Posted 8/27/2010 4:15:00 PM
1. HARRY BROWN: Michael Caine, who is one of the most honest actors in the business is the title character here in a film that explores what happens when a man takes the law into his own hands. It’s a revenge movie of sorts, as Harry is a law-abiding man struggling with the chaos of the teen violence around him … and when his only true friend falls victim to the gangs, he chooses to do something about it. Rated 18A.
2. MARMADUKE: Strictly for kids, this talking-dog movie based on the Great Dane comic character isn’t going to get nominated for any awards, but kids won’t care. The dog talks, the cat talks, and everyone is very happy about all that. The big guy moves into a new neighbourhood with his family, doesn’t fit in well, and has to learn some lessons. Rated G.
3. BABIES: A most interesting ...
[
Read full post ]
Posted 8/20/2010 4:02:00 PM
1. THE BACK UP PLAN: J Lo and soon-to-be Hawaii Five-O star Alex O’Loughlin star in an uneven, stilted, contrived sitcom of a movie in which J Lo’s character wants to have a baby, doesn’t have a guy, goes for artificial insemination, and then, that very day, meets what appears to be the man of her dreams. He wasn’t expecting a ready-made family and she wasn’t expecting the pregnancy to take first time out. A box office flop. A barely rentable diversion on DVD. Rated PG.
2. CA$H: Not a very good action-adventure-caper film, direct-to-DVD, but it has some redeeming qualities. The stars are Sean Bean and Chris Hemsworth, Bean a great villain/hero in many British movies … and Josh Blue plays a car salesman – Blue is the cerebral palsy afflicted stand up star from Last Comic Standing three years ago. The fun of this is watching it take ...
[
Read full post ]
Posted 8/12/2010 5:54:00 PM
1. THE LAST SONG: Miley Cyrus casts of Hannah Montana once and for all in a more grown-up story of teen angst. Forced to spend the summer with her father (Greg Kinnear), divorced from her mom and struggling with a few of his own demons, Miley’s character sulks, acts out, … and meets HIM … played by Liam Hemsworth (her real-life boyfriend), the romance is slow to start, but soon hits its stride. I found it surprisingly good – better than expected, with an interesting twist at the end. Rated PG.
2. FURRY VENGEANCE: Brendan Fraser is just silly here as Dan Sanders, a land developer in the Oregon rain forest who comes up against an entire town … and a bunch of forest animals - all bent on stopping him before he wrecks the environment. Led by a clever raccoon, the forest animals are formidable foes, but at the ...
[
Read full post ]
Posted 8/6/2010 4:56:00 PM
1. DATE NIGHT: Steve Carrel and Tina Fey are Phil and Claire, a married couple for whom the bloom has left the rose. He decides to add a little spice to their relationship, by going into the city – New York City, for dinner at a trendy new eaterie. No reservation – no problem. When it’s clear that “The Sullivans” haven’t shown up for their table, Phil pretends to be Sullivan, and soon they are dining in style. How were they to know that The Sullivans were targeted for a mob hit that night. And so it goes … some funny moments, did well at the box office. Rated PG.
2. DEATH AT A FUNERAL: When Dad dies suddenly, and the family comes from far and wide to bury him, it becomes clear that Dad had been living a double life. Based on a three-year-old British film of the same ...
[
Read full post ]
Posted 7/30/2010 7:21:00 AM
1. THE GHOST WRITER: A marvelous film in which Pierce Brosnan plays a character clearly based on British PM Tony Blair, with some fiction around the edges. Ewan McGregor is a biographer hired to write the now-retired PM’s story, but finds some facts that don’t add up, and when going on the trail for the truth, finds much more than that for which he bargained. The clue? The first person hired to ghost this story is now dead! Rated PG.
2. KICK ASS: You will either love this one or you’ll hate it. It’s the story of a teen who decides to become a superhero and fight crime with al the usual accoutrements – the mask, the tight-fitting suit, and some props. The fact that he has no super powers at all doesn’t occur to him … but what he spawns is a wave of others who try to go ...
[
Read full post ]