By Adrian Johnson | Kalamazoo Gazette The Kalamazoo Gazette
" African Cats " (G) — A nature documentary centered on two cat families and how they teach their cubs the ways of the wild. 89 minutes. Rave Cityplace 14, Kalamazoo 10, Celebration! Crossroads.
" Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family " (PG-13) — Madea jumps into action when her niece, Shirley, receives distressing news about her health. All Shirley wants is to gather her three adult children around her and share the news as a family, but her children are too distracted by their own problems. It's up to Madea, with the help of the equally rambunctious Aunt Bam, to gather the clan together and make things right. 105 minutes. Rave Cityplace 14, Kalamazoo 10, Celebration! Crossroads, Lakeview Square Cinema, W. Columbia 7.
" Water for Elephants " (PG-13) — Veterinary school student Jacob (Robert Pattinson) meets and falls in love with Marlena (Reese Witherspoon), a star performer in a circus of a bygone era. They discover beauty amidst the world of the Big Top, and come together through their compassion for a special elephant. 120 minutes. Rave Cityplace 14, Kalamazoo 10, Celebration! Crossroads, M-89 Cinema, Lakeview Square Cinema, W. Columbia 7.
" Win Win " (R) —Disheartened attorney Mike Flaherty (Paul Giamatti), who moonlights as a high school wrestling coach, stumbles across a star athlete through some questionable business dealings while trying to support his family. Just as it looks like he will get a double payday, the boy's mother shows up fresh from rehab and flat broke, threatening to derail everything. 106 minutes. Rave Cityplace 14.
" Arthur " ( *** ) — This "Arthur" doesn't have the bubbly brilliance of the original, yet its best moments still leave you feeling amusingly intoxicated and ready for another round. (JS). Rated PG-13. 109 minutes. Rave Cityplace 14, Kalamazoo 10, Celebration! Crossroads, Gull Road Cinema 5, M-89 Cinema, Strand in Sturgis, Three Rivers 6, Lakeview Square Cinema, W. Columbia 7.
" Atlas Shrugged: Part 1 " ( * ) — The movie fails to rise even to the level of "eh" suggested by Ayn Rand's title, with little going on in cinematic or storytelling terms. This movie is crushingly ordinary in every way, which with Rand, I wouldn't have thought possible. Rated PG-13. 97 minutes. Rave Cityplace 14, Lakeview Square Cinema.
" Barney's Version " ( *** ) -- Although certain points in the film inhibit it from being a more insightful character study, the script is consistently, sometimes darkly, funny and provides a solid vehicle for Paul Giamatti to further explore a character type at which he excels. (GNS). Rated R. 132 minutes. M-89 Cinema.
" Battle: Los Angeles " ( *1/2 ) — Rather than waste time and resources constructing a plot, "Battle" is content to whip up an atmosphere of near-deafening chaos instead and director Jonathan Liebesman shoots nearly everything in jiggly QueasyVision, with the cinematographers seemingly trying to capture the action while roller-skating on gravel roads. At the very least, the filmmakers could have come up with some unusual or frightening creatures, but the bad guys are nothing more than willowy, gooey insectoids encased in metallic gear. (JS). Rated PG-13. 114 minutes. Strand in Sturgis, Cheap Flicks.
" Conspirator " ( **1/2 ) — Through director Robert Redford's lens, Mary Surratt, the owner of a boarding house where resided the men who planned President Abraham Lincoln's assassination, was never considered innocent until proven guilty, and he uses this beyond-a-reasonable-doubt due-process courtroom drama to cast shadows of ambiguity on her trial. Whether it's historically accurate is moot, for stories painted in black-and-white fail to reflect the complexities of life, and make for lousy cinema. (GNS). Rated PG-13. 122 minutes. Rave Cityplace 14, Celebration! Crossroads.
" Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules " ( *** ) — If the set-ups are a bit obvious this time around, the payoffs still deliver, as Greg, played disarmingly funny by Zachary Gordon, runs the gauntlet commonly known as seventh grade. A textbook case of middle-child syndrome, well-meaning Greg is regularly trampled by his tattletale 3-year-old brother, Manny (Connor and Owen Fielding), and his domineering older sibling, Rodrick (Devon Bostick). You certainly don't have to be in junior high to enjoy Greg's miserable misadventures. (JS). Rated PG. 96 minutes. Celebration! Crossroads, Strand in Paw Paw, Cheap Flicks, Capri Drive-In Theater.
