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I Some releases may not be showing locally this week. • indicates new review BAD TEACHER (R) Nothing humor ously new is said in Bad Teacher. another in a popular line ot adults behaving badly around/toward children (a subgenre academically known as a Billy Bob comedy) As very bad teacher Elizabeth Halsey. Cameron Diaz reminds the moviegoing public that there 'was something about Mary, and she had a lot to do with it. Forced to return to a job she hates at which she is not very good, Elizabeth treats her students and coworkers, including overachiever Amy (Lucy Punch, whom I love), docile Lynn (Phyllis Smith ol ‘The Otlice") and laidback gym teacher, Russell (Jason Segel). with equal disdain, until sne sets her sights on wooing rich, new sub, Scott (Justin Tmbeiiake). with a boob job she must ratner questionably hnance Being a teacher might have skewed my opin ions on Bad Teacher I thought it was the summers funniest comedy behind Bridesmaids, especially considering it clocked in at a comedicaliy sound 90 minutes BEATS RHYMES & LIFE: THE TRAVELS OF A TRIBE CALLED QUEST Called Dues! is charted trom the»r first appearance m the 1980s through iheir 90s peak as alternative hip-hop inno- .afors to the troubled 2006 reunion and beyond (Where wifi Tube go from here’) Would you have guessed this dix was directed by actor Michael Rapaport 9 I would not have, but he uses his actorly connections to snag interviews with seemingly everybody including ihe Beastie Boys. Mary J Biige, Common, etc CARS 2 age children's cadnon Unfortunately an above-average children's cartoon is way below Pixar s capabilities Any other animation house can make a Cars t a Cars 2. Po»ar should leave the kijiie entertainment t j DreamWorks/ S ny and concentrate on singular mas terpieces like WALL EanrJ (ip CHOCOLAT i Summer Classic Movie Series k>cks oft w-th ChocoiaP Johnny Depp stars alongside Juliette Broche in this tsve- time Academy Award nominee (mclud ing Best Picture) trom director Lasse kjilstrom A woman (Binoche) and her voung daughter open a chocolate shop in and the tightly bound morals ol a tiny, repressed French town It’s been over 10 years since I saw this tilrn. and my memories have not grown fonder The Summer Classic Movie Series continues with a new Mm each week until Aug 18 FAST FIVE (PG-13) As the ‘plot’ goes. Dorn (Vin Diesel). Brian (Paul Walker) and Dorn's sister/Brian's squeeze, Mia (Jordana Brewster), are on the lam after a daring, non-fatal prison break In Rio. the trio runs afoul of super drug lord, Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida, doing what Joaquim de Almeida does best, intimidate in a bespoke suit) They also have to outwit federal bounty hunter Hobbs (a more gigantic than usual Dwayne Johnson) Other stuff goes on to set up the Oceans i 1 on wheels he>st that climaxes the movie Wosl ol the other stutt is taring. but when the car-based action gets movmq it is a pedal 1o the metal blast GREEN LANTERN PG-13) The movie version ot DC s second-lme superhero, a rmg-equipped interga- lactic policeman lacks the nostalgic baggage checked by the big two Scpes and Bats Test pilot Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds) is chosen to jom the Green Lantern Corps just in time to baffle Parallax a world-devouring baddie who uses the yellow power o! tear to turn Peter Sarsgaard trom a John Carpenter doppelganger into an evil, bloated alien John Carpenter Lantern s ring is energized by the green power ot will, which allows him/hcr/i! to create any construct imaginable The movie could use a little mote creative pizazz, judging by his constructs this Lantern is a preteen boy (I kept waiting on the farfconstruct) Tl Reynolds like he stepped right trom the page ol a comic and is as two-dimen- s.onai Uninteresting alter-ego Jordan dominates the movie. Green Lantern only tiies during its CGI spacey bits THE HANGOVER PART II :R Sequels to hit comedies mostly suck Think about it Caddyshack if Fietch Lues American Pie2 Major League 2 Arthur 2 On the Rocks Porky sit The Next Day Blues Brothers 2000 Weekend at Benue's It The list goes on The reasons these sequels tail are numerous taiture to comprehend what was tunny about the original, loss of the original stars, characters lose likabihty, sequel mines exact same jokes as the first movie, etc The Hangowr Pad II sidesteps