District 9 (2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Neill Blomkamp
Starring Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope, David James, Vanessa Haywood, Louis Minnaar
TriStar Pictures-Rated R-Science Fiction-152 min
Most alien invasion films envision an advanced race poised to conquer mankind, “District 9” imagines that given a chance, we will mistreat displaced extraterrestrials. This scenario gains credibility once we meet the "prawns," via pseudo-newsreel and documentary footage.
Arriving in a malfunctioning mothership, they look like an insect-lobster hybrid, stronger and are larger than humans. They speak in whirs and clicks through fluttering tentacles resembling a billowing mustache dangling over their mouthparts. These are not cuddly, endearing, nor even vaguely humanoid creatures.
The story begins 20 years after the prawn ship becomes marooned over Johannesburg, South Africa. A million prawns disembark at gunpoint to be interred in a miserable refugee camp called "District 9." Despite the camp's squalid conditions, the prawns double in number over the following two decades, causing unrest in the camp and provoking fear amongst Johannesburg's residents who want the camp relocated further from their city.
The film stereotypes the aliens as shiftless and violent, contained in camps where they can be controlled. The parallels to Nazi concentration camps or to Apartheid are obvious. Initially settling the camp on a garbage dump, the increasing value of this real estate constitutes the real motivation to relocate the aliens to a smaller, more isolated location.
The care and feeding of these creatures is contracted to the Multi-National United Corporation known as M.N.U. The movie plays into our notion that all big corporations are greedy and corrupt with hidden agendas of their own. The company's legal team insists that each prawn household must be served with an eviction notice 24 hours prior to moving to the camp. District 9's lawless conditions are worsened by gun-toting Nigerian gangsters selling goods at outrageous prices.
The daunting task of serving eviction notices falls to Wikus (Sharlto Copley), a somewhat naive, but gung-ho son-in-law of the region's M.N.U. overseer. Anything can and does go wrong when Wikus and dozens of heavily armed soldiers begin knocking on prawn doors. It's only fair to warn viewers that the film's violence is off the charts. Death by exploding bullet is a riot of blood and slime set against the muddied camp and pushing the squeamish factor through the roof.
Occurring in the present day, the developing plot sees Wikus targeted by his own company, but it was difficult to focus on his dilemma because my mind kept replaying the inhumane treatment of the prawns. Where was Amnesty International, Africa Rights, Advocates International, or Better World Campaign? Why didn't the Red Cross step up? Was there no underground movement on behalf of the prawns?
Though unbalanced by its one-sided perspective, the straight ahead storytelling is somewhat rescued by fascinating aliens, and by the humor and irony of Wikus' predicament. "District 9" succeeds as satire in an era ripe for spoofs masquerading as science fiction.
Inglourious Bastards (2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Quentin Tarantino
Starring Brad Pitt, Melanie Laurent, Christoph, Daniel Bruhl, Til Schweiger, Eli Roth, Michael Fassbender, Diane Kruger
Weinstein Co.-Rated R-Drama-153 min
A small group of American soldiers, commanded by Aldo Raine (Pitt), plot to terrorize Nazi soldiers in Occupied France. Though Tarantino worked on his script for more than a decade, this rather conventional war movie is lacking his trademark rapier wit. Tension mounts when Hitler's SS plans a Paris film premiere to celebrate the exploits of their best sniper, Fredrick Zoller (Bruhl). A British lieutenant (Fassbender) organizes an Allied group known as the Bastards to blow up the theater. However, the cinema's owner (Laurent), has an even better idea. With spies everywhere, the Nazis come perilously close to uncovering both schemes. Expect an old-fashioned WWII drama and enjoy the film for Tarantino's expert technical construction.
Post Grad (2009)
* * (Grade C-)
Directed by Vicky Jenson
Starring Alexis Bledel, Catherine Reitman, Jane Lynch, Michael Keaton, Carol Burnett, Bobby Coleman, Zach Gilford, Rodrigo Santoro
Fox Searchlight-Rated PG-13-Comedy-89 min
Cute-as-a-button college grad Ryden Malby (Bledel), is compelled to move back home with her quirky family (Keaton, Lynch, Burnett and Coleman) because even her college fails to land her a good job. Between romantic misfires, domestic drama, and a series of humiliating, low-paying jobs, Ryden's path to independence remains elusive. Sadly, what begins as an effort to voice the frustrations of unemployed grads becomes a happy sappy romantic comedy. Lacking unique content, this film may quickly join the ranks of the unwatched.
The Time Traveler's Wife (2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by Robert Schwentke
Starring Eric Bana, Rachel McAdams, Ron Livingston, Jane McLean, Arliss Howard, Hailey McCann, Brooklynn Proulx
New Line Cinema-Rated PG-13-Drama, Science Fiction-147 min
This weepy drama is adapted from Audrey Niffenegger's novel positioning Henry (Bana) as a time-traveling librarian. Henry, stricken by a genetic "anomaly," lives his life in random order, disappearing into the past or future with no control over where or when, but he always returns to the beautiful Clare (McAdams) who first met a handsome adult version of Henry while still a child. She anxiously wants to grow up so Henry can fulfill his promise to marry her, but domestic bliss proves to be a fantasy since Henry frequently disappears, only to reappear days, weeks or months later. For every element of the wondrous "Benjamin Button," there's a chunk of the weepy "Notebook," meant to stir romantic notions into a tearful potboiler.
The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard (2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by Neal Brennan
Starring Jeremy Piven, Ving Rhames, David Koechner
Paramount Vantage-Rated R-Comedy-90 min
The second project from Will Ferrell and Adam McKay's Gary Sanchez Productions, (the first being "The Foot Fist Way"), "The Goods" smartly relies on a maniacal Jeremy Piven to deliver the laughs. As Don Ready, a used-car liquidator, Piven's character is hired to turn a troubled car dealer's Fourth of July event into a money-maker. Colorful characters are played by Ving Rhames and David Koechner, while director Neal Brennan, known for his involvement on the hit, "Chappelle's Show," comes on board to synchronize the film's fireworks.
Ponyo (2008)
* * *1/2 (Grade A-)
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, John Lasseter, Brad Lewis, Peter Sohn
Voiced by Cate Blanchett, Liam Neeson, Noah Lindsey Cyrus, Matt Damon, Tina Fey, Frankie Jonas, Cloris Leachman, Lily Tomlin, Betty White
Disney-Rated G-Animated, Family-100 min
Hayao Miyazaki's latest family film is rendered in traditional 2-D animation and retrofitted with an all-star English voice cast for its American release. The story, loosely based on "The Little Mermaid," finds young fish princess Ponyo (voiced by Cyrus) longing to become human after being pulled from the sea by a 5-year-old boy named Sosuke (Jonas). The children must prove the power of their love by using it to realign a precariously unbalanced natural world. Liam Neeson intones Ponyo's overprotective father -- once a man who transformed himself into a fish king while Cate Blanchett voices Ponyo's mother. In Miyazaki's imaginative vision, all animate and inanimate objects are changelings, a concept easily understood by children everywhere.
Bandslam (2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Todd Graff
Starring Alyson Michalka, Vanessa Hudgens, Gaelan Connell, Lisa Kudrow
Summit Entertainment-Rated PG-Drama-151 min
Another year, another tweeny performance-centric drama set against the backdrop of high school. A girl-meets-boy romance evolves when the school's popular Charlotte (Michalka) persuades the school outcast Will (Connell) and his friend Sa5m played by Hudgens (the 5 is silent, hee hee) to help form a rock band for an upcoming competition known as "Bandslam." Lisa Kudrow appears as Will's mom in this original screenplay, unusual because it doesn't rely on previously established Disney or Nickelodeon Channel characters, but takes its chances on the tween movie-going wave that has made productions of this ilk both popular and profitable.
Showing posts with label Ratings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ratings. Show all posts
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Saturday, August 22, 2009
August 20
Kids Save the World Yet Again
By Lisa Miller
Aliens In The Attic
(2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by John Schultz
Starring Robert Hoffman, Carter Jenkins, Ashley Boettcher, Doris Roberts, Ashley Tisdale, Kevin Nealon, Henri and Regan Young, Austin Butler, Andy Richter, Gillian Vigman, Tim Meadows
Voices of Thomas Haden Church, Josh Peck, J.K. Simmons, Kari Wahlgren
Fox—Rated PG—Sci-Fi—85 min
An attempt by tiny aliens to invade Earth is thwarted thanks to teens and their siblings in this kid-friendly sci-fi. Presumably because both are small and reptilian, some have compared these aliens to the critters from "Gremlins," but it is the filmmakers' approach to the humorous action and comical extraterrestrial creatures that is the most similar feature of the two movies.
Kevin Nealon and Andy Richter play Stuart and Nathan Pearson, two adult brothers gathering up Granny (Doris Roberts) and the kids for a family-bonding vacation at a Michigan lake house (picturesque New Zealand stands in for Michigan). Stuart's kids consist of a brainiac teen (Carter Jenkins), a young daughter (Ashley Boettcher), and a hormonally motivated older daughter (Ashley Tisdale), the latter in danger of falling prey to the creepy intentions her tagalong boyfriend (Robert Hoffman). Nathan is father to a bullying, but dreamy alpha teen (Austin Butler), and a pair of long-haired, 12-year-old identical twins (Henri and Regan Young).
Soon after they arrive, the kids discover that a meteor shower is actually a sign that tiny aliens have descended from the sky and infiltrated their attic. These small, green CGI creatures are commander Skip (voiced by J.K. Simmons), female warrior Razor (Kari Wahlgren), hulky Tazer (Thomas Haden Church) and Sparks (Josh Peek), a four-armed techno-genius from a race enslaved by the others—and who is only to happy to help the kids prevent the invasion.
The warlike aliens count on high tech gadgets to overpower larger humans. They immediately fire a mind control unit into Ricky (the pesky boyfriend), using a joystick and a bluetooth headset to make him say and do whatever suits their needs. Before too long, the same fate befalls Granny, but the kids appropriate her remote control and reprogram Grans to fend off Ricky's Kung-Fooey attacks move-for-move.
The kids, who defend against the alien incursion using a paintball gun, a spud launcher, and other items from their homemade arsenal, discover the aliens have hidden a machine beneath the house that they must not be allowed to retrieve.
The nonstop action remains perfectly coherent throughout while the story arc is a family comedy best serving parents and the under-12 crowd. A nice addition to the burgeoning genre of family-friendly science fiction and fantasy, the film makes little pretense at achieving plausibility, relying instead on comical family dynamics, particularly between teen males, to save its bacon.
G.I. Joe: The Rise Of The Cobra
(2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Stephen Sommers
Starring Dennis Quaid, Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayans, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Christopher Eccleston, Sienna Miller, Rachel Nichols
Paramount—Rated PG-13—Action, Fantasy—113 min
After the success of the first "Transformers," Paramount studios was itching to make another film based on a famous line of toys. "G.I. Joe" fit the bill, though a number of script revisions, character additions and subtractions, were necessary before both fans and the studio powers were content. Director Stephen Sommers made his G.I. Joes futuristic, claiming that "almost 100 percent of the technology depicted will be available within 20 years." Whether he's correct about that or not the result is wall-to-wall action, consisting of dozens of chase scenes and battles that rely on flying soldiers wearing suits described as NFL superhero outfits. The PG-13 rating is retained by having the worst damage, and untold deaths occurring off-screen. The production designers modeled the interior of a private submarine on a Handley Page Jetstream, a piece of machinery that appears to fly through the water. Critics complain that some of the special effects are blurry, but acknowledge the film is every young gamers’ fantasy come true.
Julie & Julia
(2009)
* * (Grade B-)
Directed by Nora Ephron
Starring Amy Adams, Meryl Streep, Chris Messina, Stanley Tucci, Chris Messina, Linda Emond, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Jane Lynch, Helen Carey, Frances Sternhagen
Columbia Pictures—Rated PG-13—Comedy—122 min
Julia and Julie each have a story to tell, but while one has meat on its bones, the other is slim pickings. Back in 1949, Streep portrays Child's adventures at the French Cordon Bleu Cooking School and her subsequent efforts to write a cookbook explaining French technique to Americans. In the present day, blogger Julie Powell (Adams) is an American secretary trying to cook her way through Child's 524-page cookbook while blogging about her culinary successes and failures. Child's quirky personality is treasured by Streep's surefooted portrayal, but writer-director Nora Ephron pushes Powell's efforts to the foreground—and the film suffers for it.
Shorts
(2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Robert Rodriguez
Starring Jimmy Bennett, James Spader, Kat Dennings, Jon Cryer, William H. Macy
Warner—Rated PG—Science-Fiction, Fantasy—89 min
After a rainbow-colored rock falls from the sky and hits young Toe Thompson on the head, the lad and his friends discover that the rock grants the wish of anyone holding it. Though the idea seems wonderful the kids soon learn the rock's diabolical wish fulfillment is anything but. After just a few wishes their suburban town of Black Falls becomes overrun with tiny spaceships, crocodile armies, and giant boogers. Though the kids' wishes have been problematic, the real trouble begins when know-it-all adults appropriate Toe's wishing rock for themselves, certain they can overcome its wish fulfillment defects. Directed and written by Robert Rodriguez of "Spy Kids" fame, the imaginative "Shorts" should be families “movie wish” come true.
A Perfect Getaway
(2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by David Twohy
Starring Timothy Olyphant, Milla Jovovich, Steve Zahn, Kiele Sanchez, Chris Hemsworth, Marley Shelton
Universal—Rated R—Action—97 min
Cliff and Cydney (Zahn and Jovovich) are backpacking to an isolated, remote Hawaiian beach when they are joined by two other couples (Olyphant, Sanchez, Hemsworth and Shelton) they've only just met. While making friendly chitchat, Cliff and Cydney learn that recently others have been mysteriously murdered on this very path. Uncertain of whom they can trust, soon Cliff and Cydney are fighting for their lives in a fast-paced thriller sure to leave you shivering despite its tropical setting. Shot in just over a month, a heart-pounding sequence occurring in a sea cave has caused a tide of Internet buzz.
Funny People
(2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Judd Apatow
Starring Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Jonathan Hill, Eric Bana, Leslie Mann, Jason Schwartzman, Begonya Plaza, Maude Apatow
Universal—Rated R—Comedy—146 min
When superstar comic George (Sandler) is diagnosed with a terminal illness, he reevaluates his life and finds it wanting because his self-centered ways have prevented him from maintaining close relationships. Needing help, George hires struggling young comedian Ira (Rogen) as his assistant and in turn George assists the young man to achieve stand-up comedy success. This nicer version of George looks up old flame Laura (Mann), and rekindles their romance. Then George gets the startling news that he may be recovering, and immediately reverts to his old ways. While Apatow's writing has matured, it's a mixed blessing since most of the fun goes MIA during the film's final act.
