Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Chloe Grace Moretz and Jim Carrey
Directed by: Jeff Wadlow
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hour 43 mins
Universal

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

When we last saw Kick Ass (the character, not the film) he was sending a missile through the body of crime boss Frank D’Amico, much to the chagrin of D’Amico’s son, Chris. As the new film begins we find that Chris, once a self-made super hero himself known as the Red Mist, has decided to use his inherited wealth to become the baddest villain of all time. To complete his turnaround he gives himself a new name. I can’t tell you that name on a family web site but let’s just say that it begins with the word Mother!

Sometimes funny and extremely violent, “Kick Ass 2” is a by the book sequel that continues the concept of regular citizens becoming heroes. Wanting to form a “Justice League”/”Avengers” style group, Dave Lizewski (Taylor-Johnson) takes to the Internet to find some like minded allies. Among them are a husband/wife team (Steven Mackintosh and Monica Dolan) who call themselves Remembering Tommy after their missing son, a sexy 20 something woman (Lindy Booth) who calls herself Night Bitch and a former Mafia hit man, recently born again, with the moniker Colonel Stars and Stripes (Carrey). Missing from the group is Mindy Macready, better known as Hit Girl (Moretz), who promised her late father, and her new guardian (Morris Chestnut) that she would not fight crime any longer. That being said, she will soon find out that crime is nothing compared to high school.

Even though the film is full of the same ideas that made “Kick Ass” so entertaining, it is that sameness that dulls the sequel. Without real powers these “heroes” take major ass kickings and the repeated sight of black eyes and broken bones becomes repetitive. Carrey brings some life to his character but when you remember his recent, very vocal objection to screen violence, it makes it hard to watch the carnage he dishes out. The language is equally as salty as the first film but, where it was almost, dare I say, “cute” to hear little 10 year old Moretz curse like a sailor here it seems forced, as if the writer kept looking for the next word that would shock the audience when heard. Moretz gives the best performance of the film, dealing not with the bad people of the street but the bitchy girls that walk the halls of her high school, which actually is the plot of her next film, the remake of “Carrie.”

The action scenes, especially one with Mindy on top of a speeding van, are well choreographed and fun to watch. Too bad the entire film doesn’t come with that same recommendation.

Starring: Ashton Kutcher and Josh Gad
Directed by: Joshua Michael Stern
Rated: R
Running time: 2 hrs 2 mins
Open Road

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

A lone figure walks down the halls at the Apple Computer campus. He enters the auditorium and takes center stage. He is about to reveal something that emphasizes the one rule he has for the company, that their projects touch the heart. With great fanfare he produces the small, handheld item that will hold and play 1,000 songs. “Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the iPod!”

The time is 1974 (or, if you read the giant poster on the wall of the student union, 1972). No, really. It’s 1974. Reed College, to be precise. We meet Steve Jobs (Kutcher) as he crashes on a sofa. Restless, he has left school but still battles with the various ideas in his head. When we meet him a couple of years later he’s fighting with his co-workers at Atari. He tracks down his friend Steve Wozniak (Gad) and together they come up with an idea, a new kind of personal computer system that Jobs calls APPLE.

A true inside look at the life of one of the most influential people of the past century, “JOBS” details the highlights of Steve Jobs career, warts and all. As portrayed by Kutcher, he was not a likable person, constantly driven by his pursuit for perfection and the inner feelings of rejection he felt from being adopted. The latter is a subject that is only briefly touched on, which is surprising. Also surprising is the portrayal of Jobs as a man who denies the child that is obviously his, yet then names one of his biggest projects after the daughter in question (he eventually recognized her as his). Kutcher bears a striking resemblance to Jobs and manages to embody him in full. It is an often emotional performance that could have very easily been turned into a characterization. That being said, it should be noted that, if you look at the casting, Steve Jobs may have been the only attractive man in the computer business. The majority of characters that little the APPLE campus appear to have been cast from the attendees at a local sci-fi/fantasy con, complete with oversized glasses. Gad is very good as Wozniak, whose main objective is to invent things and have fun doing them. Supporting work by Dermot Mulroney, Matthew Modine, Leslie Ann Warren and Kevin Dunn, among others, is solid. J.K. Simmons, a normally great supporting actor, is quickly identified as the “villain” and plays the role to a tee.

Many of the highlights (and lowlights) of Jobs’ life are visited during the film, though surprisingly there is no mention made of his involvement in the creation and support of PIXAR Films, which is curious. That being said, “JOBS” is an entertaining look inside the mind of a genius.

Starring: Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey and David Oyelowo
Directed by: Lee Daniels
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 2 hour 12 minutes
The Weinstein Company

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

For me school was about teachers constantly pounding the same subjects over and over into our heads. Every year we’d go over the same material…history, English, science…but obviously it’s tweaked just a little to give us that fresh feeling even though it’s the same thing. Late middle school and the beginnings of high school is when you’re finally able to branch out and dive past the simplified textbooks handed out at school and begin to get a taste of something more in-depth. When it comes to the civil rights era, we were taught about Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr. Those aren’t bad people to start out with, but what about those behind the scenes? Their stories and their influences on the times are so much more compelling and that’s what “The Butler” goes for.

