Now You See Me ***

Louis Leterrier directed this Crime Thriller. Watch Preview. Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, Morgan Freeman, Dave Franco, Woody Harrelson, Mark Ruffalo, Michael Caine, Mélanie Laurent. Rated PG-13 for language, some action and sexual content. Running time is one hour and fifty-six minutes.

A  super-team of illusionists pull off a series of daring heists against corrupt business leaders during their performances, showering the stolen profits on their audiences while staying one step ahead of the law.

This isn't what you'd class as a major film and I doubt it will win any awards, but if  you want to be entertained for a couple of hours this will do quite nicely. This is a film about illusion and misdirection and it maintains both throughout the entire plot. You're never quite sure what's going to happen next, or who is a hero or a villain, or how they can possibly resolve the story in a believable fashion. And yet the ending, which was a surprise, seemed perfectly plausible upon reflection. This is a fast paced film which makes the time go quickly and the cast and production values are very good. Considering the major films which will be arriving soon I doubt this will be here for an extended stay so I'd go for it sooner rather than later.

There are no additional scenes once the final credits begin. A large screen will make the illusions more effective. Theatres/Times.

Worthwhile (or not) 5/31/13

MetaCritic indicates Now You See Me (56) is the best picture this week followed by After Earth (29). Clearly the Will Smith film seems lacking to most critics but I found the magic pic quite enjoyable. Check out the MetaCritic website for additional comments.

Check out Monday's Opening section below to see the previews and synopses.

Opening 5/31/13

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.

After Earth [PG-13] 1 hr. 40 min. Sci-Fi film Watch Preview Cast: Will Smith, Jaden Smith. Plot: a crash landing leaves a teenager (Jaden Smith) and his legendary father (Will Smith) stranded on Earth, 1,000 years after cataclysmic events forced humanity’s escape. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

Now You See Me [PG-13] 1 hr. 54 min. Crime Thriller Watch Preview Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, Morgan Freeman, Woody Harrelson, Mark Ruffalo, Michael Caine, Common. Plot: a super-team of illusionists pull off a series of daring heists against corrupt business leaders during their performances, showering the stolen profits on their audiences while staying one step ahead of the law. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

Leaving 5/30/13

Derby Plaza - The Great Gatsby
Movie Machine - Iron Man 3, Star Trek: Into Darkness
Palace West - nothing
Starlite Drive-In - Open Fri, Sat
Warren East 13th - nothing
Warren Old Town - Hangover III, Star Trek: Into Darkness 3D
Warren West 21st - 42

The Hangover, Part III **

Todd Phillips wrote and directed this Comedy. Watch Preview Cast: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Ken Jeong, Heather Graham, Jeffrey Tambor, Justin Bartha, John Goodman, Sasha Barrese, Gillian Vigman, Jamie Chung. Rated R for pervasive language including sexual references, some violence and drug content, and brief graphic nudity. Running time is one hour and forty minutes.

This time, there's no wedding. No bachelor party. What could go wrong, right? But when the Wolfpack hits the road to get Alan (Galifianakis) some treatment for his mental problems, all bets are off.

Part II was a mere shadow of the original film and unfortunately the trend continues with Part III. The cast is very good and production values are fine but the plot appears to have run out of steam, leaving us with a few chuckles but nothing outrageously funny. Jeong is easily the funniest participant with his over-the-top antics (it's hard to imagine he's actually a medical doctor) but the rest just seem to be along for the ride.

There is a funny scene that occurs after the final credits begin. Screen size is unimportant. Theatres/Times.

Worthwhile (or not) 5/24/13

MetaCritic indicates Fast & Furious 6 (61) is the best picture this week followed by Epic (54) and The Hangover Part III (31). Not a particularly stellar lineup for the Holiday weekend so you may want to check out some of the previous week's offerings. Check out the MetaCritic website for additional comments.

Check out Monday's Opening section below to see the previews and synopses.

Opening 5/23, 24/13

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.

Thursday May 23

The Hangover, Part III [R] 1 hr. 40 min. Comedy Watch Preview Cast: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Ken Jeong, Heather Graham, Jeffrey Tambor, Justin Bartha, John Goodman, Sasha Barrese, Gillian Vigman, Jamie Chung. Plot: this time, there's no wedding. No bachelor party. What could go wrong, right? But when the Wolfpack hits the road, all bets are off. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Starlite Drive-In, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

Friday May 24

Epic 2D/3D [PG] 1 hr. 43 min. Animated adventure Watch Preview Voices: Beyonce Knowles, Colin Farrell, Christoph Waltz, Josh Hutcherson, Amanda Seyfried, Aziz Ansari, Pitbull, Jason Sudeikis, Steven Tyler, Blake Anderson, Judah Friedlander. Plot: when a teen age girl finds herself magically transported into a secret universe, she must band together with a rag-tag team of fun and whimsical characters to save their world…and ours. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Starlite Drive-In, Warren East, Warren West.

