02/09/12 Film clips

OPENING FRIDAY

"THE IRON LADY" -- Meryl Streep disappears into the role of Margaret Thatcher, from her arrival at Parliament in early middle age until her dotage, in this biopic about the iconic British prime minister. Also starring Jim Broadbent and Richard E. Grant. Directed by Phyllida Lloyd. (PG-13 for some violent images and brief nudity.) OSCAR WATCH: Best actress (Streep); makeup.

"JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND" (3-D) -- Dwayne Johnson takes over for Brendan Fraser in the second installment of the Jules Verne-flavored family adventures, this one set on a mythical island crawling with monsters. Also starring Josh Hutcherson, Vanessa Hudgens, Michael Caine and Luis Guzman. Directed by Brad Peyton. (PG for some adventure action, and brief mild language.)

"SAFE HOUSE" -- A CIA agent (Ryan Reynolds) charged with protecting a dangerous fugitive (Denzel Washington) must go on the run with his prisoner after their safe house is attacked. Also starring Robert Patrick, Vera Farmiga, Brendan Gleeson and Sam Shepard. Directed by Daniel Espinosa. (R for strong violence throughout and some language.)

"STAR WARS: EPISODE I -- THE PHANTOM MENACE" (3-D) -- The epic story of Anakin Skywalker begins (again) on the big screen in 3-D. Starring Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn, Natalie Portman as Queen Amidala (and Padm) and Jar-Jar Binks as himself. Written and directed by George Lucas. (PG for sci-fi action/violence.)

"THE VOW" -- When a woman wakes from a coma with severe memory loss, her husband works to win her heart again. Based on the Nicholas Sparks novel. Starring Rachel McAdams, Channing Tatum and Sam Neill. Directed by Michael Sucsy. (PG-13 for an accident scene, sexual content, partial nudity and some language.)

SNEAK PREVIEW TUESDAY

"THIS MEANS WAR" -- An action comedy starring Chris Pine and Tom Hardy as CIA buddies who discover they're dating the same woman (Reese Witherspoon). Directed by McG. (PG-13 for sexual content including references, some violence and action, and for language.)

HELD OVER

"ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: CHIPWRECKED" -- Jason Lee and his chatty ground squirrels return for more misadventures, this time on a deserted island. Also starring David Cross and featuring the voices of Amy Poehler, Anna Faris, Justin Long and Jesse McCartney. Directed by Mike Michell. (G)

"BEAUTY AND THE BEAST" (3-D and digital) -- The "tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme" returns to the big screen, now in 3-D. Some say this fairy tale, about a cruel young man cursed to live as a beast in his enchanted home if he cannot change and be worthy of another's love, is the greatest animated film ever made. Simba and Bambi might have something to say about that, but still. With the voices of Paige O'Hara, Robby Benson, Jerry Orbach, Angela Lansbury and David Ogden Stiers. Directed by Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale. (G)

"BIG MIRACLE" -- In small-town Alaska, a reporter recruits a Greenpeace volunteer to help save a family of gray whales trapped by rapidly forming ice in the Arctic Circle. Starring Drew Barrymore, John Krasinski, Kristen Bell and Ted Danson. Directed by Ken Kwapis. (PG for language.)

"CHRONICLE" -- Three high school friends gain superpowers after making an incredible discovery, but soon find their lives spinning out of control and their bond tested as they embrace their darker sides. Starring Michael B. Jordan, Michael Kelly and Alex Russell. Directed by Josh Trank. (PG-13 for intense action and violence, thematic material, some language, sexual content and teen drinking.)

"CONTRABAND" -- To protect his brother-in-law from a drug lord, a former smuggler (Mark Wahlberg) heads to Panama to score millions of dollars in counterfeit bills. Also starring Kate Beckinsale, Giovanni Ribisi and Ben Foster. Directed by Baltasar Kormakur. (R for violence, pervasive language and brief drug use.)

