PG-13 for sci-fi action violence and brief suggestive content.
Genre: Sequel, comedy, action, adventure.
Running Time: 1 hour 46 minutes

Agents J and K are back protecting the world from alien invasion once again. This time around with K’s life and the fate of the planet are put at stake, Agent J travels back in time to put things right. But while on his time traveling journey J also discovers there are secrets to the universe that K never told him about. Secrets that reveal themselves as he teams up with the young Agent K to save his partner, the agency and the future of all humankind.

They’re Back

In 1997 Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones teamed up together to bring us the first Men in Black. Now 15 years later the Special Alien Fighting Secret Agents are back once again doing battle with extraterrestrials. The first time around we were introduced to Agent J and K who’s job it is to keep an eye on aliens in New York City. In 2002 for Men in Black Two Agent J had to find Agent K and restore his memory. As we now fast forward to 2012 we discover Agent J going back in time to the early 1960′s. Once again he’s looking out for his long time partner Agent K while working to stop an alien from assassinating his alien fighting agent friend and changing history.

MIB3 can best be summed up in one word – WOW!

One of the secret weapons for this movie revolves around consistency. The actors are the same, the scenery is the same and for the most part, the story theme remains the same too. While Men in Black 3 has a different plot line, the alien fighting story theme remains the same. Not only do we have Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones returning as Agent J and K, those involved in the movie pay close attention to detail and that makes for an even better movie! How closely do they pay attention to detail? The guard sitting outside the MIB office elevator is still the same guy!

From an acting standpoint, of course Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are incredible once again. When it comes to Josh Brolin who plays the young Agent K – all we can say is “outstanding”. Brolin obviously spent time studying Tommy Lee Jones portrayal of the famous Agent K and it really is like looking at a younger Tommy Lee Jones!

The story is fascinating as well. Working hard to avoid spoilers here suffice it to say there are fun twists and turns along the way. We even found ourselves saying “Didn’t see that coming” a few times throughout the movie. To get one “I didn’t see that coming” is amazing but pile up two or three makes the whole MIB3 experience even more amazing. When it comes to story line we also have to give the writers applause for not succumbing to the tyranny of the long syndrome. Many times sequels become bloated and long winded as those involved in the sequel spend too much time laying in groundwork for what went before. However, Men in Black Three is a great sequel as there are wonderful connectors for those who have been following this franchise – while at the same time – this can also be a stand alone movie too.

Last by certainly not least, when it comes to rating, we have to say MIB3 is cautionary family-friendly. While it’s not over the top, there are scenes in this movie that are simply too scary for a young audience. Parents, go to the movie with your early teens so you can talk about the content after the movie if need be.

All in all, we loved Men in Black Three. Yes we were initially concerned about a third movie in this franchise. But it did not take long for us to figure out that MIB3 is a wonderfully entertaining movie and definitely one we will add to our collection when the DVD is released.

Enjoy the show!

Dr. Rus

What will happen by the end of the weekend when it comes to Box Office results. It seems superheroes have reigned supreme for the past few weeks but will the aliens of The Avengers be a match for the aliens of Men in Black 3 this weekend? Only time will tell.

As we find ourselves heading into the first long weekend of the summer season, this is also the time Hollywood begins to pull out all the stops rolling out what they hope will be the start of the summer box office hit season.

Who will win the battle of the box office this weekend?

New Movies This Weekend

Men in Black 3 – PG-13 on 4,248 screens
In the first film in the Men in Black franchise in 10 years, Will Smith’s Agent J travels back in time to the 1960′s to prevent an alien from assassinating his colleague, Agent K. Tommy Lee Jones also returns as the modern-day Agent K while Josh Brolin plays his 1960′s counterpart. MIB3 is also screening in 3D.

Chernobyl Diaries – Rated R on 2,433 screens
Six young tourists are haunted by the aftermath of the 1980′s Chernobyl nuclear disaster when they take a trip to an abandoned Ukrainian city not far from where the tragedy took place.

