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An animated Western with a chameleon as the hero is an unli ... Read more

An animated Western with a chameleon as the hero is an unlikely concept, but Rango is a great film thanks to its witty mix of parody, intriguing characters, and sophisticated humour. When a common pet chameleon who's suffering from an identity crisis crashes headfirst into the stereotypically classic Western town of Dirt, he has the unique opportunity to completely reinvent himself. Dubbing himself Rango, the chameleon boasts of his own heroism and creates a spiral of deception that lands him an appointment as sheriff of a town in crisis. The question is, can one unprepared and completely unqualified chameleon possibly change this little town's future for the better? And how do road kill, enlightenment, and the Spirit of the West figure in to the equation? The animation looks great in this film and kids will love the goofy characters and crazy scenarios. But adults will find the film intriguing on a whole different level because of its comic parody of the iconic classic and spaghetti Western genres and the skilled balance of action, romance, and adventure. Kudos to director Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean) and the talented voice cast, among them Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Ned Beatty, Abigail Breslin, Alfred Molina, and Bill Nighy, for an award-worthy film. Some kids ages 7 to 9 may find the film rather dark and the action a bit too intense, but kids 10 and older should be fine as long as parents don't object to the PG rating (some rude humour, language, smoking, and action). --Tami Horiuchi Minimize

Praised at the time for Jim Carrey's facial acrobatics as t ... Read more

Praised at the time for Jim Carrey's facial acrobatics as the titular hero, The Mask also had real charm in its use of period-ambiguous settings and intelligent use of its heroine, Cameron Diaz in her first screen role. Carrey is as interesting when he's the put-upon Stanley Ipkiss as he is when he transforms into an amoral cartoon character (thanks to chance discovery of an ancient mask). When a sweet woman reporter tells him that he is the nicest man in town, it does not strike us as odd. The plot is a pretty standard one--the hero comes to realise that he can do everything for himself and does not need magical assistance--but outstanding performances by Peter Green as the gangster heavy and Peter Riegret as the irascible cop who has to make sense of things offers the film a bit more dramatic oomph. Add to this a couple of splendid song-and-dance routines and one of the most charming dogs in modern movies, and you have something moderately special. On the DVD: The DVD comes with a very enthusiastic director's commentary, a moderately interesting making-of documentary and interviews with the cast as well as the theatrical trailer. --Roz Kaveney Minimize

Sandra Bullock portrays Alyssa Rothman an American activis ... Read more

Sandra Bullock portrays Alyssa Rothman an American activist battling a group of ruthless developers out to destroy the rainforest and its native population. But when a hotheaded photojournalist (Craig Sheffer of A River Runs Through It and One Tree Hill) arrives to investigate the murder of a local union leader they will together uncover a conspiracy of betrayal violence and passion. In a land engulfed by greed and threatened with ecological disaster does any fire burn hotter than the truth? Juan Fernandez (The Collector) and Judith Chapman (The Young and The Restless) co-star in this provocative drama from director Luis Llosa (The Specialist and Anaconda) and Oscar-winning producer Roger Corman (Death Race Piranha). Minimize

Sandra Bullock portrays Alyssa Rothman an American activis ... Read more

Sandra Bullock portrays Alyssa Rothman an American activist battling a group of ruthless developers out to destroy the rainforest and its native population. But when a hotheaded photojournalist (Craig Sheffer of A River Runs Through It and One Tree Hill) arrives to investigate the murder of a local union leader they will together uncover a conspiracy of betrayal violence and passion. In a land engulfed by greed and threatened with ecological disaster does any fire burn hotter than the truth? Juan Fernandez (The Collector) and Judith Chapman (The Young and The Restless) co-star in this provocative drama from director Luis Llosa (The Specialist and Anaconda) and Oscar-winning producer Roger Corman (Death Race Piranha). Minimize

Sandra Bullock portrays Alyssa Rothman an American activis ... Read more

Sandra Bullock portrays Alyssa Rothman an American activist battling a group of ruthless developers out to destroy the rainforest and its native population. But when a hotheaded photojournalist (Craig Sheffer of A River Runs Through It and One Tree Hill) arrives to investigate the murder of a local union leader they will together uncover a conspiracy of betrayal violence and passion. In a land engulfed by greed and threatened with ecological disaster does any fire burn hotter than the truth? Juan Fernandez (The Collector) and Judith Chapman (The Young and The Restless) co-star in this provocative drama from director Luis Llosa (The Specialist and Anaconda) and Oscar-winning producer Roger Corman (Death Race Piranha). Minimize

