GireWire

Erik (Michael Fassbender), left, and Charles (James McAvoy) prepare to prevent World War III by using telekinetic powers in “X-Men: First Class.”

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Matthew Vaughn’s marvelously inventive “X-Men: First Class” wraps a classic comic book superhero origin tale around the Cuban missile crisis, then creates a coming-of-age teen angst drama that poses pertinent philosophical questions:

What does it really mean to be “different” and “accepted”?

Should X-ceptional people use their super powers to benefit themselves? Or serve humankind?

If “First Class” possesses a major flaw, it would be its ambitious density. It stuffs too many good ideas and too many interesting characters into too little time to be readily absorbed and appreciated, at least on a single viewing.

If you’re new to the Marvel comics universe, don’t worry.

You don’t need to be an “X-Men” fan who’s read all the Marvel comic books to enjoy “First Class.” Even seeing the earlier X-Men movies is not a prerequisite.

However, you will miss most of the smart, sly subtext and allusions pitched to “X-Men” fans, especially a throwaway bar scene in which a drunk Hugh Jackman (aka: the future Wolverine) tells a couple of guys off.

Those guys work with Professor X (James McAvoy), and they’re trying to locate as many American mutants as they can to stop the start of World War III.

But let’s not get ahead of the story. (Read more…)

A group of investigators follows a path where an entire New Hampshire village disappeared in 1940 in the psychological horror film “Yellowbrickroad.”

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We’re only two films into AMC Theaters’ exclusive summer horror movie series “Bloody Disgusting Selects,” and I must admit, I’m impressed.

Between last month’s Armageddon plague drama “Rammbock” and this month’s psychological brain twister “Yellowbrickroad,” the series has avoided the expected slate of mindless splatter films in favor of solid genre offerings.

Bloody violence does appear, but it comes in unexpected moments where the suggestion of what’s happening packs more shock value than lingering shots of graphic carnage.

“Yellowbrickroad” was directed by Andy Mitton and Jesse Holland, reportedly as a throwback to the character-driven horror films of the 1970s.

In 1940, the citizens of a tiny New Hampshire hamlet called Friar all decide to go on a walk into the woods. Most of them never return.

To find out what happened — and to have something to write a book about — Teddy Barnes (Michael Laurino) assembles a team of investigators to retrace the steps of the ill-fated villagers.

Local residents of Friar refuse to give Barnes any information. They won’t even steer him to the beginning of the mysterious trail taken by the missing townspeople. Barnes figures the trail starts where the local Rialto movie theater sits. How can that be?

Finally, a movie usher agrees to take the investigators to the start — marked as “yellowbrickroad” — if they agree to take her along. (Read more…)

Gil (Owen Wilson) and his fiancee (Rachel McAdams) have their destinies reshaped by a fantastic journey into the past in Woody Allen’s whimsical comedy “Midnight in Paris.”

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Woody Allen’s whimsical fantasy “Midnight in Paris” becomes a stylish lamentation on how human nature deprives us of fully living our lives in the best period of history we’ll ever know: the present.

This cautionary movie argues that nostalgia can be a powerful force, and if we allow ourselves to romanticize the past unchecked, we run the risk of missing the specialness of being in our Now.

Allen fans should be delighted, for this cinematic confection celebrates a return to classic Woody, a work of imagination and mirth reminiscent of his “The Purple Rose of Cairo.”

“Midnight in Paris” revisits many of Allen’s familiar touchstones — a neurotic writer protagonist, a disdain for intellectual poseurs, contempt for right-wingers, a bent romantic triangle, glib and witty banter — yet, this enchanting movie feels fresh and fun, as if Allen turned back the clock from before his fascination with London locales and felt comically inspired once again.

The story boasts the unlikeliest star to ever be cast as Allen’s narrative surrogate: Owen Wilson, whose film persona has been closer to shallow stoners than hand-wringing, introspective intellectuals.

Here, Wilson’s a perfect fit.

He plays Gil, a hack Hollywood script writer who harbors dreams of becoming a respected novelist.

He has arrived in Paris with his attractive, driven fiancee Inez (Rachel McAdams) and her affluent, staunchly Republican parents. (Read more…)

Po the panda (voiced by Jack Black) goes on an uncertain attack with his pals in “Kung Fu Panda 2.”

