Hannibal Lecter is back in “Red Dragon,” but he cannot ever scare us again as much as he did in “Silence of the Lambs.” We know him too well. But that very knowledge becomes one of the pleasures of seeing this movie about what happened before “Silence of the Lambs.” Another pleasure is the very fine performances. But the primary pleasure is just being so scared that you might forget to breathe.

No, we don’t get to see the fava beans or the nice chianti. But we do get a glimpse of the life of Hannibal before anyone (but us) knows that he will soon be called Hannibal the Cannibal.

As the movie opens, a symphony orchestra is performing in concert, before an appreciative audience. All of a sudden, among the hundreds of people, we see a familiar face. It is Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Is he noticing that the flute-player is a little off tonight? When we next see him hosting a gourmet dinner for the symphony board, the simple sight of seeing a guest swallow a bite of food gives us goosebumps. Later, when we see the odious prison psychiatrist, Dr. Chilton (portrayed again by Anthony Heald), there is a guilty pleasure in knowing what lies ahead of him.

This story has been impressively filmed once before as 1986’s Manhunter, with Brian Cox as Lecter. But everyone wanted to see more of the Anthony Hopkins take on the character, and so we got this version, showing the best of what a big-budget Hollywood production can do. Every single part is meticulously cast and brilliantly performed. Among many notable appearances, particular standouts are Harvey Keitel and Ken Leung as FBI agents and Philip Seymour Hoffman as a tabloid reporter.

Edward Norton plays Will Graham, an FBI agent who consults Lecter on a series of murders and then is responsible for his capture, after Lecter tries to kill him. Graham retires from the FBI, but is called back in to consult when another serial killer has murdered two families. Like Clarise Starling in Silence of the Lambs, Graham visits Lecter in prison to ask for his help, and once again, as engrossing as it is to track down the new killer, the real thrill of the movie is the interaction between Graham and Lecter. Norton’s character is more of a challenge for Lecter than novice Starling, and the history between them – and some similarities between them – make for some electric moments on screen.

Ralph Fiennes plays Francis Dolarhyde, and we know very early on that he is the man Graham is seeking. At first, the effort to explain his compulsion seems overly simplistic, but the way it is used in the movie’s climax makes it work. Dolarhyde is drawn to Reba, a spirited blind woman (Emily Watson), and Fiennes makes the conflicts between the imperatives from the William Blake-inspired demons that tell him to kill and the tender feelings he has for her heartbreaking. Director Brett Ratner, cinematographer Dante Spinotti, and production designer Kristi Zea have created a world that reflects and illuminates these competing dual forces.

Parents should know that the movie has extreme peril, including a child in danger, and explicit, graphic violence. The overall tone of the movie can be deeply disturbing for some audience members and viewers of all ages should carefully consider whether it is appropriate viewing. There are some sexual references and situations.

Families who see this movie should talk about Graham’s conversation with Reba. How was what he said important to her? If the FBI comes back to Will to ask him to help again, what should he do? Why? Why are people so fascinated with the Hannibal Lecter character?

Families who enjoy this movie will enjoy Manhunter and Silence of the Lambs. They may also want to try Psycho, inspired by the same real-life killer that inspired Hannibal Lecter. For more information about serial killers who also provided some inspiration for author Thomas Harris, see here.

“Tadpole” is as slight and charming as the title character, a 15-year-old prep school kid named Oscar (played by 25-year-old Aaron Stanford) with a crush on his stepmother.

Oscar comes home for vacation determined to tell his stepmother how he feels. But it is harder than he thought. There are too many people around all the time. And, when he does get her alone, it is a challenge to get Eve (Sigourney Weaver) to see him as anything other than her husband’s bright kid. But the biggest complication is that before he can tell Eve how he feels, he is seduced by her best friend, Diane (Bebe Neuwirth in a performance as dry and potent as a double martini).

So, “Tadpole” combines the coming-of-age movie with some moments of sex comedy. Or, maybe coming-of-age movies always have some moments of sex comedy – making fun of the terror and humiliation of loss of control.

It’s a silly premise, but it can be a silly time of life. Oscar is just outgrowing his childhood nickname of “Tadpole.” He is a winning combination of young and old for his age. The movie makes up for its weak and awkward premise with some moments of great humor and subtle insight. Oscar’s talk with his professor father (John Ritter) about the importance of listening, and his own demonstration of the impact of paying attention on Diane’s friends are nicely done. Stanford, Weaver, and Ritter are all first-rate.

Parents should know that the movie has a lot of non-explicit but mature material, including Diane’s seduction of Oscar. Her friends show a lot of interest in him, too. Characters drink and smoke. Oscar gets drunk, which makes him vulnerable to Diane. And Diane tells Oscar that she can only keep his secret if she does not drink.

Families who see this movie should talk about how young teenagers often develop crushes on unattainable objects as a way of experiencing early feelings of love without the complication of intimacy.