Enjoy the show!

Dr. Rus

PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, action and destruction
and for language.
Genre: War, Action, Adventure, Adaptation, Sci-fi fantasy.
Running Time: 2 hours 11 minutes

In an action-adventure movie that unfolds across the seas, in the skies and over land, Battleship is a flick depicting a war where the planet earth fights for survival against a superior force. Based on Hasbro’s classic naval combat game the story line centers around war games in Hawaii pitting various naval forces from around the world against one another. But in the midst of the “games” it all turns very real as the fleet of ships gathered for the games are forced to do battle with an armada of unknown origins in order to discover and thwart their destructive plan.

‘Games’ On The Big Screen

Apparently Hasbro believes the way back to the top of the “game” scene is through the use of “games” turned into big screen movies. From the people who gave us the Transformers franchise, Hasbro tries their hand at the big screen again bringing the classic Battleship game to life on the big screen.

You sunk my battleship!

Battleship (Photo credit: unloveablesteve)

First off lets say this movie is “loosely” based on the Battleship game. Before it’s release many people were pounding on Universal Studios for producing a movie based on a game. But when all is said and done, this movie has more connectors with Transformers than it does with the Battleship game. With the exception of one scene where the movie has a somewhat Battleship game feel, it’s more of a twist on Transformers where the mechanical creatures are controlled by aliens outfitted in body armor.

Clocking in at better than two hours I had my apprehensions about this movie. The trailers made it look like nothing more than a different twist on the Transformers and those movies I found over-rated and under-acted. While there are similarities between Battleship and Transformers – in my opinion – Battleship outshines the Transformers franchise when it comes to quality and especially acting talent. The most notable difference revolves around the acting talent. While Liam Neeson’s part as Admiral Shane is somewhat small, he certainly raises the bar when it comes to actors and pulling a better performance out of those around him.

Jesse Plemons (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

While Rihanna, Taylor Kitsch and model Brooklyn Decker grabbed credits in Battleship, Jesse Plemons who plays Boatswain Mate Seaman Jimmy ‘Ordy’ Ord should receive a standing ovation for his performance.

This young star most notably known for the TV series Friday Night Lights is outstanding. His unassuming manner when it comes to acting style actually moves him to the forefront of every scene he’s in. Here’s hoping we see much more of Plemons in the days ahead as he has the making of a star all over him.

If you’re looking for action, you will find lots of it in this movie. If you like a different twist on the alien theme, you will find that in this movie. If you’re looking for a turn-your-mind-off-movie where you say “they could never do that”, you will enjoy Battleship.

The bottom line is this – Battleship is a great movie if you’re just looking to escape what’s going on around you for a couple hours.

As for the rating – Battleship is not family-friendly. Once again we need to see a new rating for a 16 and above crowd. There’s simply too much violence here for an audience younger than 16. However I will say this – I was pleasantly surprised at the “lack” of foul-language in this movie. There are two assumed “f-bombs” tossed in but even those are quickly covered over.

Overall, I enjoyed Battleship more than I thought I would. Even though it’s longer than 2 hours, the time passed by quickly. This might even fall into the category of “adding to my collection” when the DVD comes out.

Enjoy the show!

Dr. Rus

PG-13 for comic horror violence, sexual content,
some drug use, language and smoking.
Genre: Horror
Running Time: 1 hour 43 minutes

In the year 1752 Joshua and Naomi Collins – with their young son Barnabas – set sail from Liverpool, England to start a new life in America. But even an ocean was not enough to escape the mysterious curse that has plagued their family. Two decades pass and Barnabas has the world at his feet, or at least the town of Collinsport, Maine. The master of Collinwood Manor, Barnabas, is rich, powerful and a playboy until he makes the grave mistake of breaking the heart of Angelique Bouchard.

