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Here's a look at the new movies I saw this week.

Battle: Los Angeles

Starring: Aaron Eckhart, Bridget Moynahan, Michael Pena, and Michelle Rodriguez

Synopsis: This joins a long line of alien invasion films. It doesn't really tread upon new ground ( a group of advanced aliens invade Earth to conquer its people and consume its natural resources) and it doesn't do it in a new way. The definitive entries in this genre are probably "War of the Worlds" (from which it feels like much of this film's plot was pulled) and "Independence Day," which added some humor and panache to the genre. "Battle: Los Angeles" is kind of a solemn take on the alien invasion film. However, the performance by Eckhart (who is probably too good an actor to get stuck in a film like this) keeps the movie grounded. The film attempts to introduce its myriad of other characters during the opening act, but it's too hard to keep them all straight since the characters lack depth and the story is mostly concerned with close quarters combat. The film follows a predictable mold, but it's made watchable by the lead performance and the solid filmmaking techniques employed. It's entertaining, but not memorable.

Rating: PG-13 for sustained and intense sequences of war violence and destruction, and for language.

Verdict: Three stars out of four.

Cedar Rapids

Starring: Ed Helms, Anne Heche, John C. Reilly, Stephen Root, and Isaiah Whitlock, Jr.

Synopsis: This is the best new film I've seen in 2011. Though the bar hasn't been set too high these first three months, "Cedar Rapids" is a breath of fresh air. Helms has long been an incredible talent in supporting roles. He does great work on "The Office" and was probably the most consistently funny and grounded character in "The Hangover." Here we get a slightly different Helms, who grounds this film and all the wild characters that come into his sphere. This is a film about characters with small ambitions that simply aims to amuse and entertain. It achieves in both respects. Some of the plot elements are a bit wild, but in a nerdy, Midwesterner insurance salesman way. The film has a great ensemble cast and it doesn't try too hard to bring the jokes, it just lets the talent of the performers and the absurdity of the script do the heavy lifting. The script by Phil Johnston works well and director Miguel Arteta keeps the film moving. It comes in just under 90 minutes and has some great inside jokes, particularly for fans of Whitlock and "The Wire."

Rating: R for crude and sexual content, language and drug use.

Verdict: Four stars out of four.

Red Riding Hood

Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Gary Oldman, Julie Christie, and Virginia Madsen

Synopsis: Just what the world needed — a live-action retelling of the nursery rhyme "Little Red Riding Hood." This film — from the director of "Twilight" — is interested in teen angst, love triangles, and werewolves. And it throws in a few nods to its source material, including Seyfried's red hood and a few famous lines delivered with an extra dollop of cheese. There are some talented actors in this group, which makes this production all the more curious. It's painful to watch actors like Oldman, Christie, and Madsen deliver cheese ball lines in a film that is too contrived to really even be explained. As I've said before, Seyfried can be a decent performer, but a lot of that depends on the people around her and the direction. There isn't enough here to buoy her performance. The teen co-stars with whom she appears most frequently are sub-par, to put it kindly. Doubtless some envisioned this as the next great teen angst adventure. I did, in fact, feel a great degree of angst watching it, but that mostly centered on when it would mercifully end. There is nothing to really like here except the visuals. There are some neat shots and set designs, but not enough to make you forget you're watching a train wreck. The best part of this film was the theatrical trailer.

Rating: PG-13 for violence and creature terror, and some sensuality.

Verdict: One star out of four.