Our critics recommend...

These movies open Friday unless noted.

The Darjeeling Limited In this Wes Anderson film, three estranged brothers try to find themselves and rekindle their relationships with a train trip across India. Starring Jason Schwartzman, Owen Wilson and Adrien Brody.

Elizabeth: The Golden Age Cate Blanchett returns as Queen Elizabeth I, this time trying to solidify power at home while facing a threat from Spain. With Clive Owen as Sir Walter Raleigh.

The Final Season A small-town Iowa man (Sean Astin) quits his job to take over the baseball team at the local high school.

For the Bible Tells Me So This documentary looks at the Bible and homosexuality, and how the religious right has interpreted the Bible.

Pete Seeger: The Power of Song The life and career of folksinger Pete Seeger is intertwined with a look at the social and political movements that influenced and were influenced by him, in this documentary.

Postal An unemployed regular Joe teams up with his cult-leader uncle to pull off a heist at an amusement park - but things get out of hand when the Taliban decides to rob the same park.

Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married The writer-director's latest is about what happens to a married couple when a sexy new woman arrives on the scene. Starring Janet Jackson, Michael Jai White and Sharon Leal, along with Perry himself.

We Own the Night The manager of a Brooklyn nightclub (Joaquin Phoenix) with ties to Russian organized crime finds himself on the opposite side of the law from his brother and father (Mark Wahlberg, Robert Duvall), cops trying to take down the Russian mob.

Reviewed by critics Carrie Rickey (C.R.), Steven Rea (S.R.) and Tirdad Derakhshani (T.D.). W.S. denotes a wire-service review.

The Bourne Ultimatum This clench-jawed thriller based on the Robert Ludlum character - with Matt Damon back again as the somebody's-messed-with-my-head secret agent known as Jason Bourne - is unstoppable, gear-grinding, globe-hopping fun. 1 hr. 51 PG-13 (violence, action, adult themes) - S.R.

Hairspray

Inspired by the 1988 movie and 2002 Broadway sensation, this Popsicle-hued dance party of a film stars newcomer Nikki Blonsky as Tracy, a plus-size Baltimore girl with high hopes and higher hair, who in 1962 integrates a TV dance show. With John Travolta, Christopher Walken, Michelle Pfeiffer, Amanda Bynes and Zac Efron. 1 hr. 34

PG

(language, sexual innuendo, teen smoking) -

C.R.

Into the Wild Sean Penn's exhilarating and exceptional telling of the real-life story of Chris McCandless, who renounced family and friends to take a journey of self-discovery across America and into the Alaskan wilderness. With Emile Hirsch. 2 hrs. 20 R (profanity, brief nudity, animal violence) - C.R.

Lust, Caution Ang Lee's richly detailed espionage drama takes place in World War II Shanghai, where a Chinese collaborationist is seduced and betrayed by a young actress posing as a businessman's wife. Suspenseful and erotic, with terrific performances from Tony Leung and Tang Wei. 2 hrs. 37 NC-17 (sex, nudity, violence, adult themes) - S.R.

Michael Clayton First-rate thriller about a second-rate guy. George Clooney gives a sterling performance as the morally tarnished title character, a fixer at a law firm where everything is coming apart. 2 hrs. R (profanity, sexual candor) - C.R.

Ratatouille Brad Bird's brilliant computer-animated tale about a little rodent who dreams of being a gourmet chef. Funny and dazzling, this Pixar pic plays to both kids and adults without pandering to either group. 1 hr. 50 G (cartoon mayhem) - S.R.

The Seeker: The Dark is Rising Sci-fi adventure about a boy who learns he's the last of an immortal breed who can time-travel and are devoted to fighting evil. From the popular children's novel series. 1 hr. 40 PG (fantasy action, some scary images) - W.S.

3:10 to Yuma Director James Mangold's potent psychological showdown between a charismatic outlaw (Russell Crowe) and a humorless family man (Christian Bale) is a riveting remake of the pretty terrific 1957 western about manhood, fatherhood and honor. 2 hrs. R (brutal gunfights, visceral surgical scenes, profanity) - C.R.

The Brave One **

A radio host (Jodie Foster) turns vigilante after she and her fiance are brutally attacked in this exploitation film that sells a message 30 years past its sell-by date: that a vigilante is a liberal who's been mugged. 2 hrs. 02

R

(profanity, strong violence, brief sexuality) -

C.R.

The Game Plan ** Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is amiable in this overly ingratiating, paint-by-numbers family comedy as a narcissistic NFL quarterback who's forced to mend his ways when the 8-year-old daughter he never knew he had shows up on his doorstep. A flat story is further damaged by Madison Pettis' forced turn as the little girl who is all fake smiles and forced Shirley Temple dimples. 1 hr. 50 PG (mild sexuality) - T.D.

Good Luck Chuck *1/2 A hapless bachelor whose ex-girlfriends all seem to meet Mr. Right soon after leaving him finds that he's unwittingly become a good-luck charm for single women. Jessica Alba and Dane Cook star. 1 hr. 36 R (excessive nudity, sex, profanity, crude humor and drug references) - W.S.

The Heartbreak Kid *** The Farrelly Brothers get their mitts - and their penchant for bodily fluids - on a beloved marital-comedy classic, remaking the tale of a guy on his honeymoon who falls for another girl. Gross, profane, full of yuck-o gags and a frenzied round of sexual gymnastics, this Ben Stiller-Malin Akerman-Michelle Monaghan romantic mix-up still manages to be kind of sweet. 1 hr. 56 R (nudity, sex, gross humor, profanity, adult themes) - S.R.

