Movie Reviews

by Karin Leonard & Daniel Robin

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Mad Hot Ballroom

With dozens of future dance stars

Entertainment: 3.5 Message: 4.5

This surprising documentary is pure delight! The New York City public school system hosts an annual ballroom dance contest, and audience’s cannot help but be charmed as this adorably serious group of fifth graders learn ballroom dance, and earnestly put on a show that will sweep you off your feet. You’ll cheer with every “hot” dance performance, feel their heartbreaking disappointment, and relearn life lessons along the way (1 hr 50 min).

Madagascar

Voices by Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Cedric the Entertainer, David Schwimmer

Entertainment: 2.5 Message: 3

Good-natured, clean entertainment with likeable animal characters to keep younger kids amused, older kids (adults) may have a hard time caring. Though the visuals are top rate (truly remarkable looking CGI), this is no “Finding Nemo” in the wit and charm department. Too bad animals with nuanced human emotions don’t make movies (yet), because the “nurture/nature” theme would have been hilarious in the right hands (1 hr 20 min).

The Manchurian Candidate

With Denzel Washington, Liev Schreiber, Meryl Streep, Kimberly Elise, Jon Voight

Entertainment: 3 Message: 4

This engaging and disturbing remake of the 1962 political thriller by the same name has haunting political relevance today. Jonathan Demme (Silence of the Lambs) spins a captivating and creepy yarn interlaced with dark topical humor, paranoia, and a brainwashing conspiracy. Combined with stellar performances by Meryl Streep and Denzel Washington, the sinister updated plot will keep you engaged enough not to see where it is going. What were once unfathomable nightmares now have become the collective, national ones. Violating the Bill of Rights in the face of “terror” could become standard political procedure, which is why this film’s message is strong … lest we accept that this morally reprehensible stuff become status quo (2 hrs 10 min)

March of the Penguins

Entertainment: 4.5 Message: 4.5

Sure to melt any arctic ice, this incredible documentary is a love story written by nature herself and performed by amazing emperor penguins inhabiting the Antarctic, giving a whole new meaning to “walking to the end of the world for the one you love.” The poetry of evolution’s grace is beautifully expressed in this elegant portrayal of their yearly mating migration “waddle” (even when inspired, penguins don’t fly – they walk and slide). Though the narration (Morgan Freeman) cannot help but anthropomorphize, seeing a love story within the tale of survival and reproduction is only human – er, penguin. Let it warm your heart and ignite your imagination (1 hr 24 min).

Match Point

With Brian Cox, Matthew Goode, Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers

Entertainment: 3.5 Message: 4

Woody Allen demonstrates that he’s still got writing and directing genius in this wild yet carefully orchestrated noir morality drama, set in London. So long as this isn’t interpreted as a marital instruction manual, the message here works on many levels. With strong statements about fidelity and the inevitable fallout, it may also be saying that luck is relative. Passion lights up the screen with fireworks, highlighting the electric chemistry between a sultry Scarlett Johansson and sexy Jonathan Rhys-Meyers in hot pursuit of her. Solid, disturbing and suspenseful throughout (2 hrs 4 min).

Meet the Fockers

With Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, Barbra Streisand, Blythe Danner

Entertainment: 2.5 Message: 3

This sequel still provides a lot of laughs and a great cast, and is – again - over-the-top by design. Many of the gags are painful and embarrassing, yet often outrageously funny. If you enjoyed Meet the Parents, you’ll appreciated the addition of Hoffman and Streisand as Focker’s nurturing and liberal parents, juxtaposed De Niro as the bride’s father / CIA operative. What a ride! (1 hr 54 min).

Memoirs of a Geisha

With Kurt Russell, Dakota Fanning, Kris Kristofferson

Entertainment: 3 Message: 2.5

Set in 1929 Japan, near the end of the geishas' golden era, we are allowed into a secret world of love’s disappointed dreams, intrigues and living art. Even though not necessarily historically or culturally accurate (and leading female roles are portrayed by Chinese actors), we nonetheless catch a glimpse of an ancient Japanese art form. Ziyi Zhang (House of Flying Daggers) is enchanting as Sayuri, through whose destiny we learn about the hidden desires and limitations of a geisha’s path. Beautifully filmed, darkness nonetheless dominates, and despite romantic elements, emotional depth is rarely achieved (2 hrs 16 min).

Million Dollar Baby

With Hilary Swank, Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman

Entertainment: 4 Message: 4 WARNING: Graphic boxing violence

This year’s all-around heavyweight title winner, at least for the Academy Awards, scoring Best Picture, Director, Lead and Supporting Actors (Hilary Swank and Morgan Freeman, both well deserved). Brooding, intense portrait of sheer determination in Swank’s “Maggie,” serves as a powerful metaphor of redemption and rebirth. Estranged from his own daughter, boxing trainer “Frankie” (Eastwood) reluctantly takes her on, and together they embark on the mythic hero’s journey in their mutual search for meaning and self-worth. A difficult, courageous, and brilliantly paced film (2 hrs 17 min).

Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous

With Sandra Bullock, Regina King, William Shatner

Entertainment: 2.5 Message: 3

Now this is quality trash. Not nearly as good as the first installment, it still manages to extract a decent number of laughs. Script and storyline lack, well, most everything … but Sandra Bullock’s wry, self-effacing humor makes this movie (almost) worth watching. Sadly, “Armed and Mediocre” is so ponderous, it wears you out before it ends. See only if you cannot resist Sandra B’s notable charms (1 hr 55 min).

Mission Impossible III

With Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ving Rhames, Billy Crudup, Michelle Monaghan

Entertainment: 3 Message: 2

Improbable perhaps, but impossible? The only thing for sure: they couldn’t have put more over-the-top violence and action into one film – and still have it tell a story that ordinary humans could follow. Cruise is fun to watch, and Philip Seymour Hoffman is creepily convincing as his evil adversary. Suspend judgment and don’t expect anything deep, and you’ll have a great time (2 hrs 6 min).

Monster In Law

With Jennifer Lopez, Jane Fonda, others

Entertainment: 2 Message: 2.5

While there are some good chuckles, and it is fun seeing Jane Fonda back on screen (doing comedy?!), this one is so over-the-top that we found ourselves cringing more than laughing. A flawed, but at times engaging look at what mothers aren’t for (1 hr 35 min).

The Motorcycle Diaries

With Gael Garcia Bernal, Rodrigo de la Serna, Mia Maestro, others

Entertainment: 4 Message: 3.5 Spanish with English subtitles

This riveting tale is the true story of a wide eyed, 23-year-old medical student from Argentina, Che Guevara (Bernal), who went on to become one of the more significant revolutionaries of his time. Along with his best buddy Alberto (de la Serna), we are invited to partake of their 8-month odyssey on a temperamental, clunky motorcycle, across South America, from the Andes to the Amazon, through several climate zones. The gorgeous vistas and heart-stirring experiences shape and define their becoming, reigniting forgotten possibilities, like good poetry shapes the imaginative reader. In this nuanced portrayal of their spirited adventures, diary entries bring you up close and personal, revealing the humanity and early awareness that was to eventually make Guevara a political idol and martyr (2 hrs 8 min).

Mr. and Mrs. Smith

With Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Vince Vaughn, Angela Bassett

Entertainment: 3.5 Message: 2

This spicy mix of hot action, clever comedy and sizzling chemistry cooks up some tasty entertainment – at least for the first half. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are fun to watch, but when marital arts collide with martial arts, it gets ugly and incoherent. Prepare for one despicable illustration of how not to handle relationship conflict! Our two undercover assassins escalate into such over-the-top violence that this concoction overheats and burns to a crisp. Sure, marriage takes work, but War of the Roses with armaments hell bent on enemy destruction? Cinema junk food may taste good, but you’ll likely end up with more than a touch of indigestion (1 hr 55 min).

Mrs. Henderson Presents

With Judi Dench, Bob Hoskins, William Young, Kelly Reilly

Entertainment: 3.5 Message: 4

Inspired by the real story of London’s Windmill Theater before and during World War II. Oscar-nominated Judi Dench is awesome as feisty widow and British society lady Mrs. Henderson putting on daring Paris-style vaudeville revues in her newly acquired venue. Breaking the mold of a ”proper, older English Lady,” Mrs. Henderson is wildly inspiring as she deifies stuffy convention, demonstrates fierce independence and stays true to her eccentric style. Henderson has her own guarded emotional motivations for presenting nudity as still performance art, shocking the British establishment (1 hr 43 min).

Must Love Dogs

With Diane Lane, John Cusack, Christopher Plummer

Entertainment: 3 Message: 3

John Cusack and Diane Lane give star power to this light romantic comedy, which otherwise might have gone unnoticed. While lacking any great depth or originality, there are enough laughs, touching moments and good acting here to make for some easy entertainment … definitely a good “date movie” (1 hr 30 min).

My Super Ex-Girlfriend

With Luke Wilson, Uma Thurman, Anna Faris, Wanda Sykes

Entertainment: 3 Message: 2.5

Uma Thurman makes this goofball comedy work, more-or-less, as she blows superhuman life into a nerdy „librarian-gone-vampy-supergirl‰ character. Over the top, super silly and stylized at times, this role-reversed superman parody provides plenty to laugh about. That is, if you are willing to leave familiar ground behind, and let a crazed femme fatale heroine take you for a ride out of the stratosphere, feet dangling a few miles above the earth∑. A fun and spirited genre homage with adequate but not-so-super results (1 hr 35 min).