Mountain Movie Review
Epic Movie

(Rated PG-13)

Four not-so-young orphans- one raised by a curator at the Louvre (where an albino assassin lurks), another a refugee from Mexican "libre" wrestling, the third a recent victim of snakes on her plane, and the fourth a "normal" resident of a mutant "X" community- visit a chocolate factory, where they stumble into an enchanted wardrobe that transports them to the land of Gnarnia (with a "G").

There they meet a flamboyant pirate captain and earnest students of wizardry- and join forces with, among others, a wise-but-horny lion to defeat the evil White Bitch of Gnarnia.

Night at the Museum

(Rated PG)

Good-hearted dreamer Larry Daley (Ben Stiller), despite being perpetually down on his luck, thinks he's destined for something big. But even he could never have imagined how "big," when he accepts what appears to be a menial job as a graveyard-shift night watchman at a museum of natural history.

But during Larry's watch, something extraordinary happens: the museum's exhibits magically come to life. A fearsome T-Rex insists on a game of fetch (with one of his own skeleton bones); Mayans, Roman Gladiators, and cowboys emerge from their diorama to wage epic battles; and a wax figure of Teddy Roosevelt gives Larry important advice while harboring a crush for an Indian princess. As things spiral wildly out of control, Larry must find a way to control the magic to stop a nefarious plot and save the museum. Based upon the novel by Milan Trenc.

Dreamgirls

(Rated PG-13)

Effie White, Deena Jones, and Lorrell Robinson - three friends from Chicago - are a promising singing trio called The Dreamettes. Accompanied by their songwriter C.C. White (Effie's brother), they travel to New York to compete in a talent show at the Apollo Theatre. Although the girls lose this first bid for fame, their talent attracts an ambitious manager by the name of Curtis Taylor, Jr., who uses unscrupulous tactics to move the girls from backup singers of superstar James "Thunder" Early to superstars of their own. Curtis reshapes the group to "crossover" from R & B to the lucrative pop music scene. Lead singer Effie gets replaced by the more attractive Deena and is eventually dropped from the trio. The group evolves into a more sophisticated group, The Dreams, with a lighter sound and chic look. They successfully attract a "whiter" audience and The Dreams rise to international stardom. The money, fame, and adulation, however, doesn't bring them happiness.

The Hitcher

(Rated R)

Grace Andrews and Jim Halsey, a collegiate couple, are tormented by a mysterious hitchhiker John Ryder, a.k.a. The Hitcher. The young couple hits the road in a 1970 Oldsmobile 442, en route to spring break. But, their pleasure trip soon turns into a waking nightmare. The initial encounters with Ryder are increasingly off-putting for Grace and Jim, and they bravely fight back when he ambushes them. But they are truly blindsided when he implicates them in a horrific slaying and continues to shadow them. The open road becomes a suspenseful, actionpacked battleground of blood and metal as, in trying to elude not only Ryder but also New Mexico State Police Lieutenant Esteridge's officers, Grace and Jim must fight for their lives and face their fears head-on.

Freedom Writers

(Rated PG-13)

Based on a true story, the film tells of high school English teacher Erin Gruwell, a young California woman who requests to be sent to a Long Beach school where she is determined to better the lives of students the education system feels are unteachable. It seems impossible to get through their defiance until she comes up with the idea of having them keep a daily journal. Once they are able to express their inner torment, she begins to understand their situation and they begin to open up to her.

Hampered by a vice-principle who won't even give the class books, Erin takes on two extra jobs in order to pay for teaching materials. Time spent with the class begins to erode her marriage, but she is determined to help these teens get out of their nightmare existence.