the land mines that blow away the humorous limbs from most comedy sequels HORRIBLE BOSSES (R) Could Horrible Bosses be the summer's fun niest movie 9 The trailer promises a lot ot laughs from this Jason Bateman- Charlie Day-Jason Sudeikis comedy in which three buddies pledge to kill their bosses, a terrible tno played by Kevin Space/. Jennifer Aniston and Colin Farrell Think ol it like Strangers on a Tram where everyone knows each other and there’s no tram I expect good things horn director Seth Gordon, who burst on the scene with the great doc The King of Kong I even enjoyed his holrday comedy. Four Chrtslmases IN ABETTER WORLD (R) The lives of two Danish families cross when Elias the ten-year-old son of Anton, a doctor that frequently commutes between his home in Denmark and his work at an African refugee camp, forms a friendship with troubled school male Christian When Christian involves Elias in a dangerous act ot revenge, it becomes ultimately up to their parents to help them come to terms with the complexity of human emotions pam and empathy INCENDIES(R)2010 T.*. (Melissa Oesormeaux-Poulin) and Simon (Maxim Gaudefte) travel to the Middle East to fulfill their mothers final wishes and shed light on her mysteri ous past Director Denis Villeneuve's Academy Aw'ard nominee tor Best Foreign Language Film (it s Canadian) won eight Genies (including Best Motion Picture Best Achievement in Direction, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role and Best Screenplay. Adapted), nine (ot nine) Jufras (including Best Film Best Direction Best Actress and Best Screenplay) KUNG FU PANDA 2 PG> However much I dug the first KungFo Panda. the second adventure ol Dragon Warrior Po iv Jack 6'ack, who is bet- *er heard than seen) and the Furious Five—Master Tigress (v Angelina Jolie) Master Crane (v Cross) Master Viper (v Lucy Liu), Master Mantis (v Seth Hogen) and Master Monkey tv Jackie Chan)—has more visual inven tiveness than it does comic or narrative combined LARRY CROWNE (PG-13) Tom Hanks steps back behind the camera— and stars in—this comedy aboul out-of-work Larry Crowne who enrolls at his local college, where he con nects a group of outcasts and falls lor Mercedes Tainot (Julia Roberts), one of his teachers This movie sounds a lot like NBC's hilarious ‘Community * Hanks teamed up with My Big Fal Greek Wedding phenom Nia Vardalos on the screenplay With Wdmer Valderrama, 8ryan Cranston. Pam Grier Cedric the Entertainer and Hanks' bosom buddy. Peter Scolari. THE LINCOLN LAWYER (R) The L mcoin Lawyer seems like the next great drama from TNT Matthew McConaughey would make many a dreary summer weeknight fly by as slick attorney Mickey Haller, who does business out ot the backseat ot fns roomy town car As a movie this legal thriller says ail the right things in all Ihe righl ways Too bad courtroom dramas are a dime a dozen on TV Why pay exorbitant movie theater ticket prices when you can get the exact story in an hour on ‘Law & Order NCIS Las Vegas 9 * True, you'll have to settle tor Chris 0 Donnell rather than McConaughey. but Ryan Philippe might guest-star as a pretty boy on trial lor beating women You know the exact ude you're in for as you soon as you climb in the Lincoln's roomy back seat It's smooth and takes the curves well on the way to an all too familiar destination MADEA'S BIG HAPPY FAMILY (PG-13) Having written, directed, produced and/or starred in 11 movies since 2005. Tyler Perry has become predictable The broad, slapstick antics ol mad matriarch Madea (Perry) are jarringly meshed with a faith-based melodramatic family drama The family in Perry s newest movie belongs to s weet Shirley (Loretta Devine) who is dying of cancer Not that her awiul brood seems to care MIDNIGHT IN PARIS (PG-13) This literary romantic comedy easily bests Woody Allens last tew films, especially his mean-spirited You Will Meet a Tali Dark Stranger Owen Wilson stars as the latest Woody sfand-m, Gil, a Holly wood hacx trying to finish a novel while on a family business trip to Pans with his fiancee's (Rachel McAdams) family On a magical midnight walk. Gil runs into Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald (Tom Huddleston and Alison Pill), gets wntmg advice from Papa Hemingway (Corey Stoll) and Gertrude Stem (Kathy Bates) and falls tor Picasso's girlfriend. Adriana (Marion Cotillard) The b'g names Allen snags to play the even