OPENING FRIDAY
“ADMISSION” — Tina Fey stars as a Princeton University admissions officer who runs into an old classmate (Paul Rudd) with a gifted kid — the same boy she put up for adoption years earlier —in this comedy. Also starring Nat Wolff, Lily Tomlin, Gloria Reuben and Wallace Shawn. Directed by Paul Weitz. (PG-13 for language and some sexual material.)
“THE CROODS” (3-D and digital) — In this animated adventure-comedy, the world’s very first prehistoric family goes on a road trip to an uncharted and fantastical world when the cave that has always shielded them from danger is destroyed. With the voices of Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Cloris Leachman and Catherine Keener. Written and directed by Chris Sanders and Kirk De Micco. (PG for some scary action.)
“OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN” — In the midst of a terrorist attack on Washington, D.C., a disgraced former presidential guard (Gerard Butler) is the only person who can save the life of the president (Aaron Eckhart). Also starring Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett, Melissa Leo, Rick Yune and Radha Mitchell. Directed by Antoine Fuqua. (R for strong violence and language throughout.)
“WEST OF MEMPHIS” — A documentary about the West Memphis Three, a group of teenagers convicted of murdering three 8-year-old boys in Arkansas in 1993 in a controversial trial, prompting a grass-roots campaign to free them and culminating in their release in 2011. Directed and co-written by Amy Berg. (R for disturbing violent content and some language.)
AT THE ORION
• “Olympus Has Fallen”
• “Oz: The Great and Powerful”
• “A Good Day to Die Hard”
HELD OVER
“21 AND OVER” — When a straight-A college student’s two best friends take him out for his 21st birthday on the night before an important medical school interview, what was supposed to be a quick beer becomes a night of humiliation, overindulgence and debauchery. Starring Miles Teller, Justin Chon and Jonathan Keltz. Directed by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. (R for crude and sexual content, pervasive language, some graphic nudity, drugs and drinking.)
“THE CALL” — Halle Berry plays a dedicated 911 operator trying to locate and save a kidnapped teen who calls 911 from the trunk of a car. Also starring Abigail Breslin and Evie Thompson. Directed by Brad Anderson. (R for violence, disturbing content and some language.)
“DARK SKIES” (digital) — Keri Russell and Josh Hamilton portray a couple who attract the interest of a mysterious evil force in this horror thriller. Also starring Jake Brennan and J.K. Simmons. Written and directed by Scott Stewart. (PG-13 for violence, terror throughout, sexual material, drug content and language, all involving teens.)
“DEAD MAN DOWN” (digital) — Noomi Rapace plays a woman who plots revenge by seducing the partner of a mob boss who did her wrong. Also starring Colin Farrell, Terrence Howard and Dominic Cooper. Directed by Niels Arden Oplev. (R for violence, language throughout and a scene of sexuality.)
“ESCAPE FROM PLANET EARTH” (digital and 3-D) — Sarah Jessica Parker, Sofia Vergara, Jessica Alba, Brendan Fraser and Ricky Gervais provide the voices for this animated comedy about an astronaut who answers a distress call hailing from a highly dangerous planet. Directed by Cal Brunker. (PG for action and some mile rude humor.)
“A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD” (digital) — Bruce Willis may be the last hope of the 1980s action-movie stars, and he’s going all out with this fifth installment of the smash franchise, in which John McClane travels to Russia to help out his seemingly wayward son, Jack, only to discover that Jack is a CIA operative working to prevent a nuclear-weapons heist. Also starring Jai Courtney and Sebastian Koch. Directed by John Moore. (R for violence and language.)
“HANSEL & GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS” — Having developed a taste for retribution at a young age and grown up as witch-hunting vigilantes, siblings Hansel and Gretel must reckon with their dark past. Staring Jeremy Renner, Gemma Arteron and Famke Jannson. Written and directed by Tommy Wirkola. (R for strong fantasy horror violence and gore, brief sexuality/nudity and language.)
“IDENTITY THIEF” — A mild-mannered businessman (Jason Bateman) goes on a road trip to find the woman (Melissa McCarthy) who has stolen his identity and wrecked his life in the process in this broad comedy. Also starring John Cho, Jon Favreau and Amanda Peet. Directed by Seth Gordon. (R for sexual content and language.)
“THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE” — Two famous Vegas magicians (Steve Carell and Steve Buscemi) are forced to up their act after a street performer (Jim Carrey) makes them look like amateurs. Also starring Olivia Wilde, James Gandolfini, Alan Arkin and Luke Vanek. Directed by Don Scardino. (PG-13 for sexual content, dangerous stunts, a drug-related incident and language.)
“JACK THE GIANT SLAYER” (3-D) — The ancient war between humans and a race of giants is reignited when Jack, a young farmhand fighting for a kingdom and the love of a princess, opens a gateway between the two worlds. Starring Nicholas Hoult, Stanley Tucci, Ian McShane and Ewan McGregor. Directed by Bryan Singer. (PG-13 for intense scenes of fantasy action violence, some frightening images and brief language.)
“OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL” (3-D and digital) — Sam Raimi directs this “Wizard of Oz” prequel, based on L. Frank Baum’s novel, about a small-time magician (James Franco) who is whisked away to a distant land where he has the power to become a great wizard. Also, flying monkeys. Also starring Michelle Williams, Rachel Weisz and Mila Kunis. (PG for sequences of action and scary images, and brief mild language.)
“PARENTAL GUIDANCE” — Billy Crystal co-wrote and stars in this comedy about a grandpa who resorts to “old school” methods when he’s stuck babysitting the grandkids. Also starring Bette Midler, Marisa Tomei, Tom Everett Scott and Bailee Madison. Directed by Andy Fickman. (PG for some rude humor.)
“SAFE HAVEN” — Another Valentine’s Day, another Nicholas Sparks adaptation. In this one, Julianne Hough stars as a woman who shares a dark secret with a widower (Josh Duhamel). Also starring Cobie Smulders. Directed by Lasse Hallstrom. (PG-13 for thematic material involving threatening behavior, and for violence and sexuality.)
“SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK” — David O. Russell directs this acclaimed comic drama about a former schoolteacher (Oscar nominee Bradley Cooper) who tries to move on with his life after a stint in a mental institution, and a mysterious girl (best actress Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence) who changes everything. Also starring Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver and Julia Stiles. (R for language and some sexual content/nudity.)
“SNITCH” — Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson stars as a father who goes undercover for the DEA to clear the name of his wrongfully accused son. Also starring Susan Sarandon, Jon Bernthal and Barry Pepper. Directed by Ric Roman Waugh. (PG-13 for drug content and sequences of violence.)
“WARM BODIES” — Zombies are played for laughs in this comedy about a flesh-eating teen (Nicholas Hoult) who starts to develop feelings — not hunger — for a girl (Teresa Palmer). Also starring John Malkovich. Directed by Jonathan Levine. (PG-13 for zombie violence and some language.)
— Yakima Herald-Republic