Cecil Gaines (Whitaker) is a hard working man who has always done his job to a tee. Even as a young lad, while he watched his slave owner murder his father and sexually abuse his mom, he has maintained a cool demeanor and was raised as the perfect house servant. He’s exactly what the White House wants. A man who puts his job above everything else and someone who never reacts or speaks about politics. Those two things don’t sit well with his wife, Gloria (Winfrey) and his son, Louis (Oyelowo). Gloria loves the fact that he’s so successful in life, but unhappy that many of her days are spent alone at home, chain smoking and washing away her sorrows with alcohol. Louis wishes that his father, within constant contact with everyone in the White House, would speak up for civil rights.

Cecil and his son represent two different ideas during the civil rights movement and neither are wrong in their thoughts or ideals. Louis starts his journey as a Freedom Rider, moving on to Black Panther and then to an aspiring politician, spending half of his time in jail for protesting. Cecil continues gaining the admiration of those around them and impressing each and every President with his back breaking work. Both father and son’s journeys highlight specific pivotal parts of the civil rights movement. Besides the social impacts, the movie also profiles the home life of Cecil and Gloria, which is the main emotional draw of the film. It’s their life’s journey that will make you laugh, feel tense and at times tear up.

Every little intricate character is well cast but the centerpiece of this ensemble is Forest Whitaker, who puts up a top-notch performance. If there’s any weakness among the powerful cast, it’s Oprah. While she’s not terrible, she never matches the same highs that Whitaker does and is often outdone by Oyelowo in their scenes together. The actors who play the Presidents are all well suited, but never get enough time to draw upon the historic mannerisms, while the actors portraying Cecil’s co-workers in the White House are a delight to watch whenever they’re called upon.

This is an “inspired by” story, which means that you can’t take everything at face value. However, Lee Daniels and Danny Strong have penned a very good movie. There’s never a dull moment and I would almost say it’s one of the more enjoyable flicks of the year. Come Oscar time this movie will definitely be getting some nods, but it may not be strong enough to reel them in. This movie is definitely riddled with political overtones, but that shouldn’t stop you from being satisfied with this imaginary look at a key part of our nation’s history. The journey of Cecil and the journey of our country are one in the same. Tough times always lay ahead, but perseverance will overcome our struggles. If I can walk out of a movie feeling good with that message, it’s better than anything I was taught in elementary school.

Starring: Casey Affleck, Rooney Mara and Keith Carradine
Directed by: David Lowery
Not Rated
Running time: 1 hour 45 mins
IFC Films

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Bob (Affleck) and Ruth (Mara) are young and in love. With a baby on the way Bob knows he needs to provide for his young family. So he and a buddy pull off a robbery that goes wrong. Soon, he, Ruth and the buddy find themselves surrounded by the local law and begin exchanging bullets. Bob’s buddy is killed but Ruth, with the deadly eye of Annie Oakley, shoots Deputy Wheeler (Ben Foster). Realizing they have no chance Bob surrenders, telling authorities that he forced Ruth to be with him. Bob is sent to prison while Ruth is left behind to raise their daughter. Sounds like a folk song, doesn’t it?

Beautifully presented and skillfully acted, “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints” is a small, solid drama featuring strong performances and picture post card photography. The story picks up several years after the shootout. Bob has escaped from prison with the intent on returning home to finally lay eyes on his daughter. Ruth has settled into a home directly across the street from the mysterious Skerritt (Carradine), who is very familiar with Bob and Ruth. His son was the buddy that didn’t make it. Deputy Wheeler has also taken an interest in Ruth and her daughter. Perhaps it’s because he’s kind hearted and feels sorry for the situation. Or maybe he wants to replace Bob. Foster, normally jumpy and excitable in such films as “3:10 to Yuma” and “The Mechanic,” is anything but here. His performance is spot on, often saying more with an expression then with words. Affleck, who has grown from the goofy tag-along in “Good Will Hunting” into an Oscar-nominee, is the perfect choice for Bob. Tall and lanky, with a Texas drawl, he is a man on a mission and he won’t stop until he finishes. Mara is just as good, having to balance what’s best for her daughter against what she wants out of life.

Technically the film is outstanding. Taking a page from the Terrence Malick handbook, writer/director Lowery fills the screen with lush images of the countryside populated with strong characters. Much credit must also go to cinematographer Bradford Young as well as composer Daniel Hart, whose score is the perfect accompaniment in telling the on-screen story. Just like a folk song.

Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Octavia Spencer and Melonie Diaz
Directed by: Ryan Coogler
Rated: R
Running Time: 85 minutes
The Weinstein Company

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

For those like me that don’t have a constant mental database of all news, you may need a refresher before heading into “Fruitvale Station”. The movie is about an unarmed young adult who was shot on the early morning hours of New Year’s Day back in 2009 by the Bay Area Rapid Transit System. What makes this story unique is it was the first time nationally that I can recall where what transpired was caught on tape by many onlookers who had whipped out their cellphones. “Fruitvale Station” shows us it’s an event we shouldn’t forget.