bigger personalities are terrific Stoll's wonderfully deadpan Hemingway drops droll tines about courage, love and writing trom Allen’s sharpest script since Bullets Over Broadway This tunny, heartwarming charmer should please longtime Alien tans, lit teachers and anyone looking tor an intelligent breeze to freshen up the stagnant rom- com genre MONTE CARLO (PG) While on a not-so-dream vacation lo Pans, three young women Grace. Meq and Emma (Selena Gomez Leighton Meester and Katie Cassidy)—live the Princess Duties experience (paparazzi, fancy dresses fairy tale love) in Monte Carlo after one girl is mistaken lor a British heiress Director Thomas Bezuchas last trim was the OK The Family Stone released six years ago Adapted from Jules Bass' tween lit hit. Headhunters With Andie MacDowell, Brett Cullen and the hilarious Catherine Tale (‘Doctor Who*) MR. POPPER'S PENGUINS (PG) Catting Mr Popper 's Penguins an adaptation ot Richard and Florence Atwater's 1938 Newberry Honor Book is a stretch The mam character is named Popper, and there are penguins The similarities end there Tom Popper (Jim Carrey, providing his most satis fying fun for the whole family comedy since 1997s Liar. Liar) is a ruthless real estate something-or-other. who's a rather sorry husband (to Carla Gugino) and lather (to Swing Votes wonderful Madeline Carroll and Maxwell Perry Cotton), that is until he inherits six penguins from his late absentee lather Then Popper becomes the besl poppa a penguin or progeny could pray for Bland, inoffensive family lilms can come m worse packages, i e. those missing Carrey, a rookery of cute penguins or Angela Lansbury Popper's most intrusive Haw doesnT belong to the movie but to Ihe studio This winter wonderland felt out ot place in June. PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES (PG-13) You would think Johnny Depp's Captam Jack Sparrow would soar to the surface now that he's shed of the dead weight that was Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) Instead, the fourth adventure of Captain Jack is terribly unexciting and, worst of all, boring, as he canters frantically about for no reason more dramatically pressing than box oil ice booty PRIEST (PG-13) An aggressively boring movie, Priest doesn t bring one original idea to its tale of a warrior man of the cloth battling an army ol vam pires in the cities ot Blade Runner and the desert wastelands of Mad Max The graphic novel series, upon which the second unimpressive movie directed Scott Charles Stewart and starring Paul Bettany is based, may be acclaimed, but I cannot see wby from its filmed version This ugly, murky sci-li/west- ern/horror/action hybrid is a soulless second-tier summer ‘blockbuster* bled ol even more color by Ihe pointless addition of 3D PROJECT NIM (NR) James Marsh. Ihe director ot the Academy Award winning documentary. Man on Wire. returns with another tale ct the 70s In order to pfove an ape could learn to communicate through language, Nim, a baby chimpanzee, is taken from his mother and raised as a human child by a family in their Upper West Side brownstone What an extraordinarily interesting true story' Winner ot the World Cinema Documentary Directing Award from the Sundance Film Festival RIO (G) Another week, another aver age animaled children's movie that won't quite pain the adults forced to accompany them After Rango. 201l's animated output has some minor big quirky boots to lit! Rio isn t quirky It mashes together several popular car toon plotlines SOMETHING BORROWED -PG 13) Something Borrowed, something blew In an in-spmt. it not m-name sequel to Bride IVjrs, another greater, more appealing actress withers when matched with the poisonous Kate Hudson I love Gmmfer Goodwin but she is r>o match tor KHud, whose career continues lo spawn entries on my personal worst movies list Rachel (Goodwin) and Darcy (Hudson) have been friends since ttjey were, like, little girls Now Darcy is on the verge ol get ting married to Rachel's longtime, law school crush. Dex (Colin Eggleslield), forcing Rachel to do something or lose him forever SOUL SURFER (PG) The sec ond release from new distributor FilmDislncJ. Soul Surfer is based on the true story of uenaged surfer Bethany Hamilton (AnnaSophia Robb), who lost her arm but not her desire to hang ten to a shark attack A ludi crously butt Dennis Quaid and Helen Hunt appear as Bethany's father and molher SUPER 8 (PG-13) In JJ Abrams' new summer crcwdpleaser, a group ol junior Spielbergs witness a train crash that unleashes some mysterious and destructive events on their small MOVIE LISTINGS Schedules often change alter our deadline. Please call ahead ACC LIBRARY (706-613-3650) They Came to Play (NR) 7:00 (Th. 7/6) CINE 706-353-3343) Due to our early tuty 1 deadlines, sfcowimes were not available Please see athenseme com lor movie schedule Chocolat (PG-13) In a Better World (R) Incendies (R) Midnight in Paris (PG-13) UGA TATE CENTER THEATER (706 542-6396) Fast Five (PG) 8:00. 