Movie reviews: 8-16

Summaries are condensed from Blade or wire 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 Bourne Legacy looks to continue the trilogy's popular run without Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) or two-time director Paul Greengrass. Jeremy Renner is effective but lacks Damon's charisma as Aaron Cross, another genetically modified super agent gone rouge who is pursed by the same U.S. government officials who created him and are now trying to kill him. Rachel Weisz plays the government scientist with the key to his amplified abilities. Tony Gilroy, who cowrote the three Bourne films, directs this fourth Bourne installment, a decent action film that sorely misses Greengrass' expertise in crafting superb action sequences. PG-13 ** 135 min. (Baird) (FP, LC, FT, SDI)

Brave. Stubborn Merida yearns for independence from her royal duties, while her Queen Mother prefers she stick to tradition. A poor decision by Merida affects her mother and family in a horrifying way, forcing the teen to accept responsibility for her mistakes. In 3-D at select theaters. R **** 100 min. (Baird) (FT)

The Campaign. With the 2012 election less than three months away, The Campaign's timing couldn't be better -- though the comedy could. It's not that this Will Ferrell-Zach Galifianakis vehicle as rival Congressional candidates from North Carolina isn't funny; it packs a lot of humor in its 90 minutes, with the occasional edgy non-partisan zinger. But as an insightful piece of political commentary, which is what most of us are ready for as we near Nov. 6, The Campaign comes up short given our current political system and the ripe-for-parody candidates it supplies us. R *** 97 min. (Baird) (FP, LC, FT)

The Dark Knight Rises. Batman has been absent nearly a decade while years of crime fighting have taken a physical toll on billionaire Bruce Wayne. But when a terrifying new villain Bane paralyzes Gotham City with threats to blow it up, only the Dark Knight can stop him. In 3-D at select locations. PG-13 **** 165 min. (Baird) (FP, LC, FT, SDI)

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Daze. During his summer vacation, "Wimpy Kid" Greg Heffley, the hero of the phenomenally successful book series, hatches a plan to pretend he has a job at a ritzy country club -- which fails to keep him away from the season's dog days, including embarrassing mishaps at a public pool and a camping trip that goes awry. PG ** 1/2 94 min. (Wire review) (FP, LC, FT, SDI)

Hope Springs. After thirty years of marriage, a middle-aged couple attends an intense, week-long counseling session to work on their relationship. PG-13 *** 1/2 100 min. (Wire review) (FP, LC, 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) (MIT)

Ice Age: Continental Drift. Manny, Diego, and Sid embark upon their greatest adventure after cataclysm sets an entire continent adrift. Separated from the rest of the herd, they use an iceberg as a makeshift ship, which launches them on an epic seafaring quest. The gang is challenged like never before as they encounter exotic sea creatures, explore a brave new world, and battle ruthless pirates. Scrat's reunion with his beloved but cursed acorn catapults him to places no prehistoric squirrel has gone before. In 3-D at select locations. PG *** 94 min. (Wire review) (FP, LC through Tuesday, FT)

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) (MIT)

Men in Black III. 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) (MIT)

Moonrise Kingdom. Set on an island off the coast of New England in the summer of 1965, two 12-year-olds fall in love, make a secret pact, and run away together into the wilderness. As various authorities try to hunt them down, a violent storm is brewing off-shore -- and the peaceful island community is turned upside down in more ways than anyone can handle. PG-13 ***** 93 min. (Wire review) (LC through Tuesday)

Nitro Circus: The Movie 3D. The show follows Travis and the Nitro Circus Crew as they travel around the world setting up outrageous stunts and pushing the human body to the limit, constantly looking to innovate the world of action sports. Travis' compound in Annapolis houses a full motocross course, foam pits and a homemade waterslide carved into a hill creating a self contained extreme sports circus. In 3-D at select theaters. PG-13 ** 88 min. (Wire review) (FP through Tuesday)

The Odd Life of Timothy Green. An inspiring, magical story about a happily married couple, Cindy and Jim Green, who can't wait to start a family, but can only dream about what their child would be like. When young Timothy shows up on their doorstep one stormy night, Cindy and Jim-and their small town of Stanleyville-learn that sometimes the unexpected can bring some of life's greatest gifts. PG *** 1/2 100 min. (Wire review) (FP, LC, FT) (This week shown with Rear Window Captioning and Descriptive Video Services at LC)

Step Up Revolution. Emily, the daughter of a wealthy businessman, arrives in Miami hoping to become a professional dancer. She falls in love with Sean, a young man who leads a dance crew in elaborate, cutting-edge flash mobs. The crew, called the MOB, strives to win a contest for a major sponsorship opportunity, but Emily's father threatens to develop the MOB's historic neighborhood and displace thousands of people. In 3-D at select locations. PG-13 *** 97 min. (Wire review) (FP through Tuesday)

Ted. John Bennett is a grown man who must deal with the cherished teddy bear who came to life as the result of a childhood wish ... and has refused to leave his side ever since. R *** 106 min. (Wire review) (FP)

That's My Boy. While still in his teens, Donny fathered a son, Todd, and raised him as a single parent up until Todd's 18th birthday. Now, after not seeing each other for years, Todd's world comes crashing down on the eve of his wedding when an uninvited Donny suddenly shows up. Trying desperately to reconnect with his son, Donny is now forced to deal with the repercussions of his bad parenting skills. R Bomb 114 min. (Wire review) (MIT)

Total Recall. Colin Farrell stars as Douglas Quaid in Total Recall, the big-budget and wholly unnecessary remake of Arnold Schwarzenegger's 1990 beloved sci-fi film based on a Philip K. Dick story. Farrell plays it deadly dull as a master spy key to a simmering civil war in the future, though he doesn't know it -- his identity and memory was stripped from his mind. Trying to kill him is wife/special agent, Lori Quaid (Kate Beckinsale), while a mysterious woman named Melina (Jessica Biel) comes to his aid. In a Total Recall vs. Total Recall battle royale, the original wins every time. PG-13 * 1/2 120 min. (Baird) (FP, LC, FT)