OPENING FRIDAY
THE COVE 4 stars (PG-13) See review.
G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA (PG-13) Stephen Sommers, director of the first two Mummy movies, literally turns actors into action figures in this adaptation of Hasbro's G.I. Joe toy franchise. Remember, this draws on its 1980s incarnation, when G.I. Joe is not a person, but an organization that takes on the terrorist group called Cobra.
JERICHOW 2 stars (NR) See review.
JULIE & JULIA 3 stars (PG-13) See review.
A PERFECT GETAWAY (R) Cliff and Cydney (Steve Zahn and Milla Jovovich) are an adventurous young couple celebrating their honeymoon by backpacking to one of the most beautiful, and remote, beaches in Hawaii. Hiking the wild, secluded trails, they believe they’ve found paradise. But when the pair comes across a group of frightened hikers discussing the horrifying murder of another newlywed couple on the islands, they begin to question whether they should turn back.DULY NOTED
THE CROW (1994) 2 stars (PG-13) In his last film, Brandon Lee plays the spirit of a rock musician who seeks revenge on the thugs who murdered him and his girlfriend. A cult has formed around the film thanks to Lee's mystique, but overall it's a standard-issue revenge thriller overly influenced by music videos and Tim Burton's Batman. $3-$5. Times vary. Fri.-Sun., Aug. 7-9. Comic Book Film Fest. Cinefest Film Theatre. Georgia State University, 66 Courtland St., Suite 240, University Center. 404-413-1798. www2.gsu.edu/~wwwcft. — Curt Holman
THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975) (R) The cult classic musical horror spoof follows an all-American couple (Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick) to the castle of Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry), a drag queen/mad scientist from another galaxy. Midnight Fridays. Plaza Theatre, 1049 Ponce de Leon Ave. 404-873-1939. www.plazaatlanta.com. — Holman
CONTINUING
AFGHAN STAR (NR) A look at how contestants on the musical contest program "Pop Idol" in Afghanistan risk their lives to appear on the show.
ALIENS IN THE ATTIC (PG-13) Aliens in the Attic, co-scripted by one of the writers of Madagascar and the Academy Award-winning Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were Rabbits, is an adventure/comedy about kids on a family vacation who must fight off an attack by knee-high alien invaders with world-destroying ambitions — while the youngsters' parents remain clueless about the battle.
AWAY WE GO 3 stars (R) "The Office's" John Krasinski and "Saturday Night Live's" Maya Rudolph play an unmarried bohemian couple who travel across the continent to pick out a place where they can raise their unborn child. Written by the husband-and-wife novelist team of Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida, the comedy's structure emulates the Ben Stiller comedy Flirting with Disaster as the couple encounter broadly comedic bad parents in other cities, most memorably Maggie Gyllenhaal as a feminist who takes attachment parenting to a kooky new level. Director Sam Mendes takes a change of pace from Revolutionary Road's portrait of a hellish marriage, but the film's scruffy charms barely conceal its lack of substance. — Holman
BRUNO 2 stars (R) Austrian fashion journalist Bruno (Sacha Baron Cohen) criss-crosses the world in his quest to become famous and ambush unsuspecting straight guys with dildos and discussions of anal bleaching. In his follow-up to his 2006 uber-hit Borat, Cohen presents essentially the same setup and structure, but comedic lightning fails to strike twice. Bruno elicits just enough laughs to be worth seeing, but the character's not nearly as endearing as Borat, and such hot-button topics as gay marriage, homosexual conversion and "don't ask, don't tell" score fewer political points than you'd expect. — Holman
DRAG ME TO HELL (PG-13) Sam Raimi, director of the Spider-Man trilogy, gets back to his Evil Dead horror roots in this promisingly lurid-looking thriller in which Alison Lohman rejects the mortgage extension of a spooky old woman, only to find herself on the receiving end of a demonic curse. It could be The Omen for an age of home foreclosures
ENLIGHTEN UP! 2 stars (NR) Filmmaker Kate Churchill explores the multibillion dollar yoga industry by sending 29-year-old ex-journalist Nick Rosen on an extensive immersion in various yoga disciplines from Manhattan to India. The film begins as a tongue-in-cheek exposé along the lines of a Morgan Spurlock film, but takes a more reverent turn as Nick connects to sensible "gurus." Intriguing tension develops between the filmmaker and subject when Nick fails to experience a spiritual transformation, but the film goals seem misguided from the outset. — Holman
EVERY LITTLE STEP 3 stars (PG-13) This behind-the-scenes documentary about Broadway's recent revival of A Chorus Line captures the spirit of the hit musical far better than Sir Richard Attenborough's misguided 1985 film version. Life imitates art when would-be Broadway stars dance their hearts out in rehearsal rooms and sing A Chorus Line's signature tunes. The film traces A Chorus Line's origins from a late-night marathon conversation involving choreographer Michael Bennett and other dancers, while generating "American Idol"-type suspense as we wait to see who gets cast. — Holman
FADOS 3 stars Focuses on fado, a type of music that can be traced back to 1820s Portugal. Through a series of musical vignettes, we journey through the history of fado, studying its various styles and permutations as it absorbs Brazilian and African influences.
