Saturday, June 16, 2012
The rock 'n' roll of the 1980s is in the spotlight this week, and, like a lot of rock from that decade and despite a bunch of A-list actors, it doesn't rock.
Boy meets girl, they rock each other's world, and it's all done to the tune of the 1980s L.A. rock scene in … "Rock of Ages." This rags-to-riches rock 'n' roll musical is set mostly in a music club on Sunset Strip. A lot of the entertainment, with some energetic musical numbers, includes several big names (Tom Cruise, Russell Brand and Alec Baldwin.) The two leads are Diego Boneta, as a bartender, and Julianne Hough, as a naive kid just off the bus from the Midwest. They prove that they too can sing covers of '80s rock classics. Basically the film is a set of songs linked together by a very weak story line (so as not to fool you into thinking you are watching a large-scale cover band concert). Honestly, it's not a good movie, but I think …
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Sci-Fi lovers and fans of the original "Alien" movie, get ready for a 3D space tale that is out of this world.
A crew sets out to find the origins of man on a planet far, far away and finds thrills, frights and mammoth landscapes for the audience in "Prometheus." Director Ridley Scott, of the first "Alien" movie and "Blade Runner," put together a great thriller here. Noomi Rapace (the original Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) plays an archaeologist who, along with her boyfriend, is sent to find what some believe are the origins of humans on a faraway planet. Their mission is overseen by shady corporate big wigs Guy Pearce and Charlize Theron, with most of the corporate experiments being conducted by scene-stealer android David, played by Michael Fassbender. The title "Prometheus" is the name of the spaceship and also refers to the Greek mythological …
Saturday, June 2, 2012
A princess hunted by an evil queen leads a rebellion to reclaim her throne
Kristen Stewart is Snow White, a warrior princess who launches a battle to reclaim her kingdom from Queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron) in "Snow White and the Huntsman." As in the fairy tale, the queen locks Snow White in a tower prison while plunging the realm into chaos after the computer-generated mirror tells her she is no longer the fairest of them all. The queen then sends out studly huntsman Eric (Chris Hemsworth) to capture Snow White...But he soon declines his mission, opting to protect the princess — and face the queen's wrath. The film is not altogether bad. Its visual fireworks help keep the film afloat, even if Snow White (Stewart) can't get out of "Twilight" mode. A modern-day twist on this 200-year-old fairy tale, the movie is …
Saturday, May 26, 2012
It's been a while, but the Men in Black are back for a "threequel" that is not a disaster or a roaring success.
It's been a decade since Men in Black last defended the galaxy from bad guys. The world has certainly moved on, but the MIB team has not because it's business as usual in "Men in Black 3." Agent J (Will Smith) and Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) continue their exploits, this time with Smith going back in time, to 1969, where he teams up with a younger agent K, played by Josh Brolin, to save the future version of his partner and, of course, the world. The rest of the film is really all about saving Agent K, saving the world from evil aliens and learning a little bit about the back story of each of our favorite G-Men. It ends with plenty of alien interventions and a nice salute to the fan base who has had an ongoing affection for the MIB universe…
Saturday, April 28, 2012
A ship full of bumbling Pirates take us on a 3D Claymation animation trip worth the voyage.
A below average pirate captain (voiced by Hugh Grant) seeks to win the elusive "Pirate of the Year" award, but faces some strong competition in "The Pirates! Band of Misfits." From the folks who brought us Wallace and Gromit, the story is feather-light but strong enough to introduce the characters and establish their conflicts, which are pretty predictable. It's more of a comedy than an adventure, appealing to both children and adults. Such a film should be a crowd pleaser at the box office. Audiences love pirate movies. Toss in some quirky characters -- like a twisted Queen Victoria and Charles Darwin -- and you have an evolutionary success. The film is an enjoyable 90 minutes. The voice casting was mostly on merit and not on stunt …
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Teen heartthrob Zac Efron breaks out in his first real adult role as a war veteran who has come home looking for love in a romantic melodrama that is worth the price of admission.
