McCoy on Movies

THIS WEEK'S NEW RELEASES (2/17/12)

2012-02-13T06:06:00.000-08:00

"You see what happens when I eat habanero peppers in my burrito?! Everyone dies!" Johnny Blaze (played in human form by Nicolas Cage) unleashes a fury straight out of hell in a scene from co-directors Mark Neveldine's and Brian Taylor's anti-hero action movie GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE. Credit: © 2012 Columbia Pictures.

GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE (Columbia)

THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY (Disney/Studio Ghibili)

THIS MEANS WAR (Fox)

A SEPARATION (Sony Classics)

*EDITOR'S NOTE: All release dates are subject to change.

MOVIE OF THE WEEK #2 (2/10/12): THE VOW

2012-02-09T15:44:00.000-08:00

"Him: 'Do you know how many women would kill to have my arm wrapped around them right now?' Her: 'Back at you, buddy!" Rookie CIA field agent Matt Weston (Channing Tatum) tries to direct wanted man Tobin Frost (Rachel McAdams) in a scene from the Daniel Espinosa-directed action thriller THE VOW. Credit: © 2010 Vow Productions, LLC. All rights reserved.

KEY VOICE CAST MEMBERS: Channing Tatum, Rachel McAdams, Jessica Lange, Sam Neil and Scott Speedman

WRITER(S): Abby Kohn, Marc Silverstein and Jason Katims

DIRECTOR: Michael Sucsy

WEB SITE: http://thevow-movie.com

THE PLOT: The latest film to announce it was "inspired by true events" so the story can be manipulated to create a more audience pleasing (or at least, that's the intent) experience, The Vow stars Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams as Leo and Paige. A happily married couple living in Chicago, the young lovers find their world thrown upside down when a truck smashes into their parked Saab during a snowstorm. While Leo is able to walk away, Paige is thrown from the vehicle as a result of the impending collision, resulting in her being placed into a medically induced coma while doctors attend to her head trauma.

Then Paige awakens ... And her entire memory of who Leo is gone, rendering her husband a complete stranger.

Not wanting to lose the woman of his dreams, Leo tries just about every and any thing possible to bring back his wife's memory – which has reverted to her college days 5 years earlier. That's back when she was still in law school, eating meat, talking to her parents (played by Sam Neill and Jessica Lange) before their blowout ... And dating Jeremy (Scott Speedman), who has gone to becoming a successful businessman.

Now, with his wife's memory gone, Leo faces a choice: Let go of the woman he loves forever ... Or do his best to bring her memory back and make her fall in love with him all over again.

THE TAKE: If there was ever a film that was the definition of a bad first date romantic drama, The Vow would be a likely candidate to be depicted on Wikipedia when someone looked up an example. Make no mistake about it: This film is no Crazy, Stupid, Love; it's just stupid and crazy. In fact, if I was Krickitt and Kim Carpenter – the real life couple this film was inspired by – I would be so displeased with this movie I would consider finding a way to finance my own take.

What are the problems, you ask? OK, let's start with the completely phoned-in performance of McAdams, who seems as if she's doing an impression of an actress starring in her first romantic comedy. Seriously, the first hour-plus is so hokey and forced I kept waiting for Katherine Heigl to show up and act exasperated she wasn't part of the cast. That's balanced, of course, by the wooden, super-clichéd evil/pretentious routine also phoned in by Neill and sadly, Lange, too, which further takes you out of what should have been a great story and instead comes off as pure, mindless pablum that feels like a TV movie of the week. The chemistry between the characters and dialogue is just about as bad as the performances, so don't look to either of those tenets for something to enjoy.

Poor Channing Tatum. For while he turns in the best performance in the film, even he is not immune to being part of the misery of The Vow. For while you can tell he cares, for whatever reason, you just can't take the idea of him when he's emotional (Spoiler alert: He cries, ladies!) as it just doesn't feel right. Then again, given the overall corny/sappy/been there, seen that/insert adjective here nature of the movie as a whole, maybe he's just collateral damage by default.

I hesitate to classify a main problem with The Vow, but there is a quote from Spyglass Entertainment Producer Jonathan Glickman that I think sums things up nicely. Speaking about the film, Glickman is on record as saying "Because the story is so emotional and gripping, we didn't want to make a melodrama, but something that could elevate itself to one of those classic love stories like The Way We Were or Love Story and at the same (time) include relationships between parents and daughters, sisters and friends. The script needed to be accessible, with humor and a light touch throughout, so that we don't take ourselves so seriously."

Well, when you don't take yourself seriously enough, you end up with films like The Vow: Silly, unconvincing, uninteresting as a whole and largely disappointing. If relying on being cute (which is questionable a call at best in a film with this many wacky haircuts and outfits) is your main strategy to success, you're setting yourself up for disappointment.

PARTING SHOT: A film with as many awkward, clumsy moments and cliches as a bad first date, The Vow makes you want to divorce yourself from it. Instead of being inspired to believe in love, you'll walk away feeling that uninspired romantic dramas are best left untold on the cutting room floor.

RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

MOVIE OF THE WEEK (2/10/12): SAFE HOUSE

2012-02-09T13:49:00.000-08:00

"Seriously ... That is NOT where they're playing the Super Bowl this year!" Rookie CIA field agent Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds) tries to direct wanted man (and fellow former CIA agent) Tobin Frost (Denzel Washington) in a scene from the Daniel Espinosa-directed action thriller SAFE HOUSE. Credit: © 2012 Universal Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

KEY VOICE CAST MEMBERS: Denzel Washington, Ryan Reynolds, Brendan Gleeson, Vera Farmiga, Sam Shepard, Ruben Blades, Robert Patrick and Nora Arnezeder

WRITER(S): David Guggenheim

DIRECTOR: Daniel Espinosa

WEB SITE: http://www.nooneissafe.com

THE PLOT: An old school-style action thriller, Safe House stars Ryan Reynolds as Matt Weston, a young CIA field agent who operates the agency's "safe house" in Capetown, South Africa. What is a safe house, you ask? A place where high profile prisoners, suspects and other people of that ilk can be housed - and interrogated - safely by the agency without fear of anyone getting inside.

Then again, Tobin Frost (Denzel Washington) isn't your average prisoner - and the people coming to get him aren't your average hit squad, either.

You see, Frost is a former CIA agent - and also believed to be the biggest traitor the agency has ever seen after going rogue a decade ago. Last spotted in Hamburg, Germany, Frost turns up in Capetown ... And a shootout promptly ensues following a meeting with British MI6 operative Alec Wade (Liam Cunningham), Frost seeks safety in the last place anyone would ever think he would turn up: The American consulate in Cape Town. Now needing Frost to be de-briefed by a team led by Senior Intelligence Officer Daniel Kiefer (Robert Patrick), CIA Branch Chief Catherine Linklater (Vera Farmiga) and Case Officer David Barlow (Brendan Gleeson) grant Weston the wish he's had for the past year: To finally be part of a big-time operation.

But as Weston quickly learns, nothing is going to be easy when it comes to dealing with Tobin Frost ... Or possibly even as it all seems ...

THE TAKE: In the wake of films such as Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol and the recent Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (which I was FAR too nice to upon further review), it seems as if a movie is going to be an action movie, it has to have big, mindless sequences of impossible stunts and any focus on the motivation, logic and/or personality of its characters besides a bare bones approach has become the standard. [Sorry for the run on sentence - that's bad writing, I know, then again, those two films kind of specialized in it.]

Safe House, fortunately, is not a film of that type. Instead, it actually features characters with strong connections between them that arise from the excellent interplay among its three main actors.

A lot of people may think of Reynolds as a bit of a pretty boy whose body of work (National Lampoon's Van Wilder, Just Friends, The Proposal and even Green Lantern, etc.) is more akin to comedy (romantic or otherwise) and shoot 'em up roles than it is drama. Safe House, however, shows that the Reynolds who showed up in films like Buried does have more to him than just a pretty smile. In a role that requires him to show a bit of naivety and essentially grow into the character, Reynolds does just that, growing from an enthusiastic but inexperienced field agent to one who learns how to appropriately adapt, respond and react to the chaos around him.

In turn, Reynolds' character serves as a great bridge between those portrayed expertly by Washington – who channels a perfect mix of his Training Day character's survival mode logic with determination for justice that drove his CIA bodyguard John Creasy in Man On Fire – and the clichéd but effective pure by the book-ness exhibited by Farmiga and Gleeson. Reynolds initially has one mindset about the way things are, but in examining the actions of Washington and Gleeson, his character serves as a great platform into the story's "who's really playing who" nature.

Director Daniel Espinosa does a good job at balancing his pacing and action sequences, with the former not wasting any moments with non-essential details and the latter rarely venturing into 'OK, that's just crazy' chaos. In short, everything (OK, just about everything!) that happens in the movie makes sense ... Even if you, like me, figure out who the villain is and what's happening with about an hour left to go.

PARTING SHOT: A film that delivers action without being brainless without getting too cerebral for its own good, Safe House provides a solid 2 hours of entertainment that reminds us why it's good for Washington to be cold-blooded every once in a while ... And that Reynolds is smarter than many of his previous roles may have led one to believe.

RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

THIS WEEK'S NEW RELEASES (2/10/12)

2012-02-07T15:02:00.001-08:00

"What are we all staring at?!" Sean (Josh Hutcherson), Gabato (Luis Guzman), Kailani (Vanessa Hudgens) and Hank (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) gaze at a marvelous - or is that mighty scary - sight in a scene from Warner Bros. new action adventure release JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND. Credit: Ron Phillips © 2012 Warner Bros. Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND (Warner Bros.)

THE VOW (Screen Gems)

PINA (IFC)

STAR WARS: EPISODE I - THE PHANTOM MENACE 3D (Fox)

SAFE HOUSE (Universal)

A DANGEROUS METHOD (Sony Classics)

*EDITOR'S NOTE: All release dates are subject to change.

BACK ON THE SCENE ...

2012-02-07T14:47:00.000-08:00

Hello loyal McCoy On Movies readers ... We're back this week with reviews of Safe House and The Vow forthcoming and a few more surprises after taking a break for the Super Bowl! (It happens - even your loyal blogger needs a break every once in a while!) Who knows ... There might even be a Twitter account coming soon, too! Stay tuned!

MOVIE OF THE WEEK (1/27/12): MAN ON A LEDGE

2012-01-26T16:06:00.000-08:00

"What in the world are we staring at ... The rise in our paychecks?!" New York City Police Department Detective Lydia Mercer (Elizabeth Banks) and disgraced cop-turned-fugitive Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington) gaze at potential impending doom in a scene from director Paul Cameron's new thriller MAN ON A LEDGE. Credit: Myles Aronowitz © 2012 Summit Entertainment, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

KEY CAST MEMBERS:

WRITER(S): Pablo F. Fenjves

DIRECTOR: Paul Cameron

WEB SITE: http://www.manonaledge.com/

THE PLOT: A film that feels a bit reminiscent of Inside Man at times, Man On A Ledge stars Sam Worthington as Nick Cassidy, an ex-cop who checks into a fancy New York City hotel ... And after a good meal, promptly walks out on a ledge threatening to jump. Police detective Jack Doherty (Edward Burns) is the first to arrive on the scene with fellow cop Nathan Marcus (Titus Welliver), but before he can try and figure out what his suspect is doing up there, Nick requests Detective Lydia Mercer (Elizabeth Banks) by name.

Not well-liked in her own department, Lydia – who recently had a tragedy of her own – shows up on the scene. At first negotiating with Cassidy not knowing who he really is – he checked into the hotel under an assumed name – Lydia begins to suspect something is amiss given his demeanor. And she's right.

Nick's suicide attempt is really a clever ruse to distract the police from what's really going on: A clever plot to prove his innocence in a crime he is determined he did not commit: Stealing a $40 million diamond from real estate magnate David Englander (Ed Harris). That's why he broke out of jail and now has his brother Joel (Jamie Bell) and his girlfriend Angie (Genesis Rodriguez) working to prove his innocence. This is all troubling to Nick's ex-partner Mike Ackerman (Anthony Mackie), who has no idea what his ex partner is thinking.

But come hell or high water – in this case, in the form of a very tall building – everyone is about to find out.

THE TAKE: Man On A Ledge is not a bad movie by any means ... It's also not a great movie. It's just a summer popcorn movie ... That just so happens to be coming out in theaters during what is usually the coldest time of the year.

Worthington, who Hollywood is determined to prove is a leading man, plays the part efficiently enough as Nick Cassidy ... Although in essence he is not really asked to do much until the film's final 15-20 minutes or so. The action essentially is happening all around Worthington's character, whether it be Lydia trying to figure out what's really going on and keeping Nathan's team at bay, Mike trying to stop someone from making a costly mistake or watching Joel and Angie try to crack into Englander's fortress of a building to prove the diamond is still there.

With apologies to ESPN's Trent Dilfer, Nick (and Worthington) is more of a game manager than say a Tom Brady when it comes to his team's championship play and his role in it. While Rodriguez manages to stand out a bit from the pack balancing sexy, smart and sarcastic into an entertaining mix, the story is what drives Ledge more so than the characters. Luckily, the chemistry between Banks and Worthington is enough to keep things moving along.

Granted, the film (like pretty much films of its nature) has a few "Oh come on now!" realistic moments and there are probably a few sequences that, if picked through with a fine-toothed comb, might seem even more unlogical/impossible/nonsensical than they are in the moment. However, the way that director Paul Cameron handles them makes them enjoyable and less ludicrous than others (yes, I'm looking at YOU, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol!) to create a simple, entertaining mix.

THE TAKE: A film that at times feels like a great made for TV movie cleaned up and polished for the big screen, Man On A Ledge is a pure audience pleaser that won't take you to the edge, but is entertaining enough to keep from jumping off a ledge for deciding to see it.

RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

THIS WEEK'S NEW RELEASES (1/27/12)

2012-01-26T11:58:00.000-08:00

"Honey, based on your recent box office receipts, you might need to consider the same line of work we're in!" Stephanie Plum (Katherine Heigl, right) talks with Jackie (Ryan Michelle Bathe, left) and Lula (Sherri Shepherd, center) in a scene from director Julie Anne Robinson's adaptation of Janet Evanovich's popular novel ONE FOR THE MONEY. Credit: © 2011 Screen Gems, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

ONE FOR THE MONEY (Lionsgate)

ALBERT NOBBS (Roadside Attractions)

MAN ON A LEDGE (Summit Entertainment)

THE GREY (Open Road)

THE WICKER TREE (Anchor Bay)

A DANGEROUS METHOD (Sony Classics)

*EDITOR'S NOTE: All release dates are subject to change.

MOVIE OF THE WEEK (1/20/12): RED TAILS

2012-01-20T20:11:00.000-08:00

"This would make a great video game moment ... Especially since you can tell this scene was green-screened like no tomorrow!" Joe "Lightning" Little (David Oyelowo) takes the battle to the Germans in a scene from executive producer George Lucas' long-time in the making tale of the Tuskegee Airmen, RED TAILS. Credit: © 2012 Lucasfilm LTD. All Rights Reserved.

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Nate Parker, David Oyelowo, Elijah Kelley, Andre Royo, Tristan Wilds, Marcus T. Paulk, Ne-Yo, Michael B. Jordan, Leslie Odom, Jr., Kevin Phillips, Terrence Howard, Lee Tergensen, Bryan Cranston, Daniela Ruah, Clifford "Method Man" Smith and Cuba Gooding, Jr.

WRITER(S): John Ridley & Aaron McGruder (screenplay); John Ridley (story)

DIRECTOR: Anthony Hemingway

WEB SITE: http://www.redtails2012.com

THE PLOT: A story executive producer George Lucas (yup, THAT guy!) has been trying to bring to the silver screen for nearly two decades, Red Tails tells the story of the Tuskegee Airmen. A group of African-American soldiers who were recruited for and lived out the greatest adventure of their lives as fighter pilots in the United States Armed Forces during World War II – getting to the skies, however, was no easy mission.

The film picks up with a group of the Airmen stationed in Europe, where Major Emmanuel Stance (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) is holding down the fort, awaiting word from Colonel A.J. Bullard (Terrence Howard) on what the men's next move will be. You see, at this point in time, the boys have only been called upon for what adds up to mop-up duty, patrolling areas where the enemy hasn't been seen in months and/or no real action is. This is fine, of course, with Marty "Easy" Julian (Nate Parker), the squad leader who drinks to deal with the stress in his life ... Which often comes in the form of fellow pilot Joe "Lightning" Little (David Oyelowo), who is as confident as he is reckless (which is to say, very).

While Joe has his sights set on getting to know Italy better – especially when it comes to ladies like Sofia (Daniela Ruah) – Junior (Tristan Wilds) just want to prove he belongs in the air. Also in the mix are Smokey (Ne-Yo), who just enjoys being around the guys and playing his guitar, Joker (Elijah Kelley), a level-headed fellow for the most part, and young pilots Deke (Marcus T. Paulk), the spiritual Maurice (Michael H. Jordan), Neon (Kevin Phillips) and the outspoken Winky (Leslie Odom Jr.). Coffee (Andre Royo) and Sticks (Method Man), the base's two main repairmen, just want the guys to quit beating up their planes so much.

Eventually, after proving themselves little by little, Bullard, Stance and the rest of the squadron get the opportunity they've been waiting for – escorting bombers into battle into German territory. The mission is one that, if all goes well, will prove that African Americans can fight just as well (if not better) than their white counterparts. If not, it could mean the complete failure of the Tuskegee program ... And result in the loss of their own lives as well ...

THE TAKE: Red Tails is one of the films you walk into hoping that you're going to love it. If you are African American (as I am), you might even almost feel obliged to do so given the well-documented trouble getting made and the pain-staking efforts Lucas went through to see the project through to its completion. (It's on the Internet if you want to read it; I'm just here to talk about the film itself.) Well, I'm here to tell you the truth about the film and in this case, it's a hard truth, too ...

For Red Tails is not a classic story of triumph it should be; in fact, one might go as far as to say it's not even that great of a movie, period.

Where o' where to begin with the problems with Red Tails? Well, let's start with the story - which can't figure out if it wants to be an action movie, a historical (albeit a VERY heavy-handed one) tribute or, in the case of two roles in particular, a character-driven piece about the evolving friendship of two different-but-not-so-really men. Throw in the love story between Sofia and Joe and the film loses focus several times throughout its nearly 2 hour run time ...

SPOILER ALERT - STOP HERE IF YOU DON'T WANT A MAJOR PLOT POINT REVEALED!

This would not be so bad, however, if the John Ridley and Aaron McGruder (of The Boondocks fame) hadn't gotten together with director Anthony Hemingway and somehow convinced Lucas it was OK to kill off the most interesting character (and arguably, best presented sub story) in the film at the end. The scenario completely sucks all the life out of the film and ends it on downer note when all of its momentum had been building for a much more upbeat turn, almost in a giant 'You like this character, people? Well watch this!' move to the audience.

Of course, had Parker's character been likable (he's not), his drinking explained and cultivated better to draw you deeper into his life, motivations and struggles (it's not), this might not be such a problem. It's not to say Parker is a bad actor - he's not. Gooding, Jr. seals his "actor hamming it up on a near Al Pacino post-Scent of a Woman" award in every scene he's in, doing his absolute best to make you notice how badly someone on the level of a Denzel Washington and/or Morgan Freeman is sorely missing from the role.

Throw in a first act that feels like a made for TV movie, very poor characterizations of the white characters in the film (who are either [a] Blatantly racist on a cartoonish level for the sake of it or [b] Somehow become extremely nice after black people help them out of a jam and they learn their life lesson in such a sugary sweet method it becomes the equivalent of celluloid diabetes. (Sorry, but it had to be said.) Instead of a deep, well told tale, we get a haphazard one that tries to do too much without doing any one thing well – and the result is the film suffering as a whole.

PARTING SHOT: While the film does a good job of capturing the combat dangers the Airmen faced, it does a terribly poor one of bringing home the groundbreaking nature of what they were doing outside of their planes - and that is the real tragedy of Red Tails. For if your going to make a movie based on a group of heroes that feels nowhere near as authentic as the true valor of its subjects, the opportunity - much like this film - is mostly lost.

RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

THIS WEEK'S NEW RELEASES (1/20/12)

2012-01-19T06:44:00.001-08:00

"If you had just let me bite you, I wouldn't have had to go get my Grand Theft Auto specials!" Vampire warrioress Selene (Kate Beckinsale) fights off a group of attackers in a scene from the fourth installment in the Underworld franchise, UNDERWORLD AWAKENING (3D). Credit: © 2011 Screen Gems, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

HAYWIRE (Relativity Media)

RED TAILS (Fox)

UNDERWORLD AWAKENING (3D) (Screen Gems)

EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE (Warner Bros.)

*EDITOR'S NOTE: All release dates are subject to change.

THIS WEEK'S NEW RELEASES (1/13/12)

2012-01-11T14:02:00.001-08:00

"Don't make that face ... The director's cut of The Happening is good, I swear!" Chris (Mark Wahlberg) plots his next move with Sebastian (Ben Foster) in a scene from director Baltasar Kormákur's action flick CONTRABAND. Credit: Patti Perret (c) 2012 Universal Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

CONTRABAND (Universal)

THE IRON LADY (The Weinstein Company)

BEAUTY & THE BEAST 3D (Disney)

JOYFUL NOISE (Warner Bros.)

*EDITOR'S NOTE: All release dates are subject to change.

THIS WEEK'S NEW RELEASES (1/6/12)

2012-01-05T23:08:00.000-08:00

"This P90X is paying off!" Rosa (Bonnie Morgan) gets her freak on - literally - as a possessed woman in a scene from Paramount's new religion-based horror thriller THE DEVIL INSIDE. Credit: (c) 2011 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

THE DEVIL INSIDE (Paramount)

TINKER TAILOR SOLIDER SPY (Focus Features)

*EDITOR'S NOTE: All release dates are subject to change.

