Dredd

Best known as the centerpiece of the British Comic Book 2000 A.D., the Ultra-Lawman Judge Dredd already saw cinematic life in the same-titled 1995 critical dud. Now, seventeen years after Sylvester Stallone became the law, Karl Urban is the new face of Justice in Dredd.

In yet another post-apocalyptic future, much of humanity is crammed into gigantic Mega Cities. Since law and order is slim, the Police (called Street Judges) now have the power of Judge, Jury and Executioner. In Mega City One, the best known of these Judges is, of course, Dredd.

One day, Dredd gets assigned to evaluate a prospective new Judge, the Psychic Cassandra Anderson (Olivia Thirlby). For their first assignment, the duo investigate a triple homicide in the gigantic Slum Tower called Peach Trees. On the top floor, there's Ma-Ma (Lena Heady), who manufactures the aptly named narcotic “Slo-Mo.” Realizing the law's after her, Ma-Ma locks down the tower and sends her flunkies after the heroes. And so, to get out, Dredd and Anderson have to go up to face Ma-Ma.

This Dredd is guilty of being perfectly visual. While it is incredibly gory, much of it is done incredibly artistically. Best of all is the 3D Slo-Mo effects, which are wonderfully colorful and surreal. Its sprawling cityscape, filmed mainly in Cape Town, is an amazing blend of production design and cinematography. These visual wonders make the most of its $45 million budget, half the cost of Stallone's version.

Amidst the carnage, there's Judge Dredd himself, who gets the film's best laughs while remaining perfectly serious. By the end of the film, even the act of threatening Dredd is funny because it's doomed to fail. Just how it fails is only the punchline. Even though he never removes his face-concealing helmet, Urban makes Dredd into the perfect, reasonable lawman of any time.

Made for 3D screens, Dredd also looks wonderful on flatscreens. Story-wise, it's perfectly accessible for those not familiar with the comic book. If you can withstand the ultra-violence, then this film will certainly make the most of your day.

Beasts of the Southern Wild

Beasts of the Southern Wild is one of the strangest films to come out this year. At the same time, it proves its worth by being one of the most visually stunning films around.

Young Hushpuppy (Quvenzhané Wallis) lives with her father Wink (Dwight Henry) in the Southern Community called "the Bathtub." One night, a massive storm floods the community. As Hushpuppy imagines it, fierce creatures called Aurochs have now been freed from the Ice Caps. Outside of her imaginary world, her community is falling apart and Wink's health is fading. To survive these changes, Hushpuppy has to grow up.

Based on Lucy Alibar's one-act play, Juicy and Delicious, the film was written by Alibar and director Benh Zeitlin. Amongst the crew Zeitlin assembled, the greatest standouts are production designer Alex DiGerlando and cinematographer Ben Richardson. Together, the two effectively create "the Bathtub" as an apocalyptic community even before the storm comes. It's an amazing site to behold, even if it actually is kind of bleak.

As Hushpuppy, Wallis's debut role is the film's standout. Her perception of the world is so innocent, yet her will to survive is fierce. She headlines the cast from her first scene onwards, never losing the audience's interest once. In addition to her, the entire cast is made up of newcomers, and they are all believable in their roles.

For some, its bleak real life setting might destroy their enjoyment of the film's fantasy. But for me, this is a great film about facing the realities of the world, both good and bad. For that reason, Beasts of the Southern Wild should be sought out if you can find it.

Lawless

As Summer begins to wind down, it's now the time for films that'll be more seriously considered Oscar Contenders. One of the first out is the real-life Crime Pic called Lawless. If this film wins Oscars, then it'll because it looks and sounds great, and not because it is great.

In 1931, brothers Forrest (Tom Hardy), Howard (Jason Clarke) and Jack Bondurant (Shia LaBeouf) are in the bootlegging business. In their Virginia Community, their business thrives thanks to the Cops who happily buy from them. One day, the evil Special Agent Charlie Rakes (Guy Pearce) comes to town. He demands that the brothers turn their business over to him, or else he'll send them up the river. The Brothers refuse, and that refusal leads to war.

And that's all you need to know about the plot.

Documented in the book The Wettest County in the World by Jack's grandson Matt, the story was screen-written by musician Nick Cave. It's a story that's slow to unfold, and liable to test many attention spans. Consequentially, a few plot points got lost in the shuffle. Fortunately, its most violent scenes were effective attention grabbers.

Amongst the performances, their are three that stand out. As Rakes, Guy Pearce did his job well, playing the snide villain one would wish dead at the end of his first scene. Gary Oldman, as a rival bootlegger, was the best underused character in all of his two scenes. And Tom Hardy, as Forrest, is the strong, silent type who is surprisingly very durable.

Also adding to the film are Benoit Delhomme's impressive photography, as well as the violent, forceful sound effects. The Music Score, composed by Cave and Warren Ellis, is one of the most memorable collection of country tunes on-screen. These are the aspects that are most liable to give their movie Oscar notice in a few months. And if they win, they'll be most deserving of the Awards.

While Lawless wants to be something great, it is instead something decent. Those wanting to view history unfold on-screen won't be disappointed. They just shouldn't expect to see much film history unfold on-screen.

ParaNorman

Beginning this month, a trio of spooky animated features are due to arrive in theaters way early for Halloween. The first one out is ParaNorman, a stop-motion spooktacular in both 3D and Flatscreen presentations.

Norman (Kodi Smit-McPhee) can talk to the spirits of the dead. To everyone else, though, he's just "abnorman". And the school bully, Alvin (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), uses that as an excuse to torment him. All of this happens in Blithe Hallow, a town with great pride in its Witch-Hunting Heritage.

One day, Norman's crazy uncle Prenderghast (John Goodman) dies. He comes back in spirit to warn him that a nasty Witch's ghost is about to rise. When she does, the dead will walk the Earth. Prenderghast gives Norman the task to soothe the Witch for all eternity; it's a task that Norman'll need lots of help for.

Animated by Laika Studios (Coraline), ParaNorman's cast of puppets are amazing. They move around with such fluid motion that it's easy to forget that this is a stop-motion feature. With 3D printers, the animators gave the characters some of the most expressive faces of their medium. The film's practical sets only add to its wonderful blend of the old and new.

There's also some clever writing in co-director Chris Butler's screenplay. It playfully messes around with horror film cliches, but it knows when to be devastatingly serious when it has to be. On the lighter side, there's Prenderghast, who makes the most of his few scenes thanks to Goodman's performance. On the darker side, there's the Witch's true nature, which I won't spoil.

If you can withstand the film's PG scariness, then ParaNorman will be a spooky good time for the family. At any rate, it'll be a better pick than the live action spooktaculars set to arrive soon. 

The Expendables 2

Once again, an All-Star team of Action Film stars have assembled in one movie. It is The Expendables 2, the sequel to the 2010 blockbuster that I certainly disliked. Fortunately, this bloody, loud shoot-em-up is much better than its predecessor.

As usual, Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) and his mercenary squad, The Expendables, make it their mission to blow up bad guys. Their handler, Mr. Church (Bruce Willis), gives them the assignment to retrieve something from a downed plane. That something, they find out too late, has the location of an abandoned Plutonium mine. They get it, but the evil Jean Vilain (Jean-Claude Van Damme) takes it from them. So now, it's up to them to stop the villain before he can sell his spoils to the wrong hands.

And that's what you need to know about the plot.

While Stallone directed The Expendables, he left this sequel to Simon West (Con Air). What this results in is a film that punctuates carnage with humor. The heroes make fun of their actors' greatest hits while under gunfire. A bloody fight ends with a villain going through an Airport X-Ray Machine. There's also a good supply of amusing one-liners as Good cuts through Evil.

This relaxed tone benefits its characters the most. This time around, they make up an amusing ensemble of rogue heroes that's fun to watch. Amongst the new characters, Booker (Chuck Norris), revels in the film's extremities. Meanwhile, Mr. Church and Mr. Trench (Arnold Schwarzenegger), the best characters of the last film, have a delightfully expanded part. Next to them, the hulking Gunnar (Dolph Lundgren) was the best of this Wild Bunch.

This is what the first film should've been like: bloody fun, not bloody boring. That's all its trying to do, and for that reason, The Expendables 2 wildly succeeds.

The Bourne Legacy

Just when you thought that Matt Damon was done chasing spies as Robert Ludlum's rogue assassin Jason Bourne...you were right!

Since director Paul Greengrass wasn't interested in getting Bourne again, neither was his star. With Greengrass gone, Tony Gilroy, the screenwriter for all three Bournes, has been promoted to the director's chair in The Bourne Legacy.

Rather than re-cast Damon as Bourne, Gilroy introduces a new protagonist, Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner). Aaron is part of Operation Outcome, the same Super-Assassin program from which Jason Bourne got his skills. One day, while enjoying the Alaskan wilderness, Aaron starts to run out of his Super-Assassin Medicine. And so, he goes back to civilization to find some.

Meanwhile, Government creep Eric Byer (Edward Norton) and his fellow Bureacrats, are irritated with Jason Bourne's meddling. And so, they decide to clean house by killing everybody involved with their schemes.

One Dr. Shearing (Rachel Weisz) survives one of their house-cleaning schemes. She's now targeted for death since she knows about the Super Medicine. For that reason, she's the first person Aaron seeks out and now must protect.

For around the first half-hour, I was surely bored with Bourne. Nothing really happened. All the names that were relevant in the last three films made the backstory almost incomprehensible. And it surely felt longer than half an hour.

But once it speeds up, everything gets better. The film's action scenes, edited by Tony's brother John, master both style and substance. While these scenes contain plenty of exciting stunts, there's also some masterful suspense involved. So much so that it could easily follow its predecessor, The Bourne Ultimatum, to a Film Editing Oscar.

Having not seen the prior Bournes, I don't know where this measures. But as a standalone, The Bourne Legacy is some fine entertainment. Let's just hope that the next one gets it better, or else we might just get stuck with The Bourne Redundancy.

Hope Springs

Just as they did in The Devil Wears Prada, director David Frankel and star Meryl Streep bring some dramedy for the summertime in Hope Springs.

