Despicable Me (2010)

Illumination Entertainment wins big time with their first film, a comedy about a Super Villain attempting to steal the moon in order to win back notoriety as the Worst Bad guy. But three orphan girls become part of his life and threaten to ruin it all by showing him another possibility: fatherhood. Steve Carrell's voice is unrecognizable and perfect. The animation is slick and as funny as the witty jokes. Then there are the little yellow guys, the Minions, who steal the show. Grade: A-

Men In Black 3 (2012)

Barry Sonnenfeld returns to the comedic world of aliens hiding on Earth with Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones as Agents protecting the secret and the result is an entertaining film with a strong time-travel story, threatening yet hilarious villain (intensified by Jemaine Clement) and new characters including a younger K played brilliantly by Joss Brolin. A much improved chapter from the last one, this third entry is really satisfying. B+

The Chernobyl Diaries (2012)

A promising premise and otherwise intense thriller (almost horror film) that quickly fades and ends like the B movie it so doesn't want to be: to say I was disappointed is an understatement. Four Americans along with some Norwegians go on an unconventional tour of a town near the famous Soviet Nuclear plant that has been abandoned since the tragic melt down 26 years ago. The set-up is pretty good, dueling brothers and two girl friends, a subplot about a marriage proposal, all of it quite nice. Then they get to the abandon town and things get creepy and in a good way. Unfortunately the terror to escape turns into a bunch of repetitive chase scenes and when the film makers get to the end they botch it, big time. Grade: B- (And the only reason I'm not giving it a C is because it did have a few scares that unsettled me.)

Spoilers: If you need to know what a copout is just watch this film's ending. The part I liked was that they end up going deeper into the radioactive zone ending up in Chernobyl’s reactor but the whole government conspiracy crap and the men in radioactive suits tossing our lone survivor into a pack of the very “monsters” she was trying to escape is just stupid. I'd have rather our couple make it out of the village, find a car and get away, only for die of radioactive poison when they arrive to their hotel rooms.  

The Hangover II (2011)

The wild boys from The Hangover are back and history repeats itself.   If you liked the first one, crass humor and all, you'll enjoy this one as well.  Sure it's pretty much the same movie, sticking to a formula that worked, but in this case it's a very good thing.  Instead of Vegas this one takes place in Bangkok and there is some really hilarious moments.  If I have one pet peeve is that one of the best surprises is ruined by the movie's poster (why do they do that?).  I knew they're planning on a third film and I'm excited and hopeful that this time Alan is the one getting married.  Grade: B+

You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger (2010)

I love that Woody Allen keeps making movies year after year.  He doesn't always succeed but when he does it's wonderful.  What I like about this film is how organic it is, almost like an odd-shaped sculpture that somehow stays standing and you're not sure why.  There's four stories at work and each is like a short story.   Naomi Watts devolpes a crush on the art dealer she works with played by Antonio Banderas.  Josh Brolin,  her husband, is a doctor turned writer smitten with a neighbor (Frida Pinto) he enjoys watching from his across this courtyard.  Anthony Hopkins plays Mrs. Watts' father who leaves her mother for a prostitute played by Lucy Punch.  And her mother played by Gemma Jones becomes enchanted by a fortune teller's prediction that she'll meet a tall dark stranger.  The reason I say these are like short stories is because they don't have your traditional "movie" ending that the average movie-goer expect and this is another reason why this film is a breath of fresh air.  Grade: B+

11/22/63 by Stephen KIng (Novel)

Time travel is so much fun and yet like a complex math problem difficult to reason out with all the possible plot holes and paradoxes.  This is a good one, written with care and attention to detail for such scientific snags that only a talented story-spinner like Mr. King can make work.  It's a simply question: if you could go back in time and prevent a watershed moment (a tragedy like JFK's assassination) from happening would you do it, even with fate fighting you the entire way?  Jake Epping is given this opportunity and he chooses to accept and what a journey.  In many ways this isn't a science fiction tale or even a historical representation about  Lee Harvey Oswald (although it's evident that Mr. King did his research) it's a book about a man finding home in a place (and time) he never imagined.  It's about community and how rewarding it can be to contribute.  And it's a thriller that makes turning the pages so easy, which is something for this is a thick book, but it didn't feel like it.   And most of all it's a love story and one of Mr. King's best.   This novel ended up winning the LA Times Book Prize for best thriller and I certainly concur.  Excellent work, Mr. King.  Grade: A-

Smash Palace (1982)

This New Zealand gem needs to be celebrated more.  It's an unknown classic about a junk yard owning, race car driving, car restoring father whose life turns upside down when his wife leaves him for one of his best mates.  Bruno Lawrence stars and his performance will stick with me for a long time because it's so honest, brave and in your face masculine.  Anna Maria Monticelli plays his wife and her performance resonates because you can see her conflicting emotions and yet believe she is making the right decision.  Roger Donaldson writes and directs what really is an accomplished story well-told and deeply satisfying.  Grade: A
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Women In Trouble (2009)