The Twisted Mind of Burton and Depp Together Again

Dark Shadows is classified as a horror. But as the PG-13 warning say – it’s really comic horror. Yes there are scary parts in this movie, but it is by no means a horror movie in the genre of what usually comes to mind when one thinks horror.

But keep in mind – Dark Shadows is by no means a family-friendly movie.

Dark Shadows starts with Johnny Depp narrating the backdrop for the movie. Along the way we discover things turned bad for Barnabas when Angelique Bouchard – a witch – dooms him to a fate worse than death. She turns him into a vampire and then has him buried alive! Two centuries later Barnabas is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972. He of course returns to Collinwood Manor to find that his once-grand estate has fallen into ruin. The dysfunctional remnants of the Collins family have fared little better.

I really had no idea what to expect when going into this movie. I knew it was not a horror picture in the true sense of the world. The trailers revealed the fact that while there were scary moments, there were also some funny moments tossed in for good measure too. I did know Dark Shadows would be in the “out there” category since the team of Johnny Depp and Tim Burton were back together. Burton always seems eclectic and Depp is the ever-eclectic type. He shines in roles like this. Of course with Burton involved it also means the film technique will be unusual and splashes of color will show up in the most amazing places.

While Burton and Depp do not disappoint the die hard fans, I found Dark Shadows rather predictable in the film technique category. The story is not predictable and there are some fascinating surprises tossed in along the way.

But from the standpoint of creativity, it seems Burton and Depp have fallen into a creativity valley where nothing new under the sun exists. 

With a Corpse Bride type feeling Dark Shadows could be described as nothing more than a twist on the Corpse Bride theme moved from animation to the real actor world. It is somewhat disappointing from this aspect. There’s simply nothing new here. The humor is funny at times and yes, it is rather comical to see Alice Cooper pulling out his old material as he flashes back to 1972 for his Ball Night appearance with his band. But for the most part Dark Shadows falls flat and maybe should have stayed in the shadows.

From a parental standpoint – parents – remember this movie carries a PG-13 rating. But, Dark Shadows is far from family-friendly. While the F-bomb does not appear in this movie it should probably have an R rating. Yes it is comical humor, but it is a scary movie for the young. When I screened the movie a mother had her young daughter with her sitting behind us. She spent more time talking and trying to make light of the scary parts that it was absurd and intrusive.

Parents – this is NOT a movie for kids.

If you’re a Burton and Depp fan, you will find something to like about this movie. While it’s not the most stellar performance this duo have put together, it is still true to the Depp-Burton genre. For that, the fans of this pair will enjoy Dark Shadows.

Yours in movie reviews!

Dr. Rus

PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action throughout
and a mild drug reference.
Genre: Adaptation, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Action, Adventure
Running Time: 2 hours 22 minutes

Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow all answer the call to action when Nick Fury – the Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D – initiates a daring, globe-spanning recruitment effort to assemble The Avengers team to defeat an unexpected enemy threatening global safety and security. Despite pulling together the ultimate dream team, Nick Fury and longtime confidant Agent Coulson must find a way to convince the team of Super Heroes to work with – not against each other – when the powerful and dangerous Loki gains access to the Cosmic Cube and its unlimited power.

The Long Awaited For Avenger Movie

Those involved in the Marvel Comic Book Super Hero series have been building up to this point for a long time. Bit by bit Iron Man, Captain America and even The Incredible Hulk made big screen debuts with individual movies. Now they are all together – working together – to save the world. Of course on the heels of a huge opening weekend Disney and Marvel quickly announced there will be a sequel. There’s no timeline for the sequel yet, but you can count on it – the All-Star Superhero line up will be back.

