Some releases may not be showing locally this week.

ALEX CROSS (PG-13) Tyler Perry replaces Morgan Freeman as James Patterson’s psychologist detective. (In a perfectly awful world, I expect to see this trade completed as Freeman dons the Madea fat suit for Perry’s next movie.) In this adaptation of Patterson’s twelfth Alex Cross novel, Cross, the detective tracks a killer, Michael “The Butcher” Sullivan (Matthew Fox), who makes their game of cat and mouse personal. The Fast & the Furious helmer Rob Cohen directs. With Rachel Nichols, Edward Burns, Jean Reno and Cicely Tyson.

ARBITRAGE (R) Richard Gere stars —and hopes for a Best Actor nomination—in this dramatic economic thriller. Gere’s hedge fund mogul turns to an unlikely source after messing up big time in an attempt to sell his company. Nicholas Jarecki, brother of Andrew (Capturing the Friedmans) and Eugene (Why We Fight), makes his fictional feature directing debut. With Tim Roth, Susan Sarandon, William Friedkin (?), Laetitia Casta and the awesome Chris Eigeman (a Wilt Stillman fave). (Ciné)

• ARGO (R) Ben Affleck’s career revival continues with what might be his best directing effort yet; as life-or-death as the tension gets, the movie is ultimately a less grueling entertainment experience than either The Town or Gone Baby Gone. Revealing the once classified story of how the CIA rescued six American hostages in the midst of the Iranian Revolution, Argo is both an intriguing modern history lesson and a compelling, old-fashioned Hollywood thriller. The first-act scenes of the revolution terrify with present day relevance; the middle sequence that sets up the outlandish rescue op humorously skewers late-'70s Hollywood, thanks to excellent work by John Goodman as real life, Oscar-winning makeup artist John Chambers, as well as Alan Arkin; and the climactic escape epitomizes edge-of-your-seat suspense. Affleck has collected one hell of a cast—Bryan Cranston, Kyle Chandler, Victor Garber, Scoot McNairy, Chris Messina and many more recognizable faces—but the movie isn’t dominated by any one showy actor, and certainly not its tightly controlled director-star. Its greatness is certainly a sum of all parts—directing, writing (by first-time scripter Chris Terrio) and acting. The Academy will certainly recognize Argo, the year’s best, most accessible release to date, in its expanded best picture race.

ATLAS SHRUGGED, PART 2: EITHER-OR John Putch directs this second installation of the adaptation of Ayn Rand's 1957 novel, Atlas Shrugged.

THE BOURNE LEGACY (PG-13) Tony Gilroy has been scripting exceptional Bourne films for a decade now. His first time directing one plays exactly like his previous two directing efforts (Michael Clayton and Duplicity); well-crafted but unexciting. Matt Damon’s unseen Jason Bourne is on the run, but another enhanced secret agent, Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner, who’s an adequate replacement for Damon), is in the crosshairs of some nasty government spooks, led sociopathically by Edward Norton. Cross and pretty scientist, Marta Shearing (Academy Award winner Rachel Weisz), travels across the globe to find the means to permanently enhance the superspy’s mental abilities. This admirable, modern action franchise has always lacked in the fun department (I’ve never wanted to rewatch a Bourne); now it misses Paul Greengrass’ kinetic, athletic, handheld style. Legacy is more desk jockeying than spy gaming. (Call the undergrads; Cross proves to be one hell of a fake ID crafter.) Its respectable action set pieces lack the ooh ahh moment. Still, I’m curious to see the franchise advance with a Bourne/Cross faceoff or team up, but I’d prefer if Gilroy returns to scripting and Greengrass to behind the camera.

BRAVE (PG) A good, not great, Pixar film, Brave strays into traditional Disney territory after a tremendously magical first act. Headstrong Scottish Princess Merida (wonderfully voiced by the lovely Kelly Macdonald) wants to choose her own destiny. She does not want to marry the first-born of the clans allied with her father (v. Billy Connolly), but her mother, Queen Elinor (v. Emma Thompson), will hear none of her complaints. In typical stubborn teenage fashion, Merida short-sightedly asks a wood-carving witch (v. Julie Walters) for a spell to change her mother. The aftermath of the spell leads to some heartwarming and charming derring-do, but the sitcom-ish mix-up is a bit stock for what we’ve come to expect from the studio that gave us Wall-E and Up, two animated features that transcended their cartoonish origins.

