DRAG ME TO HELL ***

Director Sam Raimi ("Spider-Man" trilogy, "Evil Dead" series) returns to the horror genre in this film which features: Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver, David Paymer, and Dileep Rao. Rated PG-13 for sequences of horror violence, terror, disturbing images and language. Run time is one hour and thirty-nine minutes.

A loan officer, attempting to advance her career, chooses to evict an old woman from her home. The woman, a gypsy, curses her, turning her life into a living hell. Desperate, and with only three days to act, she and her fiancé turn to a seer to try and save her soul, while evil forces draw ever closer.

At last! A horror movie where the victims aren't so stupid you're rooting for the killer. This is not a blood and guts horror film where someone is chopping off body party willy nilly. Instead, everyone acts like a normal person is expected to act but bad things, really bad things, keep happening. There is a plethora of disgusting body fluids throughout but most of the frightening parts are of the startling kind. I doubt most adults will be interested in this but the teens and college age individuals sure will be. This has the quality to become a horror cult classic. The sound effects and crowd responses will add to the enjoyment so I'd recommend seeing this one in a theatre with really good sound. There are no extra scenes in the end credits.

UP ***½

Co-directed by Pete Docter and Bob Peterson this animated adventure features the voices of: Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, and Jordan Nagai. Rated PG for some peril and action. Running time is one hour and thirty-six minutes. Shown in both 3D and 2D versions (see Monday's opening entry for which version is showing in your favorite theatre).

A comedy adventure about a 78-year-old balloon salesman who finally fulfills his lifelong dream of a great adventure when he ties thousands of balloons to his house and flies away to the wilds of South America. But, he discovers all too late his biggest nightmare has stowed away on the trip: an overly optimistic 9-year-old Wilderness Explorer named Russell.

This is about as close to the perfect family film as you're going to get. It presents lessons in love, loss, family relationships, and responsibility but does so in a manner that is not "preachy" and will be enjoyable for both children and adults. There's also plenty of action and a fair amount of humor as well. The running time is perfect. I saw the 3D version and the dimensional aspects were very, very good. This is some of the best 3D I've seen and it's the version to attend, even though it will cost you a few dollars more per ticket. If you're thinking about the 2D version, it will be even cheaper to wait for the DVD as the "flat" version will be just as good on TV as it is in the theatre. There are no extra scenes during the end credits.

Worthwhile (or not), 5/29/09

Here's MetaCritic's numerical rank of this week's films (xx/100 - the higher the number, the better the critics liked the film). It's hard to imagine a more dissimilar pair of films and even harder to imagine they're both very good. But very good they most assuredly are. Families and kids will love UP while teens and horror fans finally have a quality horror film they can scream at.

81 Drag Me to Hell,
89 Up

Click on the title links to see if the ratings change as more reviews come in, and to read your favorite national critic's review.My reviews of both new films will post Friday at 4:30 pm.

Opening 5/29/09

For show times select your theatre under the SHOWIMES AT: header in the left column. Weekend times normally start appearing on Wednesday.

DRAG ME TO HELL [PG-13] 1 hr. 39 min. Horror Trailer Cast: Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver, Jessica Lucas, David Paymer, Dileep Rao. Plot: director Sam Raimi ("Spider-Man" trilogy, "Evil Dead" series) returns to the horror genre with an original tale of a young woman's desperate quest to break an evil curse. Showing at: Northrock 14, 13th Avenue Warren, 21st Street Warren.

UP [PG] 1 hr. 42 min. Animated Adventure Trailer Cast: Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, John Ratzenberger, Delroy Lindo, Jordan Nagai. Plot: a comedy adventure about a 78-year-old balloon salesman who finally fulfills his lifelong dream of a great adventure when he ties thousands of balloons to his house and flies away to the wilds of South America. But, he discovers all too late his biggest nightmare has stowed away on the trip: an overly optimistic 9-year-old Wilderness Explorer named Russell. Showing at: Derby Plaza (3D), Movie Machine (2D), Northrock 14 (2D), 13th Avenue Warren (3D and 2D), Warren Old Town (3D), 21st Street Warren (3D and 2D).

Leaving 5/28/09

Derby Plaza - Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past
Movie Machine - X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Northrock 14 - Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past, Obsessed
Palace West - Taken
Starlite Drive-In - nothing
Warren East 13th - Obsessed, Sin Nombre
Warren Old Town - nothing
Warren West 21st - 17 Again, Obsessed, Monsters vs. Aliens

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN ***

Shawn Levy directed this Adventure/Comedy starring: Ben Stiller, Amy Adams, Owen Wilson, Hank Azaria, Robin Williams, and Bill Hader. Rated PG for mild action and brief language. Running time is one hour and forty-five minutes.

