Larry H Movie Reviews - Movie Reviews

The King's Speech

And why are you here? "Because I bloody well stammer," says His Royal Highness the Duke of York known as "Bertie" to his family. This British Prince Albert is also the brother of King Edward VIII who abdicated the British throne in 1936 so he could marry the twice-divorced American Mrs. Wallis Simpson.

Prince Albert does not want to be king because he thinks of himself as a naval officer and a person that can not "speak for the country" because of his painful stuttering. When Prince Albert speaks in his official capacity, people hang their heads and say prayers that he will be able to utter a few prepared words.

His loving wife (Helena Bonham Carter) seeks the assistance of an unorthodox speech therapist Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) to help solve the speech problem of the man who would be king. In anticipation of the impending abdication by King Edward, the pressure is intense for Prince Albert and Dr. Logue to get him ready to make speeches to rally the country at a time when Hitler's Third Reich was gathering steam.

Thus the peculiar partnership and ultimately a friendship and mutual respect was formed between HRH Bertie and Lionel in spite of their obvious different stations in life. Lionel, however, insisted on calling him Bertie because they needed to feel like "equals." The pushback from the prince and the determination of the coach make a wonderful platform for rich dialogue and brilliant acting by both men.

There is little doubt that this movie will be one of the ten nominated for Best Picture by the Academy and I can assure you that it will make Larry H's Top Ten. The story is enthralling and director Tom Hooper has struck a magnificent balance between the chemistry of the characters and this well known true story, but this film will have a lasting legacy because of the superb acting and repartee between Firth and Rush. It is the thing of legends.

Both male actors will be nominated and win numerous awards and are my frontrunners for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor. Often two great performances feed on and make each other better like Tracy and Hepburn ("Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" 1967) and Nicholson and Hunt ("As Good As It Gets" 1997). But these guys are both men; remarkable.

Helena Bonham Carter is accomplished as the wife of Prince Albert/King George VI, but there are too many outstanding performances by the ladies in supporting roles this year for her to make my top five.

On the other hand, this might be the year that Colin Firth is recognized and one of the great actors of our time. Let's remember that just last year Firth was nominated for Best Actor by Larry H. for his riveting characterization of George in "The Single Man." This time he is King George and this year's "George" probably will be the Best Actor of 2010.

Geoffrey Rush matched Firth scene for scene and we might just see two Brits sweep the best actor awards. The one thing that might stop the double victory is Christian Bale. This is a must see movie. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 94. Larry H.

True Grit

We have a winner; at least according to Larry H. So far, the Golden Globes have ignored the remake of the 1969 version of "True Grit" starring John Wayne. But what do they know? The G-Globes are voted on by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and they ain't from around here.

I admit that the Globes can be a predictor of things to come but there are only two annual awards that really matter: Academy Awards and The Sugar Awards by Larry H. And this 2010 version of "True Grit" is currently at the top of my list for Best Picture. But Larry H., don't you confess that you have a prejudice in favor of well-made Westerns that were birthed by John Wayne? You bet, Pilgrim!

The prejudice runs much deeper than a long-standing affection for John Wayne, I love the Coen Brothers, Jeff Bridges (Rooster Cogburn), Matt Damon (LeBoeuf), Josh Brolin (Tom Chaney) and a good yarn about murder, redemption, blood, and too much whiskey.

Here are some other areas of the film that I found to be terrific: script, acting, direction, costumes, lighting, editing, cinematography, and music.

The basic story has not changed. Mattie Ross' (age 14) father is gunned down by the scoundrel Tom Chaney and she is determined to have justice. Mattie's father was not too important or rich so the local establishment is not too excited about going after Chaney who has high-tailed it to Indian Territory. The sassy and determined Mattie (Hailee Steinfeld) will not be deterred even if she has to hire the drunken, one-eyed US Marshall Rueben J. "Rooster" Cogburn.

Meanwhile, a Texas Ranger (LaBoeuf) enters the picture because he, too, is chasing Chaney for murdering a State Senator in Texas. Rooster and LaBoeuf throw in together because Chaney is known to run with a gang led by Lucky Ned Pepper (Barry Pepper). After a rough start, Mattie is allowed to tag along.

Let's go back to 1969 because some of you are scratching your head trying to remember the actors in the first "True Grit," besides John Wayne. Well, here it is: Glen Freakin' Campbell as LeBoeuf and Kim "Obnoxious" Darby as Mattie Ross. I can still remember my disbelief when I heard that the Rhinestone Cowboy (Campbell) was going to play opposite John Wayne; that was blasphemy. But you know; things have a way of working out even though casting Glen Campbell was a huge gamble by Henry Hathaway who directed the original "True Grit."

Casting Matt Damon as LeBoeuf was not a stretch and he is certainly worthy of playing opposite Jeff Bridges' Rooster. The big surprise is the stupendous performance of young Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie Ross. Bridges and Steinfeld are almost shoe-ins for nominations for Oscars (forget about the Golden Globes for they know not what they do). And Damon has an outside shot. Same for Ethan and Joel Coen. The Coen Brothers also had the Midas Touch backing of Steven Spielberg as Executive producer so the money and talent was flowing.

The only peculiar or mildly negative comment I have about this movie is the stilted dialogue by the actors. When you see the movie, you'll know what I'm talking about. I was confused by the Coens' implementation of the almost staccato cadence of these cowboys. I've never known anyone that talks like that unless they were stoned and trying to hide their condition.

Go see "True Grit" and here are other Oscar-worthy movies in your local theatres: 127 Hours, Black Swan, Burlesque, The Fighter, The Social Network, and The King's Speech. Colin Firth as King George VI ("The King's Speech") will win Best Actor narrowly edging Jeff Bridges and James Franco ("127 Hours.") Merry Christmas! Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 94. Larry H.

Note: Watch for the 14th Annual Sugar Awards by Larry H.

Gulliver's Travels

One of the classics. You know what they say about the classics. I didn't think you knew either because I don't have a clue. Here is the good news:
many of the 12-year olds in my audience screamed with laughter. Bad news:
I did not so much as chuckle; not even a smile. I did nod off.

What's wrong with you Larry H. the Scrooge from Sugar Land? Bah Humbug! I just calls 'em like I sees 'em.

This version of Gulliver was in 3D and I still like wearing the funky glasses. Please see photo at www.larryhmoviereviews.com. I chose Gulliver because I'd seen all the important movies and I just couldn't make myself see "Little Fockers." Choices and consequences.

I make the tough calls about which movie to see all year and then I get to the end of the year and I'm stuck with the crumbs. The only movie I haven't seen that has a shot at an Oscar is "County Strong" starring Gwyneth Paltrow; it opens January 7th.

Jack Black plays Lemuel Gulliver who works for the "New York Tribune" as a lowly mailroom guy that has a crush on Darcy (Amanda Peet) the travel writer. Gulliver does not have the guts or the "stature" to ask Darcy for a date so he does the only deceit thing he could do - lie. The lie lands him an assignment and a boat ride to write about the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle and poof he ends up on the beach of the island of Liliput.

Our hero, the 41 year old Jack Black, in cutoffs and t-shirt is a giant among the citizens of Liliput so he is no longer the mailroom guy. And the rest is history and not very entertaining.

Black is his usual charming and comedic character that we expect and he will survive this disaster without hurting his career but this is no "Nacho Libre" 2006. This is a movie for kids plain and simple. Take a kid to this flick, just leave me out of it.

Highlights: as I walked in the AMC First Colony theatres, I ran into two childhood friends, Joey and Nancy S., who have been married for over 40 years and have six grandkids. They are a handsome couple and two of the winners from the Bay City Blackcats. And as I sat down in Theatre 21 during the trailers and quickly put on my 3D glasses, I ducked as a soccer ball came off the screen and came directly at my head. Love a good 3D effect. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 69W. Larry H.

The Fighter

Rocky Light! What do mean Larry H.? This flick had the makings for the classic "everyman makes good as a downtrodden prize fighter," like Rocky Balboa, but this hero was more like Rocky Raccoon or maybe Bullwinkle. Ok, that's a little harsh, but I was so disappointed in this show because I had great expectations for Marky Mark Wahlberg as The Fighter.

The real Wahlberg has a lot in common with his character Irish Micky Ward: both born in Boston/Lowell Massachusetts, and a member of a very large family with that strong Yankee accent and Irish loyalty. Micky (aka Mickey) had a crazy chain-smoking mother as business manager and a crack head older brother as a trainer as the three of them try to save Micky's boxing career in the 1990's.

That brother (Dicky Eklund) was played by Christian Bale who reached the peak of his pitiful boxing career when he "knocked" down Sugar Ray Leonard long ago in a disputed fight. It was a running joke that Sugar Ray actually slipped rather than took a punch from Dicky. Dicky had the morals of a snake but Micky loved his older brother and continued to allow Dicky to serve as his trainer even when doing so was toxic to his love life and boxing career.

Director David O. Russell allowed both of his stars to lose focus. Bale's portrayal of the loser older brother was over the top and a caricature of some misguided has-been fighter that was destined to screw up his life and everyone near and dear to him. Occasionally, Bale's performance was brilliant, but only for fleeting moments before returning to a meaningless combination of buffoonery and disbelief.

Being the clown of the family and pulling some hard time in the joint can be redeeming and even charming, but I didn't care if Bale's character lived or died and I sure didn't want him involved in my movie.

What about Wahlberg? Completely the opposite of Bale and I'm sure that was the intention of Director Russell. But Wahlberg was so understated that he reminded me of his very small role in "Date Night" as Halbrooke Grant. Just another hunky guy that doesn't have much to offer the world other than a good squeeze for his favorite squeeze.

Any big winners? Well, there were some small winners but I will limit the award to Amy Adams who played Micky's love interest. Biggest loser is Scott Silver and the other five credited writers. I wanted to pull for The Fighter and his struggle to make it to the title fight but ultimately I couldn't have cared less if he won or lost.

But the choreography of the fights was very well done; isn't that interesting. This movie was decidedly mediocre. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 79. Larry H.

Black Swan

"Black Swan" has a huge Oscar buzz because of the stupendous performance by Natalie Portman as the emotionally fragile New York ballerina. Portman plays Nina who still lives with her smothering mother (Barbara Hershey-62) who is a former ballerina and wants to control Nina's life and career.

Nina wants to be The Swan Queen very badly and she is willing to do whatever it takes of be the star and the heck with everyone else. Her artistic director (Vincent Cassel), on the other hand, is willing to manipulate her and the other competing women even if he has to sexually harass them. Those darn directors and their power moves!

Nina has a long list of issues such as sexual frustration, denial, and body mutilation, but what's a girl to do when competing for the biggest part of her life and the limelight of the New York stage? Is Nina right for the part of The Swan Queen? Not exactly, because she is perfect as the naïve, pure White Swan but not as true as the sexy Black Swan.

Lily (Mila Kunis) is ideal as The Black Swan and is carefree and a party-girl; just the opposite of the uptight Nina. They form an odd, complicated friendship that is the highlight of the film. Kunis is a hot 27-year old actress, born in Kiev, USSR, which is now the Ukraine, and I expect to see great things from her in the future.

Now let's talk about Natalie Portman; will she be nominated for Best Actress? Yes because she deserves it. I heard her tell David Letterman that she lost 20 pounds to play the emaciated Nina and Hollywood loves dramatic shifts in weight so that will earn her some extra points. "Emaciated" is probably an unfair term since ballerina's have a tendency to look like they need some meat on their bones. But no matter the weight, Portman was brilliant and her performance was memorable as the contorted Nina. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 90. Larry H.

