Opening 6/30-7/2/10

For Wichita show times select a theatre at the end of each synopsis. For most other cities, select any theatre below a synopsis or review and enter other town/state below "Change Location", press enter. Next times, just press change. Friday times appear Wednesdays.

Opens Wednesday

TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE [PG-13] 2 hrs. 4 min. Drama/Romance/Thriller Watch Preview Cast: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ashley Greene, Billy Burke, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser, Nikki Reed, Kellan Lutz, Jackson Rathbone, Dakota Fanning. Plot: Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger as Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob — knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Northrock 14, Starlite Drive-In, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

Opens Thursday

THE LAST AIRBENDER 2D & 3D [PG] 1 hr. 43 min. Action/Fantasy Watch Preview Cast: Noah Ringer, Nicola Peltz, Jackson Rathbone, Dev Patel, Jessica Jade Andres, Aasif Mandvi, Shaun Toub, Cliff Curtis, Keong Sim. Plot: a young successor to a long line of Avatars puts his childhood ways aside to stop a century old war. Based on the hugely successful Nickelodeon animated TV series. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Northrock 14, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

Leaving, 6/29-30, 7/1/2010

Derby Plaza - Jonah Hex, Shrek Forever After, A-Team
Movie Machine - (Tue)-Marmaduke, Shrek Forever After; (Wed)-A-Team
Northrock 14 -
Palace West - (Fri)-Oceans, Alice In Wonderland, Nightmare On Elm Street
Starlite Drive-In - (Tue)-Marmaduke
Warren East 13th - (Tue)-Please Give, Shrek Forever After, Iron Man 2, Jonah Hex, City Island, Marmaduke; (Wed)-nothing
Warren Old Town - (Tue)-Karate Kid; (Wed)-Jonah Hex, Get Him To The Greek, Killers
Warren West 21st - (Tue)-Killers, Iron Man 2, Get Him To The Greek; (Wed)-Jonah Hex

HARRY BROWN **

Daniel Barber directed this Crime/Thriller. Watch Preview Cast: Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, Iain Glen, Jack O'Connell, Liam Cunningham, Amy Steel. Rated R for strong violence and language throughout, drug use and sexual content. Running time is one hour and forty-three minutes.

A modest, law abiding widower's (Caine) only companion and best friend is killed by violent teenagers, causing him to reach his breaking point and seek revenge.A police inspector (Mortimer) figures out Harry's role but is hampered by the legal system and lack of evidence.

It's nice to see Caine in a movie again. While he does a fine job, he's  hampered by a plot that never lets the viewer get really involved. Mortimer is an excellent actress in a role that leaves her with almost no personality. We know there's a back-story to her part, the reason she's doing gang policing, but we never find out what it is. If you're looking for a Charles Bronson DEATH WISH film, you'll be disappointed. Caine is good, and this film is worth watching for that fact alone, but it should have been better.Theatres/Times

KNIGHT AND DAY ***

James Mangold directed this Action/Comedy. Watch Preview Cast: Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Peter Sarsgaard, Viola Davis, Paul Dano, Maggie Grace, Marc Blucas. Rated PG-13 for sequences of action violence throughout, and brief strong language. Running time is one hour and fifty minutes.

A chance encounter thrusts a woman (Diaz) and a charming but lethal operative (Cruise) into a series of adventures across the globe. As if dodging assassins and uncovering world-changing secrets weren't enough, she must also figure out if he is a good guy, a traitor (or is Sarsgaard the traitor) – or just plain crazy.

My wife and I watched this and both of us enjoyed it. The pacing is good, the action is virtually continuous, there are plenty of laughs, and both the leads are likable and have good screen chemistry. It won't win any  awards and isn't going to be on anyone's top fifty list, but if you're looking for a couple of hours of enjoyable film entertainment, this fits the bill nicely. Interestingly enough, Wichita is mentioned several times and there are scenes purporting to be the Wichita airport, but our airport never looked this good. At  one time the film was supposed to be titled Wichita, but since most of the action occurs elsewhere, that name didn't last long. Theatres/Times.

