Rated R for crude sexual content, language and brief nudity.
Genre: Comedy
Running Time: 1 hour 37 minutes

When long-term Congressman Cam Brady commits a major public gaffe before an upcoming election, a pair of ultra-wealthy CEO’s plot to put up a rival candidate and gain influence over their North Carolina District. The man they put up – Marty Huggins, the naive director of the local Tourism Center.

The Follies of Politics

At first Marty appears to be the unlikeliest possible choice to run against the multi-term incumbent Congressman Brady. But, with the help of his backers, a cut-throat campaign manager and his family’s political connections, Marty soon becomes a contender who gives the charismatic Cam lots to worry about. As Election Day closes in the two are locked in a dead heat with insults escalating to injury until all they care about is burying each other.

I went into this movie figuring I would absolutely hate it. After all one of the leading men in The Campaign is also one of my least favorite actors – Will Ferrell – who stars as Congressman Cam Brady. His counterpart – an actor I can take or leave as he seems stellar in one movie and a flop in the other – is Zach Galifianakis who plays the role of Marty Huggins.

But – when all is said and done – I must admit I was pleasantly surprised.

Maybe the quality of the movie has to do with the fact that Ferrell is just an actor in the flick. He was not involved in the writing, directing or production of this movie. As a result, Ferrell is forced to stay inside the lines and it appears for the most part stays inside the lines as well. When Ferrell is more involved in the direction and content of the movie – they usually fall into the category of “better left on the editing room floor”.

Now, after saying I was “pleasantly surprised” with the quality of this movie, I must also quickly say The Campaign is by no means a family-friendly movie. Keep in mind this is a Rated R flick. While Ferrell is somewhat restrained in this movie, it is still over the top at times and yes, the language is wild too. But keep in mind that is also exactly how the R Rating attached to this movie describes the flick too. So, you have been warned.

From an acting standpoint Ferrell is his usual rude self while Galifianakis just seems lack-luster. The shining moments in The Campaign are evident in the performances of Dan Aykroyd and John Lithgow who play the Motch brothers. Going into the movie I did not know they were in this flick. I was surprised by their appearance and enjoyed the fact that they had more than just a one scene appearance. Other than that, this movie is predictable in its style and acting performances.

It’s also no secret that The Campaign is a well-planned and strategically released movie about politics. After all, we find ourselves in the midst of a political season. I wondered if this would be a totally one-sided swat at a political party. Would this movie have an obvious political agenda? While I’m sure some people will say it’s a swat against one party or the other – in the end – I believe The Campaign takes its shots not at just one political party, but at the entire political process we are now faced with. Some will disagree with me, but I came away from the movie laughing at the fact that I couldn’t see any direct agenda at attacking just one political party. Instead this is a humorous look – and for most people – an obvious look at what’s wrong the political process.

All in all – while The Campaign is not family-friendly – I did find it a nice quick escape and a fun look at all that’s wrong with politics today.

Enjoy the show!

Dr. Rus

PG for scary action and images, thematic elements, some rude
humor and language.
Genre: Animated, comedy, sci-fi fantasy, horror, thriller,
action, adventure
 Running Time: 1 hour 39 minutes

When a small town comes under siege by zombies, who can you call? The answer – A misunderstood boy by the name of Norman who is able to talk with the dead. In addition to zombies he also has to take on ghosts, witches – and the worst of all – grown-ups – to save his town from a centuries-old curse.

Really? What Those Involved With This Movie Thinking?

While this movie debuted in the number three spot on the box office, it only pulled in $14 million dollars. In my opinion, ParaNorman shouldn’t even be on anyone’s radar – at least in the target audience. Carrying a PG rating and animated those involved in this movie are aiming it at a younger crowd. But the bottom line is this…

ParaNorman is by no means family-friendly!

This movie is so far outside of the realm of family-friendly I would like to know who was paid off inside the MPAA so they could get a PG rating for it in the first place. Let me repeat - ParaNorman is not even close to entering into the category of a family-friendly movie. This is nothing more than an attempt to grab some money from unsuspecting parents. This movie is really nothing more than a bad spoof of the zombie movies and should be Rated R.

