In Theaters “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2,” written by Melissa Rosenberg (screenplay) and Stephenie Meyer (novel), directed by Bill Condon, 115 minutes, rated PG-13. After three disappointing follow-ups to Catherine Hardwicke’s adaptation of Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight,” the series finally regains its footing with its final installment, “Breaking ...

In Theaters “Fun Size,” written by Max Werner, directed by Josh Schwartz, 90 minutes, rated PG-13. It’s hard to tell if “Fun Size,” the latest film from Paramount’s Nickelodeon branch, is intended for children, teenagers, or if it’s just really uncertain as to what its demographic is. Josh Schwartz’s film ...

While the theme for the second annual Maine LGBT Film Festival is “Sharing the Stories,” last year’s theme also rings true for the quality and scope of this year’s festival: “It Gets Better.” While the inaugural LGBT film fest took a cue from Dan Savage’s popular YouTube videos, this year’s ...

In Theaters “Frankenweenie,” written by Leonard Ripps (based on screenplay by), Tim Burton (based on an original idea by) and John August (screenplay), directed by Burton, 87 minutes, rated PG. In 1984, before Tim Burton made “Edward Scissorhands,” “Ed Wood,” “Sleepy Hollow,” or any number of Johnny Depp movies, he ...

In Theaters “Arbitrage,” written and directed by Nicholas Jarecki, 107 minutes, rated R. Appearance is the name of the game in “Arbitrage,” a financial thriller from Nicholas Jarecki that also serves as a character study of a hedge fund mogul whose deceptions, both personally and professionally, become so deep that ...

In Theaters “House at the End of the Street,” written by David Loucka and Jonathan Mostow (story), directed by Mark Tonderai, 101 minutes, rated PG-13. Jennifer Lawrence has been nominated for an Academy Award for her performance in “Winter’s Bone.” She’s been an indie sensation in Drake Doremus’s “Like Crazy,” ...

Out on Blu-ray and DVD this week is “Cabin in the Woods,” a genre-bending horror flick from “Buffy” regular Drew Goddard and producer Joss Whedon. For years and years, filmmakers have been trying to create a horror parody that works, and for the most part, they’ve come up empty. Here, ...

In Theaters “The Cold Light of Day,” written by Scott Wiper and John Petro, directed by Mabrouk El Mechri, 93 minutes, rated PG-13. By June 2013, everyone in the world will be talking about Henry Cavill, who was cast as Superman in the upcoming reboot by Zack Snyder. He’ll grace ...

In Theaters “The Possession,” written by Juliet Snowden and Stiles White, directed by Ole Bornedal, 92 minutes, rated PG-13. Since 1973, Hollywood and outlying straight-to-video companies have been putting out the same story of demonic possession over and over again with only a few exceptions. They can’t seem to step ...

In Theaters “Lawless,” written by Nick Cave and Matt Bondurant (novel), directed by John Hillcoat, 115 minutes, rated R. There are depression-era criminals who have gone down in history as legends, known for their larger-than-life personalities, luxurious lifestyles and daring acts of defiance. Al Capone, Pretty Boy Floyd, Baby Face ...

In Theaters “Premium Rush,” written by David Koepp and John Kamps, directed by Koepp, 91 minutes, rated PG-13. The title “Premium Rush” should give you a pretty good indication of what to expect: something fast, and something stupid. David Koepp’s latest lives up to those expectations. But when you look ...

In Theaters “ParaNorman,” written by Chris Butler, directed by Butler and Sam Fell, 93 minutes, rated PG. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: The zombie subgenre is, sadly, a trend suffering from oversaturation in media. A majority of the zombie stories released today – on film, television ...

In Theaters “Safety Not Guaranteed,” written by Derek Connolly, directed Colin Trevorrow, 86 minutes, rated R. The movie practically writes itself: “WANTED: Someone to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. You’ll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. I have only ...

In Theaters “The Bourne Legacy,” written by Tony Gilroy, Dan Gilroy, and Robert Ludlum (Bourne series, inspiration), directed by Tony Gilroy, 135 minutes, rated PG-13. Director Tony Gilroy is not Paul Greengrass. Jeremy Renner is not Matt Damon. And Jason Bourne is not walking through that door. “The Bourne Legacy” ...

In Theaters “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” written by Lucy Alibar and Benh Zeitlin, directed by Zeitlin, 93 minutes, rated PG-13. Now playing at Railroad Square Cinema in Waterville. The universe is a big place, and it’s particularly overwhelming through the eyes of a 6-year-old. This is where Benh Zeilin’s ...

In Theaters “Total Recall,” written by Kurt Wimmer, Mark Bomback, Ronald Shusett (screen story), Dan O’Bannon (screen story), Jon Povill (screen story), Kurt Wimmer (screen story), and Philip K. Dick (short story), directed by Len Wiseman, 121 minutes, rated PG-13. In 1990, Paul Verhoeven broke cinematic barriers with the appearance ...

In theaters “Sleepless Night,” written by Frederic Jardin, Nicolas Saada (scenario) and Olivier Douyere (adaptation and dialogue), directed by Jardin, 98 minutes. When it comes to action-thrillers, more often than not the characters are the leafy greens you’re forced to chew on in between bites of chocolate lava cake aka ...

“The Avengers,” written by Zak Penn and Joss Whedon, directed by Whedon, 143 minutes, rated PG-13. I’ll be the first to admit that I was an “Avengers” doubter, right up until days before its release. I had high hopes, of course, because Joss Whedon was behind it, and quite frankly, ...

In theaters “The Artist,” written and directed by Michel Hazanavicius, 100 minutes, rated PG-13. In the always-evolving and opportunistic world of Hollywood, it can be difficult to gauge which cinematic innovations are genuine advancements in the medium, and which are merely gimmicks intended to dig into consumers’ wallets. Writer-director Michel ...

2012 Oscar Predictions: Best Picture “The Artist” “The Descendants” “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” “The Help” “Hugo” “Midnight in Paris” “Moneyball” “The Tree of Life” “War Horse” My Prediction: “The Artist” Best Director Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris” Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist” Terrence Malick, “The Tree of Life” Alexander Payne, ...