Burlesque

This movie can be described in two words: Christina Aguilera; she explodes off the screen as Ali. It is the best performance by an actress in a musical since Jennifer Hudson in "Dreamgirls" (2006) or Catherine Zeta-Jones in "Chicago" (2002) as Velma Kelly. "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" is even one of the songs in "Burlesque."

Cher stars as an aging singer and former dancer who co-owns a burlesque with her ex-husband. That sounds like something Cher would do. And she is the hottest 64 year old chick who can still rock and roll and appear opposite Aguilera and make them both better.

But Aguilera showed star quality not seen since Streisand. Now don't blaspheme, Larry H., or exaggerate. I'm not; I just saw "Burlesque" and thought it was stunning. And did I mention that Christina Aguilera brought me to tears with her performance and energetic, dynamic singing. And goose-bumps. I love Christian Aguilera.

Aguilera is two faced, too: one scene she is the hayseed from Iowa, then she is the bombastic starlet in high heels, wig, and bustier strutting her stuff on stage and looking like a heartthrob. And boy can she dance!

What the heck is a burlesque? Burlesque is a humorous theatrical entertainment involving parody and sometimes grotesque exaggeration. And fun and exciting and bawdy and this burlesque is loved by Cher's character (Tess) even while the bank will not loan her the needed money to stave off foreclosure.

When a musical cooks like this one, much credit must go to the director - Steven Antin who also wrote the script. The cast was astonishing: Cam Gigandet as Jack the hunky roommate; Eric Dane as Marcus the suave, rich real estate developer; Kristen Bell as Nikki the alcoholic bad girl and Ali's rival, and the great Stanley Tucci who plays Tess' gay friend and confidant.

Who were the big winners? Anyone and everyone that had anything to do with the movie. Nominations will abound with Ms. Aguilera leading the way. As soon as you finish your turkey, go see this movie. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 94. Larry H.

127 Hours

This is the movie about the young man that was hiking alone near Maob, Utah, in 2003 when his right arm and hand became pinned by a boulder. He was an experienced cayoneer, but even this situation was beyond his meager equipment kept in his backpack. He was desperate. He had not told anyone where he was going.

This movie is directed by Danny "Slumdog Millionaire" Boyle who also co-wrote the screenplay with Simon Beaufoy who won the 2009 Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for "Slumdog." Their screenplay is based on the novel "Between a Rock and a Hard Place" by Aron Ralston. Ralston is the guy the country first met when he survived this ordeal and lived to tell the world about his incredible journey and the time he spent helplessly trapped by the unforgiving boulder.

I often wondered "how could this happen?" This film painfully describes the events and superbly introduces us to Aron played by James Franco. I am writing this review while I am watching the movie at my desk in my office. Never written while watching a movie. It is riveting and I'm squirming in my chair.

When he was first trapped and was frantically trying to extricate himself, I did not think I would be able to continue watching. The story is gripping and Franco's portrayal is excruciatingly believable. The film editing, camera angles and direction are enthralling.

Back to Aron; he's suffering and having hallucinations, talking and singing to himself; doing anything to stay alive as his situation seems hopeless. He dropped his small pocket knife but was able to adroitly retrieve it. He has a video camera and is capturing significant scenes and leaving messages to whoever might find him and his parents.

Boyle is developing Aron's character through flashbacks while keeping tabs on the ordeal. It started on Sunday and now it's Monday. Aron is attempting to wedge, push, and leverage the boulder off his arm; nothing is working. I'm really rooting for this guy. No more writing until the film is over.

I lied; I couldn't wait. The scene I just saw caused me to get out of my chair and quickly stand up and walk around my office only to hurriedly return so I wouldn't miss anything. Aron and I are both struggling. Props to Danny Boyle; I'm sucking on a butterscotch so I'll calm down. Aron is asleep and an ant is crawling on his face.

I made it; the movie is over and the ending credits are rolling. Did Aron make it? I need a break. I'm drained. Franco deserves a nomination and so does Boyle. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 94. Larry H.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

I saw this movie at the refurbished Memorial City mall at a special screening. There were hundreds of eager Harry Potter fans lined up to see the latest escapades of the Boy Wizard who is no longer going to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry because he has been too busy fighting Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), Death Eaters, and various other evil wizards.

Luckily, the PR folks had set aside Cinemark's Theatre #1 for the "press" so Eric H. and I had great seats. I've read all seven of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter novels, but Eric H. has read them twice and knows all the back stories and latest gossip; he would not miss Harry Potter 7.1 as dubbed by my friend Regina S. This is the seventh movie, but covers the first half of the last HP novel. The last movie, the eighth, is expected in the summer of 2011 and will cover the dramatic ending of the seventh novel.

The Dark Lord (Voldemort) has taken over the Ministry of Magic and Hogwarts and his power is growing stronger. Things look gloomy for the good witches and wizards, but Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione Granger (Emma Watson), and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) have not given up and are desperately trying to locate and destroy the Horcruxes. As further explanation, the Deathly Hallows are three highly powerful magical objects supposedly created by Death and given to each of three brothers in the Peverell family.

This is very spooky and scary stuff if the bad guys are chasing the good guys and trying to kill them while the audience is pulling for the beloved Harry, Hermione, and Ron. But very boring if returning Director David Yates loses his way and allows the action to come to a halt in a trade-off for in-depth explanations, useless dialogue, and unnecessary character development of our three heroes. For over an hour!

Yates has done some good Harry Potter work, but the middle of this movie was dreadful. The beginning was spellbinding and the audience was mesmerized; the ending was at least interesting and entertaining which caused me to wake up and pay attention. But Yates blew it big-time for most of the movie.

Who was the big winner? Nobody, but Alan Rickman shines as the evil Professor Severus Snape even though he is on the screen for less than five minutes. Hey, Yates, give Rickman more face time. Fiennes as the slit-nosed Voldemort brings an archetypical touch of hatred and abhorrence worthy of the Dark Lord who murdered Harry's parents and has vowed to kill the Boy Wizard. The three young stars that were paid many millions to reprise their roles were adequate at best.

Who should see this movie? All the Harry Potter freaks and those of you that have seen the previous six movies. The franchise is too valuable to quit because of this bobble. Surely, Harry Potter 7.2 will be wonderful, cross your fingers and touch blue, so most of us can not take the chance to pass on this movie. If you do not know the characters and have to scratch your head to even remember that Harry Potter has a lightning bolt scar on his forehead, then don't bother with HP 7.1. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 81. Larry H.

Morning Glory

I do not like Diane Keaton or the horse she rode in on, but this mess was not her fault. As a matter of fact, Ms. Keaton's character did not offend me which is an improvement. I know that I am not supposed to allow my personal prejudices affect my movie-going judgment so I'll just let it go.

But on the other hand, I've decided to blame the screenwriter (Aline Brosh "The Devil Wears Prada" McKenna) who I do not know well and now I do not want to know her. The script was stupid and boring, the characters lacked substance, and the plot sucked. Other than that, things were pretty solid.

Harrison Ford mailed in his performance and it was marked "postage due." Rachel McAdams did the best she could with this script and she's extremely hot so we'll give her a pass. Jeff Goldblum as her boss was acceptable. All the other actors get a "who cares... and be sure to cash the check soon."

This movie opened on a Wednesday so I give the producers an "A" for effort and maybe it will give them a boost at the box office and isn't that what it's all about. Don't let quality get in the way; just hire Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton to play some old warhorses hanging onto their careers on a fledgling morning TV variety show and throw in Cutie McAdams as the newbie Executive Producer and let the chips (money) fall.

If you go see this movie, you are just encouraging them to make more formula movies for the mall theatres and force the indies to stay at the River Oaks. Stop now and click on www.larryhmoviereviews.com and pick one of my highly rated movies and let this piece of #@&* drown in its own popcorn. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 69. Larry H.

Due Date

This is a very complicated movie so let me break it down for you: it's screamingly funny and Robert Downey Jr and Zach Galifianakis are perfect for their characters. I lied; this is not a complicated movie.

Peter Highman (Downey Jr.) the architect is in Atlanta for business and he needs to get home pronto because his wife is about to give birth to their first child. Ethan Tremblay (Galifianakis) is a jolly, goofball out-of-work actor that literally bumps into Peter in the Atlanta airport, and in short order the two of them are on the "no fly" list and kicked off the plane. Now this very odd couple must get to Los Angeles via cars, trucks, and other modes.

Hmmm. Doesn't this sound a lot like the 1987 classic "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" starring Steve Martin (Neal) and John Candy (Del)? Well, yes it does, but don't let that bother you because much to my surprise, Peter and Ethan are as charming, hilarious, and complicated as Neal and Del.

There's that word again: complicated. I didn't mean to imply that the plot or the story is complicated, but there are many layers of the onion that need to be peeled back in order to arrive at the true hearts and souls of our two heroes, err losers. No, loser is not right either. Perhaps wounded and vulnerable? Sad and pathetic? I know; two guys just trying to get through life the best way they know how.

The film is directed and co-written by Todd "Hangover" Phillips and he has once again shown his comedic genius. The gags and one-liners are sprinkled throughout the movie. I started laughing in the first scenes and never stopped. This movie is near faultless in reaching its goal: take two great actors, give them a witty script, and have some fun with it. I'm smiling now.

I've been on a roll lately in awarding the "big winner" award to someone connected to my most recent movie experience and this is no exception. The big winner is... drum roll: Zach Galifianakis; he has consistently been funny in his latest movies - "Hangover," "It's Kind of a Funny Story," and "Dinner for Schmucks," but he has never played the big dog. And he was opposite the brilliant Robert Downey Jr and held his own, thank you very much. Soon, people will even know how to pronounce his last name.

This flick is not for young people which is too bad because it's so funny, but the sex, drugs, and F-bombs give it a rating of R. So, if you are a degenerate and want a good laugh, go see "Due Date" and take a date. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 90. Larry H.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

If you want to see this movie now, you have to travel to Landmark's River Oaks Theatre or The Woodlands. I love going to the old theatre on the outskirts of downtown Houston so I went to River Oaks.

I parked across the street from the theatre in front of Barnes and Noble. Since it was so convenient, I purchased the lasted John Grisham novel and pitched it in my back seat as I passed by on my way to the picture show.
Now that's a twofer.

"Hornet's Nest" is the final in the "Millennium Trilogy" by Stieg Larrson. Here is some trivia on Larrson: "Finished his so-called Millennium Trilogy shortly before his death in 2004. All three novels were published posthumously. He had finished three-quarters of a fourth book before his death and had notes for two more and had planned a series of ten." Big loss for the literary and movie world; he died in Stockholm at age 50.

The first book made into a movie was "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," which I saw in June of this year. And shortly thereafter in July, I saw the second installment "The Girl Who Played with Fire." I saw all three movies at River Oaks. We need to keep River Oaks open especially since we recently lost The Angelika.

My reviews on the first two movies are archived on my movie page at LarryHmovierevies.com. I gave "Tattoo" a 93 and an 82 for "Fire." These Swedish movies with subtitles have been so successful and intriguing to American audiences that Hollywood will soon have its first English version re-make of "Tattoo" directed by David "The Social Network" Fincher. Not sure of the exact date of release but the word is "sometime in 2011." I hope Fincher doesn't screw it up; these movies are special.

The girl is Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) who is now recovering in a hospital with multiple gunshot wounds because the last movie left her near death. But Lisbeth is tough; very tough and she is not about to allow a bullet in the head, shoulder and hip slow her down. The authorities are patiently waiting for her to get out of the hospital so they can arrest her and prosecute her for attempted murder. Ok, she tried to kill her father, Alexander Zalachenko, with an axe but the dirty so and so had it coming.
Self defense!

