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

I Am Legend (Warner Bros.)
Grim but effective thriller has a brave scientist (Will Smith) as the last surviving person in New York battling ferocious animal and human mutants as he struggles to find a cure for the virus that has eliminated most of the world's population. Director Francis Lawrence's remake of Richard Matheson's 1954 novel has some eerie scenes of a decimated New York, and the computer-generated images of mutants attacking are scary enough when they come, but though Smith is a compelling presence and there are some pointed and admirable spiritual elements, the basic setup ultimately grows tiresome and more depressing than exciting. Intense if isolated violent sequences, including the killing of the creatures, and scantily clad mutants. Might be acceptable for older teens. (A-III, PG-13)

Juno (Fox Searchlight)
Smart, funny and ultimately moving comedy-drama with a strong pro-life message about an unwed teen (an outstanding Ellen Page) who decides not to have an abortion, and promises the coming baby to a childless couple (Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner) who long to adopt. The narrative has just the right moral wrap-up; performances are tops, including J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney as the girl's supportive parents and Michael Cera as the shy classmate responsible for her condition. Jason Reitman's direction strikes just the right piquant tone, though Diablo Cody's script contains a high expletive level for its appealing but sassy heroine. Crude language and at least one instance of the f-word, some crass expressions, an irreverent remark, a nongraphic premarital teen encounter with brief partial nudity, out-of-wedlock pregnancy, sexual talk and divorce. Possibly appropriate for older teens. (A-III, PG-13)

The Kite Runner (Paramount Vantage)
Superb adaptation of Khaled Hosseini's best-seller about an Afghan writer now living in the U.S. who recalls how as a boy in his native homeland, he failed to help and subsequently betrayed his best friend, and now finds he has a chance to atone for that misdeed. Under Marc Forster's sensitive direction, the beautifully acted film provides a fascinating portrait of pre- and post-Taliban Afghanistan; its fine human values, strong affirmation of friendship and family, and redemptive ending should move even the most stone-hearted. In Dari and English. Partially subtitled. A single profanity and use of the f-word, a brief rape scene with no nudity involving a small boy and a bully, two discreetly worded sexual references, illegitimacy theme, a violent beating and a woman's stoning. Acceptable for older teens. (A-III, PG-13)

The Perfect Holiday (Yari)
Amiable romantic comedy, narrated by "Mrs. Christmas" (Queen Latifah), in which a divorced mother of three (Gabrielle Union) must cope with the machinations of her egotistical rap star ex-husband and the resistance of her 10-year-old son as she gradually falls, with the help of her daughter, for a songwriter and shopping-mall Santa who's posing as an office supply salesman. Most of the humorous complications of director Lance Rivera's film work well enough, though the end product falls well short of its titular adjective. Implied premarital sex, divorce, some crass expressions and one mild profanity. (A-II, PG)