hotel Rwanda") plays a U.S. black ops supersoldier who may have gone rogue. Fine acting by Cheadle and above-average excution of action scenes keep this fairly unsurprising espionage thriller humming along. [B-]

WALL*E (1 hr., 43 min.; G) The newest film from Disney and Pixar has an electrifying beginning that stakes an instant claim to full recognition among the classics of science fiction cinema. But what start brilliantly slides into sometimes inspired mediocrity when the story of a lonely litterbot following his programming on a gutted future Earth blasts into deep space. [B-]

ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO (1 hr., 41 min.; Rated R on appeal for strong crude sexual content including dialogue, graphic nudity and pervasive language) Kevin Smith's newest ode to sex and profanity is about impoverished roomies who make a cut-rate porn film. Though funny in parts, the movie is as soft in the middle as a Twinkie, and about as nourishing. [C-]

SALT LAKE COUNTY

These films are playing exclusively in Salt Lake County at the theaters indicated.

Broadway Centre at 111 E. 300 South, Salt Lake City -- (801) 321-0310

Carmike 12 at 1600 W. Fox Park Drive, West Jordan -- (801) 562-5760

Carmike Ritz Hollywood Connection at 3217 S. Decker Lake Drive, West Valley City -- (801) 973-4386

Century 16 Salt Lake at 125 E. 3300 South, Salt Lake City -- (801) 486-9652

Century 16 Union Heights at 7670 S. Union Park Ave., Sandy -- (801) 568-3456

Cinemark 24 at 7301 S. Jordan Landing, West Jordan -- (801) 282-9722

Cinemark Movies 9 at 9359 S. 700 East, Sandy -- (801) 571-0601

Cinemark Movies 10 at 2227 S. Highland Drive, Salt Lake City -- (801) 466-3797

Cinemark Valley Fair Movies 9 at 3601 S. 2700 West, West Valley City -- (801) 969-7281

Megaplex 12 at 200 S. 400 West, Salt Lake City -- (801) 304-INFO

Megaplex 17 at 9355 S. State St., Sandy -- (801) 304-INFO

Megaplex 20 at 11400 S. Bangerter Hwy., South Jordan -- (801) 304-INFO

Tower Theatre at 876 E. 900 South, Salt Lake City -- (801) 321-0310

ASHES OF TIME REDUX (1 hr., 33 min.; Rated R for some violence) Acclaimed Chinese filmmaker Kar Wai Wong revisits his long-ago contribution to the genre of showy martial arts epics. There's more dialogue and less action than kung fu fans will be exepecting, but the film is characteristically (for Wong) engrossing and thoughtful. [B+] Tower

BEVERLY HILLS CHIHUAHUA (1 hr., 31 min.; Rated PG for some mild thematic elements) What's a delicate, ladylike "she-huahua" to do when inadvertently abandoned in Mexico City? Hope that she meets a "warrior" and "lover" like poochy keen Papi, of course. This live-action "Lady and the Tramp," south-of-the-border style, is doggedly earnest, but funnier than you might think. [B-] Century 16 (Sandy), Century 16 (Salt Lake City), Cinemark 24, Megaplex 12, Megaplex 17, Megaplex 20, Carmike Ritz

BODY OF LIES (2 hrs., 8 min.; Rated R for strong violence including some torture, and for language throughout) Ridley Scott's espionage thriller dabbles in current politics but mostly sticks to an old-fashioned story of a spy forgetting that love makes you vulnerable. Visually excellent, but thematically and conceptually lightweight. [C+] Century 16 (Sandy), Megaplex 12, Megaplex 20

BURN AFTER READING (1 hr., 36 min.; Rated R for pervasive language, some sexual content and violence) This lightweight spy spoof, written and directed by filmmaking brothers Joel and Ethan Coen, is almost Shakespearean (admirably so) in the clockwork complexity of its plotting, but the characters and situations fail to engage our sympathies, or our interest. [C+] Cinemark 10

CITY OF EMBER (1 hr., 36 min.; Rated PG for mild peril and some thematic elements) Smart and thoughtful, this futuristic, animated sci-fi film finds the human race trapped underground at the end 200 years' self-imposed exile from the surface of the planet. The city where they live is falling apart, but only two bright teens are very interested in fixing any problems. [A-] Megaplex 20, Carmike 12

DEATH RACE (1 hr., 45 min.; R for strong violence and language) Jason Statham is a skilled driver who gets wrongfully imprisoned in this reinvention of "Death Race 2000." Wrongfully imprisoned, that is, so he can compete against other inmates in a race to the death! There's absolutely nothing of interest but crashing cars in the trashy demolition derby. [D] Valley Fair 9

THE DUCHESS (1 hr., 45 min.; Rated PG-13 for sexual conent, brief nudity and thematic material) Despite making yet another foray into period drama, Keira Knightley is charming and energetic as a British noblewoman hemmed in by the mores of her time. Its story feels a tad musty, but the film benefits from excellendt acting and sharp writing. [B] Megaplex 17