Sebastian Gutierrez makes a chick flick disguised as a film meant for guys.  Or that's how I can best describe this film where you have porn stars and hookers delving into their emotional pasts with complete strangers.  There's three stories at work here: porn star Electra Luxx finds out she's pregnant and then gets stuck in an elevator with a woman dealing with a daughter who thinks she's her aunt, a psychiatrist finds out her husbands sleeping with one of her patients, and a dumb hooker wants to celebrate her birthday with a girl she's in love with but ends up almost getting killed in the alley of a Lesbian bar.  There's lots of talking and weepy monologues for actresses to work their magic on and it's fun to see how all the characters connect.   The problem is that it doesn't always work and feels inconsistent.  Still I'm going to have to check out the sequel someday, since Carla Gugino's Electra Luxx's character is in it.  Grade: B   

Gregory's Girl (1981)

What starts off as an out-dated high school film set in Scotland about a young man named Gregory and his crush on the new female soccer player on his team turns into a charming and subtle work of art.  It's really a special little film with that right touch of humor and originality to help it stand out.  Bill Forsyth would continue with this unique style of film making with Local Hero two years later.  There's even a sequel to this film that I'll have to check out someday called Gregory's 2 Girls.  Mr. Forsyth might not have made a lot of films in his long career but when they're this good who cares. Grade: A-

Mamma Mia (2008)

Some movies are just pure happiness.  The stage show built around ABBA songs comes to the big screen and it's as appealing as sunshine.  Sophie Sheridan (Amana Seyfried) has never known who her real father is so she reads her mother's diary and invites the three men that could possibly be the one to her wedding: Sam Carmichael (Pierce Bronson), Harry Bright (Colin Firth) and Bill Anderson (Stellan Skarsgård).   When her mother Donna (Meryl Streep) realizes that her three long lost loves have arrived on the island hotel she owns and manages she turns to her two best friends, Rosie (Julie Walters) and Tanya (Christine Jane Baranski) to cope.  Simple, brilliantly directed, acting about as perfect as can be, dancing, catchy songs that everybody loves (even if they say they don't): what's not to like.  Sure if you don't like musicals or ABBA this might not be your cup of tea but its such an joyous, silly and unoffensive work of celebration I truly don't know how you could hate it.  Grade: A-

Metropolitan (1991)

Whit Stillman's film debut as writer and director is a comedy of manners of rich college kids going to small cocktail parties during Christmas break.  Tom Townsend is walking home in the cold when he ends up tagging along with a group of friends to a party.  Tom befriends Nick, an opinionated young man that stands out as the most obnoxious of the group and becomes the target of a crush from Audrey, a cute girl he unknowingly is best suited for even though he is attracted to Serena.  This is a charming Woody Allen like film that feels both original and classy.   Would lose the Oscar for best Original Screenplay from Ghost.  Grade: B+

Ladybird, Ladybird (1994)

Ken Loach takes his viewers on a painful true journey of a mother fighting for the right to raise her children.  Maggie Conlan (played with unbelievable rage and passion by Crissy Rock) meets Jorge (Vladimir Vega) at Karaoke night and they fall in love.  A victim of child abuse and a string of bad relationships, she tells him how Social Services took her four children (all of different men) away from her.  It's clear she's not the most stable mothers out there but she deeply loves her kids.  As Maggie and Jorge's relationship deepen and they start their own family, it's clear Social Services will stand in their way.  Maggie's bouts of raging attacks against the people taking her children away (and can you blame her?) only further the couples struggles.  The fact that this is based on true events only condemns England's social services' policies.  True, Maggie isn't the brightest but there must be a different response than ripping apart a family.  What makes this film so powerful isn't just the story but how it's filmed.  It feels like a documentary and because the actors look and sound genuine it only greater impacts the audience's reaction.  Grade: A-

It's Kind Of A Funny Story (2010)

This dramedy directed and written by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck is an adaption of NedVizzini's novel of the same name.  Craig Gliner (Keir Gilchrist), a teenager having thoughts of suicide, checks himself into a mental hospital where he tries to cope with growing up and the pressures placed by his father.  Because the youth wing is under construction he mingles with the adults.  There he befriends Bobby (Zach Galifianakis) and starts a romance with Noellie (Emma Roberts).   There's a lot to praise about this film.  It's funny and inspiring and heart-warming (an when I say heart-warming I mean it in a good way not a sentimental way.)   This is one of the better coming-of-age films I've seen about growing up in these modern times.  Grade: A-.

