August Movie Reviews

AMERICAN TEEN- If shows like Laguna Beach and The Hills are what make us hate today’s teenagers, this film is the antidote that reminds us that we used to be teenagers too. And while we may be worthy of some gentle mockery, there’s no need for outright scorn, especially when focused through the lives of this documentary’s stars. Playing off the archetypes of John Hughes’ The Breakfast Club, we’re introduced to five high school seniors in Warsaw, Indiana: Hannah (a rebel), Colin (a jock), Jake (a geek), Megan (a princess) and Mitch (a heartthrob).  A fictionalized tale involving these five kinds of characters would be a waste of time, but through the unpredictability allowed by a documentary, we’re allowed to see each of these leads as fully realized people.  You’ll see shades of yourself and your friends in them, but the film attempts to be as objective as possible.  We watch as some of the students grow as people over the year, while others don’t learn anything.  There are moments where director Nanette Burnstein attempts to choreograph scenes a little too tightly, like when there’s a big important game and talent scouts will be there, but Colin is being too much of a ball-hog.  Thankfully, stumbles like these are few and, for the most part, we get to see this youth culture honestly, with a wonderful eye not only towards personality, but towards setting. The film is temporal in showing how these kids are so adept at using technology to social ends (one girl is brutally humiliated when a topless photo finds its way throughout the entire school), but it also has many universal themes, such as parents’ hopes and fears for their children, the need for teens to establish independence, and the idea that young love may be fleeting, but that doesn’t make it frivolous.  There’s a great sense of humor that runs throughout the film, and it’s to Burnstein’s credit that the laughs are always supportive. We’re constantly reminded that the children are our future.  American Teen makes that notion somewhat less horrifying.  (B+)  --Matt Goldberg

BOTTLE SHOCK- America’s bicentennial was probably the most celebrated event of 1976, but this Randall Miller film is based on the true story of another milestone from that year: a blind tasting in Paris in which a California wine received the top honor, shattering the preconceived notion that only France could cultivate quality wine. The Chardonnay that will change everything is cultivated at the California vineyard of Jim Barrett (Bill Pullman), who gave up law for the wine business. The gamble has yet to yield rewards; Barrett is taking out his third bank loan as the movie opens. Fortunately, he stops to help a stranded motorist who turns out to be Steven Spurrier (Alan Rickman), a Paris wine shop owner traveling Napa looking for bottles to include in a wine tasting he is planning in France. Spurrier wants to include Barrett’s Chardonnay, but Barrett dislikes Spurrier and rejects the offer. Personal differences aside, both men love wine. In one scene, Barrett gives his intern Sam (Rachael Taylor) a tour of the vineyard, and as he explains the necessary conditions for making good wine it’s obvious he knows what he’s talking about. A voice-over in which Spurrier describes his passion for wine is beautiful in its simple poetry. The movie could have been great had it kept its focus on wine. Unfortunately, far too much attention is given to Barrett’s slacker son, Bo (Chris Pine). Bo is a standard movie character: the ne’er-do-well son who finally learns to accept responsibility. Why does he get as much screen time as Pullman and Rickman, both of whom are perfectly cast and give first-rate performances? Bo’s jealousy over a friend’s romance with the beautiful young Sam doesn’t add any spark, either. It’s as if the producers wanted to attract the teenybopper audience to a movie about wine. If so, bad idea. Bo’s father, on the other hand, is a compelling character, a man who doesn’t want to give up on his dream but feels the walls closing in. Despite its flaws, Bottle Shock is ultimately worth seeing, but if it had simply told the historic story at its center it could have been so much better. (B–) -Ryan Loftis

