Movie capsules

Compiled by Regina Robinson

May 10, 2008

Here are selected capsule reviews of movies in current release.

America the Beautiful ** R. 1:45.

Are we obsessed with beauty? Is the pope Catholic? Chicago native Darryl Roberts' documentary tackles a critical topic. The downside: He's 20 years late to the conversation.—J.R.

Baby Mama ** PG-13. 1:36.

Unable to conceive on her own, Kate (Tina Fey) scores a "baby mama" (Amy Poehler), who is pure white trash. The prospect of seeing a commercial comedy built around "Saturday Night Live"-trained comic actresses Fey and Poehler sounds tasty enough. But every moment of this project feels beat-driven, focus-grouped and designed to package Fey as a viable movie star with great pins.—M.P.

Deception ** R. 1:48.

Ewan McGregor plays a socially maladroit auditor who becomes fast friends with a flashy corporate lawyer (Hugh Jackman) and gets introduced to the chic attractions of a super-secret sex club. As far as thriller storytelling, "Deception" cannot get enough of the obvious. Each major story revelation is so flagrantly telegraphed, when the revelations arrive they're more like fax confirmation sheets of what already came through.—M.P.

Flight of the Red Balloon **** No MPAA rating (parents cautioned for some language). 1:55.

Lovely, evanescent response to the 1956 classic "The Red Balloon," and in his largely improvised story of a single mother (Juliette Binoche, delightfully fraught) and her young son, Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-Hsien has made a very different sort of man. The easygoing rhythm of the picture won't be for all tastes, but I found it beautiful.—M.P.

The Forbidden Kingdom ** PG-13. 1:53.

Jason Tripitikas (Michael Angarano) is obsessed with kung-fu classics and hangs out with an ancient Chinese man (Jackie Chan). Jason falls while clutching a magical staff and wakes up in ancient China. Stock Chinese martial-arts epics and American stock characters are blown up to operatic proportions shooting for action drama on a grand scale. This is where "The Forbidden Kingdom" falls on its face.—T.R.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall *** 1/2 R. 1:52.

Very funny raunchmantic comedy written by and starring Jason Segel, who played Seth Rogen's smoothie friend in "Knocked Up." It's a post-breakup chronicle of woe and, ultimately, happiness, as Segel's pathetic whiner travels to Oahu for a vacation only to run smack into the ex (Kristen Bell). First-time director Nicholas Stoller's film is full of sharp laughs, both cheap and wise.—M.P.

Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay **

R. 1:42.

Crass but merry described the previous outing of Harold (John Cho) and Kumar (Kal Penn). The second field trip is more like stridently crass, as the New Jersey roommates head to Gitmo courtesy of a bong that's mistaken for a bomb. Obvious shots at Homeland Security and the Bush administration provoke more winces than laughs. —M.P.

Iron Man *** 1/2

PG-13. 2:06.

As big-budget comic book adaptations go, this one's a gratifying freak. Chief among its assets is Robert Downey Jr. as billionaire industrialist Tony Stark. When he bandies the badinage about with Gwyneth Paltrow, who plays Stark's gal Friday, Virginia "Pepper" Potts, you're seeing two actors who understand each other completely, who can mine the pulp fictions at hand for both earnestness and laughs.—M.P.

Made of Honor * 1/2