Toy Story - 4 smiles

In “Toy Story 3,” a worthy follow-up to Toy Story 1 and 2, everything works from the excellent voice cast and the creative story to the laugh-out-loud sequences and deeply emotional themes. As with all Pixar films, the child in you will love it and the adult will be touched by its heartfelt messages. Andy, the boy who played with cowboy Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) and astronaut Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), is off to college and the toys are concerned. He has outgrown his playthings, including cowgirl Jessie (Joan Cusack), piggy bank Hamm (John Ratzenberger), dinosaur Rex (Wallace Shawn), and the Potatoheads (Don Rickles and Estelle Harris). Although Andy plans to take Woody to college, he puts the others in a trash bag to take to the attic. Unfortunately, the toys in the trash bag, along with Andy’s sister’s Barbie doll (Jodi Benson) end up at the curb, awaiting the garbage truck. With Woody’s intervention, the toys avert the dump and make it to the Sunnyside Day Care Center, where they meet new toys, such as Big Baby and Lots-o’-Huggin’-Bear (Ned Beatty) and Barbie hooks up with Ken (Michael Keaton). At first, Sunnyside seems like an answer to discarded toys’ prayers, but not everything is as it seems and soon escape becomes the priority.

TS 3 introduces us to new characters, including Bonnie, whose mother works at the day-care center and who has a wonderful imagination. Her group of toys include a ditzy triceratops Trixie (Kristen Schaal) and a Shakespeare-spouting hedgehog, Mr. Picklepants (Timothy Dalton). And it’s impossible not to laugh when Buzz shifts into his Spanish-language mode. The best scenes, however, go to Ken and Barbie, especially when Ken models a few selections from his uber- fashionable wardrobe. The poignant ending goes to the heart of friendship, loyalty, growing up and moving on with life. The Pixar wizards have come up with another exceptional film (although my all-time favorite is still Up), one you won’t want to miss. 6/18/10

Cyrus - 1 smile

Mumblecore. Never heard that word before I started reading about “Cyrus.” According to Wikipedia, ‘it ‘s an American independent film movement that arose in the early 2000s. It is primarily characterized by ultra-low budget productions, focused on personal relationships between twenty-somethings, improvised scripts, and non-professional actors.’ Writers/directors Jay and Mark Duplass, brothers from Louisiana, are part of this ‘movement’ and “Cyrus” is their first feature with name actors and a small but respectable mainstream Hollywood budget. And although it’s getting a lot of critical acclaim, I didn’t like it. Mumblecore has a long way to go before it will be accepted by mainstream sensibilities. Here’s an example: the opening scene has John C. Reilly scratching his jock itch – or maybe doing something else. He plays John, an irritating man nearing 40 who suffers from loneliness and tedious depression. His ex-wife Jamie (Catherine Keener) dumped him seven years ago, but for reasons that are unclear, she remains his sympathetic best friend. When Jamie forces him to attend a party, John gets drunk and is caught urinating in the front yard by Molly (Marisa Tomei), who finds him charming and sexy (?). John is ready to jump into a relationship, but then he discovers Molly has a grown son who still lives at home. Cyrus (a creepy Jonah Hill) is an obese, mentally challenged 21-year old who is not happy that Mom is interested in someone else. And there you have it: a weird love triangle, a superficial investigation of an Oedipus complex, a slice of life about bizarre people.

Jonah Hill has a disturbing stare that’s perfect for Cyrus and his bland reactions to what’s going on around him only enhances audience discomfort. But when you really think about it, John’s relationship with Jamie is just as wacky as Cyrus and Molly’s. “Cyrus” is labeled a comedy and the previews seem to point in that direction, but it hovers so much in the shadows that it’s rarely amusing. I say, skip “Cyrus.” 6/16/10

Jonah Hex - 2 smiles

“Jonah Hex,” starring Josh Brolin and based on a 1970s DC Comic, isn’t getting good reviews, but it’s better than I expected. Director Jimmy Hayward maintains a lightness of tone given that our hero’s face looks like one side went through a meat grinder and he can talk to dead people. The Civil War has ended and vigilante Jonah Hex (Brolin) is obsessed with catching General Quentin Turnbull (John Malkovich), the man responsible for killing Hex’s wife and son. Turnbull is assembling a doomsday weapon that he intends to use on Washington D.C.

