Ratings by the Motion Picture Association of America are: (G) for general audiences; (PG) parental guidance urged because of material possibly unsuitable for children; (PG-13) parents are strongly cautioned to give guidance for attendance of children younger than 13; (R) restricted, younger than 17 admitted only with parent or adult guardian; (NC-17) no one younger than 17 admitted.
Ratings by the Motion Picture Association of America are: (G) for general audiences; (PG) parental guidance urged because of material possibly unsuitable for children; (PG-13) parents are strongly cautioned to give guidance for attendance of children younger than 13; (R) restricted, younger than 17 admitted only with parent or adult guardian; (NC-17) no one younger than 17 admitted.
Opening this week
“Beasts of the Southern Wild” — In an isolated Southern bayou town, an independent 6-year-old girl with a vivid imagination faces an ailing alcoholic father, a missing mother and a series of catastrophes. With Quvenzhane Wallis and Dwight Henry. Written by Lucy Alibar and Benh Zeitlin. Directed by Zeitlin. (1:31) PG-13.
“The Last Ride” — A dramatized account of the last days of country singer Hank Williams as he forms a friendship with a young man hired to drive him from Alabama to West Virginia and Ohio. With Henry Thomas, Jesse James, Fred Dalton Thomas and Kaley Cuoco. Written by Howard Klausner and Dub Cornett. Directed by Harry Thomason. (1:42) PG-13.
“Magic Mike” — An experienced male stripper takes a young dancer under his wing and teaches him the finer points of carousing, seducing women and making money. With Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Matthew McConaughey and Olivia Munn. Written by Reid Carolin. Directed by Steven Soderbergh. (1:50) R.
“The Matchmaker” — In Israel in 1968, a teenage boy goes to work for a matchmaker and also falls for his friend’s free-spirited cousin, who has just returned from the U.S. With Adir Miller, Maya Dagan and Tuval Shafir. Written and directed by Avi Nesher. In Hebrew with English subtitles. (1:52) NR.
“Neil Young Journeys” — This documentary chronicles Neil Young’s road trip last year from his hometown of Omemee, Ontario, to Toronto for the closing two nights of his world tour. Directed by Jonathan Demme. (1:27) PG.
“People Like Us” — When his estranged father dies unexpectedly, a fast-talking twentysomething salesman returns home to help put things in order and is shocked to discover he has an older sister he never knew about. With Chris Pine, Elizabeth Banks, Olivia Wilde and Michelle Pfeiffer. Written by Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Jody Lambert. Directed by Kurtzman. (1:55) PG-13.
“Ted” — A grown man has to put up with his ever-present teddy bear, who was brought to life by a childhood wish and remained by his side ever since. With Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Giovanni Ribisi and Joel McHale. Written by Seth MacFarlane, Alec Sulkin and Wellesley Wild. Directed by MacFarlane. (1:46) R.
“Turn Me On, Dammit” — In the Norwegian hinterlands, a teenage girl deals with raging hormones, small-town blues and social ostracism. With Helene Bergsholm, Malin Bjorhovde and Henriette Steenstrup. Written and directed by Jannicke Systad Jacobson. In Norwegian with English subtitles. (1:16) NR.
“Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Witness Protection” — After being set up as the fall guy for a mob-backed Ponzi scheme, a mild-mannered investment banker enters the federal witness protection program with his family and heads to the South. With Eugene Levy, Doris Roberts, Tom Arnold and Tyler Perry. Written and directed by Perry. (1:54) PG-13.
“Unforgivable” — Upon moving to Venice to work on his next novel, a successful author falls for and marries his real-estate agent, only to find himself plagued by writer’s block and creeping doubts about his new wife’s past. With Andre Dussollier, Carole Bouquet and Melanie Thierry. Written and directed by Andre Techine. In French with English subtitles. (1:52) NR.
Also in theaters
“Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” — This alternate-history tale imagines the secret life of the 16th president, who moonlights as a vampire hunter. With Benjamin Walker, Dominic Cooper, Anthony Mackie and Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Written by Seth Grahame-Smith and Simon Kinberg. Directed by Timur Bekmambetov. In 3-D. (1:45) R.
“The Avengers” — A team of superheroes including Iron Man, Captain America, the Hulk and Thor unite to save the world. With Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo and Chris Hemsworth. Written and directed by Joss Whedon. In Imax 3-D. (2:23) PG-13.
“Battleship” — Naval officers participate in a global effort to fight off invading aliens. With Taylor Kitsch, Brooklyn Decker, Alexander Skarsgard and Rihanna. Written by Jon Hoeber and Erich Hoeber. Directed by Peter Berg. (2:11) PG-13.
“Bernie” — In a town in rural Texas, a good-natured funeral director strikes up a friendship with a wealthy but cranky widower, and the townspeople are shocked when she is revealed to be dead and he is charged with her murder. With Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine and Matthew McConaughey. Written by Richard Linklater and Skip Hollandsworth. Directed by Linklater. (1:44) PG-13.
“The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” — A group of British retirees travel to India to spend their golden years at a newly restored hotel but find the accommodations to be less than palatial. With Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Dev Patel and Tom Wilkinson. Written by Ol Parker. Directed by John Madden. (2:02) PG-13.
“Brave” — Determined to follow her own path in life, a headstrong young princess defies an age-old tradition and unleashes chaos in her kingdom, which will require all her skills and resourcefulness to fix. With the voices of Kelly Macdonald, Emma Thompson, Billy Connolly and Julie Walters. Written by Mark Andrews, Steve Purcell, Brenda Chapman and Irene Mecchi. Directed by Andrews and Chapman. (1:36) PG.
“The Dictator” — A political strongman will stop at nothing to keep democracy out of his oppressed nation. With Sacha Baron Cohen, Anna Faris and John C. Reilly. Written by Baron Cohen, Alec Berg, David Mandel and Jeff Schaffer. Directed by Larry Charles. (1:23) R.
“The Hunger Games” — In the post-apocalyptic ruins of North America, a teenage girl competes in a nationally televised battle to the death against 23 of her peers. With Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth and Woody Harrelson. Written by Gary Ross, Suzanne Collins and Billy Ray. Directed by Ross. (2:22) PG-13.
“Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted” — In this animated film, a group of animals trying to return to their home in a New York zoo get waylaid in Europe, where they join a traveling circus. With the voices of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer and Jada Pinkett Smith. Written by Noah Baumbach. Directed by Eric Darnell, Conrad Vernon and Tom McGrath. (1:33) PG.
“Men in Black 3” — With his partner’s life and the fate of the planet at stake, a special agent travels back in time to set things right. With Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin and Jemaine Clement. Written by Etan Cohen. Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld. In 3-D. (1:45) PG-13.
“Prometheus” — While investigating a clue to the origin of mankind on Earth, a team of space explorers become embroiled in a battle to save the human race. With Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Idris Elba and Logan Marshall-Green. Written by Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof. Directed by Ridley Scott. In 3-D. (2:07) R.
Los Angeles Times