Ratings based on a four-star system
“THE A-TEAM”
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“Overkill is underrated” Liam Neeson’s Hannibal harrumphs in this long, loud adaptation of the ‘80s TV action series. Turns out, he’s wrong. With Bradley Cooper as Face, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson as B.A., Sharlto Copley as Murdock, and Jessica Biel as the Army officer gazing awestruck and dumbfounded over the clandestine group’s brazen recklessness. 1 hr. 57 PG-13 (violence, action, profanity, adult themes) — Steven Rea

“CLASH OF THE TITANS”
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A cheesy remake of the even cheesier 1981 ancient Greece adventure, about Perseus’ epic quest to end Hades’ reign of terror and broker a peace deal between gods and man. “Avatar’s” Sam Worthington does Perseus with an Aussie accent, and bearded and be-wigged Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes spar as Zeus and Hades, respectively. 1 hr. 46 PG-13 (swords, sorcery, giant snakes and bare shouldered Eurobabes) — Steven Rea.

“DESPICABLE ME”
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Affable, inconsequential animated feature about an arch archvillain (voice of Steve Carell) whose hard heart is softened by a trio of orphans who interfere with his nefarious plan to steal the moon. With voicework by Jason Segel and Julie Andrews. 1 hr. 35 PG (cartoon violence) — Carrie Rickey

“THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE”
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Not as accomplished a piece of filmmaking as the first adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium books, but still featuring the formidable Noomi Rapace as the brooding, multi-pierced, computer-hacking waif, Lisbeth Salander. Probably not as easy to track for folks unfamiliar with the book. 2 hrs. 09 R (violence, sex, nudity, adult themes) — Steven Rea

“GROWN UPS”
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A reunion comedy in both concept (school buddies come together 30 years later) and cast (“Saturday Night Live” confreres Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider and David Spade), full of humiliation jokes — physical, emotional, sexual, and hairpiece-ial. Kevin James, Maria Bello and Salma Hayek also star. Dignity is not a priority. 1 hr. 42 PG-13 (crude humor, profanity, adult themes) — Steven Rea

“IRON MAN 2”
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Shaggily enjoyable and enjoyably shaggy followup to the 2008 blockbuster based on the Marvel comics superhero and starring the delightful, delirious Robert Downey, Jr. as the self-made superhero who encounters five — count ‘em! five — new nemeses. With Gwyneth Paltrow, Scarlett Johansson, Don Cheadle and Mickey Rourke. 2 hrs. 04 PG-13 (language, sci-fi violence, sexual innuendo, Scarlett Johansson in a catsuit) — Carrie Rickey

“THE KARATE KID”
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An appealing reboot of the 1984 original about the new kid who faces down bullies with the help of a martial-arts master. Set in Beijing, in this one the martial art is kung fu, the master is Jackie Chan and the kid is Will’s boy Jaden Smith. A winner in more ways than one. 2 hrs. 12 PG (martial arts action, bullying, mild profanity) — Carrie Rickey

“KNIGHT AND DAY”
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Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz are an accidental couple on the run from spies and thugs in this slick but jaunty action thriller-romantic comedy-Hollywood question mark. (Question: Are its toothsome stars still box office gold, or has their audience moved on?) Not going to change the world, but not bad. 1 hr. 50 PG-13 (action, violence, adult themes) — Steven Rea

“THE LAST AIRBENDER”
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 Blessed with enchanting visuals, blighted with clunky dialogue, M. Night Shyamalan’s adaptation of the popular Nichelodeon Television cartoon is stunning in both senses of the word. 1 hr. 43 PG (fantasy action violence) — Carrie Rickey

“MARMADUKE”
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Like its four-legged star, hero of the popular cartoon, it’s big, slobbery and shambling, qualities that no doubt will delight the discriminating six-year-old and leave her parents yawning. As the voice of Marmaduke, Owen Wilson, the tilted Texan, sounds like John Wayne on laughing gas. 1 hr. 28 PG (rude humor and mild language) — Carrie Rickey

“PREDATORS”
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A group of elite warriors is brought together on a distant planet to serve as prey for a new breed of alien predators. Adrien Brody stars. 1 hr. 46 R (extreme violence, gore, profanity, fluorescent green blood) — Tirdad Derakhshani

“PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME”
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Jake Gyllenhaal takes the title role of this numbing adaptation of the popular video game. Never mind the arch dialogue and dopey declarations about “destiny,” the movie doesn’t even deliver on the action. Rarely has such a big budget spectacle been shot and edited so counter-intuitively. PG-13 (violence, action, supernaturalness, adult themes) — Steven Rea

“SHREK FOREVER AFTER”
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The third sequel in the behemoth DreamWorks Animation franchise opts for an “alternate reality” scenario that undoes most of the scenarios of the previous films, and introduces a mad Rumpelstiltskin and a band of witches into the proceedings. Mediogre at best. 1 hr. 33 PG (scary dragon, intense action, fairy tale flippancy) — Steven Rea.

“SOLITARY MAN”
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Michael Douglas is at his best playing a character at his worst. Consider this unpitying look at a pitiful man, a disgraced businessman and incorrigible lech who seduces women and girls with daddy issues. Co-starring Danny De Vito, Susan Sarandon and Jenna Fischer. 1 hr. 30 R (profanity, drug use, sexual candor, irresponsibility) — Carrie Rickey

“SPLICE”
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“Frankenstein” for the genetic-engineering generation, this stylish experiment in bio-terror from Canadian filmmaker Vincenzo Natali co-stars Sarah Polley and Adrien Brody as biologists who mess with Mother Nature. 1 hr. 44 R (nudity, sexuality, horror violence, profanity) — Carrie Rickey

“TOY STORY 3”
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Pixar’s second sequel finds Buzz, Woody and gang shipped off to a day care center, and the toys have to figure out how to get back home. The CG animation is dazzling, but by the inherent nature of a sequel, the glow of originality has dissipated. 1 hr. 43 G (moments of intense action and creepiness) — Steven Rea

“THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE”
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Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner are back in the third installment of the supernatural sexual abstinence series, pitting hot-blooded werewolves against cold-blooded vampires with mopey-blooded Bella Swan in between. It’s a teen angst love triangle of epic proportions, but it’s also the least exciting, least fun of the “Twilights” thus far. 1 hr. 57 PG-13 (vampire-on-vampire violence, teen angst, teen lust, adult themes) — Steven Rea

“THE YELLOW HANDKERCHIEF”

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William Hurt, Kristen Stewart and the animated young Brit Eddie Redmayne take a road trip through Louisiana in this oddly moving drama — a throwback to the small, character-driven indies of yesteryear. With Maria Bello, from a short story by Pete Hamill. 1 hr. 42 PG-13 (violence, sex, profanity, adult themes) — Steven Rea