One False Move (1992)

Billy Bob Thornton and Carl Epperson write a killer film noir southern Gothic tale of two killers on the run and a local good ole boy sheriff of a small down in Arkansas who desires to play detective with the city boys from LA.   It's a gritty and well-made movie directed by Carl Franklin.  Grade: B+

The Rum Diary (2011)

Johnny Depp honors his friend Hunter S. Thompson by bringing to the screen the writer's most personal work.  It's the story of writer, Paul Kemp, who gets a job in Puerto Rico at a local newspaper in the '50s.  While there he befriends a fellow drinker named Sala, experiments with some new narcotics, gets swept away by business man/ developer, Sanderson, who wants him to work for him and falls in love said business man/ developer's girl friend.  Oh, and there's cock fighting too.  I have not read the book although I intend to and I can imagine it's a well-adapted creation.  Director Bruce Robinson does a fine job, producing something that's almost as good as his masterpiece, Withnail and I.   Grade: A-

The Avengers (2012)

After years of build-up it's finally upon us: the superhero team movie of the year that plays like a comedy-action disaster film.  And it's a blast, a fantastic romp of gigantic proportions.  The reason it's so entertaining has more to do with Joss Wheadon than the Marvel comics that inspired it, but a great cast helps too.  I'm sure if Mr. Wheadon wasn't involved it would have still been decent but his wit and clear understanding of ensemble adventure is what makes this film work  I'm sure Zak Penn's original script, of which Mr. Wheadon re-wrote, was good but at the same time represents the biggest weakness of this film and that's the story.  Aliens from another dimension come to take over Earth?  Sounds a little like Transformers.  Wait, how about every science fiction invasion story made.  But with great writing comes great cinema fun, so thank you Joss Wheadon and Marvel for hiring him.  Grade: A-

Spoilers: Besides Mr. Wheadon, I must give a shout out to the Hulk and Black Widow (Scarlet Johannson) who together almost steal the movie from Iron Man's Ego.  The weakest link is Hawkeye who doesn't seem much like a "super" hero than just a niffy sidekick.  I must admit that the climax lost some of its momentum with all the city destruction.  I really hope film makers get away from this concept of falling skyscrapers as spectacle.   It's so overused.   

Mulholland Falls (1996)

This '90s Film noir set in Los Angeles '50s gets the tone right and tells a compelling mystery.   Nick Nolte plays a police detective in charge of an elite squad that roots out organized crime the ruthless and illegal way.  But things become personal when a young woman he had an affair with turns up dead.  I like films like these that show the gritty side of the supposed-wholesome past.  Lee Tamahori (Once Were Warriors) directs and finds that right balance of film noir tease and dramatic character study.  Jennifer Connelly is stunning in her brief role and Chazz Palminteri almost steals the show as Nolte's partner.  Grade: B

The Muppets (2011)

The Muppets are back and with Jason Segal as the driving force of the production we have a real winner here.  I'd adventure to say it's better than some of the original films.  The story is about two brothers, one a Muppet (Walter) and the other Human (Gary), and their love for the Muppets.  On a trip to Hollywood (supposed to be a romantic vacation with Gary's girl friend Mary)  they discover that the Muppets are in danger of losing their studios from the greedy Tex Richman played brilliantly by Chris Cooper .  This is a really funny film on so many levels, great musical numbers and dance sequences and absurd humor that hits the funny bone just right.   In the spirit of the early Muppet movies there are also some fantastic cameos such as Jack Black, Emily Blunt, Alan Arkin and Zach Galifianakis.  There were rumors before this film came out that many of the original puppeteers refused to participate because they didn't feel like the story was fitting of the Muppet name.  It's a real shame when legends like Frank Oz lose sight on what's funny.  I hope these rumors are false and Oz and others didn't join the production because of scheduling conflicts.  All I know is I laughed really hard and felt like I was a kid again.  Bravo!  Grade: A 

Apollo 18 (2011)

A clever horror film designed to feel like "actual footage" about the crew of Apollo 18 and their secret mission to the moon.  It has some good scares but fails to deliver anything really surprising.  The ending is flat and when you really think about the concept it's kind of silly.  Grade: B-

The Prisoner (1955)

Is there any role the great Alec Guinness can't excel at?  Probably not.  Here he's a Catholic Cardinal arrested by the Communist police for treason.  He's innocent but his Interrogator intends to break him so the people no longer have a hero to speak out against the government.  Alec Guinness is amazing as well as Jack Hawkins.  Directed by Peter Glenville from Bridget Boland's play.  Grade: B+

A Walk In the Sun (1945)

An entertaining WWII film made in the forties that follows that typical war plot, soldiers on a mission to take a house where the enemy is set up.  A collection of characters carry the story along as the audience watches half of them get killed.  This is one of the first WWII war films made after the war (it seems) and a good one, based on the book by Harry Brown.  I think the cast makes it work as well as some excitingly crafted action sequences from director Lewis Milestone.  Grade: B+

Angel (Season 4)

Because this is the fourth season anything written beyond this point is a spoiler for those who haven't started watching this Buffy the Vampire Slayer spin-off.  The story opens with Angel buried at sea, Cordelia a Higher Being, Gunn and Fred running the Agency with Connor helping and Wesley exploring the dark side with a love affair with Lilah of Wolfram & Hart.  I liked this season but it felt at times like the writers were constantly playing "fix-up" the more they messed up all the character's arcs.  Even the introduction of baddie, Jasmine, felt like a hokey answer for why all that had happened happened.  I did love it when Jasmine arrived and felt like it was where this season shined.  Too bad it resolves a little too easily.  Grade: B+