2012-The Best (and Worst) of the Rest

As I said in my Awards blog, writing reviews is a process for me.  I won't write up full reviews on every movie I see.  But, I will do  the next best thing.  I have written very short reviews on the remaining 2012 movies I have seen through DVD, Netflix, etc. This is a pretty decent cross section for the year featuring over 70 movies.  Admittedly, I haven't seen everything so apologies if your favorite movie from 2012 isn't on the list.   Enjoy.


Trouble with the Curve- Clint Eastwood playing a grizzled, cantankerous character (what else is new).  This time he's in the role of an old fashioned major league baseball scout.  Amy Adams is his somewhat estranged daughter.  Justin Timberlake is the love interest for Adams and rival scout to Eastwood.  Not a bad movie, but it takes the easy way out.  The grizzled old veteran knows what he's doing and the new school guys have nothing to offer.  Plus, they're complete @$$bags to boot.  Really clever.
**1/2 stars


A Thousand Words- Oh, how the mighty have fallen.  This Eddie Murphy fiasco alternates between absurd comedy and tense drama and fails at both.  Pick a lane.  Murphy needs a serious hit outside of the Shrek series, stat! 
*star

Alex Cross-  The best thing I can say about Tyler Perry's next foray into being an action star...don't forget your wig and muumuu.  A convincing action star he is not.  No charisma whatsoever.
*star

The Man with the Iron Fists- Good movie when it features Crouching Tiger-esque fight sequences.  Suffers when the fists and knives aren't flying.  Rapper, Rza, is not a leading man.
**1/2 stars

Rock of Ages- Musical  based in the '80s.  Great performance from Tom Cruise as burned out rocker, Stacee Jaxx.  Great music if you like 80s hair band metal.  But the movie falls flat with lackluster performances and a lame plot.
**stars

Chronicle- One of the hidden treasures of the year.  Great performance by Dane DeHaan as a troubled teen who is corrupted by the telekinetic powers he receives.  A super hero movie of sorts without the capes and gaudy costumes.
****stars

Pitch Perfect- Yet another 2012 musical, this time focusing on college a cappella competitions.  Succeeds in every way Rock of Ages does not.  It's witty and compelling, and has great singing to boot.  Rebel Wilson as "Fat" Amy is the standout performer here.  I was very shocked at how much I liked this movie.
***1/4 stars

Lincoln- The longest 2 1/2 hours I've spent in my life watching a movie.  Could Spielberg have picked a more boring time of Abe's life to place on screen?  For those not aware, the film follows the trials and political wrangling Lincoln committed to have the 13th Amendment passed through Congress.  An important time in history to be sure, but not very interesting to watch onscreen.  This couldn't be saved even by the usually brilliant Daniel Day Lewis.  You're better off watching Abraham Lincoln:  Vampire Hunter.  And yes, I am being very serious with that statement.
*1/2 stars

Killing Them Softly- Ordinarily, I'd say Brad Pitt as a mob enforcer would be a nice premise for a movie.  However, the collapse of the local gangster economy  is used as a mind-numbing metaphor for the collapse of America in general.  Minutes upon minutes of useless dialog with characters  saying absolutely  nothing interesting.
0 stars

Think Like a Man- I had high hopes for this movie when I started watching it.  I thought this would be a raucous battle of the sexes comedy in the vein of a film like Booty Call (say what you will about that movie, I still think it's one of the funniest films ever made).  But, it eases up on the accelerator.    Delves into some unneeded melodrama.  Big mistake in my opinion.
**1/2 stars

Magic Mike- A great performance by Matthew McConaughey as the ethically questionable, Dallas, and, that's about it.  A light beefcake-on-display drama with no bite.
**1/4 stars

Killer Joe- Matthew McConaughey in an ugly, sadistic thriller-dark comedy as an ugly, sadistic hit-man masquerading as detective.  Should have been right down my alley, but turns out to be a true mess.
0 stars

The Paperboy- This film boasts an all-star cast of Zac Efron, Matthew McConaughey (that guy again), John Cusack, and Nicole Kidman attempting to solve a murder mystery set deep in the heart of 1960's South Florida.  The best part of this movie is Nicole Kidman urinating on Zac Efron's jellyfish sting.  'Nuff said!
0 stars

