TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE

Reviewed by Paul Gibbs

GRADE: B
Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams, Justin Timberlake, John Goodman
Written by Robert Brown
Directed by Robert Lorenz

Formulas arise in storytelling for one simple reason: They work. The double-edged sword of following a tried and true story  formula in creating a movie is that the result is almost assured of being a movie that entertains and "works" on a certain level. But, in all likelihood, the formulaic nature will make the film too predictable and by the numbers to be truly great. Such is the case with the new Clint Eastwood vehicle Trouble With The Curve.

Eastwood stars as Gus Lobell, a cantankerous old scout for  the Atlanta Braves baseball team. Gus' eyesight is failing, and the Moneyball school of baseball is making owners question whether an old dinosaur like Gus should be forced to retire. For reasons that never entirely gelled for me, Gus' friend and boss, Pete (played by John Goodman) decides the best way to handle the situation is to talk Mickey (Amy Adams), Gus' semi estranged daughter, in to leaving her career as a lawyer at the worst possible time to accompany Gus on a road trip to scout a new prospect. Along the way, Gus and Mickey argue, reminisce, and learn a little about life.

Yes, the film really is as formulaic as it sounds, and no, the story doesn't really offer much more than that, other than a fairly standard romantic subplot involving Mickey and another scout, played by Justin Timberlake. However, I'm still giving Trouble With the Curve a solid recommendation, because, plain and simple, it plays.  Some credit goes to the screenplay, and sometime to first time director Robert Lorenz, whose work is solid, if not exceptional. But the vast majority of the credit belongs to the cast. Eastwood may be playing the same grumpy old man we’ve seen him play with increasing regularity, but he’s still an incredibly engaging and powerful presence. And the film really rides on his chemistry with Amy Adams, who has never been more charming (and that’s saying a great deal). Adams has tackled more challenging characterizations than this one, but it’s refreshing here to see her play a character that is neither the sticky sweet good girl she played in Enchanted or Doubt, or the tough as nails role she took on in The Fighter.  She proves herself just as capable in a middle of the road performance, and for me she really carried “Trouble With The Curve” even more than Eastwood did. Together they make as strong a cinematic duo as we’ve seen in quite a while.  Even Timberlake managed to make a positive impression with the most genuine performance I’ve seen him give.

It’s just as well that Eastwood didn’t direct this film, because it helps a bit to separate it from comparisons to Million Dollar Baby and Gran Torino, both of which were based around similar dynamics of a grumpy Eastwood’s interaction with a plucky young daughter figure, and both of which were less formulaic and more fully realized films. Taken on its own terms, and removing the expectation of  another career highlight for Eastwood, Trouble With The Curve is a charming, likable lightweight movie.

Trouble With the Curve is Rated PG-13 for profanity, sexual references and some violence.

DREDD 3D

 Reviewed by Patrick Gibbs

GRADE: C +

Karl Urban,Olivia Thirlby and Lena Headey

Based on JUDGE DREDD created by Jack Wagner & Carlos Ezquerra

Screenplay by Alex Garland

Directed by Pete Travis

The future United States is an irradiated waste land known as the Cursed Earth. On the east coast of North America lies Mega -City One, a vast, violent metropolis containing 800 million residents where 17,000 crimes are reported daily and "Slo-Mo", an addictive new drug that slows the user's perception of time to 1% of normal, has been introduced. The only force of order is the Judges, who act as judge, jury, and executioner.