As a reminder, when Lisbeth was only 12, she doused her father and set him on fire because he had been beating her mother. That dirty so and so; he had it coming. She has a half brother that is upset and wants to kill her, too. And oh yeah, she has been raped, abused, and falsely incarcerated in a mental hospital for years. You'd have spiked hair, multiple piercings and a giant dragon tattoo on your back if it happened to you. She is one angry girl. Will the system finally beat her? Will she get some measure of revenge or justice? This movie is worth the trip. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 89. Larry H.

Stone

This is movie-making at its best. But I had a hard time making it to the theatre. I had already seen my Friday afternoon movie and sent in my review to my publisher at the "Fort Bend Independent" and to my movie review list of four hundred of my closest friends, so I did not have any pressure to see another movie over the weekend of October 22nd.

It had been a slow Saturday afternoon and UT was upset by Iowa State by 2 PM. I did not want to take a nap and all of my honey do's had been accomplished so I was getting antsy by mid-afternoon. I had been thinking a lot about the new De Niro/Norton movie and decided that I had to see it.

I checked the internet and found that it was playing at the Edwards (exclusively) at 5:25 PM. Monique H. did not want to go with me. Ironically, the Edwards cinema complex in the Greenway Plaza area is one block from Eric H's apartment, but I knew I could not disturb him as he was in a deep sleep recovering from a Saturday review class at South Texas College of Law in downtown Houston.

Stone is the name used by the Edward Norton's character that is in his eighth year of incarceration for arson; he and a cousin burned down the house of their grandparents with grandpa and grandma in the house. Stone is up for parole and his parole officer is none other than Jack Mabry (Bobby De Niro). Jack is close to retirement but explains to the warden that he wants to finish up a few of cases.

Norton/Stone is sporting a corn roll hairdo and the appropriate tats when he first sits down in Mabry's office for an interview. The sparks and F-bombs between Stone and Mabry are immediate and constant. You might say that they started off on the wrong foot. Stone stuffs his considerable anger because he knows that Mabry holds the key to his getting out of prison.

Stone wants out of prison so desperately that he is quite willing to solicit his comely wife, Lucetta, (Milla Jovovich) to intervene and meet with Officer Mabry. At first, Mabry refuses to even speak to Stone's wife but she can be very convincing. The mind games between Stone and Mabry and now Lucetta are a thing of beauty. The script is splendid.

Let's back up a minute: Mabry is married and the audiences is introduced to his wife Marylyn (Frances Conroy) through flashbacks and lonely dinners in their sad, morose home pending the imminent retirement of Office Mabry. Lucetta is hot; Madylyn looks like she's been rode hard and put up wet. I smell trouble!

So, who are the big winners in this independent film? Everybody. All four of the main actors deserve Oscar nominations; their acting was simply magnificent. The set designs, sounds, and music were outstanding and spellbinding. The screenplay by Angus MacLachlan and direction by John Curran were brilliant. I can hardly wait to see this movie again. I'd go today. This is a great movie. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 93. Larry H.

Hereafter

Breakfast and a movie. That's what Monique H. and I did on Friday October 22nd. We had a lovely breakfast at La Madeleine and then scampered over to AMC First Colony. I know it's been said that I'm a "Romantic Devil" but breakfast and a movie is just too much! It will be smooth sailing this weekend.

Speaking of the future, this movie is about the hereafter as in the time after you die. Where do you go and what happens? And can we communicate with our loved ones who go before us? Who among us would not like to be able to "talk" to a family member that has predeceased us?

These universally intriguing and spiritually complex questions are not too difficult for Director Clint Eastwood who recently turned 80. The story involves the lives and their connection to the hereafter by a blue collar worker George (Matt Damon), a French TV journalist Marie (Cecile De France) and a schoolboy named Marcus played by Frankie and George McLaren.

Eastwood's opening scene and special effects were riveting and set a tone for the movie that generated great expectations that I was about to see an epic film and surely it would get a nomination for Best Picture. Then Clint slowed waaaay down to methodically develop the main characters and the intricacies of their lives. And the movie came to a grinding halt and the action crawled for more than an hour.

I know that Clint knows what he's doing but he lost me. My audience became visibly bored and the concession runs were increasing. This is not a bad movie and some of you will rave about it, but most of you will be nonplussed because of the painful middle. But don't despair; there is an outstanding ending that saves the movie and wraps up the stories in a neat bundle.

Matt Damon once again showed his huge talent as an actor. It's the first time he and Clint have teamed up since "Invictus" and I doubt it will be the last; surely Clint "The Good" Eastwood can live to be 90+; Matt's a mere 40.

Interesting aspect: the lighting of the sets and the focus on the actors was quite deliberate and effective. Many of the close-ups of the actors' faces were highlighted by only half of their faces in light. The other half of their face was totally dark. I don't fully understand that technique but I found it interesting and it made me pay attention to the half I could see. Maybe that was Clint's angle. He had the money of Kathleen Kennedy and Steven Spielberg to produce this movie so I'm confident that there was enough money to hire the best.

Big winner: Cecile De France. How can you not be a big winner if you are named after your home country? What if her leading man was named Matt America? At any rate, she's a genuine fox and her hair in this movie is killer. Soon, you will hear young women going into hair salons saying "...give me a Hereafter" like that French actress. You should see this movie at the theatres even though you might enjoy it more the first time you see it on HBO or Netflix. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 87. Larry H.

Red

This is the epitome of an action comedy. And of course you can't make an action comedy without Bruce Willis. Director Robert Schwentke didn't have to look too far for the rest of this cast either.

I must admit that pairing Mary-Louise Parker as Willis' love interest is a bit of a stretch but I bought it much to the credit of Parker. The choice of crusty Morgan Freeman as an 80 year-old retired CIA agent and the elegant Helen Mirren as a former machine-gun toting agent who describes herself as "I kill people" were brilliant.

And when a director needs an actor that has been used as a human LSD experiment for eleven years by the CIA, the choice is obvious: John Malkovich as Marvin Boggs. Crazy John has the facial expressions and weird stare that is euphemistically described as "...don't get John too riled up; he's wound a little tight." And he carries and old school revolver with a six-inch barrel.

Speaking of guns, this movie has all kinds. Willis' character, Frank Moses, routinely carries a 1911 .45 and can make a speed magazine change when necessary. How refreshing! Most of the other characters rely on M-4's and other assortment of automatic firepower and a few missiles and grenades.

I counted the rounds fired and I lost track at 17,525; it became quite difficult to keep up when 10-15 guys were firing automatic weapons simultaneously. I knew you would want me to make an accurate count, but there was just too much going on. I tried.

Please note that I have not written a word about the plot or the story. Does it really matter? This is a movie with good guys that were former CIA agents that are fighting current CIA agents (bad?) and everyone is a little good and a little bad. The audience is pulling for Willis, Parker, Malkovich, Freeman, and Mirren, but Karl Urban as CIA Agent Cooper who is chasing our oldsters is also likeable.

Now let's add Ernest Borgnine as Henry, The Records Keeper, and Richard Dreyfuss as Alexander Dunning who is a ...I've forgotten and don't care. And then there's Brian Cox as the sweet Russian, Ivan Simanov, who still has a crush on Victoria (Helen Mirren) all these years after The Cold War; how charming is that? This is a silly little movie that is designed to make you chuckle and enjoy some legendary actors have fun and I did.

Grade 87. Larry H.

Secretariat

The movie opens in 1969 Denver, Colorado, where Penny Tweedy (Diane Lane) is a housewife mixing batter in a bowl with a lawyer husband, and four young children. Her parents and the Chenery family horse farm are back in Virginia. The horse business is not going well.

Momma Chenery dies and Old Man Chenery has lost his mind so daughter Penny commutes from Denver in attempt to serve as the owner of the race horses. She begins by hiring a new trainer Lucien Laurin (John Malkovich) and jockey Ron Turcotte (Otto Thorwarth). Even though Penny is only a "housewife," she is the designated person to run the horse operation of the family business.

In 1969, Women's Lib was just getting started so Penny was in a world controlled by men and women need not apply. With this backdrop of preconceived notions, Diane Lane exploded as the beautiful and resolute owner of a young horse affectionately referred to as Big Red. As a two year old, Big Red was a consistent winner and was named Best Horse of the Year in 1972, but he had not raced in any of the Triple Crown races ... yet.

Director Randall Wallace strikes an amazing balance between race track and humans who control and train the newly-named Secretariat. As Horse of the Year, Secretariat is under a lot of pressure to do well in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont. The year is 1973 and no horse had won the Triple Crown since Citation in 1948.

The script weaves a believable and exciting story of the progress and pitfalls of Secretariat while maintaining action and human drama. Diane Lane as Penny Tweedy personifies grace, tenderness and tenacity as the hard-charging owner. Malkovich as the quirky trainer is the perfect match for Lane and both will be on short lists for awards. Of course, describing Malkovich's character as "quirky" is surely admitting that he did not stretch for this performance. Not so sure. Crazy John was also extremely charming and likeable.

But the big winner is Diane Lane. At 45, she showed that her long career has finally paid off in this memorable performance that was the rock of this multi-faceted chronicle of one of the greatest race horses to ever live.

Ok, if you have been living under a rock and are prepared to admit that you do not know the results of Secretariat's attempt to win the Triple Crown, then stop reading immediately. He won! In 1973, I was in my first year of law school and I was crazier than John Malkovich and even I knew all about Secretariat. It was a huge story and electrified the nation.

This movie captured the glamour and excitement of the quest by the big red horse and I felt the emotion of the story throughout. I attribute my goose bumps and tears to watching an extraordinary animal and the performance of Diane "Lonesome Dove" Lane. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 91. Larry H.

The Social Network

Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, Justin Timberlake, The Eric H. Generation, Jesse Eisenberg, and Director David Fincher were the big winners. Timberlake was noticeably capable in his character Sean "Napster" Parker and Eisenberg delivered Sorkin's lines with the proficiency of an accomplished actor.

The biggest winner, no doubt, is Aaron "The West Wing" Sorkin who wrote a brilliant screenplay based on the novel by Ben Mezrich entitled "The Accidental Billionaires." Mezrich graduated from Harvard in 1991 which is also the alma mater of the key players of Facebook.

Sorkin's screenplay was the typical witty, fast-talking chatter that was the hallmark of "The West Wing" and "Charlie Wilson's War." I'm a huge fan of the 49 year old Sorkin, and I'm convinced that his words dominated this movie and made it a box office hit.

I have a Facebook account as do 500 million other folks, and this is the story of the creation of Facebook and the in-house fighting among the young Harvard inventors and rival Harvard students who thought the prime creator, Mark Zuckerberg (Eisenberg), stole their idea. Let the lawsuits begin!

Most who see this movie will come away with the notion that Zuckerberg (age 26) is an unfeeling jerk with little to no social skills. My impression of Zuckerberg, the real person, is that he also does not care what we think because currently he is worth north of $5 billion. I'm cool with that.

Monique H. and I saw this movie at 10 AM on Saturday. I agree; it is very hard to get up on a Saturday morning; watch cartoons, eat breakfast, and hurry to AMC before noon, but we did it. This movie is important because it helps define a generation of people under age 30 who could not attend college without access to their Facebook friends. Now, even older adults like Larry H. know how to "facebook" someone. Thanks Zuckerberg. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 89. Larry H.