Written and directed by Chris Butler, who also has movie credits on Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride and Henry Selick’s Caroline, needs to take a long look at his career choices with ParaNorman. It’s obvious from the outset of the movie Butler is heavily influenced in his genre choice by those he’s worked with in the past. However, Butler is no Burton or Selick and if this is all he can do, Butler should seriously look at a job change. I’m not saying the movie is a total loss but I am strongly disagreeing with the fact that Butler even remotely thinks his movie is appropriate for family viewing. ParanNorman is an over-the-top horror thriller movie disguised as an animated fun film. Just because something is animated does not mean it is kid-friendly and those involved in the rating process and those involved in the production of this movie should be ashamed of themselves for packaging this movie as an animated flick for kids.

When it comes to voice talent – the pool is rather shallow for ParaNorman too. Again it’s obvious Butler is trying to imitate the likes of Tim Burton, but he lacks the Johnny Depp counter-part. The only real notable voice is that of John Goodman who voices the character of Mr. Prenderghast. Aside from Goodman the long forgotten Tempestt Bledsoe best known for her Cosby TV show days makes a feeble attempt to bring to life the character of Sheriff Hooper. Other than those two notable voices, the others involved in this movie are rather lack-luster.

The bottom line is this - ParaNorman is a spoof of the zombie horror movies gone bad. Those involved simply tried to dumb-down and animate the story line in the hopes of making a movie with a young audience appeal. In so doing, they truly missed the mark and came up with a movie that is not suitable at all for their target audience. If they had stuck with a spoof motif, grabbed an R rating and marketed the movie to the adult zombie-loving-crowd this movie would probably have done much better.

While I do applaud those involved with ParaNorman for an under-current theme of bullying is bad, overall this is a movie probably better left for the DVD pile of “maybe I’ll watch it” one day.

Avoid the show!

Dr. Rus

PG-13 for violence and intense action sequences.
Genre: Thriller, action, sequel.
Running Time: 2 hours 15 minutes

The Bourne story is back but this time around Jason Bourne is nowhere to be found. Instead we discover there were more than just one. While we don’t know how many such elite government operatives really exist, one thing we do know is there’s more than just one. While the top secret CIA program teeters on being outed in the news, a plan is hatched to “burn the whole program to the ground”.

For Aaron Cross – that is very bad news.

Bourne Without Damon

For Bourne fans, the first thing you will notice in this fourth flick in the franchise is the absence of Matt Damon who made the Jason Bourne character so famous. The Bourne Legacy is a 2004 spy fiction thriller written by Eric Van Lustbader and is the fourth novel in the Jason Bourne series. The book has Jason Bourne settling back into his role as David Webb, professor of linguistics at Georgetown University. In the book, when a gunshot narrowly misses Webb’s head the Bourne persona once again awakened.

Not only is Bourne missing from this installment of the Bourne franchise, but the script is totally different from the book. The name may be the same - The Bourne Legacy - but aside from the name, the similarities quickly disappear. This movie isn’t even a reboot or a prequel. It’s more of a spin-off of the original Bourne movies introducing a new character that could be described as “the mold of Bourne” dealing with the ramifications of the Treadstone conspiracy. Those in the know are threatening to “burn the program to the ground” and this begins the systematic elimination of not only highly trained and modified operatives, but everyone involved in the program.

But just when those involved in the Bourne program believe they have successfully eliminated everyone – Aaron Cross surfaces.

Jeremy Renner of The Avengers, Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol, Thor and The Town plays the role of Aaron Cross. While his earlier roles seemed somewhat hit and miss and lack-luster, Renner’s laid back performance style works well in this movie. I wasn’t sure if he could pull off a starring role in a movie, but when all is said and done, Renner appears to have risen to the occasion for The Bourne Legacy. 

The downside of this movie – aside from the fact that it clocks in at better than two hours – revolves around a somewhat confusing story line. It actually takes about a half hour to begin to formulate some kind of a consistent story line. But even then, there are times when the movie seems like a piecemeal of colliding ideas. Yes, there is a common thread of what’s called The Bourne Legacy but the constant jumping from place to place, introducing a number of characters along the way, makes it hard to follow at first. After about an hour of trying to figure out how it all connected, I finally decided to just sit back and enjoy the mindless action on the big screen.

If you’re into lots of action and things that go “boom” you will enjoy this movie. If you’re looking for the familiarity of the Matt Damon Bourne movies, you will not find it here. There are casual mentions and references to Jason Bourne, but it is obvious those involved with this franchise are trying to spin it off with new characters in the hopes of generating a new generation of fans for the series.

