At the theaters 2/2/07

New at the theaters

'Because I Said So'

Starring Diane Keaton, Mandy Moore and Piper Perabo. A mother is desperate to find the right man for her daughter. Rated PG-13 Rated PG-13 for sexual content including dialogue, some mature thematic material and partial nudity, running time 102 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'The Messengers'

Starring Dylan McDermott, Penelope Ann Miller and John Corbett. A family hoping for a quiet, peaceful life on a sunflower farm have their idyllic existence ruined when a mysterious drifter shows up on their doorstep. Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material, disturbing violence and terror, running time 91 minutes. (Town Plaza Cinema)

STILL PLAYING

'Babel'

Starring Cate Blanchett, Brad Pitt and Gael Garcia Bernal. Two Moroccan boys set out to look after their family's herd of goats, but when one of them tests his stolen rifle, the bullet finds an unintended target. In an instant, the lives of four separate groups of strangers on three different continents collide. Caught up in an accident that escalates beyond anyone's control are a vacationing American couple, a rebellious deaf Japanese teenager and her father and a Mexican nanny who, without permission, takes two American children across the border. Rated R for violence, some graphic nudity, sexual content, language and some drug use, running time 142 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'Blood and Chocolate'

Starring Agnes Bruckner, Hugh Dancy and Olivier Martinez. This fantasy tale follows a werewolf whose pursuit of a lover becomes complicated when she has to fend off the unwanted attentions of a rival for her affections. Rated PG-13 for violence/terror, some sexuality and substance abuse, running time 98 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'Catch and Release'

Starring Timothy Olyphant, Jennifer Garner and Juliette Lewis. After a woman's husband dies, she discovers that she didn't actually know him all that well. Rated PG-13 for sexual content, language and some drug use, running time 112 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'Charlotte's Web'

Starring Dakota Fanning, Julia Roberts, Oprah Winfrey, Steve Buscemi, Kathy Bates and Thomas Haden Church. Fern can see that Wilbur is a special animal as she raises him, the runt of the litter, into a terrific pig. As Wilbur moves into a new barn, he begins a second friendship with the most unlikely of creatures, a spider named Charlotte, and their bond inspires the animals around them to come together as a family. When the word gets out that Wilbur's days are numbered, Charlotte begins writing messages in her web to save her friend's neck. Rated G, running time 98 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'Dreamgirls'

Starring Jamie Foxx, Beyonce Knowles, Eddie Murphy and Danny Glover. Based on the Tony-winning Broadway musical, this '60s-era story follows three young singers -- Effie, Deena and Lorrell -- as they try to cross over to the pop charts. They're discovered at a talent competition by an ambitious manager, who offers them the opportunity to become the backup singers for headliner James "Thunder" Early. Rated PG-13 for language, some sexuality and drug content, running time 131 minutes. (Town Plaza Cinema)

'Epic Movie'

Starring Kal Penn, Adam Campbell and Jennifer Coolidge. In the grand tradition of "Scary Movie" and "Date Movie" comes this spoof of blockbusters. Four orphans visit a chocolate factory and are transported to the wonderful land of Gnarnia where they battle pirates, wizards and the dastardly White Bitch. Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual humor, language and some comic violence, running time 85 minutes. (Town Plaza Cinema)

'Freedom Writers'

Starring Hilary Swank, Imelda Staunton and Patrick Dempsey. Tensions are at a boiling point in an inner-city school where racial violence -- black against Hispanic against white against Asian -- has turned the campus into a battleground. To help the students all get along, an idealistic young teacher encourages her students to keep personal journals so that they can then share their innermost feelings with each other in a peaceful way. Rated PG-13 for violent content, some thematic material and language, running time 132 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'Happy Feet'

Starring the voices of Nicole Kidman, Elijah Wood and Hugh Jackman. In the great nation of Emperor Penguins in Antarctica, you're nobody unless you can sing, which is bad news for Mumble, who is the worst singer in the world. But he sure can tap dance. Rated G, running time 108 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'Night at the Museum'