Kay (Streep) has been married to Arnold (Tommy Lee Jones) for thirty-one years. Their marriage has been so distant nowadays that they don't even sleep in the same room together. One day, Kay finds out about self-help guru Dr. Feld (Steve Carrell) and his miraculous couples counciling. She immediately drags Arnold along for a week-long therapy session in Feld's town of Great Hope Springs, Maine.

Upon arriving, Arnold hates it. In fact, he hated the thought of even going. And he especially hates the thought of confiding with some stranger about his marriage. Which leaves the important question: will this be even a good week?

There were a few laughs here. A few of them came from a very deadpan Carrell as Dr. Feld. At least, those were the few legitimate giggles. A lot of the other humor comes down thanks to the film's gentle tone. As a result, it comes down in one of two flavors: "huh?" or "awkward."

At the core of the film, there's Streep and Jones. On the bright side, Streep gives a reliably good performance as Kay. It's quite understandable that she's bored that he's boring. Or rather, that she's upset that he's dense. But on the down side, the film doesn't develop their problems further than that. It ends up making it hard to fully emphasize with their relationship.

If you wish to see this film, then go ahead and do it. It's a harmless dramedy, nothing more. But then again, it'd be nice if there was something more with the New England scenery.

Total Recall

Even though Phillip K. Dick still has literary works that have yet to gain cinematic life, that hasn't stopped his works from getting repeats on-screen. One such short story, We Can Remember It for You, Wholesale, already had cinematic life as Total Recall in 1990. And now, it's been brought back with that title intact.

In the far off future, World War III has happened, and only two superpowers, the United Federation of Britain (Europe), and The Colony (Australia), remain. One such Colony citizen, Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell), works in a factory for Robot Soldiers called Synthetics. Bored with his life, Quaid decides to go to REKALL, which specializes in implanting fake memories in its customers.

So, he decides to be a secret agent. But then, everyone, even his wife, Lori (Kate Beckinsale), wants to kill him. Because, apparently, he really is a secret agent. And he's the only one who can help the Resistance, which includes his new friend Melina (Jessica Biel), overthrow the tyrannical Federation.

Or, maybe not. It is Phillip K. Dick after all.

Whereas the original story and film dealt with the Planet Mars, this new incarnation by director Len Wiseman (Underworld), keeps the action on Earth. What he's replaced the Red Planet with is a scenic blend of two other Phillip K. Dick adaptations: Blade Runner and Minority Report. It has Towering cities, East/West Art Deco, Flying Cars, Robot Soldiers, and many more. It's all great to look at, that's for sure.

There's also a few mindbending scenes, including a fake-out ending, that work really well. Unfortunately, there's also quite a bit of the wrong kind of mindbending as well. First, there's padding that ends up dragging the film up to two hours. Second, and more minor, is the eerie similarity between Lori and Melina. Those parts just turn the film from "Huh? Whoa!" to "Uhh, wha?!"

Overall, this is a film worth remembering, but not with enthusiasm. Still, it's not so bad that it'll make you want to forget it. It's just not a certified classic like the original film was.

Safety Not Guaranteed

A film called Safety Not Guaranteed doesn't sound reassuring, does it? But really, there's a good time guaranteed in this indie dramedy.

Conceived by writer Derek Connolly, and realized by director Colin Trevorrow, their debut feature was inspired by this real-life joke ad that appeared in Backwoods Home Magazine in 1997:

Wanted: Somebody to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. You'll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. Safety not guaranteed. I have only done this once before.

In story, this ad gets the attention of Jeff (Jake M. Johnson), a writer at a Seattle magazine. He and two interns, the protagonist Darius (Aubrey Plaza) and Arnau (Karan Soni), go on a road trip to find the mystery writer of the ad. He turns out to be Kenneth (Mark Duplass), a meager clerk and a seemingly paranoid nutcase. Darius's personality wins him over, and thus, a story is certain. But it's not actually the story they think they're gonna get.

What makes the film work is its writing and acting working together. Its ensemble, particularly Plaza and Duplass, are all likable people. Even if they're eccentric or irresponsible, they behave like real people you might like to meet. When several plot twists derail their expectations, the audience is just as surprised as they are. But at the end of the story, the payoff to the premise is wonderful. It's only 86 minutes long, which means that it gets to the point with quick precision.

Overall, the point is that the impossible can be possible. That point is made so appealing that one can't help but smile after they see the film. That's why Safety Not Guaranteed is worth the time if you can find it in a theater.

The Dark Knight Rises

It has now come to this.

The third of director Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises, has finally arrived. And overall, it's one of the best Super Hero adventures of this or any other year.

Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) is no longer Batman. Ever since he thwarted The Joker and the maddened D.A. Harvey Dent, our millionaire hero has also retired from life in general. Now it's been eight years since his last adventure and Gotham City is actually safe for once. So what'll get Bruce Wayne back into the suit?

