The Kids Are All Right - A-

Rated R for strong sexual content, nudity, language and some teen drug and alcohol use, 106 minutes

"The Kids Are Right": intelligent, satisfying dramedy

"The Kids Are All Right" is a superbly acted, warm dramedy about a contemporary family facing some unique challenges. It also features two of today's best actresses in superb turns as a lesbian couple in Southern California whose children meet up with their biological father. "The Kids Are All Right" is one of the year's best films and will likely end up with many accolades for its acting, writing and directing.

The story centers on a lesbian couple, entrepreneur Jules (Julianne Moore) and Nic (Annette Bening), a doctor, who each gave birth to a child using the same anonymous sperm donor. When the older child, Joni ("Alice in Wonderland's" Mia Wasikowska), turns eighteen, her brother Laser (Josh Hutcherson of "Bridge to Terabithia"), asks her to contact the sperm bank in order to meet their biological father, Paul (Mark Ruffalo). They begin an unconventional relationship with him as they spend more time with him; the mom's, especially Nic, are reluctant at first but eventually warm to the idea. As Paul is welcomed into the family, they face some unexpected challenges along the way that could threathen their modern family unit.

"The Kids Are All Right" is a glowing, poignant and amusing portrait of an unconventional family facing some of the same age-old challenges we all face. The low-budget independently made dramedy benefits from a believable script and direction from Lisa Cholodenko ("Laurel Canyon") and an excellent cast who generates some electric chemistry. As the caring moms, both Moore and especially Bening give Oscar-worthy, believable and touching performances; Bening is the uptight overprotective one, and Moore is the relaxed hippie-chick who doesn't let things bother her as much.

Wasikowska gives a strong performance as the daughter about to go off to college, and the always likable Ruffalo is used to good effect as a handsome, sensitive restauranteur who becomes involved in the family. Hutcherson, in his first serious, sizable turn, is also good in an underdeveloped role. He should continue to develop into a decent actor in strong films such as this.

Moore is luminous, Bening is simply wonderful and their on-screen chemistry together make them a great pairing. Both are smart actresses and it's a crime that these ladies have been nominated, but never won an Oscar. Bening is the stronger actress, but they play off each other beautifully, and both have the ability to use their faces and little dialogue to subtly communicate emotions and ideas.

Some of "The Kids Are All Right" seems a little too new-agey let's hug-it-out and cry at times but the poignancy is wholly plausible and all the actors make it a worthwhile, satisfying venture. Some angles are a little too predictable, especially in Moore and Ruffalo's relationship, but it's a minor flaw. "The Kids Are All Right" is enjoyable, amusing and superbly acted and written, and well worth a look.

Dinner for Schmucks - C+

Rated PG-13 for sequences of crude and sexual content, some partial nudity and language, 114 minutes

Mildly amusing but pointless "Dinner for Schmucks"

I will say upfront that I enjoy a good, smart comedy, but you won't find that in "Dinner for Schmucks," an pointless reflex movie that's strung together by a series of contrived, easy laughs. Sure, there are a handful of genuinely funny moments, but when you get down to it, there's not much there and it loses it's way early on. A game cast, including an effusive Steve Carrell and the cranky Paul Rudd try to keep the forgettable "Dinner for Schmucks" moving past the main course.

Rudd is a rising executive Tim in a financial company that doesn't seem solid. To get where's he's going in the company, he must attend a "dinner for idiots" and bring with him a buffoon that he and some of the top executives will make fun of. Reluctant at first but sensing his ambition, he quite literally runs across Barry (Carrell), a nitwit IRS employee with marital problems, a penchant for artistically using dead mice, has an even more of a pinhead boss (Zach Galifianakis) and who is as Tim calls it, "a tornado of destruction" upon his personal and professional life. Barry may have a shot a being awarded the king of the buffoons for the evening but ends up teaching Tim more important lessons about life.

"Dinner for Schmucks" is a mildly enjoyable but slack comedy that could've been far better considering the talent. As we've seen before in films like "The 40-Year Old Virgin" and "Anchorman," Rudd and Carrell make for a genuinely game, silly team, and without them it'd be far worse. Both have done better before, especially Carrell, but "Dinner for Schmucks" (interestingly, the term 'schmuck' is never used in the film) isn't all their fault.

Jay Roach, director of "Meet the Parents" and "Meet the Fockers," can't get a good grasp on the mean-spirited, largely aimless script that's actually based on a 1998 French film "The Dinner Game," which itself an adaptation of a French play. It's really more a set-up to show the highjinks that ensue when Rudd and Carrell get together, and while some bits are funny, others fall flat - in particular - a run-in with one of Tim's former flames. Worst of all, the climactic dinner scene is a bit of a letdown, save a funny and too-brief mind-bending showdown between Carrell and "The Hangover's" Galifianakis.