Judge Dredd (Karl Uban) is tasked by the Chief Judge with evaluating rookie Judge Anderson (Olivia Thirlby), a psychic who has failed the tests to become a full Judge. Elsewhere, in the 200-story slum tower block Peach Trees, drug lord Madeline Madrigal, known as Ma-Ma (which gets a pretty big laugh if you are a Futurama fan ), infuses three men with Slo-Mo and throws their skinned bodies from the top of the tower. Dredd and Anderson respond and learn of a drug den, which they assault. They arrest Kay, one of Ma-Ma's henchmen, after Anderson psychically detects his involvement in the murders. To prevent Kay being removed from the building and interrogated about her operation, Ma-Ma's forces seize the tower's security control room and seal the building using its blast shields under the pretense of a security test, preventing the Judges from leaving or summoning help. Ma Ma orders that the judges be killed and warns that anyone who helps will be murdered, along with the next generation of their families. From here, the movie becomes one part Die Hard three parts video game  as Dredd and Anderson alternate between being the hunted and the hunters, and we are treated to a parade of increasingly violent and sadistic deaths, some at the hands of the bad guys, some at the hands of the good guys.

This is, of course, the second big screen version of the wildly successful U.K. Comic strip, the first being Sylvester Stallone's big budget version in 1995, which played fast and loose with the source material and failed to please critics or audiences. It's a movie that is uniformly spoken of with either disdain or anger, particularly among fans of the comic, and is beloved by almost no one, which makes it still quite possibly Rob Schneider’s best film.

DREDD 3D is an attempt to take the material back to to it's roots, and to please the hardcore comics fans and is setting out, among other things, to make sure it does not leave itself open to the complaint the first film faced that it was too soft and watered down. “You want violence? I'll give you violence” seems to be the mantra of director Pete Travis (Vantage Point.). Respect for human life is not on the forefront of ANYONE'S minds in this film, although I was pleased to see a modicum of restraint shown when Dredd is cornered by two teens with guns and actually bothers to change his gun to stun instead of showering them with bullets or “hotshots” (a powerful round which seems to be specifically designed to shoot inside a perp's mouth and make their head turn into a volcano, because hey, you never know when you're going to need that.). Also, in one moment toward the end, in a pivotal moment, the morality of these summaries executions is dealt with, admittedly in a somewhat cursory fashion, but it did manage to salvage the likability of the film's strongest character and performance, Olivia Thirlby's Judge Anderson.

The film survives due to fast pacing, exciting action and entertaining performances from Thirlby, Urban and Wood Harris as Kay, the henchman the two Judges have taken captive. The chemistry between these three is surprisingly strong and they make the most out of weak dialogue. Dredd and Anderson make for enjoyable buddy cop team, and some of the interplay between cute and seemingly naive Anderson her tough as nails, bloodthirsty prisoner is fairly entertaining, though it gets harsh and exploitative at times, but whenever she shows him he can't scare her and they she is tougher and far smarter than he gives her credit for, I couldn't help but enjoy myself.

Urban is an extremely likable presence in any film he does, and seems to specialize in channeling other actors, whether it is Tommy Lee Jones in Comanche Moon or Deforest Kelly in Star Trek. Here, he is going back to the character's roots as inspired by Dirty Harry Callahan and bringing a touch of Clint Eastwood to the role, with a pinch of Christian Bale's Batman voice for good measure. The result is a performance that shouldn’t work, and probably wouldn't from any other actor, but Urban has a way of imitating while at the same time making a character his own, Fairing far worse is Lena Headey as Ma-Ma. The talented and beautiful actress is reduced to a one note villain who comes across as a cross between Lucy Liu's O-Ren Ishii and Heath Ledger's Joker, with the exception that both of those actors seemed to be having fun with their roles. Headey is just going through the motions and has given far better performances, but at least she avoid going wildly over the top.

The effects and production design are strong, although we are treated to far too many prolonged sequences from the point of view of those under the influence of the “Slo-Mo” drug, a blatant excuse to show of the 3D that will undoubtedly seem even more tedious in 2D form.

In the end, this is a movie aimed at a very specific audience, and if R rated, ultra violent, bleak comic book sci-fi isn't your thing, stay far away from this one. But if you get your kicks from this sort of thing, or every once in a while, under the right circumstances, find it a guilty pleasure, there is some entertainment value.

