REVIEW: Premium Rush

MOVIE
Premium Rush

CAST
Joseph Gordon-Levitt,
Michael Shannon

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
August 24, 2012

DIRECTOR
David Koepp

STUDIO
Columbia Pictures

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 31 minutes







STARS
***1/2









REVIEW:

'Premium Rush' is a movie where thinking is not required to enjoy it. Most recently, movies that possess the genres of action and thriller are supposed to have the audience thinking about it during and after it, thus making a "smart" film for the people. This requires the paying customer to check their brains in at the door and prepare for something fun and exciting. This was supposed to have come out back in January before being pushed to a late August release so Joseph Gordon-Levitt's 'The Dark Knight Rises' fame could get the film more money. While that looked to be a bad sign at first, it was actually a very smart move on Sony's part, because this film never belonged as a January release.

This is a film that could only work in two parts of the year: early Spring or late Summer. Alas, it's late Summer, and here the long delayed film finally comes to the big screen. This is the perfect movie to end off a summer that's had some both great films ('Marvel's The Avengers,' 'Prometheus') and disappointing ones. ('Dark Shadows,' 'The Watch') If someone is looking for a non-stop adrenaline fun to end off their long summer of movies, then definitely get over to seeing this action-thriller before getting back to school.

Wilee is the best bike messenger on the job these days. He has adjusted his bike so he doesn't have brakes, since he believes brakes are the cause for bike accidents in New York City. He has never failed on delivering for the citizens of Manhattan, but it is on this day that crazy shenanigans are about to ensue. After receiving an envelope to deliver to a woman in Chinatown, a mysterious man comes claiming that the envelope is his and he needs it back. Wilee doesn't realize until moments later that this man is much more than someone simply asking for a little envelope. This leads into a wild day of bikes, pain, and tons of near-death experiences.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt seems to be making some great career choices with roles in such acclaimed films as '50/50' and 'The Dark Knight Rises.' With this movie, it seems that he chose this script just to have some fun, and it clearly shows. His portrayal of Wilee is corny at times, but he is a fun presence to watch on screen, especially during the bike riding sequences. As for the award for the most over the top performance, that goes to Michael Shannon in a landslide. The performance is great by all means, but that's because it's intended to be a crazy and overacted role, which it most certainly is. The conflict between Levitt and Shannon is great to watch during their scenes; however they shine the most when they're on screen separately. Everyone else, from an accent bearing Jamie Chung to a love interest played by Dania Ramirez, all shine on screen and each have a part that makes them stand out in their own way.

The script is the thing that's getting the most hate from people seeing this movie. It's understandable because it's not trying to go to new places, but those who didn't like the script didn't understand what this movie was trying to be: a campy action-thriller-comedy in the vein of 80s thrillers. The script is trying to have cheesy moments, cool action scenes, and funny moments throughout. That's the formula of almost any Arnold Schwarzenegger movie from the 80s/90s and people love those films. As someone who truly appreciates the films from the 1980s, I found this to be just a fun throwback to those types of movies, and for that alone I had one hell of a fun time. Even the scenes where JGL is trying to figure out which pathway he should go during a red light are hilarious and really cool. That kind of reminded me of the first 'Sherlock Holmes' movie when Holmes is playing out how he's going to defeat his opponent. If you're a fan of old campy thrillers, then this will be you're dream movie. If not, then chances are you won't enjoy the film much.

'Premium Rush' isn't meant to be taken seriously at all. The comedic one liners, over the top acting, and cheesy script aren't meant to be beloved by everyone. This is the PG-13 80s homage for those who can't get into seeing 'The Expendables 2' in theaters. For a 91 minute film, the time flies by and it's nothing but a fun ride. Will this be considered one of the year's best movie overall? Probably not. Is this a fun ass time at the movies with your buddies next to you? Hell to the yes. 'Premium Rush' is the prime definition of the type of fun somebody would want to end off their summer movie season with. And for that alone, this is just a high adrenaline, action-packed, bowl of fun.

REVIEW: ParaNorman 3D

MOVIE
ParaNorman

CAST
Kodi Smit-McPhee,
Tucker Abrizzi

RATING
PG

RELEASE
August 17, 2012

DIRECTOR(S)
Sam Fell, Chris Butler

STUDIO(S)
Focus Features, LAIKA

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 32 minutes






STARS
***3/4










REVIEW:

Back in 2009, a new stop motion company named LAIKA delivered their first feature with an adaptation of a bestselling kids novel called 'Coraline,' and it both entertained and frightened kids and adults everywhere. Not only that, but it received high critical praise and was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards that year, only to lose to Disney and Pixar's 'Up.' Three years later, LAIKA brings their sophomore movie to the world, this time an original idea called 'ParaNorman.' 'ParaNorman' takes the idea of talking to the dead and brings it into a friendly, yet creepy, kids movie. Luckily enough, LAIKA succeeds once again, as this movie is funny, scary, and a lot of fun throughout. 'ParaNorman' is, without a doubt, the year's best animated movie so far.

Norman is the type of kid that nobody would ever want to be in their lifetime: a strange and abnormal kid who isn't understood by his family and is consistently bullied by empty headed punks at school. What everyone sees as strange isn't as strange as one would expect. Norman, as it turns out, can see ghosts and talk to the dead. In fact, his only friends consist of his dead grandmother who hangs around his house, the ghosts who he sees walking down the street every day, and a kid at school who's also bullied around due to his weight. Norman isn't the only one who can see ghosts, and a man comes and warns him to prevent the ghost of the town's witch, who's believed to be a work of fiction, from waking up and spreading her curse on to everyone. That doesn't go the way the mystery man wants it to go, and the Witch's spirit, along with a bunch of zombies, wake up and start to wreak havoc on the tiny town. It's up to Norman to use his gift of talking to the dead to stop the witch and her terrible curse before it soon becomes hell on earth.

Every animation studio has their own style of the looks of their characters, and LAIKA is no exception here. Not only do the characters look original, but there's something about them that just pops and makes them stand out from other animated movies, including 'Coraline.' It's not even just the characters that look great; the setting and scope of the film are quite beautiful and gorgeous to look at. The way the sky looks in each scene where the witch is terrorizing the town is nothing short of magnificent to look at. Props are given to the art department's vision for making the world of this movie looking so amazing. Luckily enough, the voice actors playing the characters are just as colorful and great as the design of their little animated versions.