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

Money never sleeps on Wall Street but Larry H. slept in Theatre #11 Edwards Greenway Palace Stadium 24. Anticipation is a dangerous emotion; once again I had been amped to see Gordon Gekko do his magic (or voodoo) on Wall Street. Surely an updated "Wall Street" with the recent global financial collapse as a backdrop would be a surefire hit. Wrong, Stock Market Breath.

Gekko (Michael "Kirk's Boy" Douglas) got out of prison in 2001 after serving 8 years hard and then the movie jumps to 2008 with the introduction of Wall Street Boy Wonder Jake Moore (Shia LaBeouf) who is in love with Gekko's estranged daughter Winnie (Carey Mulligan). Winnie hates her father but falls in love with another "Street" man.

This is a slick, stylish movie ably directed by Oliver Stone who also directed the original "Wall Street" in 1987. If one was grading Stone's ability to direct and create a meaningful movie, then he would win high marks. If one is grading Stone's ability to make this sequel entertaining, then Stone would get a failing grade. At times, I was so bored that I literally went to sleep only to head-snap myself awake with no cares that I missed a scene or two. At one point, the audience laughed and I didn't have a clue nor did I mind.

The script by Allan Loeb and Stephen Schiff seemed historically accurate and insightful and would have been a first class documentary, but with this cast of actors and Michael Douglas reprising his Gordon Gekko character, we deserved a bang-up flick with joy and intrigue. We got dull and unexciting.

Stone's graphics and CG effects were astounding and others will copy the cinematography, but I wanted characters that were worthy of my concern and compassion not Stone showing off his skills as a movie-maker.

My favorite character was Josh Brolin's bad guy as he appeared to at least be the most understandable. Carey Mulligan was my choice for Best Actress in 2009 for her portrayal in "An Education" and she performed admirably in her supporting role as Gekko's daughter. Mulligan's superb acting skills override her simple, less-than-sexy British looks. On the other hand, Shia has the good looks but suffers from a lack of star performance.

Eric H. was my sidekick at this movie; I don't think he went to sleep but his comments were something like "...dang." And he did noticed when I made a hissing (mocking) noise during a serious scene between Mulligan and LaBeouf. I was trying to help the audience understand my disdain. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 71S. Larry H.

The Town

This is Ben Affleck's movie. Ben is the director, star, and co-writer. His stock is about to go sky high; he's has entered the Clint Eastwood stratosphere with this touching, action film.

The storyline involves four Bostonians from the Charlestown neighborhood who specialize in robbing armored trucks and banks. Doug MacRay (Affleck) is the brains of this dubious band of thieves that also includes the classic over-the-top member James Coughlin (Jeremy "The Hurt Locker" Renner.) Coughlin is the two-time ex-con that vows not to go back to prison and isn't the least bit afraid to smash someone's head with his M4 full auto carbine or shoot them depending on his mood or twisted rationale.

The script is wonderfully written and the characters are complicated which means they are terribly flawed with some redeeming human qualities with just a pinch of charm. That formula bodes will for a violent film that involves cops and robbers thus allowing the audience to like everybody. And I did.

Obviously I was pulling for Ben and the boys to get away with their bank heists. What does that say about me? It says that the acting, directing and screenplay were outstanding. I even liked the FBI Special Agent (Jon "Mad Men" Hamm) who was trying to put the pieces together so he could bust the gang because he is a do-gooder cop. Well, not exactly because the FBI boys cut some corners, too, in the name of the law, of course.

More complications: during one of the bank jobs, the robbers take a beautiful bank manager (Rebecca Hall) hostage, but let her go unharmed. Then Coughlin starts worrying that perhaps the bank manager might remember too much about them and help the FBI. So, on behalf of the team, Affleck's character befriends her and promptly falls in love.

Now let's recap: bank robbers take a hostage and let her go, then the leader of the gang does some recon and falls in love with the fair maiden while the FBI is closing in and the gang smells a rat. Uh oh, I smell trouble and you know I'm also blessed with the sense of smell as we found out last week; they call me "Larry H. the Stink Smeller from Sugar Land." I'm not bragging; I'm just trying to remind you of the facts.

Speaking of smells; let me tell you a story about my 1:00 PM crowd which was very large. So large in fact, that a couple sat down by me. The woman was about to sit by me, but she realized that if she moved over one more seat then she would not have to sit by a single man (Larry H.) and would have a vacant seat to her right. Just about the time she was going to slide into the seat next to me, she made that awkward turn and settled into the adjacent seat thus forcing her beau to sit next to me. Within minutes, she took both of her shoes off and put her bare feet on top of his feet. And dang if he didn't shortly thereafter take off his shoes. I can't make up this stuff.

Then about an hour into the movie, the projectionist hit a "technical difficulty" so said the manager at the front of the theatre. During this brief interlude, the house lights came up and I noticed that this sweet, middle aged, barefooted couple was holding hands. Now let's recap: a couple is actually sitting next to Larry H. and brushing up against him (a criminal act in itself) and they are half naked and holding hands. Who do they think they are? Daisy and Jethro! They seemed nice enough so I forgave them.

This is an edgy movie and I know because I was on the edge of my seat during the entire flick. We all know that Ben Affleck can produce a believable Boston-based movie ("Good Will Hunting") but he has created a winner with "The Town" and it will garner awards and accolades. Benny will not have trouble getting financing for his next project. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 91. Larry H.

Boundaries

All the good shrinks tell us that we must have boundaries. I don't know what that means but I think I've hit a wall. Isn't that a boundary? The new movies coming out this week are atrocious.

How do you know these things Larry H. if you haven't even seen the movie? I can smell stink before I stick my nose in the theatre. That's why they call me "Larry H. The Stink Smeller from Sugar Land."

Lest you doubt me and want to take the smell test for yourself, please review the excerpts below taken primarily from Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Note: if you can't trust the internet, then who can you trust?

"Resident Evil: Afterlife" - In a world ravaged by a virus infection, they turn victims into the Undead starring Millia Jovovich and Ali Larter. I'm sweet on Ali but surely she can't save this campy crap. This is the fourth installment of the Resident Evil franchise. You have got to be kidding me. You suckers that have seen the first three movies should turn in your movie card.

"I'm Still Here" - A documentary on Joaquin Phoenix's transition from the acting world to a career as an aspiring rapper. This actually has a tiny potential if you think sitting through odd movies is cool. I've seen Joaquin interviewed about his "transition" and I think he needs to see one of those "good shrinks."

"The Virginity Hit" - Four guys, one camera, and their experience chronicling the exhilarating and terrifying rite of passage: losing your virginity. Ok, that's it; I believe in the First Amendment as much as the next freak, but these guys should be arrested. And you, too, if you pay to see this "Hit."

There are a couple other movies debuting the week of September 10th (after Labor Day Weekend), but I think you get my stink; er point. But I'm not sad because I've decided that instead of going to the movies on this beautiful hot Friday, I'm going surfing at Galveston. If only I had a surf board. Gotta have boundaries! Rock 'n Roll.

Grade: N/A. Larry H.

The American

This is a modern-day Spaghetti Western circa Clint Eastwood except this time it is pretty boy George Clooney (age 49). I loved all the 1960's Eastwood/Sergio Leone movies about the stoic cowboy/assassin who spoke little and killed many. I had seen the trailers for "The American" and I was pumped; this movie couldn't fail. Wrong, Theatre Breath!

I was profoundly disappointed. Was the acting bad? No. Was there something wrong with the cinematography, the music, editing? No, that's not the problem either. Then what's the problem? Script.

The story sounds wonderful and intriguing: Assassin Jack (Clooney) has to pull the trigger of his sissy Walther .380 a few too many times in Sweden so he flees to Italy to lay low for awhile in preparation of one last job. Jack is complicated and if you can know a man by the friends he keeps then Jack is certainly interesting because his "friends" are a hooker, mobster, and a Catholic Priest.

I think I know that joke: so a hooker, a mobster, and a priest walk in a bar... Only this time, it is not a joke although maybe it should have been a little more humorous. I think my audience laughed zero times. My audience was also very old and seemed unengaged and distracted. Clooney and the girls looked pretty sweet. I don't have a man crush or anything but Clooney's eyelashes are impressive.

I've known George Clooney was more than just another pretty face when he played Captain Billy Tyne in "The Perfect Storm" in 2000 which is also the year he starred in "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" The boy can act and he did a magnificent job as the lonely, melancholy American in Italy, but I couldn't emotionally invest in the characters and didn't care if they lived or died. Here's a bright spot, there was a interesting storyline about a lightweight rifle smuggled and assembled by Jack which was ideal for killing folks.

End of bright spots. I am hereby replacing AMC Loew's The Fountains as my Number One Theatre with AMC First Colony. I will maintain my reserved parking space in the rear of The Fountains (see larryhmoviereviews.com for a photo) and trust that you will not park there. Problem: I do not have reserved parking at AMC First Colony; hmmmm. Is it possible that the management at First Colony does not know who I am? I've been having recognition problems lately; what's up with that? Maybe I need a team jersey. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 78. Larry H. Happy Labor Day!

Get Low

The old man in the scraggly beard explained to the local preacher (Gerald McRaney), "...it's time for me to get low" which means it is time for him to be buried. Of course, this old codger was not dead yet, so he clarified that he wanted to have a funeral party and let folks "tell stories about me."

Robert Duvall (age 79) plays Felix Bush, a hermit in 1930's Tennessee, who has lived a colorful life and offended or scared most of the people in his hometown. Where I grew up, we'd call him Old Man Bush and that also meant he was ornery, cantankerous and just might shoot you with his shotgun if you said or did anything that might set him off.

There also seemed to be a dark, secretive past of this Old Man Bush. He wasn't stupid but no one really understood him. Except Rev. Charlie Jackson (Bill Cobbs) and he wasn't talking. However, Mattie Darrow (Sissy Spacek) had known him for over 40 years and seemed to know him best. But she did not know the whole story.

On the other hand, Frank Quinn (Bill Murray) was the local undertaker and had fallen on hard financial times because people were not dying quick enough in the community so he was more than willing to help Old Man Bush have a funeral party and even sell tickets to raise money. His young assistant Buddy (Lucas Black) was conflicted but ultimately eager to help with the party because he had a wife and infant to support.

Director Aaron Schneider gathered an outstanding cast and shot the film in interesting angles and lighting with ideal editing and story-telling. I enjoyed every minute of the movie, but there was an incident. Monique H. and I arrived late to our seats at River Oaks Theatre; the movie had already started. Don't blame me - it was very hot and we couldn't find a parking spot. I think it was Monique H's fault that we were tardy, but I don't like to blame others so I am not going to even mention it.

When the house lights are down, I can not see because it is dark. I might have stepped on a woman's foot and twisted the knee of a man that was unfortunately sitting next to the only two open seats remaining in the theatre. I was definitely "that guy" who disrupted the entire upper section of the smallish theatre on the second floor, but I couldn't help myself. Monique H. was leading: I was innocently following. It was ugly.

I digress. Duvall and Murray gave an acting clinic. I even like the way Duvall sucks his teeth (see also "Lonesome Dove" and other Gus-like characters) when making a serious facial gesture with an eye twinkle. I routinely think he should be nominated for an Oscar in spite of the opinion of the members of the academy.

I've been a big fan of Bill Murray since his days on SNL and a great admirer of his deadpan look and the passion of a man that needs a boost from the audience in order for him to take another breath. Spacek and Black performed admirably; I was especially happy to see Sissy show that she still can be a leading lady at age 60. I liked this movie immensely. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 90. Larry H.