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (PG-13) Fanboy expectations of all-time greatness aside, The Dark Knight Rises concludes filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy as satisfyingly as one can hope. Having taken the fall for the murder of Harvey Dent in The Dark Knight, Batman is no longer welcome in Gotham City, which is all right with shut-in Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale), the eccentric billionaire who continues to mourn the death of his love, Rachel. (Interestingly, The Joker is never mentioned.) But a new evil, the muscle-and-respirator-clad Bane (Tom Hardy, finally doing the great Bat-breaker justice), has risen, requiring Batman to return to action. Meanwhile, a pretty cat burglar named Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway, making audiences forget both Michelle Pfeiffer and Halle Berry) has targeted Gotham’s elite. Nolan delivers the dense blockbuster we expect after TDK and Inception. He plays a masterful game of cinematic chess, knowing how to perfectly place every component—script, actors, action set pieces—on the board. A brilliant blockbuster, TDKR cannot best its immediate predecessor; the three-quel lacks the Ledger zeitgeist and shockingly needs more Batman. Still, The Dark Knight Rises darkly comic-bookends the movie summer that blissfully began with Joss Whedon’s candy coated Avengers. I’m sad Nolan’s time in Gotham is over.

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: DOG DAYS (PG) The formula still entertains but has grown increasingly worn in the third installation of the unlikely Wimpy Kid franchise, based on the bestselling books by Jeff Kinney. As the school year gives way to summer, Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon) again proves a poor son—though not as bad as older bro, Rodrick (Devon Bostick)—and an even poorer friend to the series’ best character, Rowley (Robert Capron), who invites Greg on daily trips to the country club and his family’s big vacation. The movie, as a whole, is not as good as its predecessors. After three movies (covering four books), Greg should have learned at least a rudimentary lesson about lying (a fake summer job?), and the humor, gags and performances remain as broad as ever. (However, any vehicle that delivers Steve Zahn on a regular basis starts with a leg up.) Nevertheless, Greg’s adventures are infinitely more appealing than the average, uninspired kiddie movie.

THE EXORCIST (R) 1973. When actress Chris McNeil’s (Academy Award nominee Ellen Burstyn) adolescent daughter, Regan (Academy Award nominee Linda Blair), starts exhibiting strange symptoms that medicine cannot explain, two priests, elderly Father Merrin (Max Von Sydow) and the faith-challenged Father Damien Karras (Academy Award nominee Jason Miller), are called in to perform an exorcism. Director William Friedkin’s film, adapted by author William Peter Blatty from his own novel, is notorious for its graphic depictions of the demonic possession of a young girl, but it is also still one of the most effective horror films ever made. (UGA Tate Theater)

FINDING NEMO (G) 2003. I came late to the Finding Nemo party and have not taken to it like other Pixar greats. Maybe the addition of a third dimension will help. Clownfish Marlin (v. Albert Brooks) goes searching for his son, Nemo (v. Alexander Gould), who is lost in the big, scary ocean. Fortunately, Marlin has pal Dory (v. Ellen Degeneres), a blue tang fish, to help him out. Director Andrew Stanton went on to make Wall-E. Winner of the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

FRANKENWEENIE (PG) I’m not going to tell you Tim Burton is back, but Frankenweenie is his best film since the 1990s. Going back to his animation roots and his love of classic horror invigorates the blockbuster auteur. Frankenweenie is certainly his best genre film since 1999’s underrated James Whale love letter, Sleepy Hollow. This classic horror movie homage, itself a remake of Burton’s lovely black and white 1984 short film of the same name, will please both adult genre fans and their indiscriminate children. This family horror flick easily bests recent release Hotel Transylvania and probably has a slight edge on ParaNorman. Sweet Victor Frankenstein reanimates the family dog, Sparky, after he’s hit by a car. Unfortunately, the townspeople of New Holland, especially his classmates, either don’t understand the power Victor has discovered or are simply afraid of science in general. Fans of Burton’s original short will be pleased with the narrative additions made in John August’s script. The last act of monster mayhem enjoys a silly Gremlins-meet-Godzilla showdown at the town fair that is a sheer horror delight. One excellent family friendly horror film this year (ParaNorman) was cause for excitement; two is cause for celebration.