The creators of Merlin position their hero as the original ... Read more

The creators of Merlin position their hero as the original Harry Potter: a headstrong young wizard with mixed feelings about--and sometimes outright hostility toward--the destiny that's been thrust upon him. Merlin is a reboot of Arthurian legend, starting when all the heroes and sorcerous folk were teenagers, bursting with hormones and wrestling with the powers-that-be, particularly Arthur's heavy-handed father, Uther Pendragon (Anthony Head, best known as Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer), a benevolent tyrant who's banished magic from Camelot. Merlin (Colin Morgan, an impish lad with prominent ears) comes to the kingdom with high hopes and innate magical powers. He's taken under the wing of the court physician, Gaius (Richard Wilson, One Foot in the Grave), but additionally becomes the servant of young Arthur (Bradley James), a handsome and talented fighter who's also a bully and a snob. Rounding out the main cast are Morgana (Katie McGrath), who will one day be Merlin's foe but is now Uther's ward, and Gwen (Angel Coulby), a.k.a. Guinevere, the woman who will one day be the center of a legendary love triangle--but who is now Morgana's maid. Clearly, Merlin wants to shake up any preconception about these stuffy old stories, presenting a multi-ethnic Camelot with contemporary language and attitudes. Despite all this, Merlin quickly becomes addictive. The dialogue and special effects can be cheesy (particularly when the CGI monsters have to interact with actors), but the cast is charming and the stories, while a tad formulaic, keep things moving. Morgan is appropriately dweeby (but also has killer cheekbones), James combines football-quarterback good looks with a hint of sensitivity, McGrath is luscious and impetuous, and Coulby has earthy spunk. The heavy lifting, acting-wise, is ably handled by Head and Wilson. The first season deftly explores the origins of the pillars of Arthurian mythos, from the sword Excalibur to a very dashing (but born of peasant stock) Lancelot to the mysterious birth of Arthur himself. Add to it all an imprisoned dragon, voiced by John Hurt (Alien, The Elephant Man) and prone to cryptic but sometimes helpful advice, and you have an engaging fantasy series.--Bret Fetzer, Amazon.com Minimize

The cinematic equivalent of a half case of Red Bull chased ... Read more

The cinematic equivalent of a half case of Red Bull chased with donuts, Kick-Ass is a giddy, violent experience--and not your average superhero movie. Based on the comic book by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr., it offers a set of heroes who are decidedly without superpowers: Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) decides he'll be just like a comic-book character, and puts on a ridiculous green suit to fight crime as the mysterious Kick-Ass. Luckily, somebody else had the same idea and comes along to rescue the incompetent crusader: Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage) and his daughter Hit Girl (Chloe Moretz), who also happen to be running around town wearing masks and vanquishing evil. And here we have the movie's masterstroke: Hit Girl, a pint-sized preteen who slaughters bad guys and swears like a sailor on leave (and was the focus of a measure of controversy when the movie was released). The main target of our heroes is a gangster (Mark Strong, Sherlock Holmes), whose neglected son (Christopher Mintz-Plasse, McLovin from Superbad) figures he might just pull on a costume himself and become… Red Mist! (One of the many funny things about Kick-Ass is that the superhero names are hopelessly lame.) Director Matthew Vaughn is operating at the same glib level as his Layer Cake, with cutesy song cues galore and a freewheeling appetite for cartoon violence. This means the movie's high wears off quickly, but it does get high--a crazy, hilarious kick. All that, plus Nicolas Cage executes a deadly Adam West imitation when he pulls on his cape and cowl. That's entertainment. --Robert Horton Minimize

Produced by The King of Action Cinema Jackie Chan Legenda ... Read more

Produced by The King of Action Cinema Jackie Chan Legendary Amazons is an epic martial arts adventure set during the brutal wars between the Song and Xia Dynasties of Ancient China. Paying homage to the 1972 Shaw Brothers classic “The 14 Amazons” this action-packed blockbuster recounts the adventures of the legendary Yang Clan a courageous and patriotic attack force of warrior women. Each a master of a unique style of martial arts they are called to fight their greatest ever battle when an overwhelming army of barbarian invaders threatens to overrun their homeland. Packed with “blockbuster thrills (Beyond Hollywood)” Legendary Amazons delivers more action in one movie than you might possibly expect in five! Special Features: Trailery Gallery Behind the Scenes Minimize