When it comes to box office dollars The Avengers became the highest-grossing debut weekend movie in domestic box office history pulling in slightly more than $200 million. When it comes to other notable milestones for this band of comic book heroes there are a few;

• The Avengers reached the $200 million mark faster than any other movie in U.S. box office history.
• On Friday, May 2, 2012 – the day it opened – The Avengers enjoyed the second-highest single day gross of all time with $80.5 million. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 made $91.1 million on its first day of release.
• The Avengers established a new record for Saturday with $69.7 million dollars.
• As of Monday, May 7, 2012 The Avengers earned an estimated $641.8 million dollars worldwide since it opened overseas two weeks ago.

But, is the movie worth it? 

While The Avengers is a strong movie, it’s not as strong as the first Iron Man or Captain America movies. Clocking in at two hours and 22 minutes it is a little long and gets off to a somewhat slow start. The slow start has nothing to do with a lack of action. As a matter of fact action abounds throughout this movie. But it’s a slow start because the movie-makers chose to do a rather lengthy build-up to the formation of the Super Hero Team. The background information content is understandable. After all, those involved in the making of The Avengers had to make sure anyone who may have missed the first movies, knew who the players were. As a result, they had to lay in a lot of background material so anyone new in the audience would have at least a surface understanding of who all the players were.

However, while this is a strength for the movie makers, it is also a downfall for those of us who have been tracking the making of this movie since the start. It is true, you will not be lost if you haven’t seen the first movies. But at the same time, if you are familiar with the first movies, you too will probably find the opening scenes somewhat drawn out.

As for The Hulk – I must admit seeing this character in the movie somewhat surprised me. It’s been so long since The Hulk movies I totally forgot he was one of The Avengers! I’m sure the pure Marvel super hero comic book lovers knew what was coming, but for some of us, we totally missed the fact that the big green guy would appear again. Mark Ruffalo who plays Bruce Banner – aka The Hulk – does a wonderful job in this role.

When it comes to the other super hero players, Downey Junior and Chris Evans are wonderful. Scarlett Johansson seems in over her head at times with such a high caliber of stars and Jeremy Renner is pretty much forgettable just like his Clint Barton aka Hawkeye character. I will say this much, I hated the Thor  movie and believe it’s pretty much a throw away movie as those involved in this series simply needed someway to introduce the character. But in The Avengers movie Chris Hemsworth who plays Thor seems much more comfortable with the role.

When it comes to story line, The Avengers holds up well under a microscope. For those familiar with the first movies there are enough subtle connectors sprinkled throughout to keep your mind active. For those not familiar with the first movies, the connectors do not go over your head. They simply make up the story line. While this entire movie is based on a comic book series, it does not have that comic book feel. However, the humor tossed in along the way pulls us back to our comic book days and also serves as a great way to lighten the mood and bring a smile to your face from time to time too.

Overall we did enjoy The Avengers and it does fall into the category as a movie I would like to see again. I’m sure when it comes out on DVD we will add it to our library. As for rating, keep in mind this is a PG-13 movie. This is not for small kids. Even then we are still saying The Avengers is cautionary family-friendly. There’s simply too much violence going on here to put it into the family-friendly category.

Enjoy the show!

Dr. Rus

PG for mild action, rude humor and some language.
Genre: Adaptation, comedy, animated, action, adventure.
Running Time: 1 hour 27 minutes

With a rag-tag crew by his side – and seemingly blind to the impossible odds stacked against him – the Captain has just one dream. After many attempts the Pirate Captain wants to beat his bitter rivals Black Bellamy and Cutlass Liz to the much coveted Pirate of the Year Award. It’s a quest that takes he and his crew from the shores of exotic Blood Island to the foggy streets of Victorian London.

Will he win? Or will he lose? Only time will tell.

British Humor Alert!

While it did grab the number two spot on the weekend box office list for it’s debut, it really didn’t pull in a lot of money. I have a feeling much of the slightly more than $11 million revolves around the fact it is also screening in 3D which means higher ticket prices.

