movie review

Director Clint Eastwood's film about J. Edgar Hoover, currently showing at the Fandango Galaxy cineplex in Carson City, shows the real creator of the Federal Bureau of Investigation with all of the faults and strengths clearly shown.The movie, "J. Edgar," follows the man from his early days with the U.S. attorney general's office to his days as ruler of a giant bureaucracy of lawyers and police.

I missed the first two films in the "Harold and Kumar" series, but if they were as goofy and off-the-wall funny and nonsensical as "A Very Merry Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas," I've got some catching up to do.

The newest in the franchise is playing at the Fandango Galaxy cineplex in Carson City and watching it is like seeing all the possible gags from Hollywood over the years with a lot of stuff only the drug-using 21st Century could think up.

Strange how fiction (or movies) sometime match up accidentally with the real world. An example of this is "In Time," a film currently playing at the Fandango Galaxy multiplex in Carson City.

The movie "The Rum Diary," currently housed at the Fandango Galaxy cineplex in Carson City, Stars Johnny Depp an roving journalist. It's based on the book of the same name by Hunter S. Thompson, a '60s star of the gonzo brand of journalism. To a large extent the film is a tribute to Thompson and is so noted at the end.

Film opens with Depp as Paul Kemp recovering from a hangover in what turns out to be a hotel room in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He's unshaven, bleery-eyed and is at once nasty to the bellman who brings his breakfast to the room.

I missed the first two iterations of "Paranormal Activity," so I was a little lost looking at No. 3, now playing at the Fandango Galaxy in Carson City. I also missed the first five minutes so I was a little baffled by the repetitious scenes of nothing happening as a video camera scanned two rooms.

This is a prequel to the first two go-arounds and while it has its share of things that go bang in the night, it is more confusing than amusing or scary.

"The Three Musketeers," currently playing at the Fandango Galaxy cineplex in Carson City, is the umpteenth version of the Alexander Dumas Pere's novel. Like most of its predecessors, the best parts don't really fit together. Things are sort of pasted into a film with its bright spots and plodding moments.

D'Artagnan is a country youth out to join the famed three musketeers in the France of Louis XIII. He finds them by accidentally challenging them to duels on the same day. Somehow he works it out.

The movie "The Thing," currently playing at the Fandango Galaxy multiplex in Carson City, is labeled by its creators as "prequel" to the 1982 film that is rated as a classic sci-fi horror film. Too bad this prequel doesn't have the hard-edged script and at least some science to back up some of the more dubious scenes. (Two other versions of the same story have been made and forgotten.)

The film "Real Steel" now playing at the Fandango Galaxy cineplex in Carson City is an action film starring Hugh Jackman as a down-and-out boxer past his prime as robots took over the boxing world.

In this case it's an attempt by films to muscle into the video game profits. Not that the movie is bad, that is, if the sight of giant robots flaying away at each other doesn't turn you off. It's actually technology not gone amok but just crass.

"The Ides of March," currently showing at the Fandango Galaxy cineplex in Carson City, is a welcome change from the summer fare of bare-chested shoot 'em ups. It's a serious film about American politics with a fine cast headed by Ryan Gosling as Stephen Myers, a sleazy press secretary to George Clooney's Mike Morris, seeking the Democratic nomination for president at a hotly contested Ohio vote.

Clooney is almost just a supporting actor but even in his shorter screen time manages to impress. He also directs, produces and co-writes the script, which is tight and intelligent.

"Dream House," currently showing at the Fandango Galaxy multiplex in Carson City, is a suspense film staring Daniel Craig as editor/writer Will Atenton, Rachel Weisz as his wife Libby, and Naomi Watts as Ann Paterson, a neighbor of the Atentons in their new suburban home.

The baseball-computer film "Moneyball" now playing at the Fandango Galaxy multiplex in Carson City, is the story of how computer analysis came to baseball through the then lowly Oakland A's. Brad Pitt is Billy Beane, general manager of the A's and a one-time hot prospect for baseball fame but who stuck out.

"Straw Dogs," a thriller currently playing at the Fandango Galaxy cineplex in Carson City and elsewhere, is a remake of the 1971 controversial film of the same name directed by Sam Peckinpah, that opened the Hollywood door on a kind of territorial violence. It was widely condemned as preaching violence and misogyny.

"Drive," a violent crime movie now playing at the Fandango Galaxy cineplex in Carson City and elsewhere, stars Ryan Gosling, a major Hollywood star as you can tell when his name appears even before the film title, along with 11 producers (some of whom were obviously go-fers) listed before the director Nicolas Winding Refn.

The sci-fi horror film "Apollo 18," currently playing at the Casino Fandango multiplex in Carson City and elsewhere, is a strange bird of a movie. The premise is that while NASA claimed to have scrubbed Apollo 18, it was actually rescheduled as a secret mission to plant Soviet ICBM detectors on the Moon. Three astronauts were selected and briefed and launched.

"Colombiana," a thriller currently playing at the Fandango Galaxy multiplex in Carson City and other local theaters, is a revenge film starring the big blue woman of "Avatar," Zoe Saldana, as Cataleva Restrepo. The excellent Amandia Sternberg plays Restrepo as a young girl --- and if there is anyone going to star in future movies it's this young lady. She's solemn, unfazed and a real actress.