The voice of Norman belongs to an Australian actor named Kodi Smit-McPhee. This kid has been in some small films such as 'The Road' and the 2010 remake of a horror film called 'Let Me In.' He gives a fantastic voice performance as the title character, and possibly adds to how relatable the character is to kids who feel alone in school and kind of weird. In the emotional scenes of the film, the audience is really able to feel for this poor kid because of the predicament he's in. In my opinion, Smit-McPhee gives the best voice performance of the year so far, mainly because his voice fits perfectly into this awkward teenager. He doesn't shed the film's funniest lines, but it was bold to make an animated kids movie more serious than funny, and that makes the dramatic performance all the more better.

The rest of the voice cast all delivers as well. The first person to talk about is a young kid named Tucker Abrizzi. He's been in some movies, along with making his appearances on the Disney Channel and such. This is his first big performance, despite only being a voice. Basically his character was what the best friend in 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid' was to Norman in here; however Norman isn't a total jerk. And this kid is actually pretty funny in the movie. It could've been the writers of the film that made this kid funny, but overall I like his voice and the persona he put into his character. Same goes with the other big voice actors in the movie, which includes Anna Kendrick, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, and John Goodman. They all were great in the movie, some even shedding some hilarious lines. In fact, those hilarious lines were in the form of adult jokes. Whenever a kids movie is bold enough to write in jokes intended for adults to laugh at, talking about it is almost required because of how damn funny it can be.

When the director of a film and the writer of a film are one and the same, most of the time it works as a "home advantage" so to speak. The story, despite referencing other horror films and using the "I see dead people" concept that we've already seen before, is one of the more original ideas to come from a mainstream movie this year. Despite the film being advertised as a kids flick, that's exactly what this movie isn't. The film is creepy many times, which could make kids under the age of 9 pee their pants. Another reason is that the jokes in the film are very mature for a PG rating, some of them shocking to be in a kids movie in the first place.

There are references of everything from adult stores to homosexual relationships.  The jokes are hilarious, but parents might be offended and angry hearing this stuff in something they believed was a film directed towards kids. As much as this sounds like a complaint, it really isn't.  In fact, the boldness of making this animated movie geared more towards the teen crowd gives this more points in the book. If parents are looking for something to take their kids to see, this might not be the right film to be a part of "family night."

As a homage to old 80s movies, 'ParaNorman' hits it out of the park. As a horror comedy, 'ParaNorman' wins there as well. As one of the year's best movies, 'ParaNorman' goes three for three. Sure parents could get offended at the adult humor in the film and the amount of scares here as well, but this is a movie that you will love if you are the right audience for it. The voice work is great, the story and script are original as heck, and the animation is absolutely stunning. As much as I loved the film, there's something in here that's preventing me from giving it a perfect score. Can't quite figure it out, but it's definitely there. The 3D was also a disappointment, because it was going more for crisp imaging rather than depth of field/pop-out moments. If offered a 2D choice for this, I'd say take it, despite not getting cool 'ParaNorman' themed 3D glasses. However way you see the film, though, this is a movie that fails to disappoint, and something I look forward to seeing again. Pity that this didn't come out in October, because this would have been a HUGE Halloween movie.





PREVIEWS YOU MAY SEE:

Rise of the Guardians


The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey


Frankenweenie


Hotel Transylvania


Life of Pi


Despicable Me 2

REVIEW: Robot & Frank

MOVIE
Robot & Frank

CAST
Frank Langella, James Marsden

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
August 24, 2012 (NY/LA)

DIRECTOR
Jake Schreier

STUDIO
Samuel Goldwyn Films (Sony)

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 29 minutes






STARS
***1/2











REVIEW:

Everyone imagines the future with flying cars, time travel, and all kinds of scientific fantasies that nobody actually has had the capacity to take on the future in a more realistic approach. Nobody's ever made a futuristic film with the most subtle hints at what may come soon rather than showing the obvious glimpses of the future. 'Robot & Frank' is a small movie that will probably come and go in theaters due to its indie nature. However for what it's worth, this is a film that shouldn't be forgotten as the year closes up in a few months. There's a solid cast in here, including Frank Langella and the voice of Peter Sarsgaard. There's a clever and interesting story about how robots can actually be helpful in certain situations, while in others they are practically useless.  This is a film that takes the concept of robots in the future and makes it feel much more realistic.  That is the main reason why 'Robot & Frank' succeeds at being a really good film.

This movie takes place in the near future where there are barely any special cars, phone calls are now done through video chatting on tablets and televisions, and robots are the essential helping hand in human society. Frank is a father who is losing his memory, so his now grown up kids send him a robot to help him with his daily needs. At first Frank doesn't want the robot in his house and telling him what to do. Then the robot starts to grow on him, which makes Frank want to go back into his original profession: robbery. He also has a crush on a librarian that's soon being replaced by a bunch of robots.

Frank Langella's performance is outstanding as Frank. He is a character with a severe habit of stealing random things from places, along with having constant memory loss, saying to their kids "How's school going?" and stuff like that. Throughout the film, the audience sees that Frank is one messed up human being, and how, despite not wanting him at first, the Robot becomes more than a servant to him: the Robot becomes a friend of Frank's, and the chemistry between the man and the machine is great. Peter Sarsgaard's really good as the voice of the Robot. Even though the voice doesn't have much emotion, it just makes the chemistry between the two more enjoyable. Even the rest of the main supporting cast, which features James Marsden, Liv Tyler, and Susan Sarandon, are all really good in the film as well. They unfortunately don't shine like how Langella and Sarsgaard's voice do.

Since 'Robot & Frank' is such a small movie, chances are people might not find it or even try to find it near them. When this movie is available to watch online or on DVD in the next few months, then it's definitely worth checking out. Frank Langella gives one of the year's best performances and a sure fire Oscar contender. The rest of the cast does their job well though not blowing me away. The script is well written and goes into some very interesting places, including some truly heartfelt moments. This film probably won't be remembered by the time awards season comes around. However if you're in the presence of being able to check this film out, then by all means do so. 'Robot & Frank' is a small sci-fi dramady that happens to be one of those gems that should not be missed.