GONZORIFFIC (NR) Gonzoriffic screens their latest genre entries—“Completely Defective,” “Secret Shopper,” “The Uninvited,” “Space Boobs,” “Mae of the Dead,” “Travel Size” and the premiere of “Pajama Nightmare,” a collaboration with Effie’s Club Follies and Los Meesfits. Shame on me. The boobs, blood and feminism of “Pajama Nightmare,” inspired by Fred Olen Ray and Jim Wynorski, is really tempting. See the Calendar Pick on p. XX. (Ciné)

• HERE COMES THE BOOM (PG-13) Adam Sandler’s made plenty of pictures worse than this Kevin James vehicle about outlandish ways to save education. James’ Scott Voss is a high school biology teacher who turns to MMA to fund the extracurriculars at his struggling school. An appealing supporting cast includes Salma Hayek, Henry Winkler, Greg Germann and real life MMA fighter Bas Rutten (after an appearance in Paul Blart: Mall Cop and voice work in Zookeeper, he’s becoming a James regular) to assist the extremely likable James in an odd, family-friendly mash-up of educational messages and inspirational sports, where the sports are extremely vicious. It doesn’t NOT work, but more refined audiences will cringe at the movie’s genial attitude toward violence.

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA (PG) Unlike the superior ParaNorman, which was a genuinely, safely frightening family horror flick, Hotel Transylvania is an amusing, run-of-the-mill animated family movie where the main characters are harmless monsters. (The lesson that monsters aren’t dangerous is a terrible, hazardous message to teach children.) To protect monsters and his daughter, Mavis, from their dreaded enemies, humans, Dracula (genially voiced by Adam Sandler) sets up a hotel in the safe confines of Transylvania. On the eve of Mavis’ 118th birthday, a human named Jonathan (v. Andy Samberg) discovers Drac’s hideaway. Thank goodness director Genndy Tartakovsky (“Dexter’s Laboratory,” “The Powerpuff Girls” and “Samurai Jack”) brings his visual creativity to this rather rote tale of prejudice and cross-cultural romance. The sequences that work best are the ones that have fun with the conventions of Universal’s classic movie monsters. Samberg’s saddled with a rather boring character, but Selena Gomez’s Mavis has spunk. The adults—Kevin James as Frankenstein, Steve Buscemi as the Wolfman, David Spade as the Invisible Man and CeeLo Green as the Mummy—are even better as cartoon monsters than their usual human cartoons. Horror movie fans will prefer ParaNorman, but the kids will love checking into Hotel Transylvania.

HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET (PG-13) Another soporific, unscary PG-13 horror movie that will draw in the teens and tweenies, House at the End of the Street stars The Hunger Games’ Jennifer Lawrence as Elissa, who moves to a new town with her divorced mom (Elisabeth Shue). Soon Elissa is smitten with her cute new neighbor, Ryan (Max Theriot, a horror vet from My Soul to Take), the town bogeyman whose parents were murdered by his younger sister, Carrie Anne. Despite an overactive, handheld camera, director Mark Tonderai does little of note with the script from David Loucka, who wrote the even less frightening Dream House. (Too bad story contributor Jonathan Mostow didn’t direct; his Breakdown was much more chilling.) Pleasantly, the movie’s costumer chose to clothe the beautiful Lawrence in tank tops. Besides that sartorial diversion, HATES proves that little potential yields little disappointment. The only intriguing gambit is how the movie’s twist is perpetuated, not spoiled, by the trailer. However, that twist isn’t worth a theatrical viewing of this pedestrianly average horror flick.