Mao's Last Dancer

This film opens at the River Oaks Theatre in Houston on August 20th. I saw it at a screening at the Museum of Fine Arts-Houston on July 28th. There was an unusually large crowd at the screening and then personal appearances by many of the stars and Li Cunxin the following Saturday night. This is uniquely a Houston story.

The film is based on the life of Li Cuxin (pronounced LEE SCHWIN SING) and his best selling autobiography first published in Australia where Li is now a successful stockbroker. But in 1981, he was a 20-year old dancer with the Houston Ballet as part of a cultural exchange program. He continued to dance for the Houston Ballet until 1995.

After his planned visit to the U.S. in 1981, he decided to defect. "A tense 21-hour standoff ensued inside the Chinese consulate on Montrose (Houston) as Chinese officials locked Li in a room and pressured him to change his mind." The scene at the consulate is a pivotal aspect of the movie and the realities and legalities began a tug of war that required the awakening of a Federal Judge. Literally, the Houston immigration attorney (Kyle MacLachlan) for Li had to resort to calling Judge Woodrow Seals at home to get him to consider an immediate restraining order to save Li from being spirited away by the Chinese.

The Houston attorney, Charles C. Foster, who actually represented Li in 1981 was at the screening and was introduced before the movie began. After the movie, I had the opportunity to talk to Mr. Foster who has been the go-to immigration lawyer in the Houston area for over 30 years. Charles told me about the behind-the-scenes legal negotiations that took place between Judge Seals, Judge Singleton, and the US Attorney for the Southern District of Texas. He said, "Larry, the discussion actually took place on the loading dock behind the Federal Courthouse." And Larry H. said, "...yeah, Charles, but did you really call Judge Seals at home late at night?" We both agreed that calling a Federal judge at home, much less late at night, is unheard of in the legal annals of Texas, but the situation was dire and Charles admitted "...I didn't have any other option." The legal aspect of the movie is extremely well done sans the negotiations on the loading dock.

This is a fascinating movie that chronicles the riveting life of Li from his impoverished village in a totalitarian China to his superb performances on the Houston stages of Jones Hall and Wortham Center. I was emotionally involved throughout the movie and can pay it the ultimate compliment: I look forward to seeing it again, soon.

The direction by Bruce Beresford was a work of art in his skillful translation from the book to the screen. The performance by Bruce Greenwood as our own Ben Stevenson, the longtime artistic director of the Houston Ballet, was spectacular and one of my early favorites as Best Supporting Actor. The dancing and portrayal of the adult Li by Chi Cao, who is a Principal Dancer with the Birmingham Royal Ballet, made the story believable and poignant. Go see this movie now. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 93. Larry H

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

This movie is in a class all by itself. Maybe a cross between "Rocky Horror Picture Show," "Mask" and "Batman." Nah, that's not right. I don't think there's ever been a movie like Scott Pilgrim directed by the whacky hipster Edgar ("Grindhouse/Funky Pete") Wright.

And I am not hip enough to fully appreciate this movie. And anyone that uses or even understands the word "hip" should not see this flick. I saw Scott Pilgrim at AMC First Colony in the smallish Theatre #6 with about 75 of my young neighbors (under 30) and they laughed hard and often. I laughed less than five times; that's not true: I chuckled three times.

The film is based on the Oni Press graphic novel Scott Pilgrim Volume 1: Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life, written by Bryan Lee O'Malley. Precious Scott Pilgrim was played by the cute, cuddly vulnerable Michael Cera who is dating a 17 year old high schooler named Knives; he's 23.

The seemingly mousy Scott then falls for the "seriously mind-blowing, dangerously fashionable, roller blading delivery girl named Ramona Flowers" superbly played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead. She looks hot in blue hair if that tells you something. Problem: Scott must fight/challenge/destroy Ramona's seven evil ex-boyfriends in order to win Ramona. That does not bother Scott since he is a bassist in a local rock band and has fewer muscles than Larry H. That does not necessarily mean that he is a weak man; have you seen my pecs lately?

It's also not a problem if you are making a movie based on a graphic novel with zero boundaries. If Director Wright wants the audience to know a character's name, he simply flashes "Stephen Stills Age 22." Or when folks kiss, have hearts float away from their lips. Or better yet, when there is violence or serious blows to the head or groin, flash the words "Kapow" or "Thonk." All of this is done in the name of good fun; I'm just not too sure that this is a classic. Closer to Cult.

Big winners: of course Michael Cera and Mary Elizabeth Winstead, but also Alison Pill as the band's redheaded drummer, Johnny Simmons as Young Neil, Ellen Wong as Knives Chau, and Kieran Culkin as Scott's gay roommate Wallace Wells. And the best for last - Jason Schwartzman as Gideon Gordon Graves. He sports a shirt with three G's on it; I want one for my first day back at school ...if I went to school.

This movie will be known for its fashion statements as much as its production value. The costumes, jewelry, hair, makeup, and music will show up on your local high school and college campuses in the coming weeks. I give kudos for a well made movie, but I admit that I was too old to fully value the humor of this movie, and that bums me. I tried but I was caught off guard when my young audience was laughing hysterically and I didn't get it. I hate it when that happens. But...Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 85. Larry H.

The Other Guys

I saw this movie at 10:30 on a Saturday morning; I enjoyed brunch of popcorn and Mr. Pibb. I'm back home now and trying to bang out a few words about "The Other Guys," but I'm still weak from watching the movie and driving in feels-like heat of 100+.

This is the funniest terrible movie I've ever seen. It is dreadful and unworthy of Director Adam McKay and Will Ferrell who teamed up on "Anchorman" and "Talladega Nights." McKay is a seasoned comedy writer ("Saturday Night Live") and co-wrote this piece of muck, but even his comedic genius could not save this asinine, juvenile movie.

Don't get me wrong; I laughed at least 20 times but as soon as I caught my breath I returned to boredom and weariness. This is the type of movie that you should see if you have absolutely nothing better to do with your time and you just want a few cheap jokes and maybe a guffaw.

This movie should be seen on your patio with that cheap TV that you keep outside so you can watch stuff while you are grilling the weekend steaks. The kind of movie that you watch out of the corner of your eye on Channel 397 late at night. Or maybe on Channel 51 as you are washing clothes.

Say something positive, Larry H., and quit being such a whiner. Ok, Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell had good comedic chemistry as mismatched NY police detectives and the opening scene featuring Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson as super cops is hilarious and very well done. And Michael Keaton as Captain Gene Mauch shows that he can still bring it. Keaton at 58 needed the gig.

Some of the ongoing jokes about femininity and music are pretty funny and clever. But the storyline is so infantile that there is no way to assign this film any redeeming social value or nominations for any category. I need a nap. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 75. Larry H.

Dinner for Schmucks

If you go to this movie, you're a schmuck. I saw this movie in Austin at the AMC Barton Creek Square. My AMC in Sugar Land is quite familiar with Larry H. and they readily allow me free entrance when I flash my Houston Film Critics membership card.

Not so much at Barton Creek. I flashed my card as usual, but the young lass at the ticket booth said that she would have to call the manager. "But I'm Larry H. from Sugar Land." She replied "...the manager will be here in a moment." I explained again that I was Larry H. from SUGAR LAND!" She said "Sugarwater?" "No, Sugar Land, two words." "Oh, Sugarfoot?" "No, that's an old TV western (1957) starring Tom Brewster." "Sorry, but I don't want a brewski." Austin IS weird.

Steve Carell stars as the dimwitted IRS employee, Barry, who is chosen by Tim the rising financial executive to attend a dinner with him hosted by his boss (Bruce Greenwood). The theme of the dinner is to invite a bunch of "idiots" to the dinner and then make fun of them and choose the "winner." As in the biggest buffoon.

Before they actually attend the dinner, Barry and Tim bond through one silly mishap and misunderstanding after another. There are the usual car wrecks, cell phone accidental switches, and girlfriend/stalker misdirection. All of this done in the name of painful character development.

Steve Carell is one of the top comedic actors of the decade but he is in danger of becoming a Jerry Lewis knockoff unless he is a little more discreet in his choice of roles and screenplays. Carell's acting was adequate and his facial expressions are still priceless, but the screenplay by David Guion and Michael Handelman should be sent to bed without dinner.

Who am I to criticized Steve Carell who is also currently starring as a voice in "Despicable Me" and the hugely successful "Date Night" earlier this year; not to mention his dominance as Michael Scott in "The Office?" I'm a huge fan and known throughout most of my hometown as Larry H. and parts of Austin; that's who I am. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 73. Larry H.

The Girl Who Played With Fire

This is the second film based on the three novels by Swedish writer Stieg Larsson. The first movie which I thoroughly enjoyed was "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo."

The characters are the same, so this movie did not need to spend much time in character development; big mistake. Our hero and computer hacker, Lisbeth Salander, is once again admirably portrayed by Noomi Rapace as the man-hating bit*h who has a dark past resulting in a certain amount of violence and payback.

Much to her dismay, she is wrongly accused of a triple murder and must go on the run to clear her name and escape her own death. Meanwhile, journalist Mikael (Michael Nyqvist) is also in the field trying to help his old buddy, but the focus is on Lisbeth. This is her movie.

The excruciatingly explicit sexual exploitation, violence, and tension is still an integral part of the plot and so is the wild-eyed chain-smoking character of Lisbeth the Terrible.

I was not impressed with the movie and am reminded how difficult it is to hit a home run the second time. The ending is breathtaking and memorable but I am not amped up to see the third movie, but I'll see it anyway. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 82. Larry H.

Salt

This is a terrific and fun movie. I enjoyed every minute of it. Angelina "Big Lips" Jolie plays American CIA agent Evelyn Salt who is accused by a Russian defector to be a Russian spy. Well, that bit of news does not sit well with the brethren at the CIA and they want to immediately interrogate Salt about her possible involvement with the Ruskies.

Salt is a long-time agent for the CIA and she knows that "interrogation" does not bode well for her. So, she busts out of an impossible situation and goes on the run to prove them wrong. The CIA and all sorts of cops with big guns join the chase. Now here is where the fun starts.

Our superhero-heroine kicks, chops, jumps, and shoots her way out of an endless set of miraculous escapes and escapades to prove that her way is best. But what is her way?

Director Phillip Noyce created a wonderful string of well edited exploits, special effects, and intrigue while only providing the clues needed to make it to the next scene. Spielberg will like this movie because it "never stops beginning." Much of that credit goes to screenwriter Kurt Wimmer.

During the movie, I had the ongoing feeling that I was missing the subtle clues that the keen moviegoer would catch. You know who you are; you people that love to blurt out your version of "oh yeah, I knew that was coming; can't fool me." I know the feeling; I can't be tricked by a director/screenwriter unless they want me to be tricked and then I just hang on for the ride. I'm not particularly skilled at figuring out plots. Being naïve and thick-headed is actually a good trait. At least, that's what Monique H. keeps telling me.

The film is nonstop action and I was never bored. Jolie again proves that she is in a class of her own when it comes to these types of action movies. She does the exact same stunts and scenes that are typically reserved for James Bond, Matt Damon, Tom Cruise, and even Clint Eastwood. She's The Man. And she's only 35!

Other big winners are Liev Schrieber as Agent Ted Winter and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Peabody. Everyone connected with this movie is happy and going to get a lot richer; the audiences will be large. And there will undoubtedly be at least one sequel; maybe many. I'd go see a sequel tomorrow. And you need to see this flick and take a date; the women will love it. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 92. Larry H.

