WHAT IT’S ABOUT?

Half-brothers Beto and Tato Verdusco live at home with mom, work as fruit pickers and play for the local Mexican soccer team. Beto juggles a wife, two kids and a gambling habit while Tato dreams of a singing career. One day, fate intervenes when a soccer talent scout gives Tato the opportunity to try out for a big Mexico City team. Eventually Beto gets his own opportunity to play in the second division, and the brothers’ new success and lifestyle will have significant changes and challenges for both guys as the contrast of sibling rivalry and brotherly bonds send them into an uncertain future.

WHO’S IN IT?

After first gaining worldwide attention in the 2001 sleeper hit from Mexico, Y Tu Mama Tambien, Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal have each gone on to significant individual success and are now delightfully re-teamed in a film written and directed by Y Tu writer Carlos Cuaron, who certainly knows how to get the best from his stars. As Beto, Luna presents a three-dimensional portrait of a guy whose flaws threaten his future, while Bernal is fun as Tato, a goodhearted and friendly soul with misguided dreams of a musical career. The nature of the scripting finds each actor on screen alone much of the time, but together or apart, the teaming works just like it did the first time. Standout in the supporting cast is Guillermo Francella as Batuta, the talent scout who sets the story in motion. He’s superb. Dolores Heredia as the mother and Adriana Paz as Beto’s wife ably round out the featured female roles.

WHAT’S GOOD?

While Rudo y Cursi never seems to take itself too seriously, it’s not a mindless exercise concocted simply to get Luna and Bernal back together. There’s real heft in the underlying theme of the cryptic nature of real brotherhood, and the film makes some surprising conclusions that add gravitas to Cuaron’s engaging screenplay.

WHAT’S BAD?

Luna and Bernal are such an attractive team, it’s a shame that the storyline separates them for a good portion of the picture. The separation may be necessary for the narrative, but the scenes when they are on screen together are the ones that really crackle.

WORST CANDIDATE FOR MEXICAN IDOL?

Bernal gets his chance to sing a wretched Spanish version of “I Want You to Want Me” in a dopey video as his misguided character Tato proves sports talent doesn’t necessarily equal musical ability. It’s the movie’s most amusing scene.

NETFLIX , MULTIPLEX OR TELEMUNDO?

Beyond obviously the Spanish-language audience, Rudo y Cursi may cross over into other markets, providing a much needed boon for foreign-language films in America. Give it a shot at your local theater first.

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WHAT IT’S ABOUT?

A perpetually stoned delivery man named Leo unwittingly delivers a package of 10 kilos of high-quality cocaine to the apartment across the hall from its intended recipients, who are anxiously awaiting its arrival. It winds up in the hands of a couple of inept crooks, Brody and Guch, who look at it as manna from God and set about to sell it to Brody’s drug dealing cousin and his accomplice. Meanwhile, their neighbor Jesus and his clueless girlfriend embark on a desperate search to find their stash before the unforgiving drug kingpin who sent it to them finds out it’s missing.

WHO’S IN IT?

A game cast led by Donald Faison (who also produced) as the inept delivery man provide the laughs in this Tarantino-esque screwball farce. Faison is quite funny as the stoner Next Day Air worker who sets the dominoes in motion, with Mike Epps and Wood Harris expertly playing the “dumb and dumber” hoods who think they’ve found nirvana in the coke-laden mystery package. Also making an impression are Cisco Reyes as the Puerto Rican dealer sweating out the missing box of drugs, Yasmin Deliz as his girl and Omari Hardwick as the cousin looking to make the deal. Mos Def steals his brief scenes as a colleague of Leo’s and Debbie Allen is smartly sassy as Leo’s mother/boss. Emilio Rivera rounds out the principal cast as the intense and unforgiving drug lord.

WHAT’S GOOD?

With all these divergent characters focused on one very valuable package, director Benny Boom has his work cut out for him, but he merges the various lowlifes in and out of focus surprisingly well. Sure, they’re all stereotypes, but each gets their moments to amuse. This is not brain surgery and Boom knows that, milking the silly situation for all the laughs it allows. Next Day Air is better than it has any right to be (if you check your brain at the door).

WHAT’S BAD?

The film should have stayed with the comedy (ala Pineapple Express) instead of inserting unnecessary, grainily-shot violent flashbacks to up the body part count. It’s as if a committee decided there wasn’t enough bloodletting and told the director to insert these pointless scenes. The inevitable final showdown also seems out of place with the light tone set earlier, but does provide no end of irony in wrapping up all the loose ends.

HUH?

For full enjoyment, don’t try to make sense of the fact that a seasoned kingpin would send such a large parcel of illegal drugs through a commercial courier service. Obviously there would be no movie if he didn’t, but last time we checked no one was using FedEx to ship heroin.