Oscar Grant III (Jordan) is trying to change things around in a big way. Before the beginning of the New Year, we learn that Oscar is unfaithful with his girlfriend Sophina (Melonie Diaz), sells drugs, has almost been disowned by his mother Wanda Grant (Octavia Spencer) and finds himself lying to his daughter Tatiana (Ariana Neal) to explain his jail time. Under the tattoos and gangster rap music blasting from his car, we see that he’s a good natured person. He’s kind hearted and truly hates the person he’s become. The movie shows us that he’s chosen his mother’s birthday to begin the process of changing his life around. Not everything goes smoothly, but even under the stress of everything not going his way, he still manages to remain positive.

If Jordan hasn’t been on anyone’s radar, he is now after this performance. It’s only been two years since “The Help”, but I’m sure Octavia Spencer will once again creating some Oscar buzz and adding a few more awards to her mantle. The dialogue, by first time writer and director Ryan Coogler, is crisp, genuine and honest. As director, he’s able to help the audience visualize the struggles of Oscar. Don’t be surprised if he needs to start working on a place to house his future awards. The most emotional scenes don’t feel forced and the events of unfold fluidly. Because this movie begins with the cellphone footage from that night, reminding us of what will happen. We’re never comfortable or calm as we watch Oscar pick up the pieces. There’s a slow building dread like a snake uncoiling before it strikes.

Coogler accomplishes the rare feat of letting us know what’s going to happen, but still packs a punch by the time the third act begins. So even though we know what’s going to happen, he still manages to piece together an engaging flick. We watch Oscar’s transformation and by the time the third act begins. We don’t want it to happen. We don’t want to see it again. We wish there was a different outcome. But there isn’t. The final minutes of the movie grip you and leave you speechless. The visual force of those lingering moments knocks the breath out of you.

You could easily walk out of this movie and say that it was created and pushed forth in-light of the Trayvon Martin case. I’d like to believe Coogler had more than agenda when sitting down to flesh out this retelling. It’s easy to create the parallels of good and evil, but I felt there was a more human message under all this. There’s a reason we spend so much time with Oscar, watching him interact and try to become a better person. If we are to learn anything from Oscar’s tale, it’s that your life can end at any moment, but most importantly, you should not take the time you’re given lightly. There’s always time to set things right.

Directed By: Joshua Oppenheimer
Rated: R
Running Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
Cinephil

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

There have been books, movies, TV shows and news pieces about some of the darkest parts of life. Serial killers, mass murderers and rapists have all been documented in some medium when they’re alive and even in post-mortem. We loathe these people, but there’s a unique entertainment about them. Subconsciously, it delves into a dark primal part of our brain while consciously reassuring us that we would never do it and why we should never do it. “The Act of Killing” is a delicious, bitter treat. It’s a morbidly engrossing documentary that gives the viewer a rare insight into evil.

The movie tells us that, in the mid-60’s, there was a cleansing in Indonesia. After the army overthrew the government, it decided to purge, what it believed to be, communists. Death squads were formed and people were tortured and interrogated across the country. What followed was a personal form of execution through strangulation and throat slashing. As for the number of people killed…uncertain. The movie had it’s own figures, but my own research after the viewing have revealed an unbelievable and conservative number below 100,000 while some bleak numbers have stated the amount of dead could be well into the millions. This movie follows Anwar Congo a wanna-be gangster who went from scalping tickets outside movie theaters to murdering over 1,000 people.

With such a horrific event, there are plenty of angles director Joshua Oppenheimer could have taken. Instead he has approached Anwar with a simple proposition. Fictionalize the murders you committed. Re-imagine those terrifying events for our cameras. The movie follows this proposition as well as the making of the re-enactments. This method is actually quite brilliant. Instead of investigating through a series of questions and deciphering the truths and lies, Oppenheimer has played to one of Anwar’s loves: movies. By having Anwar be the star of his own movie about his life, he gets a more real approach and truly sees things through the monster’s eyes. It also allows Anwar to relive and reveal some buried truths through his visualizations.

Along the way we meet some of Anwar’s old buddies, who get together and act like a couple of old fraternity brothers, joking and laughing. But instead of reminiscing about parties and girls, it’s torture methods and cold-blooded murder. We see a gambit of different personalities. From men who feel a form of remorse for their actions to others who are obviously selfish and continually ignore what they’ve done and constantly justify their actions. Anwar is the perfect centerpiece for this movie because at times he represents both of those extremes. Through an aged grin he shows the director around an area where he squeezed the life out of hundreds. Then at times he’s quiet and unspoken with a regret lingering in his eyes. At one point you’ll even get a dirty feeling as you feel slightly sympathetic towards him in one instance towards the end. You might even find yourself wanting to smile or chuckle at some scenes because of how absurd they feel.

This is a soul crushing film. I found myself disheartened and unsure if I enjoyed it because it was such a bleak and unsettling experience. But the more I reflect on it, the more I see a silver lining. You’ll notice if you sit through the credits, there’s a lot of “Anonymous”. That’s because many of the people who helped work on this film live in Indonesia. They live in fear of repercussions from the paramilitary that still festers in the streets and in the government. But there’s a certain bravery behind wanting to speak out. Not because you feel it’s wrong, but because you’re willing to admit the mistakes your own government has made in the past. It’s also a small reassurance that some of the men we meet do feel remorse and realize what they’ve done is wrong. “The Act of Killing” is certain to invoke an array of emotions, stun many people into dead silence and raise plenty of ethical and moral questions. Everyone will take away something different, so I’ll go ahead and tell you the line that still sticks with me days later: “War crimes are defined by the winners.”