The Ugly Truth
(2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Robert Luketic
Starring Gerard Butler, Katherine Heigl, Cheryl Hines, Bonnie Somerville, Bree Turner, Vicki Lewis
Columbia Pictures—Rated R—Comedy—101 min
When Abby (Heigl), a Sacramento morning show producer is forced to work with Mike (Butler), the station's popular, but offensive late-night, love-coach, emotional daggers fly. Then Mike presents Abby with a challenge. If she follows Mike's advice to the tee, and still can't win the heart of her handsome doctor neighbor, Mike pledges to quit TV for good. Abby eagerly accepts, and then is shocked to find Mike's advice has merit. The pairing of Butler and Heigl manages to ignite a few romantic sparks though ramping up the laughs could have taken this one beyond merely competent. Lacking competition, "The Ugly Truth" should turn a pretty buck from the dating set and girls' night out.
G-Force
(2009)
*1/2 (Grade C-)
Directed by Hoyt Yeatman
Starring Will Arnett, Penelope Cruz, Zach Galifianakis, Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell, Tracy Morgan
Disney—Rated PG—Family, Animated
Disney teams with producer Jerry Bruckheimer for this film centered on a team of biologically engineered, brainiac guinea pigs trained in espionage. Tapped by the US government to stop a diabolical billionaire from taking over the world, the rodents are outfitted with tiny high-tech gear. Team members include squad leader Darwin (Rockwell), weapons expert Blaster (Morgan), and sexy martial arts master Juarez (Cruz)—"sexy" as per Disney's literature! The team's reconnaissance expert is a housefly, and for the dirtiest jobs they've recruited Speckles (Cage), a star-nosed mole. Presented in 3-D, this one's likely to benefit the pet store industry as g-pigs get wish-listed by 5 to 8 year olds everywhere.
Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince
(2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by David Yates
Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Michael Gambon, Tom Felton, Jim Broadbent, Alan Rickman, David Bradley, Robbie Coltrane, Helena Bonham Carter, Warwick Davis, Maggie Smith
Warner—Rated PG—Fantasy—153 min
In chapter six the dark forces are gathering to attack the nonwizarding muggle world. Professor Dumbledore (Gambon) encourages Harry (Radcliffe) to pick professor Horace Slughorn's (Broadbent) mind for Voldemort's secrets. As Harry, Ron (Grint) and Hermione (Watson) are distracted by their romantic attractions and misfires, Voldemort grows stronger, recruiting Harry's longtime nemesis Draco Malfoy (Felton) on a covert mission. Professor Severus Snape (Rickman) appears to have chosen the other side and is gearing up for a confrontation of grave proportions. The gloomy tone continues to push PG-Rating, but the film is more "Twilight" than frightening. The major plot points of Rowling's sixth book barely make sense. Rather than continue this trend, the seventh and final book will be split into two, hopefully creating less frenetic films.
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
(2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by Carlos Saldanha
Voiced by: Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Queen Latifah, Simon Pegg, Seann William Scott, Josh Peck, Chris Wedge, Karen Disher
Fox—Rated PG—Animated—87 min
Prehistoric mammals and dinosaurs collide when Sid the sloth, Diego the saber-toothed tiger, Scrat the squirrel and woolly mammoth couple Manny and Ellie, become trapped in an underground Jurassic world. Simon Pegg is also new as a dinosaur-hunting weasel seeking revenge on a Jurassic version of "Moby Dick." The good news is that acorn-obsessed squirrel Scrat and his new girlfriend provide regular breaks from otherwise predictable fare. The film is playing in both 2D and 3D, the latter costing several extra dollars per ticket.
Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen
(2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by Michael Bay
Starring Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, John Turturro, Rainn Wilson, Jon Voight
Paramount—Rated PG—Fantasy—147 min
"Transformers" meets "Indiana Jones" and "The Mummy" in what feels like a hybrid of not-so-hot recent movies and LaBeouf's own screen roles. In order to save mankind from marauding Decepticon aliens, Sam Witwicky (LaBeouf) and his galpal Mikaela (Fox) travel to the Egyptian ruins where they hope to find a key capable of reactivating the good-guy Autobot Transformers. Ships, tanks, planes, rockets and giant shape-shifting machines battle for audience attention in this $200 million dollar special-effects bonanza. John Turturro, Rainn Wilson and Jon Voight rush to get in on the frenetic action of this video game movie—minus the joystick.
The Proposal
(2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by Anne Fletcher
Starring Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Mary Steenburgen, Craig T. Nelson, Betty White, Denis O'Hare, Malin Akerman
Disney—Rated PG-13—Comedy—107 min
In this chick flick banking on Bullock's wholesome appeal, the actress appears as cutthroat New York City book editor, Margaret Tate. Facing deportation to Canada, Margaret conspires to marry her young assistant Andrew (Reynolds) whom she knows nothing about. She finds herself succumbing to his charms during a trip to Alaska to meet Andrew's quirky family. A safe, non-offensive offering, 45-year-old Bullock and 33-year-old Reynolds make a cute pair, but never persuade as a couple. They aren't helped by a script lacking both an "aha" moment and evidence of their blossoming love.
The Hangover
(2009)
* * *1/2 (Grade A-)
Directed by Todd Phillips
Starring Zach Galifianakis, Bradley Cooper, Justin Bartha, Heather Graham, Sasha Barrese, Ken Jeong, Rachael Harris, Jeffrey Tambor, Mike Tyson
Warner—Rated R—Comedy—100 min
Phil, Stu and Alan (Cooper, Helms and Galifianakis) take their soon-to-be-married buddy (Bartha) to Vegas for a bachelor blowout that quickly spins out of control. The following morning, Phil, Stu and Alan awaken in a luxury casino suite where they've somehow acquired both a human baby and full-grown tiger. Though questions abound, the trio's biggest problem is that they've misplaced the groom. Unable to remember events of the previous night, the three attempt to retrace their steps. Clues lead them first to the ER, then to Mike Tyson, and finally reveal that one of them has married a stripper. Using a second-tier cast, director Todd Phillips hits pay-dirt with marvelous comic performances from Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis, longtime supporting players earning their break out roles. Pumping its Vegas locale for everything its worth, the tale's zany humor combines with a crazy detective story to hit the comedy jackpot.
By Lisa Miller
Aliens In The Attic
(2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by John Schultz
Starring Robert Hoffman, Carter Jenkins, Ashley Boettcher, Doris Roberts, Ashley Tisdale, Kevin Nealon, Henri and Regan Young, Austin Butler, Andy Richter, Gillian Vigman, Tim Meadows
Voices of Thomas Haden Church, Josh Peck, J.K. Simmons, Kari Wahlgren
Fox—Rated PG—Sci-Fi—85 min
An attempt by tiny aliens to invade Earth is thwarted thanks to teens and their siblings in this kid-friendly sci-fi. Presumably because both are small and reptilian, some have compared these aliens to the critters from "Gremlins," but it is the filmmakers' approach to the humorous action and comical extraterrestrial creatures that is the most similar feature of the two movies.
Kevin Nealon and Andy Richter play Stuart and Nathan Pearson, two adult brothers gathering up Granny (Doris Roberts) and the kids for a family-bonding vacation at a Michigan lake house (picturesque New Zealand stands in for Michigan). Stuart's kids consist of a brainiac teen (Carter Jenkins), a young daughter (Ashley Boettcher), and a hormonally motivated older daughter (Ashley Tisdale), the latter in danger of falling prey to the creepy intentions her tagalong boyfriend (Robert Hoffman). Nathan is father to a bullying, but dreamy alpha teen (Austin Butler), and a pair of long-haired, 12-year-old identical twins (Henri and Regan Young).
Soon after they arrive, the kids discover that a meteor shower is actually a sign that tiny aliens have descended from the sky and infiltrated their attic. These small, green CGI creatures are commander Skip (voiced by J.K. Simmons), female warrior Razor (Kari Wahlgren), hulky Tazer (Thomas Haden Church) and Sparks (Josh Peek), a four-armed techno-genius from a race enslaved by the others—and who is only to happy to help the kids prevent the invasion.
The warlike aliens count on high tech gadgets to overpower larger humans. They immediately fire a mind control unit into Ricky (the pesky boyfriend), using a joystick and a bluetooth headset to make him say and do whatever suits their needs. Before too long, the same fate befalls Granny, but the kids appropriate her remote control and reprogram Grans to fend off Ricky's Kung-Fooey attacks move-for-move.
The kids, who defend against the alien incursion using a paintball gun, a spud launcher, and other items from their homemade arsenal, discover the aliens have hidden a machine beneath the house that they must not be allowed to retrieve.
The nonstop action remains perfectly coherent throughout while the story arc is a family comedy best serving parents and the under-12 crowd. A nice addition to the burgeoning genre of family-friendly science fiction and fantasy, the film makes little pretense at achieving plausibility, relying instead on comical family dynamics, particularly between teen males, to save its bacon.
G.I. Joe: The Rise Of The Cobra
(2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Stephen Sommers
Starring Dennis Quaid, Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayans, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Christopher Eccleston, Sienna Miller, Rachel Nichols
Paramount—Rated PG-13—Action, Fantasy—113 min
After the success of the first "Transformers," Paramount studios was itching to make another film based on a famous line of toys. "G.I. Joe" fit the bill, though a number of script revisions, character additions and subtractions, were necessary before both fans and the studio powers were content. Director Stephen Sommers made his G.I. Joes futuristic, claiming that "almost 100 percent of the technology depicted will be available within 20 years." Whether he's correct about that or not the result is wall-to-wall action, consisting of dozens of chase scenes and battles that rely on flying soldiers wearing suits described as NFL superhero outfits. The PG-13 rating is retained by having the worst damage, and untold deaths occurring off-screen. The production designers modeled the interior of a private submarine on a Handley Page Jetstream, a piece of machinery that appears to fly through the water. Critics complain that some of the special effects are blurry, but acknowledge the film is every young gamers’ fantasy come true.
Julie & Julia
(2009)
* * (Grade B-)
Directed by Nora Ephron
Starring Amy Adams, Meryl Streep, Chris Messina, Stanley Tucci, Chris Messina, Linda Emond, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Jane Lynch, Helen Carey, Frances Sternhagen
Columbia Pictures—Rated PG-13—Comedy—122 min
Julia and Julie each have a story to tell, but while one has meat on its bones, the other is slim pickings. Back in 1949, Streep portrays Child's adventures at the French Cordon Bleu Cooking School and her subsequent efforts to write a cookbook explaining French technique to Americans. In the present day, blogger Julie Powell (Adams) is an American secretary trying to cook her way through Child's 524-page cookbook while blogging about her culinary successes and failures. Child's quirky personality is treasured by Streep's surefooted portrayal, but writer-director Nora Ephron pushes Powell's efforts to the foreground—and the film suffers for it.
Shorts
(2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Robert Rodriguez
Starring Jimmy Bennett, James Spader, Kat Dennings, Jon Cryer, William H. Macy
Warner—Rated PG—Science-Fiction, Fantasy—89 min
After a rainbow-colored rock falls from the sky and hits young Toe Thompson on the head, the lad and his friends discover that the rock grants the wish of anyone holding it. Though the idea seems wonderful the kids soon learn the rock's diabolical wish fulfillment is anything but. After just a few wishes their suburban town of Black Falls becomes overrun with tiny spaceships, crocodile armies, and giant boogers. Though the kids' wishes have been problematic, the real trouble begins when know-it-all adults appropriate Toe's wishing rock for themselves, certain they can overcome its wish fulfillment defects. Directed and written by Robert Rodriguez of "Spy Kids" fame, the imaginative "Shorts" should be families “movie wish” come true.
A Perfect Getaway
(2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by David Twohy
Starring Timothy Olyphant, Milla Jovovich, Steve Zahn, Kiele Sanchez, Chris Hemsworth, Marley Shelton
Universal—Rated R—Action—97 min
Cliff and Cydney (Zahn and Jovovich) are backpacking to an isolated, remote Hawaiian beach when they are joined by two other couples (Olyphant, Sanchez, Hemsworth and Shelton) they've only just met. While making friendly chitchat, Cliff and Cydney learn that recently others have been mysteriously murdered on this very path. Uncertain of whom they can trust, soon Cliff and Cydney are fighting for their lives in a fast-paced thriller sure to leave you shivering despite its tropical setting. Shot in just over a month, a heart-pounding sequence occurring in a sea cave has caused a tide of Internet buzz.
Funny People
(2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Judd Apatow
Starring Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Jonathan Hill, Eric Bana, Leslie Mann, Jason Schwartzman, Begonya Plaza, Maude Apatow
Universal—Rated R—Comedy—146 min
When superstar comic George (Sandler) is diagnosed with a terminal illness, he reevaluates his life and finds it wanting because his self-centered ways have prevented him from maintaining close relationships. Needing help, George hires struggling young comedian Ira (Rogen) as his assistant and in turn George assists the young man to achieve stand-up comedy success. This nicer version of George looks up old flame Laura (Mann), and rekindles their romance. Then George gets the startling news that he may be recovering, and immediately reverts to his old ways. While Apatow's writing has matured, it's a mixed blessing since most of the fun goes MIA during the film's final act.
The Ugly Truth
(2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Robert Luketic
Starring Gerard Butler, Katherine Heigl, Cheryl Hines, Bonnie Somerville, Bree Turner, Vicki Lewis
Columbia Pictures—Rated R—Comedy—101 min
When Abby (Heigl), a Sacramento morning show producer is forced to work with Mike (Butler), the station's popular, but offensive late-night, love-coach, emotional daggers fly. Then Mike presents Abby with a challenge. If she follows Mike's advice to the tee, and still can't win the heart of her handsome doctor neighbor, Mike pledges to quit TV for good. Abby eagerly accepts, and then is shocked to find Mike's advice has merit. The pairing of Butler and Heigl manages to ignite a few romantic sparks though ramping up the laughs could have taken this one beyond merely competent. Lacking competition, "The Ugly Truth" should turn a pretty buck from the dating set and girls' night out.
G-Force
(2009)
*1/2 (Grade C-)
Directed by Hoyt Yeatman
Starring Will Arnett, Penelope Cruz, Zach Galifianakis, Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell, Tracy Morgan
Disney—Rated PG—Family, Animated
Disney teams with producer Jerry Bruckheimer for this film centered on a team of biologically engineered, brainiac guinea pigs trained in espionage. Tapped by the US government to stop a diabolical billionaire from taking over the world, the rodents are outfitted with tiny high-tech gear. Team members include squad leader Darwin (Rockwell), weapons expert Blaster (Morgan), and sexy martial arts master Juarez (Cruz)—"sexy" as per Disney's literature! The team's reconnaissance expert is a housefly, and for the dirtiest jobs they've recruited Speckles (Cage), a star-nosed mole. Presented in 3-D, this one's likely to benefit the pet store industry as g-pigs get wish-listed by 5 to 8 year olds everywhere.
Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince
(2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by David Yates
Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Michael Gambon, Tom Felton, Jim Broadbent, Alan Rickman, David Bradley, Robbie Coltrane, Helena Bonham Carter, Warwick Davis, Maggie Smith
Warner—Rated PG—Fantasy—153 min
In chapter six the dark forces are gathering to attack the nonwizarding muggle world. Professor Dumbledore (Gambon) encourages Harry (Radcliffe) to pick professor Horace Slughorn's (Broadbent) mind for Voldemort's secrets. As Harry, Ron (Grint) and Hermione (Watson) are distracted by their romantic attractions and misfires, Voldemort grows stronger, recruiting Harry's longtime nemesis Draco Malfoy (Felton) on a covert mission. Professor Severus Snape (Rickman) appears to have chosen the other side and is gearing up for a confrontation of grave proportions. The gloomy tone continues to push PG-Rating, but the film is more "Twilight" than frightening. The major plot points of Rowling's sixth book barely make sense. Rather than continue this trend, the seventh and final book will be split into two, hopefully creating less frenetic films.
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
(2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by Carlos Saldanha
Voiced by: Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Queen Latifah, Simon Pegg, Seann William Scott, Josh Peck, Chris Wedge, Karen Disher
Fox—Rated PG—Animated—87 min
Prehistoric mammals and dinosaurs collide when Sid the sloth, Diego the saber-toothed tiger, Scrat the squirrel and woolly mammoth couple Manny and Ellie, become trapped in an underground Jurassic world. Simon Pegg is also new as a dinosaur-hunting weasel seeking revenge on a Jurassic version of "Moby Dick." The good news is that acorn-obsessed squirrel Scrat and his new girlfriend provide regular breaks from otherwise predictable fare. The film is playing in both 2D and 3D, the latter costing several extra dollars per ticket.
Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen
(2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by Michael Bay
Starring Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, John Turturro, Rainn Wilson, Jon Voight
Paramount—Rated PG—Fantasy—147 min
"Transformers" meets "Indiana Jones" and "The Mummy" in what feels like a hybrid of not-so-hot recent movies and LaBeouf's own screen roles. In order to save mankind from marauding Decepticon aliens, Sam Witwicky (LaBeouf) and his galpal Mikaela (Fox) travel to the Egyptian ruins where they hope to find a key capable of reactivating the good-guy Autobot Transformers. Ships, tanks, planes, rockets and giant shape-shifting machines battle for audience attention in this $200 million dollar special-effects bonanza. John Turturro, Rainn Wilson and Jon Voight rush to get in on the frenetic action of this video game movie—minus the joystick.
The Proposal
(2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by Anne Fletcher
Starring Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Mary Steenburgen, Craig T. Nelson, Betty White, Denis O'Hare, Malin Akerman
Disney—Rated PG-13—Comedy—107 min
In this chick flick banking on Bullock's wholesome appeal, the actress appears as cutthroat New York City book editor, Margaret Tate. Facing deportation to Canada, Margaret conspires to marry her young assistant Andrew (Reynolds) whom she knows nothing about. She finds herself succumbing to his charms during a trip to Alaska to meet Andrew's quirky family. A safe, non-offensive offering, 45-year-old Bullock and 33-year-old Reynolds make a cute pair, but never persuade as a couple. They aren't helped by a script lacking both an "aha" moment and evidence of their blossoming love.
The Hangover
(2009)
* * *1/2 (Grade A-)
Directed by Todd Phillips
Starring Zach Galifianakis, Bradley Cooper, Justin Bartha, Heather Graham, Sasha Barrese, Ken Jeong, Rachael Harris, Jeffrey Tambor, Mike Tyson
Warner—Rated R—Comedy—100 min
Phil, Stu and Alan (Cooper, Helms and Galifianakis) take their soon-to-be-married buddy (Bartha) to Vegas for a bachelor blowout that quickly spins out of control. The following morning, Phil, Stu and Alan awaken in a luxury casino suite where they've somehow acquired both a human baby and full-grown tiger. Though questions abound, the trio's biggest problem is that they've misplaced the groom. Unable to remember events of the previous night, the three attempt to retrace their steps. Clues lead them first to the ER, then to Mike Tyson, and finally reveal that one of them has married a stripper. Using a second-tier cast, director Todd Phillips hits pay-dirt with marvelous comic performances from Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis, longtime supporting players earning their break out roles. Pumping its Vegas locale for everything its worth, the tale's zany humor combines with a crazy detective story to hit the comedy jackpot.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
August 6, 2009
Another Hairy Year for Harry—A review of HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE
By Lisa Miller
Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince
(2009)
Directed by David Yates
Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Michael Gambon, Tom Felton, Jim Broadbent, Alan Rickman, David Bradley, Robbie Coltrane, Helena Bonham Carter, Warwick Davis, Maggie Smith
Warner—Rated PG—Fantasy—153 min
It is well-known that JK Rowling wrote seven books in her Harry Potter series, but Warner Brothers, surely loathing to see the most profitable film series in history come to an end, plans to release a total of eight films. While agents are busily hounding Rowling for more HP, many readers have found this chapter, with sales topping $65 million and clocking in at an astounding 652 pages, to be the most engrossing of the series. It's worth noting that nine million copies of the book were sold in its first 24 hours of release, a record shattered only by its sequel, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows."
To achieve a running time of two-and-a-half hours, director David Yates has pared Rowling's characters and subplots. The story, set during the 1996-97 term at Hogwarts School for Wizards, finds Harry and friends, Ron and Hermione, noticeably matured and searching for teen love while Voldemort's death eaters attack the fragile muggle world. The film, shot in 2007, sees Daniel Radcliffe's Harry lingering at 5' 6", best pals Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione (Emma Watson) tower over him. All three exhibit the angular facial features suggesting impending adulthood. Hermione eyes Ron as he dates Lavender Brown. Further complicating the threesome's love-matches, Harry develops a powerful crush on Ron's little sister Ginny.
During the school year Harry, who has failed to purchase a potions text book, receives an old text from his instructor, Professor Slughorn played by Jim Broadbent. Harry's book contains instructions scribbled in its margins, and it isn't long before Harry discovers that following the notations yields better results than those on the printed lines of his book, ominously inscribed as previously owned by the "Half-Blood Prince." Through the memories of Professor Slughorn, once a student with Voldemort, Harry learns that the dark wizard committed six murders, splintering his soul into six fragments embedded in objects, while leaving a seventh piece in Voldemort's body. As long as any of the fragment-containing objects exist, Voldemort cannot be extinguished.
As noted by film critic David Edelstein, the tone of this PG-Rated installment is pure English horror. Where past Harry Potters received PG-13-Ratings, the MPAA board appears to have loosened its grip. Parents may wish to view the trailer, available online at "YouTube," "The Internet Movie Database," "Rotten Tomatoes" and "MovieWeb," to name just a few sites, before purchasing tickets for their younger children.
According to film critic Todd McCarthy of Variety Magazine, Director David Yates also appears to have matured into the series, producing a film that is less eager to please, and less hamstrung by Rowling's source material, than previous chapters. The director's $250 million dollar budget yields seamless special effects and omnipresent cameras that seem to fly over cities and through the hallowed halls of a grayer Medieval Hogwarts. Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes have compiled critics' ratings, the mean score being well into the 80s out of a perfect 100. This may not be your older brother's Harry Potter, but this Harry is an apt metaphor for these tumultuous times.
The Ugly Truth
(2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Robert Luketic
Starring Gerard Butler, Katherine Heigl, Cheryl Hines, Bonnie Somerville, Bree Turner, Vicki Lewis
Columbia Pictures—Rated R—Comedy—101 min
When Abby (Heigl), a Sacramento morning show producer is forced to work with Mike (Butler), the station's popular, but offensive late-night, love-coach, emotional daggers fly. Then Mike presents Abby with a challenge. If she follows Mike's advice to the tee, and still can't win the heart of her handsome doctor neighbor, Mike pledges to quit TV for good. Abby eagerly accepts, then is shocked to find Mike's advice has merit. The pairing of Butler and Heigl manages to ignite a few romantic sparks though ramping up the laughs could have taken this one beyond merely competent. Lacking competition, "The Ugly Truth" should turn a pretty buck from the dating set and girls' night out.
G-Force
(2009)
*1/2 (Grade C-)
Directed by Hoyt Yeatman
Starring Will Arnett, Penelope Cruz, Zach Galifianakis, Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell, Tracy Morgan
Disney—Rated PG—Family, Animated
Disney teams with producer Jerry Bruckheimer for this film centered on a team of biologically engineered, brainiac guinea pigs trained in espionage. Tapped by the US government to stop a diabolical billionaire from taking over the world, the rodents are outfitted with tiny high-tech gear. Team members include squad leader Darwin (Rockwell), weapons expert Blaster (Morgan), and sexy martial arts master Juarez (Cruz)—"sexy" as per Disney's literature! The team's reconnaissance expert is a housefly, and for the dirtiest jobs they've recruited Speckles (Cage), a star-nosed mole. Presented in 3-D, this one's likely to benefit the pet store industry as g-pigs get wish-listed by 5 to 8 year olds everywhere.
Orphan
(2009)
*1/2 (Grade C-)
Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra
Starring Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard, Isabelle Fuhrman, CCH Pounder, Jimmy Bennett
Warner—Rated R—Horror—123 min
John & Kate Plus Orphan? No, it isn't the latest reality TV show, but rather it's the latest demonic-kid horror with unfortunately, no-named leads. Devastated after losing her unborn child, Kate (Farmiga) wants something good to come out of their loss. She and husband John (Sarsgaard) visit an orphanage where they are drawn to precocious 9-year-old Esther (Fuhrman). But, after bringing Esther home, things go terribly wrong for the family and friends. Kate soon discovers Esther isn't the sweet child she appears to be. The film is precisely what you'd expect: one more variation on "The Bad Seed."
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
(2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by Carlos Saldanha
Voiced by: Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Queen Latifah, Simon Pegg, Seann William Scott, Josh Peck, Chris Wedge, Karen Disher
Fox//Rated PG//Animated//87 min
Prehistoric mammals and dinosaurs collide when Sid the sloth, Diego the saber-toothed tiger, Scrat the squirrel and woolly mammoth couple Manny and Ellie, become trapped in an underground Jurassic world. Simon Pegg is also new as a dinosaur-hunting weasel seeking revenge on a Jurassic version of "Moby Dick." The good news is that acorn-obsessed squirrel Scrat and his new girlfriend provide regular breaks from otherwise predictable fare. The film is playing in both 2D and 3D, the latter costing several extra dollars per ticket.
Imagine That
(2009)
*1/2 (Grade C-)
Directed by Karey Kirkpatrick
Starring Eddie Murphy, Yara Shahidi, Thomas Haden Church, Nicole Ari Parker, Ronny Cox, Martin Sheen
Paramount—Rated PG—Comedy—min
It isn't hard to imagine Murphy suiting up for another dumb comedy, but this time he isn't the cutest kid on the block. That distinction belongs to Yara Shahidi, playing Olivia, the precocious 7-year-old daughter of Evan (Murphy), a busy exec prone to ignore his adorable child. Just when Evan feels the pressure to produce at the office, he discovers that Olivia's stories—emanating from her imaginary world—reveal business secrets he can use to his advantage. Quicker than you can say Etch-A-Sketch, Murphy's pumping the little doll for tidbits to revive his sagging career. Oh Eddie, if only it were that easy.
I Love You, Beth Cooper
(2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by Chris Columbus
Starring Hayden Panettiere, Paul Rust, Jack T. Carpenter, Lauren London, Alan Ruck, Cynthia Stevenson
Fox Atomic—Rated PG-13—Comedy
Fox Studios rushes to capitalize on Hayden Panettiere while she's still famous enough to turn "Heroes" fanboys into movie ticket buyers. After nerdy valedictorian high school senior Denis (Rust), proclaims his crush on popular girl Beth Cooper (Panettiere) during his commencement speech, the teen queen amuses herself by introducing Denis and his geeky friends to her wild-child party scene. Panettiere cheerfully does her part by stripping for a nude scene, so plot problems shouldn't prevent the film from turning a buck. Meanwhile the MPAA's rating system gets a little more questionable every year.
Bruno
(2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Larry Charles
Starring Sacha Baron Cohen, Richard Bey, Ron Paul, Paula Abdul, Domiziano Arcangeli, Emerson Brooks, Alice Evans, Gustaf Hammarsten
Universal—Rated R—Comedy—83 min
Flying high on his "Borat" success, Sacha Baron Cohen gets a new look when he becomes a bleached blonde (with highly arched eyebrows) for his latest mockumentary. This time Cohen plays Bruno, a gay, Austrian fashionista spending his exile in Hollywood where Bruno—his lovelorn assistant Lutz (Hammarsten) in tow—seeks stardom. Though a large portion of the humor is insulting and distasteful, the "Punk'd" scenes that depict Bruno offending the very celebrities he hopes to befriend, appear staged. Watch for male frontal nudity and numerous shots featuring skin-and-bones Cohen wearing nothing but itty bitty briefs.
Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen
(2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by Michael Bay
Starring Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, John Turturro, Rainn Wilson, Jon Voight
Paramount—Rated PG—Fantasy—147 min
"Transformers" meets "Indiana Jones" and "The Mummy" in what feels like a hybrid of not-so-hot recent movies and LaBeouf's own screen roles. In order to save mankind from marauding Decepticon aliens, Sam Witwicky (LaBeouf) and his galpal Mikaela (Fox) travel to the Egyptian ruins where they hope to find a key capable of reactivating the good-guy Autobot Transformers. Ships, tanks, planes, rockets and giant shape-shifting machines battle for audience attention in this $200 million dollar special-effects bonanza. John Turturro, Rainn Wilson and Jon Voight rush to get in on the frenetic action of this video game movie—minus the joystick.