ICE AGE: CONTINENTAL DRIFT (PG) Manny (v. Ray Romano), Diego (v. Denis Leary) and Sid (v. John Leguizamo) return in a fourth adventure, which is good news for the millions not waiting for this fatigued franchise to go extinct. The trio get separated from the herd, which includes Manny’s wife, Ellie (v. Queen Latifah), and daughter, Peaches (v. Keke Palmer), and meet a pirate crew led by Captain Gutt (exceptionally voiced by “Games of Thrones” Emmy winner Peter Dinklage). Nothing unpredictable happens (Sid messes things up, no one cares), and the suspense is even less harrowing than your typical television cartoon. The rest of the celebrity voices are a mixed bag as well. Wanda Sykes brings the funny as Sid’s toothless granny, but Drake and Nicki Minaj are non-starters. Aziz Ansari is wasted and J-Lo is present. This kiddie flick is only for children not interested in Frankenweenie or Paranorman.

LOCAS MUJERES (NR) The 2012 Latin American Film Festival, Latin American Women Behind the Camera, concludes with Locas Mujeres, directed by María Elena Wood. The film recounts the love story of 1945 Nobel Prize Winner Gabriela Mistral and Doris Dana. As part of Hispanic Heritage Month, screenings take place every Thursday through Oct. 18. Each film will be introduced by a faculty member or graduate student; Luís Correa Díaz, Romance Languages, is this week’s host. The film will be followed by a Skype Q&A with the director. (Georgia Museum of Art)

LOOPER (R) Whoa! Ever since Brick, I have waited for Rian Johnson to make good on that coolly stylish teen-noir’s immense promise. Johnson might still have better films to come, but this tricksy, time travel, sci-fi noir ensures Brick’s promise has been fulfilled. In a future where time travel is an illegal reality, hitmen called loopers wait in the past for gangsters to send them their targets. Armed with a blunderbuss, Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) awaits his marks, knowing one day he will have to “close the loop,” meaning kill his older self. When Old Joe (Bruce Willis) finally shows, the showdown doesn’t go as smoothly as planned. Had The Terminator mated with a film noir, Looper would be the exciting result. Don’t expect any lengthy scientific discussions of time travel (that doesn't mean the film doesn’t have a lot to say; one flaw is a too-wordy middle act). Do expect lots of violence, a bit of a mind trip and the best Bruce Willis movie in years. Willis might still be the top draw, but the talented Gordon-Levitt as a young Bruno keeps the movie moving. Looper is certainly 2012’s best science fiction and is shortlisted for the year’s best.

THE MASTER (R) Auteur Paul Thomas Anderson’s tremendous, flawless cinematic masterpieces can be pompous, emotionally distant and inscrutable to a fault. The Master proves no less perfectly composed and no less difficult to process. Volatile, World War II vet Freddie Quill (Joaquin Phoenix) is struggling to adjust to post-war life when he meets author Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman), the founder of a spiritual movement called The Cause. Despite Anderson’s basing Dodd on Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, don’t expect any evisceration of the controversial religion; you’ll leave disappointed. Instead, revel in the never mundane, constantly homoerotic study of two vastly different, wonderfully deep characters. Phoenix powers Quill with explosive animalistic instinct (it’s the sort of performance audiences have come to expect from the seemingly crazed thespian), while Hoffman duels his fiery costar with Dodd’s cool, intellectual restraint. Like indispensable cogs, removing either man would stop Anderson’s precise cinematic engine. Other films will rival The Master for cinematic excellence this year. These films will engage audiences on a simpler level and probably waltz off with next year’s top prizes, but audiences up for the challenge will likely find no more enriching a work this year than Anderson’s latest gem. (Ciné)

