09/03/10 Film clips

OPENED WEDNESDAY

"THE AMERICAN" -- A hit man (George Clooney) finds romance and friendship in Italy while awaiting what he hopes will be his last assignment. Also starring Violante Placido, Thekla Reuten and Paolo Bonacelli. Directed by Anton Corbijn. (R for violence, sexual content and nudity.)

OPENING TODAY

"COCO CHANEL AND IGOR STRAVINSKY" -- The secret affair between the fashion designer and the composer is explored in this art-house film. Starring Mads Mikkelsen, Anna Mouglalis and Yelena Morozova. Directed by Jan Kounen. (R for some strong sexuality and nudity.)

"GOING THE DISTANCE" -- Real-life couple Drew Barrymore and Justin Long play a Los Angelena and a New Yorker trying to maintain their transcontinental relationship. Also starring Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis and Christina Applegate. Directed by Nanette Burstein. (R for sexual content including dialogue, language throughout, some drug use and brief nudity.)

"MACHETE" -- A cheerfully gory, over-the-top adventure about a knife-wielding Mexican out to avenge the murder of his family by a drug lord. Inspired by the fictitious movie trailer for "Grindhouse." Starring Danny Trejo, Steven Seagal, Jessica Alba, Robert De Niro, Lindsay Lohan, Jeff Fahey, Don Johnson, Cheech Marin and Michelle Rodriguez. Directed by Robert Rodriguez and Ethan Maniquis. (R for strong bloody violence throughout, language, some sexual content and nudity.)

HELD OVER

"AVATAR SPECIAL EDITION 3-D" -- It's time to brush up on your Na'vi. Director James Cameron's blue-popping sci-fi action epic returns to the big screen with nine minutes of new footage. Starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang. (PG-13 for intense epic battle sequences and warfare, sensuality, language and some smoking.)

"CATS & DOGS: THE REVENGE OF KITTY GALORE" (3-D) -- Talking pets duke it out as a feline mastermind plots to subjugate cats and dogs everywhere in this sequel. With the voices of Christina Applegate, Michael Clarke Duncan, Neil Patrick Harris, Bette Midler and Nick Nolte. Directed by Brad Peyton. (PG for animal action and humor.)

"DESPICABLE ME" (3-D) -- Steve Carell voices an aspiring supervillain whose scheme to steal the moon is interrupted by three orphan girls aiming to adopt him as their dad in this computer-animated comedy. Also with the voices of Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Julie Andrews, Will Arnett and Kristen Wiig. Directed by Chris Renaud and Pierre Coffin. (PG for rude humor and mild action.)

"DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS" -- Steve Carell stars as an uber-dweeb IRS agent who's invited by a young executive (Paul Rudd) to a dinner where a prize goes to whoever brings the biggest loser. Based on the French-language comedy "The Dinner Game." Also starring Zach Galifianakis, Lucy Punch and Jemaine Clement. Directed by Jay Roach. (PG-13 for sequences of crude and sexual content, some partial nudity and language.)

"EAT PRAY LOVE" -- A newly divorced woman (Julia Roberts) embarks on a journey around the world that becomes a quest for self-discovery. Based on the best-selling memoir by Elizabeth Gilbert. Also starring Javier Bardem, James Franco, Viola Davis and Richard Jenkins. Directed by Ryan Murphy. (PG-13 for brief strong language, some sexual references and male rear nudity.)

"THE EXPENDABLES" (digital) -- Sylvester Stallone directs and stars in this retro action tale about a group of mercenaries who encounter betrayal and deceit when hired to overthrow a ruthless South American dictator. Also starring Jason Statham, Mickey Rourke, Jet Li, Terry Crews, Eric Roberts, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture and Steve Austin. With cameos by Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger. (R for strong action and bloody violence throughout, and for some language.)

"THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE" -- This sequel to "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" reunites punk-sleuth Lisbeth Salander, now accused of murder, with investigative journalist Michael Blomkvist. Based on the second book in the best-selling Millennium trilogy by Stieg Larsson. In Swedish with subtitles. Starring Noomi Rapace, Michael Nyqvist and Lena Endre. Directed by Daniel Alfredson. (R for strong violent imagery, sex, nudity, obscenity and smoking.)

"GROWN UPS" -- Growing older doesn't mean growing up when five childhood best friends reunite over a Fourth of July weekend. Starring Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider and David Spade. Directed by Dennis Dugan. (PG-13 for crude material including suggestive references, language and some male rear nudity.)

