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Some releases may not be showing locally this week.
THE A-TEAM (PG-13) The A-Team’
may hail from one of TVs cheesier
eras, but the only way the movie could
work is with respect for the material.
Otherwise, the souffle would deflate
into unsuccessful parody a la The
Dukes of Hazzard’ movie. Carnahan
and his screenwriter pals, actor Brian
Bloom and Skip Woods, walk the line
perfectly. The A-Team is sublimely
ridiculous. But that's why they're the
A-Team
BABETTES FEAST (6) 1987
Cin£* Summer Classic Movie Series
returns with a wonderful slate of films
including last week’s Mr Smith Goes
to Washington, next week’s Days of
Heaven. To Kill a Mockingbird. Seven
Samurai. The Birds and A Clockwork
Orange. This week's classic, Babettes
Feast, won the Academy Award for Best
Foreign Language Film. Two sisters,
the daughters of a small village's very
Protestant minister, long deceased
allow their guest Catholic foreigner
Babette. to prepare a feast in honor
of what would have been their father’s
100th birthday. Written and directed by
Gabriel Axel.
CLASH OF THE TITANS (PG-13)
Perhaps one of the most important
movies of my childhood years, 19811s
Clash of the Titans informed most of
my early knowledge of Greek mythol
ogy (for good or bad). Nobody is going
to be talking about the new Clash of
the Titans, churched up 3D effects or
not, by the end of 2010, much less in
2030. Where is the fun? In the words of
reality TVs enlightened despot. Simon
Cowell, this new Clash of the Titans is
‘utterly forgettable'
DAYS OF HEAVEN (PG) 1978
Cin£* Summer Classic Movie Senes,
sponsored by Balance Pilates. returns
with a wonderful slate of films includ
ing Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.
BabelteS Feast next week's To Kit!
a Mockingbird. Seven Samurai. The
Birds and A Clockwork Orange This
week's classic. Days of Heaven, is
Terence Malick at his finest. Hotheaded
Bill (Richard Gere) convinces his
lover. Abby (Brooke Adams), to marry
their dying boss (Sam Shepard) in an
attempt to share his wealth Malick won
a Best Director prize at Cannes, and
N6stor Almendros won an Academy
Award for Best Cinematography for his
gorgeous agricultural panoramas
DEATH AT A FUNERAL (R) Not
much about Death at a Funeral has
changed since I reviewed the original
film way back in aught seven, so why
should my review? ‘Why should wed
dings have all the disastrous film fun’
We can milk the sacred funereal cow
for all its riotous laughs, too * Even so.
I failed to discover where they buried
all the funny in Death at a Funeral, the
latest grasp for mainstream sucoess
from Neil Labute
DESPICABLE ME (PG) The world's
premier supervillain. Gru (v. Steve
Carell). is plotting his biggest heist
yet—he's going to steal the moon—
when a trio of orphan girls brings the
daddy out of Dr Evil I cannot get a
read on Despicable Me from its trailers
or its creators’ sparse feature filmog
raphies. Featuring your usual all-star
voice cast that includes Kristen Wiig.
Jason Segel. Will Arnett, Ken Jeong,
Julie Andrews, Danny McBride, Russell
Brand, Mindy Kaling, Jack McBrayer,
Jemaine Clement and more.
GET HIM TO THE GREEK (R)
Forgetting Sarah Marshall director
Nicholas Stoller takes the writing reins
from star Jason Segel. unleashing the
‘How I Met Your Mother’ star's rock
god, Aldous Snow (Russell Brand), in
a story almost all his own With 109
minutes of laughter and Apatowan
affection. Get Him to the Greek is the
summer's best comedy to date
GROWN UPS (PG-13) Immune as
I am to the charms of Adam Sandler.
Kevin James, Chris Rock (the actor, as
opposed to the stand-up comedian),
David Spade and Rob Schneider
(especially Rob Schneider), I am not
the best person to tell you whether or
not you'll fall for their combined comic
powers. I can tell you Grown Ups is
not a very good movie, and its way
below Sandler’s recent output. Five
old pals—a Hollywood super-agent
(Sandler), lovable loser (James), hen
pecked househusband (Rock), aging
homdog (Spade) and granny-chasing
New Ager (Schneider)—get together
after their childhood basketball coach's
funeral. Inoffensive enough for easily
amused families, the jokes in Grown
Ups ate primarily composed of friendly.
MOVIE LISTINGS
Schedules often change after our deadline. Please call aftead.
