Starring: Scarlett Johannson and Morgan Freeman
Directed by: Luc Besson
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hr 30 mins
Universal

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

In the film “Defending Your Life,” Albert Brooks told us that most people only use 3% of their brains. That percentage is the reason we all deal with fear, because “that’s what little brains do!” In the latest film from Luc Besson that average number has risen to 10%. But what if it were more? 20%? 40%? What if a human being could utilize 100% of their brain’s function? In the new film, “Lucy,” the title character finds out.

Ever since man began evolving, he (and she) had to continually learn and know more than their ancestors. Whether it’s first discovering the uses for fire or figuring out how to solve the Rubik’s Cube, our noggins contain a pretty important piece of our lives. When we first meet Lucy she is being hustled by a new boyfriend to take a locked case into a very public place and give it to someone. The more she declines the more desperate he becomes. Finally, without warning, he handcuffs the case to her wrist and forces her into the building. Things only get worse when, after delivering the package, she wakes up and learns that a bag of a new synthetic drug has been surgically implanted in her stomach. She and three other people are to fly to their respective countries, now acting as drug mules. However, when the bag inside Lucy ruptures the contents inside causes her to, literally, think outside the box.

Smartly conceived, “Lucy” is one of those great “what if” films you occasionally stumble across that has you thinking long after it’s ended. It’s almost like a hyped up version of the book “Flowers for Algernon,” which featured a mentally diminished character who, after being given an experimental drug, became a genius, albeit temporarily. Here, Lucy doesn’t regress. Within moments she is able to learn entire languages, diagnose medical problems and interface with electrical currents and radio waves. She contacts a well- known professor (Freeman) who has previously theorized what is now a reality. But will he be able to help her?

The film succeeds as well as it does thanks to the work of Johannson. She is often on screen alone, with the audience hearing her thoughts and watching her actions. If she wasn’t believable this would have been a very boring and one-note film. Freeman brings along his usual gravitas, which fits his character well. The one thing that throws off the smoothness of the film is that occasionally the movie will go from a “Luc Besson” film to a “LUC BESSON FILM!!” Best known for such films as “The Professional” and “The Fifth Element,” “Lucy” occasionally jumps genres and becomes an adrenaline filled action picture. Lots of gunplay and a really unnecessary car chase that almost seems forced takes you out of the story momentarily. It’s not that the scenes aren’t well done. They are. It’s just that they almost seem to have come from another film.

That being said, I still recommend the film. Its premise alone makes it an interesting watch. Though perhaps a little more “thought” could have gone into it.

Directed by: Luc Besson
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman, Amr Waked, Choi Min-sik
Distributed by: Universal Pictures
MPAA Rating: R
Running time: 89 minutes

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

“We only use 10% of our brain. At 20% she can manipulate the world around her. At 40% she can control matter. At 60% she can stop time. What happens when she gets to 100%? … I have no idea”

When I saw the trailer for “Lucy”, I had it feeling that it was going to be awesome. I love Scarlett Johansson and it looks like she would be kick ass in the film. What is interesting though is that the trailer and the actual film are quite different, which both good and also bad. For the first 45 minutes or so of this film, I was literally in love with this film. I was sitting in my seat, mouth open and in awe of this film…then it went downhill. The third act of the film is a quite rushed and a bit of a letdown. Here is the thing though, I still kind loved this film and haven’t stopped thinking about it since, so I am a bit conflicted here. This film is less than 90 minutes and it is a rollercoaster ride from start to finish. I hope that this is one of the those films that grows on you since I still really want to love it.

Lucy is a girl that is just in the wrong place at the wrong time. She is forced to drop off a briefcase, in which she has no idea what the contents are, because of her dodgy boyfriend. Of course, the 1-2-3 hand off doesn’t go as expected and she is taken by a Korean gang and forced to harvest a new drug inside her intestines with plans to traffic it across the country. Crazy right? When things go wrong and the package is damaged while inside of her, it changes Lucy as her body absorbs the new and unknown drug in abundance. From then you have seen the trailers and you’ve heard that she is able to access more % of her brain and that leads to interesting circumstances as she adjusts to the drug and seeks revenge.

Scarlett Johansson was absolutely amazing. No joke, this was a bad-ass role with big shoes and she super nailed it. Her personality for Lucy was perfectly executed. From the subtle twitches to the dead face stares she was absolutely stunning. Another win for her after this year “Under the Skin”, which she was also quite amazing. Morgan Freeman is well…Morgan Freeman. I could listen to the guy read the instructions of a bottle of aspirin and love it. Amr Waked is not super well known in the US besides bit roles in films like “Contagion” but he was a great addition to the cast. If you are a fan of the Korean cult classic “Old Boy”, then you are going to love that fact that Choi Min-sik plays the main baddie in this and is absolutely amazing.

