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The Escapist director Rupert Wyatt takes the helm for this Planet of the Apes prequel centering on genetically engineered chimp Caesar (Andy Serkis), who was created in a San Francisco lab by an ambitious scientist (James Franco), and who uses his powerful intellect to lead an ape uprising against all of humankind. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
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A young girl inadvertently unleashes a race of ancient monsters while exploring her father’s 19th century mansion in this horror remake written by Guillermo del Toro and Matthew Robbins, and directed by newcomer Troy Nixey. Introverted Sally Hurst (Bailee Madison) has just moved in with her father, Alex (Guy Pearce), and his girlfriend, Kim (Katie Holmes), when she realizes that their sprawling estate holds its fair share of secrets. Descending into the depths of the house, Sally gains access to a secret lower level that has lain undisturbed for nearly a century, when the original builder vanished without a trace. When Sally accidentally opens the gateway that kept the creatures locked up tight, she realizes that in order to prevent them from destroying her family she must convince her skeptical father that monsters really exist. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
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Vacationing college students fight a shiver of sharks after traveling to an island getaway and being surrounded by the ferocious man-eaters in this sun-soaked shocker from director David R. Ellis (Final Destination 2, Snakes on a Plane). The moment Sara (Sara Paxton) and her friends arrive at her parent’s Louisiana lake house, the party is in full gear. Everyone is swimming in the salt-water lake and having a blast until Malik (Sinqua Walls) loses his arm in what initially appears to be a tragic wake-boarding mishap. Determined to get him to the nearest hospital as quickly as possible, Malik’s friends fire up the speedboat and hit the water full throttle. It isn’t until they’re far from shore that the reality of the situation finally dawns on them — the lake is teeming with hungry sharks, and a tiny speedboat isn’t about to stop them from getting their next meal. Suddenly, a severed arm is the least of their worries. As the feeding frenzy begins, Sara and her pals realize that their only hope for survival is to swim for their lives and reach the beach without becoming fish food. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
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A woman becomes a professional killer in order to seek revenge against the ruthless gangster who murdered her parents in this action thriller from director Olivier Megaton and writer/producer Luc Besson. As a young girl, Cataleya (Zoe Saldana) saw her parents killed in cold blood. Now Cataleya is all grown up, and she’s determined to settle the score. Going to work for her uncle, Cataleya methodically begins working her way up through the criminal underworld, taking out every criminal in her path on an obsessive quest to bury the man who single-handedly destroyed her life. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
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NASA’s canceled trip to the moon in the 1970s is the basis for this found-footage-style picture exploring the urban legend surrounding that mission — what if Apollo 18 actually did occur and the proof of extraterrestrial life exists on film? Wanted’s Timur Bekmambetov produces the film, with Spanish director Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego taking on helming duties. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
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A retired spy-turned-full-time homemaker attempts to stop a power-mad supervillain from taking over the planet, and gets some unexpected help from her disagreeable twin step-children in this fourth entry of writer/director Robert Rodriguez’s family-friendly adventure series. It’s been a long time since former OSS agent Marissa Cortez Wilson (Jessica Alba) went chasing bad guys. These days it’s hard enough just to get her precocious stepkids, Rebecca (Rowan Blanchard) and Cecil (Mason Cook), to clean their rooms, and make sure her baby daughter has a full sippy cup. And despite the fact that Marissa’s husband, Wilbur (Joel McHale), earns his income chasing spies on TV, he hasn’t a clue that his mild-mannered wife was once a cloak-and-dagger woman. Now the nefarious Timekeeper (Jeremy Piven) has hatched a plot for world domination, prompting the OSS to summon Marissa back to active duty. When Rebecca and Cecil discover their stepmother’s tightly guarded secret, they realize they might be the only hope for getting her out of a tight jam and foiling the Timekeeper’s evil plan. Fortunately Carmen (Alexa Vega) and Juni Cortez (Daryl Sabara) are more than willing to teach Rebecca and Cecil the tricks of the trade, and in no time the two…
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In this gritty spy thriller, Helen Mirren plays a retired Mossad agent named Rachel. Once upon a time, Rachel was part of a celebrated trio of secret agents who tracked down a Nazi war criminal in East Berlin in 1966 — an incident so applauded in history, that now, three decades later, her own daughter has just published a book about the exploits. But one of Rachel’s former partners in espionage, David (Ciarán Hinds), seems less than reverent about his memory of the time, and he proves his feelings with a decision that sends Rachel and her other former partner, Stephan (Tom Wilkinson), on a forced revisit through time. For 30 years, Rachel has been living one truth, but now, as the past collides with the present, a new and deadly story begins to emerge. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
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A 1960s-era Mississippi debutante sends her community into an uproar by conducting a series of probing interviews with the black servants behind some of her community’s most prominent families. Skeeter (Emma Stone) has just graduated from college, and she’s eager to launch her career as a writer. In a moment of inspiration, Skeeter decides to focus her attention on the black female servants who work in her community. Her first subject is Aibileen (Viola Davis), the devoted housekeeper who has been employed by Skeeter’s best friend’s family for years. By speaking with Aibileen, Skeeter becomes an object of scorn to the wealthy locals, who view her actions as directly challenging to the established social order. Before long, even more servants are coming forward to tell their stories, and Skeeter discovers that friendship can blossom under the most unlikely of circumstances. Bryce Dallas Howard co-stars in a touching tale of race relations based on author Kathryn Stockett’s best-selling novel of the same name. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
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Scruffy idealist Ned (Paul Rudd) wreaks havoc on the lives of his mother (Shirley Knight) and three sisters, Miranda (Elizabeth Banks), Natalie (Zooey Deschanel), and Liz (Emily Mortimer), while overstaying his welcome in each of their homes and voicing his opinions when they aren’t wanted. Organic farmer Ned always looks for the best in everyone, but his unfailing honesty continually lands him in hot water. Arrested for selling drugs to a uniformed police officer, Ned gets the boot from his girlfriend, and mourns losing custody of his beloved dog, Willie Nelson. Fortunately for Ned, his sisters are able to recognize his inherent goodness and give him a place to stay as he struggles to get back on his feet. Meanwhile, Ned’s unusual habit of telling the truth often comes at the cost of his siblings’ sanity, and before long they’re regretting their decision to help him out. But just when it starts to look as if Ned might be the dimmest bulb in the box, a sudden epiphany prompts his entire family to consider the prospect that the world would be a much better place if everyone were as honest as their freewheeling brother. Steve Coogan and Hugh Dancy co-star. ~…
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Original: Movies.com Top 10 Box Office
