New at theaters

'The Golden Compass'

Starring Nicole Kidman, Dakota Blue Richards, Daniel Craig, Sam Elliott and Eva Green. Lyra Belacqua is an orphan who lives happily in Jordan College, Oxford, playing with local boys and terrorizing the professors. However, when Lyra overhears scholars discussing a plot against her uncle, Lord Asriel, centering a mysterious substance called Dust, her curiosity is roused. Soon Lyra is in over her head as she uncovers a frightening plot and a whole new world of possibilities. Rated PG-13 for sequences of fantasy violence, running time 114 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

Still showing

3:10 to Yuma

Starring Russell Crowe, Christian Bale, Peter Fonda, Gretchen Mol and Ben Foster. Outlaw Ben Wade terrorizes 1800s Arizona, especially the Southern Railroad, until he is finally captured. Wade must be brought to trial, so Dan Evans, the owner of a drought-stricken ranch, volunteers to escort him to the train. Along the trail, a grudging respect forms between the men, but danger looms at every turn, and the criminal's men are in pursuit. Rated R for violence and some language, running time 117 minutes. (Town Plaza Cinema)

'American Gangster'

Starring Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Josh Brolin. Frank Lucas earns his living as a chauffeur to one of Harlems leading mobsters. After his boss dies, Frank uses his own ingenuity and strict business code to rise up as one of the inner city's most powerful crime bosses. Meanwhile, veteran cop Richie Roberts senses a change in organized crime's power structure and looks for ways to bring his opponent to justice. Rated R for violence, pervasive drug content and language, nudity and sexuality, running time 157 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'August Rush'

Starring Freddie Highmore, Keri Russell, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Terrence Howard and Robin Williams. Twelve years ago, Lyla Novacek, a young cellist, and Louis Connelly, an Irish singer-songwriter, were drawn together. Months later Lyla was led to believe she had lost their unborn child in a car accident. Their orphaned son uses his musical talent as a clue to find his birth parents. Rated PG some thematic elements, mild violence and language, running time 114 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'Awake'

Starring Hayden Christensen, Jessica Alba, Terrence Howard and Lena Olin. While undergoing surgery, a young man suffers "anesthetic awareness." He becomes fully alert -- but paralyzed -- and therefore cannot warn his doctors about his condition. Meanwhile, his wife wrestles with demons of her own while her husband suffers through his ordeal. Rated R for language, an intense disturbing situation and brief drug use, running time 78 minutes. (Town Plaza Cinema)

'Bee Movie'

Starring the voices of Jerry Seinfeld, Renee Zellweger, Matthew Broderick and John Goodman. Barry B. Benson is a graduate bee fresh out of college who is disillusioned at his lone career choice: making honey. On a rare trip outside the hive, Barry's life is saved by Vanessa, a florist in New York City. As their relationship blossoms, he discovers humans are mass consumers of honey and decides to sue the human race for stealing bees' honey. Rated PG for mild suggestive humor, running time 90 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'Beowulf'

Starring the voices of Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, John Malkovich, Robin Wright, Brendan Gleeson, Crispin Glover and Angelina Jolie. The Old English epic poem chronicles the exploits of Beowulf, a hero who saves the Danes from the monster Grendel and later Grendel's mother. Rated PG for intense sequences of violence including disturbing images, some sexual material and nudity, running time 113 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'Dan in Real Life'

Starring Steve Carell, Juliette Binoche and Dane Cook. Dan Ashburn is a devoted single father and renowned advice columnist. When his entire extended family gets together for a reunion in a beachfront house, he unexpectedly meets Beth, the woman of his dreams. She just happens to be his brother Lowell's girlfriend. Rated PG-13 for some innuendo, running time 94 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'Enchanted'

Starring Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden, Susan Sarandon and Timothy Spall. A classic Disney fairytale collides with modern-day New York City in a story about a fairy-tale princess from the past who is thrust into the present by an evil queen. Rated PG for some scary images and mild innuendo. (Cape West Cine)

'Fred Claus'

Starring Vince Vaughn, Paul Giamatti, John Michael Higgins, Miranda Richardson and Rachel Weisz. Fred Claus has lived almost his entire life in his little brothers large shadow. He could never live up to the example set by the younger Nicholas, who was just a perfect Saint. Fred's dirty dealings have landed him in jail. Over Mrs. Clauss objections, Nicholas agrees to bail his big brother out on one condition: that he come to the North Pole and work off his debt making toys. The trouble is that Fred isn't exactly elf material and, with Christmas fast approaching, this one bad seed could jeopardize the jolliest holiday of the year. Has Fred finally pushed his little brother to the brink? This time, what Fred may have stolen is Christmas itself, and it is going to take more than Rudolph to set things right. Rated PG for mild language and some rude humor, running time 116 minutes. (Town Plaza Cinema)

'The Game Plan'

Starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Kyra Sedgwick, Morris Chestnut, Roselyn Sanchez and Madison Pettis. Quarterback Joe Kingman is known as one of the toughest players to ever take the field. But his dream is suddenly sacked for a loss when he discovers Peyton, the daughter he never knew existed, on his doorstep. Now, just as his career is soaring, Joe must learn to juggle his old lifestyle of parties, practices and dates with supermodels while tackling the new challenges of ballet, bedtime stories and baby dolls -- all without fumbling. Rated PG for some mild thematic elements, running time 110 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'Hitman'

Starring Timothy Olyphant, Dougray Scott, Olga Kurylenko, Robert Knepper, Ulrich Thomsen and Henry Ian Cusick. Agent 47 has been educated to become a professional assassin for hire. The hunter becomes the hunted when 47 gets caught up in a political takeover. Rated R for strong bloody violence, language and some sexuality/nudity, running time 100 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'The Mist'

Starring Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Laurie Holden, Andre Braugher and Toby Jones. Following a violent thunderstorm, artist David Drayton and a small town come under vicious attack from creatures prowling in a thick and unnatural mist. Rated R for violence, terror and gore and language, running time 127 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'Mr. Magorium's

Wonder Emporium'

Starring Dustin Hoffman, Natalie Portman and Jason Bateman. Molly Mahoney is the awkward and insecure manager of Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, the strangest, most fantastic toy store in the world. Rated G, running time 93 minutes. (Town Plaza Cinema)

'No Country for Old Men'

Starring Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Woody Harrelson and Kelly MacDonald. Llewelyn Moss finds a pickup truck surrounded by dead men. A load of heroin and $2 million in cash are still in the truck. When Moss takes the money, he sets off a chain reaction of catastrophic violence that not even the law -- namely aging, disillusioned Sheriff Bell -- can contain. Rated R for strong graphic violence and some language, running time 122 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'This Christmas'

Starring Delroy Lindo, Loretta Devine, Regina King, Idris Elba, Mekhi Phifer and Columbus Short. This year, Christmas with the Whitfield's promises to be one they will never forget. All the siblings have come home for the first time in years and they've brought plenty of baggage with them. As the Christmas tree is trimmed and the lights are hung, secrets are revealed and family bonds are tested. As their lives converge, they join together and help each other discover the true meaning of family. Rated PG-13 for comic sexual content and some violence, running time 117 minutes. (Town Plaza Cinema)

-- From staff reports