DREDD 3D is rated R for constant, graphic, brutal violence, wall to wall profanity, and brief but semi-graphic sexual content (it's so brief that it's frankly hard to call it TOO graphic, but it's not exactly pleasant.).

HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET

Reviewed by Patrick Gibbs

GRADE: B -

Jennifer Lawrence, Max Thieriot, Elizabeth Shue, Gil Bellows

Story by Jonathan Mostow

Screenplay by David Loucka
Directed by Mark Tonderai

Jennifer Lawrence, the Academy Award nominee who should have beat Natalie Portman, and who went on to star in this year's mega hit The Hunger Games, anchors this movie in the role of  Elissa, a high schooler who moves to small, upscale, rural town with her mother Sarah, who is seeking a fresh start and has found he dream house. The house has everything, and best of all, it's cheap, because a double homicide took place next door years ago, which tends to depreciate property value, especially in the movies.

It seems that a girl named Carrie Ann killed her parents in their beds, and disappeared into the night. The house is no inhabited by the family's sole survivor, Carrie Ann's brother Ryan, played by Max Thieriot. Ryan had ostensibly been away caring for a sickly aunt at the time the murder. Ryan is rarely scene in town, and is a social outcast whom everyone talks about, but no no one actually talks to, apart from the kindly local Sheriff (played by The Shawshank Redemption's Gill Bellows).

Against Sarah's wishes, Elissa begins a relationship with the reclusive Ryan—and the closer they get, the deeper she is pulled into a mystery that goes far deeper than anyone in town even imagines.

Much in the same way that Disturbia was clearly a teenage version of Alfred Hithcock's classic Rear Window, House At The End Of The The Street is a blatant, if not entirely effective homage to Psycho, set in the world of teen angst. But where Disturbia was essentially just a rip off of Rear Window, this film definitely deserves the distinction of being called a homage, featuring a new surprisingly intriguing story of it's own and some genuinely interesting ideas, and there is a fair amount to genuinely admire about this movie. Unfortunately, partially as a result of aiming higher on a creative level, in the end it's just not nearly as successful as Disturbia was at being a solid piece of entertainment.

The story is most certainly involving, but it's also convoluted and it succumbs to too many potholes and “how can anyone be that stupid” moments. It's a movie that deserves credit for aspiring to be more than a cheap slasher exploitation film, instead going for the Hitchockian psychological suspense thriller, and on some level it succeeds, but it's impossible to get past the feeling that it simply could have been a lot better. Strong performances by the always engaging Lawrence, a complex and intriguing portrayal by Max Thieriot, and a story by Jonathan Mostow, who wrote and directed the implausible but wildly entertaining Breakdown, are definitely key ingredients to what seems like a good recipe, but unfortunately, director Mark Tonderai simply isn't a strong enough chef, and the result is decidedly half baked.

Tonderai has only made one other feature, 2009's Hush, and he's working way too hard to try to prove himself here, over thinking and milking each and every shot, trying to add heavy elements of Michael Bay and Paul Greengrass, as well as countless other directors, instead of just serving the story. A few less attempts at getting in all of the text book money shots and more time spent on characterization, in particularly some questionable choices concerning Ryan, would have served the movie well. In addition, Elizabeth Shue, as Elissa's frustrated single mother, gives an uneven and often irritating performance that is not helped at all by weak dialogue and ill defined back story. Shue looks terrific, and when she came on screen I sfound myself thinking "what every happened to her? Why did she stop making movies?" Then she tried to act and I remembered.

Complaints aside, this is still one of the better mainstream horror films in recent memory, and it succeeds at providing it's share of scares and twists, some of which are quite clever if a bit predictable, and some of the more haunting elements of the story may linger in your head for days afterward. That's enough to give it a moderate recommendation and call House a somewhat successful film – but it's not enough to make it great.

House At The End Of The Street is rated PG-13 for violence and disturbing imagery, as well as mild profanity and sexual references.

