The Dark Knight HHH—It’s difficult to separate the movie from its mystique. Even under ordinary circumstances, “The Dark Knight” would have been one of the most hotly awaited movies of the summer blockbuster season. The loss of Heath Ledger to an accidental prescription-drug overdose in January has amplified the buzz around the film—and his crazed performance as the Joker—to extraordinary levels. Nothing could possibly satisfy that kind of expectation. This comes pretty close. Christopher Nolan’s film is indeed an epic that will leave you staggering from the theater, stunned by its scope and complexity. It’s also, thankfully, a vast improvement over his self-serious origin story, 2005’s “Batman Begins.” Ambitious, explosive set pieces share screen time with meaty debates about good vs. evil and the nature of, and need for, a hero. Batman (Christian Bale) has been that guy. Now, he’s not so sure he should be anymore. He’s protected Gotham fiercely but the new district attorney, Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), seems to be putting a dent in organized crime with help from Lt. Gordon (Gary Oldman). Then the Joker arrives to send the city into chaos—and Nolan was wise enough to give Ledger plenty of room to shine, albeit in the actor’s indelibly perverse, twisted way. There’s nothing cartoony about his Joker. Ledger wrested the role from previous performers Cesar Romero and Jack Nicholson and reinvented it completely. PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and some menace. 152 min.—Christy Lemire



Hellboy II: The Golden Army HHH—Words don’t really do justice in attempting to describe the wondrous array of misfits and monsters Guillermo del Toro has concocted here. Truly, his is a world you have to experience for yourself to appreciate fully—if you dare, that is. In following up the original “Hellboy” from 2004 and his Oscar-winning 2006 masterpiece “Pan’s Labyrinth,” the director has outdone himself in both absurd humor and wild imagination. At times, there’s almost too much to take in all at once—everything from hulking trolls with thick tusks to tiny tooth fairies that look delicate but actually delight in feasting on human bones. The visuals are the star, of course. But the sequel, which del Toro scripted from a story he co-wrote with “Hellboy” comic book creator Mike Mignola, wouldn’t be nearly as much fun without Ron Perlman returning as its wisecracking, beer-guzzling, kitten-nuzzling hero. Not only does Perlman completely get del Toro’s twisted sense of humor, he thrives on it. As the film’s title character, who grows from boy-devil to man-devil to reluctant, noir-style crime fighter, Perlman shows not just perfect comic timing but also an irresistible ability to laugh at himself. This time, Hellboy and the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense must stop a power-hungry, underground prince (Luke Goss) from awakening a dormant army of indestructible golden soldiers. PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and some language. 110 min.—Christy Lemire



Journey to the Center of the Earth HH1/2—The three-dimensional digital imagery used in Brendan Fraser’s subterranean adventure nearly defies Hollywood wisdom that no technological innovation can ever turn a bad movie into a good one. In 2-D, as it will play at most theaters for lack of sufficient cinemas equipped to project digital 3-D, the movie probably will come off as a lame bit of hokum that’s less a story than a theme-park ride. With crisp images and depth that make you feel you could reach out and stick your hand into the middle of the action, the movie projected in digital 3-D form actually makes that theme-park ride kind of fun. Fraser, Josh Hutcherson as his nephew and Anita Briem as an Icelandic guide star as a threesome that heads down below after discovering Jules Verne’s classic sci-fi novel might be based on an actual trip to the Earth’s center. While there are gimmicky shots, director Eric Brevig restrains the impulse to use the technology for too many cheap jolts. Generally, the 3-D images are fashioned to make fans feel as though they’re sitting inside the movie rather than being assaulted by moving objects within it. PG for intense adventure action and some scary moments. 93 min.—David Germain



Meet Dave H1/2—Meet Dave. Or don’t. Eddie Murphy doesn’t particularly seem to care one way or the other. Essentially phoning in the broad, family friendly shtick that has become his trademark over the past decade, Murphy stars as both a human-sized spaceship that has landed on Earth and its itty-bitty captain, who’s at the controls from inside the head. It’s a high-concept premise from screenwriters Rob Greenberg (“Frasier”) and Bill Corbett (“Mystery Science Theater 3000”), but the execution is mostly lowbrow. Director Brian Robbins, whose “Norbit” with Murphy last year looks like a bold slice of comic genius by comparison, runs through a variety of bland fish-out-of-water scenarios in workmanlike fashion. (And let’s not forget that for all of eternity, we can refer to it as the Oscar-nominated “Norbit,” since it was recognized for its complex makeup.) Dave, as the spaceship awkwardly names himself once he figures out how to speak, must navigate the streets of New York as part of his plan to drain Earth of all its water and bring the salt back to his own planet. This requires him to hail cabs, go clothes shopping (in what amounts to a shameless ad for Old Navy) and eventually enter a hot-dog eating contest—which leads to the obligatory bathroom gag afterward. Ed Helms, Gabrielle Union and Kevin Hart co-star as some of the tiny beings who help run the ship. PG for bawdy and suggestive humor, action and some language. 90 min.—Christy Lemire



—The Associated Press



GET SMART HH—Steve Carell seems lost in this perfunctory remake of the ‘60s sitcom. Anne Hathaway and Dwayne Johnson also star in this paint-by-numbers espionage farce. 1 hr. 50 PG-13 (rude humor, violence)—David Hiltbrand



HANCOCK HHH1/2—Will Smith stars as a problem-plagued, screw-up superhero in this dark, funny, rollicking tale of rehabilitation, redemption and really cool special effects. With Jason Bateman and an awesome Charlize Theron. 1 hr. 33 PG-13 (profanity, violence, adult themes)—Steven Rea



WALL-E HHH—An adventurous shift away from the anthropomorphic madcappery of Pixar’s recent animated features, this 28th century tale about an old robot abandoned on Earth is part love story, part eco-cautionary tale, and, for its first half, pretty much entirely devoid of human dialogue. Lots of fun. 1 hr. 37 G (cartoon mayhem)—Steven Rea



WANTED HH1/2—James McAvoy is an office drone loser who gets caught up in a secret order of assassins—and gets mentored by the cool, tattooed Angelina Jolie—in this assaultive roller coaster of an action pic. It’d be more fun if the violence wasn’t so nasty, and if the script made sense. Still, visually, and viscerally, it’s pretty awesome. 1 hr. 50 R (violence, gore, profanity, sex, adult themes)—Steven Rea



—McClatchy Newspapers



RATINGS: 4 stars: Excellent; 3 stars: Good; 2 stars: Fair; 1 star: Poor