Inception

The official name of this movie is "Inception: The IMAX Experience." But, of course, most movies these days are aka IMAX or 3D Experience; I saw this movie in 2D and did not feel cheated. However, there is almost nonstop action with bombs and shooting that would probably lend itself to an enhanced "IMAX Experience."

If you liked "Shutter Island" directed by Martin Scorsese starring Leo DeCaprio and/or "The Prestige" also directed by Christopher Nolan then you've got a shot at liking "Inception." All three movies involve a mystique and challenge the audience to keep up with the action and determine for themselves if scenes are real or imaginary/dreams. I also had visions of a James Bond flick and "The A-Team."

Leo stars as Dom Cobb who has an international reputation for corporate espionage for being able to "steal" secrets while folks are in a dream state. Dangerous and risky business and Cobb has been at it long enough that he can "...no longer go home." Inception on the other hand is the impossible task of the reverse: not stealing an idea but planting one by delving into the target's deep subconscious.

Planning for this type of mental caper actually requires Cobb's team to improvise and take perilous and unsafe missions. The line between reality and dreams is sometimes murky.

Cobb's team includes Arthur (Joseph "Third Rock from the Sun" Gordon-Levitt) and Ariadne (Ellen "Juno" Page) and other players named Eames and Yusuf. I think you have to have a whacky name in order to participate in jumping into other people's dreams. And you need to be able to shoot machine guns, pistols, and grenade launchers, while quickly returning to reality and/or becoming suspended in zero gravity whichever is needed.

Director and Screenwriter Christopher "Dark Knight" Nolan has created a beautiful action-pack movie that is superbly edited and stylized. The acting is outstanding and the cinematography and music are stunning. Only problem: I did not like or care about the characters. Nolan has allowed his dream-like imagination to become too far-fetched and he lost touch with his audience by overshadowing his characters with the action and spookiness of constantly delving into the human subconscious.

The quality of this film is awesome, but we still need characters of texture and multi-dimensions. Leo was ideal as Cobb, but I didn't care if the bad guys killed him or if it made it home. However, for some, this movie will be an invitation for complete devotion to the story and action and they will fight you if you say anything bad about their beloved "The Matrix" or "Star Trek" or you fill in the blank. I don't do cult so I was decidedly lukewarm.

Grade 82. Larry H.

Cyrus

I travelled to the Angelika Theatre in downtown Houston to see this movie about a "lonely and depressed" man (John C. Reilly) who still has not fully recovered from the divorce from his ex-wife (Catherine Keener) even though the divorce was seven years earlier. Jamie, the ex-wife, has successfully moved on with her life and is engaged, but still finds it in her heart to help John locate a girlfriend or to at least go to a party and talk to people.

John reluctantly goes to the party with his ex and her finance (how pathetic is that?) He decides to get drunk and open up with some honesty and the lovely Molly (Marisa Tormei) overhears his comments and catches him watering some bushes and that magic spark happens. Molly has not had a man in her life in many years due in large part to her peculiarly close relationship with her 21 year old son Cyrus (Jonah Hill).

Cyrus lives at home with mom who he calls "Molly" and they go to the park together everyday to take nature photos. How pathetic is that? Well, Mr. Pathetic hooks up with Ms. Pathetic and they are making music together much to the chagrin of the immature Cyrus. Cyrus hides John's shoes. How pathetic is that?

John C. Reilly's John is the central character even though the movie is named "Cyrus." Tormei, Hill, and Reilly are magnificent. Tormei is her usual understated, sexy self and Jonah Hill delivers a side of his acting abilities that we have not seen thus far. Reilly is the consummate actor with the gift to convey the precise blend of unassuming humor and angst.

These three actors demonstrate why many American relationships are so dysfunctional that they enjoy stepping all over each other in order to protect their individual turf and treat honesty as an abandoned virtue. Can't we all just get along?

Jay and Mark Duplass wrote and directed this jewel. I call it a jewel not because it is a great movie or that it is particularly entertaining, but because the Duplass Boys make movies that cause the audience to reflect on their own relationships in order to understand their whacky characters. They are known for their indie films but this time they had the backing of Tony and Ridley Scott; we'll see if mainstream will embrace this offbeat flick.

During the movie, I had the recurring thought that perhaps this film should be shown to upper-level college psychology students in preparation for their final in Psyche 401. My emotions were neutral most of the time: never got sad, angry or content and did not laugh. That's kind of pathetic. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 80. Larry H.

The Last Airbender

It's Friday before the July 4th holiday weekend and I love seeing a great movie to kick off my long weekends; makes me think all is right with the world. I walked through rain going to and from the theatre; it was hell. And that, my friends, was the highlight of the trip.

This movie is...just a minute while I conjure up the right words to describe this film so you will think I am some sort of intellectual film critic. The adjectives are coming to me now: stinker, terrible, inexcusable, flop, wasteful, embarrassing, pitiful, failure, dud, bomb, letdown, useless, disappointment, frustrating, distasteful, revolting, objectionable, offensive, horrible, and bad.

After that last sentence, I'm becoming weary thinking about "The Last Airbender." The only person on a "bender" that is connected to this project is the screenwriter; ok, the director, too. But I will not reveal his name for fear of retaliation against his family. Alright, I'll say it: M. Night Shyamalan. Say it aint so, Larry H. Sorry, M. Night has taken a big fall.

This is a Nickelodeon franchise that has been a very successful TV cartoon series (three years/three books) that one would think was a sure thing. Kathleen Kennedy was one of the Executive Producers so that ought to tell you that the big, smart money was behind the film. I bet Kathy K. isn't so quick to turn loose of her money next time; if there is a next time.

I am not going to bother to tell you anything about the movie because I couldn't care less about the story and I'm just proud that I had the guts and commitment to finish the film. Something about an avatar and air, wind, earth and fire. Or maybe it was Earth, Wind & Fire.

Theatre #4 at First Colony AMC was packed for an 11:45 am showing in 3D. I had to sit in the bottom section in front of the rail. You know the section I'm talking about: the down front area where the losers and late-comers have to sit. There were about 100 folks with me and hundreds up in the good seats. After the movie, I saw a 15 year old boy who had two 14 year old girls with him; one on each side of him walking along and listening to his every word so I know he's cool. That teenager gloated about how many texts he sent during the movie and described the movie as "weak." Say no more. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 65. Larry H.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

I slipped away from the office on a Wednesday to see this latest "Twilight Saga" that started at 11:50 am. Hint to teenage boys: if you want a date and need to find teenage girls, quit looking and go trolling at a theatre complex near you. The teenage girls started rolling in on this opening day with their cell phone in their left hand and a glint in their eyes that clearly indicated that it was time to get serious about Bella and Edward.

Welcome back to Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) of Forks, WA, who is in love with the handsome vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). Bella is near high school graduation and must decide if she will continue life as a human or let Edward bite her neck and try it as undead. Tough choice. Or is it?

The biggest decision now seems to be how to handle the werewolf situation. Oh yeah, she has this really good friend Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner). You know this werewolf; he has the six pack abs and rarely wears a shirt and is clearly hotter than Edward the Vampire, but Edward grabbed Bella's heart first.

And to complicate things, there are some rogue vampires who are "newborns" and consequently still have some "human blood in their tissues" resulting in extraordinary vampire powers and poor judgment. These newbies are out of control and killing folks. They are manipulated by the evil and vengeful Victoria who wants to atone for her mate who was killed by Edward.

There is only one thing to do: have a big rumble between good vampires and bad vampires with the involvement of the good werewolves on the side of the good vampires. How did that transpire? Bella! She's got Edward and Jacob crazy-in-love with her, so she must choose between them and try not to get killed by the bad vampires and convince her daddy that she's not fooling around. And all of this must be resolved before commencement. No wonder teenage girls love these books and the movie franchise!

I liked the first two movies in the series, but this was dramatically my least favorite. I like all the characters and especially Edward, Jacob, and Anna Kendrick as Jessica the Vampire. I've always thought Jessica was hotter than Bella; I'd had enough of Bella's silliness and "oh golly gee who do I love?" the most. So choose one of those cute monsters and get on with it. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 82. Larry H.

Winter's Bone

Hello new star: Jennifer Lawrence! She plays Ree Dolly, an Arkansas country teenage girl who has to hold her family together while her worthless father puts up the family homestead as bail.

We all know what happens to your bail if you don't show up for trial; poof goes the house and the only stability in the family of a mentally invalid mother and two children younger than Ree. These folks are so poor and desperate that venison is a delicacy. There's no hay for their old nag. They are routinely hungry.

Ree and the family receive a little help from neighbors and family, but unless Ree can find her father and get him to court then they will lose everything. Instead of helping in this seemingly straight-forward task, Ree runs into all kinds of roadblocks by her outlaw family who is well known for producing crank. Her daddy was a skilled "cooker" of crank aka crystal meth.

I liked this movie a lot, but one of my main complaints was that the characters were hard to understand. The use of Arkansas colloquialism was bad enough but the actors literally did not properly enunciate their words; there is not excuse for that. Throughout the movie, I heard members of the audience say "...what'd he say...did you catch that?"

Director and Co-writer Debra Granik captured the essence of sadness and disturbing frustration of this family and in particular Ree. Granik methodically builds the story culminating in an ending that is off-the-charts memorable. I am getting flashback goose-bumps just thinking about it. Rock 'n Roll

Grade 92. Larry H.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

This is the second movie in two days that I've seen at the Landmark's River Oaks in downtown Houston. I'd heard about this movie from several sources and in particular from my old friend Mike T. who insisted I see it.

I arrived on time for the Sunday showing a little before 1:40 PM and the upstairs theatre was packed. And, yes, I had to sit by someone so I was none too happy about it even though the lady seemed nice enough and did not cause any trouble.

I do not suggest that you see this movie alone; it is intense and some of the scenes are as brutal as any I've ever seen in a movie. I can not mention many details about this movie. This is a suspenseful script and Director Niels Arden Opley does not spoon feed the audience so most small particulars are important to be revealed on the director's schedule.

This is a Swedish film and is subtitled, but don't let that bother you. It is so well made and is such a wonderful example of great movie making that the foreign language is not a impediment. The subtitles are part of the enchantment of this movie which involves a series of unsolved murders which results in members of a financially powerful and close-knit family becoming prime suspects.

The patriarch of the family hires an investigative reporter (Michael Nyqvist) to try to unravel the mystery of the disappearance and/or murder of his niece 40 years ago with the help of a young computer hacker (Noomi Rapace) who has her own troubled past. When the reporter and computer researcher start getting close to solving the mystery, fear of retaliation intensifies.

The screenplay by Nikolaj Arcel and Rasmus Heisterberg is masterful; this has Best Foreign Film written all over. This film is outstanding and memorable the way a great movie should be; it takes the audience on a journey and explores the human condition in a unique approach to character development and suspense. The acting by Nyqvist and Rapace was stupendous.

This has a huge amount of sex and violence and would be rated XXX in the 1960's; who knows these days. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 93. Larry H.

Grown Ups

If you like the stars of this movie, then you should see it. If you are a teenager, then should see it. If you like bathroom and sex jokes, then you should see this movie. If you think Salma Hayek is hot, then you should see this movie.

If you think you are sophisticated and only watch classy, complicated movies, then don't see this movie. If you like Adam Sandler but don't really like David Spade, Rob Schneider, Kevin James or Chris Rock, then don't see this movie.

If you want to see a silly, sometimes funny, family movie, then go see this flick about five old junior high buds that get together after 30 years because their basketball coach died, then by all means fork over the money.