ACC USKAKY (706-613-3650)
Resolved (NR) 7.-00 (Th. 7/15)
CHl£ (706-353-3343)
Babcttc's Feast (6) 5:00 (ends Th. 7/15)
Days of Heaven (PG) 7:30 (F. 7/16) 5:45 (Sa. 7/17-Th. 7/22)
Mother and Child (R) 5:30. 8:30 (W. 7/14-Th. 7/15) (new times F.
7/16: 5toO, *45; Sa. 7/17-Th. 7/22: 8:30) (add! times Sa. 7/17-Su.
7/18: 3:00)
ILEJL live @ tocfcpalatt 1985 (NR) 7:30, 9:30 (Tu. 7/13)
The Room (R) midnight (F. 7/16-Sa. 7/17)
The Secret to Their Eye* (R) 8:15 (W. 7/14-Th. 7/15) (new times F.
7/16: 5:30, 8:15) (add! times Sa. 7/17-Su. 7/18: 2:45)
(706-542-6396)
Oath of the THam (R) 7:00 (W. 7/14)
Death at a Amaral (R) 7:00 (M. 7/19 & W. 7/21)
Accurate movie times for the CNRMU 12 (706-354-0016),,
HMN1 11 (706-546-1011) and MOMtt
S (706-546-3426) cinemas are not available by press
time. Visit vnra.fUwHNc.awi for updated times.
heckling one-upmanship, better
known as punchlines minus the work
of a setup. Apparently. The Big Chill
was too intellectual; what Lawrence
Kasdan's film lacked were fart/bunion/
hairpiece jokes and bunch of Kevin
James pratfalls
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON
(PG) How to Train Your Dragon is a
terrific computer-generated animated
feature, and the first I recommend you
should watch in 3D. As great as it is for
families (if I had a kid, I would rush out
to see it with him/her). Dragon left me
breathless at the animation and kind ol
bored with the familiar story and tired
pop culture jokes. Dragon is the latest
from DreamWorks Animation, the home
of Shrek, and the family resemblance
is strong. Hiccup (v. Jay Baruchel) is a
flick will do wonders for local martial
arts enrollment.
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT (R)
Annette Bening's other family-centric
drama (following Mother and Child
centers on a lesbian couple, Nrc
and Jules (power acting duo Bening
and Julianne Moore), both of whom
conceived children through artificial
insemination Now their teenager.
Laser (Josh Hutcherson, Journey to
the Center of the Eartttj. has convinced
his older sister, Joni (Mia Wasikowska.
Alice in Wonderland, to investigate
their donor dads Filmmaker Lisa
Cholodenko wrote and directed Laurel
Canyon and High Art With Mark
Ruftalc
THE KILLER INSIDE ME (R) See
Movie Pick
Is this LEED-certified?
scrawny Viking screw-up who wants to
hunt dragons like his gigantic, heroic
dad (v. Gerard Butler). But after captur
ing his own flying firebreather. Hiccup
teams there may be more to these ,
creatures than hunting them
AIMCEPTION (PG-13) I still do not
have half a clue what Dark Knight
filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s new
film is about, but it looks damn cool.
Leonardo DiCaprio and his business
associates can apparently reconstruct
someone's dream and then steal their
ideas I will take my giant Huh?’
into the theater with me and hope
fully come out with a satisfied ’Aha.’
Noland nice cast includes Ellen Page.
Ken Watanabe. Joseph Gordon-Levitt,
Marion CoMlard. Cillian Murphy and
Michael Caine. Also in (MAX.
THE KARATE KID (PG) The remake
of the 1984 classic is definitely not the
best around; the son tier-toned flick
would place thied in a tournament with
the previous four Karate Kids Was it
really necessary to lake two hours and
20 minutes to (re)telt a plot about a kid
learning martial arts from a handyman
in order to beat up some bullies? No.
Xiao Dre (Jaden Smith, son of Karate
Kid producer Will; one wonders what
came first; Will Smith’s producing or
Jaden Smith* starring?) teams Rung fu
from the dour Mr. Han (Jackie Chan)
and enters a tournament against the
really mean Fighting Dragons, tod by a
teacher who totally took lessons from
Martin Kove* Kreese The final team
ing montage and the tournament don’t
make up for the two previous hours,
though they are definitely the movie*
highlighte. Where are the loads of fun
references to the first film? How cool
of a subUfie woukTPul him in 8 txxly
bag. Johnny** or "Sweep the teg* be?