The horror film "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark," currently screening at the Fanango Galaxy cineplex in Carson City and elsewhere in the Tahoe area, stars Bailee Madison as Sally Hirst. She's about 10 or 12, is a bit chubby and has a mean way of not listening to her father Alex Hirst (Guy Pearce) or his wife Kimberly (Katie Holmes).

"Conan the Barbarian" is currently wielding swords and other death weapons at the Fandango Galaxy cineplex in Carson City.

And no, if you thought this was a re-release of the Arnold Schwarzenegger film of the 1980s, it's not. It a new bloody, murderous revival of the franchise but since Arnold isn't up to murder and mayhem these days we have a new Conan, two of them actually, one in his teens and the other the Conan out on a bloody roll.

"The Help," currently playing at the Fandango Galaxy cineplex in Carson City, is a welcome relief from such summer films as the ugly "Change-Up." No explosions, no car chases, no exploitive scenes for the teens among us. Instead it's a portrait of life in Mississippi in the 1960s and the near-infinite gap between the whites and their black maids and cooks.

The sci-fi-western-thriller "Cowboys & Aliens," currently showing at the Fandango Galaxy multiplex in Carson City, finally achieves what most studios have long sought: a film with five writers, muc...

"The Change-Up," an R-rated film now playing at the Fandango Galaxy cineplex in Carson City and elsewhere, plays concurrently with "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" at the Galaxy.

"Apes" is probably the best summer fare this year. No way "Change-Up" is going to be on anyone's "best" list, unless it's that of the sophomore class at Carson High. But even young teens, at whom this movie is aimed, surely will know better. It's a lousy take on contemporary American men and society. Director Dave Dobkin makes the trains run on time but with such a lousy load of freight.

"The Rise of the Planet of the Apes,' now playing at the Fandango Galaxy cineplex in Carson City, may well be the best of the summer popcorn fare. It is not an extension of the "Apes" series of the 1970s and '80s but the beginning of a new franchise of films. And its primate hand is there for all of us.

"Crazy, Stupid, Love," a romantic comedy currently showing at the Fandango Galaxy cineplex in Carson City, is a romantic comedy built on the well-trod idea of love, fall out of love, fall in love and live happily ever after, a la such as "The Phlaelpia Story" of times gone by. The cast, chiefly Steve "Cyrano-nosed" Carrell, Julianne Moore, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, is excellent, pros to a turn.

The sci-fi-western-thriller "Cowboys & Aliens," currently showing at the Fandango Galaxy multiplex in Carson City, finally achieves what most studios have long sought, a film with five writers, much of whose script is simply explosions.

At the Carson City Fandango Galaxy cineplex, I was a bit confused watching the new movie. Once I got the idea of the plot --- guy, girl agree to sex with no emotional strings attached, I thought I had been caught in a time warp. I'd seen this movie, only it was titled "No Strings Attached" and starred Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher.

"Captain America," subtitled "the First Avenger," currently showing at the Fandango Galaxy cineplex in Carson City, is the fourth in the series of related comic book heroes brought to the screen.

And while it does live up to its pulp ancestry with lots of action and fantasy, it reportedly is a 124-minute promotional effort for a film to come, "The Avengers," all four heroes joining to save the world or do other good deeds.

OK, so I missed the first seven Harry Potter films and the J.K Rowling books that served as the basis for the series. Bad planning or no planning. So when the last of the series, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," opened at the Fandango Galaxy multiplex with three theaters showing the film simultaneous, in 2-D and 3-D, I figured time to catch up.

The aptly if crudely named "Horrible Bosses," now playing at the Fandango Galaxy cineplex in Carson City, could be taken as an update on the Three Stooges, with Jason Bateman as Nick Hendricks, Charlie Dale as Dale Arbus and Jason Sudekis as Ken Buckman. Stooges fans may resent the comparison but it's pretty accurate, even down to the facial slaps of Curly, Moe and Larry.

Here Nick is bypassed by a conniving boss David Harken (Kevin Spacey) who gives himself the job Nick has been waiting for. Kurt is bypassed as company president.

If you really want to see a 3-D movie that exploits the medium, catch 'Transformers: The Dark of the Moon" now playing at the Fandango Galaxy cineplex in Carson City. You'll be bombarded by rocks and pieces of giant metal figures flying out at you.

"Larry Crowne," a romantic comedy now playing at the Fandango Galaxy in Carson City, is the second romantic comedy to hit the scene after the delightful "Bad Teacher," was a hit because of Cameron Diaz' loopy, wide grin.

Sadly, "Crowne"with Tom Hanks directing, writing and co-staring with Julia Roberts, can't come up with the wit and charm of "Teacher." Where "Teacher" is profane and clever, "Crowne" plots along predicable lines from the opening when Hanks as Crowne is laid off from a big box store (read Wal-Mart) because he does't have a college degree. Sure.

"Green Lantern," the current DC Comic ripoff now playing at the Fandango Galaxy cineflex in Carson City, is all about a corps of Green Lantern good guys who protected the universe from evildoers such as Parallax, the baddest bad guy around.

Movie starts with Temuera Morrison as Abin Sur getting hit by Parallax while sledding through space and crashing on a rocky beach. With his dying breath he send his powerful Green Lantern out to find someone to replace him in guarding Earth from Parallax.