Talking Pictures

Movie Reviews

Tony Toscano reviews “Dinner for Schmucks”

Based on the 1998 French farce “The Dinner Game” as well as the stage play, “Dinner for Schmucks,” starring Steve Carell and Paul Rudd, is a wonderfully funny and touching story about caring and friendship.

Although Steve Carell is a bit over the top from time to time as a wide-eyed imbecile, he is perfectly counterbalanced by Paul Rudd’s stick-in-the-mud corporate ladder climber.

Overall “Dinner for Schmucks” is well worth the ticket in. It gets a B and is rated PG-13.

Tony Toscano reviews “Cats and Dogs 2: The Revenge of Kitty Galore”

Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore is an enjoyable romp with a tip of the hat to James Bond films and other spy films. Both kids and adults will enjoy the humor, action and gadgets as well as the satirical humor peppered throughout the movie.

For being a surprisingly fun summer film, I’m giving this one a B. It carries a PG rating for animal action and humor.

Tony Toscano reviews “SALT”

At first glance, Angelina Jolie’s latest film “Salt” is a rehash of the Bourne films with a bit of the “Fugitive” thrown in.

However, as the film progresses, the story gets sillier and sillier and more implausible as the film progresses. So much so, the audience is abruptly jarred from their suspension of belief and into the hard reality of “that just can’t happen!”

Jolie and co-star Liev Schreiber do well in their roles, with Schreiber doing the most credible work in this cat and mouse spy thriller.

But by the final reel, it’s just not enough to shake off the movie’s foolishness.

“Salt” is only average and deserves a C. It’s rated PG-13.

Tony Toscano reviews “Charlie St. Cloud”

Let me begin by saying I have a place in my heart for a good sentimental love story. But “Charlie St. Cloud” isn’t one.

The film continuously hovers between being a sappy romance and a ghost story, but successfully never accomplishes either.

Unfortunately caught in between all this is Zac Effron, who is desperately trying to break out of his “High School Musical” persona and bite into meatier parts.

Effron is actually a good actor, but like a lot of good actors at the beginning of their careers, the parts offered them aren’t always good. Hopefully Effron will have better luck next time.

“Charlie St. Cloud” gets a D and is rated PG-13.

Tony Toscano reviews “Inception”

Either you will love “Inception” or you will not. Christopher Nolan again has managed to create an incredibly multi-layered story around a simple premise.

And the deeper you go into the film, the more questions you have. Which is why “Inception” works. It doesn’t present itself “dumbed down” but celebrates the viewer’s intelligence.

Nolan also put together one of the best ensemble casts for this sci-fi thriller. Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Ellen Page are all pitch-perfect!

I guarantee this will be on everyone’s top 10 lists for the year. Don’t miss it on a big screen as the special effects are mind boggling on a big format screen

“Inception” gets an A. It’s rated PG-13.

Tony Toscano reviews “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”

“The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” is what summer movies should be.

From beginning to end, the movie is a high-octane thrill-ride, which doesn’t spare the laughter.

Nicolas Cage is perfect as the ageless sorcerer looking for the perfect student to help him save the world from a nefarious wizard, played by Alfred Molina.

Caught in the middle is Jay Baruchel as the reluctant milquetoast student who has yet to discover his own self-worth.

Well worth the ticket price in, “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” is just plain fun.

It gets a B+ and is rated PG.

Tony Toscano reviews “Despicable Me”

“Despicable Me,” after all is said and done, isn’t a bad film but that doesn’t make it a particularly good film either.

Opening in the shadow of “Toy Story 3” is hard enough for any animated movie, especially for a film that doesn’t have the heart and soul or the reputation of a Pixar Film.

What “Despicable Me” does have is a fiendish and harmless charm, which I think children will like while watching the film. After leaving their seats, however, the story and characters will not stick with them.

“Despicable Me” gets a C and is rated PG.

Tony Toscano reviews The Twlight Saga’s “Eclipse”

Eclipse, the 3rd installment of the Twilight Saga, is to say the least, better than the first two films of the series.

The film boasts more action and better performances by the principal cast.

Although the storyline is unchallenging, girl loves boy, girl loses boy, girl can’t decide between which boy…boy oh boy, the film will deliver what it needs to deliver to its core audience, the Twilight fans.

And so it goes. But that’s the thing about reviewing a fan-based movie, it’s bulletproof.

The film gets a B- and is rated PG-13

Tony Toscano reviews “The Last Airbender”

The Last Airbender should have been one of the big movie events of the year. However in the hands of director M. Night Shyamalan, the film strays too far from the fun and adventure found in the animated series it was based on.

On the plus side the movie offers up some spectacular special effects but great visuals are not enough to sustain a film. You need a story and compelling characters, and “The Last Airbender” offers too little of each.

At 104 minutes, the film drags on like an awkward funeral procession, each step it takes becomes more and more laden and slow. The film would have fared better using less time on shots of the cast traveling and more time on action (as this IS an action film).

In any case The Last Airbender lost the audience somewhere about half way through its journey. It gets a C- and is rated PG.

Tony Toscano reviews “Toy Story 3″

When it comes to portraying the best human beings can be, you can’t beat the lessons taught by the toys in Toy Story 3.

Back for a 3rd go round, Woody, Buzz and Jessie return in what just might be the summer’s best film.

In this new 3-D film, Andy is going off to college and the Toys are in a panic. Andy, it seems, has pretty much grown up and forgotten how to play with his old pals. Depressed and feeling useless, the toys try to figure out what’s next in their lives.

Before you know it, the toys are accidentally donated to a childcare facility and Buzz, Woody and the rest are at the mercy of the resident toys living there.

It is there the film really takes off and becomes (more than anything else) a “prison break” movie. And a pretty good one at that.

Pixar Animation is genus at bringing these toys to life in such a way you actually begin to think they’re real. The film is a perfect blend of humor, pathos and action presented in amazing 3-D animation.

Despite a slow start, the movie wins at every turn. Toy Story 3 gets an A and is rated G.