The Kingdom **1/2 Rambo-rousing tale of an elite FBI squad that slips into Saudi Arabia to investigate a terrorist attack on American employees of a U.S. oil company. With Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, and the compelling Ashraf Barhom. 1 hr. 50 R (graphic violence, profanity) - C.R.

Resident Evil: Extinction * Milla Jovovich returns as Alice in this third installment of the futuristic zombie series. 1 hr. 35 R (strong horror violence throughout, and some nudity) - W.S.

Reviewed by critics Wendy Rosenfield (W.R.), Howard Shapiro (H.S.) and Toby Zinman (T.Z.).

An Act of Imagination

(Hedgerow) Another mystery: Is the author's steamy new murder mystery really autobiography? Previews begin Thurs., opens Oct.18

An Empty Plate in the Café Du Grand Boeuf (Arden) Michael Hollinger's tragicomedy about food, Hemingway, Paris and appetites. Previews begin Thurs., opens Oct.17

Breathing Corpses (Luna Theatre at Walnut 5) Previews begin Wed., opens Oct. 20.

Hello, Dolly (Candlelight Theatre, Wilmington) She's back. Tickets include dinner. Previews Thurs., opens Friday.

Rhinoceros (Mum Puppettheatre) Ionesco's absurdist political satire reinterpreted through puppets. Previews begin Wed., opens next Wed.

Six Characters in Search of an Author (People's Light & Theatre) Pirandello's modernist classic about six characters abandoned by their playwright, looking for a production to finish their story. Previews Wed. and Thurs., opens Friday.

Tartuffe (McCarter, Princeton) Moliere's famous comedy, about the world's worst houseguest, skewers religious hypocrisy. Previews start today, opens Friday.

The Why (Simpatico at Adrienne) A satire about the media's relish for gore and gossip, focused on a school shooter. Previews Tues., opens Wed.

Amadeus

(Wilma Theatre). Tony Award-winning play about Mozart's musical genius and his envious rival Salieri in a gorgeous production with two complex and engaging performances in the lead roles. Through Oct. 27.

- T.Z.

A Night in the Old Marketplace (Prince) A klezmer musical adaptation of I.L. Peretz's Yiddish play: mystics, trained bears, drowned brides, grieving lovers, gargoyles that come to life - what more could you ask for?

Assassins (Arden Theater) This Stephen Sondheim musical - often very funny and always very tuneful - is, bizarrely, about eight presidential assassins. Arden's production is a toe-tapping, horrifying knockout, with a fine cast working in an eye-popping set. Through Oct. 21. - T.Z.

Beyond Therapy (Villanova University) Christopher Durang's crazy comedy about crazy people searching for sanity and love through therapy. Through Oct.14

Defending the Caveman (Kimmel Center) Rob Becker's at it again, dragging us by the hair into his funny gender war. Ends today.

Death and the Maiden (Curio Theatre Company) Ariel Dorfman's thriller about a political prisoner and ambiguous secrets from the past. Through Oct.27.

I Do! I Do! (Bristol Riverside Theatre) Romantic musical comedy about 50 years of marriage. Through Oct.21

In Conflict (Temple University) Douglas Wager's adaptation of Yvonne Latty's book of the same name, takes up the post-war lives of veterans of the Iraq war. Through Oct.13.

The Lonesome West (Lantern Theater Company) The highly charged story of two young adult brothers who despise each other, from Irish playwright Martin McDonagh, is shockingly funny and beautifully performed in this production at St. Stephen's Theater. Through Oct. 14. - H.S.

Man of La Mancha (Walnut Street Theatre) Don Quixote is back again, in good voice, in a good production of this longtime favorite Broadway musical. Through Oct. 21. - T.Z.

Menopause: The Musical (Society Hill Playhouse) New cast in this long-running, popular show about The Change. Open-ended run.

Miss Saigon (Media Theatre) Media Theatre's production, based on Madama Butterfly and set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, delivers a serviceable version of the musical, but suffers from overwrought direction and singers who aren't entirely up to what's demanded of them. Through Oct. 14. - W.R.

The Philadelphia Story (University of the Arts) The first of a Philly-themed season to celebrate UArts' 25th year, Philip Barry's comedy is about a Main Line girl looking for a downtown guy. Through Oct.13

Say Goodnight Gracie (Act II Playhouse) One-man show starring local funnyman Tony Braithwaite as George Burns. Through Oct. 21.

The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe Jennifer Childs shines brightly in 1812's production of Jane Wagner's one-woman, multi-character show about human connections. Through Oct. 28.

- W.R.

Stick Fly (McCarter Theatre) Lydia R. Diamond's rich new play about the tribulations of a venerable, wealthy African American family on Martha's Vineyard has realistic characters, lots of surprises, and, in this presentation, a top-notch cast. Through Oct. 14. - H.S.

Sunshine (New City Stage Company performing at Walnut 5) First in their season of three plays by William Mastrosimone, this one pairs a peep-show girl with a paramedic guy in a boring combination of soft-core porn and chick lit. Ends today. - T.Z

Theophilus North (People's Light & Theatre) Based on Thornton Wilder's final novel, this production is not quite as splashy as its subject matter, but is still a worthwhile adventure, as it follows a restless teacher from his humble New Jersey hometown to ritzy 1920s Newport, R.I., where he becomes tutor and confidant to the idle rich. Ends today. - W.R.

28 Weeks Later. . . ***

Juan Carlos Fresnadillo's sequel to Danny Boyle's 2003 sleeper hit is a bloody, button-pushing shot of adrenaline. 1 hr. 39

R

(extreme violence, gore, profanity) -

C.R.