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

Reviewed by Paul Gibbs

GRADE: A +

Starring Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy, Marion Cottilard and Morgan Freeman

Screenplay by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan

Directed by Christopher Nolan

SPOILER:

No, Heath Ledger doesn't miraculously return frorm the dead.

That's the only spoiler. In fact, I feel so strongly that The Dark Knight Rises should be approached with as blank a slate as possible, that I'll even keep my story synopsis to a minimum. Many who know me know how huge a fan of Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy I am. I saw Batman Begins 10 times in its original theatrical run, and had actually adopted the online persona of “The Dark Knight” within portions of Utah's live theater community before that had even been chosen as the title of Nolan's follow up. And repeated viewings of The Dark Knight were the only thing that got me through grueling sessions of kidney dialysis in the summer of 2009. To say the least my expectations and hopes were high for the finale to what had the potential to be one of cinemas greatest trilogies . Of course, we could also have ended up with Spider-Man 3. I was pretty sure that wasn't going to happen. Nolan has been a remarkably consistent filmmaker (the only one of his major films that I didn't love was The Prestige, and I still liked that one aside from being asked to swallow one too many improbable plot twists. And I still think Insomnia may be the most under appreciated great film of the 2000s). But to say that I was not disappointed is, to say the least, an understatement. On the comment card I had to turn in to the studio reps at the press screening, I called The Dark Knight Rises one of the ten best films ever made. Two days later I realize that's an absurdly presumptuous and hyperbolic statement to make about a brand new film I've just seen for the first time. But such was the soaring emotion and excitement of Nolan's film that I was utterly swept up.

The Dark Knight rises picks up 8 years after The Dark Knight ended, with Batman left in the past, and Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) now having transitioned from millionaire playboy to reclusive Howard Hughes type eccentric. The emergence of Cat burglar Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway) catches his interest, but he doesn't become alarmed until the arrival of the mysterious Bane (Tom Hardy), a gigantic brute who breathes through a mask which causes whiny fanboys to freak out because they can't understand what he's saying in early trailers. Meanwhile, police officer John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is poking around, seemingly obsessed with memories of the Batman.

From here, Nolan spins a tale that takes as far a step up in intensity from The Dark Knight as The Dark Knight did from Batman Begins. Which is not to say it's a better film. There will be legitimate debate for years to come as to which of the three films is best (I could make cases for all three, but I suspect that Heath Ledger's Joker will be enough to keep the second film reigning supreme in popular and critical consciousness), just that it's even more harrowing. Nolan has packed quite a bit more action and effects in this time around, but not at the expense of the story, characters and themes that have made his version of Batman so special. This is still a story about the inner pain and personal journey of Bruce Wayne, coming to terms with the demons of his troubled life. I can't even see where the detractors of Bale's performance in the earlier films are coming from, and his work here may be his best in the trilogy (and I though he should have been a serious Oscar contender for Batman Begins). The supporting cast this time around may not include one standout on Ledger's level, but Gary Oldman, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman are as touching and nuanced as ever, and Anne Hathaway steals nearly every scene she's in with her portrayal of Catwoman. Tom Hardy is terrifying as Bane (whose name has nothing to do with Mitt Romney, so everybody just leave that one alone), and Marion Cotillard and Matthew Modine add nicely to the proceedings. Joseph Gordon-Levitt continues to emerge as a major Hollywood presence, and I found him to be one of the most engaging characters in the film.

While part of me is very sad to see this series end, a bigger part is supremely happy that Nolan has done what so many other filmmakers have failed to do: create a masterful trilogy that is excellent from beginning to end. The Dark Knight trilogy will belong alongside The Lord of the Rings and the original Star Wars saga in discussions of the greatest trilogies of all time. One of the great achievements is that all three films, while part of a cohesive thematic whole, are so distinct. Batman Begins was a grand epic adventure in the mold of Raider of the Lost Ark or Gladiator. The Dark Knight was an operatic crime drama in the best Godfather tradition. To define the genre and feel of The Dark Knight Rises would be to give away too much, but it's quite a bit different from what I expected.