Overall – while I did enjoy The Bourne Legacy – I find myself giving it a mediocre Lloyd rating of 2 and a half Lloyds. The action is intense and probably the plot line is a little predictable too. If anything this movie falls into the category of “been there, done that, seen that” all before.

Enjoy the show,

Dr. Rus

PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action. Some
sexual content, brief nudity and language.
Genre: Remake, sci-fi, action
Running Time 2 hours 15 minutes

For a factory worker named Douglas Quaid – even though he has a beautiful wife whom he loves – he feels like he’s missing something. Stuck in what seems to be the mundane and routine, Quaid looks for a way to escape into his dreams by visiting a company that can turn your dreams into real memories.

But, when the procedure goes horribly wrong, Quaid becomes a hunted man finding himself on the run from the police controlled by Chancellor Cohaagen, the leader of the free world.

One visit to Rekall – enables Quaid to recall who he really is.

Not Your Arnie Recall Movie

Total Recall is back but make no mistake, this version does not compare with the 1990 Arnold Schwarzenegger version. The names are the same, the good guys and bad guys remain the same. The story line is close as it centers around a man named Douglas Quaid who discovers he’s a secret agent, but the setting is totally different.

In 1990 Quaid was haunted by a recurring dream about a journey to Mars. His visit to ReKall brings back memories of being a secret agent fighting against the evil Mars administrator named Cohaagen. This time around the setting has our secret agent Quaid plugging along through life as a factory worker living in one of the two remaining “safe” zones on earth. The rest of the world is uninhabitable after nuclear wars destroyed much of the surface. Quaid lives in a renamed Australia and commutes to his job in the leftover portions of Europe via a huge elevator that goes through the planets core.

Bored with his life – haunted by a dream with a mystery woman in it – Quaid finds himself tossed back into a strange secret agent life battling what’s real and what’s fantasy.

I vaguely remember seeing the original Total Recall but I do remember it was a big thing back in 1990 among sci-fi fans. It’s obvious those involved in this remake are going for a new sci-fi crowd as they shifted the fantasy from Mars back to earth in post-war future earth setting. With that in mind it’s important to find a way to plow through what is an obvious political message. If you can get beyond that – then Total Recall becomes a turn-your-mind-off and enjoy the ride kind of show. There are interesting twists and turns along the way and the action is pretty much non-stop full of “they could never do that” moments.

From an acting standpoint, Colin Farrell who plays Douglas Quaid is mediocre. He – or really any of the other cast members including Jessica Biel or Bill Nighy – really don’t turn in stellar performances. But then again that probably has more to do with the content of Total Recall than anything else. This is simply a busy movie jammed with wall to wall action. There’s really very little down time.

Is it original? Probably not. First off lets remember this is a remake of the 1990 movie and just like it’s predecessor, is based on the short story “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale” written by Philip K. Dick. But even some of the sci-fi events seem borrowed from the Will Smith hit movie I Robot. The flying cars are very similar to what we saw in that movie and the robot police officers are almost an exact match.

Stepping away from the fact that some of the scenery seems a re-hash of past sci-fi movies, I came away from Total Recall with somewhat of a smile on my face. This will not be a movie for everyone and for those hoping for a cameo of Schwarzenegger – you will be disappointed. This version of Total Recall is too far removed from the first one for there to be any connections and possible cameos.

The bottom line is this – if you’re looking for a movie full of action with a somewhat interesting story line, you will enjoy Total Recall.

Enjoy the show!

Dr. Rus

Rated R for some strong sexual content including references,
pervasive language and violent images.
Running Time: 1 hour 40 minutes

Four everyday suburban guys come together as an excuse to escape their humdrum lives one night a week. But, when they accidentally discover that their town has become overrun with aliens – posing as ordinary suburbanites – they have no choice but to save their neighborhood – and the world – from total extermination.

A Mash-Up of Alien Movies

The trailers remotely peaked my interest for this Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn and Jonah Hill movie The Watch. I knew going in this would be far from family-friendly. After all it does carry an R rating for a very good reason. This is not a family-friendly movie, it does not pretend to be a family-friendly movie, nor does it even attempt to be a family-friendly movie. While it’s not as rude and crude as I thought it might be – make now mistake – those involved with The Watch make no attempts to make this remotely suitable for family viewing.