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An unfortunate coincidence happens in DreamWorks’ “Kung Fu Panda 2” when the roly-poly panda Po (voiced by Jack Black) gets stuck on a conveyor belt that’s about to dump him into a fiery incinerator.

The scene begs comparison with a similar sequence in Pixar’s animated masterpiece “Toy Story 3” where Woody and the gang are nearly fried to the nubs in the same manner.

The “Toy Story 3” scene was as intense and heart-stopping as an animated feature can get.

The one in “Kung Fu Panda 2”? Just one in a series of cartoony, strobe-edited, 3-D action sequences in which you never seriously worry that the characters might actually be killed or critically injured.

Which, of course, they never are. Not really.

Nonetheless, “Kung Fu Panda 2” makes for an engaging, kid-safe adventure that’s visually superior to and quicker paced than its 2008 original box-office hit.

Po also gets to tangle with an impressively evil villain, a deadly and graceful peacock named Lord Shen (diabolically voiced by “Harry Potter” staple Gary Oldman).

Shen really disappoints his parents when he figures out how to convert the beautiful magic of fireworks into deadly weapons: cannons powered by gunpowder. (Read more…)

Alan (Zach Galifianakis), left, Teddy (Mason Lee), Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms) and Doug (Justin Bartha) examine embarrassing evidence in the comedy “The Hangover Part II.”

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I’d normally recommend skipping most of “The Hangover Part II,” then coming in for the riotous closing credits, which offer the grossest and edgiest sight gags and provoke the best-earned laughs.

Trouble is, the closing credits won’t make sense without seeing the entire movie.

So, in a sense, “The Hangover Part II” is one big, drawn-out setup for a strobing punch line, mainly the adults-only photographs flashed over the ending credits.

“Part II” faithfully replicates the elements that made its 2009 original such a wonderfully shocking and daring adult comedy hit, and the biggest-grossing R-rated comedy in Hollywood history.

Paradoxically, by doing that, the sequel fails to replicate the chief element that made the first one so innovative; we had no idea what outrageous thing might happen next.

“The Hangover” followed no formula at all; “Part II” faithfully follows the same plot with the same lying, cheating, selfish characters, essentially trading in innovation for a proven box office formula. (This is a common malady for many sequels.)

So, we know that Phil (reprised by Bradley Cooper) will call a bride-to-be (here, a Thai native named Lauren, played by Jamie Chung), apologizing for screwing things up. (Read more…)

Angelica (Penelope Cruz) watches as her father, the pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane), bickers with Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) in “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.”

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You’d think adding carnivorous mermaids, zombified pirates, voodoo dolls, ships in magic bottles and the Fountain of Youth to a third “Pirates of the Caribbean” sequel would make for one irresistible motion picture experience.

Nope.

It’s resistible.

For all its busy visuals and Hans Zimmer’s grandiloquent music constantly whipping and spurring our ears to attention, “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” slogs along for 139 minutes without achieving a single moment of inspiration or suspense.

Not that “On Stranger Tides” lacks for entertainment. It’s a furious, nonstop action film laced with acts of disturbing violence (sharklike mermaids ripping a man to pieces in a dark crimson cloud tops the chart) and breathtaking stunts (clumsily utilizing obvious stunt doubles).

It also gives Johnny Depp his fourth opportunity to don the dowdy garb of the fey Captain Jack Sparrow, now trading comic barbs with a pirate queen named Angelica (Penelope Cruz).

“You walk like a girl,” Jack tells her.

“You should know!” she replies.

“On Stranger Tides” unceremoniously dumps franchise stars Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom, whose non-pirate characters simply go missing in action here. (Read more…)

Annie (Kristen Wiig), left, takes on her competition Helen (Rose Byrne) during a shower testimonial in “Bridesmaids.”

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Judd Apatow comedies might be infamous for their gross-out humor involving vile bodily fluids, but they still connect with us because of the utter humanness of their characters, poor souls caught up in their outrageous plots.

“Bridesmaids” — an Apatow production directed by Paul Feig — produces frequent waves of hilarious vulgarity as it tells a sweet, endearing story about a woman suffering through a pre-mid-life crisis.

