Opening 7/1/09

For show times select your theatre under the SHOWIMES AT: header in the left column.

ICE AGE: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS [PG] 2-D and 3-D 1 hr. 34 min. Animated/Family/Comedy/Adventure Trailer Cast: Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Simon Pegg, Queen Latifah. Plot: The sub-zero heroes are back, on an incredible adventure...for the ages. The gang ventures into a mysterious underground world, where they have some close encounters with dinosaurs, battle flora and fauna run amuck - and meet a relentless, one-eyed, dino-hunting weasel named Buck. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Northrock 14, Starlite Drive-In, 13th Avenue Warren, Warren Old Town, 21st Street Warren.

PUBLIC ENEMIES [R] 2 hrs. 11 min. Action/Thriller Trailer Cast: Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard, Giovanni Ribisi, Billy Crudup, Stephen Dorff, Rory Cochrane, Stephen Lang, David Wenham, Stephen Graham, Channing Tatum, Jason Clarke. Plot: the story of legendary Depression-era outlaw John Dillinger—the charismatic bank robber whose lightning raids made him the number one target of J. Edgar Hoover's fledgling FBI and its top agent, Melvin Purvis, and a folk hero to much of the downtrodden public. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Northrock 14, 13th Avenue Warren, Warren Old Town, 21st Street Warren.

Opens Friday, July 3

WHATEVER WORKS [PG-13] 1 hr. 32 min. Comedy/Romance Trailer Cast: Larry David, Evan Rachel Wood, Ed Begley Jr., Patricia Clarkson, Henry Cavill, Kristen Johnston, Michael McKean. Plot: In Woody Allen's latest film an eccentric New Yorker abandons his upper class life to lead a more bohemian existence. He meets a young girl from the South and her family, and no two people seem to get along in the entanglements that follow. Showing at: 13th Avenue Warren exclusively.

Leaving 6/30/09

Derby Plaza - Year One, The Hangover
Movie Machine - Year One, Night At The Museum 2
Northrock 14 - Drag Me To Hell, Land Of The Lost, Imagine That, Star Trek
Palace West - Race To Witch Mountain, Knowing
Starlite Drive-In - Land Of The Lost, Hangover, Terminator: Salvation
Warren East 13th - Easy Virtue, Drag Me To Hell, Terminator: Salvation, Imagine That, Angels & Demons, Land Of The Lost
Warren Old Town - The Taking Of Pelham 1-2-3
Warren West 21st - Angels & Demons, Terminator: Salvation, Star Trek, Land Of The Lost

AWAY WE GO **½

Sam Mendes directed this Comedy/Drama which features: John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph, Jeff Daniels, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Allison Janney, Chris Messina, Catherine O’Hara, Paul Schneider, Carmen Ejogo, Jim Gaffigan, Josh Hamilton, Melanie Lynskey. Rated R for language and some sexual content. Running time is one hour and thirty-eight minutes.

Follows the journey of an expectant couple (Krasinski and Rudolph) as they travel the U.S. in search of the perfect place to put down roots and raise their family. Along the way, they have misadventures and find fresh connections with an assortment of relatives and old friends.

I enjoyed this film although several who watched it with me did not...so you might take that into consideration. Probably the biggest problem with it is the pacing. This is a slow moving film and many will be bored by that fact. I was so captivated by the various characters, especially Gyllenhaal and Janney, the pacing didn't bother me. And something rather unusual for a movie these days happened, I actually got to like the two main characters and got involved in their search. Krasinski and especially Rudolph are superb in their roles. Rudolph surprised me by the depth of her performance since I am only familiar with her from her SNL days. This film can be appreciated as much on a small screen as on a large one in case you'd rather wait for the DVD.

TRANSFORMERS:REVENGE OF THE FALLEN **

Michael Bay directed this Action/Sci-Fi pic which stars: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Kevin Dunn, Julie White, John Benjamin Hickey, Ramon Rodriguez, Isabel Lucas, John Turturro. Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action violence, language, some crude and sexual material, and brief drug material. Running time is two hours and thirty minutes.

Sam Witwicky (LaBeouf) again joins with the Autobots® against their sworn enemies, the Decepticons® accompanied by his girlfriend, Mikaela (Fox).

For me, the trouble with this film is summed up by the preceding paragraph. That is the plot. Period. If you want to watch Transformers fight other Transformers for 2½ hours with very little meaningful acting from real people...this is your film. The computer graphics are outstanding as is Megan Fox, but I can only watch so much of the same thing before getting bored, and that's what happened to me about 30 minutes into this movie. This film will do huge business, although I think it's attendance will plummet in a couple of weeks, because the teen crowd will not be bored. If you are planning on seeing it, do so in a theatre with a large screen and good sound. This isn't going to be pretty on a TV.