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Starring: Matt Damon, Jodie Foster and Sharlto Copley
Directed by: Neill Blomkamp
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hr 49 mins
Tri Star Pictures

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

The last time director Neill Blomkamp and actor Sharlto Copley worked together it was in the brilliant, Oscar-nominated “District 9.” Four years later they’ve reunited for another cautionary tale called “Elysium.”

Early in the 22nd century, the Earth is but a shell of its former glory. Over-population has turned the planet into one giant, overcrowded slum, where unrest and violence reigns. High above the planet sits Elysium, a space station where the very rich and connected live worry free. The weather is always nice and nobody ever gets sick, thanks to an invention that cures everything from a paper cut to stage-4 cancer. We meet young Max (Maxwell Perry Cotton) and Frey (Valentina Giron) in the orphanage they live in. They both marvel at the sight that floats in the sky above them. “One day,” Max tells Frey, “I’m going there.”

We meet the now adult Max (Damon) as he walks through the crowded streets to work. Max works on the assembly line of a company that makes androids. Max did not do well after he left the orphanage and has spent some time in prison. His boss knows his past and constantly berates him. When an accident at work leaves Max with only days to live he will do anything he can to get to the Shangri-La in the sky.

What made “District 9” such a great film was the “under the radar” anti-apartheid message it told. That same greatness permeates “Elysium.” Here the message is over-population and illegal immigration. Is it a coincidence that the majority of those left on Earth speak Spanish, while the citizens of Elysium chat happily in French? Who knows. But it certainly makes you think.

Besides Copley, who plays a rogue agent for the tough-as-nails anti-immigration defense secretary (Foster), the cast is clearly divided between the have and have-nots. Damon, his body covered in enough steel to make him a cyborg, fights against all costs to realize his childhood dream. Besides Foster he has to contend with John Carlyle (William Fichtner), at whose company he works. It is Fichtner’s second baddie of the summer (after “The Lone Ranger”). On the more moralistic side is Frey (Alice Braga), now an adult and single mother and newly elected President Patel (Faran Tahir). Everyone in the cast does a fine job with the surprising exception of Foster. Speaking in a clipped, faux-accent, she sounds like Madonna after she moved to England.

Visually the film is packed with powerful images. Is that what our planet will look like in the next century? The future looks bleak, though if a comment the adult Frey makes, even though the world is in chaos you can still find cartoons on television. It’s certainly a world Neill Blomkamp wants you to consider. And do your best to avoid.

Starring: Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston and Emma Roberts
Directed by: Rawson Marshall Thurber
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hr 50 mins
Warner Brothers

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

There’s something about an old fashioned family. Mom, Pop and the kids. Does a heart good to see that. And that’s exactly what Dave Clark (Sudeikis) thinks when he’s recruited by his weed supplier (Ed Helms) to travel to Mexico to pick up a smidge (“ok, a smidge and a half”) of marijuana to pay off a debt. Dave recruits a motley crew of “family” members: Rose (Aniston), a neighbor currently paying her rent (or not paying it) with money earned as a stripper; Kenny (Will Poulter) a quiet neighborhood kid; and Casey (Roberts) the local “homeless” girl. Together they dress the part, introduce themselves as “the Millers” and head across the border in a custom Winebago. Getting into Mexico is easier. Getting out…not as easy.

Often hilariously funny, “We’re the Millers” earns its laughs by lampooning the wholesome family image everyone remembers from such shows as “Leave it to Beaver” and “Father Knows Best.” Many of the jokes can’t be repeated here (like the “A” word best used to prevent pregnancy) but the characters are dead on in their attempts to portray the kind of people you’d find in a Norman Rockwell painting.

The cast delivers on all cylinders here. Sudeikis has developed into an appealing comic actor and does his best work here since “Hall Pass.” I was never a fan of the television show “Friends” and admit I’ve always been critical, though usually tongue in cheek, about the show’s stars appearing on the big screen. But in the past few years Aniston has won me over as a top notch comedienne and she adds another feather to that cap here. As the kids, Poulter steals the scenes he’s in while Roberts also shows some good comic timing. Supporting turns by Helms, Nick Offerman and Kathryn Hahn keep the laughs coming.

Though the film does get a little sappy towards the end (you have to have a message) the script is consistently outrageous. If you’re heading back to school shortly, let “We’re the Millers” give you one more big summer laugh.

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Starring: Logan Lerman, Brandon T. Jackson and Alexandra Daddario
Directed By: Thor Fredenthal
Rated: PG
Running Time: 106 minutes
20th Century Fox

Our Score: 1.5 out of 5 stars

*deep breath*

The demigod Percy Jackson (Lerman), the son of Poseidon, is back once again. He continues his training at Camp Half-Blood with his friends, Grover Underwood (Jackson), a satyr, and Annabeth Chase (Daddario), the daughter of Athena. The problem this time arises from the boundary around the camp that protects them. The magic boundary that sprung years ago from the deceased body of Thalia Grace (Paloma Kwiatkowski), the daughter of Zeus, has been poisoned. Now the only chance to restore the boundary and keep Thalia’s spirit alive is the Golden Fleece. But Luke Castellan (Jake Abel), the son of Hermes, also wants the Fleece for his own motivations. He hopes to resurrect an ancient evil and once again attempt to bring destruction to Mount Olympus. Things are even more complicated when Percy discovers he has a half brother, Tyson (Douglas Smith), who is part cyclops and tags along for their journey into the Sea of Monsters.

