• "Amelia": Hilary Swank plays pioneering aviator and women's-rights advocate Amelia Earhart, who disappeared while trying to fly around the world in 1937. Glossy and superficial. Too much on Earhart's romance with her hubby (Richard Gere). — R. Myers. (PG) 1 hr., 51 min.

    C-

  • "Astro Boy": Like "Pinocchio," this forgettable animated futuristic tale follows a superpowered young robot who yearns for acceptance as he does the hero thing. Voices by Freddie Highmore, Nicolas Cage and Charlize Theron. Could be funnier and more moving. — C. Lemire. (PG) 1 hr., 30 min.

    C

  • "THE BOX" (PG-13): A disfigured stranger promises a teacher and her husband (Cameron Diaz, James Marsden) a million dollars if she presses the button in the box he brings despite knowing that someone in the world will die when she hits it. The couple have 24 hours to mull the offer. Awful. Wallows through superficial soul-searching. — D. Germain. (PG-13) 1 hr., 55 min.

    D

  • "Bright Star": Jane Campion directed and wrote this sumptuous drama about the three-year romance between 19th-century poet John Keats (Ben Whishaw) and high-fashion student Fanny Brawne (Abby Cornish). Impeccable acting. — R. Myers. (PG) 1 hr., 59 min.

    B+

  • "CAPITALISM: A LOVE STORY": Documentarian Michael Moore looks into the crash of the economy, showing how the pursuit of
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    private ownership as been exploited by a tiny group of extremely wealthy, morally bankrupt Americans. Entertaining, humorous call for action. — R. Myers. (R) 2 hrs., 7 min.

    B+

  • "CIRQUE DU FREAK:

    THE VAMPIRE'S ASSISTANT": Newly undead, a teenage boy joins a sideshow with freaks and bizarre beings and becomes a pawn between warring vampire groups. Starring John C. Reilly and Chris Massoglia. "Twilight"-lite. Not silly enough. — R. Moore. (PG-13) 1 hr., 47 min.

    C

  • "Coco Before Chanel": Audrey Tautou plays Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, the legendary couturier who embodied the modern woman. With a keen eye for appearances but not a lot of passion or insight, the film covers her formative years. In French. — C. Lemire. (PG-13) 1 hr., 50 mins.

    C+

  • "COUPLES RETREAT": Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman, Jon Favreau, Malin Ackerman, Kristin Davis, Kristen Bell and Faizon Love star in a sputtering, sporadically amusing misfire about four bland Midwestern couples who embark on a journey to a resort on Bora Bora. — R. Moore. (PG-13) 1 hr., 53 min.

    D

  • "Disney's A CHRISTMAS CAROL": Jaw-dropping visuals. Jim Carrey excels as Scrooge and several other roles. Performance-capture ("The Polar Express") process fails to convey emotion. Robert Zemeckis directs this literal version of the Dickens classic. — R. Myers. (PG) 1 hr., 36 min.

    B-

  • "An Education": One of the year's best. Carey Mulligan sparkles as a suburban teen introduced to culture and fashion by a charming thirtysomething man (Peter Sarsgaard) in 1961 London. The ecstasy and heartbreak stay with you. — C. Lemire. (NR) 1 hr., 35 min.

    A

  • "THE FOURTH KIND": In modern-day Alaska, a psychologist (Milla Jovovich) finds evidence of alien abductions during interviews with traumatized patients. Gimmicky abduction hooey. — R. Moore. (PG-13) 1 hr., 38 min.

    D

  • "Good Hair": Chris Rock travels the world to find out how hairstyles influence the activities, wallets, sexual relationships and self-esteem of the black community. Strong mix of humor, heartbreak. Rock's hot. — A. Hornaday. (PG-13) 1 hr., 35 min.

    B+

  • "Law Abiding Citizen": A prosecutor (Jamie Foxx) engages in a cat-and-mouse game with a brilliant sociopath (Gerard Butler) orchestrating a string of murders for revenge. Preposterous. Sinks in cynicism. — R. Moore. (R) 1 hr., 47 min.