Worthwhile (or not), 6/25/2010

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 these and think the average patron will enjoy KNIGHT AND DAY and consider HARRY BROWN interesting, if flawed. I couldn't bring myself to see GROWN UPS and I suspect this rating is right on the mark.

30 Grown Ups,
54 Harry Brown,
47 Knight and Day

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  HARRY BROWN and KNIGHT AND DAY will be posted after 4:30 pm today (Friday).

For Wichita show times select a theatre at the end of each synopsis. For most other cities, select any theatre below a synopsis or review and enter other town/state below "Change Location", press enter. Next times, just press change. Friday times appear Wednesdays.

Opens 6/23

KNIGHT AND DAY [PG-13] 1 hr. 49 min. Action/Comedy Watch Preview Cast: Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Peter Sarsgaard, Viola Davis, Paul Dano, Maggie Grace, Marc Blucas. Plot: a chance encounter thrusts a woman and a charming but lethal operative into a series of adventures across the globe. As if dodging assassins and uncovering world-changing secrets weren't enough, she must also figure out if he is a good guy, a traitor – or just plain crazy. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Northrock 14, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

Opens 6/25

GROWN UPS [PG-13] 1 hr. 43 min. Comedy Watch Preview Cast: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, David Spade, Salma Hayek, Maria Bello, Maya Rudolph. Plot: five friends and former teammates reunite years later to honor the passing of their childhood basketball coach. With their wives (Salma Hayek, Maria Bello, Maya Rudolph) and kids in tow, they spend the Fourth of July holiday weekend together at the lake house where they celebrated their championship years earlier. Picking up where they left off, they discover why growing older doesn't mean growing up. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Northrock 14, Starlite Drive-In, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

HARRY BROWN [R] 1 hr. 43 min. Crime/Thriller Watch Preview Cast: Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, Iain Glen, Jack O'Connell, Liam Cunningham, Amy Steel. Plot: a modest, law abiding citizen's only companion and best friend is killed by violent teenagers, causing him to reach his breaking point and seek revenge. Showing at: Warren East.

Leaving, 6/24/2010

Derby Plaza -Killers, Marmaduke
Movie Machine - nothing
Northrock 14 -
Palace West - Diary Of  A Wimpy Kid, Kick Ass
Starlite Drive-In -
Warren East 13th - Date Night, Letters To Juliet
Warren Old Town - nothing
Warren West 21st - Date Night, Letters To Juliet, Shrek Forever After

JONAH HEX *½

Jimmy Hayward directed this Action film. Watch Preview Cast: Josh Brolin, John Malkovich, Megan Fox, Will Arnett, Michael Shannon, Michael Fassbender. PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, disturbing images, and sexual content/nudity. Running time is one hour and twenty-three minutes.

Based on the legendary graphic novel, "Jonah Hex" (Brolin) is an adventure thriller about one man's personal quest for redemption, and revenge against the man who murdered his family (Malkovich). Set just after the Civil War it also features Megan Fox as a prostitute/girlfriend.

Not being a comic book fan I'm not familiar with the source material for this film. For me, this was far too much comic book and not nearly enough believable movie. Unless you're a real fan of the comic it's hard for me to imagine you'd find much to like in the film. You're certainly not going to care for any of the characters, all of them are unlikeable, so there's no one to root for or care about. Production values and the acting are fine but I don't believe there'll be much of an audience for this one. If you've been longing for a Western, this isn't it! Theatres/Times.

Worthwhile (or not), 6/18/2010

Here's MetaCritic's numerical rank of this week's films (xx/100 - the higher the number, the better the critics liked the film). HEX is for the 18+ male, comic book crowd; GIVE is for the art film/drama crowd; and TOY is for everyone else. I watched just a few moments of TOY but the 3D looked very good.

32 Jonah Hex,
78 Please Give,
90 Toy Story 3

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  JONAH HEX will be posted after 4:30 pm today (Friday).

Opening, 6/18/2010

For Wichita show times select a theatre at the end of each synopsis. For most other cities, select any theatre below a synopsis or review and enter other town/state below "Change Location", press enter. Next times, just press change. Friday times appear Wednesdays.

