Despicable Me

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: An evil villain (Steve Carell) attempts to steal the Moon, in a last ditch effort to prove that he's the best bad guy in the world, but his plans start to falter when 3 orphan girls come into his life.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Julie Andrews, Miranda Cosgrove, Kristen Wiig, Will Arnett, Dana Gaier, Elsie Fisher, Jack McBrayer, Jemaine Clement, Danny McBride, Mindy Kaling, and the Minions

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Whatever the story departments in the animation world are doing, live action development people should figure it out and start imitating it as soon as possible. In some of these animated movies, it almost feels like someone cared about the user experience... and these are the movies that are supposed to be for little kids, you know, those small-sized people with completely undeveloped minds.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Most of the cleverness is in the details, so pay very close attention.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: It goes so far as to make you say, "Awwww." Out loud.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: As enthusiastic as I may seem about this movie, it's not that good.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: I was impressed with Steve Carell's accent-- not because I could place what country it was supposed to be from, but because it totally made you forget that it was Steve Carell. Same goes for Russell Brand, who really sounds old. But it goes without saying that the best voice comes from Elsie Fisher, a little girl who can't be more than 8-years-old, and should be able to parlay this into being the next Dakota Fanning.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Pretty standard.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The writers do a nice job of creating an antihero with a backstory that makes you sympathize with him. They quickly establish how mean he is, then suddenly show you why, then the plot sets in motion, and emotionally, you understand what a guy like this is getting out of hanging around a bunch of little girls. The girls are also established in such a way that you buy that they would be accepting of this man's strange home and lifestyle.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/despicable-me/36148/trailers

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Race to Witch Mountain

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A skeptical cab driver (Dwayne Johnson) picks up a pair of child aliens (AnnaSophia Robb & Alexander Ludwig), and they all run from the government, an alien monster, and some mafia thugs, as they attempt to save their planet and ours from imminent destruction.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, AnnaSophia Robb, Alexander Ludwig, Carla Gugino, Ciaran Hinds, Tom Everett Scott, Chris Marquette, Billy Brown, Garry Marshall, and from the original, Kim Richards and Ike Eisenmann

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. If I were Simon Cowell, I might say, "You didn't make it your own." If I were Randy Jackson, I would add a "Dawg" to that. And if I were Paula Abdul I would say, "I like cake." But what they all mean is, it's all there, except for the charm.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Only once, thanks to the well written dialogue of a non-speaking dog named, Junkyard.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: I cried when I found out that there were no witches on the mountain, or anywhere else in the film. Maybe they meant to spell it "Which" mountain. That would've made more sense, in the context of a film that asks the question, "Hey, which mountain is our space craft hidden on?"

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Well, it is the Best Movie I've seen this year for boys 7 to 11 years old. And since it's made by Disney, I can't imagine it'll get a Nickelodeon award... unless the lesson of the day at Nickelodeon is "share-nice."

Q: How is the Acting?

A: The kids' speech patterns are purposely stilted, for the purpose of proving to the audience that they're aliens. So when you cast The Rock next to that, who delivers every line with his signature stiffness, it's sometimes hard to decipher who is supposed to be human. But when it comes to the physicality of being an action hero, Dwayne Johnson is the most believable one they've got. With his gargantuan biceps, you actually believe he could knock an alien-created, robot-soldier off his feet with a single punch.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The directing captures all the action appropriately, I only wish some of it didn't contain the types of hokey effects you would find on a ride at Disneyland. But it is a recession, so maybe Disney is cutting back by creating the ride first, and then shooting the movie on it.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It is choreographed like an old standard: And 1) and present the skeptic, and 2) and introduce him to aliens, and 3) have them running from everyone until he believes they exist, and kick-ball-change, chassé, and spin!

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/race-to-witch-mountain/33071/trailers

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Knowing

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A scientist (Nicolas Cage) gets his hands on a series of numbers that has been buried underground for the last 50 years, and realizes that it is a pattern predicting all the major death inducing accidents that have happened since then... Only the list isn't done yet, and the next major disaster is coming tomorrow.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Nicolas Cage, Chandler Canterbury, Rose Byrne, D.G. Maloney, Lara Robinson, Nadia Townsend, Ben Mendelsohn

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. What a great premise! What would you do if you knew in advance that something bad would happen? Could you find a way to stop it? Would knowing make you feel more relaxed, or more stressed out? Would you take full advantage of your last hours on Earth if you knew the end was near? These are all interesting questions, most of which are not addressed in the film... And then the aliens come.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: By the end, I was laughing a lot inside my head.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: And crying inside my head, too, about how they took such an interesting opportunity to explore the hypothetical questions that have been on all of our minds since we developed analytical thinking skills in the second grade, and instead of mining it for gold, they mined it for human manure.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Let's start with the Most Illogical Character Choices Ever! Award. Everything that a normal, logical person would do if faced with these circumstances, Nicolas Cage does the opposite of... But at least his character is consistent.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: I always enjoy Nicolas Cage when he plays off-beat characters like in Adaptation, Raising Arizona and Valley Girl. Likewise I regularly find him over the top and annoying in this schmaltzy stuff where he tries to be an action hero. Rose Byrne looks a lot like Jennifer Connelly, so that was confusing me. But the kids are pretty good.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The directing is the primary reason why this movie stays exciting, even during the scenes that defy all reason. The musical score and the sweeping shots of Cage running add a level of thrill-ride that clearly rises above anything that would have been described on the written page.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It seems to be going for some sort of faith-based message, but I couldn't tell which faith it was attempting to kowtow to. First, it leans toward preaching that there is a Heaven... And then the aliens come.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/knowing/32271/trailers

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