Movie Capsules
By MAL VINCENT
By Mal Vincent
The Virginian-Pilot
OPENING
Tropic Thunder This behind-the-scenes look at crazy moviemaking has Ben Stiller as an action star trying to go dramatic. His Vietnam War epic includes a group of egotistical actors who get more than they bargained for in the jungle. Robert Downey Jr. and Jack Black co-star. R
Vicky Cristina Barcelona Javier Bardem is pursued by Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall and Penelope Cruz. Poor guy. Woody Allen makes a romantic comedy. PG-13
Star Wars: The Clone Wars Appealing to The Force one more time, George Lucas churns out an animated effort that takes place between “Attack of the Clones” and “Revenge of the Sith.” PG
Henry Poole Is Here Henry Poole thinks his days are numbered and abandons everything until a “miracle” comes along. Luke Wilson stars. PG
Mirrors Kiefer Sutherland plays an ex-cop who is threatened by beings that use mirrors as a way to get into his home. R
High Noon Frank Miller and his gang are coming in on the noon train in a rare theatrical screening of the legendary Western. Gary Cooper’s Oscar-winning performance is one of the greatest in film history. The Pilot’s Mal Vincent will introduce the film and talk about it afterward. Monday, 7:15 p.m., at the Naro Expanded Cinema in Norfolk.
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Brideshead Revisited
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[C@1353c19 It pales in comparison to the 11-part, 1981 TV miniseries, but if Evelyn Waugh’s novel about a tragic, aristocratic family had to be condensed, this is probably the best that could be done. Ben Whishaw is miscast as Sebastian Flyte, but Matthew Goode is appealing as Charles Ryder. The emphasis is on the triangle among Charles, Sebastian and his sister, Julia (Hayley Atwell). Emma Thompson is foreboding as Lady Marchmain. (1:40) PG-13 (some sexual content)
The Dark Knight
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[C@1353c19 1/2 A serious venture into moral ambiguity makes this a memorable “Knight” that ups the ante for future superhero epics. Director Christopher Nolan, following his dark, franchise-reviving “Batman Begins,” makes the caped crusader a kind of misunderstood vigilante who questions his own intentions. Heath Ledger is quite flamboyant as The Joker, and surprisingly complex. Only the running time and the eventually repetitive nature of the moral questions kept us from giving it a full four stars. It’s a good deal closer to “Hamlet” than to “Spider-Man.” (2:32) PG-13 (intense, not for young children)
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
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[C@1353c19 1/2 This second adaptation from C.S. Lewis’ seven- part children’s book series is more noise than heart and more computer than magic. With obvious respect for the hallowed origin of the tale, the new film wears its literacy like a burden rather than a point of flight. Prince Caspian foils his evil uncle by escaping to the deep woods, where the harried remnants of Narnia struggle to survive their 1,300 years of expulsion and oppression. They are aided by the four time-traveling Pevensie kids, but in the end, it’ll be Reepicheep, a feisty fighting mouse, that we’ll most remember. (2:20) PG (violence)
Hancock
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[C@1353c19 The usually likable and mischievously naughty Will Smith tries to stretch his range with this role as a grouchy, homeless alcoholic who happens also to be a superhero. Los Angeles is fed up with Hancock because he destroys more than he saves . It’s an intriguing idea for a movie, but a helter-skelter approach does little to develop it. Jason Bateman has a likable role as a PR man who tries to change Hancock. Charlize Theron adds a mix. It’s better in its action scenes than in its few comedic ones, but it seems we’ve seen all these special effects before. (1:32) PG-13 (sci-fi action, language)
The Happening
