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Embodying the personality and traits of Dragnet’s Joe Friday, Rose Cooper (Reese Witherspoon), is a diminutively sized uptight cop charged with the duty of protecting the sexy widow (Sofía Vergara) of a drug boss as the two are chased through Texas by dirty cops and evil henchmen. Can justice find its way out of this paper bag? Suffering from an acute humor anemia this supposed action comedy manages to drum up perhaps three solid and memorable sequences, which sadly is just not enough to carry the film overall. Albeit efforts made by Witherspoon and Vergara seem evident, the material just doesn’t have enough depth to mine. The only thing right here feels like the overall runtime, just shy of 90 minutes you won’t feel like you’ve wasted too much of your time, ouch. Hot Pursuit is rated PG-13.

Pittsburgh PA, The head of the class of 1994 high school reunion committee, Dan Landsman (Jack Black), tasks himself with bringing Banana Boat Suntan lotion commercial star Oliver Lawless (James Marsden) back from L.A. to attend the class reunion. Success in his mission will earn Landsman the respect of his peers, and perhaps credit for saving the reunion; on the other hand, failure could lead to a self deprecating destruction, fate is in the balance. Written and Directed by Andrew Mogel and Jarrad Paul, what starts out as a potentially interesting story quickly falls flat in its execution and delivery; simply put the expected laugh count just isn’t there, instead, uncomfortable stretches of poor decisions lead to more cringe worthy reactions– and still the final result, a resound shoulder shrug. Keep swinging the axe, you’ll get em next time gang. The D Train is rated R.

In the time of Victorian England Bathsheba Everdene (Carey Mulligan) finds herself as the head of the household. Family fortune and farm at her disposal Bathsheba rules with a moderately tolerant hand, all the while met with suitors of varying degrees of wealth and social grace, but, separating the wheat from the chaff will mean hard times for Mr. Oak, Sergeant Troy, and Mr. Bolwood (Matthias Schoenaerts, Tom Sturridge, Michael Sheen). Staying true to herself and keeping the farm afloat will be no easy task, how to make it happen? Based on the Thomas Hardy novel, this exercise in abbreviated British literature comes across with solid acting force all round; meanwhile, the faithful and honest directing of Thomas Vinterberg is straightforward and honest with the air of Masterpiece Theatre yet not so totally astringent as to rob the story of it’s driving parts. Furthermore, an interesting feminist angle for Mulligan proves to make for a character well beyond her years historically speaking and a refreshing take on what could otherwise be seen as a stale period in time. Strong for literary buffs and worthy, Far from the Madding Crowd is rated PG-13.