At The Movies - Movie Previews
The following movies are playing at South Coast theaters:
Get Smart — Maxwell Smart (Steve Carell) is on a mission to thwart the latest plot for world domination by the evil crime syndicate known as Kaos. When the headquarters of U.S. spy agency Control is attacked and the identities of its agents compromised, the chief (Alan Arkin) has no choice but to promote his ever-eager analyst Maxwell Smart, who has always dreamt of working in the field alongside stalwart superstar Agent 23 (Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson). Smart is partnered instead with the only other agent whose identity has not been compromised: Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway). As Smart and 99 get closer to unraveling Kaos’ master plan — and each other — they discover that key Kaos operative Siegfried (Terence Stamp) and his sidekick Shtarker (Kenneth Davitian) are scheming to cash in with their network of terror. (PG-13 for some rude humor, action violence and language.) Florence Cinemas, Pony Village Cinemas.
Hancock — There are heroes ... there are superheroes ... and then there’s Hancock (Will Smith). With great power comes great responsibility — everyone knows that — everyone, that is, but Hancock. Edgy, conflicted, sarcastic, and misunderstood, Hancock’s well-intentioned heroics might get the job done and save countless lives, but always seem to leave jaw-dropping damage in their wake. The public has finally had enough — as grateful as they are to have their local hero, the good citizens of Los Angeles are wondering what they ever did to deserve this guy. Hancock isn’t the kind of man who cares what other people think — until the day that he saves the life of PR executive Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman), and the sardonic superhero begins to realize that he may have a vulnerable side after all. Facing that will be Hancock’s greatest challenge yet — and a task that may prove impossible as Ray’s wife, Mary (Charlize Theron), insists that he’s a lost cause. (PG-13 for some intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence and language.) Florence Cinemas, Pony Village Cinemas, Redwood Theater.
The Happening — A family (Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, Ashlyn Sanchez) is on the run from an inexplicable and unstoppable event that threatens not only humankind, but the most basic human instinct of them all: survival. Crowds in New York’s Central Park become disoriented one morning, then start killing themselves savagely. The phenomena spreads through Manhattan, then to Philadelphia, Boston and other cities, trickling down to smaller Northeast towns, as a TV news figure talks about a substance that blocks the brain’s self-preservation neurotransmitters. At first, it’s assumed this is a terrorist attack. But as the day wears on, observers come to the conclusion that the plant world is the source of a deadly toxin. (R for violent and disturbing images.) Pony Village Cinemas.
The Incredible Hulk — Scientist Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) desperately hunts for a cure to the gamma radiation that poisoned his cells and unleashes the unbridled force of rage within him: The Hulk. Living in the shadows — cut off from a life he knew and the woman he loves, Betty Ross (Liv Tyler) — Banner struggles to avoid the obsessive pursuit of his nemesis, General Thunderbolt Ross (William Hurt), and the military machinery that seeks to capture him and brutally exploit his power. As all three grapple with the secrets that led to The Hulk’s creation, they are confronted with a monstrous new adversary known as The Abomination (Tim Roth), whose destructive strength exceeds even The Hulk’s own. To stop it, Banner must choose to accept a peaceful life or find heroism in the creature he holds inside. (PG-13 for sequences of intense action violence, some frightening sci-fi images and brief suggestive content.) Pony Village Cinemas.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull — In 1957, Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is thrust back in action, venturing into the jungles of South America in a race against Soviet agents to find the mystical Crystal Skull. After escaping from Soviets who kidnapped them in Nevada, Indy and his partner Mac (Ray Winstone) receive a warning from Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett), who wants them to locate the crystal skull within Area 51 for some kind of nefarious mind-control plan involving alien intelligence. A former colleague of Indy’s, Professor Oxley (John Hurt), also was after the skull — and went missing in pursuit of it. Young tough Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf) tracks Indy down and pleads with him to help find their mutual friend, which sends the two on a quest to determine the purpose behind the mystical artifact and keep it out of the wrong hands. Indy’s sharp-tongued old flame Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) also shows up. (PG-13 for adventure violence and scary images.) Pony Village Cinemas.
