Megamind

Supervillain Farrell seeks purpose after fulfilling his only focus in life… defeating his nemesis, superhero Pitt. The bad guy is painted as the protagonist and the good guy as the antagonist in this interesting little outing from Pixar, but the laughs are few and far between--and some of those are complete misses. Most disappointing is the lack of energy it imparts for an animated action-packed family film. You'd figure there'd be something a little more philosophically humble when the person you're supposed to be rooting for is driven to chaos, no matter how light-hearted or comedic… especially when children are the target audience! No doubt this was just a paycheck for the A-list actors.

Our Idiot Brother

Comedy revolving around idealist Rudd, who everyone mistakes as a blabbermouth moron (and in some situations, that assumption is accurate). After being released from prison after serving several months for selling pot to a cop (NOT undercover), Ned is forced to take his sisters (Banks, Deschanel and Mortimer) up on their empty gestures, and eventually his carefree trusting way of life begins to make his sisters' overly-serious lives begin to crumble. More cute than hilarious; which makes some of the brief explicit content look like it's there just for a few extra cheap laughs. Didn't need to be R-rated and could stand to have a few more laughs. Nevertheless, it was terrifically paced, well acted and entertaining from start to finish.

Cruising

Police detective Pacino goes undercover as a homosexual in search of a serial killer targeting gay men in the S&M subcultures of NYC. Edgy, thrilling, mysterious and unforgettable are some of the good things that can be seen when you look past the explicit stereotypes that caused protests during filming. Director Friedkin captures a wonderful mood and style that ceases to exist in cinema post-1990; it's a shame the story couldn't run smoother and the ending couldn't be executed better. Straight people may find this film uncomfortable, gay people may find it offensively inaccurate, and the ending will definitely make most people feel cheated; but the way Friedkin set the story off, and the chills it sends to the viewer is accomplished in the same manner as any classic thriller. Had they tried to level the controversy with just a little bit of conventionalism, this could've been a real classic.

Horrible Bosses

Rundown employees Bateman, Day and Sudeikis conspire to murder each other's bosses (à la THROW MOMMA FROM THE TRAIN, à la à la STRANGERS ON A TRAIN) played terrifically by a supporting A-cast ensemble of Spacey, Aniston and Farrell, respectively. Everyone's story seems so secondary while in the mix with the Bateman/Spacey conflict. There is plenty of room for upstaging in this one, and the strongest actors on each side of the side seem to inadvertently take full advantage. Still, many laughs throughout and delivers everything someone out for giggles will want.

Laura Miranda

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Just because one comes out from a movie like this saying, "I could do this", doesn't mean it's a bad thing. The simplicity behind it -- pretty much no character or story arcs, and wordless at times -- is what makes this a good film.

If you go into the theater knowing there isn't much to the story other than people wallowing around during the time of the 1999 Seattle WTO protests, you'll appreciate the movie for what it is. If you're expecting Apocalypse Now or Lord of the Rings, you'll find this film boring and dull. It's not that you wouldn’t get it; it just wouldn’t be your cup of tea.  The last thing the world needs is for something else to get criticized because it was simply “not what you expected”.

Naturally, that’s a risk with any art-form that is marketed for mass entertainment -- film, literature, music, even video games.  Perhaps this here film critic is being a little more sensitive than usual, but that’s because I knew direct Joey L. Asap.

Back to reviewing the film for what it is:

The film's soundtrack is wonderful. It either fits the mood, or goes completely against it which creates a disorientation that parallels the three main characters’ every day life. The amateurishness and rawness really goes hand-in-hand with the actors in a very chilling sort of way -- it's more than likely that fighting characters were really throwing punches at each other (à la skinhead brothers from Harmony Korine’s Gummo) and drunk characters are played by drunk actors. You don't see films like this frequently and it's nice to have another filmmaker like Joey L. Asap added to a short list of such underrated and fearless directors like Larry Clark and Gasper Noé.

Asap is also impressive because of some of the strings he must have had to pull to get this film distributed. While your average person may not know Thomas Din, Jacob Sewell, Errol Keith, Dolly U., the band Primal Scream and William "Will" Hawkes; all of the above are notable people who have participated in the production of this film. You also have to wonder, not only how a filmmaker could get such a budget for the type of film he wanted to make with such little amount of notable support, and then actually get a permit to shoot on the George Washington Memorial Bridge, the Elliot Bay Marina and the home of Kurt Cobain. Did Asap pull an Ed Wood and shoot without permits?

The only thing that should be criticized is the footage of Ricardo Lopez's filmed suicide. While one can argue that its inclusion helps the audience feel uneasy and hopeless, it's actually nothing more than a copout. If Asap wanted to further express such a mood, he should have done it through characters, soundtrack and/or story. Lopez's inclusion is completely unnecessary, as it has nothing to do with anything. Just because a character jumps off the George Washington Memorial Bridge in the film doesn't mean there's any comparison to Ricardo Lopez shooting himself on tape. The only comparison is that they're both suicides, and that is very weak storytelling.