*exhales*

If you’re a little confused, you may need to watch the first movie or take some Cliff notes with you. However, the Cliff notes are probably a lot more entertaining than this movie. I myself had never seen the first “Percy Jackson” until literally hours before the screening of “Sea of Monsters”. This movie is an improvement upon the first, but that might be because the movie is shorter. We’re once again treated to a barrage of computer animated creatures and uninteresting action sequences. We’re not invested enough to be concerned about a character’s well being. It doesn’t help that there isn’t even the slightest sense of peril. Even when our heroes are fighting from being swallowed whole by a whirlpool sized creature in the middle of the ocean, I found myself fighting a yawn.

It’s been six years since the last “Harry Potter” book and just two since the last movie, but Percy Jackson is still creeping in its shadow. The movie has plenty of similar ideas, but that’s not the problem. Everyone borrows from everyone. I get that. The problem arises when the movie uses quirks as a crutch instead of building up this fantastic new world around its inhabitants. The characters aren’t given room to breathe with an ADHD script and smothering CGI. Instead of character driven scenes and diving into the why’s and how’s of the story, the actors are expected to just “ooh” and “ahh” at the newest monster or helpful item given to them by the Gods. I don’t fault any of the actors. They’ve managed to work well with the hollow script they were handed. I fault the studio for selecting Thor Freudenthal, who directed the forgettable “Hotel for Dogs”, to helm this flick. I fault the studio for thinking Marc Guggenheim, the man who helped pen the disaster-piece “Green Lantern”, would be able to bring life into this series. This shows a huge lack of trust in the books original content and the hope that people will be filling the theater for eye candy and tongue-in-cheek one liners. From what a book fan told me at the screening, the movies even changed major plot points.

Greek mythology and literature in its own respect has lived for thousands of years and still captivates people like any good soap opera. “Sea of Monsters” is automatically forgettable and another abusive adaptation of a beloved book series. However, younger audiences who probably haven’t read the books will eat up this newest adventure. Someone in Hollywood needs to go on a search. Find a screenwriter that truly loves these novels and characters. Someone who can’t wait to get their hands on a copy of the latest “Percy Jackson” book. It wouldn’t even hurt to have a huge input by the book’s author, Rick Riordan. With millions of copies sold and a rabid fan base that’s willing to put up with another poorly adapted movie, I think he knows what he’s doing. Not to sound like the end to a PBS show, but I think it’s time for me to learn more by going to my local library.

Starring: Denzel Washington, Mark Wahlberg and Paula Patton
Directed by: Baltasur Kormakur
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hr 49 mins
Universal

Our Score: 4 out 5 stars

Here is some advice shared by the film “2 Guns:” never rob a bank that’s directly across the street from a diner with the best doughnuts in three counties. Why? Because that’s where all the cops hang out. That revelation is made by Bobby Trench (Washington) to his partner Michael “Stig” Stigman (Wahlberg) as they plan to rob said bank of the $3 million they believe is inside courtesy of Mexican drug lord Papi Greco (Edward James Olmos). The job goes off without a hitch. Unless you call a haul of $43 million a hitch.

Full of fun action pieces and great cast chemistry, “2 Guns” joins this summer’s “The Heat” as the year’s best buddy/action film. Washington and Wahlberg have a natural rapport that gives the impression they’ve been pals for years. They argue and bicker like an old married couple while doing their best to stay a step ahead of the money’s owners. Things get crazier when each man discovers the other isn’t a thief but a member of opposing law enforcement agencies. As things get progressively hairier for the duo, they realize that the only one they can trust is each other.

Cleverly written and stylishly directed, “2 Guns” reunites Wahlberg with his “Contraband” director, Baltasur Kormakur. Kormakur has a smooth flowing style that lets the action pour over the screen like a water fall. Based on the popular graphic novel series of the same name, creator Steven Grant and writer Blake Masters have come up with possibly the best mismatched team of partners since Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy cruised San Francisco in a baby blue Cadillac convertible in “48 Hours.” Both Washington and Wahlberg have great comic timing and they’re action chops need no explanation. The supporting cast also excels. It’s always a pleasure seeing Edward James Olmos on the big screen and he has fun with the role of Papi. Patton is Washington’s co-worker and on-again/off-again love interest. And as the man who wants his money back, Bill Paxton is both funny AND terrifying.

Starring: Aubrey Plaza, Johnny Simmons and Bill Hader
Directed by: Maggie Carey
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hr 44 mins
CBS Films

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

From “Porkys to “American Pie” to “Superbad,” movies about youngsters trying to lose their virginity have seemed to strike a vein in pop culture. That trend continues in the new film “The To Do List” but with a small twist. Instead of the guy looking for that one loose girl the film follows a girl looking to become loose. The laughs are there, as is the raunch. But without an underlying sweetness to the main character, you may or may not care if she achieves her goal.