King Fu Panda — Enthusiastic, big and a little clumsy, Po (voice of Jack Black) is the biggest fan of kung fu around, which doesn’t exactly come in handy while working every day in his family’s noodle shop. Unexpectedly chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy, Po’s dreams become reality when he joins the world of kung fu and studies alongside his idols, the legendary Furious Five — Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Crane (David Cross), Mantis (Seth Rogen), Viper (Lucy Liu) and Monkey (Jackie Chan) — under the leadership of their guru, Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman). But before they know it, the vengeful and treacherous snow leopard Tai Lung (Ian McShane) is headed their way, and it’s up to Po to defend everyone from the oncoming threat. Can he turn his dreams of becoming a kung fu master into reality? (PG for sequences of martial arts action.) Pony Village Cinemas, Savoy Theatre.
Kit Kittredge: An American Girl — Aspiring reporter Kit Kittredge (Abigail Breslin) can’t resist bringing home strays, whether it’s Grace, an abandoned basset hound, or Will (Max Thieriot) and Countee (Willow Smith), a pair of young hobos willing to trade work for meals. Bright, inquisitive and generous, Kit is a natural born leader. But her happy childhood is abruptly interrupted when her father (Chris O’Donnell) loses his car dealership and must leave Cincinnati to look for work. Kit and her mother Margaret (Julia Ormond) are left to manage on their own, growing vegetables, selling eggs and even taking in an assortment of boarders including an itinerant magician (Stanley Tucci), a vivacious dance instructor (Jane Krakowski) on the prowl for a husband and a zany mobile librarian (Joan Cusack). When a crime spree sweeps Cincinnati, all signs point to the local ‘hobo jungle,’ where Will and Countee live with a group of their impoverished companions. When Kit’s mother and their boarders become the latest victims in a string of robberies, Kit’s loyalties are tested. Will is accused of the crimes and, with all of their savings gone, the Kittredges face losing their house to foreclosure. Determined to recover the stolen money and believing Will is innocent, Kit recruits her friends Ruthie (Madison Davenport) and Stirling (Zachary Mills) to help her track down the real culprit. (G) Pony Village Cinemas.
The Love Guru — Pitka (Mike Myers) is an American who was left at the gates of an ashram in India as a child and raised by gurus. He moves back to the U.S. to seek fame and fortune in the world of self-help and spirituality. His unorthodox methods are put to the test when he must settle a rift between Toronto Maple Leafs star hockey player Darren Roanoke (Romany Malco) and his estranged wife (Meagan Good). After the split, Roanoke’s wife starts dating L.A. Kings star Jacques Grande (Justin Timberlake) out of revenge, sending her husband into a major professional skid — to the horror of team owner Jane Bullard (Jessica Alba) and Coach Cherkov (Verne Troyer). Pitka must return the couple to marital nirvana and get Roanoke back on his game so the team can break the 40-year-old “Bullard Curse” and win the Stanley Cup. (PG-13 for crude and sexual content throughout, language, some comic violence and drug references.) Pony Village Cinemas.
WALL-E — After years of doing what he was built for, a lonely robot discovers what he was meant for, and chases his dream across the galaxy. (G) Florence Cinemas, Pony Village Cinemas, Redwood Theater.
Wanted — 25-year-old Wes (James McAvoy) was the most disaffected, cube-dwelling drone the planet had ever known. After his estranged father is murdered, the deadly sexy Fox (Angelina Jolie) recruits Wes into the Fraternity, a secret society that trains Wes to avenge his dad’s death by unlocking his dormant powers. As she teaches him how to develop lightning-quick reflexes and phenomenal agility, Wes discovers this team lives by an ancient, unbreakable code: carry out the death orders given by fate itself. With wickedly brilliant tutors — including the Fraternity’s enigmatic leader, Sloan (Morgan Freeman) — Wes grows to enjoy all the strength he ever wanted. But, slowly, he begins to realize there is more to his dangerous associates than meets the eye. (R for strong bloody violence throughout, pervasive language and some sexuality.) Florence Cinemas, Pony Village Cinemas.
Call the theaters for showtimes or other information.
Get Smart — Maxwell Smart (Steve Carell) is on a mission to thwart the latest plot for world domination by the evil crime syndicate known as Kaos. When the headquarters of U.S. spy agency Control is attacked and the identities of its agents compromised, the chief (Alan Arkin) has no choice but to promote his ever-eager analyst Maxwell Smart, who has always dreamt of working in the field alongside stalwart superstar Agent 23 (Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson). Smart is partnered instead with the only other agent whose identity has not been compromised: Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway). As Smart and 99 get closer to unraveling Kaos’ master plan — and each other — they discover that key Kaos operative Siegfried (Terence Stamp) and his sidekick Shtarker (Kenneth Davitian) are scheming to cash in with their network of terror. (PG-13 for some rude humor, action violence and language.) Florence Cinemas, Pony Village Cinemas.