Interestingly, the most fascinating part about "Dinner for Schmucks" is the detailed, colorful and artistic displays of stuffed mice that Barry puts together, with miniature re-creations of everything from The Last Supper to Van Gogh to the Wright Brothers. Galifianakis also steals a couple of hilarious scenes as Barry's off-kilter boss, who believes he has the power of mind control.

"Dinner for Schmucks" could've been a four-star meal to savor considering the talent involved, but you'll only get a handful of delectably funny nuggets.

Charlie St. Cloud - C-

Rated PG-13 for language including some sexual references, an intense accident scene and some sensuality, 99 minutes

Handsome Efron can't infuse life in the flat "Charlie St. Cloud"

Zac Efron can see dead people. If you've seen the trailers for his new film "Charlie St. Cloud" you might quickly come to that conclusion, though it's not a horror film and in no way a sequel to "The Sixth Sense." Efron's confusing new film is part coming-of-age-drama, part romance, part letting go and wholly uninteresting. "Charlie St. Cloud," in spite of Efron's wholesome appeal, lacks the depth and strong emotional core to resonate with audiences.

Charlie St. Cloud (Efron) is a young man graduating high school with a bright future. He's a star scholar, athlete and caring older brother to Sam (Charlie Tahan), but his life comes apart when he and Sam are in an automobile accident, Sam is killed and Charlie himself is brought back to life. He is overcome by grief at the death of Sam, so much so that he puts his college plans on hold and takes a job as caretaker of the cemetery in which his brother is buried. Charlie has the ability to see Sam and meets up with him every night to play catch and talk, keeping his promise to Sam before the accident. Then Tess (Amanda Crew) comes into Charlie's life and he’s forced to choose between keeping his promise to Sam, or going after the girl he loves.

The vacuous, uneven "Charlie St. Cloud," based on Ben Sherwood's 2004 best seller "The Life and Death of Charlie St. Cloud," is only memorable for the fact that it'll further establish the likable, becoming Efron as one of Hollywood's hottest young stars. "Charlie St. Cloud" isn’t a terrible film, but it needs two things: a better script to translate some of Sherwood's more complex ideas of life and death, and a stronger actor than Efron to communicate those ideas. There’s no denying that Efron is a handsome, magnetic force, whose performance here consists of poses, grins, a few well-placed tears (Ben Affleck, anyone?) and of course the obligatory shirtless scene, but an actor of emotional depth he’s not.

"Charlie" starts out well as its intriguing premise unfolds, but it stumbles midway through; its muddled romance subplot not only rings false but it never makes much sense, either. For what it's worth, Crew is a lovely Canadian actress with Jennifer Love Hewitt overtones, but her role is underdeveloped and significantly changed from the novel. The film works slightly better when it focuses on the brothers’ relationship and the playful chemistry between Efron and Tahan, though it’s secondary to the romance.

Blink and you'll miss some decent, considerably underused actors in Oscar-winner Kim Basinger (a scant, minutes-only role), Ray Liotta, playing a softie this time in just a couple of scenes, and James Franco's younger brother Dave, as one of Charlie's high school buddies, whose wide smile makes a brief but lasting impression. "Charlie St. Cloud's" best asset is the beautiful Canadian scenery that stands in for Massachusetts, where the film is set.

"Charlie St. Cloud" isn't successful in establishing a strong emotional connection, with a predictable, unsatisfying conclusion (seriously, if you were a twenty-something male, what would you choose, the gorgeous girl or playing ball with your dead brother?) that raises more questions than it answers. All of it feels a little watered down, but the camera does love Efron, and as bland, eye candy entertainment goes "Charlie St. Cloud" succeeds grandly. On any other level, don't expect much.

Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore - D

Rated PG for animal action and humor, 82 minutes

Campy, dull "Cats and Dogs" sequel lacks bite

"Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore" is a campy but sloppy kids movie with an all-star cast of voices. In spite of a few silly moments that only kids will find funny, this forgettable, predictable sequel to the 2001 hit film "Cats and Dogs" poops out early. The whole talking animal idea is an expensive one that has languished since "Babe" in the 1990s and usually only provides a lame excuse for movies like this to exist.

