Hairspray I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Ratatouille Live Free or Die Hard
Hairspray (PG)
This movie stars John Travolta, Queen Latifah, and Amanda Bynes, with newcomer Nikki Blonsky in the lead role as Tracy Turnblad. The movie is based on a Broadway musical that was based on the original 1980s movie by John Waters. It’s 1963 and Tracy dreams of becoming a dancer on the Corny Collins television show. Her mother, played by John Travolta, does not want her to be on the show, but Tracy wins her over and allows her to go on. At the audition, Tracy’s less-than-perfect appearance and progressive thinking cause the station manager, Velma (played by Michelle Pfeiffer) to kick her to the curb. However, Tracy’s skills and enthusiasm eventually win her a spot on the show. Once she’s there, she and her friends Penny, Link (played by High School Musical’s Zac Efron), and Seaweed work to fight the segregation enforced by the television station and in the community. The movie is filled with great songs, amazing dancing, and a fantastic cast. It’s a fun-filled romp with a clear message. Everyone in the family should enjoy it. Hairspray is Rated PG for language and some suggestive content. - Susannah Driver
Hairspray (PG)
This is a lighthearted, feel-good movie that also deals with some surprisingly serious topics.
The film is based on the Broadway musical, which is based on a 1988 film. The storyline centers around Tracy Turnblad, a spunky, full-figured teenager in the 1960’s. Turnblad, portrayed by newcomer Nikki Blonsky, dreams of dancing on the local Corny Collins show. Her dreams come true through the help of a few friends.
However, things get sticky as race relations become involved, and Tracy is faced with the choice of doing what she feels is right or staying on the show.
Going in, I was a little concerned that the film would be a long stream of fat jokes, considering the hints I had seen from the previews. Instead, I found a film that paralleled the struggles of a chubby girl in the cookie-cutter 1960s with the struggle for civil rights.
Though the movie’s focus on desegregation can seem a little too light-hearted and stereotypical, the film’s overall message of being true to oneself and sticking up for those who are different shines through.
The cast is ideal for this film. In addition to Blonsky, who makes an outstanding debut, the film also features big names who handled their roles very well. Christopher Walken perfectly portrays the kooky Wilbur Turnblad, while John Travolta (in drag, of course) keeps the audience in stitches as Edna Turnblad. Queen Latifa and Michelle Pfeiffer also give standout performances as the bold host of Corny’s “Negro Day,” and the evil producer of the Corny Collins show. And Ricki Lake, who starred as Tracy in the original film version, makes a cameo as a talent agent.
The movie is rated PG for language, some suggestive content, and brief teenage smoking, but overall the film is good for the whole family. Everyone will leave the theater with a smile and the urge to go dancing - Sarah Wise
I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry (PG-13)
Larry Valentine (Kevin James) is a New York firefighter, down on his luck. When Larry’s pension plan needs to be changed so that his kids with his late wife will benefit, he decides the best way to solve his problem is to marry his best friend Chuck Levine (Adam Sandler) at Niagara Falls. Jessica Biel plays an attractive attorney Chuck is very interested in, defending the “couple” against allegations that they are just posing as gay to defraud the pension company. Dan Ackroyd, Ving Rhames, and Steve Buscemi also star, along with Lance Bass.
This movie is intensely hilarious. I would recommend it to anyone who has seen and enjoyed an Adam Sandler movie. The rating is for sexual content, language, and nudity. I personally think the content pushed the limit of the PG-13 rating, and some of it was definitely not appropriate for kids.
- Jerrie Barbato
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rated PG-13)
We find Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) deep in the middle of teenage angst. At the beginning of the movie, when he saves his much-hated cousin Dudley (Harry Melling) from a Dementor attack, his use of unauthorized magic results in his immediate expulsion from the only real home he's ever known, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. His unceremonious expulsion is the latest in a series of attacks the Ministry of Magic, led by Cornelius Fudge (Robert Hardy), has mounted against Harry and Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) for daring to spread the news of Voldemort's (Ralph Fiennes) return. Harry, whose survivor guilt over Cedric's (Robert Pattinson) death at the end of Goblet of Fire has never been stronger, must bear the weight of it alone until he is summoned to the headquarters of the mysterious Order of the Phoenix. The Order was first formed during Voldemort's initial rise to power, and has come together again in the face of his return. Joined by familiar faces, including his godfather Sirius Black (Gary Oldman), former professor Remus Lupin (David Thewlis), and the Weasley clan, Harry begins to put his life back in some semblance of order. Back at Hogwarts, though, Harry is an outcast, accused in the press of being a horrible liar, and Dumbledore, the figure he most respects and admires, seems to want to have nothing to do with him. In the midst of all this, Harry finds himself attracted to Cedric's girlfriend, Cho Chang (Katie Leung), and making friends with the slightly odd Luna Lovegood (Evanna Lynch), while he, Hermione (Emma Watson), and Ron (Rupert Grint) teach Defense Against the Dark Arts the way their Ministry-appointed teacher-turned-tyrant Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton) refuses to do.