It is rare for me to say that but at 89 minutes, I actually wanted this film to be longer. When Lucy experiences the effects of the drugs, she goes from 10% to 40% in about an hour…and then zooms through to 100% in about 20 minutes. I could have see this being fleshed out much more, to be honest. In between all that, there is easily one of the coolest car chase scenes that I have seen in a while. It had some amazing stunts and super cool driving action. Like I said, you know when you are watching a film and it is so amazing and then just kind of ends too early and leaves you wanting more. That was the case here. I just loved this film and I wished it would have ended much better. I would still recommend this for all fans of Luc Besson and action/sci-fi fans.

Starring: Cameron Diaz, Jason Segel, Rob Corddry, Ellie Kemper, Rob Lowe
Directed by: Jake Kasdan
MPAA Rating: R
Distributed by: Columbia Pictures
Running time: 94 minutes

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Holy shit! I haven’t laughed as hard as I did in “Sex Tape” in a long time. The first time I saw the trailer to this I just knew it was going to be amazing. And guess what? All the funny gags (out of the gutter people, focus!) are not in the trailer. This movie is equally funny throughout. The real key for this film’s success is the fact that it is actually only 94 minutes long! Suck that Judd Apatow! No matter how amazing and funny a comedy is, there is no way for it to keep it up for that long (damn it, this is your last warning). Real critics aka pretentious hotshots that love to use big words, will most likely hate this but screw them because I had a blast with this film and so did the audience that I saw it with. Actually, I will even say that this was the funniest film that I have seen this year so far. So have drink, kick back and enjoy this flick!

Jay and Annie are two people that fall in love and absolutely love having sex with each other. After they get pregnant and decide to get married, they find that they need to find a way to get that spark back in their live. You know we all have been through this people! So they decide that in order to spice this up a bit, they shoot a sex tape of them practicing ever position in the book “The Joy of Sex”..for three hours. Of course instead of deleting it after they were done like they said they would, it gets uploaded to their iTunes Cloud and synced to all their friends, family and even some strangers including the mailman (Ow, why did I just get hit?). The couple and their two friends set out to try and stop the rest of the world from seeing this sex tape and of course in the process, mucho hilarity ensues.

Cameron Diaz and Jason Segel are fantastic together. I have to admit, Segel looks a little strange since the weight loss but good for him. They are hysterical together in a kind of sexy awkward way. Rob Corddry and Ellie Kemper are also hysterical as their friends who set out to help them. Great laughs from them as well. But the winner of this film is easily the great Rob Lowe. From the moment he steps in front of the camera, this guy owns this entire movie. I mean every word he speaks is practically gold. He just nails it. Great cast. Great laughs. Nice and tight (Oh, what the hell…OH YEAH!)…running time. This is definitely a must see of the summer! So parents if you got kids, get a sitter and don’t miss this flick!

Starring: Frank Grillo, Carmen Ejogo and Zach Gilford
Directed By: James DeMonaco
Rated: R
Running Time: 103 minutes
Universal Pictures

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Are you ready to celebrate the annual Purge? Nearly every tattooed, face painted, vein bulging, rotted teeth maniac featured in the latest offering seems to be. “The Purge: Anarchy” takes us to 2023, a year after the previously featured Purge with a new batch of disposable characters hoping to survive the 12 hours America has made all crimes legal. Out of all the crimes that are now legal, everyone gladly picks up their nearest sharpened tool shed item and freshly polished automatic rifle, and settles on a night of murder. This time around, we’re not confined to an upper middle class home, but instead we’re placed in some rotting downtown urban warfare.

For this second installment, to what I assume will be a never ending franchise until the one that doesn’t make money, we’re introduced to three separate storylines. First off is the young, well-to-do couple, Shane (Gilford) and Liz (Kiele Sanchez). They’re one of those annoying shoppers that wait until the last possible minute to get groceries, but the real kicker is that they’re going through a shaky separation. Bad timing if you ask me. There’s also Eva (Ejogo) and Cali (Zeo Soul), a mother and a daughter just hoping to survive another annual Purge in their decrepit apartment building. Finally there’s Leo (Grillo), a father hoping to avenge his son’s death by dressing all in black and being armed to the teeth like Frank Castle. I’m sure you’ve already pieced together that they’ll eventually all meet-up, but the real unpredictable fun comes when they have to stick together to survive the night.

While the last “Purge” felt like someone left the “Panic Room” on simmer, the latest entry goes head on into dismemberments, bullet riddled bodies, gore and urban combat. It seems like one of the director’s favorite cult classics might have been “The Warriors” as we roam from one outlandish incident to another. Despite our characters quietly lurking, the film’s pace seems to be in top form as it finds clever ways to keep the anarchy engaging and absorbing. The plight of our characters isn’t an emotional investment, more than it’s a grotesque investment in the joy of watching another kill or be killed scenario.

Meanwhile, the director has still failed to create a working theme representing class warfare and race equality. He seems to believe the audience is too dense to pick up on the already implied subtleties so he proceeds to insert poorly written dialogue into actor’s mouth and further disrupts the flow with characters talking over obvious visual cues. Early on we’re introduced to a AK-47 toting pacifist who’s obviously the 2023 embodiment of Che Guevara who will obviously be making an appearance, but is given nothing of relevance to say. In more capable, demented hands, one could easily assemble a thoughtful good time.