No WHiian Zabka/Raiph Maochio cam
eos? Alas, no dice. I'm sure this new
KNIGHT AND DAY (PG-13)
Hitchcockian in the Charade sense.
Knight and flay pits super-spy Roy
Miller (Tom Cruise) and every-girt
June Havens (Cameron Diaz) against
the government, some European arms
dealers and their growing affection tor
each other. After a meet-cute in the
airport. Roy and June go on the lam,
as Roy claims to have been framed as
a rogue agent by his partner, Fitzgerald
(Peter Sarsgaard). Ten years ago.
Knight and Day would have ruled the
summer roost. But in 2010, Cruise
jumped the couch a few years ago,
Diaz’s box office clout never really
materialized and the under-funded spe
cial effects look abysmally dated.
THE LAST AfftBENDER (PG)M
Night Shyamalan, the arrogant writer-
director so maligned after a devastating
trifecta that concluded with 2006*
The Happening, smartly streamlines
the first 20 episodes of Nickelodeon*
Peabody Award-winning cartoon,
“Avatar; The Last Airbender’ Airbender
Aang (Noah Ringer) is the legendary
Avatar, thawed out after a hundred-year
deep freeze by Waterbender Katara
(Nicola Pettz)and her doofy brother,
Sokka (Eclipsds Jackson Rathbone)
Now he must team how to bend the
other three elements (water, earth and
fire) in order to defeat the Fire Nation,
vtikti looks to rule the world. M.
Night’s grandiose, almost operatic seri
ousness of purpose actually benef its
the transition of the deceptively deep,
offer, silly cartoon to tie big screen.
Nonetheless. I miss the childish fun of
toon Aang. The Last Airbender lacks
the fantastical awe that made toe show's
universe fit© a britiiart tittle brother to
Star Wars or Lord of the Rings, and no
one will prefer it to the cartoon.
LOVE RANCH (R) toy Academy
Award nominee Taylor Hacktord directs
his Oscar-winning wife. Helen Mirren,
for the first time in this drama based
on the first legal brothel in Reno.
Nevada. Joe Peso plays Mirren's
husband. Hacktord had been around
a long while before Ray (Have you
ever been lifted up where you belong
by An Officer and a GentlemarP). but
none of his films are as memorable
Writer Mark Jacobson wrote the article
upon which American Gangster was
based With Bryan Cranston. Scout
Taylor-Compton, Gina Gershon (can
you say typecasting’), Bai Ling and
M.C. Gainey.
MARMADUKE (PG) So the comic
strip canine becomes a live-action
movie, and Owen Wilson voices the
teenaged Great Dane I am sure the kid
dies will eat this up just as greedily as
they did both Alvin and the Chipmunks
movies Lee Pace (’Pushing Daisies’)
and Judy Greff star as Marmaduke's
human owners, while a slew of familiar
actors—Emma Stone. Ron Perlman.
Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jeremy
Piven. Steve Coogan. Fergie. George
Lopez—give voice to the animal king
dom. Directed by Tom Dey (Shanghai
Noon. Failure to Launch).
MOTHER AND CHILD (R) The
stories of three women—a 50-year-
old healthcare professional (Annette
Bening), the daughter (Naomi Watts)
she gave up for adoption over 30
years earlier and an African-American
woman looking to adopt—unfold in
writer-director Rodrigo Garcia* new
film. Garcia has made quite a career
out of helmino quality HBO series—
“The Sopranos.’ 'Camivate,* “Six Feet
Under.’ ‘Big Love.’ ‘In Treatment ’ His
features—Passengers—have not fared
as well. With Jimmy Smits and Samuel
L. Jackson
PREDATORS (R) A group of
elite human warriors—including
Adrien Brody, Alice Braga, Laurence
Fishbume, Walton Goggins, Danny
Trejo and Topher Grace (?»)—must
elude more than one of the universe*
ultimate hunters, Robert Rodriguez's
name may sit above the title, but he
is only exec-producing this reboot of
the Predator franchise Nimrod Antal
is directing; his previous movies
(Vacancy. Armored were competent,
r! not stellar genre entries I look tor
Predators to satisfy in similar fashion
R.E.M. LIVE @ ROCKPALAST
1985 (NR) Commemorating 25 years
since the band* release of ‘Fables of
the Reconstruction,* Cine screens the
25-song live concert from R.E.M. s
1985 performance tor Germany* long-
running five music television show,
Rockpaiast (in English, “Rock Palace*).
Find toe complete setlist at www.rock-
palastarchiv.de/concffVrem.html.
