The Bourne Ultimatum (PG-13, 111 minutes) The third (loose) adaptation of Robert Ludlum’s spy thriller series wraps things up for our amnesiac assassin Jason Bourne (Matt Damon). This time, our boy is racing around the globe, trying to shake a government agent and uncover the final mysteries about his dark past. This, of course, involves shooting a whole lot of people. Playing at Regal Seminole Square Cinema 4
Trailer for The Bourne Ultimatum. |
Daddy Day Camp (PG, 93 minutes) Daddy Day Care from 2003 had Eddie Murphy pretty much scraping the bottom of the family film barrel. In this "should have gone direct to video" sequel, Murphy’s role has been outsourced to Cuba Gooding Jr. (Snow Dogs, Boat Trip). This time around, our stay-at-home hero is taking a bunch of kids on, yes, a camping trip. Hijinks ensue all over the damn place. Opening Wednesday; check local listings
Hairspray (PG, 107 minutes) It seems redundant to remake the Broadway remake of John Waters’ 1988 film. But it’s hard to grouse when the results are such top-notch fun. Newcomer Nikki Blonsky takes over for Ricki Lake, proving herself a spunky little sparkplug. Surrounding her is an able cast of singers and dancers including John Travolta, Christopher Walken, Queen Latifah, Amanda Bynes and Michelle Pfeiffer. The costumes are great, the music is infectious and the story (about the racial integration of a 1960s TV dance show) quite sincere. It’s hard not to grin your way from start to finish. Playing at Regal Seminole Square Cinema 4
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (PG-13, 138 minutes) The fifth Harry Potter film hits theaters over summer for a change. This time around, meddling bureaucrats have taken over the Hogwarts School. It’s up to Harry and his friends to practice their evil-busting skills in secret in order to combat the growing menace of Lord Voldemort. …Oh, and there’s kissing. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6
Hot Rod (PG-13) Andy Samberg, the dude behind the much-e-mailed "SNL" video "D**k in a Box," gets his own movie. Samberg plays Rod Kimble, a dorky thrillseeker who fancies himself a "Jackass"-style stunt man. When his abusive stepfather needs a lifesaving heart operation, Rod vows to raise the money by performing a record-setting motorcycle jump. A dumb but laughable throwback to Adam Sandler’s Billy Madison period of man-boy humor. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6
I Know Who Killed Me (R, 105 minutes) Lindsay Lohan stars in this twist-heavy horror thriller about a small-town gal named Aubrey Fleming who is abducted and tortured by a sadistic serial killer. (Oh, more of that, eh?) The traumatized girl escapes and wakes up in a hospital where she claims she is not actually Aubrey Fleming, but another girl named Dakota Moss. Are we dealing with post-traumatic stress? A case of "evil twin syndrome"? Or something even more sinister? Playing at Carmike Cinema 6
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (PG-13, 140 minutes) In this slight twist on La Cage au Folles, two straight firefighters (Adam Sandler, Kevin James) pretend to be a homosexual couple so they can receive domestic partner benefits. For the next two hours and 20 minutes, Sandler and James "act gay" so no one will catch on. More rude silliness (with a big message at the end) from the director of Big Daddy and Beverly Hills Ninja. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6
Live Free or Die Hard (PG-13, 130 minutes) You’d think poor, bedraggled cop John McClane (Bruce Willis) would be tired of saving the world by now, but no. NYC’s favorite supercop returns for the fourth time. For this outing, he’s teamed up with the kid from the Mac/PC commercials (Justin Long) to defeat a cabal of Internet-based terrorists who are systematically shutting down the United States. Realistically, you could probably stop cyber-criminals with a case of Bawls energy drink and a beta test version of Halo 3. McClane, however, goes the heavy caliber weapons and huge explosions route. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6
No Reservations (PG, 105 minutes) Liberally stealing its title from Anthony Bourdain’s TV series, this standard-issue romantic comedy finds Catherine Zeta-Jones cast as a stuck-up, self-centered chef who learns to live and love when she suddenly becomes the guardian of her young niece (Abigail Breslin). Yes, the plot has been recycled endlessly (this one’s actually a remake of the German film, Mostly Martha), but the cast (including Aaron Eckhart as the would-be love interest) is at least pleasant to look at. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6
Once (R, 85 minutes) This scruffy alt-rock musical is already shaping up to be the sleeper hit of summer. Glen Hansard of the Irish pop group The Frames stars as a lovelorn street busker who bares his soul in song, but keeps people at a distance. Into his life comes lonely single mother/Czech immigrant/singer-songwriter Markéta Irglová. The two have an instant chemistry, but are too shy to act on it. In a genre characterized by showy production numbers and over-the-top emotions, this thoroughly modern musical drama makes its mark with a subdued, melancholy mood and a low-key, lo-fi sense of realism. Playing at Vinegar Hill Theatre