“ Gnomeo & Juliet ” ( *1/2 ) — The script as a whole is much less creative than its premise, which at least has silliness going for it. The story relies less on invention than formula. Gnomeo duels Tybalt not with swords but on lawn mowers, down an alley in neutral territory. Tybalt plays dirty, as you might expect, and his tactics are like Masala's in the "Ben-Hur" chariot race One can only wonder if the filmmakers go to the trouble of adapting Shakespeare for children, why not appeal to youthful intelligence, instead of their senseless appetite for video games. (GNS). Rated G. 84 minutes. Cheap Flicks.
" Hanna " ( *** 1/2 ) — This is a thrilling game of cat-and-mouse. But the question of intrigue here is whether the cat or the mouse is controlling the pursuit. Director Joe Wright and screenwriters Seth Lochhead and David Farr have created a genre film that adheres to the broad conventions of techy, comic book-y thrillers, but smartly subverts them in the details. (GNS). Rated PG-13. 111 minutes. Rave Cityplace 14. Celebration! Crossroads, Three Rivers 6, Lakeview Square Cinema.
" Hop " ( ** ) — Let's get this out of the way right now: If I hear Bow Wow Wow's "I Want Candy" one more time, I may go berserk. Frankly, that thump-a-thump-a-thump, a-THUM-thump beat is the most memorable thing about "Hop," which thankfully holds back on the syrupy-saccharine-sweet sentimentality we may be anticipating from it, but regretfully fails to engage our interest. (GNS). Rated PG. 94 minutes. Kalamazoo 10, Celebration! Crossroads, Gull Road Cinema 5, M-89 Cinema, Strand in Sturgis, Three Rivers 6, Loma Theater, Lakeview Square Cinema, W. Columbia 7, Capri Drive-In Theater.
" Insidious " ( *1/2 ) — Director James Wan and screenwriter Leigh Whannell are big fans of classic horror films such as "The Exorcist" and "Poltergeist," and it shows. And that's the problem. The team's new project, "Insidious," takes the screeching atonal music cues from the first picture and the basic plot from the second, and combines them into a supposedly new haunted-house movie. But there's little new here. And what is new isn't well done. (GNS). Rated PG-13. 102 minutes. Kalamazoo 10, Lakeview Square Cinema, Capri Drive-In Theater.
“ Just Go with It ” ( *1/2 ) — The title refers to what one does while participating in improvisational comedy; the characters must think on their feet in order to maintain an elaborate ruse. Funny, how "going" with "it" in the realm of improv can lead to exciting new places, but the "it" in "Just Go With It" is the same old familiar boilerplate crudity and rom-com tropes, and deserves our absolute indifference. (GNS). Rated PG-13. 110 minutes. Cheap Flicks.
“ The King’s Speech ” ( **** ) — Colin Firth plays Prince Albert Frederick Arthur George as phenomenally at war with the spoken word and Geoffrey Rush plays his unconventional speech therapist. Together, their scenes are like grand fencing matches, their personalities dodging and parrying with wit and eloquence, masterfully exploiting the numerous strengths of David Seidler's wonderful screenplay. (GNS). Rated PG-13. 111 minutes. M-89 Cinema.
" The Last Lions " ( *** ) — This documentary has heartbreak and humor, visual splendor and wrenching realism. But at the heart of it all is a magnificent mother who's both a fearless protector and a keen strategist, willing to put her life on the line repeatedly in order to save her children. The lion may reign as king of beasts, but Ma di Tau makes it clear it's the queens who are the real power behind the throne. (JS). Rated PG. 88 minutes. Lakeview Square Cinema.
" Limitless " ( *** ) — Usually, films about heavy drug use turn into hair-raising horror shows, in which addicts lose their loved ones, their careers and their minds. But when Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper) takes NZT48, a pill that allows him to utilize the full power of his brain, his life gets better. Eddie is on a breathless ride and so are we. The first half of the movie is a cinematic sugar rush that sweeps us into Eddie's cerebral cortex. The movie does begin to half-heartedly address the drug's scary side-effects, only to backpedal instead into a lively but familiar cat-and-mouse game, with Eddie on the run from multiple would-be assassins. Happily, "Limitless" rebounds with a delirious, queasily funny finale in which a luxury high-rise apartment becomes a savage playground. (JS). Rated PG-13. 105 minutes. Rave Cityplace 14, Celebration! Crossroads, Three Rivers 6, Michigan Theatre, Cheap Flicks.