The best way to describe this movie is a mash-up of all those alien movies that have gone before. The alien in The Watch bears a strange similarity to the alien from the movie  Alien. There are even a number of alien “drool all over your face” scenes very reminiscent of scenes from  Alien. Then toss in alien motifs from the likes of Independence Day, Men in Black and possibly a few flashbacks to War of the Worlds and you end up with what could have been a Saturday Night Live spoof of various alien movies throughout time.

For it’s debut weekend this movie was edged out of the number two box office spot by a very narrow margin of point three million dollars. The latest Ice Age movie beat The Watch by that very narrow margin to grab the number two spot sliding this alien spoof to the number three spot on the weekend box office. I have a feeling this has to do with the fact that right now nothing can touch The Dark Knight Rises and the R rating for The Watch limits the audience some.

Overall The Watch falls into the category 0f – “Don’t take it too seriously”. The acting is sub-par, the script sub-par, the film-making sub-par and the plot line sub-par. While I did laugh from time to time through the one hour 40 minute flick, I must also admit the laughs were few and far apart.

Maybe avoid this show,

Dr. Rus

PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some sensuality
and language.
Genre: Adaptation, crime, sequel
Running Time 2 hours 44 minutes

It has been eight years since Batman vanished into the night, turning – in that instant – from hero to fugitive. Assuming the blame for the death of D.A. Harvey Dent, the Dark Knight sacrificed everything for what he and Commissioner Gordon both hoped was the greater good. For a time the lie worked as criminal activity in Gotham City was crushed under the weight of the anti-crime Dent Act.

But…everything has changed once again.

A cunning cat burglar with a mysterious agenda has arrived on the scene. However, far more dangerous than the cat burglar is the emergence of Bane, a masked terrorist whose ruthless plans for Gotham drive Bruce out of his self-imposed exile. As he dons his cape and mask once again, the question remains…

Will Batman be a match for Bane?

The Long Awaited Sequel Has Arrived

Running into the night years ago, the much awaited and anticipated Batman sequel has hit the big screen. Four years have passed since the blockbuster hit The Dark Knight made it’s appearance on the big screen. Now the much anticipated third and final movie in the Batman Trilogy directed, produced and co-written by Hollywood great Christopher Nolan grabbed the number one spot on the weekend Box Office for its debut weekend in a very big way.

The story line puts us eight years since Batman disappeared from Gotham City after taking the fall for killing D.A. Harvey Dent. The Dent Law has pretty much cleaned up the streets of Gotham and Batman has hung up his cape. In the meantime, billionaire Bruce Wayne has also all but pretty much disappeared from Gotham too. His mansion rebuilt and his butler Alfred Pennyworth still takes care of him. But Wayne has become a recluse living in a distant wing of the mansion taking no visitors.

First off lets be clear - The Dark Knight Rises is NOT family-friendly. This PG-13 movie contains far too much violence and proves once again the need for a Rated M for mature audiences category. For the life of me I do not understand how parents will drag their young kids to a movie like this and then wonder why their kids get scared, scream, want to leave the theater and then have nightmares at night.

The Dark Knight Rises is NOT suitable for children.

Now that we have that out of the way lets move onto the review. Christopher Nolan does a superb job of nicely wrapping up his trilogy when it comes to the Batman franchise. Through the years he’s maintained an incredible story line thread and in The Dark Knight Rises does a great job at tying up any lose ends he may have left along the way. Not only are lose ends tied up, but for the Dark Knight enthusiasts this third installment has nice flashbacks to the earlier two movies tossed in as well. Of course not only does this make for an enjoyable time for those who saw the previous two movies, but it also makes it nice for those who have only seen this one.

As for acting talent – one of the true secrets to this trilogy revolves around the fact that the core cast has remained in tact. While it may not have been planned from the outset, with the departure of Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes, the writers were wise to kill her character off in the second movie. That cleared the way for the mainstay characters all brilliantly portrayed by the likes of Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman. In my opinion Michael Caine is the best Alfred Pennyworth since the days of the Adam West TV Batman series when Alfred was played by Alan Napier.

In The Dark Knight Rises we of course have the addition of new bad guys but also tossed in for good measure is the Batman fav character of Catwoman played by Anne Hathaway. While I wasn’t sure if Hathaway was up to the challenge, in the end, I have to say she plays the feline cat burglar quite well. Another new character also shows up as somewhat of a sidekick for Oldman’s Commissioner Gordon. 3rd Rock from the Sun’s Joseph Gordon Levitt plays a very admirable Detective John Blake. I do believe we may see him in future Batman type flicks if the franchise continues.

