Alice in Wonderland is an upcoming fantasy-adventure film directed by Tim Burton. It is an extension to the Lewis Carroll novels Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. The film will use a [...]
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| Brave |
| Topics: | magic and fantasy, princesses and fairies, adventures |
| Studio: | Pixar Animation Studios |
| Directors: | Brenda Chapman, Mark Andrews |
| Cast: | Emma Thompson, Kelly Macdonald, Kevin McKidd |
| Genre: | Family and Kids |
Theatrical release date: | June 22, 2012 |
Parents need to know that Pixar's latest animated feature, Brave, is sure to be on most kids' wishlists for the summer. The story -- Pixar's first to center on a female character -- follows the legend of Merida (voiced by Kelly Macdonald), a medieval Scottish princess who'd rather prove her skills as an archer than follow courtly protocol. When she inadvertently gets her kingdom cursed, she must do everything in her power to save her people. You can count on a strong heroine -- but also considerable peril as Merida faces a menacing bear and other obstacles.
Come back for our full review on June 22, 2012
Watch Brave Trailer:
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| G.I. Joe 2: Retaliation |
| Studio: | Paramount Pictures |
| Cast: | Bruce Willis, Channing Tatum, Dwayne The Rock Johnson |
| Genre: | Action/Adventure |
Theatrical release date: | June 29, 2012 |
Review:
Parents need to know that this sequel to G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra looks to be just as relentlessly loud and explosive as the first movie. This installment focuses on a small band of renegade Joes, led by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who face off against the criminals who framed them. Bruce Willis, Channing Tatum, and Adrianne Palicki co-star in what looks to be a non-stop parade of fights, bombs, and double-crosses. Like The Rise of Cobra, expect G.I. Joe: Retaliation to be too mature for kids who are interested in playing with G.I. Joe toys.
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| Ice Age 4: Continental Drift |
| Topics: | wild animals |
| Studio: | Twentieth Century Fox |
| Directors: | Mike Thurmeier, Steve Martino |
| Cast: | Denis Leary, John Leguizamo, Ray Romano |
| Genre: | Family and Kids |
| Theatrical release date: | July 13, 2012 |
Parents need to know that kids and even tweens who are fans of the Ice Age series will want to check out their favorite trio of prehistoric pals in their latest battle against the elements -- and other animals -- to stay together. In Ice Age: Continental Drift, Manny the mammoth (voiced by Ray Romano), Sid the sloth (John Leguizamo), and Diego the tiger (Denis Leary) are separated from the rest of their herd and cast out to sea, where they encounter a band of (animal) pirates led by the menacing giant ape Captain Gutt (Peter Dinklage) and his crew. Families with preschoolers should be aware of the mild peril in this series -- the friends always come close to disaster but always remain unscathed, while Scrat is hurt again and again in his relentless pursuit of his precious acorn.
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| Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted |
| Studio: | Paramount Pictures |
| Director: | Eric Darnell |
| Cast: | Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer |
| Genre: | Family and Kids |
| Theatrical release date: | June 8, 2012 |
| MPAA rating: | PG |
| MPAA explanation: | some mild action and rude humor |
Parents need to know that the third installment in the Madagascar franchise should, like its predecessors, be fine for even kindergarten-aged kids. Alex (voiced by Ben Stiller), Marty (Chris Rock), and the other escaped animals from New York's Central Park Zoo continue their adventures around the world in a threequel that focuses on saving the always mischievous penguins. While parents of preschoolers should make sure that their kids are ready for the series' occasional innuendoes, pop-culture references, and mild violence, families already familiar with the series will probably consider Europe's Most Wanted a must-see summer movie.
