Bounty Hunter - 1 smile

There’s no real reason to see “Bounty Hunter” because you won’t remember what it’s about anyway. It makes that much of an impression. Oh, you might enjoy looking at stars Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler; both are attractive. But the script jumps around so much that you’re not sure if you’re watching an action flick with comedic and romantic elements or a romantic comedy with action thrown in. However, the action is tame, the comedy stupid and the romance boring. As for the on-screen chemistry between Aniston and Butler, it’s nonexistent. Is there a reason to see “Bounty Hunter”? Not really. Wait for it on cable…and then maybe skip it. 3/19/10

Hot Tub Time Machine - 1 smile

While I didn’t hate “Hot Tub Time Machine,” I can’t say that I liked it either. So what does that say about the movie, which has four unlikable characters, a plot that doesn’t make sense, and humor that’s based on crude jokes and gross out visuals. When their hot tub takes them back to 1984, our heroes decide that they have to repeat what they did in the past if they want to get back to 2010. But as soon as they say that, the script has them going off in random directions. Then there’s the humor: an excrement gag, projectile vomiting, an extended blow-job joke, slapstick violence, and lots of off-color dialogue. Funny, huh? And the cast doesn’t help either. John Cusack is boring – and I like Cusack. Obviously, his heart isn’t in it. Craig Robinson is wooden except when the script calls for silly and Clark Duke is bland. And Rob Corddry makes his character so obnoxious and irritating that that you want him to go away. Vulgarity is common in today’s comedies, but vulgarity alone doesn’t make for a quality comedy. But if you enjoy this sort of thing, then you’ll like “Hot Tub Time Machine.” For me, I’m sorry I wasted my time and money. 3/27/10

Waking Sleeping Beauty - 3 smiles

“Waking Sleeping Beauty” is a detailed insider’s look at Disney’s tumultuous years from 1984-1994 when animation almost died with ‘The Black Cauldron’ only to be reborn with ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and ‘The Lion King.’ The filmmakers, longtime Disney producer Don Hahn and former executive Peter Schneider, provide their own insights while enticing meaningful contributions from feuding titans Michael Eisner, Jeffrey Katzenberg and the late Roy E. Disney. Hahn also provides an in-depth look at the creative center of the studios, from the brutal caricatures of Disney executives created by the animators to archival footage of ailing lyricist and producer Howard Ashman, the genius behind ‘The Little Mermaid.’

There’s no traditional narration as Hahn elects to avoid ‘talking heads’ when possible. And there’s no attempt to cast Eisner, Katzenberg and others into good-guy or bad-guy roles. The material is interesting, but there’s a sense that some of the story remains untold, especially for the fan who knows about Disney’s battles with Pixar. Nonetheless, “Walking Sleeping Beauty,” a fairly objective retelling of clashing egos and the struggle between art and the bottom line, is a pleasure to watch. 3/28/10

How to Train Your Dragon - 3 1/2 smiles

With “How to Train Your Dragon” you have an animated film that adults can enjoy with our without children. Although the 3D experience is not quite up to “Avatar” standards, it’s as good (or better) than most 3D releases. And with a solid script, top-notch voice work, and solid family values messages, “How to Train Your Dragon” is a movie to see. Narrator and main character Hiccup (voice of Jay Baruchel) is the son of the Viking village’s chief and a guy who prefers reading and designing things rather than learning how to wield an ax and fight dragons. Essentially, he’s a geek, much to the embarrassment of his father Stoick (Gerard Butler) and his mentor Gobber (Craig Ferguson). When dragons attack the town, Stoic and the men decide to seek out the dragons’ lair while Gobber teaches the younger generation the fine art of dragon fighting. Hiccup, however, has other interests when he discovers a wounded dragon in the woods. After realizing that dragons have been misunderstood, Hiccup sets out to rectify the situation.

Ultimately, this movie is about a ‘boy and his dog’ without the sad ending of “Old Yeller.” The animation is impressive with a lot of action to accompany the narrative although I wonder at the odd depiction of Toothless (Hiccup’s dragon friend). He really doesn’t look like a dragon. The vocal casting is exceptional. Jay Baruchel, who’s currently starring in “She’s Out of My League,” is effective as the young boy who finds his place in the world. America Ferrera brings a feistiness to Astrid, the girl Hiccup admires from afar. Butler and Ferguson are skilled as the main adults, but Scottish Vikings? And last, but not least, “How to Train Your Dragon” imparts several family-friendly lessons: the importance of family, of tolerance, and not rushing to destroy what we don’t understand. Everything comes together in this movie – it soars. 3/26/10

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - 3 1/2 smiles

If you haven’t read Swedish author Stieg Larsson, you should; “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” is the first of his three novels. The film is a strong adaptation, moving at a leisurely pace that develops both character and plot. Your typical thriller is more interested in advancing the plot, but director Niels Arden Oplev makes the protagonists, Mikael and Lisbeth, just as intriguing as the mystery they’re investigating. And Noomi Rapace, who plays Lisbeth, is impressive.

