By Adrian Johnson | Kalamazoo Gazette The Kalamazoo Gazette
" Atlas Shrugged: Part 1 " (PG-13) — A powerful railroad executive, Dagny Taggart, struggles to keep her business alive while society is crumbling around her. Based on the 1957 novel by Ayn Rand. 97 minutes. Rave Cityplace 14.
" Conspirator " (PG-13) — Mary Surratt is the lone female charged as a co-conspirator in the assassination trial of Abraham Lincoln. As the whole nation turns against her, she is forced to rely on her reluctant lawyer to uncover the truth and save her life. 122 minutes. Rave Cityplace 14, Celebration! Crossroads.
" Rio " (G) — Blu is a domesticated Macaw who never learned to fly, living a comfortable life with his owner and best friend Linda. They think he's the last of his kind, but when they learn about Jewel, another Macaw who lives in Rio de Janeiro, they head to the faraway land to find her. Not long after they arrive, Blu and Jewel are kidnapped by animal smugglers, but with the help of a group of smooth-talking city birds, they escape. Now, with his new friends by his side, Blu will have to find the courage to learn to fly, thwart the kidnappers who are hot on their trail, and return to Linda, the best friend a bird ever had. 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 " (R) — Sidney Prescott, now the author of a self-help book, returns home to Woodsboro on the last stop of her book tour. There she reconnects with Sheriff Dewey and Gale, who are now married, as well as her cousin Jill (Emma Roberts) and her Aunt Kate (Mary McDonnell). Unfortunately Sidney's appearance also brings about the return of Ghostface, putting Sidney, Gale, and Dewey, along with Jill, her friends and the whole town of Woodsboro in danger. 103 minutes. Rave Cityplace 14, Kalamazoo 10, Celebration! Crossroads, Three Rivers 6, M-89 Cinema, Lakeview Square Cinema, W. Columbia 7, Capri Drive-In Theater.
" Adjustment Bureau " ( *** ) — Screenwriter-turned-director George Nolfi's work here results in an oddly plucky blend of drama, comedy, romance and brainy sci-fi, although the emphasis isn't necessarily on the latter. Nolfi's screenplay is rife with convenient trapdoors leading to a tidy conclusion — which means it's also riddled plot holes. But the director knows his strengths, allowing his leads to deliver dialogue with, by turns, convincing wit and sincerity. (GNS). Rated PG-13. 99 minutes. Cheap Flicks.
" 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, Three Rivers 6, Strand in Sturgis, Lakeview Square Cinema, W. Columbia 7.
" 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.
" Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son " ( *1/2 ) — This is a lifeless piece of pure product, slapped together with haphazard disregard for comedy, storytelling and filmmaking. What it needed most of all was a healthy dose of crazy, some energy, some sense that the people who created it cared in the least about the poor saps who might have to sit through the thing. (LAT) Rated PG-13. 107 minutes. Capri Drive-In Theater.
" 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. Kalamazoo 10, Celebration! Crossroads, M-89 Cinema, Strand in Sturgis, Lakeview Square Cinema, 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, 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. Rave Cityplace 14, Kalamazoo 10, Celebration! Crossroads, Gull Road Cinema 5, M-89 Cinema, Michigan Theatre, Strand in Sturgis, Loma Theater, Three Rivers 6, Lakeview Square Cinema, W. Columbia 7.
" 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. Rave Cityplace 14, Kalamazoo 10, Celebration! Crossroads, 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, Strand in Paw Paw.
" 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; 8:30 p.m. April 14-15, Riviera Theatre, 50 N. Main St., Three Rivers. $6, $5 for children/students/seniors. 269-278-8068, trriviera.com.
" 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, Kalamazoo 10, Celebration! Crossroads, 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. Kalamazoo 10, Celebration! Crossroads, Michigan Theatre, 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.
" 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. Celebration! Crossroads, Cheap Flicks.
" 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, Three Rivers 6, M-89 Cinema, 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.
“ The Way Back ” ( *** ) — The film is long and deliberate and slow of pulse - quite appropriately. But director Peter Weir is a real filmmaker, and he handles vast landscapes and delicate death scenes with equal doses of invention, vitality, dignity and taste (GNS). Rated PG-13. 132 minutes. M-89 Cinema.
" 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. Rave Cityplace 14, Kalamazoo 10, Celebration! Crossroads, Three Rivers 6, Lakeview Square Cinema, W. Columbia 7.
" 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, 6 p.m. April 14-15; 8:30 p.m. April 19 and 21, Riviera Theatre, 50 N. Main St., Three Rivers. $6, $5 for children, students and seniors. 269-278-8068, trriviera.com .
" My Family/Mi Familia " (R) — Fire's Voices Ethnic Film Series presents 1995 movie traces three generations of an immigrant family's trials, tribulations, tragedies and triumphs, discussion follows, 7 p.m. April 14, Fire, 1249 Portage Road. $5 suggested donation. 269-344-6655, thisisfire.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. 10:20 a.m. and 2:35 a.m. April 15-21, M-89 Cinema, Cross Oaks Mall, Plainwell. $2.50-$4. 269-685-2121.
“ 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. Presented by the Western Film Society. Playing at 7 and 9:30 p.m. April 15-16; 2:30 and 5 p.m. April 17, Western Michigan University's Little Theatre, corner of Oakland Drive and Oliver Street. $5, $3 with student ID. 269-387-8221, westernfilmsociety.com ; and noon and 7:10 p.m. April 15-21, M-89 Cinema, Cross Oaks Mall, Plainwell. $4-$5. 269-685-2121.
" Back to the Future II " (PG) — In this 1989 movie, a teen and his scientist friend travel to the future and the past in an effort to put 1985, and their lives, back to normal, 7:30 p.m. April 15, Kalamazoo Valley Museum, 230 N. Rose St. $3. 269-373-7990, kalamazoomuseum.org .
" 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 19, 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 .
" Very Young Girls " (NR) — A documentary about the reality of childhood sexual exploitation of children in America, sponosred by Voices Against Sexual Assault, 6-8 p.m. April 20, Kalamazoo College. Following the film will be a discussion led by YWCA sexual assault counselors. Free. 269-345-5595, ywcakalamazoo.org .
" Gasland " — Documentary explores the risks "fracking" poses on human and environmental health, 7 p.m. April 21, Saugatuck Center for the Arts, 400 Culver St., Saugatuck. $5 students/SCA members, $7 nonmembers. Panel discussion and reception follows film. 269-857-2399, sc4a.org .
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