Come back for our full review on June 8, 2012
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| Rock of Ages |
| Topics: | music and sing-along |
| Studio: | New Line |
| Director: | Adam Shankman |
| Cast: | Alec Baldwin, Julianne Hough, Tom Cruise |
| Genre: | Musical |
| Run time: | 120 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | June 15, 2012 |
Parents need to know that Rock of Ages is a Broadway show-based musical comedy about sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll, so it will likely showcase just that: sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll. The cast -- which includes Alec Baldwin, Tom Cruise, Julianne Hough, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Russell Brand -- fuels a comical and highly charged storyline about trying to make it in the Hollywood rock scene during the late '80s. Expect 1980s music, fashion, decadence, and hairspray to take center stage, along with heavy drinking, sex, and over-the-top rock 'n' roll-inspired personalities.
Come back for our full review on June 15, 2012
Watch Rock of Ages Trailer:
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| Men in Black 3 |
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"Men in Black 3" hits theaters on May 25, 2012.
Columbia Pictures has released 3 film clips for the upcoming sequel “Men in Black 3” where Agent J (Will Smith) is forced to go back in time to join a young Agent K (Josh Brolin) to save the world.
The film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld also co-stars Tommy Lee Jones and Emma Thompson.
In Men in Black 3, Agents J (Will Smith) and K (Tommy Lee Jones) are back… in time. J has seen some inexplicable things in his 15 years with the Men in Black, but nothing, not even aliens, perplexes him as much as his wry, reticent partner. But when K’s life and the fate of the planet are put at stake, Agent J will have to travel back in time to put things right. J discovers that there are secrets to the universe that K never told him — secrets that will reveal themselves as he teams up with the young Agent K (Josh Brolin) to save his partner, the agency, and the future of humankind.
Check out all 3 film clips below.
Watch Men in Black 3 Trailer:
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| The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel |
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Director: John Madden
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Cast: Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Dev Patel
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Theatrical release date:
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May 18, 2012
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When a film has a dream cast led by Judi Dench, Tom Wilkinson, Maggie Smith, and Bill Nighy, you can’t go far wrong, and that is exactly the case with Ol Parker’s adaptation of the novel by prolific British television and screenwriter Deborah Moggach, whose credits include the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice. Who better to direct this piece that John Madden, the man responsible for such films as Mrs. Brown, Shakespeare in Love, andProof?
Please forgive me, then, for not having fallen in love with the movie, as many others have; I find it a bit too calculated and pat. It does not condescend to older people, thank goodness, or play them as cute, although it does take steps in that direction. It also ties things up in a neat little package with a red bow on top, but one would expect no less from a feel-good movie that’s intended to please a “mature” demographic.
The story doesn’t start out on a lighthearted note—quite the opposite, as we meet the central characters, all British senior citizens whose lives have stalled by circumstance or been undercut by financial woes. The disparate group includes a widow who’s flustered by the computer age (Dench), a professor who feels he’s in a rut (Wilkinson), a cranky, bigoted woman who can’t afford the hip operation she desperately needs (Smith), a cougar in search of a sugar daddy (Celia Imre), and a couple who have lost their nest egg (Nighy and Penelope Wilton). They are all susceptible to the advertising of a hotel in Jaipur that promises luxurious accommodations at reasonable rates. This turns out to be wishful thinking on the part of the establishment’s youthful manager, played by Dev Patel, whom you will remember from Slumdog Millionaire.
Courtesy of Fox Searchlight
How the various British ex-pats deal with the harsh reality that greets them at The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is the crux of the film: some adapt readily, some resist, and others create new lives for themselves amidst the colorful chaos of modern-day India. It’s all very genteel, with a sprinkling of sexual comedy involving a guest (Ronald Pickup) who refuses to submit to advancing years.
Stereotypically, this is the kind of movie you’d encourage your parents or grandparents to see. It acknowledges the slings and arrows of senior citizenry but offers hope, in a series of idealized solutions to some of the problems older people face. In the hands of actors we don’t already love and respect, it could be deadly; with this array of old pros, it’s hard to resist, and yet I did, somewhat. I don’t mind being manipulated, but I mind being aware of it.
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