It's a new "Night" and "Museum", this time with several other stars from the original film (Stiller, Wilson, Williams and Hader), as well as new characters (Adams, Azaria) from history.

The first movie in this series was an entertaining family film, and so is this one. Personally, I like this one better than the first. The writing seems wittier and the presence of Amy Adams goes a long way to offset the usual Stiller persona (has anyone else noticed he's exactly the same in every film?). Azaria is quite good as Kahmunrah and two others as well. There are some nice special effects, especially the paintings that come to life. While this isn't overly long I can think of a couple of scenes that could have been edited out with no loss whatever. This won't be winning any awards but I'll bet the kids have a good time at this museum. There are no extra scenes in the end credits so you don't have to stay through those unless you want to. A big theatre and good sound will add to your enjoyment but this will still be enjoyable when it's on DVD.

TERMINATOR: SALVATION **½

Directed by McG this Sci-Fi/Action film stars: Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Anton Yelchin, Moon Bloodgood, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Helena Bonham Carter. Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and language. Running time is two hours and ten minutes.

Set in 2018, John Connor (Bale) must decide whether a death row inmate (Worthington) has been sent from the future, or rescued from the past and embark with him on an odyssey that takes them into the heart of Skynet's operations, where they uncover the terrible secret behind the possible annihilation of mankind.

I like sci-fi and I've seen all the other Terminator pics but am not a "fanboy", just so you know where I'm coming from. This film is OK but doesn't have the tension of the first in the series. The pacing is fairly fast so the length is manageable. The cast is fine but the special effects are the real stars. The plot is simplistic to an extreme in my opinion and the ending is telegraphed a good thirty minutes in advance. My feeling is you'll have a reasonably good time while watching but you'll forget the whole thing on your way out the door. You need a large screen and good sound to get any impact at all from this film. There's no need to stay through the credits...there are no additional scenes during or after the credit roll.

Worthwhile (or not), 5/22/09

Here's MetaCritic's numerical rank of this week's films (xx/100 - the higher the number, the better the critics liked the film). Four new films opening this week, basically, something for almost everyone as we come to the start of the summer movie season. A Wayans style comedy, a British sentimental film, a broad family comedy and sci-fi action are your choices. From an entertainment standpoint I thought Museum was better than Terminator but they are completely different genres.

40 Dance Flick,
54 Is Anybody There?,
46 Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian,
51 Terminator Salvation,

Click on the title links to see if the ratings change as more reviews come in, and to read your favorite national critic's review.My Night At The Museum review will post Friday at 4:30 pm.

Opening 5/21-22/09

For show times select your theatre under the SHOWIMES AT: header in the left column. Weekend times normally start appearing on Wednesday.

Opens 5/21/09
TERMINATOR: SALVATION [PG-13] 1 hr. 55 min. Sci-Fi/Action Trailer Cast: Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Anton Yelchin, Moon Bloodgood, Bryce Dallas Howard, Common, Jane Alexander, Helena Bonham Carter. Plot: set in 2018, John Connor must decide whether a death row inmate has been sent from the future, or rescued from the past and embark with him on an odyssey that takes them into the heart of Skynet's operations, where they uncover the terrible secret behind the possible annihilation of mankind. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Northrock 14, Starlite Drive-In, 13th Avenue Warren, Warren Old Town, 21st Street Warren.

Opens 5/22/09
DANCE FLICK [PG-13] 1 hr. 23 min. Action/Comedy Trailer Cast: Damon Wayans Jr., Craig Wayans, Shoshana Bush, Essence Atkins, Affion Crockett. Plot: a young street dancer from the wrong side of the tracks and a beautiful young woman are brought together by their passion for dancing and put to the test in the mother of all dance battles. Showing at: Derby Plaza, 13th Avenue Warren, 21st Street Warren.

IS ANYBODY THERE? [PG-13] 1 hr. 34 min. Drama Trailer Cast: Michael Caine, Bill Milner, Anne-Marie Duff, David Morrissey, Leslie Phillips. Plot: a retired magician reluctantly enters a family-run old age home and develops a friendship with the death-obsessed young son of the home's overwhelmed owners. Showing at: 13th Avenue Warren.

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN [PG] 1 hr. 46 min. Adventure/Comedy Trailer Cast: Ben Stiller, Amy Adams, Owen Wilson, Hank Azaria, Christopher Guest, Alain Chabat, Robin Williams, Jonah Hill, Bill Hader, Ed Helms, Thomas Lennon, Dick Van Dyke, Clint Howard, Ricky Gervais, Eugene Levy, Mickey Rooney, Brad Garrett, Pierfrancesco Favino, Robert Ben Garant. Plot: it's a new "Night" and "Museum", this time with several other stars from the original film, as well as new characters from history. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Northrock 14, Starlite Drive-In, 13th Avenue Warren, Warren Old Town, 21st Street Warren.

