HHH "THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN" (PG-13) The Spider-Man story is a good one in the comic book universe, and this reboot manages to squeeze solid action out of the recently tapped source material. It also has nice performances from leads Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone. Rated PG-13 for sequences of action and violence. 137 min. [PV]

HHH "BRAVE" (PG) A unique hero--a young girl with an unruly shock of red hair and an adventurous spirit--makes this animated adventure from Pixar a good choice for the whole family. It's the tale of a Scottish lass who gets tangled in a witch's curse. Rated PG for scary action and rude humor. 100 min. [RF]

HHH "THE DARK KNIGHT RISES" (PG-13)Though Batman takes a long, tortuous path to a climactic end, the artfully constructed struggle, great effects and a stellar cast make this movie a triumphant conclusion. The biggest surprise: Anne Hathaway carries the film at first as a head-turning cat burglar. Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some sensuality and language. 164 min. [MC, PV, RA]

HH "DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: DOG DAYS" (PG) Youngsters will still like this latest film from the book series, but it isn't as good as the first two. Rated PG for some rude humor. 94 min. [MC, PV, RA]

HH "ICE AGE: CONTINENTAL DRIFT" (PG) There are enough silly moments in this Ice Age outing to entertain youngsters, but older viewers will find this less entertaining than the others in the series. It's a long road trip, with Manny, Diego and Sid taking off on an iceberg when continents divide. Rated PG for mild rude humor, and action/peril. 94 min. [MC, RA, RF]

HHH "TED" (R) A Seth MacFarlane comedy about a man and his live teddy bear is bound to be crude and occasionally over-the-top, but it has some truly hilarious moments, and the far-fetched idea actually works. A lot of the success comes thanks to Mark Wahlberg, who turns in a typically strong performance. Rated R for crude and sexual content, pervasive language, some drug use. 115 min. [RF]

HH "TOTAL RECALL" (PG-13) Though the special effects are cool and the sets amazing, this is essentially one long chase. Which leaves you wondering why they remade this one so soon. Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, some sexual content, brief nudity, and language. 109 min. [MC, RA, RF]

HH "THE WATCH" (R) Though Vince Vaughn has some fun vamping as a member of a newly formed neighborhood watch, the film gets silly once they start chasing alien critters. Rated R for some strong sexual content including references, pervasive language and violent images, 102 min. [PV]