BRIDESHEAD REVISITED- Based upon the Evelyn Waugh novel, this film tells the story of Charles Ryder (Matthew Goode), who heads to Oxford in the 1920s to escape his inattentive father. Almost immediately upon his arrival at Oxford, Charles finds himself being courted into a platonic romance by an aristocratic boy named Sebastian Flyte (Ben Whishaw), who drinks wine to excess, dresses in tailored, foppish clothes and carries around a teddy bear.  Once Charles sees Sebastian’s family mansion and meets his equally seductive sister, Julia (Hayley Atwell), Charles gets caught up in all the Flyte family drama. The story then continues into 20 years of love triangles, betrayals, spiritual struggles, diseases, death, war, sex, marriages, social climbing, passion, adultery and really, really great real estate. This material was already made into a great, 11-hour PBS miniseries, but the two hours that the new movie has to cover the same material sometimes makes your head spin. In the first five minutes of the movie alone, it jumps back in time twice over a span of 20 years. At another point, a sex scene seems to happen out of nowhere. Of the young actors, Goode is good, and Atwell is decent. But Whishaw unfortunately comes off as a bitchy queen rather than a tragic, romantic figure. Emma Thompson’s regal, disapproving glare dominates the posters and ads for the new Brideshead. In those images, she’s bigger than her co-stars and, amusingly, bigger than Brideshead mansion itself. When viewers see how small her role is, they may find the marketing a little misleading, but the whole movie is actually a lot like its poster: Whenever Thompson is onscreen in the supporting role of the disapproving, deeply Catholic Lady Marchmain, she’s so good that she steals the whole movie. This is unfortunate only because her well-crafted villainess isn’t in the story nearly enough, and when she’s not onscreen, the whole movie loses its energy. Giving another great performance, Emma Thompson is worth revisiting, but the new, abbreviated version of Brideshead Revisited otherwise falls a bit flat. (C)  –Benjamin Carr

THE DARK KNIGHT- The sequel to Batman Begins is a game of chess between Batman (Christian Bale), Lt. Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) and idealistic district attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) against The Joker (Heath Ledger).  But Christopher Nolan doesn't want to tell a story as much as he wants a story to exist so he can further explore the gritty realism of his Gotham City, as the director makes a sharp contrast between the larger-than-life main characters and the average citizens of Gotham. No one can lead you towards chaos quite like The Joker, and Nolan's more focused on the character's chaotic nature than his penchant for the humorous. Ledger finds what's terrifying in The Joker and brings it to life in a performance that works perfectly with Nolan's real-world setting. The Joker is a terrorist whose endgame is terror, and when you see his acts of brutality you'll realize this film is about a nut-hair away from being rated R. But there's another tragedy here besides this being Ledger's last full performance, which is that a lot of folks will overlook Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent.  Dubbed "Gotham's White Knight" by the media, Dent is idealistic yet practical, fearless against the mob but shy and out of place at a fancy fundraiser.  He's human virtue at its best, but still human. He's just as real as The Joker, but set at the opposite side of the spectrum. But what about Batman? Is he overshadowed by his rogues gallery? It's not the presence of Batman that makes him a lead, but what the character represents: a martyr, a fascist, a lunatic, order, power and justice.  These are interesting ideas, and Nolan matches them against the ethos of The Joker to create a film that's got great action, but is more rewarding intellectually than it is as a popcorn movie. Not to say that the action won't wow you.  Leading off with a very clever heist which helps sets the tone of the entire film, Nolan's action is far less sloppy this time around. But The Dark Knight is not perfect. Bale's Batman voice sounds desperately in need of bat-lozenges. Maggie Gyllenhaal seems bored, and I didn't feel the passion that either Bruce or Harvey feel towards her.  However, she's a vast improvement from the first film simply by virtue of not being Katie Holmes.  But these are minor faults in a film that's taken a bigger risk than any other superhero movie. Nolan’s exploration of Batman yields thoughtful discourse beyond the sub-genre, into the nature of humanity and leadership.  It's a risk that easily could’ve turned out pretentious, but instead they've come up with the best superhero film made thus far. (A-)  –Matt Goldberg