Leaving 5/20-21/09

Derby Plaza - (Obsessed: drops 5/20), Monsters vs. Aliens, 17 Again, Hannah Montana
Movie Machine - (Monsters vs. Aliens, 17 Again: drops 5/20), Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past
Northrock 14 -
Palace West - Adventureland, Coraline, Gran Torino, Hotel For Dogs, 12 Rounds, Watchman
Starlite Drive-In - Open Weekends Only
Warren East 13th - (Earth, Fast & Furious: drops 5/20) Next Day Air, 17 Again, State Of Play, Fighting, Monsters vs. Aliens
Warren Old Town - (Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, drops 5/20)
Warren West 21st - (Hannah Montana, drops 5/20), The Soloist

ANGELS & DEMONS **½

Ron Howard directs this suspense/thriller which stars: Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor, Ayelet Zurer, Stellan Skarsgard, Pierfrancesco Favino, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, and Armin Mueller-Stahl. Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence, disturbing images and thematic material. Run time is two hours and eighteen minutes.

Religious expert Robert Langdon (Hanks) finds evidence of the resurgence of an ancient secret brotherhood known as the Illuminati - the most powerful underground organization in history -who pose a deadly threat to the existence of the secret organization's most despised enemy: the Catholic Church. With the help of a young scientist (Zurer) and the Vatican police (Skarsgard and Favino) and hampered by infighting between a Cardinal (Mueller-Stahl) and the Pope's chief of staff (McGregor) he must solve a series of murders and prevent the destruction of the Vatican City.

I read The DaVinci Code, the second of these two novels, and very much enjoyed the movie version, although I did enjoy the book more. I haven't read Angels And Demons and I understand there are several changes between it and the screenplay for this movie. The production values are very good this time around and the cast is good, featuring a mix of well known faces and competent but unknown ones. The pacing is fast which keeps things interesting throughout. It doesn't feel like a 2½ hour movie. That being said, when it was all over, I was disappointed in the story itself. It's basically just a detective story and a rather convoluted one at that. If you want to see it, however, you need to do so in a large theatre with very good sound. This film will loose most of its impact on a TV screen.

Worthwhile (or not) 5/15/09

Here's MetaCritic's numerical rank of this week's films (xx/100 - the higher the number, the better the critics liked the film). One giant film opening this week and a much smaller foreign import. There's no doubt which one everyone will want to see. I liked the Hanks pic more than many reviewers did but I personally liked the first film in this series better.

50 Angels & Demons,
77 Sin Nombre

Click on the title links to see if the ratings change as more reviews come in, and to read your favorite national critic's review.

Opening 5/15/09

For show times select your theatre under the SHOWIMES AT: header in the left column. Weekend times normally start appearing on Wednesday.

ANGELS & DEMONS [PG-13] 2 hrs. 19 min. Suspense/Thriller Trailer Cast: Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor, Ayelet Zurer, Stellan Skarsgard, Pierfrancesco Favino, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Armin Mueller-Stahl. Plot: religious expert Robert Langdon finds evidence of the resurgence of an ancient secret brotherhood known as the Illuminati - the most powerful underground organization in history -who pose a deadly threat to the existence of the secret organization's most despised enemy: the Catholic Church. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Northrock 14, 13th Avenue Warren, Warren Old Town, 21st Street Warren.

SIN NOMBRE [R] 1 hr. 36 min. Drama/Thriller Trailer Cast: Paulina Gaitan, Edgar Flores, Kristyan Ferrer, Tenoch Huerta Mejía, Diana Garcia, Luis Fernando Pena, Hector Jimenez. Plot: a teenager living in Honduras, and hungering for a brighter future, reunites with her long-estranged father and emigrates with her father and uncle into Mexico and then the United States, where her father now has a new family. Subtitles. Showing at: 13th Avenue Warren.

Leaving 5/14/09

Derby Plaza - Fast And Furious 4
Movie Machine - Hannah Montana
Northrock 14 -
Palace West - New In Town, Push
Starlite Drive-In - Open Weekends Only
Warren East 13th - Hannah Montana, Battle For Terra, Knowing
Warren Old Town - The Soloist
Warren West 21st - Fast And Furious 4, Fighting, State Of Play

Worthwhile (or not), 5/08/09

Here's MetaCritic's numerical rank of this week's films (xx/100 - the higher the number, the better the critics liked the film). I saw STAR TREK this week and liked it very much. Most will find it between a 3½ and 4 star film. I didn't get a chance to write the review because my cable internet was off due to the early Friday morning storm and didn't come back on until late in the weekend. I figured by then it was a moot point as everyone should have been well acquainted with its merits by that time. The 83 rating by MetaCritic is high for them (that's what that star means) and bodes well for your enjoyment of the film

49 Next Day Air,
83 Star Trek

Click on the title links to see if the ratings change as more reviews come in, and to read your favorite national critic's review.

