Disney/Pixar animation with the voices of Angela Bassett, Jordan Fry, Tom Kenny, Harlan Williams, Adam West, Daniel Hansen, Tom Selleck. Family/Sci-fi adventure/fantasy. Directed by Stephan J. Anderson.
FILM SYNOPSIS: Lewis is an orphan, a creative 12-year-old inventor who dreams of finding a family. His journey takes an unexpected turn when a mysterious stranger named Wilbur Robinson whisks him away to a world where anything is possible…THE FUTURE. There, he meets an incredible assortment of characters and a family beyond his wildest imagination, the Robinsons, who help lead him on an amazing and hilarious adventure with heartfelt results. But while Lewis is experiencing the joy of family, he is also being perused by the dastardly Bowler Hat Guy, a villain bent on possessing one of Lewis’s latest inventions – the Memory Scanner. PREVIEW REVIEW: There are few sounds greater than children laughing. And for a film critic who has suffered through many a mediocre kid’s movie, what a pleasure to feel the same joy the intended audience received from watching a film. Full of energy and humor, with an exceptional voice cast and a clever script that is part adventure, part parable, Meet the Robinsons delivers one of the best family films you’ll see this year. Meet the Robinsons is being shown in 3-D in some theaters. Now, I want you to do yourself – and especially your kids – a favor. Go out of your way to see this one in 3-D. Trust me on this. You’ll be sending me notes of gratitude. It may be the best 3-D animation this reviewer has ever seen. The detail is eye-filling. I felt good when I left the theater. I had just seen a family film that had more on its mind than just being rated G. I sensed the filmmakers were having a blast making this film and that they wanted to go the extra mile. They succeeded. Quite simply put, Meet the Robinsons is a winner for the entire family. The best animated film since The Incredibles!
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Scott Mechlowicz, Nick Nolte, Amy Smart. Written by Kevin Bernhardt. Directed by Victor Salva. In limited release.
A cocky college gymnast encounters a mysterious gas station attendant who is as much a Jedi-like guru as gas pump jockey. Wanting to make the Olympics, the student is drawn back to the gas station sage, hoping the wise old philosopher will teach him a mind set he’s not getting at the gym. And that’s just what the old man does. Nick Nolte’s ethereal guide tutors the young man, bestowing countless tidbits of wisdom. Mixing instructions from Jesus, Confucius and the Karate Kid, this guy dispenses more fortune cookie proverbs than Mr. Miyagi. Most laughable is the casting of Mr. Nolte. Oh, he’s a superb actor, but he’s playing a temperate man, constantly advising the youth to refrain from sex, drugs and rock n’ roll. His lifelong habitual use of booze, cigarettes and other stimulants has taken its toll on the actor’s face. And with Nolte’s gravel lined vocal cords sounding as if he’d just given up scotch for bourbon, he simply does not reflect the temperance of the character he plays in this film. Also troubling is the unlikable lead character. The young gymnast is self-centered and uncaring at the beginning. And even after his life lessons are learned, he’s still sullen and self involved. While I commend the filmmakers for stressing the importance of spiritual matters in an era of movies that focus more on man’s baser instincts, the insights incorporated are far more New Age than biblically sound. There are some solid dramatic moments, but mostly the film drones on, aided by several lifeless clichéd montages. It’s a movie that wanted to be profound. But the lapse of credibility detracts from the life lessons. For example, when our young hero first meets the Nick Nolte character, the old man suddenly, mystically appears on the roof as if he’d jumped up there from a dead standstill. How this was achieved is never explained. There a whole lot about this character that is never explained, making him seem like a representative of the metaphysical world. It’s filled with the type of self exploration gibberish that satisfies the followers of Tony Robbins more so than those seeking biblical truths. If I may, allow me to suggest a video alternative: The Apostle. This perceptive drama, written, directed and starring Robert Duvall, never condescends, nor is it antagonistic toward people of faith while telling its story of a good but imperfect man’s redemption. (The Apostle is rated PG-13: I found nothing offensive for exploitive purposes. The implied adultery, its one violent scene, the reverend's faulty nature, and a couple of mild expletives serve to further the story rather than shock us or malign the ministry.)
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Terrence Howard, Bernie Mac, Kevin Phillips. Sports drama. Written by Michael Gozzard, K. Michael Smith, Millis Goodloe. Directed by Sunu Gonera.
FILM SYNOPSIS: Based on true events, the film tells of an African American swim coach who recruits troubled teens onto a Philadelphia swim team. Terrence Howard stars as Jim Ellis, a concerned man who affected lives with his determination and caring spirit. PREVIEW REVIEW: Like every other entry into the sports genre, Pride has an outline that adheres to an uncompromising steadfastness. Here’s that format: These films are as alike as nickel heads, but if done right, they involve and entertain – and even teach. Pride gets it right. Nothing new, absolutely nothing, yet it has an energy, characters you care about and the tough-but-good-hearted instructor is played by Terrence Howard, an actor of great magnetism. Like Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman and Sidney Poitier, Terrence Howard (Hustle and Flow, Crash) is a class act, a good actor who takes his profession seriously. And he is terrific, here. The film has several good themes, including facing life, not quitting, showing resilience and the need for education. It also addresses a painful reality: the bigotry shown to African Americans even as late as the mid-1960s. Ellis’ own coach, a white man, is portrayed as a good guy who obviously judges others without bigotry. Just about all the other whites featured, however, are downright villainous in their speech and behavior. Seeing the film with a mixed audience, I sensed resentment from the black members, who, as the underdogs finally became victorious, clapped with a fierceness that suggested suppressed rancor. I wondered if that resentment would ever be completely vanquished. It’s a scar that may eventually heal, but I fear will never completely disappear. Mankind has many scars to remind today’s generation of the wrongness done out of a prejudiced judgment. Will they learn from the mistakes and misjudgments of their ancestors?
