Short takes

Reviews by Daily News critic Gary Thompson, unless noted.

THE BAND'S VISIT. An Egyptian band gets lost, then stranded in Israel in this amusing crowd-pleaser. (PG-13) D (Wire services)

BE KIND REWIND. Hackneyed comedy about two video store clerks who remake classic films after they destroy their tapes. Jack Black, Mos Def. (PG-13) D (Wire services)

CHARLIE BARTLETT. Rich kid (Anton Yelchin) demoted to public school becomes popular handing out prescriptions. Would-be folk hero is kind of a jerk. (R) C-

CITY OF MEN. Companion piece to 2002's Oscar-nominated "City of God" oddly embraces all the cliches about poverty in Brazil its predecessor so deftly avoided. (R) C (Wire services)

DEFINITELY, MAYBE. Ryan Reynolds tells daughter Abigail Breslin how he met her mother. The definition of chick flick. (PG-13) B- (Wire services)

FOOL'S GOLD. Mediocre comedy about a treasure hunt, but mostly about Matthew McConaughey's naked torso. (PG-13) C

IN BRUGES. Two hit men (Brendan Gleeson, Colin Farrell) on assignment in Belgium. (R) B- (Wire services)

JUMPER. Guy (Hayden Christiansen) learns to teleport, uses incredible new power to . . . hit on girl. Samuel L. Jackson gets a paycheck. (PG-13) C

JUNO. Hilarious, touching story of smart-aleck teen (Ellen Page) who gets pregnant, selects couple (Jason Bateman, Jennifer Garner) as adoptive parents. (PG-13) A

MICHAEL CLAYTON. Exceedingly well-made thriller/character study of law-firm fixer (George Clooney) who is brought in to clean up the mess when a prominent partner goes bonkers. Back in theaters off its Oscar noms. (R) B+

NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN. Outstanding but downbeat neo-western about a creep (Javier Bardem) and a sheriff (Tommy Lee Jones) looking for a cowboy (Josh Brolin) with a bag of loot. Coen brothers at their best. (R) A

THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL. Soapy, dubious history of Anne and Mary Boleyn (Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johanssen) courting King Henry VIII. (R) C

PENELOPE. Surreal comedy about girl with pig-nose (Christina Ricci) and the guy (James McAvoy) who pretends to like her. Mostly works. (PG-13) B

PERSEPOLIS. Cartoon comedy about Iran's Islamic revolution works beautifully in thisan adaptation of Marjane Satrapi's graphic novels. (PG-13) A-

SEMI-PRO. Obscene comedy has Will Ferrell as player-owner of ABA team. Juvenile comedy with adult rating. (R) C

THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES. City kids move to enchanted country house, get involved in faerie-goblin war. Pretty good adaptation. Freddie Highmore. (PG) B

STEP UP 2 THE STREETS. Girl dancer gets booted from her crew, competes in the big Baltimore dance contest with geeks from her new school. The last five times you saw this story it was better. (PG-13) C- (Wire services)

THERE WILL BE BLOOD. Harsh, well-told story of a ruthless oilman (Daniel Day-Lewis) in turn-of-the-century Texas, adapted from muckraker Upton Sinclair's novel. Daniel Day-Lewis is riveting. (R) B

VANTAGE POINT. Preposterous, but kinda watchable break down of a presidential assassination attempt from various viewpoints. Dennis Quaid. (PG-13) B-

WELCOME HOME ROSCOE JENKINS. Funny actors do their best with so-so script about tense family reunion. Martin Lawrence, Mike Epps, Mo'Nique. (PG-13) B-