Fast And Furious 6 [PG-13] 2 hrs. Action film  Watch Preview Cast: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Jordana Brewster, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Sung Kang, Gal Gadot, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Elsa Pataky, Luke Evans, Gina Carano. Plot: Dom (Diesel) is asked to assemble his elite team again in return for full pardons for all so they can return home and make their families whole once more. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Starlite Drive-In, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

Leaving 5/22, 23/13

Derby Plaza -
Movie Machine - 5/23: The Croods, Great Gatsby
Palace West - 5/23: Silver Linings Playbook, Snitch, Safe Haven, Wreck-It Ralph, Admission, The Host
Starlite Drive-In - Open Fri, Sat
Warren East 13th - 5/22: Pain And Gain, Iron Man 3 3D; 5/23: The Croods, Peeples, Star  Trek 3D, Oblivion
Warren Old Town - 5/22: Pain And Gain
Warren West 21st - 5/22: Oz Great And Powerful, G.I. Joe, Pain And Gain, Big Wedding; 5/23: Iron Man 3 3D, Peeples, Oblivion, The Croods

Star Trek Into Darkness **½

J.J. Abrams directed this Sci-Fi adventure. Watch Preview Cast: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, John Cho, Bruce Greenwood, Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin, Benedict Cumberbatch, Alice Eve, Peter Weller. Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence. Running time is two hours and twelve minutes.

In the wake of a shocking act of terror from within their own organization, the crew of The Enterprise is sent on a manhunt to bring those responsible to justice.

Let me start by saying the 18-35 crowd will love this. But as you get older than that I think your level of satisfaction will steadily decrease. This is a well directed film with a very good cast and impressive special effects. But the plot, and it's an interesting one, is buried in an excessive amount of action scenes that seem almost manic at times. It's as if you took a one hour Star Trek TV show and added an hour and fifteen minutes of nothing but explosions and flying bodies and amped the sound to emphasize those explosions rather than the dialogue. Evidently, this is what the younger crowd wants and since they buy the most tickets, it's what they're given. But the rest of us are going to be a little sad the story wasn't paramount. I watched this in IMAX 3D and it was exceptionally good, as usual.

There are no additional scenes once the final credits begin. There are a lot of visuals in this so the larger the screen the better. 2D Theatres/Times. 3D Theatres/Times. IMAX 3D Times.

Worthwhile (or not)

MetaCritic indicates Star Trek Into Darkness (72) is the best picture this week and again it's the only new film this week. I've seen it and wasn't as impressed as most of the critics. Check out the MetaCritic website for additional comments.

Check out Monday's Opening section below to see the previews and synopses.

Opening 5/16/13

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.

Star Trek Into Darkness 2D/3D/IMAX 3D [PG-13] 2 hrs. 12 min. Sci-Fi adventure Watch Preview Cast: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, John Cho, Bruce Greenwood, Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin, Benedict Cumberbatch, Alice Eve, Peter Weller. Plot: in the wake of a shocking act of terror from within their own organization, the crew of The Enterprise is called back home on a manhunt to capture an unstoppable force of destruction and bring those responsible to justice. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

Leaving 5/15/13

Derby Plaza -
Movie Machine - Pain And Gain
Palace West - 5/16: Warm Bodies
Starlite Drive-In - Open Fri, Sat
Warren East 13th - No, The Company You Keep, Place Beyond The Pines, Olympus Has Fallen, Scary Movie 5
Warren Old Town - Oblivion, 42, Iron Man 3D, Great Gatsby 3D
Warren West 21st - Jurassic Park 3D, Olympus Has Fallen, Iron Man 3D/IMAX 3D, Great Gatsby 3D

The Great Gatsby **

Baz Luhrmann directed this Drama. Watch Preview. Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, Isla Fisher, Jason Clarke, Amitabh Bachchan. Rated PG-13 for some violent images, sexual content, smoking, partying and brief language. Running time is two hours and twenty-three minutes.

The story follows Fitzgerald-like, would-be writer Nick Carraway (Maguire) as he leaves the Midwest and comes to New York City in the spring of 1922, and lands next door to a mysterious, party-giving millionaire, Jay Gatsby (DiCaprio), and across the bay from Carraway's cousin, Daisy (Mulligan), and her philandering, blue-blooded husband, Tom Buchanan (Edgerton).