Hit & Run- Real life couple Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell in a wild chase movie of sorts pursued by a bumbling U.S. Marshal (Tom Arnold), Bell's jealous old flame (Michael Rosenbaum),  and an old criminal associate of Shepard's (Bradley Cooper).  Has some genuinely funny moments, just not enough of them.
**3/4 stars

The Master- Philip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix, and Amy Adams in a post WWII drama that is very enamored with itself, but goes nowhere.  Phoenix is a Navy veteran that has a difficult time adjusting to civilian life.  He falls in with a movement that can only be categorized as a cult led by Hoffman.  It's a character study that never advances any of the characters.  Critics and the Academy alike couldn't help falling all over themselves about this movie.  I don't see it.
* star

The Sessions- A witty dramedy about a disabled man and his quest to lose his virginity.  Helen Hunt gives a solid, if not Oscar-worthy performance, in my opinion.  If Hunt in the buff does it for you, you've hit the motherload here.
*** stars

The Twilight Saga:  Breaking Dawn, part 2- I haven't had many good things to say about this series about pseudo vampires, but I have to say that Breaking Dawn part 2 is the best of the Twilight series.  Of course, that's like saying it's the tallest midget, too.
** stars

Zero Dark Thirty- Slow moving thriller.  It's like watching a 2 1/2 hour episode of the series, Homeland.  I don't find Homeland overly fascinating either.  It pops during the S.E.A.L raid on Osama Bin Laden's compound near the end.  If you can get to this part of the movie, the payoff is here.
*** stars

The Raid:  Redemption- A brutal ballet of martial arts and gun play as an elite police squad raids a 15-story burned out tenement housing a murderous drug lord and his minions.  Suffers a bit when the fighting stops.  The lull usually doesn't last very long.  Wall to wall action.
*** stars

Looper- Joseph Gordon-Levitt's mob hitman goes mano-a-mano with his future self (Bruce Willis).  This time travel story does become a little convoluted at times, but it's a fun, wild roller-coaster ride.
***1/2 stars

Argo- Ben Affleck directs this real-life story of the CIA's elaborate plan to extract American diplomats from Iran in the late 1970's.  It's an enthralling, if somewhat slow moving, thriller.
***1/4 stars

V/H/S- This horror movie about thieves finding a group of disturbing video tapes is disjointed and makes little sense at times, but the key word here is disturbing.  The film has a presence and it fulfills the duty of any good horror movie.  It unsettles its audience.  Horror fans shouldn't be disappointed.
*** stars

Lockout- Guy Pearce tries his hand as an action hero in this tale of a wrongly accused government agent in the future who gets a shot at redemption when he is tasked with rescuing the President's daughter from a space prison that has been taken over by the inmates.  The film had potential, but falls flat.  Pearce (a good actor) as a smirking smart-aleck a la Bruce Willis doesn't quite work.
**1/4 stars

The Campaign- Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakas go head to head for a House seat in this absurd comedy.  Absolutely ridiculous throughout.  Also, absolutely hilarious.
***1/2 stars

Brave- I don't think Pixar has it in them to make a bad movie, and Brave isn't a bad movie.  I just found it lackluster by Pixar standards.  There was nothing memorable about this coming of age tale set in Scotland.  This would not be the first Pixar film I would introduce to a newcomer to the studio's archive.  But, again, it was not a bad film.
*** stars

Batman:  The Dark Knight Returns parts 1&2- Animated adaptation of Frank Miller's now classic graphic novel depicting a 50+ Bruce Wayne returning to action after years long retirement.  If only The Dark Knight Rises had the grit of these two animated gems.
**** stars

Hitchcock- Anthony Hopkins gives a great performance as "master of suspense", Alfred Hitchcock.  Hitchcock sports a terrific cast and depicts the great director's making of his masterpiece, Psycho.  A much better biopic than Lincoln in my opinion.
**** stars

The Perks of Being a Wallflower- The film follows the highs and lows many go through (maybe not this dramatically in some cases) during those crazy high school years.  Some good performances by the young cast, including a post-Harry Potter Emma Watson.
*** stars

Hick- Chloe Grace Moretz stars as a teen hitchhiking her way to Las Vegas to escape alcoholic and abusive parents.  She meets a strange array of colorful and dangerous characters along the way.  Ultimately, the journey ends in murder.  Moretz is good as usual, but in the end, we're not sure she learns anything from her Odyssey.  Not sure we learn anything as an audience either.
*1/2 stars