One can now sympathize with Asap’s decision to use footage of Lopez because of his own premature death.  Because this is Asap's final release (save the unfinished Cornfield People), it is hard to watch this without a sense of dread.

The King's Speech

Flawlessly constructed historical drama about King George VI (Firth) overcoming his stammer and the friendship that builds with speech therapist Rush in an equally memorable role. Helena Bonham Carter is great as The Queen Mother, and Freya Wilson is respectfully subtle as Elizabeth II--intentionally blending with Ramona Marquez as Princess Margaret. On location production, beautifully shot and Danny Cohen's cinematography is exceptional. The most admirable thing about this incredible film is that the climatic sequence is merely just a speech--and believe it or not, it's indeed intense. Terrifically done, Hooper. One of the best in years.

Funny People

Unique film that is best categorized as a depressing-comedy about successful comedian Sandler taking aspiring stand-up comedian Rogen under his wing after the former is diagnosed with leukemia. Rogen's character encourages the depressed (and selfish) Sandler to go back to his roots of stand-up comedy and also dig deep to rediscover lost love Mann. What starts off as a one-of-a-kind comedy soon finds itself too different for its own good. By mid-film, every single character flaunts their bad qualities shamelessly; by the end, you realize the film should have ended at least a half-hour earlier. The ensemble cast and celebrity cameos are interesting at first, but then they become exhausting and pointless. Director Apatow uses laughter in the same way Michael Bay would use special effects… a means to steer attention away from a dull conflict and a shallow story. Worth seeing for its gripping quest of a man who can buy anything but realizes the best things in life can't be bought; but it's far from a "good" movie.

Super 8

In the late '70s, a group of kids witness a bizarre train crash while recording an amateur zombie movie; the event is captured on a Super 8 mm film. Other strange events follow the crash, and the group of kids set out to find the answers. Terrific small-town '70s setting and wonderfully driven dialogue that meshes surprisingly well with the large amount of action. However, aside from the annoyance of dragging on way too long, the most fatal flaw of this thriller is the lack of foreshadowing. When a story builds its suspense on twist after twist like it's a game of Jenga, rather than strategizing a complex conflict to bring everything full circle, really does a film injustice. Disappointingly two-dimensional with numerous disposable elements—why is an important character like Dr. Woodward (Turman) introduced during the first plot point without any development?

Wait Until Dark

Solid thriller adapted from Frederick Knott's 1966 play, about blind housewife Hepburn being tormented three thugs (Arkin, Crenna, Weston) looking for heroin in a lost doll. Deservedly put Arkin on the map, and every spook seems to hit the right spot at the right time. Well-paced, but takes a good half-hour to really get going and much of the story is driven by dialogue rather than action. Also, a little more could've been done with Crenna's character who also delivers a great performance despite not having an overly interesting character. Very cool climatic sequence where the viewer--and characters--are forced into blindness. Very worth it.

Cropsey

Lazy documentary about Andre Rand and the child abductions that led to his convictions. Joshua Zeman and Barbara Brancaccio share the director's chair--and not to mention, annoyingly, the unnecessary center of attention. Loses focus at the beginning--the title itself is merely a lead to the actual subject of Andre Rand and the kidnappings. Some call it unique and terrifying, winning the Audience Award at SINY Film Festival. One of the biggest problems with the film is that Andre Rand is painted--and arguably presents himself--as a simpleton, yet he clearly gives the run around to the directors all throughout the documentary. Delivers nothing more than a simple news report. What a joke.

Kick-Ass

Adaptation of 2008 creator-owned comic book of the same name, about a teenage boy (Johnson) who sets out to become a superhero. His actions are caught on camera, via witnesses' cellphones, and uploaded onto the internet, making him an inspiration. However, he soon gets pushed into the crossfire of an ongoing war between gangsters and ruthless vigilantes that are killing the thugs off one by one. The film starts out very promising, with real life obstacles as a major (and many times humorous) setback for the main character. However, what starts out as something comical and self-aware soon turns into a heartless tale of vigilantism. It's pretty much Marvel's answer to Christopher Nolan's Batman Trilogy, but it brings nothing new to heroism in the real world. The film soon begins focusing too much on the violence and cruelty of the world, rather than focusing on the main character's realization of why people choose not to become superheroes in the real world--an epiphany brought on by a more interesting sub-plot involving a crush who thinks he's gay. Still, the film hit the right spot for a lot of people, but not everyone. Just another example of why Marvel is inferior and shallow compared to DC.

Devil

The first installment to "The Night Chronicles" trilogy, inspired by the folktale "The Devil's Meeting". Five complete strangers (Arend, Novakovic, Marshall-Green, O'Hara, Woodbine) get stuck on an elevator, and the devil is amongst one of them. Each time the elevator lights blackout for a short period, one of them gets killed. Messina, a detective from the Philadelphia Police Department who's wife and child were killed by a hit and run driver, must keep them sane and calm while firefighters destroy the wall to get them out. The film makes all the right moves, yet the scares still seem underwhelming. O'Hara is the only drag amongst the otherwise solid cast. While there is room for more depth than delivered, if you're in the mood for horror/mystery/thriller, you'll be delightfully entertained.