“Jonah Hex” is a combination of a Wild Wild West episode and a Sergio Leone movie with its doomsday weapon and ‘the good, the bad and the ugly’-type hero. Brolin proves capable of playing tough and hard and is ably supported by Malkovich, who hasn’t met a villain he can’t overplay. The biggest problem is the seemingly huge chunks of plot that Hayward left on the cutting room floor, resulting in an incoherent story, especially the scenes that take place in some sort of parallel, mystical world. But there’s an obedient horse and a dog that decided Hex would make an excellent master. So “Jonah Hex” can’t be all bad, right? 6/19/10

Winter's Bone - 3 1/2 smiles

The harsh Ozarks setting of “Winter’s Bone” seems so real that you don’t realize that you’re watching a detective story, full of the requisite suspense and apprehension. But as effective as the setting is, the main character is the reason you’ll remember this film. Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) is part of umpteenth-generation mountain folk, whose moonshine stills have given way to meth labs. And her place in this world is a given: she’s a female so she’s supposed to do as she’s told and she’s still a teenager, so what she wants doesn’t matter. Her mother is an empty shell, no longer mentally and emotionally present and she’s left a younger brother and sister for Ree to care for. Ree’s father, Jessup, has disappeared and the sheriff (Garret Dillahunt) is looking for him because a court date is coming up. If Jessup fails to show, he forfeits the house, which he put up for his bail. Not wanting her family to lose their home, Ree embarks on a search that takes her deeper and deeper into her brutal, reclusive community. The men won’t talk to Ree and the women warn her off. But Ree isn’t persuaded to stop her search. She continues to dig deeper into the mystery of her father’s whereabouts.

Lawrence gives a powerful performance, revealing Ree’s tough inner strength and resilience. Ree is quietly heroic as she goes about her search. John Hawkes plays Ree’s uncle, a drug addict and ex-con named Teardrop, who grows from a two-dimensional thug to reveal a man bound by blood with more compassion than one would expect. At one point, Teardrop rescues Ree and helps her to get where she needs to go. “Winter’s Bone” will generate a lot of conversation after it’s over and Ree is sure to be the most memorable character this year. 8/14/10

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work - 3 smiles

“Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work” is a smart, unexpectedly touching documentary about a year in the life of a comedienne that most people know little about. The portrait that emerges is of a woman who is vain, often irreverent, obsessive about her work, and, for the most part, honest. At 77, Rivers broke a lot of ground for stand-up comedy although she prefers to be known for her acting. Go figure. With all of her plastic surgery, she’s a joke in a culture that says women must be either young or classy and it hurts her when others comment on her extensive surgery. But all that really matters to her is her next gig and she panics if she doesn’t have a full calendar. With years of experience, Joan knows that one comeback can turn things around, which is what happens when she wins ‘Celebrity Apprentice.’

We hear about Rivers at her height, when Johnny Carson named her his official guest host. But after going to Fox for a doomed 1986 talk show of her own, Carson never spoke to her again. We hear about Edgar Rosenberg, the husband whose business sense led them into debt and who committed suicide in 1987. By the time the movie comes to an end, Rivers has become an oddly brave figure, soldiering on because she doesn’t have a private life. Being seen, being on stage, being in the public eye – that’s what’s important to Joan Rivers. So whether you love her or hate her, you’ll enjoy “Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work.” 6/13/10

