Opening, 4/1/11

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 Company Men [R] 1 hr. 44 min. Drama Watch Preview Cast: Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper, Kevin Costner, Tommy Lee Jones, Rosemarie DeWitt, Maria Bello, Craig T. Nelson. Plot: when corporate downsizing leaves three men (Affleck, Cooper and Jones) jobless, they are forced to re-define their lives as men, husbands, and fathers.Showing at:  Warren East.

HOP [PG] 1 hr. 35 min. Live/Animated Comedy Watch Preview Cast: James Marsden, Russell Brand, Kaley Cuoco, Hank Azaria, Gary Cole, Elizabeth Perkins, David Hasselhoff, Chelsea Handler, Hugh Laurie. Plot: on the eve of taking over the family business, the son of the Easter Bunny leaves for Hollywood in pursuit of his dream of becoming a drummer. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Northrock 14, Warren East, Warren West.

Insidious [PG-13] 1 hr. 42 min. Horror Watch Preview Cast: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye, Ty Simpkins, Barbara Hershey. Plot: a family, shortly after moving, discovers that dark spirits have possessed their home and their son has inexplicably fallen into a coma. Trying to escape the haunting and save their son, they move again only to discover it was not their house that was haunted. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Northrock 14, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

Source Code [PG-13] 1 hr. 33 min. Action/Thriller Watch Preview Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright. Plot: a decorated soldier (Jake Gyllenhaal) wakes up in the body of an unknown man and discovers he's part of a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Northrock 14, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

Leaving, 3/31/11

Derby Plaza - Paul, Red Riding Hood, Mars Needs Moms
Movie Machine - Limitless, Red Riding Hood
Northrock 14 -
Palace West - The Rite, Harry Potter 7.1
Starlite Drive-In - Open weekends only
Warren East 13th - nothing
Warren Old Town - Battle: Los Angeles, Red Riding Hood, Hall Pass
Warren West 21st - King;s Speech, I Am Number Four, Just Go With It

Sucker Punch ½

Zack Snyder directed and co-wrote this Action/Fantasy. Watch Preview Cast: Emily Browning, Vanessa Hudgens, Abbie Cornish, Jamie Chung, Jena Malone, Carla Gugino, Jon Hamm, Oscar Isaac, Scott Glenn. Rated PG-13 for thematic material involving sexuality, violence and combat sequences, and for language. Running time is one hour and forty-nine minutes.

An epic action fantasy that takes us into the vivid imagination of a young girl (Browning) whose dream world provides the ultimate escape from her darker reality. Unrestrained by the boundaries of time and place, she is free to go where her mind takes her, and her incredible adventures blur the lines between what's real and what is imaginary. Novel, poster, soundtrack.

Based on the previews I wasn't expecting much from this film but never have my low expectations been so spectacularly achieved. I can see perhaps gamers might find this attractive but anyone else attending should consider taking a lot of illegal substances before doing so to make it even marginally palatable. The plot makes no sense and indeed, director Snyder has described it as being "Alice In Wonderland with machine guns." I viewed the Imax version and the sound was grossly loud with the surround sound being painfully strident in comparison to the dialogue. That will probably be corrected but no one's going to be able to do anything about the absence of a meaningful plot (how do steam powered zombies as soldiers strike you?). My opinion is that the older patrons who read my reviews will not care for this film at all. Theatres/Times. IMAX Times.

Worthwhile (or not), 3/25/2011

MetaCritic indicates DIARY OF A WIMPY KID 2 (52) is the highest rated film for the week, followed by SUCKER PUNCH (37). I only saw one of them this week and a 37 is way more than I'd give it.  Check out the MetaCritic website for additional comments on each film. Check out Monday's Opening section below to see the previews and synopses.

My review of SUCKER PUNCH (½) will be posted after 4:30 p.m. today (Friday).

Opening, 3/25/11

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.

Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules [PG] 1 hr. 50 min. Family comedy Watch Preview Cast: Zachary Gordon, Robert Capron, Rachael Harris, Devon Bostick, Steve Zahn. Plot: in this sequel to 2010's surprise hit, based on the best-selling follow-up novel by Jeff Kinney, Greg and his older brother - and chief tormentor - Rodrick must deal with their parents' misguided attempts to have them bond. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Northrock 14, Warren East, Warren West.

Sucker Punch [PG-13] 1 hr. 50 min. Action/Fantasy Watch Preview Cast: Emily Browning, Vanessa Hudgens, Abbie Cornish, Jamie Chung, Jena Malone, Carla Gugino, Jon Hamm, Oscar Isaac, Scott Glenn. Plot: an epic action fantasy that takes us into the vivid imagination of a young girl whose dream world provides the ultimate escape from her darker reality. Unrestrained by the boundaries of time and place, she is free to go where her mind takes her, and her incredible adventures blur the lines between what's real and what is imaginary. Novel, poster, soundtrack. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Northrock 14, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

Leaving, 3/24/11

Derby Plaza - Battle: Los Angeles
Movie Machine - Battle: Los Angeles, Mars Needs Moms
Northrock 14 -
Palace West - Little Fockers, Gulliver's Travels, The Fighter
Starlite Drive-In - Open weekends only
Warren East 13th - Biutiful, Cedar Rapids
Warren Old Town - The Adjustment Bureau
Warren West 21st - Battle: Los Angeles, Unknown

Limitless ***½

Neil Burger directed this Action/Thriller. Watch Preview Cast: Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro, Abbie Cornish, Anna Friel, Tomas Arana, Andrew Howard. Rated PG-13 for thematic material involving a drug, violence including disturbing images, sexuality and language. Running time is one hour and forty-five minutes.

An unsuccessful writer's (Cooper) life is transformed by a top-secret "smart drug" that allows him to use 100% of his brain and become a perfect version of himself. His enhanced abilities soon attract shadowy forces (Howard) that threaten his new life.

 For those who like fast paced, intelligent films that give you no real clue where they're headed, this fits the bill quite nicely. Cooper plays a loser who is likable and who remains so after his intellect is enhanced. The pacing is very good, I didn't look at my watch once, and I never had a real feeling about how it all was going to end. This is definitely Cooper's picture, all of the other roles are very secondary to his. There's nothing in this film that requires a large theatre but you will probably become more involved if you watch it in one. Times/Theatres.

Paul **

Greg Mottola directed this Comedy adventure. Watch Preview Cast: Nick Frost, Simon Pegg, Seth Rogen, Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Jane Lynch, Sigourney Weaver, Joe Lo Truglio, David Koechner, Blythe Danner, John Carroll Lynch. Rated R for language including sexual references, and some drug use. Running time is one hour and forty-four minutes.

Two sci-fi geeks' (Frost, Peg) pilgrimage takes them to America's UFO heartland. While there, they accidentally meet an alien (voice of Rogen) who brings them on an insane road trip that alters their universe forever.

If you enjoyed Shaun Of The Dead or like SNL, this is a film that should appeal to you. It's not a big budget film but there are a few laughs in this mildly amusing tale. I suspect this will have more luck as a late show than as a regular feature and should be popular as a DVD. I especially enjoyed Wiig's fundamentalist Christian persona and her determination to use profanity and to fornicate (her words) after she discovered all she had been taught wasn't true. That may prove offensive to some but her attempts at profanity were some of the film's highlights. The writers, Frost and Pegg, have stuck snippets of E.T., Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, and Alien (including a visit by Sigourney Weaver) into the mix so Sci-Fans should feel right at home.There's no nudity I can recall but everything else that makes an R an R is present. Theatres/Tunes.

The Lincoln Lawyer ***½

Brad Furman directed this Crime drama. Watch Preview Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, Ryan Phillippe, Josh Lucas, John Leguizamo, Frances Fisher, Bob Gunton, Laurence Mason, Bryan Cranston, William H. Macy. Rated R for some violence, sexual content and language. Running time is one hour and fifty-nine minutes.