As pure testosterone fueled savagery that’s aesthetically pleasing to the eyes, this “Purge” sequel works. As a potential cult classic with social and political commentary, it fails once again. Demarco may want to consider bringing on a second person to help him with the next “Purge” movie if it’s going in the direction I believe it’s going. If he’s hoping to hunt down some bigger issues, he may find out he’s unskilled enough to tackle them. He may just want to stick to blood and guts in poor taste and quenching American moviegoers never-ending thirst for sadism.

Starring: Andy Serkis, Gary Oldman and Jason Clarke
Directed by: Matt Reeves
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 2 hrs 10 mins
20th Century Fox

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

I’m currently co-authoring a book about the making of movie sequels. Among the earlier ones were the very successful “Planet of the Apes” films. Five in total, they took moviegoers to what they thought was a distant planet, underneath it, back to it and then finally watched the conquest of and the battle for it. Almost three decades after the last film, Tim Burton put his very puzzling stamp on a remake/reboot/reimagining of the original 1968 film. Another decade would pass before Hollywood went back to the well with the very well done “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” which did away with the time travel plot and brought the apes to us. Now that we’re all caught up, let’s talk about “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.”

The time is now. While the genetically evolved apes from the first film, led by Caesar (Serkis, in what should be an award winning performance) occupy the woods mankind, overwhelmed by the ravages of disease now lives in camps that were one time major cities. We find such a group of survivors in what used to be San Francisco. While on an exploration mission outside the city, a group of humans come across two young apes. A standoff occurs, broken when one of the group panics and fires his gun. The ape is only wounded but the shot of the gun brings out a shrewdness of apes (yes, dear readers, if you want to impress your friends tell them that a group of apes is referred to as a “shrewdness), led by Caesar. Caesar still remembers the kindness he received from some humans and brokers a peace between the two factions. This does not sit well with Koba (Toby Kebbell), a fellow ape who longs to battle. He will soon get his wish.

Much darker than “Rise,” “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” rises and falls on the large shoulders of Andy Serkis. He gives Caesar a quiet dignity and, if possible, almost makes him human in his emotions. He does not want war, even when those around him insist on it. Serkis conveys more with his eyes than many actors do with their words. From the anger or betrayal to the joy of holding his newborn son, Caesar is the strongest and best drawn out character in the film. Serkis is joined by other actors who also bring out the emotions under their computer generated fur. Kebbell is angry and bitter as Koba while Karin Konoval, as the gentle orangutan Maurice (a nice nod to the late Maurice Evans, who appeared in the original 1968 film), is kind and caring. On the human side, Clarke and Keri Russell do well as the leaders of the observation group, as does Kodi Smit-McPhee, as a young man who spends his time sketching his new simian friends. Oldman is a little over the top in his distrust of the furry fellows. Perhaps someone told him that Hollywood is actually a town run by apes.

Visually the film is outstanding. The apes and their world are rendered well as is the inner workings of what is left of the city of San Francisco. As for the 3D…once again it brought nothing to the film but a lot of blurry images in the foreground. I honestly think the process needs to be saved for animated films, where it seems to work the best.

Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Susan Sarandon and Mark Duplass
Directed by: Ben Falcone
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hour 37 mins
Warner Brothers

Our score: 3 out of 5 stars

What else can happen to Tammy (McCarthy). Fired from her Mc-job after a deer runs into her car, she returns home early to find her husband having dinner. With the woman next door. Humiliated, she goes to her mother’s house looking for solace. Instead she finds her grandmother (Sarandon, never better) with a purse full of cash and a dream to visit Niagara Falls. What follows is one of the most outrageous road films of all time.

Co-written by star McCarthy with her director (and real life husband) Falcone, “Tammy” is a dramadey that actually works best during its most serious moments. The reason for this is that supplying the laughs seems to have been left up to only McCarthy, whose improvisational skills can only stretch so far. Long stretches of her trying to fill a scene with laughs sometime weigh the tone of the film down. Don’t get me wrong, I think she is a brilliant comedienne and a fine actress, but she could have used a little more help in some of the scenes. Fortunately, for most of the film, she is surrounded by great actresses including Oscar-winner Sarandon, Kathy Bates (herself an Oscar-winner), Sandra Oh, Alison Janey and, on the men’s side, Duplass, Gary Cole and, in a quick appearance, Dan Aykroyd. These co-stars take some of the emotional weight off of McCarthy’s shoulders and it’s in these scenes that “Tammy” (and Tammy herself) comes alive.

Falcone proves himself well behind the camera. He does hit a few stalls in the road but mostly keeps the film moving smoothly. I’d like to see what he could do with a project where he doesn’t just rely on McCarthy’s abilities to be funny in order to fill a scene. As his next scheduled film behind the camera is also co-written by and starring McCarthy. I may need to wait awhile to get my wish.

While not as funny as I thought it could be, “Tammy” is still an entertaining way to help celebrate the 4th of July (see the movie and you’ll know what I mean)!

