With so many flicks in the dance genre, from classics like Flashdance and Fame to more recent entries like Step Up, Save the Last Dance and Stomp the Yard, as well as numerous popular TV dance competitions, the Wayans Brothers are right in thinking there’s material ripe for riffing here. So in Dance Flick, we get a young street dancer, Thomas Uncles (get it?) who meets a gorgeous white chick named Megan White (get it?), and they team up for the ultimate in dance-offs as they become part of a “crew” that battles the baddies to take the title and repay Thomas’ debt to Sugar Bear, an enormous loan shark and drug lord.
WHO’S IN IT?
In the lead roles of Thomas and Megan, Damon Wayans Jr. and Shoshana Bush are naturals in the comedy department — if not exactly convincing as dance champs. Most of Dance Flick’s laughs come courtesy of the supporting players, particularly Essence Atkins as Megan’s confidante and Amy Sedaris (TV’s Strangers With Candy) as a teacher who likes to verbally torment her students while wearing extremely tight and revealing pants. The rest of the film is swarming with stereotypes, including Brennan Hillard doing a gay take-off on Zac Efron’s High School Musical character (including a swishy production number to the tune of Fame); Chelsea Makela as the compact and chubby Tracy Transfat (lifted directly from Hairspray’s energetic teenage lead) and Affion Crockett as A-Con, a guy who aspires to be a criminal when he’s not getting all jiggy. Then, of course, there is the bitchy adversary for Megan, played to the hilt by Christina Murphy. Best of all is the imposing Sugar Bear, played by In Living Color vet David Alan Grier in a 400-pound fat suit, who first does a send-up of Jennifer Hudson’s showstopping number from Dreamgirls, “And I Am Telling You,” then later tops that with a killer spotlight dance in the big competition sequence. In addition to Damon Jr., we counted nine additional Wayans in various cameos.
WHAT’S GOOD?
The actual dance numbers, including the big two that bookend the film, are hilarious, over-the-top and cleverly choreographed for ultimate comedic impact. The special effects and stunt teams clearly worked overtime on some of these moves. Sporadic moments of witty invention come along in between those set pieces, but the jokes are stale and uninspired for the most part.
WHAT’S BAD?
Clearly, director Damien Wayans and his all-Wayans writing and producing team (Keenan Ivory, Marlon, Shawn and Craig) cracked themselves up when creating these gags, but the hit-to-miss ratio is about to two-to-one on the negative side. And by the time the endlessly padded slow-motion end credits roll after just 75 minutes of this stuff, the spoof has completely run out of gas, resorting to lame gags about non-dance flicks like Twilight and the Samuel L. Jackson flop, Black Snake Moan.
BEST SUPPORTING WAYANS?
Hands-down, the small comic gems that work best all belong to Shawn Wayans as Baby Daddy, who is easily the worst father in cinema history. His bits rock. NETFLIX OR MULTIPLEX?
Netflix. Rent it and fast forward through the really REALLY dumb stuff to get to the really dumb stuff quicker.
This follow-up to the 2006 smash hit Night at the Museum picks up shortly after the events of the first film, with one-time museum security guard Larry Daley now living the life of a famous inventor. One night he decides to pay a visit to his old haunt, the Museum of Natural History, where he discovers that some of his favorite exhibits (and old, not-so-inanimate friends) have been labeled as “out of date” and are being shipped off to storage at the Smithsonian Institute archives. In no time, he gets a distress call from miniature cowboy Jedediah, who informs Larry that a group of history’s most notorious evil personalities, including Ivan the Terrible, Napoleon Bonaparte and Al Capone, are hatching a conspiracy. Together with their ringleader, the 3000-year-old Egyptian pharaoh Kahmunrah, they plan to take over the Smithsonian and, after that, the world. Larry springs quickly into action, teaming up with Amelia Earhart and tries to save his old friends — and perhaps the planet — from the insidious invaders who’ve awakened from their slumber.
WHO’S IN IT?