(500) DAYS OF SUMMER 2 stars (PG-13) Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays a hapless would-be architect who falls for free-spirited Summer (Zooey Deschanel), despite her aversion to emotionally committed relationships. Quirky to a fault but nicely acted by Gordon-Levitt and Deschanel, the film offers a fresh substitute for cookie-cutter rom-coms, but Woody Allen brought more insight to scrambled chronology and surreal set-ups in Annie Hall. Summer would be on stronger ground if it offered a strong female perspective to balance Gordon-Levitt’s character. — Holman
FOOD, INC. 4 stars (PG-13) Director Robert Kenner serves a harrowing sampler’s platter of themes from such recent culinary exposes as Super Size Me, King Corn and the docudrama Fast Food Nation. The film offers a devastating portrait of how the admirable goal of cheap, plentiful foodstuffs has had unintended consequences that can harm the health and employability of the American work force, while forcing small farmers out of business. Despite icky food revelations and grim tales of corporate bullying, Food, Inc. includes enough positive examples to hold out hope for the future. — Holman
FUNNY PEOPLE 2 stars (R) In Judd Apatow's third film, Adam Sandler plays a fictionalized version of himself, a stand-up comic-turned-movie star who mentors an aspiring comedian (Seth Rogen) after being diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia. Apatow captures life at the top and bottom rungs of Hollywood comedy, from open-mic nights to lame sitcoms to high-concept movies, and Sandler deserves credit for his performance as a self-absorbed jerk. But if you're not already a fan of Sandler's humor, the incessant dick jokes won't convert you, and Apatow somehow stretches the thin plot to two and a half dreary hours. — HolmanG-FORCE (PG) Remember Spy Kids? Think of this as Spy Pets. A highly-trained team of cute fluffy animals, including guinea pigs and a mole, go on espionage missions in this 3-D comedy with such voice talents as Nicolas Cage, Tracy Morgan and Penelope Cruz.