Starring: Teo Halm, Brian ‘Astro’ Bradley and Reese C. Hartwig
Directed By: Dave Green
Rated: PG
Running Time: 89 minutes
Relativity Media

Our Score: 2 out of 5 Stars

While “Earth to Echo” looks like a live action “WALL-E” mixed with the nostalgia of “E.T.”, it’s actually more like a “Goonies” for today’s youth. Regardless of what child’s science fiction movie or Steven Spielberg classic I throw at you in an attempt to convey what this movie should be, instead I come bearing bad news. “Earth to Echo” may have good intentions, but instead it fries its circuits on a misguided narrative and a plot trimmed down to the bare bones.

I may not have had high expectations before sitting down in the theater, but within the first five minutes, I really wanted to like this movie. “Earth to Echo” introduces us to a trio of best friends, with no backstory as to why they’re best friends. There’s Alex (Halm), the minimalist with an underlying layer of sincerity to everything he says. There’s also the social media junkie Tuck (Bradley), who’s hungry for an adventure he can record for his handful of Youtube viewers. Then there’s the most likable character of the youthful trinity, Munch (Hartwig). He plays the unpopular nerd that carries some of the movies more comical and heartfelt moments.

These three are getting ready to part ways because their neighborhood is about to be torn down by an evil construction project. A conflict so undeveloped, that when it shows up, you don’t have to be an engineer to see the design flaw in demolishing an entire neighborhood to build this silly looking monstrosity. Instead of selling their home and moving to another area in suburban Nevada, their parents are moving to nearly opposite ends of the country, which will surely crumble the foundation of their friendship. Surely…

But before the big move, their cellphones start receiving bizarre images, or as they put it, their phone is “barfing”. A quick Internet search leads them to plan out a night bike ride to the middle of the desert in the hopes of finding…something; anything really. In the desolate Nevada land they find a robotic alien that they name Echo. Through a series of “Yes” or “No” beeps, it tells them it was shot down, and that the evil construction company was the one that pulled the trigger and is now searching for it. What follows is a series of obstacles lacking tension and on the whole, an unfocused story.

If it wasn’t for the fine acting by the child actors, this movie would have tripped at the start line and barely survived off the fumes of other inventive movies before it. The advertising for this movie seems to be heavily focused on the pint sized electronic alien, while the movie itself seems more focused on our three human heroes. If anything, Echo is simply a metaphor for the movie’s plot instead of an actual character. This implies to me that the studio and creators definitely had different paths they wanted to take this movie on.

The movie writers (Henry Gayden and Andrew Panay) weren’t clever enough to evolve Echo more symbolically in the narrative. Instead of evoking more thoughtful “coming of age” and “friendship never dies” feelings, Echo seems to be misplaced as the cute, squeaky robot your kids will fall in love with. There are inklings of a greater idea at work towards the end when it’s finally time for Echo to head home, but that awe filled moment is short lived in a journey of similar and predictable misadventures. I can’t fault a movie too much considering it’s a safe bet for families and an enjoyable romp for kids, but you’ll definitely be thinking about better movies you could have watched instead.

Starring: Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell, John Hurt, Octavia Spencer and Ed Harris
Directed By: Joon-ho Bong
Running Time: 126 minutes
The Weinstein Company

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

Hoards of filthy apocalypse survivors line up to be counted and doled out their daily glob of protein under hostile guard. Two small children are ripped from their parents and a father loses an arm in the most torturously imaginative way possible for throwing a shoe. Welcome to Snowpiercer.

 Or rather the tail section of Snowpiercer, the massive ark-like train that rattles through the frozen wasteland of 2031 Earth in Joon-ho Bong’s wildly inventive adaptation of French graphic novel, Le Transperceneige. By turns hilarious, repulsive and heart-wrenching, Snowpiercer is the ride this summer needs.

The front of the Snowpiercer, we learn, is inhabited by the smaller, richer class, rather like a hellish horizontal Titanic. It’s the front where Chris Evans’s Curtis aims to lead a rebellion to with the help of Jamie Bell as Edgar and elderly mastermind Gilliam, played by John Hurt.

Tilda Swinton rounds out this strong cast as the villainous Mason who early on deigns to visit the tail-dwellers to remind them of their proper place. Mason is a cinematic joy every moment she’s on screen, really laying the groundwork for the type of people running the train and rallying the audience to Evans’s side. Swinton has a ball as Mason who genuinely sees nothing wrong with The Order of the train and she chews the scenery with relish (and grotesque false teeth).

When the rebellion is up and running in earnest, director Bong has a flawless grasp on pacing the big action confrontations with the smaller marvels of exploring a train literally encompassing all life on Earth. The battle set pieces themselves escalate as though the audience is along for a really satisfying video game, with all the pitfalls of slicing through armies of minions only to have the level shift before you, revealing a surprise big boss. I recommend seeing this film in a packed house for the sheer number of Oh Shit! Moments this film packs in.