Year One
(2009)
*1/2 (Grade C-)
Directed by Harold Ramis
Starring Jack Black, Michael Cera, Olivia Wilde, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Vinnie Jones, Hank Azaria, Paul Rudd, Juno Temple, Oliver Platt, David Cross
Sony—Rated PG-13—Comedy
Jack Black and Michael Cera play Zed and Oh, friends and lazy members of a primitive tribe in the year one. The pair are exiled after Zed eats the forbidden fruit. Oh joins Zed on a biblical journey that leads them to Cain and Abel, Abraham and Isaac, and the lovely people of Sodom. Unfamiliar with the rules of this new world, Zed and Oh are pressed into military service, thrown out and threatened with execution. At one point the pair are enslaved. Oh is stripped nearly naked, painted gold, and made to rub a hairy priest's chest (Platt) with warm oil. Poorly organized storytelling is one problem; the other is gross out humor that rarely hits the funny bone.
Public Enemies
(2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Michael Mann
Starring Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard, Jason Clarke, Rory Cochrane, Billy Crudup, Stephen Dorff, and Stephen Lang
Universal—Rated R—130 min
Virtuoso style and cinematic bravado flesh out the retelling of John Dillinger's saga. After escaping from prison in 1933, Dillinger (Depp) goes on a bank-robbing spree that gains him public admiration in an era of failing banks and first place on J. Edgar Hoover's (Crudup) Public Enemies list. Dillinger breaks his own rules when he woos and wins the heart of coat-check girl Billie Frechette (Cotillard). Knowing their romance can not last, the pair make every moment count. As FBI Agent Melvin Purvis, Christian Bale uses his intensity, rather than his underwritten character, to convey the agent's determination to bring Dillinger down by any means necessary.
My Sister’s Keeper
(2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Nick Cassavetes
Starring Cameron Diaz, Abigail Breslin, Alec Baldwin, Sofia Vassilieva, Joan Cusack, Jason Patric, Thomas Dekker, Emily Deschanel, Lin Shaye
Warner—Rated PG-13—Drama—109 min
Abigail Breslin headlines a drama exploring complex ethical and familial issues. She plays 11-year-old Anna Fitzgerald, conceived by her parents (Diaz and Patric) to help their leukemia-stricken daughter Kate (Vassilieva) stay alive. During her short life Anna has happily donated blood and bone marrow numerous times, but when Kate needs one of Anna's kidneys, the younger girl hires an attorney (Baldwin) to secure Anna's medical emancipation from her parents. A cozy plot twist has Anna's mom resume her legal career in order to oppose Anna’s petition to the court. Despite all the squabbling, the Fitzgerald's are a loving family doing the best they can. From Jodi Picoult's novel, the film is sufficiently well-executed to assure there won't be a dry eye left in the house.
The Proposal
(2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by Anne Fletcher
Starring Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Mary Steenburgen, Craig T. Nelson, Betty White, Denis O'Hare, Malin Akerman
Disney—Rated PG-13—Comedy—107 min
In this chick flick banking on Bullock's wholesome appeal, the actress appears as cutthroat New York City book editor, Margaret Tate. Facing deportation to Canada, Margaret conspires to marry her young assistant Andrew (Reynolds) whom she knows nothing about. She finds herself succumbing to his charms during a trip to Alaska to meet Andrew's quirky family. A safe, non-offensive offering, 45-year-old Bullock and 33-year-old Reynolds make a cute pair, but never persuade as a couple. They aren't helped by a script lacking both an "aha" moment and evidence of their blossoming love.
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
(2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by Tony Scott
Starring Denzel Washington, John Travolta, John Turturro, Luis Guzman, Michael Rispoli, James Gandolfini
Sony—Rated R—Action—106 min
The 1974 original film was an adrenaline rush casting Robert Shaw as the merciless mastermind behind a crew of hostage takers on a New York City subway. He was matched by Walter Matthau playing Walter Garber, a subway train dispatcher with a very grumpy disposition. Having gained Ryder's trust, Garber tries to keep Ryder calm while city officials plan their next move. This time, Travolta plays the madman demanding $10 million dollars in exchange for the hostages. Washington packs on the pounds for the Garber role, but director Scott has reversed his actors, putting the intense one where the funnyman belongs. It's a slick, passable production, but lacks the one, two, three punch that made the original a knock out.
The Hangover
(2009)
* * *1/2 (Grade A-)
Directed by Todd Phillips
Starring Zach Galifianakis, Bradley Cooper, Justin Bartha, Heather Graham, Sasha Barrese, Ken Jeong, Rachael Harris, Jeffrey Tambor, Mike Tyson
Warner—Rated R—Comedy—100 min
Phil, Stu and Alan (Cooper, Helms and Galifianakis) take their soon-to-be-married buddy (Bartha) to Vegas for a bachelor blowout that quickly spins out of control. The following morning, Phil, Stu and Alan awaken in a luxury casino suite where they've somehow acquired both a human baby and full-grown tiger. Though questions abound, the trio's biggest problem is that they've misplaced the groom. Unable to remember events of the previous night, the three attempt to retrace their steps. Clues lead them first to the ER, then to Mike Tyson, and finally reveal that one of them has married a stripper. Using a second-tier cast, director Todd Phillips hits pay-dirt with marvelous comic performances from Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis, longtime supporting players earning their break out roles. Pumping its Vegas locale for everything its worth, the tale's zany humor combines with a crazy detective story to hit the comedy jackpot.
UP
(2009)
* * * * (Grade A)
Directed by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson
Voices of Edward Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai, Bob Peterson, Delroy Lindo, Jerome Ranft, John Ratzenberger, David Kaye, Elie Docter, Jeremy Leary
Buena Vista—Rated PG—Animated, Family—96 min
Another Pixar story, this one takes to the skies in a big way. When curmudgeon senior citizen, Carl Fredricksen (voiced by Asner), takes off to see a remote range of Venezuelan mountains, he ties thousands of balloons to his house that lift it up, up and away. Comfortably settled inside his flying home, Carl is appalled to discover that a young scout has inadvertently hitched a ride. Animated with spellbinding beauty and vibrance, the film follows the pair's adventures, and eventual meeting with Carl's boyhood hero (Plummer)—a famed explorer. Encountering wondrous animals, as well as with confronting an evil plot, will test the pair's resolve and leave audiences feeling "Up"- beat.
By Lisa Miller
Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince
(2009)
Directed by David Yates
Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Michael Gambon, Tom Felton, Jim Broadbent, Alan Rickman, David Bradley, Robbie Coltrane, Helena Bonham Carter, Warwick Davis, Maggie Smith
Warner—Rated PG—Fantasy—153 min
It is well-known that JK Rowling wrote seven books in her Harry Potter series, but Warner Brothers, surely loathing to see the most profitable film series in history come to an end, plans to release a total of eight films. While agents are busily hounding Rowling for more HP, many readers have found this chapter, with sales topping $65 million and clocking in at an astounding 652 pages, to be the most engrossing of the series. It's worth noting that nine million copies of the book were sold in its first 24 hours of release, a record shattered only by its sequel, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows."
To achieve a running time of two-and-a-half hours, director David Yates has pared Rowling's characters and subplots. The story, set during the 1996-97 term at Hogwarts School for Wizards, finds Harry and friends, Ron and Hermione, noticeably matured and searching for teen love while Voldemort's death eaters attack the fragile muggle world. The film, shot in 2007, sees Daniel Radcliffe's Harry lingering at 5' 6", best pals Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione (Emma Watson) tower over him. All three exhibit the angular facial features suggesting impending adulthood. Hermione eyes Ron as he dates Lavender Brown. Further complicating the threesome's love-matches, Harry develops a powerful crush on Ron's little sister Ginny.
During the school year Harry, who has failed to purchase a potions text book, receives an old text from his instructor, Professor Slughorn played by Jim Broadbent. Harry's book contains instructions scribbled in its margins, and it isn't long before Harry discovers that following the notations yields better results than those on the printed lines of his book, ominously inscribed as previously owned by the "Half-Blood Prince." Through the memories of Professor Slughorn, once a student with Voldemort, Harry learns that the dark wizard committed six murders, splintering his soul into six fragments embedded in objects, while leaving a seventh piece in Voldemort's body. As long as any of the fragment-containing objects exist, Voldemort cannot be extinguished.
As noted by film critic David Edelstein, the tone of this PG-Rated installment is pure English horror. Where past Harry Potters received PG-13-Ratings, the MPAA board appears to have loosened its grip. Parents may wish to view the trailer, available online at "YouTube," "The Internet Movie Database," "Rotten Tomatoes" and "MovieWeb," to name just a few sites, before purchasing tickets for their younger children.
According to film critic Todd McCarthy of Variety Magazine, Director David Yates also appears to have matured into the series, producing a film that is less eager to please, and less hamstrung by Rowling's source material, than previous chapters. The director's $250 million dollar budget yields seamless special effects and omnipresent cameras that seem to fly over cities and through the hallowed halls of a grayer Medieval Hogwarts. Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes have compiled critics' ratings, the mean score being well into the 80s out of a perfect 100. This may not be your older brother's Harry Potter, but this Harry is an apt metaphor for these tumultuous times.
The Ugly Truth
(2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Robert Luketic
Starring Gerard Butler, Katherine Heigl, Cheryl Hines, Bonnie Somerville, Bree Turner, Vicki Lewis
Columbia Pictures—Rated R—Comedy—101 min
When Abby (Heigl), a Sacramento morning show producer is forced to work with Mike (Butler), the station's popular, but offensive late-night, love-coach, emotional daggers fly. Then Mike presents Abby with a challenge. If she follows Mike's advice to the tee, and still can't win the heart of her handsome doctor neighbor, Mike pledges to quit TV for good. Abby eagerly accepts, then is shocked to find Mike's advice has merit. The pairing of Butler and Heigl manages to ignite a few romantic sparks though ramping up the laughs could have taken this one beyond merely competent. Lacking competition, "The Ugly Truth" should turn a pretty buck from the dating set and girls' night out.
G-Force
(2009)
*1/2 (Grade C-)
Directed by Hoyt Yeatman
Starring Will Arnett, Penelope Cruz, Zach Galifianakis, Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell, Tracy Morgan
Disney—Rated PG—Family, Animated
Disney teams with producer Jerry Bruckheimer for this film centered on a team of biologically engineered, brainiac guinea pigs trained in espionage. Tapped by the US government to stop a diabolical billionaire from taking over the world, the rodents are outfitted with tiny high-tech gear. Team members include squad leader Darwin (Rockwell), weapons expert Blaster (Morgan), and sexy martial arts master Juarez (Cruz)—"sexy" as per Disney's literature! The team's reconnaissance expert is a housefly, and for the dirtiest jobs they've recruited Speckles (Cage), a star-nosed mole. Presented in 3-D, this one's likely to benefit the pet store industry as g-pigs get wish-listed by 5 to 8 year olds everywhere.
Orphan
(2009)
*1/2 (Grade C-)
Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra
Starring Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard, Isabelle Fuhrman, CCH Pounder, Jimmy Bennett
Warner—Rated R—Horror—123 min
John & Kate Plus Orphan? No, it isn't the latest reality TV show, but rather it's the latest demonic-kid horror with unfortunately, no-named leads. Devastated after losing her unborn child, Kate (Farmiga) wants something good to come out of their loss. She and husband John (Sarsgaard) visit an orphanage where they are drawn to precocious 9-year-old Esther (Fuhrman). But, after bringing Esther home, things go terribly wrong for the family and friends. Kate soon discovers Esther isn't the sweet child she appears to be. The film is precisely what you'd expect: one more variation on "The Bad Seed."
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
(2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by Carlos Saldanha
Voiced by: Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Queen Latifah, Simon Pegg, Seann William Scott, Josh Peck, Chris Wedge, Karen Disher
Fox//Rated PG//Animated//87 min
Prehistoric mammals and dinosaurs collide when Sid the sloth, Diego the saber-toothed tiger, Scrat the squirrel and woolly mammoth couple Manny and Ellie, become trapped in an underground Jurassic world. Simon Pegg is also new as a dinosaur-hunting weasel seeking revenge on a Jurassic version of "Moby Dick." The good news is that acorn-obsessed squirrel Scrat and his new girlfriend provide regular breaks from otherwise predictable fare. The film is playing in both 2D and 3D, the latter costing several extra dollars per ticket.
Imagine That
(2009)
*1/2 (Grade C-)
Directed by Karey Kirkpatrick
Starring Eddie Murphy, Yara Shahidi, Thomas Haden Church, Nicole Ari Parker, Ronny Cox, Martin Sheen
Paramount—Rated PG—Comedy—min
It isn't hard to imagine Murphy suiting up for another dumb comedy, but this time he isn't the cutest kid on the block. That distinction belongs to Yara Shahidi, playing Olivia, the precocious 7-year-old daughter of Evan (Murphy), a busy exec prone to ignore his adorable child. Just when Evan feels the pressure to produce at the office, he discovers that Olivia's stories—emanating from her imaginary world—reveal business secrets he can use to his advantage. Quicker than you can say Etch-A-Sketch, Murphy's pumping the little doll for tidbits to revive his sagging career. Oh Eddie, if only it were that easy.
I Love You, Beth Cooper
(2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by Chris Columbus
Starring Hayden Panettiere, Paul Rust, Jack T. Carpenter, Lauren London, Alan Ruck, Cynthia Stevenson
Fox Atomic—Rated PG-13—Comedy
Fox Studios rushes to capitalize on Hayden Panettiere while she's still famous enough to turn "Heroes" fanboys into movie ticket buyers. After nerdy valedictorian high school senior Denis (Rust), proclaims his crush on popular girl Beth Cooper (Panettiere) during his commencement speech, the teen queen amuses herself by introducing Denis and his geeky friends to her wild-child party scene. Panettiere cheerfully does her part by stripping for a nude scene, so plot problems shouldn't prevent the film from turning a buck. Meanwhile the MPAA's rating system gets a little more questionable every year.
Bruno
(2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Larry Charles
Starring Sacha Baron Cohen, Richard Bey, Ron Paul, Paula Abdul, Domiziano Arcangeli, Emerson Brooks, Alice Evans, Gustaf Hammarsten
Universal—Rated R—Comedy—83 min
Flying high on his "Borat" success, Sacha Baron Cohen gets a new look when he becomes a bleached blonde (with highly arched eyebrows) for his latest mockumentary. This time Cohen plays Bruno, a gay, Austrian fashionista spending his exile in Hollywood where Bruno—his lovelorn assistant Lutz (Hammarsten) in tow—seeks stardom. Though a large portion of the humor is insulting and distasteful, the "Punk'd" scenes that depict Bruno offending the very celebrities he hopes to befriend, appear staged. Watch for male frontal nudity and numerous shots featuring skin-and-bones Cohen wearing nothing but itty bitty briefs.
Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen
(2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by Michael Bay
Starring Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, John Turturro, Rainn Wilson, Jon Voight
Paramount—Rated PG—Fantasy—147 min
"Transformers" meets "Indiana Jones" and "The Mummy" in what feels like a hybrid of not-so-hot recent movies and LaBeouf's own screen roles. In order to save mankind from marauding Decepticon aliens, Sam Witwicky (LaBeouf) and his galpal Mikaela (Fox) travel to the Egyptian ruins where they hope to find a key capable of reactivating the good-guy Autobot Transformers. Ships, tanks, planes, rockets and giant shape-shifting machines battle for audience attention in this $200 million dollar special-effects bonanza. John Turturro, Rainn Wilson and Jon Voight rush to get in on the frenetic action of this video game movie—minus the joystick.
Year One
(2009)
*1/2 (Grade C-)
Directed by Harold Ramis
Starring Jack Black, Michael Cera, Olivia Wilde, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Vinnie Jones, Hank Azaria, Paul Rudd, Juno Temple, Oliver Platt, David Cross
Sony—Rated PG-13—Comedy
Jack Black and Michael Cera play Zed and Oh, friends and lazy members of a primitive tribe in the year one. The pair are exiled after Zed eats the forbidden fruit. Oh joins Zed on a biblical journey that leads them to Cain and Abel, Abraham and Isaac, and the lovely people of Sodom. Unfamiliar with the rules of this new world, Zed and Oh are pressed into military service, thrown out and threatened with execution. At one point the pair are enslaved. Oh is stripped nearly naked, painted gold, and made to rub a hairy priest's chest (Platt) with warm oil. Poorly organized storytelling is one problem; the other is gross out humor that rarely hits the funny bone.
Public Enemies
(2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Michael Mann
Starring Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard, Jason Clarke, Rory Cochrane, Billy Crudup, Stephen Dorff, and Stephen Lang
Universal—Rated R—130 min
Virtuoso style and cinematic bravado flesh out the retelling of John Dillinger's saga. After escaping from prison in 1933, Dillinger (Depp) goes on a bank-robbing spree that gains him public admiration in an era of failing banks and first place on J. Edgar Hoover's (Crudup) Public Enemies list. Dillinger breaks his own rules when he woos and wins the heart of coat-check girl Billie Frechette (Cotillard). Knowing their romance can not last, the pair make every moment count. As FBI Agent Melvin Purvis, Christian Bale uses his intensity, rather than his underwritten character, to convey the agent's determination to bring Dillinger down by any means necessary.
My Sister’s Keeper
(2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Nick Cassavetes
Starring Cameron Diaz, Abigail Breslin, Alec Baldwin, Sofia Vassilieva, Joan Cusack, Jason Patric, Thomas Dekker, Emily Deschanel, Lin Shaye
Warner—Rated PG-13—Drama—109 min
Abigail Breslin headlines a drama exploring complex ethical and familial issues. She plays 11-year-old Anna Fitzgerald, conceived by her parents (Diaz and Patric) to help their leukemia-stricken daughter Kate (Vassilieva) stay alive. During her short life Anna has happily donated blood and bone marrow numerous times, but when Kate needs one of Anna's kidneys, the younger girl hires an attorney (Baldwin) to secure Anna's medical emancipation from her parents. A cozy plot twist has Anna's mom resume her legal career in order to oppose Anna’s petition to the court. Despite all the squabbling, the Fitzgerald's are a loving family doing the best they can. From Jodi Picoult's novel, the film is sufficiently well-executed to assure there won't be a dry eye left in the house.
The Proposal
(2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by Anne Fletcher
Starring Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Mary Steenburgen, Craig T. Nelson, Betty White, Denis O'Hare, Malin Akerman
Disney—Rated PG-13—Comedy—107 min
In this chick flick banking on Bullock's wholesome appeal, the actress appears as cutthroat New York City book editor, Margaret Tate. Facing deportation to Canada, Margaret conspires to marry her young assistant Andrew (Reynolds) whom she knows nothing about. She finds herself succumbing to his charms during a trip to Alaska to meet Andrew's quirky family. A safe, non-offensive offering, 45-year-old Bullock and 33-year-old Reynolds make a cute pair, but never persuade as a couple. They aren't helped by a script lacking both an "aha" moment and evidence of their blossoming love.
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
(2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by Tony Scott
Starring Denzel Washington, John Travolta, John Turturro, Luis Guzman, Michael Rispoli, James Gandolfini
Sony—Rated R—Action—106 min
The 1974 original film was an adrenaline rush casting Robert Shaw as the merciless mastermind behind a crew of hostage takers on a New York City subway. He was matched by Walter Matthau playing Walter Garber, a subway train dispatcher with a very grumpy disposition. Having gained Ryder's trust, Garber tries to keep Ryder calm while city officials plan their next move. This time, Travolta plays the madman demanding $10 million dollars in exchange for the hostages. Washington packs on the pounds for the Garber role, but director Scott has reversed his actors, putting the intense one where the funnyman belongs. It's a slick, passable production, but lacks the one, two, three punch that made the original a knock out.
The Hangover
(2009)
* * *1/2 (Grade A-)
Directed by Todd Phillips
Starring Zach Galifianakis, Bradley Cooper, Justin Bartha, Heather Graham, Sasha Barrese, Ken Jeong, Rachael Harris, Jeffrey Tambor, Mike Tyson
Warner—Rated R—Comedy—100 min
Phil, Stu and Alan (Cooper, Helms and Galifianakis) take their soon-to-be-married buddy (Bartha) to Vegas for a bachelor blowout that quickly spins out of control. The following morning, Phil, Stu and Alan awaken in a luxury casino suite where they've somehow acquired both a human baby and full-grown tiger. Though questions abound, the trio's biggest problem is that they've misplaced the groom. Unable to remember events of the previous night, the three attempt to retrace their steps. Clues lead them first to the ER, then to Mike Tyson, and finally reveal that one of them has married a stripper. Using a second-tier cast, director Todd Phillips hits pay-dirt with marvelous comic performances from Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis, longtime supporting players earning their break out roles. Pumping its Vegas locale for everything its worth, the tale's zany humor combines with a crazy detective story to hit the comedy jackpot.
UP
(2009)
* * * * (Grade A)
Directed by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson
Voices of Edward Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai, Bob Peterson, Delroy Lindo, Jerome Ranft, John Ratzenberger, David Kaye, Elie Docter, Jeremy Leary
Buena Vista—Rated PG—Animated, Family—96 min
Another Pixar story, this one takes to the skies in a big way. When curmudgeon senior citizen, Carl Fredricksen (voiced by Asner), takes off to see a remote range of Venezuelan mountains, he ties thousands of balloons to his house that lift it up, up and away. Comfortably settled inside his flying home, Carl is appalled to discover that a young scout has inadvertently hitched a ride. Animated with spellbinding beauty and vibrance, the film follows the pair's adventures, and eventual meeting with Carl's boyhood hero (Plummer)—a famed explorer. Encountering wondrous animals, as well as with confronting an evil plot, will test the pair's resolve and leave audiences feeling "Up"- beat.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
July 9, 2009
In The TheaterBy Lisa Miller
Year One
(2009)
*1/2 (Grade C-)
Directed by Harold Ramis
Starring Jack Black, Michael Cera, Olivia Wilde, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Vinnie Jones, Hank Azaria, Paul Rudd, Juno Temple, Oliver Platt, David Cross
Sony—Rated PG-13—Comedy—97 min
Teaming roly-poly Jack Black and the effeminate Michael Cera in a comedy of biblical proportions, looks pretty good on paper. In practice, director Harold Ramis has no idea what to do with this diametrically opposed duo. Cera's deadpan style is Black's cue to exaggerate each facial expression and punchline past the point of no return.
The premise, inspired by Mel Brooks's classic "2,000 Year-Old Man," filters 2,000 year-old humanity through today's lens. Brooks struck gold by precisely balancing silly ideas with simple language. Here, that equilibrium is blown away on a flatulent breeze.
"Year One" tests the public’s tolerance for gross humor early and often. Jack Black, playing exiled tribesman Zed, sniffs what he believes to be a pile of human excrement. "I think they ate apples..." he remarks before tasting it with a rapidly flicking tongue. The comedic torture continues when Zed's cohort, a skinny lad named Oh (Michael Cera), urinates on himself while shackled upside down. "Close your mouth!" Zed warns as the yellow liquid trickles up Oh's nose.
Exiled from their primitive tribe for eating the forbidden fruit (and for being its laziest hunter/gatherers), Zed and Oh begin their journey toward enlightenment.
They meet squabbling siblings Cain and Abel (played by David Cross and Paul Rudd), and are introduced to the concept of circumcision by the prophet Abraham (Hank Azaria). Zed is chosen to lay with Abraham's daughter and be fruitful, but alas, she only likes girls. Oh must bunk with Cain and Abel's gaseous brother, a scene faintly recalling Mel Brooks's campfire tootfest from "Blazing Saddles."
Next it's on to Sodom because Abraham has warned the boys that the city's loose women are a lustful bunch of whores. Once there, instead of losing his virginity to a woman, Oh is stripped and painted gold by the king's head Eunuch. Oh's efforts to get closer to the slave-girl of his dreams are spoiled by a hirsute high priest (Oliver Platt) who orders the lad to rub warm oil into the priest's hairy, apelike chest. Giving it a go with blue eye shadow and glossy pink lips, queeny Platt delivers the film's finest gag.
Those persuaded to buy tickets after seeing the film's trailer may note that some of the trailer's punchlines were a whole lot funnier. That's because they are different than those in the film. Ditto the storyline, rearranged to better effect in the trailer. Where the trailer bumps amicably from joke to joke, the film gets lost in a quagmire of chaotic storytelling.
Examining the clash between Paleolithic hunter-gatherers dropped into early civilization sounds so easy a caveman could do it. However, to see that joke done right you'll need to watch for the Geico commercials.
Public Enemies
(2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Michael Mann
Starring Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard, Jason Clarke, Rory Cochrane, Billy Crudup, Stephen Dorff, and Stephen Lang
Universal—Rated R—130 min
Virtuoso style and cinematic bravado flesh out the retelling of John Dillinger's saga. After escaping from prison in 1933, Dillinger (Depp) goes on a bank-robbing spree that gains him public admiration in an era of failing banks and first place on J. Edgar Hoover's (Crudup) Public Enemies list. Dillinger breaks his own rules when he woos and wins the heart of coat-check girl Billie Frechette (Cotillard). Knowing their romance can not last, the pair make every moment count. As FBI Agent Melvin Purvis, Christian Bale uses his intensity, rather than his underwritten character, to convey the agent's determination to bring Dillinger down by any means necessary.
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
(2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Carlos Saldanha
Voices: Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Simon Pegg, Queen Latifah, Seann William Scott, Josh Peck, Simon Pegg, Chris Wedge, Karen Disher
Fox—Rated PG—Animated, Comedy—87 min
Prehistoric mammals and dinosaurs collide when Sid the sloth, Diego the saber-toothed lion, Scrat the squirrel and woolly mammoth couple Manny and Ellie, become trapped in an underground Jurassic world. Opening in 2D and 3D, the latter for several dollars more per ticket, the good news is that acorn-obsessed squirrel Scrat will be front and center with his new girlfriend. Simon Pegg comes on board as dinosaur-hunting weasal Buck—further ratcheting up the laugh quotient.
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
(2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by Michael Bay
Starring Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, John Turturro, Rainn Wilson, Jon Voight
Paramount—Rated PG—Fantasy—147 min
"Transformers" meets "Indiana Jones" and "The Mummy" in what feels like a hybrid of not-so-hot recent movies and LaBeouf's own screen roles. In order to save mankind from marauding Decepticon aliens, Sam Witwicky (LaBeouf) and his gal pal Mikaela (Fox) travel to Egypt where they search for clues in the pyramids to release an army of good Autobot Transformers. Ships, tanks, Planes, rockets and giant shape-shifting machines battle for audience attention in this $200 million dollar special-effects bonanza. John Turturro, Rainn Wilson and Jon Voight rush to get in on the frenetic action of this video game movie—minus the joystick.
My Sister’s Keeper
(2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Nick Cassavetes
Starring Cameron Diaz, Abigail Breslin, Alec Baldwin, Sofia Vassilieva, Joan Cusack, Jason Patric, Thomas Dekker, Emily Deschanel, Lin Shaye
Warner—Rated PG-13—Drama—109 min
Abigail Breslin headlines a drama exploring complex ethical and familial issues. She plays 11-year-old Anna Fitzgerald, conceived by her parents (Diaz and Patric) to help their leukemia-stricken daughter Kate (Vassilieva) stay alive. During her short life Anna has happily donated blood and bone marrow numerous times, but when Kate needs one of Anna's kidneys, the younger girl hires an attorney (Baldwin) to secure Anna's medical emancipation from her parents. A cozy plot twist has Anna's mom resume her legal career in order to oppose Anna’s petition to the court. Despite all the squabbling, the Fitzgerald's are a loving family doing the best they can. From Jodi Picoult's novel, the film is sufficiently well-executed to assure there won't be a dry eye left in the house.
The Proposal
(2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by Anne Fletcher
Starring Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Mary Steenburgen, Craig T. Nelson, Betty White, Denis O'Hare, Malin Akerman
Disney—Rated PG-13—Comedy—107 min
In this chick flick banking on Bullock's wholesome appeal, the actress appears as cutthroat New York City book editor, Margaret Tate. Facing deportation to Canada, Margaret conspires to marry her young assistant Andrew (Reynolds) whom she knows nothing about. She finds herself succumbing to his charms during a trip to Alaska to meet Andrew's quirky family. A safe, non-offensive offering, 45-year-old Bullock and 33-year-old Reynolds make a cute pair, but never persuade as a couple. They aren't helped by a script lacking both an "aha" moment and evidence of their blossoming love.
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
(2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by Tony Scott
Starring Denzel Washington, John Travolta, John Turturro, Luis Guzman, Michael Rispoli, James Gandolfini
Sony—Rated R—Action—106 min
The 1974 original film was an adrenaline rush casting Robert Shaw as the merciless mastermind behind a crew of hostage takers on a New York City subway. He was matched by Walter Matthau playing Walter Garber, a subway train dispatcher with a very grumpy disposition. Having gained Ryder's trust, Garber tries to keep Ryder calm while city officials plan their next move. This time, Travolta plays the madman demanding $10 million dollars in exchange for the hostages. Washington packs on the pounds for the Garber role, but director Scott has reversed his actors, putting the intense one where the funnyman belongs. It's a slick, passable production, but lacks the one, two, three punch that made the original a knock out.
