Movie Stars

Animal Kingdom A brooding, bloody tale of a clan of criminal brothers and the teenage innocent (James Frecheville) who lands among them. There’s more style than substance here, but it’s still an impressive debut from writer-director David Michôd, part of Australia’s Blue-Tongue Films collective. Jacki Weaver is unforgettable as the gang’s chirpy, lethal Mum. (112 min., R) (Ty Burr)

Cairo Time As an American on vacation in this romantic drama, Patricia Clarkson has the face of a woman who just ate a long, delicious meal or cashed a very big check. It’s an apt expression for a movie that requires her to wander around northern Egypt in layers of fabric and fall deeply in like with her guide, an excruciatingly handsome man (Alexander Siddig). Writer-director Ruba Nadda has a bone to pick with perceptions of Arab culture. Her movie is a kind of bourgeois delusion — authentically aggravated but bogusly conceived. (87 min., PG) (Wesley Morris)

Lottery Ticket Bow Wow is a nice kid who hits a $370 million jackpot and suddenly finds that everyone in the projects wants something from him, especially a scary parolee. What could be inspired cash-infusion kookiness is instead mostly just routine comedy with a few bits of resonant social commentary. (99 min., PG-13) (Tom Russo)

Mao’s Last Dancer Historical ballet camp. The movie tells the story of the dancer Li Cunxin (Chi Cao), but portraits of Mao get as many close-ups as the actors. The movie jerks back and forth between Li’s childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood, which is spent in 1980s Texas. There are some nice touches, namely Bruce Greenwood as the retired dancer Ben Stevenson. But the dramatic highpoint — set in a mansion and featuring a bunch of people standing around — looks like a game of Clue. (117 min., PG) (Wesley Morris)

Nanny McPhee Returns In this disappointing sequel, Emma Thompson’s mono-browed, mole-dotted caregiver is gentler, and paired with kids whose rambunctiousness seems manufactured rather than amusingly exaggerated. Maggie Gyllenhaal is the beleaguered parent struggling to keep the family farm afloat while her husband is off at war. (109 min., PG) (Tom Russo)

Patrik, Age 1.5 On the surface, this Swedish film is basic situation comedy. A gay married couple wants to adopt a toddler. They wind up with a homophobic teenager. It’s not not a sitcom, but still has a few unexpected developments. And yet the movie is fundamentally what it promises. The frowns are turned upside down, and the bigots get their happy comeuppance. (97 min., unrated) (Wesley Morris)

The Switch Following Jennifer Lopez in “The Back-up Plan,’’ another blah insemination comedy starring a struggling Jennifer, this time it’s Aniston. She plays a single New Yorker raising her son (Thomas Robinson) while trying to negotiate her relationship with the real father (Jason Bateman) and the man (Patrick Wilson) who thinks he is. Bateman and Robinson are so good together, you have to ask: If a Jennifer Aniston movie doesn’t actually need Jennifer Aniston, do we? (104 min., PG-13) (Wesley Morris)

Vampires Suck The latest genre parody from the makers of “Date Movie’’ lazily takes aim at the “Twilight’’ franchise. In-jokes and riffs on specific scenes might appeal to “Twilight’’ fans with a sense of humor, but the stale pop-culture references and predictable lowbrow physical comedy offer little entertainment for anyone who hasn’t already chosen an allegiance to Team Edward or Team Jacob. (88 min., PG-13) (Natalie Southwick)

An archive of movie reviews can be found at www.boston.com/movies. Theaters are subject to change.