THE ORPHANAGE (R) 2007. The Orphanage is a respectful ghost story on par with The Haunting or The Others. A family’s decision to turn the orphanage where the wife and mother, Laura (Belén Rueda), used to live into a home for sick and disabled children turns horrifically nightmarish when seven-year-old son, Simón (Roger Príncep), goes missing. (Seriously, when will people learn that living in giant, scary, old houses is a bad idea?) While doggedly investigating her child’s disappearance, Laura finds herself playing a ghostly game with dead children from her past. These perished playmates generate some tense, unseen jolts, while director Juan Antonio Bayona effectively doles out sightings of his creepy trump card, snuffling, bag-headed Tomás. The Orphanage is hampered by the same early, sluggish pace of many artful ghost stories, but once the chills are cranked up to high, you’ll forgive and forget that initial hesitance. (UGA Tate Theater)

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (R) Catfish filmmakers Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman return to helm the latest entry in horror’s lone surviving franchise heavyweight. Five years after killing her fiancé, sister and brother-in-law, Katie (Katie Featherston) and her nephew, Hunter (now known as Robbie), move to the neighborhood. New neighbors, Alice (Kathryn Newton) and her mom, soon start experiencing strange occurrences that one must assume are connected to the series’ only recurring character. Paranormal Activity 2 and 3 scripter Christopher Landon returns. (UGA Tate Theater)

THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER PG-13. Stephen Chbosky directs the adaptation of his 1999 book of the same name about a high school freshman dealing with isolation, new friends and a disturbed past. The book is one of the best realistic stories about less than golden high school experiences. (Ciné)

PITCH PERFECT (PG-13) Infectious is the best word to describe the a cappella college comedy Pitch Perfect. Barden University’s women's singing group, the Barden Bellas, need some fresh blood after a devastating loss in the national finals of collegiate, competitive a cappella. Freshman Beca (Anna Kendrick, delightful as ever even if her character is an overly pouty teen), Fat Amy (rising star Rebel Wilson) and several interchangeable coeds join seniors Aubrey (Anna Camp, “True Blood”) and Chloe (Brittany Snow, “American Dreams”) as they battle their way back to the top. In their way are Barden’s resident a cappella badboys, The Treblemakers, led by Bumper (Adam Devine of the devious “Workaholics”) and new guy/Beca’s love interest, Jesse (Skylar Astin). It’s understandable that many, many people, especially males, are going to see the “Glee”-ful previews or read the synopsis and instantly decide, “I’m out.” That rush to judgment will deprive them of a decidedly anti-“Glee” experience. The movie lacks any message stronger than a cappella is a lot of fun, and the comic ensemble, including John Michael Higgins and Elizabeth Banks, lend a spiteful, humorous edge to what could have just been a bland radio friendly hit.

PONYO (G) 2008. From Sept. 27 through Oct. 21, Ciné presents the Studio Ghibli Film Series, a retrospective that includes four of animation legend Hayao Miyazaki’s masterpieces. Beloved animator and Academy Award winner Miyazaki’s Ponyo will delight anyone willing to venture beyond Pixar, Ice Age, and Shrek. A young goldfish princess named Ponyo must save the world with the help of a young boy. Featuring an all-star voice cast including Cate Blanchett, Matt Damon, Liam Neeson, Tina Fey, Lily Tomlin, Cloris Leachman and Betty White. (Ciné)

PREMIUM RUSH (PG-13) A Manhattan bike messenger (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) picks up an envelope that puts him in the sights of a dirty cop (Michael Shannon). A citywide chase ensues. This team up of Gordon-Levitt and Shannon excites me more than the last De Niro-Pacino summit (Righteous Kill). Writer-director David Koepp has had loads more success on paper (he’s written some mega-hits like Jurassic Park and Spider-Man) than behind the camera (he’s directed The Trigger Effect, Stir of Echoes, Secret Window and Ghost Town). With Jamie Chung (The Hangover Part II).