Here's MetaCritic's numerical rank of this week's films (xx/100 - the higher the number, the better the critics liked the film). Quite a range of pics this week; ranging from a low key comedy/drama, to a maudlin tearjerker, and finally to an action flic only a teen could love.

57 Away We Go,
51 My Sister's Keeper,
36 Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

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. This week I've reviewed AWAY WE GO and TRANSFORMERS 2.

Opening 6/26/09

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

TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN opens Wed. See last weeks Opening for details.

AWAY WE GO [R] 1 hr. 40 min. Comedy/Drama Trailer Cast: John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph, Jeff Daniels, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Allison Janney, Chris Messina, Catherine O’Hara, Paul Schneider, Carmen Ejogo, Jim Gaffigan, Josh Hamilton, Melanie Lynskey. Plot: follows the journey of an expectant couple as they travel the U.S. in search of the perfect place to put down roots and raise their family. Along the way, they have misadventures and find fresh connections with an assortment of relatives and old friends. Showing at: 13th Avenue Warren.

MY SISTER'S KEEPER [PG-13] 1 hr. 49 min. Drama Trailer Cast: Cameron Diaz, Abigail Breslin, Alec Baldwin, Jason Patric, Sofia Vassilieva, Joan Cusack. Plot:a couple's life with their young son and their two-year-old daughter, Kate, is forever altered when they learn that Kate has leukemia. The parents' only hope is to conceive another child, specifically intended to save Kate's life. For some, such genetic engineering would raise both moral and ethical questions; for the couple, there is no choice but to do whatever it takes to keep Kate alive. And what it takes is Anna. Problems arise when Anna, now 11, says "no" and hires her own lawyer. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Northrock 14, 13th Avenue Warren, 21st Street Warren.

Leaving 6/(23), 25/09

Derby Plaza - The Taking Of Pelham 1-2-3
Movie Machine - (Imagine That), nothing
Northrock 14 - (Star Trek, Terminator: Salvation), Dance Flick, My Life In Ruins
Palace West - (nothing), Sunshine Cleaning, State Of Play, Fighting, The Haunting In Connecticut
Starlite Drive-In - Night At The Museum 2, Up
Warren East 13th - (My Life In Ruins, Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past), Easy Virtue
Warren Old Town - (Terminator: Salvation), nothing
Warren West 21st - (My Life In Ruins, Drag Me To Hell), Imagine That

EASY VIRTUE ***

Stephan Elliott both co-wrote and directed this Noel Coward 1920's comedy which stars: Jessica Biel, Ben Barnes, Kristin Scott Thomas, Colin Firth, Kimberley Nixon, and Katherine Parkinson. Rated PG-13 for sexual content, brief partial nudity, and smoking throughout. Running time is one hour and thirty-seven minutes.

A young Englishman (Barnes) falls madly in love with a sexy and glamorous American woman (Biel), and they marry impetuously. However, when the couple returns to the family home, his mother (Scott Thomas) has an instant allergic reaction to her new daughter-in-law. A battle of wits ensues and sparks soon fly. Also in the fray are the husband's wallflower sisters (Nixon and Parkinson) and father (Firth).

If you watch a lot of BBC and/or love British dramas, this is a film you won't want to miss. Filmed entirely in England, the photography is superb and the scenery and homes are stunning. This is a little more than your typical Comedy Of Manners as it covers how lives were negatively impacted by the First World War. I was expecting it to be funnier than it is although it has several very humorous moments and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The ending came as a surprise although it was appropriate. It's worth seeing on a large screen just to enjoy the English vistas and estates but the drama itself will also lend itself well to a TV screen. If you stick around for the first half of the credits you'll get a musical introduction to the members of the orchestra which provided some great 20's background music.

THE PROPOSAL **½

Anne Fletcher directed this comedy/romance which stars: Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Malin Akerman, Craig T. Nelson, Mary Steenburgen, Oscar Nuñez, and Betty White. Rated PG-13 for sexual content, nudity and language. Running time is one hour and forty-seven minutes.

When a high-powered book editor (Bullock) faces deportation to her native Canada, she declares she's actually engaged to her unsuspecting, put-upon assistant (Reynolds), whom she's tormented for years. He agrees to participate in the charade, but with a few conditions of his own, like visiting his family (Nelson, Steenburgen and White) and friends (Akerman and Nuñez) in Sitka, Alaska.

