Rated: PG13.
Director Chris Gorak (Right at Your Door) teams with producer Timur Bekmambetov for this tense apocalyptic thriller centering on the fight for survival waged by five youths who find themselves stranded in Moscow during an alien invasion. As the invisible extraterrestrials absorb all of Earth’s energy and life forms, finding a means of escaping the unstoppable attackers becomes a seemingly impossible task. Emile Hirsch, Olivia Thirlby, and Max Minghella star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Rated: PG13.
Two-time Oscar-winner Meryl Streep steps into the role of English prime minister Margaret Thatcher in this biopic from director Phyllida Lloyd (Mamma Mia!), and screenwriter Abi Morgan (Tsunami: The Aftermath, Brick Lane). Jim Broadbent, Richard E. Grant, and Anthony Head co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Rated: NR.
Respected actor Paddy Considine moves to the director’s chair for the first time with this emotionally powerful drama. Joseph (Peter Mullan) is a short-tempered alcoholic with a violent streak and just enough sense to know his life has gone terribly wrong. After getting in a fight with three men during a drunken bender, Joseph stumbles into a thrift shop run by Hannah (Olivia Colman). Joseph tosses random insults at Hannah for her strong religious convictions and desire to help others, but as he gets to know her better, Joseph develops a grudging admiration for Hannah. His feelings grow stronger when he learns just how dysfunctional Hannah’s home life is — she’s married to James (Eddie Marsan), who has been subjecting her to humiliating physical and emotional abuse for years. Eventually, Hannah works up the courage to leave James, and Joseph takes her in. Tyrannosaur was an official selection at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Documentary filmmaker Jeff Prosserman reveals the astounding true-life story of Harry Markopolos, the former Boston securities analyst who dedicated his life to exposing Bernie Madoff’s calamitous Ponzi scheme before the entire world. It was back in 1999 when Prosserman first caught wind of the massive white-collar corruption being perpetrated by NASDAQ chairman Madoff and his powerful cabal of moneymen. The further Prosserman’s investigation went, the more he sensed that his life could be in great danger. Only by assembling a team of dedicated and passionate investigators would the reluctant vigilante succeed in ensuring that Madoff paid for his crimes. But it was a daunting task indeed, and it would be an entire decade before justice was served. From the initial shocking discovery to the final verdict, this is the story that the mainstream press failed to tell. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Rated: G.
Dave Seville (Jason Lee), the Chipmunks (Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler, Jesse McCartney) and the Chipettes are taking a luxury cruise to the International Music Awards. Of course, Alvin cannot resist the urge to create havoc, and the singing rodents soon find themselves marooned on a seemingly deserted island. While Dave and an unlikely ally launch a search, Alvin and company discover that they are not alone on the island, as they first thought.
Rated: R.
Danijel (Goran Kostic), a Bosnian Serb police officer, and Ajla (Zana Marjanovic), a Bosnian Muslim artist, are lovers before the outbreak of the Bosnian War, but the lovers land on opposite sides of the conflict as violence engulfs the Balkan region. Months later, while serving in the Bosnian Serb army, Danijel once again encounters Ajla when troops under his command take her from the apartment she shares with her sister. As the conflict marches on, they find their allegiances uncertain.
Rated: R.
Director Roman Polanski teams with playwright Yasmina Reza to adapt Reza’s Tony Award-winning play about four New York parents who gather for a civilized discussion that becomes anything but after their children get into a scuffle at a local park. Alan (Christoph Waltz) and Nancy (Kate Winslet) are the parents of Zachary, a young schoolboy whose recent fight with classmate Ethan resulted in two of Ethan’s teeth being broken. Convinced that they can find an amiable solution to the problem rather than dragging lawyers into the picture, Ethan’s parents Penelope (Jodie Foster) and Michael (John C. Reilly) invite Alan and Nancy to their home to discuss the matter in a comfortable setting. At first the conversation is cordial, with both sets of parents stating their own perspectives over coffee and dessert. But once the booze starts to flow and the guards come down, things begin to turn combative. As the evening wears on, both sets of parents are slinging venomous insults and engaging in underhanded behavior that makes their kids’ tooth-chipping tussle look like child’s play. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Rated: PG.
Jobless slacker Fred (James Marsden) discovers that hares make horrible houseguests after injuring the Easter Bunny (Russell Brand) and agreeing to nurse the little hopper back to health in this animated comedy from the writers of Despicable Me, and director Tim Hill (Rocko’s Modern Life, SpongeBob SquarePants). For the past 4,000 years, the Easter Bunny has brought joy and candy to kids all across the globe; however, the time has come for a new Easter Bunny to take over the tradition. But while EB is the next in line to receive the official title, he couldn’t care less about becoming the official bearer of chocolate eggs and jellybeans. Escaping to Hollywood in a bid to find fame and fortune, EB hops in front of an oncoming car driven by Fred, who agrees to give him a place to recover until he’s healthy enough to hop along home. Now, the harder Fred struggles to stop his furry new companion from sending his life into a tailspin, the more satisfaction he begins to get out of his newfound responsibility. With a little luck and a whole lot of patience, Fred just might become the man who saved Easter for everyone. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Rated: PG.
The eagerly anticipated sequel to the Oscar-winning hit Happy Feet Two finds tap-dancing penguin Mumble (voice of Elijah Wood) and his pals using their smooth moves to save the penguin nation. Mumble and Gloria (voice of Pink) have started a family of their own, and their young son, Erik, is just finding his footing among his fellow emperor penguins when a dire new threat thrusts their future into jeopardy. Just when it begins to look as if all hope is lost, the penguin nation bands together to dance the darkness away. Writer/director George Miller and star Robin Williams both return in this sequel also featuring the voices of Hank Azaria, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, and Sofía Vergara. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Rated: PG.
Director Steven Spielberg kicks off the big-screen Tintin trilogy with this computer-animated, motion-capture adaptation of Herge’s beloved Tintin comic strip. Produced by Spielberg, Peter Jackson, and Kathleen Kennedy, the first installment in the series finds adventure-seeking Belgian reporter Tintin (voiced by Jamie Bell) and surly Captain Haddock (voiced by Andy Serkis) racing to recover a treasure that was lost at sea four centuries ago. Meanwhile, the malevolent Red Rackham (voiced by Daniel Craig) is determined to beat them to it. Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and Toby Jones provide additional voices for a film written by Edgar Wright, Joe Cornish, and Steven Moffat. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi