On the screen: Movie reviews

NEW FILMS FRIDAY

BURMA VJ — ★★★ — Watching the brave amateur journalists in this documentary is compelling. Burmese with subtitles, running time: 85 minutes, PG-13 (violence, brief gore, profanity, slurs)

THE COVE — ★★★½ — A hard-to-shake story that will make you think twice about holding certain animal species in captivity. Running time: 92 minutes, PG-13 (violence, gore, profanity, vulgarity)

G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA — The popular toys get their own live-action movie. To be reviewed Saturday, running time: 118 minutes, PG-13 (violence)

JULIE & JULIA — ★★★ — Meryl Streep (as Julia Child) shines in this winning comedy-drama, "based on two true stories." Running time: 123 minutes, PG-13 (profanity, vulgarity, brief sex, slurs, brief drugs, nude artwork)

O'HORTEN —★★★ — Character moments make this comedy-drama worthwhile for more patient audiences. Norwegian with subtitles, running time: 86 minutes, PG-13 (brief nudity, mild profanity, mild vulgarity, brief drugs)

A PERFECT GETAWAY — ★★ — This suspense-thriller may not be good but it's sort of entertaining. Running time: 98 minutes, R (violence, gore, profanity, drugs, brief nudity, vulgarity, brief sex)

MIDNIGHT MOVIE

TOWER AT MIDNIGHT SERIES — This week's movie is "Beetle Juice" (1988). A schedule is available at www.towertheatre.com. (Aug. 7 and 8: Tower; also Aug. 9, noon)

KIDS MATINEES

CINEMARK SUMMER MOVIE CLUBHOUSE — This week's film is "Open Season." A schedule is available at www.cinemark.com/summermovieclubhouse. (Aug. 11 and 12: Cinemark American Fork, Jordan Landing, Tinseltown Layton, Tinseltown Ogden; Aug. 12: Provo Towne Centre)

TOWNE CINEMAS SUMMER MATINEES — This week's movies are "Happy Feet" and "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa." A schedule is available at www.townecinema.com. (Aug. 7, Aug. 11-13, 11 a.m.: Towne Cinemas, American Fork)

SPECIAL SCREENINGS

G-FORCE 3-D — The new kids film, shown in the Disney Digital 3-D format. (Century Sandy, Century South Salt Lake, Cinemark American Fork, District, Gateway, Jordan Commons, Jordan Landing, Junction, Provo Towne Centre, Ritz, Thanksgiving Point, Tinseltown Layton, Tinseltown Ogden, University Mall, Wynnsong)