Movie Capsules A-Z
The following capsule reviews, listed alphabetically, will give you an idea of the caliber of films unreeling locally. Please refer to the movie schedule for theaters and show times.
The films are graded as follows: excellent/very good (A); good (B); fair (C); poor (D); turkey (F). Those with (NP) have not been previewed. (To locate a website, go to www.google.com and type in the film’s title.)
OPENING THIS WEEKEND
ALEX CROSS: (NP) Tyler Perry, Matthew Fox, Edward Burns, Rachel Nichols and Jean Reno star in this thriller that has Perry shifting to a dramatic role. He plays the homicide detective/psychologist who stretches the law when pursuing a serial killer. It’s based on the book “Cross” by James Patterson, who has written a series of Cross novels. Rob Cohen (“Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story”) directed. (95 minutes) Language, violence, disturbing images, sexual content, drug references. (PG-13)
PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4: (C+) Katie Featherston returns for more encounters with things that go bump in the night as a mysterious woman and her child move into the neighborhood. Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman co-directed. Quality rating based on website and wire-service reports. (95 minutes) Language, violence, terror. (R)
TAI CHI ZERO: (C+) A young man (Yuan Xiaochao) travels to be taught forbidden secrets of the martial arts and then employs what he learns to keep soldiers from wiping out village dwellers. Stephen Fung directed. (It will play exclusively at the UA Riverview Plaza Stadium 17, 1400 S. Christopher Columbus Blvd., in Philadelphia. 215-755-2353.) Quality rating based on website and wire-service reports. (109 minutes) Violence, martial arts action throughout. (PG-13)
RETURNING FILMS
ARBITRAGE: (B+) Ever-dependable leading man Richard Gere appears aged to perfection during this financial thriller about a desperate 60-year-old investment guru who has been defrauding his auditors to sell his business and is short more than $400 million. Brit Marling, Tim Roth and Susan Sarandon co-star in the timely tale that benefits from Gere’s performance as a financial manipulator fearing he will plunge into the economic abyss. Documentarian Nicholas Jarecki makes his filmmaking debut. (100 minutes) Language, brief violent images, drug use. (R)
ARGO: (A-) Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, John Goodman and Clea DuVall star in this fascinating, funny and factual thriller about a dangerous and top-secret covert operation to rescue six Americans, which unfolded behind the scenes of the Iran hostage crisis. Affleck (“The Town”) also directed. (120 minutes) Language, violent images. (R)
ATLAS SHRUGGED II: (NP) Samantha Mathis and Esai Morales star in this adaptation of Ayn Rand’s 1957 novel in which the global economy is on the edge of collapse. John Putch (“The Poseidon Adventure” TV movie) directed. The distributor declined to screen the film in advance for reviewers. (112 minutes) Brief language. (PG-13)
BUTTER: (C+) Jennifer Garner, Ty Burrell, Alicia Silverstone and Hugh Jackman star in this comedy about the extreme reaction of a wife after her husband faces trouble in remaining Iowa’s champion butter carver. British filmmaker Jim Field Smith (“She’s Out of My League”) directed. It will play exclusively at the AMC Neshaminy 24, 3900 Rockhill Drive, Bensalem, Pa. Call 215-396-8050. Quality rating based on website and wire-service reports. (91 minutes) Language, sexual content, drug use. (R)
DREDD 3D: (B) Karl Urban (“Star Trek”) has the title role in this extremely violent comic-book fantasy about the brutal enforcer who’s judge, jury and executioner. Lena Headey (“300 Spartans”) co-stars as a gang leader focused on destroying Judge Dredd at any cost. Pete Travis (“Vantage Point”) directed. (95 minutes) Very strong violence, some disturbing images, pervasive language including sexual references, some drug use. (R)
END OF WATCH: (B+) Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena co-star in this riveting crime drama about two officers who patrol a dangerous area and become marked for death after confiscating some money and firearms from a deadly cartel. David Ayer (“Street Kings”) directed. Quality rating based on website and wire-service reports. (109 minutes) Strong violence, some disturbing images, pervasive language including sexual references, some drug use. (R)
FINDING NEMO 3-D: (A) The voices of Albert Brooks and Ellen DeGeneres are featured in this remastered Pixar/Disney computer-animated favorite (2003) about a father fish searching for his son who is lost at sea. The title has been remastered in 3-D. Andrew Stanton (“Wall-E”) and Lee Unkrich (“Toy Story 3”) co-directed. (100 minutes) Some intense moments for younger children. (G)
FRANKENWEENIE: (B+) The voices of Martin Short, Catherine O’Hara, Winona Ryder and Christopher Lee are featured in Tim Burton’s long-planned stop-motion-animation version of his black-and-white short about a beloved canine, Sparky, who dies and is resurrected by his owner. Burton also co-wrote. Quality rating based on website and wire-service reports. (87 minutes) Scary images and action, thematic elements. (PG)
