Friday, Jul. 11, 2008

On Other Screens

GET SMART **

Is it praise or criticism to call a movie competent? That's the term that best describes "Get Smart." It revives the old TV franchise with the same slapstick derring-do and lightweight comedy that tickled audiences in the waning days of the Cold War. It's less a reboot or a reimagining than a rerun. (PG-13)

PLAYING AT: Brenden, Galaxy, Marketplace, Merced Mainplace, Modesto Regal, Sonora Regal, Turlock Regal

HANCOCK **

Will Smith has owned Fourth of July weekends with huge debuts for some passable but not-so-great movies, and he'll likely do it again with this foul-mouthed-

misanthrope-as-superhero flick. The movie has a crisp, entertaining setup: Smith is a superhero who hates everyone and is hated in turn for the chaos he causes. After starting so fresh, the movie turns into a poor impersonation of a standard superhero tale. (PG-13)

PLAYING AT: Brenden, Galaxy, Marketplace, Merced Regency, Modesto Regal, Oakdale Twin, Sonora Regal, Turlock Regal

THE HAPPENING **

In "The Happening," Mother Nature decides that humanity is a dangerous virus -- and gets to work eliminating the threat. The latest from writer/director M. Night Shyamalan ("The Sixth Sense," "Signs"), it starts out strong, but as has so often become the case with this filmmaker's, gets lost. (R)

PLAYING AT: Brenden

THE INCREDIBLE HULK **

They're spending money on real actors, and that pays off again as Edward Norton plays the more interesting era in Hulk History -- his years on the run. (PG-13)

PLAYING AT: Brenden, Marketplace, Merced Mainplace, Turlock Regal

INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL ***

"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" shows up as "Indiana Jones' Greatest Hits," recycling sequences from the terrific 1980s trilogy, reusing that splendid, jaunty John Williams score, reminiscing over cast members not on board this time or no longer with us. Is that enough of a reason to see it? You bet your bullwhip it is. (PG-13)

PLAYING AT: Galaxy, Merced Mainplace, Sonora Regal, Turlock Regal

IRON MAN *** 1/2 better

"Iron Man" is as complex as its conflicted protagonist. It's a slickly engineered special-effects extravaganza with a saucy sense of humor, a well-acted adult take on juvenile escapism. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), the tycoon inside Iron Man's shiny shell, isn't a simplistic comic-book hero fighting for lofty ideals. (PG-13)

PLAYING AT: Merced Regency

KIT KITTREDGE:

AN AMERICAN GIRL ***

This film is rife with feisty, generous pleasures. Abigail Breslin stars as Kit, a 9-year-old living, observing and typing furiously during the early 1930s. This Cincinnati kid aches to become a reporter. The Depression changes the wealth of a nation and hobbles the lives of those closest to home. Kit hits the typewriter. Those familiar with Kit and the American Girl dolls and their well-researched tales should be pleased with this outing. Co-stars Lathrop resident Brieanne Jansen as one of Kit's best friends. (G)

PLAYING AT: Brenden, Marketplace, Turlock Regal

KUNG FU PANDA *** 1/2

A visual knockout and an emotional grabber. It tells a simple story extremely well, showing a respect toward kung fu conventions and the Zen principles behind them. Any movie that incorporates the Tao Te Ching and sports a killer close-up of a panda's butt is doing something right. The movie tells the story of Po (voiced by Jack Black), a roly-poly panda dreaming of "legends full of legendary warriors whose exploits are the stuff of legends" in ancient China. (PG)