Bane (Tom Hardy), a criminal genius in a wrestler's body, comes to town. Commandeering the League of Shadows, the very organization Bruce once trained with, Bane plots the destruction of Gotham in memory of the League's fallen former leader, Ra's al Guhl. Not unless Batman and his allies, including Catwoman (Anne Hathaway), can stop him.

Even at a near three hours in length, this wasn't a boring film at all. It keeps its audience guessing how, if at all, Batman will fare at the end of the story. A few scenes, including a brutal fight with Bane, seem to indicate it's the end for the Caped Crusader. But how it actually turns out is kept in great suspense. It's all thanks to writers Nolan, his brother Jonathan and David S. Goyer and editor Lee Smith.

As a summer blockbuster, it also keeps its audience attentive with many astounding scenes. Among the best feature Batman's new flying machine, The Bat. It's especially astounding to know that it was one of the film's heavily practical effects, instead of total CGI. While some scenes use CGI out of necessity, those effects blend well with the on-camera imagery.

One minor complaint I have is that it has some story elements that one can easily miss. It's something I've noted with Nolan's previous Batman films and Inception. But fortunately, there's such a small number of them that one won't get lost completely if they miss them. My other one is that, at times, Bane's muffled voice behind his mask is quite incomprehensible. To understand him certainly requires a lot of attention, that's for sure.

But still, The Dark Knight Rises has been well worth the wait. It maintains its predecessors' verisimilitude quite perfectly, something rarely seen with these super trilogies. As a result, the conclusion of Batman's latest cinematic incarnation is both satisfying and fulfilling.

Ice Age: Continental Drift

Anyone looking for an excuse to get the kids in the theater have a new one now in Ice Age: Continental Drift, which is the fourth Prehistoric cartoon comedy. I'm guessing that it'll be a hit with kids. For everyone else, it's the equivalent of a once funny joke now old.

Want to know what I mean?

Scrat, the nutty Sabretooth Squirrel, has gone too far. In an opening sequence that debuted as a stand-alone cartoon (which played with such films as Rio and Mr. Popper's Penguins), the little rodent chases his beloved acorn into the Earth's core. He inadvertantly causes Pangea to split apart into the current continents.

And he has no idea of the apocalypse he caused.

But Manny the Mammoth (Ray Romano), Diego the Smilodon (Denis Leary) and Sid the Sloth (John Leguizamo) do. Now seperated from their friends and family, and on a tiny iceburg as a raft, their mission is to get back to land. Their mission is impeded by the pirate baboon Captain Gutt (Peter Dinklage) and his crew.

There were at least a few funny moments. One of them was a silly musical number for Gutt and his crew. But a lot of the funny stuff was already shown in the ads. On screen, they weren't supremely funny. Just average.

Available on both 3D and Flatscreen, this film's animation is its best asset. The scenery, and the characters who inhabit it, are greatly colorful and detailed. Its animated set pieces, such as the heroes' travel through a storm, were meant for the big screen. This is a good film to look at.

Either format you choose, you still get to see Maggie Simpson in a 2D short, The Longest Daycare. That was the best part of an otherwise formulaic film.

The Amazing Spider-Man

Apparently, the planned story for Spider-Man 4, with Sam Raimi directing Tobey Maguire, was such a mess that it scared Sony. Scared them back to basics. After ten years.

So now, with a new director (Marc Webb), a new web-head (Andrew Garfield) and leading lady (Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy) and 3D effects, Spider-Man's story is now told once again in The Amazing Spider-Man.

Once again, we have nerdy Peter Parker, who gets super-powers after getting bit by a genetically altered spider. Peter uses his powers for selfish reasons, until it indirectly kills his Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen). To find the killer, Peter comes up with his iconic suit and mechanical web-shooter gadgets.

Peter's spider bite inspires one-armed scientist Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans) to come up with a regenerative formula from Lizard DNA. The formula works, but it has the nasty side-effect of turning him into the rampaging Lizard. The Lizard plans to spread his formula across the city, unless Spider-Man can do something about it.

While Spider-Man 3 was overwrought with melodrama, this new Spider-Man finds the right tone between humor and seriousness. On one hand, Peter's new powers cause some hilarious property damage. On the other, they initially leave him highly disadvantaged against gangs of thugs. It's this balance that helps keep the audience interested for the hour or so before Spidey gets his suit on.

As Peter, Andrew Garfield is both likable and believable as the dual-sided teenage superhero. His supporting cast is made up of actors well-chosen for their roles. Among them are Denis Leary, as Gwen's police captain dad, and Martin Sheen and Sally Field (as Aunt May). 

And of course, there's the visual effects. Whether in 3D or flatscreen, Spidey's acrobatics'll thrill and excite his 2012 audience just as he did in 2002. Meanwhile, Connors's scary transformation makeup is the best of the film's practical effects. 

It may sound like a pointless rehash, but really, that's because Raimi's films are so fresh in audience memories. However, its new spin on the basics make this new adventure a fun ride. And hopefully, it'll leave the audience anticipating where Spidey'll go next.

Moonrise Kingdom

Update: almost 11 years, and I have no idea why I wrote "Swito funny." Fixed as of 6/28/23.