HERE COMES THE BOOM: (C) Kevin James, Salma Hayek, Joe Rogan and Henry Winkler star in this broad comedy about an apathetic biology teacher who enters a mixed martial arts competition to raise money to save arts courses at his high school. Frank Coraci (“Zookeeper”) directed. (105 minutes) Bouts of sports violence, some rude humor and language. (PG)
HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA: (B-) The voices of Andy Samberg, Adam Sandler, Steve Buscemi, Molly Shannon, Cee Lo Green, Kevin James, Chris Parnell and Selena Gomez are featured in this strained computer-animated monster mash, which features the Frankenstein monster, the Mummy, werewolves and the Invisible Man. In the story, Dracula struggles to prevent his teen daughter from dating a human on her 118th birthday. Genndy Tartakovsky (“Samurai Jack”) directed. Quality rating based on wire-service and website reviews. (91 minutes) Scary images, rude humor. (PG)
HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET: (NP) Jennifer Lawrence and Elisabeth Shue team in this chiller about a divorced mother who moves to a small town with her daughter and then discovers some horrible things have happened in the neighborhood. Mark Tonderai (“Hush”) directed. (91 minutes) Intense sequences of violence, terror. (PG-13)
HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE: (A) Outspoken playwright Larry Kramer is an important part of this amazing documentary that shows how ACT Up and TAG (Treatment Action Group) took protesters and HIV-positive young men and women and hit the streets to challenge Washington and the medical establishment in the quest to find a cure for AIDS. This chronicle of a radical movement that ended up saving thousands of lives is riveting. David France made his directing debut. (120 minutes) (Unrated)
LAWLESS: (B+) Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf, Jessica Chastain and Guy Pearce lend their talents to this brutal gangster picture about three sibling bootleggers who challenge a corrupt Chicago federal agent obsessed with crushing them during Prohibition. It’s based on Matt Bondurant’s fact-based book “The Wettest County in the World: A Novel Based on a True Story.” Australian John Hillcoat (“The Proposition”) directed. (110 minutes) Strong bloody violence, language, some sexuality/nudity. (R)
LIBERAL ARTS: (B+) Josh Radnor (who also wrote and directed) and Elizabeth Olsen star in this charming slice-of-life tale about a 35-year-old college recruiter who returns to his alma mater to celebrate the retirement of his favorite former professor and then finds himself being attracted to a much younger 19-year-old student. Zac Efron and Richard Jenkins co-star. (97 minutes) Sexuality, drinking. (R)
LOOPER: (B) Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt and Jeff Daniels star in this mind-twisting, time-travel thriller about hit men who kill targets transported back from the future. Rian Johnson (“Brick”) directed. (118 minutes) Strong violence, sex, nudity, drug content. (R)
THE MASTER: (A-) Philip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix and Amy Adams form a solid ensemble in this intense drama set in the 1950s and following a charismatic man who begins a faith-based organization with the help of a drifter. The beautifully acted film was reportedly inspired by the genesis of Scientology. Paul Thomas Anderson (“There Will Be Blood”) wrote and directed. (137 minutes) Sex, nudity, drug use, adult themes. (R)
THE ORANGES: (C) Hugh Laurie, Leighton Meester, Catherine Keener, Allison Janney and Oliver Platt form the ensemble of this biting comedy-drama-romance. In the story, an older man throws a community into turmoil after he becomes involved with the much younger daughter of his friend and neighbor. Julian Farino (BBC’s “Byron”) directed. Quality rating based on website and wire service reports. (90 minutes) Language, sexual references, some drug use. (R)
THE PAPERBOY: (B) Nicole Kidman, Macy Gray, Matthew McConaughey, Scott Glenn, David Oyelowo, John Cusack and Zac Efron star in this controversial modern noir about a flashy Florida woman involved with a death-row inmate and surrounded by dysfunctional people. Although not for everyone, those who enjoy the energetic approach Philadelphia director Lee Daniels (“Precious”) takes to his work will be entertained, even challenged. The over-the-top tale is based on the book by Pete Dexter, who co-wrote the screenplay with Daniels. (107 minutes) Strong sexual content, violence and language. (R)
THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER: (A) Emma Watson (the “Harry Potter” franchise), Logan Lerman, Ezra Miller and Dylan McDermott co-star in a touching coming-of-age tale about the highs and lows faced by a 15-year-old boy on his way to adulthood. It’s based on the best-selling novel by Stephen Chbosky, who also wrote the screenplay and directed. (103 minutes) Mature themes, a fight, and drug, alcohol and sexual content involving teens. (PG-13)
PITCH PERFECT: (B-) Anna Kendrick, Elizabeth Banks and Christopher Mintz-Plasse star in a shallow comedy about a struggling all-girl a cappella group that challenges a cocky boy team to a competition. Jason Moore makes his directing debut. (112 minutes) Sexual material, language, drug references. (PG-13)