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[C@1353c19 We’re still waiting for M. Night Shyamalan to make another “The Sixth Sense” with that surprise ending and fulfill his promise as the new “master of suspense.” This paranoid treatise which has masses of people killing themselves is more gore than threat. It becomes repetitive, as the surviving characters, rather than becoming developed, merely look horrified. The “message,” yet again, is to point out than humankind has been thoughtless and stupid in ruining nature. Nature fights back with toxic “stuff” that’s in the air. If anything this trivializes the “green” message. Mark Wahlberg is properly tormented, but it’s a stretch to see him as a science teacher – even for high school. Zooey Deschanel acts quirky in batting her big blue eyes, and Betty Buckley, as a crazy country woman, overacts flagrantly. There is no surprise ending. In fact, there is no ending. (1:31) R (violence)
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
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[C@1353c19 Replacing the eccentricities of the cult-favorite original movie with huge special effects, this sequel isn’t as much fun. Hellboy liked cats and cigars. Here, he spends all his time blowing up things with an overly involved plot at the center. The visual effects are a knockout. Ron Perlman returns in the title role. It’s an arty special-effects movie. (1:50) PG-13 (some violence)
The Incredible Hulk
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[C@1353c19 1/2 If you’re going to lose your temper, you might as well be noisy about it. This second effort to capitalize on the fan- base of the comic book and TV series offers a big-action set piece every 15 minutes that allows the big guy to smash a college campus, New York’s Harlem and other places. It is designed to get back to comic-book basics and offset the flop version by Ang Lee five years ago. That one was dark and psychological. This one is merely noisy, although it has a cast of good actors: Edward Norton as Dr. Banner (trying to control himself); Liv Tyler as bland Betty, the girlfriend; William Hurt as the military man who sees the Hulk only as a weapon; and Tim Roth, who turns into the appropriately named Abomination. (1:54) PG-13 (brief suggestive content, some intense but cartoonish violence)
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
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[C@1353c19 1/2 The fourth edition of Steven Spielberg’s legendary action hero’s adventures is OK, but we expected more. Harrison Ford is upstaged by the movie’s villainness, Cate Blanchett as “Stalin’s favorite scientist.” There is a great jungle chase, and it is good to see Karen Allen, from the first film, again. The plot isn’t much, and what there is is convoluted. Still, this is the only Indiana Jones we have and the action sequences are all that money could buy. What it needs is a bit more humor. (2:04) PG-13 (lively violence)
Iron Man
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[C@1353c19 Laced with just enough of a character-driven background, this is all that it should be, right up to the final bang. Like his metallic movie kinsman the Tin Man, “Iron Man” works because the hero gets a heart. Everyone involved chose, wisely, to play it seriously so that there is some jeopardy and danger for the characters, led by a surprisingly sly, mischievous performance by Robert Downey Jr. as a billionaire playboy turned international do- gooder. (2:06) PG-13
Journey to the Center of the Earth
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[C@1353c19 Clocking in at a concise 90 minutes, this provides more thrills per minute than any movie so far this summer. It’s preferable to see it in 3-D because everything from spears to dinosaurs are thrown at you. Based on the Jules Verne classic sci- fi novel. Brendan Fraser has a likable knack of letting us know he doesn’t take it seriously – a flawed hero. (1:32) PG (intense action and some scary moments)
Kung Fu Panda
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[C@1353c19 1/2 A kung fu movie complete with an over-abundance of plot about the mystic warrior meeting his destiny by saving the valley etc., etc. The only real difference is that it is animated with a panda bear as the bumbling underdog who must be taught, “Karate Kid”-”Rocky” style, to come from behind. It has a lot of movement that may keep the wee ones happy, but it lacks the emotion and the heart that could have made it an animated classic. It fails to develop any of its supporting cast of fighting animals. The title alone, though, sells it. Jack Black has the titular voice. (1:31) G
Mamma Mia!
