PLOT SUMMARY:

Imprisoned in an insane asylum after witnessing the murder of her sister by her evil stepfather, a young woman attempts to battle her way to freedom through her imagination. 

REVIEW:

Let's get right to it.  I was a bit disappointed in this movie. This is the kind of film that a cynic makes in order to spread a message about optimism. If I say anything more specific than that, it becomes a spoiler. As most of you already know, SUCKER PUNCH tells the story of a girl, nicknamed Babydoll, trapped in an insane asylum who tries to battle her way to freedom through her imagination.

Zack Snyder's latest movie *seems* to draw most of its inspiration from a little cult film named DANCER IN THE DARK starring Bjork.  Indeed, Bjork's music colors the soundtrack regularly in SUCKER PUNCH.  In fact, calling SUCKER PUNCH a high-tech ...

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PLOT SUMMARY:

An unsuccessful writer takes a drug that unlocks his brain's potential and suddenly becomes a financial success overnight, but this attracts the attention of criminals who also want the drug.

REVIEW:

I don't like long reviews so I'll keep this short and sweet. LIMITLESS is a pretty smart film. Think of it as WALL STREET with a Sci-Fi veneer. Bradley Cooper does an excellent job here. Based on the novel "The Dark Fields" by Alan Glynn. Cooper begins as an unsuccessful writer on the verge of homelessness. However, a chance encounter with a dangerous neuro drug gives him a 4-digit IQ, turning him into the ideal version of himself.

The movie's ending is different from that of the novel's, but I feel this is one of those exceptional cases where the movie's version of the story is better...even if it does ...

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PLOT SUMMARY:

A platoon of marines must rescue a group of stranded civilians behind enemy lines when a massive alien invasion force attacks Los Angeles

REVIEW: 

I headed out today for some good ol’ fashioned escapism. I went and saw BATTLE: LOS ANGELES. Walking into the theatre, I cynically said to myself, “Okay, this is going to be BLACK HAWK DOWN meets INDEPENDENCE DAY.” And I was completely right, but this movie is the good version of that…while I was expecting the bad. The movie also makes excellent use of Horror-style movie sequences, such as soldiers in abandoned houses having to check room by room.

We follow a Marine platoon sent deep into Los Angeles on a mission to retrieve stranded civilians. Along the way, they must fight street-to-street battles against the aliens and also absorb members of other decimated platoons. 

Aaron Eckhart surprisingly carries the whole movie. Michelle ...

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Plot Summary: Mike Leigh (“Happy-Go-Lucky,” “Secrets & Lies”) directs a slice-of-life drama about a happily-married, aging couple and the troubled people who drift in and out of their lives.

Review:  This film might have worked just as well onstage as it does on camera.  Take a cast of highly-talented British actors and place them in uncomfortable situations, mixing the various actors up in different scenes with one another.  Keep the locations simple and few.  Sprinkle in some brilliant writing and you have yourself a play.  However, in this case, throw in a few heartbreaking close-ups and you have yourself an interesting little film too.

“Another Year” revolves around the world’s happiest old couple, Tom and Gerri.  They’ve been together since college.  He’s a geologist.  She’s a social worker.  They live in a small house in London, working at their respective jobs and tending to their large organic ...

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PLOT SUMMARY: A tough, determined teenage girl hires a has-been, out-of-shape U.S. Marshal to hunt down the man who killed her father.

REVIEW:  First, I’ve never seen the 1969 original TRUE GRIT starring John Wayne.  I suppose at some point I should, but I’m willing to bet I’d still prefer this update by the Coen Brothers to it’s predecessor.  I simply can’t imagine TRUE GRIT being executed any better.

The Coen Brothers have made some real stinkers recently.  I wasn’t a fan of A SERIOUS MAN.  And although NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN had it’s moments, I felt that movie was highly overrated.  Oh and BURN AFTER READING?  Remember that one?  Nah, me neither.