After the incredible success of Tribe explorer Bruce Parry ... Read more

After the incredible success of Tribe explorer Bruce Parry embarks on an epic journey down the Amazon - the world's greatest river - which follows a route through the Earth's largest forest has the most bio-diverse habitat on the planet and is home to some of the most remote tribes on Earth. It's an amazing enterprise as Parry travels over 6 000 kms from the mountain source of the river to the beach where the river meets the Atlantic Ocean. Every step of the journey uncovers an amazing story as he meets the tribesmen coca growers loggers ranchers millionaires and illegal miners of the region.Whether travelling with llama herders playing football in drag at Carnival imbibing hallucinogens with a shaman riding a wild horse at a rodeo or sleeping on a hammock high in the canopy of the forest. Parry's efforts are boundless and his enthusiasm is infectious. The Amazon that he discovers is a beautiful region full of fascinating people but in helping to harvest coca joining a gold rush and meeting those forcibly evicted by logging gangs he also experiences the danger and lawlessness of the area the desperate plight of some tribes and the precarious state of the forests known as the Earth's lungs. Minimize

This six part series explores the exciting diverse and uni ... Read more

This six part series explores the exciting diverse and unique wildlife that inhabits the dramatic landscapes of the vast South American continent. It is a land of great extremes stretching from the Equator almost to the Antarctic from tropical seas to ice-capped peaks and it has the planet's greatest river system longest mountain chain biggest and richest rainforest and driest desert. Using the latest camera techniques including infrared night vision cameras we show little known animals whilst our specialist aerial cameraman soars over the continent revealing an entirely new perspective on its varied and dramatic landscape. These six programmes take us from the depths of the Amazon basin to the icy peaks of the Andes from the great plains and grasslands through the vibrant jungle rainforest to the continent's spectacular coastline - on a journey of a lifetime. Minimize

The common people of Rome are hungry – never has the soci ... Read more

The common people of Rome are hungry – never has the social inequality between themselves and the wealthy ruling classes been so apparent. Riots are widespread and the people’s fury rapidly becomes focussed on the Republic’s most courageous general, Caius Martius (Ralph Fiennes), who has publicly expressed his scorn for their suffering. But, Rome is also at war with the Volsces, a neighbouring state whose guerrilla-style army is led by Martius’s sworn enemy, Tullus Aufidius (Gerard Butler). Following the latest, brazen Volscian taunt, Martius and his comrade-at-arms Titus Lartius (Dragan Micanovic) are called to a council of war by their commanding officer, General Cominius (John Kani). Rome must retaliate. Martius’s outstanding courage and leadership on the field of battle secures the Volscian city of Corioles for Rome. It is a crushing defeat for the Volscians and, in honour of his victory, Martius is awarded the title ‘Coriolanus’, meaning conqueror of Corioles. The anger of the Roman people has now subsided and Coriolanus has become a hero. With his recent triumph, Coriolanus’s politically ambitious mother Volumnia (Vanessa Redgrave) joyfully anticipates her son being elected to the powerful Senate position of Consul. Influential Roman Senator, and Coriolanus’s political mentor, Menenius (Brian Cox) encourages him. Always in the background, Coriolanus’s gentle and loving wife, Virgilia (Jessica Chastain), worries for her husband’s continued safety.To become Consul, Coriolanus knows he must first secure the people’s support and at first he is loath to engage in the necessary glad-handing. He sees it as hypocritical and an affront to his personal honour code. Under pressure, he finally relents but, not a natural politician, he handles his canvassing without the required good grace and arouses ill feeling in his audience. His past public declarations have already established him as a threat to the people in the minds of their representatives, the Tribunes. And now the conspiratorial Tribunes, Brutus (Paul Jesson) and Sicinius (James Nesbitt) take full advantage of Coriolanus’s rapid fall from public favour to persuade voters to refuse him the office he seeks. The Tribunes campaign is further supported by an underground group of left-wing rebels, led by Cassius (Ashraf Barhom) and Tamora (Lubna Azabal), who also speak out against Coriolanus’s election. Their combined arguments work and he is defeated. Coriolanus is enraged and his verbal retaliation leads to further public rioting. Disgraced, the Senate banishes him from Rome. Now stateless and seeking revenge for Rome’s ingratitude and treachery, Coriolanus journeys to the city of Antium, the Volscian capital and home to his enemy, Tullus Aufidius. With nothing to lose, he seeks out his old adversary and boldly offers him a choice. Aufidius can either take Coriolanus’s life or accept his help in defeating Rome. Confronted by his greatest enemy, Aufidius must decide whether to finally destroy his rival or join forces with him in battle…. Minimize