Three separate events open the story. Investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nykvist) has been found guilty of libel and is sentenced to three months in prison, but has six months to get his affairs in order. Elsewhere, an elderly industrialist, Henrik Vanger, weeps after opening a package that contains a framed dried flower. Finally, hacker Lisbeth Salander (Rapace) learns that her previous court appointed guardian has died and she is now under the control of a sadist who believes he can blackmail her into performing sexual favors in return for reports of good behavior. Lisbeth, who is violent and antisocial but extremely bright, is not one to take this passively. Eventually these characters come together when Vanger hires Mikael to investigate the 40-year-old disappearance of his niece, Harriet. Mikael’s traditional investigative methods and Lisbeth’s digital ones create an effective team, especially when it seems that someone in Vanger’s family is not only responsible for Harriet’s disappearance but also for the deaths of several women. “The Girls with the Dragon Tattoo” is a long movie, 2 hours and 35 minutes long, but you won’t notice the time. You’ll be engaged every minute of this engrossing film. Subtitles. 3/26/10

Repo Men - 1 frown

Since I like science fiction, it’s not too surprising that I decided to see “Repo Men,” starring Jude Law and Forrest Whitaker. It’s a decision I regret because this movie is really a dismal slasher flick with no character development, a ludicrous plot and blood and gore for the sake of being graphic. “Repo Men” is about a giant medical conglomerate that sells human organs on the installment plan and when patients can’t pay, they send repo men to collect the organs. Director Miguel Sapochnik gleefully shows scenes of organ evisceration and lots of blood and spatter. The most tastelessly gruesome scene has former repo man Remy (Law) and his new love Beth (Alice Braga) running a scanner over each of their artificial organs while these organs are still in their bodies. Sure. Why not? Ugh!! And then you learn that the happily ever after conclusion is just a mechanically-induced dream. Forget it. “Repo Men” should have gone straight to Netflix. 3/25/10

The Art of the Steal - 3 smiles

The engrossing documentary by Don Argott, “The Art of the Steal,” is a cautionary tale about what money and power can do. Dr. Albert C. Barnes accomplished two things: he invented a treatment for venereal disease and established the Barnes Foundation in Marion, a suburb of Philadelphia. Barnes’ art collection contained 181 Renoirs, 69 Cézannes, 59 Matisses, 46 Picassos, 16 Modiglianis and seven Van Goghs, collected before the art world, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, recognized their value. Today, his collection is worth $25-$30 billion. That’s a lot of art to be hidden away in Merion, but Barnes knew this. He designed everything about his collection and then created a school, an oasis for art students to learn from his collection without the crowds found in typical museums. Barnes died in 1951 and his will had strict provisions that his collection was not to be sold, lent to other museums, or removed from the grounds of the Barnes Foundation in Marion.

Ultimately, Philadelphia’s wealthy elite played the system and absconded with the collection in defiance of Barnes’ expressed wishes. The film’s villains include the Pew Charitable Trusts, Walter Annenberg, foundation director Bernard C. Watson, and a slew of Philadelphia politicians who regard the collection as a tourist magnet. “The Art of the Steal” has an obvious bias in favor of Dr. Barnes; however, is it really a tragedy that you and I might get to see this magnificent collection sometime in the future? 4/15/10

City Island - 3 smiles

Chances are you won’t get to see “City Island” before it leaves theaters, but if possible, I suggest you see it. Written and directed by Raymond De Felitta and starring Andy Garcia, this movie is a gem, a screwball comedy that has you rooting for all of the characters. De Felitta demonstrates an ability to find the humanity in his characters and play this both for laughs and for a heart-felt response. And for someone who usually plays a cop or mobster, Andy Garcia displays a rarely utilized comedic ability as a man who has ignored his dreams and his responsibilities until he’s forced to confront them.

