The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
In "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," Brad Pitt plays a guy who ages in reverse.
Given all the advances in plastic surgery, half of Hollywood does that these days! His
unusual affliction causes him to feel like an outcast, so he spends his life wandering from
one thing to another, trying to figure out where he fits in. When you're a wrinkled, arthritic child or a senior citizen going through puberty, it's safe to say that you probably don't fit in anywhere. Fortunately, Pitt falls in love with Cate Blanchett, who is aging the normal way, but their relationship can only work when they meet in the middle, otherwise she either looks like a cradle robber or a gold digger. I'm making light of the premise of "Benjamin Button," but this is actually a thoughtful and even deep meditation on life and death. Because he ages backwards, Pitt sees the cycle of life from a different perspective, and his insights will make you ponder your own views on the subject. The performances are excellent, as are the groundbreaking special effects that allow Brad Pitt to convincingly play the character at a wide variety of ages. "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" is a really beautiful film - the kind that gets under your skin and packs an emotional punch. (4 stars)

Doubt
In "Doubt," Meryl Streep plays a nun at a Catholic school who believes that a priest (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) may have had inappropriate contact with a student. She sets out to bring him down, and enlists the help of a young, naive nun, played by Amy Adams. Ladies and gentlemen, I've been a Catholic all my life. I've been around nuns. And I have never seen a nun that looked like Amy Adams. That is one hot nun! Of course, if nuns really did look like her, a lot of Catholic boys would commit the venial sin of lust. But I digress. There's a line in "Doubt" that expresses the theme well: "Certainty is an emotion, not a fact." Streep's character is absolutely convinced that Hoffman is guilty, yet she has no proof of it other than her own gut instinct. The movie never tells us what really happened, allowing us to decide for ourselves. "Doubt" is a movie about…well, doubt. It asks whether we can ever truly be sure of anything unless there is a mountain of evidence to back it up. I found the story's theme to be riveting, and the pitch-perfect performances really enhance what it is trying to say. Streep is particularly excellent, playing a tough-as-nails sister who thinks she has it all figured out. Smart, literate, and provocative, "Doubt" is one of the year's best films. (4 stars)

Yes Man
In "Yes Man," Jim Carrey plays a bank loan officer who's reeling from his divorce and his failure to land a promotion. Because of this, he's become crankier than Ebenezer Scrooge with a migraine headache and a hemorrhoid. Carrey's life changes when he attends a self-help seminar and agrees to its central principal: instead of saying no, say yes to every opportunity that presents itself. By following this little rule, he suddenly begins doing all kinds of things he never did before, like bungee jumping, learning to speak Korean, and accepting the advances of the little old lady next door. Okay, maybe that one's not so great. Carrey even finds romance with a quirky photographer, played by Zooey Deschanel. After a few years of experimentation, "Yes Man" finds its star returning to his safe zone. It is intended to be a textbook Jim Carrey silly comedy, and honestly, that's just fine by me. There is no substance to "Yes Man" and no greater meeting - although the story does have a pretty obvious moral about picking and choosing what's important to you in life. The purpose of the movie is to be funny - to put Jim Carrey into a series of bizarre situations and allow him to run amok. I'm not even going to try to give "Yes Man" any kind of intellectual defense. Did it make me laugh? Yes. Do I recommend it to other people who want to laugh? Yes. (3 stars)

Four Christmases
"Four Christmases" sounds like the end of one of my movie reviews. "On a scale of 1 to 4, I give it Four Christmases!" However, it's got nothing to do with my usual signoff, and I'm not giving it four of anything. Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon play a happily unmarried couple who plan to spend the holidays in Fiji. When weather conditions cause their flight to be cancelled, they are forced to spend Christmas visiting each of their divorced parents. And if you think all these people are happy and well-adjusted, think again. There's a hard-and-fast rule stating that movie families who get together for the holidays must be even more mentally screwed up than the Lohans. It's a law or something. "Four Christmases" is really two different movies. Half of it is a smart, funny observational comedy about how people deal with their dysfunctional relatives. I liked this half. The other half is a broad comedy where Vaughn and Witherspoon are forced into overly wacky situations straight out of a bad sitcom. I didn't like this half as much. With its shifting tones, "Four Christmases" went from making me laugh really hard to having stretches where I didn't laugh at all. It's not a terrible movie, just an inconsistent one. Of course, the funniest joke in the movie is the idea that Reese Witherspoon could date Vince Vaughn. She comes up to his kneecaps. Bottom line: the film is a passable time killer, but nothing you'll return to in yuletide seasons to come. (2 1/2 stars)