The story is simple – The Captain Pirate wants to win the Pirate of the Year Award. In order to do so, he must finally find a lot more booty than he has in the past. Setting out in search of fortune which will in turn lead to fame, Captain Pirate also finds himself in the midst of a battle with the diabolical Queen Victoria. Making the adventure even more adventurous – along the way he stumbles across a smitten young scientist who is in love with the Queen and will do anything to win her favor.

The Pirates! Band of Misfits falls into the category of “take it or leave it” movies. The main reason for this revolves around the fact that if you don’t like British humor, you will probably find this movie slow, boring and not funny at all. Created by the same people responsible for Wallace & Gromit the clay-mation film technique is impressive and fascinating. But keep in mind, The Pirates! Band of Misfits is by no means a rolling on the floor laughing out loud type of movie. The humor is subtle and at times rapid-fire. If you’re not accustomed to such a humor style, you will indeed miss many of the jokes.

When it comes to voice talent, Hugh Grant – the voice of the Pirate Captain – gets high points for his performance here. We’ve always enjoyed Grant and were saddened when he decided to stop acting. Apparently he does not do well in public and has a high anxiety level making it difficult for him to be around a lot of people. But, when it comes to voice talent, working in the world of animation is a great fit because he’s in a studio doing voice work. It was nice to hear Grant – even if it was in animation form with his voice – on the big screen again.

The only other notable voice talent in The Pirates! Band of Misfits is Anton Yelchin who voices The Albino Pirate. This young actor is certainly showing his versatility when it comes to his Hollywood career. I first came across Yelchin in Terminator Salvation and was impressed with his performance. Then in 2009 he played Chekov in the re-invention of Star Trek. He impressed me even more! Now seeing how he does as an animated character makes me wonder if there’s anything this guy can’t do. Between Yelchin and Grant, this movie is enjoyable when their characters are on the screen.

Overall, while I’m only giving The Pirates! Band of Misfits just two Lloyds, that does not say the movie is a total loss. I personally like British humor so I did find portions of the movie funny. However, much like the Wallace and Gromit movies, The Pirates! is not a fast paced attention grabber type of flick. Instead it meanders it’s way through an hour and a half of moments of brilliance here and there. For the most part, this is probably best viewed in 3D or simply on your home TV when the DVD comes out.

Enjoy the show!
Dr. Rus

PG for slapstick action violence, some rude
and suggestive humor including language.
Genre: Action, adventure, comedy
Running Time: 1 hour 32 minutes

Left on a nun’s doorstep, Larry, Curly and Moe grow up finger-poking, nyuk-nyuking and woo-woo-wooing their way to uncharted levels of knuckleheaded misadventure. When they discover their childhood orphanage is going to close because of a lack of money, the trio set out to save their home! Along the way they not only get into comedy trouble, but they also stumble across a murder plot with lots of twists and turns.

Some Things Are Best Left Alone

I went into The Three Stooges with low expectations and I have to admit, this remake and reinvention of the stooges known as Larry, Curly and Moe, did not disappoint. Some things are just best left alone – and honestly – The Three Stooges falls firmly into the “Best Left Alone Category”.

Official Three Stooges logo. L to R: Moe Howard, Curly Howard and Larry Fine (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy act of the early mid-20th century best known for their numerous short subject films. They’re commonly known by their first names – Larry, Curly and Moe. They first started as Ted Healy and his Southern Gentlemen which contained Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Shemp Howard. Shemp left the group for a solo career and that’s when his brother Curly Howard joined the trio.

When The Three Stooges were big it was a very different time. There was a time when their style of slapstick humor reigned. But that was a different day and a very different time. The bottom line is – there’s absolutely nothing new here. The gimmicks, acts, slapstick, hits, blows, bonks and stomps are the same as they were when the trio of Larry, Curly and Moe reigned supreme in their movie shorts. I have a feeling the original stooges kept their movie shorts short because they knew there’s only so much an audience can take of this kind of humor. I will give the movie makers credit for attempting to keep the “short style” alive in this hour and a half movie. But even the technique of slipping in an old style movie-short-title-screen does not help this movie move along.