Seven Psychopaths- Colin Farrell, Woody Harrelson, Christopher Walken, and Sam Rockwell.  You should have the makings of a great movie with that cast and title, right?  Wrong!  Dead wrong!   This story of a writer trying to finish his screenplay while getting caught up in the criminal shenanigans of his friend is supposed to be funny, I think.  It didn't make me crack one smile.  How could a film with these actors be such a bore?  Again, another film critics drooled over that did absolutely nothing for me.
0 stars

Here Comes the Boom- Kevin James stars as a high school teacher who delves into the arena of MMA fighting to raise money for his school's music program.  This is not a cinematic marvel, but it is as fun and likable as its star.
*** stars

Contraband- Mark Wahlberg stars in this completely unoriginal heist movie as a former smuggler forced back into the game to settle his brother's debt to a crime boss.  Of course things go horribly wrong.  Of course Wahlberg has to navigate a who's who of unsavory individuals.  Of course his family is put in danger.  Of course we're supposed to care about all of this.  I didn't.
*1/2 stars

The Collection- Sequel to 2009's The Collector.  The survivor of the first film reluctantly leads a team of mercenaries into the killer's lair to rescue another captured victim.  It has a weak script, but this type of film is really about style over substance.  There are some creative and gruesome kills.  For this movie, it's enough.
*** stars

This is 40- The latest movie from the Judd Apatow machine starring Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann reprising in the same roles they had from an earlier Apatow offering, Knocked Up.  The film follows the trials and tribulations of marriage, family, and getting older with typical Apatow raunch, though it is not one of his best comedies (it's no 40-Year Old Virgin or Forgetting Sarah Marshall).  The material does start to wear a little thin as the movie clocks in at over two hours.  As she usually does, Melissa McCarthy steals the show with the movie's best laughs coming at the end credits during her foul-mouthed tirade. 
***1/4 stars

Justice League:  Doom- This animated feature from Warner Bros. reaffirms why Batman is one of my favorite characters. Only he would have the ability and the will to devise counter measures to neutralize his teammates.  When those counter measures fall into the wrong hands, chaos follows.
***3/4 stars

Paranormal Activity 4- The painfully predictable third sequel to the painfully absurd original (the Blair Witch Project of this millennium.  Not a good thing).  More useless video footage of watching people sleep, things going bump in the night, and nothing actually happening until the final 10 minutes of the film.  Part 4 is only marginally better than the first installment.
*3/4 stars

LUV- Rapper, Common, stars in this tale of an uncle (newly released from prison) and his 11 year old nephew on a one day journey through the treacherous web of the former's previous criminal life.  Both learn hard (very hard) lessons along the way.  It's a little more artsy than your typical thug/gangster type film, but, it's still worth a look.
*** stars

All Superheroes Must Die- An unintentionally (I think) funny movie about four generic super heroes forced to compete in a life or death contest by their mutual arch enemy.  James Remar is delightfully hammy as the villain, but there is a reason you've never heard of this movie.
*1/2 stars

Underworld:  Awakening- In this fourth installment of the series, Kate Beckinsale returns as black leather clad vampire warrior, Selene.  This time humans have learned the existence of both vampires and lycans and look to eradicate both species.  Despite some cool special effects and intense action, this franchise has lost its steam and has nothing new to say about the vampire-lycan war.
**1/2 stars

21 Jump Street- For me, this movie had a lot going against it.  It was a screen adaptation of a TV series.  Those types of films tend to be underwhelming.  The original series was a drama that has been changed to a comedy on film.  I'm not the biggest fan of Jonah Hill.  I can take or leave Channing Tatum.  Despite all the knocks against it, this was actually a  funny movie.  I'll give credit where it's due.  Hill and Tatum are a very good combination as two mediocre cops who go undercover at a high school to bust a drug ring.  This was a pleasant surprise.
***1/4 stars

The Words- Bradley Cooper, Zoe Saldana, Dennis Quaid, and Jeremy Irons star in this tale of a struggling writer that finds fame and fortune plagiarizing the manuscript of another writer.  This is a bit of a confounding movie as you aren't really sure what the plagiarized writer's motives are.  I also found it a little difficult to separate fiction from reality.  Maybe that was the point.  At the end, I found myself saying "That was it?"
**1/2 stars