NETFLIX OR MULTIPLEX?

Either way. At a breezy 84 minutes, Next Day Air is an agreeable timewaster.

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WHAT IT’S ABOUT?

Set against the background of 1920s Spain, where repression and political upheaval enveloped a nation on the verge of civil war, Little Ashes focuses on the emergence of three young artists, Salvador Dali, Luis Bunuel and Federico Garcia Lorca. When Dali arrives fresh-faced at the University at the age of 18, Bunuel and Lorca welcome him into their decadent group, and the trio become fast friends. Their budding friendship is soon threatened, however, when Dali and Lorca develop a special bond in which their sexual and artistic explorations collide with personal ambition, love of country and their own passion for each other.

WHO’S IN IT?

In a performance shot before Twilight made him an international star that women swoon over, Robert Pattinson may surprise fans with his spot-on portrayal of the sexually confused, over-the-top artist Salvador Dali. With his signature handlebar mustache and a serviceable Spanish accent, Pattinson captures the essence of the young Dali, convincing in his depiction of the artistic tirades, bisexual encounters and egotistical conceit that informed the great painter’s early years. As the object of Dali’s early affections, newcomer Javier Beltran is intriguing as the fatalistic and seductive playwright and poet Federico Garcia Lorca, while Matthew McNulty is quite fine as Bunuel, who himself would go on to become one of Spain’s – and the world’s – most important film directors. As Magdalena and Gala, the women who try to tame these artists, Marina Gatell and Arly Jover are beautiful and effective even though their roles are really sideshows to the film’s true focus and intentions.

WHAT’S GOOD?

Despite the low budget, Madrid in the ’20s is nicely suggested and meticulously recreated. Director Paul Morrison has a nice feel for the period and a good eye for casting these tricky roles.

WHAT’S BAD?

The film tries to bite off more than it can chew, covering too much of the era and coming off as a mere overview of these times and key relationships. The idea of seeing the artists as young men is good but not enough time is taken to really show what they are made of. The artistic fire and sexual freedom that must have been prevalent then is glossed over and not totally convincing. This probably would have worked better as a TV mini-series.

BUT SHOULD TWILIGHT FANS LINE UP?

As his first film post-Twilight, it won’t matter. Robert Pattinson may be de-fanged here, but this independent art-house item won’t be around long enough to become a blip on his new fandom’s radar.

NETFLIX OR MULTIPLEX?

This small flick probably won’t find its way to the local mall. Considering the hard “R” nature of the material, Pattinson’s adoring young flock will probably have to wait to see it on DVD anyway.

http://www.hollywood.com

WHAT IT’S ABOUT?

After six different TV series and 10 feature films, director J.J. Abrams (MI:3, Lost, Alias) takes the Star Trek franchise back to the beginning to tell how James T. Kirk, a brash, hot-rod-loving kid from Iowa, and Spock, a thoughtful and logical half-human/half-Vulcan, meet and compete at the Starfleet Academy and are chosen by Captain Pike to join the maiden voyage of the Starship Enterprise. Unlike other Treks, Abrams’ film develops credible backstories for the two characters as they join several other newcomers, including fresh-faced cadets Leonard “Bones” McCoy, Montgomery “Scotty” Scott, Uhura, Hikaru Sulu and Pavel Chekov. The story focuses on the clash between Kirk and Spock as the young crew faces a major first test in battling Nero, an unrelentingly evil Romulan who has designs on destroying Earth, Vulcan and the rest of the Federated planets.

WHO’S IN IT?

Smartly stitching together an attractive and talented young cast to take this series back to the future (and hoped-for sequels), Abrams wisely is not looking for actors doing impressions of a young William Shatner or Leonard Nimoy. In Chris Pine as Kirk and Zachary Quinto (Heroes) as Spock, he found two talented stars who uncannily suggest and interpret these iconic characters at the beginning of their life voyage together. With the trademark haircut and ears, Quinto nails the essence of what we might imagine Spock was like as a youth. Pine is rugged and cocky but not over-the-top as Kirk. As the reigning Captain Pike, Bruce Greenwood is solid and commanding. The rest of the crew is perfectly cast, with Karl Urban’s Bones, Zoe Saldana’s “take-no-prisoners” Uhura and John Cho’s Sulu fitting their roles like a glove. Anton Yelchin’s super-thick Russian accent as Chekov is grating at times, but it’s a minor quibble. The best performance of all comes later in the picture, when British star Simon Pegg turns up as Scotty and steals every scene he’s in with choice one-liners and a sassy attitude. A tattoo-faced Eric Bana is perfect as the main villain Nero, who operates out of the eerily dark and stunning vessel, dubbed the Narada. His cunning and reserve help make him far more complex than your father’s Trek villains. And look for a substantial and inspiring visit from Leonard Nimoy (the original Spock), who has been ingeniously woven into the proceedings.