MOVIE OF THE WEEK #2 (12/21/11): THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN

2011-12-19T00:00:00.002-08:00

"I just discovered I'm an animated relative of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton!" The title character (voiced by Jamie Bell) does some research about the history of the model sailboat he recently acquired in a scene from director Steven Spielberg's animated action adventure THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN. Credit: WETA Digital Ltd. © 2011 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

KEY VOICE CAST MEMBERS: Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig, Nick Frost, Simon Pegg, Toby Jones, Mackenzie Crook, Daniel Mays and Gad Elmaleh.

WRITER(S): Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish (screenplay); Based on The Adventures of Tintin by Hergé

DIRECTOR: Steven Spielberg

WEB SITE: www.tintin.com

THE PLOT: Inspired by the series of books of the same name by Belgian author Georges Prosper Remi (better known by his pen name, Hergé), The Adventures of Tintin features the voice of Jaime Bell as the title character. A young reporter whose accolades have brought down criminals all over, Tintin – who's faithful dog Snowy is never far from his side - is out shopping at a local market when something catches his eye: A model ship with a distinctive unicorn on its bow.

Buying the ship for a pound (his set overseas, so yes, there are accents and such for the uninitiated), Tintin is quickly warned he needs to get rid of the seemingly innocent model ASAP. But before he can barely let that thought register, he is approached by another man, Ivan Ivanovitch Sakharine (Daniel Craig), who tells Tintin to "name his price." But Tintin declines, heads home with Snowy and thinks that's the end of the matter.

A shooting and a kidnapping later, and Tintin quickly discovers that's not the case.

Now being held captive, Tintin (and Snowy) end up meeting up with Captain Haddock (Andy Serkis), a whisky loving sea captain who's facing a mutiny on ship. That's when the duo learns of why Sakharine is after Tintin's model ship: For he is pursuing a secret that could make him a very rich man - but not if Tintin, Snowy and Captain Haddock are able to stop him first.

THE TAKE: As I sat down to write this review, a commercial for The Adventures of Tintin came across my TV. Per the usual, it was filled with quotes from other critics of a national scale, none of which I really paid much attention - until the last one. For it said exactly what I thought about the movie, with one exception ... For while the film is a mix of "Pirates of the Caribbean and Indiana Jones" as the author of that quote said it is not perfect by any means.

Tintin as a character is a bit, at times, annoying (for lack of a better word) in the way that a teenager plays smarter than all the adults in the room on a bad network sitcom. His confidence comes off as cocky and his wisdom as a bit of know-it-all-ness.

The other characters, however, are well-suited if not standard, with Serkis adding a great level of drunken fun to Haddock, Craig showcases his villainous talents vocally as Sakharine and Simon Pegg and Nick Frost show off their well-oiled chemistry as inept Interpol officers Thompson and Thompson respectively. Yet by comparison, Tintin comes off a bit too one-dimensional - especially for a 3D animated adventure.

What keeps the film from being a bit better, though, however are the things that have become too familiar in Spielberg films: Long, drawn out action sequences that continue to expand in their grandiosity as well as the familiarity of the story. In Tintin's case, it's the researcher looking for adventure, sidekick following for reasons they won't fully understand until later even though they should from the start, some sort of curse or mystical legacy being involved ... Sure, Tintin isn't a bad movie because of those things, but the repetitive nature of them makes it too "been there, seen that" (even despite the brilliant animation) to make it a great movie.

Throw in a level of violence/alcohol abuse that pushes the boundaries of a PG-movie and there might be a couple of parents who may want to their young ones hit double digits in terms of age before going to the film. While it's obvious Spielberg - who is an admitted lifelong fan of Hergé's work who's been hoping to bring Tintin to the big screen since the early 1980s - wants to make a classic film, it just feels very ... average as a whole.

PARTING SHOT: All things considered, The Adventures of Tintin is a wild ride that is well-suited to please most longstanding Spielberg fans, even if they're getting the same adventure they're used to in a shiny, new, animated 3D setting.

RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

MOVIE OF THE WEEK (12/21/11): THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO

2011-12-19T00:00:00.001-08:00

"You know ... We're about to make a LOT of money!" Lisbeth Sander (Rooney Mara) and Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) get acquainted with one another in a scene from director David Fincher's action thriller THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO. Credit: Merrick Morton © 2011 Columbia TriStar Marketing Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgård, Steven Berkoff, Robin Wright, Yorick van Wageningen and Joely Richardson

WRITER(S): Steven Zaillian (screenplay); Stieg Larsson, originally published by Norstedts (novel)

DIRECTOR: David Fincher

WEB SITE:

THE PLOT: Based on the first of the international best-selling serious of "Millennium trilogy" novels by late Swedish author/journalist Steig Larsson, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - or more specifically, the American take - stars Daniel Craig as Mikael Blomkvist. A disgraced financial journalist recently found guilty of libeling wealthy businessman Hans-Erik Wennerström (Ulf Friberg), Mikael is now $600,000 in the hole and resigning from "Millennium," the investigative magazine at which his fellow editor/occasional lover Erika Berger (Robin Wright) is trying to convince him to stay.

Then Mikael gets a call that changes his life from a man named Frode (Steven Berkoff), inviting him to meet with Henrik Vagner (Christopher Plummer) - retired head of the wealthy Vagner family that resides on a Swedish island they control. It seems Henrik wants Mikael to investigate the disappearance of Harriet, the niece he loved like a daughter he last saw some 40 years ago. As Henrik believes her killer is trying to drive him insane, sending him a framed picture of a flower every year on his birthday just like the ones Harriet used to give him. Worse yet, Henrik believes the killer could be a member of his family. And while Martin (Stellan Skarsgård) is a affable individual, others - such as former Nazi and recluse Harald (Per Myrberg), Cecilia (Geraldine James) and the elusive Anita (Joely Richardson) - are not the friendliest of people.

Meanwhile, Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara) has just finished doing a background check on Mikael for the Vagner family. An ingenious investigator/computer hacker, Lisbeth is also a ward of the state whose guardian has just suffered a stroke - placing her in the unfortunate situation of having Bjurman (Yorick van Wageningen, most recently seen in The Way with Martin Sheen) control her money - and other things, too. And for Lisbeth - a heavily tattooed, pierced, tight-lipped independent spirit, having to answer to someone - let alone a man like Bjurman - is problematic to say the least ...

Realizing that he needs help to solve the case, Mikael asks to meet with the one person he is certain can discover the missing pieces to the Harriet puzzle: Lisbeth. Apprehensive at first, Lisbeth agrees to help Mikael ...

What results puts them on a fast track into lies, deception, life-threatening situations ... And what ultimately might just be the truth about what really happened to Harriet Vagner.

THE TAKE: In 2009, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo was adapted into a film starring Michael Nyqvist (currently in theaters in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol) in the role of Mikael Blomkvist and Noomi Rapace (now seen starring in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows) as Lisbeth Salander. The Swedish film, directed by Niels Arden Oplev, was critically acclaimed around the world and was generally viewed as doing great justice to Larsson's novel and showcasing the reason why his novels have sold 65,000,000 copies in 46 countries.

Well, let me say this as someone who's seen the Swedish version of the film and now its American adaptation. The Swedish version is good ... But the American version, thanks greatly to the scene stealing star turn by Mara and keen direction by director David Fincher (The Social Network) is even better.

Before I say anything else, let me acknowledge this: There are some key differences, story-wise, between the Swedish and American adaptations of Larsson's novel. I will leave it to you to either go to Wikipedia or see both films and determine just what they are. Thus, if you are one of those "It's not completely faithful to the book!" people, I don't really have anything I can offer you other than a "sorry."

If you can get over that; actually, strike that - the take offered by Fincher (and screenwriter Steven Zaillian) is a thrilling journey with visuals that draw you completely into the seedy world in which its characters exist. Despite a run time of 158 minutes, there are no wasted moments in the film as each scene reveals a key element of the story, a character's personality or how/why they act the way they do. Dark, twisted moments are truly dark and twisted, the relationships between the characters are intricately crafted and cultivated and the pacing expertly builds to a tense, captivating crescendo. For even if you know each of the key moments in the film, Fincher's work behind the lens coupled with Zaillian's colorful dialogue and structure serves to make you only anticipate it that much more - especially given their tweaks.

While Fincher is well-known throughout the film industry, Mara - due to her incredible performance as Lisbeth Salander - is the one person who stands to benefit the most from the film. For her gripping portrayal of Lisbeth is captivating from start to finish. She brings an intensity to the role that makes you feel, sympathize/identify with and understand every action she makes. You are scared of her potential violence, you want to cry for the violence she endures and, as a whole, are intrigued by her every move and the skill she exhibits in her job. (Lisbeth's, not Mara's, which in turn makes Mara's performance so incredible.) Sexy yet scary, seemingly invincible yet vulnerable at the same time, Mara owns the role from start to finish.

Of course, that's not to dismiss her co-star's performance or that of the supporting cast, for Craig brings a good balance of curiosity for the truth and his own personal agenda to his character. Likewise, the rest of the cast plays things very close to their respective chests quite well, keeping secrets from being tipped off, making you wonder how they fit into the intricate plot.

Add it all up and what you have is a rare film: One not only actually lives up to all its hype and goes on to exceed it.

PARTING SHOT: Despite billing itself as the "Feel Bad Movie" of the holiday season, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo a good, if not great, treat for all those who either love Larsson's book or are curious why it became a smash in the first place, largely in part to the star-in-the-making performance of Mara under Fincher's dark, twisted (and talented) eye.

RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

THIS WEEK'S NEW RELEASES (12/21-25/11)

2011-12-19T00:00:00.000-08:00

"I think we're gonna need a bigger ... Budget!" Captain Haddock (Andy Serkis) and Tintin (Jamie Bell) gaze upon a piece of paper with some potentially critical information in a scene from director Steven Spielberg's new film THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN. Credit:(c) 2011 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO+ (Columbia/MGM Pictures)

WE BOUGHT A ZOO (Fox)

THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN (Paramount Pictures)

IN THE LAND OF MILK AND HONEY# (Film District)

THE DARKEST HOUR (Summit Entertainment)

WAR HORSE (DreamWorks)

PARIAH# (Focus Features)

+Screenings begin at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 20
#Limited release

*EDITOR'S NOTE: All release dates are subject to change.

MOVIE OF THE WEEK #2 (12/16/11): MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: GHOST PROTOCOL

2011-12-15T16:01:00.000-08:00

"OK, OK - I won't make you watch the Rock of Ages trailer again!" Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) gets a needed helping hand from Agent Brandt (Jeremy Renner) in a scene from director Brad Bird's action thriller MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: GHOST PROTOCOL. Credit: David James © 2011 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Paula Patton, Michael Nyqvist, Vladimir Mashkov, Josh Holloway, Samuli Edelmann, Anil Kapoor and Léa Seydoux

WRITER(S): Bruce Geller (characters/original television series); Josh Appelbaum & André Nemec(screenplay)

DIRECTOR: Brad Bird

WEB SITE: missionimpossible.com

THE PLOT: The fourth installment of the film franchise, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol finds IMF agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) in a bit of a pickle ... And by pickle, I mean doing hard time in a Russian prison. But that is soon going to be the least of his problems - for there is a Russian extremist named Kurt Hendricks (Michael Nyqvist) (code name "Cobalt") who basically wants to blow up the world to move forward with the next step of human evolution (or something like that. He's a bad guy - that's all you really need to know!).

Thus, the U.S. government needs Ethan and the rest of the IMF (which stands for "Impossible Missions Force" in case you didn't know) to stop Hendricks before his plan can come to deadly fruition. But Ethan's old team isn't readily available, which is why he's going to get sprung from prison instead by IMF computer specialist Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) and Agent Jane Carter (Paula Patton), who, like Ethan, is dealing with the death of a person she loved at the hands of Sabine Moreau (Léa Seydoux). I'd say more, but I'm trying to prevent giving away too much of the movie!

Ethan and his team think they are making good progress on stopping Hendricks ... And then the Kremlin blows up, with Ethan ends up getting blamed for by Russian agent (Vladimir Mashkov). This causes the U.S. President to initiate "Ghost Protocol," meaning the IMF is officially disavowed and Ethan and company are essentially on their own to stop Hendricks. But can they stop him it in time, especially once Agent Brandt (Jeremy Renner) - who may not be exactly who he seems - remains to be seen ...

THE TAKE: There are, in essence, really only three kinds of action movies: [1] The rare movies that are well thought out, possibly thought-provoking ones that balance plot, story and character development well (see Iron Man); [2] The classic 1980s/early 90s-style films where humor, body count, explosion and stunts are the soup du jour (Just about any Die Hard or Fast & Furious film) and [3] The ones that would be in the second category if they weren't littered with cheesy dialogue, bad acting, ludicrous scene and the thinnest excuse of a plot (any of the Transformers films ... And The Fast & the Furious: Tokyo Drift).

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is fortunately in the second category ... Even though there are some times feel like it might veer off into the third.

Let me just say this now: The number of times that Cruise's Ethan Hunt character should have died in the film coupled with the sheer insanity of the film's two main action sequences is straight out of a 1980s/early 90s action movie's playbook. In other words, this is not a movie that's going to make you think, showcase the intestinal fortitude of a man discovering what he's made of or have some deep-seeded message. Nope, this movie is just about adrenaline, finding the bad guy and kicking some ass.

As long as that's all you want, Ghost Protocol is more than happy to please. Other than that, there's really not too much more to say about the film. For the film is essentially like a hit single that becomes a ringtone: Flashy and fun for a while, but lacking any special quality other than filling the temporary void ones has for something simple and fun.

Acting-wise, Patton is competent as the film's main female lead, but there's just something missing that doesn't fully make you buy into her 100 percent in the role. Renner plays his supporting role well and Pegg provides the necessary comic relief as needed. Likewise, Nyqvist and his henchman (played by Samuli Edelmann) don't really have any personality (or memorable quality) to them whatsoever. This is Americans fighting Russian bad guys, an old staple that never grows old (in Hollywood's eyes anyway). Every villain is straight out of a action movie cookbook, as is just about every other character in the movie.

(Seriously - ask yourself what the name of the villain is a day after seeing the movie and see if you can remember. Would it KILL Hollywood to give us memorable, Die Hard-style villains like Hans Gruber every once in a while again?!)

No, this movie is all about Ethan Hunt - which in turn makes it all about Tom Cruise. You know he's going to save the day, but the key that will keep you watching is all of the risks he's going to take (and the abuse to his body that follows as a result). If you still like his boyish smile and super-confident charm, then Ghost Protocol will be like stepping into your old favorite pair of sneakers as you sit and read the news on your iPad in your favorite chair.

PARTING SHOT: If you like watching stuff blow up, people get beaten up and a guy being heroic without too much dialogue or story to get in the way, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol will be a welcome gift this holiday season. The film isn't so brawny that it falls into neanderthal territory, but it's not exactly Inception, either.

RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

MOVIE OF THE WEEK #1 (12/16/11): SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS

2011-12-14T21:53:00.000-08:00

"I see it - it's the NBA and it seems like its still locked out!" Robert Downey, Jr. takes a gaze as the titular character in a scene from director Guy Ritchie's SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS. Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures © 2011 Warner Bros Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Robert Downey, Jr., Jude Law, Jared Harris, Noomi Rapace, Stephen Fry, Kelly Reilly, Paul Anderson and Rachel McAdams

WRITER(S): Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (characters); Michele Mulroney and Kieran Mulroney (screenplay)

DIRECTOR: Guy Ritchie

WEB SITE: sherlockholmes2.warnerbros.com

THE PLOT: Picking up right at the end of the 2009 film, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows finds Robert Downey, Jr. reprising his role as "the world's most famous detective," now without his good friend and colleague Dr. Watson (Jude Law) at his side. You see, Watson is moving out as he is finally to be married to his beloved Mary (Kelly Reilly) and retire from all of Holmes' childish/crime-fighting (and sometimes, life-threatening) pursuits.

That all changes, however, when Holmes comes across a man who is not only as smart as himself, but more potentially evil than he could ever imagine ... Professor James Moriarty (Jared Harris of Mad Men fame). For there have been a number of strange incidents recently - the death of a Chinese opium trader, the death of an American steel magnate, bombings that threaten to pit France and Germany at war with one another among them - that seem to be all pointing back to Moriarty. And Moriarty, a cool, calm, collected individual, is not going to just let Holmes - or Watson, for that matter - just stop his plans ...

Cue title sequence and ... Action!

THE TAKE: A Game of Shadows is one of the film's you'll like ... But it's not an instant liking; it's more so that the film grows on you. The story itself starts off a bit slowly - and not in that 'We need to develop the story' way. It starts off slowly as in the 'Hey, we didn't trim the fat in the story way.' Likewise, Moriarty is just established as a bad guy from the beginning with zero character development. Sure, we get the 'OHHH - that's why he's doing what he's doing!' information we need later on the film, but director Guy Ritchie apparently thought that it wouldn't be engaging to see Moriarty become the bad guy over time. (And it's not like they didn't have the time to do so.)

What does work well, however, are the action sequences in the latter portion of the film that do something that most action sequences don't: Add to both the development of its characters and the enjoyment of the movie. For when Holmes breaks down his plans of attack (be it verbal or physical), you get a better insight into his skill as a detective and how he operates.

Of course, the interplay between Holmes and Watson is fun enough were it has the interplay of an 80s buddy-cop film while Harris does his best to keep his villain simple (and thus easily accessible) for the audience. Also worth noting is the performance of Noomi Rapace (the original Girl with the Dragon Tattoo as she is the star of the Swedish version of the film) as the mysterious Gypsy Sim, playing her role very straight-laced so that she never becomes a distraction to neither the other characters nor the story. Last but certainly not least, if you even have to ask how the performance of Downey, Jr. and Law come across, go back and re-watch the first film to find your answer.

PARTING SHOT: In short, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows delivers exactly what one might expect: Some nice action sequences, some quick wit (with a little bit of corny thrown in for good measure) and a story that, compared to many films in its category, is more intelligent than others ... And that makes it an entertaining addition to the film franchise that should provide great fun for all those who enjoy a little cat-and-mouse movie mayhem.

RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

THIS WEEK'S NEW RELEASES (12/16/11)

2011-12-11T22:27:00.000-08:00

"I'm taking notes ... On what I might say when I become a hit with the tween market once they're done with those blasted vampire novels!" Mavis Gary (Charlize Theron) gets into the (note-taking) groove in a scene from director Jason Reitman's new film YOUNG ADULT. Credit: Phillip V. Caruso. © 2011 Paramount Pictures and Mercury Productions, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS (Warner Bros.)

ALVIN & THE CHIPMUNKS: CHIPWRECKED (Fox)

YOUNG ADULT (Paramount)

*EDITOR'S NOTE: All release dates are subject to change.

BLU-RAY/DVD OF THE MONTH (12/6/11): THE HELP

2011-12-09T08:42:00.000-08:00

"You say one bad word about my cooking and IT'S ON!!!" Skeeter Phelan (Emma Stone), Minnie Jackson (Octavia Spencer) and Aibileen Clark (Viola Davis) make a life-altering agreement in a scene from director Tate Taylor's adaption of the best-selling Kathryn Sockett novel THE HELP. Credit: : Dale Robinette
©DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Hey everybody! It's a new feature ... Introducing the Blu-Ray/DVD of the month!

THE BASICS: Adapted from the best-selling New York Times novel of the same name written by Kathryn Sockett, The Help tells the story of Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan (Emma Stone), an aspiring young female writer who shakes things up when she decides to detail the lives of the African-American maids (a.k.a. "The help") in her native Mississippi. Apprehensive at first, Skeeter lands a major break when she is able to convince two women - the reserved Aibileen (Viola Davis) and the brash Minnie (Octavia Spencer) - to share their stories about living in the South, working for white families ... And all the secrets they learn in the process.

As those already familiar with the film know, the story Skeeter reveals about these women is one not to be missed.

THE EXTRAS: Featuring a very sharp 1080p transfer, the home version of The Help is available on several formats: a 3-disc, Blu-Ray/DVD/digital copy edition (MSRP $44.99); a 2-disc Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack (MSRP $39.99) and a 1-disc DVD (MSRP $29.99). Both Blu-Ray editions include "The Making of The Help," a pretty standard-issue documentary detailing all of the effort going into the film, five deleted scenes and "In Their Own Words: A Tribute to the Maids of Mississippi," a short documentary featuring interviews with real maids who worked before and during the time period documented in the film. The deleted scenes, which are introduced by The Help director Tate Taylor (a childhood friend of Sockett's) are nice but really don't do much for the overall value of the film or your viewing experience.

Featuring Taylor (who was partially raised by a maid like those featured in the film himself) and co-star Octavia Spencer, the too-short feature is one you wish was longer and went into more detail. One might argue that it might have made for a more fascinating experience than the movie itself, but given the power of the performances of Davis and company, that is arguable ...

Other features included on all three version include the aforementioned deleted scenes (except "Johnny's home," is exclusive to the Blu-Ray edition) and "The Living Proof" music video by Mary J. Blige.

FINAL VALUE: One of the best historically-inspired films of recent memory (and by far one of if not the best of 2011), The Help is a must-see - if not own - Blu-Ray/DVD release.

THIS WEEK'S NEW RELEASES (12/9/11)

2011-12-05T21:51:00.000-08:00

"Could be worse ... He could be involved in a college coaching scandal!" Blithe (Landry Bender, left), Rodrigo (Kevin Hernadez) and Slater (Max Records) stand by their man Noah (Jonah Hill) after a wild night in a scene from director David Gordon Green THE SITTER, based on the international book sensation of the same name. Credit: Jaap Buitendijk © 2011 GK Films, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

THE SITTER (Fox)

NEW YEAR'S EVE (Warner Bros.)

*EDITOR'S NOTE: All release dates are subject to change.

MOVIE OF THE WEEK #2 (11/23/11): THE MUPPETS

2011-11-21T23:13:00.000-08:00

"Trust us ... It'll be bigger than Twilight ... The board game!" Kermit the Frog (lower left hand corner) gets some help making a pitch from Gary (Jason Segel, the human male), Mary (Amy Adams, the other human seen here) and a slew of his fellow spirited friends in a scene from director James Bobin's take on THE MUPPETS. Credit: Patrick Wymore © 2011 Disney Enterprises. All Rights Reserved.