The Dark Knight Rises is a soaring, triumphant achievement that trills, terrifies, amuses, and moves its audience. It's a waste of time judging its place among comic book-inspired films. It's place in the pantheon of cinema goes far beyond that. Whoever Warner Bros. Chooses to be the next silent guardian and watchful protector of the Batman franchise has an impossibly large cowl to fill.

NOTE: As if you still need to be told as this point, The Dark Knight Rises is not for young children. This could easily induce long streaks of nightmares. My niece and nephew will still be getting Adam West, Batman Forever or one of the animated incarnations when they want their Batman fix.

BRAVE

Reviewed by Patrick Gibbs

GRADE A +

Kelly McDonald, Emma Thompson, Billy Connolly, Julie Walters, Robbie Coltrane
Written by Mark Andrews, Steve Purcell and Brenda Chapman and Irene Mecci
Directed by Mark Andrews, and Brenda Chapman
Co-Directed by Steve Purcell

The story begins with Merida, a little princess with a wild mane of red, curly hair, is living in the Scottish kingdom of DunBroch with her mother, Queen Elinor and her father, King Fergus. Young Merida is enchanted when she sees a will o' the whisp, a magical little faerie creature, But of course, King Fergus does not believe in such things, but Merida and her mother do.

On Merida's birthday, Fergus gives Merida a bow and arrow. While going hunting, Merida's family are attacked by an ancient bear, Mor'du. Elinor and Merida flee. Fergus stays to battle the bear and loses his left leg, vowing to find Mor'du again.
The narrative then then jumps forward, and Merida has become a young lady of marrying age. And marriage seems to be exactly what is on everyone's minds . . . except for Merida herself. When Lords Macintosh, MacGuffin, and Dingwall present their sons to compete for Merida's hand, a brawl ensues, and it is agreed that the proper suitor will be chosen through a test of skill, which, according to tradition, is decided upon by the princess herself. Seeing an opportunity, Merida chooses an archery challenge, with the secret plan to compete for her own hand.

From there, the story takes some unexpected turns and it went isn't a very different direction then I was expecting, as the film takes on a heavy fantasy element and becomes less of the soaring adventure the trailer might leave audiences anticipating. In the end, this is PIXAR movie, and as such, it falls back on being what PIXAR does best. Brave is a buddy movie, much like Toy story, Monsters', Inc., Finding Nemo – but it's a different kind of buddy movie. It's a mother-daughter buddy movie, and a gloriously heartfelt and insightful one. It breathes a sorely needed element of feminism into the Disney Princess world – even Beauty and the Beast, after all, while centered around a heroine who wanted more than to just defined by a relationship with a man, still ends up being about her relationship with the right man - but it's also a story about the strength of families and the unbreakable bond between good parents and their children.
Merida (as voice by Kelly McDonald) is in a class by herself as a Disney Princess. She's strong willed, can outshout any man in the kingdom with a bow, and even stand up to her own father with a sword. But she's also immature and too impetuous, and perhaps a bit selfish in some of her actions. She's not perfect, which only strengthens the character and the messages of the film. She much to teach her family and her kingdom, but much to learn as well. But the same can be said of Elinor (Emma Thompson) and Fergus (Billy Connolly.). The family dynamic in Brave is one of the strongest and most honest ever portrayed in a Disney film, and in the end, in this royal family, the family element is of far more importance than royalty.
The voice cast is excellent, especially the aforementioned leads, but the addition of such stalwarts as Robbie Coltrane, Julie Walters and even talk show host Craig Ferguson are top notch. And of course, there is the obligatory cameo by John Ratzenberger.