REWIND REVIEW: Detention

MOVIE
Detention

CAST
Josh Hutcherson,
Shanley Caswell

RATING
R

RELEASE
April 13, 2012

DIRECTOR
Joseph Kahn

STUDIO
Samuel Goldwyn Films (Sony)

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 33 minutes




STARS
***3/4








REVIEW:

'Detention' is without a doubt one of the year's strangest movies so far, if not the absolute strangest. If a John Hughes teen dramady was combined with the style of Edgar Wright and 'The Cabin in the Woods,' then it would just be the outline of this movie. The biggest star in this film is Josh Hutcherson of 'The Hunger Games' fame, but he really isn't the main star. The main character is actually played by an up and comer named Shanley Caswell, who plays Riley Jones. Riley is a social outcast who is different than every kid in the school, and feels that she is an outsider. A killer soon comes into their town based off of a horror film that's the talk of the school, and Riley believes that nobody cares that she's being attacked because it's not right for an "unpopular and unattractive" girl to be the victim of a killing. Things then lead to another, and a group of kids in the school, including Riley, are placed in Detention throughout prom, which means anyone in the room could possibly be the killer.

This is a film that is just a crazy mind trip to watch. The only real complaint of the film is that sometimes it can get too hipster and too insane in its situations. Other than that though, 'Detention' is one hell of a fun ride. Either you will love it, or you will loathe it. In my case, I loved how strange it was. The acting is great for what it's worth. The script is so quirky, funny, and so off beat that I sort of fell in love with it. Every type of horror or sci-fi movie is mocked upon throughout this film's 93 minute duration. This movie isn't for everyone by any means. Like I said, either you'll love the film or hate the crap out of it. If you want to see a non-scary, cheesy, bizarre, and fun horror-comedy, then 'Detention' is the movie you should check out. Just know that you're getting into a very weird movie if you get the opportunity to watch it. 'Detention' is almost destined to be the cult classic of 2012, because there will be a small audience who goes gaga over the film, like I did.

REVIEW: Celeste and Jesse Forever

MOVIE
Celeste and Jesse Forever

CAST
Rashida Jones, Andy Samberg

RATING
R

RELEASE
August 17, 2012
(Philly Release)

DIRECTOR
Lee Toland Krieger

STUDIO
Sony Pictures Classics

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 32 minutes







STARS
***3/4










REVIEW:

The cliché of every romantic comedy is that the boy and the girl always end up together, despite having a big fight in the middle of the film. Well what if, for a change, the boy and girl have the fight, and instead of getting back together they separate? That's the twist the audience finds out less than 5 minutes into the new indie dramady 'Celeste and Jesse Forever.' This little gem stars Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg and made a big splash at Sundance this year. This is a romantic movie where the couple never gets back together, and that from the gecko drew me into this movie. Sure enough, I got exactly what I wanted to see: a dramatic and real take into the world of real life couples and relationships. As an added bonus, I also got a well-acted and well written drama with some really funny and touching moments from its two leads. 'Celeste and Jesse Forever' feels real and genuine, while at the same time succeeds at being sweet and hysterical at times.

Celeste and Jesse have been best friends and soul-mates since their early days of college. They're practically made for each other, which kinds of makes one ask themselves why these two love birds want to seperate from each other. That's right! Celeste and Jesse, the essential perfect couple, have been trying to separate for 6 months by the time the audience gets to meet them. However the strange thing is that they are still besties who hang out with each other practically every day. Feeling they need to spend some time away from one another for a bit, they do just that. Certain circumstances ensue, and Jesse is able to let go and fall in love with a new girl. Celeste, on the other hand, can't seem to let go of Jesse, and is trying to win him back while at the same time attempt to find a new love for her life.

The true standout in this film is Rashida Jones, mainly for two reasons. The first reason is that she is a damn good actress who deserves more work. The second reason is that she's a really talented writer as well, and the script, which she co-wrote with Will McCormack, is really good. The story mostly follows her character Celeste, who's trying to cope with moving on from Jesse, but she really can't. The script shows a realistic approach of how a woman may deal with the break-up of her best friend/husband, and it's both funny and really dramatic. Even her chemistry with Andy Samberg feels real and authentic, especially during one situation involving a little bottle of ointment that's hysterical to watch.

Speaking of Andy Samberg, he and the rest of the cast were also good. Samberg can't handle the crying situations yet due to him looking unrealistic doing it, but other than that his dramatic breakthrough performance was really good. Everyone from Emma Roberts to Elijah Wood were also really good, and for the most part really funny. Even some of the actors can handle the dramatic situations pretty well. But for the most part, the side characters are there to provide laughs, and they do just that for most of their screen time.

Most films don't like to talk about break-up much; rather they go for the clichéd love story with an argument in the middle and an ending that's sugar sweet and happy. 'Celeste and Jesse Forever' does have an argument in the middle, but for all the reasons a typical love story wouldn't. This film captures the divorce of two best friends in the most authentic of ways and better than any other film before. The acting is really good for the most part, with Rashida Jones being the breakout here. She and Will McCormack also deliver a fantastic script with some hilarious situations and some well written dialogue. Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg aren't exactly household names yet, despite their previous work on comedy TV shows. This film should open up more opportunities for them, so if possible definitely try to catch this one when the opportunity arrives for you. It's definitely one that should not be missed anytime soon.

REWIND REVIEW: The Raid: Redemption

MOVIE
The Raid: Redemption

CAST
Iko Uwais, Joe Taslim

RATING
R

RELEASE
March 23, 2012 (NY/LA)

DIRECTOR
Gareth Evans

STUDIO
Sony Pictures Classics

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 41 minutes








STARS
***1/2









REVIEW:

No other movie this year has been as violent and as brutal as 'The Raid: Redemption.' This film made a huge splash at the Midnight Madness portion of the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival, and then re-premiered at this year's Sundance with a new score done by Mike Schinoda of Linkin Park, which by the way is a stunning piece of music. The plot here is pretty simple: a group of elite cops are assigned to kill a ruthless drug lord who lives at the top of a huge hotel that he owns. In order to get to the drug lord, these cops have to fight their way up the 30 floor building and get to him before they are all dead. The story is very basic because 80% of this film is non-stop gory action. Who doesn't love a good action film after all? 'The Raid: Redemption' is exciting, action-packed, and one of the goriest films I've ever seen.