WHAT’S GOOD?

Let’s face it: Star Trek was getting tired, with diminishing box-office returns and falling TV ratings. By going back to the beginning and introducing a whole new youthful vibe past Treks never had, Abrams has given a new lease on life to a legendary 40-year-old adventure that now can go on to live long(er) and (fortunately for Paramount) prosper all over again. The updated casting is joined by state-of-the-art visual effects and action set pieces that outdo any previous incarnations, and the whip-smart screenplay by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman does creator Gene Roddenberry’s original vision proud while introducing it to a new generation. Key to successfully accomplishing this mission was to create a new take that would bring in new devotees but not turn off the faithful Trekkies who’ve kept this thing going for so long. Done.

WHAT’S BAD?

Other than Yelchin’s accent, only the overriding feeling that any potential sequels can never match the joy of seeing the genesis of Star Trek portrayed like it is here. But bring ‘em on anyway.

FAVORITE SCENE:

There are many thrilling moments, including Kirk’s terrifying encounter with a deadly beast on the bone-chilling ice planet Delta Vega and the battle between the Narada and Enterprise. But the early Starfleet Academy scenes involving Kirk and Spock, whose sharp exchanges showcase their youthful rivalry, really set the stage for a fascinating and complicated relationship, forming the heart and soul of not only this prequel but the entire basis of the Star Trek concept.

NETFLIX OR MULTIPLEX:

Are you crazy? See it on a big screen — IMAX if you can. This is what the motion-picture experience is all about.

by http://www.hollywood.com

Operation Valkyrie was the July 20th, 1944 plan by a group of persons to assassinate Adolf Hitler, the Nazi dictator. At the helm of this plan was Colonel Claus Van Stauffenberg, who was also a trusted high official in Hitler’s government. Stauffenberg, though trained as a loyal soldier, did not sympathize with his Fuhrer’s ideas and governance, and thus, along with other dissident army officials and thwarted politicos, he formed a secret army that precisely planned the assassination of Hitler inside the Wolfsschanze near Rastenburg and subsequently in Berlin’s Bendlerblock.

Both plots failed miserably with Hitler sustaining not even a single severe wound. The failed assassination attempts resulted in the arrest of over 7000 people by the Gestapo, with Stauffenberg bearing the worst of the consequences. Till today, he is revered as a martyr by Germans, and Bryan Singer’s Valkyrie tells his story.

Playing the German hero, heading this nearly impossible mission, is Hollywood’s super star Tom Cruise. His super stardom supersedes his role in the movie, and that’s the common consensus. And in spite of that, he renders an energetic and an enthusiastic performance, just the kind that the movie calls for. But the screenplay sometimes gets too emphatic on the appearance of the secret crusaders and their dim-lit meetings, when it’s more important that the screenplay does not fail.

On the downside, the director takes for granted that everyone has in some way or the other knowledge of just how ruthless the Nazi army and how insensitive their leader was. And Stauffenberg and his team have all their accents confused. So at times it becomes quite a Babel, if you don’t follow closely. Then there are those many times when the one-eyed historic figure just struggles to shed his Tom Cruise image. Stauffenberg sacrificed his life in the resistance against Hitler, and sometimes Valkyrie comes off as nothing more than the adventures of a dashing young man. You already know how the movie is going to end, because it’s a piece of history on celluloid. Bryan Singer, the commander-in-chief, tells the story interestingly most of the time.

Vin Diesel and Paul Walker are both stuck with their respective careers and reunite for the first time since The Fast and the Furious in 2001. The fourth edition of the movie also bring back Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster. Director Justin Lin has tried to infuse some changes to the movie with a new storyline but other things tend to remain the same.

Dom Toretto [Vin Diesel] is wanted by the FBI and is joined by undercover FBI agent Brian [Paul Walker] as he builds and trashes some super fast cars, determined to take on Mexican crime lord and avenge the death of his ladylove Letty [Michelle Rodriguez]. Braga heads a Mexican drug cartel, and it’s one of his men, Phoenix, who put a Bullet through Letty.

While Dom is out to murder Phoenix, Brian hopes to catch Braga alive who is wanted in several cases. How do they meet these two ends? By racing like Speed demons and fighting like invincible super heroes. Dom races like a fearless fighter and gets into Braga’s team. Brian falls for his sister Mia [Jordana Brewster] and adds some passionate romance to the tale. When Dom comes to know about it he gets furious.

