Note that movies released in theaters in January are included in 2011 because they are eligible for 2011 Oscars and other awards. Therefore 2012 begins with movies released in February.

May Releases:

MEN IN BLACK III - Starring Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Jemaine Clement, Emma Thompson.

Agent J (Smith) and Agent K (Jones) are back in action against killer alien Boris the Animal (Clement), who breaks out of solitary confinement, and is determine to destroy mankind.

Agent J must venture back in time to team up with a younger Agent K (Brolin) to defeat Boris and his plot. The world's fate hangs in the balance.

I'm a big fan of the MEN IN BLACK series and this one is as good as the others. Josh Brolin gives a great performance in mimicking Tommie Lee Jones (Agent K) persona, and the outlandish dialogue between the agents is very entertaining.

Very funny, clever, and certainly worth the visit.                             B

BERNIE - Starring Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine, Matthew McConaughey, Braddy Coleman.

Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. BERNIE is based upon the true story of Bernie Tiede (Black), an assistant funeral director in the small, rural town of Carthage, Texas. Bernie is beloved by the towns people for his generosity, caregiving, and commitment to the community. All of the senior ladies in town think that Bernie is a saint.

Following the death of her husband, Bernie befriends the widow, Marjorie Nugent (MacLaine), a nasty, sarcastic person, who the town despises. Nonetheless, Bernie's warmth and caring wins her over and the two become unseparable, traveling to all corners of the world on the widow's money.

However, Mrs. Nugent's true personality surfaces, and Bernie becomes a slave to her ever demanding needs.

Anything further would give the plot away, and that would spoil the fun.

BERNIE is a delight, with a (believe it or not) Oscar level performance by Jack Black. The cameo's by town's people are hilarious, and Shirley MacLaine is perfect in the role of the nasty, surly, widow Nugent.

This was a big surprise. Who knew Jack Black could sing! Very funny and great entertainment value.                Don't miss it.                             A-

BATTLESHIP - Starring Taylor Kitsch, Alex Starsgard, Rihanna, Brooklyn Decker, Liam Neeson.

This is the film version of the popular video game, and if you go with the right expectations, it's entertaining.

The plot is a bit dumb, and the acting is a bit cheesy, but the special effects are outstanding, and the action is as good as expected.

The plot involves aliens coming to Earth in 5 space crafts, in answer to a communication laser sent to their distant planet from Earth. It's unclear what their original motivation is, but their communication spaceship crashes in Hong Kong, leaving their mission  to communicate with their planet by utilizing our laser technology. So you assume they are bad guys (i.e. bad aliens), but they do distinguish who they kill, seemingly leaving the innocent alone and attacking only those with weapons.

Anyway, the plot is insignificant since it's all about the action and special effects. Taylor Kitsch, of Friday Nights Lights fame, and recently starring in the John Carter debacle, is trying really hard to gain leading man and heart throb status, and does a credible job here, as the brave but unpredictible Alex Hopper.

Rihanna gives an OK performance as Raikes, the communications specialist.

The use of the USS Missouri in the final battle scene is a nice nostalgic touch.

In summary, entertaining for an action-adventure movie and a good lesson in US Navy battle tactics.         B-

DARLING COMPANION - Starring Diane Keaton, Keven Kline, Dianne Weist, Elizabeth Moss, Charles Halford.

Beth (Keaton) notices a dog on the side of the freeway, rescues him, names him Freeway, and brings him home to the family. Beth's husband Joseph (Kline), a spinal surgeon who is totally preoccupied with his work, does not want to keep Freeway, but finally agrees.

During a family get together in the mountains, Joseph gets distracted with business while walking the dog, and Freeway runs away and is lost in the forest.

All family members are mobilized to find Freeway, aided by a psychic gypsy housekeeper. The search brings the family together and improves strained relationships within the family.

DARLING COMPANION is a cute movie but lacks substance and meanders toward a predictable conclusion. Acting was good but the entertainment value is only OK.  Maybe a good rental but not a big fan.          C

THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL - Starring Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson, Dev Patel, Bill Nighy, Penelope Wilton.

