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Based on true events in the life of Aron Ralston (James Franco), 127 hours explores the struggle of the psyche and corporal abilities of an adventuring mountaineer who finds his arm pinned between a rock and a cavern wall. Using only the supplies in his daypack Aron will need to find his own way out of the situation, but to what length will he have to go to survive the ordeal and a certain death of dehydration? Directed by Danny Boyle, this dynamic and amazingly suspenseful thriller goes to show that a good story and great acting still reign supreme in this day of overblown and big budget films, especially considering that for the most part the film works as a one man show with limited locations and sets. And, as a testament to Franco’s acting chops the film runs an emotional gamut, stretching him from one impossible extreme to another. From a cinematography standpoint, Boyle continues to explore new ground, exploiting handheld cameras and unconventional camera positions to relay his creative vision and convey the high adrenaline nature of the film– the cumulative end result being one of the year’s best films and is definitely worth seeing. 127 hours is rated R.

A touchy situation is blown out of proportion when a U.S. Flight Marshall forcibly removes two strangers Peter Highman (Robert Downey Jr.) and Ethan Tremblay (Zach Galifianakis) from a cross country flight to L.A.. Now on a “No Fly List” the unlikely pair are forced to unite and make the journey on limited resources– Peter with the immediate need to get home to witness the birth of his first child. But, given the personality differences of Peter’s high-strung nature and Ethan’s laissez-faire attitude will the two be able to survive the trip without destroying each other? Painted to be a smash comedy/buddy film I’m not sure audiences will be getting exactly what they’d hoped for with this one. From an acting standpoint let me be quick to point out Downey Jr. and Galifianakis both do an admirable job with the material they’re given, this is to their credit and unfortunately to the detriment of the film. For a film that sets out to be a comedy we’re actually given something much darker that actually made me cringe out of concern for the characters more than I laughed at or with them, the end result being a bittersweet taste that just didn’t hook me. And, even though the film had a shorter runtime, around 100 minutes, perhaps a little more editing is in order as the whole thing began to drag in the third act. More of a rental, Due Date is rated R.

After destroying Metro City’s hero Metro Man (Brad Pitt) the evil Megamind (Will Ferrell) begins to question his goals and overall outlook on life. In a moment of reflection Megamind has the brilliant idea to create a new hero, Tighten (Jonah Hill), to give meaning to his life’s passion, but now with a secret crush on reporter Roxanne Ritchi (Tina Fey) perhaps his priorities are out of balance? 3D animated fun for the family is pretty much what Dreamworks is aiming for in this one, and, while this may not be the funniest, most meaningful, or touching story, the end result is the same, it still accomplishes what it sets out to do, it entertains. Not exactly a huge ringing endorsement, I know, but with the comedic talent assembled, I’ll admit I was expecting a little more depth in the humor. Still, for 96 minutes the characters were interesting enough and the film didn’t wear out it’s welcome. Maybe a matinee for the family, Megamind is rated PG.