    D

  • "THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS" (R): Adaptation of Jon Ronson's satirical novel about a reporter (Ewan McGregor) who bumps into a soldier (George Clooney) who says he's part of a U.S. Army paranormal battalion. With Jeff Bridges. Odd duck not as funny as it should be. — R. Moore. (R) 1 hr., 33 min.

    C+

  • "New York, I Love You": Ten directors — including Mira Nair, Natalie Portman and Brett Ratner — create linked vignettes that nail the serendipitous nature of love, New York-style. Most work. Ensemble includes Shia LaBeouf, Julie Christie, Blake Lively. — E. Abeel. (R) 1 hr., 50 min.

    B

  • "PARANORMAL ACTIVITY": A couple put surveillance cameras in their new home to see if eerie things are happening or if the wife just has an overactive imagination. The surprisingly potent chiller, reportedly made for $15,000, is consistently creepy. — B. Sharkey. (R) 1 hr., 39 min.

    B

  • "A SERIOUS MAN": The Coen brothers use the tale of a quiet physics professor at a Midwestern university whose wife has decided to leave him to create "a slapstick meditation on divine intent, human learning and the consolation of faith in an unfair, unpredictable universe." Technically flawless. — C. Covert. (R) 1 hr., 45 min.

    A

  • "SKIN": Based on the true story of a black baby born in the 1950s, during apartheid, to white Afrikaners. Raised as white, she's eventually expelled by white society and spends years trying to find her identity. Sophie Okonedo, Sam Neill and Alice Krige star. Ambitious, uneven. — B. Sharkey. (PG-13) 1 hr., 47 min.

    B-

  • "This Is It": Using footage shot during rehearsals for Michael Jackson's "This Is It" concerts, director Kenny Ortega gives fans a sense of what might have been. Raw, unvarnished, oft-fascinating look at creating the magic for a mega-tour. Rare glimpse of Jackson at work behind the scenes. — C. McCollum. (PG) 1 hr., 51 min.

    B

  • "(UNTITLED)" (R): A look at the state of contemporary art via the relationships among a sulky eccentric composer (Adam Goldberg), a gallery curator (Marley Shelton) and the artist (Vinnie Jones) she's showcasing. Strong cast. Loses way mid-game. Conflicts not fully realized. Some fun. — G. Goldstein. (R) 1 hr., 36 min.

    B-

  • "Where the Wild Things Are": Director Spike Jonze's version of the Maurice Sendak classic about Max, a young boy who feels misunderstood at home and flees to a land where strange and mysterious creatures roam. "A literary diamond, simple in design, brilliant in presentation." — R. Bentley. (PG) 1 hr., 42 min.

    A

  • "Zombieland": Zombies have taken over the wworld and Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg fight them. Funniest zombie movie since "Shaun of the Dead." — R. Moore. (R) 1 hr., 30 min.

    B+

    The following movies are scheduled to open today in the Bay Area.
  • "Art & Copy" (NR): A documentary about the real "Mad Men," advertising geniuses such as George Lois and Hal Rainey, who changed the business in the 1960s.
  • "The Boondock Saints II: ALL SAINTS DAY" (R): Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus are back as vigilante brothers, this time returning to Boston to avenge a murdered priest.
  • "The Maid" (NR): Set in Santiago, Chile, the film tells the story of a woman who has been the live-in maid for a family for 23 years. When her employers bring in more household help, the woman fanatically tries to maintain her place in the household. In Spanish with English subtitles.
  • "Pirate Radio" (R): The ensemble comedy from writer-director Richard Curtis ("Love Actually") is a fact-based tale about rogue rock 'n' roll disc jockeys broadcasting from an old tanker off the coast of Great Britain in the 1960s. The cast includes Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy and Kenneth Branagh.
  • "Precious: BASED ON THE NOVEL 'PUSH' BY SAPPHIRE" (R): A fan and critic favorite at film festivals, this drama looks at the life of an abused 16-year-old girl who grows up in 1980s Harlem finds hope with help from a strong teacher.
  • "2012" (PG-13): Hey, the world's about to come an end -- again. This special effects-drenched apocalyptic tale is the latest from the folks who brought us "Independence Day" and "The Day After Tomorrow."