Ben Stiller returns as Larry, playing straight man once again to a legion of historical figures, including new and returning characters. Back from the original are Robin Williams as a spirited Teddy Roosevelt, Owen Wilson as Jedediah Smith, Steve Coogan as the Roman emperor Octavius, Patrick Gallagher as Attila the Hun and Mizuo Peck as Sacajawea. Ricky Gervais again appears briefly at the start and finish as museum curator Dr. McPhee. Welcome additions include a lively Amy Adams as the famed female flyer Earhart and a very funny Bill Hader (TV's Saturday Night Live) as an insecure General Custer. Christopher Guest plays Ivan the Terrible while Alain Chabat has lots of fun as Napoleon. Jon Bernthal’s Al Capone, meanwhile, is cleverly shot and isolated in vivid black and white. Best of all by a mile — and the real reason to see Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian — is Hank Azaria, who plays Kahmunrah with brilliant comic timing and an affected speech pattern that’s highly amusing. The multi-talented Azaria (The Simpsons) provides the voices for two new, computer-enhanced characters: a towering Abraham Lincoln and Rodin’s sculpture of The Thinker. Jonah Hill also shows up in an early scene as a Smithsonian security guard who confronts Stiller — a subplot that goes nowhere.
WHAT’S GOOD?
Although this follow-up suffers from a severe case of “sequelitis,” director Shawn Levy knows what makes this formula work for kids. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian deserves props as the rare studio blockbuster intent on actually providing a little education by making these important historical personalities come to such vivid life. Use of photos and paintings from the adjacent museums is the most inventive new wrinkle, serving as a clever interactive device for Stiller to use throughout the flick.
WHAT’S BAD?
The screenplay (again by Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon) rehashes a lot of what was fresh in the first film, and the result feels roboticly recycled. Levy’s direction seems rushed at times, as if the filmmakers are afraid anyone with an attention span beyond 30 seconds. Kids will eat this up, but aside from Azaria, there aren’t many laughs for Mom, Dad and older siblings.
FAVORITE SCENE:
For pure visual-effects wizardry and wonder, you can’t beat the gang’s arrival at the Air and Space Museum, where the production actually shot for a week. It’s awe-inspiring. Amelia Earhart’s encounter there with the African-American Tuskegee Airmen is also a swell touch.
NETFLIX OR MULTIPLEX?
Multiplex, but drop the kids off and go shopping instead.
In this fourth installment of the durable Terminator series, the year is 2018, and a nuclear holocaust has effectively ended civilization as we knew it. With Terminators snapping up what little remains of the human race, a small group of survivors have gone underground in an effort to battle the controlling organization Skynet, which shocked the world by triggering the apocalypse. Standing up against all odds is John Connor, the one man who knew this was going to happen, and Marcus Wright, a death-row inmate who’s about to be executed when he’s given a new lease on life by Dr. Serena Kogan, a scientist with big plans for this dead man walking. Though Connor is highly suspicious of Kogan’s creation, he forms a precarious bond with the resuscitated Marcus as the two search for a way to infiltrate and conquer a very imposing enemy.
WHO’S IN IT?
Let’s start by stating who isn't in Terminator Salvation: Arnold Schwarzenegger, star of the three previous installments, is busy in Sacramento, so except for his brief reappearance via the miracle of CGI, this is a whole new ballgame. Taking on a beloved movie franchise — just as he did in 2005’s Batman Begins — Christian Bale steps into the adult shoes of John Connor, who was previously portrayed in T2 and T3 by Edward Furlong and Nick Stahl, respectively. As the one key link to the entire series, Bale’s Connor is intensely serious and dedicated to the task at hand — even though he’s vastly outnumbered. As Marcus Wright, Sam Worthington gets to play both sides of the coin as a hybrid of human and machine, delivering the most unique and convincing performance yet seen in the series. Both Bale and Worthington carry on this legendary series in style, but it’s Worthington who gets the big scenes, bringing an ironic element of humanity to the whole enterprise. Also noteworthy: Helena Bonham Carter as the doctor who creates a modern version of Frankenstein’s Monster; Anton Yelchin as future time-traveler Kyle Reese, Moon Bloodgood as Resistance warrior Blair Williams; and rapper Common as Connor’s second-in-command.
WHAT’S GOOD?
Director McG (Charlie’s Angels) tackles the daunting task of carrying on this series without its signature star and pulls it off with first-rate action set pieces, flawless production values and a fascinating new wrinkle in Marcus Wright, a character at odds with himself as well as John Connor. In the time-honored tradition of a classic cinematic showdown, these are no ordinary heroes. They’re conflicted warriors faced with a task that is truly overwhelming in its scope.
WHAT’S BAD?
With such a strong story, the filmmakers probably didn’t have to resort to so many motorcycle flips, explosions, and truck and plane chases — not to mention a pulsating soundtrack that’s amped up so high you may need earplugs. But with so much excitement on the screen, it doesn’t really matter. Action fans will be wetting their pants.