While The Dark Knight Rises is an action-packed two hour 44 minute wild ride, there are also a few emotional moments in the movie too. I saw an interview where Michael Caine said he cried during the movie. I wondered how in the world you could cry while watching Batman but I must admit there were a couple moments in the movie where I found a tear in my eye too.

Overall we really enjoyed this movie and that is obvious from our 4 Lloyd rating. Even though it clocks in at close to three hours, the movie does move along well keeping your attention throughout. If I wanted to be nit-picky I would say the prison theme we find Bruce Wayne in is a little long, but even that is needed to help tie the finer details of the script together. Probably making this movie a real gem is the fact there are at least three “I didn’t see that coming” moments! The Dark Knight Rises not only keeps you on the edge of your seat, but the surprise moments sprinkled in along the way keep you guessing too.

Enjoy the show!

Dr. Rus

PG for mild rude humor and action/peril.
Genre: Animated, comedy, sequel.
Running Time: 1 hour 34 minutes

Scrat’s nutty pursuit of the cursed acorn, which he’s been after since the dawn of time, has world-changing consequences – a continental cataclysm that triggers the greatest adventure of all time for Manny, Diego and Sid. In the wake of the upheavel, Sid also reunites with his Granny and the herd also comes across a menagerie of sea-faring pirates determined to stop them from returning home.

Really? Did We Need A Number Four In This Series?

Make the madness stop please! Even kids are giving this fourth installment of the Ice Age franchise a thumbs down. As we screened the movie a boy sitting in front of us turned to his father half way through the movie and said – “Daddy, I’m bored, I want to go home”. A sense of restlessness popped up all over the movie theater as kids fidgeted, talked and became very un-interested in the big screen and more interested in popcorn re-fills. One person told me after seeing Ice Age: Continental Drift her niece said – “It was boring and didn’t make sense. I got confused in the movie”.

While this sequel debuted in the number one Box Office spot pulling in close to $47 million dollars, it is off from previous animated releases this year. It was also much lower than the 2006 offering in this franchise Ice Age: Meltdown which pulled in $68 million dollars.

Could it be people are tiring of the Ice Age motif? 

While the movie is getting off to a somewhat slow start I’m sure there are Ice Age holdouts who will see the movie and buy it when it comes out on DVD. The shining moment of Continental Drift revolves around the fact that the original voice talent is back once again for the main characters. Manny – voiced by Ray Romano – is once again joined by the voice talent of people like Denis Leary, Queen Latifah and more! There’s also a new character added voiced by Wanda Sykes who plays Sid’s grandmother lovingly named “Granny”. While her character adds a new flavor to the movie, I must admit, the humor wears off quickly. But I will say this much – at least Granny adds the comic and different twist by the end of the movie which does help salvage Ice Age: Continental Drift a little.

The bottom line is this – when it comes to this fourth installment of the Ice Age franchise – it’s pretty obvious those involved in the flick are simply looking for a cash grab. Even the voice talent seems a little more bored than usual. Of course they would never admit that, but when you listen to their performances, they really are somewhat lack-luster. The best part of this movie – the ending – and that doesn’t just come from me. I asked a few kids who also saw the movie what their favorite part was and they said “The closing song”!

From the mouths of babes.

Try to enjoy the show!

Dr. Rus

PG-13 for sequences of action and violence.
Genre: Sci-fi fantasy, action, adventure, adaptation.
Running Time: 2 hours 16 minutes

Peter Parker – an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as boy – is now a teenager who’s been raised by his Uncle Ben and Aunt May. Like most teens, Peter is simply trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today.  In the midst of trying to figure out who he is, Peter Parker is also navigating his way through his first high school crush with a girl named Gwen Stacy. The pair struggle with love, commitment and secrets.

Then – in the midst of his high school journey – Peter also finds a briefcase that belonged to his father. This leads to a quest of understanding his parents’ disappearance – leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors, his father’s former partner.

As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors’ alter-ego – The Lizard – Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.

Spidey Revamped And Re-Launched

The much anticipated relaunch of the Spider-Man franchise has arrived. Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst are gone as we say hello to the younger combination of Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone. Rounding out the usual cast of Spider-Man characters we also have Sally Field in the role of Aunt May and since this relaunch takes us back to high school – before the death of Uncle Ben – Martin Sheen shows up in that role.

