THEATERS
Cinemark Denton 2825 Wind River Lane off I-35E. 940-535-2654. www.cinemark.com .
Movie Tavern 916 W. University Drive. 940-566-FILM (3456). www.movietavern.com .
Carmike Hickory Creek 16 8380 S. I-35E, Hickory Creek. 940-321-2788. www.carmike.com .
Silver Cinemas Inside Golden Triangle Mall, 2201 S. I-35E. 940-387-1957. www.silvercinemasinc.com .
OPENING FRIDAY
Alive Inside — Documentarian Michael Rossato-Bennett follows Dan Cohen, of the organization Music and Memory, as he plays music for elderly patients, most with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Their surprising responses provide the film’s both uplifting and depressing peaks. Along the way, the director interviews various experts on these promising experiments. Not rated, 78 minutes. At the Angelika Film Center in Dallas. — Boo Allen
If I Stay — After a car accident leaves her caught between life and death, a young woman must choose her fate in this adaptation of Gayle Forman’s young-adult novel. With Chloe Grace Moretz, Mireille Enos and Jamie Blackley. Rated PG-13, 107 minutes. — Los Angeles Times
Island of Lemurs: Madagascar — David Douglas directed this IMAX production narrated by Morgan Freeman. Douglas follows researcher Patricia Wright as she travels to the island of Madagascar, off the coast of Africa. Only there have lemurs lived forever, but now their habitat is threatened by human activities. The fascinating creatures and the nature footage come alive on the IMAX screen. Rated G, 39 minutes. At regional theaters. — B.A.
Sin City: A Dame to Kill — For Hard-boiled vigilantes, femmes fatales and assorted lowlifes cross paths in this sequel to the 2005 film Sin City. With Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, Josh Brolin and Powers Boothe. Written by Frank Miller. Directed by Miller and Robert Rodriguez. Rated R, 102 minutes. — LAT
When the Game Stands — Tall A football coach takes his high-school football team from obscurity to a record-shattering 151-game winning streak. With Jim Caviezel, Michael Chiklis and Alexander Ludwig. Directed by Thomas Carter. Rated PG, 114 minutes. — LAT
NOW PLAYING
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes — Matt Reeves (Cloverfield) delivers a thematically and textually dark follow-up to 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Outside a bleak and barely recognizable San Francisco, apes thrive, led by Caesar (Andy Serkis). Humans (including Jason Clarke and Keri Russell) encroach, setting off the inevitable conflict. Good mix of effects, imaging and atmospherics. Rated PG-13, 130 minutes. — B.A.
Earth to Echo — Earth to Echo would love to be the E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial for the 21st century. The lack of interesting characters and a patchwork plot leave Earth to Echo more of a Cloverfield for kids. Alex (Teo Halm), Tuck (Astro) and Munch (Reese Hartwig) are three friends who follow some weird electronic signals that show up mysteriously on their cellphones. Rated PG, 100 minutes. — The Fresno Bee
The Expendables 3 — The mercenary team known as the Expendables face off against a former member who went rogue and was thought to be dead. With Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Antonio Banderas and Jet Li. Directed by Patrick Hughes. Rated PG-13, 103 minutes. — LAT
The Giver — Director Philip Noyce takes Lois Lowry’s popular young adult novel and renders a fairly mature offering. In a futuristic society devoid of emotion, a young man (Brenton Thwaites) discovers from the Giver (Jeff Bridges) that feelings can be good things. Meryl Streep plays the evil Chief Elder who keeps everyone in line. Rated PG-13, 94 minutes. — B.A.
Guardians of the Galaxy — This 3-D space opera is Marvel’s most irreverent film yet, and has a welcome, slightly self-mocking tone. The problem with Guardians of the Galaxy, directed by James Gunn (Super), is the weakness of the comedy it wears so proudly. Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) is a Han Solo-like scavenger who stumbles across a silver orb also sought by some evil forces: Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace) and his boss, Thanos (Josh Brolin). The resulting scrum for the orb introduces several more seekers: the green-skinned Gamora (Zoe Saldana), the hulking Drax (Dave Bautista), a sardonic raccoon named Rocket (Bradley Cooper) and a talking tree called Groot (Vin Diesel). Rated PG-13, 121 minutes. — The Associated Press
The Hundred-Foot Journey — Adaptation of Richard Morais’ novel about an Indian family opening a restaurant in a French village. Besides the always delightful Helen Mirren and the entertaining Indian actor Om Puri, it has the absurdly good-looking couple of Manish Dayal, as a gifted young Indian chef, and Charlotte Le Bon, as the gorgeous sous-chef who teaches him the joys of haute cuisine (and not much more — this is a PG-rated movie). Rated PG, 122 minutes. — AP
Into the Storm — A town is ravaged by deadly tornadoes while storm chasers try to obtain a once-in-a-lifetime shot in this found-footage-style thriller. With Richard Armitage, Sarah Wayne Callies and Matt Walsh. Rated PG-13, 89 minutes. — LAT
Let’s Be Cops — Two rudderless friends dress as police officers for a costume party and enjoy their newfound authority, then get mixed up with real mobsters and dirty detectives. With Damon Wayans Jr., Jake Johnson, Rob Riggle and Nina Dobrev. Directed by Luke Greenfield. Rated R, 104 minutes. — LAT
Lucy — Lucy (Scarlett Johansson), a student of some sort living in Taiwan, and a few other unfortunates are forced to become drug mules. Roughed up by thugs, Lucy suffers blows to the abdomen, and the drug starts leaking into her system — enhancing her brain capacity and leaving her with only 24 hours to live. She heads to Paris to meet Professor Norman, an expert on cerebral capacity (Morgan Freeman), and simultaneously, she’s trying to recover all the drug packets, with the help of a police detective (Amr Waked). Directed by Luc Besson. — AP
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles — Like the first Transformers, this overinflated attempt to introduce the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arguably exceeds low expectations. The movie sticks fairly closely to its original comic book vision, and as fully realized flesh-and-blood CG characters, the turtles are impressive and almost always convincing. Leo, Raf, Michelangelo and Donatello are the result of a science experiment, trained in the sewer by their rat sensei, Master Splinter. The end of the movie is particularly frustrating, as the spectacle overwhelms the story. With Megan Fox, Will Arnett and William Fichtner. Directed by Jonathan Liebesman. Rated PG-13, 101 minutes. — San Francisco Chronicle