JONAH HEX [PG-13] 1 hr. 23 min. Action Watch Preview Cast: Josh Brolin, John Malkovich, Megan Fox, Will Arnett, Michael Shannon, Michael Fassbender. Plot: based on the legendary graphic novel, "Jonah Hex" is an epic adventure thriller about one man's personal quest for redemption against the vast canvas of the battle between good and evil. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Northrock 14, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

PLEASE GIVE [R] 1 hr. 30 min. Comedy/Drama Watch Preview Cast: Catherine Keener, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt, Rebecca Hall, Sarah Steel, Ann Guilbert. Plot: a couple (Catherine Keener, Oliver Platt) and their teenage daughter purchase the apartment next door in order to expand their two bedroom Manhattan apartment. Their only problem is the old cranky lady living in it, and that they've got to wait for her to die. Showing at: Warren East.

TOY STORY 3 2D/3D [G] 1 hr. 43 min. Animated/Comedy Watch Preview Cast (voices of): Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Don Rickles, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Estelle Harris, John Morris, Laurie Metcalf, R. Lee Ermey, Jodi Benson, Ned Beatty, Michael Keaton, Timothy Dalton, Jeff Garlin, Bonnie Hunt, Whoopi Goldberg, Kristen Schaal, Blake Clark. Plot: as Andy prepares to depart for college, Buzz, Woody and the rest of his loyal toys are troubled about their uncertain future. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Northrock 14, Starlite Drive-In, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West. 

Leaving, 6/17/2010

Derby Plaza - Prince Of Persia: Sands Of Time, Get Him To The Greek
Movie Machine - Prince Of Persia: Sands Of Time
Northrock 14 -
Palace West - The Losers
Starlite Drive-In -Shrek Forever After
Warren East 13th - nothing
Warren Old Town - Shrek Forever After 3D, Sex And The City 2
Warren West 21st - Shrek Forever After 3D

THE A-TEAM **½

Joe Carnahan directed this Action film Watch Preview Cast: Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Sharlto Copley, Jessica Biel, Patrick Wilson, Brian Bloom, Gerald McRaney. Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence throughout, language and smoking. Running time is one hour and fifty-eight minutes.

The daring exploits of a colorful team of former Special Forces soldiers (Neeson, Cooper, Jackson and Copley) who have been set up for a crime they did not commit. Going "rogue," they utilize their unique talents to try and clear their names and find the true culprit. That's easier said than done since the C.I.A. is involved (Wilson) as well as a "black ops" leader (Bloom) and a former girlfriend of one of the team members (Biel).

If you rated films by the number of explosions per minute and body count, this would be a ten star film. Action fans will find this one most entertaining while non-action fans will no doubt be appalled.  Production values are good and the cast does their roles in stellar fashion. It was nice to see Biel, it's too bad we don't see her more often. The plot's a little silly but since this is all about action that's a minor point. There's absolutely nothing memorable about this film but if you decide to go be sure and see it in a large theatre with good sound. Theatres/Times

THE KARATE KID **

Harald Zwart directed this Family/Action film Watch Preview Cast: Jackie Chan, Jaden Smith, Taraji P. Henson. Rated PG for bullying, martial arts action violence and some mild language. Running time is two hours and twenty minutes.

12-year-old Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) could've been the most popular kid in Detroit, but his mother's (Taraji P. Henson) latest career move has landed him in China. With few friends in a strange land and a bully who dislikes him, Dre has nowhere to turn but maintenance man Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), who is secretly a master of kung fu.

This film has a lot going for it: a good cast and story and location filming in Beijing. Unfortunately, it also has a huge negative, at least 30 minutes, possibly 60, of unnecessary travelogue footage and meaningless side plots that add absolutely nothing to the film's enjoyment. If you could limit your viewing to the last 30 minutes, this could easily be a *** or ***½ film but the interminable first two hours dragged my rating down substantially. Unfortunately, as edited it's a film certain to make all but the most stoic restless in short order. And "I pity the fool" who has to take a group of kids to see it...you'll really have your work cut out with constant bathroom and concession stand requests. If ever there was a film that cried out for an intermission or two, this is it. Theatres/Times

Worthwhile (or not), 6/11/2010

Here's MetaCritic's numerical rank of this week's films (xx/100 - the higher the number, the better the critics liked the film). A-Team certainly isn't going to win any awards but it will keep you awake and entertained for a couple of hours. Karate Kid will provide you with a nice dark, cool place to take a nap. City Island looks like just the thing for drama fans.