Opening 5/8/09

For show times select your theatre under the SHOWIMES AT: header in the left column. Weekend times normally start appearing on Wednesday.

NEXT DAY AIR [R] 1 hr. 24 min. Action/Comedy Trailer Cast: Donald Faison, Mike Epps, Wood Harris, Omari Hardwick, Emilio Rivera, Darius McCrary, Cisco Reyes, Mos Def. Plot: when two bumbling criminals accidentally receive a package of grade-A cocaine, they try to cash in on their luck. Showing at: 13th Avenue Warren.

STAR TREK [PG-13] 2 hrs. 7 min. Sci-Fi/Action Trailer Cast: John Cho, Ben Cross, Bruce Greenwood, Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Winona Ryder, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Anton Yelchin, Eric Bana, Leonard Nimoy. Plot: the incredible story of a young crew's maiden voyage onboard the most advanced starship ever created: the U.S.S. Enterprise. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Northrock 14, Starlite Drive-In, 13th Avenue Warren, Warren Old Town, 21st Street Warren.

Leaving 5/7/09

Derby Plaza -
Movie Machine - Fast And Furious 4
Northrock 14 -
Palace West - Confessions Of A Shopaholic
Starlite Drive-In - Open Weekends Only
Warren East 13th - Crank: High Voltage, Duplicity
Warren Old Town - State Of Play, Fast And Furious 4
Warren West 21st - Battle For Terra, Knowing

GHOSTS OF GIRLFRIENDS PAST **½

Mark Waters directed this comedy/romance starring: Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Breckin Meyer, Lacey Chabert, and Michael Douglas. Rated PG-13 for sexual content throughout, some language and a drug reference. Running time is one hour and forty-minutes.

At his brother's (Meyer) wedding party a confirmed bachelor (McConaughey) gets a wake-up call from the ghost of his late Uncle (Douglas), the hard-partying, legendary ladies man upon whose exploits he has modeled his lifestyle. The Uncle has an urgent message for his protege, which he delivers through the ghosts of the younger man's jilted girlfriends (Garner, amoung many, many others)--past, present and future--who take him on a revealing and hilarious odyssey through a lifetime of failed relationships.

If formula romantic comedies are what you want, boy, does this one deliver. There's no doubt where this film is going right from the start. The cast is very good, especially Garner, although Douglas is basically wasted in this film. There were a few teen aged girls in the auditorium when I watched this and they giggled constantly throughout, if that tells you what you're in for. While I think you'll forget this one fifteen minutes after seeing, it is enjoyable while you're watching. It will be just as good at home from a DVD if that's your preference.

X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE ***½

Directed by Gavin Hood, this Sci-Fi/Action/Thriller stars: Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Ryan Reynolds, Taylor Kitsch, Will.i.am, Danny Huston, Lynn Collins. Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence, and some partial nudity. Running time is one hour and forty-seven minutes.

The story of Wolverine's (Jackman) epically violent and romantic past, his complex relationship with Victor Creed (Schreiber), and the ominous Weapon X program. Along the way, Wolverine encounters many mutants, both familiar and new, including surprise appearances by several legends of the X-Men universe whose appearances in the film series have long been anticipated.

For those who enjoy sci-fi action, this is about as good as it gets. The running time seems just right, the CGI effects are impressive, there's plenty of action, a fair amount of humor, and even some romance. I'm not a comic book fan but I've watched this film twice and enjoyed it each time. This will be much more impressive in a large theatre with good sound. If you're one of those who go racing for the exit at the sign of the first credit you should know there is one additional scene in the middle of the credits and another at the very end of the film. The last one you will find interesting.

Worthwhile (or not), 5/01/09

Here's MetaCritic's numerical rank of this week's films (xx/100 - the higher the number, the better the critics liked the film). I've seen two of the three new films for this week and there's no way I'm agreeing with the MetaCritic ratings. I found X-MEN to be very entertaining and GHOSTS slightly less so but still satisfying. BATTLE is the one I haven't seen and I suspect that will also be the reaction of the viewing public although the 3-D theatres may prove me wrong. My reviews of GHOSTS and X-MEN will be posted later today.

54 Battle for Terra,
38 Ghosts of Girlfriends Past,
42 X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Click on the title links to see if the ratings change as more reviews come in, and to read your favorite national critic's review.