While the film is mostly action, they do have talking portions spread throughout, and the dialogue that's been put in here wasn't exactly well written. Friends who had seen the film before me had told me that there was barely any dialogue and nothing but action. It must have been that they saw it on the big screen, because for some reason I was noticing all of the subtitled (this film is spoken in Indonesian) dialogue whenever it came up. I don't hate talking in movies, but the script here is kind of average. This is probably a tiny nitpick with the film itself, but I just had problems with the dialogue, along with a couple of the characters in the movie. Talking about them would be spoiling what happens in here, so let's just leave it at that. Despite having these minor problems, what was promised to the audience was delivered in full force: the non-stop gory action.

This is the type of action movie that might as well be one nonstop action sequence. The martial arts choreography is absolutely incredible in this film. Through most of the fighting scene I had my jaw dropped to the floor because of how amazing it was. Not only is the action fantastic, but it's also very brutal to watch at parts. The final battle especially was sometimes hard to look at because of how this one guy will not give up on fighting his opponents, the police officers. If there's ANY reason that one would want to see this film, it's because they want to see some gory battles between druggies and the police. Who doesn't love seeing people being stabbed, shot, and beaten to death like how many of the people in this film kick the can?

If someone doesn't like action, gore, martial arts, or anything like that, then they will most certainly not enjoy this movie one bit. If someone does like one or all of those things, then they will flip over this. 'The Raid: Redemption' isn't supposed to be a well-acted or well written movie, though I wish it was. This is nothing but one long gory action battle in a fun looking video game. It probably will be enjoyed on the biggest screen one could see it on with the biggest audience possible, because watching it on a little TV in their bedroom probably won't be the best experience. I would know. Overall, 'The Raid: Redemption' is a bloody fun time, and that's all it's trying to be.

REVIEW: The Campaign

MOVIE
The Campaign

CAST
Will Ferrell, Zach Galifanakis

RATING
R

RELEASE
August 10, 2012

DIRECTOR
Jay Roach

STUDIO
Warner Bros. Pictures

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 25 minutes





STARS
***1/4









REVIEW:

Some comedies this year, like '21 Jump Street,' were surprisingly fresh and hysterical. Other comedies, like 'The Watch,' failed to capture true comedy and instead relied heavily on bad sex jokes. 'The Campaign' is the latest film attempting to score big laughs and big love from audiences everywhere. Looking at the people working behind the film, this looked to be something that would be simply hilarious. It stars comedy superstars Will Ferrell and Zach Galifanakis as rival politicians, so that from the start looks like it might appeal to more than the usual fanbase for these actors. However the director of this film, Jay Roach, has made films with some crazy sexual humor, which includes the 'Austin Powers' trilogy, the first two 'Meet the Parents' films, and most recently the underrated 'Dinner for Schmucks.'  Plus one of the writers of this movie has worked with Ferrell, along with producer Adam McKay, on 'The Other Guys' prior to this. Unfortunately the film has more sexual humor than political humor, but that didn't stop the film from being absolutely hysterical at times. 'The Campaign' isn't the hilarious movie that I wanted to see, but it certainly was better than other comedies to come out this year.

Two CEO brothers, titled The Motch Brothers, want to gain influence over the district of North Carolina. To do that, they have to take out 5th term congressman Cam Brady and make a deal with a rival opponent in order to sell the 14th district of North Carolina to a foreign country. The person who they choose to go against the hot shot congressman is none other than Marty Huggins, who's considered to be both the sweetest man in the 14th district and a bit of an idiot. Now it's Brady vs. Huggins in a series of scandals, campaign ads, and religious ceremonies as they both try to win the election and become the congressman for North Carolina.

Will Ferrell, despite playing the same character he's played in films like 'Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby' and 'Blades of Glory,' gives the audience plenty of laughs to absorb throughout the film. It seems that Ferrell can work his magic best as the douche protagonist trying to get what he wants. Cam Brady gets into some crazy situations, as well as utters very funny lines throughout the film. As funny as Ferrell is in the film though, Galifanakis steals the show as Marty Huggins. He adopts a southern, feminine voice that once you hear it you automatically giggle a little bit. His character progressively gets into funnier situations as the film goes on, but Galifanakis alone is friggin hysterical in this movie.

The rivalry between the two comedians is a bit over the top, but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't funny in many of the situations. The rest of the film's cast, including an Asian lady who's given an unusual request by a character played by Brian Cox, were all good and enjoyable in their parts. Unfortunately, they aren't given time to really show off their comedic talents, unlike Ferrell and Galifanakis. They're all funny actors, but they just weren't given much to do, despite being enjoyable in their parts. I blame the lack of humor from the supporting cast on the film's script.

The writers of 'The Campaign' have previously written a couple of Will Ferrell's most recent comedies, but those films weren't exactly popular with all audiences. There are jokes here that are incredibly offensive to people, but they are hilarious when presented on screen. There are even some situations, including the now famous "Baby-Punching" scene that will have the audience crying from so much laughter. Unfortunately, all of these jokes lie in the first half of the movie. The second half is not only less funny than the first half, but the film takes a plunge there and becomes a little boring. For an 85 minute running time, this film feels longer while sitting in it. Plus it tries to go for a sweet heart, despite being a raunchy comedy, and surprisingly it does work well in here. However the second half is much weaker than the outrageous first half and that takes away from the full enjoyment of this movie.

'The Campaign' is a better and cruder film than something like 'Ted.' However unlike 'Ted,' this film didn't take any risks with its R rating and didn't feel new as the film drew to a close. Sure, there was some racy and crazy stuff that went on in this movie that was really enjoyable. Unfortunately once the second half came into view, the jokes became more dull and the plot became predictable and something we've already seen plenty of times prior. The acting is good from everyone, despite the supporting cast not being able to shine much. When the comedy hits, it hits hard. When it doesn't, it falls flat. The thing about the comedy is that it's more sexual related comedy than political humor, and that was also a disappointment to me since the trailers promised a political comedy with some sexual innuendos. If someone is looking for a hardcore political comedy, then they might want to stay away from this until DVD. 'The Campaign' falls between the awful comedies of the year and the great comedies. This is just a good comedy, but it could have been so much more.




