Remaking 1984’s “Frankenweenie” as a full-length movie was a stroke of genius for creator Tim Burton. Whether it be “Beetlejuice”, “The Nightmare Before Christmas”, “Corpse Bride”, or “Alice in Wonderland”, Burton has a way of creating movies that intrigue his audience and “Frankenweenie” was no exception. Read the full story

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“Wrath of the Titans” though more thrilling than its predecessor ultimately falls short despite new director Jonathan Liebesman, who also made 2011’s “Battle Los Angeles.” The action in “Wrath of the Titans” tries to make use of the 3D format, however, the monsters graphically look sketchy. Read the full story

“Once upon a time, there was a very special girl, who lived in the woods with her father”.

Meet Hanna. She is not your typical teenage girl. She’s not into makeup and boys. She doesn’t wear branded name clothes. She barely has friends, but be careful – you don’t want to mess with her.

Joe Wright, director of “The Soloist” and “Atonement” gives us a new action thriller film starring Saoirse Ronan (“Lovely Bones”), Eric Bana (“Troy”, “Star Trek”) and Cate Blanchett (“The Aviator”) in Hanna.

Hanna Heller (Ronan) and her father Erik Heller (Bana) live in the wilds of Finland. Raised by her father, who is an ex-CIA agent, Hanna has been trained to fight, to kill and to even attack somebody in her sleep. This training will help her become the ultimate assassin.

Once ready, Hanna is sent into a world unfamiliar to her, on a mission across Europe to destroy her number one target. Along the way she encounters several counter-agents, who are sent to capture her by Marissa Viegler (Blanchett). Viegler is very determined to capture Hanna and throughout the film, her own dark secrets start to unravel.

Hanna meets people along her journey that help her adapt to her new world, but meeting Hanna has a price. When she reaches her destination, she discovers shocking information about her existence which makes her wonder whether she should continue with her mission or run.

In this movie, you’ll see Hanna fight against guards, run away from the bad guys and surprise you with her wit. The music is impressive and fits very well in the action scenes. The cast chosen for the movie is entertaining since each actor fit their role perfectly.

Blanchett plays the role of the villain, and her performance in this film is outstanding. You may recall her prior experience playing an antagonist, Dr. Irina Spalko in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Blanchett’s role is quite similar to the Indiana Jones movie, with all the shooting and fighting scenes, but in Hanna, she makes her character so cold hearted and evil, it’s entertaining to watch. As the movie unfolds you’ll see and understand how determined her character is into capture Hanna.

Saoirse Ronan has starred and won awards in other films such as “The Lovely Bones” and “Atonement”. She has done an amazing performance in her other movies. In “Hanna”, Ronan will keep you entertained from beginning to end and surely her performance will not “miss your heart”.

Filmmaker Miguel Arteta’s new comedy, Cedar Rapids, takes life realities and introduces cookie cut characters with their pants pulled down.

Pants pulled down, not literally, well maybe, but defiantly confrontation of life’s adversities. Cedar Rapids is that pre-adult, overnight competitions that many viewers will associate from their high school days but has developed to the grown up level.

Small Town Timmy’s only rush, at the present is the rendezvous with his former grade school teacher.

The tunnel vision Timmy gets a whole new perspective on life when Timmy’s glorified colleague, greets death with a smile.  This act of sexual asphyxiation goes against the integrity of their insurance industry motto, “Community, Company, and God”.

Small time, Brown Valley Insurance holds the consecutive winnings of the industries, 2 diamond award.  Timmy is drafted to save face, of Brown Valley Insurance.

Timmy boards his first flight, a rookie to experience and adversity.  Once the umbilical cord is cut, or the cell phone conversation ending the teacher- lover affair –Timmy is left to think for himself.

Cedar Rapids gives shrewd comments like “pinch it off”, corky but real mishaps, and a needed impromptu line from HBO’s critically acclaimed  “The Wire”, its worth the price of admission, popcorn, and even the oversized drink!

Debuting September 1, “The American,” starring Academy Award winner George Clooney, will not disappoint, unless expecting something in the vein of a Jason Bourne Supremacy type movie, as the trailer may have led viewers to believe it would be.

“The American” was directed by longtime famous portrait photographer and album designer Anton Corbijn and adapted from Martin Booth’s 1990 novel A Very Private Gentlemen.

The movie depicts a more intimate character profile of a lonely assassin retreating to the Italian countryside after an assignment in Sweden ends harshly in the deaths of two assailants and a perceived lover.

By far, “The American” is by no means a true action thriller, but what it lacks in the form of explosions and car chases it makes up for in the captivating performances of its cast.

Clooney, who plays an assassin, Jack (or Edward depending on the relationship), is a man coming to terms with the sins of his past and ultimately the harsh realities in how his work has made him seemingly detached from the world.

Upon fleeing Sweden, Jack heads for Rome where his disgruntled employer (Johan Leysen) offers him refuge and another job in the countryside of Italy helping a woman (Thekla Reuten) with a custom-made weapon for an assassination.