Les Miserables- The classic tale of Jean Valjean re-enacted by an all-star cast including Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Helena Bonham Carter, and Sacha Baron Cohen. Wonderfully acted and beautifully sung throughout.  Keep two things in mind if you are unfamiliar with this story.  There aren't many spoken words as the story is told through song, and it is long clocking in at over 2 1/2 hours.  Make sure you set aside a significant chunk of time.
***1/2 stars

Girls Against Boys- When an array of men take advantage of a naïve college girl in a span of days, she reaches her breaking point.  Luckily, she has a homicidal co-worker at the local bar who teaches her how to take vengeance on the scum that has wronged her.  I'm usually all over a revenge driven splatterfest.  But this movie forgot the splatter.  You don't get a good kill until 50 minutes in.  If any movie calls for blood, it's one like this.  What a waste.
* star

The Cold Light of Day- Bruce Willis, Sigourney Weaver, and the future Superman, Henry Cavill, star in this spy thriller.  Angry son goes on a family vacation that includes the strict father with whom he is constantly at war.  Strict father turns out to be a CIA agent which he kept secret from his family.  Family is placed in grave danger due to strict father's profession.  Angry son must find the hero within to save the family.  A decidedly unremarkable film.
**1/2 stars

Man on a Ledge- An ex-con (Sam Worthington) devises an elaborate plan of vengeance against a conniving businessman (Ed Harris) that includes standing on the ledge of a high rise.  The premise is silly, no doubt.  Not a good movie necessarily, but it is entertaining goofiness at times.
**3/4 stars

Beasts of the Southern Wild- WHAT...THE...HELL...DID...I...WATCH?!!!!  The coming of age tale of a six year old girl named Hushpuppy (Oscar nominee Quvenzhane Wallis) living in the dilapidated Mississippi Delta with her sick father is supposed to be a poetic narrative about survival and childlike imagination.  It's a tear jerker of the highest order.  That's what I was supposed to get out of it. What I ACTUALLY got out of it is that some people really enjoy living in muck and squalor!
0 stars

The Tall Man- Jessica Biel stars in this thriller that poses an ethical quandary.  Are children better off living in extreme poverty with their natural parents or are they better with a family that can offer them a decent standard of life?   By the posters and synopses that are available, you might confuse this film with a horror movie.  Don't be fooled.  It is far from that.  It is worth a look, however.
*** stars

Kill For Me- A review I read described this movie as a cross between Single White Female and Strangers on a Train.  That's a fair description if you can imagine that coupling.  Briefly, two college students who are trying to escape abusive relationships meet.  One kills the other's ex-boyfriend and now expects her "friend" to kill her father.  Kill For Me is not the worst movie I've ever seen, but it did leave me feeling a little flat in the end.
**1/2 stars

That's My Boy- Yes, this comedy is pretty much Adam Sandler cashing a paycheck and dragging Andy Samberg down in the muck with him, but, you know what?  I didn't think it was nearly as bad as most said it was.  Granted it tries to pull laughs from the most egregious topics ranging from incest to teacher/student sexual relationships, but, it does have its funny moments.  It's not a good movie, but it is modestly entertaining on a small level.  Vanilla Ice playing himself is actually the true comedic star here.
**1/4 stars

The Watch- Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill, and Richard Ayoade form a neighborhood watch after a murder takes place at the local Costco.  The murder is a prelude to an upcoming alien invasion (not making this up).  I'm not a fan of Vaughn or Hill, but the movie does have a few nice laughs and is surprisingly entertaining.
*** stars

The Impossible- Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts (in an Oscar nominated role) star as a couple whose family is caught in the devastating tsunami that hit Thailand in 2004.  This is an emotional tearjerker if you like disaster movies that ultimately lead to the triumph of the human spirit.
*** stars

Journey 2:  The Mysterious Island- Dwayne Johnson, Michael Caine, Josh Hutcherson, and Vanessa Hudgens star in this island adventure sequel of Journey to the Center of the Earth.  The lavish landscapes would have looked great in 3D.  It's an extremely corny adventure movie that you will forget instantly.  It's made palatable by Johnson and Caine.
*** stars


Robot & Frank- A quirky little comedy-drama about an aging cat burglar whose son forces him to take on a robot assistant to help care for him.  A great performance by Frank Langella as the aging criminal who begins using he robot to assist him in committing more robberies leding to a bittersweet ending.
***1/2 stars

