OPENING FRIDAY

Fantastic Mr. Fox (***1/2) Master of quirky filmmaking Wes Anderson succeeds with a change of pace by adapting Roald Dahl’s caper comedy using CGI stop-motion animation while adding the voices of George Clooney and Meryl Streep, among others. The result is somewhat uneven but totally original and charming, as Anderson seamlessly adds his own brand of wit to the source material. It’s made less for kids and more for grown-ups with its throwback tempo. Rated PG, 87 minutes. — Todd Jorgenson

Ninja Assassin (**) Director James McTeigue (V for Vendetta) is clearly more interested in spraying geysers of digital blood than in establishing the ninja as a foe to be taken seriously. Korean pop star Rain and Naomie Harris lead the cast of the movie, which centers on a rogue hit man who betrays his clan of assassins. Rated R, 99 minutes. — The Associated Press

Old Dogs (*1/2) That title seems about right. Hopefully John Travolta and Robin Williams cashed some nice paychecks for this low-brow slapstick comedy that sees them play lifelong friends and business partners charged with caring for 6-year-old twins during a weekend when they’re trying to close a major deal for their firm. Would-be hilarity ensues in the form of nonstop cutesy cliches and bodily function jokes more likely to induce headaches than laughter. Rated PG, 88 minutes. — T.J.

Red Cliff (***) John Woo’s five hour-plus epic has been pared down to a manageable length with its basic story, set in ancient China, still intact and clear. Woo does what he does best, orchestrating non-stop action scenes involving the warring north and south armies and navies in a battle for China, circa 200 A.D. With Tony Leung. Rated R, 148 minutes. At the Angelika Dallas. — Boo Allen

The Road (**1/2) Director John Hillcoat’s adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel strives to stay close to the book, but it fails to translate its essence and somehow feels more dreary than it should — which is saying something for a story about the apocalypse. Rated R, 113 minutes. At the Angelika Dallas. — AP

NOW PLAYING

The Twilight Saga: New Moon (**) As every Stephenie Meyer fan knows, this is the one where studly vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) dumps human girlfriend Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) for her own safety, and she turns to old chum Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) for solace, unaware that he’s a werewolf, and therefore Edward’s sworn enemy. Mopey teenager Bella has all the luster of, well, a mopey teenager. The real rivalry is whether werewolves or vampires can behave with greater preposterousness and pretension. The soap-opera melodrama of Stewart, Pattinson and Lautner’s performances provides some unintentional laughs. Rated PG-13, 130 minutes. — AP