Movies: July 1, 2011

Beginners
R, 1 hr., 45 mins.
A beautifully shaded drama about a father (Christopher Plummer) who comes out at 75 and the straight adult son (Ewan McGregor) who learns from his old man’s struggle. —LS

Bridesmaids
R, 2 hrs., 5 mins.
A heartrending comedy with Kristen Wiig as a maid of honor who sinks into a funk. —OG

Green Lantern
PG-13, 1 hr., 54 mins.
This lightweight, F/X-driven origin story feels like a superhero pastiche. As a cosmic crime fighter, Ryan Reynolds is the soul of likability, but mostly he stands around in his pulsating emerald-green muscle suit. —OG

The Hangover Part II
R, 1 hr., 42 mins.
Pretty funny—. Once again, we have to work backward to find out what happened to the Wolfpack. —OG

Kung Fu Panda 2
PG, 1 hr., 31 mins.
Roly-poly Po (Jack Black) must defeat a seething peacock and face down his own memories. —OG

Midnight in Paris
PG-13, 1 hr., 34 mins.
Woody Allen’s latest stars Owen Wilson as a screenwriter who, in France, meets great artists of the past. —LS

Mr. Popper’s Penguins
PG, 1 hr., 35 mins.
A trifle that whisks you back to childhood. As a real estate shark who inherits six penguins, Jim Carrey conveys a hidden sweet spot of warmth. —OG

Page One: Inside The New York Times
R, 1 hr., 31 mins.
This doc offers a fascinating peek at a world-class newspaper just as it faces jolting Internet-era changes in the gathering and sharing of news. —LS

Super 8
PG-13, 1 hr., 51 mins.
J.J. Abrams directed this spectacularly well-made story about kids, zombies, aliens, summertime, and the effect of E.T.-era Steven Spielberg on the moviegoer in all of us. —LS

The Tree of Life
PG-13, 2 hrs., 18 mins.
Terrence Malick’s epic tone poem is three parts brilliant evocation of 1950s boyhood and one part spiritual woo-woo. —LS

X-Men: First Class
PG-13, 2 hrs., 11 mins.
As pre-enemies Professor X and Magneto, James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender are a casting triumph. —LS