THE HANGOVER 3 stars (R) The morning after a raucous Vegas bachelor party, the hungover groomsmen (Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis) woozily retrace their steps to find the mysteriously missing groom. From Old School director Todd Phillips, The Hangover overstays its welcome by about 10 minutes and doesn't quite live up to its own trailer, which gives away some of the best gags. It still offers laughs most of the way through, and while Cooper gets top billing and Galifianakis plays the craziest character, former Atlantan Helms owns the movie as he captures the crumbling composure of a preppie dentist. — Holman
HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE 4 stars (PG-13) The romantic misadventures of Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and his pals Ron and Hermione (Rupert Grint and Emma Watson) distract them from the secret plans of Professor Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) and Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) to respectively hinder and help the malevolent Lord Voldemort. The sixth Harry Potter film conspicuously lacks the headlong momentum and political metaphors of Order of the Phoenix, director David Yates' previous effort. Between a suspenseful first section and an eventful (if anticlimactic) finale lies a pleasant but draggy stretch primarily about teen hormones and magic charms, but it's all essentially a prelude to the final two films. — Holman
HUMPDAY 4 stars (R) Two old friends, one a middle-class husband (Mark Duplass), the other a traveling free-spirit (Joshua Leonard) drunkenly suggest they have sex with each other to enter an amateur porn contest and don't back down from the idea, even though they're both straight. Reminiscent of sex, lies and videotape, Lynn Shelton's charming, scruffy film focuses less on the gay-panic comedy (although the film has plenty of "Seinfeld"-esque humor) and more about the ways that men express their emotions. — Holman
THE HURT LOCKER 5 stars (R) In 2004 Baghdad, two U.S. "bomb techs" (Anthony Mackie and Brian Geraghty) hope to finish their tour without getting killed by the confident, reckless Sgt. James (Jeremy Renner in a star-making performance). Director Kathryn Bigelow presents the most original and gripping war film since Saving Private Ryan by crafting bomb disposal set pieces that draw the audience's attention as taut as a tripwire. Compared to other Iraq War films, The Hurt Locker keeps its politics close to the chest, while exploring the psychological impact war can have on our soldiers' psyches. — Holman
ICE AGE: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS (PG) In the third, 3-D entry in the Ice Age franchise, the wisecracking prehistoric mammals discover a subterranean realm populated by dinosaurs. Simon Pegg joins the vocal team of Ray Romano, Denis Leary, Queen Latifah, et. al.
IL DIVO 4 stars (NR) Director Paolo Sorrentino crafts a thrilling yet confounding biopic of aging, scandal-plagued Italian prime minister Giulio Andreotti (superbly played by Toni Servillo). Il Divo chronicles Andreotti's late career in public life, from his seventh election in 1992 to the "Big Mafia Trial" of his alleged ties to organized crime. Clearly emulating Martin Scorsese's gangster films, Sorrentino attacks the material with the most flamboyant camerawork and conspicuous soundtrack choices imaginable, but if you don't already follow Italian politics, you may be completely confused by its fast-paced narrative density. — Holman
IMAGINE THAT (PG) Eddie Murphy eschews latex makeup for this family comedy in which he plays a workaholic finance executive who discovers that his daughters' imaginary friends may be able to advance his career. It sounds kind of like Adam Sandler's Bedtime Stories, with fewer special effects.
LAND OF THE LOST (PG-13) This big-budget version of the Sid and Marty Krofft cult kid's series from the 1970s stars Will Ferrell, Anna Friel of "Pushing Daisies" and Danny R. McBride (who's in everything these days) as a threesome who hit a time warp and encounter prehistoric monsters and reptilian Sleestaks.
LITTLE ASHES 2 stars (R) This period piece captures three of Spain's most renowned artists in their embryonic state, chronicling the tempestuous relationships of young painter Salvador Dalí (Twilight's Robert Pattinson), budding filmmaker Luis Buñuel (Matthew McNulty) and poet/playwright Federico García Lorca (Javier Beltrán). Little Ashes succeeds better as an art history lesson than a character study, although Dalí and Lorca (who may have been more than friends) offer contrasting examples of artistic political engagement. Pattinson plays Dalí's antics with self-conscious awkwardness, and it's hard to tell whether he's deliberately trying to convey that the artist's outbursts were a pose, or if the actor simply cannot convey the spark of inspiration. — Holman
I LOVE YOU, BETH COOPER 2 star (PG-13) During his graduation speech, geeky valedictorian Denis Cooverman (Paul Rust, who's in his late 20s and looks it) professes his true feelings to head cheerleader Beth Cooper (Hayden Panettiere of Heroes), and they subsequently spend one of those "one crazy nights" typical of high school comedies. The painful slapstick and mean-spirited jokes border on contempt for the characters, and director Chris Columbus lost the flair he showed for the genre with Adventures in Babysitting. The script only glances at the idea that Denis's speech shook up high school clique roles. You can find more teen insight in the "Stick to the Status Quo" song from High School Musical. — Holman
MOON 4 stars (R) The sole human operator of a lunar mining operation (Sam Rockwell) begins to question his identity near the end of his three-year contract. Director Duncan Jones (incidentally, the son of David Bowie) pays loving homage to the dark, character-driven science fiction of the 2001: A Space Odyssey era, including an ominously dispassionate computer (voiced by – who else? – Kevin Spacey). The twisty but satisfying tale features some of Rockwell's best work as a blue-collar astronaut with a fracturing personality. — Holman
MY LIFE IN RUINS (PG-13) Star of My Big Fat Greek Wedding reconnects with her native Greece in an effort to recapture her kefi (Greek for "mojo"). In hopes of finding some direction in life, Georgia (Nia Vardalos) works as a travel guide while waiting for her dream job.
