Like Damon’s recent Hereafter, which was consumed with the question of an afterlife but ignored the question of God pretty much completely, The Adjustment Bureau asks secondary questions — while leaving the biggest question of all off the radar. I enjoyed The Adjustment Bureau a lot more than Hereafter, though. In principle, I’d like to watch both movies again and think about them some more — but, practically speaking, I don’t think I’ll ever feel like watching Hereafter again, which is not how I feel about The Adjustment Bureau. -STEVEN D. GREYDANUS
- Beastly
So, you know the time-honored fairy tale "Beauty and the Beast"—about the dashing prince who looks disgusting because a fairy put a curse on him to make his outsides match his ugly insides, and then gives him a year to find true love or he'll stay a beast forever? Well, imagine that story rewritten by a pack of teen girls high on Twilight and Gossip Girl, and you get an idea of what you're in for with Beastly. (Christanity Today Movies)
- Rango
There remains a misconception in America that animated movies are made for children and thus completely wholesome. Perhaps that comes from nearly 75 years of family-friendly animated features from Disney, including 15 years of Pixar excellence. But generations of people raised on Looney Toons, The Simpsons, and Family Guy ought to know better: sometimes animation has an older, broader audience in mind. (Christanity Today Movies)
This is an inspired comic Western, deserving comparison with "Blazing Saddles," from which it borrows a lot of farts. The more movies you've seen, the more you may like it; it even enlists big bats to lampoon the helicopter attack in "Apocalypse Now." But let's say you haven't seen lots of movies. Let's say you're a kid. "Rango" may surprise you because it's an animated film that plays like a real movie and really gets you involved. -Roger Ebert
- Take Me Home Tonight
It's a mystery why this film is titled Take Me Home Tonight—an apparent shout-out to Eddie Money's classic '80s tune. No one goes home, no one takes anyone home, and the song itself isn't heard. What's not mysterious, however, is how very, very bad this movie is. So very bad in fact, that I've heard Bon Jovi is considering changing the lyrics in one of its '80s hits to "You give movies a bad name." But I digress. -Plugged In Online
- Battle: Los Angeles
Here's a science-fiction film that's an insult to the words "science" and "fiction," and the hyphen in between them. Young men: If you attend this crap with friends who admire it, tactfully inform them they are idiots. Young women: If your date likes this movie, tell him you've been thinking it over, and you think you should consider spending some time apart -Roger Ebert
Jane Eyre (limited)
Adapting Charlotte Bronte's greatest novel has never been easy; previous versions have often been overblown or underwhelming, and the book itself, told with a lengthy girlhood prelude preceding the main narrative, does not lend itself to a fluid adaptation. At times, it falls into Victorian purple prose. And to make matters, if not worse, then more difficult, Jane Eyre is at its core a Gothic novel, with all the right bits: grand old houses on the moor, stormy-tempered gentlemen, hidden rooms, secrets dark enough to shock even the modern viewer. But literature lovers, rejoice: Cary Fukunaga's lean, restrained, and gorgeously shot adaptation preserves all the best of the story without falling into its traps. Cary Fukunaga (Christanity Today Movies)
- Mars Needs Moms (3D/2D theaters and IMAX 3D)
Mars Needs Moms is one of those light family flicks that will likely produce a few extra hugs before bedtime. It'll give parents a warm feeling inside as they wipe popcorn grease from little chins and make sure everyone's buckled in tight for the space flight home. And it'll remind kids that Mom (and Dad) just might be a bit more useful and cool than they thought a couple of hours earlier.-Plugged In Online
- Red Riding Hood
Red Riding Hood is a movie of a sort that I would very much like to see if anyone could make it, which is another way of saying that it is not that sort of movie at all. A real Hollywood fairy tale is the rarest thing in the world. Hollywood is more comfortable with myth and legend. Partly, I think, it's a matter of scale: Mythology provides the sort of sweeping, epic scope that lends itself to big-screen Hollywood feature filmmaking. Fairy tales are smaller and more intimate, and require a lighter touch.-Steven D. Greydanus
Of the classics of world literature crying out to be filmed as a sexual fantasy for teenage girls, surely "Red Riding Hood" is far down on the list. Here's a movie that cross-pollinates the "Twilight" formula with a werewolf and adds a girl who always wears a red hooded cape, although I don't recall her doing any riding. It's easy to imagine a story conference in which they said: Hey! Let's switch the vampires with a werewolf and recycle the theme of a virgin attracted to a handsome but dangerous hunk, only let's get two hunks! -Roger Ebert
- Lord of the Dance 3D (limited)
- Limitless