The chase are a trademark of The Fast and The Furious series and in this edition the scenes are amazing involving helicopters, SWAT and the FBI agents. Camera work is awesome which is so vital in action movies. The 106 minute flick is a shade longer and some more trimming could have helped as at times the stars themselves bored

Justin Lin is smart in keeping the romance in the background and all the furious action in the foreground. Love
is a sub plot in the movie and the bone-breaking stunts that keep the movie on the move. The cast does well but Vin Diesel and Paul Walker have grown older by 8 years since the last flick and the shades of this aging is felt in the movie. Overall The Fast and the Furious 4 does justice to the genre but fails to live upto the expectation of the great racing series.

WHAT IT’S ABOUT?

Kicking off the new label, DisneyNature, Earth represents a return to the kind of filmmaking that won eight Oscars for Walt Disney between 1948 and 1960 under the umbrella name, True Life Adventures. This time, the focus is on three different animal families as cameras follow their remarkable migrations across the planet — literally — as the film was reportedly shot in 68 countries over seven continents. There’s the polar bear mother trying to protect her cubs from melting ice caps and overbearing sun as the father desperately searches for food; there’s the elephant and her calf trying to keep up with the rest of the herd through a stormy Kalahari Desert in search of water while fending off dangerous nighttime attacks by predatory lion packs; and finally there’s the mother whale and her calf traveling 4,000 miles from the tropics all the way to Antarctica.

WHO’S IN IT?

Beautifully narrated by James Earl Jones, Earth avoids the hokey, cutesy antics some nature films and television shows succumb to in their scripting. Jones’ distinctive, elegant storytelling adds a moving layer to the overwhelmingly powerful images we see on screen. No cute talking animals in this film, folks.

WHAT’S GOOD?

New technologies and more sophisticated cameras have energized this kind of filmmaking since the more primitive days when Walt Disney was regularly turning these movies out. Directors Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield (Discovery’s Planet Earth) take their cameras into places no one has seen before and get incredible footage, some of it heartbreaking, some of it thrilling, some of it funny. But with brilliant editing and a stunning musical score by George Fenton, it all adds up to a breathtaking motion picture achievement adults will enjoy just as much as the kids.

WHAT’S BAD?

Only that we have to wait another year for the next installment of the series, Oceans, from the talented filmmakers who gave us the equally amazing Winged Migration.

FAVORITE SCENE?

Just in terms of its haunting effect, the richly-detailed sequence in which the slowly-starving father polar bear tries to get food by infiltrating a large pack of crafty walruses is both fascinating to watch and unforgettable in its impact. It’s that unstinting realism and sense that we are watching nature as it really unfolds that gives Earth its gravitas. Another grainy nighttime scene — captured on hidden cameras — shows determined lions out to kill a baby elephant as his mom and her pack try to protect him. Incredible stuff.

INTERESTED IN TRIVIA?

If this seems familiar, Earth originally opened in several countries around the world in 2007 and had Patrick Stewart as narrator. Disney eventually picked up the film, retooled it and now launches its U.S. premiere on Earth Day. This is the first of six annual films all also intended for release around Earth Day including the aforementioned Oceans.

NETFLIX OR MULTIPLEX?

Although the BBC and the Discovery Channel are partners in this venture, this is a MUST on the big screen.

WHAT IT’S ABOUT?

Derek Charles has a beautiful wife, beautiful new son, beautiful home and a promotion in a big job, but his life is turned inside out when he encounters his attractive temp — as in temptress — assistant, Lisa, who has designs on him and tries to get him to reciprocate. His resistance only increases her efforts as she becomes the stalker from hell, throwing his marriage and career into complete chaos … unless he can stop her fanatical “obsession.”

WHO’S IN IT?

As Derek, the nice guy whose life spirals out of control after a temp stakes a claim on his affections, Idris Elba comes off as passive and confused — no match for either a defiant Beyonce Knowles as his wife or Ali Larter (Heroes) as the psychotic maneater who tries to rock his world with everything this side of boiling bunnies. Both stars get a chance to shine before meeting up in a memorable showdown right out of the Fatal Attraction playbook. Larter is sexy, seductive and disturbed all at once, perfectly capturing the fragile state of a delusional woman in heat. Knowles, who previously showed off her acting chops in musicals like Dreamgirls and Cadillac Records really gets to go for the dramatics in Obsessed — and delivers. She does contribute an end title song appropriately called “Smash Into You,” aptly describing what she (and her stunt woman) pull off in style in the film’s big climactic scene. Also worth mentioning are Jerry O’Connell as Derek’s office buddy and Matthew Humphreys as his efficious gay assistant who likes to spread the office gossip. Christine Lahti however is saddled with a thankless role as a rather clueless detective — this fine actress deserves better.