HANCOCK – For over a decade Will Smith has been synonymous with July 4th blockbusters, and this latest film may be his best summer offering since the original Men in Black.  Smith plays the eponymous superhero, an amnesiac alcoholic (and possibly an alien) whose misbegotten rescues in present-day LA cause as much harm as good.  One such escapade saves the life of Ray (Jason Bateman), a public relations expert struggling to launch a humanitarian non-profit coalition with the ambitious goal of saving the world.  An eternal optimist, Ray sees past Hancock’s grumpiness and grime, and convinces him to turn over a new leaf.  Charlize Theron co-stars as Ray’s protective wife Mary.  Hancock is far more serious than the early trailers would indicate, but its gravity is leavened with plenty of comic relief.  The action is jaw-dropping and the special effects nearly flawless.  Smith delivers an excellent performance, alternately cocky and vulnerable, and proves once again that his talent, combined with a good eye for scripts, can reliably deliver $100 million domestic box office. Bateman adds another star to his five-year comeback, and while Theron doesn’t stretch much dramatic muscle, she recovers some sci-fi cred after the disastrous Aeon Flux.  Hancock is the best stand-alone (i.e. not adapted from a comic book) superhero film since The Incredibles.  A number of unanswered questions linger, suggesting the possibility of a sequel.  See it sooner rather than later, before some loudmouth spoils the big surprise, and stick around for an “easter egg” in the credits. (A)  - John C. Snider

HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY- Guillermo Del Toro’s latest film is an improvement on the original in every way, opening on a young, adorable Hellboy getting a bedtime story from Professor Broom (John Hurt) about a war between men and the world’s supernatural creatures. Turns out man was almost defeated by the elves’ use of an indestructible army, but the Elven King felt guilty and offered a truce.  This did not sit well with his son, Prince Nuada (Luke Goss), who went to go pout in exile.  Thus ends the bedtime story, and thus begins Hellboy's move from being the man of a myth to a man living in a world of myths.  The world of the first film seems cramped compared to the vast scope of Hellboy II, which is populated with creatures sprung from Del Toro’s limitless imagination. But what makes the film even more marvelous is that the director never forgets intimacy and humor, blending them beautifully in a scene involving Hellboy (Ron Perlman), Abe Sapien (Doug Jones) and a lot of beer, The only new addition to the B.P.R.D. is Johann Strauss (voiced by Seth MacFarlane), whose uptight, by-the-book nature makes a great foil for Hellboy, as opposed to the easily tossed aside bureaucrat Tom Manning (Jeffrey Tambor).  But what's a summer action film without a little action? Del Toro is a whiz at directing fight scenes, and Nuada's sword fights are magical. The only bad thing I can really say is that the story seems to run out of steam by the end.  The final fight lacks the adrenaline of previous scenes, and character motivations are sloppy and unpersuasive.  But this is easily forgiven when you consider how much he packs in the previous 100 minutes. In just four years, Del Toro has improved by leaps and bounds from a film that was still quite good. While not quite as good as Pan's Labyrinth, it still manages to take the designs and character detail from that film and seamlessly transfer it to a big summer blockbuster.  This is a summer full of superheroes, and while he doesn't have the name recognition of Batman or Iron Man, you'd be doing yourself a disservice if you skipped out on a superhero flick that's like nothing you've seen before. (A-)  –Matt Goldberg

MAMMA MIA!-  Adapted from the Broadway hit, this light, easy summer fling of a movie centers around Donna (Meryl Streep), who runs an inn in Greece. Her betrothed daughter Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), who has never known her father, finds Donna's diary from the year she was conceived. Set on having her dad walk her down the aisle, she invites the three summer flings her mother wrote about, convinced she will know her father when she sees him. Sophie doesn't tell Donna any of this, the potential dads (Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Peter Saarsgard) and Donna's old friends (Christine Baranski and Jane Winter) all arrive for the wedding, and ABBA songs fill in the rest.

