Jae Head, left, stars as S.J. and Quinton Aaron stars as Michael Oher in ”The Blind Side.”

Heads Up

“Avatar” — James Cameron’s 3-D sci-fi epic centers on humans placed inside alien skins to survive on a distant world. With Sam Worthington and Sigourney Weaver. Catch a late night screening Thursday at local theaters. (PG-13)

“Did You Hear About The Morgans?” — Witness protection throws a new curve into a couple’s failing marriage. With Sarah Jessica Parker and Hugh Grant. Catch a late night screening Thursday at local theaters. (PG-13)

“Living in Emergency: Stories of Doctors Without Borders — Live with Elizabeth Vargas” — The documentary gives a rare “inside look” into Doctors Without Borders through the eyes of four doctors pushed to the edge and forced to confront the limits of their idealism in the face of overwhelming medical needs. Broadcast live-via-satellite, the event is hosted by news anchor Elizabeth Vargas and features a town hall discussion with Tom Krueger, Sebastion Junger and Sophie Delauney. The event kicks off at 8 p.m. Monday at the Regal Old Mill Stadium 16 in Bend. Cost is $12.50. (No MPAA rating)

“RiffTrax LIVE: Christmas Shorts-Stravaganza” — The stars of Mystery Science Theater 3000 are back on the big screen with special guest “Weird Al” Yankovic. Now of www.rifftrax.com, Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy (Tom Servo) and Bill Corbett (Crow T. Robot) will zing their wisecracking commentary at a warped collection of Christmas shorts. The event will begin at 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Regal Old Mill Stadium 16 in Bend. Cost is $12.50. (No MPAA rating)

What’s New

“The Damned United” — The rise and sudden fall of an enigmatic English legend, the soccer coach Brian Clough. He guided underdog Derby County to victory, was beloved, then switched to its hated rival Leeds United and began a losing streak so sudden he was out after 44 days. Not a sports movie, but one about a fascinating man. Michael Sheen again embodies a British icon, as in Tony Blair (“The Queen”) and David Frost (“Frost/Nixon”). With crucial supporting performances by Timothy Spall and Colm Meaney. Screenwriter Peter Morgan and producer Andy Harries were involved in all three; Tom Hooper directs. Rating: Three and a half stars. (R)

“The Horse Boy” — A 4-year-old Texas boy with autism has angry seizures and isn’t potty-trained. His parents fly with him to Mongolia, drive nine hours into the steppes, and then journey by horseback to a sacred mountain where he undergoes a miraculous cure at the hands of shamans. A remarkable story, but containing unanswered questions. Rating: Three stars. (no MPAA rating)

“Invictus” — Strange, that the first of many proposed biopics about Nelson Mandela centers on the South African rugby team. Mandela took an intense interest in the Springboks’ drive to an eventual World Cup championship, and it was a famous victory for the parish apartheid state. Here it is foregrounded, and who would have expected this film to be structured around who wins the big match? Yet Clint Eastwood has crafted a strong film with many other key moments, and Freeman and Damon are well cast. Entertaining, but not a companion-piece for “Gandhi.” Rating: Three and a half stars. (PG-13)

“The Messenger” — Two Army officers draw the hard duty of notifying the next of kin of a death in combat. Woody Harrelson plays the old hand at breaking the news. Ben Foster plays the new man, wounded in combat in Iraq. He has a tendency to care about the people he’s informing. Not Army policy, the veteran explains. You’ll lose it if you let yourself care. With Samantha Morton as a new widow and Steve Buscemi as a father whose grief turns to anger. Directed by Oren Moverman, himself a combat veteran in the Israeli army. Rating: Three and a half stars. (R)

“The Princess and the Frog” — The Disney studios still shelter animators who know how to make classic animated stories, in an age when too many animated films feel obligated to assault us with input overload. Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) is a hardworking New Orleans lass who dreams of opening her own restaurant. A visiting prince, turned into a frog, begs her to kiss him, but then they both become frogs, in a story involving voodoo, sorcery and song. Spritely and high-spirited. Voices by Anika Noni Rose, Bruno Campos, Oprah Winfrey, Keith David, Terrence Howard and John Goodman. Rating: Three stars. (G)

