Jul
1
2011
In the early 1960’s an alien spaceship crashed on the dark side of the moon prompting the race to space between the U.S. and the Russians. Until now, few knew of this truth; but, once the Autobots learn of this ship, its origins and contents become clear. On board is the Einstein of the transformer world, Sentinel Prime (Leonard Nimoy). Once revived it becomes
clear Sentinel has less than kind intentions and a new technology he has could mean the enslavement of mankind. Now it’s up to Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf), Carly (Rosie Huntington-Whiteley), Simmons (John Turturro), the rest of the CIA, and the Autobots to stop Sentinel and the Decepticons.
Directed by Michael (I’m going to blow up everything and then keep going)
Bay, Transformers is exactly what it should be for guys who like things that get in your face and blow up. It’s loud, it’s explosive, it’s ridiculous, and, it’s long. As far as storylines go, the perk here is that there is one; unfortunately, the concept of editing that story into something a little more concise got lost along the way too. In fact, there are entire character plot lines that could easily be eliminated and nothing would really be lost– John Malkovich, perfect example, I love the guy but his character is totally superfluous. Then there’s the other side, Alan Tudyk’s character, Dutch, is thrown in for spice and he’s perfect, he’s one of the high points of the film and I probably could have stood to see even more of him. Meanwhile jumps in logic and exposition of an 8 year old by the transformers themselves kind of sucks the magic away. Visually
the film is probably the best we’ve seen the transformers and of course the battle scenes are well put together, mind you they’re long too, but well done. So, bang for your buck, you’ve got a winner, just don’t expect the dialogue or plot to be Thoreau caliber. Transformers: Dark of The Moon is rated PG-13.
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Jul
1
2011
Larry Crowne (Tom Hanks), a middle aged man recently fired from his simple but satisfying job at U-mart is now in a quest to better himself to get a better job. He’s enrolled in community college to better his education and polish his skill sets. He’s also found a new friend, Talia (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), and a potential love interest in one of his teachers, Mercedes Tainot (Julia Roberts). Guided by Talia, Larry learns to find his own groove, and gains confidence from Mercedes. But, as class comes to an end how will he make out, will he do the right thing, and what of his life?
Directed by and partially written by Tom Hanks, Larry Crowne sits as sort of the light weight alternative this weekend that’s fun, whimsical, and harmless– a romantic comedy that doesn’t really surprise us. The characters all seem to be caricatures, larger than life and hard to take
seriously. Sure, there are some funny moments, but overall the film kind of plays like a mild anesthesia, it’s blissful but ultimately forgettable, which is perfectly fine if you’re looking to just escape for a while. Maybe a matinee alternative, but more likely a rental, Larry Crowne is rated PG-13.
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Jun
17
2011
Loose cannon, wild man, and test pilot Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds) is down on his luck and suspended from his job when a dying interstellar guardian known as Abin Sur (Temuera Morrison) crash lands on earth. In his last dying breath Abin Sur commands the mystical power of “will” to find his replacement; as it turns out, Hal is the chosen one. Now indoctrinated into the league of lanterns Hal is rocketed to a planet far and away and trained to be a guardian. Meanwhile, Hal’s love interest Carol (Blake Lively) is struggling to keep her family’s company in the good graces of the government; and, old friend, Doctor Hector Hammond (Peter Sarsgaard) discovers he’s been infected with the mystical power of “fear.” Now it’s up to Hal to stop Hector, save Carol, and thwart the evil Parallax before earth is consumed.
As the third comic based film this spring alone, Green Lantern is facing some stiff competition from two already successful releases. The good news for Green Lantern is that Thor has already laid the ground work for audiences accepting CGI heavy outer space landscapes. The downside, for all the shine and flash, it’s the script that’s important; and, in this case some editing would have been handy. The love story that’s developed could have been cut back to keep things interesting and moving forward. But, that being said, I went in with low expectations and actually walked away thinking “not bad.” Ryan Reynolds charisma sells this one, a few good laughs are mustered, battle and action scenes aren’t drawn out to overstay their welcome, and Peter Sarsgaard’s awkward nature comes across as genuinely creepy and tortured. Better than I expected, maybe a matinee. Green Lantern is rated PG-13.
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