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by THE INLANDER & r & & r & BE KIND REWIND & r & & r & When video store clerks played by Jack Black and Mos Def accidentally erase all the VHS tapes in the store, they frantically attempt to replace them by recording their own renditions of classic films. Director Michel Gondry loves to cast existence in odd, philosophical lights, so expect this to do the same in a very palatable, screwball-comedy way. (LB) Rated PG-13





THE BUCKET LIST


Two strangers who are complete opposites (Jack Nicholson, Morgan Freeman) meet in a hospital, where both have been told they have a year left. They decide to join in a series of adventures they've scrawled on a "to do" list to be finished before they, you know, kick the bucket. (ES) Rated PG-13





CHARLIE BARTLETT


After being thrown out of yet another private school, an intelligent, hip, different drummer (Anton Yelchin) is enrolled by his loving but drug-dependent mom (Hope Davis) in public school, where he's singled out for being a weirdo. He survives by offering psychological advice. His possible love interest (Kat Dennings) is the daughter of the principal (Robert Downey Jr.). Watch out! (ES) Rated R





DEFINITELY, MAYBE


Little Miss Sunshine's Abigail Breslin is an impossibly mature kid counseling her goofy, mixed-up father (Ryan Reynolds), who's loved and had his heart broken by three women (Isla Fischer, Rachel Weisz and Elizabeth Banks) -- one of whom is likely the kid's mom. From the people who brought you to big, stupid tears with Bridget Jones. (JS) Rated PG-13





FOOL'S GOLD


Fool's Gold finds Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson as divorcing spouses, formerly a team of treasure hunters. Now he's made a new discovery in their longtime search for a lost 18th-century hoard of gold and jewelry and he needs her help to find it, even though she's just divorced him and whacked him across the head with a blunt object. Not one single element works. (MJ) Rated PG-13





HANNAH MONTANA/MILEY CYRUS: BEST OF BOTH WORLDS


That sound you hear is the screaming of tween girls: Miley Cyrus in concert! You get 3D glasses to watch with! And this time, no scalpers! They say the BBW movie (filmed at a Salt Lake City concert) will only be in theaters for a limited time, with a ticket price well over nine bucks. (MB) Rated G





IN BRUGES


The story of two hitmen who have to lay low in the Belgian town of Bruges after a successful killing. Problem is, Bruges is so damn boring they go stir crazy, causing them to miss a few important phone calls from their employer. Soon, their jumpy target has put a price on their head as well. Colin Farrell seems funny here, rather than a creep, like in all his other movies. (LB) Rated R





I'M NOT THERE


Six actors portray six aspects of Bob Dylan, America's iconic misanthrope. But it's Dylan the mythical figure who empowers the jerky narrative and vibrant surrealism of this heavy, fierce, brilliant film. (LB) Rated R





JUMPER


In the world of Jumper, there are people who have the same superpower as Nightcrawler from X-Men. It stars Hayden Christensen (Star Wars: The Crappy Ones), whose career is the result of George Lucas's tragic senility. Critics pick on Christensen because he's boring, but they should pick on his girlfriend Rachel Bilson instead. I'm informed she's from TV. Jumper isn't worth even 90 minutes of your life. It may not even be worth the 90 seconds you'll spend reading this review. Seriously. (BK) Rated PG-13





JUNO


Offbeat and surprising, Jason Reitman's second film is about perky, outspoken, wisecracking Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page), a 16-year-old with the kind of curiosity that leads her to have sex with her best pal Paulie (Michael Cera). That leads to a pregnancy test, the results, breaking the news to Paulie, a confession to her parents (J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney) and a trip to the abortion clinic. But something happens, and that's only the beginning of this sweet, funny, heartfelt film. (ES) Rated PG-13





NATIONAL TREASURE: BOOK OF SECRETS


Treasure hunter Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage) sets out to clear the family name (turns out an ancestor might have helped plot Lincoln's assassination) and finds himself in the middle of some plot holes and political intrigue. More of what you saw in the first installment. (JS) Rated PG





NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN


When Llewellyn Moss (Josh Brolin) finds the remnants of what looks like a drug deal gone bad -- heroin, money, bodies -- he decides to take the money. That puts a psychopath (Javier Bardem) on his trail. And while Tommy Lee Jones' sheriff provides some help, Llewellyn has now plunged himself into a world in which everyday things turn lethal. Joel and Ethan Coen return to the violent black comedy of Fargo. (ES) Rated R





PENELOPE


An odd-looking contemporary fairy tale about a girl who is born with a piggy little snout and ears as punishment for some indiscretion of her high society parents. When she comes of age, they have quite a time trying to marry her off, what with the entire world knowing how ugly she is and whatnot. Weird little story and a great cast including Christina Ricci and James McAvoy. (LB) Rated PG





PERSEPOLIS


Based on Marjane Satrapi's graphic novels, Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood and Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return, the animated Persepolis tells the semi-autobiographical story of a childhood spent in Iran at the dawn of the Islamic revolution, a flight to Austria and an eventual return to the land of her birth. Simply animated, Persepolis looks nonetheless to be a complex portrait of coming of age amid alienation and fear on two separate continents. (LB) Rated PG-13





THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL


Is Natalie Portman the scheming minx while Scarlett Johansson is the adulterous harlot? Or is it the other way around? No matter. A soap opera in Renaissance finery like this one doesn't trouble itself with characterization as long as it can get some of its characters coupled up and doing the four-poster romp. With Eric Bana playing Henry VIII as a playboy tyrant, at least we get a sense of what absolute rule and arranged marriages were like. (MB) Rated PG-13





OUTSOURCED


Not to be confused with the Owen Wilson project, this Outsourced is about a manager in America who is sent to India to train his replacements -- including a spicy little number named Asha. Set in Seattle and India, this was the opening-night film at the Spokane International Film Festival. (LB) Rated PG-13





SEMI-PRO


Jackie Moon (Will Ferrell) is the owner-coach-player of a pro basketball team that's going down the tubes. He tries his best to keep crowds from dwindling by setting up whacked-out promotional stunts -- from outrageous costumes for his team to wrestling bears. There are good comic bits -- some physical, some verbal -- but everyone involved seems to be trying too hard to make this funny, and it comes off as tired. (ES) Rated R





SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES


The bestselling book series crosses to the screen, with the fatherless Grace family moving in to the creepy Spiderwick mansion and finding lots of dark secrets. British actor Freddie Highmore (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) plays the twins Jared and Simon, and puts on a pretty darn good American accent. There's plenty of fantasy to go around, but also some frightening bits that might freak out viewers under 7, as well as a believable human element. (ES) Rated PG





STEP UP 2: THE STREETS


Are you ready to step up? Girl can dance. Guy can dance. Girl's from out of town, doesn't get along with other girls. Girl also doesn't get along with guy. Then the power of dance destroys all barriers. Choreography ensues. (LB) Rated PG-13





VANTAGE POINT


Eight different perspectives from an attempted assassination of the U.S. president twist and turn this action thriller in all directions. Dennis Quaid stars as a Secret Service agent uncovering a massive plot against America. Forest Whitaker and Sigourney Weaver co-star as witnesses and possibly plotters in this political whodunit. (TLM) Rated PG-13





THERE WILL BE BLOOD


Daniel Day-Lewis plays Daniel Plainview, a struggling prospector who strikes oil in the early 20th century, becomes wealthy, then goes after more land, money and power. Paul Thomas Anderson's (Boogie Nights) newest film turns into a study of Plainview's relationships with his young son and with a fiery preacher (Paul Dano). Get the Oscar ready for Day-Lewis' performance. (ES) Rated R





WITLESS PROTECTION


Ivana Milicevic stars as Madeleine, who, heavily guarded by the FBI, is due to testify against a deadly criminal. She is mistakenly kidnapped by Larry the Cable Guy. Adventures ensue as Deputy Larry takes Madeleine on a road trip where they're running from the FBI and the people who wish her dead. Jenny McCarthy co-stars. (TLM) Rated PG-13