Kitty Galore (Bette Midler), a hairless Sphynx cat, is fed up with dogs and her fellow cat comrades, so she decides to take over the world and enslave the humans. Diggs (James Marsden), a German Shepherd police dog, and his mentor, Butch (Nick Nolte), are selected by the Dogs HQ spy force to stop her. Having no other option to stop Kitty Galore, the cats, led by secret agent Catherine (Christina Applegate) join forces with the dogs with additional support from a pigeon named Seamus (Kat Williams) to block Galore's evil scheme. In an unprecedented move, the cats and dogs work together bring down Galore before she takes over the world.

An over-the-top Midler as Kitty Galore and comedian Williams, as a pigeon spouting one-liners faster than he can fly, is the best reason to see the mildly enjoyable but callous "Cats and Dogs," which has little to with the first film. Butch and Lou, the main characters in that first film, are secondary in this one and are voiced by different actors, Nolte and Neil Patrick Harris, replacing Tobey Maguire and Alec Baldwin, respectively.

Mr. Tinkles, still voiced by "Will & Grace's" Sean Hayes, makes a cameo here in a couple of scenes and is the film's few genuinely funny moments, a direct homage to Hannibal Lecter in "Silence of the Lambs." It also doesn't help that the first "Cats and Dogs" was 9 years ago, which in movie years (much like dog years) is an eternity, since the target audience will have no knowledge of the first film not to mention this film doesn't measure up in terms of originality or quality.

Throw a bunch of money at the screen ($150 million) and an all-star cast of voices, and you'd think "Cats and Dogs" would be better, but more money has been spent making those animals talk than writing a coherent script or clever direction. Marsden and Applegate, the central characters here, are as bland in voice as they are in person and are easily upstaged by Williams and Midler at every turn. Listen closely, and you'll also hear Michael Clarke Duncan, Roger Moore, Wallace Shawn and Joe Pantoliano. Chris O'Donnell, Fred Armisen and Jack MacBrayer are the few humans with any lines in the film, but they're all just a passing presence in this film full of animals.

Young ones will likely enjoy the canine and feline silliness (a couple of memorable ones: a cat in tank-crate-like contraption and the high on cat nip kitties) and "Cats and Dogs" is really for them. The best thing about the movie: it provides a brand new Looney Toons short featuring Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner, which provides more laughs in two very brief minutes than all 82 minutes of "Cats and Dogs."

Sloppy direction, bad editing and bland voice work in "Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore" all add up to a forgettable sequel that'll likely cough up a hair ball at the box-office.

Ramona and Beezus - B

Rated G, 104 minutes

Relaxed, sweet fun with "Ramona and Beezus"

If you have young children, in particular young girls age 6 to 12, they should enjoy the infectious, clean fun from precocious Ramona Quimby in the new children's movie "Ramona and Beezus." Based on the characters created by noted author Beverly Cleary in her classic series of children's books, the movie is uneven and has too many things to keep track of, but the movie has just enough clean, light-hearted fun and pleasant appeal to keep the family engaged.

"Ramona and Beezus" centers on the Quimby family, with young, precocious Ramona (Joey King) and big sis Beatrice or Beezus for short (played by teen star and Texan Selena Gomez) at the heart of the story. Imaginative, mischevious but never mean, Ramona has a good heart even when it gets her in trouble. Her family finds themselves at a crossroads when Ramona's father (John Corbitt) loses his job and her Mom (Bridget Moynahan) has to go back to work. They find themselves downsizing, forcing Ramona to get creative in helping save the family home.

Ramona is essentially a female version of Dennis the Menace with less menace and more creativity and heart. Though teen sensation and singer Gomez is the big draw here, not to mention a cast of familiar faces, including Corbitt and Moynahan, as well as Sandra Oh ("Grey's Anatomy") as her beleagured teacher and Ginnifer Goodwin ("Big Love") and Josh Duhamel ("Transformers") as Ramona's aunt and her aunt's long-lost flame, the real heart of the story is Ramona, played with infectious appeal by newcomer King, who's downright cute as the young girl who has her heart in the right place.

The filmmakers know Gomez is the drawing card and while she is certainly pretty, her role is clearly secondary and supporting to Ramona's, and the film could've easily been called "Ramona" and it would've worked just as well. It introduces way too many characters to keep track of and does very little with them (Henry Huggins, who was Cleary's first protagonist before switching to Ramona, is seen in a small role as her best pal).

The film's script is also slight: it's essentially a series of episodes of Ramona strung together trying to save the family film and getting into all sorts of trouble, and while some work well, others do not (in particular an extended episode involving paint and an old jeep). Another humorous bit has Ramona using a bad word, for which she eventually decides to use "guts." The climax and ending are as predictable as they come, but Ramona and company have some good, clean fun along the way, and in an era of smart-alecky kids saying and doing worse things than adults, "Ramona and Beezus" comes as a pleasant surprise.

