Talking Pictures

Movie Reviews

Tony Reviews Rango

In this modern western a chameleon must become a hero and save a small desert town from the bad guys.

Wonderfully animated and well written, “Rango” is a hero’s journey about finding one’s true self and stepping up to it.

The film is beautifully executed with terrific vocal performances by its cast including Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Bill Nighy and Abigail Breslin. Even the musical score in this film is well woven throughout.

“Rango” is a must see. I do want to let parents know that there are some scenes in the film that might not be suitable for small children.

“Rango” gets an A and is rated PG.

Tony Reviews Take Me Home Tonight

Rekindling the fun and angst of those 1980’s films John Hughes and John Cusack did, “Take Me Home Tonight” is a wonderfully done tip of the hat.

An underachiever, played by Topher Grace, decides to change his life and go for the girl he has had a crush on for years, played by Teresa Palmer. And in one night he exceeds all of his expectations, but is it enough?

The film is touching, wacky, funny and poignant all at the same time, and yes full of heart.

Especially notable are the supporting players including Dan Fogler as the over-the-top best friend and Anna Faris as the steady as a rock sister.

“Take Me Home Tonight” was, for me, one the best times I have had at the movies so far this year.

It gets a B+ and is rated R.

Tony Reviews The Adjustment Bureau

In this film reminiscent of a Twilight Zone or Outer Limits episode, the main character discovers that free will and choice are just illusions. Everyone follows a plan and if people get “off track” specialists who intervene help them get back on the right path.

Matt Damon is a politician who meets and falls for a dancer, played by Emily Blunt. Their relationship is causing havoc, because it was never meant to happen.

For all it’s running around and flailing, “The Adjustment Bureau” is a bland love story wrapping itself in the question of “do we control our own destiny?”

Asking the question isn’t good enough, the film needed to answer the question it raises rather than trying to be slick and ambiguous and ultimately frustrating the audience by contradicting itself.

“The Adjustment Bureau” ends up as an average chase movie.

It gets a C and is rated PG-13.

Tony Reviews Beastly

In this re-engineered telling of the “Beauty and the Beast” tale, a young self-absorbed student is transformed by a witch into a disfigured young man in an effort to teach him something about true beauty.

The film stars Alex Pettyfer (I Am Number Four) as the beast and Vanessa Hudgens (High School Musical) as the beauty in the story aimed at the “tween” market.

And although the story and characters are written paper-thin, both actors do a fair job in conveying their underlying emotions.

But “Beastly” just isn’t written deep enough to offer the emotional attachment the audience needs to fully connect with the characters, so the film falls flat.

Supporting cast members Neil Patrick Harris and Lisa Gay Hamilton also seem disconnected to the story and are used gratuitously to “punch up” the scenes.

And even though we all know the ending to this particular fairy tale, when the end does come, it’s delivered without fanfare or passion and even a feeling that the main character has not learned his lesson.

“Beastly” gets a C- and is rated PG-13.

Rich Bonaduce reviews “Drive Angry”

Rich’s Quickie: Drives along pretty well for what it is.

Critics often bemoan the movie that doesn’t have a “sense of itself”; a movie that the audience laughs at even while it takes itself very seriously – or just the opposite. Or a movie that is trying so hard to be art house, it becomes out house. Drive Angry is not one of these; it knows exactly what it is, even if it misses the mark on occasion. It is an unapologetic grind house flick, complete with explosions and body parts coming at you in 3D. Although chewing a lot of scenery, Nic Cage is not quite as over the top as you’d expect, and the show is pretty much stolen by William Fichtner’s foul-mouth and Amber Heard’s short shorts. Although a bit tedious in the middle, Drive Angry eventually delivers on the promises it makes in its first act.

Movie Grade: C+

Rated R for strong brutal violence throughout, grisly images, some graphic sexual content, nudity and pervasive language.