"THE DESCENDANTS" -- The indifferent father of two girls grapples with the meaning of family and legacy when his wife suffers a life-threatening water-skiing accident. Starring George Clooney, Judy Greer, Beau Bridges, Shailene Woodley and Matthew Lillard. Directed by Alexander Payne. (R for language including some sexual references.) OSCAR WATCH: Best picture; actor (Clooney); director; film editing; adapted screenplay (Payne and Nat Faxon Jim Rash).

"EXTREMELY LOUD INCREDIBLY CLOSE" -- Stephen Daldry directs this adaptation of Jonathan Safran Foer's novel about a young boy trying to make sense of the world after his father is killed in the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center. Starring Thomas Horn, Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock and Max von Sydow. (PG-13 for emotional thematic material, some disturbing images, and language.) OSCAR WATCH: Best picture; supporting actor (von Sydow).

"THE GREY" (digital) -- An oil drilling team struggles to survive after a plane crash strands them in the wilds of Alaska -- with a pack of wolves on their tail. Starring Liam Neeson, Dermot Mulroney and Frank Grillo. Directed by Joe Carnahan. (R for violence/disturbing content including bloody images, and for pervasive language.)

"MAN ON A LEDGE" -- Sam Worthington stars as an apparently suicidal man threatening to jump off a New York City hotel rooftop; police are so preoccupied with him that they fail to notice a jewel heist taking place down the street. Also starring Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell, Edward Burns and Ed Harris. Directed by Asger Leth. (PG-13 for violence and brief strong language.)

"MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: GHOST PROTOCOL" (digital) -- Superspy Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his team must go undercover to clear the IMF after a bombing at the Kremlin in this fourth "M:I" film, this time directed by Pixar's Brad Bird ("The Incredibles"). Also starring Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton, Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg. (PG-13 for sequences of intense action and violence.)

"ONE FOR THE MONEY" -- Katherine Heigl stars as Stephanie Plum in this action-comedy about an inexperienced bounty hunter, whose first assignment is to track down a former boyfriend who has skipped bail. Based on the 1994 Janet Evanovich novel that launched the popular 18-book (so far) series. Also starring Jason O'Mara, John Leguizamo, Sherri Shepherd and Daniel Sunjata. Directed by Julie Anne Robinson. (PG-13 for violence, sexual references and language, some drug material and partial nudity.)

"RED TAILS" -- Producer George Lucas labored for years to make this film about the crew of African-American pilots in the Tuskegee training program who were called into action in World War II. Starring Cuba Gooding Jr., Gerald McRaney, David Oyelowo, Terrence Howard and Method Man. Directed by Anthony Hemingway. (PG-13 for some sequences of war violence.)

"UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING" (3-D and digital) -- Kate Beckinsale returns to the werewolf-vs.-vampire franchise she helped make famous, this time joining forces with her lycanthrope pals to bag the most dangerous game of all: humans. Also starring Michael Ealy and India Eisley. Directed by Mns Mrlind and Bjrn Stein. (R for strong violence and gore, and for some language.)

"WAR HORSE" (digital) -- A young man (Jeremy Irvine) enlists to serve in World War I after his beloved horse is sold to the cavalry. The journey takes Albert out of England and across Europe as the war rages. Also starring Emily Watson and David Thewlis. Directed by Steven Spielberg. (PG-13 for intense sequences of war violence.) OSCAR WATCH: Best picture; art direction; cinematography; original score (John Williams); sound editing; sound mixing.

"WE BOUGHT A ZOO" -- Set in Southern California, a father (Matt Damon) moves his family to the country to renovate and reopen a struggling zoo. Also starring Scarlett Johansson and Thomas Haden Church. Directed by Cameron Crowe. (PG for language and some thematic elements.)

"THE WOMAN IN BLACK" -- In his first starring role post-Harry Potter, Daniel Radcliffe stars as a young lawyer who runs afoul of an angry ghost terrorizing a remote village. Also starring Janet McTeer and Ciarn Hinds. Directed by James Watkins. (PG-13 for thematic material and violence/disturbing images.)

-- Compiled by the Yakima Herald-Republic