By David Weiner
9:00 AM PDT, September 23, 2011
Taylor Lautner jumps into action in Abduction, Brad Pitt teams up with Jonah Hill for Moneyball, Jason Statham and Gerard Butler pick up heavy artillery, plus dolphins and Chris Evans opening this weekend.
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'Puncture' (Limited)
Millennium Entertainment
Who's In It: Chris Evans, Michael Biehn, Vinessa Shaw
The Director: Adam and Mark Kassen
The Plot: A small-time, underdog lawyer/functioning addict takes on a giant health supply corporation while battling his own personal demons.
Reason to See It: Captain America shows his more vulnerable side in this David vs. Goliath tale based on a true story.
To help you decide: Watch the trailer.
The Director: Adam and Mark Kassen
The Plot: A small-time, underdog lawyer/functioning addict takes on a giant health supply corporation while battling his own personal demons.
Reason to See It: Captain America shows his more vulnerable side in this David vs. Goliath tale based on a true story.
To help you decide: Watch the trailer.
'Machine Gun Preacher' (Limited)
Relativity Media
Who's In It: Gerard Butler, Michelle Monaghan, Kathy Baker and Michael Shannon
The Director: Marc Forster (Quantum of Solace, Finding Neverland)
The Plot: Butler plays a former drug-dealing criminal who undergoes an astonishing transformation, becoming the savior to hundreds of kidnapped and orphaned children in East Africa.
Reason to See It: The 300 star digs a little deeper emotionally for this incredible tale based on an unbelievable true story.
To help you decide: Watch the trailer.
The Director: Marc Forster (Quantum of Solace, Finding Neverland)
The Plot: Butler plays a former drug-dealing criminal who undergoes an astonishing transformation, becoming the savior to hundreds of kidnapped and orphaned children in East Africa.
Reason to See It: The 300 star digs a little deeper emotionally for this incredible tale based on an unbelievable true story.
To help you decide: Watch the trailer.
'The Killer Elite' (Nationwide)
Who's In It: Jason Statham, Clive Owen, Robert De Niro
The Director: Gary McKendry
The Plot: Statham is an ex-special ops agent lured out of retirement to rescue his mentor, played by De Niro -- but first he must kill a trio of tough assassins and face off against their elite leader, played by Owen.
Reason to See It: Based on a true story and globetrotting across locations ranging from London and Paris to Australia and the Middle East, this cat-and-mouse thriller has the genre appeal of Statham kicking up the dust with Owen.
To help you decide: Watch the trailer.
The Director: Gary McKendry
The Plot: Statham is an ex-special ops agent lured out of retirement to rescue his mentor, played by De Niro -- but first he must kill a trio of tough assassins and face off against their elite leader, played by Owen.
Reason to See It: Based on a true story and globetrotting across locations ranging from London and Paris to Australia and the Middle East, this cat-and-mouse thriller has the genre appeal of Statham kicking up the dust with Owen.
To help you decide: Watch the trailer.
'Dolphin Tale' (Nationwide)
Warner Bros.
Who's In It: Harry Connick, Jr., Ashley Judd, Morgan Freeman, Kris Kristofferson and Nathan Gamble
The Director: Charles Martin Smith (Air Bud)
The Plot: After a young dolphin is caught in a crab trap, a dedicated marine biologist, a brilliant prosthetics doctor and a devoted young boy fight to save the creature.
Reason to See It: How can anyone resist dolphins? Inspired by an amazing true story, the incredible prosthetic tail created for Winter the dolphin helped paved the way for advanced human prosthetics.
To help you decide: Watch the trailer.
The Director: Charles Martin Smith (Air Bud)
The Plot: After a young dolphin is caught in a crab trap, a dedicated marine biologist, a brilliant prosthetics doctor and a devoted young boy fight to save the creature.
Reason to See It: How can anyone resist dolphins? Inspired by an amazing true story, the incredible prosthetic tail created for Winter the dolphin helped paved the way for advanced human prosthetics.
To help you decide: Watch the trailer.
'Moneyball' (Nationwide)
Columbia Pictures
Who's In It: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright
The Director: Bennett Miller (Capote)
The Plot: Brad plays Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland A's who attempts to turn around the baseball team's fortunes despite a meager budget with the help of a clever Ivy League grad.
Reason to See It: Based on a true story, Pitt turns on the charm as he tries to turn an underdog Major League team into winners on a budget, and Hill steps up to the plate to take a swing in the acting big leagues in a smart script by Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network) and Steven Zaillian (Searching for Bobby Fischer).
To help you decide: Watch the trailer.
The Director: Bennett Miller (Capote)
The Plot: Brad plays Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland A's who attempts to turn around the baseball team's fortunes despite a meager budget with the help of a clever Ivy League grad.
Reason to See It: Based on a true story, Pitt turns on the charm as he tries to turn an underdog Major League team into winners on a budget, and Hill steps up to the plate to take a swing in the acting big leagues in a smart script by Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network) and Steven Zaillian (Searching for Bobby Fischer).
To help you decide: Watch the trailer.
'Abduction' (Nationwide)
Summit Entertainment
Who's In It: Taylor Lautner, Lily Collins, Maria Bello, Alfred Molina, Jason Isaacs, Sigourney Weaver
The Director: John Singleton (Shaft, Boyz n the Hood)
The Plot: What if you discovered your whole life was a lie? Lautner plays a high school senior who catches a picture of himself on a missing-persons website. Then, after his parents are killed by assassins, he sets out to learn his true identity -- by any means necessary.
Reason to See It: The Twilight six-packer finally carries his first film, an intense action-thriller that gives the star an opportunity to kick box, slide down hills, jump out of exploding houses and more. The film also marks a coming out of sorts for Collins, the unexpectedly beautiful daughter of rocker Phil Collins.
To help you decide: Watch the trailer.
The Director: John Singleton (Shaft, Boyz n the Hood)
The Plot: What if you discovered your whole life was a lie? Lautner plays a high school senior who catches a picture of himself on a missing-persons website. Then, after his parents are killed by assassins, he sets out to learn his true identity -- by any means necessary.
Reason to See It: The Twilight six-packer finally carries his first film, an intense action-thriller that gives the star an opportunity to kick box, slide down hills, jump out of exploding houses and more. The film also marks a coming out of sorts for Collins, the unexpectedly beautiful daughter of rocker Phil Collins.
To help you decide: Watch the trailer.