Peach Weekender

Movies currently showing: 6/6

6/5/2013

Summaries are condensed from Blade or wire reviews and reflect the theater schedule starting Friday. Films are rated on a scale of 5 stars (best) to Bomb (worst). The reviewer’s name, movie running time, and abbreviations of the theaters where the movie is playing are at the end of each summary.

After Earth. After Earth is a generic and uninspired science-fiction action-thriller about a father and son marooned on a future Earth inhospitable to humans. Will Smith and son Jaden star as the struggling survivors fighting for their lives and to understand each other, and fading star M. Night Shyamalan directs. PG-13; 2 stars; 100 min. (Baird) (FP, FT, LC, BG, SDI)

Epic. Epic tells the story of an ongoing battle deep in the forest between the forces of good and the forces of evil. When a teen age girl finds herself magically transported into this secret universe, she must band together with a rag-tag team of fun and whimsical characters in order to save their world ... and ours. R; 3 stars; 105 min. (Wire review) (FP, FT, LC, BG)

Fast & Furious 6. The Fast and the Furious movies are about souped-up cars and the quirky-but-lovable people who drive them. The sixth installment in the franchise adds even more cars, more mayhem, more action and stunts. There's also the a thin plot to tie everything together: a former British Special Forces soldier and his road crew are stealing pieces to a destructive new weapon. Stars Vin Diesel and Paul Walker return, along with Dwayne Johnson. PG-13; 3 stars; 130 min. (Baird) (FP, FT, LC, BG, SDI)

Gibsonburg. A film based on the true story of the 2005 Gibsonburg High School baseball team. NR; 95 min. (MIT)

Baz Luhrman's The Great Gatsby is F. Scott Fitzgerald shaped for the ADHD generation, it's restless, largely unfocused, and always in motion. It's also quite dazzling. The latest adaptation of the Roaring Twenties drama about the East Coast elite and those pretending to be stars Tobey Maguire, Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, and Joel Edgerton. In 3-D at select theaters. The Great Gatsby. (FP, FT, LC) 143 min. (Baird) PG-13; 2 1/2 stars;

The Hangover Part 3. The Wolfpack returns for one final adventure that's long on drama and short on jokes. Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Zach Galifianakis are back, with the latter given most of the gags, along with Ken Jeong as flamboyant criminal Mr. Chow. The gang is forced to save Doug (Justin Bartha) again, this time from an angry mob boss (John Goodman), who wants Chow and the millions in gold he stole from him. If The Hangover Part 3 is proof of anything, it’s that once was enough for this waning comedy series. PG-13; 2 1/2 stars; 132 min. (Baird) (FP, FT, LC)

Iron Man 3. After two soaring, roaring solo adventures, it was inevitable that Iron Man would come crashing down. New director and co-writer Shane Black brings superficial complexity to the metal hero as Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) copes with his near death in The Avengers. Downey still has fun with the zingers, but Oscar winner Ben Kingsley as the villainous Mandarin is a wasted opportunity. Iron Man 3 has its moments, but it's no Avengers, the now gold standard of superhero fun. In 3-D at select theaters. PG-13; 2 1/2 stars; 130 min. (Baird) (FP, FT, LC)

Now You See Me. During their performances, the world's greatest illusionists known as "The Four Horsemen" pull off a series of daring heists against corrupt business leaders. The super-team of illusionists shower the stolen profits on their audiences while staying one step ahead of an elite FBI squad in a game of cat and mouse. PG-13; 2 1/2 stars; 116 min. (Wire) (FP, FT, LC, BG)

Oz the Great and Powerful. In this prequel to The Wizard of Oz, the great and powerful wizard is a con man named Oscar Diggs (James Franco) masquerading as a great magician in the early 1900s. A tornado carries him off to the land of Oz, where he meets the future Wicked Witch of the West (Mila Kunis), at this point the beautiful and naïve Theodora, and her scheming sister Evanora (Rachel Weisz), as well as the good witch Glinda (Michelle Williams), as well as a host of new characters. Director Sam Raimi is too preoccupied with the film’s stunning visuals and 3-D effects, and its lengthy middle section drags considerably. But a rousing finale is more than enough to win back smiles, as the familiar pieces are put in place for Dorothy’s smashing entrance into this world. Oz the Great and Powerful isn’t destined to become a classic, but it’s a fun time at the movies, one that reminds us that even old stories can be new again. PG; 3 1/2 stars; 130 min. (Baird) (MIT)

Star Trek Into Darkness. J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek was about restoring a moribund franchise. His sequel is about taking it for a spin. Into Darkness is a wild, action-packed ride, as Captain Kirk (Chris Pine), Mr. Spock (Zachary Quinto), and co. battle against one of their great adversaries (Benedict Cumberbatch), who is waging a one-man war against Star Fleet. PG-13; 4 1/2 stars; 132 min. (Baird) (FP, FT, LC, SDI)