LEAVES OF GRASS - B-

Edward Norton, Keri Russell, Tim Blake Nelson
Edward Norton is reliably terrific here as twin brothers – one hillbilly, one academic – and writer-director Tim Blake Nelson does a commendable job of meshing comedy with philosophical musings on the true meaning of happiness. Too bad the final act feels so undeveloped.

MOVIE MATH: The Parent Trap x (Burn After Reading + Pineapple Express)

KILLERS - D+

Ashton Kutcher, Katherine Heigl, Tom Selleck
This comedy desperately wants to be another Mr. & Mrs. Smith, but it is so cluelessly plotted and written that it really just serves as an insult to one’s intelligence. Heigl’s character shows no consistency from scene to scene and the awful final act basically shrugs off everything from before.

MOVIE MATH: Mr. & Mrs. Smith / Duplicity

GET HIM TO THE GREEK - B

Russell Brand, Jonah Hill, Sean Combs
As hilarious as Russell Brand was in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, I was hesitant to see a spin-off based on his obnoxious rock-star character Aldous Snow. But this lively and fast-paced comedy does a decent job of humanizing Snow while keeping the laughs arriving a good clip.

MOVIE MATH: The Hangover x (Forgetting Sarah Marshall + Superbad)

RUNAWAYS, THE - C+

Dakota Fanning, Kristen Stewart, Michael Shannon
This biopic gets its energy right at the beginning, only to lose its way around the mid-way mark and ultimately fall apart in a diluted final act. The film wants to show that there was more to the girls than just jailbait sexuality, but it all too often approaches them in just this fashion.

MOVIE MATH: Josie & the Pussycats x (BackBeat + Walk the Line)

BABIES - B-

Documentary
It is nice to see that director Thomas Balmes doesn’t just stick to cutesy images of babies with this nature-documentary approach to little human beings. But his film still lacks too much contrast, thematic flow and context to really engage the mind or heart. It’s sweet but forgettable.

MOVIE MATH: (Baby's Day Out + Babel) x (March of the Penguins - Happy Feet)

JUST WRIGHT - C+

Queen Latifah, Common, Paula Patton
It’s great when a mould-breaking actress like Queen Latifah gets a chance to shine in a big-screen romantic comedy, but the problem with Just Wright is that its story is so painfully formulaic that you can see every dribble and shot from the moment the players enter on the court.

MOVIE MATH: Beauty Shop x (Last Holiday - Eat Pray Love) + Love & Basketball