MY SISTER’S KEEPER (PG) A young girl (Little Miss Sunshine’s Abigail Breslin), brought into the world as a genetic match for her ailing older sister, sues her parents for medical emancipation. Cameron Diaz plays the no-doubt conflicted mom and Alec Baldwin plays as the younger sister’s lawyer. It’s hard to imagine any summer movie being a bigger, more overt tear-jerker than this one.
O’HORTEN 2 stars (PG-13) Odd Horten (Baard Owe), a 67-year-old Norwegian train engineer, finds himself discombobulated upon reaching mandatory retirement age. This comedy from Factotum director Bent Hamer frequently puts Horten in nearly dialogue-free comedic situations worthy of Jacques Tati or Mr. Bean, as well as other scenes that cause him to contemplate death, decline and the prospect of his own wasted life. The film features a charming central performance and several witty set pieces, but builds to little but a facile resolution. — Holman
THE PROPOSAL (PG-13) Sandra Bullock plays a Canadian-born New York book editor who pretends to be engaged to her assistant (Ryan Reynolds) to avoid deportation. It sounds like Green Card gives way to Meet the Parents when they fly to Alaska to meet his family.
PUBLIC ENEMIES In 1933, celebrity outlaw John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) robs banks and eludes the pursuit of the FBI’s Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale), who grows disenchanted with the investigative techniques championed by an oily J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup). The first hour or so comes on like, well, gangbusters as Heat director Michael Mann sets up compelling scenes of bank theft and manhunt procedures. The film feints at overarching themes, like the idea that neither Dillinger nor Purvis have a place among “modern” mobsters or feds, but the script leaves both men underdeveloped as characters. Public Enemies almost literally starts with a bang and ends with a whimper. — Holman
REVANCHE 3 stars (NR) An Austrian ex-con (Johannes Krisch) and a Ukrainian prostitute contemplate robbery as a means of breaking out of the Viennese underworld, but their scheme goes awry. The second half of Götz Spielmann's crime drama, involving adultery in Austrian farm country, differs so sharply from the first, it’s as if the initial plot was a diversionary tactic. Despite a deliberate pace and a minimal approach to dialogue, Revanche explores some heavy themes that go deeper than the notions of guilt and revenge on the surface of the plot. — Holman
SHRINK 2 stars (R) Kevin Spacey plays a best-selling celebrity therapist who chainsmokes marijuana in the wake of his wife's death. His character stands at the center of one of those dramas about the overlapping lives of random Los Angelenos, who mostly live up to film industry stereotypes, like Dallas Roberts as a bullying, type-A agent. Spacey never seems to have fun playing heavy, tragic characters, and the film opts for contrived plot points and unearned epiphanies instead of substantial dialogue. Physician, shrink thyself. — HolmanSTAR TREK 4 stars (PG-13) In the 23rd century, young James T. Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto) and the rest of the Enterprise crew come together to stop a time-traveling Romulan (Eric Bana). Director J.J. Abrams takes an approach similar to his treatment of Mission: Impossible III, offering a Trek that's bigger, louder, younger and above all, faster than any previous model of the Enterprise. If conspicuously low on the humanism that originated with Gene Roddenberry and informed the rest of the films, the new, odd-numbered Star Trek provides superb escapist entertainment and will enlist the next generation of fans. — Holman