A slick, charismatic Los Angeles criminal defense attorney (McConaughey) who operates out of the back of his Lincoln Continental sedan unexpectedly lands the case of a lifetime: defending a rich Beverly Hills playboy (Ryan Phillippe) who is accused of attempted murder. However, what initially appears to be a straightforward case with a big money pay-off swiftly develops into a deadly match between two masters of manipulation.

I haven't cared much for McConaughey's films lately but this one is a pleasant exception. This is a good looking film featuring a lead actor with star power and secondary roles performed by experts. The pacing is good and while I thought this could have been a few minutes shorter, it kept me interested. While you expect a certain ending, you're never quite sure how the plot's going to get you there. No big screen effects but a big screen will add to your pleasure. Times/Theatres.

Worthwhile (or not), 3/18/2011

MetaCritic indicates THE LINCOLN LAWYER (64) is the highest rated film for the week, followed by LIMITLESS (58), BIUTIFUL (58), and PAUL (53). I watched all of them but BIUTIFUL and thought it was an above average week.  Check out the MetaCritic website for additional comments on each film. Check out Monday's Opening section at the blog to see the previews and synopses.

My reviews of THE LINCOLN LAWYER (***½), LIMITLESS (***½), and PAUL (**) will be posted after 4:30 p.m. today (Friday).

Opening, 3/18/11

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.

Biutiful [R] 2 hrs. 28 min. Drama Watch Preview Cast: Javier Bardem, Maricel Álvarez, Hanaa Bouchaib, Guillermo Estrella, Eduard Fernández, Cheikh Ndiaye, Diaryatou Daff, Taisheng Cheng, Jin Luo 2. Plot: a love story between a father who struggles to reconcile fatherhood, love, spirituality, crime, guilt and mortality amidst the dangerous underworld of modern Barcelona, and his children. Nominated for two Academy Awards. Showing at:  Warren East.

Limitless [PG-13] 1 hr. 46 min. Action/Thriller Watch Preview Cast: Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro, Abbie Cornish, Anna Friel, Tomas Arana. Plot: an unsuccessful writer's life is transformed by a top-secret "smart drug" that allows him to use 100% of his brain and become a perfect version of himself. His enhanced abilities soon attract shadowy forces that threaten his new life. Showing at: Derby Plaza ?, Movie Machine, Northrock 14 ?, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

The Lincoln Lawyer [R] 1 hr. 59 min. Crime drama Watch Preview Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, Josh Lucas, John Leguizamo, Frances Fisher, Bob Gunton, Laurence Mason, Bryan Cranston, William H. Macy. Plot: a slick, charismatic Los Angeles criminal defense attorney who operates out of the back of his Lincoln Continental sedan unexpectedly lands the case of a lifetime: defending a rich Beverly Hills playboy (Ryan Phillippe) who is accused of attempted murder. However, what initially appears to be a straightforward case with a big money pay-off swiftly develops into a deadly match between two masters of manipulation. Showing at: Derby Plaza ?,  Northrock 14 ?, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

Paul [R] 1 hr. 56 min.Comedy adventure Watch Preview Cast: Nick Frost, Simon Pegg, Seth Rogen, Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Jane Lynch, Sigourney Weaver, Joe Lo Truglio, David Koechner, Blythe Danner, John Carroll Lynch. Plot: two sci-fi geeks' pilgrimage takes them to America's UFO heartland. While there, they accidentally meet an alien who brings them on an insane road trip that alters their universe forever. Showing at: Derby Plaza ?, Northrock 14 ?, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

Leaving, 3/17/11

Derby Plaza -
Movie Machine - Gnomeo And Juliet
Northrock 14 -
Palace West - Chronicles Of Narnia, Tron
Starlite Drive-In - Open weekends only
Warren East 13th - Take Me Home Tonight, Drive Angry 3D, I Am Number Four
Warren Old Town - Take Me Home Tonight, Unknown, Just Go With It
Warren West 21st - Justin Bieber, Take Me Home Tonight, Gnomeo And Juliet

Battle: Los Angeles **½

Jonathan Liebesman directed this Sci-FiAction pic. Watch Preview Cast: Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez, Ramon Rodriguez, Bridget Moynahan, Ne-Yo, Michael Pena. Rated PG-13 for sustained and intense sequences of war violence and destruction, and for language. Running time is one hour and fifty-four minutes.