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper, Rashida Jones, Jack Black, several cameo-making celebrities and all your favorite Muppet characters (and the voice actors behind them)

WRITER(S): Jim Henson (characters); Jason Segal & Nicholas Stoller (screenplay)

DIRECTOR: James Bobin

WEB SITE: disney.go.com/muppets

THE PLOT: A film that breaks the fourth wall while at the same time paying tribute to the past, acknowledging the present and hoping to lay groundwork for the future, The Muppets begins by introducing us to a pair of brothers: Gary (Jason Segel) and Walter, the world's biggest Muppets fan who is ... A little different physically than his older brother. Gary is also the boyfriend of alliteration-friendly Mary (Amy Adams), a schoolteacher who's handy with a wrench. Gary and Mary have been dating for a decade and to celebrate the occasion, the couple has planned a trip from their native Smalltown, USA (yup, that's the name!) to Los Angeles. Los Angeles also happens to be the home of Muppet Studios, which is why Walter is excited about Gary and Mary's trip ... Although the latter would prefer some alone time (and a marriage proposal) with her boyfriend.

Upon arriving in Los Angeles, Walter, Gary and Mary make their way to Muppet Studios, which they quickly learn has fallen into a state of disrepair. Worse yet, Walter accidentally learns of a secret no one else was ever meant to hear: Oil tycoon Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) isn't really going to buy the theater and turn it into a Muppet museum - he's going to tear it down and dig for the oil he's certain lies beneath it! But, as Walter also learns, if the Muppet gang can raise $10 million by midnight in 2 weeks, they get the theater back.

So what are Walter, Gary and Amy going to do? What do you think - all they have to do is find Walter's hero, Kermit the Frog, and get to work!

THE TAKE: Now, before I get into the bulk of my review, let me say this: I grew up a Muppets fan, still am a Muppets fan and will die a Muppets fan. And in the case of their latest outing, The Muppets is a fairly entertaining affair.

It's just not the perfect one you'd hope it'd be; but as long as you don't expect perfection, you'll enjoy the movie quite a great deal.

Let's address the film's weakest aspect quickly. The Muppets don't just outshine Segel and Adams (and just about every human involved), they upstage them - because most of the human performances are just that corny. Instead of playing it straight, the repeated breaks of the fourth wall coupled with some "I'm-in-on-the-joke, but-I'm-still-gonna-act-this-way" musical numbers by the living, breathing cast is something you'll [A] Be on board with; [B] Deal with for the sake of the movie or [C] Grind your teeth though until things focus again on the late Jim Henson's beloved characters. (Remember how uncomfortable Anne Hathaway looked when she hosted The Academy Awards with a ... Less than interested James Franco earlier this year? Those are the same faces Adams makes through a lot of her scenes.)

That's not to say all the humans are too corny for their own good; Jack Black makes some nice contributions playing himself, as do Zach Galifinakis and ... Well, I don't want to ruin it for you. (There's a LOT of cameos - try to spot them all!) And Chris Cooper has some fun playing-against-type-but-not-really as Richman ...

Of course, NO ONE is coming to The Muppets for the humans, let alone their acting. They're coming to watch Kermit the Frog be the even-keeled leader of the group, Miss Piggy to be her diva self, Fozzie to tell his so-awful-and-old-they're-good jokes and Animal go wild. And in that aspect, the most important aspect, the film delivers in spades. Sure, there may be certain characters you wish had more screen time (Hello?! Pepe the King Prawn, anyone?!), you will fall back in love with the characters as soon as you see them back on the screen.

The Muppets are well aware of their place in the world now, but what has always made them special is the place people hold them in their hearts. With The Muppets, the gang attempts to act as mature characters, but without letting go of the qualities that made them so endearing in the first place. And when they sing, it's not corny, it's poignant. When they crack a bad joke, it's cute, not corny and when they get serious, it's a highlight, not a forced moment. From clever pop culture references to Muppet performance theater, there's never a dull moment when our heroes are on the stage.

This is why whereas most franchises introducing a new character might have some concern, the introduction of Walter is a perfect fit for The Muppets. On one hand, he adheres to the values that Kermit and company have held near and dear for years; on the other, he provides a nice access point for a younger generation of fans to follow his journey - and that's what's always made The Muppets so special: They can make you laugh, they can make you think and they make you appreciate the simple joys in life; Walter is just the latest character to reinforce those ideals and bring them back to the spotlight.

PARTING SHOT: A movie that will have you ready to start watching pigs in space, fish flying in the air and hanging out by a pond, The Muppets - which is definitely more skewered towards adults already familiar with the franchise - is a nice trip down memory lane with a modern, appreciative touch.

RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

MOVIE OF THE WEEK #1 (11/23/11): ARTHUR CHRISTMAS

2011-11-20T21:10:00.000-08:00

"Don't blame ME for my acne ... There's no Proactiv on the North Pole!" The youngest son of the current Santa Claus tries to get his father's attention amongst the elves in a scene from director Sarah Smith's animated family film ARTHUR CHRISTMAS. Credit: © 2011 Sony Pictures Animation Inc. All Rights Reserved.

KEY VOICE CAST MEMBERS: James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Bill Nighy, Jim Broadbent, Imelda Staunton and Ashley Jensen

WRITER(S): Sarah Smith & Peter Baynham

DIRECTOR: Sarah Smith

WEB SITE: http://www.arthurchristmas.com

THE PLOT: A film that seeks to answer the question of how Santa Claus (voiced by Jim Broadbent) delivers all those presents around the world in just one night, Arthur Christmas begins by diving into life behind the scenes at the North Pole.

You see, like many others, Santa is a family man - and being the title of Santa is passed down from one Claus to the next. The current Santa is the son of the Grandsanta (voiced by Bill Nighy), a 136 year-old man who makes no bones about how things were better back in his day. You see, Grandsanta isn't impressed by how things are done currently. For while Grandsanta just had the reindeer, "one drunken elf" and some magic dust to help him fly his beloved old school sleigh "Evie," the current Santa has thousands upon thousands of helpers in the form of elves.

Broken down into 13 ranks - Field Elf, Feeler Elf, Alarms/Gadgets Elf, Wrapping Elf, Sorter Elf, I.T. Elf, Listener Elf, Paramedic Elf, Delivery Elf, Mission Control Elf, Special Santa Unit Elf, S-1 (the Star Trek-like vessel now used to deliver gifts) and Helsman Elf - this Santa operates with the precision of a Navy Seal team ... And it's all done under the direction of Steve Claus (voiced by Hugh Laurie). While his dad wears a traditional Santa uniform, Steve wears a Christmas-colored outfit more akin to a general's attire. (At least his facial hair is in the shape of a Christmas tree ... A finely manicured Christmas tree, but a Christmas tree nonetheless.) And as long as the job gets done and he gets to relax with his wife (voiced by Imelda Staunton), Malcolm (the current Santa's real name) is happy.

No one, however, is happier than the current Santa's youngest son, Arthur (voiced by James McAvoy). Despite not being an elf, Arthur is more than happy to work alongside them (although the feeling isn't always mutual), answering children's letters and making sure all the good little boys and girls get what they want. That should explain why Arthur is so saddened when a startling discovery is made by Bryony (voiced by Ashley Jensen) - Wrapping Elf specialist - that a child has been missed. And while Steve is willing to dismiss the matter and regard it as a statistical anomaly, Arthur isn't willing to let it go.

So who is gonna make sure a little girl in England doesn't miss out on Christmas? Well, the movie's title might give you a hint!

THE TAKE: When was the last time you saw a movie that was just a nice, quaint charming experience? One that made you laugh, made you feel a little sentimental and maybe - just MAYBE - almost made you cry before arriving at the ending that while you knew was coming, you still enjoyed it all the same? If it's been a while, I have a suggestion for you.

Go see Arthur Christmas - if that can't help get you in the holiday spirit, I'm not sure what will.

Arthur Christmas succeeds in being an entertaining film as it follows a very simple formula to near perfection: [1] Make your jokes suitable for both kids and adults by not being too simple nor complex but insulting to the intelligence of neither; [2] Develop your characters so that even the secondary ones make meaningful contributions to the actions/reactions of the lead protagonist(s) and [3] Achieves the goal of being a "feel good" movie without manipulating you to arrive at that point. From clever integration of adult mannerisms into the story of Santa's workshop (the aforementioned use of the elves like Navy Seals) to the development of Arthur to his eventual place in the Claus family and the way he affects those around him, director Sarah Smith does a very good job at shaping the story without becoming too sappy or slapstick at any turn. Channeling her inner Pixar-like creativity, the detail in everything from the backgrounds to even the reactions of the characters who are on screen for just a split second is on par throughout the film, which adds to the overall viewing experience as a whole. While it's true the 3D could have been put to much better use, Arthur Christmas is as appealing visually as it is as a story.

While it probably won't replace Elf, Dr. Seuss' The Grinch Who Stole Christmas or A Christmas Story in a lot of people's hearts, it sure beats the long-forgotten Fred Claus.)

You can't have a good movie, however, without good voice actors; Arthur Christmas fortunately features a cast that plays well with one another. While Nighy steals the show as Grandsanta, McAvoy is able to avoid letting his character become a secondary figure in his own movie. (If it can happen in adult, live action affairs like Cedar Rapids, it can happen in animation.) But instead, the cast breathes life (yes, it's a tad cliché, but it applies) into their characters, making them all work. (Don't be surprised if the Blu-Ray has its own elves or Grandsanta mini-feature included as part of the bonus materials!)

Arthur Christmas, however, works best as a kid's movie for a simple reason: He is earnest and makes a good role model in regards to thinking about others, believes in the idea of doing the right thing at all costs and even when he becomes disillusioned, does so in a way where you understand and feel for him.

PARTING SHOT: A film sure to bring a little holiday cheer to children young and young at heart alike, Arthur Christmas is the rare holiday-themed stocking stuffer that's actually worth keeping instead of wishing you could exchanging it for something else.

RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

THIS WEEK'S NEW RELEASES (11/23/11)

2011-11-20T14:24:00.000-08:00

"I really, REALLY need to go ahead and buy a watch - it's just so much easier!"Asa Butterfield hangs around as the titular character in a scene in director Martin Scorsese's take on the novel HUGO, based on the international book sensation of the same name. Credit: Jaap Buitendijk © 2011 GK Films, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

HUGO (Paramount)

THE MUPPETS (Paramount)

ARTHUR CHRISTMAS (Warner Bros.)

MY WEEK WITH MARILYN (Summit Entertainment)

*EDITOR'S NOTE: All release dates are subject to change.

MOVIE OF THE WEEK (11/18/11): LIKE CRAZY

2011-11-17T18:40:00.000-08:00

"OK, if my breath smells bad, just tell me - I'll pop a mint ASAP!" Jacob (Anton Yelchin) and Anna (Felicity Jones) get up close and personal in a scene from director Drake Doremus' LIKE CRAZY. Credit: © 2011 Paramount Pictures and Indian Paintbrush Productions, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Anton Yelchin, Felicity Jones, Jennifer Lawrence, Charley Bewley, Alex Kingston, Oliver Muirhead and Finola Hughes

WRITER(S): Drake Doremus and Ben York Jones

DIRECTOR: Drake Doremus

WEB SITE: www.likecrazy.com

THE PLOT: Winner of the Grand Jury Prize (Dramatic) for Best Picture at the Sundance Film Festival, Like Crazy stars Felicity Jones as Anna. A British native attending college in California, she takes a liking to classmate Jacob Helm (Anton Yelchin) ... And the two are instantly smitten with one another. He has his goals (running his own furniture design business) as does she (working as a writer), but the one thing they have in common is their love for each other.

But when Anna encounters problems with her student visa, the couple will find their love tested to great extremes as they seek to find an answer to some of the world's oldest cliches: Is it truly better to have loved and lost than to never loved at all ... Or does love truly conquer all?

THE TAKE: Best described as "snapshots of a couple enjoying the highs and lows of a modern relationship," Like Crazy is a very, very well done film. The acting on the part of both Yelchin and Jones, in particular (who won the Special Jury prize for Dramatic Actress at the aforementioned Sundance Film Festival), is also quite phenomenal. You understand every single emotion, action and reaction taken (as well as those not taken/exhibited) each character makes and the subsequent joy/elation/confusion/sadness that happens as a result. The chemistry between the two is dynamic and draws you in to the point you forget you're watching actors.

In turn, the movie stirs up your emotions without manipulating you to make you reach that point. Case in point: A friend of mine commented that it made her think about emotions she "had not thought about from a past relationship in years and was not ready to deal with." Whenever a movie about a very common subject (in this case, love and romance) can do that, you have something special. Like Crazy is definitely a "conversation" film ... As in every couple who goes to the movie together will likely be engaged in one about relationships - or more likely, THEIR relationship - thereafter. While the film does not have the overall bleak feel (both in presentation and mood) of say a Blue Valentine, it is no less unflinching it examining the ins and outs of modern romance among young people.

Likewise, the camera work of director Drake Doremus (who co-wrote the film with Ben York Jones, who also appears in a minor role) is phenomenal as the film feels almost like your spying on Anna and Jacob's relationship without their knowledge. While you're obviously aware you're watching a movie, there are times you may find yourself forgetting that you are as you get wrapped up in the couple's whirlwind romance. Even the film's ending is an exercise in the dichotomy of modern romance as the scene is shot as beautifully as Anna and Jacob's relationship was in the beginning and open-ended as its future - and that, in a way, is a perfect note for it to conclude on under Doremus' watch ...

PARTING SHOT: An enthralling experience from start to finish, you'd be crazy to miss Like Crazy ... Unless you're afraid your relationship can't handle it.

RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

THIS WEEK'S NEW RELEASES (11/18/11)

2011-11-14T13:03:00.000-08:00

"Girl, you know I don't need protection ... I'm a freakin' vampire!" Edward (Robert Pattinson) gets intimate with Bella (Kristen Stewart) in a scene from director Bill Condon's THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART I, based on the international book sensation of the same name. Credit: Andrew Cooper © 2010 Summit Entertainment, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART I (Summit Entertainment)

LIKE CRAZY (Paramount)

HAPPY FEET 2 (Warner Bros.)

*EDITOR'S NOTE: All release dates are subject to change.

MOVIE OF THE WEEK #3 (11/11/11): JACK AND JILL

2011-11-11T07:35:00.000-08:00

"Maybe if we don't blow these out, this movie will be burned before anyone can watch it!" Twins Jill and Jack (both played by Adam Sandler) celebrate their birthday in a scene from director Dennis Dugan's family comedy JACK AND JILL. Credit: Tracy Bennett/© 2011 CTMG, All Rights Reserved.

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Adam Sandler, Al Pacino, Katie Holmes, Eugenio Derbez, Nick Swardson, Rohan Chand and Elodie Tougne

WRITER(S): Steve Koren and Adam Sandler (screenplay); Ben Zook (story)

DIRECTOR: Dennis Dugan

WEB SITE: www.jackandjill-movie.com

THE PLOT: The latest movie from the Happy Madison family, Jack and Jill stars Adam Sandler in the dual role of the titular twins. Jack Sadelstein is a happily married man to his wife Erin (Katie Holmes), with whom he co-parents their daughter (Elodie Tougne) and adopted son (Rohan Chand). He also co-owns a commercial video production company where he keeps his assistant Todd (Nick Swardson) on the go. Dunkin' Donuts, his biggest client, is looking for Jack to land Al Pacino for a commercial for its new 'Dunkachino' beverage ... And if he can't get the Academy Award winner, his company might be looking at a rough future.

But Jack has a more pressing problem on his hands - his homely, annoying, passive aggressive twin sister Jill (also played by Adam Sandler) is coming to visit him for the holidays. And if he's going to survive the holidays, Jack's going need all the patience, kindness and understanding he can muster ...

THE TAKE: "Atrocious," "juvenile," "sophomoric," "ridiculous," "idiotic,""repetitive," "disgusting," "Stupid" ...

If I were to donate a $1 to breast cancer research for every time I laughed during Jack And Jill, there would be a lot of disappointed people at the Susan G. Komen Foundation as they would be able to find more money lying around in the average couch's cushions. If I were to donate a $1 for every time I sighed, attempted to cover my eyes, shook my head and/or sat there shocked at what I was watching and just how tired of a joke/gross/repetitive the scene on the screen was, I literally might cure cancer.

The problem with that, however, is that Jack And Jill is just a cancer of a motion picture that I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy.

Let's break down what's good about Jack And Jill: Nothing. Now, let's break down what's bad about it: Everything. Oh, need more details, OK, good - I've got them for you.

The acting in Jack And Jill is bad. Sure, Katie Holmes adds literally nothing to the movie, but what else was she going to do. That's not to mention how bad Sandler is in being comedic as Jill (note to ALL comedians: the guy in a dress playing a loud, outrageous woman who isn't sexy but thinks she is or, worse yet, everyone else pretends is, is OVER) and just how unwatchable Pacino is playing an over-the-top version of himself (which is saying something). At least Nick Swardson isn't in Bucky Larson mode. That's something, right?

But wait - isn't it at least funny? Hell no, it's not funny, unless your definition of funny is continuous shots to the groin/head/body in general, literal bathroom humor and half-politically incorrect jokes - I don't care how many times Jack's Hispanic landscaper Felipe (Eugenio Derbez) says "I'm keed-ing!" - it's not funny. Jill IS loud, annoying and passive-aggressive, so you don't root for the character at all. The only reason Jack is the foil of the film is because someone HAS to be. All of his requests are perfectly understandable, so forcing him as a villain doesn't work. Then again, neither does just about anything else in the movie.

Could I go on to talk about how the film is essentially a vehicle for all of Sandler's sports friends to cameo (cough, COUGH Michael Irvin and Bill Romanowski among others), give David Spade and Dana Carvey some work and essentially caters to those who enjoy the most simple-minded comedy ever? Yes, but I won't. I mean, the movie is so doggone predictable at every turn there's no need.

Now, to be fair, were there people laughing at the movie at the advance screening I suffered, I mean, went to? Yes. Children under the age of 13 and mostly senior citizens. Now, I like children and people older than myself, but when your film is primarily only making people that don't know any better or those who may likely rejoice at the next episode of Two And A Half Men, well ... Yeah. Then again, just because the majority likes something doesn't make it right - just look at American history and all those amendments we've made over the years for proof.

This wouldn't all be so horrifying if Sandler himself didn't know better. For in 2007's Funny People, he played a character largely inspired by himself: A stand-up comic who became so big he could and would do any movie he wanted if it was going to make money, regardless of the quality. Sadly, Jack And Jill proves that Sandler is great at committing to his characters IN movies, not the ones he chooses to make movies about.

PARTING SHOT: Jack and Jill should go up a hill ... And if you laugh at it when it comes down, you should never, EVER wonder why the number of quality comedy films has come tumbling down ever after ...

RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

MOVIE OF THE WEEK #2 (11/11/11): J. EDGAR

2011-11-09T14:39:00.000-08:00

"You want to know how you know I'm in very deep thought right now? Look at my body posture - my hands are clenched tight!" Lenardo DiCaprio sits in the chair of the title character as he ponders his life in Clint Eastwood's biographical drama J. EDGAR. Credit: David Lee / © 2011 Universal Pictures. All rights reserved.

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Leonardo DiCaprio, Armie Hammer, Naomi Watts, Judi Dench, Josh Lucas, Jeffrey Donovan, Geoff Pierson and Damon Herriman

WRITER(S): Dustin Lance Black

DIRECTOR: Clint Eastwood

WEB SITE: www.jedgarmovie.warnerbros.com

THE PLOT: A biography picture that seeks to showcase the public and private life of the man who would be the face of American justice for nearly half a century, J. Edgar stars Leonardo DiCaprio in the title role as the first director of the FBI. A man who, as detailed in the film's production notes, "placed great value on secrets," J. Edgar Hoover was many things to the general public: Loud and bombastic, a dedicated crime fighter who was not afraid to call it as he saw it and a man who was as feared by his peers as he was by criminals from coast to coast.

Trusting only his mother Annie (Judi Dench), his secretary Helen Gandy (Naomi Watts) and Clyde Tolson (Armie Hammer), his hand picked second in command (and constant companion), Hoover was just as protective of the secrets of his private life. For as hard as he fought to bring down those who would abuse power and harm others, Hoover would struggle just as hard with his own demons and truth about his life and legacy ...

THE TAKE: A film that will likely earn him Academy Award consideration again, DiCaprio does a wonderful job at bringing out all of the complexities/motivations that have made Hoover the long-remembered figure that he is. While Hollywood has historically not been kind to Hoover focusing on more of his eccentricities than accomplishments ,J. Edgar attempts to explore – and succeeds in terms of a sense of keeping your interest in - separating truth from fiction about his life. Each element that DiCaprio brings to its portrayal - his posture, attention to seemingly minute details and even Hoover's accent and voice fluctuations - is done for the sake of enhancing and explaining his character, not creating one. (If you don't know the difference between the two, watch just about any American actor trying to be English and you'll quickly learn.)

Armie Hammer likewise shows there's much more to him than just being the ironed jawed twins in The Social Network, portraying Tolson in a fashion that helps to further show the complexity of Hoover's motivations, approach to his job and the struggle to deal with his private affairs. Watts and Dench provide similar depth in their roles, one attempting to understand and be the understanding companion he never had with the other being a constant source of motivation to seek her approval. Regardless whether his enemies were real or imagined, DiCaprio and company do their best to highlight his achievements (such as his development of the foundation of modern CSI-style investigation) to his private pain and the reasons for it.

While DiCaprio does a great job on camera, Clint Eastwood is steady behind it. Yes, the film's beginning and pacing may be issues for some as the movie starts a bit abruptly already well into Hoover's life ... And the constant jumping back and forth between the present and the past (in terms of the where Hoover is in the story) is a bit convoluted in the beginning, the film eventually finds its footing. In other words, if you're having a bit of trouble with the first 25 minutes or so, stick around, because things will eventually work out and you will settle into an interesting look at a man responsible for helping shape America as we now know it in many ways.

PARTING SHOT: Like the man himself, J. Edgar is not perfect ... But it will do a very good job at convincing everyone who sees it that its legacy is one for the ages.

RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

MOVIE OF THE WEEK #1 (11/11/11): THE SKIN I LIVE IN

2011-11-09T00:00:00.000-08:00

"If you don't like my work, you can always call up Dr. 90210 ..." Gifted plastic surgeon Robert Ledgard (Antonio Banderas) prepares to alter the looks - and life - of Vera (Elena Anaya) in a scene from Pedro Almodóvar's new foreign-language drama THE SKIN I LIVE IN. Credit: Lucía Faraig/© El Deseo, Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Antonio Banderas, Elena Anaya, Marisa Paredes, Jan Cornet, Roberto Álamo, Eduard Fernández, Blanca Suárez, Susi Sánchez and Bárbara Lennie

WRITER(S): Pedro Almodóvar, with the collaboration of Agustín Almodóvar and based on Mygale and Thierry Jonquet, Éditions Gallimard

DIRECTOR: Pedro Almodóvar

WEB SITE: http://www.sonyclassics.com/theskinilivein/

THE PLOT: A film which, save for Melanie Griffith, may forever alter the way you look (no pun intended) at him, Antonio Banderas stars in The Skin I Live In as Robert Ledgard, a gifted plastic surgeon. Losing his wife following a fiery car crash - in which her companion, Zeca (Roberto Álamo), escaped - a dozen years ago, Robert has been working on a new form of skin sensitive to touch but tough enough to shield against diseases like malaria. With his wife gone and daughter Norma (Blanca Suárez) suffering her own unique form of pain, Robert is a very - VERY - driven man. Using cellular therapy, the procedure is highly untested ... Until Robert finds a perfect test subject.

I would tell you more, but doing so would reveal way more than you may be prepared to know before heading to theater ...

THE TAKE: The Skin I Live In is a very well acted, very well directed, very well-written ... So why then, am I struggling to tell you whether or not you should see the movie?

Because the story is filled with twists - the biggest one of which will likely may the average go "WOW! I didn't see that coming!"There's a reason the film is called The Skin I Live In ... For it's not just intriguing, it's very revealing (once you've seen the movie) as to what the story is about.

Let me put this way: Imagine Saw minus the gore and demented killer with the intellect of a film like Seven and a twist on a Splice/Crying Game-like level. I mean, The Skin I Live In is just one of those films where (for the audience in terms of a watching standpoint) it's all about the reveal ... And how you feel about that reveal will likely be the deciding factor in regards to how much you enjoy the film.

The film, in both terms of the way it's told and performed, is done very, very well ... But the shock factor that hits with the first of its reveals is what you're going to take away from the film. Banderas is excellent at selling the motivations behind all of his character's actions, even as they venture into territory from which there is no coming back. This is the type of film for which the word "good" is arbitrary; the words "memorable," "weird," "twisted," "unexpected" and "different," however, are not. Sure, there may be a story of survival in there somewhere, but given the events that transpire in the film - you really have to see it to understand! - you'll be too much in shock to focus on it.

PARTING SHOT: The Skin I Live In will stay with you long after you leave the theater ... And possibly make you jump out of yours.

RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

THIS WEEK'S NEW RELEASES (11/11/11)

2011-11-08T09:20:00.000-08:00

"I know ... I know ... It's come to this!" Adam Sandler gets his Eddie Murphy-on playing twins in a scene from director Dennis Dugan's JACK & JILL. Credit: Tracy Bennett © 2011 CTMG, All Rights Reserved. All rights reserved.

IMMORTALS (Relativity Media)

J. EDGAR (Warner Bros.)

JACK & JILL (Columbia)

THE SKIN I LIVE IN (Sony Classics)

MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE (Fox Searchlight)

*EDITOR'S NOTE: All release dates are subject to change.

MOVIE OF THE WEEK (11/4/11): TOWER HEIST

2011-11-03T20:20:00.000-07:00

"Remember the plan - everyone watched Reservoir Dogs, right?!" Dev'Reaux (Michael Peña), Slide (Eddie Murphy), Mr. Fitzhugh (Matthew Broderick) and Charlie (Casey Affelck) discuss how to rob in a scene from director Brett Ratner's comedy TOWER HEIST. Credit: David Lee / © 2011 Universal Pictures. All rights reserved.

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Casey Affleck, Alan Alda, Matthew Broderick, Judd Hirsch, Téa Leoni, Michael Peña, Gabourey Sidibe

WRITER(S): Adam Cooper, Bill Collage and Ted Griffin (story); Ted Griffin and Jeff Nathanson (screenplay)

DIRECTOR: Brett Ratner

WEB SITE: www.towerheist.net/

THE PLOT: A comedy with a stroke of luck given the current economic climate (and resulting political/social fervor), Tower Heist stars Ben Stiller as Josh Kovaks. Building manager at the most prestigious apartment complex in the city - "The Tower" - Josh has a pretty nice life ... And a pretty nice staff. Lester (Stephen McKinley Henderson), the doorman, always has a smile on his face, Charlie (Casey Affleck) may be late (and not great at his job) but he is nice and driven, Odessa (Gabourey Sidibe) is a good maid, Manuel (Juan Carlos Hernández) is steady in the security office and the new elevator operator, Enrique Dev'Reaux (Michael Peña), is well, new. All of the staff is pretty happy working at the building, although Mr. Simon (Judd Hirsch) does lord over them all with an iron fist.

Of all the tenants that call The Tower home, though, none is more respected, beloved and well, catered to, more than Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda). A Wall Street magnate of epic financial success, Arthur lives up in the Tower's most expensive penthouse and seemingly loves seeing The Tower's staff as much as they love working there. His riches are the reason he's not facing the same trouble Mr. Fitzhugh (Matthew Broderick) is since he's getting evicted.

Then FBI special Agent Claire Denham (Téa Leoni) shows up ... And Josh and his staff learn the awful truth.

You see, Arhtur has (allegedly) pulled off a scheme of Bernie Madoff-like proportions ... And has basically stolen the pension of every staff member of The Tower in the process, Josh included. But Josh is not going to just take that lying down, however. Oh no no - Josh is going to enact revenge. All he needs is a little help from Charlie, Dev'Reaux, Mr. Fitzhugh and one other person ... Slide (Eddie Murphy), an old friend from the neighborhood who has expertise in acquiring assets.

But does Josh and his crew really have what it takes to rob a multi-millionaire who just robbed all of them of their future? There's only one way to find out.

THE TAKE: OK, if you are regular reader, you've probably figured out my sensitivities in regards to my cinematic likes and dislikes in the realm of comedy. Thus, when I end up hating a film I hated the trailer of, it probably comes as no surprise. Well, in the case of Tower Heist, I'm going to likely throw you off track with what I say here. For while I hated, HATED the trailer for the film, I actually enjoyed the movie.

Chances are good I believe many others will, too.

Is Tower Heist on a Hangover, Bridesmaids-like level of hilarious? No, not even close - but it does succeed more than not at making you laugh when it goes for a joke. The cast does a good job at making their characters feel like real people as opposed to being a wacky group of characters where everyone is all over the place. Stiller in particular does a good job at playing the straight man and letting the cast around him (for the most part anyway) add the spice to the story. Playing against Alda's subtle and deceptive Shaw, Stiller shows he can insert drama into comedy without missing a beat.

Of course, a lot of people will want to know how Murphy does in the film as pretty much everyone knows this - coupled with his upcoming Oscars hosting gig - is part of his unofficial comeback. Well, Murphy is ... Murphy, mostly for better than worse in this case. While Slide is loud-talking and a hustler, he is a well-defined character to which Murphy adds edge ... Without going over it. Surprisingly, Broderick might turn in the funniest performance of the bunch with his performance as Mr. Fitzhugh while Sidibe continues to do her best to show her range as opposed to just getting labeled as "that girl from Precious."

Director Brett Ratner does his best to stay out of the way and letting his actors do their work while making sure that each contributes to the story as opposed to detracting from it ... And in a movie of this nature, that's the best thing he can do. (Well, other than trying to get the script writers to add in some more and better jokes.)

PARTING SHOT: While the film is far from perfect, it does have the good fortune of timing, a cast willing to commit to telling the story properly and ll in all, Tower Heist is funny on the level of a really good sitcom (think a good episode of 30 Rock versus the average episode of anything on CBS most nights). Even if you don't like it, remember it could always be worse: We all remember Ocean's Twelve, no don't we?

RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

THIS WEEK'S NEW RELEASES (11/4/11)

2011-11-02T14:34:00.000-07:00

If a picture is worth a thousand words, you have more than enough thoughts going through your head to fill in this caption! Harold (John Cho), NPH (Neil Patrick Harris for the uninitiated) and Kumar (Kal Penn) get into the holiday spirit in a scene from A VERY HAROLD & KUMAR 3D CHRISTMAS. Credit: Photo by Darren Michael © 2011 Warner Bros. Pictures. All rights reserved.

TOWER HEIST (Universal)

TAKE SHELTER (Sony Classics)

A VERY HAROLD & KUMAR 3D CHRISTMAS (Warner Bros.)

*EDITOR'S NOTE: All release dates are subject to change.

MOVIE OF THE WEEK #2 (10/28/11): THE RUM DIARY

2011-10-28T00:00:00.001-07:00

"This would be so much easier if they had invented the iPad - Or even a laptop - in the 1960s ..." Paul Kemp (Johnny Depp) takes a moment to reflect on the experiences that helped create Hunter S. Thompson's "lost" novel THE RUM DIARY. Credit:

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Johnny Depp, Michael Rispoli, Giovanni Ribisi, Aaron Eckhart, Amber Heard and Richard Jenkins

WRITER(S): Hunter S. Thompson (novel); Bruce Robinson (screenplay)

DIRECTOR: Bruce Robinson

WEB SITE: www.rumdiarythemovie.com/Official-Site

THE PLOT: Adapted from the "lost" Hunter S. Thompson novel of the same name, The Rum Diary stars Johnny Depp as Paul Kemp (who is essentially a vision of Thompson himself), a journalist who finds himself in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1960. Tired of New York and many of the socio-political trappings of life in America, Paul has just taken a job to write horoscopes with The San Juan Star, run by Lotterman (Richard Jenkins), an editor long in the tooth (and short in actual follicles on the top of his head).

Paul then begins to fully engrain himself with the indulgences of his new surroundings, that primarily being rum ... A lots of it. Of course, his newfound co-worker/drinking buddy Sala (Michael Rispoli) makes it easy for him to do as such ... And once you throw in the unique personality that is the Star's religion/spirituality writer Moberg (Giovanni Ribisi), it's easy for Paul to indulge quite a bit.

As fate would have it, though, Paul finds something else he fancies even more than booze - Chenault (Amber Heard), the Connecticut-born fiancée of Sanderson (Aaron Eckhart), an American businessman with a plan: Convert an untouched (other than by the military) part of Puerto Rico into a vacation paradise for fellow rich Americans like himself. Sanderson wants Paul to serve as his voice of marketing by helping write the brochure potential tourists will see and that leaves our protagonist with a bit of a dilemma: Sell out and help Sanderson reach his dream ... Or stay true to himself in the quest for truth while exposing the seedier sides of how some people seek to achieve "the American dream" ...

THE TAKE: Here is the easiest way to determine whether or not you will like The Rum Diary: Are you a big Johnny Depp or Hunter S. Thompson fan? If yes, the answer likely then is "yes." Are you tired of Depp playing boozy characters and relying on his inherent charm moreso than his talent and wouldn't know Hunter S. Thompson from Thompson's Water Seal, then more than likely no. How can there be such a big divide between the two, you wonder? Well, the answer is simple ...

The Rum Diary is a boozy, flirty adventure that feels all too familiar ... And yet not familiar at all at the same time.

Think of The Rum Diary like a typical episode of Saturday Night Live, save for the musical performances ... There are some moments which are really funny, some are really odd, the star makes his presence known and at other times feels underutilized (or dare I say disinterested despite Depp's personal history with Thompson). It all adds up to a movie with some memorably entertaining moments - particularly any involving Ribisi (who steals damn near every scene he's in) as the oddball, drug-loving, Nazi-sympathizing Moberg and the Volkswagen that Paul and Sala drive.

Other than that, though, the story is a lot like Thompson's famous adventures their selves: Rambling, a little misguided and unfocused with what, for some, may be a less-than-stellar payoff. It's almost like a Coen brothers movie without the Coen brothers fit and polish. For every good, drug-induced sequence, there are a lot of moments sober eyes won't enjoy. Save for Ribisi and Imperoli, the cast's acting feels a bit disinterested or too intense for the moment, particularly in the form of Eckhart. (You know his character is a jerk from the second he appears on screen and there's really not much to him ... Then again, considering Thompson's take on the "bastards" that need exposing via his Gonzo journalism style, that shouldn't be too surprising.)

PARTING SHOT: The Rum Diary is like a shot of tequila - great for some, okay for others and off-limits for many ... Which response you have, however, remains to be seen ...

RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

MOVIE OF THE WEEK #1 (10/28/11): ANONYMOUS

2011-10-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

"I saved all these people money on their insurance!" William Shakespeare (Rafe Spall) takes in the adulation of an enthralled crowd in a scene from director Roland Emmerich's ANONYMOUS. Credit: © 2011 Columbia TriStar Marketing Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Rhys Ifans, Vanessa Redgrave, Joely Richardson, David Thewlis, Xavier Samuel, Sebastian Armesto, Rafe Spall, Edward Hogg, Jamie Campbell Bower and Derek Jacobi

WRITER(S): John Orloff

DIRECTOR: Roland Emmerich

WEB SITE: http://www.anonymous-movie.com/site/

THE PLOT: Inspired by centuries worth of speculation, Anonymous investigates who is the real author of such beloved creations such as Henry V, King Lear and Romeo and Juliet. For is it truly William Shakespeare (Rafe Spall), an actor often found taking the stage in the works of struggling playwright Ben Johnson (Sebastian Armesto) ... Or is it Edward de Vere (Rhys Ifans, played as a young man by Jamie Campbell Bower), the 17th Earl of Oxford, a great, learned man with an affinity for art, politics ... And perhaps even Queen Elizabeth (Vanessa Redgrave; portrayed by Joely Richardson as a younger woman) herself?

You see, the political climate in Elizabeth's kingdom is nearing a state of change ... For with the queen aging, there will be a new ruler soon, possibly in the form of King James I (James Clyde) of Scotland. With William Cecil (David Thewlis) and later his son, the hunchbacked Robert (Edward Hogg, played as a child by Isaiah Michalski), advising her (and keeping her other affairs under wraps), Elizabeth has a lot of hard choices to make. But the Earl of Oxford, you see, is fearful of what having Henry take the throne may do to his beloved England.

So how could he possibly create a political uprising without causing harm to himself, the Earl of Essex (Sam Reed) or the Earl of Southampton (Xavier Samuel)? By leading the people to call for justice via the main outlet of the times: The theater ...

And with that out of the way, we now begin our story ...

THE TAKE: "Occupy England" - Those are the two words that first came to mind after watching Anonymous, which might be best described as mirror image of one of Shakespeare's plays given all of the betrayals, backstabbing and plotting going amongst its characters. For despite Anonymous' tagline - "Was Shakespeare a fraud?" - the film is much more about the politics of the throne, the power of words, blackmail and betrayal (there's a LOT of that in the film) ... Shakespeare, however, is just the point of access to breach the subject.

Here's a couple things you should know about Anonymous first should you still be debating whether or not to see it: [1] It's very British, both in terms of the subject matter and execution; [2] If you are not into British history or a fan of the sensibilities of such cinema, you are going to likely be uninterested; [3] The film does not play devil's advocate with whether or not Shakespeare actually wrote his works; it has a belief on who did, works from that point and then intermixes it with how that affected British rule during Queen Elizabeth's reign, which means that [4] If you are expecting something like the recently-released The Three Musketeers or [5] Have a short attention span, this is not the film for you.

If none of this bothers you, you may be pleasantly surprised by Anonymous. For the acting in the film is quite phenomenal in bringing each character to life, except in one case: William Shakespeare himself. For Spall's portrayal of "the Bard" as a drunken, illiterate, womanizing and essentially world class jackass is a bit much. But as stated earlier, this film is really not about Shakespeare at all - it's about conspiracy, political drama and private affairs, so the poor development of his character isn't really director Roland Emmerich's concern. Too bad, though, because it should have been as the character actually detracts from the movie more than he helps ...

Ultimately, Anonymous wants to be a film about one topic but uses another topic ... And while it pans out okay in the end, you might walk away feeling there were two different films competing for the same piece of celluloid. And that's why you have a mixed bag in a film like Anonymous.

PARTING SHOT: A film with an interesting premise, Anonymous may have an idea about who really wrote William Shakespeare's plays, but knowing who might really enjoy watching its take on the subject remains to be seen ...

RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

THIS WEEK'S NEW RELEASES (10/28/11)

2011-10-27T08:04:00.000-07:00

"You think this situation is bad, now?! Girl, cry me a river!" Will Salas (Justin Timberlake) and Sylvia Weis (Amanda Seyfried) find themselves on the run from the authorities in a scene taken from director Andrew Niccol's drama IN TIME. Credit: Stephen Vaughan TM and © 2011 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved. Not for sale or duplication.

THE RUM DIARY (Film District)

ANONYMOUS (Columbia Pictures)

IN TIME (Twentieth Century Fox)

PUSS IN BOOTS (Paramount Pictures)

*EDITOR'S NOTE: All release dates are subject to change.

MOVIE OF THE WEEK (10/21/11) THE WAY

2011-10-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

"I have to admit this is a very somber moment ... But this jacket is keeping me quite warm at this moment." Tom Avery (Martin Sheen) reflect during his journey in a scene from THE WAY. Credit: David Alexanian © 2011 Arc Entertainment. All rights reserved.

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Martin Sheen, Deborah Kara Unger, Yorick van Wageningen, James Nesbitt and Emilio Estevez

WRITER(S): Emilio Estevez

DIRECTOR: Emilio Estevez

WEB SITE: http://theway-themovie.com/

THE PLOT: Inspired in part by Jack Hitt's book Off The Road: A Modern-Day Walk Down The Pilgrim's Route Into Spain, The Way stars Martin Sheen as Tom Avery, a well-to-do ophthalmologist living out his golden years in California. Free to play golf when not attending to his patients, Tom's life is good ... Although his relationship with his estranged son Daniel (writer/director Emilio Estevez) is not. And it becomes worse when Tom receives the phone call that every parent fears the most: His son has perished - and now he has to travel overseas to Spain to retrieve the body.

Once he arrives in France, Tom is informed by Captain Henri (Tchéky Karyo) how his son died: Walking along the famed Camino De Santiago. Tom then learns of Daniel's plans to walk the winding 500-mile trail leading to Galicia, the supposed resting place of the sacred relics of St. James the Apostle. The Camino has intrigued "peregrinos" (or pilgrims) for centuries, for not only is the journey a long and arduous one, it also - for many - has led to life-altering revelations and a renewed outlook on life. So you know what Tom - a grieving, gruff, lapsed Catholic who is a man of few words - is going to do, right?

Tom is going to walk the Camino de Santiago ... And he's bringing his son Daniel's ashes with him.

THE TAKE: The Way is a film that one could over-analyze to death. Instead of doing that, I will simply say this: The film is very well-done (albeit a bit long for this reviewer's taste) and is carried by a few simple, yet nearly perfectly executed factors: Strong acting on the part of Sheen and the supporting cast, excellent cinematography and a story that is inspiring without the over-the-top pomp and circumstance of a film that is blatantly trying to achieve such heights.

Given the personal connection to the story for both Sheen (Galicia is his father's birthplace) and Estevez (he read several books about the Camino and the region after talking to Sheen, who is his dad in case you somehow didn't know that), it would be very easy for this project to go awry. But instead, the duo grasped onto what they were intrigued about in regards to the Camino, the stories about it and were able to use that dedication wisely in transferring their vision to the screen.

Sheen (real name Ramón Gerardo Antonio Estévez) never plays Tom as a knowing curmudgeon who finds himself transformed, nor does he play him as a man whose "lost." Instead, he simply plays him as a man on an unexpected journey and being open to the experience. Instead, he lets the cast of characters around him - be it party-loving Dutchman Yoost (Yorick van Wageningen), jaded, chain-smoking Canadian Sarah (Deborah Kara Unger) or fast-talking, writer's block-suffering Jack from Ireland (James Nesbitt) - add to the story by sharing the experiences.

While each character individually has their potentially annoying moments (both for Sheen's character and the audience), they as a unit are greater than the sum of their parts. While you may never buy completely into them as characters, Sheen and Estevez help you buy into their journeys, which is the far more important responsibility. Estevez also achieves in using the Camino - shot on location - itself as a character, from its beautiful scenery to its more rugged elements. In turn, the film takes on a realistic element versus a more romantic one as found in say a Eat, Pray, Love. Whereas the Julia Roberts-led vehicle has a bit of an escapist/vacation feel to it, The Way has a true sense of discovery to it for both the characters and the audience watching.

PARTING SHOT: All things considered, while there is no shortage of films like it, the way in which The Way (try saying that three times fast) brings you into its story and keeps you enthralled makes it a trip worth taking.

RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

THIS WEEK'S NEW RELEASES (10/21/11)

2011-10-19T20:52:00.000-07:00

"We're just four dudes with our backs to one another ... No one make any swordfighting jokes!" Young apprentice D'Artagnan (Logan Lerman) joins Aramis (Luke Evans), Porthos (Ray Stevenson, with his back to the camera) and Athos (Matthew Macfadyen) find themselves in a prickly (pun intended) situation in a scene from director Paul W.S. Anderson's take on THE THREE MUSKETEERS. Credit: Rolf Konow, SMPSP © 2011 Constantin Film Produktion GmbH, NEF Productions, S.A.S., and New Legacy Film Ltd. All rights reserved.

ThE THREE MUSKETEERS (Summit Entertainment)

THE WAY (Arc Entertainment)

JOHNNY ENGLISH REBORN (Universal Pictures)

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3 (Paramount Pictures)

*EDITOR'S NOTE: All release dates are subject to change.