Ratatouille (G, 110 minutes) Animation lovers can breathe a sigh of relief. Pixar, the team behind The Incredibles, Toy Story and so much more, returns with another CGI comedy for the whole family. The star is a food-loving rodent living inside a famous Paris bistro who dreams of becoming a world-class chef—not a career path open to most rats. To realize his gastronomic potential, he teams up with a hapless young kitchen helper to wow the cooking world. Patton Oswalt, Ian Holm, Brian Dennehy, Peter O’Toole and Janeane Garofalo are among the voice cast. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6
Rush Hour 3 (PG-13, 90 minutes) Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker and director Brett Ratner are back for another exciting, occasionally obnoxious go-around in the Rush Hour franchise. This time, mismatched buddy cop duo of Chief Inspector Lee and Detective Carter are in Paris and have indavertantly gotten themelves mixed up with a murderous Chinese Triad. This calls for some kung fu and some wacky "yo mama" jokes! Opening Friday; check local listings
The Simpsons Movie (PG-13, 87 minutes) Who doesn’t love "The Simpsons"? Here, America’s favorite animated family comes to the big screen. Seems Homer has lost his job at the power plant after causing a nuclear accident that forces the evacuation of Springfield, possibly forever. In a word: D’oh! Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6
 Claire Danes’ forehead looks comparatively blank in this still from the free-flowing fantasy, Stardust. |
Stardust (PG-13, 130 minutes) The popular fantasy novel by comic book icon Neil Gaiman gets turned into a live-action film about a young man who promises to retrieve a fallen star for his beloved. His quest takes him into a magical realm where stars are alive, witches prey on humans and pirates sail through the skies. Claire Danes is the star (literally), Michelle Pfeiffer is the witch and Robert De Niro is the pirate. Fans of romantic adventure stories along the lines of The Princess Bride will welcome this one with open arms. Opening Friday; check local listings
Sunshine (R, 107 minutes) Director Danny Boyle (28 Days Later, The Beach, Trainspotting) tries something different with this sci-fi adventure about a team of astronauts sent into space to re-ignite our dying sun 50 years from now. Rose Byrne (Troy), Chris Evans (Fantastic Four), Cillian Murphy (Batman Begins) and Michelle Yeoh (Memoirs of a Geisha) are among the diverse cast. The film keeps focussed on the human element, detailing the assorted errors, tensions and personality conflicts that jeopardize the possible suicide mission. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6
Talk to Me (R, 118 minutes) Don Cheadle finally grabs himself a full-fledged starring role. Aside from 2004’s Hotel Rwanda, the actor has been more or less content to settle for quality second banana roles. Here, he takes the bull by the horns as real-life Washington, D.C. radio personality Ralph "Petey" Greene, an ex-con who became a popular talk show host and community activist in the ’60s and ’70s. The film is a robust mixture of humor and drama. Director Kasi Lemmons (Eve’s Bayou) gives the film the all-too-familiar rise-and-fall arc of so many biopics, but the performances (including a great one by Chiwetel Ejiofor) are worth the price of admission. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6
Transformers (PG-13, 144 minutes) The wildly popular toy-line-turned-cartoon-series from the ’80s returns as a big-budget, big-screen film directed by the man who gave us Bad Boys, The Rock and Armageddon. (At least he knows how to make things blow up real good.) Seems Earth has been invaded by space robots—some of whom are good, some of whom are bad, all of which can transform into cars and trucks and planes and stuff. Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Jon Voight and Bernie Mac are among the humans caught in the middle of this frenetic, far-fetched but ultimately action-packed war. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6
Underdog (PG, 84 minutes) For rabid fans of the Garfield movies comes this creepy-looking live-action/CGI adaptation of the classic 1964 cartoon. Jason Lee ("My Name is Earl") provides the voice for our canine superhero. This juvenile offering plays mighty fast and loose with the original, setting it all in the "real" world and throwing in some rude humor for good measure. Playing at Regal Seminole Square Cinema 4
Who’s Your Caddy? (PG-13) An Atlanta rap mogul (Atlanta rap mogul Big Boi, obviously acting against type) tries to join a conservative country club, causing all the uptight white people to go into a tizzy. Basically, it’s Caddyshack with… No, wait, it’s just Caddyshack. Opening Friday; check local listings
