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Just in time for the holiday weekend the fairy tale of Rapunzel is re-imagined and retold in Disney’s latest animated film, Tangled. And, since we’re all pretty much vacationing right about now, let me be brief. The film featuring the voices of Mandy Moore as Rapunzel, Zachary Levi as the dashing Flynn Ryder, and Donna Murphy as Mother Gothel is sure to be a hit with catchy songs, polished animation, and fun life poured into each of the characters. My only beef with the film is the fact that it’s being presented in 3D and doesn’t really do much to take advantage of the technology; that aside, it’s still a good time for the whole family. Tangled is rated PG.

Setting up for the final battle between good and evil, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione (Emma Watson), and Ron (Rupert Grint) are faced with the challenge of destroying the Lord Voldemort’s (Ralph Fiennes) Horcruxes, the keys to Voldemort’s existence. With a ministry of evil and death eaters closing in on their whereabouts, the three must band together to stay alive all the while deciphering what exactly the Deathly Hallows are and how to put a stop to Voldemort once and for all. Given that no matter what gets printed by any reviewer at this point I can pretty much guarantee the hoards will still flood out to see this, I’ll be brief. It’s good, but it’s not perfect. Again, we have a case of rich source material that’s being condensed for the screen as best as possible; unfortunately, this makes for jumps in logic that may leave some slightly perplexed as to how, why or what just happened? Regardless, there’s enough supporting material in the screenplay to help fill in a number of the gaps, sometimes you just have to wait for it to be explained. The three principals have grown nicely into their roles and the material feels completely comfortable to them, the rest of the supporting cast is fantastic, as always. The cinematic choice to use a handheld cameras for several action scenes is a little rough as it ends up making the movement a little too hard to follow, instead we get a blur of something rather than a clear idea of what’s going on– still,, the film still shines and perfectly whets your appetite to watch the final showdown. Worth seeing if you’ve followed along up until this point, otherwise go back and get yourself acquainted with the series first. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 is rated PG-13.

Wrongly accused of a brutal murder, Lara Brennan (Elizabeth Banks), mother of one and wife to husband John (Russell Crowe) is sentenced to life in prison. Not one to sit back and accept the fate of raising their son alone and done attempting the appeals process, John, a college professor, begins to research how to break his wife out of prison. With tips from an expert on the subject, the enigmatic Damon Pennington (Liam Neeson), John finds himself in race against time to plan the perfect heist, but will he have what it takes make the final leap? Tension, suspense, and action from start to finish, this latest offering from writer/director Paul Haggis is pretty much guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat. Granted, the concept of a prison break and making the perfect getaway isn’t new material, but there’s certainly lots of room to explore the possibilities, especially considering the post 9/11 world we live in and Haggis manages to examine a number of those possibilities. Meanwhile, in the acting department, Crowe and Banks both hold their ground and shift through their emotions convincingly. Still, for all it has to offer, the film could still stand to lose about 20 minutes as it feels just a little too long. Worth a matinee or a rental, The Next Three Days is rated PG-13.