Twilight
“Twilight" is based on the best selling novel that has turned millions of teenage girls into raving lunatics. Kristen Stewart plays Bella, an alienated adolescent who moves to a small town in Washington state and falls in love with a dark, moody vampire named Edward, played by Robert Pattinson. Edward desperately wants to drink Bella's blood, but fights off the urge because he cares about her so much. When a less ethical vampire catches a whiff of Bella's scent and tries to take her for himself, Edward has to fight to protect his one true love. This movie is like "The Lost Boys" meets "The Notebook." On the page, "Twilight" was a thinly veiled metaphor for adolescent sexuality - the confusion between wanting to have it and fearing the consequences. When Edward says, "I want to drink your blood" what he really means is "What does a vampire have to do to get some hot lovin' all up in here?" The film version dramatizes all the events well, but tends to play up the action and therefore loses the meaningfulness of the book's themes. Some of the elements from the novel also come off as silly on the big screen. For example, the vampire and his family all have the ability to move at super speed. But despite the amazing advances in special effects, it's still impossible to make people move in fast-forward without it looking like an old Benny Hill sketch. I loved the visual style of the movie, the music, and some of the performances, but a few of the key ingredients have trouble making the transfer to another medium. "Twilight" is mildly fun if you're a fan of the book, but it's not likely to win many converts. (2 ½ stars)

Quantum of Solace
What a difference two years can make. In 2006, the James Bond franchise was
reinvigorated with "Casino Royale" - a movie most people agreed was one of the best in the series. Now comes "Quantum of Solace" which, with the possible exception of "License to Kill," is the worst Bond film ever. And while we're at it, what in blue blazes is a "quantum of solace" anyway? Daniel Craig returns as Bond, and he's seeking revenge for the death of his girlfriend at the end of the last installment. This causes him to cross paths with a shady environmentalist who is scheming to control the water supply in Bolivia. He's also working in conjunction with the British and American governments to overthrow the country's political regime in the process. There are so many problems here that I hardly know where to start. First of all, this doesn't feel like a James Bond film. There are no fancy spy gadgets, 007 doesn't romance any ladies, and the villain is deadly dull. They should have called him NyQuil because he'll put you to sleep. Worst of all is that the film doesn't set up its characters and situations very well, so when people start double- and triple-crossing each other, it becomes almost impossible to follow. Seriously, you'd need a map, a compass, and a satellite GPS system to find your way around this plot. It's amazing how badly the filmmakers have screwed things up from last time. If there's any consolation, it's that James Bond will live twice to die another day. For now, though, I'm giving "Quantum of Solace" the Gold-finger. (1 ½ stars)
 

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
"Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" has a very misleading title. You may remember that in the original, four animals from the New York Zoo accidentally ended up in the title country: a lion (voiced by Ben Stiller), a zebra (voiced by Chris Rock), a hippo (voiced by Jada Pinkett-Smith), and a giraffe (voiced by David Schwimmer). The sequel finds them trying to escape 2 America, but crash landing in Africa instead. Perhaps a better title would have been "Madagascar: What the Heck Do We Have to Do to Get Back to the United States?" Once stranded in Africa, Alex the lion is reunited with his long lost father. He also has to battle his father's rival (voiced by Alec Baldwin) who wants to take control of the tribe. Wow, lions sure do have a lot of turf wars, don't they? First Mufasa and Scar in "The Lion King," now Stiller and Baldwin in this movie. What's next - Aslan from the "Chronicles of Narnia" verus the MGM lion? Elsewhere in the story, Marty the zebra struggles to find something that sets him apart from all the other zebras, Gloria the hippo starts dating a studly male hippo, and Melman the giraffe decides to confess his love to Gloria once and for all. That part of the movie is kind of icky; I don't even want to think about what the offspring of a hippo and a giraffe might look like. I enjoyed the original "Madagascar," and the sequel is even better. It's funnier, it's got better animation, and the story is more well-developed. It's like they took everything that was good about the original and made improved it. (3 1/2 stars)

