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This week at the movies, we have galactic monsters (Alien vs Predator: Requiem), ol' Nessie (The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep), big talkers (The Great Debaters, starring Denzel Washington), and preggered pubescents (Juno, starring Ellen Page and Michael Cera). What do the critics have to say?

The story of a youngster who befriends a mythical beast, The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep makes for occasionally magical family entertainment, critics say. Sorta like E.T but with a thicker brogue, The Water Horse tells the story of Angus (Alex Atel), who stumbles upon a mysterious egg that contains a creature that grows up to be the Loch Ness Monster. Pundits say that while it feels familiar and doesn't stray too from coming-of-age story conventions, The Water Horse is loaded with charm and a sense of majesty, carried by strong CGI work. At 71 percent on the Tomatometer, this Water is safe to wade in for the whole family.

Denzel Washington directs and stars in The Great Debaters, the based-on-truth account of a group of African American college students from Texas that challenged the status quo. While the film follows the inspirational drama formula to a tee, critics were willing to forgive its conservative plot and be inspired by the rousing performances and Washington's unobtrusive direction. At 74 percent, Debaters is Great indeed.

Teen pregnancy is not generally a topic that lends itself to hilarity. However, critics say Juno is a touching, intelligent, and laugh-out-loud exception to the rule. Juno stars Ellen Page as a smart, headstrong teenager who finds herself pregnant after a one night stand with her best friend (Michael Cera) and tries to deal with the repercussions. The pundits say Juno is full of quirk and heart, featuring fine performances from Page, Cera, Jennifer Garner, and Jason Bateman, as well as fine direction from Jason Reitman and a precociously smart script from first-time writer Diablo Cody. At 94 percent on the Tomatometer, Juno is not only Certified Fresh, it's one of the best-reviewed films of the year. (Check out our interview with Page here.)

The very presence of Alien vs Predator: Requiem in theaters this week begs an important question: is there any better way to celebrate the holiday season than with a cataclysmic throwdown between two of sci fi's most iconic monsters? Unfortunately, we'll have to wait and see, since this one wasn't shown to critics prior to release (probably a wise move, since the first AVP notched a lusty 22 percent on the Tomatometer). AVP:R finds the action has moved from outer space to Colorado, where Predator and the aliens duke it out. Kids, take time out from celebrating the fact that you received a Nintendo Wii and guess that Tomatometer.

 

Also opening in limited release this week:

• Persepolis, based on Marjane Satrapi's graphic novel about growing up in Iran, is at 97 percent. (Read our interivew with Satrapi here.)

• There Will Be Blood, P.T. Anderson's sprawling American epic of oil and greed, is at 88 percent.
• The Orphanage, a Guillermo del Toro-produced horror melodrama from Spain, is at 74 percent.

• Honeydripper, the new Southern drama from director John Sayles, is sweet with 64 percent.

• The Bucket List, starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman as two men facing death and lovin' it, is at 45 percent.