SAMSARA: (B) Co-directors Ron Fricke and Mark Magidson transport viewers around the globe and provide a sensory experience by creating stunning images photographed in 70mm over a five-year period in 25 countries on five continents. Quality rating based on website and wire-service reports. (99 minutes) Some disturbing and sexual images. (PG-13)
SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN: (A) Malik Bendjelloul directed this documentary about two South Africans who search for a 1970s rock icon who was discovered in a Detroit bar in the 1960s and later disappeared. Quality rating based on website and wire-service reports. (85 minutes) Strong language, drug references. (PG-13)
SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS: (B-) Colin Farrell, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, Abbie Cornish and Christopher Walken star in this biting British crime comedy about a struggling screenwriter who gets entangled in the underworld. That happens after his disorderly friends make the huge mistake of kidnapping the beloved Shih Tzu of a mob boss. Martin McDonagh (“In Bruges”) directed. (109 minutes) Strong violence, bloody images, language, sex, nudity, drug use. (R)
SINISTER: (B) Ethan Hawke and Vincent D’Onofrio star in this unsettling chiller about a crime novelist who discovers some disturbing home movies that transform his new house into a dangerous place for his family. Scott Derrickson (“The Exorcism of Emily Rose”) directed. Quality rating based on website and wire-service reports. (110 minutes) Disturbing violent images and some terror. (R)
SPECIAL FORCES: (NP) During this military movie, starring Djimon Hounsou and Diane Kruger, a French journalist goes to Afghanistan and is kidnapped by the Taliban. The leader of France sends special-forces soldiers to bring her home. (109 minutes) Violence, language. (R)
SLEEPWALK WITH ME: (B) Comedian Mike Birbiglia presents this semi-autobiographical story about a struggling stand-up comic who’s avoiding commitment with his longtime girlfriend (Lauren Ambrose). He surrenders to bouts of sleepwalking that allow his subconscious to run wild. The picture began as an off-Broadway play and then became a best-selling book (“Sleepwalk With Me & Other Painfully True Stories”). Birbiglia also directed. Quality rating based on website and wire-service reports. (91 minutes) (Unrated)
TAKEN 2: (B-) Liam Neeson returns as a deadly former government operative who in this sequel must use his lethal skills to rescue his wife (Famke Janssen) from his old enemies and team with his daughter (Maggie Grace) to get the job done. The follow-up, which isn’t nearly as involving as the intense and exciting original, became inevitable when the modestly budgeted original enjoyed a global gross of $226.8 million, plus millions in sales of DVDs and Blu-ray Discs, and turned Neeson into an action hero. (91 minutes) Intense sequences of violence and action, some sensuality. (PG-13)
TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE: (C+) Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams, Justin Timberlake, John Goodman, Robert Patrick and Matthew Lillard team in this easygoing, cliché-ridden sports tale about an aging baseball scout who reconciles with his estranged daughter as they search for a batting phenomenon. Robert Lorenz makes his directing debut. (111 minutes) Language, sexual references, some adult themes, smoking. (PG-13)
V/H/S: (B-) David Bruckner, Glenn McQuaid, Joe Swanberg, Ti West and Adam Wingard directed parts of this low-budget anthology picture featuring five segments about the horrors generated by stacks of VHS tapes filled with shocking images. This is a found-footage movie, a la “The Blair Witch Project,” and those bothered by choppy camera movements have been warned. (115 minutes) Strong violence, sex, nudity, harsh four-letter profanity, drug use. (R)
WON’T BACK DOWN: (C+) In this well-intentioned-but-shallow drama, starring Viola Davis, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Rosie Perez, Ving Rhames, Bill Nunn and Holly Hunter, two Pittsburgh-area women attempt to take over a troubled inner-city school where students aren’t being educated. They then face a bureaucratic nightmare in the factual tale that feels more like a Lifetime cable movie than a major motion picture. Daniel Barnz (“Beastly”) directed. (120 minutes) Thematic elements, language. (PG)
Gaul on the radio
My “At the Movies” radio segment airs live at 11:35 a.m. every Friday as part of “The Dom Giordano Show” (WPHT-AM/1210 and www.thebigtalker1210.com).
The broadcast includes discussions of newly released movies and DVDs as well as motion picture news and cinema trends.
A different version of my “At the Movies” segment can be heard on Burlington County College radio station WBZC-FM/88.9, 95.1 and 100.7 on Fridays at 8:45 a.m. and 12:45 and 4:45 p.m. and on Saturdays at 10:45 a.m. and 5:45 p.m. The show can also be heard online at www.z889.org.
Gaul on the Web
My film reviews, features and columns can be found under entertainment/movies on our website, www.phillyBurbs.com.
Lou Gaul: 609-871-8055; email: lgaul@phillyBurbs.com
The Associated Press and websites contributed to this story.
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