THE ROOM (R) 2003. Tommy Wiseau returns in this unintentionally hilarious and sympathy-enducing cult classic. Part of Ciné's Bad Movie Night. (Ciné)

RUBY SPARKS (R) The directors of Little Miss Sunshine, Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, return with a fantastical romantic comedy about an author, Calvin (Paul Dano), who conjures the titular woman (screenwriter Zoe Kazan) out of thin air. Ruby ends up being Calvin’s one true love. But is it love if you can control the person’s every move, thought and emotion? With the underrated Chris Messina, Annette Bening, Antonio Banderas, Steve Coogan, Elliot Gould and “Arrested Development”’s Alia Shawkat. (Ciné)

THE SESSIONS (R) In this Special Jury Prize and Audience Award winner at Sundance, where it was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize, Mark, living in an iron lung, desires to lose his virginity so he hires a sex surrogate (Helen Hunt). William H. Macy plays Mark’s priest. Sixty-something writer-director Ben Lewin (“Ally McBeal”’s highest rated episode, “Let’s Dance”) based the film on the story of Berkeley-based poet-journalist Mark O’Brien. With Moon Bloodgood, Adam Arkin and Rhea Perlman.

• SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS (R) Martin McDonagh set the bar really high with his feature writing-directing debut, In Bruges. His sophomore effort, Seven Psychopaths, isn’t better than its excellent predecessor, but it does clear the bar. The exceedingly meta film begs to be described as Tarantino-esque. An Irish screenwriter named Marty (Colin Farrell) is working on a script called “Seven Psychopaths.” His psycho pal, Billy (Sam Rockwell), wants to give Marty all the inspirational help he can, so Billy and his oddball partner, Hans (Christopher Walken), kidnap the beloved Shih Tzu of another psychopath, gangster Charlie (Woody Harrelson, who replaced Mickey Rourke, maybe to the film’s benefit). Somehow, they all wind up in the desert for the climactic shootout of which Billy’s always dreamed. This movie is extremely violent, extremely bloody and extremely funny. Rockwell and Harrelson have a ball, and Walken hasn’t been this successfully quixotic in years. Also, Tom Waits shows up as another psycho who carries around his pet rabbit, which is okay by me. Everything may not work, but so much does that the faults don’t matter. McDonagh remains one of the most exciting filmmakers to watch; I hope we don’t have to wait four years for his third film.

SHAUN OF THE DEAD (R) 2004. This Britromzomcom (British romantic zombie comedy) treads well-worn territory, though in shoes that fit the film quite snugly. Creators Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright, who love their zombies and know them well, have created a well-balanced diet of guffaws, gore, and pop culture references that succeeds on every level to which it strives. Helping the filmmakers on their merry way is breakout star Nick Frost, who takes Shaun’s one-dimensional party animal friend Ed and embues him with pathos amidst all the blood and fart jokes. Equally important is the ever-present buckets of blood and guts. Whether you’re looking to laugh, cry, or vomit, Shaun of the Dead has something for everyone. (UGA Tate Theater)

• SINISTER (R) Sinister, the new film from Scott Derrickson (I really liked his The Exorcism of Emily Rose and don’t hate his rather boring remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still), is my favorite theatrical horror experience since The Strangers. Ethan Hawke intensely stars as true crime novelist Ellison Oswalt, who has moved his family—pretty wife, tween son, young daughter—into the murder house for the latest crime he is investigating. What he discovers is much deadlier and more demony than he could have imagined. Sinister utilizes found footage—Ellison finds a box of home movies in the attic of his new home—more uniquely than any of the glut of the latest (fading?) horror fad. These little short snuff films and Ellison’s drunk, terrified reactions supply some of the movie’s scariest moments, and Derrickson shows a lot of ingenuity in how he subtly shows the grisly kills. Extra points for James Ransone (HBO’s “Generation Kill” and “Treme”) as the not-as-dumb-a-deputy-as-he-seems comic relief. Released amid a lot of buzz in the horror community, this terrific October chiller delivers.

