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ASSIGNED NUMBERS

Unlike the MPAA we do not assign one inscrutable rating based on age, but 3 objective ratings for SEX/NUDITY, VIOLENCE/GORE and PROFANITY on a scale of 0 to 10, from lowest to highest, depending on quantity and context.

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December 2

Wanted [2008] [R] - 7.8.9
Based on a comic book character: A man (James McAvoy) seeks revenge against the murderer of his father, who is himself an assassin, and his father's partner (Morgan Freeman) arranges for him to train with a brotherhood of assassins, under the eye of his assistant (Angelina Jolie). Frightened and overwhelmed at first, he agrees to participate in assassination assignments. Also with David O'Hara, Terrence Stamp, Common, Konstantin Khabensky and Marc Warren. Directed by Timur Bekmambetov. [1:52]

The X-Files: I Want to Believe [2008] [PG-13] - 3.7.4
Former FBI agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny), a believer in alien abductions, paranormal phenomena and government conspiracies, and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), a more pragmatic physician with forensic expertise, team up to find a missing FBI agent by following a trail laid out by a defrocked Catholic priest (Billy Connolly), who's a self-proclaimed psychic. Also with Amanda Peet, Alvin "Xzibit" Joiner, Callum Keith Rennie, Adam Godley and Nicki Aycox. Directed by Chris Carter. [1:44]

Step Brothers [2008] [R] - 9.5.9
Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly star as two grown men who form an unlikely team when their parents marry and they become stepbrothers. Suddenly the middle-aged slackers have to find jobs and move out of their parents' home. Also with Adam Scott, Mary Steenburgen, Kathryn Hahn, Andrea Savage, Richard Jenkins, Lurie Poston, Travis Flory, Rob Riggle, June Raphael and Jake Johnson. Directed by Adam McKay. [1:35]

The Longshots [2008] [PG] - 3.3.4
A former high school football great (Ice Cube) is depressed after he loses his job due to a plant closing, until he takes on a new assignment: to baby-sit his niece (Keke Palmer), whom he soon trains as a star quarterback and the first female member in Pop Warner Football. Also with Tasha Smith, Jill Marie Jones, Dash Mihok, Matt Craven, Garrett Morris and Earthquake. Directed by Fred Durst. [1:34]

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian [2008] [PG] - 1.6.1
The Pevensie children (Anna Popplewell, Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes and William Moseley) return to Narnia after a year in London, but when they arrive they realize that centuries have passed in the magic kingdom. They also come to understand how much has changed and that the people of Narnia are about to face another battle against a cruel and brutal ruler from a neighboring kingdom. Also with Peter Dinklage, Ben Barnes, Alicia Borrachero, Vincent Grass, Shane Rangi, Warwick Davis, Sergio Castellitto and Predrag Bjelac. Directed by Andrew Adamson. [2:20]

Fly Me to the Moon [2008] [G] - 1.2.1
3-D animated feature about a young fly, who grows up hearing about the adventures of his grandfather and decides to have an adventure of his own: After convincing his two closest friends to join him, they stow away on the Apollo 11 rocket and take a trip to the moon. With Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., and the voices of Christopher Lloyd, Robert Patrick, Nicollette Sheridan, Tim Curry, Ed Begley Jr., Adrienne Barbeau, Philip Bolden, Trevor Gagnon, David Gore and Kelly Ripa. Directed by Ben Stassen. [1:25]

December 9

The Dark Knight [2008] [PG-13] - 2.7.3
Amidst an ongoing struggle to rid Gotham of organized crime, the Batman (Christian Bale) is introduced to a villain whose motivations seem to be to create anarchy and chaos: Known as The Joker (Heath Ledger) because of facial scars that resemble a smile, he wreaks havoc on the city and disrupts District Attorney Harvey Dent's (Aaron Eckhart) efforts to imprison mobsters. Also with Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman and Eric Roberts. Directed by Christopher Nolan. [2:32]

Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who [2008] [G] - 0.3.1
The story of the loveable elephant named Horton (voiced by Jim Carrey), who finds a speck on a clover and discovers that there is a community of Whos living on it. His troubles start when he tries to protect them from a busybody kangaroo (voiced by Carol Burnett), which does not believe him and thinks that the speck should be boiled in oil. Also with the voices of Steve Carell, Dan Fogler, Seth Rogen, Will Arnett, Isla Fisher, Amy Poehler, Jaime Pressly, Jonah Hil, Laura Ortiz and Selena Gomez. Directed by Jimmy Hayward and Steve Martino. [1:28]

December 16

Mamma Mia! [2008] [PG-13] - 4.1.3
Musical comedy featuring tunes from the '70s group ABBA: A young woman (Amanda Seyfried) preparing for her wedding is determined to discover the identity of her father. So, after reading her mother's (Meryl Streep) diary, she invites the three men (Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgard) who she thinks are the most likely suspects. Also with Julie Walters, Christine Baranski, Dominic Cooper and Juan Pablo Di Pace. Directed by Phyllida Lloyd. [1:48]

