True Grit
Paramount
Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) is out to find Cheney (Josh Brolin), the man who killed her Pa for a measly two pieces of gold. But, as resourceful as she is, she still needs help from the one-eyed, hard-drinking, hard-living U.S. Marshal, Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges). Together with the help of Texas Ranger LaBoeuf (Matt Damon), they set out into the Indian Nations to find Cheney and, along the way, test their grit.
The Review: Bridges is at his Big Lebowski best, a more slothful, grittier evocation of the wild and smelly west than the Duke played in the original. (Yes, I said it. Bridges is dukier than the Duke-- and I apologize for the unpleasant imagery that may conjure.) This is the Coen Brothers without so much of the lovely strangeness we're accustomed to getting from them and more straightforward in its telling. This adaptation is a tale told better, filmed better, and acted better than the original.
Arthur
Warner Brothers
Russell Brand revives the role of Arthur Bach, the fun-loving billionaire drunkard previously played by Dudley Moore in 1981. The story is the same as in the original with only minor exceptions. Arthur lives a carefree life of luxury and inebriation (thanks to his wealthy parents) until he falls for zany tour guide Naomi (Greta Gerwig) and risks losing his inheritance when his mother demands that, instead, he marry the uptight socialite Susan (Jennifer Garner). Can he get the girl and the keep the money too?
The Review: What has Katy Perry done to Russell Brand? Is she still kissing girls? Well, maybe hedoesn't like it! In the span of a couple of films, the man has lost the edge that gained him notoriety in the first place (not that his voice-over work as the bunny in Hop wasn't edgy). Russell, stop doing interviews on The View and get back to them there roots. The screenplay is sophomoric and the characters are juvenile.
Sucker Punch
Warner Brothers
Committed to a mental institution against her will, Babydoll (Emily Browning) escapes her miserable reality through the unrestrained world of her imagination in this epic action fantasy directed by Zack Snyder of Dawn of the Dead and 300 fame. With her friends, Rocket (Jena Malone), Blondie (Vanessa Hudgens), Amer (Jamie Chung), and Sweet Pea (Abbie Cornish), she will attempt to escape from Blue (Oscar Isaac), Madam Gorski (Carla Gugino), and High Roller (Jon Hamm).
The Review: I recall a time of such technological innocence and naivety that the release of Terminator II (with that liquid-metal cop/villain) garnered criticism that "special effects" (no talk of CGI then) were causing viewers to value flash over substance and placating the kiddies with eye candy. In other words, "those darn MTV kids with their boom boxes and their Miami Vice are ruining our movie-pictures!" However, this film may actually represent the culmination of all those fears and phobias of we critical-and-substance-minded fogies, we guarders against excess, we chronically humble and justified. Seriously though, what is wrong with kids today? This is a video game, not a movie.
Rango
Paramount
Johnny Depp is Rango, a sharp-witted chameleon longing for adventure and for a chance to prove his worth. He gets his chance when he wanders into the dead-end, western town of Dirt, short on water but big on bad guys. He brags his way into the hearts of the townspeople who are searching for a sheriff to apprehend the varmint stealing all their water. Along the way, Rango must confront the slithering and wicked Rattlesnake Jake (Bill Nighy) and the corrupt Mayor (Ned Beatty), all while wooing Beans (Isla Fisher), his loyal supporter.
The Review: Director Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean) gives us something we've never seen before: a cerebral spaghetti Western comedy starring a computer-animated lizard. In Rango, Johnny Depp revives his role as Hunter S. Thompson. Okay, maybe not. But still, Rango is one whacked out chameleon: twitchy, smart, and neurotic. Much like Barney Fife, Rango manufactures a heroic image of himself that he finds difficult to back up. Kids will enjoy his antics and understand the basic storyline, but some of the verbal play will be way over their heads. I knew I was in rarefied linguistic air when Rango sputtered "Obsfucation!" I haven't heard that word since college ("concealment of intended meaning"--I looked it up). So if you're a selfish parent like me and will only watch kids' movies with an adult edge, Rango is perfect: charming and brilliant.