Moonrise Kingdom is perhaps the first movie I've reviewed where my biggest problem was the film print. The inconsistent sound levels wrecked the viewing experience quite a bit.

Which is a shame, because Wes Anderson's latest film is quirky fun. Especially when it was at its audible best. But for now, let's review the film and not the theater.

Two kids from the island of New Penzance, Sam Shakusky (Jared Gilman) and Suzy Bishop (Kara Hayward), meet one summer. They instantly like each other, and both feel restricted by their home lives. So, the next summer, they run away together on a camping trip to a secluded cove to stay together forever.

The eccentric adults in their lives, ranging from Police Captain Sharp (Bruce Willis) to Suzy's parents (Bill Murray and Frances McDormand), embark on a crazy search party to find the young lovers. But what'll happen when they find them?

Co-written by Anderson and Roman Coppola, Moonrise Kingdom is dramedicly charming. Its eccentric characters are all crazy, but they're still likable. Even without understanding their words, it's quite easy to understand their body language. Its 94 minute run-time ensures that not a single moment is wasted on-screen. And for that, it's great.

Its cinematography, by Robert Yeomen, has a distinctive use of color and exaggeration. Assembled together by editor Andrew Weisblum, these create some of the most "shockingly" funny scenes this year. You'll wonder how they came up with them.

If you can find a theater, and the time, then use it to see Moonrise Kingdom. You won't be disappointed; at least, if all goes well with your theater experience.

Brave

Brave is Pixar's first non-sequel in quite some time. Whether it's a Toy Story-style masterpiece in storytelling, I neither know or care. What I do know is that it's an outstanding film nevertheless.

Merida (Kelly Macdonald) is the Princess of the Scottish Clan DunBroch. Her mother, Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson) wants her to be a prim and proper lady, rather than a master archer. One day, her father King Fergus's (Billy Connolly) fellow Lords present their sons to compete for Merida's hand. Merida puts their archery skills to shame, and then runs off after Elinor scolds her.

She finds a witch (Julie Walters) in the woods and gets her to give her a spell. All Merida wants is to change Elinor, thereby changing her fate. Fortunately for her, the spell works and Elinor is changed. Unfortunately, the spell changes Elinor into a bear. Now, Merida has two nights to break the spell, or else all is lost.

Rendered with Pixar's new system, Presto, the 3D visuals do set a new standard for its company. With Presto, the Scottish Highlands look great either in fog or clear weather. Even the characters' hair, a seemingly minor detail, is impressively rendered in full CGI. On that point, Pixar's consistency for looking great remains intact.

The screenplay is credited to four writers: Mark Andrews, Steve Purcell, Brenda Chapman and Irene Mecchi. Chapman also directed the film, before Andrews abruptly replaced her (though both are credited). Does that equal a conflicting mess of storytelling? As I said, I neither know or care because I barely noticed.

It's all because of the well-chosen voice cast. Thanks to them, the film's characters are funny and sympathetic when they need to be. Whatever plot holes there are, they just leap over because they are that likable. Still, the best characters are Merida's mute triplet brothers, who have slapstick all mastered.

What Pixar has created is currently the best animated film of the year. It's worth watching either in matinee or evening prices, and I'll leave the 3D or flatscreen choice to you. Either way you choose, you'll still get to see Pixar's incredible Oscar-nominated short, La Luna.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Who ever knew that the Great Emancipator was also the Great Slayer?

That's what you'll find out with the latest historical "bio-pic", Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. It's based on the "biographical" novel by Seth Grahame-Smith, who also wrote the film, directed by Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted) and co-produced by Tim Burton. Sounds like a lot of credentials there.

Feel free to laugh until the undead rise.

As a lad, young Mr. Lincoln (Benjamin Walker) awakens to see his mother murdered. Only later does he realize that her killer is one of the undead. With the aid of the mysterious Henry Sturges (Dominic Cooper), the future President slays the undead with his silver coated axe.

The evil King of the Vampires, Adam (Rufus Sewell), won't take that sitting down. He also won't take Lincoln's abolitionism, since slaves are his favorite meal. This all leads to the Civil War between the North and South...I mean, the Living and the Dead.

Rather than historical accuracy, this film aims to have fun with history. Whether in 3D or Flatscreen, there's plenty of stylized action to help in its quest. Among them is the duel between Honest Abe and a Vampire in a horse stampede; the Vampire even tosses a whole horse at Abe for good measure.

Does it succeed in its quest? Its stylized action is incredible, so that's a plus. On the minus side, it's a dark comedy that takes itself a bit too seriously. At least, from the title, one might've expected a dark comedy. But I thought it worked better as a satire of American History. As a result, the tonal clashes didn't bother me that much; but its stylized action was like “that's cool” rather than the expected “whoa! That's cool!”

One can easily enjoy the film if they can also overlook its tonal clashes and historical inaccuracies. It's a decent B-Movie in every sense of the word.

Oh, by the way, if you do want historical accuracy, then wait at least six months until Steven Spielberg's Lincoln comes out.

Rock of Ages

Rock of Ages, just like Mamma Mia in 2008, has its actors sing some old-time favorites. Unlike the earlier film, this film casts its net wider and pulls in a collection of 80's top favorites.

