NEW YORK (CNS) -- The following are capsule reviews of theatrical movies on network and cable television the week of Feb. 24. Please note that televised versions may or may not be edited for language, nudity, violence and sexual situations.

Sunday, Feb. 24, 12:40-3:40 p.m. EST (AMC) "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" (2011). Sprawling, brawling adventure sequel -- set in 1891 -- in which Robert Downey Jr.'s he-man Holmes and his recently wed sidekick Dr. Watson (Jude Law) battle a conspiracy by evil genius Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris) to destabilize European politics and bring on a general war. The iconic pair is aided in their struggle by a Gypsy fortuneteller (Noomi Rapace) and by Holmes' bon-vivant older brother (Stephen Fry). Director Guy Ritchie's second take on the classic detective fiction of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle downplays old-fashioned sleuthing in favor of a constant flow of confrontations, escapades and escapes. Still, adults with a high degree of tolerance for stylized violence will likely find the proceedings diverting enough. Constant action violence, including a suicide, torture and some glimpses of gore, partial rear and implied full nudity, fleeting sexual humor, a few crass terms. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

Monday, Feb. 25, 8-9:45 p.m. EST (TCM) "The Public Enemy" (1931). Classic gangster melodrama about a young hoodlum (James Cagney) during Prohibition who rises up the gang ladder until a mob war shows that he "ain't so tough." Directed by William A. Wellman, Cagney gives his definitive performance as the cocky tough in an era of lawlessness spawned by the demand for illegal booze. Stylized violence and implied promiscuous relationships. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-III -- adults. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.

Tuesday, Feb. 26, 6:15-8:30 p.m. EST (Showtime) "A Knight's Tale" (2001). Rollicking action adventure story about a young squire (Heath Ledger) in 14th-century France who assumes his deceased master's identity and works his way up the jousting circuit to foil a nasty villain (Rufus Sewell). Inspired by Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales," director Brian Helgeland deftly blends contemporary attitudes, dialogue and rock music into an entertaining period piece although the movie's length is a bit indulgent. Intermittent action violence, some rear nudity and fleeting crass language. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

Friday, March 1, 8-10:15 p.m. EST (TCM) "Hugo" (2011). This family-oriented fable, set in 1930s Paris, follows the adventures of a 12-year-old orphan (Asa Butterfield) who lives in one of the capital's great train stations. To avoid being shipped off to an orphanage by the merciless officer responsible for the terminal's security (Sacha Baron Cohen), the mechanically gifted lad clandestinely carries on the work of the drunken uncle (Ray Winstone) in whose custody he was left, but who has since disappeared, by keeping all the clocks on the premises ticking. In his spare time, he struggles to repair a mysterious automaton he and his beloved father had been tinkering with before the latter's death. His search for the necessary spare parts brings him into contact with the embittered owner (Ben Kingsley) of a toy shop and with the merchant's adopted daughter (Chloe Grace Moretz), a vivacious girl he swiftly befriends. Adapted from Brian Selznick's best-seller "The Invention of Hugo Cabret," director Martin Scorsese's paean to the City of Lights, the human imagination and -- via plot developments concerning the shopkeeper's mysterious past -- the pioneers of early cinema casts a charming spell. Only fleeting passages of dialogue touching on adult matters and some mild misbehavior hinder recommendation for all. A few mature references, occasional peril, some implicitly endorsed petty lawbreaking. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

Saturday, March 2, 8:30-10:15 a.m. EST (Showtime) "Herbie: Fully Loaded" (2005). Cheerful family comedy which finds the magical Volkswagen Beetle rescued from the scrapheap to help a plucky speedster (Lindsay Lohan) realize her dream of being a stock car racer, when she rides the love bug to victory against a slimy NASCAR champ (Matt Dillon) and saves her widower dad's (Michael Keaton) struggling racing team. Directed by Angela Robinson, the film manages to capture the freewheeling slapstick fun and blithe charm of the earlier films, while imparting a lighthearted message about friendship, loyalty, honesty and the bonds of family, which packs enough heart under its hood to make for a satisfyingly entertaining ride. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was G -- general audiences. All Ages Admitted.

Saturday, March 2, 8-10:15 p.m. EST (HBO) "Skyscraper" (2018). An American security expert (Dwayne Johnson) gets more than he bargained for when he agrees to review the safeguards at the world's tallest building in Hong Kong whose owner (Chin Han) puts him and his family up there during their visit. A plot to destroy the structure leaves his wife (Neve Campbell) and kids (McKenna Roberts and Noah Cottrell) trapped by a raging multi-floor fire, with no one likely to be able to save them except Dad. Anyone with a fear of heights will cringe as writer-director Rawson Marshall Thurber puts Johnson through his hair-raising paces hundreds of stories above terra firma. Others will note that, although the battles in which Johnson engages during this easily forgotten action picture are not especially bloody, they are brutal. Much harsh violence with some gore, a couple of gruesome images, at least one use of profanity and a milder oath, a single rough and about a half-dozen crude terms. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

Saturday, March 2, 8-10:45 p.m. EST (Cinemax) "Avatar" (2009). Among the most expensive and highly anticipated films ever made, director James Cameron's visually arresting science-fiction adventure sends a paraplegic soldier (Sam Worthington) to a planet called Pandora where he falls in love with a native princess (Zoe Saldana) and must choose between her ecologically enlightened culture and his own violent, rapacious species. Amid passages resembling a Vietnam War movie, a Western -- pitting bellicose interlopers against spiritual natives in harmony with their natural environment -- and a Disney-animated musical, Cameron marshals impressive resources to tell an entertaining story, though whether the aliens' pantheistic religion is meant to be a model for humanity or merely an indigenous cult remains unclear. Frightening action sequences with much intense, war-related violence, an implied sexual encounter, partial upper female and rear nudity, a consistently sensual undercurrent, frequent profanity, considerable crude and crass language. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

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Mulderig is on the staff of Catholic News Service.