City Island is a one-square mile section of the Bronx, a fishing village comprised of ‘mussel-suckers’ (newcomers to City Island) and ‘clam-diggers’ (those whose families have lived there for generations). Prison guard Vince Rizzo (Garcia), a proud clam-differ, is an everyman who has always wanted to be an actor. Vince lies to his wife about going to poker games when he’s really attending acting classes, but that’s not his only secret. Vince brings home Tony (Steven Strait), a newly paroled prisoner, because Vince has just discovered Tony is his son. Of course, Tony doesn’t know this yet and neither does anyone in his family. Vince’s wife Joyce (Margulies) fears he is having an affair because she doesn’t believe his story about weekly poker games. Vince’s daughter Vivian (Garcia’s daughter Dominik Garcia-Lorido), who lost her scholarship, is stripping to earn money to return to college and Vince Jr. (Ezra Miller) is fascinated with big girls. “City Island” is an especially entertaining movie about family secrets and I highly recommend it. 3/17/10

She's Out of My League - 2 1/2 smiles

She’s Out of My League “ is not particularly funny and the main characters have questionable chemistry yet you root for the underdog in this sweet story. There’s nothing new in the plot (boy does get girl) except our hero is the geeky Kirk (Jay Baruchel) who, against all expectations, ends up with the beautiful Molly (Alice Eve). You see, Kirk is a 5 on the scale of attractiveness and Molly is ‘a hard 10.’ You can’t jump more than two points and this becomes a source of conflict for Kirk as his friends and family continue to reinforce his feelings of inadequacies. As far as Molly is concerned, she seems to be able to see beyond the surface and is happy with someone she cares about and who cares about her.

The best thing this movie has going for it is the appealing Baruchel. Nonetheless, it’s really hard to believe that in real life Kirk and Molly’s relationship would flourish. That they do get together adds an element of fantasy to the rom-com formula. “She’s Out of My League” has a lot of heart and is quite sweet, but the unfunny raunchy moments tend to distract from the human story director Jim Field Smith is trying to tell. 3/13/10

Green Zone - 3 smiles

“Green Zone,” starring Matt Damon, is a combination of fact, fiction and lots of action. With the invasion of Iraq in 2003, there were assurances that this act was necessary to remove a danger represented by Sadaam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction (WMD). And while the facts behind the motives for our actions remains unclear, one thing is indisputable: there were no WMDs in Iraq and the intelligence that placed them there was faulty. Paul Greengrass’ adrenalin-pumping thriller, set in Baghdad during the early months of occupation, takes the view that the intelligence was a result of lies, incompetence and deliberately manipulated misinformation. Greengrass’ style of using the jittery hand-held camera may give immediacy to some of the scenes, but it becomes tiresome after awhile. Matt Damon makes a credible hero with his good looks and open face and Greg Kinnear is effective as Miller’s oily antagonist.

Chief warrant officer Roy Miller (Damon) is frustrated as he goes about his job of tracking down WMDs because all the sites he’s sent to are empty and his men are put in jeopardy in the process. Defense representative Clark Poundstone (Greg Kinnear), who represents the Bush administration in Iraq, affirms that the intelligence is accurate, the result of detailed info provided by the mysterious informant ‘Magellan.’ CIA operative Martin Brown (Brendan Gleeson) disagrees and tells Miller that he’s not going to find any WMDs at the next site. Then ‘Frankie’ (Khalid Abdalla) approaches Miller with information that a high-ranking general of the Republican Guard is at a meeting in a nearby house. That general is Al Rawi, a man both Poundstone and Brown want, but for different reasons. As Miller chases after Al Rawi, he finds himself being hunted by US Special Forces soldiers. “Green Zone” successfully mixes fact and fiction and the result is a satisfying action flick with political undertones. 3/12/10

Brooklyn's Finest - 1 smile

With “Brooklyn’s Finest,” director Antoine Fuqua has assembled a top-notch cast to tell a police story full of clichés and stereotypes. Richard Gere is good as a burned out cop seeking redemption, but his story is contrived and it’s hard to sympathize with his isolated, alcoholic character. Don Cheadle’s under cover cop Tango has a more interesting dilemma: duty vs. friendship. But the script cheats by killing his friend and thus erasing his predicament. Tango’s reaction, however, can only happen in a movie. And Ethan Hawke’s Sal comes across as whiney and unpleasant, making it difficult to sympathize with his situation. Although the acting is solid, the narrative isn’t engaging. Fuqua wants us to care about his cops-under-pressure, but his characters are so unlikable or minimally developed that it’s not worth spending two-plus hours with them. 3/6/10

Alice in Wonderland - 3 smiles

Although Tim Burton’s version of “Alice in Wonderland” is thoroughly engaging, there’s no need to see it in 3D. “Avatar” has set the bar so high for 3D being an integral part of the setting, character development and narrative that anything less is disappointing, especially when the LA Times reported that Burton filmed his movie in 2D and then converted it to 3D. Besides the glasses are annoying. This “Alice” incorporates characters from “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking Glass,” but the script by Linda Wooverton is really a sequel. The 19-year-old Alice (a pallid Mia Wasikowska), who has forgotten her earlier adventures, falls down the rabbit hole after fleeing her unwanted engagement party. Apparently the denizens of ‘Underland,’ as they call it, need Alice to help them fight the tyranny of the bulbous-headed Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter), who frequently shouts ‘Off with his head’ and return the crown to the White Queen (a miscast Anne Hathaway), who simpers and postures to the point of being annoying. Johnny Depp’s nonsense-spouting Mad Hatter, decked out in a bright red wig, layers of makeup and weird yellow contact lenses, is an unlikely resistance leader.

