Michigan Movies & DVD: James Sanford

Director Tim Burton's quirky remake of 'Alice in Wonderland' is a typhoon of eye candy, starring Johnny Depp

2010-03-04T14:45:29Z

Although it may be called "Alice in Wonderland," director Tim Burton and screenwriter Linda Woolverton ("The Lion King") have taken substantial liberties with Lewis Carroll's original stories, a decision that may infuriate purists but one that actually turns out to be somewhat shrewd.

'Drag Me to Hell': A one-way trip through Raimi's freaky funhouse

2009-05-29T14:35:19Z

Alison Lohman is shown in a scene from, "Drag Me To Hell." Director Sam Raimi launched his career with "The Evil Dead" and "The Evil Dead 2," a pair of distinctly demented low-budget chillers that emphasized bizarre, gross-out gags instead...

Hitting a new high: Pixar's enchanting 'Up' is a thrilling adventure and a touching comedy, too

2009-05-29T14:29:25Z

In the 14 years since Pixar Animation Studios released "Toy Story," the first full-length computer-animated film, many other players have gotten into the game. Yet, as Carly Simon once sang of James Bond, nobody does it better, and the exhilarating "Up" is a perfect example of Pixar at its peak.

Smithsonian 'Night' Fever: Enjoyable "Museum" sequel spins history into hilarity

2009-05-22T03:59:00Z

Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) teams up with Amelia Earhart (Amy Adams) to thwart the evil schemes of a power-mad pharaoh in "Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian." "Sometimes the greatest change brings about even greater opportunity," notes...

Action fans should lower their resistance and enjoy high-voltage 'Terminator Salvation'

2009-05-20T22:00:00Z

John Connor (Christian Bale) discovers sinister secrets beneath the Skynet complex in an early scene in "Terminator Salvation." Judgment Day has come and gone, but the battle between humans and Machines has just begun in "Terminator Salvation," the next chapter...

Robert Langdon returns in 'Angels and Demons,' a fast-paced, far-fetched and frequently freaky thriller

2009-05-15T03:59:30Z

Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) encounters a scary sight in "Angels and Demons." Technically, "Angels and Demons" is the predecessor to "The Da Vinci Code" -- at least that's the way author Dan Brown intended it to be. But Hollywood has...

Michael Caine makes a little magic in charming comedy-drama 'Is Anybody There?'

2009-05-15T03:59:01Z

A young boy (Bill Milnar) obsessed with the supernatural learns a few tricks from an old master (Michael Caine) in "Is Anybody There?" The title of "Is Anybody There?" refers to the key question in any seance, the beginning of...

Preachiness defeats imagination in 'Battle for Terra'

2009-05-01T11:08:51Z

A planet comes under attack in the animated film "Battle for Terra." KALAMAZOO -- Slick animation and noble intentions are swamped by sanctimony in "Battle for Terra," an ecological science-fiction parable that tackles some of the same themes Pixar addressed...

The spirits are willing, but the script is weak in goofy 'Ghosts'

2009-05-01T11:05:43Z

If this is all sounding hauntingly familiar, perhaps you saw Patrick Dempsey and Michelle Monaghan play out the same scenario in last year's "Made of Honor." Because of the punchy playfulness between McConaughey and Garner (and a droll turn by Michael Douglas as a playboy from the "Looking for Mr. Goodbar" era), "Ghosts" is much easier to stomach than "Made."

When it comes to high camp, Beyonce's 'Obsessed' is irreplaceable

2009-04-25T01:15:10Z

Idris Elba, Ali Larter and Beyonce Knowles demonstrate that three's a crowd when it comes to love in "Obsessed." Almost 22 years ago, Michael Douglas and Glenn Close had millions of moviegoers on the edges of their seats in "Fatal...

Film 'Fighting' at least surprises with interesting character development

2009-04-24T09:00:00Z

Channing Tatum plays underground boxing phenom Shawn MacArthur in "Fighting." It is said you can't judge a book by its cover. But judging a movie by its title? That's a different story. When you see "Fighting" up there on the...

Well-played 'Soloist' hits some false notes, despite strong direction

2009-04-24T03:59:45Z

Journalist Robert Downey Jr offers street musician Jamie Foxx a helping hand in "The Soloist." In the mind of Nathaniel Ayers the rapturous music of Beethoven battles an ominous chorus of internal voices. It's a terrifying duet that Nathaniel has...

Shallow 'Informers' has nothing new to say about life in the fast lane

2009-04-24T03:59:00Z

Billy Bob Thornton and Kim Basinger play an L.A. power couple in a downward spiral in "The Informers." Perhaps you remember that brief moment in the late 1980s in which author Bret Easton Ellis was hyped as the voice of...

Disney gets down to 'EARTH' in gorgeously shot, exciting documentary

2009-04-19T03:59:30Z

A male Superb Bird of Paradise displays his colors to attract a mate in the Tari Valley of Papua New Guinea in Disneynature's "EARTH." In some respects, "EARTH," the first film released under Disney's Disneynature banner, could be seen as...

Russell Crowe's 'State of Play' works as a twist-filled, entertaining thriller

2009-04-17T03:59:45Z

Blogger Della Frye (Rachel McAdams) is caught in the middle when her editor (Helen Mirren) and her fellow reporter (Russell Crowe) get into a war of words in "State of Play," based on the acclaimed BBC miniseries. Sex, lies and...

Zac Efron returns to the glory days of the 'body-switcher comedy' in so-so '17 Again'

2009-04-17T03:59:15Z

Ay, there's the scrub: Mike O'Donnell (Zac Efron) realizes he's looking much younger today than he did yesterday in "17 Again." A few years ago, NBC encouraged couch potatoes to watch reruns with the slogan: "If you haven't seen it...

Big-screen 'Hannah Montana' will please the faithful -- others can stay home

2009-04-10T10:00:12Z

Hannah (Miley Cyrus) and her dad (Billy Ray Cyrus) travel in style in "Hannah Montana: The Movie." What's the secret of the success of the Disney Channel's "Hannah Montana"? It might be Miley Cyrus' genre-jumping songs (She's country! She's hip-hop!...

Amy Adams and Emily Blunt bring 'Sunshine' to melancholy comedy-drama

2009-04-03T07:12:29Z

Lacey TerrellAmy Adams, left, and Emily Blunt play sisters who begin a crime-scene cleaning business in 'Sunshine Cleaning.' Is there life after high school? For former cheerleading star Rose Lorkowski (Amy Adams), the answer is yes, although it's not exactly...

Love is a roller coaster ride in rowdy romance 'Adventureland'

2009-04-03T04:00:01Z

Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart spend the summer working in an amusement park in "Adventureland." Director Greg Mottola's 2007 smash hit "Superbad" chronicled the misadventures of high-school outsiders who dreamed of partying with the popular crowd. Initially, "Adventureland," which Mottola...

Attack of the 49-foot, 11-inch woman: 3D animated comedy 'Monsters vs. Aliens' pokes fun at vintage sci-fi icons

2009-03-27T05:52:08Z

JAMES SANFORD MOVIE REVIEW Susan Murphy never meant to turn into Bridezilla. (View trailer)