The majesty of the Scottish highlands are brilliantly brought to life, not only by the dazzling animation, but by the outstanding musical score by Patrick Doyle (most famous for scoring Kenneth Branagh's films from Henry V to Thor, as well as Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire and Rise of The Planet of the Apes). As an aficionado of Celtic music who actually used to play the bagpipes myself, I was beyond delighted to hear actual Highland pipes featured in the score itself, which is almost never done, and the attention to accuracy to detail, from the clothing to the food the caber toss and the steps of my personal favorite Highland dance, the seann trius, are not something most people are going to geek out over like I did, but they add a flavor and nuance to the transportation of the audience to to a different time and place that enhance the experience even for those who aren't fully aware of it.

The story at times becomes reminiscent of other Disney films, with the slight touch of Toy Story that one would expect from PIXAR and elements of The Princess and The Frog and even the unfairly maligned Brother Bear, but it takes on such a distinct identity of it's own that it never becomes tedious or feels like it's covering the same old territory.

This is a perfect family film on a epic scale, and a very welcome Princess story that is indeed about love, but where romance never enters the picture, and while there's nothing wrong with romance, it's a wonderfully refreshing change of pace for such a story to portray that life, and love, have so much else to offer than just the pairing of a Princess with her handsome Prince and their happily ever after. Life is a journey, and every moment is something to be savored.

Brave is rated G, but does feature some intense moments, as well as brief nudity (male backsides) and a joke centered around a Lady in Waiting's ample cleavage, but both are very tastefully done and it's still appropriate for little ones.

ROCK OF AGES

Reviewed by Patrick Gibbs 

GRADE: B -
Julianne Hough, Diego Bonetta, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand, Paul Giamatti and Tom Cruise
Written by Justin theroux and Allan Loeb
Based on the Musical by Chris Di'Arienzio
Directed By Adam Shenkman



In 1987, Sherrie Christian (Julianne Hough) travels on a bus from her small town in Oklahoma to L.A., intent of pursuing her dream of becoming a famous singer, and we are treated to the first in a series of roughly 1800 musical numbers made up of mainstream '80's rock hits (in this case, “Sister Christian” mixed with “Almost Paradise.”) The rest of the passengers on the bus join in, and it makes for a silly but cute opening sequence.

Upon reaching LA LA land, the bus passes by a popular nightclub called "The Bourbon Room." Quickly after getting off the bus, our heroine is mugged, losing her most prized possession – a suitcase containing her favorite records. Enter our hero: Drew Boley (Diego Bonetta), who works at the Bourbon Room as a bounce boy. He tries to catch the robber, but fails. Since he can't get her the records, and he's a nice guy motivated by a the kindness of his heart and the tightness of her shorts, he he gets her a job at the Bourbon Room as a waitress.

The club's owner, Dennis Dupree (Alec Baldwin in a less than convincing wig), and his right-hand man, Lonny Barnett (Russell Brand, in what could either be an even sillier wig or just his real hair), are finagling a deal that could save the club, which they are in danger of losing due to massive unpaid back taxes. Stacee Jaxx, the eccentric and notoriously difficult front-man for Arsenal, has recently announced that he is splitting from his band to embark on a solo career, but a final performance with the band at The Bourbon Room could be just the ticket to save the beloved old club.

Enter the villain: Patricia Whitman (Catherine Zeta-Jones), the religious conservative wife of the Mayor. Patricia organizes her church to protest in front of the Bourbon Room, planning to shut them down. Meanwhile, Drew and Sherrie get to know each other, and a romance begins to blossom. But everything is suddenly amped up all the way to eleven upon the actual arrival of Stacee Jaxx (played by Tom Cruise), the man, the myth, and the money (a pet which he calls “Hey Man.”)