The Hangover
(2009)
* * *1/2 (Grade A-)
Directed by Todd Phillips
Starring Zach Galifianakis, Bradley Cooper, Justin Bartha, Heather Graham, Sasha Barrese, Ken Jeong, Rachael Harris, Jeffrey Tambor, Mike Tyson
Warner—Rated R—Comedy—100 min
Phil, Stu and Alan (Cooper, Helms and Galifianakis) take their soon-to-be-married buddy (Bartha) to Vegas for a bachelor blowout that quickly spins out of control. The following morning, Phil, Stu and Alan awaken in a luxury casino suite where they've somehow acquired both a human baby and full-grown tiger. Though questions abound, the trio's biggest problem is that they've misplaced the groom. Unable to remember events of the previous night, the three attempt to retrace their steps. Clues lead them first to the ER, then to Mike Tyson, and finally reveal that one of them has married a stripper. Using a second-tier cast, director Todd Phillips hits pay-dirt with marvelous comic performances from Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis, longtime supporting players earning their break out roles. Pumping its Vegas locale for everything its worth, the tale's zany humor combines with a crazy detective story to hit the comedy jackpot.
UP
(2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson
Voices of Edward Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai, Bob Peterson, Delroy Lindo, Jerome Ranft, John Ratzenberger, David Kaye, Elie Docter, Jeremy Leary
Buena Vista—Rated PG—Animated, Family—96 min
Another Pixar story, this one takes to the skies in a big way. When curmudgeon senior citizen, Carl Fredricksen (voiced by Asner), takes off to see a remote range of Venezuelan mountains, he does so by tying thousands of balloons to his house that lift it up, up and away. Comfortably settled inside his flying home, Carl is appalled to discover that a young scout has inadvertently hitched a ride. Animated with spellbinding beauty and vibrancy, the film follows the pair's adventures, and eventual meeting with Carl's boyhood hero (Plummer)—a famed explorer. Confronting an evil plot and encountering wondrous animals, will test the pair's resourcefulness and leave audiences feeling "Up"-beat.
Terminator Salvation
(2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by McG
Starring Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Anton Yelchin, Moon Bloodgood, Bryce Dallas Howard, Helena Bonham-Carter, Jane Alexander, Jadagrace Berry
Warner—Rated PG-13—Sci-Fi—107 min
In this prequel to the 1984 blockbuster "Terminator," Christian Bale steps into a bleak near-future as resistance leader John Connor. The year is 2018, and Skynet Terminator robots scour earth to exterminate the last human survivors. Connor is on a mission to save his time-travelling father, Kyle Reese (Yelchin), currently a mere youth stuck in battle-torn L.A. Joining Connor's Resistance Army and further complicating the plot, is Marcus Wright (Worthington), a killer mysteriously paroled from death row. Linda Hamilton makes a vocal contribution and Bryce Dallas Howard shows up as Connor's pregnant wife. Filmed in dismal gray, it's difficult to see the $200 million dollar budget largely spent on special effects.
Night At The Museum: Battle Of The Smithsonian
* * (Grade C)
Directed by Shawn Levy
Starring Amy Adams, Owen Wilson, Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Bill Hader, Steve Coogan, Ricky Gervais, Hank Azaria, Dick Van Dyke, Christopher Guest, Eugene Levy
Fox—Rated PG—Fantasy—105 min
The latest comedy trend is to hide lackluster jokes within ginormous special effects. That's what we got from the "Night At The Museum," and there's more of the same from its sequel. Abe Lincoln's Memorial statue gesticulates and spouts modern slang, while the Thinker is saddled with a Bronx accent and punch-drunk mentality. We're supposed to find these anachronistic historical characters hilarious, all of whom magically speak English. Among the figures coming to life in a Washington D.C. museum are: General Custer, Al Capone, Napoleon Bonaparte, Ivan The Terrible, Octavius, an evil Egyptian Pharaoh, and the bones of T-Rex. Once again, Larry Daley (Stiller) is on hand to mediate the confrontations, but this time he's helped by Amelia Earhart (Adams). Will allowing more comedians to do more mediocre work justify the $150 million dollar budget? Yes, but "Terminator Salvation," "Star Trek" and "Wolverine" are carving out large shares of box office for themselves.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Movies 5-28-09
By Lisa Miller
Star Trek
(2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by J.J. Abrams
Starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, Eric Bana, Anton Yelchin, Zoe Saldana, John Cho, Leonard Nimoy, Bruce Greenwood, Ben Cross, Winona Ryder
Paramount—Rated PG-13—Sci-Fi—126 min
Gene Roddenberry's brightly lit vision of space exploration is boldly reborn. Quickly ramping up to warp speed, the new "Star Trek" re-imagines the original crew replete with new back stories altered by the time-bending effects of a black hole. Though Kirk and Spock suffer defining personal tragedies, Federation missions aboard the Starship Enterprise still conspire to bind Kirk, Spock, Bones, Scotty, Chekhov, Sulu and Uhura into a cohesive crew.
Prior to signing on with Starfleet, young James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) is an angry rebel with a heroic heart. The son of a Starfleet captain, Kirk is challenged by his father's friend, Starfleet Commander Captain Pike (Bruce Greenwood), to test his mettle by joining up. On a distant planet, young Spock (Zachary Quinto) is subjected to discrimination as the half-breed progeny of a Vulcan father (Ben Cross) and a human mother (Winona Ryder), the latter regarded as a lesser species. To escape such narrow-mindedness Spock joins Starfleet. Both men's back stories go overboard in making these points, but the film's use of humor makes their tales enjoyable.
Where Spock is all intellectual muscle, Kirk operates according to a virtually infallible instinct. As before, Kirk and Spock are Yin and Yang, each made better by the other. For now, Spock is put off by Kirk's efforts to short circuit the system while Kirk is peeved by Spock's lip-locking with a pretty Starfleet crew member.
Trekkies are invited to boldly go further back than ever before with a stable of young actors making the characters their own—within limits. Quinto's Spock is set to follow in Nimoy's footsteps as the most popular Enterprise officer, but Pike's boyishly handsome Kirk will quicken many a feminine heart. Karl Urban's peppy cynicism narrowly misses DeForest Kelley's "Bones," but ignites a spark. Simon Pegg's Scotty is an impeccable bit of comic engineering transforming every line into overdrive. Zoe Saldana's Uhura is smartly saucy as the ship's xenolinguist, fluent in a dozen off-world languages, while Anton Yelchin's Chekhov splinters each "V" into a "W" with obvious joy. John Cho captures Sulu's efficiency, but has few comic moments.
Eric Bana is virtually unrecognizable as Romulan baddie Nero, requiring the actor to convey roiling anger and deep sorrow despite his character's facial prosthetics. The overly tattooed Nero seems almost ordinary next to his spaceship projecting a multitude of metal tendrils that remind me of a Troll Doll having a bad hair day. In contrast, the USS Enterprise remains a gleaming symbol of hope, further updated in this reboot. Leonard Nimoy gives an important performance that propels the plot while imparting a sense of continuity to this origin story. A major detractor is a musical soundtrack that might have been written for a romantic saga. Since 13 people are credited with the hodgepodge score, I'm not certain who is to blame, but someone deserves a blast from a phaser set to stun.
Having boldly conquered the movie universe with an astounding $72 million dollar opening weekend, the new "Star Trek" is sure to live longer and prosper well into the 21st century.
Angels & Demons
(2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Ron Howard
Starring Tom Hanks, Ayelet Zurer, Ewan McGregor, Stellan Skarsgard, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Piefrancesco Favino, Nikolaj Lie Kaas
Sony—Rated PG-13—Drama—138 min
Boosting its action quotient, Ron Howard and his screenwriters appear determined to overcome the "Da Vinci Code's" leaden adaptation. In this prequel Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon (Hanks), is summoned to find four kidnapped cardinals considered front-runners for the papacy. Aided by the recently deceased pope's friend (McGregor), along with Inspector Olivetti (Favino) and beautiful Italian scientist Vittoria (Zurer), Langdon tracks the Illuminati, a religious cult terrorizing the Vatican. As dead cardinals pile up, Langdon races from church to church, charting a path of religious symbols to locate the perpetrators. Generous helpings of mysterious deaths, explosions and gorgeous recreations of Vatican locations, are hopeful signs that this chapter has escaped its book-to-screen demons.
Management
(2008)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Stephen Belber
Starring Jennifer Aniston, Steve Zahn, Woody Harrelson, Fred Ward, Margo Martindale, James Liao
Image Entertainment—Rated R—Comedy—93 min
While on an out-of-town trip, button-down saleswoman Sue (Aniston) checks into a roadside motel owned by Mike’s parents. Hoping to get to know her better, Mike (Zahn) brings Sue a complimentary bottle of wine, and over a little vino, a romantic spark ignites. When Sue returns to her home in Maryland—and to her wealthy, but flaky boyfriend (Harrelson), Mike embarks on a journey to win her affections—despite Sue's belief that love needs money to thrive. Although their attraction must overcome Mike's stint in a monastery and his extremely ill, but unaccountably assertive mother, Aniston and Zahn make the most of their persuasive chemistry and offbeat roles. That's good management.
Next Day Air
(2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Benny Boom
Starring Donald Adeosun Faison, Mos Def, Mike Epps, Debbie Allen
Summit Entertainment—Rated R—Comedy
Leo (Faison), a lazy delivery guy working for his mom, has been toking up with his bud when he delivers a large package of cocaine to the wrong address. The accidental recipients are a pair of bumbling hoods who waste no time selling the drugs to one of the men's cousins. Meanwhile, both the sender and the intended receiver are determined to either get their goods back or make someone pay. Brought to you by the production company behind "Twilight," Mos Def reportedly banned the "N-word" from both the set and the film in an effort to raise its standards.
Battle For Terra
(2007)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Aristomenis Tsirbas
Voices of Evan Rachel Wood, Luke Wilson, Justin Long, Brian Cox, James Garner, Chris Evans, Dennis Quaid
Lionsgate—Rated PG—Animated, Family—Sci-Fi—85 min
Invading aliens have arrived—and they are—Us??!!!? Having destroyed our own planet, mankind's remnants wander space in search of a new home. We find it on Terra, a rocky planet we can terraform to suit our needs, however, oxygenating Terra's atmosphere will kill the planet's indigenous intelligent species. A conscientious human hopes to help Terra resist our invasion. The film, rendered in a muted palette, is uncertain about the identity of its audience and played to small audiences during its opening weekend.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
(2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Gavin Hood
Starring Hugh Jackman, Live Schreiber, Ryan Reynolds, Dominic Monaghan
Fox—Rated PG-13—Fantasy—107 min
Because Hugh Jackman is a major box office draw and because his character Wolverine is such a crowd-pleaser, it was inevitable he would get an X-Men movie of his own. Born in the Mid-1800s, Logan, aka Wolverine, and his brother Victor, aka Sabretooth (Schreiber), put their immortality and superpowers to good use as soldiers fighting in many wars. Eventually, the brothers are recruited onto a black ops squad of mutants. Wolverine tires of the violence, but his brother Sabretooth can't get enough. After Wolverine quits the squad, Sabretooth goes gunning for his brother, forcing the siblings into spectacular battles. Sabretooth's fingernails grow super-long, a match for Wolverine's clawlike metal knuckles. Schreiber is Jackman's screen equal in a moody film that stages knockout confrontations from different eras and around the globe. The video game spin-off possibilities are mindboggling.
Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past
(2009)
*1/2 (Grade C-)
Directed by Mark Waters
Starring Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Lacey Chabert, Michael Douglas, Emma Stone, Anne Archer, Robert Forster, Breckin Meyer
New Line Cinema—Rated PG-13—Comedy—102 min
Using the format from Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" as the foundation for a romantic comedy sounds promising, but doesn't pan out. Michael Douglas plays a deceased womanizer, returning as a spirit attempting to show his playboy nephew Connor (McConaughey) the error of following in his uncle's footsteps. It all happens one fateful weekend when Connor attends his brother's (Meyer) wedding. On hand for the event is Jenny (Garner), the one woman savvy enough to avoid Connor's bed, despite their longtime flirtation. After making a pass at the bride's mother (Archer), Connor falls under the spell of dead Uncle Wayne (Douglas), who compels him to tour his own past, present and future, guided by three girlfriends. Though McConaughey and Garner sport matching dimples, there's little chemistry there and we can't help hoping Jenny will leave the insufferable jerk for a better guy, preferably in a better movie.
Fighting
(2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Dito Montiel
Starring Channing Tatum, Terrence Howard, Brian White, Luis Guzman, Zulay Henao
Universal—Rated PG-13—Action—105 min
Small-town transplant Shawn (Tatum) is hawking counterfeit goods on NYC's streets when his fight prowess garners the attention of hustler Harvey Boarden (Howard). At first glance it appears to be a thugged-up version of "Rocky," but the film scores points for its brutal vision of bouts waged on the illegal fight scene. Director Dito Montiel uses fly camera-batics, but gets in close to bring his lead characters to life. If that seems like a tall order where Channing Tatum is concerned, that actor is excellently cast as the slightly dim Shawn. After becoming a hit in the fight world, Shawn falls for Zulay (Henao), a pretty single mom. If Shawn's going to make a life with her he needs to extricate himself from the fight scene, but doing so means fighting his way out.
Obsessed
(2009)
* (Grade D)
Directed by Steve Shill
Starring Idris Elba, Beyonce Knowles, Ali Larter, Bruce McGill, Jerry O'Connell, Christine Lahti
Screen Gems—Rated PG-13—Drama
The ongoing effort to make an actress of singer Beyonce Knowles reaches fever pitch in this "Fatal Attraction" look-alike. Knowles appears as the beautiful wife of a beset executive (Elba), while Larter stretches her resume as a stalker in the guise of a temp secretary. Though her cowardly husband fails to confess his difficult situation, wifey stands by her man after the dejected secretary threatens to sue him for sexual harassment. The interloper's ambition finally leads to a catfight-and-a-half, but we've seen this one 18 ways from Sunday on the Lifetime Channel.
The Soloist
(2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Joe Wright
Starring Jamie Foxx, Robert Downey Jr., Catherine Keener
DreamWorks SKG—Rated PG-13—Drama—109 min
The true story of the friendship between LA Times reporter Steve Lopez (Downey Jr.) and homeless Nathaniel Ayers (Foxx), was scheduled for a November, 2008 Awards season release, then bumped to this spring. While seeking a subject for his column, Lopez stumbles upon Ayers playing a 2-stringed cello in the park. Astounded by what he hears, Lopez discovers that Ayers attended Juilliard until mental illness robbed him of a promising career. Moved by Ayers's plight three decades later, Lopez embarks on a journey to earn his trust, and bring Ayers closer to his dream of playing Walt Disney's Concert Hall. Adapted from Lopez's memoir, the film benefits from striking characters, classical music, a touching story, and hundreds of homeless people appearing as themselves.
