Saturday, May 25, 2013
Movie Picks
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*The Bourne Identity (PG-13) Chapel Hills, Cinemark 16, Tinseltown
Matt Damon's first attempt at a pure action role and, as usual, he more than compensates. (In fact, he kicks his good buddy Ben Affleck's butt as action heroes go.) The tension builds slowly, and when bullets begin to fly and car chases ensue, it's all nicely choreographed and not overblown. The plot is somewhat thin but the ride is still rich with plenty of well-timed twists and turns. -- Kathryn Eastburn
The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course (PG)
A movie adapted from The Crocodile Hunter, the popular nature show on The Animal Planet, featuring hosts Steve and Terri Irwin -- who also run the Australia Zoo -- as they search out wild animals that have wandered too close to civilization. -- Not reviewed
Chapel Hills, Cinemark 16, Tinseltown
The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (PG-13)
Despite its stellar cast -- Maggie Smith, Shirley Knight, Fionnula Flanagan, Ashley Judd and James Garner -- the film is crippled by its script and polluted by its blatant commercial leanings. -- Kathryn Eastburn
Tinseltown
Eight Legged Freaks (PG-13)
The residents of a rural mining town discover that an unfortunate chemical spill has caused hundreds of spiders to mutate overnight. They're now the size of SUVs and ... they're hungry. Starring David Arquette and Kari Wuhrer. -- not reviewed
Carmike 10, Chapel Hills, Cinemark 16, Tinseltown
Halloween: Resurrection (R)
Number eight in the Halloween series, featuring a group of teens who agree to spend the night in the home of a serial killer to launch a live Internet chat show. -- Not reviewed
Carmike 10, Chapel Hills, Cinemark 16, Tinseltown
K-19: The Widowmaker (PG-13)
See full review, page 40.
Carmike 10, Chapel Hills, Cinemark 16, Tinseltown
Like Mike (PG)
Rapper Lil' Bow Wow's feature film debut about a pre-teen boy who buys a "magical" pair of sneakers once worn by Michael Jordan ... -- Not reviewed
Carmike 10, Cinemark 16, Tinseltown
Lilo and Stitch (PG)
Disney film about a little Hawaiian girl, Lilo, who adopts a dog that, it turns out, is actually an alien. -- Not reviewed
Carmike 10, Chapel Hills, Cinemark 16, Tinseltown
*Men in Black II (PG-13)
Although the newness of the Men in Black concept has worn off, there's plenty of slick and witty post-modern humor to savor in this eccentrically clever romp. And Will Smith brings a new level of charm and comic timing to the role of Agent Jay. -- Cole Smithey
Carmike 10, Chapel Hills, Cinemark 16, Cinemark IMAX, Tinseltown
*Minority Report (PG-13)
With a genius plot, and a budget to match, much of the thrill of Minority Report is in the art direction and special effects. They bring us every detail of a future-noir world where surveillance has become as much of a marketing tool as it is a form of policing. Hats off to Steven Spielberg for managing the ambiguities with an uncanny dexterity, and to Tom Cruise, by gum, for playing it straight! -- Noel Black
Chapel Hills, Cinemark 16, Tinseltown
Mr. Deeds (PG-13)
Adam Sandler is a small-town guy who inherits controlling interest in a massive media corporation. Winona Ryder is a tabloid TV reporter who's sent to do an expos on him ... but they wind up falling in love. -- Not reviewed
Chapel Hills, Cinemark 16, Tinseltown
*My Big Fat Greek Wedding (PG)
A delightful confection of a summer film. The pacing of the first half of the film is a little slow, but it picks up nicely when the whole crazy extended family gets into the act. Romantic comedies require a deft touch, and the writing of Nia Vardalos (who also plays the lead) provides it. -- Andrea Lucard
Kimball's Twin Peak Theater
Reign of Fire (PG-13)
A 12-year-old boy, Quinn, watches his mother wake a fire-breathing dragon in present-day London. Twenty years later, the Earth is scorched and running rampant with the dragons. Quinn (Christian Bale) joins revolutionary Van (Matthew McConaughey) to fight back.
Carmike 10, Chapel Hills, Cinemark 16, Tinseltown
*The Road to Perdition (R) Carmike 10, Chapel Hills, Kimball's Twin Peak
This is not a neatly wrapped up father-and-son/growing-up tale but a highly stylized gangster film that explores the dark fate of those men and the time it recreates. Filmmaker/theater director Sam Mendes (American Beauty) is a master at setting a dramatic scene, artfully orchestrating the nervous pauses before the bullets begin to fly. Tom Hanks' character is deeply conflicted and the actor effectively conveys all that he has lost. Paul Newman, at 77, is still more elegant and fluid than the majority of screen actors, and plays mobster John Rooney with a keen mix of charm, anguish and simmering furor. And Jude Law, as a creepy little weasel, Maguire, makes the screen crackle every time he makes an appearance. The film successfully explores the painful distance between trusting sons and their alienated fathers, and the impact is quiet and somewhat confounding; the dark beauty created by the messengers sticks with the viewers long after the film has ended. -- Kathryn Eastburn
Scooby Doo (PG)
A live-action remake of the inexplicably popular '80s cartoon. Don't ask why; just know that it was bound to happen. -- Not reviewed
Cinemark 16, Tinseltown
*Star Wars Episode II (PG)
Believe it or not, there are enough brilliant plot twists and "historical" explanations of characters and plot points in the later (previous?) episodes to keep your head spinning. The acting's perfectly two-dimensional for a fantasy adventure. The architectural artwork on the hyper-urban galaxy capital Coruscant is ga-ga, gray and brooding. Plus there's plenty of unbelievably nondigital-looking digital action that strips away the schlocky look that plagued The Phantom Menace. Simply put: smarts and imagination at their best. -- Noel Black
Cinemark 16, Tinseltown
Stuart Little 2 (PG)
The sequel to 1999's popular film. -- Not reviewed
Carmike 10, Chapel Hills, Cinemark 16, Tinseltown
The Sum of All Fears (PG-13)
Another film adaptation of one of Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan novels. Terrorists threaten to bomb the Superbowl, and Ryan (Ben Affleck) and the CIA director (Morgan Freeman) must act fast to stop what could possibly turn into nuclear holocaust. -- Not reviewed
Cinemark 16, Tinseltown
