Movie Review

It may not be Summer quite yet, but the arrival of Thor hammers it in: blockbuster season has arrived. Chris Hemsworth plays the title character, the good-looking, gloriously built God of thunder who's in line for the throne in the mythical realm of Asgard. On the night that he's supposed to be inducted as king by his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins), an invasion from the enemy Frost Giants derails the festivities. Thor secretly organizes a retaliation, and when Odin has to rescue his sons and friends from the unsuccessful mission, he angrily punishes Thor by banishing him from his home.

Exiled to Earth, the disoriented God is hit by the van of scientists led by Jane Foster (Natalie Portman). Jane and her colleagues (Stellan Skarsgard and Kat Dennings) bring Thor to the nearest town, where he has to assimilate with the mortals. Needless to say, his huge ego and fish-out-of-water behavior draws attention to him and produces lots of laughs. It's Thor's ability to succeed on different levels — action and comedy, specifically — in a sleek, energetic package that makes it a supremely entertaining movie. To find out why I enjoyed it so much, just read more

The Disney film Prom is exactly what you would expect from the studio known for its parade of princesses: sweet, candy-colored, and completely wholesome. Aimee Teegarden stars as Nova, the typical overachieving student who is at the top of her senior class and heading up the prom committee. She has tasked herself with ensuring that the prom is a perfect night for everyone, believing that it can somehow right all the wrongs for any student who's had a less-than-ideal high school experience. When an accident destroys the prom decor she has worked so hard on, the principal assigns the school's resident slacker, Jesse (Thomas McDonell), to help her, much to Nova's chagrin.

The prom is the linchpin for several other student storylines as well: one long-term couple breaks up just before the big night, one girl dreads the event because she's worried about telling her boyfriend that she won't be going to the same college as him after graduation, a younger couple is brought together, and one hapless character can't find a date to save his life. All of these stories make Prom at once feel like you never really get to know anyone (or care), but it also makes the film easily digestible. To find out what I liked about Prom, just read more

The indie film Ceremony, starring Michael Angarano as a lovelorn writer who tricks his best friend (Reece Thompson) into helping him crash the wedding of the woman he's in love with (Uma Thurman), expands its limited release today. While the film, the first feature from writer/director Max Winkler, has flown under the radar, I have a few reasons why it might deserve to be on your must-see list.

• Because you love Wes Anderson. While it's not an Anderson film, Winkler's distinct voice has a clear influence from Anderson, particularly in the script and style. Along with Anderson, the movie is also reminiscent of Woody Allen's work. If you're a fan of Allen's lovably neurotic male characters who are also head over heels in love, then you'll be into Ceremony.
• The ridiculously charming cast. Angarano and Thurman have believable chemistry as former lovers, but it's the friendship between Sam and his best friend Marshall (Thompson, best known for Rocket Science) that really stands out. The actors seem like old friends, nailing Winkler's funny dialogue in their scenes together. The supporting cast also includes two scene-stealers: Lee Pace is on point as Zoe's fiancé, a quirky British filmmaker who loves himself but loves Zoe more, and Jake Johnson as Zoe's drunkard brother.
• If you're getting married. The movie has wedding inspiration for days, from its inclusion of the old-fashioned game paper chase as a group activity for guests, to the decor and fashion. The ceremony setting is a gorgeous outdoor venue with paper lanterns and round globe lights, while Thurman's hair and makeup are stunning. Likewise, the bridesmaids are outfitted in various shades of pink and red — even if you're not getting married, it's cinematic eye candy.

On the surface, Water For Elephants is a film chronicling the love story that unfolds between a veterinarian and a performer while traveling with a circus in the 1930s. But when you dig a bit deeper, you see what's beneath Hollywood's veneer of shiny costumes and stolen kisses: an often harrowing story about the art of illusion and the truths that are revealed when we take a peek behind the proverbial curtain. Thanks to spot-on performances, gorgeous cinematography, and rich storytelling, Water For Elephants is a satisfying and captivating adaptation of Sara Gruen's best-selling novel.

We see the film through the memory of Jacob Jankowski (Hal Holbrook), an elderly man who finds himself at the box office of a circus after hours and begins reflecting on his own time with the now-defunct Benzini Brothers show. Enter Robert Pattinson as Jacob's younger self, a Cornell student on the verge of taking his last final when a shocking tragedy calls him away from his test. Shell-shocked and aimless, Jacob impulsively climbs aboard a moving train and is soon consumed by the clandestine underbelly of a traveling circus.

To see why this film is worth the price of admission, just keep reading.

No need to pack the sunscreen and bathing suits for this trip to Rio! Theaters are filled with animated 3D films for tots, so it takes a lot for one to stand out from the pack. Rio, which enters theaters April 15, does just that with its mix of color graphics, lively characters, and toe-tapping musical sequences.

The story of Blu (voiced by Jesse Eisenberg), a rare blue macaw hatched in Rio but snatched by smugglers who transport him to Minnesota, and Jewel (voiced by Anne Hathaway), the world's only other blue macaw who is living in captivity in Rio, takes us on the birds' journey as their owners try to mate them. After a series of kidnappings, some hijinks created by troublesome monkeys, and a high-speed chase through the middle of the city's legendary Carnival festival, the ending may be predictable, but getting there is still fun.

Keep reading to see if the new flick is appropriate for tots!