Families who enjoy this movie will enjoy Breaking Away and Say Anything.

Even though I am a well-known softie when it comes to Christmas movies, “The Santa Clause 2” gets a “bah humbug” from me.

Indeed, if the Ghost of Christmas Present had shown Ebenezer Scrooge “The Santa Clause 2,” they both might have just given up on the whole thing. This overstuffed turkey of a movie wraps itself in holly and hot cocoa only to come to the conclusion that the magic of Christmas is…getting presents. When it comes to the true Christmas spirit, this movie makes “Home Alone” look like “The Gift of the Magi.”

In part one, modern day Scrooge and bitter divorced dad Tim Allen finds that Santa has fallen off his roof and died. He puts on Santa’s red coat and finds that he is now the new Santa, complete with North Pole workshop and eight tiny reindeer. Allen saves Christmas and saves himself by getting in touch with his inner Santa, generous and unabashedly mushy.

This time, Allen fnds out that there is one more “Santa Clause” in his obligation to take over. He has to marry a Mrs. Clause before Christmas, only 28 days away. He goes back home to visit his son Charlie (Eric Lloyd), so that he can find out how Charlie got on the “naughty” list and find a Mrs. Claus to bring back to the North Pole.

Charlie is in trouble for vandalizing the school with graffiti protesting the principal’s refusal to celebrate Christmas. The principal is very stern and, well, Scrooge-ish, but you can tell that if she would just take off those glasses and let down her hair, she would be very warm and pretty. I think you get where this is going.

Meanwhile, back at the North Pole, Santa has left a mechanical substitute (also played by Allen), who gets wired on a couple of gallons of hot cocoa and decides that all the children have been naughty and will get lumps of coal in their stockings this year.

Yes, it has Disney’s meticulously imagnative art direction, and that workshop on the North Pole has some charm. Allen’s comic timing is always a pleasure and co-star Elizabeth Mitchell has a lovely laugh. But the overall theme that Christmas is about getting the perfect gift, even if you haven’t been entirely good, compounded by intrusive product placements for McDonald’s and Nestle, will leave the audience feeling like it has just eaten an entire plum pudding.

As with the first film, parents should use caution in bringing children who may be grappling with the issue of Santa’s existence to see this, and should be prepared to discuss their own traditions and beliefts.

Parents should know that the movie has some bathroom humor. A character tries to yank out his tooth to get the tooth fairy to come (and apparently succeeds, off camera). Parents should talk to younger kids to make sure they do not imitate this behavior. While the movie has strong, intelligent female characters, the elves (played by children) conform to 1950’s-era stereotypes, with the boys creating toys and playing football while the girls deliver the cookies and cocoa. There are very few minority characters and the movie does not acknowledge any other religious or cultural holiday traditions.

Families who see this movie should talk about how Charlie feels about keeping the secret of his father’s life as Santa. And they should talk about how a big disappointment can make someone afraid to try to be happy. Talk about the scene in which adults play with their favorite childhood toys. Which would you like to have again?

Families who enjoy this movie will enjoy the original and Christmas classics like “A Muppet Christmas Carol” and “White Christmas.”

In this science fiction masterpiece, Stanley Kubrick tracks the odyssey of mankind, from the dawn of man four million years ago to the exploration of deep space. The film begins with a desolate time when our ape-like predecessors led frightened and brutal lives, scrounging for food and huddling against the cold night while wild animals howled in the distance. In a few short minutes, Kubrick has spanned the epochs, depicting the origins of tribes and the miraculous morning when apes awoke and learned how to use tools. With this ability, mankind was launched on its journey to the stars. On Kubrick’s timeline, it is just a small next step to the exploration of the moon. And from the moon, mankind heads off to Jupiter. But what is triggering these immense changes? Why are humans evolving and what is their destiny? At transforming moments along this odyssey, a mysterious black monolith appears, drawing humans ever forward. But toward what? The surprise ending to this film is legendary, and has probably inspired more late night discussions in college dorms than any other movie.

For children 12 or older, 2001 can be a mind-boggling experience. In a series of dramatic vignettes, it introduces children to cosmic mysteries, and gives them an opportunity and an incentive to grapple with issues that span the millenia, rather than dwelling on their last argument over a toy. Younger children may be impressed by the drama, the special effects and the beautiful music, but may have a hard time following the plot. In addition, they will lose patience with some of the longer segments dealing with space exploration. (The special effects used by Kubrick were revolutionary in their day, but will seem commonplace to children raised on Star Wars and Star Trek: The Next Generation. Even twelve year olds may not appreciate the subtle references to political rivalries and intrigue on earth, the cover-up of mysterious developments on the moon, or the more ironic aspects of the clash between man and machine (HAL the computer plaintively crying that he is afraid and that he can feel his mind going is a poignant example). In fact, the cryptic ending of the movie was famous for stumping even adults when the movie first came out.

