Film Roundup

"Norbit"
No stars(out of four)

"Norbit" is another one of those aggressively unfunny Eddie Murphy movies in which the actor takes on multiple roles with the help of (it must be said) impressive makeup. Yet as bad as the others were, nothing could have prepared us for this film, which makes "The Nutty Professor II: The Klumps" look like Alec Guinness' "Kind Hearts and Coronets." Rated PG-13.

"Letters From Iwo Jima"
*** 1/2

This is by far Eastwood's most impressive work since "Unforgiven," and quite possibly the best war film since the one-two punch of "Saving Private Ryan" and "The Thin Red Line" nearly a decade ago. Rated R.

"The Last King of Scotland"
****

All the advertisements harp on Whitaker's impressive turn as the brutal Ugandan dictator. But here's the shocker: The movie's best performance is actually delivered by star James McAvoy. McAvoy is the soul of the film, and deserves the lion's share of credit for its success — not Whitaker, whose performance, grand as it is, actually serves as a supporting role. Rated R.

"Pan's Labryinth"
*** 1/2

"Pan's Labyrinth" interweaves two plot threads. The first is a starkly realistic war story set in Spain circa 1944. However, where the movie really shines is in its second story thread, in which bookish Ofelia finds herself immersed in a real-life fairy tale. Rated R.

"Dreamgirls"
*** 1/2

"Dreamgirls" returns the genre to its former glory by delivering a compelling story in the midst of some genuinely catchy toe-tapping tunes. In short, it's a gas. Rated PG-13.

Movies are reviewed by News-Sentinel movie reviewer Jason Wallis every Saturday.