MEMORIES OF THE GOVERNATOR:
Arnold appears briefly (in the nude, no less) in what appears to be a CGI pastiche of his classic character. But don’t blink, or you’ll miss him.
FAVORITE DIALOGUE:
Terminators won’t die, and neither will its signature line. When Blair asks Connor what she should tell his men after he’s gone, he replies in earnest: “I’ll be back!”
NETFLIX OR MULTIPLEX?
It will be movie theaters’ OWN salvation this summer.
After a chance encounter with Sue, a businesswoman staying at the roadside motel owned by his parents, night manager Mike becomes instantly smitten. But when he travels cross-country to reunite with her, he soon discovers that their one-night stand meant little more than that to Sue, who has returned to her nutty Yogurt kingpin ex-boyfriend upon the promise of heading his company’s charity operations. When Mike arrives on the scene, Sue is now faced with an obsessive pursuer who’s convinced that his positive determination will win her over in the end. Can this hopeless dreamer overcome her practical ambition and make a match? Take a guess.
WHO’S IN IT?
After two major studio hits in a row, Marley and Me and He’s Just Not That Into You, Jennifer Aniston’s movie-star momentum comes crashing to a halt with Management, an indie-flavored comedy in which she is miscast opposite a cloying Steve Zahn. In the role of Sue, the normally fetching Aniston is just so bland and indifferent it’s hard to imagine what possesses Zahn’s Mike to give up everything and trail her across the country after just one day — and vice-versa. What could this ambitious careerist even find remotely appealing about a slacker son who works nights at his parents’ rundown motel? It’s necessary for the audience to believe these two could potentially develop an instant spark between them for Management to have a chance and, unfortunately, Aniston and Zahn exhibit zero chemistry. As Mike’s parents, Fred Ward and Margo Martindale give it their all (especially Martindale, who’s oddly touching) but they get minimal screen time. Once Woody Harrelson enters the picture as Jango, the eccentric yogurt master, all is completely lost as the tone shifts from low-key romance to over-the-top slapstick. (Harrelson needs a new agent, by the way.)
WHAT’S GOOD?
The idea of a story about the need for a human connection between two such emotionally wounded and guarded people is a good one; it’s been addressed effectively in countless lonelyhearts films before. And it’s admirable that Aniston is trying to stretch by doing indie films like this and the far better Good Girl (her best indie outing to date) instead of just taking a paycheck.
WHAT’S BAD?
Management is just a forgettable movie with no clear sense of what it wants to be. The Harrelson sequences are a train wreck, and debuting director Stephen Belber (who also wrote the script) wears his inexperience on his sleeve as most of the other scenes come off as flat and derivative. He does his undernourished screenplay no favors by failing to establish even a semblance of visual style or purpose.
Throughout a troubled childhood in which they moved from one foster home to another, tightly-bonded brothers Stephen and Bloom lived out their lives and fantasies in the elaborate stories Stephen created. But when a grown-up Bloom decides to leave his false lifestyle behind, he agrees to just one more game:an elaborate con that his brother convinces him will hit paydirt. Together, they invade the world of Penelope, a daffy heiress who agrees to bankroll a (phony) million-dollar “deal” and joins them and their con-in-law, a wacky Japanese explosives expert named Bang Bang, on a cruise ship headed to Greece. But as this oddball quartet roams the globe, Stephen’s elaborate plan becomes complicated by sinister characters, unforeseen dangers and the blossoming of a genuine romance between Bloom and Penelope.
WHO’S IN IT?
It’s a superlative cast that makes The Brothers Bloom's complex caper work as beautifully as it does. Crucial to the intricate mix is Rachel Weisz as the loopy adventure-seeking Penelope. Not particularly known for lighter fare, this Oscar winner (The Constant Gardener) proves as adept as any great screen comedienne in defining this sweet but trippy character. She provides a delightful anchor for the others, particularly Adrien Brody’s (The Pianist) Bloom who, understandably, falls head-over-heals for his “mark.” Brody’s droopy eyes and hangdog expression are the perfect counterbalance to Weisz’s irresistible brio. As Stephen, Mark Ruffalo offers a mixture of bravado and daring, creating a three-dimensional portrait of a classic manipulator whose ideas are careening out of control. Seemingly channeling a combo of Harpo Marx and Raymond Teller, Oscar nominee Rinko Kikuchi’s (Babel) nearly silent turn as the weirdly maniacal Bang Bang is consistently hilarious, an inspired casting choice for a wonderful talent who speaks little English in real life. Also adding layers of darkness to the light-hearted con are Maximilian Schell (Judgment at Nuremberg) as a wicked mentor and Robbie Coltrane (the Harry Potter films) as the mysterious Curator.
