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THE PROPOSAL

High-powered book editor Margaret (Sandra Bullock) is facing deportation to her native Canada.

Callous and scheming, she forces her assistant Andrew (Ryan Reynolds) to become her fiancé in order to fool naturalization officials. The couple flies to Sitka, Ala., to visit the groom's close-knit family and partake in a weekend of homey shenanigans.

Most critics panned "The Proposal" just as they erroneously hammered "Two Weeks Notice" and "Miss Congeniality," failing to understand that warm-and-comfortable predictability can be a good thing. Awkward moments are made pleasant by the pair's affability and the bite of sarcasm that's traditionally found in good romantic comedies.

Two other show stealers support our recommendations: Betty White as Andrew's loving and ditzy grandmother and Oscar Nunez spice up several scenes.

As romantic comedies go, "Proposal" should have a long summer run.

Viewers concluded:

* "Predictable but even so, super entertaining"

* "It's all about Sandra Bullock and she is wonderful as usual"

* "Cute"

* "Beautiful scenery"

* "A very funny movie. Attractive story"

* "Chick flick."

YEAR ONE

Neanderthals Zed (Jack Black) and Oh (Michael Cera) are banished from their tribe and embark on a journey through biblical times only stopping for potty humour.

Black's distinctly frenetic mannerisms have not changed since "High Fidelity," but that's what most viewers wanted to see. Meek Cera, playing opposite Black, makes the film come alive with laughter.

The adolescent perspective does not play well for older audiences, but youngsters will get their daily allotment of uncouth crudeness as the potent comic moments ebb and flow.

Viewers reacted:

* "Stupid, silly, gross"

* "My mom and dad would hate it."

THE TAKING OF

PELHAM ONE TWO THREE

This remake of the 1974 original relies heavily on its two intense actors to deliver a by-the-numbers mix of action and star power that fails to grasp the brass ring.

"Pelham" looks like most other high-priced thrillers -- good by all standards, but not great. "Pelham's 75 per cent Audience Approval proves the cat-and-mouse game between honest intelligence and self-indulgent evil connected with many viewers.

John Travolta plays a terrorist named Ryder who hijacks a subway train and holds everyone hostage, angling for a $10 million ransom, threatening to kill a passenger every hour until the money is delivered. Denzel Washington is the expert dispatcher who uses his knowledge of the New York subway system to duel with Ryder.

John Turturro is the hostage negotiator stirring up the action, and James Gandolfini stars as the mayor whose impending retirement bliss is jeopardized. The best reason to see the film is for the performances.

Viewers concluded:

* "The story was intriguing"

* "The actors are great and there are some funny parts"

* "Flashy"

* "I like Denzel Washington and John Travolta but the story is old style, nothing new"

* "Intense. There are a lot of good thrills watching these two guys battle each other."

THE HANGOVER

"The Hangover" is the highest-rated comedy we have polled in the past 20 years. None of the nearly 300 moviegoers we polled rated it below three stars.

Bridegroom Doug (Justin Bartha) and three friends (Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis) drive to Vegas for a bachelor party two days before the wedding. But the groomsmen wake up the following morning to find a tiger, a baby, a chicken, a hooker, missing teeth, smoldering furniture and an AWAL Bridegroom.

The non-stop humour comes as the boys recall last night's debacle and uncover surprise after surprise.

Viewers concluded:

* "Hysterical"

* "I laughed every minute"

* "Amazing"

* "From the trailer, I thought it was going to be just some stupid and crazy comedy. It turned out to be crazy but not stupid. It's very funny and entertaining"

* "Terribly gross at times, but you don't notice it because it's so funny."

LAND OF THE LOST

Based on the '70s TV series, "LOTL" exists purely to spotlight Will Ferrell's zany antics. Dr. Rick (Ferrell), his beautiful assistant Holly (Anna Friel) and numbskull survivalist Will (Danny McBride) trip into an alternate universe stockpiled with dinosaurs, lizard folk and an ape boy named Cha-ka (Jorma Taccone).

Whether he is splashing in dinosaur urine, spouting scientific claptrap, screaming like a girl or teasing a T-rex, you're going to get your dose of Ferrell. And while the critics don't much care for his absurdities, real moviegoers were more temperate, voting "Land" to a 69 per cent approval.

Viewers reacted:

* "If you're a Will Ferrell fan, you'll love it"

* "A few good jokes here and there"

* "Not at all for children"

* "Ridiculous nonsense"

* "For adolescents only."

MY LIFE IN RUINS

Nia Vardalos, who wrote and starred in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," returns in this rom-com that's primary feature is its non-stop smiling.

Travel guide Georgia (Vardalos) feels her mojo has dissipated and her life has becoming meaningless. But as she guides a multinational group of rubes through Athens, the hunky bus driver Poupi (Alexis Georgoulis) and a humorous passenger (Richard Dreyfuss) replenish her zest.

This is a sweet cliched romance with predictable laughs and limited energy (74 per cent Audience Approval, five points higher than the "Greek Wedding").

Viewers stated:

* "Cute"

* "A very sweet movie. Many scenes touched me"

* "About the level you find on an afternoon made-for-TV movie, but still enjoyable."

UP

Pixar has created two of the finest, most popular animated films of all time in "Wall-E" and "Ratatouille." "Up" signals the commencement of summer while earning yet another superior rating from moviegoers who voted it into the number one position on our poll.