UFO sightings become a terrifying reality when Earth is attacked by unknown forces. As people everywhere watch the world's great cities fall, Los Angeles becomes the last stand for mankind in a battle no one expected.

If you're looking for an action film and don't want to be bothered with much else, this is your film. The action starts immediately and never really lets up until the final credits roll. The first forty-five minutes aren't very satisfying since you can't see what's going on because of all the smoke, and you don't get a good view of the invaders until you wade through the ¾ hour stretch. After that, it's all action, all the time. The cast is fine although Moynahan doesn't have much to do.  Eckhart does well although his role doesn't really call for much. The testosterone crowd will go for this but I don't see this as much of a date movie. The big screen and good sound will add to the impact. Theatres/Times.

Red Riding Hood *

Catherine Hardwicke directed this Romance/Fantasy/Horror film. Watch Preview Cast: Amanda Seyfried, Gary Oldman, Billy Burke, Shiloh Fernandez, Max Irons, Virginia Madsen, Julie Christie. Rated PG-13 for violence and creature terror, and some sensuality. Running time is one hour and forty minutes.

A beautiful young woman (Seyfried) is torn between two men (Fernandez, Irons), one of whom may be a werewolf.

This film is just silly. Teenage girls are probably the only potential audience. They got the fairy tale bit right, nothing seems real. They live in a mountain village in what looks like the middle ages, with livestock and chickens roaming everywhere. Yet, never is there a sign of mud, etc. Everything is pristine, including the white snow on the ground which is never soiled. It looks to be quite cold, but no one really dresses for it. You would think the villagers would have perished of pneumonia ages ago. The plot is not totally unreasonable for a horror film and they might have had a reasonable one if the setting wasn't so ludicrous. The wolf doesn't look too bad but is nothing to write to Grandma about. I hate to tell you this, but the ending looks like they've got a sequel in mind. Just keep that in mind if you're thinking of encouraging them by attending. Theatres/Times.

Cedar Rapids ***

Miguel Arteta directed this Comedy. Watch Preview Cast: Ed Helms, John C. Reilly, Sigourney Weaver, Anne Heche, Isiah Whitlock Jr.,Stephen Root, Kurtwood Smith, Alia Shawkat, Mike O\'Malley, Rob Corddry, Seth Morris. Rated R for crude and sexual content, language and drug use. Running time is one hour and twenty-seven minutes.

A naive  insurance agent (Ed Helms), is sent to represent his company at the annual insurance convention in Cedar Rapids. His boss (Stephen Root) insists he bring back the coveted convention award and it takes the help of new  friends (Reilly, Heche, Whitlock Jr.) to bring it all about.

This is an adult movie about frustrated and lonely insurance agents who meet once a year in Cesar Rapids to blow off a little steam and then forget about it (what happens in Cedar Rapids, stays in Cedar Rapids). You might think that plot would have very few laughs, but you'd be wrong. Helms is the lead, a "babe in the woods" whose sexual advancement is limited to having an affair with his seventh grade teacher. Reilly is excellent, as he always is, and the rest of the cast is note perfect. The plot isn't totally believable but it is most enjoyable to watch. There's nothing in this film requiring a big screen but you'll find it more enjoyable if you watch with a number of others. Theatre/Times.

Worthwhile (or not), 3/11/2011

MetaCritic indicates RANGO (75) is the highest rated film for the week, followed by SOMEWHERE (67), THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU (58), BEASTLY (46), and TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT (42). I watched THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU and thought it was a terrific film .  Check out the MetaCritic website for additional comments on each film. Check out Monday's Opening section below to see the previews and synopses.