After the incredible success of Tribe explorer Bruce Parry ... Read more

After the incredible success of Tribe explorer Bruce Parry embarks on an epic journey down the Amazon - the world's greatest river - which follows a route through the Earth's largest forest has the most bio-diverse habitat on the planet and is home to some of the most remote tribes on Earth. It's an amazing enterprise as Parry travels over 6 000 kms from the mountain source of the river to the beach where the river meets the Atlantic Ocean. Every step of the journey uncovers an amazing story as he meets the tribesmen coca growers loggers ranchers millionaires and illegal miners of the region.Whether travelling with llama herders playing football in drag at Carnival imbibing hallucinogens with a shaman riding a wild horse at a rodeo or sleeping on a hammock high in the canopy of the forest. Parry's efforts are boundless and his enthusiasm is infectious. The Amazon that he discovers is a beautiful region full of fascinating people but in helping to harvest coca joining a gold rush and meeting those forcibly evicted by logging gangs he also experiences the danger and lawlessness of the area the desperate plight of some tribes and the precarious state of the forests known as the Earth's lungs. Minimize

This six part series explores the exciting diverse and uni ... Read more

This six part series explores the exciting diverse and unique wildlife that inhabits the dramatic landscapes of the vast South American continent. It is a land of great extremes stretching from the Equator almost to the Antarctic from tropical seas to ice-capped peaks and it has the planet's greatest river system longest mountain chain biggest and richest rainforest and driest desert. Using the latest camera techniques including infrared night vision cameras we show little known animals whilst our specialist aerial cameraman soars over the continent revealing an entirely new perspective on its varied and dramatic landscape. These six programmes take us from the depths of the Amazon basin to the icy peaks of the Andes from the great plains and grasslands through the vibrant jungle rainforest to the continent's spectacular coastline - on a journey of a lifetime. Minimize

This six part series explores the exciting diverse and uni ... Read more

This six part series explores the exciting diverse and unique wildlife that inhabits the dramatic landscapes of the vast South American continent. It is a land of great extremes stretching from the Equator almost to the Antarctic from tropical seas to ice-capped peaks and it has the planet's greatest river system longest mountain chain biggest and richest rainforest and driest desert. Using the latest camera techniques including infrared night vision cameras we show little known animals whilst our specialist aerial cameraman soars over the continent revealing an entirely new perspective on its varied and dramatic landscape. These six programmes take us from the depths of the Amazon basin to the icy peaks of the Andes from the great plains and grasslands through the vibrant jungle rainforest to the continent's spectacular coastline - on a journey of a lifetime. Minimize

Produced by The King of Action Cinema Jackie Chan Legenda ... Read more

Produced by The King of Action Cinema Jackie Chan Legendary Amazons is an epic martial arts adventure set during the brutal wars between the Song and Xia Dynasties of Ancient China. Paying homage to the 1972 Shaw Brothers classic “The 14 Amazons” this action-packed blockbuster recounts the adventures of the legendary Yang Clan a courageous and patriotic attack force of warrior women. Each a master of a unique style of martial arts they are called to fight their greatest ever battle when an overwhelming army of barbarian invaders threatens to overrun their homeland. Packed with “blockbuster thrills (Beyond Hollywood)” Legendary Amazons delivers more action in one movie than you might possibly expect in five! Special Features: Trailery Gallery Behind the Scenes Minimize

Produced by The King of Action Cinema Jackie Chan Legenda ... Read more

Produced by The King of Action Cinema Jackie Chan Legendary Amazons is an epic martial arts adventure set during the brutal wars between the Song and Xia Dynasties of Ancient China. Paying homage to the 1972 Shaw Brothers classic “The 14 Amazons” this action-packed blockbuster recounts the adventures of the legendary Yang Clan a courageous and patriotic attack force of warrior women. Each a master of a unique style of martial arts they are called to fight their greatest ever battle when an overwhelming army of barbarian invaders threatens to overrun their homeland. Packed with “blockbuster thrills (Beyond Hollywood)” Legendary Amazons delivers more action in one movie than you might possibly expect in five! Special Features: Trailery Gallery Behind the Scenes Minimize

After the incredible success of Tribe explorer Bruce Parry ... Read more

After the incredible success of Tribe explorer Bruce Parry embarks on an epic journey down the Amazon - the world's greatest river - which follows a route through the Earth's largest forest has the most bio-diverse habitat on the planet and is home to some of the most remote tribes on Earth. It's an amazing enterprise as Parry travels over 6 000 kms from the mountain source of the river to the beach where the river meets the Atlantic Ocean. Every step of the journey uncovers an amazing story as he meets the tribesmen coca growers loggers ranchers millionaires and illegal miners of the region.Whether travelling with llama herders playing football in drag at Carnival imbibing hallucinogens with a shaman riding a wild horse at a rodeo or sleeping on a hammock high in the canopy of the forest. Parry's efforts are boundless and his enthusiasm is infectious. The Amazon that he discovers is a beautiful region full of fascinating people but in helping to harvest coca joining a gold rush and meeting those forcibly evicted by logging gangs he also experiences the danger and lawlessness of the area the desperate plight of some tribes and the precarious state of the forests known as the Earth's lungs. Minimize

