Step Up 3D

2 out of 5 Stars



Moose is headed off to college with his best friend Camille. He has told his family he is going to give up dancing but then on his first day on campus he gets into a dance battle with one of the toughest dancers and wins. Then Luke, who films dancing as a hobby, invites Moose home and he meets a whole crew of dancers who don't have homes and have gathered as a family. Now they plan to take their moves to the ultimate battle which becomes more important when their building is going to be taken because they are behind on their payments. Moose deals with the hardships of doing school as well and Luke meets Natalie, an attractive dancer who joins their team and he falls for. And it's all in 3D.

For a year of movies that have fallen to the bandwagon of 3D, this one actually succeeds. Not the movie itself but the 3D. Apparently the entire film was shot in 3D and it shows. Every shot has true dimension and the 3D actually enhances the dancing scenes. In fact, that is what makes the movie fun to watch. The dancing scenes. And for a year of mediocre to horrendous 3D in movies I must applaud them for actually filming a movie entirely in 3D rather than converting in post. Unfortunately the positive aspects of this film don't go much further. The acting is surprisingly decent for a cast chosen primarily for their dance skills. The dance scenes are also incredible, especially if you love dance, mainly break dancing. It's creative what they do with the moves and the different dance battles.

But the reality is that beyond the dancing and the incredible 3D there is not much of anything to be had. The characters aren't the kind that you get really attached to and it's always evident where the story is headed. It's not the really well done predictable, though. Rather it's the kind of predictable that sets a lot of movies on a low bar for a reason. And really it wasn't trying to be anything amazing. It was a dance movie. It was about the dancing. It really wasn't about anything else but they needed a story to make it work as a film rather than just a super extended music video. Reality is that it's a terrible film with truly entertaining dance scenes in wonderful 3D. Best 3D of the year hands down.

Dinner For Schmucks

3 out of 5 Stars



Dinner For Schmucks follows Tim (Paul Rudd), a businessman with a steady job and relationship. He is about to get a promotion but there is one catch. The higher ups have a dinner where they all invite "idiots" to dinner to make fun of them. This puts Tim in a bind because, although he doesn't approve and plans to go through with it to get the promotion, his girlfriend is completely against. And then Tim meets Barry (Steve Carell), a well meaning taxidermist who uses mice to recreate famous paintings and create some of his own. This is Tim's perfect guest. He is then sent on a wild ride that brings ex-girlfriends back into the picture and turns Tim's life upside down before the big dinner hits.

I think the biggest problem with this movie is how it was advertised. It seemed that the movie who go something like this: Tim has dinner. Tim has to bring and idiot and finds Barry. A really big dinner with lots of laughs ensue. But the reality is that the dinner itself is less than a third of the movie. That doesn't mean it's not funny. In fact, there are plenty of laughs along the way, many of which are caused due to Barry doing things he really shouldn't. But it gave me the impression that I would sit through an extended dinner scene. Personally I'm glad the dinner wasn't so long and that the story moved into other places. I think it helped it work better and created more laughs.

The film also has a lot of heart. Despite Tim's initial intentions to make fun of Barry he starts to get attached to him. And what makes Barry's character so likable is that he is oblivious to the stupid things he does. He really is a charming man who just happens to be a little odd. And that is why I was able to cheer for him and hope everything turned out well for him. It also helped enhance the lessons that Tim learned throughout the film at the same time as making some entertaining comedy. When it comes to Steve Carell this year, this made up for Date Night. I actually felt like I laughed enough this time and I enjoyed the characters more.

Charlie St. Cloud

2 out of 5 Stars



Charlie St. Cloud is a typical teenager in his personality. He is not typical in that he enjoys boating, something he is also very good at. Then there is his kid brother, Sam, who is going to go out for the baseball team. Charlie promises his brother that everyday he will practice with his brother when he gets off work for the rest of the summer. But one night he decides to go to a party and Sam ends up tagging along. They are hit by a drunk driver and Sam is killed. Years later Charlie now plays catch with Sam in the woods everyday after work at the cemetery. But he soon meets a girl who he begins to fall for and is torn between two words. Soon he finds that the girl is missing and he goes after her.

Charlie St. Cloud is a weird mix of a teen drama, love story, and ghost story. It's a strong moral of family bonds, finding love, and learning to let go. But Zac Efron is the kind of actor that, although fits the role, just doesn't seem to pull it off quite right. Instead of feeling sympathetic I ended up feeling more annoyed with him. After all, he was still playing catch with his deceased brother three years later. And at that point he was out of high school. He gave up college and his passion just because he couldn't let go. It was just a bit too much considering that's the majority of the movie.

Now the other casting was surprisingly decent and worked for the material. It was a story that had important lessons and for that I applaud it. We all do need to let go of loved ones when they pass at some point. We can't hold on forever. And the thematic elements were handled better than I expected. On top of that there were some very clever transitions and cinematography.

But the movie just doesn't resonate well enough. Perhaps it's close to the source material but if it is then I don't want to read it. It tries to hard to be too many things and doesn't succeed and becoming what it felt it was supposed to. I feel this would have worked better as a thriller rather than a teenage melodrama. Overall it was an entertaining ride but just not quite entertaining enough.

Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore

1 out of 5 Stars



Nearly a decade ago they made Cats and Dogs. It was ridiculous but still fun in it's mediocre kid movie way. Now they decided they needed to bring a sequel to a movie that already hardly held up. This time there is a new recruit, a police dog put out of service because he always seems to get into trouble on every case. Now he is part of the secret spy dogs and his owner searches for his lost dog. And of course now there is an evil cat, Kitty Galore, who is planning on basically putting out a high frequency radio signal that will essentially render animals virtually useless. So now the cats and dogs decide to team up.

Even the wonderful CG animated road runner cartoon before the movie couldn't warrant paying for this movie in theaters. It really is that bad. It never should have gotten past a direct to DVD release. It's a kid's movie that is terrible even when that is kept in mind. Even Shrek 4, another bad kid's movie of the year, was much better than this. The story is boring, the characters uninteresting, and the jokes awful. And of course the majority of the jokes only adults will understand because they are punch lines and many other movies. I think most of the simple few word one liners from other films were thrown in throughout the entire movie. It lacks heart and it lacks fun.

So what warrants it having one star? The effects were decent and there was a great voice cast. In fact, the voice cast is what saves the film at all. Unfortunately it is also a waste of a great voice cast. Since kid's movies are going to be continue to be made they could at least work on only putting quality family films in theaters. Leave the rest for DVD.

Salt

3 out of 5 Stars



Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie), a rogue CIA agent, is put on the run after being accused of being a Russian spy. Now she sets out to protect her husband and clear her name. Her supervisor, Winter (Liev Schreiber), believes her story but counterintelligence officer Peabody doesn't and will do anything to bring her in.

Salt is a film that uses a lot of plot cliches including twists. Because of this it is not predictable. In that case it's not that great of a movie. But it's an intriguing film and keeps the viewer interested until the end. Perhaps it isn't the fastest paced thriller but it's still exciting, despite that it's really not very realistic. But what a lot of spy thrillers do terribly wrong this movie does well. It's engaging in it's own right. And Angelina Jolie passes surprisingly well as a Russian. I don't know about a Russian spy. But definitely a Russian. And surrounded by a decent cast this film turns out to be a lot of fun. It won't necessarily keep you guessing for most people but for some people it may keep them asking what side is everyone on. In the end though, this is a political action thriller.

Ramona and Beezus

1 1/2 out of 5 Stars



Ramona and Beezus is based off the best selling books by Beverly Cleary about a young girl who continuously causes mischief but not on purpose. The film follows Ramona on a quest to raise money to help save their house because her dad just lost her job. At the same time she must deal with her older teenage sister and help her aunt with guy problems.

This film had promise from the books. At least what I know from the books. I don't remember if I actually read them or not. But the idea of the character is an idea that could make a fun movie. This was not that movie. The cast was surprising, including newcomer Joey King as Ramona, but not even the acting can save the film. But on another plus note it promotes the imagination of kids, something that should be nurtured and not completely squandered. And in this case that is how Ramona is a bit odd but is what also what makes her special.

But the rest of the movie is terrible. The film attempts to touch on every theme a young child could possible have to deal with besides death of a family member. Family job loss, divorce, marriage, loneliness, bullying, etc. There are far too many themes explored for one movie. And it was far to reminiscent of another horrible film this year, Diary of A Wimpy Kid. But Ramona still flies higher, primarily because the characters are likable. Though there is another level that feels like this is just another movie for transferring a Disney pop star out of the pop star. In this case that would be Selena Gomez. Ultimately what could have been a fun popular book turned movie was a haphazard story attempting to encompass too much of life's troubles into a movie that was supposed to be fun.

Inception

4 out of 5 Stars



Inception is Christopher Nolan's next film after The Dark Knight. It follows the story of Cobb, a skilled extractor, someone who extracts information from people's dreams. We soon learn that after something that went wrong with his wife he has been forced to live out the United States. Now he ends up taking a job that could allow him to go back home. But this job requires inception, planting an idea into someone's brain and letting it grow inside them. This is a very difficult task but Cobb manages to assemble of team of skilled people to infiltrate a man's dreams and accomplish the task. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page, Ken Wantanabe, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Apparently Nolan worked on his script of Inception for ten years. And it definitely shows. The ideas and concepts in Inception are so deep and complex it could have easily been written as ultra confusion. And the fact that he was working on his script for so long I can forgive the eerily coincidental story arc of Leo's character from Shutter Island. But the reality is that Inception is incredibly well written. Few films have so directly dealt with the idea of dreams and so very few succeed. Inception is a film that not only succeeds in it's ideas but also manages by the end of the film to play with your mind, causing you to think. But really that is the best way to engage with the audience and many of the best films find ways to truly engage their audience. It's a story that delves into the deep reaches of the human subconscious that are not often thought about and plays with the ideas of dreams while continuously asking "What if?" Because after all, at it's heart it is still half a science fiction film, the other half a heist film.