Solitary Man - 1 smile

In “Solitary Man,” Michael Douglas plays such an unlikable person that it’s hard to care what happens to him. And if you don’t care what happens to the main character, then the journey this movie takes you on is a waste of time. Ben is a vulgar womanizer who uses serial one-night stands to avoid the terrors of aging. You see, he was once a happily married man and a successful businessman, but when his doctor tells him he needs additional tests on his heart, Ben decides he needs to prove he’s not getting old. That means he propositions every young woman he sees, including his younger girlfriend’s teenage daughter. Definitely creepy. Michael Douglas plays Ben so devoid of any redeeming qualities that it’s hard to sympathize with his plight. Although “Solitary Man” has a top notch-supporting cast and it gives Douglas a chance to act, it’s really not worth seeing. 6/16/10

The Karate Kid - 3 smiles

Given: “The Karate Kid” follows an over-used plot – the downtrodden underdog faces off against the bully in a major tournament after finding a wise mentor and undergoing a long training process. Even when the original film came out in 1984, this formula was trite. Nonetheless, there are a few modifications that make this remake entertaining. Foremost is Jaden Smith’s natural charisma. He carries this movie, but Jackie Chan also stands out. This is one of his best performances. Second is the change in tone. Whereas the original had a lighter tone, the remake is darker. The bullies are more vicious, Dre (the Karate Kid) rarely smiles and the mentor’s grim demeanor hides a heart-wrenching tragedy. Shot in China, the scenes at the Great Wall and inside the Tiananmen Gate and the Forbidden City (the first time in 20 years) make this movie even more enjoyable.

In 1984, the main character faces a cultural change when his mother moves from New Jersey to California. In the remake, Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) and his mother, Sherry (Taraji P. Henson) move from the United States to China, where Dre is unable to speak the language, which limits his associations to those who know at least a little English. When Dre is befriended by Mei Ying (Wenwen Han), a pretty Chinese girl who plays the violin, Cheng (Zhenwei Wang) is jealous and beats up on Dre every time he sees him. Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), the handyman for the building in which Dre and his mother live, offers to teach Dre kung fu. At first Dre is skeptical until he sees some effective martial arts moves Mr. Han makes. Eventually, Dre understands that he must face Cheng in a tournament. Ultimately, “The Karate Kid” is a story about a father and son and the lessons they learn from each other. See it; you’ll enjoy it. 10/12/10

The A-Team - 2 1/2 smiles

“The A-Team,” a revival of the 80s TV show that focused on tongue-in-cheek humor and lots of action, offers the true action junkie his fix of non-intellectual entertainment. But, heck, I like movies like that. The gruff, smart leader, who always has a plan, is Hannibal Smith (Liam Neeson). He is joined by cocky Templeton ‘Faceman’ Peck (Bradley Cooper), mowhawked muscleman B.A. Baracus (Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson) and an unbalanced but brilliant pilot, Howling Maddog Murdock (Sharlto Copley). In Iraq, this elite unit is framed for stealing counterfeit engraving plates and sent to prison. In order to clear their names, they must escape and track down an elusive operative named Pike (Brian Bloom) while evading pursuit by a military team led by Lt. Sosa (Jessica Biel).

The A-Team occupies a world where the laws of physics don’t apply because Maddog can certainly make an airplane (and helicopter) do some really unique things and, of course, the bad guys can’t shoot straight. There are red herrings, close calls and a surprise that really isn’t surprising. Unfortunately, director Joe Carnahan gets carried away with over using the jittery camera on several of his action sequences. The new cast does an admirable job imitating the original. Liam Neeson is suitably wise and witty, the straight man for much of his team’s shenanigans. Bradley Cooper and Sharlto Copley come closest to resembling Dirk Benedict and Dwight Shultz while wrestler Quinton Jackson doesn’t quite channel Mr. T. So if you want lots of mindless action with a plot that’s not too challenging, “The A-Team” is for you. 6/11/10