MOVIE OF THE WEEK (10/14/11): FOOTLOOSE

2011-10-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

"You know, it's a good thing we're all so good at this ... Otherwise this simultaneous dance number might look a little awkward and uncoordinated!" Ariel Moore (Julianne Hough) and Ren MacCormack (Kenny Wormald) kick it in high gear in a scene from director Craig Brewer's update of FOOTLOOSE. Credit: K.C. Bailey / © 2011 Paramount Pictures. All rights reserved.

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Kenny Wormald, Julianne Hough, Dennis Quaid, Andie MacDowell, Miles Teller, Ziah Colon, Ray McKinnon, Ser-Darius Blain, Patrick John Flueger and a bunch of other people that are way too in shape and/or old to be playing high school students at this point in their careers ...

WRITER(S): Craig Brewer and Dean Pitchford; original screenplay by Dean Pitchford

DIRECTOR: Craig Brewer

WEB SITE: www.footloosemovie.com

THE PLOT: An updated take on the 1984 smash hit, the 2011 version of Footloose stars newcomer Kenny Wormald as Ren McCormack, a teenager (now from Boston instead of Chicago as in the original film) who moves to Bomont, GA (population just over 19,000) following his mother's death from Leukemia. Moving in with his uncle Wes (Ray McKinnon) and aunt (Kim Dickens) and their two young girls (played by young darlings Mary-Charles and Maggie Elizabeth Jones), Ren quickly discovers he is a fish out of water in Bomont, where loud music and dancing are against the law.

You see, 3 years ago, five Bomont High School seniors died in a car crash following a dance (where they had also been drinking). And looking to protect the town, Reverend Shaw Moore (Dennis Quaid) helped enact ordinances outlawing loud music and dancing. And for a dance-happy former gymnast like Ren, that just doesn't work.

While Ren's life in Bomont is eased by the development of a newfound best friend in Willard (Miles Teller), there is someone else who has also taken notice of the new kid in town: Ariel (Julianne Hough), rebel wild child daughter of Reverend Moore who is dating race car driver Chuck Cranston (Patrick John Flueger). But c'mon - there's a new kid in town with his own style and car who challenges the status quo? I think we can all see where this is heading ...

If you don't know, you might want to check out the original so you want be so surprised once Ren decides the time has come to challenge the law so every one can - cue theme music!

THE TAKE: There are a couple of things I need to mention that will allow you to [1] stop here if you can't believe what I'm about to say [2] love (or hate) the original 1984 film with a passion - and that's this: Footloose, the 2011 version, for what it is, isn't horrible. The best way I might sum this up would be to say it's a lot like what happened with another 1984 film that was recently remade - pardon me, "re-envisioned" - that film being The Karate Kid.

While there was (and still is) no need to remake Ralph Macchio's career-defining work, Hollywood did it anyway - and it worked in terms of both audience reception and box office receipts. You can throw the 2011 version of Footloose into the exact same category in terms of quality, for while it (like the original) has its cheesy moments, for what it is, the film is not all that bad.

Sure, there are plenty of things about the 2011 version that, depending on how you look at it, either improve, continue or disparage the cheesy legacy of the original. That includes: [1] Having students that look like they should be paying for mortgages as opposed to studying high-school level chemistry; [2] The fact just about EVERYONE in the school - despite the fact the activity has been banned for 3-plus years - dances like a professional and [3] Some of the new film's soundtrack would be cheesy even by 80s standards (and that's saying something).

Those three factors notwithstanding, Footloose entertains more than it agitates thanks to the subtle (well, except for one comically cheesy soliloquy sequence) acting by Wormald and the entertaining, well-choreographed dance sequences. As opposed to playing Ren as some slick northerner, he simply makes his version of Ren a regular guy trying to adjust to a new situation and trying to make the best of it. While his mother's passing lays heavy on his heart, he never uses it as a crutch, instead embracing it as best he can in a "live for the moment" mentality. He's not trying to be the cool kid, he's just trying to be himself, which in turn makes him the cool kid ... And that works very well in the film.

Likewise, thanks to all the movies or TV shows that have helped make the activity more prevalent in the American conscious, the dancing found in Footloose is pretty good ... And really, that's pretty much all anyone who wants to see this movie will likely care about. (Yes, there's a romance between Wormald and Hough that's OK, too, but co-writer/director Craig Brewer does his best to not let that get in the way of everyone's two-stepping.)

Helping keeps things light and hearty is Teller's presence as Willard. Teller does a great job at making all of his relationships in the film feel genuine, bringing a great sense of humor and happiness while embracing all of his character's foibles to a point he's arguably the most memorable. The same can be said for McKinnon's performance as Ren's uncle, dolling out both a mix of adult wisdom and youthful understanding to play against Quaid's super-stern in a polite way reverend.

Side rant: Is there any way we can get Quaid into a Judd Apatow-style comedy soon?! The man needs a laugh desperately after years and years of playing the serious father figure! OK, now back to the review ...

Longstanding Dancing With The Stars fans will likely enjoy Hough's performance, too, even if it is a bit uneven at times and fairly one-dimensional for the most part. (Summing up her character in two words: "Daddy issues.") There are times when she channels her inner (and outer) Jennifer Aniston, so it will be interesting to see where her career goes from here.

All in all, save for some expected ridiculousness and questionable acting by Ziah Colon as Willard's girlfriend/Ariel's best friend Rusty, Footloose 2011 does not dishonor the 1984 version.

PARTING SHOT: A film that has more in common with The Breakfast Club than it does, say, Footloose will likely get a new generation dancing in the streets ... As long as it's not against the law to do so.

RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

THE RETURN OF THE MOVIE TRAILER OF THE MONTH!

2011-10-11T11:08:00.001-07:00

When you get a feature like this dropped on you, you kinda have to do something special ...

THIS WEEK'S NEW RELEASES (10/14/11)

2011-10-11T06:10:00.000-07:00

"Do you know how cold it is up here?! I need to use a flamethrower to make decent barbecue!" Paleontologist Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) fights back against a mysterious alien force taking over a group of researchers in the arctic in director Matthijs van Heijningen's THE THING, this version being a "prelude" to the beloved 1982 original film. Credit: Kerry Hayes / © 2011 Universal Studios, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

FOOTLOOSE (Paramount)

THE THING (Universal Studios)

THE BIG YEAR (Twentieth Century Fox)

*EDITOR'S NOTE: All release dates are subject to change.

MOVIE OF THE WEEK: THE IDES OF MARCH

2011-10-06T21:01:00.000-07:00

"Get a good look, America ... You know this may become true one day once I decide to leave Hollywood behind!" Governor Mike Morris (George Clooney) delivers a major speech at Kent State University in a scene from Columbia Pictures' THE IDES OF MARCH. Credit: Saeed Adyani. © 2011 Columbia Pictures. All rights reserved.

KEY CAST MEMBERS: George Clooney, Ryan Gosling, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Evan Rachel Wood, Marisa Tomei, Jeffrey Wright and Max Minghella

WRITER(S): George Clooney, Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon; based upon the play Farragut North by Beau Willimon

DIRECTOR: George Clooney

WEB SITE: www.idesofmarch-movie.com/

THE PLOT: Based upon co-writer's original play Farragut North, The Ides of March stars George Clooney (who was partially inspired to make the film by his father Nick's failed 2004 campaign for Senate in Kentucky) as Mike Morris. Governor of an unspecified state (although Pennsylvania is mentioned as the character's native area), Morris comes across as a very smooth-talking, never rattled, very confident in himself politician much in the vein of a certain resident of 1600 Pennsylvania avenue. Not sure who I'm talking about? Watch the movie and it couldn't be more obvious who they "hope" Morris reminds you of. Anyway ...

Morris has two dedicated men working on his behalf - Paul (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a veteran campaign manager who knows the ins and outs of the business and Stephen Meyers, a young, upstart who serves as his main media spokesman. While Paul works the angles as he always has with people like Ida (Marisa Tomei), a reporter for the New York Times and Senator Thompson (Jeffrey Wright), who carries critical party influence, Stephen is whip-smart and magnetic ... But also truly believes in Morris. It's those qualities that attracts people to Stephen, even interns like Molly (Evan Rachel Wood).

What could stop Morris, however, is the presence of his rival, Senator Pullman (Michael Mantell). For both Morris and Pullman are seeking to win the Ohio Democratic Primary, for "as Ohio goes, so goes the nation" as they say. And Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti), Pullman's campaign manager, is as savvy as he is shrewd ... And he's very, very shrewd. But Tom also knows talent when he sees it - and Stephen is very, very talented - hence the reason he wants to set up a meeting with him.

What ensues may change Stephen's life, as well as those of everyone involved with both Morris and Pullman's campaigns ... And possibly America as we know it, too ...

THE TAKE: The Ides of March does - or at least attempts to do - a couple things. First, it not subtle in any fashion interjects some of Clooney's own political ideologies into the public consciousness. (For a man who's repeatedly denied every planning to run for office one day, this movie really does a lot to make you think to the contrary.) Second, it attempts to really, really, REALLY give Cincinnatians an incentive to see a movie by inserting just about every local artifact (save for baseball and chili) into the background of the film's scenery. Third, it attempts to show the origins of potential scandals and how closed door dealings that are so simple in origin yet highly complex and effective in execution they can effect our political system as we know it.

The third task is the biggest and most important task of The Ides of March and Clooney, one of it's co-writers, co-stars and director, hits more than he misses ... But when he misses, he really misses to the point you start awaiting the hits with great anticipation.

What slows the film from being a Hall of Fame-caliber player as opposed to just being a borderline all-star affair? Well, the fact that the first half is rather, well, slow for starters. Next, there are some highly predictable parts of the story that while necessary to move things forward are foreshadowed a bit too much. And the drama that really sets things in motion is ripped right from today's headlines ... Which were the same headlines they've been since the 1980s.

In other words, it's not that The Ides of March breaks any new ground in terms of exposing politics - what it does, do, however, is show how we've become so complacent with it all that the best players in the game know how to play so dirty that they can maintain or gain positions of power while fooling us under the guise of hope and change. Or, perhaps it's more a message that all of the hope and change we keep thinking politicians will bring us gets crushed by the trappings of power and authority and ultimately, the nature of the game is to learn how to best preserve one's own skin and work the system to do so.

It's a little unclear what the message of the film is, truly, as - much like politics themselves - things are left a little open-ended depending on your take. You will learn, however, that absolute power corrupts absolutely, you shouldn't hate the players as much as you should the game (yes, I used a played out urban phrase) and that Clooney really looks good in a suit while Gosling is doing his best to be the new 30-something Brad Pitt looks-wise with more charisma and confidence. (Pitt, Clooney and Johnny Depp aren't young men anymore ...) This is Gosling's movie - you'll just wish it didn't take so long to get going because when it finally does, it's pretty interesting. The performances carry the movie more than they should and the opportunity to dig deeper is never fully utilized.

PARTING SHOT: While not the perfect political thriller/drama by any means, The Ides of March does effectively make you question the business of politics as usual and how large a role they play in modern system ... And if nothing else, Cincinnatians will likely enjoy the scenery.

RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

THIS WEEK'S NEW RELEASES (10/7/11)

2011-10-06T07:20:00.000-07:00

"Did you not see the name of this movie?! Why are you surprised I'm packing heat - I was a Spartan, dammit!" Sam Childers (Gerard Butler) prepares to seek out justice for the downtrodden as the founder of the Angels of East Africa rescue organization as a MACHINE GUN PREACHER. Credit: Ilze Kitshoff / © 2011 MGP Productions, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

REAL STEEL (DreamWorks)

RESTLESS (Sony Classics)

THE IDES OF MARCH (Columbia Pictures)

MACHINE GUN PREACHER (Relativity)

*EDITOR'S NOTE: All release dates are subject to change.

MOVIE OF THE WEEK (9/30/11): 50/50

2011-09-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

"We're in a real life 'Dilbert' cartoon right now!" Kyle (Seth Rogen) counsels Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) in a scene from director Jonathan Levine's new dramedy 50/50. Credit: Chris Helcermanas-Benge. © 2011 Summit Entertainment. All rights reserved.

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, Bryce Dallas Howard, Anjelica Huston and Philip Baker Hall

WRITER(S): Will Reiser

DIRECTOR: Jonathan Levine

WEB SITE: http://www.50-50themovie.com/

THE PLOT: Inspired in part by writer Will Reiser's real-life ordeal, 50/50 stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Adam Lerner, a 27 year-old resident of Washington state. Working at National Public Radio with his best friend Kyle (Seth Rogen) when not hanging out with his girlfriend Rachael (Bryce Dallas Howard), Adam has a pretty decent life ... And then he goes to the doctor (Andrew Airlie) to figure out why his back has been hurting.

It's hurting, unfortunately, because Adam has come down with a rare - and possibly fatal - form of cancer.

His world as he completely knows it shattered, Adam tries to make the best of his situation, as do his unprepared friends. Whereas Kyle wants him to try and use his condition to pick up girls, Rachael tries her best to take a break from her active social life to help him in his journeys to and from chemotherapy. At least they're not as bad as his overbearing mother Diane (Anjelica Huston) who wants to smother him with her love ... At least the friends he makes in chemo, Alan (Phillip Baker Hall) and Mitch (Matt Frewer), are cool. And while Adam is scared of what lies ahead in his potentially short future, he may have found a kindred spirit in Katherine (Anna Kendrick), the inexperienced therapist assigned to help him in his darkest hour.

At least, as the movie's title states, it's got a dead-even - no pun intended - shot at beating the odds.

THE TAKE: To explain how really well done 50/50 - a film which easily could have gone off the rails - is, put yourself in the shoes of Reise, director Jonathan Levine and Gordon-Levitt. In Reiser's case, you have a story inspired by a personal struggle that fortunately in his case turned out well. You want to interject some humor into the story (and you have a good partner to help you do that in friend Seth Rogen), but you want to make sure you convey all facets of the story to avoid creating some that does not feel organic, genuine and - at the very worst - cartoonish. For this story is one of a journey of self-discovery, fear, courage and insecurity at all at the same time ...

Next, picture being Levine. A well crafted script, let alone one of this nature, comes across your table and you now face the task of taking these words and bringing them to life on the big screen. Under your watch, you will have the ability to create what could be a humorous and touching story ... Or a 2 hour, overproduced, disjointed mess that insults those with cancer while alienating audiences. Last but certainly not least, now step into Gordon-Levitt's shoes. You have to figure out a way to make your character, Adam Lerner, be someone people can identify with, appreciate his situation and ultimately want to root for. You have to be able to make us understand that you are shocked, frustrated, struggling to stay positive while being realistic about your situation so that ultimately, as you face your darkest hour, your journey makes perfect sense from start to finish.

Doesn't sound easy does it? That's why 50/50 is so remarkable in the fact the trio achieved a film that does all of the above in an excellently entertaining fashion.

In addition to Gordon-Levitt's wonderfully subtle performance, 50/50 benefits from the chemistry he shares with Kendrick, both in terms of their therapist-patient relationship and as actors who play well off one another. While Rogen is still, well, Rogen (not that that's a bad thing in the movie; in fact, it's far from it), the interplay between Kendrick and Gordon-Levitt feels so natural that after a while they seem like two real friends going through this battle together. Likewise, the rest of the supporting cast is great at balancing the film's tone between its light-hearted and more serious moments. (This is one of the few times in recent memory the word "dramedy" accurately describes the mood of the film.)

That's right - 50/50 is funny, hilarious even, in certain moments. Keeping with the old maxim of laughing to keep from crying, Reiser, Levine and company do a great job delivering laughs in unexpected situations without relying on the most bare bones, basic premises to get there. Sure, there is some humor that arrives from some questionable subject matter (it's in the trailer if you are unfamiliar to what I am referring), but it's thankfully never done in a gratuitous manner.

Sadly, a film like 50/50 should not be so unique in the fact that it does exactly what it sets out to do: Make you laugh, possibly make you cry and be enthralled by watching a young man who, at what should be the prime of his life, deal with an emotionally draining situation. But in a world proliferated by bad romantic comedies, movies that go overboard and turn into sappy, overly emotional messes and movies where the attention to the critical details is lacking, 50/50 stands out. Whether you have cancer yourself, know someone that has cancer and/or have been fortunate enough to be relatively healthy, the film will touch you - and that's as great a testament to the film as I can make.

PARTING SHOT: A film that should inspire as many as it entertains, C50/50 beats the odds to deliver one of the year's most poignant films.

RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

THIS WEEK'S NEW RELEASES (9/30/11)

2011-09-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

"It's OK, honey ... She just knows someone or something is going to try and kill us and/or make us kill each other!" Will Atenton (Daniel Craig) and Libby (Lily Collins) console their children in a scene from the suspense thriller DREAM HOUSE. Credit: George Kraychyk / Universal Pictures / © 2011 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

50/50 (Summit Entertainment)

WHAT'S YOUR NUMBER? (Twentieth Century Fox)

DREAM HOUSE (Universal Pictures)

*EDITOR'S NOTE: All release dates are subject to change.

MOVIE OF THE WEEK (9/23/11): MONEYBALL

2011-09-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

"If you looked as good as me and had my life, you'd always be smiling, too!" Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) gets ready for baseball with Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) in a scene from Bennett Miller's highly anticipated take on MONEYBALL. Credit: Melinda Sue Gordon. © 2011 Columbia TriStar Marketing Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Robin Wright, Philip Seymour Hoffman and a bunch of actors (and some former real Major League Baseball players) as baseball players

WRITER(S): Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin (screenplay); Stan Chervin (story); Michael Lewis (book)

DIRECTOR: Bennett Miller

WEB SITE: www.moneyball-movie.com/

THE PLOT: Based upon the wildly popular Micahel Lewis sports book of the same name documenting a (then) radical shift in thinking, Moneyball stars Brad Pitt in the role of real life Oakland Athletics (A's) general manager Billy Beane. A former player himself who still regrets never becoming be the "five tool" star scouts thought he would be, Billy has just seen the A's get eliminated in the 2001 Major League Baseball playoffs. Worse yet, not only have the A's gotten eliminated, but the offseason has seen their top three players - pitcher Jason Isringhausen, outfielder Johnny Damon and first baseman Jason Giambi - get scooped up by teams in bigger markets ... And deeper pockets.

Making his usual off-season trips to try and find some way of boosting the A's roster, Billy strikes lightning in a bottle when he travels to Cleveland to discuss a trade with Indians general manager Mark Shapiro (Reed Diamond). For while he is not able to acquire any Indians players, Beane does himself one better by meeting Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), a young 25 year-old working his first job ... Ever.

Impressed with Peter's silent but strong showing during a meeting with the Indians front office staff, Billy learns he is a fan of the The Bill James Baseball Abstracts. A radically different approach to looking at the game and how players perform, the book is a source of controversy and consternation for just about everyone in the game ... Except Peter and Billy. Determined to make the idea (now often referred to as "sabermetrics") work to their advantage by looking at undervalued players - such as the injured Scott Hatteberg (Chris Pratt), the over-the-hill David Justice (Stephen Bishop) and "ugly throwing" Chad Bradford (Casey Bond) - who can help their team compete, Billy might just change the game as we know it. A's manager Art Howe (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), however, isn't convinced it will work ...

But if, like his daughter (Kerris Dorsey) fears, he fails, it might be his last shot at ever doing something meaningful in the game to which he has dedicated his life.

THE TAKE: I was thinking of dubbing Moneyball an "older version of The Social Network for baseball fans" about 30 minutes into the movie long before discovering the script (originally written by Contagion's Steven Soderberg) was re-worked by Aaron Sorkin. Of course, that would be not only a case of over-simplifying the movie, but also providing an inaccurate description as well.

Sure, there are a few sequences of snappy dialogue between Pitt and Hill as well as Pitt and his character's various detractors, but this is not that film. What Moneyball is, however, is a very well-constructed character study about a man trying to do whatever he can to succeed. And the way in which that concept is presented in Moneyball is not exclusive to sports, making it much more accessible to a wider audience without losing any of the vital details of the story. In short, while baseball fans will grab onto the film's content easily, the method in which director Bennett Miller works Lewis' story dives deeper into the life and history of Billy Beane will make non sports fans not only get what he's trying to do, but care about it as well.

If you don't know about Pitt the actor as much as you do the tabloid superstar, his performance in the film will quickly remind you of why he first caught Hollywood's attention oh so long ago. Careful not to portray the character with arrogance, Pitt showcases a quality in Beane - having to be appear to be so confident because he knows that failure is not an alternative for him - that works quite well. His goals are common goals we all have in our lives; his just occur within the context of the national pastime and all of the factors that have led him to this point have him on the verge of sinking or swimming in grand fashion.

What may be surprising to some, though, is the potential Best Supporting Actor level performance by Jonah Hill as Beane's assistant general manager. Approaching the role with no comedic leanings whatsoever, Hill quickly disregards any inclination to think of him as the genitalia-drawing, boozy teenager audiences discovered in Superbad. While most actors known primarily for comedy seemingly repeatedly feel a need to prove their dramatic range, Hill should have no concerns for the future based on his work in Moneyball. (Phillip Seymour Hoffman really doesn't have much of anything to do - someone has to play the manager, who is presented just another cog in the chain of command in the film - so there's really not much to say about his performance.)

Throw in well constructed nuances such as talk radio, real footage, re-creations of actual moments and their importance to the story as a whole (as opposed to using those moments to make them all about the main character) and Miller swings - and connects - for the fences in grand fashion.

PARTING SHOT: A non-traditional sports movie that even non sports fans will at least find interesting due to its presentation, approach, characters and lack of clichés, Moneyball the movie has done what the real life Billy Beane hopes it will do on the field: Win.

RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

THIS WEEK'S NEW RELEASES (9/23/11)

2011-09-18T23:50:00.000-07:00

"I HAD to star in this movie ... It's got the word "ab" in the title!" David Sumner Nathan (Taylor Lautner) and Karen (Lily Collins) speed away from - or is that towards? - danger in a scene from director John Singleton's new action thriller ABDUCTION. Credit: Bruce Talamon / © 2011 Lionsgate Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

MONEYBALL (Columbia Pictures)

ABDUCTION (Lionsgate)

DOLPHIN TALE IN 3D (Warner Bros.)

*EDITOR'S NOTE: All release dates are subject to change.