Directed by: Patrick Lussier
Written by: Todd Farmer, Patrick Lussier

Rich Bonaduce reviews “Hall Pass”

Rich’s Quickie: I’ll pass…

The Farrelly Brothers have made a career out of never growing up (starting with Dumb and Dumber and possibly climaxing prematurely with There’s Something About Mary, way back in 1998), so why not a movie about …never growing up? The premise promised to be funny; what would middle-aged men do with themselves if given a pass on marital responsibility for a week?
But such an idea simply seems to be an excuse for the apparent trifecta (I hate that frigging non-word) of modern-day R-rated comedies: scatological jokes, scenes of masturbation, and full-frontal male nudity. The Farrelly’s knew how to handle such over-the-top bawdry, but this just comes off as trying too hard to be the next 40 Year Old Virgin, or Hangover. And, as always, comedy tries to have a soft moral center, and “teach you a lesson” in the end. Why oh WHY can’t a comedy NOT apologize for what it is and just be funny all the way through and not try and make me a better person? And if you’re going roll scenes through the credits, at least make them worth the wait, and not just more of the junk I just sat through.

Movie Grade: C-

Rated R for crude and sexual humor throughout, language, some graphic nudity and drug use.

Directed by: Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly
Written by: Pete Jones (screenplay) & Peter Farrelly (screenplay) & Kevin Barnett (screenplay) & Bobby Farrelly (screenplay) (as Bob Farrelly); Pete Jones (story)

Tony Toscano reviews “Drive Angry”

Nicolas Cage is back from Hell and wants revenge and will stop at nothing to find those who murdered his daughter and kidnapped his granddaughter.

That’s all you need to know about “Drive Angry” – and maybe perhaps that it carries an R for a reason.

A violent and graphically brutal “grind house” film which makes optimum use of Cage’s deadpan style and 3-D effects, “Drive Angry” is darkly funny.

I will admit “Drive Angry” is not for everyone.

But it is for those looking for some fast-paced, no holes barred adult entertainment. And some pretty cool and very fast cars.

It gets a B and is rated R.

Tony Toscano reviews “Hall Pass”

Hall Pass is a great example of a film trying too hard to be over-the-top. This uneven comedy, starring Owen Wilson, would have fared better if it lost the grosser scenes (which seemed to be tacked on anyway) and went with a PG-13 rating.

What “Hall Pass” suffers from is “Hangover” envy. But mistakes “gross slop” for “cleverly outrageous” at every turn, making the experience under whelming and forgettable.

“Hall Pass” gets a D and is rated R.

Rich Bonaduce reviews “Unknown”

Rich’s Quickie: Neeson kicks some butt yet again!

By virtue of being 6’4” and his performances in Batman Begins, Taken, The A Team (and now, of course, Unknown), Liam Neeson has redefined himself as an action star in addition to being a dependable dramatic star. It’s not that surprising; this was Darkman after all, and before acting he was an amateur boxer. Not bad for a guy pushing 60.
Neeson’s latest has been compared to Taken, but I’m not that sure why; yes, he’s pursing his wife this time instead of his daughter, he’s quite tenacious, and he gets pretty physical with his enemies, but the similarities end there. More equal parts The Fugitive and Total Recall, even with some unbelievable moments it’s a well-developed thriller. Even with a slightly slow middle, under the direction of Jaume Collet-Serra (Orphan),the mystery surrounding Neeson’s character builds so that we discover his secrets as he does. While delivering on what you’d expect to get, Unknown also provides a few surprises and a third act that is satisfying.

Movie Grade: B

Rated PG-13 for some intense sequences of violence and action, and brief sexual content.

Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Written by: Oliver Butcher (screenplay) & Stephen Cornwell (screenplay), Didier Van Cauwelaert (novel “Out of My Head”)

Tony Toscano reviews “Big Mommas: Like Father Like Son”

Even with the teaming of Martin Lawrence with Brandon T. Jackson (Tropic Thunder) this film is anything BUT entertaining. In fact it’s the opposite of entertainment, whatever that is.

A total misfire on everyone’s part and I hope who ever “green lit” this at the studio is in the unemployment line tomorrow.

In a word “Big Mommas: Like Father Like Son” is “Crap-tacular!”

It gets an F and is rated PG-13