Rise of the Guardians- Many children's movies today feature some adult content and enough "in-jokes" to keep the over 10 set somewhat satisfied.  Guardians is more old school as it's pretty much written explicitly for children.  In fact, I think it only received a PG rating due to the evil shadows created by the character, Pitch.  Still, there are some very funny moments provided by Santa's elves (pretty much Minion knockoffs, but still funny) and some very cool battle sequences that should keep the adult crowd entertained.
***1/4 stars

Cloud Atlas- Everything is connected.  At least that's the premise of this film produced and directed by Lana and Andy Wachowski.  The film features an all-star cast of Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugo Weaving, Susan Sarandon, Hugh Grant, Keith David, and Jim Broadbent playing various characters who exist in different timelines. Trying to relate the various units of the movie into any type of cohesive story is pure folly.  Taking each unit as an individual story leaves you with the feeling of "what is the purpose of this?"   What was an original concept became too clever for its own good. And running at almost three hours doesn't help the matter either.  And that's the true-true!
**stars

Dr. Seuss's the Lorax- The voice talents of Danny DeVito are used to bring the grumpy, mustachioed guardian of the forest to life.  Has a strong conservationist theme and  cuddly forest creatures that bring their share of laughs.
***1/4 stars

The Imposter- A documentary that mixes truth with fiction about the real life case of 13-year old San Antonio boy, Nicholas Barclay, who disappears without a trace to be found three years later in Spain.  The twist?  French con man Frederic Bourdin assumes Nicholas's identity and is taken in by the  family (although Bourdin looks nothing like Nicholas).  Which begs the question, why would they do this?  A fascinating docu-thriller.
***1/2 stars

The Factory- John Cusack stars as a Buffalo, NY detective obsessed with finding a serial killer who preys on prostitutes.  Like 2013's, The Call, it's a decent thriller made memorable by the twist ending.
***1/4 stars

The Package- "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Dolph Lundgren as a mob enforcer and international crime lord with a penchant for killing fighting for...what else?  The package.  Standard actioner that isn't bad, but doesn't necessarily thrill you either.  Steve Austin is a passable action star, but, as far as, ex-wrestlers-turned-actors go, he'll make you appreciate The Rock even more.
**1/2 stars

ParaNorman- The animated tale of a boy who can speak to the dead attempting to stop zombies empowered by a witch's spell from overrunning his small town.  Very weird animation, but very engaging and clever.  The second best big-budget animated feature of the year behind Wreck-It Ralph in my opinion.
***1/2 stars

American Reunion- The fourth and, possibly, final installment of the American Pie series (I don't count that straight to video nonsense).  Reunion gets the entire gang back together (strangely missing from American Wedding) and gets the series back on track with its bawdy humor.  Where does it rank?  American Pie is still a classic.  Reunion is on par with American Pie 2 and hundreds of times better than the waste of time that was American Wedding.
***1/2 stars

Jack Reacher- Tom Cruise stars as ex-military policeman, Jack Reacher, a man concerned only with finding the truth.  When, an ex-military sniper is accused of assassinating six random civilians, Reacher teams with the accused's attorney to navigate a labyrinth of corruption and lies to find answers.  Engaging thriller, but, it felt a little flat at times.  Maybe I just needed more fight scenes.
***1/4 stars

Cosmopolis- A David Cronenberg thriller starring Twilight vamp, Robert Pattinson, as a wealthy businessman who makes deals, has medical exams, satisfies carnal appetites, and engages in the most banal conversations in the back of his limousine for almost two hours.  Oh, and Paul Giamatti wants to kill him for some reason.  Yeah, it made about that much sense.
0 stars

Red Dawn- OK, was the world dying for the remake of an extremely hokey '80s flick?  I don't think so.  But the remake does star Chris Hemsworth and Harry Dean Morgan, so the pain wasn't nearly as bad this time around.  While not great, the remake is at least passable.
**1/4 stars

Celeste and Jesse Forever- Andy Samberg and Rashida Jones star in this surprisingly adult rom-com/drama as a married couple that separates but still remains the best of friends.  The problem is they still want to be together but they just can't live with or without each other.  Has some raunchy laughs and some very poignant dramatic moments.  Well worth your time to give it a shot.
*** stars

