This week at the movies, we've got wacky cops ("Reno 911!: Miami"), numerological tension ("The Number 23," starring Jim Carrey), a rocket man ("The Astronaut Farmer," starring Billy Bob Thornton), and a haunted house ("The Abandoned"). What do the critics have to say?

On the small screen, the "COPS" parody "Reno 911," with its incompetent lawmen, zany situations, and absurd fashions, is good for its share of laughs. In the multiplex? Critics say "Reno 911!: Miami" is a slightly less arresting proposition. The gang heads to Miami to break up a terrorist plot on spring break; hilarity ensues. Sketch comedy is often on shaky ground when moved from the tube to the big screen, and a few of the critics say "Reno 911" is no exception; they feel the film has some good laughs but ultimately runs out of steam. Others say that fans of the show will get exactly what they want. At 55 percent on the Tomatometer, "911" is a call you have to make for yourself. (Check out an interview with "Reno 911" cast members by RT's own Jen Yamato.)


"Reno 911!: Miami," invoking the spirit of "Baywatch Nights."

I don't know about you, but when I think of the number 23, visions of Michael Jordan dance in my head. (Or perhaps former Red Sox first baseman Brian Daubach.) Director Joel Schumacher and star Jim Carrey want the titular figure to be synonymous with psychological intrigue, but the critics say it's more like the law of diminishing returns. Carrey stars as a man whose wife (Virginia Madsen) has given him a pulp novel that appears to be about his life, and he subsequently becomes fixated on the number 23, which seems to turn up everywhere he goes. The pundits say "The Number 23" is incomprehensible and overly busy, draining the film of suspense. At 11 percent on the Tomatometer, you may want to subtract "The Number 23" from your list.


The tomatometer of "Pet Detective" minus the tomatometer of "When Nature Calls" equals ...23!

Here's a high concept for you: "Field of Dreams" in orbit. Sound ridiculous? Well, cynics be darned; critics say "The Astronaut Farmer" is a heartwarming fairytale, an inspirational family film that seems out of place in contemporary Hollywood. The movie tells the tale of a former astronaut (Billy Bob Thornton) who, facing foreclosure on his farm, dreams of building his own rocket against all odds. The pundits say "The Astronaut Farmer" is a heartwarming ride, featuring a strong sense of its Midwestern locale helmed with an unpretentious, pleasant directorial touch by the Polish brothers. At 78 percent on the Tomatometer, "The Astronaut Farmer" may be worth a ride.


"I sure do like them french fried potaters, mmm hmmm."

It appears that the people behind "The Abandoned" have, ahem, abandoned it, since it wasn't screened for critics. The film tells the story of a woman who returns to the house where she was born in a remote part of Russia; horrifying events ensue. Get a search party together and Guess that Tomatometer.

Also opening this week in limited release: "Starter for 10," a Britcom about a working class kid at a posh university, is at 86 percent; "Glastonbury," a rockumentary about England's most venerable music festival, is at 73 percent; "Cocaine Angel," a harrowing no-budget indie about a few days in the lives of Florida addicts, is at 60 percent; "Amazing Grace," about William Wilberforce's 20 year struggle to end slavery in the British Empire, is at 55 percent; and "Gray Matters," a rom-com about a brother and sister expanding their romantic horizons starring Heather Graham, is at 20 percent.


Morrissey waxes poetic about his comatose girlfriend in "Glastonbury."

Finally, props to FernandoDANTE and alwaysforevernow for coming the closest to guessing "Ghost Rider"'s Tomatometer of 27 percent. Get your respective motors running, and then, subsequently, head out on the highway.

Recent Jim Carrey Movies:
----------------------------------
27% -- Fun With Dick and Jane (2005)
71% -- Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)
93% -- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
49% -- Bruce Almighty (2003)
42% -- The Majestic (2001)

Recent Billy Bob Thornton Movies:
-------------------------------------------
27% -- School for Scoundrels (2006)
46% -- The Ice Harvest (2005)
45% -- The Bad News Bears (2005)
79% -- Chrystal (2004)
82% -- Friday Night Lights (2004)