Plot and character development take a backseat to the soundtrack, but it's all so entertaining you might not notice or care. Big screen musical adaptations are a polarizing concept since they do rely so heavily on choreography and singing, and Mamma Mia! is no exception. Diehard musical lovers will appreciate the very elements of the film that diehard film lovers will despise. No one in real life has a feather boa conveniently strewn across an armoire should the opportunity arise to dance with it. There aren't the deep allegories and thought-provoking elements of true film art. Still, at the end of the day movies are entertainment. They're like relationships: you need to know what you're looking for going into it, otherwise you're bound to end up disappointed one way or the other. Mamma Mia! is a fling you will look back on fondly, but perhaps not remember why. You can't help but smile with the fellow moviegoers clapping their hands and singing along to the pop music of yore, and the credits will have even the stodgiest viewer laughing. Take away the sloppy direction and the woe of hearing Pierce Brosnan sing, and Mamma Mia! may be the perfect summer movie. The sun-drenched Greek Isle setting is gorgeous, Streep, Winter and Baranski have an undeniable chemistry, and the ending is happy. You can tell the actors were enjoying themselves, and if a Yale-educated Oscar winner like Streep can let loose and play air guitar, then I can certainly check my criticism for a couple of hours and enjoy it. (B) –Rebecca Crosby

MEET DAVE- The awful truth about Eddie Murphy’s latest effort is that it’s not bad.  Of course, it’s not really good either, but if not for a strong supporting cast and a “what the hell” attitude, it could be a lot worse. Our hero is actually a spaceship modeled after its captain (Murphy), which hurtles towards Earth in search of a stray silver orb that has the power to save the planet Nil, which is inhabited by miniature people. After “Dave,” as he comes to be called, does a face plant right into New York’s Liberty Island, the captain and his tiny crew attempt to direct the unassuming, human-sized ship through the streets of Manhattan. They eventually locate the orb, which crashed through the bedroom window of Josh Morrison, a 5th grader who lives with his single mom. Loosey-goosey beauty Elizabeth Banks is well cast as the loopy Gina Morrison, who hits Dave with her car and takes him in, but is surprised to learn that he’s not injured.  Dave eventually tracks down the silver ball, which was stolen from Josh by a bully. Ed Helms plays the stern No. 2, who insists that their mission is complete, but the Captain and the ship’s Cultural Officer (Gabrielle Union) decide they can learn about human love from Gina, an artist. Helms does his best with his uptight character, but it would be hard to say he really has fun with it.  Fun is at a premium here. As for Murphy, the fish-out-of-water scenario is just a platform for tired “white people talk like this” and “black people walk like that” shtick. Although there is something oddly compelling about his utter detachment, Meet Dave finds Murphy once again adrift in his own little unfunny world. (C) –Mitchell Hughes

THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR – Poor man’s Indiana Jones and professional mummy-hater Rick O’Connell (Brendan Fraser) is back for a third adventure, this time in exotic 1946 China.  Early retirement doesn’t sit well for Rick and his wife Evelyn (Maria Bello, stepping in for Rachel Weisz), so they jump at the chance to deliver a priceless artifact to a China, where Evelyn’s brother Jonathan (John Hannah) owns an Egyptian-themed nightclub, and grown-up son Alex (Luke Ford) is displaying the newly-excavated remains of the evil Dragon Emperor (Jet Li). This movie has all the right ingredients, but mixes them with all the subtlety of a Viking warhammer.  With second-rate special effects, tin-eared dialogue, shoe-horned romances, negative screen chemistry and bad comic timing, Tomb of the Dragon Emperor swings hard but strikes out on nearly every count.  Adding insult to injury, it gives away all its big secrets in a clunky, over-long fairy-tale prologue that spoils all the mystery and suspense. (Imagine the original Star Wars opening with the revelations that Darth Vader is Luke’s father and Leia is Luke’s sister.) Worst of all, despite numerous lame mummy jokes, this film contains no actual mummies. Please, Rick, go back into retirement!  (D) -John C. Snider