Without a refresher viewing, the details of Scream, the 199 ... Read more

Without a refresher viewing, the details of Scream, the 1996 collaboration between horror-meister director Wes Craven and writer Kevin Williamson (who also famously chronicled the ways of wayward teens without so much bloodshed as creator of the TV sensation Dawson's Creek) might be a little hazy. But even through the fog of memory, it's a pretty sure thing that texting, Facebook, live video streams on smart phones, and references to the Saw movie franchise were not major narrative devices. Even so, there is a common thread that yanks this inventive resurrection of the series back to life and ties it quite cleverly to the first, second, and third Scream installments. Summed up, that reach is captured in the word meta, which is pretty much what makes Scream 4 such a hoot as it scampers along on such a high plane of conceptual ingenuity. That several characters use the word in describing the action they're participating in makes the entirety of circular plot points, referential dialogue, and general level of self-reflexive action all the more exuberant. There are a few causes for honest screams in the action, even though the obvious raison d'être for Craven and Williamson's reteaming is to make audiences yelp with delight that trumps genuine fear pretty much every time. Original cast members Courteney Cox, David Arquette, and Neve Campbell have all returned for the reunion, which also introduces (and largely kills off) a new set of young but very familiar faces recruited for the festivities. The sizable ensemble cast includes Anna Paquin, Kristen Bell, Alison Brie, Hayden Panettiere, Marley Shelton, Rory Culkin, Adam Brody, Mary McDonnell, and Heather Graham, among many others who make up visitors or inhabitants of the imaginary town of Woodsboro, USA, scene of the meta-movie carnage that began 15 years ago. The excuse for this round of action is the return of original surviving victim Sidney Prescott (Campbell), who is making a hometown stop on her book tour. As the heroic survivor of the various incarnations of Ghostface, the knife-wielding killer in Scream's first trilogy, Sidney has become a celebrity and purposefully shrugged off the victim label, but still lives on as a folk hero. Turns out she's especially popular with Woodsboro's high-school population and the many horror film buffs who constantly analyze their every activity in relation to the behaviors of movie characters and the rights and wrongs of what to do when there's a killer on the loose. It therefore surprises no one that Ghostface has returned to haunt Sidney, including retired reporter Gale Weathers (Cox), her now-husband Sheriff Dewey Riley (Arquette), and the assortment of teenage dopes who saturate the entire venture with theatrical gouts of gooey, black blood. The movie-within-a-movie franchise Stab is also a major player in Scream 4. Its sequel count is now up to seven as we discover in the briskly crafted and very funny opening scenes. In fact, Scream 4 is constructed with smarter precision than any of its predecessors and would require a lot of brain power for someone who feels up to the task of trying to figure out who Ghostface is this time and why the killing has started again. But taking the story seriously pretty much defeats the purpose of the absurdly entertaining formal achievement that Craven and Williamson have created. All the stabbing and screaming and intricate (il)logic of horror movie conventions are simply part of the mysterious amusement of a concept that will not die, now delightfully retooled for a new generation. --Ted Fry Minimize

Produced by The King of Action Cinema Jackie Chan Legenda ... Read more

Produced by The King of Action Cinema Jackie Chan Legendary Amazons is an epic martial arts adventure set during the brutal wars between the Song and Xia Dynasties of Ancient China. Paying homage to the 1972 Shaw Brothers classic “The 14 Amazons” this action-packed blockbuster recounts the adventures of the legendary Yang Clan a courageous and patriotic attack force of warrior women. Each a master of a unique style of martial arts they are called to fight their greatest ever battle when an overwhelming army of barbarian invaders threatens to overrun their homeland. Packed with “blockbuster thrills (Beyond Hollywood)” Legendary Amazons delivers more action in one movie than you might possibly expect in five! Special Features: Trailery Gallery Behind the Scenes Minimize