Earth
(2007)
* * * 1/2 (Grade A-)
Directed by Alastair Fothergill, Mark Linfield
Narrated by James Earl Jones
Disney—Rated G—Documentary—99 min
In an attempt to document the effects of global warming on the planet's animal life, DisneyNature spent $47 million sending 30 camera teams to more than 200 locations over the course of on 4,500 shooting days. Three animal families, humpback whales, elephants and polar bears are followed on their seasonal treks. Cutesy narration by James Earl Jones is the main complaint, but astounding photography allows viewers to see earth's wildlife like we've never seen it before.
State Of Play
(2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Kevin Macdonald
Starring Russell Crowe, Rachel McAdams, Ben Affleck, Helen Mirren
Universal—Rated PG-13—Thriller—132 mins
Adapted from a highly-rated BBC mini-series, this dramatic thriller returns Russell Crowe to a thinking man's role. He portrays Cal McCaffrey, an established Washington reporter and friend of Stephen Collins (Affleck), rising star U.S. Congressman serving on the defense committee. When Collins's assistant dies mysteriously and violently, McCaffrey investigates. Teamed with rookie reporter Della (McAdams), and under the scrutiny of his tough editor (Mirren), McCaffrey finds links to corporate wrongdoing and cover-ups. Assassins come crawling out of the woodwork, prompting McCaffrey to question his longtime association with Collins.
Crank: High Voltage
(2009)
*1/2 (Grade C-)
Directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor
Starring Jason Statham, Amy Smart, Clifton Collins, Efren Ramirez, Bai Ling, David Carradine, Reno Wilson, Dwight Yoakam, Corey Haim
Lionsgate—Rated R—Action—85 mins
Intense action, and maximum pain inform the efforts of protagonist Chev Chelios (Statham), who works overtime just to stay alive in this sequel. Viewers of the original "Crank" will recall a final scene depicting Chev's death, but as we learn in chapter two, he has been saved by technology. This includes an artificial heart that needs to be recharged regularly—and more often when Chev is extremely active. The Chinese Triad has harvested Chev's heart and he'll do anything—kill anyone—to retrieve it. Central characters from chapter one are back, most notably a scantily clad Amy Smart who gives Chev a shag for good luck. He'll need it.
17 Again
(2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Burr Steers
Starring Zac Efron, Matthew Perry, Leslie Mann, Thomas Lennon, Michelle Trachtenberg, Sterling Knight
New Line—Rated PG-13—98 min
Having forsaken his basketball and college dreams on one fateful day in high school, Mike O'Donnell (Perry), now 37, is separated from his wife (Mann), estranged from his teen kids (Trachtenberg and Knight) and stuck in a dead end job. After reliving his glory days during a visit to his old school, Mike is magically transformed into a 17-year-old boy (played by Efron). Now a student at his kids' school, Mike befriends his children who take him back to their house. His body may be that of a teen, but Mike's still in love with his wife and feels compelled to keep his kids on the straight and narrow. Capitalizing on his do-over turns out to be harder than Mike ever imagined.
Hannah Montana: The Movie
(2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Peter Chelsom
Starring Miley Cyrus, Billy Ray Cyrus, Emily Osment, Jason Earles, Lucas Till, Vanessa Williams
Disney—Rated G—Comedy—102 min
Expanding on her sitcom show and incorporating her music videos, Miley Cyrus takes to the screen—again—as Hannah Montana. Miley's growing up and her father, played by Miley's real-life dad, Billy Ray Cyrus, is worried. Miley's pop-star alter-ego Hannah Montana, is becoming a testy diva, losing her temper in public. To halt Miley's downward spiral, Dad spirits her off to Crowley Corners, Tennessee, home of the family ranch. Along for moral support is Miley's best friend Lily (Osment) and Miley's screw-up brother (Earles). Just as Miley begins to gain perspective, a local boy (Till) catches her eye and Hannah's antics rear an ugly head. Featuring 12 new songs including Miley's hit, "The Climb," the film cashes in on Disney's highly profitable asset while positioning Miley for bigger and better things to come.
Observe And Report
(2009)
*1/2 (Grade C-)
Directed by Jody Hill
Starring Seth Rogen, Anna Faris, Ray Liotta, Michael Pena, John and Matthew Yuan, Celia Weston
Warner—Rated R—Comedy—86 min
An unexpectedly violent comedy, "Observe and Report" relies on a bevy of gross-out gags. Rogen appears as Ronnie Barnhardt, a bipolar mall security guard stirred to action by a flasher ruining many a shopper's spree. But there's a silver lining to the problem since Ronnie plans to use the flasher threat to get closer to cosmetics counter-girl, Brandi (Faris). To catch the perp Ronnie marshals help from his fellow security guards—only to be pushed aside by a police detective (Liotta). Between living with his alcoholic mom (Weston), Ronnie's own bipolar disorder and the detective's efforts to sideline the security team, Ronnie's success is far from assured. Additionally, Kevin James beat Rogen to the security guard theme with his highly successful "Paul Blart: Mall Cop." Nevertheless Rogen gives a disquieting performance that should cement his status as the Hollywood's oddest security guard.
Fast & Furious
(2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Justin Lin
Starring Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, John Ortiz, Laz Alonso
Universal—Rated PG-13—Action—107 min
No expense was spared on the $85 million dollar four-quel starring everybody who was anybody in the other three. Vin Diesel returns as ex-con and street racer Dominic Toretto (Diesel), primed for a hardcore feud with agent Brian O'Connor (Walker)—that is until the pair agree to an uneasy truce to take down a common enemy. Brewster and Rodriguez return as love interests, joining the guys in their efforts to relieve a trucker of his million dollar fuel-train while keeping their muscle cars tuned up for each street race. Fans of "Tokyo Drift" will be glad to know that Sung Kang reprises his role. Tensions run high, but expectations are even higher for the latest installment of a $600 million dollar franchise based on Ken Li's "Vibe" magazine article, "Racer X."
Adventureland
(2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Greg Mottola
Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds
Miramax—Rated R—Drama—107 min
Set in the 1980s, collegiate and carnival cultures intertwine in an atmospheric drama-comedy. Eisenberg plays James, a Renaissance studies graduate whose dream of a European vacation goes bust when his family's fortune takes a turn for the worse. To earn graduate school tuition James gets a summer job at an amusement park. There he falls for tomboyish, acerbic Em (Stewart), unaware of her clandestine affair with an older man (Ryan). Period ambience is captured by a soundtrack trolling "Poison," "Yo La Tengo," "Crowded House," and others along with big-haired girls and carnie tricks for hanging onto those prized stuffed animals. Using humor to highlight the best and worst of the '80s, "Adventureland" is writer-director Greg Mottola's semi-autobiographical ode to coming of age through lost innocence.
Monsters vs. Aliens
(2009)
* * 1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Rob Letterman and Conrad Vernon
Voices of Reese Witherspoon, Rainn Wilson, Hugh Laurie, Will Arnett, Seth Rogen, Kiefer Sutherland, Paul Rudd, Stephen Colbert
DreamWorks—Rated PG—Animated, Family—94 min
Reese Witherspoon headlines this animated science fiction entry voiced by an all-star cast. The plot, spoofing '50s sci-fi flicks, finds a 4-eyed alien (Wilson) threatening to destroy earth. To save our planet, the government releases monsters held in a secret hangar. Susan (Witherspoon), made into a 50-foot-tall-woman by an accident, leads efforts by earth's monsters to repel the aliens. She works with the brilliant Dr. Cockroach (Laurie), a gelatinous blob (Rogen), a fishy primate and a 350-foot grubworm. Fun and scares arise from action-packed, humorous confrontations that rarely let up. I smell sequel-bait.
The Haunting In Connecticut
(2009)
*1/2 (Grade C-)
Directed by Peter Cornwell
Starring Virginia Madsen, Martin Donovan, Elias Koteas, Kyle Gallner, Amanda Crew, Martin Donovan, Sophi Knight, Ty Wood, Erik Berg
Lionsgate—Rated PG-13—Horror—92 min
Though reportedly based on a true story, and boasting first-rate special effects, "Haunting" has received middling early reviews. Virginia Madsen makes a welcome return to the screen as Sara, a mother devoted to helping her eldest son, Matt (Gallner), overcome cancer. Experimental drugs appear to be working, but frequent trips to the treatment center compel Sara and her three children to move closer to the facility. Husband Peter (Donovan) must stay behind to work, leaving Sara and the kids to battle angry spirits that are drawn to Matt in their home away from home. The film pulls out all the stops to depict Matt's torment, but uneven storytelling fails to create tension in this instantly forgettable horror.
Knowing
(2009)
*1/2 (Grade C-)
Directed by Alex Proyas
Starring Nicolas Cage, Rose Byrne, Ben Mendelsohn, Terry Camilleri
Summit Entertainment—PG-13—Sci-Fi—115 min
Directed by Alex Proyas of 1998's "Dark City," and 2004's "I, Robot," "Knowing" is a hollow sci-fi/thriller. Cage appears as a professor who comes into possession of a paper containing mysterious numbers. Close study reveals that the numbers correctly predict the time and place of various impending disasters, including one that could spell mankind's demise. When officials refuse to listen, the professor searches for both the paper's author, and a means of warning those in danger. Although the big action set pieces are well-orchestrated, the film's final act is a huge letdown.
Star Trek
(2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by J.J. Abrams
Starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, Eric Bana, Anton Yelchin, Zoe Saldana, John Cho, Leonard Nimoy, Bruce Greenwood, Ben Cross, Winona Ryder
Paramount—Rated PG-13—Sci-Fi—126 min
Gene Roddenberry's brightly lit vision of space exploration is boldly reborn. Quickly ramping up to warp speed, the new "Star Trek" re-imagines the original crew replete with new back stories altered by the time-bending effects of a black hole. Though Kirk and Spock suffer defining personal tragedies, Federation missions aboard the Starship Enterprise still conspire to bind Kirk, Spock, Bones, Scotty, Chekhov, Sulu and Uhura into a cohesive crew.
Prior to signing on with Starfleet, young James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) is an angry rebel with a heroic heart. The son of a Starfleet captain, Kirk is challenged by his father's friend, Starfleet Commander Captain Pike (Bruce Greenwood), to test his mettle by joining up. On a distant planet, young Spock (Zachary Quinto) is subjected to discrimination as the half-breed progeny of a Vulcan father (Ben Cross) and a human mother (Winona Ryder), the latter regarded as a lesser species. To escape such narrow-mindedness Spock joins Starfleet. Both men's back stories go overboard in making these points, but the film's use of humor makes their tales enjoyable.
Where Spock is all intellectual muscle, Kirk operates according to a virtually infallible instinct. As before, Kirk and Spock are Yin and Yang, each made better by the other. For now, Spock is put off by Kirk's efforts to short circuit the system while Kirk is peeved by Spock's lip-locking with a pretty Starfleet crew member.
Trekkies are invited to boldly go further back than ever before with a stable of young actors making the characters their own—within limits. Quinto's Spock is set to follow in Nimoy's footsteps as the most popular Enterprise officer, but Pike's boyishly handsome Kirk will quicken many a feminine heart. Karl Urban's peppy cynicism narrowly misses DeForest Kelley's "Bones," but ignites a spark. Simon Pegg's Scotty is an impeccable bit of comic engineering transforming every line into overdrive. Zoe Saldana's Uhura is smartly saucy as the ship's xenolinguist, fluent in a dozen off-world languages, while Anton Yelchin's Chekhov splinters each "V" into a "W" with obvious joy. John Cho captures Sulu's efficiency, but has few comic moments.
Eric Bana is virtually unrecognizable as Romulan baddie Nero, requiring the actor to convey roiling anger and deep sorrow despite his character's facial prosthetics. The overly tattooed Nero seems almost ordinary next to his spaceship projecting a multitude of metal tendrils that remind me of a Troll Doll having a bad hair day. In contrast, the USS Enterprise remains a gleaming symbol of hope, further updated in this reboot. Leonard Nimoy gives an important performance that propels the plot while imparting a sense of continuity to this origin story. A major detractor is a musical soundtrack that might have been written for a romantic saga. Since 13 people are credited with the hodgepodge score, I'm not certain who is to blame, but someone deserves a blast from a phaser set to stun.
Having boldly conquered the movie universe with an astounding $72 million dollar opening weekend, the new "Star Trek" is sure to live longer and prosper well into the 21st century.
Angels & Demons
(2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Ron Howard
Starring Tom Hanks, Ayelet Zurer, Ewan McGregor, Stellan Skarsgard, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Piefrancesco Favino, Nikolaj Lie Kaas
Sony—Rated PG-13—Drama—138 min
Boosting its action quotient, Ron Howard and his screenwriters appear determined to overcome the "Da Vinci Code's" leaden adaptation. In this prequel Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon (Hanks), is summoned to find four kidnapped cardinals considered front-runners for the papacy. Aided by the recently deceased pope's friend (McGregor), along with Inspector Olivetti (Favino) and beautiful Italian scientist Vittoria (Zurer), Langdon tracks the Illuminati, a religious cult terrorizing the Vatican. As dead cardinals pile up, Langdon races from church to church, charting a path of religious symbols to locate the perpetrators. Generous helpings of mysterious deaths, explosions and gorgeous recreations of Vatican locations, are hopeful signs that this chapter has escaped its book-to-screen demons.
Management
(2008)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Stephen Belber
Starring Jennifer Aniston, Steve Zahn, Woody Harrelson, Fred Ward, Margo Martindale, James Liao
Image Entertainment—Rated R—Comedy—93 min
While on an out-of-town trip, button-down saleswoman Sue (Aniston) checks into a roadside motel owned by Mike’s parents. Hoping to get to know her better, Mike (Zahn) brings Sue a complimentary bottle of wine, and over a little vino, a romantic spark ignites. When Sue returns to her home in Maryland—and to her wealthy, but flaky boyfriend (Harrelson), Mike embarks on a journey to win her affections—despite Sue's belief that love needs money to thrive. Although their attraction must overcome Mike's stint in a monastery and his extremely ill, but unaccountably assertive mother, Aniston and Zahn make the most of their persuasive chemistry and offbeat roles. That's good management.
Next Day Air
(2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Benny Boom
Starring Donald Adeosun Faison, Mos Def, Mike Epps, Debbie Allen
Summit Entertainment—Rated R—Comedy
Leo (Faison), a lazy delivery guy working for his mom, has been toking up with his bud when he delivers a large package of cocaine to the wrong address. The accidental recipients are a pair of bumbling hoods who waste no time selling the drugs to one of the men's cousins. Meanwhile, both the sender and the intended receiver are determined to either get their goods back or make someone pay. Brought to you by the production company behind "Twilight," Mos Def reportedly banned the "N-word" from both the set and the film in an effort to raise its standards.