Initially, Alice resists the idea that she use the Vorpal sword and play her predestined role of slaying the Red Queen’s dragon-like Jabberwocky. But after befriending the Hatter and getting to know many of the creatures, including the Cheshire Cat (voiced by Stephen Fry), the White Rabbit (Michael Sheen), Tweedledee/Tweedledum (Matt Lucas) and the Blue Caterpillar (Alan Rickman), she realizes that she can do anything. Wonderland clearly bears the signature of Burton’s weird sense of humor as do the costumes and make up. However, in a land where six impossible things happen before breakfast, Wonderland is not as wonderful as it could be. Nonetheless, Burton’s reimagining of a familiar story will enchant all but the youngest children. 3/5/10

A Prophet - 3 smiles

“A Prophet,” directed by Jacques Audiard and nominated for a Best Foreign Language Oscar, is intense and brutal from start to finish. Audiard’s graphic film about prison life is full of violence, corruption, discrimination, and power struggles and he seemingly makes no moral judgments as his protagonist, Malik (Tahar Rahim), juggles his conscience and his will to survive. Sentenced to six years in prison, the 19-year-old Malik is quickly recruited by César (Niels Arestrup), leader of the Corsican gang and head honcho to kill a witness being held in the Muslim section of the prison. So begins Malik’s practical education, which he enhances with careful observation of the various illegal activities run by César and others. Malik also learns to read and write and establishes relationships with the various factions in the prison.

The story hinges on Malik’s transformation from an ignorant submissive criminal into an intelligent dominant force. And first-time actor Tahar Rahim is effective as the docile Arab youth who gradually challenges the prison’s power structure. César, played with silken menace by Niels Arestrup, is worthy of Brando’s godfather. Audiard is adept at creating tension and suspense, including an assassination shot in close-up inside a van on the streets of Paris. “A Prophet,” which won the grand prize at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, will shock you with its violence and prompt discussions of its themes. Subtitles. 2/28/10

Ajami - 2 smiles

“Ajami,” co-directed and written by Scandar Copti and Yaron Shani (a Palestinian and an Israeli), has received acclaim from just about every critic plus an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film, but what about your average viewer? These filmmakers subject their basic story to confusing time shifts, peculiar changes in perspective, and nonessential subplots in an attempt to portray the experiences of Muslims, Jews, and Christians in contemporary Israel. And while this sounds like a good idea, the result is a bewildering mess of a movie. As an example, at one point, the directors show us different pieces of the climactic event from the points of view of several characters, which does generate some tension (what really happened?), but it also needlessly complicates the story. And there are so many characters that few are adequately developed and that’s assuming you can remember who they are.

The basic story involves two Muslim teens, Omar and Malek, living in an Arab neighborhood in Jaffa, Israel. Because they are desperate for money, when they find what they believe to be a valuable package of drugs, they arrange an ill-fated sale. To this, the directors add a Jewish cop searching for his missing brother (who may have been killed by Arabs), a Palestinian planning to start a new life with a Jewish woman, someone’s brother who kills a Jewish man, the fact that Malek is an illegal immigrant and Omar’s doomed romance with a Christian girl. “Ajami” has to be viewed at least twice to understand what’s happening. Then, maybe, you can appreciate what the directors are trying to do. Subtitles 2/26/10

The Yellow Handkerchief - 3 1/2 smiles

Note: “Yellow Handkerchief,” a small independent movie that premiered at Sundance in 2008, had trouble finding a distributor. It’s not flashy nor does it have a lot of violence and sex, according to producer Arthur Cohn, who debuted this film one week in December in hopes of not qualifying for Oscar consideration, but of enticing a distributor. Samuel Goldwyn came to his rescue. “Yellow Handkerchief” opened last weekend at some of the Laemmle Theatres. You’ll find it worth your while to track it down and see it.

“The Yellow Handkerchief” tells the tale of three unlikely companions who take a road trip through the backwaters of post-Katrina Louisiana to New Orleans. Not only do they learn from each other, but support each other as well. William Hurt gives a subtle, but nuanced performance as a man just out of jail and uncertain if his wife will take him back. Maria Bello is seen almost entirely in flashbacks and Kristen Stewart and Eddie Redmayne create distinctive characters that hold their own with the adults. Louisiana, as photographed by Chris Menges, is also a crucial character in the movie, which slowly unfolds on bayous and in the abandoned homes and businesses in which the travelers take refuge. However, you need to give this movie a chance because it develops story and character gradually. 2/24/10