Brandy Klark (Plaza) is the valedictorian of her Boise, Idaho graduating class of 1993. Sure of herself to the point of being obnoxious, she goes as far as to write the principal’s opening notes of her introduction. But when someone yells “Get off the stage, Virgin,” she begins to contemplate the summer ahead of her, which will lead to her first year in college. Confiding in her best, and more experienced, friends Fiona (Alia Shawkat) and Wendy (Sarah Steele), Brandy begins to make a list of everything she’s ever heard of and hasn’t done, from her first French kiss to, well, let’s just say that three of her goals end in the word “job.”

The more I thought about why I didn’t fall in love with this film, which is obviously trying to be another “Bridesmaids,” the more the reason why hit me. This is writer/director Carey’s first fictional feature and she hasn’t gotten down the little things that extend a joke and add some talent behind it. It’s almost as if she thought that dirty language and over the top hijinx makes a film appreciable. It doesn’t.

Plaza does a fine job leading the cast. Besides her two friends she spends a lot of time with Cameron (Simmons) a fellow graduate and former lab partner who likes Brandy as more than a friend. As she begins crossing things off her list, Cameron unwittingly becomes her test dummy. Of course, these actions confuse him emotionally. Brandy has set her eyes on Rusty Waters (Scott Porter), the blonde and buffed, guitar-playing older boy she accidentally kisses at a party. A lot of her lusting takes place at the neighborhood pool, where Brandy has started work as a life guard. A lot of the fun happens here thanks to Bill Hader, who plays Willy, the non-swimming manager of said pool. Willy is the emotional equivalent of Bill Murray’s Carl Spackler in “Caddyshack” and is the highlight of every scene he’s in. The film is actually well cast from top to bottom. Plaza brings her deadpan comedic style that she uses in television’s “Parks and Recreation” to Brandy and does well. Also funny are Clark Gregg and Connie Britton, who play Brandy’s folks.

As for the raunch quotient, there are things done and discussed here that would make Jason Biggs violating a pie look like a scene out a Disney Channel special. Some of the gags (literally) are funny, but in my opinion director Carey needs to work on her timing. Many of the bits go on just a bit too long, turning something FUNNY into something less. The script is full of mid 1990s gags, from wanting to watch “Home Improvement” to Brandy’s obsession with Hillary Clinton. You also get to hear 2 Live Crew’s 1989 song “Me So Horny” in all its uncensored glory, which pretty much sets the tone for the next hour and a half.

Starring: Hugh Jackman and Rila Fukushima
Directed by: James Mangold
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 2 hrs 6 mins
20th Century Fox

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

“Wow, *the* Batman – or is it just “Batman”?

As you can see, there is something to be said about the word “the.” In “Batman Returns” it was a way of identifying a hero. On the flip side, that single word drove the Knights That Say “Ni!” into a rabid tizzy. So does the inclusion of “the” make this film better than 2009s “Wolverine?” In a word, yes.

August 9, 1945. In a prisoner of war camp outside of Nagasaki, Japan, we find the man Logan (Jackman) being kept in an underground prison cell. An imminent air attack has frightened the leaders of the camp, causing one of the guards, named Yashida (Ken Yamamura) to set the prisoners free. He frees Logan last then is called to join his fellow guards as they perform hari kari. As Yashida pulls his sword his eye catches a sight across the water that he will never forget. A single plane dropping a single bomb. Suddenly he is picked up and dropped into the cell Logan once occupied. Logan covers Yashida’s body as the city erupts into a giant ball of flame. Six days later, the Great War is over.

Present day. We join Logan as he sleeps. But his sleep is not easy. Visions of his late love, Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) fill his dreams. Dreams that do not end well. One day he is approached by a young woman named Yukio (Fukushima). She has been sent to find Logan by her master, a man that wants to thank him for a great deed. That man is Yashida. Logan consents to fly to Japan, noting that he’ll only be there long enough to say “hello” and “goodbye.” You would think by now he would know better!

Full of kick-butt action and some incredible stunts, “The Wolverine” joins this summer’s “Iron Man 3” and “Man of Steel” as a worthy member of their respective series. As embodied by Jackman, Logan/Wolverine is a decent man who has accepted the fact that he will always be different. When we meet him in the future he is living in the woods outside a rural town. When he goes into town to buy some batteries for his radio the clerk asks him if he, like most of her customers, is a hunter. “Not anymore,” is the reply. But like the creature he is named after, Logan is constantly on the hunt, though at times he doesn’t seem to know what for.

While in Japan we are introduced to a now very old Yashida (Haruhiko Yamanouchi), who acknowledges his debt to Logan and asks him if he had the chance, would he trade his immortality for a normal life. Logan understands the question. Yashida is willing to do what is necessary to gain the power hidden behind inside Logan’s body. But is Logan ready to provide it? That is one of the many problems confronting our adamantium-clawed hero. Others include battles with ninjas, the Yakuza and an eight foot metal warrior. Piece of cake.