Starring Ricky Gervais, Mickey Rooney, Ben Stiller, Dick Van Dyke and Robin Williams. Larry Daley accepts what appears to be a menial job as a graveyard-shift security guard at a museum of natural history. During Larry's watch, extraordinary things begin to occur: Mayans, Roman gladiators and cowboys emerge from their diorama to wage epic battles; in his quest for fire, a caveman burns down his own display. Amid the chaos, the only person Larry can turn to for advice is a wax figure of President Teddy Roosevelt. Rated PG for mild action, language and brief rude humor, running time 108 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'Primeval'

Starring Brooke Langton, Gideon Emery and Orlando Jones. A brave American news team journey into the wilds of South Africa to capture on video the world's most notorious serial killer, who has taken more than 300 lives. As the newsmen travel ever deeper into unknown territory, their trip becomes a deadly trap that they can't escape. Rated R for strong graphic violence, brutality, terror and language, running time 115 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'The Pursuit of Happyness'

Starring Will Smith, Dan Castellaneta, Thandie Newton and Jaden Smith. Based on the life of Chris Gardner, a self-made millionaire, this drama stars Will Smith as a man who finds himself jobless and homeless at age 30, living in a San Francisco train station with his infant son. Determined to beat the odds, he finds work as a trainee at a brokerage firm and climbs the corporate ladder. Rated PG-13 for some language, running time 118 minutes. (Town Plaza Cinema)

'The Queen'

Starring Helen Mirren, Michael Sheen and James Cromwell. When news of the death of Princess Diana reaches the British public, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II retreats behind the walls of Balmoral Castle with her family, unable to comprehend the public response to the tragedy. For Tony Blair, the popular and newly elected prime minister, the people's need for reassurance and support from the royal family is palpable. As the unprecedented outpouring of emotion grows ever stronger, Blair must find a way to reconnect the queen with the British public. Rated PG-13 for brief strong language, running time 103 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'Rocky Balboa'

Starring Sylvester Stallone, Antonio Tarver and Burt Young. Sylvester Stallone returns for a sixth time as Rocky Balboa, the tough-as-nails Philadelphia boxing champ. In this installment of the sports saga, the 54-year-old Balboa is lured out of retirement for one final fight when a computer simulation claims he could beat the current champ, Mason "the Line" Dixon. Rated PG for boxing violence and some language, running time 102 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'Smokin' Aces'

Starring Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman and Peter Berg. Buddy "Aces" Israel is a small-time Las Vegas magician who suddenly becomes very popular after ratting out his boss, who has ties to the mob, to the FBI. After the Feds shuttle Aces off to Lake Tahoe for safe-keeping, an army of assassins swarm the tiny resort town looking to cash in on a prize hit. Rated R for strong bloody violence, pervasive language, some nudity and drug use, running time 109 minutes. (Town Plaza Cinema)

'Stomp the Yard'

Starring Columbus Short, Meagan Good and Laz Alonso. An expert street dancer heads to Georgia to attend college, but there's this step-dancing competition that gets in the way of his studies and his love life. Rated PG-13 for a scene of violence, some sexual material and language, running time 95 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'Volver'

Starring Penelope Cruz, Carmen Maura and Blanca Portillo. In modern-day Madrid's working-class neighborhoods, immigrants from various Spanish provinces live and work together. Among them are three generations of women whose lives intertwine. Rating R for some sexual content and language, running time 121 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'We are Marshall'

Starring Matthew McConaughey, David Strathairn and Matthew Fox. After a plane crash claims the lives of 75 members of the Marshall University football team and its coaching staff, young coach Jack Lengyel and his assistant try to keep the program going, despite the emotional weight of the accident and the concerns of the community. Rated R for some violence, sexuality and language, running time 127 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

-- From staff reports