This is a cute turn at a mermaid tale, aimed squarely at an audience of young, teenage girls who’ll appreciate moments of friendship, fascinations with boys and more.
The story, about a teen-age mermaid who washes up into the lives of two best friends, is a little silly.
But it’s done in such a sweet way, and with a winning cast, that the result will be a nice surprise to young viewers.
Joanna “JoJo” Levesque is a breath of fresh air as Hailey, one of two best friends about to be separated after growing up together along the ocean.
And Sara Paxton manages to make her self-sure, dizzy mermaid character believable enough to make this fairy tale work.
Compared to many of the movies aimed at a young, audience, this one has a sweet, refreshing touch.
Rated PG for mild language and sensuality. [RF, RA, M] .
dave chappelle’s block party (R)
This is an odd show, not quite a movie and only partly a concert.
The problem: It doesn’t provide enough of either to make most fans happy.
Without a doubt, Dave Chappelle is one of the funniest and most inspired comics working today. His TV show, now in limbo, has made him a huge star.
This film feature is a different animal. Part of it is little funny bits of Chappelle organizing the party and concert that features performers ranging from Kanye West to The Fugees.
The other part is performances from those musicians and others like Mos Def and John Legend.
The problem is that the bits of Chappelle handing out invitations and welcoming musicians are hilarious, but end too quickly.
And those mainly interested in the music feel the same way about the concert, and feel short-changed to get only bits of performances by these varied artists.
It’s a neat idea, and one of the few chances to see Chappelle now that his show’s stuck in limbo.
But it leaves you wanting more.
Rated R for language. [RF, RA]
16 blocks (PG–13)
When Bruce Willis opens this tale of a cop trying to get a witness through a maze of other cops he’s about to testify against, the star looks tired.
Bone tired. Soul tired. Weary of everything.
Pretty quickly, that’s how you begin to feel about this film, which is way too familiar, as well.
Willis has been chased and shot at like this so many times on screen, he could do it in his sleep.
Which is the way he stumbles through this tale that’s been told too often.
Mos Def injects some interest as the witness all the cops except for Willis’s character are trying to kill.
But that’s not enough to save this story with no real reason to be told.
Rated PG–13 for violence, intense sequences of action and some strong language. [RF, RA, M]
transamerica (R)
Wow, so this is why Felicity Huffman got nominated for an Oscar.
This odd but compelling tale of a pre-operative transsexual who learns he/she has fathered a son succeeds because Huffman is such an amazing actress.
She manages to make her character, Bree, both a troubled and compelling transgendered man about to fully become a woman.
To her credit and that of the director, this isn’t a heavy-handed film that comes down one way or the other on changing sexes.
But it is one that demonstrates that humanity and caring come in many ways, with twists and turns that can surprise us all.
Huffman makes Bree one of the most memorable characters ever to grace the screen.
And oddly enough, “grace” is the operative word.
Rated R for sexual content, nudity, language and drug use. [RF]
ultraviolet (PG–13)
Another wasted science fiction effort.
Sure, Milla Jovovich looks great in her skin-tight leathers, and the futuristic world where this war between humans and genetically altered super-beings looks cool.
But with no real story, bumbled action and too many scenes of one character taking on hundreds, this film just gets tedious.
Rated PG–13 for sequences of violent action throughout, partial nudity and language. [RF, RA, M]
CURIOUS GEORGE (G) Though generations have loved these children’s books, the movie doesn’t quite convey the sweet, otherworldly tone of the tale about an impish monkey. But it’s a nice kids movie that youngsters will enjoy, even if their parents do get twitchy by film’s end. [RF, RA]
DATE MOVIE (PG–13) A film that makes fun of today’s movies certainly has fertile ground for inspiration. Unfortunately, this is a cheap knock-off and doesn’t belong in company like “Airplane,” “Spaceballs” or even the more recent “Scary Movie.” Alyson Hannigan, a likable actress who’s made a name for herself playing Willow on “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer” and now stars in “How I Met Your Mother,” deserves better than this. Rated PG–13 for continuous crude and sexual humor, including language. [RF]
EIGHT BELOW (PG) This is that rare film: an adventure tale that will impress parents and children alike with the story of eight Antarctic sled dogs and the trainer who won’t give up on them. Paul Walker, who has delivered lackluster performances in his past few films, does a much better job here as Gerry, an Antarctic guide who cares for a team of sled dogs at a base used for scientific exploration. The story is simple but compelling. When a dangerous snowstorm blows through the region, Gerry and other scientists and explorers at his base at the bottom of the world are evacuated. That quick departure comes on the heels of an almost deadly dogsled trip where Gerry and his eight amazing dogs save the life of a visiting scientist. As Gerry and the crew fly out, a pilot (Moon Bloodgood) who he’s sweet on promises she’ll come back on the next hop to retrieve the dogs. The weather worsens and the dogs, whom we’ve come to know and admire on the trip to find a Mars meteorite, are left stranded and chained to a lead outside the scientific base camp. Parents of young children should be warned; there is pain and death for some of the dogs as they battle the elements. Rated PG for some peril and brief mild language. [RF, RA, M]
FINAL DESTINATION 3 (R) As movies go, there aren’t many that are less fun to watch than this latest in a horrible series. The premise is kind of cool. In each of the “Final Destination” films, someone has a premonition of an impending accident. Warned, people are saved, and Death—a nasty, evil, capital-letter entity here—still wants them. The films then become about Death claiming the missed kids in horrible ways. This time out, a no-name, talentless cast dodges Death when a classmate foresees a runaway roller coaster. That leads to a series of bloody and hard-to-watch accidents. Rated R for strong horror violence/gore, language and some nudity. [RF]
FIREWALL (PG–13) For those who’ve missed months of TV commercials: This is the story of a bank security expert (Harrison Ford) who has his family kidnapped by a nasty guy who wants his help to steal millions. Paul Bettany is scarily smooth as the bad guy who puts Ford’s character through all kinds of paces to pull off the heist. Ford is believable and compelling as a family man who finds he will do anything to save his wife and kids. If the story were a tad less predictable, and the ending a bit more inspired, this would be in three-star territory or higher. Rated PG–13 for some intense sequences of violence. [RF]
MADEA’S FAMILY REUNION (PG–13) Writer, director and star Tyler Perry is a wonder as he reprises his character Madea, a wise-cracking, big-hearted but no-nonsense matriarch who teaches about dignity and respect. There are really two movies happening in this latest film featuring the funny, irreverent Madea. The first is pure fun, a collection of wisecracks, silly situations and one-liners that Madea (Perry) tosses out like the bullets in the gun she threatens to pull when things get tough. The other main thrust, which works despite a plot that weaves here and there, is the message that mothers and fathers in this generation of black families need to step up and play their parts to make solid families. This gets delivered by a dynamite twosome here, Cicely Tyson and Maya Angelou, who rally those at the climactic family reunion and exhort them to return to solid values. To round out the tale, there are loves and hates, a case of spouse abuse and the arrival of a young girl who needs guidance and discipline. Lynn Whitfield, Blair Underwood and Boris Kodjoe also star. Rated PG–13 for mature thematic material, domestic violence, sex and drug references. [RF, RA, M]
THE PINK PANTHER (PG) Steve Martin makes his Inspector Jacques Clouseau so silly, so over-the-top that when the action is just as silly, there’s nowhere for this farce to go. Kevin Kline and Jean Reno are wasted by the pointless action, and Beyoncé Knowles is painful to watch as she tries to act. There are segments that click here and there, but this is little more than a very long “Saturday Night Live” sketch. Rated PG for occasional crude and suggestive humor and language. [RF, RA, M]