Inception is also acted very well with an interesting but great cast and has a wonderful and enticing score. It's even directed pretty darn well. It's evident that Christopher Nolan put a lot of heart into this project. I must admit I really did like this film. It was a nice refresher but a big budget summer blockbuster that just explodes. Instead it actually caused you to think, something that the US might consider doing a bit more often. And really it's in the story and it's complexities made less complex by great writing and acting that make this film a real treat.

But there is one major problem. Inception isn't necessarily too long. After all, Return of the King was three and a half hours and needed to be for the importance of story. The problem is more that Inception just feels too long. A little over two hours starts to feel like almost three and by the time the movie is over the only thing that really truly draws you back is that end shot, causing you to ask so many questions. But re-watching it just brings up more questions and doesn't provide much of any answers. And it's in that feel of length that Inception finds it's flaw for no matter how good I feel a movie is, if it doesn't move enough it's hard for me to get into. I've probably seen more movies this year so far in theaters and on DVD than any other single year. And because of that I'm finding myself bored with more movies and it takes more to intrigue me. So the reality is that if Inception would have moved a little bit faster I could have given it my ultimate elusive rating. But the reality is that even The Karate Kid was over two hours and didn't feel like more than two.

The Sorceror's Apprentice

2 1/2 stars out of 5



This movie is suggested by the animated short from Fantasia, that one that many people know and love. And really that is most of this film's real draw. Except now there is more of a story than just a short. The idea is that Nicholas Cage plays a sorcerer who was one of three of Merlin's closest confidants. Only one of them turned evil and joined with Morgana. Now only the prime Merlinian can stop him and that's where Jay Barucel's character comes in. And then the quest to stop evil while still trying to have a social life kicks in.

This film is exactly what it looks like and tries to be; a fun action adventure movie. It's nothing more. It is from the same team as National Treasure after all. It was never supposed to be anything wonderful. But it is something fun. And obviously it's not believable. But all the same the cast is enjoyable, the special effects pretty good, and it's fun to see how they bring a concept to life in a bigger story. And Alfred Molina works as a pretty darn good villain.

If anything this is the film that most people won't see in theaters just because of ticket prices but will probably rent once it comes out. Because really it is fun to watch. And it's a whole lot better than it looked out to be. And every once in a while some of us just need these ridiculous action adventure movies just for the sake of entertainment so we can just sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.

Despicable Me

4 out of 5 Stars




Gru is a super villain. He also isn't that good at it. In fact, another super villain who is new in town just stole a pyramid. That is Vector. Then Gru concocts a plan for the ultimate heist, to steal the moon. So he steals a shrink ray but then Vector steals it from him but he can't get into the heavily guarded fort. So Gru ends up adopting three little girls who sold cookies to Vector and works on carrying out his plan but things don't always go quite accordingly to plan as the girls begin to take a place in his heart. And all the while he is helped by little yellow minions.

Despicable Me is the kind of kids movie that makes movies truly fun, especially for kids. This is a film that is filled with great humor, good voice acting, and truly enjoyable characters. And with a year with so few great films it's nice that at least the animated films still hold up this year, the other films being Toy Story 3 and How To Train Your Dragon. Sure the plot is simple and predictable but it's a move geared to kids. It's not meant to be unpredictable. After all as one person I know put it about Toy Story, "You expect the toys to actually die?" There is a reality that in a kid's movie (basically anything rated G) there are just certain themes that are too intense for young kids to handle.

But what Despicable Me has is many laughs, great morals, and much heart. It's easy to know what is going to happen. But at the same time there is enough heart that you can feel for the the characters as you come along for the ride. And of course the addition of the minions makes for a clever and originally creative twist. Really it's a clever rendition of a simple plot. Really, it's the fun that somehow manages to be missed in a good many kids movies. And it's also the fun that somehow Shyamalan managed to miss in Airbender.

Predators

2 1/2 out of 5 Stars




Predators is a direct sequel to Predator. It opens on a bunch of people falling through the sky and finding parachutes they never knew they had. Soon they discover each other and are led through the jungle by Adrian Brody's character and find that they are being hunted by alien creatures known as predators. But of course some people know more than others.

Predators is from what I hear beyond a reasonable doubt much better than the former predator film sequels. I'll just have to take their word for it. All the same, this film is more of a fan film for those who enjoy the franchise more than anything. By all means it's a decent action film with fun sequences throughout the second half of the film. The cast does a surprisingly good job at acting in a film with such a ridiculous plot. It's so simple and mundane that it's storyline follows that of basically hundreds of B-movies but succeeds where they don't. And the acting really does help the films cause.

But the action in the film can't save it from it's mediocrity and slow and mundane first half. Very little seems to happen until close to the one hour mark and therefore causes a sleep inducing feeling before finally picking up the action. And when a film is known as an action film and not much more there is a problem. It was better than I necessarily expected but that didn't save it. I was still too bored. I wanted more action. I wanted more drive. Instead I got lots of walking around and exposition. At least they throw in a samurai and a katana fight.