The cast by this point in the movies is so very large that anyone watching this movie needs to have read the books or at least seen all four previous films recently, to follow the action. Order of the Phoenix is a very long novel, and while director David Yates finds some inventive ways to compress the story down to just over two hours, much of the character development and action in the book was lost. Tonks (Natalia Tena), for example, has very little screen time, and is memorable only because she can change her hair color at will. The effects, as always, are stunning, and though I don't think Yates quite captured the sense of urgency and impending doom that Rowling evoked in the book, this movie was still a pretty good interpretation. Rating for a bit of fantasy violence and themes. – Ashley Merrill
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rated PG-13)
Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), now a teenager, is starting his fifth year at Hogwarts Academy. Anxious to return and find out what his friends Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) have been so secretive about all summer, he discovers something in his new year that turns his world upside down. If you've followed the Harry Potter series thus far, you know that Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) has always been the Hogwarts Headmaster, but in this sequel, a malicious Ministry of Magic appointee named Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton) takes the "cursed" Defense Against the Dark Arts position and tries to use her influence to wrest power from Dumbledore. Harry and his friends oppose her tactics all year, while Harry himself has a series of dreams about Voldemort's quest for some important artifact. Harry and his friends are also trying to take their very difficult fifth-year tests, the OWL exams.
In keeping with the previous Harry Potter movies, there were no shortage of special effects. Since the Hogwarts students are teenagers now, this movie has a slightly more serious tone than some of the previous films. All in all, the movie was entertaining and in keeping with what I expected. The rating is for mild violence and sorcery, but kids of all ages seem to love these movies. If you have liked the others in the series, you won't be disappointed. – Debra Malarchik
All the hype that was built up for this movie was worth it. I loved it. It stayed true to the Transformers I knew as a child, and brought the story up to date, without butchering it.
The movie itself centers around the idea that the government has known about the Transformers for years, and has been conspiring to keep them secret. But the Transformers are just becoming active. Josh Duhamel co-stars as Captain Lennox, with Tyrese Gibson as Tech Sergeant Epps and Shia LeBeouf as Sam Witwicky, unwitting owner of one of the Transformers. Megan Fox co-stars as Sam's love interest, Mikaela Banes. Anthony Anderson, John Turturro, and Jon Voight also star.
The effects, computer imagery, acting, direction, location, everything about this movie was just great.
It is rated PG-13 but I would take my kid if I had one. Great, great movie. – Matt Wright
The movie stars Robin Williams, Mandy Moore, and John Krasinski. This is a charming and romantic comedy about a young couple who meet and fall in love. After becoming engaged, they learn that the only way they can get married in the church of her dreams is to go through marriage counseling.
Soon Ben (Krasinski) and Sadie (Moore) meet the Reverend Frank (Williams) and find that they must complete the six month course in three weeks. The Reverend Frank is a wily and somewhat crazy person who goes to any length to get his point across.
This movie is no academy award winner, but it is a real good feel-good, laugh-your-butt-off movie. I suggest that you visit the restroom before the movie or you may wet your pants during it. - Steve Edwards
Has it really been 12 years since Die Hard with a Vengeance? Bruce Willis returns as Officer John McClane in the 4th version of the Die Hard franchise that keeps fans asking, “What took you so long?” when asked about this dazzling sequel. Willis as his larger-than-life character, Detective John McClane breaks new ground as an antiquated cop the hi-tech age. In this movie we see our hero taking on a presumably routine assignment delivering a kid named Matt Farrell (Justin Long) to the FBI for questioning. Soon after McClane picks up Matt, it becomes quite clear that this wisecracking computer hacker has enemies who will stop at nothing to prevent him from reaching the Bureau’s interrogators in DC. Similar to Willis’ 16 Blocks, in that a cop is frustrated at every turn in his effort to escort a man to court through a gauntlet of adversaries out to prevent the witness from testifying, Live Free or Die Hard bears little resemblance beyond the storyline. Die Hard 4 is a non-stop roller coaster ride with more energy than any of its summer competition. The secret is that it rarely relies on computer-generated imagery for special effects. This old school revival of elaborately-staged stunt work proves to be worthy ff all the trouble the director put into it, because it’s easy to tell the difference between an actor actually taking a bona fide leap off a ledge and one merely faking it in front of a blue screen. The plot isn’t all that cerebral. Thomas Gabriel (Timothy Oliphant), a cyber-terrorist, is trying to bring the U.S. to its knees. His evil plan is to create chaos and confusion by shutting down the country’s computer generated infrastructure, to include its communication, transportation, financial and power systems. Gabriel has an army of goons, including a svelte sidekick skilled in martial arts, Mai Lihn (Maggie Q). Can John and his new found friend Matt foil the scheme amid sparks flying between John’s daughter and Matt? Watch to find out. This Die Hard fan gives the movie a nod for action, humor, and props to the old school style of movie making. Thomas Garrou
The latest computer-animated movie from Disney/Pixar, is a story about being true to who you really are. Remy (voiced by Patton Oswalt, King of Queens) is a rat who wants to become a great chef. He finds himself in Paris, France, at the restaurant of his recently deceased favorite chef, Auguste Gusteau (voiced by Brad Garrett, Everybody Loves Raymond). Once there, he befriends a young garbage boy named Linguini (voiced by Lou Romano) after they survive a soup accident in the restaurant's kitchen. Their secret partnership makes Linguini famous, and the other chefs at the restaurant jealous. However, Linguini and Remy still have to work together to win over a restaurant critic; watch the movie to see if they succeed. The kids loved it, and the ending was especially touching. Rhonda Poplin