Produced by The King of Action Cinema Jackie Chan Legenda ... Read more

Produced by The King of Action Cinema Jackie Chan Legendary Amazons is an epic martial arts adventure set during the brutal wars between the Song and Xia Dynasties of Ancient China. Paying homage to the 1972 Shaw Brothers classic “The 14 Amazons” this action-packed blockbuster recounts the adventures of the legendary Yang Clan a courageous and patriotic attack force of warrior women. Each a master of a unique style of martial arts they are called to fight their greatest ever battle when an overwhelming army of barbarian invaders threatens to overrun their homeland. Packed with “blockbuster thrills (Beyond Hollywood)” Legendary Amazons delivers more action in one movie than you might possibly expect in five! Special Features: Trailery Gallery Behind the Scenes Minimize

Produced by The King of Action Cinema Jackie Chan Legenda ... Read more

Produced by The King of Action Cinema Jackie Chan Legendary Amazons is an epic martial arts adventure set during the brutal wars between the Song and Xia Dynasties of Ancient China. Paying homage to the 1972 Shaw Brothers classic “The 14 Amazons” this action-packed blockbuster recounts the adventures of the legendary Yang Clan a courageous and patriotic attack force of warrior women. Each a master of a unique style of martial arts they are called to fight their greatest ever battle when an overwhelming army of barbarian invaders threatens to overrun their homeland. Packed with “blockbuster thrills (Beyond Hollywood)” Legendary Amazons delivers more action in one movie than you might possibly expect in five! Special Features: Trailery Gallery Behind the Scenes Minimize

At a time when too many animated films consist of anthropom ... Read more

At a time when too many animated films consist of anthropomorphized animals cracking sitcom one-liners and flatulence jokes, the warmth, originality, humor, and unflagging imagination of Up feel as welcome as rain in a desert. Carl Fredericksen (voice by Ed Asner) ranks among the most unlikely heroes in recent animation history. A 78-year-old curmudgeon, he enjoyed his modest life as a balloon seller because he shared it with his adventurous wife Ellie (Ellie Docter). But she died, leaving him with memories and the awareness that they never made their dream journey to Paradise Falls in South America. When well-meaning officials consign Carl to Shady Oaks Retirement Home, he rigs thousands of helium balloons to his house and floats to South America. The journey's scarcely begun when he discovers a stowaway: Russell (Jordan Nagai), a chubby, maladroit Wilderness Explorer Scout who's out to earn his Elderly Assistance Badge. In the tropical jungle, Carl and Russell find more than they bargained for: Charles Muntz (Christopher Plummer), a crazed explorer whose newsreels once inspired Carl and Ellie; Kevin, an exotic bird with a weakness for chocolate; and Dug (Bob Peterson), an endearingly dim golden retriever fitted with a voice box. More importantly, the travelers discover they need each other: Russell needs a (grand)father figure; Carl needs someone to enliven his life without Ellie. Together, they learn that sharing ice-cream cones and counting the passing cars can be more meaningful than feats of daring-do and distant horizons. Pete Docter (Monsters, Inc.) and Bob Peterson direct the film with consummate skill and taste, allowing the poignant moments to unfold without dialogue to Michael Giacchnio's vibrant score. Building on their work in The Incredibles and Ratatouille, the Pixar crew offers nuanced animation of the stylized characters. Even by Pixar's elevated standards, Up is an exceptional film that will appeal of audiences of all ages. Rated PG for some peril and action. --Charles Solomon Minimize

Praised at the time for Jim Carrey's facial acrobatics as t ... Read more

Praised at the time for Jim Carrey's facial acrobatics as the titular hero, The Mask also had real charm in its use of period-ambiguous settings and intelligent use of its heroine, Cameron Diaz in her first screen role. Carrey is as interesting when he's the put-upon Stanley Ipkiss as he is when he transforms into an amoral cartoon character (thanks to chance discovery of an ancient mask). When a sweet woman reporter tells him that he is the nicest man in town, it does not strike us as odd. The plot is a pretty standard one--the hero comes to realise that he can do everything for himself and does not need magical assistance--but outstanding performances by Peter Green as the gangster heavy and Peter Riegret as the irascible cop who has to make sense of things offers the film a bit more dramatic oomph. Add to this a couple of splendid song-and-dance routines and one of the most charming dogs in modern movies, and you have something moderately special. On the DVD: The DVD comes with a very enthusiastic director's commentary, a moderately interesting making-of documentary and interviews with the cast as well as the theatrical trailer. --Roz Kaveney Minimize