You'll have to suspend belief in the realistic to make this plot work but if you can do that it's an enjoyable if predictable romantic comedy. Bullock, who's never afraid to make fun of herself, is very good in her role as is Reynolds in his. As usual, White comes close to stealing the show with another of her over-the-top characters. The rest of the supporting cast is also top notch. This will not go on your list of all time greats but it will provide a couple of hours of enjoyment. By the way, the nudity is nothing to get concerned about as it's not explicit. A big screen isn't going to add much but watching with a large audience will.

Worthwhile (or not), 6/19/09

Here's MetaCritic's numerical rank of this week's films (xx/100 - the higher the number, the better the critics liked the film). This weekend your choices are between a Noel Coward 20's British comedy, a contemporary romantic comedy, and a Jack Black comedy. I watched the first two and enjoyed them both.

60 Easy Virtue,
50 Proposal, The,
41 Year One

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 review of THE PROPOSAL is available now and my review of EASY VIRTUE will post Friday at 4:30 pm.

Opening 6/19/09

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

EASY VIRTUE [PG-13] 1 hr. 33 min. Comedy/Romance Trailer Cast: Jessica Biel, Ben Barnes, Kristin Scott Thomas, Colin Firth, Kimberley Nixon, Katherine Parkinson, Kris Marshall, Christian Brassington, Charlotte Riley, Jim McManus, Pip Torrens. Plot: a young Englishman falls madly in love with a sexy and glamorous American woman, and they marry impetuously. However, when the couple returns to the family home, his mother has an instant allergic reaction to her new daughter-in-law. A battle of wits ensues and sparks soon fly. Showing at: 13th Avenue Warren.

THE PROPOSAL [PG-13] 1 hr. 48 min. Comedy Trailer Cast: Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Malin Akerman, Craig T. Nelson, Mary Steenburgen, Denis O'Hare, Betty White. Plot: when a high-powered book editor faces deportation to her native Canada, she declares she's actually engaged to her unsuspecting, put-upon assistant, whom she's tormented for years. He agrees to participate in the charade, but with a few conditions of his own. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Northrock 14, 13th Avenue Warren, Warren Old Town, 21st Street Warren.

YEAR ONE [PG-13] 1 hr. 37 min. Comedy/Adventure Trailer Cast: Jack Black, Michael Cera, Oliver Platt, David Cross, Hank Azaria, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Vinnie Jones, Juno Temple, Olivia Wilde, June Raphael. Plot: a couple of lazy hunter-gatherers are banished from their primitive village and set off on an epic journey through the ancient world. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Northrock 14, Starlite Drive-In, 13th Avenue Warren, Warren Old Town, 21st Street Warren.

Starts Wednesday, 6/24

TRANSFORMERS:REVENGE OF THE FALLEN [PG-13] 2 hrs. 27 minutes Action/Sci-Fi Trailer Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Kevin Dunn, Julie White, John Benjamin Hickey, Ramon Rodriguez, Isabel Lucas, John Turturro. Plot: Sam Witwicky again joins with the Autobots® against their sworn enemies, the Decepticons®. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Northrock 14, 13th Avenue Warren, Warren Old Town, 21st Street Warren.

Leaving 6/18/09

Derby Plaza - Star Trek
Movie Machine - Land Of The Lost, Star Trek, Terminator: Salvation
Northrock 14 -
Palace West - Next Day Air
Starlite Drive-In - Star Trek, Drag Me To Hell
Warren East 13th - The Soloist, X-Men Origins: Wolverine,
Warren Old Town - Star Trek
Warren West 21st - X-Men Origins: Wolverine

THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1-2-3 ***

Director Tony Scott helmed this action thriller which stars: Denzel Washington, John Travolta, John Turturro, and James Gandolfini. Rated R for violence and pervasive language. Running time is one hour and forty-six minutes.

A New York City subway dispatcher's (Washington) ordinary day is thrown into chaos by an audacious crime: the hijacking of a subway train. The criminal mastermind (Travolta) threatens to execute the train's passengers unless a large ransom is paid within one hour. The dispatcher employs his vast knowledge of the subway system in a battle to save the hostages, aided by a crisis negotiator (Turturro) and the mayor of NYC Gandolfini).

Although I'm sure I saw the 1974 version of this film, I have no recollection of it. Those who do I've talked to tell me this version is better. I'll take their word on that although I didn't find this film to be completely satisfying. The direction and cast this time around are superb, keeping you involved from start to finish. Turturro especially didn't seem as creepy or weird as he sometimes is. But the actions of Travolta's character at the end left me puzzled and, frankly, made no sense to me. Still, considering the overall impact that's a relatively minor complaint. This is a film you definitely want to see on a large screen in a theatre with very good sound.