You know the sound of that dreaded ringing phone; you're ready for it, but no matter how often you remind yourself that it's coming, there's just something about the start of the Scream movies that gets me every time. From that very moment, Scream 4 throws you right back into the beloved franchise with a fresh, updated take on a very familiar story. The original Scream opening scene with Drew Barrymore put the movie on the map, and once again the first sequence is everything you want —  tongue-in-cheek, funny, and of course, very bloody. For that reason and others, this is perhaps the most similar to the first of all the sequels. Or, to quote the film, it really is more of a "scre-boot" than a "shreik-uel."

Director Wes Craven and screenwriter Kevin Williamson are both at the top of their games with Scream 4. For all the criticism Scream 3 received, Craven stays loyal to the essence of Scream in this one. Ghostface and his very shiny knife are chill-inducing, red-herring abound, and it's a horror movie about loving horror movies. Williamson somehow retains the ability to write snappy, believable teen dialogue, save one final monologue about fame that goes a bit over the top.

Technology plays a central role in the story, with iPhones, apps, and web cams making frequent appearances, which is certainly a sign of the times. Scream 4 will serve as a snapshot of 2011 in the same way Scream is so indicative of the late '90s, belly shirts and all. Still, I'm not sure there are any high schoolers out there live streaming their whole life from a headset.

To read my biggest gripe about the movie, how the veteran cast members do, and the bottom line of who will love this just read more

Jason Winer's Arthur is a remake of a 1981 film starring Dudley Moore, but how you feel about the original (or even if you haven't seen it at all) won't have much effect on your enjoyment of the 2011 version. In this fresh take, Brand plays Arthur, a filthy rich heir who never grew up because he never had to. Arthur spends the majority of his days and nights wasting his millions on whatever and whomever he sees fit, pretending he's Batman, and drinking as much Maker's Mark as is humanly possible. With his nanny Hobson (Helen Mirren) there to clean up all of his messes, Arthur has no reason to abandon his carefree lifestyle and settle down.

When his mother hands him an ultimatum, Arthur is forced to make the first adult decision of his life: he can either marry Susan (Jennifer Garner), a tightly wound business executive whom Arthur has no romantic interest in, or he can lose his entire fortune and find out how the other half lives. The situation is made more complicated when Arthur falls head over heels for Naomi (Greta Gerwig), a girl from Queens who works as a tour guide of Manhattan and has big dreams of becoming an author.

Brand is known for playing outlandish characters like Forgetting Sarah Marshall's Aldous Snow, and he doesn't stray too far outside the realm in Arthur. As he gallivants around town in top hats and powder blue suits, his Arthur is yet another hard-partying character with a quick wit and enough one-liners to put Ricky Gervais to shame. The difference is that Brand brings a certain child-like innocence to Arthur that not only gives him depth, but makes him endearing as well. Arthur is a silly (and self-serving) character through and through, but with Brand's charm, you can't help but root for him and enjoy being part of his hijinks.

To find out what else works in the film, just read more

Your Highness may have a marijuana reference right there in the title, but it's not exactly Cheech and Chong in tights. It is, however, an amusing spoof from director David Gordon Green, who reproduces the comedic tone of his last movie, Pineapple Express. He also reunites with a couple of its cast members; James Franco stars as Fabious, a virtuous prince in line for the throne, and Danny McBride plays his brother Thadeous, who's far less concerned with courageous quests and much more into drinking, smoking, and women.

Fabious returns from a quest with a bride, Belladonna (Zooey Deschanel), but their ceremony is crashed by evil wizard Leezar (Justin Theroux, disguising his handsome face). Leezar kidnaps Belladonna, intending to take her virginity as part of a dastardly plot. Naturally, Fabious wastes no time in embarking on a new quest to get his bride back, and underachieving Thadeous has to step up so he can accompany his brother. This adventure and the characters they meet along the way (including Natalie Portman) set the scene for a raunchy takeoff of the medieval genre. To find out why I found myself chuckling at Your Highness, just read more

With Source Code, Jake Gyllenhaal has cemented his position as an action star who can deliver. He plays Captain Colter Stevens, a soldier whose last memory is flying a helicopter in Afghanistan. When he wakes up in the body of a teacher on a train, he's understandably confused; the situation grows more complicated when the train blows up and he awakens back in his own body in an unfamiliar tiny vessel. Disoriented, he learns that he's been assigned to revisit the final eight minutes on a commuter train before it's blown up in order to find the bomber and prevent the next, larger attack.

Stevens must relive the same sequence repeatedly until he's successful, not only to save lives but to prove that the quantum physics-based program (Source Code) works. A romantic subplot with fellow passenger Christina (Michelle Monaghan) is woven in, but the film is more than a simple action thriller with a hint of romance. Source Code is a multi-layered story that's well produced, well acted, and the best movie I've seen this year.

To find out why, just read more

Win Win has all the necessary elements for a great indie film: a down-on-his-luck central character, a strong cast, and a quirky but heartwarming comeback story told with humor. Though it's a smaller film, Win Win appeals to a wider audience with its charm.

Paul Giamatti stars as small-town attorney/high school wrestling coach, Mike Flaherty. Stuck with a struggling legal practice (and a bad hot-water heater), Mike is cutting costs to keep his business afloat while still providing for his wife Jackie (Amy Ryan) and his young daughters. When one of Mike's elderly clients needs a guardian to provide for his care, Mike takes on the job to make some extra cash. But when the man's grandson Kyle (Alex Shaffer) unexpectedly shows up, Mike becomes way more involved in the family's life than he bargained for.

To find out why I enjoyed the film, read more