"INCEPTION" -- A thief (Leonardo DiCaprio) skilled in the art of memory extraction is given a chance to regain his life if he can pull off the impossible: plant an idea in his target's subconscious mind. Also starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Ellen Page. Directed by Christopher Nolan. (PG-13 for sequences of violence and action throughout.)

"THE LAST EXORCISM" -- A troubled evangelical minister agrees to let his last exorcism be filmed by a documentary crew. Starring Patrick Fabian, Ashley Bell and Iris Bahr. Directed by Daniel Stamm. (PG-13 for disturbing violent content and terror, some sexual references and thematic material.)

"LOTTERY TICKET" -- A young man living in the projects wins millions in the lottery but must survive a holiday weekend with his greedy neighbors before claiming his prize. Starring Bow Wow, Ice Cube, Keith David, Loretta Devine and Terry Crews. Directed by Erik White. (PG-13 for sexual content, language including a drug reference, some violence and brief underage drinking.)

"NANNY McPHEE RETURNS" -- Emma Thompson reprises her role as the magical nannie, this time helping a harried mother who is trying to keep the family farm afloat while her husband is away at war. Also starring Maggie Gyllenhaal, Rhys Ifans and Maggie Smith. Directed by Susanna White. (PG for rude humor, some language and mild thematic elements.)

"THE OTHER GUYS" -- Two bumbling NYPD detectives (Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg) try to live up to the standards established by the department's reigning hotshots. Also starring Eva Mendes, Dwayne Johnson, Samuel L. Jackson and Michael Keaton. Directed by Adam McKay. (PG-13 for crude and sexual content, language, violence and some drug material.)

"RAMONA AND BEEZUS" -- Ramona Quimby, the irrepressibly imaginative heroine of Beverly Cleary's hugely popular children's book series, makes her film debut as she tries to save her family's home. Starring Joey King, Selena Gomez, John Corbett, Ginnifer Goodwin, Sandra Oh and Josh Duhamel. Directed by Elizabeth Allen. (G, general audiences.)

"SALT" -- The loyalty of a CIA officer (Angelina Jolie in a role originally intended for Tom Cruise) is tested when a defector accuses her of being a Russian spy and she's forced to go on the run. Also starring Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Andre Braugher. Directed by Phillip Noyce. (PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action.)

"THE SORCERER'S APPRENTICE" -- Nicolas Cage plays an ancient wizard who takes on a protege in modern times to fight a scheming enemy. Also starring Jay Baruchel, Alfred Molina and Monica Bellucci. Directed by Jon Turteltaub. (PG for fantasy action violence, some mild rude humor and brief language.)

"STEP UP 3-D" -- Street dancers and a college freshman square off in a competition against world-class hip-hop dancers as the "Step Up" franchise goes 3-D. With Adam Sevani, Alyson Stoner and Rick Malambri. Directed by Jon M. Chu. (PG-13 for brief strong language.)

"THE SWITCH" -- A single woman (Jennifer Aniston) has a baby using a sperm donor, only to discover years later that her best friend made a switch. Also starring Jason Bateman and Jeff Goldblum. Directed by Josh Gordon and Will Speck. (PG-13 for mature thematic content, sexual material including dialogue, some nudity, drug use and language.)

"TAKERS" -- A gang of notorious bank robbers has its biggest heist interrupted by a hardened detective. Starring Matt Dillon, Paul Walker, Idris Elba, Chris Brown and Hayden Christensen. Directed by John Luessenhop. (PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, a sexual situation/partial nudity and some language.)

"TOY STORY 3" (3-D) -- Tom Hanks' Woody the cowboy, Tim Allen's Buzz Lightyear and their plaything partners face abandonment issues as the gang's owner, Andy, heads off to college and the have to adapt to their new life in a day-care center. (Also, Barbie finally meets Ken!) Also featuring the voices of Joan Cusack, Ned Beatty, Don Rickles, Michael Keaton, Wallace Shawn and John Ratzenberger. Directed by Lee Unkrich. (G, general audiences.)

"VAMPIRES SUCK" -- In this spoof of vampire-themed movies, particularly the "Twilight" movies, teenager Becca finds herself torn between two boys. Starring Matt Lanter, Chris Riggi, Jenn Proske, Anneliese van der Pol and Ken Jeong. Directed by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer. (PG-13 for crude sexual content, comic violence, language and teen partying.)

-- Compiled by the Yakima Herald-Republic