WHAT’S GOOD?

Those who go in checking their brain at the box office might find this paint-by-numbers scenario crudely entertaining even in its utter predictability. It’s well-played if totally over the top, but hey, isn’t that what we want from this stuff?

WHAT’S BAD?

Start with credibility. There isn’t any. It takes a full 80 minutes before anyone utters the phrase “restraining order,” and the frustration builds while watching a nice, innocent guy become such a wuss at the hands of his sexually off-balance temp. Of course, if he came clean about the situation and called the police, the movie would be over in the first 20 minutes. So, suspending belief is a must here. It’s interesting to note that considering the casting of Beyonce and blonde goddess Larter as the women at the heart of this triangle, those expecting what has been buzzed as a “black Fatal Attraction” will find there is not even a single line referring to the racially mixed nature of the relationships.

HOW TOUGH IS BEYONCE?

Beyonce gets the film’s best line in a take-no-prisoners moment when she leaves a message on the nutcase’s answering machine: “You think YOU’RE crazy? I’ll show you CRAZY. Just try me bitch!”

FAVORITE SCENE:

A well-written hospital scene where Derek gets grilled by a detective and his wife at the same time. This will teach every guy to ‘fess up before it all goes bad.

NETFLIX OR MULTIPLEX?

Multiplex. The crowd reaction during the finale is part of the fun. But despite the surprisingly generous PG-13 rating, definitely leave the kids with the babysitter.

WHAT IT’S ABOUT?

The Soloist is based on the experiences of Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez, whose career and marriage are floundering when one day he stumbles into a life-changing encounter with a homeless musician named Nathaniel Ayers. At first sensing a great story, Lopez soon realizes there is much more at stake. Ayers was once a brilliant student of music at Juilliard until a crippling case of schizophrenia forced him to drop out. Though currently homeless, it’s clear he still possesses the soul and talent of a true artist. Determined to help this potential genius regain the life he lost, Lopez strikes up an intensely complicated relationship with Ayers that will take them both in new and surprising directions.

WHO’S IN IT?

One of the chief attributes of The Soloist is its pitch-perfect casting of the two leads who drive this highly personal story. Robert Downey Jr. is very fine as Lopez, a man searching for some meaning as his marriage to wife and fellow reporter (Catherine Keener) is falling apart and the newspaper business is failing. As Nathaniel, the homeless mentally ill man Lopez befriends on L.A.’s skid row, Jamie Foxx is superb, going deep to find the lost soul of this once supremely promising talent. It’s his best work since his Oscar-winning turn as Ray Charles, and the musical connection should not be lost on anyone. The two stars movingly recreate this unique and frustrating friendship and alone make this otherwise uneven film worth seeing. Keener does well in a sketchy supporting role and Lisa Gay Hamilton ( TV’s The Practice) handles her two or three scenes as Ayers’ concerned sister with understated grace.

WHAT’S GOOD?

Director Joe Wright (Atonement, Pride & Prejudice) allows his actors room to grow their characters into challenging portrayals that avoid sticky sentimentality. He and screenwriter Susannah Grant (Erin Brockovich) let their tale play out very slowly. Admirably, The Soloist is a studio film with a real social conscience (a rarity these days), shining a light on the increasing plight of the homeless community. Also a plus are the classical musical sequences, which are well-staged and beautiful to hear.

WHAT’S BAD?

For all its attributes, there’s something oddly cold and uninvolving here. You should leave uplifted and inspired but what’s on screen is much darker, if not deeper. It’s as if Wright, a British director making his first American film, was tone-deaf in trying to establish exactly which story he wanted to tell here. Is it about the debilitating effects of schizophrenia? A talented musician trying to find his inner song again? A lost reporter throwing himself into a new friendship only to forget his own dire predicament? Hard to say — and that’s the problem. You leave this film with more questions than answers.

FAVORITE SCENE:

Lopez practically has to force Ayers to accompany him to watch a concert rehearsal at Disney Hall and the resulting scene, in which a jittery Ayers insists on taking all his worldly belongings with him, is funny and well-orchestrated.

NETFLIX OR MULTIPLEX?

Challenging adult dramas like this are becoming an endangered species in 2009, so it would be wise to hurry if you want to watch The Soloist play in theaters.

WHAT IT’S ABOUT?

A total knockout as a piece of well-made B-movie grit, Fighting focuses on two men living on separate edges of society who come together to make a killing in the forbidden world of bare-knuckle fighting. When con man Harvey Boarden spots raw street-fighting talent in the form of small-town dude Shawn MacArthur, the two team up by entering Shawn in the potentially lucrative underground circuit, a place where rich men bet on young brawlers who battle like pit bulls unleashed. With success comes complications, however, and Shawn ends up fighting not only for money but his whole future — which suddenly is very much at stake.