Zac Efron plays Logan, an Afghanistan war veteran on his third tour, who comes across a picture of a woman who inspires him to search for her, stateside, in "The Lucky One." His search lands him at a kennel in Louisiana owned by Beth (Taylor Schilling) and her grandmother, Ellie (Blythe Danner). He gets a job there and, over a period of time, settles in, still not telling anyone his real reason for being there. As you might imagine, sparks start to fly. "The Lucky One" is a Nicholas Sparks movie. He's good at this kind of thing, writing books that turned into movies like "Message in a Bottle," "Nights in Rodanthe" and "The Notebook." This film, in my opinion, is one of his better stories. And, with an attractive young cast, it should be …
Saturday, March 31, 2012
A familiar fairy tale gets a new look with a fresh new story line, great young actors and an evil Julia Roberts you'll love to hate.
It's more than just a remake of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." Sure, the evil queen banishes her stepdaughter to the woods to avoid the attention of Prince Charming. Don't expect the same outcome in "Mirror Mirror." Julia Roberts is well-suited to play the evil queen. Lily Collins plays the role of Snow White, and Armie Hammer is, of course, the Prince. A great supporting cast around these three makes this a film for young and old to enjoy. Adopted by a group of rebellious but kind dwarfs, Snow White transforms into a brave young woman, determined to save her country from the Queen. With the support and commitment of new friends, Snow White reclaims her birthright and wins back her Prince… with a few twists. The movie is fun to watch. …
Saturday, March 24, 2012
A best-selling young-adult book becomes a movie and is bound to be a hit. It's a survival-of-the-fittest reality show that leaves you craving for more.
It's one of the most anticipated movies in some time, and we have the scoop right here. It has all the elements of a big hit -- teen romance, violence and action. Mix in some rising young stars and you have "The Hunger Games." Jennifer Lawrence isn't a household name yet, but she will be. Known to this point for her critically acclaimed role in the film "Winter's Bone," Lawrence plays Katniss, one of two people from her district who must play a nationally televised game, in which there can be just one winner -- the last one living. Equipped with knives, swords, bows, arrows, and other weapons, the massacre begins. This futurist tale takes place in the country of Panem, after an apocalyptic war. The country is split into 12 districts, with …
Saturday, March 10, 2012
A Civil War veteran gets roped into an intergalactic war that he wants no part of. This film is part 'Avatar,' 'Star Wars,' with a whole lot of 'Cowboys and Aliens.'
Taylor Kitsch (from "Friday Night Lights") plays a Civil War veteran who finds himself on Mars caught up in all sorts of interplanetary fighting in "John Carter." The original story was penned by Edgar Rice Burroughs 100 years ago. Now it's a 3D epic, from the folks who brought us "WALL-E," and is bigger than life. John Carter is a small man compared to the 12-foot-tall, four-armed creatures around him, but he does have his own superpowers while on the Martian planet. If you haven't read the book, there is a lot to keep track of here. Carter wants to go home--an alien species wants him to marry their queen. Another alien is smitten with him. Another group wants him to save their people. Toss in some shape shifters and, well, it's kind of …
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Real Navy SEALs lock and load for the big screen, but will it have enough firepower at the box office?
Active-duty Navy SEALs, whose names have been changed to protect their identities, take on some bad guys in one of the most realistic action war movies ever in "Act of Valor." The film aims to put the audience "in the boots" of real Navy SEALs. Even many of the bullets used in the film were "live fire." Without a real plot, though, the film relies on a first-person narration style to explain what's going on for most of the 90-minute movie. Drug dealers, bang. Terrorists, bang. People shooting at SEALs, bang. Anyone who gets in their way is "DOA." All you really need to know is that the Seals are the good guys and they are out to get the bad guys, plain and simple. I suspect that most people who go see this film aren't really worried about …
carolcarlson
4:57 am on Sunday, April 22, 2012
Printapons are available for restaurants, recreation activities, entertainment, and drinks. Start saving with your coupons today more ›