Sometimes, change is good, as evidenced by Matt Smith's ass ... Read more

Sometimes, change is good, as evidenced by Matt Smith's assumption of the mantle of Britain's beloved science-fiction hero, Doctor Who, in this stellar series. Replacing David Tennant, who was arguably the most popular incarnation of the Time Lord since Tom Baker, was an unenviable task for any actor. But relative newcomer Smith--the youngest performer to play the Doctor--makes the role his own within the first few moments of the series opener, "The Eleventh Hour," which introduces his puckish interpretation, as well as companion Amy Pond (Karen Gillan). The pair, whose banter is a terrific mix of screwball humor and light sexual tension, are later joined by Amy's fiancé, Rory (Arthur Darvill), who is not quite whom he appears, as revealed in "The Pandorica Opens." Old enemies such as the Daleks ("Victory of the Daleks"), the Silurians ("The Hungry Earth"), and the formidable Weeping Angels ("The Time of the Angels") test the Eleventh Doctor's mettle, as does the series' central adventure, in which a host of the Doctor's foes, including the Cybermen and the Sontarans, unite to seal him in the fabled Pandorica, an inescapable prison located within Stonehenge. The 13 episodes of Series 5 are thrilling, thoughtful, humorous, and altogether addictive--in short, as good a series of Doctor Who as any that's been produced. When compared to the archival Doctor Who releases, the six-disc set of the Complete Fifth Series comes up somewhat short in the supplemental feature department, but there are still a number of worthwhile extras to complement the episodes. Chief among these are the six commentary tracks, most of which feature newly minted show runner Steven Moffat (Sherlock), as well as Gillan and Darvill, and run the gamut from giggly, lightweight chats to informative looks at the production process. Less interesting are the video diaries by the three series leads, which are amusing but forgettable fluff, as are the outtakes and Doctor Who Confidential Cut-Downs. The Monster Files provides a look at the series' key villains, including the new designs for the Daleks and the monstrous Alliance, which Moffat reveals as being comprised of whatever costumes were available at the time of shooting (!). A barrage of TV spots and promos, including a US spot, round out the extras. --Paul Gaita Minimize

After 12 years of thinking about it (and waiting for movie ... Read more

After 12 years of thinking about it (and waiting for movie technology to catch up with his visions), James Cameron followed up his unsinkable Titanic with Avatar, a sci-fi epic meant to trump all previous sci-fi epics. Set in the future on a distant planet, Avatar spins a simple little parable about greedy colonizers (that would be mankind) messing up the lush tribal world of Pandora. A paraplegic Marine named Jake (Sam Worthington) acts through a 9-foot-tall avatar that allows him to roam the planet and pass as one of the Na'vi, the blue-skinned, large-eyed native people who would very much like to live their peaceful lives without the interference of the visitors. Although he's supposed to be gathering intel for the badass general (Stephen Lang) who'd like to lay waste to the planet and its inhabitants, Jake naturally begins to take a liking to the Na'vi, especially the feisty Neytiri (Zoë Saldana, whose entire performance, recorded by Cameron's complicated motion-capture system, exists as a digitally rendered Na'vi). The movie uses state-of-the-art 3D technology to plunge the viewer deep into Cameron's crazy toy box of planetary ecosystems and high-tech machinery. Maybe it's the fact that Cameron seems torn between his two loves--awesome destructive gizmos and flower-power message mongering--that makes Avatar's pursuit of its point ultimately uncertain. That, and the fact that Cameron's dialogue continues to clunk badly. If you're won over by the movie's trippy new world, the characters will be forgivable as broad, useful archetypes rather than standard-issue stereotypes, and you might be able to overlook the unsurprising central plot. (The overextended "take that, Michael Bay" final battle sequences could tax even Cameron enthusiasts, however.) It doesn't measure up to the hype (what could?) yet Avatar frequently hits a giddy delirium all its own. The film itself is our Pandora, a sensation-saturated universe only the movies could create. --Robert Horton Minimize

