• The Bucket List (*** out of ****): Two great actors in the twilight of their careers show how it's done in this humorous and poignant take on the road trip/buddy movie for geezers. Somewhat predictable, but I liked it a lot better than I thought I would.

• Juno (***): We kept skipping over this one, but I'm glad we finally watched it (on Tivo/Amazon Unbox download). It's a thought-provoking, modern day take on a complicated teen/family problem, with some great acting as a bonus. I really liked some of the simple, fun, but strangely compelling songs from the soundtrack, too.

• Nanking (**1/2): A (sort of) docudrama about atrocities committed in the Chinese city of Nanking by the invading Japanese army during the early days of WWII before Pearl Harbor, and a group of missionaries who saved 200,000 residents of the city by setting up a "safe zone" in defiance. Original film, newsreels, photos, and current day eyewitness testimony from survivors and Japanese soldiers are historically significant, shocking, and heartbreaking accounts of a story I had never heard. Points off for having contemporary (and inappropriately cast in at least one case) actors reading the diaries and journals of the missionaries, which detracted from the story in my opinion. Professional voice overs would have been more effective, I think. I suppose the "star power" was intended to raise awareness, but the eyewitness accounts are far more compelling.

• Mad Money (**1/2): Some great performances by three outstanding female leads in this highly unlikely but entertaining and slickly produced crime caper. (Guys, this one counts as a "chick flick," just don't admit you enjoyed it even though you will.)

• The Grand (**1/2): If you like gambling, casinos, poker, etc. you'll like this. Better than expected, but I wasn't expecting much. Some highly entertaining performances by some great comedy actors who are better than this script, especially Cheryl Hines who rocks this one. The Spinal Tap of poker?

• The Darjeeling Limited (**): Three great young actors in a reconciliation road trip movie that doesn't quite click. Bonus points for exotic locations and beautiful cinematography, plus droll humor and a tragic but touching episode. Tip: skip the alternate opening hotel scene. It's a movie maker's indulgence that doesn't add much, and instead makes you wonder if you should bother with the rest. You should.

• Rambo (**): Go ahead. You know you want to see it. Warning: extreme violence, off-the-shelf characters, and stupefying plot devices. Be sure to check out the DVD extras on the situation in Burma. Also, the alternate outtakes of Rambo attempting sensitive dialogue illustrate why they were left out in favor of the strong, silent performance. (Ladies, this one counts as two "chick flick" credits.)

SEE ALSO: Domestic Psychology's weekend movie reviews. (Was Steve Carell born to play Max Smart, or what?)