One of them is a rich Hollywood agent; they call him Mr. Hollywood. One is a stay-at-home Mr. Mom and they call him...I don't know. One marries a 70+ year old woman that has more charm than most. And the other two do something for a living but I've forgotten. Anyway, you get the drift. Five "grown up" men and their dysfunctional, sad families spend a few days together in a lake house and all sorts of gas and time is passed.

I know why Adam Sandler co-wrote and produced this film. So he could make out with Salma Hayek. Her beauty and sex appeal in this group of misfits is an integral part of the schtick that works in this comedy of juvenile absurdity. But I'm not complaining; I knew what I was doing and I like all five of these funny guys and did I mention that Salma Hayek struts in a slinky bathing suit?

Go see it; you know you want to. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 85. Larry H.

Knight and Day

Tom Cruise is back; not sure that he ever left, but this will be a very successful action movie and Tom looks good in it. He's smiling and charming during most of the movie and has a tongue-in-cheek" humor that is the basis to his secret agent character. The audience sees a lot of his teeth because he literally is smiling and laughing the whole time. Except when he's shot, but he laughs and/or smiles when he shoots others.

And he shoots or snaps the necks of many. He has the gun-handling skills of Jack Bauer (apologies to Kiefer), the cunning of Jason Bourne, the karate moves of Bryan "Taken" Mills, and the cool of James Bond. But none of those guys were as happy and cheerful while killing in the line of duty as Cruise's Roy Miller.

And I can assure you that none of those heroes had a better love interest than the lovely Ms. Cameron Diaz who is almost as beautiful as Monique H. Diaz as June Haven is the everyday person on her way home for her sister's wedding when she becomes innocently entangled in the shenanigans of Agent Roy Miller. They first "meet" in the airport and then board a mysterious flight that has only a handful of passengers and small crew. The death and destruction caused by Roy on that plane caused great laughter and glee by my audience and me. Those plane scenes are epic.

The first twenty minutes of this film is simply hilarious and enormously fun. If Director James Mangold and Screenwriter Patrick O'Neill could have held that excellence throughout, this would have been a great movie. But that's too hard. I never lost interest even though Roy took June "off the grid" to a remote island and peaceful fishing, not to worry though, as soon there would be yet another bad guy swooping down on them with bombs and such.

Diaz is the perfect partner for Cruise and their chemistry had all the right compounds. She might have begun the journey as innocent and meek, but her character's skills as a mechanic who restores old cars kicks in and creates an energy that helps carry the film.

So let's review this situation: Tom Cruise is a "rogue" secret agent who smiles and kills people, and Cameron Diaz plays a beautiful car mechanic that knows the business end of a crescent wrench and both of them drive cars like NASCAR's Jimmie Johnson while travelling around the world and dodging various sets of bad guys. Now that sounds fun because it was. Just good ole entertainment. My audience on a very hot Thursday afternoon had over 50 souls; can you say blockbuster? Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 89. Larry H.

Toy Story 3

I was very excited about "Toy Story 3". I've been a big fan ever since "Toy Story" first hit the big animated screen in 1995. A 12-inch Woody has been on my trophy bookcase for 15 years so don't tell me I'm not a big fan. A big fan of "Toy Story" numero uno, not numero tres.

Once again, Walt Disney Pictures has created a beautifully animated movie full of high tech and cutting-edge computer generated effects, but screenwriters Michael Arndt and John Lasseter were riding the wrong horse. Woody's horse Bullseye would have been a better mode of travel than their old nag.

The goods news - the gang is back as some of the all-time great voices: Tom Hanks as Woody, Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear, Joan Cusack as Jessie, Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head and Estelle Harris as Mrs. Potato Head, John Ratzenberger as Hamm, and Michael Keaton debuts as the uncaring Ken.

The basic premise of toys coming to life when their owner/kids are away or asleep is still the fundamental concept which allows the audience to re-live their fantasy of toys are really people, too. The corollary then becomes: how should we treat our toys if we know that they have feelings? That's a tough one. During the hour or so I was in attendance, I pondered my treatment of my childhood toys. Was I kind and thoughtful? I don't know.

In this "Toy Story," the Andy Davis that we came to know in the 1995 version is now 17 and about to go off to college and it is time to discard or store his toys. Woody pleads with the group to keep a stiff upper lip and preaches that everything will be ok, but Buzz and the gang are not buying it. They end up being accidentally donated to a daycare center that is run by a mean teddy bear named Lotso (Ned Beatty).

The toys are still charming and loveable but the whining was too much. I was so tired of their complaints and spineless attitude coupled with Woody's inability to lead that I was bored. Perhaps they aren't as un-charming as I am describing them and perhaps Woody led them to safety and a happy ending, but I'll never know because I walked out. When I realized that the movie had another hour before the end, I gave up quietly, took off my 3-D glasses and slipped out of my IMAX experience.

This was a 2:30 Friday afternoon crowd and it was packed with little kids, big kids, moms, and dads so Disney will make a ton of money. And the four and six year old boy and girl sitting next to me were mesmerized. They did not laugh or even giggle but they never took their eyes off the screen or removed their bulky 3-D glasses. Disney knows its target audience and now they know that does not include curmudgeon film critics from Sugar Land. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 75W. Larry H.

The A-Team

"I love it when a plan comes together (cut to cigar); there is no Plan B; I pity the fool!"

If it is possible, this movie has more action and is far more entertaining than the original TV series (1983) created by Stephen J. Cannell who also had a hand in the production of this updated version. Instead of our heroes being framed for a crime they didn't commit in Vietnam, this time the setting is Iraq.

Memory lane: George Peppard was Hannibal; Dwight Schultz was "Howling Mad" Mudock, Dirk Benedict was Faceman and of course Mr. T. was B.A. Baracus. Liam Neeson reprised the role of Hannibal and was believable at 58 as the Colonel with the plan. Bradley "pretty boy" Cooper was charming, funny, and chiseled as Faceman, Sharlto Copley was excellent as the crazy Murdock, and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson was not as memorable as Mr. T. but he was adequate. The chemistry between these four was pumping on all cylinders.

The first twenty minutes of this movie will be the measuring stick for future fast-action adventures. I was having so much fun that I was hollering and laughing and didn't care if anyone heard me. One can get away with foolish behavior when the special effects and sound are so loud that you can't hear the other people in the audience.

Speaking of audiences, I missed my divine right to see a movie on Friday afternoon and did not make it to First Colony AMC until Sunday afternoon. There were way too many civilians in attendance but three of them were the Jeff S. family. I like seeing my people at the movies; just not too many of my people.

And when I'm not the first to see a movie, then those of you that see a movie before I see it, become experts and want to tell Larry H. how good or bad a movie really is. That ain't right.

Just yesterday my big brother David H. told me "...The A-Team is what a movie ought to be...it had great action, humor, and even a love story." That David H. thinks he's so smart just because he's three years older than I am and use to push me around in the 50's, but I think I can take him now. Just kidding Dave; you know I'm still scared of you, Bro!

But if you try to tell me one more time what to think or write about a movie, I'm gonna tell Momma and you know she always liked me the most. And that goes for your other brother and sisters. I'll be going now. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 92. Larry H.

Get Him to the Greek

You have not seen a movie like this is a while; maybe never. It is very cleverly written and directed by 33 year old Nicholas Stoller. The dialogue is so full of pop culture that the script could only be produced by someone under 40. The young Stoller also attracted youthful, modish stars Jonah Hill and comedian Russell Brand which was not a big stretch since all three collaborated on "Forgetting Sarah Marshall."

Will the three of them make gold again? Will Scorsese team up with DeNiro? Stoller, Hill, and Brand have found just the right mix for bizarre, out-of the-box comedy and they are destined to do the dance again.

Hill plays intern Aaron Green who works for a LA music company headed up by Sergio (Sean "P Diddy" Combs) who intimidates all his underlings, but Aaron somehow screws up the courage to convince Sergio to bring British drugged-out rocker Aldous Snow (Brand) to play at a ten year reunion at The Greek Theatre in LA.

Problem: Snow is completely unreliable so Sergio sends the uninitiated intern to London to retrieve and escort the crazy rocker to LA via "The Today Show" in New York. Before the first deadline is missed, Aaron and Aldous are knee deep in wine, women and song...and a little heroin.

This is a raunchy show and is not appropriate for your Sunday school class field trip. If you wonder "what's this world coming to?" then go see this decadence that audiences must comprehend because they laughed loudly and often.

Jonah Hill gets top billing in this soon-to-be blockbuster and his performance would be legendary, but for the stupendous performance by Russell Brand. Mick Jagger could not have played this foggy, charismatic, womanizer any better. I'm sorry, Mick, I didn't mean it; we all know that you could have done it better. I know you read my reviews so I apologize, Mick.

But Brand's Aldous Snow is epic and will be remembered as the quintessential whacked-out rock star with deep problems on top of a soulful heart. And the poster child for the need to stay sober. Also, I would be remiss if I didn't give a shout out to my girl Elizabeth "Mad Men" Moss who was charming as Aaron's significant other, and I hate to be remiss. Fun flick. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 89. Larry H.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

"Based on the video game, which follows an adventurous prince who teams up with a rival princess to stop an angry ruler from unleashing a sandstorm that could destroy the world." This is a quote from IMDb which is the movie bible for me. I check this internet site (Internet Movie Database) routinely to find out how to spell names, complete list of cast and characters, writers etc. IMDb has a solid reputation for accuracy and current info.

I started this review with a quote because I was having a hard time coming up with a way to describe this movie other than calling it the "Prince of Suck." I hated this movie and the horse it rode in on. If Eric H. had not been at another movie at First Colony AMC, I would have packed my bags and walked out long before the end.

The cast was sufficient based on the cards that were dealt to them, but this deck was a stupid stack and these fine actors could not save an ace-less script. Jake Gyllenhaal as Dastan, the swashbuckling mix of Tarzan, Zorro, and Hercules did himself proud and his career will not suffer near as much as I did.

For the record, the other lead actors were: Gemma "I'm a handsome woman" Arterton as Tamina, Ben "Gandhi" Kingsley as Nizam and Alfred "I can be funny" Molina as Sheik Amar. I mildly liked all of these characters but I didn't care if they lived or died. Actually, I wished they'd die so I could get out of the movie and go home.

Here is a highlight: Eric H. and I bought a box of Butterfingers and split them as each went to their respective movies; Eric H. saw "Iron Man 2." I took my Butterfingers in a napkin. A family that splits their Butterfingers will stay together, plus the fact that no man can eat a full box of Butterfingers without sugar shock. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 69. Larry H.

Note: as my guest, Eric H. also got a free ticket. He liked that and commented "...maybe Dad is not as dumb as I thought."

Shrek Forever After

I'm sitting on my patio and it's hot, but not too hot. I am in the shade with a fan blowing on me and it is Memorial Day weekend. We in the Texas Gulf Coast know "hot" and this is not July Fourth or Labor Day hot. I'm living the dream.

Yesterday, Eric H. and I went to Borders and I bought the latest John Grisham novel "Theodore Boone Kid Lawyer." The story is about a 13 year old boy who hangs around the Strattenburg courthouse, knows all the judges, cops, clerks, and local lawyers and gets involved in the biggest murder trial ever conducted in Strattenburg by discovering evidence that could affect the outcome of the trial.

Grisham is a master storyteller and I've read all of his books. I usually do not like books and TV shows about lawyers, but Grisham's stories about the law and the legal system are at least grounded in reality. His writing style is simple which is good for me; I don't need a dictionary.

Grisham's novels are very much about character development and a good yarn. Like a good movie. What about "Shrek" movie breath, you ask. I'll get to Shrek, but I'm thinking about becoming a literary critic and thought I'd give it a go today, he said with a big grin.