Wanna get rocked like a hurricane, Amadeus? You might wanna look elsewhere.

Why's that? Read on.

Those 80's favorites are built around the tale of country girl Sherrie (Julianne Hough) and city boy Drew (Diego Boneta). Sherrie moves from Oklahoma to Los Angeles, where she meets Drew and both dream of making it big in Rock'n'Roll. But for now, they work at a Nightclub, The Bourbon Room, which has seen better days. Its very life depends on the revenue from its upcoming performance of Stacee Jaxx (Tom Cruise), the loopiest Rock Star in town.

Not helping at all is the Ultra-Conservative Patricia Whitmore (Catherine Zeta-Jones), who wants to shut down the club for its “decadence.” Meanwhile, Stacee's manager Paul Gill (Paul Giamatti) is out to get in on the profits big time. Our heroes will have to get over them in order to rebuild this city with Rock'N'Roll.

There were quite a few laughs in the film. Most of them came from Stacee and his baboon, the manic Hey Man. Yes, his name is Hey Man. A scene where a reporter scrambles to cover both sides of a Bourbon Room/Whitmore rock duel was also kind of funny. As well as Drew's disastrous first public performance as a boy band star (which makes sense in context).

But at times, I felt that the best part of the film were the Rock'n'Roll numbers. They were even better than the characters who had to sing them. At most, those characters were average; at worse, they were a bit bland. For a film built around a love story, usually an appealing genre, this is a problem.

This is nothing but an average time. But still, this hasn't dampened my anticipation for this year's next musical, Les Miserables. So, I guess it leans toward the positive after all.

Prometheus

Don't want to see Madagascar 3 this weekend? Still wanna see a big 3D spectacle? Along with the cartoon threequel, another 3D event, Prometheus, has now come in theaters. This one, be warned, is made for a much different audience.

Directed by Ridley Scott, this can be best described as a mix of 2001: A Space Odyssey and his own film, Alien. In fact, this film is actually a subtle prequel to the latter film. Those savvy enough will get the connections, and those who don't will still make sense of the big picture.

In the far off future, scientist Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) discovers some cave paintings depicting the same cluster of stars. They end up forming a map to a far, far-away moon, so an expedition is set out aboard the titular vessel, Prometheus. Amongst the crew is Shaw, her boyfriend Charlie (Logan Marshall-Green) and the android David (Michael Fassbender).

The mission's goal is to find humanity's likely extraterrestrial creators, whom the crew has called “the Engineers.” Upon arriving on the moon, LV-223, the crew finds an ancient structure. Inside the structure, the dream expedition turns into a nightmare.

Shot entirely in 3D by cinematographer Dariusz Wolski, Prometheus is a visually amazing thriller. It soothes its audience with spectacular planetary scenery, but prepares its audience with Arthur Max's claustrophobic sets. When the monsters arrive, they bring about some intense scenes of Sci-Fi horror. One thing's for sure: this is not for the squeamish.

At least it's not gratuitous. As with Alien, the set-up to its carnage is slow and steady. So once it gets horrific, it is legitimately horrific. Still doesn't make it easy for the squeamish.

Anyways, Prometheus's visual wonders make it a worthy trip to the movies. Let's just hope that when its equivalent of 2010 comes along, that the answers to its existential mysteries aren't underwhelming.

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted

Only the latest 3D threequel, Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted both continues and improves the zaniness from the first two films. While both were a bit decent, this third one was the best of them.

The intrepid zoo escapees, Alex the Lion (Ben Stiller), Marty the Zebra (Chris Rock), Melman the Giraffe (David Schwimmer), and Gloria the Hippo (Jada Pinket-Smith) are stuck in Africa. Just as quickly, they and their little lemur friends are out of Africa and in Monte Carlo. Their penguin associates got themselves there, but didn't consider bringing them along.

After causing chaos in Monte Carlo, the animals find themselves pursued by Captain DuBois (Francis McDormand), a determined police woman with the stamina of Wily Coyote. To hide from her, they hitch a ride on a circus train. To stay on the circus train, they buy the circus and kick the humans out. To maintain their circus, they have to get on the good side of the troupe. Most of all is Vitaly (Bryan Cranston), the Russian tiger.

Sounds silly, doesn't it?

A completely Looney Toon, this film is energetic enough to entertain both kids and adults. There's the chase in Monte Carlo, complete with banana guns. There's an array of amazing circus acts, including Vitaly's physics-defying hoop tricks. And then there's the looniest scene of all: DuBois healing her injured officers by singing Edith Piaf. Even on flatscreens, the 3D sights are spectacular.

Could there be a number four? Probably, but the screenplay, co-written by Noah Baumbach, wraps things up so nicely that anything else might be an unneeded encore.

All in all, Madagascar 3 was meant to be fun, and it is fun. It helps having DuBois, the most memorable villain in the series, in the cast. With her around, this entry stands out amongst this summer's heavies with ease.

Snow White and the Huntsman

It's been barely two months since Snow White came on movie screens and now she's here again. While Mirror Mirror was in the Disney style, this new one, Snow White and the Huntsman, is more in the Game of Thrones style. It's also quite "Grimm" for those accustomed with the Disney style.