PINEAPPLE EXPRESS- There's so much in this film that screams for it to be a comedy classic (and not just of the stoner or buddy-comedy sub-genre), but its brilliance is constantly undermined by David Gordon Green's direction. While smoking up the new wonder weed Pineapple Express, Dale (Seth Rogen) witnesses a murder.  Panicking, he drops his roach in front of the killer's house; the perp happens to be the drug kingpin who's importing the weed, who can easily track down Dale and dealer Saul (James Franco) through shady middleman Red (Danny McBride). Rogen, Franco and McBride are all impeccable, but Green doesn't know how to shoot their comedy.  Characters are constantly talking over each other and Green refuses to pause even a second for laughter, so for every one joke you enjoy, you're going to miss two or three. It's made even worse by off-screen responses.  The approach works once (you've seen it in the trailer where Dale has to clarify that his amazement with Saul's mind is not a compliment), but mostly it feels like you're having one actor audition and the other read sides. And while I'm not usually an advocate for longer films, Express could really benefit from some added scenes featuring between the talented supporting cast, including drug kingpin Ted Allen (Gary Cole) and his corrupt hench-policewoman Carol (Rosie Perez); hitmen Budlofsky (Kevin Corrigan) and Matheson (Craig Robinson); and members of a rival Chinese drug cartel. However, the cast deserves recognition for remaining steady even as the film shifts from stoner comedy to full-blown action film. Despite the comedic talents of the cast, those looking for a summer comedy on par with previous Judd Apatow-produced efforts like Knocked Up and Superbad will be sorely disappointed.  The writing and performances are strong enough to survive Green's direction, but it's frustrating to watch a great comedy constantly pushed down below its true quality. (B-) –Matt Goldberg

STEP BROTHERS- A punchline doesn't work as well when you know it before the joke is told. Sure, there's comedy in anticipation, but a joke you can't predict will be funnier and more memorable.  Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly have become jokes with known punchlines.  They excel at playing man-children; they are Homer Simpson incarnate.  Their characters are loud, boorish and have zero self-awareness, and we love them for it.  Their new film provides the loosest of plots to showcase these well-worn personas, but everything that's memorable belongs to the supporting cast.  Brennan (Ferrell) and Dale (Reilly) are immature adults who become stepbrothers when Brennan's mom (Mary Steenburgen) and Dale's dad (Richard Jenkins) marry. If Ferrell and Reilly weren't so charming, this film could easily be too creepy or too pathetic, but they're masters at their craft.  Unlike Ferrell and co-writer/director Adam McKay's previous efforts, Anchorman and Talladega Nights, there are no distinct characters here, with the exception of Brennan's brother Derek (Adam Scott) and his wife Alice (Kathryn Hahn). I found myself more interested in a film about Derek and Alice than the socially retarded Brennan and Dale. Scott plays the epitome of white, male, upper-middle-class douchebaggery to perfection, and Hahn is a comic gem that's been hidden for far too long. Other supporting players (including Jenkins and Rob Riggle) are equally strong, and I can still quote you their memorable lines a week after seeing the film. If you haven't grown tired of Ferrell's schtick, Step Brothers will have you laughing steadily throughout, but it's mostly just reflex laughter.  These guys are naturally funny, but it seems more like they're doing it for themselves than coming up with some memorable jokes and set-ups. (B-) –Matt Goldberg

SWING VOTE– Producer and star Kevin Costner refers to his latest film as being “Capra-esque.” The comparison is apt, for this sometimes heartwarming, sometimes hilarious comedy-drama satirizes the current American political landscape, much in the vein of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington or Meet John Doe. Costner plays Bud Johnson, a ne’er-do-well, politically apathetic redneck struggling to make a home for himself and his precocious, middle school-aged daughter, Molly (the delightful Madeline Carroll). Far more politically active and socially aware than her father, Molly pushes him to pay attention to politics but to little avail, until a fluke in the balloting system suddenly makes Bud’s vote the single determining factor in a presidential election. At this point, the film departs from Capra in favor of Billy Wilder, a la The Big Carnival, as it lampoons the national media and its profit-centered, tabloid tendencies. Although the premise threatens to materialize as a facile, preachy “public service announcement,” the result is actually more complex and subtle than one might expect. (B) – Rodney Hill

