Meet Dave

Eddie Murphy brings his trademark talent for physical comedy to a movie about a spaceship robot disguised as a white-suited man named Dave. Tiny aliens, led by a Dave lookalike, control the robot as he makes a big impression on the citizens of New York City and enters into a romance with an unsuspecting young woman played by Elizabeth Banks (Fred Claus), while trying to save his home planet. Gabrielle Union and Scott Cann star in this wacky comedy filled with catchy music and slapstick humor.  Rated PG (20th Century Fox)

Space Chimps (In Theaters: July 18)

Lazy Ham III (voiced by Andy Samberg) shouldn’t be a NASA astronaut chimp except for the fact that his grandfather was the first monkey to be sent into space. Ham gets much more than he bargained for when a tricky 
politician (Stanley Tucci) sends him on an outer space mission with fellow chimps Lieutenant Luna (Cheryl Hines) and Commander Titan (Patrick 
Warburton) to rescue the people of a distant planet from their evil dictator Zartog (Jeff Daniels). Rocket launches, black holes and goofy fun make up this animated sci-fi comedy for kids. Rated G (20th Century Fox)

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (In Theaters: August 15)

Lucasfilm Animation produces Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Clone wars between the Separatists and the Galactic Republic are in full swing as Jabba the Hutt’s son is kidnapped by a group of rebels. Anakin 
Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi are called in to locate the boy with the help of Ahsoka Tano, while the Sith make plans to play all ends against the middle. The Star Wars universe looks as colorful as ever in this animated movie filled with action-packed battles led by the Jedi Knights. The theatrical debut of Star Wars: The Clone Wars marks the beginning of a television series premiering on the Cartoon Network in the fall. Rated PG (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Movies on DVD

Diary of a Spider (DVD release: May 27)

Included on this collection of children’s stories is “Diary of a Spider,” about the education of a young spider; “Roberto the Insect,” about a termite who 
follows his dream of becoming an architect in the big city; “Norman the 
Doorman,” about a museum doorman mouse with a knack for sculpture, and 
“The Mysterious Tadpole,” about a little boy’s giant tadpole. Also included is “The Story of the Dancing Frog,” about a lonely woman who finds a dancing frog and makes him a star. This is a great anthology of well-written stories for
children ages 3 to 9. Not Rated (Scholastic)

The Dark Crystal (DVD Release: July 29)

The late Jim Henson’s 1982 epic fantasy about “another planet, another time” is a classic piece of richly imaginative kid’s cinema. The story is set 1000 years ago when the mysterious Pure Crystal was broken, thereby dividing the world into good and evil. The Crystal was partially restored to empower the cruel rule of the Skeksis, a tribe of birdlike lizard creatures. A young orphan 
Gelfling named Jen is raised by a group of peaceful wizards called Mystics and sets off on a journey to find the Crystal’s missing shard in order to restore peace to the planet before an alignment of the planet’s three suns dooms it to eternal darkness. From the man who invented the Muppets comes a movie that will keep kids coming back to watch it again and again. Rated PG (Sony)

The Mouse and the Motorcycle (DVD Release: June 24)

The Mouse and the Motorcycle is based on Beverly Cleary’s story about a little boy named Keith who goes on a summer vacation with his parents and befriends Ralph, a motorcycle-riding mouse hiding in his room. The 1986 stop-motion-animated movie won a Peabody award and is regarded as a classic. Included on the DVD is “Wee Gillis,” about a Scottish boy called Wee who must choose between living his life as a highlander 
hunting stags or a lowlander herding cattle. “The Mouse and the Motorcycle” comes with a read-along feature that enables young viewers to read along with every word as it’s spoken. Not Rated (Scholastic)

Cole Smithey, also known as “the smartest film critic in the world,” has been a film critic for 11 years and writes for over 50 publications, in print and on-line. Truman loves to watch movies and has the highest appreciation for great popcorn.