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Movies opening this weekend, still in theaters
Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars in "Looper."
Updated: October 1, 2012 9:53AM
OPENING FRIDAY
“Looper”
Rated: R for strong violence, language, some sexuality/nudity and drug content
Stars: Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emily Blunt
A hit man (Gordon-Levitt) winds up fighting a future version of himself (Willis) sent back by time-twisting gangsters. Rian Johnson (“Brick”) wrote and directed the sci-fi thriller.
“Pitch Perfect” ★★
Rated: PG-13 for sexual material, language and drug references
Stars: Anna Kendrick, Skylar Astin, Rebel Wilson
A hip music-loving college freshman (Kendrick) reluctantly becomes involved in an all-girl a cappella singing group headed for the national championship. Jason Moore (Broadway’s “Avenue Q”) directed the musical romantic comedy.
“Won’t Back Down”
Rated: PG for thematic elements and language
Stars: Maggie Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis
Two determined mothers (Gyllenhaal, Davis) attempt to transform their children’s failing inner-city school. Daniel Barnz (“Beastly”) co-wrote and directed the drama.
STILL PLAYING
“DREDD 3D” ★½
Rated: R for strong bloody violence, language, drug use and some sexual content
Stars: Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, Lena Headey
“Dredd 3D” reduces the action genre to little more than an orgy of over-the-top violence — a description that might give it too much credit for entertainment value. Karl Urban replaces Sylvester Stallone as the post-apocalyptic law-enforcement officer Judge Dredd (judge, jury and executioner all in one) based on the long-running UK comic strip. There’s little dialogue and less characterization as Dredd (and rookie Olivia Thirlby) fight their way up a 200-story vertical slum to take out a sadistic female drug lord (Headey). Lots and lots of exploding heads, skinned bodies and ultra-slo-mo bullet damage, though, as Dredd dispenses splattery justice.
“Trouble With The Curve” ★★½
Rated: PG-13 for language, sexual references, some thematic material and smoking
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams, Justin Timberlake
Straight down the middle with nothing especially tricky on the ball, “Trouble with the Curve” gets the job done as a feel-good, baseball-themed romantic family drama and as a late-innings vehicle for Eastwood an aging scout for the Braves. After decades in the game, old Gus’s (Eastwood) eyesight is failing him, so his estranged (yet baseball savvy) daughter (Adams) winds up joining him on his last road trip, just in time to jeopardize her chances at a law partnership and strike up a romance with young scout Timberlake. Longtime Eastwood producer and Park Ridge/Norridge native Rob Lorenz makes his directorial debut.