Annie, played by “Saturday Night Live” star Kristen Wiig, hears both her biological and chronological clocks ticking even louder when her lifelong best friend Lillian (“SNL” star Maya Rudolph) announces she’s getting married.

Annie’s cupcake business went bust during the economic collapse, and she now lives with her irritatingly supportive mother (the late Jill Clayburgh in her final screen appearance).

Annie’s romantic life has gone bust, too. She’s been reduced to casual encounters with a married sleaze (“Mad Men” star Jon Hamm) who treats Annie with all the affection of an office visitor.

Annie feels happy for Lillian, but realizes that now she’ll be alone. Really alone.

It doesn’t help that Lillian is marrying into a much higher tax bracket with Dougie (Tim Heidecker), and that a member of his social circle, Helen (Rose Byrne), decides that she should be Lillian’s new best friend and maid of honor. (Read more…)

Brian (Paul Walker) and Dom (Vin Diesel) plan to make one last big score in the action-packed “Fast Five.”

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Justin Lin’s “Fast Five” — his third directorial contribution to the “Fast and Furious ” franchise — is easy, breezy, bloodlessly violent comic-book fun.

In fact, if you listen to the characters talking to themselves while drag-racing squad cars down a Rio de Janeiro street, they virtually supply their own word balloons to tell us what they’re thinking.

At least I hope screenwriter Chris Morgan intended his dialogue to be cornball, campy and quotable. Otherwise, it would merely be a collection of cheesy, wince-inducing groaners.

“You’ve got to run before it’s too late!” the pretty Gisele says.

“Running ain’t freedom!” Dom barks, his face straighter than a pin.

Good thing there’s more doing than talking in “Fast Five,” a slick stunt-a-thon stuffed with so many action sequences, it would be tough to pinpoint the most thrilling.

Could it be the climactic demolition derby where two sports cars drag a giant bank vault through downtown Rio, destroying buildings and vehicles before inexplicably wiping out every single corrupt cop in the city? (Read more…)

Rebel Jesse (Thomas McDonell) enjoys a shake with overachiever Nova (Aimee Teegarden) in “Prom.”

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From Joe Nussbaum, the director who gave us the clever cult film short “George Lucas in Love,” comes one of the least clever, culty motion pictures to come out of the Walt Disney Studios.

But give it credit. It has miles of cute.

As a student named Lloyd puts it, “Prom! That soul-crushing mistress!”

The succinctly titled “Prom” brings together a dizzying ensemble of 14 young actors (among them Hinsdale student Danielle Campbell) in what should be advertised as an ultimate parents’ fantasy high school movie.

At Brookside High School, the perfectly diversified student body has yet to become acquainted with sex, drugs, abuse or alcohol.

The scary, anti-authority rebel (you can tell he’s a rebel because he wears a leather jacket and drives a motorcycle) turns out to be a misunderstood sweetie.

The students apparently don’t need — at least they don’t get — any serious face-time or useful guidance from Dad and Mom. (One dad gives it a poor stab.)

And Brookside High has no class or social divides. Students live for the prom, or, as one student puts it, “All of us together in this one perfect moment!” (Read more…)

Jacob (Robert Pattinson) falls in love with a married circus performer (Reese Witherspoon) in “Water for Elephants,” based on the novel by Sara Gruen.

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“Water for Elephants” could use an elephant hook to prod it along a little quicker, and some emotional fireworks to bring some burning desires to the main characters.

After all, this is supposed to be a timeless story of a tragic romantic triangle set against the backdrop of the Big Top during the Great Depression.

To work well, Francis Lawrence’s period drama needs the one thing it doesn’t get: the sense of unstoppable romantic destiny that Jacob shares with Marlena.

Here, they’re not destined to be together so much as they appear to bump into each other by circumstance, and, having few other options, fall for each other.

Based on the best-seller by former Grayslake resident Sara Gruen (which might explain Jacob’s lengthy voice-over narration guiding us along), “Water for Elephants” is told as a flashback by an elderly man named Jacob (Hal Holbrook), who appears to know something about the terrible Benzini Brothers circus tragedy of 1931. (Read more…)