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Short Takes: Movie reviews

These are condensed from Daily News movie critic Gary Thompson’s reviews, unless noted otherwise.

Condensed from Daily News movie critic Gary Thompson's reviews, unless noted otherwise.

IRON MAN 3. The franchise has its groove back in a sequel so good it's our critic's top movie pick for the weekend. See page 21 for why. (PG-13) B+

RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST. Mira Nair's U.S./Pakastan culture clash drama has provocative ideas, but makes for a dull thriller. With UK rapper Riz Ahmed in the title role, plus Kate Hudson, Kiefer Sutherland and Liev Schreiber. (R) C

MUD. Great slice-of-life Southern tale of a fugitive (Matthew McConaughey) who enlists two teens to help him build a boat. (PG-13) A-

PAIN AND GAIN. Director Michael Bay can't find the right tone in this satiric tale of steroid-abusing psychos. Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Anthony Mackie. (PG-13) C

ARTHUR NEWMAN. Middle-aged man trying to escape his life (Colin Firth) road trips with a flighty woman who loves pretending to be someone else. You'll wish you were somewhere else. (Not rated) C

THE BIG WEDDING. Every rom-com cliche is thrown into this star-packed, but barely watchable, family wedding comedy. (PG-13) D

OBLIVION. Tom Cruise stars as an omega-man mercenary preparing to depart an Earth evacuated of all humans. Or is it? Gorgeous but goofy sci-fi. (PG-13) B-

THE COMPANY YOU KEEP. Robert Redford stars in and directs this ill-timed movie about radical bombers in hiding. Great cast - including Julie Christie - helps plodding procedural. (R) C+

LORDS OF SALEM. Rob Zombie's latest has an excellent premise - a heavy-metal tune awakens dormant witches - and lame execution. (R) C- (Reviewed by Daily News wire services.)

42. Family-friendly treatment of the Jackie Robinson story works too hard at being inspirational but does a solid job of telling an important story. (PG-13). B

TRANCE. Danny Boyle builds a thriller around amnesia. The story has some fun hairpin turns, but isn't quite mesmerizing. (R) B-

THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES. Bradley Cooper and Ryan Gosling shed glamour for substance in the ambitious, sorrowful family epic. (R) B

DISCONNECT. "Crash" meets the Internet in a series of interlocking stories that explore a fraying information-age society. (R) B-

SCARY MOVIE 5. Along the lines of Scary Movie 4 . . . plus 1. (PG-13) Not reviewed.

EVIL DEAD. Remake is a full-on horror movie instead of the horror-slapstick hybrid that Sam Raimi fans might expect, although there are some in-joke visual gags for buffs. (R) B

JURASSIC PARK 3-D. Steven Spielberg's edge-of-your-seat blockbuster celebrates its 20th anniversary with a 3-D Imax restoration. Impressive in 1993, it's now flawless. (PG-13) A (Reviewed by Daily News wire services.)

THE CROODS. Animated 3-D comedy about a Neanderthal-ish dad (Nicolas Cage), a hotshot Homo sapien (Ryan Reynolds) and a family of cave-dwellers facing environmental catastrophe. (PG) B

OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN. Laughably cheesy action flick about a North Korean terrorist attack on America. (R) B-

G.I. JOE: RETALIATION. Botched sequel to a movie that was fun the first time around. There's too little Channing Tatum, and it makes zero sense. (PG-13) D (Reviewed by Daily News wire services.)

TYLER PERRY'S TEMPTATION. How "tempting" can a PG-13 movie about cheating be? (PG-13) C (Reviewed by Daily News wire services.)

OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL. Opulent 3-D "Oz" update that could use more heart, courage and brains. (PG) B-