Years ago, Snow White's (Kristen Stewart) father, the King, married the Evil Witch Raveena (Charlize Theron). On the same night, she killed him and took over the Kingdom. Ever since, Raveena's dealt with her supreme vanity by stealing the beauty from any and all fair maidens. Meanwhile, Snow White has been a prisoner in the tower.

The Magic Mirror tells Raveena that with Snow White's blood, she can finally become immortally young. The only problem is that Snow White's now escaped into the eerie Dark Forrest. So, she gets a Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) to track her down and bring her back. Instead, the Huntsman joins up with Snow White and her Prince to raise the resistance against the Dark Queen.

And yes, there are dwarves in this picture. Eight of them.

What makes it among the fairest in the land are its production values. There's some majestic eerie imagery, especially in the snowy scenes, provided by cinematographer Greig Fraser. The costumes, by Colleen Atwood, are unique and colorful for their setting. The editing, by Conrad Buff IV and Neil Smith, masterfully constructs a few key scenes. And among the impressive effects, the miniaturization of actors Toby Jones, Bob Hoskins and more into the dwarves was a highlight.

Its production values are what allow me to overlook its writing flaws. Mainly, it's so over-serious that its main comic relief, the dwarves, are only sporadically funny. It was a bit overlong, particularly in the middle, although it did pick up the pace fortunately.

Supposedly, there's supposed to be a few sequels to come after this. A major franchise? Let's hope they can do a bit better than this already quite decent first feature.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

A film that's certainly bound to attract this summer's oldest moviegoers is The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Even if I'm not one of them, it still attracted me a bit.

Directed by John Madden, it's based on Debborah Moggach's novel with the less wordy title These Foolish Things. Rather than make jokes about the differentiating titles, I'll do the right thing and explain the film's title.

Seven old English folks: Evelyn (Judi Dench), Muriel (Maggie Smith), Douglas and Jean Ainslie (Bill Nighy and Penelope Wilton), Graham (Tom Wilkinson), Madge (Celia Imrie) and Norman (Ronald Pickup), have found themselves on hard times. Finding no place for themselves in society, they decide to "outsource their retirement" to the titular resort in Jaipur, India.

Except when they get there, they find the place not exactly looking like its name. Its new owner, Sonny (Dev Patel), tries to maintain a positive atmosphere, but he's overwhelmed by family expectations. No longer bound by their society, the seven retirees begin to enjoy what they've missed for so long.

Among its strongest assets are its main ensemble of stars. Working with Ol Parker's screenplay, they portray their characters as likable and memorable people. With the film's dramedic tone, you'll find yourselves laughing, and emphasizing with them, not at them.

Still, it wasn't perfect as it did feel longer than it actually was. But with this great ensemble, this trip across India was certainly worth it. It's definitely worth it once you've seen all this summer's blockbusters...or avoided them.

Bully

Certainly the most controversial film currently out this year, Bully has been out for a while, but a few people still have to wait for it. I'm no longer one of those people, for now I've seen it.

It's a documentary film by Lee Hirsch, which is about the problem of School bullies. It's a problem that young people have to deal with each day, but are almost powerless to stop. A few of them have committed suicide directly because of bullying; we also see the after-effects of a few such suicides.

I'll admit that it can be quite tough to watch. However, it's also quite cathartic for those who've experienced it. Seeing that they're not alone can spur them to talk about their problems. Even though we barely get to see a bully's side of the story, we see the side effects of their actions. And hopefully, seeing their "impact" can spur them to try to be better people.

That's what the film is about, and that's a good thing.

It was initially Rated-R for its tough language, rather than the tough images and themes on-screen. As if they were trying to keep kids from being exposed to what they've already been exposed to each day in school. This film shouldn't be swept under the rug, but instead, should be seen by anyone with the interest or need to see it. Most definitely.

Men in Black 3

Just when you thought that Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones were through busting bad aliens as Agents J and K of the Men in Black, along comes Men in Black 3. And with this being number 3, this is the first in 3D.

This time, the Agents are in big trouble after the bad alien Boris (Jemaine Clement) escapes from the moon. Boris is the last survivor of some planet marauders, made so after Agent K busted him in 1969. Still bitter, Boris goes back in time to kill Agent K via a time paradox.

Once the deed is done, only Agent J can remember Agent K. Because Agent K is no longer around, Boris's fellow marauders are now free to subjugate Earth. So, it's up to Agent J to go back in time after Boris and thwart his scheme. In order to do so, he has to join up with the Agent K (Josh Brolin) of 1969.

Even in flatscreen showings, this threequel's effects are amazing. Its time travel sequences, for instance, actually felt like a theme park ride. Its elaborate non-human aliens and enhancements on the "human" aliens are amazingly unique. Its "human" aliens, created by multi-Oscar winner Rick Baker, are its most colorful asset.

It started filming without a finished script, which might certainly sound rash. But amazingly, the final product still has an entertaining style of witty humor. A good source of it is Michael Sthulbarg, as the clairvoyant alien Griffin. Even if some fans might morn two absentees from the first two films, this newcomer certainly makes up for it.