MOVIE OF THE WEEK #2 (9/16/11): STRAW DOGS

2011-09-16T00:00:00.002-07:00

"I'm really gonna need a lot of detergent to get the sweat and blood stains out of this shirt!" David Sumner (James Marsden) shies away in terror in a scene from writer/director Rod Lurie's modern take on the intense action/drama STRAW DOGS. Credit: Steve Dietl © 2011 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

KEY CAST MEMBERS: James Marsden, Kate Bosworth, Alexander Skarsgård, Dominic Purcell, Laz Alonso, Willa Holland and James Woods

WRITER(S): David Zelag Goodman and Sam Peckinpah (original ABC movie screenplay); Gordon Williams (novel, "The Siege of Trencher’s Farm")

DIRECTOR: Rod Lurie

WEB SITE: www.strawdogsmovie.com

THE PLOT: A remake of the 1971 movie of the same name, the 2011 version of Straw Dogs finds James Marsden portraying the role of David Sumner as first made famous by Dustin Hoffman. A Hollywood screenwriter, David is moving to Blackwater, Mississippi with his wife Amy (Kate Bosworth), a native of the area who struck it big working on a TV show where the couple first met. The couple is looking to fix up the large home left to them by Amy's now deceased dad, which is where Charlie Venner (Alexander Skarsgård) comes in.

Charlie, you see, is a roofer - which is exactly what David and Amy need to repair the damage done to their estate's barn following a hurricane. And Charlie, along with his boys - Chris (Billy Lush), Bic (Drew Powell) and Norman (Rhys Coir) - like to work hard and play even harder. At least they don't fly off the handle as quickly as "Coach" Tom Heddon (James Woods) does, especially when the mentally challenged Jeremy Niles (Dominic Purcell) is anywhere in the vicinity of his daughter Janice (Willa Holland). It certainly makes for a lot of work for John Burke (Laz Alonso), head of the local Sheriff's office.

But while Amy is happy to be back home in Blackwater, David, it seems, is having a hard time adjusting to many of the local customs and traits ... As are locals like Charlie and his crew to him. As Charlie and company start work on his home, David finds his nerves - and his manhood - being worked on soon thereafter. Little by little, all the tension builds slowly over time ... With a rather nasty incident at home accelerating the wick leading to the powder keg of explosion waiting to go off at any second.

Especially when a man pushed too far by a bunch of "straw dogs" reaches his breaking point ...

THE TAKE: Having never seen the Sam Peckinpah version, I purposely avoided anything having to do with the original Straw Dogs as soon as I heard of the announced remake. I wanted to come into the film fresh with no preconceived notions of what to expect, what did or did not measure up between the two films and more importantly, what exactly the story was and how it unfolded.

I can't say that it was a problem I was able to figure out most of the story ahead of time (I mean, I could have cheated and done that and it IS a remake, so they have to stick pretty true to the original idea) ... The problem I DID find, however, is that I really didn't care about David and Amy's plight once the story starts to unfold.

I don't really know where I would begin to start pointing fingers. I mean, there is the bit of heavy-handed camera work where you can tell peril is a'comin'. Also, there are moments where you think to yourself how come David and Amy don't call Burke for help. (The couple in the original didn't, so again, I have to let that slide ... I guess.) Then again, there's also the notions of how oblivious David (and to some degree, Amy) are about how they are being perceived and the ways in which they are feeding into those perceptions.

Side note rant: Let me say this now - I know Bosworth's character has to wear a lot of tight fitting clothes (which is commented on in the movie as part of the story), but good grief! If this movie was in 3D, let's just say one of her "outfits" would have poked my eyes out. OK, back to the review ...

All of these factors, however, is what creates the biggest problem: At a certain point, you quit caring for David and Amy and just start looking forward to the free-for-all, violent battle royale finale. In trying to craft a sense of tension, writer/director Rod Lurie instead builds a frustrated sense of anticipation where you begin to care less about the story and just want the payoff of the story's climax.

Think of it this way - what's more compelling in boxing: A fight where one side jabs, jabs, jabs, tries to throw a knockout punch and then gets KO'd ... Or a fight between two evenly contested opponents with twists and turns before an epic final round? If you're thinking the first one works well as it pertains to this version of Straw Dogs, you might be the one laid flat out on the canvas ... Or screaming for blood.

A story, of course, has to build to a climax; a great movie, however, can't make the journey to that climax too predictable that it feels anti-climatic right up and to said point. While I can't compare the acting in this version to the original (having not seen the original), I can say it's a lot like the film itself: Not bad, but not dynamic - more just effective enough to do the job for the most part. In the end, you just don't care about Bosworth and Marsden's characters as individuals as much as you do just want to see them fight back because you KNOW the fight sequence will be interesting.

PARTING SHOT: A film that will keep you watching with the occasional squirm, Straw Dogs ultimately proves it has more bark than bite ... Fortunately, that the bite is still strong enough to make you beware.

RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

MOVIE OF THE WEEK #1 (9/16/11): DRIVE

2011-09-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

"The 'Fast and the Furious' is overrated in my opinion ..." Ryan Gosling chills behind the wheel in a scene from from Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn's new action drama DRIVE. Credit: ©2011 Film District. All Rights Reserved.

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks, Oscar Isaac, Ron Perlman and Christina Hendricks

WRITER(S): Hossein Amini (screenplay), James Sallis (novel)

DIRECTOR: Nicolas Winding Refn

WEB SITE: http://www.drive-movie.com/

THE PLOT: The latest entry in his growing "I'm going to take over Hollywood by showing the depths of my range" resume, Drive stars Ryan Gosling as a low key individual who works part-time as a professional stunt driver in movies under the tutelage of his mentor, Shannon (Bryan Cranston). What is Gosling's low key character's other job, you ask? Giving a 5 minute window to shady individuals in need of a ride from a scene where it would be wise for them to disappear before the authorities arrive ...

While Shannon knows about his pupil's nighttime activities, he's hoping to steer (no pun intended) him into a more legitimate full time career as a race car driver. To do that, however, he needs to get an investor to fund his dream. He finds one in the form of Bernie Rose (Albert Brooks), a rich and powerful man who is very well connected to some very bad people - his organized crime friend Nino (Ron Perlman) being one of them.

One good person Gosling's character - let's just call him "Driver" shall we? - comes across, however, is Irene (Carey Mulligan), who lives down the hall from him in his apartment building. Irene and her son Benicio (Kaden Leos) are quite happy together, but Irene is very happy to meet Driver and they all start hanging out. But just when it seems like something might happen between the two of them, Irene lays a bombshell on our protagonist: Her husband Standard (Oscar Isaac) is getting out of prison.

While Standard is a bit taken aback at the chumminess between Driver and Irene, he ends up needing his help to pull off a heist to pay off a debt accumulated in prison. But if there's one thing a man in Driver's position should know, nothing in his line of work goes perfectly as planned ...

THE TAKE: Upon seeing the film, Drive made me instantly think of two other movies: The Mechanic (the Jason Statham version) and The American, with George Clooney. Both of those films, the latter especially, featured characters that were very similar to Gosling's in Drive (loners who spoke confidently while making sure to only say as few words as possible), try to change their lives after a moment of unexpected zen and have to take on someone close to them. Much like the actors in both of those films, Gosling owns every single scene he's in, making his character equal parts cool customer who makes danger seem so life-affirming and yet respectable in a world permeated with shady individuals.

Likewise, the direction of Drive, like the other two aforementioned films, has very well done visuals that draw you into the lead character's world, each one serving a purpose before culminating in a climatic - and in this case, VERY violent - scene. Nicolas Winding Refn does a masterful job drawing you into the story and shifting moods via his work behind the camera, being sure to draw the most out of his actors, especially a playing-very-well-against-type Albert Brooks.

Problem is, Drive is kind of on an island as a movie ... While some will no doubt like it because of [1] How cool Gosling's character is [2] How well he plays him (although his motivations do seem a bit agnostic at times in the grand scheme of things) and/or [3] the intensity of the action scenes. What may deter some people, though, is the violence - when it happens, it happens fast and furious (no pun intended again!) - and the way in which some of the situations in the film are resolved. Likewise, much like The American, it feels quite familiar as a whole given the story. Then again, there is something to be said for familiar but well done.

Drive is not a standard action movie; it's more of the thinking man's action drama - and when it comes to delivering in that regard, the film does and quite well. Make no mistake, however - this is a film that's all about letting Gosling's performance make the movie. If that's all you need to be happy, Drive will put a smile on your face.

PARTING SHOT: A film that's as much of a character-driven drama as it is Grand Theft Auto at times, Drive showcases Gosling's ability to add a different flair to a familiar medium.

RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

THIS WEEK'S NEW RELEASES (9/16/11)

2011-09-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

"I swear - This is the last time I host a house party!" David Sumner (James Marsden) stands in the aftermath of his burning estate in a scene from writer/director Rod Lurie's modern take on STRAW DOGS. Credit: Alik Sakharov / © 2011 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

DRIVE (Film District)

I DON'T KNOW HOW SHE DOES IT (The Weinstein Co.)

STRAW DOGS (Screen Gems)

THE LION KING 3D (The Walt Disney Co.)

*EDITOR'S NOTE: All release dates are subject to change.

MOVIE OF THE WEEK (9/9/11): CONTAGION

2011-09-09T15:11:00.000-07:00

"Why is it a podium is used in a movie to announce horrible news 99.9% of the time?!" RADM Lyle Haggerty (Bryan Cranston), Dr. Ellis Cheever (Laurence Fishburne) and Dr. Ally Hextall (Jennifer Ehle) prepare to address the world in a scene from Steven Soderbergh's new thriller CONTAGION. Credit: Claudette Barius. © ©2011 Warner Bros. All Rights Reserved.

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Laurence Fishburne, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Marion Cotillard, Anna Jacoby-Heron, Chin Han, Bryan Cranston, Jennifer Ehle, Demetri Martin(!), Elliott Gould and yes, even Dr. Sanjay Gupta

WRITER(S): Scott Z. Burns

DIRECTOR: Steven Soderbergh

WEB SITE: contagionmovie.warnerbros.com

THE PLOT: The latest film to examine the idea of an apocalypse - this time in virus form - Contagion stars Gwyneth Paltrow as Beth Emhoff, a Minneapolis woman on a business trip overseas to Hong Kong. Returning home to the U.S. (with a 5 hour layover in Chicago), Beth notices she starts to feel sick ... Which leads to her having a seizure and foaming at the mouth ... Which soon thereafter results in her death at a local hospital. Shaken by his wife's death, Mitch Emhoff (Matt Damon) is even more horrified to discover his stepson Clark (Griffin Morrow) is sick, resulting in his death soon thereafter. While it seems that he is immune, Mitch is not so sure if his daughter (Anna Jacoby-Heron) is ...

Meanwhile, Beth's mysterious death - and the outbreak it subsequently seems to be causing in not only Minneapolis, but also Chicago, London, Paris, Tokyo and, - catches the attention of Dr. Ellis Cheever (Laurence Fishburne), deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta. Anticipating a panic - no doubt partially thanks to the efforts of Internet journalist Alan Krumwiede (Jude Law) - Cheever assigns Dr. Erin Mears (Kate Winslet) to head to Minneapolis to investigate.

She's not the only one on the case, however. For the World Health Organization is sending Dr. Leonora Orantes (Marion Cottilard) to Hong Kong to see what she can discover there. Meanwhile, out in San Francisco, Dr. Ian Sussman (Elliott Gould) is looking at some samples from deceased victims of the mysterious disease hoping for a breakthrough of his own.

But as the panic - and body count - spreads and increases, the Contagion factor leads everyone to the same conclusion: Something must be done to stop the virus before the entire world falls victim to it.

THE TAKE: Contagion, despite its big name cast, is not a character-driven story, it's a story-driven story. (If that doesn't make sense to you, think about the difference between what you remember most from a movie like No Country For Old Men versus something like oh, I don't know, The Ring. (Sorry - but that's the best comparison I can think of right now!) It's not that the acting is the not up to snuff as that is not the case by any means, it's just that guessing [1] What's happened [2] What will happen next [3] How far will the devastation go [4] What caused all this in the first place and the most interesting aspect, [5] Is this how an outbreak of this nature would play out in the real world.

What works very well in Contagion, is the attention paid by director Steven Soderbergh to showcase two things: The dire nature of the situation and the impact of the situation on all those both infected and affected. There are no wasted moments in the film, each one serving to showcase a different emotion (be it grief, confusion, despair, the lack of a kind man when mankind fears extinction) or the grim reality of what it would be like to try and handle/deal with a situation like this as both a regular citizen and someone in a position of authority.

While the subject matter is nothing new, it is refreshing via Soderbergh's methods, which helps keep the film from having the "pulled from today's headlines" feel to it into more of a "what if this really happened?" sort of who-done-it type of thriller. Save for one particularly raw moment of Paltrow's character's autopsy and the film is relatively free of anything remotely gruesome - instead, the terror is in watching how easily a disease of this nature could spread and cause panic (both imagined and real) and people to turn against each other (sometimes at a profit).

PARTING SHOT: A film more likely to increase sales of hand sanitizer, reduce the number of handshakes in social settings and reduce international holiday travel than not, Contagion does the job it sets out to do: Entertain you via a story that will make you think as much about what could happen in the real world as it does in the film.

RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

THIS WEEK'S NEW RELEASES (9/9/11)

2011-09-08T12:09:00.000-07:00

"I am so glad we're just acting otherwise the damage we're getting ready to inflict upon each other would really hurt!" Budding martial arts superstars - and brothers - Tommy (Tom Hardy) and Brendan (Joel Edgerton) face off before battle in a scene from director Gavin O'Connor's drama WARRIOR. Credit: Chuck Zlotnick / Copyright © 2011 Lionsgate.

CONTAGION (Warner Bros.)

BUCKY LARSON: BORN TO BE A STAR (Columbia Pictures)

ATTACK THE BLOCK (Screen Gems)

WARRIOR (Lionsgate)

LIFE ABOVE ALL (Sony Classics)

HIGHER GROUND (Sony Classics)

*EDITOR'S NOTE: All release dates are subject to change.

THIS WEEK'S NEW RELEASES (9/2/11)

2011-09-02T07:56:00.000-07:00

"We looked scared but confident, don't we? It's a staple of an espionage film!" Secret agents Rachel Singer (Jessica Chastain) and David Peretz (Sam Worthington) draw their weapons in a scene from director John Madden's THE DEBT. Credit: Laurie Sparham / Copyright © 2011 Focus Features.

SHARK NIGHT 3D (Relativity Pictures)

APOLLO 18 (Dimension)

SEVEN DAYS IN UTOPIA (Utopia LLC)

THE DEBT (Focus Features)

*EDITOR'S NOTE: All release dates are subject to change.

MOVIE OF THE WEEK (8/26/11): OUR IDIOT BROTHER

2011-08-27T12:39:00.000-07:00

"We're really good at group staring contests!" Ned (Paul Rudd, with very thick beard) sits with his two of his, sisters Miranda (Elizabeth Banks, left) and Liz (Emily Mortimer) in a scene from director Jesse Peretz's OUR IDIOT BROTHER. Credit: Nicole Rivelli / © Copyright 2011 The Weinstein Company./b>

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Emily Mortimer, Zooey Deschanel, Zooey Deschanel, Rashida Jones, Steve Coogan, Adam Scott, Kathryn Hahn, T.J. Miller, Shirley Knight, Sterling K. Brown, Matthew Mindler and Bob Stephenson

WRITER: Evgenia Peretz and David Schisgall

DIRECTOR: Jesse Peretz

WEB SITE: http://www.ouridiotbrother.com/

THE PLOT: Long story short, Our Idiot Brother stars Paul Rudd as Ned, a nice enough guy who works as a farmer somewhere outside New York City with his girlfriend Janet (Kathryn Hahn) ... That is until a police officer (Bob Stephenson) sort of tricks him into being dumb enough to sell him marijuana.

Paroled early for his good behavior, Ned now finds himself without a home (and his beloved dog, Willie Nelson). Moving in with his mother (Shirley Knight), Ned quickly realizes he should maybe try and move in with one of his sisters - but which one? There's Liz (Emily Mortimer), the one married to the English documentary filmmaker (Steve Coogan) with a son, River (Matthew Mindler) and an infant daughter named Echo (dually portrayed by wide-eyed babies Kayla and Summer Squiteri) ... There's Miranda (Elizabeth Banks), the career-first reporter who relies on her downstairs neighbor (Adam Scott) to help maintain a sense of order in her life ... And then there's Natalie (Zooey Deschanel), the lesbian one in a committed relationship with Cindy (Rashida Jones).

So what happens when Ned tries his hand at living with all three? You'll have to see the movie to find out!

THE TAKE: OK, since this movie will have been out for more than 24 hours by the time you get a chance to read this review (hey - it's been a BUSY week!), I'm going to brief. First things first, Our Idiot Brother is not - I repeat, NOT - a comedy. It's a light drama (i.e. there's nothing like cancer or something one of the characters is dealing with) sprinkled with comedic elements throughout. That's not a bad thing, but if you come to it with the impression that the movie is a hilarious riot as strongly hinted at in the film's trailer, you will leave disappointed.

Also, if you like movies where things are a bit more than one note in terms of both a story and its punchlines/tender moments, you may also have some issue with the movie as that's not happening here. The "real" plot (the "idiot" brother finds himself thrust into situations that are not always his fault, thus finding out/causing problems for his siblings that are actually more their fault although they can't realize it at the time) is pretty basic and repetitive, as are some of the jokes.

Here's what keeps the film watchable: Rudd's performance as Ned, Scott's understated showing as Jeremy coupled with the nice shots of humor interjected by T.J. Miller as Janet's new boyfriend/co-farmer Billy. Now, that is not to say that the female characters are bad by any means, it's just that they are fairly one dimensional as deemed necessary by the script. There's just not anything really dynamic going on with the characters, hence the reason I don't really have a lot to say about them. (Fair enough?) Rudd carries the film, Scott is good at playing the realistic guy and Miller is just goofy (and I mean that in a good way).

Throw in some choppy directing/directing (some scenes just end as abruptly as they occur) and what you walk away smiling about will be Rudd's performance. He makes Ned a likable enough guy that you root for, even when he's causing himself harm or inadvertently doing it to others.

PARTING SHOT: A film that's pretty basic in both its story and its execution, Our Idiot Brother isn't idiotic, but it's not exactly the most intelligent thing you'll watch, either.

RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN)*:

THIS WEEK'S NEW RELEASES (8/26/11)

2011-08-27T11:17:00.000-07:00

"Do I - er, I mean we - get two checks for this?!" Dominic Cooper shows both sides of one man as both Latif Yahia (left) and Uday Hussein (right) in a scene from THE DEVIL's DOUBLE. Credit:Copyright © 2011 Lionsgate Pictures.

OUR IDIOT BROTHER (The Weinstein Co.)

COLUMBIANA (Tri Star)

DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK (FilmDistrict)

THE DEVIL'S DOUBLE (Lionsgate)

LIFE ABOVE ALL (Sony Classics)

*EDITOR'S NOTE: All release dates are subject to change.

MOVIE OF THE WEEK #3 (8/19/11): ANOTHER EARTH

2011-08-19T00:00:00.002-07:00

Wouldn't you like to take a trip to the air up there? Rhoda Williams (Brit Marling) stares off into space at ANOTHER EARTH. Credit: Courtesy Fox Searchlight Pictures TM and (c) 2011 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Brit Marling, William Mapother, Jordan Baker, Flint Beverage, Robin Lord Taylor, Kumar Pallana and Richard Berendzen

WRITER(S): Brit Marling and Mike Cahill

DIRECTOR: Mike Cahill

WEB SITE: http://www.foxsearchlight.com/anotherearth/

THE PLOT: Sharing co-writer duties with director Mike Cahill, Brit Marling stars in Another Earth as Rhoda Williams. A smart, happy young woman with dreams of becoming an astrophysicist, Rhoda finds her life changed forever until fateful night when, after leaving a party, she gets distracted and tragedy results.

The tragedy leaves Rhoda a shell of her former self, the only thing not changing about herself is her interest in the sky - an interest heightened by the seemingly overnight discovery of a mysterious planet dubbed "Earth 2." Mirroring our planet, scientists rapidly begin making discoveries about the new planet that spark interest about it around the globe ... And one wealthy individual has created a contest with a prize of a trip to the new planet for one lucky winner.

While Rhoda dreams of visiting the planet, she has a more immediate - and heart-wrenching - task at hand. Driven by the need to deal with the sadness she has caused another human being, Rhoda finds her way to the home of the man whose life she destroyed - composer John Burroughs (William Mapother). John has no clue who the young woman at his front door offering a free trial of her company's cleaning services is, but as miserable as he has been since the event, he slowly becomes warm to the idea of having a new companion in his own life.

But as the relationship grows and matures, Rhoda is faced with several tough decisions to make ... Especially as she contemplates what life might be like on Another Earth ...

THE TAKE: It's been several weeks since I first saw Another Earth ... And I'm still thinking about it today. That is one of the best compliments I can think to give the superbly acted, well written - and original - film, which I stopped short of grading as perfect due to an ending some may love and others might wish was slightly different.

When you create a drama where people have to wrap their minds around something does not exist in the real world (i.e. outside the movie) that you intend people to take seriously, you have to be very careful in your approach so that it does not become [1] corny or [2] trippy. Another Earth masterfully avoids both of these pitfalls by identifying the roots of its story (punishment, connection, isolation, the need for companionship and the desire to atone for one's past sins) and exploring them within the confines of its story.

Whether we admit it or not, the unknown - or the fear of it, rather - is one of the biggest and most universal things we share as human beings. On the flipside of that, of course, is the hope and inspiration of what could be and not knowing what the future holds. Likewise, as we grow older, our hindsight increases as we think of all the things we wish we could say to ourselves: "What if I had gotten that break?""If I could do this all over again, I would ..." "Knowing what I know now, I should have ..."

