"FANTASTIC MR. FOX": 4 stars. This gloriously retro stop-motion animation is also that rare picture that's child-oriented yet adult friendly. It's a magical mixing of author Roald Dahl's dark playfulness and director Wes Anderson's quirky, comic warmth. Rated PG.

"OLD DOGS": 1.5 stars. The new comedy from some of the folks who brought us "Wild Hogs'' is badly written and broadly acted, shamelessly manipulative and not above stopping by the toilet for a laugh or two. It's almost certain to be a big hit. Rated PG.  

"THE BLIND SIDE": 3 stars. This surprisingly smart and moving drama is a pretty conventional feel-good sports drama in many ways, but stars Sandra Bullock and Quinton Aaron give it heart that transcends the genre. It's Bullock's best performance in years. Rated PG-13.

"NEW MOON": 2.5 stars. A marginal improvement on "Twilight," it's a bit like being locked in a room for two hours with a very moody teenager. It's slicker than the original but feels aimless, has little dramatic tension and not much sense of danger. Not that "Twilight" fans will care. Rated PG.

"PLANET 51": 2 stars. A genial but generic riff on sci-fi movie history, it's a good-looking movie with a lush retro-futuristic design. children won't get the many sci-fi movie references, and adults probably won't find them that funny. Rated PG.  

"2012": 3 stars. This cheesy End of Days flick is so far over-the-top you can't help but be entertained. It combines the old-fashioned showmanship of '70s disaster classics with gorgeously supple 21st-century digital effects. Rated PG-13.

"A CHRISTMAS CAROL": 3 stars. This motion-capture, animated telling of the classic Dickens tale delivers thanks to a sumptuous visual palette and an amazing physical and vocal performance by star Jim Carrey. Some scenes might be frightening for younger children. Rated PG.

----------

CLOSING TODAY:  "Couple's Retreat," "The Fourth Kind," "Law Abiding Citizen," "The Men who Stare at Goats"

OPENING FRIDAY:  "Armored," "Brothers," "Everybody's Fine," "Transylmania"

"FANTASTIC MR. FOX": 4 stars. This gloriously retro stop-motion animation is also that rare picture that's child-oriented yet adult friendly. It's a magical mixing of author Roald Dahl's dark playfulness and director Wes Anderson's quirky, comic warmth. Rated PG.

"OLD DOGS": 1.5 stars. The new comedy from some of the folks who brought us "Wild Hogs'' is badly written and broadly acted, shamelessly manipulative and not above stopping by the toilet for a laugh or two. It's almost certain to be a big hit. Rated PG.  

"THE BLIND SIDE": 3 stars. This surprisingly smart and moving drama is a pretty conventional feel-good sports drama in many ways, but stars Sandra Bullock and Quinton Aaron give it heart that transcends the genre. It's Bullock's best performance in years. Rated PG-13.

"NEW MOON": 2.5 stars. A marginal improvement on "Twilight," it's a bit like being locked in a room for two hours with a very moody teenager. It's slicker than the original but feels aimless, has little dramatic tension and not much sense of danger. Not that "Twilight" fans will care. Rated PG.

"PLANET 51": 2 stars. A genial but generic riff on sci-fi movie history, it's a good-looking movie with a lush retro-futuristic design. children won't get the many sci-fi movie references, and adults probably won't find them that funny. Rated PG.  

"2012": 3 stars. This cheesy End of Days flick is so far over-the-top you can't help but be entertained. It combines the old-fashioned showmanship of '70s disaster classics with gorgeously supple 21st-century digital effects. Rated PG-13.

"A CHRISTMAS CAROL": 3 stars. This motion-capture, animated telling of the classic Dickens tale delivers thanks to a sumptuous visual palette and an amazing physical and vocal performance by star Jim Carrey. Some scenes might be frightening for younger children. Rated PG.

----------

CLOSING TODAY:  "Couple's Retreat," "The Fourth Kind," "Law Abiding Citizen," "The Men who Stare at Goats"

OPENING FRIDAY:  "Armored," "Brothers," "Everybody's Fine," "Transylmania"