Comic Book Heroes
The Green Hornet
"The Green Hornet" is an almost unendurable demonstration of a movie with nothing to be about. Although it follows the rough storyline of previous versions of the title, it neglects the construction of a plot engine to pull us through. There are pointless dialogue scenes going nowhere much too slowly, and then pointless action scenes going everywhere much too quickly.- Roger Ebert
Kristin’s Opinion on the Trailer: Creative but predictable. I have no clue what it is really about because I haven’t seen it. It looks like it might actually be pretty good.
Mark’s Opinion on the Trailer: Looks like it could be fun, but oh the bad reviews may have stung it to death.
Drama
The Rite (May 3 DVD)
The Rite is probably the most sober, realistic treatment of exorcism in Hollywood history. It's also a pretty thoughtful depiction of doubt and faith—one of a tiny number of exorcism films, along with the original Exorcist and The Exorcism of Emily Rose, that offers a spiritual, even theological take on what most films in the genre treat as mere horror-movie trappings.-Steven D. Greydanus: Decent Films
Kristin’s Opinion on the Trailer: The RIte looks really violent and I don’t think I would enjoy it very much. Just because it has priests in it doesn’t mean it’s a holy movie or an un-holy movie.
The Way Back - Peter Wier Movie
Part The Great Escape and part Lawrence of Arabia, it is ambitious in scope, grand in vision and rich with examples of the resilience of the human spirit. -Mike Scott Times-Picayune
The Way Back is smartly-made, carefully-paced adventure movie. It goes where many other films have gone before, but it never feels like it's just going through the motions. Ignatiy Vishnevetsky -Ebert Presents At The Movies
-Unknown (June 7)
Is there a term for the Paradox of Intended Accidental Consequences? That's when a movie shows something that must be an accident, and it turns out to be part of a plan. As a veteran thriller watcher, you can think of several possibilities here. It was all a dream. He has been brainwashed. He only thinks he's Martin Harris. He only imagined he was on a plane with the real Mrs. Elizabeth Harris. The second taxi was waiting to pick him up. And on and on. Or possibly none of the above.
- Roger Ebert
Animation
Gnomeo and Juliet (Animated) (May 24)-
Romeo and Juliet's star-crossed lovers have provided plenty of fodder for filmmakers over the years, from faithful adaptations to re-imaginings like Westside Story and the MTV-styled Romeo + Juliet. But never has the story been reinterpreted for CGI-rendered garden gnomes. Enter Gnomeo and Juliet, an unabashedly goofy animated adventure that nudges and winks its way haphazardly through the Bard's tale, taking more than a few good-natured liberties as needed. It thrives in its soundtrack, which is primarily a series of songs old and new from executive producer Elton John (who even gets an animated cameo in a fantasy-sequence in the film). -Kelly Asbury: Christanity Today Movies
Science Fiction - I Am Number Four (Disney Sci-Fi) (May 10)
What we have here is a witless attempt to merge the "Twilight" formula with the Michael Bay formula. It ends with sexy human teenagers involved in an endless special effects battle with sexy alien teenagers who look like humans, in a high school and on its football field. -Roger Ebert
"I Am Number Four" is like a good episode of "Smallville": You may feel a bit silly watching it if you're past high-school age, but you just might have a good time.-Randy Cordova: Arizona Republic
At its best, I Am Number Four is a promise that the freaks will outlast the popular kids and that the aliens among us, the people with all the problems, are the ones who will still be around for the sequel. -Ed Gonzalez: Slant Magazine
Vanishing on 7th Street
Vanishing on 7th Street begins with a premise all too reminiscent of the first Left Behind book or Stephen King's The Langoliers. It prepares us for an intriguing movie steeped in mystery, creepy ambience, and deep moralizing among the characters about what they think is happening, all befitting of classic Twilight Zone or an M. Night Shyamalan movie. But Vanishing ultimately proves a hollow and frustrating experience—it's all setup with no payoff.-Russ Breimeier (Christanity Today Movies)
Grace card:
No matter your opinion of Christian films or, specifically, church-made films like Facing the Giants, Fireproof and To Save a Life, one thing is clear: They are inspiring other churches and Christians to make their own films and tell their own stories. Such is the case for The Grace Card. The film might've been much more moving if it wasn't so intent on showing such blatant witnessing and a clear conversion, but instead focused merely on a personal story about two men struggling to figure out what grace looks like in a painful world of broken relationships. If it simply told that story with the power and gravitas of the crisp scenes between Mac and Sam, it would be even more powerful. Story always wins. Still, it will move people, stir hearts, and bring tears. I'm not sure it will be as accessible to the unchurched; it seems more like a film primarily for evangelicals. - (Christanity Today Movies)
Of God’s and Men-
Xavier Beauvois’ sublime Of Gods and Men is that almost unheard-of film that you do not judge — it judges you. To one degree or another it defies every attempt to put it in a box, to reduce its challenge to a political or pious ideological stance to be affirmed or critiqued.
Of Gods and Men is not about how the monks died, but how they lived and why they were willing to die. It tells the story of nine imperfect men who made a difficult choice to stay in a war-torn foreign country that countless citizens would gladly have fled if they could. Caught between a corrupt military government and violent extremist Muslim groups, the brothers’ choices are defined by two other relationships. One is their relationship with the Muslim villagers of Tibhirine, who regard the monks as their friends and benefactors. The other relationship is the crucial one, with an unseen Beloved.
-STEVEN D. GREYDANUS
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