Marling and Mapother do such an excellent job of expressing their respective characters joy, grief, loneliness, sadness and happiness that you not only feel empathy for them, they conjure up an emotional response in you as well. Combined with the understated yet stellar visuals crafted by Cahill (making his feature film debut behind the camera) and its easy to see why the film took home both the coveted Alfred P. Sloan Prize for best film focusing on themes of science and technology and Special Jury Prize for Dramatic Feature at this year's Sundance Film Festival.

Nothing about the relationship between Marling and Mapother's relationship seems unrealistic, even when it hits an extreme in a movie that features the discovery of another earth-like planet in it. These are two broken people seeking redemption and relief from their pain with "another earth" offering that opportunity to make their lives - both as individuals and with one another - on this earth better. That is an achievement in which Marling, Mapother and Cahill should all take pride.

PARTING SHOT: A film that explores the concept of forgiveness and second chances in an original, entertaining (and dare I say heartfelt) fashion, Another Earth is a great film from start to finish that you and your fellow man will enjoy.

RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

MOVIE OF THE WEEK #2 (8/19/11): ONE DAY

2011-08-19T00:00:00.001-07:00

"You know love, if I hadn't seen all your other movies, I might forget you're an American actress doing an English accent ..." Emma Morley (Anne Hathaway) shares a moment in the countryside with Dexter "Dex" Mayhew (Jim Sturgess) in a scene from Lone Scherfig's big screen adaption of David Nicholls' novel ONE DAY. Credit: Giles Keyte. TM and © 2011 Focus Features Inc. All rights reserved.

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Anne Hathaway, Jim Sturgess, Rafe Spall, Patricia Clarkson, Romola Garai, Ken Stott and Georgia King

WRITER: David Nicholls (novel & screenplay)

DIRECTOR: Lone Scherfig

WEB SITE: http://focusfeatures.com/one_day

THE PLOT: Directed by Academy Award nominee Lone Scherfig and written by David Nicholls (who also wrote the book on which the film is based), One Day stars Anne Hathaway as Emma Morley and Jim Sturgess as Dexter Mayhew. Despite attending the same college, the duo don't meet until July 15, 1988 - which just so happens to be St. Swithin’s Day. Click this link for more information on the occasion. And as fate would have it, the two couldn't be more different. For Em' is a simple working class girl who views humor as overrated and Dex is a playboy from an affluent background who enjoys wine, women and song (and not in that order), much to the chagrin of his mother (Patricia Clarkson) and father (Ken Stott).

After their impromptu meeting, the two engage in a formidable friendship with many key moments in their relationship occurring on July 15. Regardless of how far apart physically they may be, Em and Dex are always there for one another ... For better and for worse. But over the course of the next 20 years, the duo comes to learn just how much one day can mean in the grand scheme of the rest of your life ...

THE TAKE: The late comedian Richard Jeni - named as one of the best 100 comedians of all time by Comedy Central - has several famous routines, two of them being about [1] love songs and [2] the reason men and women sometimes have trouble equally enjoying romantic movies, especially those about, as he so eloquently put it, "longing for a love that can never be."

In the case of One Day, that last line sums up the movie perfectly ... And in turn helps explain why the movie as a whole is as uneven as the relationship between its two main characters.

Let me say this up front: When I saw the poster for One Day, I could tell the movie was based on a book ... And I didn't know the movie was based on a book prior to seeing the poster. Watching the opening sequence, I could tell what exactly was going to happen at the movie's apex point, to the point I kept waiting for ... Well, to not spoil the movie for those that haven't seen the book, take a guess what I'm not telling you. Such predictability keeps One Day from reaching its potential, but it is far from the only flaw hindering the film. For in addition to being able to tell where its star-crossed lovers individual lives and relationship together is heading 99 percent of the time - despite the performances by Hathaway and Sturgess - showcase why the characters are inherently their own worst enemies.

Let me put it another way: You know have you have that set of friends that everyone else in their circle to be dating each other but, for one reason or another, one of them always finds some superficial reason way/stupid reason to ruin what they could have together? That's Emma and Dexter. Instead of taking away a feeling of joy in their relationship, you leave with a thought of what could have been and what should have been. Now, I realize the way men and women view relationships can be very different and the value we put into our pasts affects us throughout the rest of our lives, but One Day almost serves as a how-to guide to not have healthy relationships. Additionally, when you watch the characters recognize what is making them unhappy and yet still continue to soldier on in such a fashion, it's hard to root for them to be together.

Side note: Where in the world are Em's parents throughout this whole long, drawn-out affair? Since the film has several other clichés in it, where are Em's supportive parents, female friends and/or cat that keeps her company through her life?

Of course, it doesn't help that there are key moments in Em's and Dex's relationship which are skipped over completely in the film and some of the actions of the various characters are offered no real explanations and seem to occur solely for the purpose of causing a moment of conflict. Add in the way in which the secondary characters like Ian (Rafe Spall) and Sylvie (Romola Garai) are so one dimensional that they are clearly not suited to be "interacting" with Em and Dex if they were real people and it's really hard to "buy in" to One Day. That's not the actors fault; that's the fault of the writer (who also wrote the book and has the obligation to make the characters translate well to the screen) and director Lone Scherfig.

You can go for the performances of Hathaway and Sturgess, but actors can only do so much with weak material, but even the best performer can't save a film that ultimately just leaves you with a "eh" feeling. It's not horrible, mind you, but it won't stir up any emotion to compel you to enjoy it unless you really like Hathaway, Sturgess and/or the book.

PARTING SHOT: The type of romantic film that adds to the negative term "chick flick" and tortures countless men on dates, One Day feels a lot longer than it is. The concept is great, but the execution falters in the details ... just like most bad relationships.

RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN)*:

MOVIE OF THE WEEK #1 (8/19/11): FRIGHT NIGHT

2011-08-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

"You tell me you liked Phone Booth, S.W.A.T. and Alexander right now or else, buddy!" Charley Brewster (Anton Yelchin, being held down) finds himself on the bad side of the temper of his neighbor - and suspected vampire - Jerry (Colin Farrell, right) in a scene from FRIGHT NIGHT. Credit: ©DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC. All Rights Reserved.

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Anton Yelchin, Colin Farrell, Toni Collette, David Tennant, Imogen Poots, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Emily Montague, Sandra Vergara, Dave Franco and Reid Ewing ... And someone from the original film in a minor cameo role

WRITER: Marti Noxon (screenplay); Tom Holland (original film)

DIRECTOR: Craig Gillespie

WEB SITE: http://www.welcometofrightnight.com/

THE PLOT: A remake of the sleeper 1985 horror hit of the same name, the 2011 version of Fright Night stars Anton Yelchin (Did you see Star Trek in 2009? He played Chekov.) as Charley Brewster. Living in a Las Vegas adjacent suburb with his mom (Toni Collette), Jerry's life is pretty good. He's got a girlfriend, Amy (Imogen Poots), good, popular friends (Dave Franco and Reid Ewing) and a generally good disposition. He even has a new neighbor moving in next door in the form of the suave but subtle Jerry (Colin Farrell).

There is one problem, though ... Charley's best friend Ed (Christopher Mintz-Plass) is not only among the cool kids at school, he also believes Jerry is a vampire. That might explain why Ed spends the majority of his free time tracking Jerry's activities at night and researching everything he can find out about vampires on the Web site of Peter Vincent (David Tennant), a Criss Angel-style illusionist. Now, as one might expect, Charley doesn't believe Ed. After all, who would? But as he gets to know Jerry a little better - and people start disappearing - Charley is forced to confront the grim reality of his situation.

And that reality might just force him to take stopping Jerry's reign of terror into his own hands ...

THE TAKE: There are very few blanket statements one can make about America that everyone will agree with (hence the term "blanket statement"), but the following is one of them: America is obsessed with the 1980s. Despite the failure of the long-forgotten That 80's Show, be it stonewashed jeans, hair metal, old Air Jordans and/or ex-celebrities on reality TV shows, America loves all things that have to do with the years between 1980-1989.

Unfortunately, Hollywood often forgets that some of the things that we loved in the '80s were for how cheesy/goofy/enjoyable not good they were at the time (and in many cases, remain). The original Fright Night, from what I've been able to gather from my Web research (and YouTube clips), the original had a decent mix of good low budget thrills, took itself a bit more seriously as a horror movie and took the time to develop its characters so they were a bit, oh, I don't know, developed.

Well, the 2011 version - despite all the trailers and quotes you may see that would lead you to believe otherwise, might just be cornier than the 80s version, doesn't take itself nearly as seriously as it should and is more memorable for what it gets wrong than what it gets right.

You don't really care about any of the characters as individuals, you don't ever really fear Farrell (who focuses his efforts on being stalkerish more so than seductive as Chris Sarandon did in the original film - and less effectively) and the less said about poor Toni Collette's involvement in this, the better. The best performance in this film? An abbreviated one by Emily Montague in the film's best sequence.

Don't get me wrong - it's not that the film's terrible, it's just the film is lackluster. When you find yourself thinking things like 'This could use a higher body count,' 'That joke was kina corny' and 'Well, that was a good 3D effect" more than you do the movie as a whole, it's not a great sign. Be forewarned, though, while the 3D is better than many of the movies that have been forced upon the public in the format recently, several people I heard complained the film was very dark and found their selves trying to adjust their eyes to the light outside the theater ...

Almost forgot to mention this - the movie is NOT scary ... AT ALL. If you're looking for something that will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up, wait for some other movies later this year. Fright Night has no such moments to offer you.

PARTING SHOT: The 2011 version Fright Night is a forgettable affair that lacks the bite to be scary, wit to be comical and ultimately, charm to be as memorable as its predecessor.

RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

THIS WEEK'S NEW RELEASES (8/19/11)

2011-08-16T11:04:00.000-07:00

"Dialogue ... I don't need dialogue ... I've got a big sword, muscles and a horse!" Jason Momoa rides into battle as the titular character in a scene from CONAN THE BARBARIAN. Credit: Simon Varsano Copyright © 2011 Lionsgate Pictures.

FRIGHT NIGHT (DreamWorks)

ONE DAY (Focus Features)

SPY KIDS: ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD IN 4D (Dimension)

ANOTHER EARTH (Fox Searchlight PIctures)

CONAN THE BARBARIAN (Lionsgate Pictures)

*EDITOR'S NOTE: All release dates are subject to change.

MOVIE OF THE WEEK #2 (8/10/11): 30 MINUTES OR LESS

2011-08-12T12:00:00.000-07:00

"Mention how I didn't win the Academy Award for The Social Network one more time and my man Jesse starts bustin' caps!" Nick (Jesse Eisenberg, left) and Chet (Aziz Ansari) find themselves in over their heads in a scene taken from director Ruben Fleischer's new comedy 30 MINUTES OR LESS. Credit: Wilson Webb. © 2011 Columbia TriStar Marketing Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Jesse Eisenberg, Aziz Ansari, Danny McBride, Nick Swardson, Michael Peña, Dilshad Vadsaria, Bianca Kajlich and Fred Ward

WRITER(S): Michael Diliberti and Matthew Sullivan

DIRECTOR: Ruben Fleischer

WEB SITE: http://www.30minutesorless.com/

THE PLOT: A comedy (most likely) inspired by the real life tragic death of Brian Wells, 30 Minutes or Less stars Jesse Eisenberg as Nick. A Michigan resident, Nick spends most of his time doing three things: [1] Smoking weed [2] Hanging out with his teacher friend Chet (Aziz Ansari) and [3] Pining after Chet's sister Kate (Dilshad Vadsaria). Yes, they American-ized the two names of the characters of Middle Eastern descent ... Moving on ....

Nick unexpectedly finds himself adding a fourth thing to his list of activities once he delivers a pizza to Darryl (Danny McBride) and Travis (Nick Swardson). You see, Darryl is tired of living under the thumb of his lottery-winning, retired Marine dad "The Major" (Fred Ward) and wants the rest of his cash before he spends it all. Additionally, if he can get his dad's cash, he can get Juicy (Bianca Kajlich), a stripper lacking the heart of gold.

Juicy does, however, have a connection to Chango (Michael Peña), a hitman who will kill Darryl's dad if he can pay him $100,000. But Darryl doesn't have access to 100-large, nor does his dimwitted best friend and bomb expert Travis. But they do have a phone and a plan to strap a bomb to Nick and make him rob a bank to get the $100,000 they need ...

THE TAKE: I'm going to repeat this later, but let me say this first - if you see Danny McBride in a movie, with the exception of his animated film work and Land of the Lost, it's going to have a lot of swearing. Let me repeat that - A LOT of swearing. And not only will there be swearing, it will be of a genitalia-imaged, body-part violating nature from the perspective of a character who would be a classic 1980s high school villain or guy who thinks he's cooler than he really is.

If that doesn't bother you, then you'll likely find 30 Minutes or Less a really, really, REALLY funny ride.

There are three reasons 30 works as well as it does: [1] The actors don't go overboard (which is unnecessary given the nature of the story; [2] There's no spam or filler to be found (I like Judd Apatow's movies, but even I will admit that they can run a bit long) and [3] The funny moments are funny without being too silly and are never forced to create comedy where there isn't any.

While there is really not much more to say about the movie as a whole, there is plenty to say about Ansari's performance in the film. For if there were an Academy Award specifically for comedic performances, he would have to be a front runner for his work in 30. While more and more people are becoming familiar with his work - be it his Twittering, his connection to the "Throne" combo of Kanye West and Jay-Z, his work as a stand-up comic or is acting on NBC's Parks & Recreation - Ansari is a comedic tour-de-force in the film. Be it delivering punchlines, setting up punchlines or simply reacting to the lunacy of the situation at hand, Ansari proves he knows funny at every turn. Michael Diliberti and Matthew Sullivan, the film's writers give him good material to start with, certainly, but Ansari makes each moment his own.

(Don't be surprised if you see Peña get more work in comedic movies, as well, for while his time on screen may be limited, it's quite good.)

PARTING SHOT: Rude, crude but flat-out funny (I told you I would repeat myself), 30 Minutes or Less is an entertaining flick that earns every one of its "LOLs" with snappy punchlines, well-acted scenes and snappy, effective directing from start to finish.

RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

MOVIE OF THE WEEK #1 (8/12/11): THE HELP

2011-08-10T00:00:00.001-07:00

"Don't push me 'cause I'm close to the ... Edge!" Aibileen Clark (Viola Davis, left) and Minny Jackson (Octavia Spencer) peer around a potentially perilous corner in a scene from the screen adaptation of Kathryn Stockett's best-selling novel THE HELP. Credit: Dale Robinette. ©DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC. All Rights Reserved.

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jessica Chastain, Sissy Spacek, Allison Janey, Cicely Tyson, ary Steenburgen, Chris Lowell, Anna Camp, and Ahna O'Reilly

WRITER(S): Kathryn Stockett (novel); Tate Taylor (screenplay)

DIRECTOR: Tate Taylor

WEB SITE: http://thehelpmovie.com/us/

THE PLOT: Adapted by director Tate Taylor from Kathryn Stockett's best-selling novel of the same name, The Help centers around three women - Aibileen Clark (Viola Davis), Minny Jackson (Octavia Spencer) and Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan (Emma Stone) - living in Jackson, Miss. in the early 1960s.

Aibileen and Minny spend their days plying the family trade working as maids, essentially raising the children of their employers, Aibileen's being Elizabeth Leefolt (Ahna O'Reilly) with Minny's being the socialite-in-training Hilly Holbrook (Bryce Dallas Howard). Aibileen and Minny are good at their jobs - great, even - but no matter how good they are, there's one thing that is never going to change. Minny and Aibileen, like all the other maids in town, are black. Their employers, however, are Cacausian (i.e. white) and they all live in the South, which means that the blacks are subject to things such as "colored" restrooms and all the rest of the indignities that come with "separate but equal" society life at the time.

Enter Skeeter.

A recent graduate of Ole Miss who is more interested in getting her journalism career off the ground than she is meeting a potential husband in the form of Stuart Whitworth (Chris Lowell). While that reality comes as much dissatisfaction of her mother Charlotte (Allison Janney), Skeeter is more interested in impressing Ms. Stein (Mary Steenburgen), an editor who holds her future as a writer in New York City in her hands. While she has impressive talent, Skeeter - or Eugenia, if you prefer - lacks experience ... And the only job she can get in Jackson is writing responses to readers' questions in a housekeeping column.

Not one to be deterred, Skeeter takes the job only to quickly realize she needs to get tips from the only ladies in town she knows who really know how to take care of a house: Maids like Aibileen. But as she starts to handle the beat, Skeeter - who grew up under the care of a kindly older maid named Constantine (Cicely Tyson) - begins to take notice of the unspoken injustices suffered by maids (or "the help," if you will) on a daily basis.

Seeing an opportunity to make a difference and impress Ms. Stein, Skeeter confidentially comes to Aibileen with a proposition: Tell her about her experiences working for white families and she will do her best to protect her identity while sharing her compelling story with the world. It's a risky proposition for sure, but is it one that Aibileen can pass up?

The answer comes in the form of a very moving story you'll have to watch for yourself ...

THE TAKE: Let me say this first. I loved The Help and will explain why here shortly. I need to say something else first. Sadly, I fear The Help is one of those movies that will either be an instant hit or fall into the category of "movies that the people that need to see this movie the most likely never will." I say that not because of any fault of the movie, which, if you haven't figured out by this point, is phenomenal as a whole, but because of a few inherent problems that are not the film's fault (nor responsibility): [1] Trying to convince people that this story - which while familiar in topic/subject matter is not in its execution; [2] Convincing people that this is a story they should want to see regardless of their race/ethnicity and most importantly, they will [3] Should leave the theater feeling better that they did.

Look, I'm not going to sit here and pontificate about how racism in the world still exists; if you don't know that, stories like this one - which RECENTLY HAPPENED IN SAME STATE WHERE THIS MOVIE, WHICH IS SET IN THE 1960s, likely mean nothing to you and/or you refuse to realize that Barack Obama's election, contrary to belief in some circles, has not eliminated that issue from the world.

What The Help will do, however, though, is provide an entertaining history lesson that is executed nearly flawless from start to finish thanks to a stellar collection of performances from its cast under careful direction.

It's hard - very hard, in fact - to create what will for one feel like a fresh take on the Civil Rights movement and second, an organic (meaning: not forced) one. Fortunately, screenwriter/Taylor and her crew do just that in The Help. As opposed to many films where it shows blacks and whites apart in their own worlds, The Help does a marvelous job at showcasing the two cultures living together, side by side and how yet subtle injustices occur and worse yet, accepted until they reach a breaking point. Despite raising children, preparing meals and basically performing all the tasks their employers are supposed to do to run their household, "the help" is ultimately often viewed as nothing more ... And the exploration of this recurring theme and how it evolves throughout the film helps make it a compelling, engaging experience from start to finish. I'm (fairly) certain that factor helped make Stockett's novel a best-seller and it is not lost in the big screen adaptation.

This, of course, would not be the case without the stellar performances of the cast, especially the efforts of Davis and Stone.

Davis has earned Academy Award nominations for her work on screen before, so delivering an emotionally stirring performance is nothing new to her. However, the way she approaches the role of Aibileen - presenting her as a complex, tough character with a set of principles who knows the reality of her situation. She does not, however, succumb to a stereotypical "strong black woman" resolve where she is overly emotional to drive home a point; instead, she exhibits an equal amount of sensitivity, intelligence and determination that Aibileen becomes a role model for women of all backgrounds.

Stone, like her Crazy, Stupid, Love co-star Ryan Gosling, is quickly establishing herself as one of the best young actresses of her generation, The Help making her strongest impression yet in that regard. While headstrong and determined and sensitive to her subjects' cause, Skeeter never comes off patronizing, driven by "white guilt" or a crusader who lets her own desires (in this case, to be a writer) outweigh the genuine good she is trying to achieve in the process.

While Spencer may be the lesser known member of the three major stars, her performance is a very well-executed mix of comedy without bufoonery and solid resolve. This helps make her on screen relationship with Jessica Chastain (whose equally excellent performance as Celia Foote illustrates in a not-so-subtle manner what it's like to be ostracized in society for dumb reasons) that much more entertaining. For the friendship between the two characters shows an appreciation and respect for each other, a desire that cuts across all racial/religious/cultural lines.

Last but not least, Howard's performance (which is unlike any role we've seen her in before) is great because she embraces the rule that any pro wrestler worth his/her weight in arena popcorn knows: To be a great villain, you have to not only embrace yourself as a villain, but not see yourself as such. Much like the time period itself, The Help features many foes to choose from for your disliking, but the sheer nature in which Howard - whose character is a prime example of a "this is just the way it is and I'm not doing anything that others in my position wouldn't have done" nature is perfect.

It all adds up to a fantastic experience that will stay with you long after you leave the theater - which hopefully is not a "novel" idea (pun intended) given its contents.

PARTING SHOT: While it remains to be seen what awards (if any) it wins from the Academy, The Help is sure to win a lot of hearts, be they black, white, male, female, old and/or young alike.

RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

THIS WEEK'S NEW RELEASES (8/12/11)

2011-08-08T06:58:00.000-07:00

"We're gonna die ... That's all any character in this franchise does film after film after film except for that creepy black guy from Candyman!" Olivia Castle (Jacqueline Macinnes) and Sam (Nicholas D'Agosto) attempt to flee danger in a scene from FINAL DESTINATION 5. Credit: Dean Gregory Copyright © 2011 Warner Bros. Pictures.

THE HELP (DreamWorks)

30 MINUTES OR LESS (Columbia Pictures)

GLEE THE 3D CONCERT MOVIE 5 (Twentieth Century Fox Pictures)

BEATS, RHYMES AND LIFE (Sony Classics)

FINAL DESTINATION 5 (Warner Bros. Pictures)

*EDITOR'S NOTE: All release dates are subject to change.

THIS WEEK'S NEW RELEASES (8/5/11)

2011-08-07T09:32:00.000-07:00
SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

THE CHANGE UP (Universal Pictures)

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (Twentieth Century Fox)

*EDITOR'S NOTE: All release dates are subject to change.

* Sorry for the lack of a photo ... But Blogger wasn't having it this week!