PREVIEWS YOU MAY SEE:

Argo

Trouble with the Curve

Man of Steel

REWIND REVIEW: Joyful Noise

MOVIE
Joyful Noise

CAST
Queen Latifah, Dolly Parton

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
January 13, 2012

DIRECTOR
Todd Graff

STUDIO
Warner Bros. Pictures

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 58 minutes






STARS
*1/4











REVIEW:

It probably makes sense that 'Joyful Noise' was dumped into theaters back in January, because this film is utter trash. It stars Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton in her comeback performance to the big screen. All these actresses are good at doing in this film is singing, which is why this could be considered to be a musical. Warner Brothers released another "jukebox musical" earlier this summer called 'Rock of Ages.' Unlike 'Rock of Ages,' 'Joyful Noise' is a dull, unfunny, and poorly written movie that will go down as one of the year's worst movies. Thank goodness I caught this on DVD; It's sort of fun to make fun of a movie with your family around you.

In a small town in Georgia, there is a church with a singing choir that picks the spirits of its fellow Christians up. In that singing group are two rival singers who secretly want to kill one another. The first lady is a single mom with two kids at home and a husband in the army. The second lady was the wife of the late leader of the church group, and her mischievous grandson who's coming to live with her. The grandson happens to take interest in the daughter of his grandmother's rival, so things get crazy from there. At the same time, the church is losing money and won't be able to support the choir so they can get to a nationwide singing competition in LA, so the choir has to work together in order to win the competition and save the church from being torn down.

The worst thing about this film HAS to be the horrendous script, which was written by the film's director Todd Graff. Graff was probably trying to make a likable family film with some light comedy, a friendly story, and some heart about life, the war, and disabilities. Unfortunately for the script, it has too much going on in it. There's one story about two rival choir members, a story about two kids being in love, a story about a kid with a disability, a story with a father in the war, and a subplot about a member of the choir trying to find love while her best friend tries to be the comedic relief. If that's too much for you, then wait until certain things happen to certain characters for no reason at all and that will make you say to yourself "What the Frick?" The direction of this film is also pretty horrendous, but that's only because the script is so bad as well. This must have been some passion project for the writer/director, because it seems that he had all of the control over this movie and made it the way he wanted to. Good for him. Sadly enough, it's not good enough for anyone else. If there's ANYTHING good to come out of this movie, it's one of the subplots in the film, which involves the disabled son of Queen Latifah's character.

I will say that this movie only had one redeeming factor: the subplot involving Dolly Parton's grandson, played by Jeremy Jordan in a decent performance, and Queen Latifah's son, played by Dexter Darden. Latifah's son in the film has Aspergers syndrome (something I can relate to) and is very passionate about music. Latifah can't let go of her kids due to her husband being in the army, so she doesn't fully understand how gifted her son is. I liked the chemistry between Jordan and Darden quite a bit. There is even a scene involving a hidden area in the woods that did put a little smile on my face. If this story was an entire movie, then chances are it would have been a whole lot more enjoyable than the entire 118 minute running time that this movie lasts.

There isn't even a lot to say about the acting, because they were all just meh. Some of them were trying to give it all they got, but the rest were just trying to be either awful comedic reliefs or someone that gives the film a little bit of heart. This movie could have been "meh." It could have had fewer stories, a shorter running time, and better writing. Unfortunately I have to call this movie an awful film. Rarely do I ever say this about movies, but this is truly an awful film. The story is bad, the script is terrible, and the direction is very weak. I don't know why Warner Bros. even decided to make this movie, and why they thought this would make money. This is the type of film that would be released on DVD only and people would somehow find accidentally. 'Joyful Noise' is unquestionably one of the most horrendous and awful movies to have come out in 2012 so far, and that's saying something due to some pretty good films that came out after this.

MINI REVIEW: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days

MOVIE
Diary of a Wimpy Kid:
Dog Days

CAST
Zachary Gordon, Robert Capron

RATING
PG

RELEASE
August 3, 2012

DIRECTOR
David Bowers

STUDIO
20th Century Fox

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 34 minutes





STARS
**










REVIEW:

As a fan of the 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid' movies and books, it pains me to say that it looks like the series is slowly dying down despite only being in their third film.  This new movie brings back the cast and crew of the second movie, 'Rodrick Rules,' to continue the series and shell more money from families desperate to see something appropriate for the entire family.  However the trick with family movies is that they're supposed to entertain the kids, teens, and adults who go to see these films.  This film was designed for kids to laugh their butts, but leaves nothing for anyone older than 11 to enjoy.  The story is quite simple: it follows Greg during his summer in between 7th and 8th grade years as he gets into situations with his friend Rowley, along with his dad, who's considering sending him to a local military school that could shape him up.

The script of this film was made with bathroom humor, cringe-worthy situations, and artificial emotions that are supposed to make its audience feel warm and happy inside.  The cast gives it all they got, but unfortunately they suffer from this mediocre story/script.  The director of this film even suffers from working with the awful script, and he too gives it all he has.  'Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days' should have delivered some harmless family fun for everyone to enjoy.  Unfortunately it's only enjoyable for one or two scenes, while the rest of it is unfunny and not clever.  Little kids will enjoy this movie, but anyone else, unless they have the mind of a child, will be looking at their watch and wondering what they could be doing that's remotely better than seeing this film.



PREVIEWS YOU MAY SEE:

ParaNorman

The Odd Life of Timothy Green

Despicable Me 2

Hotel Transylvania

Epic

Chasing Mavericks

MINI REVIEW: Total Recall

MOVIE
Total Recall

CAST
Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
August 3, 2012

DIRECTOR
Len Weisman

STUDIO
Columbia Pictures

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 58 minutes





STARS
**








REVIEW:

There are only three types of mainstream films that the general public is given to divulge and be entertained by: remakes, sequels, or adaptations. 'Total Recall' is the remake of the classic Arnold Schwarzenegger movie about a man who's trying to figure out who he is. Nobody wanted a remake of this movie, yet Hollywood decided to make it for no reason at all. The trailers made the film look really cool, and a friend of mine went to a test screening of the film and loved it. From the early thoughts on the film and the cool looking trailers, I wanted to see a fun and smart sci-fi flick. Unfortunately all I got from the film was the fact that it's a cool movie. There are smart ideas presented here and the visuals look stellar, but other than that this film was a big disappointment.