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[C@1353c19 This movie version of the jukebox theater musical is a mess. The effort to shoehorn ABBA pop tunes into the flimsy plot looks more desperate than in the stage version, and more senseless. Embarrassing, too, is Meryl Streep’s persistent fake laughter and exuberance to suggest she is having a jolly time. The music makes up for a great deal, but not enough. (1:48) PG-13 (some sex-related comments)
The Mummy Returns: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
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[C@1353c19 1/2 Director Rob Cohen does a fine job in staging the action sequences, but none of it is even remotely involving. In fact, it’s too silly to qualify as satire and t oo action-heavy to be comedy. Brendan Fraser returns as the adventurer who seems to be out of it most of the time. We miss Rachel Weisz, who has been replaced by the tougher and more action-minded Maria Bello. Lots for the eye, but none of it makes any sense. (1:54) PG-13 (violence, scary images)
Pineapple Express
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[C@1353c19 Seeking to prove that it is hilarious to watch dumb- dumbs get high, it mixes violent “action” with inane “jokes” and comes out rivaling “The Love Guru” as the worst comedy of the year. James Franco, though, is a surprise – working hard at being brainless. Seth Rogen is, again, merely fat. Several scenes are stolen (not difficult in this flop) by Danny R. McBride as an unfortunate would-be drug dealer who wants to have friends. Pathetic. (1:45) R (language, drug use, violence)
Sex and the City
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[C@1353c19 1/2 The long-awaited big-screen adaptation of the raunchy and often sophisticated exploration of man-hunting and girl- bonding in New York City comes to the screen in an unspectacular but true-to-form way. Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, Kim Cattrall and Kristin Davis starred for six years in the HBO series. While there is nothing really new here, it serves up the desired mix as girl talk reigns again. This isn’t going to win any Oscars, but it has had the biggest opening of any romantic comedy in movie history. Clearly, it’s what the fans ordered. You go, girls. (2:15) R (language, sexual situation)
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2
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[C@1353c19 Girls just want to have fun, and so does this idyllic romp about the summer after the first year of college starring the original cast from three years ago. Clearly, these girls would rather have their glossy fantasies stroked than worry about anything such as grades or who’s going to pay next year’s tuition. Surprisingly tolerable and entertaining, the cast includes Amber Tamblyn, Alexis Bledel, America Ferrera and Blake Lively. (1:57) PG- 13 (some mature material, mild sexuality)
Step Brothers
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[C@1353c19 Two of the best, most shameless clowns in the business are wasted in this lame, repetitive bit about two guys who are forced to live together when their parents (including mom Mary Steenburgen) marry. Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly play the guys. The basic problem, beyond a lack of wit from the writers, is that the two guys are playing the same character – grown men who act like kids and still live with their parents. (1:35) R (language, crude jokes and sexual content)
Swing Vote
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[C@1353c19 1/2 Well-intentioned but bland political comedy doesn’t have enough conviction to make an impression. Kevin Costner plays a beer-guzzling slacker who has the deciding vote in the presidential election. Dennis Hopper and Kelsey Grammer are the candidates. Every dumb father (in the movies) must have a brilliant child to boss him around. Here, it’s Madeline Carrol who, as child actresses go, is very mature. Likable but predictable. (1:59) PG-13 (some language)
WALL-E
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[C@1353c19 One of the most imaginative movies of the year is a love story about the last robot on a fading Earth and a space- probing eggshell sent back to Earth to search out life. Sweet, profound and altogether original, it is largely a silent movie that should appeal more to adults than to children. (1:37) G (nothing objectionable)
Wanted
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[C@1353c19 1/2 It’s overly violent and the violence is graphic, but this super-stylized treatise has an edge that makes it a contender to become one of the action classics. Its Russian director gives it a European look with bullets that dance through the air. Angelina Jolie is a tough assassin who trains novice James McAvoy to acquire the skills to avenge the death of his father. Morgan Freeman is the boss. (1:50) R (violence, language, partial nudity)
The X Files: I Want To Believe
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[C@1353c19 1/2 No aliens spell disappointment for some of the fans. Instead, we get an effective, creepy crime melodrama in which Frankenstein-like Russians plan to use a female FBI agent for gory experimentation. David Duchovny still is challenged and doubted by the always-irritated Gillian Anderson while they continue to flirt with a lasting relationship. (1:40) PG-13
Originally published by BY MAL VINCENT.
(c) 2008 Virginian – Pilot. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.