Role Models
"Role Models" stars Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott as energy drink salesmen. Rudd has an anger management problem, and Scott is a pot-smoking skirt chaser. These two perpetual screw-ups get arrested and are assigned community service. They are court-ordered to be mentors in a Big Brothers-type program. Hmmm...a guy with a rage complex and a horny stoner; I can see why a judge would think they'd be good with kids. Scott gets matched up with a foul-mouthed 10 year-old, and Rudd is paired with an alienated teenager (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) who's obsessed with a live-action role playing game. In other words: he's a major geek. You might reasonably assume that "Role Models" is about how these troubled kids cause the dysfunctional adults to finally grow up and become better men. Well, yes and no. Underneath the seemingly warm-and-fuzzy story, there's a cynical streak that suggests the guys become peers with these children. In other words, they don't really mature - they just start hanging out with people who share their same mentality. "Role Models" is one of the funniest movies I've seen this year. Rudd and Scott are hilarious, and the screenplay is smartly written. Most of all, I enjoyed the film's irreverent spirit. If you're in the mood for some good raunchy laughs, this is a smart choice. (3 1/2 stars)

Zack and Miri Make a Porno
In "Zack and Miri Make a Porno," Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks play platonic roommates with a mountain of unpaid bills between them. In a desperate bid for cash, they gather some friends together and decide to...well, considering the movie's title, do I really need to tell you what they do? What starts out as a lewd enterprise takes an unexpected turn when Rogen and Banks realize they're secretly in love with each other - right before they film their big scene. "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" was written and directed by Kevin Smith, who rounds out his cast with real-life adult film stars like Traci Lords and Katie Morgan. (At least, I'm told by other people that they're real-life adult film stars. I mean, I certainly wouldn't have any way of knowing that on my own. How would I even know that? I wouldn't. It's crazy.) The movie certainly has its share of raunchy, sex-related humor, including what might be the single most disgusting grossout joke ever committed to celluloid. But at its heart, this is actually a very sweet romantic comedy. Smith's message is that sex is great, but it's so much greater and more meaningful with someone you actually love. The movie is surprisingly touching in the way it conveys that idea. Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks prove to be a great on-screen couple, making us believe in their characters' romance while still making us laugh really hard. Just one question: When someone eventually makes the porn knockoff of this picture, what on earth are they gonna call it? I guess we'll just have to wait and see. (3 1/2 stars)

Changeling
"Changeling" is based on a true story so amazing that it will astound and horrify you. Set in 1920's Los Angeles, Angelina Jolie plays a single mother whose little boy disappears without a trace. Several months later, the cops, seeking some good publicity, deliver another child in his place. When Jolie starts to loudly insist to the press that this kid is not her son, they commit her to a mental institution. Let me remind you again: this is a true story! "Changeling" has all the things you'd expect from a good drama - an eloquent screenplay, solid direction (in this case, from Clint Eastwood), and superb performances. But what made the movie so insanely compelling for me was the depiction of a crime you couldn't get away with today. I mean, trying to convince a woman that some strange kid is her son and putting her in a psych ward when she doesn't play along? These days, if the cops tried something like that, all you'd have to do would be to go on Oprah or the internet to spill the beans. Angelina Jolie delivers Oscar-worthy acting here, and she is ably supported by John Malkovich as a local reverend who helps her fight the power. More incredible stuff happens in "Changeling" but I don't want to give away the whole story. I'll just say that I sat there for nearly two-and-a-half hours, completely transfixed by what occurs and how it all plays out. This is one of those movies that burrows into your brain and you can't stop thinking about it for days afterward. (3 1/2 stars)