British retirees, looking for less expensive, exotic retirement, answer an ad for the "newly restored Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" in India. Each have different reasons for seeking this experience. Muriel (Maggie Smith) is in need of an inexpensive hip replacement, which India can provide. 

Jean (Wilton) and Douglas (Nighy) are trying to savage a strained, uneventfull marriage. 

Graham (Wilkinson) is in search of a former gay lover from his previous visit to India 40 years ago. 

Evelyn has recently lost her husband (the love of her life), and is in search of a new beginning.

Upon arriving in India, the group finds the Hotel in disrepair, managed by Sonny (Patel), a young visionary with no experience, attempting to restore the hotel to its former glory.

The group "toughs it out" while beginning to appreciate the pleasures and serenity of life in India.

This is a delightful and engaging romantic comedy with outstanding performances from a great cast of British actors. Judy Dench and Maggie Smith are legionary in roles like this and are as fantastic as ever. The interaction of all the characters is magical, with the perfect mixture of funny sequences and heart warning interludes.

Best movie of the year thus far. Don't miss it.                                             A-

DARK SHADOWS - Starring Johnny Depp, Eva Green, Michelle Pfeiffer, Helen Bonham Carter, Belle Heathcote.

In 1752, young Barnabas Collins (Depp) and his parents sail from Liverpool, England to start a new life in America.

They build a successful fishing business in America and establish the town of Collinsport, Maine. Twenty years later, Barnabas is the master of Collinswood Manor, and is rich and powerful. However he shuns the love of Angelique Bouchard (Green), who uses her black powers to cause the death of Barnabas' true love, Victoria (Heathcote), turns him into a vanpire, and buries him alive.

In 1972, Barnabas is inadvertently freed from his coffin, and confronts a very different world. Collinwood Manor has fallen into ruin and the contemporary Collins family is dysfunctional, with their own dark secrets.

Barnabas attempts to assimilate into this new world and regain his original status as master of the manor. However Angelique surfaces as the town's leading citizen and owner of the fishing industry of the town, and again becomes the force than Barnabas must overcome.

I was never a Tim Burton fan, finding his movies clever, but bizarre. This is no exception. In DARK SHADOWS I was expecting a dark comedy with great acting, and was disappointed in the lack of truly funny situations. With a theater half filled there was one laugh from one person in the entire movie.

Since it wasn't the comedy I expected I tries to understand and appreciate Burton's intent in the storyline, and still came up short.

I'm sure Burton lovers will flock to see this but I found DARK SHADOWS lacking in entertainment value.       C

MARVEL'S THE AVENGERS - Starring Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Samuel Jackson, Gwyneth Paltrow.

Nick Fury (Jackson) is the director of SHIELD, an Inter-global peace keeping organization. Fury attempts to unite six super heros to combat the evil Loki (brother of Thor), who has gained access to the Cosmic Cube, and its unlimited power. Iron Man (Downey Jr), the Incredible Hulk (Ruffalo), Captain America (Evans), Hawkeye (Renner), Thor (Hemsworth), and Black Widow (Johansson), come together to battle Loki and his powerful forces.

If you haven't heard of THE AVENGERS, you must live under a rock, because the much hyped movie broke all box office records in the first weekend it was released.

We waited on an hour line, comprised of many kids with super hero costumes, to partake in the experience, and it didn't disappoint. 

You get everything you would expect in action and special effects, but surprisingly the acting was very good, and the banter among the super heros was engaging and received a number of laughs. We chose not to see it in 3D, which must be a whole different experience, but THE AVENGERS is a must see in any venue. Although it's rated PG13, our grandkids (ages 4 to 14) loved it. There will be more in the future.                       B+

THE HUNTER - Starring William Defoe, Frances O'Connor, Sam Neill, Morgana Davies.

Martin (Defoe) is a mercenary, hired by an undisclosed company to hunt a Tasmanian tiger, thought to be extinct. The company wants the tiger's genetic material, thought to contain a paralyzing toxin.

 Posing as a scientist, Martin sets up camp in a run down farm house in the Tasmanian wilderness, owned by Lucy (O'Connor), whose husband has disappeared. Martin encounters resistance from the locals, who resent his intrusion, and many hidden dangers in his pursuit of the tiger, gaining a conscience along the way.