If you've watched a Baz Luhrmann film before you know they're as much about the visual and audio effects as they are about a plot. This one is no exception, featuring a video and aural onslaught of the 1920's lifestyle, with a few contemporary pop stars thrown in for good measure. The famous story takes third place this time around. While I enjoyed the visual and audio excess for awhile, there was far too much of it for a good film, with this one clocking in at almost two-and-a-half hours. And, while this is a good cast, most of the characters seemed more caricature than real, with Edgerton almost a double for Snidely Whiplash of cartoon fame. Consequently, I found it hard to really care about those characters, which made the time pass even more slowly for me. I watched this in a 2D version since I couldn't really see what 3D would add.

There are no additional scenes once the final credits begin. A large screen will certainly enhance the film's visual impact. 2D Theatres/Times. 3D Theatres/Times.

Worthwhile (or not) 5/10/13

MetaCritic indicates No (81) is the best picture this week followed by The Great Gatsby (54) and Peeples (51). Clearly, the top reviewed film will be low man on the totem pole when it comes to attendance. I've seen one of these and found it far too long for what it offered. Check out the MetaCritic website for additional comments.

Check out Monday's Opening section below to see the previews and synopses.

Opening 5/10/13

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 Great Gatsby 2D/3D [PG-13] 2 hrs. 22 min. Drama Watch Preview Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, Isla Fisher, Jason Clarke, Amitabh Bachchan. Plot: follows Fitzgerald-like, would-be writer Nick Carraway (Maguire) as he leaves the Midwest and comes to New York City in the spring of 1922, and lands next door to a mysterious, party-giving millionaire, Jay Gatsby (DiCaprio), and across the bay from his cousin, Daisy (Mulligan), and her philandering, blue-blooded husband, Tom Buchanan (Edgerton). Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

 No [R] 1 hr. 50 min. Drama Watch Preview Cast: Gael García Bernal, Alfredo Castro, Antónia Zegers, Marcial Tagle, Néstor Cantillana, Jaime Vadell, Pascal Montero. Plot: when Chilean military dictator Augusto Pinochet calls for a referendum on his presidency in 1988, opposition leaders persuade a brash young advertising executive, Rene Saavedra (Gael García Bernal), to spearhead their campaign. Showing at: Warren East.

Tyler Perry Presents Peeples [PG-13] 1 hr. 35 min. Comedy Watch Preview Cast: Craig Robinson, Kerry Washington, David Alan Grier, S. Epatha Merkerson, Tyler Williams, Melvin Van Peebles, Diahann Carroll. Plot: sparks fly when "regular guy" Wade Walker (Craig Robinson) crashes the preppy Peeples family reunion to ask for their precious daughter Grace's (Kerry Washington) hand in marriage. Showing at: Warren East, Warren West.

Leaving 5/9/13

Derby Plaza - Pain & Gain, The Big Wedding
Movie Machine - Oblivion
Palace West - Side Effects, 21 And Over
Starlite Drive-In - Open Fri, Sat
Warren East 13th - The Big Wedding, Temptation, Oz The Great & Powerful
Warren Old Town - The Big Wedding
Warren West 21st - The Host, Scary Movie 5

Iron Man 3 2D/3D/IMAX 3D **½

Shane Black directed this Action film. Watch Preview. Cast: Robert Downey Jr.,  Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Stephanie Szostak, James Badge Dale, Jon Favreau, Ben Kingsley, Wang Xuequi. Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence throughout, and brief suggestive content. Running time is two hours and ten minutes.

Stark (Downey Jr.) finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy's (Pearce, etc.) hands, and embarks on a harrowing quest to find and punish those responsible for the destruction and the kidnapping of Pepper (Paltrow).

If you're looking for a film filled with action, violence and terrific CGI effects, look no further. If, however, you want a film whose plot involves you with the characters to the extent you care what happens to them, you need to look elsewhere. I did appreciate the technical wizardry displayed in this film but I found it difficult to engage with the story so that when all was said and done I was rather disappointed. Younger crowds will no doubt flock to this and enjoy it but I don't see this as very attractive to older patrons. I saw this in IMAX 3D and found it impressive as usual. The 3D was very good and not as gimmicky as you might suppose.

There is a final scene at the end of all the credits that doesn't add anything to the story but is amusing. The largest screen possible is desirable to maximize the action sequences. 2D Theatres/Times. 3D Theatres/Times. IMAX 3D Times.

Worthwhile (or not) 5/3/13

MetaCritic indicates Iron Man 3 (64) is the best picture this week which isn't really hard since it's the only new film. I watched it and thought it well done but emotionally bland. Check out the MetaCritic website for additional comments.

Check out Monday's Opening section below to see the previews and synopses.