Obviously, this is not a story driven movie. Rock of Ages is short on plot, even for a musical – it plays like a cross between Bye, Bye Byrdie and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, including the raunchy elements of the latter. For a PG-13, this pushes the envelope about as far as it can go with sensuality and what can barely be called innuendo because it's much more direct. There's no actual nudity, but between strip clubs, slutty outfits, and Paul Giammati's scalp, there's enough skin on display to keep half the audience smiling and the other half squirming from start to finish, and if there were any more gyrating or boob grabbing on display, this movie could run for Senate.

The film's biggest strengths lie in the music, most of which is recognizable even if you're not a walking encyclopedia of '80's tunes, and the boundless energy of the cast. Diego Bonnetta, as Drew, has a fiery presence and a killer voice that he probably won't get a chance a chance to show off in many films, so it's fortunate that he gets more than enough chances in this one, and he makes quite an impression with an earnest and engaging performance . Julianne Hough, as Sherrie, is equally energized, but her voice, which is better suited to country than rock, can get a bit shrill at times. Still, the attractive and perky young pair provides plenty of entertainment provides plenty of entertaining eye candy (and he's not bad either.)

But the performance everyone is wondering about is Tom Cruise. Does he rock you like a hurricane, or stage dive flat on his face? On the heels of the surprise mega hit Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Cruise is poised for a possible comeback, and there's a lot riding on this film for the controversial star. Fortunately for him, he gives a breathtaking performance that should surprise and impress fans and detractors alike – no one has dominated the screen in a supporting role this decisively since Heath Ledger's Joker, and honestly, there's an excellent chance of an Oscar nod for his portrayal of a past his prime, slightly crazy and egocentric star with a penchant for younger women (I know, it's a real stretch.) Say what you want about Cruise, but no other actor in Hollywood can match his level of dive in head first, I'll do anything for the part commitment, whether it's scaling the tallest building in the world, or practicing for five hours a day to get his voice ready to belt out a very memorable rendition of Bon Jovi's Wanted: Dead Or Alive. If this movie is even a moderate hit it should cement the return of Cruise to the good graces of Hollywood and the movie going public.
Zeta-Jones belts out a great rendition of Hit Me With Your Best Shot, but is otherwise underused, but not as shamefully as the amazing talented Bryan Cranston as her husband. The star of such television hits as Malcolm in the Middle and Breaking Bad has yet to be given a big screen role to compare with his television work, and this is certainly not it.

Fortunately, fairing far better are Baldwin and Brand, who make a delightful comic duo. Rounding out the cast are Giamatti, given his usual stellar work as Stacee's unscrupulous manager, and Malin Ackerman, the live sized wax figure from Watchmen. Her acting style does tend to play better in light comedy, and her singing is stronger than he acting, but she still has to fall back her old standby to make an impression, and in doing so provides the film's once major stylistic anachronism when she strips down to a bra and panties that are less than authentic to the period.

Again, the musical numbers are where the movie really shines, and it's important to remember that the Broadway version hit upon the idea of Journey's Don't Stop Believing as a sure fire showstopper long before Glee was even in it's brief early period as a good show, so you can't blame the film if the song seems more than bit overdone at this point. Rock of Ages is likely to sell more soundtrack albums than tickets in the long run, but while the film is flimsy and overlong, it's quite amusing and watchable 90 percent of the time. Just don't make the mistake of thinking that being a light musical makes it family fair.
This is not for everyone's tastes, and certainly won't make my best of the year list, but it is campy fun that with leave you singing a happy song.

Rock of Ages is rated PG-13 for sexuality and vulgarity throughout, profanity, drug use, smoking, and very mild violence.

PROMETHEUS

Reviewed by Patrick Gibbs

GRADE: A-
Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Logan Marshall-Green, Michael Fassbender and Guy Pearce
Written by Jon Spaihts & Damon Lindelof
Directed by Ridley Scott

It may be true that in space, no one can hear you scream, but many people heard the name Ridley Scott after the 1979 classic Alien, which launched a distinguished career not only for Scott, but eventually one for James Cameron as well. Despite the involvement of talents such as David Fincher, Jean-Pierre Juent, and Joss Whedon, the series fizzled so badly after the attempts to follow up Cameron's Aliens that most fans prefer to pretend there are only two Alien films.