THE HUNTER is a slow moving, tedious drama that drags you though countless treks through the wilderness, in pursuit of the mysterious animal. The relationship between Martin and Lucy is never developed, and the role of Jack (Neill), as a local leader, is difficult to grasp as a contribution to the story line.

Didn't work for us.                                               C-

April Releases:

SAFE - Starring Jason Statham, Catherine Chan, Chris Sarandon, Anson Mount, James Hong.

Luke Wright (Statham) is an ex super cop, demoted to  2nd rate kick boxing, for turning on the bad cops in his precinct. He wins a bout that he was supposed to lose, and the Russian mafia kills his wife and casts him adrift, threatening to kill anyone he befriends. He is chased by the police for allegedly killing his wife and hits rock botton, living in the streets.

Mei is a young Chinese girl with extraordinary talents for counting and remembering large quantities of numbers. The leader of the NYC Chinese crime family, forces her to memorize a large number sequence that contains a code giving the combination to a casino safe where $30 MM is stashed. Mei escapes and is rescued by Luke at a subway station, while being pursued by the Russian gang and Chinese gang.

Well that's the gist of it. The remainder of the movie is a bloodbath of monumental propositions, with Luke killing anyone who crosses his path, including the Russians, Chinese, and a gang rouge cops, who are taking kickbacks from both gangs.

I would estimate about 500 bad guys bite the dust, but I'm certain that many of the Russian and Chinese actors get shot, redress, and are shot again.

SAFE has no redeeming value as a movie. It's an R rated video game appealing to a growing population of knuckle heads who love the blood and gore. Unless you fit the later category, don't waste your time. It may serve as a cable or movie rental if you're in the mood one afternoon, to leave your brain on the front porch and sit through the carnage.  Having said that, Statham is great in these tough guy roles and young  Catherine Chan (Mei) gives a credible  performance.                                                                   C

THE LUCKY ONE - Starring Zac Efron, Taylor Schilling, Blythe Danner, Riley Thomas Stewart, Jay R Ferguson.

Logan Thibault (Efron) is a marine on his third tour in Iraq. In combat he notices a photo on the ground and while bending to pick up the photo a nearby explosion devastates his platoon. Retrieving the photo saves his life, and he is possessed by the woman in the photo, and keeps it as his good luck charm for the remainder of his tour.

When he returns home he embarks upon a mission to find the woman. A light house in the photo serves as a clue in finding her. After wandering through many towns he identifies her as Beth (Schilling), the owner of a family run kennel.

Logan visits Beth and her grandmother, Ellie (Danner), and is hired as a helper at the kennel. He tries to tell Beth the reason for locating her but he cannot find the right moment. He learns the the photo was given to Beth's brother who died in the same firefight where Logan was wounded.

After a rocky start, their relationship grows into love, but there are many obstacles including his inability to tell the true reason for his visit, and the tension caused by Beth's abusive ex-husband, Keith (Ferguson), who is determine to reunite with Beth at any cost.

This is another romance novel by Nicholas Sparks, made into a movie, Others include DEAR JOHN and THE NOTEBOOK. I went with low expectations, since many critics were not too kind, but I was pleasantly surprises. Zac Efron is growing into a believable leading man, and Taylor Schilling was captivating in her first major role. As romance movies go, it's entertaining, measuring up to Sparks other movie adaptations. Worth a visit.     B

LOCKOUT - Starring Guy Pearce, Maggie Grace, Peter Stormare.

In the year 2057, dangerous prisoners are placed in a deep coma in an orbiting prison 50 miles above the earth.

The President's daughter Emilie Warnock (Grace) visits the prison on a goodwill mission to ensure that the conditions are acceptable. While interviewing an awakened prisoner, he captures the guard's gun, frees the other prisoners and holds the warden and guards hostage. Emily escapes and hides in the prison.

The President learns of the situation, and in an effort to free his daughter, solicits the help of  Show (Pearce), a wrongly convicted government agent, to rescue her.