Most teenagers cannot help but be swept up in this film, which stretches their minds and gives them mysteries and uncertainty instead of endings where everything is neatly tied up with a bow. As children strive to deal with the uncertainty of the ending, and fill in its gaps and illuminate its gray areas by drawing upon their own personality and sense of the world, they are on their way to appreciating greater and more mature forms of art.

Questions for Kids:

Why is the moment the apes use tools a turning point?

What does the monolith represent?

HAL says he was made in 1992 — now that we have passed that date, how many of the film’s ideas about the future seem to be accurate?

HAL says he can “feel” — what does “he” mean?

What happens to Dave at the end? Why?

Connections: A sequel, “2010,” was made in 1984, with author Arthur Clarke appearing briefly on a park bench. It answers many of the questions raised in “2001,” at least in a literal sense, but is not as satisfying as the more open-ended original. Kids who like this movie should read some of Arthur C. Clarke’s science fiction books, especially Childhood’s End, and Isaac Asimov’s Foundation trilogy.

Activities: Teens may want to use the internet to learn more about artificial intelligence and space travel.

All of the ingredients for a good, old-fashioned chick flick are here – an Oscar-winning cast willing to pull out all the stops; quirky, flawed, but relentlessly adorable and completely devoted characters with cute names; handsome, supportive, understanding, and completely devoted boyfriends (one with a cute accent); and a mother-daughter reconciliation. Everyone is just as colorful as can be. It even has a built-in audience of fans who made the book into a sleeper sensation.

But it doesn’t quite make it into the pantheon of chick flick greatness, alongside such classics as “Terms of Endearment” and “Steel Magnolias.” The story has more flash than heart, and the resolution is a little too pat and easy. We hear a lot about the great friendship but don’t really feel it. There is something truly unsavory about the portrayal of knocking someone out and abducting her as madcap and charming. And the plot is a Swiss cheese of logical holes. Still, it is a great pleasure to watch these fine actresses give their all, and to hear the soundtrack by T. Bone Burnett, the guy behind the magnificent Grammy-winning soundtrack of “O Brother Where Art Thou.”

Playwright Sidalee Walker (Sandra Bullock), preparing for a Broadway opening of her autobiographical play, tells a reporter for Time Magazine that her childhood was troubled, and her mother, Vivi (Ellen Burstyn) throws a fit and stops talking to her. So Vivi’s lifelong friends, who as children in a moonlight ceremony involving blood, chocolate, and very elaborate headgear, declared themselves to be the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, take off for the Big City to kidnap Sidalee so that they can explain a few things to her.

Now it would all be too easy for them to just sit down with her in her apartment in Manhattan and talk to her. So, they put knock-out-powder in her drink (am I the only one who thinks that it is impossible to make a rufie anything but horrifying) and, with the help of her devoted Irish fiancé Connor (Angus MacFadyen), pour her into an airplane seat. She wakes up in a secluded cabin, where the Ya-Yas present her with a scrapbook that will help her understand and forgive her mother.

So, we go back in time and meet Vivi as a spirited young girl and teenager, and, after her fiancé is killed in World War II, a broken-hearted young woman, and a loving but overwhelmed mother. She drinks and smokes a lot. She doesn’t love her husband – she is still angry with him because he is alive and the man she really loved is dead. She tells Sidda to pretend to drown so that she can pretend to rescue her. But when it comes time for a real rescue, when the kids all get sick at once, she cannot handle it and runs away. And of course the children blame themselves.

Sidda learns that it was not her fault and it was not really Vivi’s fault, either, and Vivi learns a few things, too, so there is a happy ending for everyone. But it never feels real. Part of it is the absence of the people far more likely than Vivi’s friends to help Sidda sort through everything – where are her sisters and the other petites ya-yas (children of the Ya-Yas)? It is superficial and a little manipulative – the big revelation that is supposed to answer all questions is not so big and leaves more than a few questions still open.

The acting is a joy, though, especially the divine Maggie Smith as a steel magnolia who drags around an oxygen tank and tosses off quips drier than any martini. Burstyn and Judd do a terrific job of melding their performances so that you can believe they are playing the same character.

Parents should know that the movie features characters who drink and smoke a lot, and drinking is shown to be a light-hearted way to bond with friends, though alcohol abuse is shown to be painful for the children of the drinker. There are mild sexual references including inexplicit nudity. While the main characters object to racist remarks in very strong terms, and the feelings of one black character are treated respectfully, the treatment of the black characters is stereotyped. They are portrayed as devoted family retainers. A character abuses prescription drugs, apparently inadvertently. A mother neglects and abuses her children.

Families who see this movie should talk about why it was so difficult for the characters to talk with each other about their feelings.

Families who enjoy this movie will also enjoy Where the Heart Is, Fried Green Tomatoes, Steel Magnolias, and Postcards from the Edge.