Step Brothers (R) 12:30, 2:50, 5:15, 7:30, 9:55

The X Files: I Want to Believe (PG-13) 11:40 a.m., 2:00, 4:30, 7:20, 9:40

The Dark Knight (PG-13) 11:30 a.m., 12:00, 3:00, 3:30, 6:15, 6:40, 9:30, 9:50

Mamma Mia! (PG-13) 11:50 a.m., 2:20, 4:45, 7:15, 9:45

Hellboy II (PG-12) 9:15

Journey to the Center of the Earth (PG) 12:20, 2:40, 4:55, 7:05

Hancock (PG-13) 6:55, 9:20

Wall-E (G) 11:45 a.m., 2:10, 4:35

FILM CLIPS 

THE DARK KNIGHT. Sensational, grandly sinister and not for the kids, “The Dark Knight” elevates pulp to a very high level. Heath Ledger’s Joker takes it higher still, and the actor’s death earlier this year of an accidental overdose lends the film an air of a funeral and a rollicking, out-of-control wake mixed together. The film, which improves upon the solemn authority director Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne brought to “Batman Begins,” has an atmospheric shimmer all its own. It’s a brooding crime saga with some spectacular action sequences. PG-13. 2:32. 4 stars.

GONZO: THE LIFE AND WORK OF DR. HUNTER S. THOMPSON. Narrated by Johnny Depp, this biopic lays out a history of Thompson’s work and his legacy, leaning heavily on his “gonzo” image, the hard-boozing, hard-drugging, larger-than-life persona that dominated his writing, and sometimes outshone it. The film is informative and a little titillating, but like Thompson’s work itself, it sometimes feels like a smoke screen, a colorful but distracting set of pretenses hiding as much as they reveal. R. 1:59. 3 stars.

HANCOCK. The idea sounds ripe: Will Smith, one of the screen’s most engaging stars, playing a surly wino of a superhero, making a mess of Los Angeles as he comes to the occasional aid of those in need. Enter a PR whiz (Jason Bateman), who takes on Hancock as his latest project and helps him see the value in soft, non-destructive landings and the odd kind word. Not even Smith’s charisma can mitigate the chaos that is “Hancock.” The violence and the general abrasiveness are a genuine drag. PG-13. 1:32. 1-1/2 stars.

HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY. I can barely keep up with the mythology put forth by the “Hellboy” series, but I enjoyed the first film, and I enjoyed the new one. The movie, directed by the inventive Guillermo Del Toro (”Pan’s Labyrinth”) is engaging, though it’s more cavalier regarding story and relentless in its action than its predecessor. Ron Perlman is great to have around as Hellboy; as before, his oaky, mellow voice belies all manner of freakish rage and loner angst. PG-13. 1:50. 3 stars.

MAMMA MIA! THE MOVIE. It’s funny what you buy completely onstage and resist on-screen. Case in point: “Mamma Mia!” -- the ABBA-fueled stage phenomenon that is now a movie. Meryl Streep handles the ABBA tunes with aplomb, but it’s disappointing to see the film version turn out this way -- not lousy, but pushy. Free spirit Donna (Streep) lives with her daughter Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) on a Greek island. Sophie, about to marry, learns her father, whom she never knew, is one of three possible candidates (Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgard), and all are coming to the wedding. PG-13. 1:48. 2 stars.

STEP BROTHERS. This movie is stupid, predictable and fairly funny, though even its bigger laughs make you wonder if the whole arrested-adolescent streak in contemporary screen comedy may be running its course. Will Ferrell plays Brennan, 39 and living with mom (Mary Steenburgen). John C. Reilly plays Dale, 40, still at home with dad (Richard Jenkins). The parents meet, fall in love, and suddenly you have a blended-family situation of extreme volatility followed by extreme bonding. R. 1:35. 2-1/2 stars.

WALL-E. A hunk of metal with binoculars for eyes -- can this be the screen’s latest true hero? Yes. In Pixar’s marvelous new feature, set 700 years from now, planet Earth has become an uninhabitable garbage dump, whose last resident (besides a roach) is the title robot. How he saves the planet is the subject of director Andrew Stanton’s story, beautifully realized. G. 1:43. 4 stars.

THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE. This second “X-Files” film, based on the paranoiac TV series, is both a muddle and a drag, having to do with stem cell research and regeneration and missing limbs and a fraught psychic. Reuniting David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson as FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, the film will work about the same with die-hard series fans as it does with newbies: Fans and newcomers alike will find it just OK. PG-13. 1:44. 2 stars.