Movie reviews: 6-14

Summaries are condensed from Blade reviews and reflect the theater schedule starting Friday. Films are rated on a scale of 5 stars (best) to Bomb (worst). The reviewer's name, movie running time, and abbreviations of the theaters where the movie is playing are at the end of each summary.

The Avengers not only matches the hype, it exceeds it. Written and directed by longtime comic-book fan Josh Whedon, The Avengers soars with a clever script that offers plenty of big-budget action as Earth's Mightiest Heroes team up to save the world from an evil demigod and an alien warrior race out to conquer Earth. Every superhero has more than a few spotlight moments on screen, and Whedon's zippy one-liners maintain the film's energy and fun during breaks between the CGI mayhem. The Avengers is Marvel's new flagship comic-book movie franchise, and the gold standard for popcorn entertainment this summer. In 3-D at select locations. PG-13 ***** 142 min. (Baird) (FP, LC, FT)

Battleship. Inspired by Hasbro's classic naval combat game, Battleship, a fleet of ships is forced to do battle with an armada of unknown origins in order to discover and thwart their destructive goals. PG-13 * 131 min. (Wire review) (FP)

Bernie. Assistant funeral director Bernie Tiede was one of the town's most beloved residents. He taught Sunday school, sang in the church choir, and was always willing to lend a helping hand. Everyone loved and appreciated him, so it came as no surprise when he befriended Marjorie Nugent, an affluent widow who was as well known for her sour attitude as her fortune. He frequently traveled with Marjorie and even managed her banking affairs. She became fully dependant on Bernie and his generosity, and he struggled to meet her increasing demands. He continued to handle her affairs, and the townspeople went months without seeing her. They were shocked when it was reported that she had been dead for some time, and Bernie was being charged with the murder. PG-13 *** 95 min. (Wire review) (LC)

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. A group of British retirees decide to "outsource" their retirement to less expensive and seemingly exotic India. Enticed by advertisements for the newly restored Marigold Hotel and bolstered with visions of a life of leisure, they arrive to find the palace a shell of its former self. Though the new environment is less luxurious than imagined, they are forever transformed by their shared experiences, discovering that life and love can begin again when you let go of the past. PG-13 *** 118 min. (Wire review) (FP, LC)

Crooked Arrows. A story centered on a Native American lacrosse team making its way through a prep school league tournament. PG-13 105 min. (MIT)

The Dictator. Sacha Baron Cohen takes on a new role -- and a scripted one at that -- in the funny and occasionally political comedy The Dictator. Cohen plays Admiral General Aladeen, dictator of the fictional North African country of the Republic of Wadiya, who, while visiting New York, falls victim to a coup. Unrecognized and penniless, Aladeen relies on the help of a super-liberal organic vegetable store owner (Anna Faris) to regain his rule. While The Dictator is not the equal to Cohen's brilliant Borat, this fish-out-of-water comedy features clever (and raunchy) jokes that poke fun at Middle Eastern and Western cultures, governments, and even 9-11 . R *** 1/2 84 min. (Baird) (FP, FT)

The Hunger Games. Set in a future where the Capitol selects a boy and girl from the twelve districts to fight to the death on live television, 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her younger sister's place for the latest match. If she's ever to return home, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love. PG-13 **** 142 min. (Wire review) (FT)

The Lorax. This is an adaptation of Dr. Seuss' classic tale of a forest creature who shares the enduring power of hope. The animated adventure follows the journey of a boy as he searches for the one thing that will enable him to win the affection of the girl of his dreams. To find it he must discover the story of the Lorax, the grumpy yet charming creature who fights to protect his world. In 3-D at select locations. PG *** 95 min. (Wire review) (MIT)

Madagascar 3. Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Gloria the Hippo, and Melman the Giraffe are still fighting to get home to their beloved Big Apple and, of course, King Julien, Maurice, and the Penguins are all along for the comedic adventure. Their journey takes them through Europe where they find the perfect cover: a traveling circus, which they reinvent -- Madagascar style. In 3-D at select theaters. PG ** 1/2 93 min. (Wire review) (FP, LC, FT, SDI)

Men in Black III is the proper sequel to the 1997 original, and not the 2002 laugh-free abomination. That praise aside, most of the clever moments and fun of the MiB concept was exhausted in the first film anyway. Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones return as Agents J and K, with J going back in time to 1969 to prevent the assassination of his partner by a vengeful alien. Part III culminates in what can best be described as the only heart-warming moment in the series, a conclusion that could, and should, serve as a satisfactory finale to the franchise. PG-13 ** 1/2 106 min. (Baird) (FP, LC, FT, SDI)

Mirror Mirror. A fresh and funny retelling of the Snow White legend, Mirror Mirror features breakout star Lily Collins as Snow White, a princess in exile, and Julia Roberts as the evil Queen who ruthlessly rules her captured kingdom. Seven courageous rebel dwarfs join forces with Snow White as she fights to reclaim her birthright and win her Prince in this magical comedy filled with jealousy, romance, and betrayal. PG ** 1/2 106 min. (Wire review) (MIT)

Prometheus. Filmmaker Ridley Scott explores humanity's origins by revisiting the Alien universe he launched in 1979. So is Prometheus the Alien prequel fans have wanted for decades? Yes and no. The story of explorers, led by a pair of archaeologists (Noomi Rapace, Logan Marshall-Green), who journey to a distant world to connect with alien visitors from ages ago only to find our creators were not so benevolent, lacks the white-knuckle scares of Alien. But Prometheus is also bigger in scope and ambition than any of its Alien forebears, while standing alone as an engaging science-fiction film with as many questions as answers about our place in the universe. R **** 124 min. (Baird) (FP, LC, FT)

Snow White & the Huntsman. In the epic action-adventure Snow White and the Huntsman, Snow White is the only person in the land fairer than the evil queen out to destroy her. But what the wicked ruler never imagined is that the young woman threatening her reign has been training in the art of war with a huntsman dispatched to kill her. PG-13 * 1/2 127 min. (Baird) (FP, LC, FT, SDI)

What to Expect When You're Expecting. A look at love through the eyes of five interconnected couples experiencing the thrills and surprises of having a baby, and ultimately coming to understand the universal truth that no matter what you plan for, life doesn't always deliver what's expected. PG-13 ** 1/2 110 min. (Wire review) (FT)