Saturday, January 19, 2013
Arnold is on the screen, so you know what to expect -- lots of action.
Editor's note: "The Last Stand" is playing at these Gwinnett theaters: AMC Sugarloaf Mills 18, Lawrenceville; Studio Movie Grill, Duluth; Peachtree Cinema and Games, Peachtree Corners; Regal Snellville Oaks, Snellville; AMC Colonial 18, Lawrenceville; Regal Medlock Crossing, Duluth; Regal Mall of Georgia Stadium 16, Buford; Regal Hamilton Mill 14, Dacula. Use the moviephone search tool at the top of this file to find a location near you. Arnold is back from being a two-term governor to playing a small-town sheriff. Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a semi-retired sheriff in an sleepy southwest border town. He and his motley crew must now stop a notorious drug kingpin from escaping into Mexico in "The Last Stand." The bullets fly. There is plenty…
Saturday, January 12, 2013
A group of pretty-boy cops goes all "gangsta" to take down a mob boss who looks a lot like Spicoli from "Fast Times at Ridgemont High."
A Chicago gangster moves out to Los Angeles, killing his way to the top, only to be met by a few honest cops in "Gangster Squad." Sean Penn overacts as the main bad guy while the good guys include Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Giovanni Ribisi, Anthony Mackie, Robert Patrick, Michael Pena and Nick Nolte. The undercover spy femme fatale is Emma Stone in this wildly ridiculous, over-the-top movie. I couldn't tell if the film wanted to be a serious gangster drama (circa 1940s) or an action-adventure film for kids. It's trying to be more like "The Untouchables" but ends up more like "Dick Tracy." The Flick-O-Meter gives "Gangster Squad" a two out of five. Sadly, the most attention this film got was six months ago after the Aurora, CO, movie …
Saturday, January 5, 2013
In theaters this week, an impossible journey to the core of the human heart in the true life story of a family swept away in one of the worst natural disasters of our lifetime.
A family of five begin their winter vacation in Thailand looking for some fun in the sun. Soon their holiday turns into a nightmare as a giant tsunami rises up from the ocean and sweeps them away in "The Impossible." Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor head up this cast that tells the true story of one family's experience during the devastating 2004 tsunami that devoured Southeast Asia. The acting, though there is very little dialogue, is amazing and the special effects, especially in the first 45 minutes, are mind-boggling. Watts is being considered for an Oscar for her performance but the kids, in my opinion, steal every scene in which they appear. The film runs two hours, and it is a bit sappy at times, perhaps too sentimental. So the Flick-O…
Saturday, December 8, 2012
The only wide release movie this week is so bad there is a good chance it's on the way to home video by Christmas
Gerard Butler plays a divorced ex-jock who needs to be a father to his kid in the terrible romantic comedy "Playing for Keeps." Jessica Biel plays his ex-wife who just happens to be getting remarried. Uma Thurman and Cahterine Zeta-Jones play a couple of horny housewives who can't resist Butler. Dennis Quaid has a small role as a creepy team soccer dad who loves throwing money around. This may be one of the worst romantic comedies I have ever seen. Butler is a decent actor but this is not his finest hour. He stumbles though the movie as a good-looking, bumbling fool. The notion that no woman in town, even those who have suffered most from his womanizing, can resist this hunky, dim-witted, loser guy is, well, offensive and even …
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Brad Pitt plays a hitman who is sentimental and deadly.
Brad Pitt is a hitman brought in to restore some much-needed street credibility to a weak-looking mob syndicate in "Killing Them Softly." Pitt prefers to kill victims “softly” from a distance rather than watching them get “touchy-feely” up close. While trying to fix things he works alongside local mob lawyer Richard Jenkins. James Gandolfini resurrects the spirit of Tony Soprano as a boozing, hooker-loving hit man who has lost his killer touch. Ray Liotta plays a poker manager wrongfully accused of ripping off the mob. They are a solid cast in a dark, artsy movie peppered with hard-to-watch violent scenes. Slow-motion bullets flying and brain matter splatters. They all try to convey the message that capitalism and organized crime are …
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Jack Frost takes a 3D animation adventure to save all that is good and nice in the world.
Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and the Sandman draft Jack Frost to be in their gang to guard against all things evil as they protect the magical state of childhood in "Rise of the Guardians." Stars such as Alec Baldwin, Jude Law, Hugh Jackman, Chris Pine and Isla Fisher lend their voices to this visually stunning film perfect for the holiday season. I'll be the first one to say that it's easy to be cynical about holiday movies but this one won't let you. This certainly isn't a Judeo-Christian holiday-themed film, as you might imagine. That's what makes it a better than your average Christmas film. Turning these mythical beings into superheroes is clever. If it does well at the box office I see a franchise in the making. The…
Sunday, November 18, 2012
The most popular Dracula-Werewolf soap opera franchise in history comes to an end with a big thanks to all its fans.
The love triangle between Bella (Kristen Stewart), her husband Edward (Robert Pattinson), and Werewolf Jacob (Taylor Lautner) comes to an exciting conclusion in "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part Two." Bella finally gets what she wants. She's a vampire; she's married to a vampire; now she has a half-vampire, half-human kid. That the child is from a mixed marriage doesn't sit well with some of the vampires, causing a bit of a problem. Be ready for a few surprises as the final act of the movie kicks up the stakes with a few twists and turns where anything could happen. Fans of the series will enjoy the film for its romance, humor, and a sweet ending to a series they love so much. Non-fans? Well, there isn't much going on for you here. …
Saturday, November 10, 2012
He's got the tux, the cars, the gadgets, the girls ... Daniel Craig gives his best Bond performance to date.
Daniel Craig is back with his best Bond performance to date in "Skyfall." On the 50th year of the franchise and the 23rd in the series, this is one of the best Bond films yet, and I have seen all of them. The opening chase scene may be the best ever, and it sets the tone for a really good spy thriller and pure Bond fantasy. Javier Bardem plays the villain in this one. He's creepy good as the bad guy, making this movie that much better. We learn more about Bond in this film than any of the others as he tries to come to grips with his mortality and the fact that his type of spying has become obsolete due to technology. But, as you might have guessed, when it's time to kick some butt…who you gonna call ? A great supporting cast including Judi…
Friday, November 2, 2012
The bad guy in an old video game is about to become the good guy in a new movie. It's a wreck the whole family should enjoy.
The bad guy in a low-resolution 1980s video game is a reluctant villain who tears down buildings with his sledgehammer fists. He's ready for a change in today's high-resolution world in "Wreck-It Ralph," in 3D. In order to break out of his bad-guy image Ralph travels to grand game central, where there is access to every video game in the world. If he can win a few levels, who knows, he may become that good guy he has always wanted to be. The clever writing and character development is met with a solid voice-over cast which includes John C. Reilly as Ralph, Sarah Silverman as the voice of Vanellope and Jane Lynch as Sgt. Calhoun. There are dozens of retro games for the grown-ups and a solid storyline for the kids. As in the tradition of "…
Saturday, October 20, 2012
If you enjoy watching characters sleep while their furniture moves around them, I have just the movie.
A Nevada family plays host to a very odd 6-year-old neighbor boy whose unseen mother has suddenly been hospitalized in "Paranormal Activity 4." A group of young unknown actors jump into the Paranormal Activity formula without a hitch. The long stretches of green night-cam footage manage to creep you out as you try to figure out if you just saw movement in the corner. And when something eventually flies across the screen, no matter how much you try to anticipate it, you jump. A neighborhood witches' coven plays into the proceedings, adding to the drama. In the end, as expected, all you really get is a whole bunch of jolts and scares. If you have seen any of the previous films, it's more of the same. This time around I was more tricked than…