I was really torn going into this movie. Part of me is tiring of the whole comic book hero movie genre and I was already burned out on the Spider-Man franchise after the second movie in the series. Granted this is an admitted re-boot of the franchise but I’m still left wondering if all the hype is really worth it. Actually, I sometimes wonder if the hype is nothing more than an attempt to generate more interest than the movie really needs. While some will love this movie, others will hate it and others – like me – will fall into the category of “It’s an okay movie” – the bottom line is this…

The producers of the Spider-Man reboot did well in their attempt to reboot and re-launch this franchise.

For me this movie lacked the “jump off the screen” feel I was hoping for. Clocking in at a little better than two hours, there is not much down time. While I did look at my watch once, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I had made it through most of the movie before hitting the “okay when will this be done” thought. The movie was almost over with only 10 minutes left. But, even after saying the movie kept my attention, when I discovered there was only 10 minutes left I knew the story line was about to move at a break-neck speed as they still had much ground to cover and little time left to cover it in. Even after saying this I’m still trying to figure out why Spider-Man Four didn’t pack the punch I expected. The 3D effects were cool and I’m pleased to report you don’t need motion sickness pills to make it through the movie. Those involved in this movie could have gone way over the top when it came to 3D effects flying through New York City with Spidey. But, somewhere along the line they resisted the urge to go overboard. Instead, there only “wild ride” so to speak comes at the end of the movie as Spider-Man is making his way to the Oscorp high rise.

I believe one reason this movie lacks the “jump off the screen” aspect I was expecting revolves around the villain. While The Lizard is an ominous opponent to Spider-Man, the follow through seems somewhat lacking. Once again there seems to be a rush to introduction with this character. While it is obvious from the beginning who the villain will be, there’s little to no character development. The Lizard just suddenly appears on the scene and of course has a hatred for Spider-Man from the beginning. It’s here the movie seems somewhat disjointed and confusing. In the end, The Lizard pretty much crawls away wounded, hurting and defeated with little to no true conflict.

From an acting standpoint, Emma Stone is wonderful in her role as Gwen Stacy, the love interest of Peter Parker. Andrew Garfield – while he plays the role well – is somewhat of a lack-luster Spider-Man at best. Maybe in the days ahead he will grow into the role better. But the true surprise comes from the appearance of Sally Field and Martin Sheen. No where along the line by viewing the trailers for Spider-Man was it known that Field and Sheen were cast as Aunt May and Uncle Ben. The appearance of these two veteran actors helps bring a sense of stability and calm to the overall flow the movie.

For the most part – while we’re only giving Spider-Man three and a half Lloyds, we did enjoy the movie. It is a breath of fresh air from how the franchise left off with the third installment of the series. It was obvious after the box office smash of the third movie the producers involved were simply interested in a cash grab in deciding upon a fourth movie. It’s a good thing they re-thought the whole process. I do not believe Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Durst could have pulled off a fourth movie. But with this re-boot of the series, maybe there’s hope for our web-slinging hero after all.

Enjoy the show!

Dr. Rus

PG for some scary action and rude humor.
Genre: Animated, action, adventure, comedy
Running Time: 1 hour 33 minutes

Merida is a skilled archer and impetuous daughter of King Fergus and Queen Elinor. Determined to carve her own path in life, Merida defies an age-old custom sacred to the lords of the land. Merida’s actions inadvertently unleash chaos and fury in the kingdom and when she turns to an eccentric Witch for help, she is granted an ill-fated wish. The ensuing peril forces Merida to harness all of her skills and resources – including her clever and mischievous triplet brothers – to undo a beastly curse before it’s too late, discovering the meaning of true bravery.

Once Upon A Time…

Sometimes we just need an old fashioned “Once upon a time story”. But, do we find it here? While it’s not one of the tried and true “once upon a time stories” it is a breath of fresh air. In a sea of Snow White variations, Brave is a movie with a new and different perspective to what’s going on in a kingdom ruled by Kings and Queens. This latest animated movie from Disney-Pixar is set in Scotland and follows Merida – the young daughter of a King and Queen – who must reverse a curse unleashed upon her kingdom.

While also screening in 3D we saw the movie in regular 2D. But make no mistake, I’m sure the 3D is sensational, the regular format does this movie great justice as well. The animation is incredible and the scenery vivid, almost jumping off the screen from time to time. But then again with Pixar involved in the production of Brave we would expect no less when it comes to picture quality. This is simply one of those movies that’s a true joy to watch. The eye-candy is not overdone – it’s tastefully done.

