MOVIES OPENING IN C-U THIS WEEK

"Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium" (Rated G, dir. Zach Helm)
Dustin Hoffman stars as the titular owner of a magical toy store in which everything comes to life — including the store itself. Natalie Portman (“Garden State”) and Jason Bateman ("Arrested Development") co-star.

"Love in the Time of Cholera" (Rated R, dir. Mike Newell)
Veteran director Mike Newell directs a stunning ensemble cast — including Javier Bardem, Catalina Sandino Moreno, John Leguizamo, and Liev Schreiber — in this romantic epic about two lovers from Cartagena, Columbia.

"Beowulf" (Rated PG-13, dir. Robert Zemeckis)
Rob Zemeckis (“Back to the Future,” “Forrest Gump”) returns from a directorial hiatus to present a star-studded epic fantasy adaptation of the Beowulf myth. Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, John Malkovich, Robin Wright Penn, Brendan Gleeson, Angelina Jolie, and Crispin Glover make up a mouth-watering ensemble cast.

Kumars’ Pick: I must say that these all look somewhat enticing. Given Rob Zemeckis’ patchy catalogue, in which even his successful ventures (“Forrest Gump”) are conspicuously dumbed-down, this latest screen adaptation of “Beowulf” should probably turn out an overblown dud. The jaw-dropping cast, however, might be a sign that there’s more to this big-budget epic than meets the skeptical eye. I’m far less sure what to make of “Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium” — Jason Bateman is always worth checking for, and the psychedelic color scheme looks positively rapturous. But I still need to know two things: What in the world is this actually about, and how did they get Dustin Hoffman to be in a movie about, well, whatever this is about? Unlike this and “Beowulf,” however, I feel like I’ve seen “Love in the Time of Cholera” a billion times before. A lavish period piece about lovers tragically separated by fate? Seriously? Is no one else getting tired of this stuff? I’d say overall these three films carry about an equal amount of risk, so, what the hell, I’ll pick the weirdest one. See this “Mr. Magorium” thing and tell me if it’s any good.

NEW CD RELEASES THIS WEEK

Led Zeppelin, “Mothership” and "The Complete Led Zeppelin"
No new material here — no previously unreleased tracks or unearthed gems. So why have "Mothership" and "The Complete Led Zeppelin" been so widely anticipated? Because they represent Led Zeppelin's official entry into the MP3 era. "Mothership" ($13.99) consists of 24 of Zep's best-known songs — "Dazed and Confused," "Whole Lotta Love," "Immigrant Song," "Rock and Roll," "Black Dog," "Stairway to Heaven," and so on. "Complete" ($99.99) consists of the band's entire 165-track discography. On Tuesday, they will be available for purchase at iTunes. If you're already a fan, you'll find it hard to resist downloading these classics. If you're new to Jimmy Page & Co., "Mothership" is the perfect introduction to one of the most influential hard rock bands of all time.

Alicia Keys, "As I Am"
Six years after her impressive debut, "Songs in A Minor," Alicia Keys is releasing just her third studio album. Early reviews have been positive. From Billboard: "Keys continues to fearlessly resist the cookie-cutter norm. On her most personal record to date, love (of self, a significant other, family) and life lessons are the primary themes. The strong stories that Keys spins are complemented by deft musical arrangements that integrate more rock and pop into her enriched old-school vibe."

The Hives, "The Black and White Album"
Five years ago The Hives helped kick-start the revival of garage rock, that most quintessentially American of rock subgenres. Not bad for five guys from Fagersta, Sweden. Every track on their new album is available for listening on their MySpace page. Click here for the whole thing.

Goo Goo Dolls, "Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 — The Singles"
This retrospective album by the long-time pop rock band will come out this week, featuring a new version of their song "Name" and a remix of "Feel The Silence." The Goo Goo Dolls, who have been around since 1986, are surely familiar to a range of youth, considering that the band has, for nearly the past two decades, been popular in spurts due to relatively frequent one-hit wonders ("Slide," "Black Balloon," "Broadway," and "Dizzy").

LCD Soundsystem, "45:33"
Producer James Murphy's extremely successful project, LCD Soundsystem, will release their third album. The album will follow "Sound of Silver" by only a short eight months. With two Grammy awards under their belt, the group is definitely prepared to (hopefully) get their audience moving, once again, to their addictive electronica beats. You can listen to a free stream of "45:33" here.

The Killers, “Sawdust”
This Oasis-inspired American rock band from Las Vegas will release their third album. "Sawdust" will contain some cover songs, as well as other highly anticipated tracks. While "Hot Fuss" (in particular, "Mr. Brightside") was the big break for The Killers, "Sam's Town" strayed away a bit from the band's original sound, which slightly resembled post-punk. Vocalist and keyboardist Brandon Flowers hinted, in an interview with Billboard, that the band would return to their original sound in the new album.

Sindha's Pick: I enjoy The Killers, but I'm not sure if reverting back to their ways of "Hot Fuss" is a good thing. While "Hot Fuss" was enjoyable, I think it would get way too repetitive. Of course, we just have to see what they come up with and what new spins they might take on the old, original sound. Goo Goo Dolls had their place and time for me, but that place and time is not here and now. In fact, it was probably more or less sixth grade. I'm not looking forward to a greatest hits collection because there doesn't seem a wide variety to pick from. To put it more bluntly, every song the Goo Goo Dolls come up with seems like a reinvention of some other song they wrote earlier on in their career. A greatest hits collection would just be an excuse for critical listeners like me to point out the mundane similarity that each track holds. This leaves LCD Soundsystem. I am actually a pretty big fan of LCD Soundsystem, even though I generally find electronica to lack a certain depth (for me, that is). But, LCD Soundsystem are really fun to listen to and are, again, pretty addictive. [Note: For more of this week's new releases, click here.]

