A weekly update of movies currently showing at local theaters

Akeelah and the Bee (B)

An impressive enough family drama about a girl from South Los Angeles who enters a local spelling bee and eventually makes it to the Scripps National Bee. I’d still prefer the documentary “Spellbound,” but the story here works much better than last year’s “Bee Season.”

The Benchwarmers (C-)

Think “Bad News Bears,” meets “Deuce Bigalow” and you get a pretty good indicator of the comedic standards presented in “The Benchwarmers.” This low brow comedy starring Rob Schneider, David Spade, and Jon Heder does have some laughs – but most come at the expense of some insane, “Where did that come from?” material.

Failure to Launch (C)

This romantic comedy was pleasantly surprising, but still wasn’t good enough to recommend. It does have its moments, notably from a strong supporting cast, but not enough to make it worth your while.

Ice Age 2: The Meltdown (C+)

There are some nice moments, but this sequel to the popular 2002 original doesn’t quite have enough to make for an enjoyable experience.

Mission : Impossible III (B)

A fun thrill-ride that is entertaining – even if it is somewhat unbelievable. Director J.J. Abrams (creator of the television series “Alias”) stages one impressive action sequence after another, giving fans of the franchise exactly what they would expect.

RV (C-)

Robin Williams and director Barry Sonnenfeld manage to squeeze more laughs than they should out of this tired retread of the “National Lampoon’s Vacation” series.

Scary Movie 4 (D)

The latest installment of the popular franchise has some moments that are funny and inventive, and about 100 other gags that are the equivalent of a whoopee cushion. Clocking in at barely 70 minutes, it is clear that even the film’s writers are running out of ideas to spoof.

Take the Lead (B-)

This the new Antonio Banderas vehicle based on actual events won’t win any originality contests, but manages to work, thanks to a solid cast and some nice work by director Liz Friedlander.

United 93 (A)

This re-creation of Sept. 11 by writer/director Paul Greengrass is an exquisite and respectful masterpiece that resonates with power, intensity and raw emotion, making it 2006’s best film. It may also be the most emotionally significant film since “Schindler’s List.”

The Wild (C-)

This latest Disney film was much better the first time I saw, when it was called “Madagascar.” Young kids might enjoy this, but it would probably be a lot cheaper to rent the superior film than spend money on this inferior one.