When it comes to content, the story line of Brave is wonderful. It’s a movie about purpose and destiny. But also tucked in is a nice lesson for kids that parents really do mean well. While this is by no means a Leave It To Beaver type scenario, by the movies end we discover a happy reunion between both mother and daughter as Princess Merida discovers he mother really did have her best interests in mind throughout her life.

The downside of Brave revolves around Disney’s fascination with the dark side. I’ve said it before and I will say it again – Disney needs to decide what audience they really want to go after. It seems once again they are attempting to straddle the fence here. With a PG rating and a warning of “scary action” those involved with Brave are attempting to grab both the young and older audience alike. But, in the end, it fails. On this surface the “wicked witch” of Brave  is almost like the wicked witch of the original Snow White. However, with the advances in movie production, the scary scenes come off much scarier than the old days.

With that in mind, while we are saying Brave is family-friendly, parents keep in mind this movie is rated PG not G! Brave is NOT for the really young.

Overall we did enjoy Brave. It’s well done, well produced and has a super message not only for kids but also for parents. While the stats say it clocks in at a little better than an hour and a half, it’s probably more like an hour 20 minutes. Yes, you do get your moneys worth, but keep in mind there is a rather long “short” that runs before Brave starts.

Enjoy the show!

Dr. Rus

PG-13 for sexual content, suggestive dancing,
some heavy drinking and language.
Genre: Musical
Running Time: 2 hours 3 minutes

Just a small-town girl who meets a big city boy. The two find their fates intersecting on the Sunset Strip and then ride a wave of romance through the height of their “hair metal” scene as the off-Broadway musical rocks its way to the big screen.

Rock of Ages is described as a rock-jukebox musical building around some classic hits from the 1980′s – especially from the famous glam jam bands of the decade. The musical features hits from the likes of Styx, Journey, Bon Jovi, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, Steve Perry, Poison and more!

“I wanna rock!”

Toe Tapping Tunes From the ’80′s

Re-living the late 1980′s music scene on the big screen! I went into this movie not knowing a whole lot about it. I didn’t even know it was based on an off-Broadway show. But once the movie got rockin’ along it wasn’t too hard to figure out. Rock of Ages firmly falls into the category of musical. Make no mistake the plot line is thin and pretty much all of the dialogue - or lack there of – is carried via music and song. It is no secret that I usually do not like musicals. I just have a hard time sitting through movies where the lines are sung instead of spoken. I find them hokey and at times contrived and forced.

Make no mistake – I still do not like musicals…
But I did enjoy the music in this movie.

I’m not rushing out to buy the soundtrack. After all, while I was surprised at the fact that Tom Cruise can sing, I have no interest in hearing him sing over and over again. But I will say I enjoyed Rock of Ages because I remember the music well. It’s the music of my late teens and early 20 years! Those years also correspond with my time as a radio announcer actually spinning those tunes and making them hits on the air! So you can well imagine musical this was a stroll down memory lane for me.

The only way to really review this movie is with broad brush strokes. If you’re looking for quality story line and top notch acting – you will not find it with Rock of Ages. While those involved in the movie may not admit it, this flick is more about the music than it is about the quality of acting. I’m not saying it’s a total loss and waste of time because Rock of Ages does include a decent line up of actors. While Diego Boneta seems out of place as Drew Boley, the performance of Julianne Hough – also of Footloose fame – puts in a good performance as Sherrie Christian.

Tom Cruise is less than stellar as Stacee Jaxx, but lets also be honest, the hard rocker, hard drinking strung out on drugs character was probably a little bit of a stretch for Cruise in the first place. Alec Baldwin seems to bring a form of stability as a long time music hall owner just trying to make a buck off rock and roll and his counterpart – Russell Brand – brings a sense of humor that sprinkles some great laughs in along the way.

If you’re looking for a family-friendly movie Rock of Ages is far from it. If you grew up in this music time period and think it would be a fun movie to let your kids know what you lived through – don’t do it! This is yet another example of a movie that needs a “M for Mature Audience” rating as it is not for the young at all.

While Rock of Ages doesn’t leap off the screen and while it is not a really strong movie, I must admit I did like it simply from a music stand point. I found it a nice stroll down memory lane put to the soundtrack of some great 1980′s rock and roll.

Enjoy the show!

Dr. Rus