When the prospect of creating a 21st century remake of Alice in Wonderland to compliment the 1951 classic arose in Tinseltown, it’s doubtful anyone had to consult a sagacious blue caterpillar before unanimously agreeing upon Tim Burton to stand at the helm. With such titles as Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Big Fish under his ever-extending belt, it’s little wonder “Wonderland” would be fertile ground into which Burton could sow seeds of outlandish whimsy and quirky, often grim, imaginations. But lest you think you’ve seen all of Burton’s tantalizing tricks, follow him down the rabbit hole into a breathtaking world of masterful design, beauty, and innovation that gets “curiouser and curiouser” in the very best of ways. READ MORE

If Love, Actually is the Godiva chocolate of ensemble romantic comedies, Valentine’s Day is the big, bland, yet desirable candy heart proclaiming an uninspired hot pink message. Ridden with storylines as predictable as a “Roses are Red” poem, covered in syrupy clichés and filled with enough cleverly cast actors to stuff a bright red bear, this movie could easily have its heart broken at the box office. Lucky for the filmmakers and actors alike, Valentine’s Day audiences, in the mood for love and laughs and on the verge of a sugar coma, will likely forgive the flaws and focus on the positives – as all respectable lovers do. READ MORE

When buying a ticket to a movie with “Paris” in its title, filmgoers typically expect to see one of the most exquisite cities in the world captured by the most expensive cameras under the Hollywood sign. We expect grand aerial views of the Champs Elysees, the Louvre bathed in afternoon sunshine and the Eiffel Tower looming brilliantly in the night. This ironically named film takes a been there, done that approach to conveying the intoxicating beauty of Paris, and instead replaces the beloved cliché of Parisian romance with automatic weapons and the allure of lights along the Seine with automotive explosions. While this film is neither a tourist’s brochure for France’s capital nor a specimen for film historians to extol in years to come,  From Paris With Love is well worth your francs.

READ MORE

Despite Hollywood’s recent attempts to inject the rom-com genre with a dose of pizzazz by showing off exotic locations, i.e., Alaska (The Proposal), Ireland (Leap Year), and now Rome, the flare of foreign places is simply not sufficient enough to keep the films afloat. All of the necessary ingredients for a foolproof, frothily fun romance are present in When in Rome: attractive couple, wacky, less attractive friends and sidekicks, and stubborn roadblocks in the way of a fairytale ending. However, the best recipes require time and attention, two components this film neglected to mix in – or even sprinkle on.

Kristin Bell is Beth, a hardworking curator at the Guggenheim Museum who, you guessed it, is disillusioned with love. When in Rome for her younger sister’s wedding, she is bewitched by a Prince Charming of a best man, Nick, played effortlessly by Josh Duhamel. The sparks bouncing between them just minutes into the movie may make one wonder what could possibly go wrong, but with three acts left to fill, a little magic is all it will take to muck things up for the pretty pair. READ MORE

The cardinal rule of “show, don’t tell,” when writing or moviemaking is unfortunately the one Peter Jackson decided to boldly break while directing this much-anticipated film. The Lovely Bones, based on Alice Sebold’s bestselling novel, was more of a disconnected smorgasbord of genres, themes and tones jumbled together within a monstrous montage than a movie. Perhaps Ms. Sebold will find it flattering that the writers tried desperately to not merely adapt the novel, but transfer it onto the big screen; audiences, however, will find it overwhelming.

READ MORE

If Leap Year is any indication of what the rest of 2010’s romantic comedies will look like, I predict DVD sitcom rentals will sell like gangbusters this year.

This is a predictable love story with a cookie-cutter formula that I imagine even a first grader could concoct given a setting, three archetypal characters, a couple of Crayons, and manila paper. Amy Adams is a Type A, well-heeled (literally and figuratively) Bostonian, named Anna, who determines to take advantage of an Irish tradition and propose to her workaholic cardiologist (be still, my heart) boyfriend, Jeremy (Adam Scott). It’s the reasonable thing for a gal to do after being given a lousy pair of earrings instead of a coveted diamond ring after four years... READ MORE

You know a film is a hit when audience laughter is drowning out post-joke dialogue. Goddess of the box office, Meryl Streep, and funnymen Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin deliver superb performances in this year’s holiday delight.

As if filmdom needed another reason to extol Mrs. Streep as one of the finest actresses of our time, the star shines brilliantly as a middle-aged divorcee experimenting with love with the least likely person – her ex-husband, Jake (Alec Baldwin). Ten years after her divorce, Jane Adler is a restaurateur who, after sending the last of her three children off to college, is ready to build her dream kitchen and settle into an empty home. After a few too many cocktails shared with her ex in a hotel lobby, the film jumps to a subsequent scene in a hotel suite in which we observe two diametrically opposed facial expressions: one of horror and one of bliss… READ MORE

At first look, The Blind Side may seem like another condescending tale about the plight of an African-American and the intervention of a benevolent white person. Lest you allow familiar Hollywood commentaries on race and paternalism to avert your eyes from this film, I urge you to do a double take.

The Blind Side is based on Michael Lewis’s 2006 book which tells the true story of Michael Oher, current offensive tackle for the Baltimore Ravens. We first meet “Big Mike” (Quinton Aaron) as an introverted, homeless teen with a dark past caught only in glimpses within rapid flashbacks. After a prep school football coach (Ray McKinnon) convinces his colleagues that admitting Michael is the “right thing” to do regardless of his athletic ability (yeah, right), the gentle giant assumes his place as the odd man out on an all-white campus. READ MORE

Exactly as expected, 2012 is the most massive, CGI-driven movie in history; what I didn't expect was that I would enjoy it. Don't blow an artery...it's really entertaining and has a nice, simple story.

The sun is flaring, releasing massive amounts of neutrinos, and the earth's core is overheating, causing the earth's crust to shift. Human's have made the choice to survive at whatever cost. READ MORE

Jesus said that as it was in Noah’s day, so shall it be at the end of time. Roland Emmerich’s 2012 takes this foreboding prophecy and spins it into a cataclysmic tale of the world’s date with destiny, replete with atomic-age “arks” and animals being airlifted into them, two by two, of course.

This movie is full of jaw-dropping special effects and spectacular action sequences that are at once impressive and farcical. Take the first close call the protagonist (John Cusack) faces while haphazardly driving his family through the imminent ruins of a California city. Despite earthquakes decimating skyscrapers and swallowing streets around them, the limousine escapes unscathed. Follow that up with planes taking off and landing along crumbling runways and absurd artistic license concerning the science of tsunamis, doomsday planet alignment, and tropical animals’ arctic temperature tolerance, these visually stunning displays effectively provoke both gasps and giggles. READ MORE