| Mitch on Movies: In Theatres Now...April 21, 2012 Apr 22nd 2012, 06:40 Earth Day is tomorrow (April 22, 2012), so why not plant a tree, live by candlelight, use public transportation, or ride a bike? Certainly driving to an air conditioned movie theatre isn't Earth Day-like, but Disneynature's new film, "Chimpanzee", arrived in cineplexes this weekend. Is this new movie worth your time and gasoline? Well, let's look at this picture, other new releases and "just about" everything else playing in theatres right now: THE GOOD, THE NOT TOO BAD and THE JUST PLAIN UGLY.  | | (Credits: Disneynature) |
NEW RELEASES: "Chimpanzee" 2 / 4 stars - This dull and really slow storyline, about a group of chimpanzees in Africa, stifles the fascinating footage captured by the team from Disneynature. Narrated by Tim Allen, the film shows the chimps eating berries, picking ticks, cracking nuts with rocks, and fighting with a rival gang, but I was rarely engaged and felt little emotion. Although the documentary clocked in at 88 minutes, it seemed to drag for much longer. Sorry, I didn't like it, and I'm probably one of the very few.
 | | (Credits: Sony Pictures Classics) |
"Damsels in Distress" 3 / 4 stars - A small team of co-eds from Seven Oaks University try their best to acclimate freshman girls to the college experience and navigate through a sea of dunderheaded boys in this light and airy comedy. Led by Violet (Greta Gerwig), the aforementioned girls run the on-campus suicide prevention center, but also spend time explaining their school's fraternities are named with Roman letters, and the boys can be conniving "operators." Sure, "Damsels in Distress" is directionless, but it's fun to hang out in Violet's world for 99 minutes.
 | | (Credits: Warner Bros.) |
"The Lucky One" 2.5 / 4 stars - Zac Efron, Taylor Schilling and Blythe Danner are very likable in this movie version of Nicholas Sparks's book in which a U.S. Marine Corp vet (Efron) discovers a picture of a beautiful girl (Schilling) in Iraq, and looks for her in the U.S. The problem is the film feels very staged, sugary sweet and hugely predictable, but despite these issues, you'll cheer for the leads and hope everything will work out in the end. "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" (not reviewed) - A documentary about an extraordinarily talented 85-year-old sushi chef from Tokyo.
"Think Like a Man" (not reviewed) - Four women read a book about relationships from a man's point of view which frustrate the men who pursue them.
 | | (Credits: Warner Bros.) |
THE GOOD: "21 Jump Street" 3 / 4 stars - Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum play enthusiastic police academy graduates assigned to bust a high school drug ring. The catch? They need to play high school students. Hill and Tatum are laugh-out-loud hilarious here, and they play off each other quite well. I was really surprised "21 Jump Street" offered so many, well, surprises. "The Hunger Games" 3 / 4 stars - This "lines-circling-movie-theatres-everywhere" science fiction picture is half "The Running Man" and half "Lord of the Flies", and together, along with Jennifer Lawrence's strong leading performance, drops us into a captivating tale of survival and loyalty. Although I wanted more time spent on some of the key story lines, director Gary Ross effectively juggles several plot points - around a teenager's fight to the death against 23 opponents in a state-sponsored event - while maintaining the film's swift and entertaining pace. Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson and Wes Bentley co-star. "Jeff, Who Lives at Home" 3 / 4 stars - Although traditional funny men Jason Segel and Ed Helms star in this small film about emotionally detached brothers (a pothead and a man struggling in his marriage), this film plays more like an indie inspirational drama, and it works. Three story lines, including one with Susan Sarandon, bring plenty intricate intrigue, and the movie packs an emotional punch I didn't expect. Nicely done. "The Lorax" 3 / 4 stars - This sugary-sweet animated film based upon the Dr. Seuss book is a wondrous story "shot" in the unfortunate artificial town of Thneedville. With no living trees and grass, everything is made of plastic, but it's up to one young idealistic boy, Ted (Zac Efron), to change things. Speaking for the trees, Danny DeVito plays The Lorax, and Ed Helms, Betty White and Taylor Swift co-star. Perfectly charming entertainment for young kids, but not necessarily an engaging movie for parents. "Mirror Mirror" 3 / 4 stars - This unusual take on the Snow White story is clumsy at times, but because the script and cast keep up the charade throughout, it captures real whimsy and charm. Speaking of charm, Lily Collins is nicely cast as the demure 18-year-old Snow White and Julia Roberts is terrific as The Queen. Beautiful costumes and plenty of wink-and-a-nod laughs prevail in this nice family film. Armie Hammer stars as Prince Alcott. "Wrath of the Titans" 3 / 4 stars - Hades (Ralph Fiennes) hatches a nefarious plan to destroy the Earth, but not if Zeus (Liam Neeson), Perseus (Sam Worthington) and Andromeda (Rosamund Pike) have anything to say about it. This fantasy picture doesn't mince words and doesn't waste screen time. It offers an effective and fast-paced story with spectacular special effects. Not everyone will like this film, but fans of the genre will.