I would venture to say that TRUE GRIT is the best Coen Brothers film since O’ BROTHER WHERE ART THOU.  The story is a paint-by-numbers plotline.  However, they ...

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PLOT SUMMARY: Based on the folklore tale of Rapunzel, a teenage girl with 70-foot long hair is kept captive by a witch in a tower until a gallant rogue arrives to rescue her.  

REVIEW: To be honest, TANGLED was originally one of those movies I was just going to let pass by. However, exciting word-of-mouth reviews started trickling into my awareness through my wife and friends. Earlier today, I finally gave in and decided to see it. All I have to say is...

WOW. That's right, I said WOW. TANGLED is probably Disney's very first 3D classic on par with its 2D classics made during its golden age. It's a real shame that this movie is flying under the radar to some degree due to Disney's looong train of releasing mediocre animated films.  

As a piece of entertainment, it's hard to point out what TANGLED ...

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PLOT SUMMARY: A romantic comedy (of sorts) directed by Albert Brooks and starring Resse Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Owen Wilson and Jack Nicholson.

REVIEW:  HOW DO YOU KNOW isn’t your typical romantic comedy, even though many of the structural elements are formulaic.  Girl meets Hot Guy, Girl commits to Hot Guy, but then Girl meets Nice Guy who turns out to be the man she truly needs.  Those elements exist, alongside many typical plot points to tie them together. However, the movie shines in-between these moments and it makes this film worth seeing.  The story’s meditations on relationships and the awkwardness of dating are taken into some pretty interesting directions.  Characters break into long speeches about their lives and their feelings about themselves.  Many of these moments have an implausible setup, but are so well-written that I found myself drawn into the story all the same ...

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PLOT SUMMARY: The son of Flynn must return to the world of TRON to save the "the Grid" from his father's evil avatar Clu.   

REVIEW:  Alright, I concur with Narv's review down below. TRON: LEGACY is short on content, but decent on the shiny, pretty stuff.   Note, I'm not saying its great on SFX.  I watched this movie in 3D yesterday and walked off fairly unimpressed with that aspect.  I honestly don't believe you need 3D to appreciate the world of TRON.      

When you're watching TRON: LEGACY, it becomes apparent that it was made by people who just didn't "get" the original TRON.  It almost seemed like fashion designers were somehow in charge of the movie.  Nor does the film succeed in delivering what fans today would expect.   I agree with Narv again that Disney should've given this movie the Michael Bay treatment ...

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Warning: this review will likely contain more content than the actual movie.  Yes, the special effects are fantastic.  The aesthetics are faithful to the original while updating them in some unique and exciting ways.  But what the hell does TRON: LEGACY try and say?  The movie hints at revolution, briefly mentions war and genocide, while philosophizing on the human condition.   But for some reason, this film glosses over all those profound topics.  Instead, we find ourselves in a digital world changed for the worse, where complacency reigns and Jeff Bridges sits in his hippie New Agehideout, inexplicably channeling “The Dude.”

And sure, good story potential exists when his rebellious son stumbles into the Tron Universe.  However, this kid’s acting holds more in common with the paper clip from Microsoft Word than a genuine character performance.  This makes any attempt at a relationship between father and son painful to watch ...

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PLOT SUMMARY: During World War II, a Japanese general in an occupied Chinese village challenges the local villagers to tournaments in order to prove the superiority of his race...until one man Ip Man steps forward to fight him.  

REVIEW: I'm not one for long movie reviews, so I'll make this short and sweet.  This movie is loosely-based on the life story of Ip Man, the former master of the legendary Bruce Lee.  The movie IP MAN contains average drama and a predictable storyline and main character.  However, the story eventually wins you over in the end with the enjoyment factor.  Spectacular martial arts sequences mean if you look away, you might be missing something cool.

FINAL LOGIC-COOL RATING: "Requires Full Attention" - Excellent martial arts sequences mean if you look away to do other work, you'll miss something.