WHO’S IN IT?

Rising young heartthrob Channing Tatum’s (Step Up) raw star power blasts through the screen as Shawn, a role that thankfully calls for more complexity than just acting with his fists. Opposite Oscar-nominated actor Terrence Howard’s (Hustle & Flow) Harvey, he steps up his game, and the two play off each other with ease, searching for ways to lift what is basically an action vehicle into something more emotionally involving and Rocky-esque. Certainly the highlights are still the intense and brutal fight sequences, but because Tatum invests more than just one note into his portrayal of a guy trying to work his way up from the streets into a better life, we are behind him all the way. In a case of a Zulay playing another Zulay, Zulay Henao is sweet and appealing as a girl Shawn starts dating between bouts, while Brian White is menacing and slippery as Evan Hailey, a key rival and protégée of Shawn’s own estranged father. Also of note is Altagracia Guzman, who has a couple of very funny scenes as Zulay’s disapproving grandmother.

WHAT’S GOOD?

The heart-stopping realism of the bare-knuckle fighting is refreshingly free of cinematic trickery and CGI assistance. It’s raw and packs real punch, particularly during a sequence in which Shawn faces a formidable martial arts opponent but also in the climactic bout with Hailey. And fortunately, there are some nice twists along the way that keep this flick from drifting into complete predictability. Director Dito Montiel, who previously made the Sundance award-winner A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (also with Tatum), knows the New York street scene well.

WHAT’S BAD?

Although richly entertaining, the film could have benefitted from a deeper look into this forbidden world of underground human fighting, which hasn’t been explored much on-screen beyond the very unique take of David Fincher’s acerbic Fight Club.

FAVORITE SCENE:

Aside from the powerful fisticuffs on constant display, it has to be Shawn’s first encounter with Zulay’s grandmother when he arrives unannounced for dinner. It’s priceless stuff , serving to humanize him and ramp his score way up on the likeability meter.

TITLE BOUT?

Give credit to the filmmakers for the simplicity of the name. Fighting tells you everything you need to know.

NETFLIX OR MULTIPLEX?

Multiplex. Like any boxing match, it’s more fun to watch with a crowd.

WHAT IT’S ABOUT?

At the age of 14, two Canadian buddies, Steve “Lips” Kudlow and Robb Reiner (ironically no relation to the This Is Spinal Tap director) made a blood pact to rock together for the rest of their lives. And these guys really mean it. Finding early success in 1982 with their highly influential first album, Metal On Metal, they made an impact on such major names as Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax, who all went on to superstardom, while these guys and their band, Anvil, sadly went nowhere fast. This documentary picks up their lives now, two guys in their fifties who try for one last great shot at eternal fame as they take time off their menial day jobs to go on a disastrous and mis-managed European tour and try and regain the promise they once had in the heavy metal industry.

WHO’S IN IT?

Filmmaker Sacha Gervasi’s enormously entertaining account of the musical struggles of these two rock ‘n’roll dreamers is augmented with interviews with their wives, mothers, kids, additional family members, band mates and such “rivals” as Lars Ulrich, Lemmy, Scott Ian, Slash and Tom Araya. Mainly, it’s anchored by the energetic and ever-hopeful lead singer “Lips,” whose emotional outburst and undying enthusiasm drive the docu’s heart. The interviews with the women behind their men can be as humorous as they are heartbreaking and say a lot about just what makes these guys keep plugging away against all odds.

WHAT’S GOOD?

Gervasi sets out to show a couple of guys who just won’t give up even though time and the music business have clearly passed them by. What he gets on film is the spirit of some aging rockers who still hear the music and whose lives are still dictated by the desire to get on stage and let it rip. It’s funny, sad and revealing — especially in a meeting they manage to wrangle with a major record label executive.

WHAT’S BAD?

If you are not into metal, you might not share the passion of Anvil — so be warned. But even if this kind of music isn’t in your iPod, the universal story of a couple of old souls trying to recapture an elusive moment in the sun is irresistible.

FAVORITE SCENE:

A confrontation with the owners of a run-down European bar where Anvil was booked is raw, painfully funny and a perfect demonstration of why this band never made it big.

BEST USE OF EXPLETIVES TO SUM UP A DREAM:

Lips: “Here we sit in our f–king fifties, and man, we’re gonna be f–king rock stars. It’s a f–king dream, but I’m gonna make it come true!”

WHAT IT’S ABOUT?

Ronnie Barnhardt is a kickass shopping-mall head-security guard with severe delusions of power. He meets his match when a cynical police detective is called in to take care of business after Ronnie and his crew fail to stop a parking lot flasher and can’t foil a jewelry-store robbery. Determined to prove his worth in the trade and in his personal life, Ronnie applies for a job as a cop, pursues a cosmetics salesgirl and tries to solve some crimes using his own unorthodox methods.