During his stay, with no intentions of making acquaintances, Jack finds company and companionship with the unlikeliest of characters: a priest (Paolo Bonacelli) and a prostitute (Violante Placido).

Not the typical Hollywood movie, Focus Features presents yet another touching story of a mysterious character and what it means to be happy and ultimately find peace.

For those who could care less for the subtle sensibility that comes from a slow build-up and intimate view of one man waiting out the rest of his days, “The American” is not the movie to see.

This film is, however, a beautiful cinematic experience with the Italian hills as its background while its poignant characters provide depth that one normally doesn’t see.

“The American” is definitely a movie for the patient viewer but well worth it as the ending will have viewers contemplating life’s bittersweet aspects.

“Grown Ups” is a comedy star studded movie filled with great humor and a great message.

When I first went into the theater I was expecting the raunchy Adam Sandler movie like he is well known for. Instead I got hit with a touching story of five friends that haven’t seen each other in a long while coming together to put there beloved coach to rest. However we soon find out that everyone isn’t as happy as they seem.
The movie is a great accomplishment, but sometimes the jokes feel like they were being set up too easily and it was possible to see what would happen next. This cheapened the movie somewhat, but it was a great movie nonetheless.
With a comedic cast of Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade and Rob Schneider it’s was almost a no brainer how funny the movie is. Did I mention Salma Hayek was in it?
The movie really showed adults looking back at their youth and seeing how different times are from when everyone was a kid. There’s also the realization that sometimes in life you have to lose sometimes in life to gain.
The five main characters can be identified with people in my group of friends.
Spade was hilarious as the friend we all have who hasn’t settled down yet and still grasps onto his youth, getting drunk all the time. Schneider is the guy that falls in love way to quick in 3 different marriages. Rock makes the black guy stereotype in comedies disappear. James the friend that is the heart and backbone of the friendship, and Sandler, who make this movie good, remembers where he came from.
The plot was fairly decent evolving from saying goodbye to parenting; to passing on the family legacy to showing our kids how to be stand up people in society. Things you would not expect in an Adam Sandler movie.
The movie is rated PG-13, and although some adult themes are hinted at, the movie isn’t at all bad compared to the content of Sandler’s other movies.
All in all “Grown Ups” gets a 9 out of 10 for humor, 10 out of 10 for family friendly and another 10 out of 10 for being a great summer movie to start summer with. If you want to go see a great family movie that’ll make you reminisce on days of our childhood, this movie is for you.

GROWN UPS
OPENS: Friday, June 25, 2010 (wide)
MPAA Rating: This film has been rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for crude material including suggestive references, language and some male rear nudity.
RUNNING TIME: 102 minutes
URL: grownups-movie.com

By Benji Carver

At the center of Nicole Holofcenter’s new film “Please Give” are four women of various ages whose lives intersect while living in the ever-needy place called New York City.

These women are played by the always lovable actresses Catherine Keener, Rebecca Hall (an actress we keep growing to love at the movies,) Amanda Peet (an actress we love to hate,) and Sarah Steele, a great young actress whom we are willing to love even more after watching this film.

What ties these particular women together are their city apartments, family members, antique furniture, and breasts. The opening credit montage consists of a series of  mammograms, which show breasts in all shapes, ages, and sizes, giving us a very awkward but hilarious opening about these particular women.

Nicole Holofcenter script binds this together almost perfectly with very  few missteps – a subplot involving an antique pot – that could be deleted from one’s memory once sitting through the film.  Holofcenter writes these women and their families with such sound dialogue that makes you wonder if Woody Allen might be jealous of not having written this down first.

What should also be noted is her subtle direction on bringing out these great performances. She is someone who likes to place the camera in medium shots and let the actors go at it.

The most successful example of this is a dinner scene where all the women and one husband (Oliver Platt in his most lovable butterball role in years) sit down and discuss various topics all the while getting under each other’s skin.

Another scene, involving a father (Platt) and his daughter (Steele) who has learned that he is having an affair with the Peet’s character, is touching because none of them confront each other in a loud argument. Instead, they do it in a quite almost whispering voice way, they know each others secret but handling it in a very tender for the camera to pick up.

Holofcenter knows and loves her actors so well that its a delight to see a mature blending of this tender drama and organic comedy. Not since writings of Woody Allen and John Patrick Shaley have New Yorkers looked this compelling on the screen.

While each character have their own great moments, the award for the best lines and keeping the film bit goes to Amanda Peet, one of her best in years. She specializes in cynical skin peeling characters that we have seen in “Changing Lanes” and short-lived TV series “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.” Her character of Mary does what we all like to see her do best. She packs such a sucker punch when she tells Platt,  “ I’m going to stop f***ing you now.”

“Please Give” gives us a film that is tender, funny, even emotionally brutal at times, yet it always makes us want to come back for more. It’s one of the very best film so far this year.