Salt - B

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, 100 minutes

"Salt:" Fun, over-the-top Jolie spy chick action movie

Add a little spice to your summer by seeing the enjoyable, straightforward new spy flick "Salt," starring Angelina Jolie. Implausible, over-the-top and utterly preposterous, Jolie still makes it watchable along with some terrific, fast-paced action set-pieces that give the movie some heft. Move over Bond, Jolie is a tough, sexy spy chick and "Salt" has just as much, if not more, flavor than the last two 007 flicks, not to mention many recent action flicks.

As a CIA officer, Evelyn Salt (Jolie) swore an oath to duty, honor and country. Her loyalty will be put to the ultimate test when a Russian defector accuses her of being a Russian spy. Salt is then forced to go on the run, using all her skills and years of experience as a covert operative to elude capture. Trailing her is her boss Ted Winter (Liev Schreiber), who believes in Salt's innocence, and her brash colleague Peabody (Chitewel Ejiofor) who believes the opposite. Salt's efforts to prove her innocence only serve to cast doubt on her motives, as the hunt to uncover the truth behind her identity continues and the question remains: "Who is Salt?"

Who or what is "Salt?" It's a vastly entertaining cat-and-mouse, explosive speed chase of a movie, heightened by Jolie's voluptuous, durable spy girl, who may or may be who she says she is. Jolie has more than proven her action-adventure skills with "Tomb Raider" and "Wanted," and whatever your personal feelings for her, she centers the movie quite well. Director Phillip Noyce, who tread similar ground with "The Quiet American" and "Clear and Present Danger," keeps the action flowing at a nice, quick pace, with a couple of breathless shootouts (one in a church) and a couple of fun car chase scenes (and if they look realistic, it's because Jolie supposedly did most of her own stunts).

"Salt's" isn't perfect on every level, though; the uneven and often absurd script from Kurt Wimmer and Oscar-winner Brian Helgeland ("L.A. Confidential") hardly lacks subtly or implausibility. "Salt" is as simplistic, maybe overly so, in contrast to the complexities of the recent "Inception." Characters aren't fully developed and the action always happens in a big, colorful way; even the twists and turns are excessively flashy. But there's no denying that "Salt" is also big fun, accomplishing exactly what it set out to do: entertain. And while Jolie is certainly in full control, there are a couple of decent supporting performances from Ejiofor as her suspicious colleague and Schreiber as the boss who has his own secrets.

The hokey-ish ending certainly leaves it open for more "Salt" assignments (interestingly enough this was originally intended for a male lead - Tom Cruise - who may be kicking himself after his recent spy movie "Knight and Day" disappointed) and if they're as highly charged and entertaining as this, that would be a welcome thing. "Salt" isn't perfect, but overall it's a satisfying spy flick peppered with some superb action set-pieces and one tough spy chick.

Cyrus - B

Rated R for language and some sexual material, 91 minutes

Quirky indie rom com "Cyrus" has a good heart, cast

Quirky independent films are a dime a dozen these days, and the mildly unusual new indie rom com "Cyrus" is no different. It pulls no surprises and seems too low-key, but it has a great cast and a sensitivity that could draw some in. And anything that has one of my favorite actresses Catherine Keener, even in a small role, is something I can watch.

John (John C. Reilly) is seven years divorced from his wife (Keener) and is having trouble adjusting to his new life. After meeting Molly (Marisa Tomei) at a party, he thinks that maybe he has found the perfect person again. There's just one problem: Cyrus (Jonah Hill), Molly's grown son. John must find a way to make his romance with Molly work despite intentional and unintentional interference by Cyrus, but only one of them will be left standing.

"Cyrus" is an unconventional rom com with a handful of funny moments made better by a remarkably A-list cast for such a placid affair. Reilly in particular is the standout here, in a comedic role that's better suited to his talents than the stupid Will Ferrell films that misuse his talents. His frustrated schlump is the heart of the film, and you become endeared to him quickly. Tomei is lovely as is Keener, though they could've easily switched roles and it would've worked just as well.

As the title role, and the film's trickiest role, Hill is good and slowly becoming a decent young actor in the process, though it would've been far more entertaining to have him and Reilly in more of a showdown mode, and the script treats him well considering that it's largely an unsympathetic, slightly creepy role. "Cyrus" is directed and written by brothers Mark and Jay Duplass (of the horror film "Baghead"), who are venturing into the rom com genre with this film.

"Cyrus" is a little too low-key at times and it tends to meander, but the cast makes it work and there are a few good scenes of a frustrated Reilly nearly losing it. It's worth a look for the Reilly performance.