New releases

A look at what's headed to the shelves.

By Times Staff
Published May 25, 2006

---

Transamerica

DIRECTOR: Duncan Tucker

CAST: Felicity Huffman, Kevin Zegers, Graham Greene, Fionnula Flanagan, Burt Young, Carrie Preston, Elizabeth Pena

SYNOPSIS: Huffman won an Academy Award for her portrayal of a preoperative transsexual escorting her unwitting son on a road trip.

WHAT WE SAID: The St. Petersburg Times gave the film a B.

MPAA RATING: R; sexual situations, frontal nudity, strong profanity, drug abuse

RUNNING TIME: 103 min.

High School Musical

DIRECTOR: Kenny Ortega

CAST: Zac Efron, Vanessa Anne Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel, Alyson Reed

SYNOPSIS: This Disney Channel movie, about a high school athlete and a math whiz who defy school stereotypes and stir up trouble when they decide to audition for the school play, has been a ratings blockbuster and spawned a best-selling soundtrack.

WHAT WE SAID: The Times did not review this movie, which was not released in theaters.

MPAA RATING: PG

RUNNING TIME: 98 min.

Cheaper by the Dozen 2

DIRECTOR: Adam Shankman

CAST: Steve Martin, Bonnie Hunt, Piper Perabo, Tom Welling, Hilary Duff, Eugene Levy

SYNOPSIS: More hijinks with the oversized Baker family, headed by Martin and Hunt. Levy co-stars as their rival during a multifamily camp outing.

WHAT WE SAID: The Times gave the movie a C-.

MPAA RATING: PG; crude humor

RUNNING TIME: 105 min.

BloodRayne

DIRECTOR: Uwe Boll

CAST: Kristanna Loken, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Rodriguez, Michael Madsen, Will Sanderson, Matt Davis, Udo Kier, Michael Pare, Geraldine Chaplin, Billy Zane

SYNOPSIS: A woman (Loken) who is half human and half vampire avenges her mother's rape by a vampire king (Kingsley).

WHAT WE SAID: The Times did not review this movie.

MPAA RATING: R; strong bloody violence, some sexuality and nudity

RUNNING TIME: 94 min.