Still Showing

“2012” — The mother of all disaster movies (and the father and the extended family) spends half an hour on obligatory ominous setup scenes (scientists warn, strange events occur, prophets rant, and of course a family is introduced). Then it unleashes two hours of cataclysmic special events in which the Earth is hammered relentlessly. This is fun. “2012” delivers what it promises, and will be, for its intended audience, one of the most satisfactory films of the year. Rating: Three and a half stars. (PG-13)

“Amelia” — Hilary Swank is an ideal embodiment of Amelia Earhart, who was strong, brave and true, and looked fabulous in a flight suit. The second person to fly solo across the Atlantic was a born feminist who pioneered aviation for women and wed George Putnam (Richard Gere) after informing him their marriage would have “dual controls.” Well directed by Mira Nair with impeccable period details; an admirable film, if lacking in drama because Earhart’s life was short and happy. Rating: Three stars. (PG)

“Armored” — Director Nimrod Antal showed so much promise when he delivered that minimalist Hungarian subway thriller “Kontroll” that it’s a shock how pedestrian this potentially gritty story looks and plays. The camera is almost always locked-down when it should be, as in a few moments when we see action through a shaking rear-view mirror, jumpy and nervous. There’s one arresting shot — a chase, on foot, viewed through the tiny holes in a long row of stacked pipes. The staging and editing are by-the-book and static. And the sometimes absurd plot points are as forgettable as the abandoned LA industrial park this was shot in is over-familiar. That’s what “Armored” is — over-familiar and industrial, a factory film made because a recycled script, minimal budget, a location, a grab-bag cast and some armored trucks were available. This film was not given a star rating. (PG-13)

“Astro Boy” — Metro City orbits above an Earth buried in garbage. Its citizens are waited on hand and foot by robots, and things will get even better now that Toby’s dad (Nicolas Cage) has invented the unlimited Blue energy. But the warmonger president (Donald Sutherland) snatches the dangerous Red energy, Toby dies in an accident, his memories are transferred by his dad into the little robot Astro Boy, and so on. Bright and peppy, with a nice moral and, best of all, no 3-D. Rating: Three stars. (PG)

“The Blind Side” — This redemption-minded sports flick serves its inspiration straight-up with no twist. Writer-director John Lee Hancock wisely lets the true story of Michael Oher — the African-American teen who found a home and, eventually, football stardom, after being adopted by a wealthy Memphis family — speak for itself. That direct focus delivers a feel-good crowd-pleaser, but it also drains the film of the kind of subtle nuances that might have separated it from other Hollywood Hallmark-like efforts, including Hancock’s own “The Rookie.” The movie dutifully chronicles the transformation of Oher (newcomer Quinton Aaron) from blank slate to a fully formed young man, emphasizing the involvement of Leigh Ann Tuohy (Sandra Bullock). Bullock brings her trademark spunkiness to the mother hen role, delivering an iron-willed woman who looks past appearances to do the right thing. Rating: Two and a half stars. (PG-13)

“The Box” — A preposterous but never boring sci-fi movie where a mysterious stranger (Frank Langella) gives a couple (Cameron Diaz and James Marsden) a box with a button on top, and tells them if they push it they’ll get $1 million in cash — but someone unknown to them will die. Well, what would you do? And then the plot REALLY gets wild. Rating: Three stars. (PG-13)

“Brothers” — About a family twisted from its natural form when a father leaves for service in Afghanistan just after his brother comes home from prison. The good brother (Tobey Maguire) goes into harm’s way while the bad brother (Jake Gyllenhaal) is shielded by his misbehavior. The serving brother is reported killed in action. The survivor tries awkwardly to help the widow (Natalie Portman). We know all along Maguire didn’t die and is being tortured by the Taliban. When he returns, the drama deepens. Directed by Jim Sheridan; remade from a 2004 Danish film. Rating: Three and a half stars. (R)

“A Christmas Carol” — An exhilarating visual experience that proves for the third time Robert Zemeckis is one of the few directors who knows what he’s doing with 3-D. The story that Dickens wrote in 1838 remains timeless, and if it’s supercharged here with Scrooge swooping the London streets as freely as Superman, well, once you let ghosts into a movie there’s room for anything. The A-list cast includes Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Bob Hoskins, Robin Wright Penn and Cary Elwes. Rating: Four stars. (PG)

