Married pals Fred (Jason Sudeikis), left, and Rick (Owen Wilson) can’t believe their wives gave them a “Hall Pass” to have sex with other women for a week, penalty-free. Only one scene in the Farrelly brothers’ new comedy, “Hall Pass,” resonates with insight into how the sexual immaturity of men can fray the romantic bonds […]
Monthly Archives: February 2011
Teen angst well-played in ‘Number Four’
Alien adolescent John Smith (Alex Pettyfer) exhibits some unusual powers in “I Am Number Four.” It’s not easy being teen. Especially if you’re also an extraterrestrial humanoid who has klieg lights in your palms and possesses Harry Potter-like powers to move objects by sheer will. D.J. Caruso’s fun but derivative teen angst fantasy “I Am […]
‘Just Go With It’ a crass mess
Katherine (Jennifer Aniston) pretends to be the future ex-wife of Danny (Adam Sandler) the plastic surgeon in the rom-com “Just Go With It.” To understand how brain-numbing and manipulative this insufferably crass and icky rom-com is, some cinematic genealogy would be in order. “Just Go With It” is a remake of the Oscar-winning 1969 comedy […]
Furious action propels ‘The Eagle’
Marcus Aquila (Channing Tatum) tries to survive a surprise attack in 120 A.D. Britain in Kevin Macdonald’s “The Eagle.” I know it sounds crazy, but I wanted to see what the two main characters in the ancient Roman adventure “The Eagle” were going to do after the movie instead of watching what they actually did […]
‘Gnomeo & Juliet’ no garden variety 3-D comedy
Two lawn ornaments fall in love despite their severe family differences in “Gnomeo and Juliet.” This is not your garden variety, animated 3-D Shakespearean knock-off. “Gnomeo & Juliet” may sound like a cheesy kids’ movie, but it quickly establishes itself as a delightful, clever, musical reinvention of William Shakespeare’s romantic tragedy as experienced through the […]