WHAT’S GOOD?
In his blazingly inventive debut, the high school noir thriller Brick, writer/director Rian Johnson proved he had a strong ear for adapting a classic movie format in a quirky, contemporary fashion. Using a Dirty Rotten Scoundrels/Sting–style background this time out, he not only creates a clever new cinematic con game but spices it up with some wildly amusing screwball comedy on top of an emotional and engaging look at the unbreakable bond of two brothers at a crucial intersection in their lives. The glamorous European locations and spot-on casting add flavor and style to Johnson’s very accomplished and supremely sophisticated sophomore effort. The film’s opening sequence, which chronicles the brothers’ chaotic childhood and sets up the underlying theme of family ties, is also inspired.
WHAT’S BAD?
As with many flicks of this genre, things have a tendency to get convoluted, which could frustrate some audiences not into the minutia of the “con.” Also, Johnson’s dazzling but highly stylized dialogue, somewhat reminiscent of the kind of thing Wes Anderson (The Darjeeling Limited, The Life Aquatic) does so well, is probably an acquired taste and could grate on the nerves if you can’t get on the filmmaker’s wavelength. Can you say “quirky?”
A GOOD RULE TO LIVE BY?
In one of Bang Bang’s rare lines, she offers this memorable tidbit of life advice: “When you’re done with something, blow it up.” This girl has clearly seen too many summer movies!
NETFLIX OR MULTIPLEX?
If you’re looking for something different during blockbuster May, this is more than worth a trip to the cinema.
After Robert Langdon cracked the Church’s most controversial code in the last film, what could possibly make the Vatican come begging for his services again? Using Dan Brown’s lesser-known bestseller Angels & Demons as the basis, director Ron Howard and star Tom Hanks return with this crackerjack story revolving around the reemergence of the Illuminati, an ancient, secret and wickedly powerful brotherhood. Determined to make the Church pay for its sins against science, they’ve planted a deadly ticking time bomb somewhere in the heart of the Vatican – just as a new Pope is set to be elected. Langdon joins up with beautiful Italian scientist Vittoria Vetra in a race against time through crypts, catacombs, cathedrals and hidden vaults as they follow the “Path of Illumination” to save Catholicism’s venerable headquarters from certain destruction.
WHO’S IN IT?
With a thankfully restrained hairstyle, Hanks returns as celebrated Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon. He might as well have worn running shoes, because the action is ramped up to the max in Angels & Demons, turning this colorful drama into something that could have been called The Pope Ultimatum. It’s THAT intense. This is Hanks’ most vivid turn as an action star, and he delivers, proving movies don’t get much more exciting than this. As his pretty cohort Vetra, Ayelet Zurer is every bit his equal, a much more effective female lead than the miscast Audrey Tautou was in the critically reviled 2006 blockbuster Da Vinci Code. Ewan McGregor offers a complex turn as the Camerlengo, the Pope’s number two and acting head of the Vatican during this period, while Stellan Skarsgard brings authority to his role as head of the Swiss Guard. And veteran Armin Mueller-Stahl is simply terrific as a wise and dignified Cardinal at the center of the papal conflict.
WHAT’S GOOD?
If the slow-moving and overlong Da Vinci Code was more cerebral and Hitchcockian in tone, Angels & Demons is just the opposite: an exhilarating, heart-stopping thriller that doesn’t let up for a minute. Howard’s entire production is a first-rate example of Hollywood craftsmanship, delivering a summertime diversion that cooks on all burners. The backdrop of the mysteries and machinations behind the fiercely-guarded veil of the Catholic Church adds a layer of intrigue to the proceedings, keeping us hooked throughout with cool twists and turns.
WHAT’S BAD?
Brown’s novel is basically pulp fiction, filled with expository dialogue which has been transferred in a clunky fashion to David Koepp and Akiva Goldsman’s otherwise tight screenplay. Hanks and Zurer come close to Hardy Boys-style delivery as they attempt to awkwardly lay out “clues” and mounds of technical mumbo-jumbo in a believable fashion – not an easy task for the best of actors. You’ll also have to suspend belief as the story is largely implausible. But hey, this is a summer movie – the cinematic equivalent of a good beach read – and the filmmakers know exactly how to play it.