TROPIC THUNDER - The first gut-busting laughs in this action comedy come right at the beginning, with hilarious trailers for fake movies starring the three main players. Ben Stiller as an action hero? Jack Black playing all members of an obese, flatulent family? Robert Downey Jr. appearing alongside Tobey Maguire in a Brokeback Mountain-like drama? What’s not to love? Before we’ve even stopped laughing, we’re taken to the problem-plagued set of the movie within the movie, also called Tropic Thunder, and meet Tugg Speedman (Stiller), an action hero whose career is in serious decline; Jeff Portnoy (Black), a fart joke comedian who wants to be taken seriously; and Kirk Lazarus (Downey), the Oscar-winning Method actor who dyed his skin black for the role. Filming for the bloated Vietnam War epic is jeopardized when a furious studio head, played by Tom Cruise, threatens to shut down production. It’s a nice change to laugh at Cruise for something other than his behavior, and do we ever laugh. His paunchy, balding, overweight executive with a wide variety of sexually-based threats is a brilliant creation. At his wit’s end, British director Damien Cockburn (Steve Coogan) decides to take the advice of grizzled John “Four Leaf” Tayback (Nick Nolte): Bring the spoiled stars to the jungles of Southeast Asia and continue filming, documentary style. Also along for the ride are nerdy Kevin Sandusky (Jay Baruchel) and gangsta rapper-turned-actor Alpa Chino (Brandon T. Jackson), who resents Lazarus for taking the only part written for a black man. What the pretenders don’t know as they stumble through the jungle is that they’ve caught the attention of the drug-manufacturing army Flaming Dragon, which mistakes the men in green for DEA agents and plots to capture them. Big laughs come from a variety of sources, including decapitated heads, weirdly named energy drinks and the hilariously awful role Speedman thought would earn him an Oscar nomination. The role– a mentally handicapped farm hand who can talk to animals– at first seems like a one-time joke, but eventually becomes a hysterical running gag. Another highlight is Nick Nolte, who is great as the alleged veteran who wrote the book on which the production is based. Just the sight of him looking like a homeless man with two hook hands is funny. Everyone involved deserves applause, but Stiller is due special recognition, as he directed and co-wrote the project with Justin Theroux and Etan Cohen. This is a big comeback from last year’s misfire, The Heartbreak Kid. All summer I’ve been waiting for a great comedy. Here it is. (A)  -Ryan Loftis

THE WACKNESS- Jonathan Levine's The Wackness is the story of a young man (Josh Peck) who spends his summer before college selling pot and listening to rap in NYC.  But what makes The Wackness kind of remarkable is that it embracesits 1994 setting without alienating the audience, crafting strong characters in an honestly written story that discovers humanity where others would only find quirkiness. Luke Shapiro is a pot dealer living in the Big Apple as Guiliani begins to transform the city into a giant shopping mall.  His parents are always at each other's throats and he has no friends; Luke could use some therapy, and Dr. Squires (Ben Kingsley) could use some pot.  The two form the oddest of kinships as Luke finds his first love with Squires' stepdaughter Steph (Olivia Thirlby), and Squires searches to find happiness away from his loveless marriage. How do you make a character like Dr. Squires empathetic instead of pathetic?  How do you make a character like Luke’s story seem universal, instead of mundane?  First, you get two brilliant performances. It's a delicate balance to make a character feel like a real person, warts and all, and then feel compassion for them when they screw up the most.  It's easy to root for the character that gets all the witty one-liners, but you develop a deeper admiration for one that doesn't understand why saying "I love you" can kill a beautiful romance in a heartbeat. Director Levine does a great job not only with his characters, but with his city. Even if you find a line like Squires telling Luke to make like Forrest Gump as he presses his Nike Pumps cringe-worthy, you'll be too busy enjoying the film's soundtrack, filled with deep cut tracks from rap luminaries of the time like Notorious B.I.G. and A Tribe Called Quest.The closer you are to the setting of The Wackness, the more affinity you'll probably feel for the film.  But those who don't feel such a connection will still be drawn in by the wonderful characters, and a story that recognizes that we're always coming-of-age… no matter what our age.(B)  –Matt Goldberg