WHO’S IN IT?

Tailor-made for the considerable comic talents of Seth Rogen, Barnhardt is a funny Travis Bickel, a guy with severe self-worth issues who carries on a dialogue with himself in his head. Unlike Paul Blart, this is a mall cop out to maul first and ask questions later. Rogen fits the bill and singlehandedly makes it all worth seeing. Anna Faris as his prospective girlfriend is given lots of opportunities to overact — and takes all of them. Still, she’s quite funny in a drunken dinner scene that ends with her passed out in the bedroom under Rogen’s huge girth. Ray Liotta pretty much walks through his role as the pro detective who thinks Barnhardt is a total joke. Michael Pena is strong as another security guard while twins John  and Matt Yuan and Jesse Plemons are hilarious as their dim-witted mall cop colleagues. Although he only has a couple of scenes, Aziz Ansari steals them both as a smart-aleck hanger-on. Celia Weston and Rogen, as mother and son, have some wonderfully droll moments together, but it’s first-time actor Randy Gambill as the flasher who gets the real comic workout and exposes himself as one to watch (hopefully with his clothes back on next time).

WHAT’S GOOD?

A cynical, acerbic attitude rules the day here, and the idea of putting a real wacko in the mall-cop position has more bite than the PG-13 Blart, a movie that was blessed with the likable presence of Kevin James but suffered major credibility lapses.

WHAT’S BAD?

Writer/director Jody Hill had a great idea but too often goes for the easy joke or gross-out gag when he should have drifted straight into hell with this character and really let Rogen loose. It’s hilarious in parts, but the overall tone is wildly uneven and not totally satisfying.

FAVORITE SCENE:

The final confrontation between Rogen and the flasher has to be seen to be believed and on its own more than enough to merit the film’s well-deserved restricted rating.

SHOULD THERE BE A SEQUEL?

Yes, and it should pair Blart vs. Barnhardt in a food-court showdown. It could be the best thing since Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla.

WHAT IT’S ABOUT?

With a built-in rabid fan base from its five seasons on the Disney Channel, it was only natural that Hannah Montana would find her way to theaters. And for the faithful, it doesn’t disappoint. The plot for the movie version has Miley Stewart in over her head because her secret pop persona, Hannah Montana, is overwhelming every part of her life. When her father decides enough is enough and takes her back to their home town of Crowley Corners, Tenn., she finds that it’s not so easy to adjust again to country life. But with the help of some just plain folks and a budding romance, Miley discovers there’s more to being successful than just show business, fame and fortune.

WHO’S IN IT?

Miley Cyrus takes her wildly successful Hannah Montana persona to the movies, fills it with heart and scores on the big screen. She’s sweet, funny and beguiling in a role that, of course, fits her like a glove. With all or part of 13 songs and musical numbers, she also proves her hit-making abilities are no fluke with standouts like a hip-hop hoedown and the emotive “The Climb,” which she socks home in a concert sequence near the end. Father Billy Ray Cyrus pretty much plays himself and seems comfortable in the role, if nothing more. As her grandmother, Margo Martindale is warm and always dispensing nuggets of advice. Lucas Till makes an awkwardly offbeat romantic interest as her childhood friend who sees the real Miley behind the Hannah mask, and there’s nice support from Jason Earles as her brother and Emily Osment as a best friend. Vanessa Williams is also around, bookending the film as Miley’s trusted protector and publicist. And look for quick cameos from Taylor Swift and Tyra Banks.

WHAT’S GOOD?

No one is going to win any Oscars, but the Hannah Montana movie version goes down easy and makes a natural theatrical transition smartly returning the star to her country roots and giving the film a different flavor than the sitcom from which it emerged.

WHAT’S BAD?

Like any homogenized Disney product, it all seems a little too contrived and too pat at times, but the enormous kid audience to whom it’s aimed won’t care a bit.

FAVORITE SCENE:

They may be stealing one of the oldest gags in comedy, but the dueling-dinners scene in which Miley and Hannah keep switching personas is amusingly played out and perfectly timed. Cyrus really gets to show her comic chops here.

NETFLIX OR MULTIPLEX?

If you have a daughter, it’s inevitably gonna be both.

WHAT IT’S ABOUT?