The story is the exact same from the original, with the exception of a few unnecessary twists in the second half. A man is trying to figure out who he really is and is trying not to be killed by people who may or may not even be real. With a story like that, there could at least be some new ideas that would improve on the original. Unfortunately there isn't, so instead we get a sloppily written movie with predictable situations and a horrible ending. The acting is fine from actors like Colin Farrell and Bryan Cranston, but other than that, everyone stinks, especially Kate Beckinsale, whom I couldn't stand when she reveals to not be Farrell's wife. The only redeeming factor of the movie is that it looks great on a big screen and the visuals are spectacular. Other than that, 'Total Recall' is a dull and boring sci-fi flick that fails to entertain even those who love every movie they see. This one won't be remembered anytime soon.


PREVIEWS YOU MAY SEE:

Dredd

Paranormal Activity 4

The Man with the Iron Fists

Looper

Taken 2

Skyfall

REVIEW: The Dark Knight Rises

MOVIE
The Dark Knight Rises

CAST
Christian Bale, Tom Hardy

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
July 20, 2012

DIRECTOR
Christopher Nolan

STUDIO(S)
Warner Bros. Pictures,
Legendary, DC Comics

RUNNING TIME
2 hours 44 minutes






STARS
****








REVIEW:

It's not every day where people hail a film as "the greatest superhero movie of all time." Four years ago, Christopher Nolan came out with 'The Dark Knight,' which many people might hail as the perfect comic book movie. To be honest, I saw many flaws in that movie, yet enjoyed it very much. That could be the reason why I wasn't anticipating 'The Dark Knight Rises' as much as many other Batman fans out there. This is the final film in the Nolan trilogy about The Caped Crusader, and it's the most anticipated movie of the year for many people. The problem with people when they see this movie is that they may be expecting something that's even better then 'The Dark Knight,' thus over-hyping themselves and increasing the chances of coming out of it disappointing. However if someone, like me, found 'The Dark Knight' to be overrated, then chances are they will enjoy the hell out of this movie. I, for one, enjoyed the hell out of this movie. 'The Dark Knight Rises' is emotional, action-packed, moving, and the best 'Batman' movie to date.

It's been eight years since Batman framed himself for the murder of Harvey Dent and was escaping the cops at the end of 'The Dark Knight.' "Harvey Dent Day" is now an annual holiday celebrated by Gotham's citizens, though Commissioner Gordon knows the truth about that fatal night. Bruce Wayne hasn't left his house in several years, with Howard Hughes-esque rumors emerging from the local residents. However Bruce must come back as the Batman when a new threat, who goes by the name Bane, threatens to destroy Gotham once and for all. At the same time, skilled jewel thief Selena Kyle prowls around Gotham both accompanying and betraying both the protagonists and antagonists of the film.

Christian Bale gives one hell of a performance as Bruce Wayne/Batman in this film. I found it to be a smart choice to not include Batman so much in this film, because that is the full reason why the film is called "The Dark Knight Rises." Batman hasn't been seen for years, and when he comes back, Bane "breaks both him and Bruce Wayne, so he must rise again in order to defeat the villain. It was great to see Bale portray this character that is much deeper than we've seen him be in the previous two Batman movies. As great as Bale was in this film, and deserves some recognition for his role in this movie, the lead supporting actors outshines him in many parts.

Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, and Morgan Freeman all return for this final movie, playing Alfred Pennyworth, Commissioner Gordon, and Lucius Fox respectively. They all give their best work in the series in this movie. Marion Colltiard plays a new character named Miranda, who is actually one of the more interesting supporting characters to come from the 'Batman' movies recently. I liked her a lot in this film, and she did give a great performance. Even Joseph Gordon-Levitt gave a great performance as Gotham police officer John Blake, whose character actually knows who Batman really is. However as great as those supporting players were, the actors that stole the show were Tom Hardy and Anne Hathaway as Bane and Selina Kyle. (She isn't referred to as "Catwoman" at all in this film.)

Bane is such a different villain than Scarecrow or The Joker, mainly because he can physically destroy Batman and kill anyone who comes in his way. As a matter of fact, in the middle of this film Bane actually takes full control over Gotham, and the criminals that were locked up thanks to a law inspired by the late District Attorney Harvey Dent rule the streets. Hardy is given a metallic mask to have on throughout the movie, and his voice is muffled to sound a bit robotic and kind of hard to understand. The voice thing, plus the fact that Hardy can only show his emotions through his eyes with the mask on, makes Bane a fantastically menacing villain. He isn't as good as Heath Ledger was as The Joker, but Bane is one hell of a scary and devious villain. Despite Bane being such a great villain, it was Anne Hathaway's Selina Kyle who had my full attention and curiosity in the end.

The last portrayal of Catwoman in a Batman movie was in the 1992 Tim Burton flick 'Batman Returns.' Michelle Pfeiffer possessed the role in that film, and in my opinion was a bit too trampy for my taste. In this film, Anne Hathaway takes the Catwoman we knew from 'Returns' and makes her more sly, mysterious, and downright sexy. Sure, her character had a few plot holes here and there, but Hathaway owns her role in this, and to me she was the most enjoyable part of it. I wish they had more of her in the movie, but that's what fan fiction is for, isn't it? Plus, it's been said that there are a bunch of deleted scenes for this film, so maybe her plot holes were filled in those. For the time she was in the movie, Anne Hathaway was fantastic as Selina Kyle. These two villains worked perfectly in this movie, despite not being as incredible as Ledger's Joker, even being combined together.

'The Dark Knight Rises' is Christopher Nolan's masterpiece, plain and simple. The movie has some great lines of dialogue, incredible action sequences, and superb performances from everyone. Despite the movie having severe plot holes involving some of the key characters in the film, nothing is taken away from what this movie truly is: a 164 minute superhero spectacle. I have seen this movie three times by the time this is posted, and I loved it just as much each time I saw it, despite having not been given the chance to see it in IMAX yet. I bet that it's incredible on the big big screen, because the cinematography is nothing short of amazing. 'The Dark Knight Rises' is, without a doubt, the best DC comic movie to date, and one of the year's most spectacular movies so far.