Snow is flown to the prison secretly and embarks upon the mission of freeing Emilie and the other hostages if possible.

Guy Pearce's character Snow is a bit over the edge as a sarcastic, wise cracking, overly cool, super hero type, who has no fear of anything or anyone, to a fault. The banter between Snow and Emilie deteriorates into the annoying, while his survival in the wake of thousands of bullets thrown his way is hard to believe.

Granted this is true of most current super hero movies, but in spite of some good action sequences and special effects, this is a very ordinary movie, perhaps good for a rental or cable TV, but not to be confused with quality movie making.                                                C

SALMON FISHING ON THE YEMEN - Starring Emily Blunt, Ewan McGregor, Kristin Scott Thomas, Arm Waked, Tom Mison.

A visionary sheik from Yemen (Waked) is on a mission to bring salmon fishing to the Yemen River, with the added motive of bringing people together in a common cause. He employs Harriet (Blunt), a British expeditor, as manager of the project and she, in turn, seeks the expertise of Dr Alfred Jones (McGregor), a British fish expert, who thinks the idea is preposterous and impossible.

Jones declines the offer until the ardent Prime Minister's Press Secretary, Patricia Maxwell (Thomas), seizes the idea as a means to achieve good will between the countries, and pressures Dr Jones to participate.

Harriet, Dr. Jones, and the Sheik embark upon an unlikely adventure, using strong will and faith to achieve the impossible.

This is one of the best movie of the year thus far (it's early), and is an enjoyable tale of perseverance in the wake of many hardships to fulfill a sheik's dream against all odds. Emily Blunt is superb as the undaunted Harriet, and Arm Waked is outstanding as the sheik. Very entertaining and highly recommended.                         B+

MIRROR MIRROR - Starring Julia Roberts, Lily Collins, Armie Hammer, Nathan Lane.

This is a tongue in check adaptation of the Snow White fairytale, complete with wicked witch (Roberts), a captivating Snow (Collins), a bumbling prince (Hammer) and seven outlaw dwafts. There are a few funny lines and situations, but I expected more in both substance and comedy. A cute movie but didn't meet expectations. C+

HUNGER GAMES - Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland, Elizabeth Banks, Liam Hemsworth.

In a futuristic world, following a devastating world rebellion, the defeated are confined in 12 Districts, each specializing in various industries to support the victors. As penance for the rebellion, the districts must name one male and one female between the ages of 12 and 18, to participate in the annual "Hunger Games". Of the 24 young participants only one will survive.

16 year old Katness Everdeen (Lawrence) volunteers to take the place of her younger sister who was selected. She and Peeta Mellark (Hutcherson), the male selected from Dictrict 12, enter a grueling training phase prior to being let loose in a forest area to fend for themselves and defeat (i.e. kill) the other tributes. 

Katness must balance her will to survive with her moral code of compassion and love to achieve success.

This is the film adaptation of the Suzanne Collins' novel, which was a best selling series, particularly among teens and young adults.

The movie version is true to the book and is drawing the same cult attention that the  'TWILIGHT' and 'HARRY POTTER' movies enjoyed. Jennifer Lawrence gives a compeling performance as Katness, and is the focal point of the movie. There is a great supporting cast led by Stanley Tucci, as the MC of the Games, Donald Sutherland as the President, Woody Harrelson as Katness' alcoholic tutor, and Elizabeth Banks as the zany sponsor for District 12. This is very entertaining and will certainly have at least two sequels to complete the trilogy.         B

March Releases:

JOHN CARTER - Starring Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, Thomas Haden Church, William Dafoe.

In 1881, a disgruntled former Confederate captain, John Carter (Kitsch), is searching for gold in a mysterious cave in the West. After finding a gold medallion, he is inexplicably transported to Mars, where he becomes embroiled in an epic conflict among the inhabitants of Barsoom (Mars). He meets the beautiful princess Dejah (Collins) and partners with her and her city to confront an evil force conspiring to conquer the planet.