Battle For Terra
(2007)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Aristomenis Tsirbas
Voices of Evan Rachel Wood, Luke Wilson, Justin Long, Brian Cox, James Garner, Chris Evans, Dennis Quaid
Lionsgate—Rated PG—Animated, Family—Sci-Fi—85 min
Invading aliens have arrived—and they are—Us??!!!? Having destroyed our own planet, mankind's remnants wander space in search of a new home. We find it on Terra, a rocky planet we can terraform to suit our needs, however, oxygenating Terra's atmosphere will kill the planet's indigenous intelligent species. A conscientious human hopes to help Terra resist our invasion. The film, rendered in a muted palette, is uncertain about the identity of its audience and played to small audiences during its opening weekend.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
(2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Gavin Hood
Starring Hugh Jackman, Live Schreiber, Ryan Reynolds, Dominic Monaghan
Fox—Rated PG-13—Fantasy—107 min
Because Hugh Jackman is a major box office draw and because his character Wolverine is such a crowd-pleaser, it was inevitable he would get an X-Men movie of his own. Born in the Mid-1800s, Logan, aka Wolverine, and his brother Victor, aka Sabretooth (Schreiber), put their immortality and superpowers to good use as soldiers fighting in many wars. Eventually, the brothers are recruited onto a black ops squad of mutants. Wolverine tires of the violence, but his brother Sabretooth can't get enough. After Wolverine quits the squad, Sabretooth goes gunning for his brother, forcing the siblings into spectacular battles. Sabretooth's fingernails grow super-long, a match for Wolverine's clawlike metal knuckles. Schreiber is Jackman's screen equal in a moody film that stages knockout confrontations from different eras and around the globe. The video game spin-off possibilities are mindboggling.
Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past
(2009)
*1/2 (Grade C-)
Directed by Mark Waters
Starring Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Lacey Chabert, Michael Douglas, Emma Stone, Anne Archer, Robert Forster, Breckin Meyer
New Line Cinema—Rated PG-13—Comedy—102 min
Using the format from Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" as the foundation for a romantic comedy sounds promising, but doesn't pan out. Michael Douglas plays a deceased womanizer, returning as a spirit attempting to show his playboy nephew Connor (McConaughey) the error of following in his uncle's footsteps. It all happens one fateful weekend when Connor attends his brother's (Meyer) wedding. On hand for the event is Jenny (Garner), the one woman savvy enough to avoid Connor's bed, despite their longtime flirtation. After making a pass at the bride's mother (Archer), Connor falls under the spell of dead Uncle Wayne (Douglas), who compels him to tour his own past, present and future, guided by three girlfriends. Though McConaughey and Garner sport matching dimples, there's little chemistry there and we can't help hoping Jenny will leave the insufferable jerk for a better guy, preferably in a better movie.
Fighting
(2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Dito Montiel
Starring Channing Tatum, Terrence Howard, Brian White, Luis Guzman, Zulay Henao
Universal—Rated PG-13—Action—105 min
Small-town transplant Shawn (Tatum) is hawking counterfeit goods on NYC's streets when his fight prowess garners the attention of hustler Harvey Boarden (Howard). At first glance it appears to be a thugged-up version of "Rocky," but the film scores points for its brutal vision of bouts waged on the illegal fight scene. Director Dito Montiel uses fly camera-batics, but gets in close to bring his lead characters to life. If that seems like a tall order where Channing Tatum is concerned, that actor is excellently cast as the slightly dim Shawn. After becoming a hit in the fight world, Shawn falls for Zulay (Henao), a pretty single mom. If Shawn's going to make a life with her he needs to extricate himself from the fight scene, but doing so means fighting his way out.
Obsessed
(2009)
* (Grade D)
Directed by Steve Shill
Starring Idris Elba, Beyonce Knowles, Ali Larter, Bruce McGill, Jerry O'Connell, Christine Lahti
Screen Gems—Rated PG-13—Drama
The ongoing effort to make an actress of singer Beyonce Knowles reaches fever pitch in this "Fatal Attraction" look-alike. Knowles appears as the beautiful wife of a beset executive (Elba), while Larter stretches her resume as a stalker in the guise of a temp secretary. Though her cowardly husband fails to confess his difficult situation, wifey stands by her man after the dejected secretary threatens to sue him for sexual harassment. The interloper's ambition finally leads to a catfight-and-a-half, but we've seen this one 18 ways from Sunday on the Lifetime Channel.
The Soloist
(2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Joe Wright
Starring Jamie Foxx, Robert Downey Jr., Catherine Keener
DreamWorks SKG—Rated PG-13—Drama—109 min
The true story of the friendship between LA Times reporter Steve Lopez (Downey Jr.) and homeless Nathaniel Ayers (Foxx), was scheduled for a November, 2008 Awards season release, then bumped to this spring. While seeking a subject for his column, Lopez stumbles upon Ayers playing a 2-stringed cello in the park. Astounded by what he hears, Lopez discovers that Ayers attended Juilliard until mental illness robbed him of a promising career. Moved by Ayers's plight three decades later, Lopez embarks on a journey to earn his trust, and bring Ayers closer to his dream of playing Walt Disney's Concert Hall. Adapted from Lopez's memoir, the film benefits from striking characters, classical music, a touching story, and hundreds of homeless people appearing as themselves.
Earth
(2007)
* * * 1/2 (Grade A-)
Directed by Alastair Fothergill, Mark Linfield
Narrated by James Earl Jones
Disney—Rated G—Documentary—99 min
In an attempt to document the effects of global warming on the planet's animal life, DisneyNature spent $47 million sending 30 camera teams to more than 200 locations over the course of on 4,500 shooting days. Three animal families, humpback whales, elephants and polar bears are followed on their seasonal treks. Cutesy narration by James Earl Jones is the main complaint, but astounding photography allows viewers to see earth's wildlife like we've never seen it before.
State Of Play
(2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Kevin Macdonald
Starring Russell Crowe, Rachel McAdams, Ben Affleck, Helen Mirren
Universal—Rated PG-13—Thriller—132 mins
Adapted from a highly-rated BBC mini-series, this dramatic thriller returns Russell Crowe to a thinking man's role. He portrays Cal McCaffrey, an established Washington reporter and friend of Stephen Collins (Affleck), rising star U.S. Congressman serving on the defense committee. When Collins's assistant dies mysteriously and violently, McCaffrey investigates. Teamed with rookie reporter Della (McAdams), and under the scrutiny of his tough editor (Mirren), McCaffrey finds links to corporate wrongdoing and cover-ups. Assassins come crawling out of the woodwork, prompting McCaffrey to question his longtime association with Collins.
Crank: High Voltage
(2009)
*1/2 (Grade C-)
Directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor
Starring Jason Statham, Amy Smart, Clifton Collins, Efren Ramirez, Bai Ling, David Carradine, Reno Wilson, Dwight Yoakam, Corey Haim
Lionsgate—Rated R—Action—85 mins
Intense action, and maximum pain inform the efforts of protagonist Chev Chelios (Statham), who works overtime just to stay alive in this sequel. Viewers of the original "Crank" will recall a final scene depicting Chev's death, but as we learn in chapter two, he has been saved by technology. This includes an artificial heart that needs to be recharged regularly—and more often when Chev is extremely active. The Chinese Triad has harvested Chev's heart and he'll do anything—kill anyone—to retrieve it. Central characters from chapter one are back, most notably a scantily clad Amy Smart who gives Chev a shag for good luck. He'll need it.
17 Again
(2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Burr Steers
Starring Zac Efron, Matthew Perry, Leslie Mann, Thomas Lennon, Michelle Trachtenberg, Sterling Knight
New Line—Rated PG-13—98 min
Having forsaken his basketball and college dreams on one fateful day in high school, Mike O'Donnell (Perry), now 37, is separated from his wife (Mann), estranged from his teen kids (Trachtenberg and Knight) and stuck in a dead end job. After reliving his glory days during a visit to his old school, Mike is magically transformed into a 17-year-old boy (played by Efron). Now a student at his kids' school, Mike befriends his children who take him back to their house. His body may be that of a teen, but Mike's still in love with his wife and feels compelled to keep his kids on the straight and narrow. Capitalizing on his do-over turns out to be harder than Mike ever imagined.
Hannah Montana: The Movie
(2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Peter Chelsom
Starring Miley Cyrus, Billy Ray Cyrus, Emily Osment, Jason Earles, Lucas Till, Vanessa Williams
Disney—Rated G—Comedy—102 min
Expanding on her sitcom show and incorporating her music videos, Miley Cyrus takes to the screen—again—as Hannah Montana. Miley's growing up and her father, played by Miley's real-life dad, Billy Ray Cyrus, is worried. Miley's pop-star alter-ego Hannah Montana, is becoming a testy diva, losing her temper in public. To halt Miley's downward spiral, Dad spirits her off to Crowley Corners, Tennessee, home of the family ranch. Along for moral support is Miley's best friend Lily (Osment) and Miley's screw-up brother (Earles). Just as Miley begins to gain perspective, a local boy (Till) catches her eye and Hannah's antics rear an ugly head. Featuring 12 new songs including Miley's hit, "The Climb," the film cashes in on Disney's highly profitable asset while positioning Miley for bigger and better things to come.
Observe And Report
(2009)
*1/2 (Grade C-)
Directed by Jody Hill
Starring Seth Rogen, Anna Faris, Ray Liotta, Michael Pena, John and Matthew Yuan, Celia Weston
Warner—Rated R—Comedy—86 min
An unexpectedly violent comedy, "Observe and Report" relies on a bevy of gross-out gags. Rogen appears as Ronnie Barnhardt, a bipolar mall security guard stirred to action by a flasher ruining many a shopper's spree. But there's a silver lining to the problem since Ronnie plans to use the flasher threat to get closer to cosmetics counter-girl, Brandi (Faris). To catch the perp Ronnie marshals help from his fellow security guards—only to be pushed aside by a police detective (Liotta). Between living with his alcoholic mom (Weston), Ronnie's own bipolar disorder and the detective's efforts to sideline the security team, Ronnie's success is far from assured. Additionally, Kevin James beat Rogen to the security guard theme with his highly successful "Paul Blart: Mall Cop." Nevertheless Rogen gives a disquieting performance that should cement his status as the Hollywood's oddest security guard.
Fast & Furious
(2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Justin Lin
Starring Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, John Ortiz, Laz Alonso
Universal—Rated PG-13—Action—107 min
No expense was spared on the $85 million dollar four-quel starring everybody who was anybody in the other three. Vin Diesel returns as ex-con and street racer Dominic Toretto (Diesel), primed for a hardcore feud with agent Brian O'Connor (Walker)—that is until the pair agree to an uneasy truce to take down a common enemy. Brewster and Rodriguez return as love interests, joining the guys in their efforts to relieve a trucker of his million dollar fuel-train while keeping their muscle cars tuned up for each street race. Fans of "Tokyo Drift" will be glad to know that Sung Kang reprises his role. Tensions run high, but expectations are even higher for the latest installment of a $600 million dollar franchise based on Ken Li's "Vibe" magazine article, "Racer X."
Adventureland
(2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Greg Mottola
Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds
Miramax—Rated R—Drama—107 min
Set in the 1980s, collegiate and carnival cultures intertwine in an atmospheric drama-comedy. Eisenberg plays James, a Renaissance studies graduate whose dream of a European vacation goes bust when his family's fortune takes a turn for the worse. To earn graduate school tuition James gets a summer job at an amusement park. There he falls for tomboyish, acerbic Em (Stewart), unaware of her clandestine affair with an older man (Ryan). Period ambience is captured by a soundtrack trolling "Poison," "Yo La Tengo," "Crowded House," and others along with big-haired girls and carnie tricks for hanging onto those prized stuffed animals. Using humor to highlight the best and worst of the '80s, "Adventureland" is writer-director Greg Mottola's semi-autobiographical ode to coming of age through lost innocence.
Monsters vs. Aliens
(2009)
* * 1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Rob Letterman and Conrad Vernon
Voices of Reese Witherspoon, Rainn Wilson, Hugh Laurie, Will Arnett, Seth Rogen, Kiefer Sutherland, Paul Rudd, Stephen Colbert
DreamWorks—Rated PG—Animated, Family—94 min
Reese Witherspoon headlines this animated science fiction entry voiced by an all-star cast. The plot, spoofing '50s sci-fi flicks, finds a 4-eyed alien (Wilson) threatening to destroy earth. To save our planet, the government releases monsters held in a secret hangar. Susan (Witherspoon), made into a 50-foot-tall-woman by an accident, leads efforts by earth's monsters to repel the aliens. She works with the brilliant Dr. Cockroach (Laurie), a gelatinous blob (Rogen), a fishy primate and a 350-foot grubworm. Fun and scares arise from action-packed, humorous confrontations that rarely let up. I smell sequel-bait.
The Haunting In Connecticut
(2009)
*1/2 (Grade C-)
Directed by Peter Cornwell
Starring Virginia Madsen, Martin Donovan, Elias Koteas, Kyle Gallner, Amanda Crew, Martin Donovan, Sophi Knight, Ty Wood, Erik Berg
Lionsgate—Rated PG-13—Horror—92 min
Though reportedly based on a true story, and boasting first-rate special effects, "Haunting" has received middling early reviews. Virginia Madsen makes a welcome return to the screen as Sara, a mother devoted to helping her eldest son, Matt (Gallner), overcome cancer. Experimental drugs appear to be working, but frequent trips to the treatment center compel Sara and her three children to move closer to the facility. Husband Peter (Donovan) must stay behind to work, leaving Sara and the kids to battle angry spirits that are drawn to Matt in their home away from home. The film pulls out all the stops to depict Matt's torment, but uneven storytelling fails to create tension in this instantly forgettable horror.
Knowing
(2009)
*1/2 (Grade C-)
Directed by Alex Proyas
Starring Nicolas Cage, Rose Byrne, Ben Mendelsohn, Terry Camilleri
Summit Entertainment—PG-13—Sci-Fi—115 min
Directed by Alex Proyas of 1998's "Dark City," and 2004's "I, Robot," "Knowing" is a hollow sci-fi/thriller. Cage appears as a professor who comes into possession of a paper containing mysterious numbers. Close study reveals that the numbers correctly predict the time and place of various impending disasters, including one that could spell mankind's demise. When officials refuse to listen, the professor searches for both the paper's author, and a means of warning those in danger. Although the big action set pieces are well-orchestrated, the film's final act is a huge letdown.
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