For a Good Time, Call...- Two former enemies move in together for mutual survival and incredibly bond for life when they start a phone sex line.  As you would expect, a movie with this premise is more than a little ribald.  But it's kind of sweet the way the two women bond.  It'll make you smile more than once.  Guest appearances by Kevin Smith and Seth Rogen. 
***stars

Piranha DD- Oh, boy!  I get this movie was half written as a farce (only way to explain some things), but it's not a very good one.  There is some entertainment value if you enjoy scantily clad women who jiggle with an eye blink and man-eating fish who chomp down on human nether regions, but there's really not much of anything decent here.  Oh, the "The Hoff" makes an appearance, if that excites you.
*star

This Means War- Chris Pine, Tom Hardy, and Reese Witherspoon star in this tale of two highly trained spies, FDR and Tuck, who are partners and best bros.  When Lauren enters their lives, the bro code is thrown out the window and it's spy vs. spy to win her affection.  The rom com-y stuff I could do without, but the spy aspects of the film brings some nice action, and the one-upmanship between FDR and Tuck brings decent laughs.
***stars

Frankenweenie- The Frankenstein legend retold by the twisted mind of Tim Burton in stop-animated fashion.  A boy brings his beloved dog back to life and it brings serious repercussions.  I was surprised by how much I liked this movie.  The trailers never moved me.  But, it's more than worth a sit down.
***1/2 stars

Bachelorette- Kirsten Dunst, Rebel Wilson, Isla Fisher, and Lizzy Caplan star in what is supposed to be a raucous comedy about a disastrous night before a wedding.  The problem is I didn't laugh very often.  And it's a little hard to like these women.  Dunst is endlessly uptight and controlling. Wilson is actually understated here from roles she usually plays as the neurotic bride. Fisher is the drug addled party girl.  Caplan is a psychologically damaged cynic.  It's not an awful movie.  It just didn't have enough laughs for me.
**1/2 stars

The Guilt Trip- Seth Rogen and Barbara Streisand star in this mother/son road comedy.  It has a sweet ending, but there's not much to sink your teeth into in the way of comedy.  Actually, I found both Rogen's and Streisand's characters a little on the unlikable side for a little over half of the movie as the exasperated, ungrateful son and the annoying mother who can't mind her own business.  Aside from a few minor chuckles in the film, the funniest parts come from the outtakes. 
**1/4 stars

Vamps- Alicia Silverstone and Krysten Witter star as modern day vampires who...you know what? This movie is so incredibly vapid that I won't say anything else about it other than it's a comedy from Amy Heckerling, the director of Clueless.  Watch this unfunny train wreck at your own risk!
0 stars

Ice Age:  Continental Drift- Oh, that Skrat returns with his incredibly elusive acorn.  Manny the Mammoth, Diego the Sabertooth, and Sid the Sloth are on another rollicking adventure when continental break up separates them from friends and family.  To make matters worse, they are pursued by a band of sea pirates led by the unpleasant ape, Captain Gutt.  Cute, but forgettable.
*** stars

The Baytown Outlaws- Eva Longoria is Celeste, a woman who desperately wants to take her godson away from her up-and-coming crimelord ex-husband, Carlos (Billy Bob Thornton).  When she almost dies attempting to free the teenager, she enlists the aid of the Oodie Brothers, a trio of hard drinking, gun loving ruffians to steal her godson and take Carlos down.  The action is very Tarrantino-esque, meaning over-the-top blindingly violent.  It's crass, politically incorrect, and ugly in every way possible.  And I hate to say, I had a good time watching it.  A true guilty pleasure.
*** stars

Arbitrage- Richard Gere stars as an extremely wealthy hedge fund manager who has big trouble on both the business and personal front that can land him a lengthy prison term for either or both.  A decent drama that examines the crisis of a man's conscience. 
*** stars

People Like Us- Chris Pine and Elizabeth Banks star as siblings who don't know of each other's existence until their father dies.  It's slow moving and the characters sometimes have silly reactions to different situations which made no sense to me.  A sweet ending can't completely make up for the almost two hour boredom you have to endure to get there.
** stars

The Marine 3: Homefront- WWE superstar, Mike "The Miz" Mizanin, takes his turn as "the Marine" following in the footsteps of previous "Marines", John Cena and Ted DiBiase, Jr.  A domestic terrorist with a serious hatred of the rich and powerful kidnaps the Marine's sister.  Since the bumbling FBI does more harm than good, it's up to the Marine sergeant to do what he does best to get her back.  It's a standard action movie that doesn't give you a lot to sink your teeth into.  However, The Miz is a surprisingly decent action star.
**1/2 stars