Carter has powerful physical skills presumably resulting from the gravity difference between Earth and Mars, enabling him to leap enormous heights and distances. However he needs his other human traits to successfully combat the evil.The movie is adapted from the Edgar Rice Burroughs science fiction series entitled BARSOOM. He is also famous for his Tarzan series, and wrote over 80 Sci/Fi and jungle adventures in the early 20th century.

As Sci/Fi fantasies go JOHN CARTER  is pretty good, better than some (i.e.THE IMMORTALS) but no where near to level of STAR WARS and other chassics. Taylor Kitsch (Friday Night Lights fame), is a credible super hero, in a tongue in cheek, Flash Gordon way. He performs most of his own stunts (as does Lynn Collins who is a black belt karate), and will certainly draw the female crowd.

The special effects are good (we didn't view it in 3D), and it's a fun adventure, as long as your not expecting Academy Award material. If you like these adventures it's worth a visit. If successful there will be sequels.  Note that the Barsoom series had a cult following in the 1950's, and the movie could spark a reoccurence.  However box office results were very disappointing,                              C+                           

February Releases:

ACT OF VALOR - Starring Roselyn Sanchez, Jason Cottle, Nester Serrano, Sonny Manson.

Lisa Morales, a CIA operative, is kidnapped and tortured in Costa Rica. A team of Navy SEALs rescues her, only to discover a terrifying plot to infiltrate US cities with suicide bombers, with devastating explosives undetectable by airport screening.

The SEALs embark upon an objective to destroy the plot and kill the terrorists.

The movie is all about the Navy SEALs, accurately depicting their strategy, tactics, firepower, and courage. The 

missions are carried out by real Navy SEALs, giving the viewer a first hand account of the proficiency and pinpoint execution of their plan. In this regard it is more of a documentary.

There is nonstop action, a compelling plot, and the acting is good, despite a little known cast.

Even if you are not a fan of action movies, seeing the SEALs in action is worth the experience.           B

GONE - Starring Amanda Seyfried, Daniel Sunjata, Jennifer Carpenter, Sebastian Stan, Wes Bentley.

Jill Parrish comes home one night to discover that her sister Molly was abducted. Jill was the victim of an abduction a year earlier and managed to escape. She fears that the serial killer abducted her sister, thinking that Jill would be at home.

The police don't believe Jill's story of her abduction since they found no evidence of the hole in the forest where she claims she was held captive. Hence they believe that the abduction of her sister is also a hoax.

Jill knows she has little time to find her sister and the serial killer, since she suspects that Molly will be dead by dawn.

She goes on a desperate chase to uncover the serial killers identity and rescue her sister.

GONE is an old fashion thriller and keeps you guessing throughout. Solid entertainment.                 B

THIS MEANS WAR - Starring Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine, Tom Hardy, Chelsea Handler, Angela Bassett.

Lauren (Witherspoon) is single , who is trying to meet the right guy. She is strongly encouraged by her friend, Trish (Handler), to join a dating service to find the right man.

FDR Foster (Pine) and Tuck (Hardy) are CIA agents, sitting at desks right across from one another at CIA headquarters. They are the best of friends and have looked out for one another throughout their career as CIA operatives.

FSR meets Lauren through the dating service and they instantly connect. His friend Tuck, is next door at a bookshop, awaiting the outcome of FDR's date, when he bumps into Lauren. Not knowing that this is FDR's date, Tuck convinces Lauren to have dinner with him, and after a few rough starts the relationship heats up.

The two discover they are vying for the same girl and an intense competition ensues, leading to Lauren's final decision.

This is a light romantic comedy with some funny sequences, and the added attraction of Reese Witherspoon, who always performs well in these movies. Many laughs, good entertainment for this time of year.        B-

CHRONICLE - Staring Dane Dehaan, Michael B. Jordan, Michael Kelly, Ashley Henshaw.

Three High School teens, of very different background and social acceptance, discover a mysterious hole in the ground while walking in a wooded area.

Andrew (Dehaan), who is unpopular and shy, receives a new video camera as a gift, and records (i.e. chronicles) all that occurs.

Steve (Jordan) is a very popular athlete, who is running for student president, while Richard (Kelly) has a gifted intellect which he uses to critique the school and the world in general. 