Here’s some trivia for you fans: Hugh Jackman was not originally cast as Wolverine in the first “X-men” film. Director Bryan Singer wanted Russell Crowe and settled for Dougray Scott. Scott left the film to join Tom Cruise in “Mission: Impossible 2,” giving the role, and an incredible career, to Jackman. I tell you this because I can’t for the life of me see anyone else playing this character. Jackman IS Logan/Wolverine. He inhibits the role and gives what could easily be a one-dimensional comic book character a soul, albeit a tortured one. On the production side, who knew that James Mangold, the director of films like “Cop Land” and “Walk the Line,” had a comic book movie in him? Like Kenneth Branagh and “Thor” he was a surprising choice but he delivers the goods here in spades. The Japanese locations, both in the city and country, are breathtakingly beautiful. The visual effects are outstanding, including a rooftop fight on the top of a Bullet Train traveling over 300 mile per hour. To call it exhilarating is truly an understatement. If I had to find a problem if would be the time. The film ends with a group of “ninjas” giving Logan and his talents a hard time in what appears to be another film that feels it must present a long and rousing final battle. It isn’t needed here and the film could easily lose 20 minutes and still play as well.

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Kristin Scott Thomas, Vithaya Pansringarm
Directed By: Nicolas Winding Refn
Rated: R
Running Time: 1 hr 30 mins
Radius-TWC

Our Score: 1.5 out of 5 stars

I’ve enjoyed my fair share of hyper violent movies and art house flicks. I enjoyed Nicolas Winding Refn’s last effort “Drive,” which you could say is a combination of both. So I should have enjoyed this movie. I’m sure everyone else in the sold out theater I was at had some reason as to why they thought they would enjoy this movie as well. Every eye was glued to the screen as the lights dimmed and the film started up. Thirty minutes in, they were rubbing those tired eyes in frustration.

The film has three main characters. Julian (Ryan Gosling) is a conflicted American who’s respected by a ring of Hong Kong thugs. Beneath his quiet demeanor is something perverse. He likes to watch, and fantasizes about, women pleasuring themselves. When he needs to climax, he brutalizes a nearby bystander or visualizes something violent. It’s not really comforting to know that part of him realizes he’s a monster. Lt. Chang (Vithaya Pansringarm) is not conflicted. He’s set in his ways and believes in an “eye for an eye” style of justice. He allows citizens to take vengeance. He also manages to squeeze in life lessons through dismemberment. The final piece to this trinity is Julian’s mom, Crystal (Kristin Scott Thomas). Her words are like poison and repugnant to the ears. They are a blunt weapon used to sway and control Julian. Everyone’s moral compass is wrapped around Billy, Julian’s hated brother and Crystal’s favorite. Billy has been beaten to death because he savagely raped and killed a teenage prostitute. Crystal blames Billy’s death on Chang and does her best to encourage Julian to carry out her bloodlust.

None of these characters are likeable. None of them have motives behind their unforgiving nature. It’s obvious that Chang and Crystal are allegories because they’re so simplistic in their actions and motions. The only one that has some potential depth is the near mute Julian. Apparently Gosling’s motivation throughout this movie was to nod and occasionally get angry. If there is a story line it seems that it’s expected to be told through the film’s visual style and occasional character facial movements. Almost every scene is drenched in neon red and ocean blue lights. Some scenes are beautiful enough to speak for themselves while others feel incredibly forced. There are long moments of silence, occasionally broken by a fantastic soundtrack. Of course if you’ve seen “Drive”, you know this is one of Refn’s strengths. You will also know he has a taste for blood that, surprisingly, this movie seems short on. In its place Refn tries to make up for it by making us squirm and feel uncomfortable in our seats. You could say that might be one the film’s anti-charms. An elegantly polished movie that’s doing everything in its power to make us hate it.

This film will have an audience, albeit a very small, niche crowd. They will certainly hail it as brilliant and visually stunning. They may even stick their nose up to those who walk out or say it’s terrible. They’ll say those people didn’t understand its true meaning. Even if you peel away the layers and find the meaning, you’ll know that, though the cinematography was right, someone other than Refn needed to pen the story. This is the kind of movie that doesn’t want to be loved or adored. It spits at your kindness and is unapologetic. At least that’s how the man in the seat next to me must have felt. As the credits rolled he said aloud, “Well that was a piece of ****.” He then looked towards his friend next to him and said, “I’m sorry I brought you to this.” Like an untrained puppy, the movie does not expect forgiveness, it’s happy with the mess it made.

Starring: Jeff Bridges, Ryan Reynolds and Kevin Bacon
Directed By: Robert Schwentke
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 1 hour 36 mins
Universal Pictures

Our Score: 2 out of 5 stars

As you watch this movie (and I recommend you don’t) you’re going to make a lot of connections between “R.I.P.D.” and the sci-fi action/comedy and summer hit of 1997, “Men in Black”. “R.I.P.D.” is not a comedy. You will most likely not be leaving your seat with a smile on your face and discussing how much you enjoyed the movie with your friends. You may instead want a neuralyzer to erase your memory.