FAVORITE SCENE:
A sequence where one of the hostages is being burned at the stake in a cathedral will keep you on edge as director Howard’s experience with setting movie fires (Backdraft, anyone?) really comes in handy. The big denouement is one for the ages as well, but we won’t reveal anything more about it except to say that a helicopter is involved.
NETFLIX OR MULTIPLEX?
The “cardinal” rule with blockbuster mysteries like this is to see it in a theater before someone tells you how it ends.
Half-brothers Beto and Tato Verdusco live at home with mom, work as fruit pickers and play for the local Mexican soccer team. Beto juggles a wife, two kids and a gambling habit while Tato dreams of a singing career. One day, fate intervenes when a soccer talent scout gives Tato the opportunity to try out for a big Mexico City team. Eventually Beto gets his own opportunity to play in the second division, and the brothers’ new success and lifestyle will have significant changes and challenges for both guys as the contrast of sibling rivalry and brotherly bonds send them into an uncertain future.
WHO’S IN IT?
After first gaining worldwide attention in the 2001 sleeper hit from Mexico, Y Tu Mama Tambien, Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal have each gone on to significant individual success and are now delightfully re-teamed in a film written and directed by Y Tu writer Carlos Cuaron, who certainly knows how to get the best from his stars. As Beto, Luna presents a three-dimensional portrait of a guy whose flaws threaten his future, while Bernal is fun as Tato, a goodhearted and friendly soul with misguided dreams of a musical career. The nature of the scripting finds each actor on screen alone much of the time, but together or apart, the teaming works just like it did the first time. Standout in the supporting cast is Guillermo Francella as Batuta, the talent scout who sets the story in motion. He’s superb. Dolores Heredia as the mother and Adriana Paz as Beto’s wife ably round out the featured female roles.
WHAT’S GOOD?
While Rudo y Cursi never seems to take itself too seriously, it’s not a mindless exercise concocted simply to get Luna and Bernal back together. There’s real heft in the underlying theme of the cryptic nature of real brotherhood, and the film makes some surprising conclusions that add gravitas to Cuaron’s engaging screenplay.
WHAT’S BAD?
Luna and Bernal are such an attractive team, it’s a shame that the storyline separates them for a good portion of the picture. The separation may be necessary for the narrative, but the scenes when they are on screen together are the ones that really crackle.
WORST CANDIDATE FOR MEXICAN IDOL?
Bernal gets his chance to sing a wretched Spanish version of “I Want You to Want Me” in a dopey video as his misguided character Tato proves sports talent doesn’t necessarily equal musical ability. It’s the movie’s most amusing scene.
NETFLIX , MULTIPLEX OR TELEMUNDO?
Beyond obviously the Spanish-language audience, Rudo y Cursi may cross over into other markets, providing a much needed boon for foreign-language films in America. Give it a shot at your local theater first.
A perpetually stoned delivery man named Leo unwittingly delivers a package of 10 kilos of high-quality cocaine to the apartment across the hall from its intended recipients, who are anxiously awaiting its arrival. It winds up in the hands of a couple of inept crooks, Brody and Guch, who look at it as manna from God and set about to sell it to Brody’s drug dealing cousin and his accomplice. Meanwhile, their neighbor Jesus and his clueless girlfriend embark on a desperate search to find their stash before the unforgiving drug kingpin who sent it to them finds out it’s missing.
WHO’S IN IT?
A game cast led by Donald Faison (who also produced) as the inept delivery man provide the laughs in this Tarantino-esque screwball farce. Faison is quite funny as the stoner Next Day Air worker who sets the dominoes in motion, with Mike Epps and Wood Harris expertly playing the "dumb and dumber" hoods who think they’ve found nirvana in the coke-laden mystery package. Also making an impression are Cisco Reyes as the Puerto Rican dealer sweating out the missing box of drugs, Yasmin Deliz as his girl and Omari Hardwick as the cousin looking to make the deal. Mos Def steals his brief scenes as a colleague of Leo’s and Debbie Allen is smartly sassy as Leo’s mother/boss. Emilio Rivera rounds out the principal cast as the intense and unforgiving drug lord.
WHAT’S GOOD?
With all these divergent characters focused on one very valuable package, director Benny Boom has his work cut out for him, but he merges the various lowlifes in and out of focus surprisingly well. Sure, they’re all stereotypes, but each gets their moments to amuse. This is not brain surgery and Boom knows that, milking the silly situation for all the laughs it allows. Next Day Air is better than it has any right to be (if you check your brain at the door).
WHAT’S BAD?