They climb down the hole and discover a massive, glowing object, and by touching it they receive unusual super powers. They have no understanding of these powers and use them  sparingly until Andrew throws a truck off the road, the driver of whom was harassing them.

Fearing the power they possess, Steve and Richard convince Andrew to only use their powers for good intentions, but as Andrew's popularity increases, only to take a devastating turn for the worse, he turns to the dark side for revenge against his tormentors.

Since Andrew is taking video of all events the movie takes on a "found footage" look similar to the BLAIR WITCH movies. This is disruptive and takes away from the effectiveness of the plot.

As dark fantasies go, this one is a bit over the edge, particularly when powers continue to increase to Superman levels. The kids gave good performances, especially Dehaan as the troubled, dark teen Andrew.

But in total, this is nothing special and a good rental in a few months.                                           C+

 BIG MIRACLE - Starring Drew Barrymore, John Krasinski, Dermot Mulroney, Kristin Bell, Ted Danson.

This is the true story of a 1988 International event, when the world came together to rescue 3 white whales who were trapped in the ice near Barrow, Alaska.

Adam Carlson (Krasinski) was a local reporter who discovered the whales while on assignment in Barrow. He is contacted by his ex-wife, Rachel Kramer (Barrymore), a Greenpeace activist who takes up the crusade to save the whales.

With assistance from an unlikely source, an oil tycoon (Danson), not known for his Greenpeace support, they convince the Reagan Administration to deploy National Guard assistance.

The story receives national attention when TV reporter Jill Jerard (Bell) travels to Barrow and covers the story.

With time running out the US solicits the help of the Soviet Union, who has the only ship in the Bering Straits capable of breaking through miles of ice to reach the whales.

BIG MIRACLE is not going to win an Academy Award, but it's great entertainment for the whole family, and the best 'feel good' movie of the past year.

There's a great cast, all of whom are very believable in reenacting a story that thawed the Cold War.

I loved it and would highly recommend to people of all ages.                                  B+

THE VOW - Starring Channing Tatum, Rachel McAdams, Sam Shepard, Jessica Lang.

Leo (Tatum) and Paige (McAdams) are newlyweds and very much in love, when a car accident on an icy street leaves Paige with brain damage and severe memory loss. She doesn't remember anything from the recent past and does not recognize her husband, Leo.

Leo is distraught, and to make matters worse Paige's parents (Shepard and Lang) appear on the scene after several years estranged, and attempt to take control of their daughters rehab and future.

Her parents are very controlling and convince Paige to come live at their home, following a frustrating attempt to live with Leo.

Leo must entice Paige to fall in love with him again, while combating the negative influence of her parents.

This is based upon a true story, and is a griping tale of love reacquired in the wake of a tragic event.

The chemistry between Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams is a highlight of the movie, and THE VOW is a quality romance to begin the new movie season.                                               B+

SAFE HOUSE - Starring Denzel Washington, Ryan Reynolds, Brendan Gleeson, Sam Shepard, Vera Famiga.

Matt Weston (Reynolds) is a new CIA operative, whose initial assignment is "housekeeper" for a CIA safe house in Cape Town, South Africa. This is a boring assignment as he awaits 'visitors' brought to the safe house.

Tobin Frost (Washngton) is a former top CIA agent who went rouge 7 years ago, involved in the sale of classified information to the highest bidder. He come in possession of a list of rouge agents embedded in the world security communities, which would implicate many operatives as double agents.

He is under siege from unknown assailants, forcing him to seek refuge at the US Consulate. The CIA is shocked that Frost would turn himself in, and plans to transport him to the US following a stay at the Cape Town safe house.

Matt Weston is in awe of Frost, whose reputation as a former top operative is well known in CIA circles.

While Frost is under interrogation, the safe house is attacked by the assailants, leaving many agents killed. Weston escapes with Frost after a ferocious car chase, and the two seek answers, while eluding all in pursuit of them.

This is a quality action thriller with great performances by Denzel Washington, as the dark former agent, and Ryan Reynolds, as an inexperienced agent thrown into a battle for his life.

Very entertaining and a quality thriller for this time of year.                                     B