Hancock — There are heroes ... there are superheroes ... and then there’s Hancock (Will Smith). With great power comes great responsibility — everyone knows that — everyone, that is, but Hancock. Edgy, conflicted, sarcastic, and misunderstood, Hancock’s well-intentioned heroics might get the job done and save countless lives, but always seem to leave jaw-dropping damage in their wake. The public has finally had enough — as grateful as they are to have their local hero, the good citizens of Los Angeles are wondering what they ever did to deserve this guy. Hancock isn’t the kind of man who cares what other people think — until the day that he saves the life of PR executive Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman), and the sardonic superhero begins to realize that he may have a vulnerable side after all. Facing that will be Hancock’s greatest challenge yet — and a task that may prove impossible as Ray’s wife, Mary (Charlize Theron), insists that he’s a lost cause. (PG-13 for some intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence and language.) Florence Cinemas, Pony Village Cinemas, Redwood Theater.
The Happening — A family (Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, Ashlyn Sanchez) is on the run from an inexplicable and unstoppable event that threatens not only humankind, but the most basic human instinct of them all: survival. Crowds in New York’s Central Park become disoriented one morning, then start killing themselves savagely. The phenomena spreads through Manhattan, then to Philadelphia, Boston and other cities, trickling down to smaller Northeast towns, as a TV news figure talks about a substance that blocks the brain’s self-preservation neurotransmitters. At first, it’s assumed this is a terrorist attack. But as the day wears on, observers come to the conclusion that the plant world is the source of a deadly toxin. (R for violent and disturbing images.) Pony Village Cinemas.
The Incredible Hulk — Scientist Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) desperately hunts for a cure to the gamma radiation that poisoned his cells and unleashes the unbridled force of rage within him: The Hulk. Living in the shadows — cut off from a life he knew and the woman he loves, Betty Ross (Liv Tyler) — Banner struggles to avoid the obsessive pursuit of his nemesis, General Thunderbolt Ross (William Hurt), and the military machinery that seeks to capture him and brutally exploit his power. As all three grapple with the secrets that led to The Hulk’s creation, they are confronted with a monstrous new adversary known as The Abomination (Tim Roth), whose destructive strength exceeds even The Hulk’s own. To stop it, Banner must choose to accept a peaceful life or find heroism in the creature he holds inside. (PG-13 for sequences of intense action violence, some frightening sci-fi images and brief suggestive content.) Pony Village Cinemas.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull — In 1957, Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is thrust back in action, venturing into the jungles of South America in a race against Soviet agents to find the mystical Crystal Skull. After escaping from Soviets who kidnapped them in Nevada, Indy and his partner Mac (Ray Winstone) receive a warning from Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett), who wants them to locate the crystal skull within Area 51 for some kind of nefarious mind-control plan involving alien intelligence. A former colleague of Indy’s, Professor Oxley (John Hurt), also was after the skull — and went missing in pursuit of it. Young tough Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf) tracks Indy down and pleads with him to help find their mutual friend, which sends the two on a quest to determine the purpose behind the mystical artifact and keep it out of the wrong hands. Indy’s sharp-tongued old flame Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) also shows up. (PG-13 for adventure violence and scary images.) Pony Village Cinemas.
King Fu Panda — Enthusiastic, big and a little clumsy, Po (voice of Jack Black) is the biggest fan of kung fu around, which doesn’t exactly come in handy while working every day in his family’s noodle shop. Unexpectedly chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy, Po’s dreams become reality when he joins the world of kung fu and studies alongside his idols, the legendary Furious Five — Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Crane (David Cross), Mantis (Seth Rogen), Viper (Lucy Liu) and Monkey (Jackie Chan) — under the leadership of their guru, Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman). But before they know it, the vengeful and treacherous snow leopard Tai Lung (Ian McShane) is headed their way, and it’s up to Po to defend everyone from the oncoming threat. Can he turn his dreams of becoming a kung fu master into reality? (PG for sequences of martial arts action.) Pony Village Cinemas, Savoy Theatre.
