REVIEWS: Tangled, Burlesque and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

written by Peter Ricci – FlixCritic

We decided you don’t care for a long-winded review, these days. you want to know if its good and should you spend your money. Well we have three movies for you to checkout for the Holiday season. yes they are for the family and they’re fun to see.

A

• Release Date: November 24th, 2010 (wide)
• Director: Nathan Greno and Byron Howard
• Stars: Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Donna Murphy, Brad Garrett, Jeffrey Tambor, M.C. Gainey, Paul F. Tompkins, Ron Perlman, Richard Kiel
• Studio: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
• Genre: Action/Adventure, Family, Musical, Animation and Adaptation
• MPAA Rating:PG for brief mild violence.
• Year: 2010

Tangled – It’s spectacular and one of Disney Animation’s best films in a long while. Last year Disney hit their mark again going back to their old format with The Princess and the Frog in which we love.

However, Tangled has raises the bar as Mandy Moore is splendid as Rapunzel, the girl with the magical golden hair. It’s a combination of Beauty and the Beast and Hercules. it’s a comical, magical ride that the family will love.

C-

• Release Date: November 24th, 2010 (wide)
• Director: Steven Antin
• Stars: Cher , Christina Aguilera, Eric Dane, Cam Gigandet, Julianne Hough
• Studio: Sony Pictures Releasing
• Genre: Drama and Musical/Performing Arts
• MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sexual content including several suggestive dance routines, partial nudity, language and some thematic material.
• Year: 2010

Burlesque – It’s great to see Cher back on the big screen, but personally, I wanted more Cher. Instead I got tons of Christina. that’s was fine, except the movie lacks two key elements. First it needed more burlesque, more rivalry and it was missing the romance of Flash Dance, you know the yearning to want a dream so bad you’ll do anything. Overall the movie is entertaining, but only worth a matinée’. If i had paid full price I would have been upset and thank God it was NOT in 3-D, could you imagine Christina Aguilera gyrating at you in 3-D! No-no-no- not a good look!

B+

• Release Date: November 19th, 2010 (wide)
• Director: David Yates
• Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, Tom Felton, Bill Nighy, Bonnie Wright, Jason Isaacs, John Hurt
• Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
• Genre: Action/Adventure, Fantasy, Adaptation and Sequel
• MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some sequences of intense action violence and frightening images.
• Year: 2010

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is the first of a 2 part last chapter. The film is a bit darker than the earlier ones, but it is making its way to the final climax between good and evil. I enjoyed this film as it went back to the original three, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. You finally get to see the three friends together again, unfortunately it’s during the darkest hours of Hogwarts. The film challenges the three hero-witches on their quest to rid the evil and make it save once again for all pure and half-bloods. It is the end of a decade of films that many of our children have grown to love as well as parents.  Deathly Hallows doesn’t disappoint us one bit. It worth the buck, but once again NOT worth 3-D. There is no visual effect that make this film 3-d except for depth – yawn!

Anyways, this film is wonderful and we are looking forward to the second part of the final film. The battle of all battles, who will win? Will light prevail or darkness take over?

REVIEW: Megamind

B-

Written by Peter Ricci – FlixCritic

• Release Date: November 5th, 2010 (wide)
• Director: Tom McGrath
• Stars: Will Farrell, Tina Fey, Jonah Hill, Brad Pitt
• Studio: DreamWorks Animation
• Genre: Action/Adventure, Comedy and Animation
• MPAA Rating: PG for action and some language
• Year: 2010

Megamind dominated over the weekend, especially in the box office numbers, but was it because of the movies popularity or the fact that it costs $4.00+ per ticket at the theater for 3D? Yes, Megamind was another animated film in 3D and let me be the first to say it’s not worth the 3D! There is no point for these films to keep coming out in this format.

How to Train Your Dragon

Review by Peter Ricci – Flix|Critic

From the riff, “How to Train Your Dragon,” may look like another fun-filled 3-D action kiddy film, but wait, this one soars above the rest. The story is filled with heart, thrills and enough adult humor to keep your grand daddy awake at a Saturday morning matinée. It’s complete fun for all the family. I was truly amazed with this action packed film, that the first go around of preview didn’t due it justice. Dragon is filled with swift action, a smart script, stunning animation and a group of voices that really come together to make this one heck of a blockbuster on the IMAX 3-D screens.

Alice In Wonderland

Review by Peter Ricci – Flix|Critic

“Alice in Wonderland” is one of my favorite childhood films and to me; Tim Burton’s vision is extraordinary and immaculately on point. The film has some interesting adjustments, but you have to remember this is Alice (Mia Wasikowska) years latter. It’s her second time back down the rabbit hole and back to wonderland, except after years of her father and doctor telling her they were delusions; Alice doesn’t believe she’s truly back in wonderland.

Alvin and the Chipmunks the Squeakquel

Review – Peter Ricci – Flix|Critic

Well there is not much to say about these three little guys except don’t expect much from this film and you’ll completely enjoy it. It for the kiddies, so mom and dad’s be ready to take your little ones to the theater, get a bucket of popcorn and sit back for the next eighty eight minutes of kiddies fun.  “Alvin and the Chipmunks the Squeakquel” is exactly what you expect – not much and OMG this cost me how much to see it? Even Jason Lee the lead to the movie and box office draw took an old approach like back in the day when Anthony Edwards/”Revenge of the Nerds II” did the – I’ll be in the movie, but only in a few scenes and on the phone, I have better movies to do. The movie starts at the top when Dave (Jason Lee) gets injured so his participation in the film is limited from that point on, making the movie straight up for the kids. Talk about an easy check for Jason.

Therefore, Survivors of the first “Alvin” may not be as enlightened by this slapstick, flatulent joke fueled film. It’s very unimaginative for the adults and how many times does one think testicle bashing is funny, this is not America’s Funniest Home Movies. Other non-surprising or shall we say lack-luster scenes of the film is the pop culture category where the chipmunks reference  “Silence of the Lambs” and “Taxi Driver.” We just have to ask why was this film made.

But for entertainment’s mature audiences, this movie has four things going for it: It’s cute at times, the song selection is decent, David Cross has two or three funny scenes, and it’s only 88 minutes long. Maybe you could sit home instead and watch Al Pacino’s Tragic & predictable thriller “88 Minutes” instead. It’s like needles in your eye and hey you didn’t have to leave home to feel the pain.

As the year comes to an end so does the choice for worst film of the year. At this point Did You Hear About The Morgan’s?,” “Alvin and the Chipmunks the Squeakquel” and “ “All About Steve” are neck and neck who will win. We are still working it out.

Recommendation: It;s family enjoyment fro the kids – if you like slap-stick comedy then Alvin and the gang is a cute additive to your holiday season: D+

• Release Date: December 23rd, 2009 (wide)
• Director: Betty Thomas
• Producer: Karen Rosenfelt, Ross Bagdasarian Jr, Janice Karman
• Stars: Jason Lee, Zachary Levi, Anjelah Johnson, Wendie Malick, Justin Long
• Genres: Comedy, Kids/Family and Sequel
• MPAA Rating: PG for some mild rude humor.
• Studios: Fox 2000, Regency Enterprises

See what the critics are saying around the Nation:                   Overall Rating: C-

Boston Globe – Ty Burr -“Little kids will love it. You’ll need a hazmat suit.” more…

New York Times – Neil Genzlinger – “The earlier Alvin movie made more than $217 million just in the United States. It’s hard to imagine this somewhat confused sequel doing as well.” more…

USA Today – Claudia Puig – “For anyone over age 8, the arrival of Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel may not be the most welcome news.” more…