SLEEPWALK WITH ME (NR) Standup comic Mike Birbiglia cowrote, codirected and starred in this comedy about life as a sleepwalking standup comic whose career and relationship are stuck in neutral. The trailer is one of the best I’ve recently seen at Ciné. “This American Life” fans take note that the popular radio show and this film share producers. Winner of the Best of Next! Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival and the Writer/Director Award at the Nantucket Film Festival. With Lauren Ambrose (“Six Feet Under”) and James Rebhorn. (Ciné)

TAKEN 2 (PG-13) Most movies fail to encapsulate the description “unnecessary sequel” as perfectly as Taken 2. (I wish it had had some silly subtitle like Taken 2: Takenier, but alas.) As a consequence of the violent methods he employed to retrieve his kidnapped daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace), in the first movie, retired CIA operative Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson), must face off against the Albanian dad (played by go-to Eastern European baddie Rade Serbedzija) of one of the sex traffickers he killed during his rescue mission. Once Bryan get himself and Kim to safety, he must go after some more Albanians and save his estranged wife, Lenore (Famke Janssen). The scenery—Bryan must clean the Eurotrash from the bazaars of Istanbul as opposed to the streets of Paris—isn’t the only thing that’s changed. While writer-producer Luc Besson returns, he replaces Taken director Pierre Morel with Transporter 3’s Olivier Megaton. Unfortunately, that substitution brings with it action choreography/cinematography that is far less comprehensible. Add a far too slow opening act to the jumbled action and Taken 2 falls far below the bar set by its surprise success of a predecessor.

TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE (PG-13) You’ll have no Trouble with the Curve so long as old man jokes, spryly delivered by a grouchier than usual Clint Eastwood, can keep you entertained for two hours. As aging baseball scout Gus Lobel, Eastwood seems to be workshopping a new stand-up routine (after his speech at the Republican National Convention, who knows?). He constantly mutters one-liners to himself, be he alone or sharing a scene with one of the movie’s terrific supporting actors, including Amy Adams, Justin Timberlake, John Goodman, or the gaggle of familiar old faces that play Gus’ scouting rivals. When the script asks him to act, Eastwood can still make any movie fan’s day. Adams and Timberlake bring some refreshing youth to this rather aged dramedy. Director Robert Lorenz hasn’t learned as much from his longtime collaborator as you'd like (he’s been Eastwood’s assistant director since 1995’s The Bridges of Madison County and producer since 2002’s Blood Work); writer Randy Brown’s Mitch Albom-y script doesn’t help. Fortunately, the capable bunch of on-camera talent, led by Hollywood’s elder statesman, should please the hometown crowds wishing to play a game of “Spot the Shots of Athens.”

UNFINISHED SPACES (NR) The UGA College of Environment and Design presents the story of three architects who return to Cuba 40 years later to finish the ambitious National Arts Schools project. Benjamin Murray and Alysa Nahmias’ documentary also captures some intimate footage of Fidel Castro. The film placed second in the Dox Competiton at the Miami Film Festival. The screening, held in conjunction with the Southeast Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians (SESAH) conference, is free for participants with registered conference badges. (Ciné)

V/H/S (R) The well-conceived, highly anticipated horror anthology from a cadre of directors including rising genre star Ti West (The House of the Devil) and UGA grad David Bruckner (The Signal) bests 90 percent of the genre crap to which fans are regularly subjected. A gang breaks into an old man’s house to steal a rare videotape and disappear, one by one, after watching other tapes in the gentleman’s collection. Unfortunately, V/H/S is frontloaded. Bruckner and West’s entries—“Amateur Night” and “Second Honeymoon”—are the first two stories, and they are easily the most satisfying and most terrifying. Glenn McQuaid’s forest-set “Tuesday the 17th” can’t erase the taped memories of the best Friday the 13th. Joe Swanberg’s evocatively titled “The Sick Thing That Happened to Emily When She Was Younger” does better in its Paranormal Activity-via-Skype setup than its hazy conclusion. The final entry, Internet collective Radio Silence’s “10/31/98,” is a winner but not a strong enough anchor. Fortunately, Adam Wingard’s framing device, “Tape 56,” terrifyingly strings the tapes together. All criticisms aside, I’d rather watch a second V/H/S than regularly, widely released horror dreck like House at the End of the Street or The Possession. (Ciné)