Would that I could say there was a single moment when you might stop and think—just for a moment—how truly stupid this movie is. In actuality, though, Limitless is a film that grabs hold of absurdity early on and never loosens its grip, practically flaunting its own audacious silliness every step of the way. Nevertheless, there are a handful of moments that stand out from the rest, seeming, perhaps, to plumb whole new depths of ridiculousness. You'll know them when you see them: One involves an ice skate, and the biggest one of them all might go down in history as the all-time worst homage to Twilight and True Blood. -Neil Burger (Christanity Today Movies)
- The Lincoln Lawyer
I like movies about smart guys who are wise asses, and think their way out of tangles with criminals. I like courtroom scenes. I like big old cars. I like “The Lincoln Lawyer” because it involves all three, and because it matches Matthew McConaughey with a first-rate supporting cast, while so many thrillers these days are about a lone hero surrounded by special effects. People have words they actually say in this movie. After “Battle: Los Angeles,” that is a great relief. -Roger Ebert
- Paul
Remember, more than 80% of Americans believe in God. Sure, Paul is intended for the out-and-proud geek set—folks with an unabashed love for Gene Roddenberry and an encyclopedic knowledge of the Star Wars universe—and perhaps Superbad director Greg Mottola believes these sci-fi fans are more secular than the population as a whole. But he probably hasn't been reading Plugged In's Facebook page and blog posts much lately. Because if he had, he might have noticed that lots of Christians groove on Dr. Who, tune into The Big Bang Theory and study maps of Middle Earth in their spare time. -Plugged In Online
- Tornado Alley (limited)
Win Win
The funny and poignant Win Win is best enjoyed with minimal information going into it, allowing the story to unfold with its dramatic and humorous exchanges intact. The trailer gives away too many second-half developments for a movie that could be described as an R-rated version of The Blind Side.
Don't read too much into that comparison, though: The Blind Sidewas based on a true story; this one is pure fiction. The Blind Side was wholesome; Win Win has a fair amount of profanity and lacks overt Christian undertones (though the core family in the film is seen going to church). But both films share a heartwarming mixture of drama and comedy, depicting families whose lives are enriched after loving troubled teens with hidden talents- Christianity Today Movies
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
Wimpy Kid 2 offers a case study in how you can ostensibly pursue a family-friendly formula—avoiding explicit inclusions of sex, drugs, profanity and violence—yet still create a movie that's about as appropriate for young audiences as a 4th-grade school teacher lecturing on proctology.-Pluggedinonline
Sucker Punch
For a film with so much action violence, it's remarkable that Snyder kept things within PG-13 standards. One almost wishes Snyder went for the full R to keep younger viewers away from this movie. Impressionable viewers may leave mistakenly believing that victims simply need to retreat to their "happy place" and everything will be fine. Somewhere in all this, Snyder is probably trying to convey a sense of female empowerment, but that's a little bit like James Cameron preaching anti-violence with the intense action of Terminator 2—it feels hypocritical with all the objectifying.
As for the movie's title: Think of a sucker punch as a cheap distraction for someone to gain the edge to knock the opponent senseless. That sums it up: What looks good initially will ultimately leave you flat.- Christianity Today Movies
I Am
So what happened to one of Hollywood's top comedic directors? After recovering from his bike accident—and the depression and mood swings typical of post-concussion syndrome—a renewed Shadyac rounded up a small camera crew and went around the world in search of the answers to two questions: What's wrong with our world? And what can we do about it? The result is I Am, a fascinating documentary that takes the viewer on the journey right along with Shadyac.-Christianity Today Movies
The 5th Quarter
The film means well, pointing to the comfort of friends and family during tough times while also making a somewhat effective plea for organ donation. (A foundation in Luke's name has been established to that end.) But as far as sports films go, Facing the Giantsdemonstrates football better than The 5th Quarter. And as an emotional drama about dealing with grief, it's far less effective than a powerfully written and acted movie like 2010's The Rabbit Hole. (Granted, that film didn't point viewers to Christ for comfort, but neither does this one despite some positive Christian elements.)- Christianity Today Movies
Movie revolves around the history of Israel and Palestine.The story of the movie is basically how war affects the life of people. How everyday's life co-exist with the horrors of war. One thing that I love about the movie was the unique camera angles and styles.First Half of the movie was like a roller-coaster in term of camera technique. It was like if the camera was narrating what the characters were feeling. Overall the movie did a great job in conveying its message and its not a must-watch but its also not a complete waste of time either.
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