NEW DVD RELEASES THIS WEEK

"La Vie en Rose" (Rated PG-13, dir. Olivier Dahan)
Marion Cotillard stars as Edith Piaf in writer-director Olivier Dahan’s impressionistic biopic about the life of the legendary French singer.

"Shrek the Third" (Rated PG, dir. Chris Miller & Raman Hui)
DreamWorks’ third installment of the “Shrek” animated fairy-tale spoof series finds the titular ogre questing to find an heir to the throne of Far, Far Away lest he himself be crowned.

"Ocean’s Thirteen" (Rated PG-13, dir. Steven Soderbergh)
Steven Soderbergh’s second sequel to his “Ocean’s Eleven” remake finds Danny Ocean (George Clooney) and his gang of sophisticated thieves teaming up with their former nemesis Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia) to take down the unscrupulous new casino mogul in town, Willy Bank (Al Pacino).

Kumars’ Pick: “Ocean’s Thirteen” is the only major DVD release this week that I’ve seen, and while I disapprove of someone of Steven Soderbergh’s talent wasting time making sequels to popcorn flicks, I must say that “Thirteen” is a sexy, stylish rebound from the dull European travels of “Ocean’s Twelve.” Like the superb “Eleven,” “Thirteen” once again takes place in Las Vegas, and everything falls right back into place. It’s nothing to write home about, but it’s a dazzlingly star-studded, reasonably clever caper with its tongue placed firmly in cheek. Another series with its third installment on DVD this week is “Shrek” — I found the first two somewhat crass, and the unfavorable reviews this time around suggest that only the very young and/or very undiscerning will find it worthwhile. “La Vie en Rose” was generally well-received, and though biopics tend to turn me off, I love watching films where I’ve never seen any of the actors before. I’ll probably be giving this a try at some point this holiday season and, since it’s my pick for this week, I recommend you do the same.

LOCAL SHOWS & CONCERTS

Friday, Nov. 16: Jimmy Eat World, The Almost, and Viva Voce, 7:30 p.m., Assembly Hall, tickets ranging from $22 to $25
Long-time alternative rock band Jimmy Eat World, the indie/psychedelic band Viva Voce, and emo/post-hardcore band The Almost team up for a concert at Assembly Hall. Jimmy Eat World came out with a new album in October, “Chase This Light,” and The Almost last April with “Southern Weather.” This is probably Jimmy Eats World's call to their steady fans to support their new album and The Almost's and Viva Voce’s attempts to broaden their fan base.

Sindha’s Pick: Save your money up for something better this week. Unless you are a diehard Jimmy Eat World fan, $22-plus is too much to pay for an Almost or Viva Voce show (considering I saw the latter and five other bands for $7). Wait till these two become more famous if you wish to see them at a venue like Assembly Hall. I’ve never a fan of seeing shows at Assembly, either. Unless you have superb seats, you must submit to the sport of neck-craning. Also, the sounds of all these bands are pretty different, so even if you are a fan of The Almost or Viva Voce, you might not necessarily enjoy the other two bands.

NEW VIDEO GAME RELEASES THIS WEEK

“Super Mario Galaxy” (Nintendo)
“Hey, it’s me, Mario!” Mario returns in “Super Mario Galaxy” on the Wii where he has to once again save Princess Peach from the evil Bowser. In “Super Mario Galaxy,” Mario will be traveling through space to collect stars and will have many different transformations, such as Boo Mario and Bee Mario. On the Wii, the player will be able to control Mario by moving him with the Nunchuk and having him perform his special moves with the remote. A second player can play alongside Mario and can help him collect star bits and remove enemies. “Super Mario Galaxy” costs $49.99 for the Wii.

“Crysis” (EA Games)
“Crysis” is a first-person shooter set in the future where aliens have invaded Earth. You play as an American soldier who wears a special suit called the Nano Muscle Suit. The suit gives you access to many different special abilities, such as healing and becoming partially invisible. “Crysis” also has a multiplayer, which provides six different maps and two game modes, instant action (death match) and power struggle (similar to capture the flag). “Crysis” costs $49.99 for the PC.

“Assassin’s Creed” (Ubisoft)
This Ubisoft release is an action/adventure game that allows you to play as Altair, an assassin during the Third Crusade. The objective of “Assassin’s Creed” is to eliminate prominent figures during the Third Crusade, traveling through Jerusalem, Acre, and Damascus. Also in “Assassin’s Creed,” the environments are realistic and responsive, allowing you to eliminate your targets whenever and wherever you want. “Assassin’s Creed” costs $59.99 for the Xbox 360 and PS3.

Gordon’s Pick: I recommend all three of these highly anticipated and excellent-looking games. The return of Mario onto the Wii has made “Super Mario Galaxy” one of the best games so far on the Wii, and the graphics in “Crysis” just look amazing. If you have a computer that can run “Crysis,” I would definitely get it. As for “Assassin’s Creed,” it is going to be one of the most creative and solid action/adventure games for the Xbox 360 and PS3.