My reviews of CEDAR RAPIDS, RED RIDING HOOD, and BATTLE: LOS ANGELES will be posted after 4:30 p.m. today (Friday).

Opening, 3/11/11

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.

Battle: Los Angeles [PG-13] 1 hr. 57 min. Action Watch Preview Cast: Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez, Ramon Rodriguez, Bridget Moynahan, Ne-Yo, Michael Pena. Plot: UFO sightings become a terrifying reality when Earth is attacked by unknown forces. As people everywhere watch the world's great cities fall, Los Angeles becomes the last stand for mankind in a battle no one expected. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Northrock 14, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

Cedar Rapids [R] 1 hr. 27 min. Comedy Watch Preview Cast: Ed Helms, John C. Reilly, Sigourney Weaver, Anne Heche, Stephen Root, Kurtwood Smith, Alia Shawkat, Mike O\'Malley, Rob Corddry, Seth Morris. Plot: a naive  insurance agent (Ed Helms), is sent to represent his company at the annual insurance convention in Cedar Rapids. Showing at:  Warren East.

Mars Needs Moms [PG] 1 hr. 28 min. Animated comedy Watch Preview Voices of: Seth Green, Dan Fogler, Elisabeth Harnois, Mindy Sterling, Kevin Cahoon, Joan Cusack. Plot: nine-year-old Milo (Seth Green) finds out just how much he needs his mom (Joan Cusack) when she's nabbed by Martians who plan to steal her mom-ness for their own young. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Northrock 14, Warren East, Warren West.

Red Riding Hood [PG-13] 1 hr. 40 min. Romance/Fantasy Watch Preview Cast: Amanda Seyfried, Gary Oldman, Billy Burke, Shiloh Fernandez, Max Irons, Virginia Madsen, Julie Christie. Plot: a beautiful young woman (Seyfried) is torn between two men, one of whom may be a werewolf. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Northrock 14, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

Leaving, 3/10/11

Derby Plaza - nothing
Movie Machine - Big Momma's, I Am Number Four, Just Go With It
Northrock 14 -
Palace West - Country Strong, Season Of The Witch
Starlite Drive-In - Open weekends only
Warren East 13th - The Fighter, Black Swan, The Eagle, True Grit, Big Momma's, Rabbit Hole, Somewhere, Justin Bieber
Warren Old Town - I Am Number Four, Drive Angry 3D
Warren West 21st - The Roomate, True Grit, The Eagle, Big Momma's, Drive Angry 3D

The Adjustment Bureau ***½

George Nolfi wrote and directed this Romance/Thriller, based on a Philip K. Dick short story. Watch Preview Cast:  Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Anthony Mackie, John Slattery, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Michael Kelly, Terence Stamp. Rated PG-13 for brief strong language, some sexuality and a violent image. Running time is one hour and forty-five minutes.

A politician (Damon) discovers the relationship he's having with a ballerina (Blunt) is not supposed to be his future, and if he continues seeing her, bad things will happen to them both.

I've been looking forward to this film since I first saw the preview and I wasn't disappointed. The plot is different, the two lead characters are very good and have great chemistry, and I had no real idea how it was going to end. It does get a little slow in the middle but the pacing was fine for the rest. There are religious overtones to the film that may make for some interesting discussions for those so inclined, but I wouldn't class this as a religious film. It is foremost a thriller with some romance thrown in and I think thirty plus audiences will be well entertained.Theatres/Times.

Worthwhile (or not), 3/4/2011

MetaCritic indicates RANGO (75) is the highest rated film for the week, followed by SOMEWHERE (67), THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU (58), BEASTLY (46), and TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT (42). I watched THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU and thought it was a terrific film .  Check out the MetaCritic website for additional comments on each film. Check out Monday's Opening section below to see the previews and synopses.

My review of THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU will be posted after 4:30 p.m. today (Friday).