Finally though, not enough can be said of Evans’s performance here. Likely in the beginning of this rebellion to have been involved for physical strength, his Curtis attempts to resist leadership at every turn. And yet the more he loses as he progresses through the train, the more his will is honed and Evans’s eyes gradually give way to a man who has nothing to lose. A third act speech regarding Curtis’s early days on Snowpiercer is devestating and classically told without flashbacks. It’s all Evans’s reading of some truly nightmarish details, not unlike the Indianopolis speech in Jaws. I’d put money on this film having the single most repulsive sentence you’ll hear on screen this year. Incidentally, after 2007’s Sunshine and last year’s role in The Iceman, Evans is increasingly becoming my goto for the anti-summer blockbuster when he’s not Avenging. When he puts down Cap’s shield, audiences really need to pay more attention.

Snowpiercer is currently playing in five US cities with plans for expansion listed on the film’s official website , check it out when it gets near you!

Directed by: Michael Bay
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci, Kelsey Grammer, Nicola Peltz, Jack Reynor, Sophia Myles,
Li Bingbing, Titus Welliver, T. J. Miller, Melanie Specht, Victoria Summer, Peter Cullen, Frank Welker
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Running time: 165 minutes

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

It is that time people…more “Transformers”. Watching this film, I just couldn’t help but think how much Michael Bay like to blow shit up. The film definitely better “Dark of the Moon” but it is just too wicked long. Running in at a very mean 2 hours and 45 minutes, the beginning of this was great, the middle was kind of terrible and the ending saved it for me. I mean who can say no to freaking Dinobots! They only pop up in the end as an accessory to battle but they are still mad cool. Whether you love “Transformers” films are not, I know most critics don’t, but for Bay knows how to give audiences what they want. This film is like I said too long but it is still entertaining and an overall fun time. Either way gear up since this is only the first film in a new trilogy, the fifth and sixth installments are on their way.

The film is a sort of sequel to the last “Transformers”, it picks up four years after the battle between the Autobots and the Decepticons left Chicago in ruins. Due to this there is an all our war and hunt against the Transformers. The humans are hunting them down under the command of Harold Attinger (Grammer). All Transformers have gone into hiding. We meet Cade Yeager (Wahlberg), a struggling investor, who comes across an old truck while looking for a way to make some money to help save his house and send his daughter (Peltz) to college. What he finds is a very injured Optimus Prime. After fixing him, the race is on to reunite with the remaining Autobots and find out the truth behind the hunt on them.

If you are familiar with Michael Bay’s films you should know the story doesn’t always get the most attention. Nonetheless, this is “Transformers” and I just want to see giant aliens fighting other giant aliens. In fact, the fourth time around the Transformers have never looked better. With “Dark of the Moon”, they moved so fast you couldn’t even tell what was going on and who was fighting who half the time. This is much cleaner and they are just bad ass…did I mention already dinobots!? They easily steal the show. Optimus Prime is quite dark in this film much different than the last but never been better. Bumblebee got a clapping applaud when he first hit the screen, definitely a fan favorite. But personally in terms of Transformers, Hound takes the prize for me. John Goodman voiced him and really stole the show and was funny as hell.

With “Age of Extinction”, we get an all-new cast. Mark Wahlberg takes the lead and does a great job. His acting sometimes feels a little iffy but I have to remind you it is a “Transformers” movie. Nicola Peltz plays his daughter, she is definitely a better actress than Megan Fox but I couldn’t get over her spray tan look. Jack Reynor plays her boyfriend and he was a solid newcomer, I can see him getting very big…very quick. We got the chance to interview the Irish actor actually, read here, so keep an eye out for him. Stanley Tucci is a riot as Joshua Joyce and gets a ton of laughs. No question the best new addition to the cast. Kelsey Grammer is also quite the surprise and absolutely bad ass as Harold Attinger.

Besides the action and the dinobots (eek!), there is some other great parts in the film. The band Imagine Dragons have a fantastic song “Battle Cry”, which I immediately downloaded after seeing this film. Michael Bay did a great job of inserting that song into various parts of the film. Steve Jablonsky also delivered an amazing score for this film. In fact, I think it is easily one of my favorite recent action films. It also reminded me a bit of the “TRON Legacy” score as well. So “Age of Extinction” is far from perfect. It is drags major ass in the middle but it is a still a great popcorn flick and will no question take the crown for summer box office.

Starring: Jenny Slate and Gaby Hoffman
Directed by: Gillian Robespiere
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hour 24 mins
A24

Our Score: 1 out of 5 stars

Even though this film only runs 90 minutes, it made me want three hours of my life back. I really wanted to like this movie; sadly I did not.

The film has somehow earned the label “an Abortion Comedy,” something I find offensive as the film is not funny at all. My not finding humor in the film has nothing to do with the subject matter. I just felt the jokes were lame and that there was no originality to the story. It followed all of the same tropes we see in generic New York-based romantic attempt-at-comedies. There is the quirky but lovable comedienne, her gay buddy, and her more world-wise best-friend. Nothing unique about this story at all; except for the subject of abortion. The film’s stance is that abortion is okay and that there should be no stigmas attached to the subject. Which, in my only comment on the subject, I agree with.