It's a decent resurrection of this franchise, even if it's not as hilarious as the first. Because of that, this is one of this summer's must-see in theaters ASAP films.

Battleship

Yes, it's Battleship. It's the board game, from Hasbro, that makes loudly proclaiming your defeat a national past time. And now, it's a movie with battleships and aliens.

Wait? How do the Aliens fit in?

They fit in because humans tried to communicate with their planet. Since their planet was just like Earth, the humans knocked on their door to see if anyone was home. Some Alien battleships show up, and a fifth screws up and crashes into Hong Kong.

The other four land in the Pacific, just near Hawaii, where some international war games are taking place. They seal off most of the fleet, so three ships have to face the invaders. When two of the ships are sunk, it's up to the stock characters on the third to save the day.

It's sort of like a naval combination of GI Joe and Transformers, both of whom are also Hasbro properties. At front and center is director Peter Berg (Hancock), who proudly displays the film's massive budget. There's tons of explosions, property destruction and heavy artillery. Chances are, you'll remember the destruction more than the characters who have to endure it.

There's an exciting music score provided by Steve Jablonsky, who also did the Transformers films. Despite the audible carnage, it still makes itself memorable in the end. There's not many memorable scenes that don't involve Battleships, but there's one in the beginning that really does. It involves the inept robbery of a convenience store by the rogue hero (Taylor Kitsch) set to The Pink Panther Theme.

Other than the heavy artillery, Battleship is an average cinematic exercise. It's decent enough filler while one waits for this summers' biggest guns, but it's not that outstanding. In other words, this Battleship is hit bad, but it's still staying afloat.

Dark Shadows

Airing from 1966-1971, the Gothic Soap Opera Dark Shadows has already seen cinematic life with House of Dark Shadows and Night of Dark Shadows. And now, with star Johnny Depp and director Tim Burton, it is back to cinematic life for a new take.

In around 1756, the Collins family moves from England into their own Maine town Collinsport. While they make their fortunes in fishing, their son, Barnabas (Depp), earns the wrath of the witch Angelique (Eva Green). For revenge, Angelique kills Barnabas's family and true love, turns him into a vampire and has him buried. In 1972, a construction crew digs up Barnabas and satisfies his long-lasting thirst.

He returns home to his family manor to find it occupied by his descendants. Seeing the family business is in disarray, Barnabas sets himself in charge to bring back his family glory. But first, he has to deal with a rival company, whose CEO is the very witch responsible for his condition.

Those who know and enjoy Tim Burton's style won't be disappointed with this latest effort. It has colorful scenery, even more colorful costumes and that quirky Gothic atmosphere. The actors he assembles into the environment are also quite reliable in their roles. As Barnabas, Depp gets the film's best laughs from his adjusting to the modern day world. Many of the other supporting characters, from groundskeeper Willie Loomis (Jackie Earle Hayley) and psychiatrist Dr. Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter), are delightfully quirky.

But still, this isn't a well-mixed blend of comedy and horror. It starts off as seriously Gothic, turns comedic once Barnabas is freed and goes back to serious in the finale. In contrast, the TV show was actually quite campy and the earlier films were more "un-dead" serious. For many a viewer, this is quite jarring; however, it also felt like an exaggerated Soap Opera. That might've been what they were going for, and it should've been developed more.

Unlike Burton's previous film, Alice in Wonderland, this is a flatscreen-only presentation. So, the question is now whether to see this at all. My recommendation is that if you want to see it, then see it. Even though it has an identity crisis, it still has a few fun parts that make it worth the trip.

The Avengers

This is why Marvel got its own movie studio. This is why Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk , Thor and Captain America made it to the big screen in the past few years. And now, Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) has assembled The Avengers. And the end result is greater than the sum of its parts.

Loki (Tom Hiddleston), the Asgardian villain of Thor, survived his descent into oblivion in that film. He comes to Earth, seeking the Cosmic Cube (from Captain America) for his new alien pals, the Chitauri. In return, the Chitauri will subjugate the Earth for him.

In response, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) assembles the aforementioned Marvels back to the big screen. Also aboard are Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), supporting characters from Iron Man 2 and Thor. But their conflicting personalities aren't so marvelous, especially the Hulk's (Mark Ruffalo, replacing Edward Norton). They'll just have to work it out if they expect to stomp the bad guys.

While it does refer to its predecessors, the film's plot is so straightforward that the references don't render it incomprehensible. It's a real feet considering the cultural pedigree assembled here. 

On both 3D and Flatscreen formats, there's no shortage of big action scenes. But thanks to having Joss Whedon as a co-writer, there's no shortage of fun either. A lot of the fun comes from the quips and banter of such characters as Iron Man and The Hulk. A few of those moments got the loudest laughs and applause from my audience.

At around two and a half hours, the film spends its time wisely in the pursuit of entertainment. In its mission to remind its audience why superheroes are fun, it succeeds. And whatever Marvel and its new distributor, Disney, have in store, they'll all be eagerly anticipated.