The film should have stayed with the comedy (ala Pineapple Express) instead of inserting unnecessary, grainily-shot violent flashbacks to up the body part count. It’s as if a committee decided there wasn’t enough bloodletting and told the director to insert these pointless scenes. The inevitable final showdown also seems out of place with the light tone set earlier, but does provide no end of irony in wrapping up all the loose ends.
HUH?
For full enjoyment, don’t try to make sense of the fact that a seasoned kingpin would send such a large parcel of illegal drugs through a commercial courier service. Obviously there would be no movie if he didn’t, but last time we checked no one was using FedEx to ship heroin.
NETFLIX OR MULTIPLEX?
Either way. At a breezy 84 minutes, Next Day Air is an agreeable timewaster.
Set against the background of 1920s Spain, where repression and political upheaval enveloped a nation on the verge of civil war, Little Ashes focuses on the emergence of three young artists, Salvador Dali, Luis Bunuel and Federico Garcia Lorca. When Dali arrives fresh-faced at the University at the age of 18, Bunuel and Lorca welcome him into their decadent group, and the trio become fast friends. Their budding friendship is soon threatened, however, when Dali and Lorca develop a special bond in which their sexual and artistic explorations collide with personal ambition, love of country and their own passion for each other.
WHO’S IN IT?
In a performance shot before Twilight made him an international star that women swoon over, Robert Pattinson may surprise fans with his spot-on portrayal of the sexually confused, over-the-top artist Salvador Dali. With his signature handlebar mustache and a serviceable Spanish accent, Pattinson captures the essence of the young Dali, convincing in his depiction of the artistic tirades, bisexual encounters and egotistical conceit that informed the great painter’s early years. As the object of Dali’s early affections, newcomer Javier Beltran is intriguing as the fatalistic and seductive playwright and poet Federico Garcia Lorca, while Matthew McNulty is quite fine as Bunuel, who himself would go on to become one of Spain’s - and the world’s - most important film directors. As Magdalena and Gala, the women who try to tame these artists, Marina Gatell and Arly Jover are beautiful and effective even though their roles are really sideshows to the film’s true focus and intentions.
WHAT’S GOOD?
Despite the low budget, Madrid in the '20s is nicely suggested and meticulously recreated. Director Paul Morrison has a nice feel for the period and a good eye for casting these tricky roles.
WHAT’S BAD?
The film tries to bite off more than it can chew, covering too much of the era and coming off as a mere overview of these times and key relationships. The idea of seeing the artists as young men is good but not enough time is taken to really show what they are made of. The artistic fire and sexual freedom that must have been prevalent then is glossed over and not totally convincing. This probably would have worked better as a TV mini-series.
BUT SHOULD TWILIGHT FANS LINE UP?
As his first film post-Twilight, it won’t matter. Robert Pattinson may be de-fanged here, but this independent art-house item won’t be around long enough to become a blip on his new fandom’s radar.
NETFLIX OR MULTIPLEX?
This small flick probably won’t find its way to the local mall. Considering the hard “R” nature of the material, Pattinson’s adoring young flock will probably have to wait to see it on DVD anyway.
After six different TV series and 10 feature films, director J.J. Abrams (MI:3, Lost, Alias) takes the Star Trek franchise back to the beginning to tell how James T. Kirk, a brash, hot-rod-loving kid from Iowa, and Spock, a thoughtful and logical half-human/half-Vulcan, meet and compete at the Starfleet Academy and are chosen by Captain Pike to join the maiden voyage of the Starship Enterprise. Unlike other Treks, Abrams’ film develops credible backstories for the two characters as they join several other newcomers, including fresh-faced cadets Leonard “Bones” McCoy, Montgomery “Scotty” Scott, Uhura, Hikaru Sulu and Pavel Chekov. The story focuses on the clash between Kirk and Spock as the young crew faces a major first test in battling Nero, an unrelentingly evil Romulan who has designs on destroying Earth, Vulcan and the rest of the Federated planets.
WHO’S IN IT?