Kit Kittredge: An American Girl — Aspiring reporter Kit Kittredge (Abigail Breslin) can’t resist bringing home strays, whether it’s Grace, an abandoned basset hound, or Will (Max Thieriot) and Countee (Willow Smith), a pair of young hobos willing to trade work for meals. Bright, inquisitive and generous, Kit is a natural born leader. But her happy childhood is abruptly interrupted when her father (Chris O’Donnell) loses his car dealership and must leave Cincinnati to look for work. Kit and her mother Margaret (Julia Ormond) are left to manage on their own, growing vegetables, selling eggs and even taking in an assortment of boarders including an itinerant magician (Stanley Tucci), a vivacious dance instructor (Jane Krakowski) on the prowl for a husband and a zany mobile librarian (Joan Cusack). When a crime spree sweeps Cincinnati, all signs point to the local ‘hobo jungle,’ where Will and Countee live with a group of their impoverished companions. When Kit’s mother and their boarders become the latest victims in a string of robberies, Kit’s loyalties are tested. Will is accused of the crimes and, with all of their savings gone, the Kittredges face losing their house to foreclosure. Determined to recover the stolen money and believing Will is innocent, Kit recruits her friends Ruthie (Madison Davenport) and Stirling (Zachary Mills) to help her track down the real culprit. (G) Pony Village Cinemas.
The Love Guru — Pitka (Mike Myers) is an American who was left at the gates of an ashram in India as a child and raised by gurus. He moves back to the U.S. to seek fame and fortune in the world of self-help and spirituality. His unorthodox methods are put to the test when he must settle a rift between Toronto Maple Leafs star hockey player Darren Roanoke (Romany Malco) and his estranged wife (Meagan Good). After the split, Roanoke’s wife starts dating L.A. Kings star Jacques Grande (Justin Timberlake) out of revenge, sending her husband into a major professional skid — to the horror of team owner Jane Bullard (Jessica Alba) and Coach Cherkov (Verne Troyer). Pitka must return the couple to marital nirvana and get Roanoke back on his game so the team can break the 40-year-old “Bullard Curse” and win the Stanley Cup. (PG-13 for crude and sexual content throughout, language, some comic violence and drug references.) Pony Village Cinemas.
WALL-E — After years of doing what he was built for, a lonely robot discovers what he was meant for, and chases his dream across the galaxy. (G) Florence Cinemas, Pony Village Cinemas, Redwood Theater.
Wanted — 25-year-old Wes (James McAvoy) was the most disaffected, cube-dwelling drone the planet had ever known. After his estranged father is murdered, the deadly sexy Fox (Angelina Jolie) recruits Wes into the Fraternity, a secret society that trains Wes to avenge his dad’s death by unlocking his dormant powers. As she teaches him how to develop lightning-quick reflexes and phenomenal agility, Wes discovers this team lives by an ancient, unbreakable code: carry out the death orders given by fate itself. With wickedly brilliant tutors — including the Fraternity’s enigmatic leader, Sloan (Morgan Freeman) — Wes grows to enjoy all the strength he ever wanted. But, slowly, he begins to realize there is more to his dangerous associates than meets the eye. (R for strong bloody violence throughout, pervasive language and some sexuality.) Florence Cinemas, Pony Village Cinemas.
Call the theaters for showtimes or other information.
AP Entertainment News
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) -- Lost scenes from the sci-fi classic "Metropolis," recently discovered in the archives of a Buenos Aires museum, were shown to journalists for the first time in decades on Thursday....
NICE, France (AP) -- They'll always have Nice....
%meta(topic:01005000;ap (AP) -- topic:general entertainment;subtopic:movies;%)...
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- A foundation created by Steven Spielberg is giving $1 million to the National Museum of American Jewish History....
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Will Smith usually plays the hero in his summer blockbusters. But in "Hancock," he drinks, swears, mouths off - and goes to prison....
NICE, France (AP) -- Partially eclipsed by the glitterati of Cannes and the royal glare of Monaco, Nice is a place where even the brightest stars - like Brangelina - are greeted by little more than indifference....
CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. (AP) -- Christie Brinkley testified at her divorce trial Thursday that the day she learned her husband was having an affair with a teenager was the day "my life as I knew it had vanished."...
Selected home-video releases:...
"Mrs. Angelina Jolie and her husband, Mr. Brad Pitt, told me to tell you that she is doing absolutely fine." - Dr. Michel Sussmann, Jolie's obstetrician at a hospital in Nice, France, where Jolie is expecting twins. Sussmann was apparently unaware that Jolie and Pitt aren't married....
NEW YORK (AP) -- Jerry Herman, eyes welling with tears, could hardly believe what he was hearing as he watched the new animated blockbuster "WALL-E."...
