At the Movies: capsule reviews of new films

Capsule reviews of films opening this week:

"Chicken Little" - Disney gets off to a fitful start with its first fully computer-animated cartoon. This reimagining of the chick who cried wolf is likely to please kids and their parents without wowing them the way the animated tales of DreamWorks ("Shrek") and Pixar ("The Incredibles") have. The moderately cute characters dash through slapstick mayhem more in line with Looney Tunes shorts than a Disney cartoon. And the story is a derivative mishmash of pop-culture references woven into an innocuous tweaking of fairy-tale conventions perpetuated in large part by Disney's classic cartoon epics. Zach Braff provides the voice of Chicken Little, a laughingstock after proclaiming the sky was falling, who now finds himself facing a real crisis from above. The voice cast includes Joan Cusack, Steve Zahn and Garry Marshall. G. 81 min. Two and a half stars out of four.

- David Germain, AP Movie Writer

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"Jarhead" - This is a war movie about a generation of soldiers who grew up watching war movies - which only reminds us how superior those first films were. "Apocalypse Now," "The Deer Hunter," "Platoon," "Full Metal Jacket" - the Marines of "Jarhead," based on the best seller by Gulf War veteran Anthony Swofford, know them all by heart. Director Sam Mendes and screenwriter William Broyles Jr. know that you've seen them all, too, and make no attempt to distance themselves from their predecessors. On the one hand, this was a smart tactic - it's what actually happened, so they're being true to reality. Mendes and Broyles also know that they're visiting familiar territory, so they strike a pre-emptive blow at those who will naturally find similarities. On the other hand, the very presence of these earlier films in any form shows that "Jarhead" has little new to offer, despite strong performances from Jake Gyllenhaal, Jamie Foxx and Peter Sarsgaard and gorgeous cinematography from Roger Deakins. R for pervasive language, some violent images and strong sexual content. 115 min. Two and a half stars out of four.

- Christy Lemire, AP Movie Critic

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"Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price" - For his documentary indictment of Wal-Mart, director Robert Greenwald has interviewed every imaginable type of person associated with the world's largest retailer. Former employees recount being forced to work unpaid overtime and seeking government assistance because they couldn't afford Wal-Mart's health insurance. Former managers describe how they systematically quashed attempts at union organization. Longtime small-town store owners discuss the devastation of shutting their doors after a Wal-Mart lures away business. Even a customer tearfully shares details of her carjacking in a Wal-Mart parking lot - which was captured on security cameras that no one was bothering to watch. The one person Greenwald does not include? Anyone from Wal-Mart itself. (CEO Lee Scott appears in news footage and at corporate meetings simultaneously serving as cheerleader and defender; the company reportedly wouldn't respond to Greenwald, a fact he fails to mention even in a cursory way here.) There is no great Michael Moore moment of confrontation, no climax, and as a result the film feels like a well-researched but ultimately dull parade of talking heads. Not rated. 98 min. Two stars out of four.

- Christy Lemire, AP Movie Critic