OPENING TODAY

Bab’Aziz: The Prince Who Contem­plated His Soul (***1/2) This lyrical, handsomely mounted fable from Tunisia is a unique glimpse into the timeless world of Sufi philosophy and legend that tells the story of a blind dervish who wanders through the desert with his granddaughter on their way to a big gathering. Along the way, he tells mystical stories filled with wisdom. Nacer Khemir’s latest film is an acquired taste, but is an evocative cultural study, if nothing else. Not rated, 91 minutes. At the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. — Todd Jorgenson

Before the Rains (**1/2) Set against the backdrop of British colonialism in 1930s India, the latest Merchant Ivory production centers on a diplomat (Linus Roache) who begins an affair with an Indian woman (Nandita Das) just as the British empire is losing its hold in the region. While the acting is strong, the script doesn’t hold many surprises or provide many new insights into the period. The lush landscapes help to smooth out the rough narrative edges. Rated PG-13, 98 minutes. At the Inwood. — T.J.

How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer (**1/2) Georgina Riedel wrote and directed this sincere yet often rambling tale about the daughter, mother and grandmother of a Mexican-American family living in a border town. In one breakout summer, they all find love of some sort, but only after several trials and errors. Warm-hearted community portrayal helps the viewer to overlook the film’s lack of concise editing, which contributes to the film’s unwieldy nature. With Elizabeth Pena, America Ferrara and Steven Bauer. Rated R, 128 minutes. At the Magnolia and regional theaters. — Boo Allen

My Brother Is an Only Child (***) In a small Italian village in the 1960s, a precocious boy abandons the seminary, becomes a fascist and eventually, by the tumultuous 1970s, joins his brother as a bomb-throwing communist. Along the way, they both find romance, sometimes with the same woman. Daniele Luchetti co-wrote and directed this engaging film that mixes historical observation with an understanding of one man’s maturation. Rated R, 108 minutes. At the Inwood. — B.A.

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Baby Mama (***) Former Saturday Night Live writer Michael McCullers supplies the script and makes his directing debut in this comedy starring Amy Poehler as the surrogate mother for Tina Fey’s hoped-for baby. The laughs are broad and transparent but are mostly enhanced by Poehler’s seeming relish to inhabit her trashy character. Greg Kinnear co-stars as the obligatory love interest. With Steve Martin, Sigourney Weaver and others. Rated PG-13, 99 minutes. — B.A.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (**1/2) The latest comedy from the Judd Apatow team spotlights Jason Segel as a fledgling musician who vacations in Hawaii after his girlfriend (Kristen Bell), the actress starlet of the title, dumps him. Trouble is, she also decides to go to Hawaii with her new beau. Segel’s script generates some very big laughs (especially from its supporting roles), yet the story is built on flimsy coincidences and relies too much on lowbrow shock value. Rated R, 110 minutes. — T.J.

Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay (**) Wildly uneven sequel to the 2004 frat-house favorite finds our stoner heroes (John Cho and Kal Penn) as fugitives after being labeled as terrorists for bringing a bong aboard an airplane. There are some big, broad laughs, and give the movie points for raunchy audacity. But mostly it feels like a collection of randomly assembled outtakes, a cinematic equivalent of secondhand smoke. Also stars Neil Patrick Harris. Rated R, 99 minutes. — T.J.

Horton Hears a Who (***1/2) Slick big-screen adaptation of the Dr. Seuss classic manages the often difficult task of retaining the charm of the original material while making it fresh and hip for contemporary kids. The pace is lively and the gags hit the mark more often than not in this story of a bumbling elephant teaching a lesson of acceptance through a friendship with a village of tiny creatures. The voice cast includes Jim Carrey, Steve Carell and Seth Rogen. Rated G, 88 minutes. — T.J.

Iron Man (***) Robert Downey Jr. portrays playboy industrialist Tony Stark Jr., who becomes Marvel Comics’ Iron Man. Wrapped in a metal suit, he can fly, shoot weapons and remain nearly indestructible. When Stark’s munitions company turns pacifist, it sets off a conflict between Stark and henchman Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges). With Gwyneth Paltrow. Loud, explosive, entertaining, and the summer’s first blockbuster. Rated PG-13. 126 minutes. — B.A.

Made of Honor (*1/2) The whole point of a romantic comedy is the comfort of the ritual — the familiarity of it all, as if you’re wrapping yourself in a warm, snuggly blanket of knowledge that the two attractive, charming leads will surely end up with each other in the end. This is especially true of Made of Honor, because it’s pretty much a remake of 1997’s My Best Friend’s Wedding . This time, Patrick Dempsey plays the one who realizes he’s in love with his best friend (Michelle Monaghan), and when she announces she’s getting married, he tries to undermine the wedding from the inside. Rated PG-13, 101 minutes. — The Associated Press

Redbelt (**1/2) David Mamet’s latest work involves the world of mixed martial arts as Chiwetel Ejiofor plays the owner of a ju-jitsu academy who gets mixed up with a sleazy movie star (Tim Allen). Against his personal code, the martial artist finds himself fighting in a tournament. Numerous enough subplots play out to keep it interesting but not up to standard Mamet fare. Rated R, 99 minutes. — B.A.

Son of Rambow (***) In the early 1980s in rural England, a shy boy (Bill Milner) grows up sheltered because of his mother’s strict religious adherence. A rebellious classmate (Will Poulter) exposes him for the first time to many new experiences, such as a bootleg copy of First Blood, the first Rambo movie. Together, they become schoolboy celebrities as they embark on getting into various scrapes, coming of age and making an action film together. Funny and charming if somewhat familiar. Rated PG, 95 minutes. At the Landmark Magnolia and Angelika Plano. — B.A.

Speed Racer (*1/2) The Wachowski brothers (The Matrix) try to make sense of the 1960s Japanese animated series. Emile Hirsch plays the title character, a driver for his family’s racing team, staffed by Pops (John Goodman) and his mom (Susan Sarandon). Loud, frantic and completely vacuous. Rated PG, 129 minutes. — B.A.

Then She Found Me (**) Helen Hunt makes her feature directing debut and also plays a woman who wants to have a child and marries someone completely unsuitable (Matthew Broderick) before quickly separating. She then finds herself attracted to someone seemingly as unsuitable (Colin Firth). Meanwhile, from nowhere, her birth mother (Bette Midler) has found her and wants to reconnect. Characters and situations strain reality while remaining overly treacly. Rated R, 100 minutes. At the Angelika Dallas and Plano. — B.A.

What Happens in Vegas (**) Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher team up in this formulaic romantic comedy about two misfits who meet during a wild night in Sin City, get married on a drunken impulse, win a $3 million slot machine jackpot, and then realize they are completely incompatible. It’s more watchable than the premise suggests, thanks mostly to some amusing one-liners and quirky characters that help offset the tiresome bickering of the two leads. Rated PG-13, 99 minutes. — T.J.

THEATERS

CINEMARK DENTON

2825 Wind River Lane off Interstate 35E. 940-535-2651. www.cinemark.com .

MOVIE TAVERN

916 W. University Drive. 940-566-FILM (3456). www.movietavern.com .

Rave Motion Pictures

8380 S. I-35E, Hickory Creek. 940-321-2788. www.movietickets.com .

Silver CinemaS

Inside Golden Triangle Mall, 2201 S. I-35E. 940-387-1957.