Arthur

It’s a remake of the 1981 comedy hit starring Dudley Moore, and while it may be even more inconsequential than the original, it once again has the virtue of being a great, lively vehicle for its star. Russell Brand’s Arthur is still a zany, rebellious alcoholic, but he seems flakier and more exuberantly frivolous than the Moore version. And Brand’s flakey, flighty comic persona is this version’s real subject and its chief delight—the plot of the original is still in play, but this time the star comedian’s trademark antics are all that really matters. Helen Mirren has some good comic moments as Arthur’s long-time nanny, and Greta Gerwig and Jennifer Garner do routinely effective work as the young women competing for Arthur’s attention. Bitterman, Arthur’s trusty chauffeur, is played with characteristic gusto by Luis Guzman, and the ethnic mismatch seems part of the joke. Nick Nolte seems a good choice for the role of prospective father-in-law, but his performance is erratic at best. Cinemark 14, Feather River Cinemas and Paradise Cinema 7. Rated PG-13