" The Lincoln Lawyer " ( **1/2 ) — This is a movie that's meant to be a throwback to juicy justice thrillers. so we know a bit of what to expect — an ambiguous client, a colorful private investigator, a prickly ex, a not-so-ancient history of questionable dealings by the D.A., and a surprise witness. It would be more fun if the hero were a little more colorful. All attorney Michael Haller (Matthew McConaughey) has to his character is his cockiness, and that gets a bit tiresome. (GNS). Rated R. 119 minutes. Loma Theater, Lakeview Square Cinema.
" Mars Needs Moms " ( ** ) — If you can get past the bad animation and the plotline that men are completely irresponsible slobs, which is why women need to be unceasing nags — and it takes a bit of work — there is some surprisingly real emotion here, much of it centering on the loss of a parent and the guilt of a child. But that's not enough. Mars may need moms but, hey, first things first — earthlings need better movies. (GNS). Rated PG. 88 minutes. Cheap Flicks.
" Paul " ( *** ) — Most frames of this film are permeated with high-octane nerdiness. If you want to stay on top of every joke, sight gag and off-hand reference, you'd better have a Ph.D in Millennium Falconry and a master's degree in Spielbergian Studies. The movie could have used a little more Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, and less of Seth Rogen's (who voices Paul) occasionally overbearing personality, but it's peppered with a few uproariously funny bits and several witty homages. Rest assured, the nerdier you are, the harder you will laugh. (JS). Rated R. 100 minutes. Michigan Theatre.
" Rango " ( ***1/2 ) — This will likely be a classic for some and a head-scratcher for others. It's not a rapid-fire ADD avalanche of pop-culture references — director Gore Verbinski doesn't talk down to his audience, instead engaging us in subtextual philosophical discourse. There's still plenty of genial comedy and gorgeously detailed visual wonder to enthrall many on a superficial level. (GNS). Rated PG. 107 minutes. Cheap Flicks.
" Rio " ( **1/2 (** for the 3D version) ) — Blu, the avian hero of "Rio," can't seem to get off the ground, no matter how diligently he tries. The movie doesn't have the same problem; some of its best sequences really do soar, figuratively and literally. But the 3-D formatting used here can sometimes seem like the cinematic equivalent of sprinkling salt on tail feathers. (JS). Rated G. 96 minutes. Rave Cityplace 14, Kalamazoo 10, Celebration! Crossroads, Gull Road Cinema 5, M-89 Cinema, Loma Theater, Michigan Theatre, Strand in Sturgis, Three Rivers 6, Lakeview Square Cinema, W. Columbia 7.
" Scream 4 " ( ***1/2 ) — Screenwriter Kevin Williamson and director Wes Craven have great fun contrasting Sidney, Gale and Dewey — seasoned survivors of the earlier massacres — with a group of teens that think they can outwit the latest knife-wielding masked menace because they've repeatedly watched all the "Stab" flicks, which fictionalize and exploit Woodsboro's hair-raising history. (JS). Rated R. 103 minutes. Rave Cityplace 14, Kalamazoo 10, Celebration! Crossroads, M-89 Cinema, Three Rivers 6, Lakeview Square Cinema, W. Columbia 7, Capri Drive-In Theater.
" Soul Surfer " ( **1/2 ) — Theologically, the film may ask more of some audiences than they're willing to give. It's one thing to use Bethany's story as an example of how faith can keep us going; it's a bit more to insist that her awful accident was obviously part of a divine plan. Putting those secular objections aside, though, the film is well produced and free of bad language, substance abuse and all the other things so many parents cringe at when they take a youngster to the movies. The faith issue? That's a difficult balance to strike, and one that never pleases everyone. (GNS). Rated PG. 106 minutes. Rave Cityplace 14, Kalamazoo 10, Celebration! Crossroads, Gull Road Cinema 5, M-89 Cinema, Three Rivers 6, W. Columbia 7.