But that is about to change.

Prometheus begins in 2089, as two archaeologists, Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green) discover a star map among several unconnected ancient cultures. They interpret this as an invitation from the an alien race to come to them. What's more, they believe that the secret to life on this planet of “engineers” holds the answer to the beginning of life on Earth.

Peter Weyland (Guy Pearce), the elderly founder of the Weyland Corporation, funds the creation of the scientific vessel Prometheus to follow the map to the distant moon LV-223. The ship's crew travels in stasis while the android David (Michael Fassbender) monitors their voyage. In 2093, the ship arrives, and its crew are informed of their mission to find the Engineers. Mission director Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron) orders them to avoid direct contact if the Engineers are found. The Prometheus lands near a structure and a team is sent to explore within.

To give away any beyond that would be to spoil one of the summer's most anticipated, and as it turns out, one of it's best films. Scott hasn't made a film this good in quite a while, and nobody has made a big budget science fiction epic this intelligent and layered in more years than I care to count. Prometheus is saddled with the daunting task of being both a 2001: A Space Odyssey style ponderous piece of intellectual science fiction while at the same time staying true to Scott's original classic that inspired it, which is no easy task. Anyone who saw Danny Boyle promising but ultimately disastrous film Sunshine has to really question whether you can possibly combine cerebral commentary on science and the nature of the universe with thrills, scares and gore. But Prometheus succeeds on every level that Sunshine failed, and may be the most overall satisfying film in the Alien series.

The cast is quite good, with Charlize Theron giving a delightfully enigmatic performance that ranges from tightly stoic to irresistibly sexy, without ever being over played, and Noomi Rapace (the original Lizbeth Salander) proves that she can anchor an American film just as well as Swedish one, if not better. It's almost as if someone asked the question “What if Ellen Ripley had been played by Audrey Hepburn” and the elegant and charming Rapace simply repeated the immortal words of John Hammond: “I'll show you.” Rapace and Scott work together gloriously, particularly in a wonderful cringe inducing sequence that very cleverly references the famous “alien pops out of the stomach” sequence in the original film in a way that will make you terrified of any machine you see in a doctor's office for the rest of your life.
But by far the most entertaining performances come from Idris Elba as Janek, the Captain of Prometheus, an amiable fellow who doesn't waste a lot of time talking just to hear himself talk, but leaves you with the strong impression that he's every bit as smart in his own way as the brilliant scientists he ferries aboard his ship, and Michael Fassbender as David, the android created by Weyland. David is still working on developing his personality, and has taken to mimicking Peter O'Toole is his favorite film, Lawrence of Arabia (apparently Weyland programmed this machine with excellent cinematic taste), to the point of copying his speech patterns and mannerisms, and even giving himself bright blond hair. Fassbender is deliciously entertaining as by far the most complex and interesting of the androids we've seen in these films, and deserves consideration for Best Supporting Actor.

Unfortunately, on the other end of the spectrum is Guy Pearce as Weyland. Why Scott chose to use the extremely talented but occasionally hammy star of L.A. Confidential and Memento in cheesy old age make-up that brings to mind The Simpson's Monty Burns, when he could have simply used a distinguished older actor like Christopher Plummer or even O'Toole himself is beyond puzzling. Every critic in the screening I attending commented that they were waiting for some big “Fountain of Youth” style plot twist that, while it would have had no place in the story, would have justified or at least explained this baffling choice.

But otherwise, the director and his crew take Prometheus safely and successfully to it's intended destination in style and grace, giving us a thrilling ride. Unfortunately, it may simply by too thoughtful to connect with mass audiences.

Prometheus is rated R for violence and gore, as well as some sensuality and profanity.