Movie Guide

New in Theaters

Director: Jafar Panahi. With Sima Mobarak-Shahi, Ayda Sadeqi. (93 min.)

Winner of the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at the 2006 Berlin Film Festival, Jafar Panahi's "Offside" is a small-scale movie that actually says quite a lot. In Iran, women are not allowed into the soccer stadiums to watch the matches. Despite the law, girls disguised as boys often attempt to infiltrate the matches. "Offside" is about the travails of a group of girls who are caught and taken to a holding area on the upper tier of the stadium by young soldiers who, in many ways, are as naive as they are. The interaction between soldiers and captives becomes a microcosm for an entire culture. It's a wisp of a movie but it has stayed with me longer than much supposedly weightier fare. Grade: A–
– Peter Rainer

Director: Mike Binder. With Adam Sandler, Don Cheadle, Liv Tyler. (124 min.)

Alan Johnson (Don Cheadle), a highly successful dentist, lost touch with his old dental school roommate Charlie Fineman (Adam Sandler) after Charlie's wife and children perished on 9/11. Alan learns that Charlie has given up his practice and become a recluse. As he tries to help Charlie, Alan finds his efforts are hurting his own family life and practice, but eventually everyone begins to see a light at the end of the tunnel. This sometimes touching drama has its funny moments, but it's a rare opportunity to see Sandler in a serious role. Grade: B
–M.K. Terrell

Director: Antoine Fuqua. With Mark Wahlberg, Danny Glover. (124 min.)

A nameless government agency enlists reclusive ex-Marine Gunnery Sergeant Bob Lee Swagger (Mark Wahlberg) to help flush out a would-be presidential assassin by plotting how he'd do the job himself. When the killing goes off as planned, Swagger realizes he's been set up to take the blame. Fighting for his life, he goes on a campaign to clear his name and take out those who framed him. He doesn't want revenge so much as justice. Such nefarious goings-on strain credibility even in this day and age, so it's best to hold your disbelief in abeyance and just go along for the thrill ride. Grade: B–
– M.K.T

Sex/Nudity: None. Violence: 23 scenes of strong violence and torture. Language: 29 strong profanities. Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco: 3 scenes with cigarettes, 4 with alcohol.

Director: Kevin Munroe. With the voices of Casey Jones, Patrick Stewart, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ziyi Zhang. (90 min.)

Every 3,000 years, stars in a distant constellation line up to send a beam earthward, where it turns warriors to stone and releases vicious monsters. To save humankind, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles must fight the warriors and send the monsters back where they came from. Fortunately, the Turtles' sensei is on hand to impart the spiritual values they'll need to succeed. The unexpectedly rich art direction gives the violence more impact than was ever possible in the TV series. Grade: C+
–M.K.T.