Based on the true story of rookie NFL lineman Michael Oher’s pre-collegiate ascent from poverty to football stardom, The Blind Side delivers on its feel-good promise but fails to convert when it comes to its occasional, tame-at-best football scenes.

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The last few movies with “vs.” in their titles were not good (Alien vs. Predator), just bad (Freddy vs. Jason), or downright ugly (Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever). DreamWorks’ latest, Monsters vs. Aliens, can rest easily however as the studio’s latest cash cow.

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Following Bangkok Dangerous, Nicolas Cage and his inexplicable haircut are back in another average-at-best movie. In Knowing, Cage plays a professor who discovers an ominous transcription written a half century ago that has correctly predicted numeric details of all the catastrophic events since. (more…)

Having delivered the surprising Dawn of the Dead remake and the massively popular 300, director Zack Snyder completes the hat trick with Watchmen, the first excellent film of the year. (more…)

A picture is worth a thousand words. But in the case of this picture, not even a million words will do it justice. So let me tell you as simply as I can: see it. Now! A spectacular horror fantasy film about a girl who finds and explores a twisted alternate world, Coraline is reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland and Pan’s Labyrinth, with a splash of Beetlejuice. The children’s tale follows a typical heroine arc that could use some Pixar dust, but the real story that everyone’s buzzing about is the dazzling 3D presentation. (more…)

Based on a self-help book that spawned from a Sex and the City line, He’s Just Not That Into You could ironically do the opposite: NOT help. The ominous, head-turning title should immediately warn you that this chick flick is probably not the ideal date movie, for it’ll likely trigger some uncomfortable questions and awkward discussions amongst both budding and long-time couples. Maybe that’s a reflection of how well the movie dauntlessly tackles adult situations that many of us face. (more…)

Missing daughter? Check. Redemptive hunt? Yep. Unconscientious torture? Of course.
In Taken, Liam Neeson dons his best Jack Bauer suit as a retired government operative who’s forced to tap into his old special skills when his beloved teenager is abducted. Neeson scores huge badass points for his convincing turn as steely uber-agent Bryan Mills, who’s bound to draw comparisons to 24’s lead. While equally ruthless and efficient, Mills exhibits a coolness and calmness that nicely contrast the frenetic, brutal action. (more…)

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is definitely the poor man’s Forrest Gump. It’s good and worth seeing in theaters; however, screen writer Eric Roth pretty much said, “Hey! Why don’t I just re-do Forrest Gump but with the twist of the main character aging backwards instead of being mentally challenged?” The story progresses almost the exact same as Gump’s with Button having many adventurers where he meets all sorts of different characters all while trying to fall in love with the girl of his dreams who he’s known since childhood. (more…)

Not sick of Vince Vaughn yet? Good, because like last year’s Fred Claus, here he is again, mired in familial dysfunction around the holidays. His trademark chatterbox antics are still occasionally amusing, but they’re noticeably past his Wedding Crashers prime. Reese Witherspoon, who plays his partner as the couple dreadfully visits each of their divorced parents in one day, doesn’t bring much to the table, probably because she’s not used to selling out to such generic cinematic fruitcake. (more…)

When a once-untouchable studio like Walt Disney Animation releases such atrocious slop like Chicken Little and Meet the Robinsons as another powerhouse like Pixar embarrasses it annually, it’s not a surprise when the former tries to buy out the latter. After the Walt Disney Company did just that, it was still hard to imagine that its animation studio could avoid the CGI hat trick of shame. (more…)

Those who spurn Angelina Jolie’s un-Wanted blockbuster forays should definitely check out Changeling because she channels her Oscar-winning turn in Girl, Interrupted and should secure at least some consideration for more awards nominations. Much like her previous lead role in A Mighty Heart, the true story showcases Jolie’s dramatic acting as a woman desperately searching for a missing loved one. (more…)

If you’ve seen the trailer, you’ve seen what’s really worth seeing… all two minutes of it. The stylistic action relies heavily on gratuitous slow motion and close-ups of Mark Wahlberg’s bewildered facial expressions, as if he’s constantly wondering what he’s gotten himself into. For such a dark and violent story about a troubled detective whose wife and daughter were murdered, the film is in dire need of a bloody upgrade to an R-rating. But since PG-13 equates to bigger bucks, we’re left with a Max Payne that evokes moderate pain. (more…)

Filmed over-the-shoulder from the perspective of a news crew shadowing an LAFD unit on a seemingly routine night call, Quarantine will likely draw comparisons to Cloverfield, which means (depending on how well you handle shaky camerawork and loud noises in poorly lit areas) you’ll either love it or hate it. (more…)

Based on the memoirs of a British writer who moved to New York to work for Vogue magazine, How to Lose Friends and Alienate People shares many similarities to The Devil Wears Prada, including your fish-out-of-water bungler, an unseen domain of fashion’s dizzying superficiality, and a pretty awesome title. However, the film is so boring and unfunny at times that during these stretches it seems that the best way to accomplish the titular task is to drag your pals to this movie. (more…)

Burn After Reading may be the Coen brothers’ most successful film at the box office, but it’s definitely not their best film… nor even their comedy by far. Sure, it’s difficult to follow their Oscar darling No Country For Old Men, but the directors are armed with an elite cast that includes veterans George Clooney and Frances McDormand. While these actors turn in the amusingly chatty performances you would expect, it’s Brad Pitt who most enjoyably steals scenes as a bumbling gym trainer trying to profit from stumbling on what may be top-secret, sensitive information. (more…)

There aren’t many things that are worse than working with one of the best actors ever and then dropping the ball. But here’s one: repeating the feat, except this time dragging another premium actor down, too. That’s what director Jon Avnet has nearly done. His previous effort, a timewaster called 88 Minutes starring Al Pacino, was a critical and commercial bomb. Righteous Kill, starring Pacino and Robert De Niro in a heavily anticipated pairing of industry heavyweights, fares little better. (more…)

The title couldn’t be more fitting. Unless the writer/producer/director team behind Meet the Spartans and Disaster Movie pump out another low budget parody by year’s end, these two unwatchable “films” will vie for the (dis)honor of being the worst thing to tarnish the silver screen in 2008. The makers apparently think that merely mentioning pop culture icons or items qualifies as entertainment because anything is game, including television, celebrities, and even commercials. (more…)

To the casual eye, it may be tempting to dismiss The House Bunny as just another fluff piece cast off to the back-to-school wasteland that follows every summer blockbuster season. But upon closer inspection, you’ll notice that it’s a Happy Madison production, meaning it’s got the Adam Sandler touch, which can be either good (Grandma’s Boy) or bad (Strange Wilderness). (more…)

Strong with this one, the Force is not. Yet another addition to the Star Wars Expanded Universe (a.k.a. the consumer pipeline to George Lucas’ wallet), the computer animated film is not essential viewing unless you’re a hardcore fan. However, even loyal followers of the epic space saga will struggle to embrace what feels like an extended afterschool special without commercials. That’s because Star Wars: The Clone Wars is essentially a feature-length advertisement for the new TV series on Cartoon Network. (more…)

This horror thriller features Kiefer Sutherland doing what he does best, i.e. constantly brooding, handling a sidearm, and screaming at things. Sound familiar? In Mirrors, Sutherland essentially plays a carbon copy of his award-winning TV character Jack Bauer, another lone wolf tortured with family issues. He even dresses the same! But this time he’s squaring off against ghostly terrors rather than mostly terrorists. (more…)