PREVIEWS YOU MAY SEE:

Argo

Man of Steel

REVIEW: The Odd Life of Timothy Green

MOVIE
The Odd Life of Timothy Green

CAST
Jennifer Garner, Joel Edgerton

RATING
PG

RELEASE
August 15, 2012

DIRECTOR
Peter Hedges

STUDIO
Disney

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 45 minutes






STARS
***








REVIEW:

It seems that Disney isn't having the greatest of years in terms of popularity. While I enjoyed all of their other films to have come out this year, ('The Secret World of Arrietty,' 'John Carter,' and 'Brave') audiences didn't fall into Disney's spell that is usually enchanting and grabbing whenever something comes out. Their latest effort, 'The Odd Life of Timothy Green,' is their weakest film of the year so far, though that isn't saying the movie is bad. Actually, this movie is charming, heartwarming, and funny at times. Other times, it plays like a Disney movie that would have come out in the 1990's rather than something entirely new. Still though, 'Timothy Green' is a fine movie that families will definitely enjoy watching together.

Cindy and Jim Green are a happily married couple who want to have a kid of their own. Their one dilemma is that they are unable to conceive a child, which sends them into a pit of sadness. Instead they decide to dream up what is essentially their perfect child. Then they bury their thoughts of the perfect kid in Cindy's garden in the background, and try to move on with their lives. However it was on this night that magic took the ideas in that box, and created Timothy, who is found by Cindy and Jim covered in dirt and in what was Timothy is no ordinary kid by any means. Not only does he possess every trait of the Green's perfect child, but he also has leaves sprouting out of his legs. Much more is explained as the rest of the movie goes on.

This is the first time in a film I've seen where Jennifer Garner did not play an unlikable character. For some reason, there's something I have with Garner where either A.) her character was designed to be antagonistic, or B.) I just don't like her characters in general. Her only crime in this film is wanting what's best for young Timothy, and to that I give Garner a thumbs up. Not only was she funny and charming in the film, but her character also felt very real, while feeling like a typical "Disney" mom at the same time. Joel Edgerton was also very likable as Garner's husband and the father figure of the story. The chemistry between these two actors, especially in the scene where they're writing the ideas of their perfect kid, was so sweet and charming to watch, that it couldn't help make everyone in my screening laugh, or at least smile to say the least. However the real star of the show, and the best part of the film, is CJ Adams' performance as young Timothy.

Timothy isn't your ordinary Disney title character. Every trait that Cindy and Jim write down to create Timothy, including "honest to a fault" and "as funny as Uncle Bub" are all presented throughout the duration of the movie. He is a strange and likable kid who happens to come from the ground and sprouts leaves from his legs. Speaking of those leaves, there's a reason why Timothy has those leaves growing from his legs However the reasoning is never fully explained until the end despite some very huge hints that are shown during the middle of the movie. I've said this a lot before with a bunch of these kid actors, but CJ Adams can go places after this film. He has a charismatic charm to himself, and throughout the film he is sweet and funny. Who knows if Adams will get work after this movie, but he sure does deserve it if he gets roles in more films. The three leads are all great in the movie. As for the supporting cast, they were good for what they were given. But it wasn't their performances that weakened the film, it was their character development that did the trick.

*SPOILER ALERT* 
The strange thing about every supporting character whose lives are "changed" by Timothy is that they're all (except for one character) left underdeveloped when the movie ends. For example, Dianne Weist plays the grumpy old boss of Jennifer Garner's character. When Timothy first meets her, he says that he can draw a great picture of her, and of course 5 minutes later he gets every trait of her perfectly, even the imperfections. However Timothy tells Cindy to tell the truth about her feelings to the boss, which leads to her getting fired. Next time you see Weist, she has apparently forgiven the mother and daughter without any reason at all. Then Timothy gives Weist one of his leaves at the end of the film. An unexplained forgiveness from many other characters other than the young girl whom Timothy has a crush on and Uncle Bub ensues, and it just leaves the viewer saying "what the heck." In fact all the supporting characters, other than the young girl who becomes the crush of Timothy, feel very one dimensional and left without an ending, which took me out of the film. A generic Disney story could at least tie up all of the stories presented in its film.
*END OF SPOILER*

'The Odd Life of Timothy Green' isn't anything we haven't seen before in a family film. This film has a decent story, a predictable ending, and likable characters. However the script doesn't fully develop the supporting characters, and the outcome of certain things are very predictable by the time one gets to the 45 minute mark. I also found the fact that they tell the story in a flashback setting to basically say that something happens to Timothy before you even get to know him. CJ Adams however was the best part of the film, because his weirdness and charm help carry the movie despite its flaws. This movie is harmless to take the kids (over age 8) to during a late afternoon on a weekend. Nobody has to rush to see this film, but if they actually go to see it they will enjoy the film for what it is. 'The Odd Life of Timothy Green' is probably Disney's best family oriented live-action film since 'The Muppets,' even though that really isn't saying a whole lot.

MINI-REVIEW: Ice Age: Continental Drift

MOVIE
Ice Age: Continental Drift

CAST
Ray Romano,
John Leguizamo, Dennis Leary

RATING
PG

RELEASE
July 13, 2012

DIRECTOR(S)
Steve Martino, Mike Thurmeier

STUDIO(S)
20th Century Fox,
Blu Sky Studios

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 27 minutes






STARS
**









REVIEW:

'Ice Age: Continental Drift' is the latest example of how lazy Hollywood is when making movies for families. The first film is a very well-conceived and very funny movie that can still be enjoyed despite having come out a decade ago. The second and third were good films, but didn't have the spark that the first one had. This fourth one replaces the charm of the first three films with bathroom humor, bad slapstick, and a heart so artificial that one doesn't feel any sympathy for the father/daughter relationship between Manny the Mammoth and his daughter Peaches. The main plot of the film involves the splitting of the continents along with a group of animal pirates, but there's an unnecessary subplot about Peaches trying to find who she really wants to be her friends.

The animation is the only good thing to say about this film, because everything else is really stupid. The voice actors clearly only did this more for one of two reasons: Reason #1: animated films give off really decent paychecks. Reason #2: to be featured in the music video that plays during the credits at the end of the film. It's understandable when the characters sing or dance because that's for the little kids to love. However when they show the actors in the voice recording studio singing the song, which is EXACTLY what they do hear, not only do they ruin the illusion of an animated movie, but they also succeed at ticking many people, including myself, off. 'Ice Age: Continental Drift' was made for no reason other than money.