When it comes to story line – it’s barely visible. Actually, the story line is almost a steal from the original Blues Brothers movie. While the Stooges don’t use the line “We’re on a mission from God”, they are trying to raise money to save an orphanage. Sounds somewhat similar to Jake and Elwood’s mission to raise money for the church too.

I found myself bored with the antics after about 20 minutes.

If you’re looking for a total escape from reality and aren’t looking for story line, then you just might enjoy The Three Stooges. While many in the audience were laughing from time to time throughout the movie, the common comment was – “I remember seeing the same jokes years ago”. Will this movie have staying power? Probably not. While it did grab the number two spot on the box office results for its debut weekend that’s probably because many people have seen The Hunger Games and the current movie offerings for this time of year are very weak.

When it comes to rating, we have to say The Three Stooges is not family-friendly. It’s rude, crude and yes violent. Even though those involved in the movie try to explain to kids at the end of the movie not to hit people with hammers and sledgehammers, this movie is not suitable for family viewing. If you feel the need to see The Three Stooges it’s probably best to wait for the DVD.

Avoid the show!
Dr. Rus

Two new movies hit the big screen today but the question remains – Will the superhero Avengers remain the Box Office champ for another weekend. While The Avengers remains top when it comes to number of screens Liam Neeson’s Battleship debuts this weekend too. If you’re not into cosmic battles maybe the second movie opening this weekend will be more your style as the based on book release of What to Expect When You’re Expecting takes the the big screen too.

Opening This Weekend

Battleship – PG-13 on 3,690 screens
Loosely based on the popular board game, the action flick finds a fleet of naval ships defending the world against an alien attack. Liam Neeson, Taylor Kitsch, Brooklyn Decker and R&B pop artist Rihanna star.

What to Expect When You’re Expecting – PG-13 on 3,021 screens
The comedy, based on the best-selling book of the same name, follows the lives of five couples who are all preparing to welcome a child. Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Banks, Brooklyn Decker, Anna Kendrick, Chace Crawford, Dennis Quaid, Matthew Morrison and Chris Rock all star.

Enjoy the show!

Dr. Rus

Does it come as any surprise that The Avengers grabbed the number one spot at the box office again? I’d have to say no since only one new movie debuted over the weekend. For the second week in a row the superhero flick not only grabbed the top spot again but it crushed it pulling in an estimated $103.2 million. On Saturday, The Avengers eclipsed the $300 million mark in overall ticket revenue after just nine days of release. That is a new record.

In the “also showing” category – the Johnny Depp-Tim Burton movie Dark Shadows debuted in second place.

Weekend Box Office With Estimates

1. The Avengers – $103.2 million
2. Dark Shadows – $28.8 million
3. Think Like A Man – $6.3 million
4. The Hunger Games – $4.4 million
5. The Lucky One – $4.1 million
6. The Pirates! Band of Misfits – $3.2 million
7. The Five-Year Engagement – $3.1 million
8. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel – $2.7 million
9. Chimpanzee – $1.6 million
10. Girl in Progress – $1.4 million

Enjoy the show!
Dr. Rus

Another weekend has come and gone and when it comes to new movies on the big screen, it was rather lackluster. But, even though it was lackluster, there were two movie debuts which moved into the number one and number two spots on the Box Office Weekend Top Ten list. As for the previous box office champ – The Hunger Games slipped to the number three spot.

Weekend Box Office With Estimates

1. Think Like A Man – $33 million
2. The Lucky One – $22.8 million
3. The Hunger Games – $14.5 million
4. Chimpanzee – $10.2 million
5. The Three Stooges – $9.2 million
6. The Cabin In The Woods – $7.8 million
7. American Reunion – $5.2 million
8. Titanic 3D – $5 million
9. 21 Jump Street – $4.6 million
10. Mirror Mirror – $4.1 million

Enjoy the show!

Dr. Rus