Lead actress Jenny Slate hasn’t been around for too long. In fact, I only know her from “Alvin & the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked” and don’t know of much else she has been in. While she was fine and amusing in the Chipmunks flick, I found her completely unappealing and unattractive in this role I’m commenting here on just her personality only; my comments have nothing to do with her physical attributes. I just didn’t like Donna Stern, the character she plays. She isn’t as clever or witty as she thinks she is, and I felt no sympathy for her character. She has recently broken up with her boyfriend and begins to react like so many other woman in the same situation do in movies like this: she gets drunk, leaves rude voice-mails (always followed by apologetic voice-mails), drinks some more and then hooks up with a stranger. The result of which is pregnancy.

Donna is losing her job, has no health insurance, no income, no savings, and now is pregnant. And, apparently in movie-land, pregnancy equals the end of the world. Donna spends the middle part of the movie moping around feeling sorry for herself, and sipping on wine with her friends. Instead of looking for a new job and trying to get her life back on track (pregnancy or not) she just complains, and uses her life for comedic material, which again is sad as none of it made me laugh. I will admit many people in the audience around me found it extremely funny, but all I wanted to do was see the credits roll so I could leave. About thirty minutes into the movie I was already checked out and knew I was in for another excruciating hour when David Cross’ character showed up. I was rejuvenated. I love David Cross. I’ve never not liked him in anything. Sadly, the film did the impossible: it became successful in making David Cross unfunny. His character was a sleaze-ball, which normally David Cross could play with his eyes closed. However, the character was unnecessary, and offered nothing but a minor plot twist, that only deviated the story for two scenes.

Altogether, I think the idea of what “Obvious Child” was wanting to bring to the screen was a good one; it just failed in its execution. Taking a serious subject and throwing a little humor at it is always a gamble but it is the lack of being funny that hurt this film. Instead of being a story that should have put a humanistic-yet-humorous spin on abortion as well as a statement for present-day women, this film did nothing but subject its audience to low-brow jokes about farting and peeing in public. I think instead of taking a step forward, this film takes a step back, and retreads ground we’ve seen too many times before. If it weren’t for the taboo subject of abortion this film would fall through the cracks and just be one of a hundred films of the same sort.

Starring: Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson
Directed by: David Michod
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hour 42 mins
A24

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

The Rover is best described by these words: bleak, gritty, dirty, sweaty, fly-covered, raw and terrific. Imagine if David Lynch re-wrote Dude, Where’s My Car?, and then teamed up with Darren Aronofsky to shoot it, choosing the Australian outback as their setting. That is what The Rover felt like to me.

I’ve always enjoyed the work of Guy Pearce, and I’ve never not liked Robert Pattinson; even with those sparkly-vampire flicks he was in. Pearce and Pattinson both turn in muted but daring performances. The story begins ten years after what is referred to as “the collapse”. The main character Eric (Pearce) stops off in a small, dilapidated town to get a drink; leaving his car parked outside. Speeding by in the opposite direction three men crash in their SUV and proceed to steals Eric’s car and continue on. Eric begins his pursuit to retrieve his car. And that is the entire premise for the movie. It is compelling and quite amazing.

Pattinson’s character, Rey, was originally part of the crew that stole Eric’s car, but was left for dead a few towns over. Rey eventually regains consciousness and travels to reunite with his counterparts. What follows is a series of bizarre encounters and starkly-beautiful scenery and locales. The pacing and structure of this movie is unlike anything an American filmmaker would do. A large majority of the action scenes were achieved in a very subdued and non-cinematic way. Shoot-outs are not done with several quick cuts, but in long takes with most of the action happening off-screen. Very daring, but also very effective.

This story isn’t told by elaborate camera-work or heavy exposition; it all lies within the performances of the characters. Each character, both Rey and Eric, have a motivation, and a dedication; even though we don’t discover what they are until the end — if at all. Pearce’s performance is superb. He is able to make the audience like him, and root for him, even though he is absolutely cold-blooded. At the same time, Pattinson creates a character unlike any that I have seen him do before. Rey, is a bit dim, or a “half-wit” as he is called. And while also being ruthless and cold, there is a strange warmth to him, that makes you want to see him succeed as well.

This film never gives any hints as to what is coming next in the story. It is nothing more than a series of unfortunate and bloody events. The Rover does not condescend to its audience and explain everything to you; while concurrently it is not trying to be clever and keep things a ambiguous. It asks you to tag along on a journey and promises to show you something you haven’t seen; while also giving you a clear feeling that if you don’t enjoy the adventure, the film could care less. The Rover is a great example of filmmaking that says you can be deep without having to be elaborate. I would be extremely surprised if this film receives a major release and does great business, since it’s too raw for most audiences; but it is fantastic. It is worth watching just for the performances. A pure example of great acting.