Nick Walker (Reynolds) is a hardworking man for the Boston Police Department with a loving, adorable wife and cute home nestled in suburbia. Recently he’s felt guilty about some gold he and his partner Bobby (Bacon) have recently acquired during a raid. Nick tells Bobby his worries, which leads to Bobby shooting Nick to death amidst the chaos of a meth bust. This is where we meet the world of the R.I.P.D.: the Rest In Peace Department. Because Nick had some questionable ethics on Earth, he’s told he can face judgment now and risk damnation or put in some time with the R.I.P.D. and redeem himself. At least that’s how his new boss, Mildred (Mary-Louise Parker) describes it. His job is to find people who’ve escaped the afterlife (called a dead-o) and now wander the streets of Earth as normal looking people but are grotesque, dead creatures underneath. Some of them are really disgusting to look at. She pairs him with Roy (Jeff Bridges), who speaks like he’s in the Wild West and has been doing this for well over 100 years.

I haven’t read the comic this movie is based off of, so I can’t really shame whoever ruined the script. It feels like a bunch of stolen ideas were jammed together. Kind of like the person who’s putting together a jigsaw puzzle and instead of finding the right pieces, constantly pounds wrong pieces together in frustration. That’s not to say the actors don’t try really, really hard. The script has some bad dialogue, but a huge dose of credit goes to Bridges and Reynolds. They aren’t given much, but they make it work, even when it’s painfully unfunny. Since Nick and Roy can’t be seen as themselves, when they walk on Earth they have avatars which provide some great visual gags. Roy’s avatar is a stunning, golden curvy goddess (Marisa Miller) while Nick’s avatar is a frail looking Asian man (James Hong). It’s quite humorous when people whistle and flirt with Roy’s avatar or when they see the elderly avatar of Nick dust himself off after being hit by a car. I also got a really good giggle out of seeing the delightful James Hong holding a banana (it’s actually a gun). Besides that, the humor depends on Roy saying a swear word or one of the walking dead farting and burping. Yes, you read that right. The script thinks bad CGI looking creatures can be funny as long as they fart or burp.

This movie is directed by Robert Schwentke, who also worked on “RED” and definitely has a knack for slapping together some over the top and fun action scenes. The best parts of the movie come when they’re trying to capture a dead-o, but those scenes don’t last long enough and we’re back to seeing a couple more poorly done cues from “Men in Black”. The one thing this movie can be proud of is trumping “The Lone Ranger” as the biggest waste of potential this summer.

I could nitpick the finer details of this movie, like why the dead hate cumin or how a soul could even escape judgment once it’s dead, but you have to suspend some logic in a movie like this. If you’re willing to do that for every minute, you might find yourself enjoying the movie like some people at the screening were. By the time the credits started rolling, I’ll admit I found myself laughing a couple of times and enjoying Roy trying to lasso a dead-o. I just wish they could have let the comic’s short lived time from 1999-2000 rest in peace. But instead they slapped it awake and handed it a check for $130 million. Instead of breathing some life into it and letting it stand on its own feet without the crutch of other people’s ideas, they suited it up and sent off to the theaters for its own funeral.

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Starring: Steve Carell, Toni Collette and Liam James
Directed by: Nat Faxon and Jim Rash
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 1 hr 43 mins
Fox Searchlight

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

On a scale of 1-10 how do you see yourself? This is the question that starts off the summer for fourteen year old Duncan (James). It is posed by his mom’s new boyfriend, Trent (Carell) in what he considers a chance for the boy to loosen up. After much thinking Duncan offers up a 6. “No,” he’s told. “You’re a 3.”

Beautifully written and featuring a side of Steve Carell that is rarely seen on screen, “The Way, Way Back” is the directorial debut of screenwriters Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, who shared an Oscar with Alexander Payne for their script of “The Descendants” a couple years ago. Like that film, “The Way, Way Back” is filled with characters so real you could swear you’ve known them all your life. The story follows Duncan, his mother Pam (Collette), Trent and his teenage daughter Steph (Zoe Levin) as they spend their summer on Cape Cod in Trent’s beach house. Of course they are surrounded by some crazy neighbors, including Kip and Joan (Rob Corrdry and Amanda Peete) and next door neighbor Betty (Allison Janney). Betty is divorced with two kids: Susanna (AnnaSophia Robb) and Peter (River Alexander). Susanna is a year older then Duncan and misses her dad. Peter is dealing with a lazy eye and his mother’s wrath for constantly playing with his “Star Wars” dolls…sorry, action figures. Having nothing in common with anyone Duncan finds an old bicycle and rides it into town, where he is taken under the wing of Owen (Sam Rockwell), the manager of Water Wizz, the local water park. Not only does Owen give Duncan a job, he also gives him the confidence to know that he is much more than a 3.

Kudos all around to the cast. Carell is in full “prick” mode here. The kind of guy that calls you “buddy” constantly and quibbles about the rules when playing Candyland. Collette is vulnerable as a woman hoping to find love again, sometimes ignoring her son for the sake of her new boyfriend. James, probably best known for his role on the television series “Psych,” is outstanding here. He’s in almost every scene in the film and he carries it easily. The supporting cast, which also includes Faxon and Rash, is equally good. But I must reserve special praise here for Janney and Rockwell. Both of them have always been under appreciated (in my opinion) and their work here is among some of their best. Faxon and Rash are more than competent behind the camera and the film flows smoothly, easily mixing laughter with tears without being heavy handed. I wouldn’t be surprised to see it on Oscar’s short list next year.