The following are capsule reviews of movies recently reviewed by the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

American Gangster (Universal)
Gritty, chaotically filmed 1970s New York true life story about a scrupulously honest if womanizing cop (Russell Crowe) investigating a notorious drug kingpin (Denzel Washington) who's shipping heroin from Thailand to the States in Vietnam War soldiers' body bags all the while posing as an upstanding family man. Director Ridley Scott, working from Steven Zaillian's fact-based script, captures the tumultuous era's spirit and skillfully counterbalances the prosperous criminal with the struggling hero, but the squalid milieu and strong violence will not be to everyone's taste, despite a moderately redemptive ending. Pervasive rough language and profanity, racial epithets, upper female nudity, adultery, a graphic sexual encounter without nudity, violence, murder, suicide, brief torture and drug dealing. (L, R)

Bee Movie (DreamWorks)
Generally delightful animated feature about a scrappy bee (voice of Jerry Seinfeld) who decides to sue the human race for stealing the honey manufactured by his hard-working bee brethren and brings the case to court, with the help of a sympathetic florist (Renee Zellweger). An often very funny script (by Seinfeld and others), terrific voice work from a cast including John Goodman, Chris Rock, Kathy Bates, and many more, and ultimately, a valuable ecological lesson, make this film -- directed by Simon J. Smith and Steve Hickner -- above-average family fare. Mild innuendo. (A-I, PG)

Martian Child (New Line)
Delicate, highly unusual story about widowed science fiction writer (John Cusack) who adopts a strange little boy (a perfectly cast Bobby Coleman) who insists he's come from Mars. Director Menno Meyjes sustains a slightly surreal tone throughout which keeps you guessing whether the child is simply delusional or actually an extraterrestrial being, while an outstanding Cusack's fervent sincerity helps makes the premise all the more plausible, as the poignant script underscores themes of nonconformity, loss, and the power of love. Mild profanity, innuendo, some peril.
(A-II, PG)

Saw IV (Lionsgate)
The fourth installment of this blood-saturated horror franchise offers more of the same mayhem, even though psychopath Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) is dead. Having lost their antihero and much of the shock value, director Darren Lynn Bousman and company delve into Jigsaw's past, providing a routine back story to explain what turned the talented engineer into an executioner and self-styled moral tutor. The furious editing technique used to link all the deadly moving parts can't mask terrible dialogue and acting; it's time for these killing games to cease. Pervasive bloody violence and gore, including bodily mutilations, much rough language and profanity, images depicting rape, frontal male nudity. (O, R)

Office for Film & Broadcasting classifications: A-I -- general patronage; A-II -- adults and adolescents; A-III -- adults; L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling; O -- morally offensive.