Everything you know about aliens from pop culture is true. ... Read more

Everything you know about aliens from pop culture is true. At least that's the message from Paul, a swift, sharp, and very funny movie from the creative minds that also brought us Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Superbad, and Adventureland. The British stars of the first two, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, also wrote the snappy screenplay, and director Greg Mottola shows that he can make human and sentimental both the slapstick and the subtle, self-referential humour the same way he did in Superbad and Adventureland. The premise Pegg and Frost have laid out for themselves as likable, sci-fi fanatic supernerds is a dream vacation starting at Comic Con, then continuing through the American Southwest in an RV visiting historic UFO sites like Area 51, the Black Mailbox, and Roswell, and finishing up at Devil's Tower in Wyoming, the iconic centerpiece from Close Encounters of the Third Kind. After their inauspicious start, they happen upon an escaped alien who is 4 feet tall, and has the big head, classic diamond eyes, and features we've come to recognize as both the benevolent and evil kinds of space aliens from movies and TV. He is also the titular character, and as voiced by Seth Rogen, this CGI creature spouts a never-ending string of wisecracks, insider secrets, and frat-boy humour that comes loud and clear as classic Rogen in tone and attitude. As an aside and terrific example of the very clever throwaway punch lines that run throughout, there's a brief flashback to 1980 showing Paul on a conference call with Steven Spielberg (really), giving him advice about script development issues for E.T. Paul crash-landed in the late 1940s and has been held prisoner by the government's men in black. They've not only been pumping him for knowledge, they've also leaked the fabric and features of his being to people who want to believe, especially the ones in Hollywood. Now Paul wants to go home, and he's found the perfect getaway with the want-to-believe team of Graeme (Pegg) and Clive (Frost), who take him to his rendezvous (at Devil's Tower, of course). The road movie that unfolds is consistently hilarious, moving nimbly through one-off gags and inside jokes, but also creating larger relationships and drawn-out humour that relies on us believing that the little CGI Paul is real. And mostly we do, again thanks to Rogen's delivery and distinctive vocalizing. Paul constantly quips, makes fun, gets drunk, smokes dope, and spouts a steady stream of patter about how aliens have been bowdlerized and reimagined in entertainment and the minds of people like Graeme and Clive. There's a jam-packed supporting cast that complements and complicates the story (in a good way), including Bill Hader and Joe Lo Truglio as the bumbling men in black, and Jason Bateman as the scary man in black. Also passing through are some fun familiar faces like Jane Lynch, David Koechner, Jeffrey Tambor, John Carroll Lynch, and an iconic sci-fi actress who shall remain unnamed. Especially good is Kristen Wiig as a fundamentalist Christian whose mind is literally blown by Paul. Amid the broad humour and nonstop punch lines there's also a sweetness that stays with each finely drawn character (including Paul) and gives Paul an amiable sentimentality that runs throughout. Everyone clearly had fun making this movie, and that's exactly how it is to watch. --Ted Fry Minimize

Depending on your take-away of the visual inventiveness and ... Read more

Depending on your take-away of the visual inventiveness and jam-packed plot that drives Limitless to peaks and valleys of preposterous fun, drugs are either a terrible scourge or the fundamental solution to all of life's problems. Limitless isn't exactly a morality tale, but the made-up drug that turns Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper) from a scuzzy loser into a master of the universe does become a metaphor for ambition, menace, devastation, and ultimate success. Eddie is a writer who can't write, his girlfriend (Abbie Cornish) just dumped him, and his squalid lifestyle has driven him to the breaking point. After a chance meeting with his mysterious ex-brother-in-law, he's offered change in the form of a little transparent button, a pill code-named NZT that allows the user to access 100 percent of their brain. After he pops it, Eddie is transformed. Everything he's ever heard, seen, glanced at, or passed by becomes neatly ordered in his mind. He has total recall, total access to knowledge both known and unknown, and he understands exactly what to do. Without the ingenious visual effects that frequently push the bounds of innovation, our view of the alteration of Eddie's drug-induced reality would fail utterly. When his synapses snap from every new hit, the sparkling blue of Bradley Cooper's eyes pops off of the screen, the colours and textures of his reality ripple and zoom with his every move. Of course he needs more of the drug to maintain his progression, not to mention his very life--remember, kids, drugs are addictive! The movie throws tangled clumps of plot threads against each other in a whizzing mass that incorporates Russian gangsters, shadowy surveillance figures, cops, lawyers, and a couple of murder mysteries. It's a hurtling progression of narrative tangents that often echo the physical and mental extremes Eddie experiences when he's either on or off the drug. Sex, society, and money are big parts of Eddie's newfound brainpower, and he exploits them all. The money element leads Eddie to a big-shot investor, played with twinkling irony by Robert De Niro. The sparring matches between Cooper and De Niro are some of the best parts of the convoluted and manic pace that drives Limitless inexorably onward. Abbie Cornish is relegated to the sidelines far too much, and the suspension of disbelief required to simply maintain stride with the movie's frenzied velocity is often exhausting. But there are some bigger themes that director Neil Burger and writer Leslie Dixon try to sustain in spite of repeated absurdities meant to be accepted at face value. Eddie's actions are both vile and redemptive, and Cooper gives a rousing performance as he bounces from being contemptible to irresistible, sometimes all at once. Fortunately, Limitless is itself redeemed by the nifty visuals that often do evoke the effects of a drug that promises perfect clarity. It's best to just forget the ludicrous lack of coherence and enjoy it as a wildly entertaining trip on a perfect drug that offers the potential for payback and infinite salvation. --Ted Fry Minimize