At the theaters

New at the theaters

'Babel'

Starring Cate Blanchett, Brad Pitt, Gael Garcia Bernal, Mahima Chaudhry, Shilpa Shetty and Koji Yakusho. Two Moroccan boys set out to look after their family's herd of goats, but when one of them tests his stolen rifle, the bullet finds an unintended target. In an instant, the lives of four separate groups of strangers on three different continents collide. Caught up in an accident that escalates beyond anyone's control are a vacationing American couple, a rebellious deaf Japanese teenager and her father and a Mexican nanny who, without permission, takes two American children across the border. Rated R for violence, some graphic nudity, sexual content, language and some drug use, running time 142 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'The Hitcher'

Starring Sean Bean, Sophia Bush, Zachary Knighton and Neal McDonough. While driving across the desert, Jim and Grace stop by the side of the road to pick up a hitchhiker -- who turns out to be a murderous psychopath. While the couple quickly ditches their would-be assassin, the maniacal killer follows them along the dusty backroads and they engage in a nasty game of cat-and-mouse. Rated R for strong bloody violence, terror and language, running time 90 minutes. (Town Plaza Cinema)

'The Queen'

Starring Helen Mirren, Michael Sheen, James Cromwell, Sylvia Syms, Alex Jennings and Roger Allam. When news of the death of Princess Diana reaches the British public, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II retreats behind the walls of Balmoral Castle with her family, unable to comprehend the public response to the tragedy. For Tony Blair, the popular and newly elected prime minister, the people's need for reassurance and support from the royal family is palpable. As the unprecedented outpouring of emotion grows ever stronger, Blair must find a way to reconnect the queen with the British public. Rated PG-13 for brief strong language, running time 103 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

STILL PLAYING

'Blood Diamond'

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Connelly and Stephen Collins. In civil war-torn 1990s Sierra Leone, a South African mercenary and a Mende fisherman pursue a missing diamond. Rated R for strong violence and language, running time 138 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'Charlotte's Web'

Starring Dakota Fanning, Julia Roberts, Oprah Winfrey, Steve Buscemi, Kathy Bates and Thomas Haden Church. Fern can see that Wilbur is a special animal as she raises him, the runt of the litter, into a terrific pig. As Wilbur moves into a new barn, he begins a second friendship with the most unlikely of creatures, a spider named Charlotte, and their bond inspires the animals around them to come together as a family. When the word gets out that Wilbur's days are numbered, Charlotte begins writing messages in her web to save her friend's neck. Rated G, running time 98 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'Children of Men'

Starring Clive Owen, Julianne Moore and Michael Caine. Based on a P.D. James science-fiction novel, "Children of Men" is set in a futuristic dsytopia where humankind is on the brink of extinction and a sole pregnant woman holds the key to survival. A disillusioned bureaucrat and a woman from his past are tasked with shepherding the pregnant woman to a secret organization that's been researching how to restore fertility to the world's population. Rated R for strong violence, language, some drug use and brief nudity, running time 109 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'Curse of the Golden Flower'

Starring Yun-Fat Chow, Jay Chou and Gong Li. A king and queen attempt to maintain the balance of power between their royal family, including their three deceitful sons. Rated R for violence, running time 114 minutes. (Town Plaza Cinema)

'Dreamgirls'

Starring Jamie Foxx, Beyonce Knowles, Eddie Murphy and Danny Glover. Based on the Tony-winning Broadway musical, this '60s-era story follows three young singers -- Effie, Deena and Lorrell -- as they try to cross over to the pop charts. They're discovered at a talent competition by an ambitious manager, who offers them the opportunity to become the backup singers for headliner James "Thunder" Early. Rated PG-13 for language, some sexuality and drug content, running time 131 minutes. (Town Plaza Cinema)

'Eragon'

Starring Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich and Djimon Hounsou. Eragon is a young farm boy who finds a blue stone in the mountains. The stone turns out to be a dragon egg, and Eragon soon bonds with the dragon and discovers that he's one of the last Dragon Riders. Later, Eragon's family is killed by the marauding Ra'zac, and he must learn to fight before a war begins. Rated PG for fantasy violence, intense battle sequences and some frightening images, running time 99 minutes. (Town Plaza Cinema)