High School Musical 3: Senior Year
I'm at a bit of a disadvantage when it comes to "High School Musical 3: Senior Year." For starters, since they were made-for-TV movies, I didn't see "High School Musical 1 & 2." Also, I'm not an 11 year-old girl. Nevertheless, the franchise has become so insanely popular that I decided to check it out for myself to see what all the hype is about. Turns out that "High School Musical" is kind of like "Grease" meets Up With People in the United Colors of Benetton. And I don't mean that in a good way. Zac Efron returns as the school heartthrob who is dealing with some heavy duty issues. He can't decide whether to take a college scholarship for basketball or for musical theater, and girlfriend Vanessa Hudgens is planning to attend school far away from him. Well, it could be worse. She could have taken nude photos of herself and spread them across the internet. Oh wait, that really happened. Ashley Tisdale also stars as a Paris Hilton wannabe intent on stealing Efron away from Hudgens. Magically, all these issues get resolved through the power of spontaneous song and dance! "High School Musical 3" is a weird movie. It's strikes me as being a middle schooler's fantasy version of what high school would be like. All the characters have these sexless crushes on each other, and no one ever rebels or parties or deals with any real problems. Now, I'm not saying that every movie about teenagers has to be "Superbad," but a little reality would have been nice. The actors are clearly talented and the dancing is solid, but the comedy is lame, the songs are forgettable, and the depiction of high school life is phony. Bottom line: I don't get this whole "High School Musical" thing. (2 stars)

Pride and Glory
"Pride and Glory" is yet another movie about a family of Irish NYC cops dealing with issues of loyalty and corruption within their ranks. Edward Norton plays the "honest" cop looking for the guy who gunned down four other cops, all of whom were under the command of his brother-in-law (Colin Farrell). What we know from the start - but he doesn't - is that Ferrell is the requisite "dishonest" cop who is secretly part of a large drug dealing operation on the side. Jon Voight plays the family patriarch (also a cop) who urges Norton to bury information in order to protect Farrell and, in effect, the whole clan. That sound you hear is dialogue from "We Own the Night," playing right next door in the multiplex of your memory. Yes, there are undeniable similarities between the two pictures. "We Own the Night" wasn't particularly original either, but it at least handled the material in an interesting way. In contrast, "Pride and Glory" merely assembles the pieces in a rote fashion. All the clichés are here: the "good" cop discovering the secrets of the "bad" cop, the scene where the two brothers get in a fistfight in an Irish Pub, the moment where the patriarch reminds the good son that "cops don't rat each other out," and so on. The only scene missing is the one where the family sits together in a Catholic church, somberly enjoying mass. That will probably be in the deleted scenes on the DVD. Edward Norton and Colin Farrell turn in good performances, as does the supporting cast, and the film itself is harmless enough. But we've been down this road many times before. "Pride and Glory" should have been great with this caliber of talent; instead, it's just blandly formulaic. (2 1/2 stars)

W.
The movie "W." could be pronounced "double-U" or "Dubya," depending on your preference. Either way, this is director Oliver Stone's take on the life and career of President George W. Bush. Josh Brolin gives an Oscar-worthy performance as Bush, and the film shows him in many lights: drunken frat boy, religious convert, loving husband, and president with some of the lowest approval ratings in history. Many of you may be thinking that Oliver Stone + George W. Bush = hatchet job, but that's not really the case. The movie portrays Bush as a simple man who goes into politics hoping to do something great so he can earn the approval of his critical father, nicely played by James Cromwell. In Stone's eyes, Bush meant well, but didn't really grasp world politics, and was therefore negatively influenced by the likes of Karl Rove (Toby Jones) and Dick Cheney (Richard Dreyfuss). Of course, this portrayal could be spot-on, or it could be armchair psychology. All I know is that I found Stone's vision to be as fascinating as it is complex. It's clear that Bush should not be "mis-underestimated." Josh Brolin never lets his performance turn into caricature, and in the end, "W." proves to be a provocative, entertaining look at one of the most curious and controversial presidents in American history. I'm Movie Mike, and I approved this message. (4 stars)

Max Payne
If there's one thing I think we can all agree on, it's that movies based on videogames are almost always great…NOT! The latest game-based turkey is "Max Payne." Mark Wahlberg plays the title character, a loose-screw cop trying to avenge the murder of his wife and daughter. And it's official - this is the 1,000,000th time this plot has been done in the movies. Way to go, "Max Payne!" Wahlberg teams up with a Russian mob doll (Mila Kunis) to uncover a mystery that involves a super-addictive drug, an army of uber-soldiers, and an evil corporation with a Horrible Secret. Aside from the familiar plot, "Max Payne" suffers from some other fatal problems. For starters, it's obvious who the killer is; I knew the second this person came on screen. The storytelling is sloppy, with the fate of one key character not revealed until after the end credits have played out. Then there's the dull action, which only serves to fetishize weaponry. The many, many scenes where people shoot guns are filmed in a way that reminds me of porn: lots of slo-mo and "bullet time" and lovingly rendered money shots of shell casings flying through the air. The NRA ought to declare this the feel-good movie of the year! "Max Payne" proves yet again that videogames and movies are not synonymous, and that what works in one form of media doesn't necessarily work in the other. (1 1/2 stars)

