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In the 1930’s the Robin Hood-esque bank robber John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) was a household name known for defying law enforcement at every turn. But when J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup) formed the F.B.I. and activated his first agent Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) crime fighting in the U.S. took a very different direction. Directed by Michael Mann, Public Enemies details the final months of Dillinger’s run on robberies, violence, and love for Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard). Shot in a somewhat unconventional manner using high definition video cameras as opposed to film cameras Mann pushes the envelope on cinematography in this latest offering; unfortunately, the look and feel of the footage often comes across as “too slick” or “crisp” which stands out like a sore thumb and unfitting for a period piece of such nature. Additionally, the script does little to develop the characters of Dillinger or Purvis and fails to give a solid sense of historical or rhetorical context. Fortunately solid acting from Depp lends to a small peek at the psyche of one of the nation’s most notorious early criminals, and, it’s refreshing to see Bale pushing a little further than his previous dry performance this summer in Terminator 4. Perhaps a good escape as a matinee, strictly for the acting. Public Enemies is rated R.

The computer animated Manny the Mamoth (Ray Romano), Sid the Sloth (John Leguizamo), Diego the Sabertooth Tiger (Denis Leary), and Scratte the prehistoric squirrel/rat continue their adventure as a most unusual pack. This time, Ellie (Queen Latifah), Manny’s partner, is pregnant and the theme is babies. And, all seems well until Sid happens upon several T-rex eggs left over from the Dinosaur era. Once the eggs hatch chaos ensues as the hatchlings need to be returned to their birth mother in an adventure much akin to the Journey to The Center of The Earth. Along their way the group meet their guide, a weasel and outdoor adventurer named Buck (Simon Pegg). But can the group return topside before they too become extinct? Conceptually a bit stale considering that audiences have already seen several similar plots in the last year; however, the semi clever humor on multiple levels keeps this animated flick palatable for young and old. Also, created with a 3D experience in mind the film attempts to add to it’s “cool factor” but misses the point and never really seems to exploit or embrace the potential of making things jump off the screen. Regardless, for families looking for a fun option this will work as a matinee. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is rated PG.