There wasn't any joke that was funny in the movie, the story was as predictable as saying that you have breakfast in the morning, and the voice actors clearly show that they don't want to be involved with the project. Do yourself, and your families, a favor and skip the theater with this one. Wait for it on DVD and let your kids waste their time with it while you do something better with your time. Something has drifted other than the continents, and that's my interest with this series, which has lost all creativity in the idea department.




PREVIEWS YOU MAY SEE:

The Oogieloves in
the Big Balloon Adventure


Paranorman


The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey


Hotel Transylvania


Epic


Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days

MINI-REVIEW: The Watch

MOVIE
The Watch

CAST
Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn,
Jonah Hill, Richard Ayodade

RATING
R

RELEASE
July 27, 2012

DIRECTOR
Akiva Schaffer

STUDIO
20th Century Fox

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 42 minutes




STARS
**







REVIEW:

It seems Hollywood believes that this generation only finds jokes about anything involving sex to be the selling point to any comedy. 'The Watch' is the latest victim of this horrid "money-making" idea. The concept for the film is actually very interesting. Think about it: four average-joe neighbors have to defend their town from an alien invasion. If this was a well written comedy with some raunchy moments but nothing too extreme, 'The Watch' then might have been a decent, maybe even great comedy. Unfortunately, the movie turns from something interesting to a 100 minute non-stop sex joke with a long commercial for the store Costco spliced in there. With all of the talent behind this movie, it's really disappointing to see this film end up being just another piece of comedy trash.

After his good friend is mysteriously murdered by someone or something, Evan forms a local Neighborhood Watch to come together once a week and get away from the family/friends in order to serve justice in their hometown. Since Evan has already formed local clubs in the past, bossing more people around for his own sake should be a no brainer. That is until the recruits come, who are mostly in the group to get away from their family and get drunk with their fellow group members. Diving further into the mystery of this murder, the four guys soon find out that the murderer isn't even from Earth. The murderer is a member of an elite group of aliens that have adapted to society and are among us. They also happen to be planning on destroying Earth. R rated alien sex jokes and great special effects ensure from there, as these four guys now have to defend their town from this group of aliens.

The four lead actors are incredibly talented comedians. In this movie they aren't given anything funny to do, other than one scene involving Vince Vaughn and some Russian Dolls. Akiva Schaffer, the director of this movie, has a lot more talent that wasn't displayed here at all. The writers of this film, Seth Rogen and Evan Golberg, are really talented writers, but in here they just took a PG rated story and added non-stop penis jokes to make it R rated. The story is clichéd and didn't surprise me in any way imaginable.  An unfortunate thing about the aliens in this movie is that they actually look surprisingly stellar for this type of movie, and they should have been in something more useful to Hollywood rather than this comedy.  I expected a much more entertaining and smarter movie considering the talent behind this project, but unfortunately this film is sloppy, dumb, and unfunny. This is more of a midnight movie that one would pop in to watch with a bunch of their friends and just watch for the heck of it. Audiences probably won't remember this film, come September, and that's how 'The Watch' should be. The title of this film is ironic, because not watching this movie would probably be better for the human mind.

REVIEW: People Like Us

MOVIE
People Like Us

CAST
Chris Pine, Elizabeth Banks

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
June 29, 2012

DIRECTOR
Alex Kurtzman

STUDIO(S)
DreamWorks Pictures,
Touchstone Pictures

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 55 minutes





STARS
***1/2









REVIEW:

In case it hasn't been shoved down your throat in the past few Adam Sandler "comedies," family is a very important aspect in one's life. The conflict in most family themed films is that there is a problem between two or more arguing members of a family. However in the case of 'People Like Us,' the conflict in the family is that a brother and a sister never knew that the other existed. This happens to be something that really hasn't been done much before until now, and that alone had my attention. What got me worried is that the first time director of this movie, Alex Kurtzman, has written some insane sci-fi movies like 'Star Trek' and the first two 'Transformers' films, so it's a bit weird to see him go from that to directing, co-writing, and producing this movie. The thing though is, this movie for some reason or another actually works. Despite looking like a typical family drama that comes out every few months, 'People Like Us' is an emotional, compelling, and engaging drama that will probably be looked over as the year goes on.

Sam is a successful businessman who is currently down on his luck. His father has recently passed away, but what he leaves Sam isn't for him. He's given $150,000 to give to a woman and kid he's never met before. This woman and son just so happen to be Sam's unknown sister Frankie and his nephew Josh. Now Sam must find a way to give the money to Frankie and Josh, despite Frankie not wanting anything to do with the father that abandoned her, while not telling her that they are brother and sister. Things get complicated on the way, but that's what to expect from this type of movie.

The acting in this movie is nothing short of great. Chris Pine gives the best performance of his career so far as Sam. In the beginning, he is the same old Chris Pine that we all have come to know, otherwise known as the fast talking, sarcastic douche who is down on his luck. However unlike his previous roles, Pine's character becomes more of a realistic human being with true emotion rather than the funny asshole we all love because he makes us laugh. As great as Pine is, Elizabeth Banks steals the show as Frankie. Banks has been mostly in comedies and has never really shown her true acting abilities until now. She does have some funny moments, but it's the hard hitting dramatic moments that make this underrated actress shine. In fact, Banks has the ability to send the audience into tears during the final act of the film. The supporting cast, which includes Michelle Phieffer and Olivia Wilde, are all good in the movie, but they don't shine like how Banks and Pine do.

'People Like Us' came and went in the theaters, and that was something kind of expected from this movie. It's not something worth going to see in a theater at all; rather it's a movie that probably could have been a Lifetime movie that people would watch on TV. While the movie is like a Lifetime film, it is a damn good one if I can say so myself. This movie is a sweet, heartbreaking, and touching drama that hopefully will find a good home at Redbox or On Demand when it comes out. Chris Pine and Elizabeth Banks give the performances of their careers. The story is well crafted, with a sweet twist that comes at the end of the film. Overall, this is just a great family drama that deserves to be seen. It won't win any Oscars, but you won't regret seeing it once the credits start rolling.




PREVIEWS YOU MAY SEE:

Anna Karenina

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

This Is 40

Hope Springs

Frankenweenie

Ruby Sparks

The Odd Life of Timothy Green