46 A-Team, The,
66 City Island,
60 Karate Kid, 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  THE A-TEAM and THE KARATE KID will be posted after 4:30 pm today (Friday).

Opening, 6/11/2010

For Wichita show times select a theatre at the end of each synopsis. For most other cities, select any theatre below a synopsis or review and enter other town/state below "Change Location", press enter. Next times, just press change. Friday times appear Wednesdays.

THE A-TEAM [PG-13] 1 hr. 58 min. Action Watch Preview Cast: Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Sharlto Copley, Jessica Biel, Patrick Wilson, Gerald McRane. Plot: the exciting and daring exploits of a colorful team of former Special Forces soldiers who have been set up for a crime they did not commit. Going "rogue," they utilize their unique talents to try and clear their names and find the true culprit.
Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Northrock 14, Starlite Drive-In, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

CITY ISLAND [PG-13] 1 hr. 40 min. Comedy/Drama Watch Preview Cast: Andy Garcia, Julianna Margulies, Steven Strait, Emily Mortimer, Alan Arkin. Plot: a family's comfortable co-existence is upended by surprising revelations of past secrets and present day lies. Showing at: Warren East.
 
THE KARATE KID [PG] 2 hrs. 20 min. Action Watch Preview Cast: Jackie Chan, Jaden Smith, Taraji P. Henson. Plot: 12-year-old Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) could've been the most popular kid in Detroit, but his mother's (Taraji P. Henson) latest career move has landed him in China. With no friends in a strange land, Dre has nowhere to turn but maintenance man Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), who is secretly a master of kung fu. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Northrock 14, Starlite Drive-In, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

Leaving, 6/10/2010

Derby Plaza -Iron Man 2, Sex And The City 2
Movie Machine - Sex And The City 2, Iron Man 2
Northrock 14 -
Palace West - The Ghost Writer, Hot Tub Time Machine, Why Did I Get Married Too, Percy Jackson & The Olympians, Book Of Eli
Starlite Drive-In - Robin Hood
Warren East 13th - Just Wright
Warren Old Town - Prince Of Persia, Iron Man 2
Warren West 21st - MacGruber

KILLERS **½

Robert Luketic  directed this Action/Comedy Watch Preview Cast: Ashton Kutcher, Katherine Heigl, Tom Selleck, Catherine O’Hara, Katheryn Winnick, Kevin Sussman, Lisa Ann Walter, Casey Wilson, Rob Riggle, Martin Mull, Alex Borstein. Rated PG-13 for violent action, sexual material and language. Running time is one hour and fifty-minutes.

Recovering from a sudden break-up, Jen (Katherine Heigl) believes she'll never fall in love again. But on a trip to the French Riviera with her parents (Tom Selleck and Catherine O'Hara), she  meets the man of her dreams, the dashing, handsome Spencer (Ashton Kutcher). Three years later, she and Spencer are newlyweds living the ideal suburban life –  until the morning when bullets start flying. Literally.

This is another of those films where the plot becomes evident immediately. That doesn't stop it from being enjoyable as the film then becomes more about cast quality, screen chemistry and production values. All of those are just fine in my opinion although I suspect this will be more enjoyable for the over 30 crowd. There's enough action for men and enough romance for women to make this a perfectly acceptable date or couples event. You won't be joining discussion groups about this film but it's enjoyable while you're watching. Theatres/Times.

GET HIM TO THE GREEK **½

Nicholas Stoller  directed this Comedy Watch Preview Cast: Jonah Hill, Russell Brand, Rose Byrne, Sean Combs, Elisabeth Moss. Rated R for strong sexual content and drug use throughout, and pervasive language. Running time is one hour and forty-nine minutes.