Attitude is leading a young group astray
A tough-but-good-hearted instructor is introduced to the group
They form a team, but get beaten due to their attitude
The tough-but-good-hearted instructor gives them THE SPEECH
They begin to take their sport and each other seriously
Hope is on the horizon
Then obstacles test them
Then they win by one last ditch effort – shown in slo-mo.
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Adam Sandler, Don Cheadle, Jada Pinkett Smith, Liv Tyler. Drama. Written & directed by Mike Binder (The Upside of Anger).
FILM SYNOPSIS: Former college roommates Charlie Fineman (Adam Sandler) and Alan Johnson (Don Cheadle) meet up again by chance on a Manhattan street corner. Five years after losing his family on 9/11, Charlie – once a successful dentist – has retreated from his life, and Alan is stunned to see the changes in his formerly gregarious friend. At the same time, Alan – who should be enjoying his beautiful wife, children and career – is overwhelmed by his responsibilities. Their rekindled relationship becomes a lifeline for the two men, who are both in need of a trusted friend at this pivotal moment in their lives. PREVIEW REVIEW: By now most of my readers are well aware that I object to profane and obscene language, both from a biblical standpoint and from an artistic one. And Reign Over Me is filled to the brim with such verbiage. What’s more, there is a great deal of sexual innuendo and dialogue. These reasons will probably keep most Christians from attending. And I wouldn’t suggest otherwise. But as a film reporter, I must also tell you that it is, truly, one of the best films of 2007. Though I cringed at some of the R-rated content, I was moved to tears as I witnessed a man who understood the meaning of friendship. Sandler’s Charlie Fineman is a challenge due to his erratic behavior, yet Cheadle’s Alan Johnson never gives up on him. And in his way, Charlie also comes through for his one and only friend. The film taught me a great deal about compassion and patience when it comes to relationships. Extremely well acted, with good pacing, writer/director Mike Binder brings a sorely needed grownup subject to the screen. Reign Over Me is sensitive, with a deeply moving parable about friendship. I probably won’t view it again, due to some profane use of God’s name, but I pray that I will take to heart the lessons it teaches concerning compassion for my fellow man. Video Alternative: Of Mice and Men. The 1992 version with Gary Sinise and John Malkovich is terrific, but it also contains some objectionable language. The 1939 version with Lon Chaney, Jr. and Burgess Meredith is exceptional and lacks any profanity. This fine adaptation of the John Steinbeck novel is a morality tale about friendship. Though it is an old film, everything about it is top drawer, including a memorable score by Aaron Copeland.
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Animated action/adventure. Voices: Patrick Stewart, Sarah Michelle Geller, Mako, Chris Evans, James Arnold Taylor, Mikey Kelly. Written & directed by Kevin Monroe.
FILM SYNOPSIS: It’s been a while since the Ninja Turtles have faced a destructive adversary. Their sensei Master Splinter worries that they are growing apart. But not to worry. For an unknown reason, an industrialist has amassed an army of ancient monsters to do his bidding. PREVIEW REVIEW: They are four turtle brothers who were somehow mutinized at birth, along with a rat who must have somehow spent a great deal of time watching reruns of Kung Fu. The boys, named after legendary painters/sculptures/scientists, are now martial arts experts who wear masks. (Why masks? I have no clue.). Like the Batman or any of the Justice League, they defend their city from master criminals while submitting to the tutelage of Master Splinter, the giant rat/shaman. Kids just eat this up, the crazier, the better. Here, they reunite to once again take on giant stone ancient warriors and a slew of huge semi-scary monsters. A few life lessons about brotherhood are intermingled along with lots of skirmishes. Is it too violent for kids? Well, it’s cartoonish, but there is one battle after another. You’ll have to decide for yourselves if you think this amount of battling is bad for your children. If your kid keeps trying to saw his little brother in half, then maybe you should prevent him from too much screen aggressiveness. For others, the action stirs the imagination and is even somewhat of a release. The technical qualities are good, as is the computer-generated cartooning. And the brothers become closer by film’s end. Full of Eastern philosophy? I don’t think so. Master Splinter is a gentle being who instructs his students to work together in order to best an opponent and to find the best in themselves. He is someone they respect and turn to for guidance. But the film isn’t a serious proponent of Eastern religions. That said, they do call him Master. You might need to explain that. And you never know when something even as simple as a cartoon about turtles who respect a wise philosopher is going to raise questions concerning religion. This might be a good opportunity to discuss Jesus and biblical teachings.
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