'Igor'

Comedy, PG, 86 minutes

Dr. Frankenstein himself could not revive this animated comedy about a hunchbacked lab assistant playing at mad scientist. Frankenstein specialized in reanimating once-living matter, but he would be unable to find any spark of life to resuscitate here. A potentially original premise and an eager voice cast led by John Cusack and Molly Shannon are left to decay amid a clunky story vaguely reminiscent of "Monsters, Inc." and a clutter of cartoon images often resembling visuals rejected from "Tim Burton's Corpse Bride." The voice cast includes Steve Buscemi, Sean Hayes, Eddie Izzard, Jay Leno and Jennifer Coolidge.

Rating: '' - David Germain

'Bottle Shock'

Drama, PG-13, 112 minutes

Based on the true story of how in the bicentennial year of 1976, unknown Napa Valley vineyards defeated famous French wines in a blind taste-testing. With Alan Rickman superb and funny as the Brit who arranges the competition, and Bill Pullman and Chris Pine as the feuding father and son whose struggling vineyard triumphs. We know the outcome, but the movie makes it exciting anyway.

Rating: ''''

'The Women'

Comedy, PG-13, 114 minutes

An all-star, all-woman cast in a comedy of interlocking lives and problems involving love, husbands, children, jobs, sex and Saks Fifth Avenue. Directed and written by "Murphy Brown's" Diane English, who gives her women more richness and dimension than the "Sex and the City" team. Not a great movie, but a well-crafted entertainment, with stars including Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Jada Pinkett Smith, Debra Messing, Eva Mendes, Debi Mazar, Bette Midler, Candice Bergen and Cloris Leachman.

Rating: '''

'Burn After Reading'

Comedy, R, 96 minutes

The Coen brothers' screwball comedy that occasionally becomes something more. The characters are zany, the plot coils upon itself with dizzy zeal, and the roles seem like a perfect fit. The plot involves the missing computer disk of a fired CIA agent (John Malkovich), and no one in it understands the big picture. With George Clooney, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton and Brad Pitt, playing a very unPittian role.

Rating: ''''

'Tropic Thunder'

Comedy, R, 106 minutes

A troupe of actors, thinking they're making a Vietnam War movie, gets lost in the jungle and is captured by druglords who think the actors are narcs. Very funny, with a terrific performance by Robert Downey Jr. as an Australian actor who seems to think he is black. Directed by Ben Stiller, who stars along with Jack Black, Nick Nolte, Steve Coogan, Danny McBride and Brandon T. Jackson.

Rating: ''''

-Roger Ebert

'Bangkok Dangerous'

Action, R, 100 minutes

Nicolas Cage is back to his dreary former self - you know, the guy who starred in such downers as "8MM" and "Bringing Out the Dead" - with this tediously monotonous action flick. Actually, describing it as having "action" is charitable. There are indeed shootouts and chases. After all, Cage plays an assassin - that's all part of his gig. But twin Hong Kong directors Danny and Oxide Pang don't bring a whole lot of life to this story of killing, a remake their own 1999 movie.

Rating: '' - Christy Lemire, AP