THE STONING OF SORAYA M. (R) A drama set in 1986 Iran and centered on a man, Freidoune (James Caviezel), whose car breaks down in a remote village. He enters into a conversation with Zahra (Shohreh Aghdashloo), who relays to him the story about her niece, Soraya (Mozhan Marnò), whose arranged marriage to an abusive tyrant had a tragic ending.THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1 2 3 2 stars (PG-13) A subway dispatcher under an ethics investigation (Denzel Washington) becomes an unexpected hostage negotiator when four heavily-armed jerks (led by John Travolta) hijack an NYC subway car. Ultra-stylish director Tony Scott would seem to be perfect for this material, but instead he weakens the ticking-clock suspense with breakneck editing and the overused, fake-slomo effect called speed ramping. Washington's immense talent shines through, but Travolta's ham-tastic overemoting goes completely off the rails. — Holman
TERMINATOR SALVATION 4 stars (PG-13) In 2018, rising resistance soldier John Connor (Christian Bale) questions the motives of an ass-kicking, well-intentioned stranger (Sam Worthington) who seems oddly ill-informed about all the killer robots trying to wipe out humanity. Salvation offers thin characterizations but does justice to the post-apocalyptic mythos that James Cameron hinted at in the first Terminator movies. Charlie's Angels director McG helms awesome action scenes that are like having metal stuff thrown at your head — in a good way. — Holman
TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN (PG-13) The Autobots, those heroic space robots, must protect Sam Witwicky (Shia LeBeouf) from the evil Decepticons when the teen journeys from college campus to Egyptian desert to find an Earth-shaking artifact called the Matrix of Leadership. Bay’s original Transformers was hardly an exercise in subtlety, but at least it offered a sense of discovery and built some genuine suspense. At once sillier and more pompous, the sequel makes a chaotic hash of things from practically the first scene and draws out for two and a half deafening hours. If only it could transform into a movie that doesn’t suck. — Holman
THE UGLY TRUTH (PG-13) In this rom-com from the director of Monster-in-Law, an unmarried morning TV show producer (“Grey’s Anatomy’s” Katherine Heigl) becomes reluctantly teamed with a boorish on-air personality (300’s Gerard Butler) for a series on dating and relationships. I wonder if they’ll fall in love?UP 5 stars (PG) An elderly widower (voiced by Ed Asner) uses zillions of balloons to take his house on airborne adventure, unwittingly bringing a pesky boy scout (Jordan Nagai) along for the ride. Monsters, Inc. director Pete Docter helms Pixar's latest masterpiece, which begins with an achingly lovely montage of a marriage and builds to a rousing adventure story that combines Jules Verne, Indiana Jones and some of the most hilarious dog jokes every put on film. Plus, the instantly-iconic image of the floating house accumulates considerable richness as a metaphor for life and memory. — Holman
WHATEVER WORKS (PG-13) In the latest film from writer/director Woody Allen, Larry David plays a curmudgeonly ex-physics professor and self-professed genius who shelters a young Southern runaway (Evan Rachel Wood) and marries her, despite their sharp personal differences. Dusting off a 30-year-old script written for the late Zero Mostel, Allen covers familiar territory while showing breathtaking condescension to women and Southerners. David has fun with some Groucho Marx-like put-downs, but his acting lacks the subtlety to flesh out the character. As a Southern matron transformed by New York, Patricia Clarkson steals the film, but it’s not really much of a theft. — Holman
YEAR ONE 3 stars (PG-13) This cavecore buddy comedy from director Harold Ramis and producer Judd Apatow pits hunter Zed (Jack Black) and gatherer Oh (Michael Cera) against the ancient world. After Zed tastes the fruit of the tree of knowledge (and inadvertently sets fire to his primitive village), the pair embarks on a quest to find the meaning of life, and rescue a couple of bangin' cave chicks. The film's replete with Old Testament references, from Cain and Abel (played by David Cross and Paul Rudd, respectively) to Sodom and Gomorrah, not to mention penis jokes and elaborate hair and wardrobe changes.