" Source Code " ( *** ) — This movie is like "Groundhog Day" for the metaphysically challenged. There's this soldier named Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) and he's being zapped into an alternate reality over and over again in order to figure out who bombed a commuter train headed to Chicago. The narrative works because it clings tightly to Colter's point-of-view. Initially, he doesn't know who he is or what he's doing, so we identify with his dilemma, even if the character's emotional arc doesn't really carry much weight. (GNS). Rated PG-13. 94 minutes. Rave Cityplace 14, Kalamazoo 10, Celebration! Crossroads, Gull Road Cinema 5, Loma Theater, W. Columbia 7.
" Your Highness " ( *1/2 ) — This lame-brained sword-and-sorcery spoof is about as funny as watching a bunch of drunken and/or baked fraternity brothers try to re-enact all three "Lord of the Rings" movies. (JS). Rated R. 102 minutes. Kalamazoo 10, Celebration! Crossroads, Michigan Theatre, Lakeview Square Cinema, W. Columbia 7.
" Peep World " (NR) — On the day of their father's 70th birthday party, four siblings come to terms with the publication of a novel written by the youngest sibling that exposes the family's most intimate secrets. 89 minutes, 6 p.m. April 21 and 30; 8:30 p.m. April 23, 26 and 28-29, Riviera Theatre, 50 N. Main St., Three Rivers. $6, $5 for children, students and seniors. 269-278-8068, trriviera.com .
" Harvest " (R) — Gathered one summer in a beautiful shoreline town, three generations are drawn together by their patriarch as they try to awkwardly, yet delicately, hang on to what was, what now is, and to one another. 103 minutes, 8:30 p.m. April 21, Riviera Theatre, 50 N. Main St., Three Rivers. $6, $5 for children, students and seniors. 269-278-8068, trriviera.com .
" Queen of the Sun: What Are the Bees Telling Us? " (NR) — A documentary that examines the global bee crisis through the eyes of biodynamic beekeepers, scientists, farmers, and philosophers. 1:20 p.m. April 22-28, M-89 Cinema, Cross Oaks Mall, Plainwell. $4. 269-685-2121.
" The Promise: The Making of Darkness on the Edge of Town " (NR) — Combines never-before-seen footage of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band shot between 1976 and 1978, including home rehearsals and studio sessions with new interviews with Springsteen, E Street Band members, manager Jon Landau, former-manager Mike Appel, and others closely involved in the making of the record. 85 minutes, 6 p.m. April 22-23; 8:30 p.m. April 22, Riviera Theatre, 50 N. Main St., Three Rivers. $6, $5 for children, students and seniors. 269-278-8068, trriviera.com .
" Back to the Future III " (PG) - The concluding chapter to one of the most successful series of all time takes the characters of this 1990 movie back to the Old West, 7:30 p.m. April 22, Kalamazoo Valley Museum, 230 N. Rose St. $3. 269-373-7990, kalamazoomuseum.org .
“ Blue Valentine ” ( *** ) — The film centers on a contempory married couple, charting their evolution over a span of years by cross-cutting between time periods. The poisoned-love elements are simultaneously the film's strength and downfall - wrenching and brutally affecting, but so raw, they're painful to watch. (GNS). Rated R. 114 minutes. 9:35 p.m. April 22-28, M-89 Cinema, Cross Oaks Mall, Plainwell. $5. 269-685-2121.
ARTbreak film: "John Singer Sargent: Outside the Frame" - A documentary that gives a fresh assessment of John Singer Sargent's art along with an insightful biographical sketch of the artist, coffee and cookies provided, 12:15 p.m. April 26, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, 314 S. Park St. Free. 269-349-7775, kiarts.org .
" Bill Cunningham New York " (NR) — 80-something-year-old New York Times photographer Bill Cunningham has been obsessively and inventively chronicling fashion trends and high charity soirees for the Times Style section in his columns for years. Names large and small appear in this documentary to talk about the man and his work. 84 minutes, 6 p.m. April 26, 28-29; 3:30 p.m. April 30; 8:30 p.m. May 3-6, Riviera Theatre, 50 N. Main St., Three Rivers. $6, $5 for children, students and seniors. 269-278-8068, trriviera.com.
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