"Up" is a brilliant combination of compelling story, dazzling animation and writing that tickles every emotion. The film builds around an old man dealing with the passing of his beloved wife. It's short introduction follows childhood friends Carl and Ellie along their lifetime path of friendship and love; it's an unparalleled profound experience for anyone regardless of age.

Carl (voice of Ed Asner) and wife Ellie spent their lives planning to visit Paradise Falls in Venezuela, but Ellie's death ends the dream. Carl, a relentless curmudgeon, suspends his house from thousands of balloons and sets out on the journey as a tribute to his adored partner.

Russell, a gutsy young Junior Wilderness Explorer (voiced by Jordan Nagai) has been accidentally included in the liftoff, providing a juxtaposition of characters who learn and grow from each other. While there are standard action sequences and talking animals, "Up" lives with real characters muddling through deeply human facets of life in ways that are funny, touching and inspirational.

Comments included:

* "The first 10 minutes are so moving, even with few lines"

* "The best animation of the year"

* "A story that is worthy of a great film"

* "Funny, intelligent, touching"

* "I think both kids and adults can enjoy it from different perspectives."

DRAG ME TO HELL

Loan officer Christine (Alison Lohman) is cruising through life. But things abruptly change when she denies an old woman a loan extension for her house. The woman slaps a gypsy curse on Christine and the film takes a turn toward horror.

Director Sam Raimi's "Evil Dead 2" is a cult classic of absurd gore and humour. If you're looking for pure horror, "Drag Me" is a bit silly.

We found most moviegoers ranked it low, resulting in a marginal 51 per cent Audience Approval.

Viewers reacted:

* "I thought it was going to be a horror movie but it's actually a comedy"

* "Crazy"

* "The sweet and scary scenes mix together, giving people time to relax"

* "Is this a joke?"

* "Predictable. You can sense what's coming from the music"

* "Scary to ridiculous."

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM:

BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN

Now a successful businessman, Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) learns that his live- action museum buddies have been shipped to the Smithsonian Institution. Some of history's most ruthless villains have come alive and are scheming to take over the world.

Larry teams with old and new pals to subvert world domination. Cameos by Robin Williams and Ricky Gervais complement a strong cast that includes Owen Wilson as Jedediah, Christopher Guest doing a dandy Ivan the Terrible and Bill Hader as General Custer.

Viewers voted "Battle of the Smithsonian" to a must-see 82 per cent Audience Approval. Despite a significant point drop from the original's 93 per cent approval, "Battle" still gets my recommendation. There are enough laughs for everyone, and moviegoers enjoyed their visit with familiar faces.

Comments included:

* "Great movie for kids. Lots of interesting roles"

* "I'm pretty sure the critic I read saw a different movie. This one was extremely entertaining"

* "Not as good as the first one" "Great combination of joking around and special effects."

ANGELS AND DEMONS

Harvard symbologist Richard Langdon (Hanks) returns to the spotlight when he uncovers the deadly shadow cast by the Illuminati, the Vatican's arch nemesis. Langdon hooks up with beautiful Italian scientist Vittoria Vetra (Ayelet Zurer) for an investigation through Rome's crypts, catacombs and cathedrals, following a 400 year-old trail of ancient clues.

Following the death of the Pope, the science-minded Illuminati kidnap the four replacement candidates and schedule their execution, which is then to be followed by the destruction of Vatican City by a vial of antimatter they have stolen from the CERN particle physics laboratory in Switzerland.

Helping push the plot along are Vatican detective Olivetti (Pierfrancesco Favino), Swiss Guard Commander Richter (Stellan Skarsgard) and the temporary Pope, Camerlengo (Ewan McGregor).

If you're looking for an absurd story intermixed with a science-versus- religion debate that's wrapped up with action and violence, this is the perfect film for you.

Comments included:

* "Although it is a little boring at the beginning, it turned pretty intriguing after exposing the mysteries step by step"

* "I can see they actually did a lot of changes to the book. But that's necessary and I think they did a good job. The plot is well adapted, so that I don't feel it's missing any pieces"

* "I haven't read the book, maybe that's why I liked it"

* "I don't care what the critics said, it's a wonderful movie"

* "Kind of portrays Catholic religious leaders in a bad light."

STAR TREK

This pleasing return of America's pre-eminent space adventurers thrilled moviegoers, garnering a must-see 87 per cent audience approval.

Trekkies and newbies both relished the voyage. Critics celebrated the science, regarded as so appealing by the thinking class of viewers. The new crew, portrayed as youngsters on the first Starship Enterprise voyage, filled the two-hour film with action and spectacular visual effects, which was the perfect energizer for newbies. But those finicky Trekkies were thrilled by the pure-and-simple introduction of young James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and logical Vulcan Spock (Zachary Quinto).

A visit from the old Vulcan himself, Leonard Nimoy certainly set Trekkie hearts aflutter. We meet Kirk, a hell raising Iowa farm boy, who then meets Spock for their first voyage on the Starship.

Young versions of the famed crew include Scotty (Simon Pegg), Sulu (John Cho), McCoy (Karl Urban), Chekhov (Anton Yelchin) and Uhura (Zoe Saldana), each honing a very recognizable likeness to the originals.

Comments included:

* "I've seen all the 'Star Trek' movies, this is a good one"

* "Good story, nice action, a little twist and logical thinking, a good sci- fi movie worth watching in the theatre"

* "I am not a die-hard fan of Star Trek, but I think this is a good movie"

* "Extremely entertaining and not just for followers of the old TV show. Everyone will like it, I'm sure there will be another one."

* The Big Screen, written by Bob Habes, appears in Life & Times each Friday.