Deadfall- Eric Bana, Olivia Wilde, Charlie Hunnam, Sissy Spacek, and Kris Kristofferson star in a thriller about a criminal brother/sister team that gets separated after a casino heist.  One tries to murder his way to the Canadian border.  The other becomes involved with a parolee who has major problems of his own.  This all leads to an explosive climax involving the parolee's parents on Thanksgiving.  It's a tight, engaging thriller.
***1/4 stars

The Apparition- Twilight alum Ashley Greene stars in a film that's even less scary than Twilight. A university experiment with the paranormal goes horribly wrong and an evil entity now stalks and terrorizes our world as a result.  Violates the first rule of horror...be scary.  A total waste of time for horror buffs.  Sinister it is not!
0 stars

Butter- Some star power (or at least reasonably known power) is on display in this indie comedy starring Jennifer Garner, Hugh Jackman, Alicia Silverstone, Ty Burrell, Olivia Wilde, Ashley Greene, and Rob Corrdry.  The fight is on in a small Midwestern town when the overly ambitious wife of the town butter sculpture champion decides to take his place in the competition when he is asked to step down.  She appears to be a sure bet to win until a recently adopted 10-year old with butter sculpting talents emergences as her primary challenger.  Funny, sweet, and sometimes scathing, Butter is an underrated must-see (or should see) film.
***1/4 stars

Safety Not Guaranteed- A trio of journalists tracks down an oddball eccentric who is seeking a companion for time travel (you read that correctly).  Witty and sad at the same time, the film has a little bit for everyone:  romance, comedy, sci-fi, drama.  There are worse ways to spend an afternoon than giving this movie a go.
*** stars

12/12/12- A child is born December 12, 2012 and immediately people begin to die.  Must be due to the fact he's the spawn of Satan.  Horrible acting, unintentionally funny, awful special effects.  But you know what?  It gets some recognition for making me laugh.
1/2 star

Smashed- The story of an alcoholic school teacher who realizes her life is spinning way out of control and tries to become sober.  She has a large uphill climb as her husband continues to drink and she begins to grow apart from him.  Two very good performances from Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Aaron Paul (of Breaking Bad fame).  Not sure why Winstead wasn't nominated for an Oscar for this one.  She would have been one of my nominees had I seen this performance before my year end awards.
***1/2 stars

The Samaritan- Samuel L. Jackson stars as a grifter recently released after a 20 year stint in prison who is unwillingly brought back into the life by an acquaintance.  Mostly slow-moving and uneventful.
**1/2 stars

Frankie Go Boom-Charlie Hunnam, Chris O'Dowd, Ron Perlman, and Lizzy Caplan star in this raucous comedy about a one night stand, a video tape, and an internet sensation.  It has several amusing moments and a sweet love story among the chaos.  Perlman as a post-op transsexual is both hilarious and frightening.
***1/4 stars

John Dies at the End- A totally confusing story of two college dropouts who find themselves set up as saviors of the world.  I like weird and thought-provoking narratives, but this is just an all out mess.
0 stars

Mental- A film as schizophrenic as its name implies follows an Australian family whose members are all on the verge of mental breakdown.  When the patriarch "hires" a surly hitchhiker to watch over his daughters when his wife is institutionalized, crazy is the word of the day, week, and month and all Hell breaks loose in the community.  Starring Anthony LaPaglia and Toni Collette, Mental has some funny and touching (and touched) moments, but it's too all over the place to recommend.
** stars

About Cherry- The story of a small town girl turned porn star and the obstacles she encounters along the way.  Has some star power Heather Graham and James Franco.  Has many subplots that could have been something.  But, ultimately, this story seems all too familiar.  I was underwhelmed.  Really can't put my finger on it because it's not a horrible movie.  Something was missing though.
**3/4 stars


Ratings Legend
Zero *= Don't waste your time. Pure dreck! Dreck is too good for this! Blind me please!
1 *= Fuggedaboutit!
2 *= Average, Mediocre, Nothing Special
3 *= Good viewing. Much better than a poke in the eye.
4 *= Great. Could possibly foot the price of a non-Matinee. Buy this on DVD when released!
5 *= Pure eye candy. Hall of Fame material here