Starring: John Lloyd Young, Vincent Piazza and Christopher Walken
Directed by: Clint Eastwood
Rated: R
Running time: 2 hrs 14 mins
Warner Brothers

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Ah, the 1950s. If you were Italian and lived in New Jersey you had two photos framed and hung on your wall: Pope Pius XII and Frank Sinatra. No telling who had more power…the Pontiff or the Chairman of the Board. We are introduced to a little band called the Variety Trio. Fronted by Tommy Devito (Piazza), his brother Nick and their friend, Nick Massi (Michael Lomenda), the boys do all right but are searching for just the right sound. Enter their friend Frankie Castelluccio, whose amazing voice fits the sound Tommy is looking for. When a friend of Frankie’s by the name of Joe Pesci (yes, THAT one, played well by Joseph Russo) introduces the group to his songwriting friend Bob Gaudio (Eric Berghen) things begin to take off. Now a foursome, the group adopt the name the Four Seasons and the rest, as they say, is rock and roll!

Directed by Clint Eastwood, “Jersey Boys” is a behind-the-scenes story of epic proportions. Even long-time fans of the group will be surprised to learn the obstacles that needed to be overcome for these four young men to reach the top of the charts. Eastwood has wisely kept the basic premise of the stage show, allowing each member of the group to act as their own “Greek chorus,” breaking the fourth wall and narrating the story as it progresses.

Young, who won a Tony award for his portrayal of Valli in the original Broadway production, hits all the right notes here, both dramatically and musically. He is strongly backed up by Lomenda and Berghen, who both appeared in touring productions of the show, and Piazza, whose bad boy Tommy has a good heart…and a bad problem with money. Walken has fun as Gyp Decarlo, the local mobster whose encouragement and support of Frankie and the boys extends to the underworld.

Though Eastwood keeps the story flowing, the film does have an occasional slow spot. I remember checking my watch 2 hours in and commenting to my wife “wow…he’s got at least four hits they haven’t mentioned yet.” However, as if Clint sensed my fidgeting, the film wrapped up nicely 15 minutes later.

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Starring: Kevin Hart, Michael Ealy, Jerry Ferrara and Meagan Good
Directed By: Tim Story
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 106 minutes
Screen Gems

Our Score: 2 out of 5 stars

Remember when the “Brady Bunch” went to Hawaii (the episode was called ‘Hawaii Bound’)? It was one of those television moments that wasn’t meant to advance plot or propel the Bradies as characters, but stood as a disposable piece for fans of the cheery 70’s family. It takes a cast, fans know and love, and drop them into an exotic location to create their own shenanigans with complimenting inside jokes that only loyal fans would understand. “Think Like a Man Too” could definitely be lumped into that category since it’s an unnecessary sequel to 2012’s favorite group of couples. This time they’re heading to Vegas for another serving of chuckles and groan generating gender stereotypes.

I guess I should have prefaced everything with: I haven’t seen “Think Like a Man”. I blindly went in to this sequel with the notion that I didn’t need to see it to really understand anything about the mess of adorable characters. You could say I know about as much about these people than Steve Harvey has well thought out critiques of human relationships. I shouldn’t be too mean to the current host of the “Family Feud” since he is an incredibly charming guy, but when I see this is based off a relationship advice book of his called “Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man”, I roll my eyes at the man who’s had more divorces than I’ve had marriages.

This movie follows four couples that I don’t feel like meticulously retreading over. All you need to know is that the main couple, Candace (Regina Hall) and Michael (Terrence J), is getting married in Sin City and have brought along their quartet of coupled friends, each with their own separate problems. One couple has to worry about the male’s reputation as a sexually deviant freak, another is conflicted about their own independent careers paths and the final two couples have problems…I think…not really. Then the eleventh wheel of the group, Cedric (Kevin Hart), is going through a messy break-up and ready to loudly hit the playing field again. You can understand my predicament on recapping a sitcom season worth of subplots.

I know I’ve ragged on Hart in the past, but this time he’s well cast, give or take a few moments where the creators are clearly cashing in on his loud squealing. Instead of being the Chris Tucker for millennials, he’s allowed to be the pompous, yet lovable short guy with funny quips and a dash of sarcasm. While he’s not a part of the emotional drama, he’s definitely a recurring centerpiece to comedic scenes, which just implies his relevance in today’s pop-culture. I actually like every actor and actress in this movie despite a couple of cheap celebrity cameos and “Oh, that’s what’s their face from that one thing.”

Hart is also used as the narrator to this movie, which I could have easily done without. The narration adds nothing new or sets anything up since the proceeding scenes basically tell the audience what the voice over just stated. I don’t think that shows much faith by the writers in the intelligence level of their audience. That might also be why some of the so-called advice in this movie comes off as sophomoric with a masculine-leaning bias. I will however give credit where credit is due. The archaic view of “women need to be ladies” is trashed on in lieu of a more modern idea that women can have the same “Hangover”-esque escapades and not be called derogatory terms in the process.

I chuckled and was surprised by some of the witty jokes that were spit out by some of the actors. I feel like director Tim Story is just inches away from making a movie I finally can recommend, but “Think Like a Man Too” feels more like fan service instead of something a mainstream audience can pack in and see. If you saw “Think Like a Man” and loved it, I can’t stop you from seeing this sequel, but to those who haven’t seen it, stay home.

