"Cadillac Records" (R). Enjoyable musical history of Chicago's Chess Records in the 1950s, which recorded such performers as Muddy Waters, Little Walter and Etta James. Some of the connections made between individual experience and the resulting music seem thematically forced, but there's no denying the musical force here. The cast includes Adrien Brody, Mos Def, Jeffrey Wright, Beyonce Knowles and Columbus Short. Grade: B+ Opens Friday, Dec. 5.

"Milk" (R). Director Gus Van Sant's lively biography of the late San Francisco gay rights activist Harvey Milk really benefits from Sean Penn's brilliant performance as Milk. The boisterous mixture of comedy and drama prevents it from slipping into a predictable biopic formula. Grade: A- Opens Friday, Dec. 5.

"Punisher: War Zone" (R). Not reviewed. Lexi Alexander directs this action-adventure that tells of Marvel Comics' vigilante-hero Frank Castle and his war on organized crime. Opens Friday, Dec. 5.

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"Australia" (PG-13). Director Baz Luhrmann's sprawling epic stars Nicole Kidman as a determined widow and Hugh Jackman as her grizzled employee leading a cattle drive in 1939. The tone of this creatively confused film ranges from slapstick to the spiritual, and its genre references amount to the cinematic marriage of "Red River" and "Wizard of Oz." Grade: C+ Snowden Square 14, AMC Columbia Mall 14, Muvico Egyptian 24

"Bolt" (PG). Mildly amusing animated comedy in which a dog actor in a TV series (voiced by John Travolta) is separated from his lead human actor (voiced by Miley Cyrus) and travels across the country in order to find her. Seeing it in 3-D helps energize the dog's adventures on the road. Grade: B- Snowden Square 14, AMC Columbia Mall 14, Muvico Egyptian 24

"Changeling" (R). Director Clint Eastwood tries to be stately and instead achieves a stilted tone in this true story about a single mother in Los Angeles in the 1920s whose young son goes missing. When he's returned to her, she insists it's not her son. Angelina Jolie's award-courting performance is the most obvious indication of a handsomely produced picture that takes itself very seriously. Grade: B- AMC Columbia Mall 14, Muvico Egyptian 24

"Four Christmases" (PG-13). Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon play an unmarried, childless couple who reluctantly visit all four of their divorced parents on the same Christmas trip. This shrill and slightly bawdy comedy just gets by owing to a watchable cast including Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, Mary Steenburgen and Jon Voight. Grade: C+ Snowden Square 14, AMC Columbia Mall 14, Muvico Egyptian 24

"High School Musical 3: Senior Year" (G). Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens finally approach graduation in a wholesome musical comedy that's as easy to watch as it is predictable. There are plans to continue the series, so here's a title the producers may want to consider: "High School Musical 4: GED." Grade: B- Snowden Square 14, AMC Columbia Mall 14, Muvico Egyptian 24

"Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" (PG). This animated sequel has the lion (Ben Stiller), zebra (Chris Rock), giraffe (David Schwimmer) and hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith) exploring mainland Africa. Although the plot doesn't do much more than trot out the same cuddly characters, some attempts are made to advance the story. Grade: C+ Snowden Square 14, AMC Columbia Mall 14, Muvico Egyptian 24

"Quantum of Solace" (PG-13). Picking up where the 2006 "Casino Royale" left off, this latest James Bond movie is a revenge-driven, non-stop chase lacking the high-tech gadgets and witty innuendo for which the series is known. Daniel Craig is such a sullen killing machine as 007 that the movie is as boring as it is busy. If a James Bond movie isn't fun, what's the point? Grade: C Snowden Square 14, AMC Columbia Mall 14, Muvico Egyptian 24

"Role Models" (R). Yet another rude comedy in which grown men act like juveniles. Seann William Scott and Paul Rudd play slackers whose mischief leads to a community service sentence that involves mentoring troubled teens. Although scattered bits are funny, most of the movie is as lame as it is profane. Grade: C Snowden Square 14, AMC Columbia Mall 14, Muvico Egyptian 24

"Soul Men" (R). An unintentional sadness hovers over this silly comedy, because star Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes (in a cameo) died before its release. Mac and Samuel L. Jackson are enjoyably cast as feuding soul singers who agree to reunite. Their long drive from Los Angeles to New York results in a slapstick-filled road movie that coasts on its cheap laughs. Grade: C+ Muvico Egyptian 24

"Transporter 3" (PG-13). Fast cars, fast women and fast fights are exactly what you'll get in a sequel whose plot is, um, nearly plotless. Jason Statham remains a very tough guy, which he must be in order to survive such an inane action movie. Grade: C- Snowden Square 14, AMC Columbia Mall 14, Muvico Egyptian 24

"Twilight" (PG-13). Teen girls will love director Catherine Hardwicke's screen version of a young adult novel about a vampire romance. Dreamy stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson work well together, and the moody forests in the Pacific Northwest also look good. Although the special effects and aspects of the vampire plot leave a lot to be desired, those flaws aren't likely to bother young viewers. Grade: B Snowden Square 14, AMC Columbia Mall 14, Muvico Egyptian 24

All capsule reviews and grades are by Mike Giuliano unless otherwise noted. Bookings change on Friday. For showtimes and to confirm listings, call the phone-in number in Screen Scene.

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