RESOLVED (PG-13) 2007. Filmmaker
Greg Whiteiey* documentary starts
by looking a! high school debate and
ends up addressing the racial and
socioeconomic biases of the American
education system. Former debtors
Jane Pautey, actor Josh Lucas, Kart
Rove, Supreme Court Justice Samuel
Afito and journalist Juan WlHiams
address how debate afiectod their fives
Winner of Best Documentary from (he
L» Angetes Film Festival and toe Los
Angetes tndepeodert FHm Festhral and
nominated tor tw Emmys.
ROBIN HOOD (PG-13) On paper, a
realistic, “nistoricalfy accurate* ver
sion of tie Rabin Hood myto from the
G&teftKteam and super-producer
Brian Grazer read like a dynamite
summer blockbuster, but in reality, a
dour. dark, incredibly anachronistic
(everyone is a feminist, ecumenical.
Enlightenment philosopher) Robin
Hood is no Robin Hood at all. I would
rather rewatch the 1938 Errol Flynn
masterpiece. The Adventures of Robin
Hood than this version. In the medi
eval darkness, Russell Crowe* Robin
kind of misses the target.
THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES (R)
2009. The Academy Award winner for
Best Foreign Language Film of the
Year. The Secret in Their Eyes hails
from Argentina, where it swept their
Academy Awards, winning 13 Awards
of the Argentinean Academy. An inves
tigator. Benjamin Espcsito (Ricardo
Darm), begins a novel of an unsolved
rape/murder that has haunted him for
25 years Interestingly, writer-director
Juan Jo$6 Campanella is an American
TV vet. directing such hits as “Law &
Order; SVU* (17 episodes). “House’
(four episodes) and *Strangers with
Candy’ (eight episodes).
THE SORCERER S APPRENTICE
(PG) Disney hips up its seminal
Fantasia sketch with Nic Cage as a
curiously coifted wizard backed up
by his National Treasure director, Jon
Turteltaub. A master sorcerer. Balthazar
Blake (Cage), recruits a regular dude.
Dave Stutter (Jay Baruchel. Howlo
Train Your Dragon), to help him defeat
his arch-nemesis, Maxim Horvath
(Alfred Molina) Even with the gor
geous Monica Betlucci, I am skeptical
about this flick, especially after Cage's
last sorcery movie. Season of the
Witch
TOY STORY 3 (G) When toy owner
Andy grows up and goes to college,
he donates his favorite toys, includ
ing Woody (v. Tom Hanks) and Buzz
Lightyear (v. Tim Allen), to a day care
center As excited as I am to meet the
new toys. I am even more excited #)oiit
the script by Little Miss Sunshine
Oscar winner, Michael Arndt. Drredof
Lee Unkrich codirected previous Pixar
hits Toy Story 2 and Finding Nemo.
THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECUPSE
(PG-13) No matter how many times
the director changes for the better,
the cast, characters, and story remain
the same. Bella (Kristen Stewart) is.
like, so in love with Edward (Robert
Pattinson), who* a vampire, but
she* also in love with Jacob (Taylor
Lautner). who turns into a giant wolf.
And Jacob rarely wears a shirt. (OMG,
he is so hot.) Well, a bitchy redheaded
vampire named Victoria (Bryce Dallas
Howard) wants to kilt Bella so she
creates an army of newborn vamps
(they're, like, totally stronger than
older vamps). But the Cullens—that*
Edwards vampire family—and Jacob's
wotf pack totally put aside their dif
ferences to protect Bella. The TwHtght
Saga is easily the most ill-prepared
blockbuster franchise of all time, and
Summtt Entertainment* no-tisi cast
ing may have finally caught up witfi
it New director David Slade uses his
previous experience with bJcodsuck-
ers (30 Days of Nigh!) to construct
some cool night scenes for author
Stephenie Meyer* tangless vampires
Unfortunately, nothing can amend for
screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg* atro
cious dialogue and toe movie* sheer
volume of mope. Everybody from Bella
to Edward to Bella* fatoer Charlie,
frowns and whines, tf only Betia had
stayed to<iger on the QuUeute indan
resenfe Jon where folks have bettor
things to do than sufc&e teens in a
50s melodrama Everything to Edipse
builds \o the climactic showdown
betweeia united Cuiten-Ouiteute front
and Victoria* newborns, which tews lip
tote hype. The big battte may wind up
the hightighl of the entire series, but it
. is not worth toe price of adatisston
s,