WALL•E-  I can't remember a film that was so adorable and accessible, yet so expertly crafted. Though little trash-cubing robot Wall•E is a machine, he's got more humanity than most characters you'll see in any medium in any year, infinitely curious about the world around him and finding magic in the most mundane of objects. Seen through Wall•E's eyes, our planet is not trash, but treasure: The only thing missing is someone to share it with. Then, just as a VHS copy of Hello Dolly is making him feel his loneliness more acutely than ever, a robot goddess descends from the heavens. EVE is sleek, beautiful and on a mission.  She's a little trigger-happy and almost incinerates Wall•E on numerous occasions, but the two eventually strike up an adorable relationship cut all too short when she's taken back to the mothership. The lovestruck Wall•E inevitably follows. Upon docking at the spaceship Axiom, the film meets a new level of commentary more satiric than the universal love story that's come before. Pixar once again shows its gift for witty social observation that's never cynical combined with an inspirational message that's never saccharine.  But the story never forgets its strongest element: the tale of Wall•E and EVE.  It seems ridiculous to say that one of the best love stories of the 21st century is between two robots, but this is a special kind of date movie that can renew your faith in love even if you're singlee. Pixar has done something truly magical here, keeping dialogue to a minimum while painting fully realized characters with absolute economy of storytelling and stunning attention to detail.  What they've conjured is only further enhanced by yet another beautiful score by composer Thomas Newman and cinematography so sublime it will give you chills. I don't know if Wall*E is Pixar's best film to date, but it's undoubtedly the best film I've seen all year.  (A)  –Matt Goldberg

THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE- I do not want to write this review. I do not want to tell you how boring Chris Carter’s direction is, how uninspired the plotline is, how utterly disappointed I was as a longtime fan of the TV show who still owns the first several seasons on VHS. More than anything, I do not want to tell you that this film, which should have been Carter and company’s chance for redemption after muddying the X-Files legacy in the show’s final few seasons, may instead ultimately be the final nail it its coffin. But I must. Which is a shame, because the chemistry between David Duchovny’s true believer Fox Mulder and Gillian Anderson’s skeptical Dana Scully remains palpable, and the film’s bittersweet aftertaste only serves to leave you wondering what might’ve been. The story finds Mulder and Scully called back into action after years away from the FBI (she’s working at a children’s hospital, he’s clipping newspaper headlines about stories that would probably make a much better film than this one) to help find a missing female agent. As the agents leading the manhunt, Amanda Peet and Xzibit could not possibly be more thinly drawn, suffering from the same lack of bite that plagues the entire undertaking. What follows is a convoluted plot involving kidnapping, organ theft, stem cell research and a whole lot of confusion. Anderson is predictably excellent, and Billy Connolly delivers a shockingly good turn as a pedophiliac priest with psychic powers, but beyond that there’s not much here for even diehard fans to get excited about. The studio released a Revelations DVD containing eight cherry-picked episodes from the show to help build anticipation for the film, and the truth is I’d rather watch any of those mythology-, monster- and government conspiracy-driven episodes a hundred times before being forced to sit through this tripe again. What this franchise needs now is new blood– a Christopher Nolan or a David Fincher-style director to come along and rescue it from the irrelevance on which it currently teeters. Otherwise, it’s better left to the annals of TV history. (D) – B. Love

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