MOVIE OF THE WEEK: CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE

2011-07-29T15:29:00.000-07:00

"So ... You really can't tell me who's taking over your spot on The Office?" Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) ponders his love life with the slick-talking Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling) in a scene from Warner Bros. new's romantic comedy FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS. Credit: Ben Glass. ©2011 Warner Bros. Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, Kevin Bacon, Jonah Bobo, Marisa Tomei, Analeigh Tipton, Liza Lapira, Josh Groban, Beth Littleford, John Carroll Lynch and Joey King

WRITER(S): Dan Fogelman

DIRECTOR: Glenn Ficarra and John Requa

WEB SITE: www.crazystupidlove.warnerbros.com

THE PLOT: Crazy, Stupid, Love stars Steve Carell as Cal Weaver, a nice enough guy who finds out a not-so-nice thing from his wife Emily (Julianne Moore) at dinner one night. You see, not only does she want a divorce, but she also has slept with her co-worker David Lindhagen (Kevin Bacon). This comes as a shock not only to Cal, but also his young son Robbie (Jonah Bobo), a 13 year-old romantic with a very heavy crush on Jessica (Analeigh Tipton), who babysits him and his younger sister Molly (Joey King). (Still following along? Good.)

Meanwhile, Hannah (Emma Stone) has a situation of her own. For while her best friend Liz (Liza Lapira) can't stand him, Emma is quite certain her boyfriend (Josh Groban) is going to propose once she finishes law school. After all, he's promised a big surprise soon - what else could it be?

Distraught, Cal takes up a residence at a hip bar in town - which is what leads him to crossing paths with Jacob (Ryan Gosling). A smooth-talking ladies' man, Jacob makes it his mission to snap Cal out of his funk and get him back on track be it with his wife ... Or other women.

So then, why is this movie called Crazy, Stupid, Love you wonder? If I told you anymore, it wouldn't be worth seeing the movie to find out!

THE TAKE: If there's one thing Steve Carell does well in film regarding romance, it's being the "I know that guy" guy - and Crazy, Stupid, Love finds him doing it well once again. For Cal - like none of the characters in the movie, really - isn't a bad guy; he's just one that has let his life get away from him and is now trying to play catch-up now that he's realized he needs to hold on to what he loves most. This is done without making his character a caricature of a schlub and instead focusing on the relationship between he and the other characters around him, which is the central component to how he has ended up in this state he now is trying to pull himself out of desperately.

Likewise, Gosling - who is quickly establishing himself as one of the best young actors of his generation - is very good at keeping his character from being typically despicable or cartoonish, making all of his actions feel organic and more importantly, understandable. This in turn helps set up Jacob's progressions as the story develops, be it for comedic (or in some scenes, dramatic) effect.

The same can be said for the film's female characters, especially in the case of Marisa Tomei who does a hilariously effective job in playing Robbie's teacher Kate. Props are also in order for the film's young stars as Bobo and Tipton truly add to the experience of the film in showcasing the naivety, hope and energy of young love ... Even when a bit misguided in an age where the Internet and the subsequent risk of public embarrassment are at an all-time high. It all adds up to a mix of characters who you can identify with at both their highest and lowest points instead of loathing their predictable actions before adding up to a lackluster finish. (And in case you didn't read that the way I intended, I am saying the film AVOIDS doing that!)

While the comedy at times is a little, oh, I don't know - outlandish - it never strays from the story for the sake of a cheap laugh, which is to the credit of the cast, writer Dan Fogelman and co-directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa. For in making a romantic comedy strong enough for a man but not necessarily only made for women, they've crafted a - well, not perfect - but solid romantic comedy people can enjoy in a summer devoid of date movie options that don't involve superheroes, aliens or wizards.

PARTING SHOT: A film that avoids being either of the first two words in its title due to the strong performances of its cast, Crazy, Stupid, Love is an enjoyable take on modern romance you'll come to enjoy for years.

RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

THIS WEEK'S NEW RELEASES (7/29/11)

2011-07-26T07:05:00.000-07:00

"I told you I'd have my revenge the next time you bring up Max Payne!" Patrick Winslow (Neil Patrick Harris) rocks out with Gutsy (Alan Cumming), Brainy (Fred Armisen) and ... "Unidenitfied Smurf" in a scene from Columbia Pictures new family-friendly film THE SMURFS. Credit: Copyright © 2011 Columbia Pictures.

CRAZY, STUPID LOVE (Warner Bros.)

COWBOYS & ALIENS (Universal Pictures)

THE SMURFS (Columbia Pictures)

*EDITOR'S NOTE: All release dates are subject to change.

MOVIE OF THE WEEK #2 (7/22/11): FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS

2011-07-23T13:31:00.000-07:00

"What are we looking at? Is it a repeat of Dharma and Greg?" Annie (Jenna Elfman) shares a mutual experience with her brother Dylan (Justin Timberlake) and Jamie (Mila Kunis) in a scene from director Will Gluck's comedy FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS. Credit: Glen Wilson. © ©2011 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Justin Timberlake, Mila Kunis, Woody Harrelson, Patricia Clarkson, Richard Jenkins, Jenna Elfman, Bryan Greenberg, Nolan Gould ... And two other notable actors in a movie-within-a-movie situation ...

WRITER(S): Keith Merryman, David A. Newman and Will Gluck

DIRECTOR: Will Gluck

WEB SITE: http://fwb-movie.com/

THE PLOT: Taking place primarily in New York City - where all romantic comedies seemingly do these days – Friends With Benefits finds young Dylan (Justin Timberlake) visiting town to meet with Jamie (Mila Kunis). Jamie, you see, is a headhunter who recruits talent to companies, the company in question in this situation being Gentleman's Quarterly magazine, better known to most simply as GQ. Jamie is hoping she can sway Dylan to take a job as the magazine's new art director where he'll work alongside people such as Tommy (Woody Harrelson), the sports editor who is extremely comfortable with his sexuality.

Eventually deciding to take the gig and leave his aging father (Richard Jenkins), sister Annie (Jenna Elfman) and her young son Sam (Nolan Gould) back in Los Angeles, Dylan spends a lot of time hanging out with Jamie. After all, they've got a lot in common having just been dumped by their most recent flames (played by Andy Samberg and Emma Stone, respectively). Throw in the fact they enjoy each other's company and Jamie's mom (Patricia Clarkson) is as fun-yet-flighty as can be and they have the makings of a beautiful friendship.

Then, one night, while watching a movie, the two get to discussing the one thing they both are missing from their lives the most: sex. If you don't know what happens next, you are probably at the wrong movie.

And as things go, they are seemingly great for Dylan and Jamie alike ... But can they really stay that way with a true, no strings attached, no emotion involved physical relationship? You'll have to watch the movie to find out.

THE TAKE: Friends With Benefits starts out a little slow with jokes that aren't exactly that stellar. Fortunately - much like a real relationship itself - the film gets better as it progresses along. That's not to suggest the film does not lack for funny moments - it's just that majority of them deal with one particular subject: sex. Given the somewhat ridiculous nature of the physical act itself, mining it for comedy is not hard, but Friends With Benefits does a very good job of exploiting it for comedy. The film is not as ribald as its trailer makes it out to be save for Harrelson's character (he's "macho gay" in a way that's too silly to be offended by), so if that's what you're expecting, you might want to check out the recently-released Horrible Bosses instead.

If you're looking for a date movie with edge AND emotion, however, Friends With Benefits should do the trick for you. For Timberlake and Kunis have a great chemistry together that makes the evolution of their relationship - as friends and beyond - interesting and intriguing without ever venturing over into the trappings of forced romantic comedy conflict. Instead, what you get is a very believable set of characters whose flaws are understandable and acceptable even when they are about to screw up royally. That in turn makes it all the more enjoyable when they come to their respective senses, much like watching that friend whose been romantically screwed up for years finally finding their happy place.

PARTING SHOT: A film that might do more for people afraid of falling in love and/or more inclined to quit looking for it than those who already believe in it, Friends With Benefits isn't the greatest romantic comedy of all time, but it's definitely one you and yours can be chummy with.

RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

MOVIE OF THE WEEK (7/22/11): CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER

2011-07-21T09:03:00.000-07:00

"All righty ... What would the Human Torch do in a situation like this?!" Former weakling turned super soldier Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) finds himself in a rather sticky situation overseas on the front lines of World War II in a scene from CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER. Credit: Merrick Morton. © 2011 Summit Entertainment, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, Dominic Cooper, Tommy Lee Jones, Hayley Atwell, Sebastian Stan, Stanely Tucci, Toby Jones, Neal McDonough, Derek Luke, Kenneth Choi ... And at least one other actor you'll recognize.

WRITER: Eric Eason (screenplay); Roger L. Simon (story)

DIRECTOR: Joe Johnston

WEB SITE: http://captainamerica.marvel.com/

THE PLOT: Set in the early days of the Marvel Universe in the 1940s, Captain America: The First Avenger stars Chris Evans - formerly seen as superhero Johnny Storm, the "Human Torch" in the two less-than-stellar Fantastic Four movies - as Steve Rogers. A self-described "kid from Brooklyn," Rogers has one desire in life: To serve his country and fight as a member of the U.S. Armed Forces in World War II. Unfortunately for Rogers, his long litany of health issues makes him unfit to serve. So, while his friend James Buchanan 'Bucky' Barnes (Sebastian Stan) gets to go off to war, he has to stay behind.

That all changes, however, when Rogers happens to run into an unassuming man by the name of Erskine (Stanley Tucci) at the "World of Tomorrow" expo featuring a presentation by weapons impresario Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper). Erksine tells Rogers he can give him a chance to serve his country via an experimental program, helping him get enlisted for basic training under the watch of the stern Colonel Chester Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones) and Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), an English special agent who is nearly as no-nonsense as her colleague.

Erskine reveals himself to be a scientist who defected from Germany to flee the tyrannical Johann Schmidt (Hugo Weaving), the leader of HYDRA, the scientific research division of Adolf Hitler's Nazi party. You see, Erskine had developed a way to take an ordinary man and transform him into the ultimate version of himself physically. However, the serum also amplifies the personality of said person ... And in the case of Schmidt - who is looking for a mystical power source that Dr. Arnim Zola (Toby Jones) can help him use to turn himself into the good he believes himself to be.

Erskine's experiment turns out to be a rousing success, leaving Rogers transformed into a specimen of physical human perfection ... Which is what he will need if he is to help take on Schmidt, HYDRA and head into the fray on the frontlines of World War II as (cue title card)!

THE TAKE: Of the three Marvel Studio releases this summer, X-Men: First Class is by far the best of the bunch. However, of the two movies released this year – May's Thor and now Captain America - as a prelude to 2012's comic book fan boy orgy The Avengers, the tale of the skinny kid turned patriot is by far the better film. For while Thor featured an arguably better performance by the actor portraying its title character, Captain America is by far a better movie as whole.

One of Marvel's oldest properties, Captain America was literally born in a different era. And by era, I don't just mean century, I mean in terms of mentality. While I was not alive back then, watch 10 minutes of media coverage from World War II newsreels and the public's reaction back then versus today's coverage and attitudes and one will quickly discover just how different things are. Starting with the Nazi threat to the Cold War, Vietnam and the ongoing Middle East situation and things are simply not the same.

Captain America director Joe Johnston is smart in his approach to handling this facet of his film, performing a great balancing act in showing how military propaganda influenced and the public while paying respect to the motivations and dedications shown by the young men who valiantly signed up to serve. Evans is likewise particularly good at this task in his role, leaving the humor to others without coming off as a robotic, muscle bound mess. Instead, you root for his portrayal of Steve Rogers from start to finish as his dedication and level-headedness keep him from becoming what, essentially, he actually is (at least in comic books) - a caricature of the idea of the perfect American patriot.

The film's cast likewise does a commendable job of making their characters fit the film's bare bones storyline; in fact, if there is a complaint about Captain America, it's that some of the film's supporting characters - particularly Bucky and the Schmidt (a.k.a. the "Red Skull") - are not as developed as they could be. While Bucky is more essential to the comic books, he feels like a forced inclusion in the film as opposed to a true sidekick nature. Likewise, the Red Skull's origin would be more effective if shown as opposed to told and the foreshadowing of all his evil intentions was not so easy to see coming. Neither situation spoils the fun enough to take away from the enjoyment of watching the film, especially given the way the last 20 minutes is handled.

PARTING SHOT: A film that celebrates the birth of the modern superhero while cleverly paying homage to both the golden age of comic books and patriotism with both tongue-in-cheek humor and respect, Captain America: The First Avenger will make for a great movie experience for wanna-be heroes both young and old all summer long.

RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

THIS WEEK'S NEW RELEASES (7/22/11)

2011-07-21T06:18:00.000-07:00

"I told you I'd have my revenge the next time you bring up Max Payne!" Jamie (Mila Kunis) takes a moment to take advantage of her unsuspecting friend Dylan (Justin Timberlake) - and sexual partner - in a scene from FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS. Credit: Glen Wilson Copyright © 2011 Screen Gems.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER (Paramount Pictures)

FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS (Screen Gems

A LITTLE HELP (Strategic Films)

*EDITOR'S NOTE: All release dates are subject to change.

MOVIE OF THE WEEK (7/15/11): A BETTER LIFE

2011-07-15T09:23:00.000-07:00

"My mustache is the most interesting mustache in the world ... With this hat, I'm irresistible!" Illegal immigrant Carlos Galindo (Demián Bichir) ponders his future in a scene from director Chris Weitz's drama A BETTER LIFE. Credit: Merrick Morton. © 2011 Summit Entertainment, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Demián Bichir Bichir, José Julián, Carlos Linares, Joaquín Cosio, Bobby Soto, Chelsea Rendon, Gabriel Chavarria and Dolores Heredia

WRITER: Eric Eason (screenplay); Roger L. Simon (story)

DIRECTOR: Chris Weitz

WEB SITE: http://www.facebook.com/ABetterLifeMovie?sk=app_4949752878

THE PLOT: The latest film from Chris Weitz (About a Boy, The Golden Compass), A Better Life centers around a man named Carlos Galindo (Demián Bichir of Weeds fame). A native of Mexico, Carlos had grand dreams when he came to America years ago ... But since his wife left him after determining he could not give her what she wanted out of life, things have been rough. Carlos, however, is determined to make the best life he can for himself and his son Luis (José Julián), a 14-year old who has a girlfriend (Chelsea Rendon) and a best friend (Bobby Soto) who are dangerously close to falling victim to the trappings of L.A. gang life.

Carlos thinks he has found a way to escape a life of poverty when his boss Blasco (Joaquín Cosio) tells him he is retiring and looking for someone to take over the gardening business he runs out of his truck. Carlos, who could ask the husband of his sister Anita (Dolores Heredia) for the money, wants to buy the truck, but only has one problem ... Unlike Anita, who has her green card and his son, who by being born in America is an American citizen, Carlos is an illegal immigrant. Thus, if he gets pulled over, he has no driver's license - or any other documentation - he can produce to prevent deportation.

Thus, Carlos is left with a big decision to make: Pursue his dream and hope for the best or lie low and wait for another opportunity ... What ensues is an exploration of the pursuit of the American dream, the bonds between father and son and all the things one may endure in pursuit of - cue title screen!

THE TAKE: A lot of people are going to watch the trailer for A Better Life and write it off simply as a pro-immigration story. And that's fine, although that's not really what the movie is about at all. For if you actually invest your time in the movie, you'll come to see what it is in actuality is a story about a man - portrayed with Academy Award-level dedication by Bichir - trying to, pardon the reference to the HBO of a similar name, make it in America. And by make it, I don't mean be famous or rich, but simple provide for the one thing in his life (his son) that he cares about the most.

Weitz does an excellent job in his direction to not be heavy-handed and play up any one element to elicit a "immigration is good/bad" reaction from you. Instead, he crafts the story in such a fashion so that when you experience everything that happens to Carlos, you have the same excitement, disappointment, fear, optimism and frustration he has. The visuals are as much a part of the story as are the journeys of the characters, all of which under his direction showcase various facets of life in America for ALL people from the big dreamer and hard working to the pessimist and those who seemingly cannot escape situations they know lead to a dead end.

This only works, however, because of the wonderful job of acting displayed by Bichir. It's really hard to put into words how well he conveys all of the aspects of his character in the film, be it father, someone who knows the value of hard work, good Samaritan, a man who celebrates his culture yet wants to embrace the American dream, etc. Without his performance, the film simply would not work as well as it does.

Julián likewise does a good job in his role as Luis - for as much as you understand and care about seeing Carlos succeed, you understand why his son has a hard time doing as such. Having not shared his father's upbringing, he is much more of a modern American teenager in his thinking, belief system and actions. Watching his character's development over the course of the film plays wonderfully as a juxtaposition to that of his father in regards to what each character comes to appreciate in life, especially considering how they arrive at their conclusion.

PARTING SHOT: Immigration issues notwithstanding, A Better Life does a wonderful job at doing what many movies in its class fail to do: Provide a moving story of a simple man that makes you both empathetic and sympathetic for its lead character while appreciating your own life and inspiring you to pursue your own dreams. While the story itself may not be new and the issue surrounding its release may be relevant and controversial, a good movie is inspiring, touching and well done - and those words summarize why A Better Life is one of 2011's best films thus far.

RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

THIS WEEK'S NEW RELEASES (7/15/11)

2011-07-11T08:29:00.000-07:00

"Now ... Tell me again what you said about me wanting to perhaps try a different brand of suntan lotion?!" Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) gets up close and personal with his nemesis (Daniel Radcliffe) in a scene from HARRY POTTER & THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2. Credit: Copyright © 2011 Warner Bros. Pictures.

A BETTER LIFE (Summit Entertainment)

HARRY POTTER & THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2 (Warner Bros. Pictures)

WINNIE THE POOH (Walt Disney Pictures)

*EDITOR'S NOTE: All release dates are subject to change.

MOVIE OF THE WEEK (7/8/11): HORRIBLE BOSSES

2011-07-07T20:18:00.000-07:00

"You're going to stick that where?!" Dale Arbus (Charlie Day) looks at his boss, Dr. Julia Harris, D.D.S. (Jennifer Aniston) with shock, horror and a bit of disbelief in a scene from director Seth Gordon's HORRIBLE BOSSES. Credit: John P. Johnson. © New Line Cinemas, a 2011 Warner Bros. release

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Charlie Day, Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston, Colin Farrell, Jamie Foxx, Donald Sutherland ... And one other notable cameo near the very end ...

WRITER: Michael Markowitz (screenplay), John Francis Daley, (screenplay) and Jonathan M. Goldstein (screenplay); Michael Markowitz (story)

DIRECTOR: Seth Gordon

WEB SITE: www.horriblebossesmovie.warnerbros.com

THE PLOT: In case you haven't seen the trailer or can't figure out what the movie is about from the title, Horrible Bosses centers around three friends - Nick Hendricks (Jason Bateman), Kurt Buckman (Jason Sudeikis) and Dale Arbus (Charlie Day) - who have three horrible bosses: Dave Harken (Kevin Spacey), a corporate psychopath, Bobby Pellitt (Colin Farrell), a cokehead with a combover and Dr. Julia Harris, D.D.S., who goes out of her way to let Dale know she is D.T.F. (and if you don't know what that means, you likely are at the wrong movie).

Deciding they have had enough of their respective poor treatment by their superiors, Nick, Kurt and Dale decide to remove them from their lives ... Permanently. That leads to them finding Jones, ex-con with a tattooed head (Jamie Foxx) whose full nickname is very NSFW, who advises them in the art of sending their bosses on a permanent vacation.

But what happens when three amateurs in the art of murder try to take on - and take out - the people tormenting their lives ... Comedy! Or at least that's what the film's cast and crew hope you find if you go to see the movie!

THE TAKE: The Hangover 2 was supposed to be the funniest comedy of the year ... And then it came out and was essentially the same movie as the original for better and worse. Luckily, the Judd Apatow-produced Bridemaids lived up to its pedigree and pretty much locked up the title for the funniest movie of 2011 ...

But wait a second - 2011 is not over yet. If you like comedy, you owe it to yourself to see Horrible Bosses before the year is out ... Because it might just steal the title of the funniest movie of the year thus far.

Here's what keeps Horrible Bosses from being anything but a great time: Well-developed jokes, likeable (or in certain cases, so unlikeable that their misdeeds are highly entertaining) characters and a story that both avoids becoming too unbelievable and too predictable. Whereas Spacey and Ferrell are terrific as horrible supervisors, Aniston - who does what Cameron Diaz and the rest of the Bad Teacher crew should have done with her character in that movie - is terrific as a dirty dentist who is interested in more than shining Dale's teeth.

Likewise, Bateman, Sudeikis and Day excel in diversifying their characters from one another with a mix of enough quirks and charm to make you enjoy them individually and as a unit. Day in particular shines as his character has to likely endure the most given his boss' torment and the grief his buddies give him for it. (Once you see the movie, it'll make more sense, especially if you're a guy.) Instead of drifting into sappy life lesson territory (I'm looking at YOU, Hall Pass), Horrible Bosses just sticks to being funny and letting the lessons (if there are any, which is debatable) flow out organically.

A lot of credit has to go to the film's writing team and director for not trying to rehash Office Space; for while that film was more a commentary and the general malaise of modern corporate America, Horrible Bosses is more of a fun examination of friends in a rather unique situation and the comedy that happens as a result ... Almost like what The Hangover: Part II wanted to be, but just isn't. One could argue that both films are in the "been there, done that" category - but Horrible Bosses just does it better.

PARTING SHOT: A film that takes revenge to familiar - but excellent - comedic levels, Horrible Bosses is a lesson that revenge is a dish best served hilarious.

RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

THIS WEEK'S NEW RELEASES (7/8/11)

2011-07-04T15:01:00.000-07:00

"We kinda do look like average T.G.I. Fridays customers, don't we?" A waitress (Jackie Sandler) prepares herself to mentally deal with her guests in the form of riffin Keyes (Kevin James) ... And a large gorilla in a scene from director Frank Coraci's ZOOKEEPER. Credit: Tracy Bennett copyright © 2011 Columbia Pictures.

HORRIBLE BOSSES (Warner Bros. Pictures)

ZOOKEEPER (Columbia Pictures)

*EDITOR'S NOTE: All release dates are subject to change.