Starring the Voices Of: Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler and Cate Blanchett
Directed By: Dean DeBlois
Rated: PG
Running Time: 102 Minutes
20th Century Fox

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

In a year void of anything new from the geniuses at Pixar, you’d think there would be an animated vacuum where the gap would be filled with shameless sequels and lazily written cash grabs (to be fair, there is the sequel to “Planes” coming out this summer). So it’s understandable if the average movie patron is worried that “How to Train Your Dragon 2” could wind up in that category. But I’m happy to say it defied my low expectations and soared to insanely creative heights with another superb story.

It’s been years since the hairy, broad shouldered Vikings of Berk have made peace with the dragons they once feared. They’ve successfully integrated everything in their society with their newly acquired winged friends. Hiccup (Baruchel) continues to break the Viking stereotype by using his brain more than his brawn. He also seems more in sync with his dragon, Toothless. Despite these recent successes, Hiccup is a bit apprehensive because his father, Stoick (Butler), appears to be grooming him as his successor so that he can be the next chieftain of Berk. Hiccup doesn’t believe he’s ready and he’s more focused on scoping out new dragons and new lands.

This constant thirst for more knowledge about the surrounding territory brings in a new threat. He comes across a dragon trapper, who tells him of Drago (Djimon Hounsou), a man who is amassing a dragon army. Drago views dragons as a scourge that he must eradicate by enslaving them. His quest for dominion over dragons sadly comes at the cost of human casualties along the way. Things are further complicated by a mysterious figure that seems to have a bigger attachment to dragons than Hiccup and appears to be at odds with Drago, but it’s uncertain if they’re a friend or foe.

I was worried that a lack of Chris Sanders, director and writer from the first movie, might actually defang what momentum a sequel would have, but Dean DeBlois gets to fly this one solo and doesn’t hit any turbulent air. He keeps the merriness of our dragons intact. While the story goes on, dragons are constantly acting like playful dogs or cats in the background, giving them a more relatable quality when they are consistently acting like our affectionate household pets. The voice acting is once again spot on and having Cate Blanchett on board adds another flavorful spice of adventure.

This movie continues the relationship building between Hiccup and Toothless, but creates a more substantial scenario for Hiccup to grow and better understand the relationships he experiences. There’s also some hefty emotional weight attached here, made heavier by some surprisingly mature content that shows DeBlois is not afraid of taking some risks to further enchant the audience. With so much plot to trudge through, other directors would have simply gotten lost or stuck to the ‘boy and his dragon’ cliché, but DeBlois gives the dragons just as much psychological depth than the humans.

Visually, Dreamworks is going toe to toe with some of the best in the industry once again and holding nothing back. Viewers are definitely going to be swept away in every battle sequence and get lost in the flying sequences that are nothing short of incredible. While the first “How to Train Your Dragon” feels like a fantastic stand-alone movie, the sequel showcases the ability to create a living, breathing franchise that may actually have the wings and power to push forth. I say that because a third is in the works and after seeing how daring and original they are, it’s a safe bet to get your expectations out of the gutter and put them near the top for “How to Train Your Dragon 3” in 2016.

Starring: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum and Ice Cube
Directed by: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hour 52 mins
Columbia

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Sequels have that weird reputation of being either really good or really bad. In fact, the great Carl Gottlieb, who co-wrote the film “Jaws,” among others, once said that “the only sequel that loses money is the last one.” They either start out great or start out slow. I’m happy to report that “22 Jump Street” is definitely in the former.

After a brief recap of the first film (“Previously on 21 JUMP STREET”), we find the heroes from the previous film, Schmidt (Hill) and Jenko (Tatum), back in uniform and bored to tears. They take to working undercover off the clock, doing their best to infiltrate a recent smuggling ring. When things backfire, they are called on the carpet by their commander. They plead their case for what they are qualified to do. Jenko even suggests they protect the White House (ha). They are told that, due to the success of their first “back to school” assignment it’s time to do it again. This time they’re going to college!

Full of inside jokes (hey, we’re making a sequel) and fantastic performances, “22 Jump Street” is everything you want in a sequel and more. Directed by the same duo that not only did “21 Jump Street” but the incredible “Lego Movie,” the film is one hilarious scene after another. They are ordered by Captain Dickinson (Ice Cube) that they are being sent to Midstate College, where they are to investigate the death of a young woman believed killed by an illegal drug. Again, things don’t go as planned. Jenko is recruited by the school’s quarterback to play football for the school, where Schmidt meets a young woman (Amber Stevens) who has a lot more in common with him then he knows.

The two stars are joined by some great new cast members as well as returning co-stars like Rob Riggle and Dave Franco. The script is top notch and even features a little “real life” humor when Schmidt is counseled for a few homophobic statements, similar in tone to what Jonah Hill endured last week for the same thing. The action scenes are well thought out and I promise you that, if you stay through the end credits, you will laugh even more. In fact, I’m giving the film and extra half-star just for the credits sequence, which rolls out scenes and posters from the next 20-plus sequels, all of which I hope eventually get made!