Archive for November, 2009

My Sister’s Keeper

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

Dvd release date: 11/17/2009

Starring: Cameron Diaz, Abigail Breslin
Director: Nick Cassavetes
Category: Drama
Rated: PG-13

Sara and Brian Fitzgerald’s life with their young son and their two-year-old daughter, Kate, is forever altered when they learn that Kate has leukemia. The parents’ only hope is to conceive another child, specifically intended to save Kate’s life. For some, such genetic engineering would raise both moral and ethical questions; for the Fitzgeralds, Sara in particular, there is no choice but to do whatever it takes to keep Kate alive. And what it takes is Anna. Kate (Sofia Vassilieva) and Anna (Abigail Breslin) share a bond closer than most sisters: though Kate is older, she relies on her little sister – in fact, her life depends on Anna. Throughout their young lives, the sisters endure various medical procedures and hospital stays – just another part of their close-knit family’s otherwise normal life. Sara (Cameron Diaz), a loving wife and mother who left her career as an attorney to care for her daughter, is sometimes lost inside the single-minded caregivier she has become in her efforts to save Kate. Her strong, supportive husband, Brian (Jason Patric), is often rendered powerless and passive by his wife’s strength and determination. And their only son, Jesse (Evan Ellingson), drifts, at times all but forgotten as Kate and Anna take center stage. Until Anna, now 11, says no. Seeking medical emancipation, she hires her own lawyer (Alec Baldwin), initiating a court case that divides the family…and that could leave Kate’s rapidly failing body in the hands of fate. (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: ** (out of four)

Star Trek

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

Dvd release date: 11/17/2009

Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto
Director: J.J. Abrams
Category: Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Rated: R

The greatest adventure of all time begins with “Star Trek”, the incredible story of a young crew’s maiden voyage on board the most advanced starship ever created: the U.S.S. Enterprise. In the midst of an incredible journey full of optimism, intrigue, comedy and cosmic peril, the new recruits must find a way to stop an evil being whose mission of vengeance threatens all of mankind. The fate of the galaxy rests in the hands of bitter rivals born worlds apart. One, James Tiberius Kirk (Chris Pine), a delinquent, thrill-seeking Iowa farm boy, a natural-born leader in search of a cause. The other, Spock (Zachary Quinto), grows up on the planet Vulcan, an outcast due to his half-human background, which makes him susceptible to the volatile emotions that Vulcans have long lived without, and yet an ingenious, determined student, who will become the first of his kind accepted into the Starfleet Academy. Kirk and Spock could not be more different. Yet, in their quest to figure out who they really are and what they have to give to the world, they soon become competitive cadets-in-training. With their drastically opposite styles, one driven by fiery passion, the other by rigorous logic, they also become defiant, contentious adversaries, each equally unimpressed with the other, each going all out to be among the special few chosen to join the crew of the most advanced starship ever created, the U.S.S. Enterprise. The Crew is headed by Captain Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood). Joining him are the ship’s Medical Officer Leonard “Bones” McCoy (Karl Urban); the man who will become the ship’s Chief Engineer, Montgomery “Scotty” Scott (Simon Pegg); Communications Officer Uhura (Zoe Saldana); experienced Helmsman Sulu (John Cho); and the 17-year-old whiz kid Chekov (Anton Yelchin). All will face a harrowing first test that will set in motion the loyalty, camaraderie, daring and good humor that will bind them forever. In the midst of it all, Kirk and Spock will come face-to-face with an undeniable destiny: a need to forge an unlikely but powerful partnership, enabling them to lead their crew to boldly go where no one has gone before. (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: ***1/2 (out of four)

The Ugly Truth

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009

Dvd release date: 11/10/2009

Starring: Katherine Heigl, Gerard Butler
Director: Robert Luketic
Category: Comedy
Rated: R

The battle of the sexes heats up in Columbia Pictures’ comedy “The Ugly Truth”. Abby Richter (Katherine Heigl) is a romantically challenged morning show producer whose search for Mr. Perfect has left her hopelessly single. She’s in for a rude awakening when her bosses team her with Mike Chadway (Gerard Butler), a hardcore TV personality who promises to spill the ugly truth on what makes men and women tick. (Publisher)

Summary of critic reviews:

Chicago Tribune: *1/2  (out of four)
New York Post:  none (out of four)
Rolling Stone: 1/2 (out of four)
USA Today:  ** (out of four)

Overall: *  (out of four)

Up

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009

Dvd release date: 11/10/2009

Starring: Jordan Nagai, Ed Asner
Director: Pete Docter
Category: Children & Family
Rated: PG

From the revolutionary minds of Pixar Animation Studios and the acclaimed director of “Monsters Inc.” comes a hilariously uplifting adventure where the sky is no longer the limit. Carl Fredricksen, a retired balloon salesman, is part rascal, part dreamer who is ready for his last chance at high-flying excitement. Tying thousands of balloons to his house, Carl sets off to the lost world of his childhood dreams. Unbeknownst to Carl, Russell, an overeager 8-year-old Wilderness Explorer who has never ventured beyond his backyard, is in the wrong place at the wrong time – Carl’s front porch! The world’s most unlikely duo reach new heights and meet fantastic friends like Dug, a dog with a special collar that allows him to speak, and Kevin, the rare 13-foot tall flightless bird. Stuck together in the wilds of the jungle, Carl realizes that sometimes life’s biggest adventures aren’t the ones you set out looking for. (Publisher)

Summary of critic reviews:

Chicago Tribune: **** (out of four)
USA Today: **** (out of four)

Overall: **** (out of four)

I Love You, Beth Cooper

Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009

Dvd release date: 11/03/2009

Starring: Cynthia Stevenson, Samm Levine
Director: Chris Columbus
Category: Comedy
Rated: PG-13

“I Love You, Beth Cooper” chronicles the story of a nerdy valedictorian who proclaims his love for the hottest and most popular girl in school, Beth Cooper, during his graduation speech. Much to his surprise, Beth shows up at his door that very night and decides to show him the best night of his life.  (Publisher)

Summary of critic reviews:

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

Overall: ** (out of four)