Les Miserables: The film, based on the novel by Victor Hugo, is set in 19th century France. Jean Valjean (Liam Neeson) is released from prison after serving 19 years for stealing bread. However, Valjean changes his ways after a bishop refuses to turn him over to the police when he steals from the bishop while in his care. Years later, Valjean has developed a reputation as a shy man who becomes the respected mayor of the town of Vigau where he runs the local factory. A former prison guard where Valjean did his time, Inspector Javert (Geoffrey Rush), arrives in Vigau to take charge of the police force. Javert doesn't immediately recognize the ex-con, but through time he becomes suspicious. Javert comes after Valjean when he helps a single mother who's turned to prostitution to be able to care for her young daughter. Valijean also confesses in court that he's the real Valjean to protect an innocent man. As he swore to the single mother on her deathbed that he'd care for Cosette, Valjean retrieves the girl and they live safely in a convent in Paris for the next eight years.

Once Cosette (Claire Daines) becomes older, however, she convinces her father to leave the convent. She meets and falls in love with Marius (Hans Matheson), a young revolutionary wishing to reestablish the Republic. As a revolution on the streets of Paris looms, Javert realizes that the man he's been seeking for so many years is somewhere near. Valjean does what he can to avoid capture while protecting Cosette. Excellent movie despite some violence and sexual content. (MPAA — PG-13)

Lion King II—Simba's Pride: Simba (voice of Matthew Broderick) is the leader of his lion pride. Both he and Nala (voice of Moira Kelly), his mate, are proud but protective of their new daughter, Kiara. Like her father once was, Kiara is intrigued by the forbidden Outlands, a desolate place where Simba banished the followers of Scar, his evil uncle who was responsible for the death of Simba's father, Mufasa (voice of James Earl Jones).

Despite the best efforts of assigned baby-sitters Timon (voice of Nathan Lane) and Pumba (voice of Ernie Sabella), Kiara ventures off into the Outlands. She meets a scruffy young male cub, Kovu.

But Kovu's mother, Zira (Suzanne Pleshette), and older brother, Nuka (Andy Dick), separate the two young cubs. The leader of the outcast lions, Zira has long wanted revenge on Simba, and upon seeing the bond between her son and Kiara, she dreams up a plan to reclaim the throne in the late Scar's honor — Kovu is to befriend the pride and kill Simba. A good movie that teaches virtue, though it has a New Age sensibility about it, especially at the beginning. Not Rated

Hope Floats: Birdee Calvert (Sandra Bullock) tries to rebuild her life, after she learns through national television that her husband Bill (Michael Paré) is having an affair with her best friend (Rosanna Arquette). Birdee returns home to her mother, Ramona (Gena Rowlands). The two women were never close, and now with her father in a nursing home, Birdee has to learn to deal with her mother's habit of interfering in her life. (MPAA — PG-13)

Paulie: A Russian immigrant, Misha (Tony Shaloub), takes a job as a janitor at a research lab. In the lab's basement, he finds Paulie, a parrot that not only speaks but can carry on an intelligent conversation. Misha is curious about why Paulie is locked in the basement and so the parrot tells the janitor his story. In a series of flashbacks we see that his owner, Marie (Hallie Kate Eisenberg), was a young girl with a speech impediment whom Paulie befriended and helped. However, after she takes a fall from the roof while trying to teach Paulie how to fly, her parents insist on taking her feathered friend away. Paulie has many a tale to tell and Misha decides to do what he can to help the loquacious parrot. Great family entertainment. (MPAA — PG)

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: Journalist Raoul Duke (Johnny Depp) and lawyer Dr. Gonzo (Benicio Del Toro) travel to Las Vegas to cover a motorcycle race. By the time they arrive they are already high on drugs. Although they briefly see the race, they spend most of their time in their hotel rooms and continue their abuse of drugs. With it comes related bizarre behavior. They meet a variety of people including Lucy (Christina Ricci), who Gonzo introduces to drugs. Not suitable viewing. The film contains violence, strong language, and brief nudity. (MPAA — R)

Small Soldiers: When toy maker Heartland Play Systems is acquired by a military-based conglomerate, top toy designers Larry Benson (Jay Mohr) and Irwin Wayfair (David Cross) become worried about their job security and decide to design new toys. But CEO Gil Mars (Denis Leary) isn't crazy about their latest designs — action figures called Commandos and their enemy, the pacifist Gorgonites — until he orders the designers to make the toys behave the way they do in the commercials — that is, to move and talk. Larry uses a batch of top-secret Globotech military microchips to power the toys and ships them off to toy stores without testing them.

Gregory Smith plays a 14-year-old boy who looks after his father's toy store and purchases a batch. But he soon realizes that they are no ordinary toys and that his family's lives are in danger. Children would really enjoy the action-packed film although not suitable for the very young. (MPAA — PG-13)