FIREPROOF (2 hrs., 2 min.; Rated PG for thematic material and some peril) A firefighter is good at his job, but bad at his marriage -- can he keep his home life from going up in flames? The film hammers its pro-matrimonial message clumsily and relentlessy, but there's some charm to its characters and their dilemma is engaging. [C+] Cinemark 24

FLOW: FOR LOVE OF WATER (1 hr., 33 min.; No MPAA rating) If you don't conserve water, or don't understand the need, then you should see "Flow" immediately, before you take another 10-minute shower, use the garden hose to wash off the driveway, or flush the toilet just to get rid of a spider. An important, fascinating documentary. [A] Broadway

GET SMART (1 hr., 50 min.; PG-13 for some rude humor, action violence and language) Steve Carell is all Ca-wrong for the Ca-role of secret agent man and '60s TV icon Maxwell Smart. The spy games that Carell and Anne Hathaway (taking over for Barbara Feldon as Agent 99) get up to aren't enjoyable either as action or as comedy. The Rock is wasted in a supporting role. [D+] Cinemark 10, Cinemark 9

HAPPY-GO-LUCKY (1 hr., 58 min.; Rated R for language) Have you ever met someone who's too chipper to be believed? The charm (and resonance) of this thoughtful, upbeat slice-of-life drama from British filmmaker Mike Leigh is that he makes us believe in his almost exasperatingly buoyant heroine, British schoolmarm Poppy. [A] Broadway

THE HAUNTING OF MOLLY HARTLEY (1 hr., 27 min.; Rated PG-13 for strong thematic material, violence and terror, brief strong language and some teen drinking) Haley Bennett, who played a self-absorbed pop princess in "Music & Lyrics," is a teen bedeviled by ... the Devil?! Despite a semi-adventurous plot, this terror-by-numbers cheapie is demonic fluff. [D+] Carmike Ritz, Cinemark 24, Megaplex 12, Megaplex 17, Megaplex 20

THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR (1 hr., 52 min.; PG-13 for adventure action and violence) It's a good thing that the "Mummy" movies are a trilogy, because that means that the brazenly mindless, loud, sloppy, lifeless "Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" is the last of them. Trust me, they're a trilogy. That goes for you, too, Hollywood. [D] Valley Fair 9

PRIDE AND GLORY (1 hr., 52 min.; Rated R for strong violence, pervasive language and brief drug content) With a story as generic as its title, this good-cop-vs.-bad-cop big city policier is more than a little rote and predictable. Fine acting by an all-star cast jacks up the entire endeavor, but can't entirely overcome flat screenwriting and a flatter finale. [B-]

NIGHTS IN RODANTHE (1 hr., 37 min.; Rated PG-13 for some sensuality) Another of the sweetly sentimental novels of Nicholas Sparks makes its way to the silver screen, this time with lonelyhearts Richard Gere and Diane Lane discovering love (and each other) in the Outer Banks. Pure fluff, with a sheen of cozy professionalism. [C+] Megaplex 20

QUARANTINE (1 hr., 30 min.; Rated R for bloody violent and disturbing content, terror and language) A news crew and firefighters are trapped in a crumbling apartment building after government officials seal the area to contain a dangerous plague. This tense, impressively shot remake of the Spanish film "[Rec]" is both shivery and smart. [B+] Carmike Ritz, Cinemark 24

RELIGULOUS (1 hr., 41 min.; Rated R for some language and sexual material) Cutural gadfly Bill Maher travels around the world trying to make people who have deep religious convictions appear to be as silly as he believes that they are. Maher is clever and engaging, but pushes his agenda too agressively for his findings to be taken seriously. [C+] Broadway

ROMAN DE GARE (1 hr., 43 min.; Rated R for brief language and sexual references) Typical of the work of French filmmaker Claude Lelouche, this offbeat thriller about a crime novelist with a unique approach to devising new plots is rather haphazard. Also typical of Lelouch, its spins a dense, intriguing yarn with that will keep viewers guessing. [B] Broadway

THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES (1 hr., 50 min.; Rated PG-13 for thematic material and some violence) Queen Latifah exudes wisdom and warmth as a Civil Rights Era beekeeper who shelters a young girl (Dakota Fanning) who runs away from an abusive father. The film hammers home its message of tolerance and love, but you'll still get misty-eyed. [B] Century 16 (Salt Lake City), Cinemark 24, Megaplex 17, Megaplex 20

TROPIC THUNDER (1 hr., 47 min.; R for pervasive language including sexual references, violent content and drug material) This broad, hard-edged showbiz satire about the complicated production of an expensive Vietnam war action movie begins with a bang and then gradually slows to a crawl. Robert Downey Jr., however, is very, very funny throughout. [B] Cinemark 10

W. (2 hrs., 9 min.; Rated PG-13 for language including sexual references, some alcohol abuse, smoking and brief disturbing war images) The sitting president is a sitting duck in Oliver Stone's lightly satiric movie biography. There's great acting from an all-star cast -- especially from Josh Brolin as George W. Bush -- but Bush is irritatingly and one-dimensionally depicted as being an arrogant doofus. [C-] Broadway, Century 16 (Salt Lake City)