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Bedtime Stores (PG)

January 04, 09:35 AM

Adam Sandler is back in this kid-ish flick, macking as the adult adolescent he usually plays, even as he slides headlong into 40. Sure, he's goofy, doing his schtick, but this storyline is all over the map. Expect crudeness from this Disney flick that the critics assail as lacking in imagination or originality. This is not... Continue reading »

The Spirit (PG-13)

January 04, 09:27 AM

The good news is the cast. Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johannsson and Eva Mendes all star in this dark tale that looks a bit like the comic books, but is likely less satisfying. The critics are nearly unified in their disdain for the movie, a soggy attempt at noir, which is described as humorless and illogical.... Continue reading »

Valkyrie (PG-13)

December 28, 09:04 PM

Those Hollywood haters, sick of his quasi-religious schtick and/or his overenthusiastic Oprah couch-surfing, should be warned: Tom Cruise isn't as bad as some predicted and neither is his new war thriller. It's grade B-minus Cruise, say the critics who call this big-budget World War II Nazi drama entertaining but a tad blah. There was much early... Continue reading »

Marley and Me (PG)

December 28, 08:28 PM

And they called it puppy love. What could be cuter than a Hollywood-style trio made up of a yellow lab, Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson, right? It's hard to tell, really, who is more lovable, although in many of the sweet scenes, the pooch wins hands down over the actors who do their mugging best to... Continue reading »

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (PG-13)

December 28, 08:06 PM

In time for the holidays comes a big, weeper of a historic flick that covers aging, true love and the meaning of life. What, you say? That's a lot. Indeed, this ambitious film is a real epic, clocking in at going on 3 hours. But with hot actors like Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett and the always... Continue reading »

The Tale of Despereaux (G)

December 20, 07:06 AM

It's holiday time, so what's not to love than a sweet story about a tiny mouse making his way in the world. Based on the children's book, "Despereaux" is a old-school kind of animated film, not slick but rather heartfelt and simple. The critics praise its gentle warmth, but some warn that although it's fun to... Continue reading »

The Wrestler (R)

December 19, 08:36 PM

Drama imitates life or vice versa. Plenty of critics argue that indeed, Mickey Rourke makes the comeback of his thespian life in this title role of a pro-wrestler looking for redemption. Critically, the offbeat and mercurial Mr. Rourke does just that in a tailor-made role that has been dubbed Oscar-worthy. He chronicles the pain of this... Continue reading »

Seven Pounds (PG-13)

December 19, 08:19 PM

Will Smith is one of our most beloved young actors and yet this latest project, an emotional drama, seems like a misfire with a convoluted plot. Ultimately, it makes a statement about the meaning of life, but it's a rough road getting to that premise. Most critics call it heavy, awkward, circular and ultimately a movie... Continue reading »

Yes Man (PG-13)

December 19, 07:52 PM

Jim Carrey returns in a slapstick comedy harkening back to the time he was the king of this kooky and quirky genre. After a foray into serious acting, where critics didn't really know how to take his performances, he returns to what made him a star. Yes, he's funny here, but perhaps not enough so, say... Continue reading »

Nothing Like the Holidays (PG-13)

December 14, 09:35 PM

What sounds like just another formulaic holiday comedy actually is charming in this Latino version of Christmas en familia. It includes an odd but satisfying pairing of Debra Messing and John Leguizamo, who are lauded by at least some critics for their acting, nonetheless. Don't expect a different story. You've seen this one before in different... Continue reading »

Gran Torino (R)

December 14, 09:16 PM

Showing no signs of quitting -- or delivering anything less than a stellar performance -- Clint Eastwood returns as a very unlikable bigot who finally gets some sensitivity. Call this "Dirty Old Crotchety Harry." Shot in the grit of Detroit, Mr. Eastwood at 78 shows why he is one of our most-deservingly lauded stars. As actor... Continue reading »

Doubt (PG-13)

December 14, 08:47 PM

You like actors, acting, a complex story that burns with intensity? This is your movie. Go to see the always genius Philip Seymour Hoffman square off with the tour de force thespian that is Meryl Streep. Those two go at it as priest and nun in this film version of the critically acclaimed play. The story... Continue reading »

The Day the Earth Stood Still (PG-13)

December 14, 08:26 PM

Klaatu Barada Nikto! That's alienspeak for, shazam, people like this cheesy remake. Hard to believe, given the lambast that critics are giving this sci-fi thriller starring the wooden Keanu Reeves who plays the outerspace visitor who comes to Earth. With special effects deluxe, it offers visual and explosive appeal, a modern approach on the 1951 classic.... Continue reading »

The Reader (R)

December 12, 06:39 PM

Upfront, this is a complex and adult story, erotic as it is creepy. An adult woman picks up a sickly teen who collapses in front of her house. She takes him in, nurses him back to health, all to make him her sex toy, which includes reading to her as a tangled bit of foreplay. Set... Continue reading »

Wendy and Lucy (R)

December 12, 04:16 PM

Bring the hankies. Cause this one is a stoic weeper. In today's tough financial times, this story about a poor girl who loses her dog as her life unravels yanks all the chains of emotions. An indie darling, the waif Michelle Williams stars in this small story that has earned generally high marks from the critics,... Continue reading »

Frost/Nixon (R)

December 05, 08:18 PM

There is fascination in storytelling that presents humanity and vulnerability in someone who is publicly unlikable. Disgraced former President Richard Nixon, the man, not the sweating, uptight political caricature, is on full view in the very well-received Frost/Nixon. Actor Frank Langella seems Academy Award-bound in the lead, as he reprises on film his critically acclaimed Tony... Continue reading »

Nobel Son (R)

December 05, 07:46 PM

When is a film filled with so much quirk and oddity and darkness that it's so over the top it becomes unwatchable? Maybe here, where madness deluxe reigns, both visually and in story. Generally, the critics agree that although there are moments of fascination, if you can muddle through the beginning, but mostly this is more... Continue reading »

Cadillac Records (R)

December 05, 07:11 PM

Go for the music and the performances of the Chess Records musical era. Don't expect the storyline to live up to the songs. There is much to love in this respectable ensemble of actors, which includes Beyonce Knowles as Etta James, the always genius Jeffrey Wright as Muddy Waters and some lesser-known talents like Eamonn Walters,... Continue reading »

Transporter 3 (PG-13)

November 27, 05:31 PM

Suspend all believability and buy into the franchise. With non-stop action and a character, now on his third go-round, this is predictable fare, but also a success story for those who can dig this franchise. Yes, action stud Jason Stratham is plenty shirtless and of course, a lot of stuff blows up. Maybe it's ridiculous to... Continue reading »

Milk (R)

November 27, 05:14 PM

While history is in the forefront of this well-directed bio-pic, humanity is mostly on stage. Harvey Milk, the gay icon and San Francisco politician, comes to life in full emotional form as portrayed by Sean Penn in an Oscar-buzz-generating performance. So stunning and nuanced is the acting and character development, those Penn naysayers, weary of his... Continue reading »

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