Micmacs - 3 smiles

The films of director Jean-Pierre Jeunet, the French equivalent of England’s Terry Gilliam, are quite inventive and “Micmacs” is no exception. This is a movie full of quirky people doing eccentric things although Jeunet does have a point to make with his narrative. Bazil (French comic Dany Boon), who lost his father to a land mine when he was a child, is hit in the head by a stray bullet, which almost kills him. Bazil traces the mine and the bullet to rival armament companies, whose offices sit across from each other in an industrial zone on the edge of Paris. One of the CEOs is Fenouillet (Andre Dussolier), whose passion is collecting the body parts of historical figures, like Churchill’s fingernail clippings. His nemesis, Marconi (Nicolas Marie), has a young son and lives in an ultra modern apartment. With the help of a group of misfit junk collectors (the Micmacs of the title), Bazil sets out to take revenge on these entrepreneurs of war that is both whimsical and serious.

Jeunet surrounds Boon with an able, if unconventional, cast of characters. There’s the doting Mama Chow (Yolande Moreau); ex-con master lock-picker, Slammer (Jean-Pierre Marielle); a number-crunching whiz, Calculator (Marie-Julie Baup); a one-man Guinness Book of Records, Buster (Dominique Pinon); the scrambled proverb-spouting Remington (Omar Sy) and contortionist, Elastic Girl (Julie Ferrier). Watching “Micmacs” is like watching a live-action cartoon and once you get used to the oddity of the whole thing, you can sit back and enjoy it. Subtitles. 6/10/10

Killers - 1 1/2 smiles

“Killers” follows the romantic comedy formula: two people meet; they fall in love and marry; they face a crisis; they live happily ever after. Sounds pretty boring, though, doesn’t it? The twist in the script, written by Bob DeRosa and Ted Griffin, is that unbeknownst to Jen (Katherine Heigl), Spenser (Ashton Butcher) is a CIA agent with a past strewn with dead bodies. But for love, Spenser has given up his spy career for suburbia and block parties. Unfortunately, Spenser’s past comes back to haunt him. And if it’s clever that one of Spenser’s friends turns out to be an assassin, why not have just about everyone in his planned community be undercover killers.

Talk about redundant. How many times can Spenser register surprise when another neighbor tries to kill him? How often can Jen scream when she sees her husband involved in deadly hand -o-hand combat? So we have boring and redundant. Perfect. Both leads are attractive, though, and the locations in Nice are gorgeous. Plus Tom Selleck and Catherine O’Hara provide some scene-stealing performances as Jen’s overprotective parents. Guess you can wait to see “Killers” on cable. 5/4/10

Marmaduke - 2 1/2 smiles

You know I like dog movies so how could I not like “Marmaduke”? I will say, however, that “Marmaduke” isn’t as clever and cute as “Beverly Hills Chihuahua,” but it’s cute enough…if you like dogs. Marmaduke (voiced by an effective Owen Wilson) is a Great Dane who lives in Kansas with Phil (Lee Pace), his wife, Debbie (Judy Greer) and their three kids. Both he and the family cat, Carlos (George Lopez), are packed up and whisked to Orange County, California, where Phil has landed a new job as director of marketing for an organic pet food company. His boss, Don (William H. Macy) insists on holding their business talks in a dog park and it’s there that Marmaduke meets Mazie (Emma Stone), the leader of a band of mutts ostracized by the pedigree dogs led by Bosco (Kiefer Sutherland) and falls in love with Jezebel (Fergie), Bosco’s girlfriend.

Directed by Tom Dey and based on the comic strip that appears in newspapers across the country, including the LA Times, “Marmaduke” focuses on life changes that are hard to handle as Phil and Marmaduke learn about the importance of being true to oneself. “Marmaduke,” aimed at the 10 and under group, is playful, warm and fuzzy. It doesn’t trek into new territory, but it’s a dog movie. How bad can that be? 6/5/10