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor [2008] [PG-13] - 3.7.3
Brendan Fraser reprises his role as an adventurer with a penchant for mummies, and this time he's called out of retirement after his son (Luke Ford) uncovers a brutal emperor that is reanimated (Jet Li) and determined to continue a war started centuries earlier, before his army was transformed into mummies. Also with Maria Bello, Michelle Yeoh, John Hannah, Liam Cunningham and Isabella Leong. Directed by Rob Cohen. [1:52]

December 19

The House Bunny [2008] [PG-13] - 6.3.5
When a Playboy Bunny (Anna Faris) is tossed out of the Playboy Mansion for being too old at 27, she finds her way to a college sorority in need of a housemother. Her mission becomes to turn a band of social outcasts (Emma Stone, Kat Dennings, Katharine McPhee, Rumer Willis and Dana Goodman) into desirable women. Also with Christopher McDonald and Beverly D'Angelo. Directed by Fred Wolf. [1:38]

Traitor [2008] [PG-13] - 2.6.5
A man (Don Cheadle) selling weapons to Muslim terrorist groups is chased by the FBI and linked to bombings in countries around the world. Also with Archie Panjabi, Guy Pearce, Lorena Gale, Raad Rawi, Aly Khan, Simon Reynolds, Paulino Nunes, Mozhan Marno, Jeff Daniels, Neal McDonough and Said Taghmaoui. Directed by Jeffrey Nachmanoff. [1:53]

December 21

Burn After Reading [2008] [R] - 8.7.10
Comedy noir about two employees of a fitness club (Frances McDormand and Brad Pitt) who find a CD-ROM they are convinced contains espionage secrets, and assume that the owner of the disc will reward them if they return it. The reaction they get is not what they expected, and they try to sell the information to the Russians, but instead find themselves involved in a convoluted mess of C.I.A. spies, infidelity and inadvertent murder. Also with John Malkovich, Lenny Venito, Tilda Swinton, Richard Jenkins, David Rasche and J. K. Simmons. Directed by Ethan Coen and Joel Coen. [1:36]

Death Race [2008] [R] - 4.8.8
Jason Statham stars as a man falsely charged with murdering his wife and sentenced to a notorious maximum security island prison. The prison's warden (Joan Allen) makes money from broadcasting car races where inmates have to kill each other in order to win. Also with Ian McShane, Tyrese Gibson, Natalie Martinez, Jason Clarke, Max Ryan, Fred Koehler, Jacob Vargas, Robert LaSardo and Robin Shou. Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson. [1:29]

The Women [2008] [PG-13] - 5.2.4
A woman (Meg Ryan) busy with her job, charity work and party planning, is taken by surprise when she discovers that her husband is having an affair. Not sure what to do, and being advised by friends and her mother, she is determined to remake herself and her life. Also with Annette Bening, Eva Mendes, Debra Messing, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Candice Bergen, India Ennenga, Bette Midler, Cloris Leachman and Carrie Fisher. Directed by Diane English. [1:54]

Hamlet 2 [2008] [R] - 6.3.7
A bad actor (Steve Coogan) tries his hand at being a high school drama coach, but when budget cuts and several harsh reviews threaten his vocation, he sets out to stage a grand, politically incorrect musical in order to raise enough money to save arts teaching. Also with Catherine Keener, David Arquette, Joseph Soria, Elizabeth Shue and Amy Poeller. Directed by Andrew Fleming. [1:34]

December 27

The Duchess [2008] [PG-13] - 7.5.1
Period piece taking place in 18th century England, with Keira Knightley as a young English woman, barely out of her teens, who is chosen by a prominent Duke (Ralph Fiennes) to become his wife and producer of male heirs. Not long after they marry she discovers that he is being unfaithful to her. It becomes impossible for her to tolerate his dalliances when she discovers that he is having an affair with her only friend and he insists that she move in with them. Based on a true story. Also with Dominic Cooper, Hayley Atwell, Charlotte Rampling, Simon McBurney, Aidan McArdle, John Shrapnel and Alistair Petrie. Directed by Saul Dibb. [1:45]

Eagle Eye [2008] [PG-13] - 2.6.5
A young man (Shia LaBeouf) whose life is in a constant state of flux learns that his twin brother has died. After attending his funeral he receives a phone call that sets in motion a series of events that may end in his death. At the same time, a woman (Michelle Monaghan) also receives a call that instructs her to take action or her young son will be killed. The two become unwitting partners in a race for their lives. Also with Rosario Dawson, Anthony Azizi, Billy Bob Thornton, Anthony Mackie, Michael Chiklis, Cameron Boyce and Lynn Cohen. Directed by D.J. Caruso. [1:58]

Ghost Town [2008] [PG-13] - 4.3.5
Ricky Gervais stars as a dentist who does not like people, and does not believe in ghosts. But when he dies for seven minutes and is then revived, he discovers he retains the ability to see the dead, and the ghosts follow him and pester him. One ghost (Greg Kinnear) is particularly insistent. Also with Téa Leoni, Alan Ruck, Jeff Hiller, Kristen Wiig, Jordan Carlos, Billy Campbell, Dana Ivey and Aasif Mandvi. Directed by David Koepp. [1:42]