'Freedom Writers'

Starring Hilary Swank, Imelda Staunton and Patrick Dempsey. Tensions are at a boiling point in an inner-city school where racial violence -- black against Hispanic against white against Asian -- has turned the campus into a battleground. To help the students all get along, an idealistic young teacher encourages her students to keep personal journals so that they can then share their innermost feelings with each other in a peaceful way. Rated PG-13 for violent content, some thematic material and language, running time 132 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'The Good Shepherd'

Starring Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie, Joe Pesci, Keir Dullea, Alec Baldwin and Michael Gambon. Edward Wilson, a student at Yale, is recruited to join the secret society Skull and Bones, a brotherhood and breeding ground for future world leaders. Wilson's sincere belief in American values render him a prime candidate for a career in intelligence, and he is soon recruited to work for the OSS (the precursor to the CIA) during World War II. Rated R for some violence, sexuality and language, running time 168 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'Happy Feet'

Starring the voices of Nicole Kidman, Elijah Wood and Hugh Jackman. In the great nation of Emperor Penguins in Antarctica, you're nobody unless you can sing, which is bad news for Mumble, who is the worst singer in the world. But he sure can tap dance. Rated G, running time 108 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'Night at the Museum'

Starring Ricky Gervais, Mickey Rooney, Ben Stiller, Dick Van Dyke and Robin Williams. Larry Daley accepts what appears to be a menial job as a graveyard-shift security guard at a museum of natural history. During Larry's watch, extraordinary things begin to occur: Mayans, Roman gladiators and cowboys emerge from their diorama to wage epic battles; in his quest for fire, a caveman burns down his own display. Amid the chaos, the only person Larry can turn to for advice is a wax figure of President Teddy Roosevelt. Rated PG for mild action, language and brief rude humor, running time 108 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'Primeval'

Starring Brooke Langton, Gideon Emery, Orlando Jones and Dominic Purcell. A brave American news team, including TV producer Tim Freeman and cameraman Steven Johnson, journey into the wilds of South Africa to capture on video the world's most notorious serial killer, who has taken over 300 lives. As the newsmen travel ever deeper into unknown territory, their trip becomes a deadly trap that they can't escape. Rated R for strong graphic violence, brutality, terror and language, running time 115 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'The Pursuit of Happyness'

Starring Will Smith, Dan Castellaneta, Thandie Newton and Jaden Smith. Based on the life of Chris Gardner, a self-made millionaire, this drama stars Will Smith as a man who finds himself jobless and homeless at age 30, living in a San Francisco train station with his infant son. Determined to beat the odds, he finds work as a trainee at a brokerage firm and climbs the corporate ladder. Rated PG-13 for some language, running time 118 minutes. (Town Plaza Cinema)

'Rocky Balboa'

Starring Sylvester Stallone, Antonio Tarver and Burt Young. Sylvester Stallone returns for a sixth time as Rocky Balboa, the tough-as-nails Philadelphia boxing champ. In this installment of the sports saga, the 54-year-old Balboa is lured out of retirement for one final fight when a computer simulation claims he could beat the current champ, Mason "the Line" Dixon. Rated PG for boxing violence and some language, running time 102 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'Stomp the Yard'

Starring Columbus Short, Meagan Good and Laz Alonso. An expert street dancer heads to Georgia to attend college, but there's this step-dancing competition that gets in the way of his studies and his love life. Rated PG-13 for a scene of violence, some sexual material and language, running time 95 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'We are Marshall'

Starring Matthew McConaughey, David Strathairn and Matthew Fox. After a plane crash claims the lives of 75 members of the Marshall University football team and its coaching staff, young coach Jack Lengyel and his assistant try to keep the program going, despite the emotional weight of the accident and the concerns of the community. Rated R for some violence, sexuality and language, running time 127 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

-- From staff reports