Smartly stitching together an attractive and talented young cast to take this series back to the future (and hoped-for sequels), Abrams wisely is not looking for actors doing impressions of a young William Shatner or Leonard Nimoy. In Chris Pine as Kirk and Zachary Quinto (Heroes) as Spock, he found two talented stars who uncannily suggest and interpret these iconic characters at the beginning of their life voyage together. With the trademark haircut and ears, Quinto nails the essence of what we might imagine Spock was like as a youth. Pine is rugged and cocky but not over-the-top as Kirk. As the reigning Captain Pike, Bruce Greenwood is solid and commanding. The rest of the crew is perfectly cast, with Karl Urban’s Bones, Zoe Saldana’s “take-no-prisoners” Uhura and John Cho’s Sulu fitting their roles like a glove. Anton Yelchin’s super-thick Russian accent as Chekov is grating at times, but it’s a minor quibble. The best performance of all comes later in the picture, when British star Simon Pegg turns up as Scotty and steals every scene he’s in with choice one-liners and a sassy attitude. A tattoo-faced Eric Bana is perfect as the main villain Nero, who operates out of the eerily dark and stunning vessel, dubbed the Narada. His cunning and reserve help make him far more complex than your father’s Trek villains. And look for a substantial and inspiring visit from Leonard Nimoy (the original Spock), who has been ingeniously woven into the proceedings.
WHAT’S GOOD?
Let’s face it: Star Trek was getting tired, with diminishing box-office returns and falling TV ratings. By going back to the beginning and introducing a whole new youthful vibe past Treks never had, Abrams has given a new lease on life to a legendary 40-year-old adventure that now can go on to live long(er) and (fortunately for Paramount) prosper all over again. The updated casting is joined by state-of-the-art visual effects and action set pieces that outdo any previous incarnations, and the whip-smart screenplay by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman does creator Gene Roddenberry’s original vision proud while introducing it to a new generation. Key to successfully accomplishing this mission was to create a new take that would bring in new devotees but not turn off the faithful Trekkies who've kept this thing going for so long. Done.
WHAT’S BAD?
Other than Yelchin’s accent, only the overriding feeling that any potential sequels can never match the joy of seeing the genesis of Star Trek portrayed like it is here. But bring ‘em on anyway.
FAVORITE SCENE:
There are many thrilling moments, including Kirk’s terrifying encounter with a deadly beast on the bone-chilling ice planet Delta Vega and the battle between the Narada and Enterprise. But the early Starfleet Academy scenes involving Kirk and Spock, whose sharp exchanges showcase their youthful rivalry, really set the stage for a fascinating and complicated relationship, forming the heart and soul of not only this prequel but the entire basis of the Star Trek concept.
NETFLIX OR MULTIPLEX:
Are you crazy? See it on a big screen — IMAX if you can. This is what the motion-picture experience is all about.
The peace-loving population of the serenely beautiful planet of Terra is targeted for destruction by the last survivors of the invading human race, who are floating in an ancient spaceship and need a new home. War seems inevitable — even for the pacifists on this unusual planet — but a unique and unexpected friendship forged by a crafty young girl and the human pilot she captures could be the key to saving the day, not only for planet Terra but for both warring races.
WHO’S IN IT?
Although Battle for Terra was independently made, the producers of this stunning film managed to pull together a first-rate all-star cast, led by Evan Rachel Wood (The Wrestler) as Mala, the heroic young girl who initially is the only member of her planet to fight back. Luke Wilson has an appealing turn as Jim Stanton, the American pilot Mala captures, and is nicely balanced by Brian Cox’s (The Bourne Identity) evil General Hemmer, who is out to annihilate Terra’s citizens and replace them with his own. Chris Evans (Fantastic Four) plays Jim’s loyal warrior brother Stewart with strong results; Danny Glover is effective as the human President; James Garner movingly voices the wise leader of the Terrians; and Dennis Quaid lends credibility to the role of Mala’s dad. There’s also an amusing turn from David Cross as Jim’s sidekick bot, Giddy. Amanda Peet, Justin Long and Ron Perlman (Hellboy) round out the impressive voice cast.
WHAT’S GOOD?
Battle for Terra’s 3-D animation is superb, especially considering the budget restraints of an indie production. It stands with the very best of its genre, creating an astounding visual experience that ought to have audiences of all ages riveted to the screen. More importantly, the film’s strong environmental and anti-war messages are expertly weaved into its compelling storyline. This is a movie that has more on its mind than just entertainment (which it provides in spades).
WHAT’S BAD?
A little more humor might have been injected, but this is serious business. Battle For Terra stands apart from other recent 3-D animated experiences as rip-roaringly fine piece of science fiction that looks impressive next to its live-action cousins.
FAVORITE SCENE:
For sheer pulse-pounding excitement and thrills, the big climactic battle is simply breathtaking to watch.
NETFLIX OR MULTIPLEX?
The movie is stunning to look at and the 3-D glasses just add to its impact. Definitely see this on the big screen.
