GOING THE DISTANCE - B-

Drew Barrymore, Justin Long, Christina Applegate
Barrymore and Long show a realistic and sweet chemistry in this mild romantic comedy, even if Long still seems like a sidekick who has been shoved into a central role. Too bad that the laughs are only sporadic here, most of them delivered by Applegate as Barrymore’s disapproving sister.

ALPHA AND OMEGA - C

Justin Long, Hayden Panettiere, Dennis Hopper
There’s little of distinction with this disposable animated adventure about two relocated wolves trying to make their way home. The CG animation is mediocre and the characters are forgettable, with too much of the story stolen from other – and significantly better - children’s films.

LITTLE FOCKERS - C-

Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson
There are more stars along for the ride this time (Jessica Alba, Laura Dern, Harvey Keitel), but the focus for this woefully predictable sequel remains the tired relationship between De Niro and Stiller. We’ve seen it all before, which means everyone here just goes through the motions.

TOURIST, THE - C

Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie, Paul Bettany
They may be two of the biggest movie stars in the world, but Depp and Jolie are poorly matched in this Venice-set caper, showing about as much chemistry as a pair of erasers. Jolie poses more than performs and Depp seems completely out of his element. It's all nice to look at though.

FAIR GAME - B

Naomi Watts, Sean Penn, Noah Emmerich
You don’t necessarily need to know the background on former CIA agent Valerie Plame to appreciate Fair Game, but it certainly helps. This is a thoughtful and measured account of Plame’s story, smartly directed by Doug Liman, but with a bit too little focus on Plame’s homelife.

STONE - C

Robert De Niro, Edward Norton, Milla Jovovich
Considering the one-two punch of De Niro and Norton, one expects fireworks in this drama about a parole officer and an inmate. But the explosions never come thanks to a tepid screenplay and disappointing performances. A dull De Niro seems lost in a cloud the whole time.

YOGI BEAR - C

Dan Akyroyd, Justin Timberlake, Tom Cavanagh
If you’ve enjoyed Scooby-Doo, Alvin and the Chipmunks and other recent CG updates of classic cartoons, you’ll likely enjoy this tame and generally harmless update. Really, though, this no more than a standard kiddie affair with surprisingly poor animated effects.

SKYLINE - C-

Eric Balfour, Donald Faison, Brittany Daniel
Considering its rumored $10 million budget, the effects in this sci-fi spectacle are surprisingly decent. A lot less successful is the film’s aimless and generally dull story, which follows a group of friends after an alien invasion and really seems to have no clue where it is going.

127 HOURS - B+

James Franco, Kate Mara, Amber Tamblyn
Yes, this is the true life story of mountain climber Aron Ralston, who cut off his own arm in order to survive. But as vibrantly directed by Danny Boyle and passionately acted by James Franco, it is so much more than that one scene – it is a portrait of a man stripped raw by circumstance.

KNIGHT AND DAY - B-

Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Peter Sarsgaard
Tom Cruise’s real-life activities may have overshadowed his work over the last few years, but he’s at his grinning, happy-go-lucky best in this lively if overlong action comedy. Cameron Diaz is a great comic partner, even if her character takes a couple of eye-rolling turns in the last act.

CONVICTION - B

Hilary Swank, Sam Rockwell, Minnie Driver
Based on a true story about a woman who went to law school just to overturn her brother’s murder conviction, this is the kind of story that Hollywood loves to slap into a conventional framework. But the film commendably handles everything with restraint instead of histrionics.

TAMARA DREWE - C

Gemma Arterton, Roger Allam, Dominic Cooper
Stephen Frears has been able to make compelling films about subjects such as Queen Elizabeth II (The Queen) and record store employees (High Fidelity), so it is surprising to see just how low-energy this British comedy is. The screenplay is unfocused and the characters are all ciphers.

ROMANTICS, THE - C-

Katie Holmes, Anna Paquin, Josh Duhamel
The Romantics’ obvious inspiration is The Big Chill, but there is no chance anyone will be referencing this tiresome and self-conscious drama decades from now. Paquin is an unlikeable pill, Holmes lacks passion and Duhamel – supposedly torn between the two – is overly distracted.