IMAGINE THAT ***

Karey Kirkpatrick directed this family comedy which stars: Eddie Murphy, Thomas Haden Church, Yara Shahidi, Nicole Ari Parker, Ronny Cox, and Martin Sheen. Rated PG for some mild language and brief questionable behavior. Running time is one hour and fifty-six minutes.

A successful financial executive (Murphy) has more time for his blackberry than his seven-year-old daughter (Shahidi). When he has a crisis of confidence (caused by Church) and his career starts going down the drain, he finds the solution to all his problems in his daughter's imaginary world.

Imagine my surprise when I found I was actually enjoying an Eddie Murphy movie. That hasn't happened in awhile. He was hilarious on SNL years ago but success has seemed to severely muffle his comedic talents. He's not a laugh riot in this one but he does have his amusing moments. The real scene stealer is Shahidi, who is note perfect as his daughter. The real winner in this movie is its message about the importance and strength of families. And, it manages to present that message in an entertaining manner that should please every family attending. The big screen isn't going to add much to this film although watching it with an appreciative audience should.

Worthwhile (or not), 6/12/09

Here's MetaCritic's numerical rank of this week's films (xx/100 - the higher the number, the better the critics liked the film). This weekend your choices are between a comedy aimed at families, and a remake of an action thriller that should prove satisfying for the younger crowd, especially males. I personally think both of these films are slightly better than their national numbers would indicate.

54 Imagine That,
58 Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, The

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 IMAGINE THAT and THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1-2-3 will post Friday at 4:30 pm.

Opening 6/12/09

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

IMAGINE THAT [PG] 1 hr. 47 min. Comedy/Fantasy Trailer Cast: Eddie Murphy, Thomas Haden Church, Yara Shahidi, Nicole Ari Parker, Ronny Cox, Martin Sheen. Plot: a successful financial executive has more time for his blackberry than his seven-year-old daughter. When he has a crisis of confidence and his career starts going down the drain, however, he finds the solution to all his problems in his daughter's imaginary world. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Northrock 14, 13th Avenue Warren, 21st Street Warren.

THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1-2-3 [R] 1 hr. 46 min. Action/Thriller Trailer Cast: Denzel Washington, John Travolta, John Turturro, Luis Guzman, Michael Rispoli, James Gandolfini. Plot: a New York City subway dispatcher's ordinary day is thrown into chaos by an audacious crime: the hijacking of a subway train. The criminal mastermind threatens to execute the train's passengers unless a large ransom is paid within one hour. The dispatcher employs his vast knowledge of the subway system in a battle to save the hostages. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Northrock 14, 13th Avenue Warren, Warren Old Town, 21st Street Warren.

Sneak Preview, Saturday 6/13

THE PROPOSAL [PG-13] 1 hr. 48 min. Comedy Trailer Cast: Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Malin Akerman, Craig T. Nelson, Mary Steenburgen, Denis O'Hare, Betty White. Plot: when a high-powered book editor faces deportation to her native Canada, she declares she's actually engaged to her unsuspecting, put-upon assistant, whom she's tormented for years. He agrees to participate in the charade, but with a few conditions of his own. Showing at: 13th Avenue Warren, 21st Street Warren.

Leaving 6/11/09

Derby Plaza - Terminator: Salvation, Angels & Demons
Movie Machine - nothing
Northrock 14 - Angels & Demons, X-Men: Origins
Palace West - Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Duplicity, I Love You, Man
Starlite Drive-In - X-Men: Origins
Warren East 13th - Is Anybody There?, Dance Flick
Warren Old Town - Night At The Museum 2
Warren West 21st - Dance Flick, Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past

LAND OF THE LOST **

Brad Silberling directed this comedy/adventure starring: Will Ferrell, Danny R. McBride, Anna Friel, Jorma Taccone. Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content, and for language including a drug reference. Running time is one hour and thirty-three minutes.

A has-been scientist (Ferrell)is sent back through time with no weapons, few skills and questionable smarts to survive in an alternate universe full of marauding dinosaurs and fantastic creatures. Sucked alongside him for the adventure are his crack-smart research assistant (Friel) and a redneck survivalist (McBride). The three must rely on their only ally - a primate called Chaka (Taccone) to navigate out of the hybrid dimension.