A mysterious loner with a murky, criminal past arrives in Spain ostensibly to carry out a mission, though it’s not quite clear exactly what that might be. He walks (and walks, and walks, and walks) through various city streets, towns and fields across the country on a journey that may be partially a dream or may be something else.
WHO’S IN IT?
Jarmusch veteran Isaach De Bankole (Night on Earth, Ghost Dog, Coffee and Cigarettes) is saddled with the role identified only as the Lone Man. Mainly, he keeps returning to the same places and having the same conversations with people who remind him that “those who know they’re bigger than the rest should go to the cemetery.” Others ask him questions in Spanish (whether he understands any Spanish is unclear), to which he always replies in the negative. It’s an oddly silent, deadpan performance written and played in one dimension. Other Jarmusch regulars also turn up, including Bill Murray (for five minutes near the end), John Hurt, Youki Kudoh, Alex Descas and Tilda Swinton. If there was one reason to see this drivel, it’s for Swinton’s trippy performance in blonde wig and big dark glasses — a lively cameo filled with filmic references from Rita Hayworth to Michelangelo Antonioni. The cast is rounded out with other fine actors whose talents are completely wasted, including Gael Garcia Bernal, Hiam Abbass and Paz de la Huerta.
WHAT’S GOOD?
Spain looks like a nice place to visit.
WHAT’S BAD?
The Limits of Control is the kind of indulgence some filmmakers fall into when they feel they want to “stretch.” Unfortunately Jarmusch, who has done some very interesting and distinctive film work, including Down by Law, Stranger Than Paradise and Broken Flowers, just doesn’t have a story worth telling here. Experimental is fine, but there should be some semblance of a coherent theme or point of view. Instead, we mainly watch this guy walk in a dreamlike state for about two hours, trying to figure out the meaning of a matchbox and repeatedly returning to the same waiter at an outdoor café to order two espressos in separate cups.
MOST MEMORABLE LINE OF DIALOGUE:
It’s a three-way tie:
”Wait three days until you see the bread. The guitar will find you.”
“Among us, there are those who are not among us.”
And finally …
“Sometimes there are films where people just sit there.” (You got that one right!)
NETFLIX OR MULTIPLEX:
Netflix. At least if you snore through most of this, you won’t be disturbing anyone else.
Connor Mead is a womanizing, commitment-phobic bachelor whose carefree antics nearly destroy his brother’s wedding weekend when his constant mockery of the sacred institution throws cold water on the event. But then straight out of the afterlife comes Connor’s philandering late Uncle Wayne (whose legendary cocksmanship inspired his current lifestyle) to lead him through a spooky, Dickensian tour of the ghosts of all his many female conquests from the past, present and future. As he realizes what a sorry state he’s in and how he blew his relationship with Jenny, the one girl he truly loved and lost, Connor will find out if there’s really a second chance in life.
WHO’S IN IT?
Matthew McConaughey plays Connor with little distinction from the myriad of other skirt-chasing cads he’s played in a string of unmemorable chick flicks like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Failure to Launch and Fool’s Gold. His immature chauvinist act is getting a little old and poor Jennifer Garner, his latest leading lady, can’t do much to save him. There’s little chemistry between the two, and in fact, both stars don’t seem to have their heart in this lame, lustful takeoff on Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Instead of Scrooge, it’s Screwed — and the crude tone doesn’t make for the merriest of romantic comedies. For some inexplicable reason Michael Douglas took the thankless role of the late Uncle, who mostly just throws out lots of double entendres. Breckin Meyer is OK as the hapless groom while Lacey Chabert is just plain annoying as his shrill bride-to-be. Acting vets Robert Forster and Anne Archer do what they can to maintain their dignity in smaller supporting roles.
WHAT’S GOOD?
The trailer for Ghosts of Girlfriends Past was much better than the actual film and showed the premise had great promise. Unfortunately, they had to release the rest of the movie, and the jig was up.
WHAT’S BAD?
The screenplay just doesn’t deliver. There are few laughs in Ghosts of Girlfriends Past and most of them are forced, as in an endless slapstick kitchen scene where McConaughey tries desperately to keep a wedding cake from completely collapsing. He proves physical comedy is not his forte. Where’s Lucy when you need her? The overall tone is just crass and sleazy, and the fantasy sequences involving the ghostly visits are flat and uninspired.
MOST PROPHETIC LINE:
At one point, McConaughey utters, “Wake me when there’s an action sequence, will you?” We would have, but there aren’t any.
