New This Week
ARTHUR (PG-13) It's a hard act to follow, but the two-point-noooo! remake of the 1981 classic starring the late-great Dudley Moore is actually pretty good — as in top-of-the-queue-Netflix good. Many of the elements are in place: Dorothy Parker-esque one-liners; a dignified and generous female-nanny-spin on Hobson by Helen Mirren — like John Gielgud's original, hers are the best moments of the film and turns in a likewise Oscar-worthy performance — and a touching romance between Russell Brand's reluctantly engaged millionaire and Greta Gerwig's working class Naomi. Brand is affable and convincing as Arthur with several laugh-out-loud lines. One key plot point gets a politically correct makeover — attention to Arthur's drinking problem. An improvement: increased camera time between Hobson and Arthur. Some over-the-top choices are ill advised, such as the Batmobile and Jennifer Garner's psychotic version of Susan. Luis Guzmán is enjoyable as butler Bitterman; Nick Nolte is appropriately menacing as Burt Johnson. —Julie Garisto
BORN TO BE WILD 3D (G) A story about the remarkable bond between humans and animals, Born to be Wild documents orphaned orangutans and elephants and the extraordinary people who rescue and raise them—saving endangered species one life at a time. (Not reviewed)
HANNA (PG-13) A young girl (Saoirse Ronan) is raised in the woods by her ex-CIA dad (Eric Bana) to be the ultimate killing machine. Hanna looks terrific, but be sure to check out CL Contributor Anthony Salveggi's review of the film online Friday at dailyloafblog.com.
YOUR HIGHNESS (R) Danny McBride, James Franco and Natalie Portman star in this Medieval stoner comedy from the director of Pineapple Express. Intern Tony Allen will have his full take on Your Highness online on Friday at dailyloafblog.com.
SOUL SURFER (PG) See Tony Allen's review and interview with subject Bethany Hamilton on p. 32.
WIN WIN (R) Paul Giamatti stars in this acclaimed film about life, family and wrestling. Movies Editor Joe Bardi will have a full review of Win Win posted Friday at dailyloafblog.com.
Recent Releases
BATTLE: LOS ANGELES (PG-13) As a title, Battle: Los Angeles is the perfect summation of Hollywood's latest alien invasion fantasy. This is a war movie unconcerned with little things like plot or characterization. Oh sure, there's a general through-line (meteors land off the coast of Santa Monica, aliens arrive on shore and open a can of whoop-ass, U.S. Marines fight to rescue civilians and stay alive) and a few characters get some depth, most notably Aaron Eckhart's Marine Staff Sgt. Michael Nantz. But Battle: Los Angeles only aspires to be a loud, rocking combat film (think Independence Day meets Black Hawk Down), and on that score it's a blast. —Joe Bardi
HOP (PG) Hop re-tells the legend of the Easter Bunny with a fine mix of animation and live action shenanigans. Russell Brand stars as E.B., the soon to be successor to the candy delivering empire, who's more interested in playing drums in a rock band. The rebel rabbit high cotton-tails it for the real world and runs into jobless slacker Fred (James Marsden), turning both their lives upside down. Hop is a fun, inoffensive flick that's more than just "family friendly," and makes certain to not become overly grating for mature viewers. If the kids are on spring/Easter break and you're forced to take them to the movies, Hop is actually better than the TV spots lead on. You and the little abominations might even enjoy this non-Jesusy Easter tale. —Rabid Nick Refer
INSIDIOUS (R) With two young sons and a baby welcomed to the family, Josh (Patrick Wilson) and Renai (Rose Byrne) move into a new house that has all the familiar makings of being haunted. The new home, however, is not the problem. Dalton, the oldest child, has an accident in the attic (a conspicuously ominous attic, of course) and soon falls into what doctors believe is a coma. Once he returns home, still in his coma-like state, the haunting begins. Insidious features more than a few clichés in its plot points and is predictable in some areas, but the situations seem real and kept my chills from subsiding. Yes, it plays a little too much like a Halloween haunted house in parts, with miscellaneous ghouls and goblins seemingly lurking around every corner, but the genuine fear we feel with every step the characters take ultimately outweighs the camp factor. —Daniel Feingold
LIMITLESS (PG-13) Bradley Cooper plays Eddie Morra, an average guy made super intelligent by an experimental pill, which he suddenly ends up with a pretty staggering supply of. With ample time to knock it back and fully optimize the drug's value, Morra goes from the predictable first steps (getting laid, etc.) into the big game — namely a spot in the boardroom with business shark Carl Van Loon (De Niro). It's all a delightful circus of entertainment and shock value. Limitless is twisty and turny without being confusing, fast-paced without being obnoxious, well-cast, well-played and overall just a lot of fun. Cooper is obviously having a blast and hoping you will too. And I promise you won't see the end coming. —Shannon Bennett
THE LINCOLN LAWYER (R) Despite its flaws, The Lincoln Lawyer cruises along thanks to the immense charisma and fine acting of star Matthew McConaughey, who deserves far better than the roles to which he's frequently assigned. Fortunately, he doesn't have to shoulder the burden of this familiar crime yarn by himself. Top to bottom, the movie has been exceptionally well cast, with noteworthy work by Josh Lucas as a prosecuting attorney and Marisa Tomei as McConaughey's ex. Even Ryan Phillippe, with his bland face and limited range of expressions, seems an ideal choice in the part of a rich brat accused of viciously beating a prostitute. In this particular role, Phillippe's blankness turns out to be an asset. Good thing for those performances, too. As it reaches the back end of its lumbering 2-hour running time, The Lincoln Lawyer becomes increasingly impatient to set things right, glossing over its stupid plot developments in the process. —Anthony Salveggi
PAUL (R) Paul is lots of fun, but "fun" doesn't necessarily denote quality. While the script (written by stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost) is solid, and the acting is great, there is something missing from Paul that will keep it off the fanboy pedestal currently supporting previous Pegg/Frost collaborations Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. But if you're familiar with the major sci-fi blockbusters of the 1980s and '90s (or just a huge nerd for all things Pegg/Frost) you're going to have a great time. —SB
RANGO (PG) Johnny Depp gives voice to the titular lizard who, through some crazy animated hijinks, ends up a sheriff in an Old West town. The animation is beautiful, the detail work outstanding, and the characters are unique and interesting. Sure, take a kid if it makes you feel better, but it's not a "kids' movie." It's an adult movie that's pretty enough to keep the young ones entertained, and should make for an interesting family outing. —Kevin Hopp
SOURCE CODE (PG13) In this cerebral and engrossing sci-fi mystery, the titular "code" is a top-secret government project that promises to send the consciousness of one person (say, a soldier played by Jake Gyllenhaal) into the body of another. Two catches: You can only jump into people after they're dead, and you only get to replay the last eight minutes of their lives. With that in mind, Gyllenhaal is tasked with jumping into the body of a man on a commuter train bound for Chicago that has already been destroyed in a terrorist attack and flushing the bomber out. Source Code is wonderful, heady, entertaining sci-fi that owes a large part of its success to fleshed-out characters that the audience will genuinely care about. There's very little geek-speak, and the movie is much more interested in the human dimensions of its story than in high technology and Hollywood gloss (though both are present to satisfy the sci-fi fans in the audience). —Joe Bardi
This article appears in Apr 7-13, 2011.