Rating: 4 out of 5 starsGenre: Animation, Adventure, Family
Opens locally Friday, February 17th, 2012 Run Time: 1 hour, 34 minutes, Rated G Starring (Voice Talent): Bridgit Mendler, Will Arnett, Amy Poehler, Carol Burnett Directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi (feature film debut) The Secret World of Arrietty is a 2012 Japanese “anime” film that has finally made its way stateside. It is based on Mary Norton’s fantasy novel The Borrowers, and is animated by Studio Ghibli, whose 2002 animated film Spirited Away is the only non-English speaking film ever to win an Oscar for Best Animated Feature.
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Rating: 3 out of 5 starsGenre: Animation, Family, Fantasy
Opens locally Friday, January 13th, 2012 Run Time: 1 hour, 24 minutes, Rated G Starring (Voice Talent): Paige O’Hara, Robby Benson, Richard White, Jerry Orbach, Angela Lansbury Directed by Gary Trousdale & Kirk Wise Beauty and the Beast is the second in what will be a very long line of classic Disney animated films being re-released in 3D. On the tails of The Lion King, which was Disney’s first 3D re-release this past September, Beauty and the Beast tells the classic story of the beautiful Belle who finds beauty lurking beneath the surface of the beast. It was the first animated film nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award when released in 1991 (2009’s Up was the only other), and is known perhaps as one of the best Disney films of all time. Featuring the likes of Lumeire the Candlestick to Cogsworth the Clock, from Mrs. Potts to little Chip, the characters in Beauty and the Beast are nearly as memorable as the incredibly classic songs woven into the film’s fabric. So really, the film’s worth is not in question. What’s really up for discussion is how the film holds up presented in 3D. Rating: 3 out of 5 starsGenre: Comedy, Drama, Family
Opens locally Friday, December 23rd, 2011 Run Time: 2 hours 4 minutes, Rated PG Starring: Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson, Elle Fanning, Thomas Haden Church, Larry Miller Directed by Cameron Crowe (Elizabethtown, Vanilla Sky, Almost Famous, Jerry Maguire) A widowed father decides to buy a dilapidated house and moves there with his two children. There is a catch though: The house comes with a zoo. Rating: 2 out of 5 starsGenre: Animation, Adventure, Family
Opens locally Wednesday, December 21st, 2011 (check for showtimes) Run Time: 1 hour 47 minutes, Rated PG Starring (voices of): Jamie Bell, Simon Pegg, Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig, Nick Frost, Cary Elwes Directed by Steven Spielberg The Adventures of Tintin is one of two Steven Spielberg movies being released this week (with War Horse opening Christmas Day), uncommon for sure by any director let alone a legendary one. The brilliant Spielberg is our generation’s most successful filmmaker, with an unmatched filmography of iconic films such as the Indiana Jones Saga, E.T., Jaws, Schindler’s List, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Minority Report, and Jurassic Park, to name a few. With Tintin, he gives us his first animated film, and shoots a rare misfire. It is adventure for adventure’s sake, a hollow and insignificant journey that is fleshed out about as much as the 2-dimensional comic book character it is based on. Rating: 5 out of 5 starsGenre: Comedy, Family, Musical
Opens locally Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011 Run Time: 1 hour 38 minutes, Rated PG Starring: Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper, Rashida Jones Directed by James Bobin (feature film directorial debut) The Muppets are back, and all's I can wonder is why they ever left! I would imagine that it would be impossible to have grown up in the 70s and 80s and not have known about The Muppets. Created by the late Jim Henson, The Muppets are a part of American pop culture, although their last theatric release, "Muppets in Space," was released over 12 years ago (they have been around with a few TV specials since then.) So what became of Kermit, Piggy, and the gang? Rating: 4 out of 5 starsGenre: Adventure, Family, Drama
Opens locally Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011 Run Time: 2 hours, 7 minutes, Rated PG Starring: Asa Butterfield, Chloe Grace Moretz, Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Emily Mortimer, Christopher Lee Based on the book "The Invention of Huge Cabret" by Brian Selznick Directed by Martin Scorsese (Shutter Island, The Departed, Goodfellas) For legendary director Martin Scorsese, "Hugo" must have been a dream come true. Scorsese is not just a director, he's a film historian, and "Hugo" is a sly film history lesson wrapped up and packaged in the latest that technology has to offer. The end result is a fun and adventurous tale about a boy, his robot, and the magic of cinema. Rating: 4 out of 5 starsGenre: Family, Drama
Opens locally Friday, September 23rd, 2011 Run Time: 1 hour 53 minutes, Rated PG Starring: Nathan Gamble, Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd, Morgan Freeman, Kris Kristofferson, Austin Stowell, Cozy Zuehlsdorff, Winter the Dolphin Directed by Charles Martin Smith (Boris and Natasha, Air Bud) The film's title, "Dolphin Tale," of course is meant to read: "Dolphin Tail," as the main story revolves around a dolphin who loses his tail in a crab trap. There have been loads of awful "family-friendly" films that have come out in recent years, and this one seems to have the makings of another cringe-inducing, wholesome piece of fluff...an easy paycheck for an A-list Hollywood cast (think Robert Duvall in "Seven Days in Utopia.") But make no mistake..."Dolphin Tale" may just be one of the better family films of the year, reminiscent of movies that I remember watching growing up in the 80s, where people help one another, and show compassion for each other. An inspirational, positive story that stands out as a throw-back, when compared to recent movies. Rating: 3 out of 5 starsGenre: Family, Comedy
Opens locally Friday, July 29th, 2011 Run Time: 1 hour, 49 minutes, Rated PG Starring: Hank Azaria, Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays, Sofia Vergara Voices: Jonathan Winters (Papa Smurf), Alan Cumming (Gutsy), Katy Perry (Smurfette), Fred Armisan (Brainy), George Lopez (Grouchy), Anton Yelchin (Clumsy) Directed by Raja Gosnell (Home Alone 3, Scooby-Doo, Beverly Hills Chihuahua) The question is not "was the new 'Smurfs' movie any good?" The bigger question is, "why does someone read a critical review of a movie like 'The Smurfs?'" Only you can answer that, my friend. But for friends and family, and others who still may be reading, and for those who really are on the fence ("should we go see "The Smurfs" tonight? Hmm...."), I will do my due diligence and report my findings. I'm happy to say that it is not nearly as bad as I had thought. I just can't get over the simple plot device used in countless movies and used again here...our Smurfs find themselves lost in New York. |
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