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X-Men Origins: Wolverine

** 1/2 ( 2 1/2 STARS)

$85

million

$85 million

1 week

Rated: PG-13

Running time: 107 minutes

What it's about: How James Howlett became Logan, aka Wolverine (Hugh Jackman, above), the brother of Victor Creed, aka Sabretooth (Liev Schrieber).

Our take: It's like an improbable six-stage rocket that keeps firing according to plan but never achieves lift-off.

Ghost of Girlfriends Past

No stars

$15.4

million

$15.4 million

1 week

Rated: PG-13

Running time: 100 minutes

What it's about: Three spirits guide a glib lothario (Matthew McConaughey, above) through the worlds of girlfriends past, present and future so he can discover his true feelings.

Our take: It displays nary a wisp of life, let alone an afterlife.

Obsessed

** ( 2 STARS)

$12

million

$ 46.8 million

2 weeks

Rated: PG-13

Running time: 105 minutes

What it's about: A second-rate Fatal Attraction knockoff with more diverse casting.

Our take: Beyonce Knowles (above) literally and figuratively kicks butt, making up for some of the film's inherent predictability.

17 Again

* 1/2 ( 1 1/2 STARS)

$6.3

million

$48.5 million

3 weeks

Rated: PG-13

Running time: 102 minutes

What it's about: A disillusioned 30-something gets more than he bargained for when he wishes he were 17 again. With Zac Efron (above).

Our take: If you've seen Freaky Friday or It's a Wonderful Life, you've already seen 17 Again. Except you've seen it done better.

Monsters vs. Aliens

* 1/2 ( 1 1/2 STARS)

$5.8

million

$182.4 million

6 weeks

Rated: PG

Running time: 94 minutes

What it's about: A group of Earth monsters - slapstick versions of the 50-Foot Woman, the Fly (here, Dr. Cockroach), the Blob, the Missing Link and Mothra (here, Insectosaurus) - battle the evil alien Gallaxhar.

Our take: The 3-D will pop your eyes without tickling your funny bone.

The Soloist

*** ( 3 STARS)

$5.6

million

$18.1 million

2 weeks

Rated: PG-13

Running time: 109 minutes

What it's about: A newspaper columnist (Robert Downey Jr.) discovers a schizophrenic homeless man (Jamie Foxx, above) who's also a Juilliard dropout. First he exploits him, then he tries to help him.

Our take: By taking on just about every social ill, the movie bites off more than it can chew. Still, it's a film that can be easily admired, and Foxx is magnificent.