10:00 (M, 7/11 & W. 7/13) Accurate movie times for the CARMIKE 12 (706-354-0016), 1 BEECHWOOD STADIUM 1 1 (706-546-1011) and GEORGIA SQUARE 5 (706-548-3426) cinemas are not available by press time. Visit www.flagpole.com for updated times. Ohio town The film's dramatic core and primary means ot propulsion are its dual mysteries one fantastical, one tragically mundane Without giving too much away, but lo establish a point ot reference. Super flisa Close Encounter with Jaws and E T THEY CAME TO PLAY (NR) 2008 During the Fitlh International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs (hosted by the Van Cliburn Foundation), a wide range ot players descend on Fort Worth. TX for a week of intense competition Be they 35 or 80, sell-taught or classically trained, these amateurs all love their musical art and strive to prove they are the world's best Winner of the Audience Award for Documentary trom the Ft Lauderdale International Film Festival •TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON (PG-13) What exactly did Michael Bay think was wrong with the last Transformers movie 9 Whatever he lixedmade Transformers Jcnngingly bad and the worst ot the bunch After defeating the Deceptions, the Autobots help pursue the U S government's global agenda (I guess we missed Ihe part where Optimus and Co became naturalized citizens), until a lunar discovery brings about a cataclysmic battle that only the Bots and a select group ot Americans can wm Sadly, humans still waste valuable screen lime as Sam Witwicky (Shia LeBeoul) grapples with debilitating penis envy tor his hot girlfriend's McDreamy boss (Patrick Dempsey) and his parents annoyingly return This two-ar>d-a- hall hour live-action cartoon-cum-car commercial has fallen into parody and makes its animated predecessor look like a deep character study set to the music ot Stan Bush • THE WARD (Fi) After a creatively, if not commercially successful run in the 1980s. the 1990s were not so kind to horror master John Carpenter His only film of the 2000s was Ghosts of Mars, unarguably one ol his worst pictures The weak, sickly horror genre ot 2011 needs JC to return strong and fright-filled, and The Ward, the auteur s mori well-rounded film since the lav* '80s. delivers The plot is simple; a young woman (Amber Heard) is institutionalized and must save herself and her wardmates trom a vengeful spirit The filmmaker returns to the lilm school bag of tricks that made Carpenter a household name (every household I live in counts) The Ward will never compete with Carpenter's iconic masterpieces, but it's a nice little ghost story effectively told around the cinematic campfire by one ol the genre's lummaries X-MEN: FIRST CLASS (PG-13) With Kick-Ass filmmaker Matthew Vaughn in charge. X-Men First Class is what the third X-movie should have been A pre- quel to the preceding cinematic issues. X-Men Zero explains how Professor Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Enk Lehnsherr, AKA Magneto (Michael Fassbender). came to be triends and then mortal enemies With Helllire Club members Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) and Emma Frost (January Jones) plotting nuclear war against the backdrop of the Cuban Missile Crisis, Xavier must train his first class of mutants—including series vets Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) and Beast (Nicholas Hoult)—lo control their powers ZOOKEEPER (PG) A lovable zoo keeper (Kevin James) is assisted by his animals, who decide to break their code of silence, in order to help him wm the affection ot a girl At the rate James' box-office star is rising, this family film seems like a surefire sum mer hit Director Frank Coraci is an Adam Sandler regular). I've seen the trailer. I'm not impressed Drew Wheeler 10 FLAGPOLE.COM JULY 6. 2011
