Jae-Ha Kim

Since winning the Academy Award for her breakthrough performance in “Children of a Lesser God,” Marlee Matlin has been renowned for her acting. But Matlin also is an accomplished author of children’s books.

Equal parts whimsical and bittersweet, “Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium” is a family-friendly movie that will charm youngsters. Dustin Hoffman stars in the titular role of an eccentric 243-year-old owner of a magical toy store.

For all intents and purposes, Noel and Liam Gallagher are Oasis. So in Oasis: Lord Don’t Slow Me Down, it doesn’t really matter that the rest of the band (which includes Ringo Starr’s son Zak Starkey on drums) wasn’t in the lineup when the group made it big in 1995 with songs such as “Wonderwall.” The two-disc DVD offers a documentary as well as a concert filmed in the group’s native Manchester, England, in 2005. In its heyday, Oasis was at the top of its game.

With his film adaptation of his play of the same name, Tyler Perry asks the question, “Why did I get married?” The answer is different for each of the four couples featured in this relationship comedy, which includes Janet Jackson as a psychologist whose own marriage is on shaky ground. Not known for subtlety, Perry hammers in the point that no marriage is perfect–just as no one is completely blameless.

Set in two dichotomous worlds, “Shanghai Kiss” tells the story of a Chinese-American actor who doesn’t quite fit in anywhere. In his hometown, he’s considered a foreigner even though he’s American. And in his family’s native China, his mannerisms make him stick out in sea of familiar faces.

Set in Saudi Arabia, “The Kingdom” is a political action thriller with good acting and wonderful visuals. Its so-so script, though, at times meanders aimlessly until a good explosion jolts the viewer’s attention back to the screen. Jamie Foxx stars as FBI special agent Ronald Fleury, who leads an elite team into Saudi Arabia to find the terrorists who attacked American employees working in the Middle East.

In a perfect world, “Good Luck Chuck” would’ve captured the humor of “Superbad” and the raunch of the “American Pie” films. But what we’re left with, instead, is a raunchy film with an anemic storyline. Cursed as a child with a hex that prevents him from finding true love, Charlie “Chuck” Logan (Dane Cook) finds that the women he dates find the men of their dreams immediately after they’ve dumped him.

Based on the best-selling book of the same name, the film version of The Nanny Diaries is a cute chick flick, but it lacks the witty tone of the novel, which took time to flesh out the characters. The tone is set early on when the narrator notes, “In Africa they have the saying: ‘It takes a village to raise a child.’ But for the tribe of the Upper Eastside of Manhattan, it takes just one person: the nanny.”

Released in conjunction with a CD of the same name, Absolute Garbage is a collection of 15 music videos from the rock band Garbage. Fronted by Shirley Manson, whose smooth and distinctive voice is equally adept at purring as it is growling, the group also includes drummer Butch Vig, guitarist Steve Marker, and bassist Duke Erikson. But make no mistake about it: The visuals are all about the photogenic Manson.

Capitalizing on the charisma of John Stamos and Eric Dane, “Wedding Wars” is a romantic comedy with a political agenda–gay marriage. No, Stamos and Dane don’t play lovers, but rather estranged siblings.