Archive for March, 2009

Marley & Me

Tuesday, March 31st, 2009

Dvd release date: 03/31/2009

Starring: Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston
Director: David Frankel
Category: Comedy
Rated: PG

A New York Times bestseller, “Marley & Me” is a memoir of Philadelphia Inquirer columnist John Grogan’s life with his yellow Labrador retriever. The heartwarming and unforgettable story of a family in the making and the wondrously neurotic dog who taught them what really matters in life. (Publisher)

Summary of critic reviews:

Chicago Tribune: *** (out of four)
New York Post: *1/2 (out of four)
Rolling Stone: *1/2 (out of four)
USA Today: ** (out of four)

Overall: ** (out of four)

Seven Pounds

Tuesday, March 31st, 2009

Dvd release date: 03/31/2009

Starring: Will Smith, Rosario Dawson
Director: Gabriele Muccino
Category: Drama
Rated: PG-13

Academy Award nominee Will Smith (2006, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, “The Pursuit Of Happyness”) stars as Ben Thomas, a man at a crossroads searching for a way to redeem his heavy conscience. He discovers he has the power to change the circumstances of seven strangers who deserve a second chance. But when one of them captures his heart, he must decide if he should reveal his secret – even if it means giving up on his plan. From the creators of “The Pursuit Of Happyness”, “Seven Pounds” is an “emotionally charged, captivating mystery with a soulful, tender love story and a tearful but joyfully inspiring ending” (MovieGuide).(Publisher)

Summary of critic reviews:

Chicago Tribune: *1/2 (out of four)
New York Post: *1/2 (out of four)
USA Today: **1/2 (out of four)

Overall: ** (out of four)

Slumdog Millionaire

Tuesday, March 31st, 2009

Dvd release date: 03/31/2009

Starring: Dev Patel, Anil Kapoor
Director: Danny Boyle, Loveleen Tandan
Category: Drama
Rated: R

Today is the biggest day in Jamal Malik’s life. A penniless, eighteen year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, he’s one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India’s “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?” But when the show breaks for the night, suddenly, he is arrested on suspicion of cheating. After all, how could an uneducated street kid possibly know so much? Determined to get to the bottom of Jamal’s story, the jaded Police Inspector spends the night probing Jamal’s incredible past, from his riveting tales of the slums where he and his brother Salim survived by their wits to his hair-raising encounters with local gangs to his heartbreak over Latika, the unforgettable girl he loved and lost. (Publisher)

Summary of critic reviews:

Chicago Tribune: *** (out of four)
New York Post: **** (out of four)
Rolling Stone: ***1/2 (out of four)
USA Today: **** (out of four)

Overall: ***1/2 (out of four)

Tell No One

Tuesday, March 31st, 2009

Dvd release date: 03/31/2009

Starring: Francois Cluzet, Marie-Josee Croze
Director: Guillaume Canet
Category: Foreign
Rated: Not Rated

Based on Harlan Coben’s international best selling thriller about pediatrician Alexandre Beck who still grieves the murder of his beloved wife Margot Beck eight years earlier. When two bodies are found near the scene of the crime, the police reopen the case and Alex becomes a suspect again. The mystery deepens when Alex receives an anonymous e-mail with a link to a video clip that seems to suggest Margot is somehow still alive and a message to “Tell No One”. (Publisher)

Summary of critic reviews:

Chicago Tribune: *** (out of four)
New York Post: **1/2 (out of four)
Rolling Stone: ***1/2 (out of four)

Overall: *** (out of four)

Bolt

Tuesday, March 24th, 2009

Dvd release date: 03/24/2009

Starring: John Travolta, Susie Essman
Director: Chris Williams, Byron Howard
Category: Children & Family
Rated: PG

More than just man’s best friend, “Bolt” is a modern-day action hero. Raised on the set of a hit television show, Bolt believes he has amazing powers – like a devastating Superbark! But when he’s accidentally shipped to New York City, Bolt’s daredevil stunts no longer go according to plan. As reality begins to challenge his delusions, Bolt learns his whole life has been a lie. Or has it? Amidst the adversity and hard-knocks, Bolt will discover that a dog’s true superpower lies in his loyalty to the owner he loves. (Publisher)

Summary of critic reviews:

Chicago Tribune: *1/2 (out of four)
USA Today: **1/2 (out of four)

Overall: ** (out of four)