Avatar
*** ( 3 STARS)
$50.3
million
$430.1 million
4 weeks
Rated : PG-13
Running time : 2:40
What it's about : A paraplegic ex-Marine (Sam Worthington, above) controls the body of an "avatar," a body of a creature on another planet, and gets caught up in a struggle between the humans and the natives.
Our take : James Cameron has delivered the most-anticipated blend of live-action and motion-capture animation to date, but the story's simplistic.
Sherlock Holmes
* 1/2 ( 1 1/2 STARS)
$16.5
million
$165.1 million
3 weeks
Rated : R
Running time : 2:10
What it's about : The classic detective story is updated with Robert Downey Jr., above, and Jude Law taking on the roles of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.
Our take : Director Guy Ritchie's trademark slicko sadism is all wrong for these characters. It's heartbreaking to see Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's legends messed up this way.
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel
* ( 1 STAR)
$16.5
million
$178.4 million
3 weeks
Rated : PG
Running time : 1:28
What it's about : Alvin, above, and the chipmunks head to school and face off against the Chipettes in a battle of the bands.
Our take : Whatever slim charms there were in the nostalgic, musically cute and slapstick-friendly first film of chipmunk mania are squished right out of this sequel.
Daybreakers
*** ( 3 STARS)
$15.1
million
$15.1 million
1 week
Rated : R
Running time : 1:38
What it's about : In a grim near-future ruled by vampires, a fanged pharmaceutical researcher (Ethan Hawke, above) is on a quest to solve the planet's dangerously short supply of human blood.
Our take : The first half's inventiveness gives way to a more routine second half, but if your gore tolerance goes to 11, it's worth a taste.
It's Complicated
*** ( 3 STARS)
$11
million
$ 59.1 million
3 weeks
Rated : R
Running time : 1:58
What it's about : Meryl Streep, above, plays a Santa Barbara restaurateur who strikes up an affair with her ex-husband (Alec Baldwin) while juggling a new romance with her architect (Steve Martin).
Our take : This genial comedy, for and featuring actual adults, is sitcommy, but very well done.