The Americanization of Anime. This long-awaited (and long-on-the-shelf) live-action rendition of the popular Japanese graphic novel series by Akira Toriyama is a spectacularly silly, laugh-out-loud abomination that begs, borrows and steals from a wide variety of sci-fi and fantasy predecessors in telling the “epic” (ha!) story of Goku (Justin Chatwin), a young warrior destined to do battle with the forces of evil in pursuit of seven mystical “Dragon Balls” that entitle the bearer to absolute superiority over the universe. Or something like that. It really doesn’t matter, although all the talk about the power of the “Dragon Balls” does yield some hearty laughs — for all the wrong reasons.

WHO’S IN IT?

A lot of actors who probably wish they weren’t. Chief among them is Chow Yun-Fat, continuing his unlucky streak in American films. Wearing a perennial smile and a loud Hawaiian shirt, he acts as the de-facto mentor for our hero, dispensing words of wisdom (in some universe, undoubtedly) and occasionally executing some fancy martial-arts moves. Even for Chow’s most ardent admirers, it’s not enough. Emmy Rossum (who perhaps should have known better) and Jamie Chung provide some eye candy alongside Chatwin as fellow female warriors, while a green-skinned James Marsters growls and snarls as the film’s resident villain, the megalomaniacal Piccolo (now there’s a name that’s sure to make audiences shudder). Ernie Hudson’s in it, too — and even manages to hold onto his dignity. This is not a film that many, if any, of the participants are going to be touting on their resumes anytime soon — if at all.

WHAT’S GOOD?

Extremely little. To its (dis)credit, Dragonball Evolution does murder time. You’ll never get those 90 minutes back again. If it comes down to seeing this or seeing your dentist, keep the latter appointment.

WHAT’S BAD?

Where to begin? The script … the acting … the direction … the editing. Several scenes have been cut with such frenzied abandon that it’s nearly impossible to ascertain precisely what’s going on. Fans of the original Dragonball series may have a head start — and this rendition may well disappoint or infuriate them — but neophytes and newcomers will have a hard time determining precisely what’s going on. Not that it matters much. Even by the campiest of comic-books standards, this is a shoddy effort. The brief running time (under 90 minutes) is a dead giveaway that the studio’s shears were put to work, and the timing of its release by Fox indicates that the studio was perhaps trying to make some quick pre-summer coin in advance of Wolverine, especially given Chatwin’s Wolv-like coif.

LINES TO REMEMBER:

“The first rule is: There are no rules.”
“Somebody stole my Prometheum Orb.”
“Prepare to eat dirt.”
“Teach me how to be normal.”
“The Dragon Balls are in my grasp!”

LINES TO FORGET:

See above.

IT’S NEVER A GOOD IDEA TO …

Make a movie with “ball” or “balls” in the title — especially if it’s a bad movie.

CRITIC’S TIP:

If you absolutely have to see this movie, see it with friends. And, please, make one of them the designated driver.

Story
Based on the 1987 videogame sensation and later made into an anemic 1994 Jean-Claude Van Damme action flick, this latest version pits the forces of evil vs. good in the slums of modern day Bangkok but fails to capture any of the excitement that made Street Fighter a legend among gamers. In this edition, evil crime boss Bison (Neal McDonough) is joined by henchmen Balrog (Michael Clarke Duncan) and Vega (Taboo of The Black Eyed Peas) in taking over the Thai city, using extremely violent power. Out to stop him from adding to his growing collection of heads are a group of disparate warriors, including the half-Caucasian, half-Asian beauty Chun-Li (Kristin Kreuk), who has given up her American life of privilege to help the oppressed. Joining her in the fight are her Kung Fu master Gen (Robin Shou), an Interpol cop Charlie Nash (Chris Klein) who has been tailing Bison around the world and his co-hort, homicide detective Maye Sunee (Moon Bloodgood).

Acting
While most martial arts films are hardly a showcase for actors, this film hits new lows. McDonough utters straight-faced lines such as, “when people are hungry there’s nothing they won’t do because everyone has a price,” which apparently also means himself or why else would he take the role of such a wooden villain? The acting is so bad that even the Americans, including Duncan, Taboo and Klein, feel like they’ve been victims of a bad dubbing job. As the lead, the attractive Kreuk also proves to be a fierce martial arts artist, which at least partially makes up for the pedestrian dialogue and leaden narration she has to utter throughout.

Direction
The one thing Polish director Andrzej Bartkowiak has gotten right with Street Fighter is the kung fu of it all, but that’s hardly enough to recommend slogging through the rest of this mess. As a renowned cinematographer (Terms of Endearment, The Verdict) Bartkowiak exhibits a sharp eye for color and detail, but the drab look of Street Fighter makes one wonder if as director he ever bothered to look through the lens at all. This is strictly paint-by-the-numbers filmmaking of the most unimaginative order. When Klein spots a flashing red button signaling an explosive device about to go off he yells, “Bomb! Everybody out!” He just as well could have been talking about this movie, too.