Body of Lies
Take two great actors like Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe, add an A-list director like Ridley Scott, throw in a hot-button premise, and what do you get? In the case of "Body of Lies," you get a big honkin' disappointment, that's what! DiCaprio plays a CIAfield agent in the Middle East trying to flush out a terrorist leader. Crowe plays his supervisor, who issues commands on his cell phone, from the safety of his suburban D.C. neighborhood. How convenient - he can enjoy a nice barbeque, while his employee tries to avoid becoming a barbeque! Making matters even more tense is the fact that Crowe repeatedly makes decisions that put DiCaprio - and lots of innocent civilians - in danger. "Body of Lies" has an interesting moral center: Crowe's character believes in winning the war on terror at all costs, whereas DiCaprio feels that there's a line that should not be crossed. This could make for a really compelling movie, but "Body of Lies" is so complicated and convoluted that it's easy to lose sight of the message. This is one of those films where they throw so much information at you so quickly that you may need a score card to keep everything straight. The conflict between the two stars would also have a lot more power if we understood the reasons why Crowe's character is so manipulative and sneaky. Without that crucial information, he just seems like a jerk rather than a guy with a moral viewpoint. The acting here is good and the intentions are noble, but in the end, "Body of Lies" is a classic missed opportunity. (2 stars)

City of Ember
In "City of Ember," an environmental hazard has threatened humanity, so people have been living in an underground metropolis for 200 years. Forget being "six feet under" - these folks are six hundred feet under! Saoirse Ronan plays a young girl who discovers the time capsule that may contain directions on how everyone can return to the surface. The discovery is just in time, as the life-sustaining electricity generator that powers the city is quickly going on the fritz…and when you live deep underground, it's hard to get Sears to make a service call. In order to save mankind, Ronan and a male classmate have to convince the pessimistic adults - including the corrupt mayor (Bill Murray) - to leave the familiar for the unknown. "City of Ember" has an effectively run-down look. Everything in the claustrophobic city is dirty, corroded, and grimy. (You'll feel like washing your hands as you watch the film.) The authentic setting makes Ronan's desire to escape that much more relatable. I also really liked the story's subtle message: Just because adults become hopeless doesn't mean children have to. At its core, "City of Ember" is an uplifting tale of two young people who are determined to cling to hope when the grown-ups around them have let it go. That idea is conveyed in a way that’s imaginative, exciting, dramatic, and even fun. And in the end, isn't a story such as this much more valuable for young ones than a tale about a talking Chihuahua? (3 1/2 stars)

Eagle Eye
In "Eagle Eye," Shia LeBeouf plays a young man who is framed for being a terrorist. He's pursued by FBI agent Billy Bob Thornton, and his only hope for escape is a mysterious caller on his cell phone who can apparently see and hear his every move. You know how they say that Big Brother is watching us all? Well the person helping LeBeouf is the person who watches Big Brother. Through messages transmitted by phone, computer, and even public signage, the mystery caller connects LeBeouf with a single mother (played by Michelle Monaghan) and gives them a series of instructions to carry out if they want to live. Among the most disturbing directions: Lather. Rinse. Repeat. I don't want to give too much away, but "Eagle Eye" aspires to be a Patriot Act thriller about the dangers of allowing the government to invade the privacy of its citizens. The first 45 minutes create an effective paranoid vibe, as we try to figure out who is watching the characters and why they are being manipulated like puppets on a string. But then they give us those answers and the results are disappointing, to say the least. Even more disappointing than David Blaine's recent "dive of death." From there, "Eagle Eye" goes from being a post-9/11 nightmare to being a generic piece of science-fiction junk, filled with one increasingly absurd scene after another. Worst of all is the ending, which takes seriously a situation that the recent "Get Smart" movie played for laughs. The first half of "Eagle Eye" is pretty good, but the second half? Turkey Eye is more like it. (2 stars)