“Couples Retreat” — Four troubled couples make a week’s retreat to an island paradise where they hope to be healed, which indeed happens, according to ages-old sitcom formulas. The jolly ending is agonizing in its step-by-step obligatory plotting. Rating: Two stars. (PG-13)

“An Education” — A 16-year-old girl (Carey Mulligan) is the target of a sophisticated seduction by a 35-year-old man (Peter Sarsgaard). Could have been shabby or painful, but the luminous Mulligan makes it romantic and wonderfully entertaining. The romance isn’t so much with him as with the possibilities within her, the future before her, and the joy of being alive. With Mulligan, a star is born. Rating: Four stars. (PG-13)

“Everybody’s Fine” — Robert De Niro plays a widower who embarks on a cross-country journey to visit his children, with predictable consequences. They’re played by Drew Barrymore, Kate Beckinsale and Sam Rockwell. Sincerely done, with a tactful performance by De Niro, but not compelling. Rating: Two and a half stars. (PG-13)

“Fantastic Mr. Fox” — Not for kids, not for adults. Just a lovely film. That’s the charm. After “The Darjeeling Limited” and “The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou,” Wes Anderson again creates an inexplicably odd and riveting look for Roald Dahl’s fable about a fox trying to overcome his basic foxian nature. A combo of traditional stop-action animation and uncannily real fur. Voices of George Clooney, Meryl Streep. Rating: Three and a half stars. (PG)

“Ninja Assassin” — In Japan, where the blades are shiny and sharp and if the fake blood isn’t staining the lens, you’re not trying hard enough, there’s a rich tradition of sword-and-splatter pictures. That’s the tradition Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill” leaned on, and it’s the foundation of “Ninja Assassin,” a more run-of-the-mill Hollywood ninja movie with “Matrix” ties. Rating: One and a half stars. (R)

“Old Dogs” — Stupefyingly dimwitted. John Travolta’s and Robin Williams’ agents weren’t perceptive enough to smell the screenplay in its advanced state of decomposition. The film seems to have lingered in post-production while editors struggled desperately to inject laugh cues. Rating: One star. (PG)

“Planet 51” — Although not bowling me over, this is a jolly and good-looking animated feature in glorious 2-D. There’s a twist: This time the alien is a human, and he lands on a planet occupied by little green men. On this world everyone speaks English, it’s the Fabulous Fifties, and the rain is made of rocks. Perfectly pleasant as kiddie entertainment. Rating: Two and a half stars. (PG)

“A Serious Man” — The darkly comic new Coen brothers film. Every single thing in Larry Gopnik’s life is going wrong. His wife is leaving him for his best friend. His son is misbehaving in Hebrew school. His daughter is stealing money. His brother-in-law in sleeping on the sofa. His neighbor is a gun nut. A student tries to bribe and blackmail him. There’s worse. Larry teaches advanced physics, but his life is a medieval tragedy. In a 1960s Minneapolis suburb, the Coens restage the Book of Job as rich human comedy. Rating: Four stars. (R)

“The Twilight Saga: New Moon” —The film takes the tepid achievement of “Twilight” (2008), guts it and leaves it for undead. You know you’re in trouble with a sequel when the word of mouth advises you to see the first movie twice instead. Bella (Kristen Stewart) is still living at home with her divorced dad, and Edward (Robert Pattinson) is back in school, repeating the 12th grade for the 84th time. Sitting through this experience is like driving a pickup in low gear through a sullen sea of Brylcreem. Rating: One star. (PG-13)

“Zombieland” — Unexpectedly funny. Jesse Eisenberg, named after his hometown of Columbus, Ohio, is making his way back home across a zombie-infested America. He encounters another non-zombie survivor, Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson). The two team up, not without many disagreements, and eventually find two healthy women: the sexy Wichita (Emma Stone) and her little sister, Little Rock (Abigail Breslin). It comes down to a road movie threatened by the undead, as countless zombies are shot, mashed, sledge-hammered and otherwise inconvenienced, not without wit. Rating: Three stars. (R)

— From wire and online sources