I've always found Ferrell more annoying than funny. In this film he's a little less annoying than usual but still not very funny. This looks like an expensive film, with computer graphics that are very effective. It's just too bad there's not a decent plot to go with them. McBride and especially Friel are very good in their roles although they really don't have much to work with. I couldn't help but think as the film progressed that it would have made a very good 3D film...it looks like one, but without the depth. Ferrell fans will find this an OK film, the rest should just move on to something else and save their money.

THE HANGOVER **½

Todd Phillips directed this comedy which stars: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Heather Graham, and Justin Bartha. Rated R for pervasive language, sexual content including nudity, and some drug material. Running time is one hour and forty minutes.

Two days before his wedding, a groom (Bartha) and his three buddies (Cooper, Helms and Galifianakis) drive to Vegas for a blow-out night they'll never forget. But when the three groomsmen wake up the next morning with pounding headaches, they can't remember a thing, including the fact one of them got married during the night (to Graham). Their posh hotel suite is beyond trashed and the groom is nowhere to be found. With no clue to what happened and little time to spare, the trio must attempt to retrace their bad decisions from the night before in order to figure out where things went wrong and hopefully get back to L.A. with the groom in time for the wedding.

This certainly isn't the funniest thing I've ever seen but it is well plotted and acted. There's a lot more going on than in the usual simplistic film that passes for comedy these days. By the end, all has been explained and even makes sense, although I never did understand where the chicken came from (there's also an unexplained tiger and baby when they first wake up). The pace borders on frantic although it does make the time pass quickly. I'm guessing if you watch this with a large audience (I didn't) you'll find it even funner than I did. The only real reason for watching it in a theatre is to be with a lot of other people. If your living room holds a hundred or so, you can safely wait for the DVD.

Worthwhile (or not), 6/5/09

Here's MetaCritic's numerical rank of this week's films (xx/100 - the higher the number, the better the critics liked the film). If you want a new movie this weekend your choices are between an adult comedy aimed at males, a film version of a kids TV show that's getting terrible national reviews, and an adult romance aimed at women that's getting national reviews as bad as Ferrell's comedy.

73 Hangover, The,
34 Land Of The Lost,
34 My Life in Ruins

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 THE HANGOVER and LAND OF THE LOST will post Friday at 4:30 pm.

Opening 6/5/09

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

THE HANGOVER [R] 1 hr. 40 min. Comedy Trailer Cast: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Heather Graham, Justin Bartha, Jeffrey Tambor. Plot: two days before his wedding, a groom and his three buddies drive to Vegas for a blow-out night they'll never forget. But when the three groomsmen wake up the next morning with pounding headaches, they can't remember a thing. Their posh hotel suite is beyond trashed and the groom is nowhere to be found. With no clue of what happened and little time to spare, the trio must attempt to retrace their bad decisions from the night before in order to figure out where things went wrong and hopefully get back to L.A. with the groom in time for the wedding. Showing at: Derby Plaza, 13th Avenue Warren, Warren Old Town, 21st Street Warren.

LAND OF THE LOST [PG-13] 1 hr. 47 min. Comedy/Adventure Trailer Cast: Will Ferrell, Danny R. McBride, Anna Friel, Jorma Taccone. Plot: a has-been scientist is spat back through time with no weapons, few skills and questionable smarts to survive in an alternate universe full of marauding dinosaurs and fantastic creatures. Sucked alongside him for the adventure are his crack-smart research assistant and a redneck survivalist. The three must rely on their only ally - a primate called Chaka to navigate out of the hybrid dimension. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Starlite Drive-In, 13th Avenue Warren, 21st Street Warren.

MY LIFE IN RUINS [PG-13] 1 hr. 36 min. Comedy/Romance Trailer Cast: Nia Vardalos, Richard Dreyfuss, Maria Adanez, Sheila Bernette, Maria Botto, Rachel Dratch, Alexis Georgoulis, Ralph Nossek, Bernice Stegers, Harland Williams. Plot: a woman, discouraged by her lack of direction in life, works as a travel guide, leading a rag-tag group of tourists as she tries to show them the beauty of her native Greece while waiting to land her dream job. Opening their eyes to an exotic foreign land, she too begins to see things in new ways. Showing at: 13th Avenue Warren, 21st Street Warren.

Leaving 6/4/09

Derby Plaza - Dance Flick, X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Movie Machine - Angels & Demons
Northrock 14 -
Palace West - Observe & Report, Fired Up, Madea Goes To Jail
Starlite Drive-In - Obsessed, Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past
Warren East 13th - nothing
Warren Old Town - Angels & Demons
Warren West 21st - nothing