 | | (Credits: Lionsgate) |
THE NOT TOO BAD: "The Three Stooges" 2.5 / 4 stars - Chris Diamantopoulos, Sean Hayes and Will Sasso perform nearly uncanny tributes to The Clown Princes of Slapstick, Moe, Larry and Curly, respectively, and deserve huge accolades. This Farrelly Brothers' picture does successfully pay homage to the legendary comedy team and I did laugh, but "The Three Stooges" isn't a great movie. Instead it's a silly, sophomoric and weirdly outdated curiosity in which fans will appreciate and look back at the good old days. "American Reunion" 2 / 4 stars - Any fan of "American Pie" will definitely laugh during this film, it's 3rd sequel. I know I did, and especially during Steve Stifler's (Seann William Scott) antics and Jim's Dad's (Eugene Levy) naivety. I enjoyed every moment they graced the screen, but the problem is I didn't enjoy too much more of this plodding and tired nostalgia trip (LINK to full review). "Being Flynn" 2 / 4 stars - Family strife and bad blood ensues when a dysfunctional and estranged dad (Robert De Niro) reunites with his distant and troubled son (Paul Dano) amongst the Boston grit. It's great to see De Niro in a serious drama and Paul Dano can carry a film. Unfortunately, the script telegraphs every move and plays out as rather ordinary (LINK to full review). "Cabin in the Woods" 2 / 4 stars - Five college kids take a trip to an isolated cabin in the middle of nowhere and find much more than a leisurely weekend getaway. Reminiscent of "The Evil Dead" with some really bizarre twists, this horror film offering from director Drew Goddard is simply too clever for its own good. The actors do a fine job, including Fran Kranz as an insightful stoner, but are caught in a film which really could've used a rewrite. "Lockout" 2 / 4 stars - In the year 2079, the President of the United States asks an ex-CIA agent (Guy Pearce) to rescue his daughter (Maggie Grace) from a group of 497 bad guys in a maximum security space prison. Although Pearce is likable as the smart-alecky one-man wrecking crew, the film is too bombastic and haphazardly edited to really recommend. "The Raid: Redemption" 2 / 4 stars - This punch 'em up, kick 'em up, shoot 'em up, slash 'em up, and hack 'em up action picture is supremely heavy on violence and extremely thin on story and character development. Talented writer/director Gareth Evans sets up oodles of bloody and clever confrontations, but that's basically all the film has to offer. After a while, I became numb to the savagery and got lost in the endless maze inside the residential high-rise. "Safehouse" 2 / 4 stars - A great premise - a fugitive former CIA agent (Denzel Washington) turns himself in and a young upstart (Ryan Reynolds) needs to bring him back to the United States - is, unfortunately, lackluster and dull. Sure, we get some chases scenes and gunplay, but I never felt connected to any of the characters to care. Not even a little. "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" 2 / 4 stars -Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt star in a romance/comedy/drama - about a Yemeni sheik who wishes to fish for salmon in his home country - that's, unfortunately, really light on the romance and the comedy drops off after the first half hour. The film's trailer is much better than the film itself. I was really disappointed (LINK to full review).  | | (Credits: Ruckus Films) |
THE JUST PLAIN UGLY: "Blue Like Jazz" 1.5 / 4 stars - A southern conservative religious high school student tries to get his bearings and learn about life at a liberal agnostic college in Oregon, but this coming-of-age story didn't grab me. What's supposed to be quirky, fun and enlightening just comes off as dumb, clunky and dull. There's a very good story in here somewhere, but the screenplay gets completely lost and the lead players can't carry the wounded narrative.  | |
