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Opening this week: Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs and Public Enemies.

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Universal Pictures

Johnny Depp stars as Depression-era outlaw John Dillinger, in a scene from ‘Public Enemies.’

* Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs - There are more action and cuddly creatures for kids to love in this third adventure than in the animated franchise's first two instalments. Once again, the main players are Manny the woolly mammoth (voiced by Ray Romano), his wife, Ellie (Queen Latifah), Diego the sabre-toothed tiger (Denis Leary) and Sid the sloth (John Leguizamo). Sibling possums Crash and Eddie (Seann William Scott and Josh Peck) tag along. A new member of this extended family, one-eyed weasel Buck (Simon Pegg) steals the movie with his lively, loony patter and antics. But it's strictly a slapstick tale for kids. HH out of four. Rated G.

* My Sister's Keeper - A shameless weepy, one of the most manipulative and fundamental of genres, but it also raises some surprisingly difficult and thought-provoking ethical questions. My Sister's Keeper focuses on the Fitzgerald family, and the drastic decision they made in medically engineering a child (Abigail Breslin) as a perfect genetic match to help save the life of their older daughteUniversal PicturesJr Kate (Sofia Vassilieva), who has leukemia. For years, little Anna provided blood, bone marrow, whatever Kate needed. Now at 11, with her teenage sister needing a kidney, Anna says no for the first time - and beyond that, she files a lawsuit seeking medical emancipation from her parents. Director Nick Cassavetes traces this conflict through flashbacks from various characters' perspectives: bulldog matriarch Sara (Cameron Diaz), whose priority is preserving Kate's life at all costs; father Brian (Jason Patric), who's patient and supportive no matter what; only son Jesse (Evan Ellingson), who feels lost in the shuffle. HH½ out of four. Rated PG.

* Public Enemies - All the pieces would seem to be in place for an epic gangster drama: director Michael Mann, who has an affinity for complicated criminals; stars Johnny Depp and Christian Bale, who are famous for immersing themselves in their roles; and a thrilling true story of brazen bank robbers on the run. Trouble is, Public Enemies feels rather stagnant. It looks terrific with its period details and costumes, rich production values and striking high-definition cinematography. But until the final third, the film maintains a low-key, steady pace when it should be percolating with unbearable suspense. Mann follows the string of bank robberies John Dillinger (Depp) and his crew pulled off between his well-orchestrated escape from an Indiana prison in 1933 and his death at the hands of federal agents on the crowded streets of Chicago 14 months later. Mann romanticizes him rather than presenting a complete picture including whatever wildness or darkness might have existed inside him and driven him. HH½ out of four. Rated 14A.

* The Hangover - Director Todd Phillips and screenwriters Jon Lucas and Scott Moore take this familiar "What happens in Vegas . . ." idea to bold new heights with a comedy that stays weird and wild for the first two-thirds, only to disappoint in the final act. Three guys take their buddy Doug (Justin Bartha) to Vegas for a bachelor party right before his wedding. When they wake up the morning after their bacchanal, they realize the groom is missing - and that's only the beginning of their trouble. HH ½ out of four. Rated 14A.

* The Proposal - All the romantic comedy conventions are shamelessly on parade in The Proposal, trampling on our brains and turning them into mush. Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds are both well suited for snappy banter and they play off each other with some nice friction. But The Proposal turns gushy and goes downhill in the final act. HH out of four. Rated PG.

* The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 - A low-key, steadily paced thriller about a New York subway hijacking has been amped up with director Tony Scott's trademark acrobatics: incessant camera movement, sped-up footage that jarringly cuts to slo-mo, seizure-inducing edits and a blaring soundtrack. Considering that you have heavyweights Denzel Washington and John Travolta squaring off, you just want the exchanges play out for themselves. HH out of four. Rated 14A.

* Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Basically, the film follows the further adventures of plucky, young Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf, seriously straining his likability), who is yet again stuck in the middle of the eternal fight between the noble Autobots and the evil Decepticons. Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson return as eye candy, as does John Turturro, who provides a couple of laughs. H½ out of four. Rated PG.

* Up - Up is a mismatched buddy comedy but the buddies are a curmudgeonly 78-year-old man and a tubby eight-year-old boy - who wind up together in a flying house, travelling to South America. HHH½ out of four. Rated PG.

* Year One - Making a solid summer comedy starring Jack Black, Michael Cera, David Cross and Hank Azaria should be so easy, a caveman could do it. Somehow, despite the presence of those reliable actors and the highly advanced skills of comic veterans Harold Ramis and Judd Apatow behind the scenes, Year One manages to be a dud. A few amusing moments and gags pop up here and there, but more often the script feels flat.H½ out four. Rated 14A.