Movie Reviews

by Karin Leonard & Daniel Robin

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King Arthur

With Clive Owen, Stephen Dillane, Keira Knightley, Hugh Dancy, Ioan Gruffudd

Entertainment: 2.5 Message: 2.5 Warning, lengthy and intense battle scenes

Interesting twist on the King Arthur legend. Supposedly based on new archeological findings, the story and characters are recast, complete with tons of eye candy in hunky outfits, yet it hardly feels original. Here are all the elements of a good epic Blockbuster, but the formula doesn’t quite add up, and lacks the soul and spirit of others in its class. A quiltwork of what we’ve seen so many times before, this “legend” is neither of historic significance nor sufficiently entertaining in its own right. So what’s the point? The film’s numerous battle scenes and storyline may keep your interest, and we have a powerful heroine in Guinevere (Knightly), but this is no Braveheart (2 hrs 10 min).

King Kong

With Naomi Watts, Jack Black, Adrien Brody, Andy Serkis

Entertainment: 4.5 Message: 4

Fulfilling his childhood dream of casting this famous tale, Peter ”carte blanche” Jackson gives us more King Kong than we might have ever wanted in his grand, epic saga. Skull Island becomes an evolutionary glimpse of earth’s swampy past, teaming with prehistoric life, with the most life-like and sensitive monster to date. The mythic tale of beauty and the beast is gorgeously executed, with great adventure, mystery and emotion, as well as stunning visual effects. Awesome, over-the-top and oh, so large, everything movie watching should be! (3 hrs 7 min).

Kinsey

With Liam Neeson, Laura Linney, Chris O'Donnell, John Lithgow, Oliver Platt

Entertainment: 3.5 Message: 4.5

Sex, sex, sex. Can’t we stop talking about sex? Well, at Kinsey’s time that was a first. Liam Neeson’s performance is Oscar worthy, as he transforms into the “entomologist-gone-sex-researcher.” Kinsey, most well known for giving a voice to the secret sex lives of thousands of Americans through the breakthrough “Kinsey Report” published in 1948 and 1953, he was also the leading entomologist of his time, creating a collection of 5 million gall wasps and studying their ways. As a true scientist and researcher, Kinsey’s clinical attitude in studying the reproductive habits of the human bug won’t get you hot and bothered, but he nonetheless made an indelible mark on science and society. This biography is a story that needed to be told, and is incredibly well constructed and executed …. you will marvel at Kinsey’s commitment and character (1 hr 58 min).

Kung Fu Hustle

Entertainment: 3.5 Message: 2 WARNING: Graphic, stylized violence

What an odd, interesting, intensely violent film. The title seems misleading: kung fu, in abundance; but hustle? This is not a light Jackie Chan-style frenetic slapstick comedy. Though comic and over-the-top, it takes place in a slum during cutthroat 1930’s Shanghai where gangs rule the streets. As “retired” kung fu masters are gradually revealed, there are so many surprises and outlandish battle scenes, the art of kung fu takes on religious, almost god-like proportions. Rated R because of the intensity of the violence and action (with influences from Mortal Kombat video games and even Looney Tunes cartoons), this is not for the squeamish. Beyond the message of good-vs-evil, operatic violence, this is a great and entertaining homage to the genre and an excellent film (1 hr 35 min).