A record company intern (Jonah Hill) has two days to drag an uncooperative rock legend (Russell Brand) to Hollywood for a comeback concert. His boss (Sean Combs) makes it clear he's to do whatever it takes to accomplish the task, illegal or not. Both men have complicated love lives (Hill with Moss and Brand with Byrne).

I suspect you have to be fully appreciative of the "sex, drugs and rock-n-roll" culture to derive maximum enjoyment from this film. It does have its funny moments and the ending is actually sweet, but there's a lot in the middle that got pretty tiresome for me. Believe the R rating and if you're easily offended by language or nudity, don't even consider it. The under 30 crowd will enjoy this much more than those over that age although I watched this with a younger crowd who didn't laugh as much as I thought they might. Production values and acting are good although I was surprised by Byrne's character since I'm so used to seeing her in Damages in which she plays a completely different type of character. Whether or not you'll enjoy this is all about the age of your attitude. Theatres/Times.

Worthwhile (or not), 6/4/2010

Here's MetaCritic's numerical rank of this week's films (xx/100 - the higher the number, the better the critics liked the film). GREEK is aimed at those under 30; KILLERS at those over 30; MARMADUKE at those under 10; and SPLICE for Sci-Fi/Horror fans who'd like something more substantial than the usual slasher fare.

65 Get Him to the Greek,
xx Killers,
29 Marmaduke,

65 Splice

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  GET HIM TO THE GREEK and KILLERS will be posted after 4:30 pm today (Friday).

Opening, 6/4/2010

For Wichita show times select a theatre at the end of each synopsis. For most other cities, select any theatre below a synopsis or review and enter other town/state below "Change Location", press enter. Next times, just press change. Friday times appear Wednesdays.

GET HIM TO THE GREEK [R] 1 hr. 49 min. Comedy Watch Preview Cast: Jonah Hill, Russell Brand, Rose Byrne, Sean Combs, Elisabeth Moss. Plot: a record company intern has two days to drag an uncooperative rock legend to Hollywood for a comeback concert.Showing at: Derby Plaza, Northrock 14, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

KILLERS [PG-13] 1 hr. 40 min. Action/Comedy Watch Preview Cast: Ashton Kutcher, Katherine Heigl, Tom Selleck, Catherine O’Hara, Katheryn Winnick, Kevin Sussman, Lisa Ann Walter, Casey Wilson, Rob Riggle, Martin Mull, Alex Borstein. Plot: recovering from a sudden break-up, Jen (Katherine Heigl) believes she'll never fall in love again. But on a trip to the French Riviera, she  meets the man of her dreams, the dashing, handsome Spencer (Ashton Kutcher). Three years later, she and Spencer are newlyweds living the ideal suburban life –  until the morning when bullets start flying. Literally.Showing at: Derby Plaza, Northrock 14, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

MARMADUKE [PG] 1 hr. 40 min. Family Comedy Watch Preview Cast: Owen Wilson, Lee Pace, Judy Greer, William H. Macy, Steve Coogan, Sam Elliott, Fergie, George Lopez, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Emma Stone, Kiefer Sutherland, Marlon Wayans. Plot: the "Duke" is living large in Orange County, California. But fitting in with his new four-legged friends – and a potential romantic interest -- isn't always easy for a super-sized teenage dog. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Northrock 14, Warren East, Warren West.

SPLICE [R] 1 hr. 44 min.Sci-Fi Horror Watch Preview Cast: Adrien Brody, Sarah Polley, Delphine Chaneac. Plot: two superstars of the genetic engineering world decide to use human DNA in a new hybrid – something that could yield astronomical medical benefits. The result is Dren: an amazing creature who exceeds their wildest dreams... and, ultimately, their most terrifying nightmare. Showing at: Northrock 14, Warren East, Warren West.

Leaving, 6/3/2010

Derby Plaza - Letters To Juliet, Robin Hood, MacGruber
Movie Machine - Robin Hood
Northrock 14 -
Palace West - She'sOut Of My League, Spy Next Door
Starlite Drive-In - Open Weekends Only
Warren East 13th - Nightmare On Elm Street, MacGruber
Warren Old Town - MacGruber, Robin Hood
Warren West 21st - Back-Up Plan, Nightmare On Elm Street