"Shrek Forever After" is an appropriate sequel for the hugely successful Dreamworks series and I'm sure there will be others. I saw this movie with 200 of my closest friends on a Saturday afternoon. And the kids were the dominant ticketholder. And we were all wearing 3D glasses.

If you are under age 6 or have friends or family members of that age, then by all means go see this ogre movie. Shrek is charming, loveable, and easily confused and Fiona is the tough, stable wife/princess. The writers take a little liberty with the facts a la "Lost" with an almost flash sideways, but the "kiss of true love" is still the treasured theme.

The star voices of Mike "Shrek" Myers, Eddie "Donkey" Murphy, Cameron "Fiona" Diaz, Antonio "Puss in Boots" Banderas return in their magnificent roles. To get them to keep coming back to the Shrek series, I figure Dreamworks offered them a ton of money and Spielberg much have twisted a few arms.

Sometimes I give a movie a "NR" which means Not Rated by Larry H. This movie is one of those when I need to get out of the way and merely encourage the Shrek fans to see one of the great kid movie franchises of all time.

On the street, I am often asked about my opinion about movies which I am only too eager to share my thoughts and to direct them to my movie web page at LarryHmoviereviews.com. Please continue to go to my movie web page and make it appear that I have a lot of internet traffic. Rock 'n Roll

Grade NR. Larry H.

How to Train Your Dragon

I saw this movie on a late Saturday afternoon at my local AMC with about 100 parents and small children. If you are prone to complain and/or become annoyed about the crying and outbursts of small children in a theatre, then don't see "Dragon."

I've never seen a dragon, but I've known some people who had dragon breath. The dragons in this flick were being challenged and killed by some old-school Vikings. The type of Vikings that where horns atop their very big heads and swing axes in an attempt to kill their prey.

The head of the Viking tribe is Stoic and he has a young son, Hiccup, who is less than Vikingesque. Let's just say he's not like the other Viking boys and girls who are currently taking Dragon-killing classes. Hiccup is soft.

However, Hiccup accidentally makes a lucky shot and downs one of the most ferocious and mysterious dragons (Night Fury) who he names "Toothless." When Hiccup is about to stab and ultimately kill this dragon, he realizes he can not make the kill. Uh oh, Big Daddy Stoic will not understand this sympathy toward the hated dragons and the Father-Son relationship will suffer.

Meanwhile, the loveable and kind Hiccup befriends Toothless and "trains" him to fly around the Viking's island with Hiccup sitting on his back in a "saddle." This must be kept a secret since no Viking has ever interacted with a dragon other than to kill them.

My crowd had one big laugh so this is not a comedy. This is a classic kids' movie and I encourage children to see it and enjoy it. I, however, was bored even though it was a well done animation. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 76. Larry H.

Robin Hood

This is not your daddy's "Robin Hood" starring Errol Flynn circa 1938. This is a production by Director Ridley "Gladiator" Scott, Brian "24" Grazer, and Russell Crowe. These guys have been to the dance before and know how to make a big-budget film that should do well at the box office.

Scott's "Robin Hood" began in 1199 A.D. while Robin Longstride was fighting on behalf of England and King Richard the Lion Heart and involved in some of the rape and pillage of the village. Errol Flynn would never do that!

But movies strive to be honest these days, but honestly, no one knows for sure the true identity of Robin Hood. Russell Crowe's Robin was a skilled archer that fought hard and lived by the credo of "never give up" but he was not a pretty hero or particularly heroic. There was so much fighting and hand to hand combat with swords and fists that I got tired of it.

The characters of Little John (Kevin Durand), Friar Tuck (Mark Addy) and Maid Marion Loxley (Cate Blanchett) were once again part of the mix, but I didn't care about them at the end of the movie any more than I did when we were getting to know them. On the other hand I admired the performance of Max von Sydow who played Sir Walter Loxley.

Crowe was adequate as Robin of the Hood (his official mythical name) but I didn't have any emotional connection with him. I did notice that his beard was neatly trimmed unlike every other character that had an appropriately straggly beard befitting the Thirteenth Century. And that Oscar Winner Crowe had lost some weight and was looking pretty good at 45. Cate was her usual pretty self but not sexy; I guess that's difficult when you're swinging a sword and riding a horse.

Best lines: "This one's for you Walter"; "The king is dead; long live the king"; "That's a lot of Frenchmen" and "I am king because God wanted me to be king!" It's good to be king. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 81. Larry H.

Letters to Juliet

These "letters" are written by visitors to the fictional Juliet and placed in a wall in Verona, Italy. Then the "secretaries of Juliet" write replies to these mostly forlorn young women and tell them what they want and need to hear.

Our heroine Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) is on a pre-honeymoon vacation with her mousey chef wannabe Victor (Gael García Bernal) who is more interested in going to a wine auction than hanging with the beautiful and spunky Sophie.

Sophie is forced to take in the romantic sights of Verona on her own since Victor is ignoring her. She goes to the wall and accidently finds a 50 year old letter hidden since 1957 that was written to Juliet but never answered. Sophie joins the secretaries of Juliet and responds to the heretofore unanswered letter by Claire (Vanessa Redgrave).

Claire and her handsome grandson Charles (Christopher Egan) travel from London in response to Sophie's letter. Claire is a widow and determined to find her old lover and she readily admits that she got scared when she was a teenager, and blew a great opportunity when she unexpectedly left charming, young Lorenzo. No one knows where Lorenzo now lives or even if he is alive.
Let the search begin!

This is the biggest chick flick since "The Back-up Plan." And I only have two words to say: Robin Hood.

This movie was sophomoric and completely predictable; it was silly and stupid and all the young women (and they were the majority at my theatre) were giddy with approval after the movie. It was all I could do to stay until the movie was over even though the last 15 minutes were slightly entertaining. I've been accused of not being a lover of chick flicks and shows about love, but I can assure you that unless I wasn't a little sappy, I would have walked out. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 77. Larry H.

Babies

This is an intriguing documentary about human babies covering the first year of life of four infants from Mongolia, Tokyo, Namibia, and San Francisco. There is no narration or dialogue other than some goo-gooing and occasional parental utterances.

Director Thomas Balmes merely points the camera and let's the babies do their thing starring Bayar, Hattie, Mari, and Ponijao. We witness their birth through walking and everything in between.

While I was generally bored, I often chuckled and thought - "I've seen Eric H. do that; oh yeah, Monique and I were slightly horrified when Eric did that." Examples of Eric H. that were slightly mirrored in this movie: he put macaroni up his nose and his best friend was our Cairn terrier "Toto". And Eric was three before we were convinced that he was smarter than Toto.

Who should see this movie?

1. Pediatric residents
2. Space Aliens who are researching human origins
3. Newlyweds
4. People who regular say: "isn't that cute."

There were only 11 people in my Friday afternoon crowd as I was the only nonaligned. The other folks often felt compelled to speak in a loud voice when saying "...my son did that...isn't that cute." Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 73. Larry H.

Iron Man 2

When I saw the original "Iron Man" in 2008 starring this same Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark the international weapons industrialist, I made the following comments:

"I believe Iron Man exists and is fighting evil at this very moment. I love Iron Man. I want to join Iron Man. I want to be Iron Man.

If you have any decency, you too, will stop what you are doing and go see this movie and join us in the fight for Good over Evil. Rock 'n Roll."

So I was pumped to see "Iron Man 2" of 2010 and made sure that I had secured a date with Monique H. to a special screening on a Tuesday night. These things are set up by PR companies hired by the studios who solicited my email comments; I responded as follows:

"Too much palladium and not enough SLJ (Samuel L. Jackson)! I was a huge fan of #1 and was disappointed with Iron Man 2. I suspect it will be a box office hit, but it lacked a momentous plot and meaningful character development. Story was disjointed; music and special effects were fabulous."

Lightning did not strike twice for Director Jon Favreau in spite of his vast talent; he came close with this Iron Man but lacked an emotional connection with me for this Iron Man's convoluted struggle for Good over Evil. Heck, I'm not sure that Good and Evil were issues in this flick. Instead, we spent way too much time trying to fix Tony's failing "ticker" because his blood had become toxic due to the palladium in the arc reactor.

I want my Super Heroes to fight on the side of right through might and to be so cool that I want to be that Super Hero; see 2008 comments. I was not particularly enamored with any of the characters even though the cast was outstanding: Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Sam Rockell, a dark haired Scarlett Johansson, a one-eyed Samuel L. Jackson, and a crazy-eyed Mickey Rourke. And oh yeah, Favreau even cast himself as Happy Hogan.

I readily admit that I suffered from expectation syndrome and wanted to be completely overwhelmed by one of my all-time favorite Super Heroes from the Marvel Universe or any other universe. Many in my crowd were in awe, but they obviously had not actually become Iron Man in the past. And most of you will enjoy this movie and it will make a ton of money, but I left the theatre still looking for my Tony Stark. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 85. Larry H. PS: stay to see a scene after the ending credits.

The Back-up Plan

This is the biggest Chick Flick ever in America! End of review. Ok, I'll try to tell a story and throw out a few comments about the movie, but trust me; I've said it all.

Jennifer "Big Butt" Lopez (she's still hot even though she's had twins in real life) stars as Zoe who is single and wants to have a family. Zoe has not met Mr. Right so her "back-up" plan is to get artificially inseminated and go it alone. She goes to a fertility doctor (Robert Klein) and lo and behold she gets pregnant on the first attempt.

Problem: she meets Stan, (Alex O'Loughlin) who might be Mr. Right, the same day that she finds out that she's pregnant. Darn the luck. Storyline: will Stan stick with the insecure Zoe through the pregnancy and help her raise the baby? I must admit that I was slightly pulling for these two to make it as couple, but only slightly. My care factor was low.

Lopez and O'Loughlin are nice people and competent actors, but the story is so girlie and feminine that I struggled mightily. I was constantly looking at my watch and the guy in front of me was stretching and squirming so much that I feared that he might pull a muscle.

If there had been any other viable choices, I would not have given this flick a second thought; I am a semi-professional so I trudged on. But not before I went to Carter's Country to buy some re-loading supplies and handle a few pistols. I do not want to lose my Man Card and seeing this movie if you are married could jeopardize your membership. If you are a single man and still, well, you know, then you can get a pass.

Who should see this movie? Women that have been pregnant or want to become pregnant or ever dreamed of it. The young women in my crowd were laughing and gasping throughout the movie and loudly clapped at the end. I was looking for the exit and hoping the Man Police would not see me.

When I was leaving Theatre #11 at First Colony AMC, my favorite ticket clerk asked me on the way out the door: "So how was it?" And being the quick wit that I am, retorted with "...well, let's just say that you will enjoy it more than I did." She is very young and smiled at me with that "...hey, old man, someday I'll, too, be pregnant and I'm gonna love that movie." Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 75. Larry H.

Kick Ass

There's a new sheriff in town and it's Matthew Vaughn who directed and co-wrote "Kick Ass." This movie is immensely imaginative and creatively entertaining in spite of its rating of R. I would give it an X rating for sex, violence, and the use of the F bomb 100+ times. But I enjoyed it so I guess that makes me a tramp!

Monique H. and I saw this on a Friday night at AMC 24 First Colony; the crowd of 150 consisted primarily of teenagers and young adults and they loved it. This film has the bizarre humor of a Quentin Tarantino classic and reminded me of "From Dusk Till Dawn" which was co-written by Tarantino.

"Kick Ass" is the name of the make-believe superhero created by a nondescript teenage boy named Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) who admits that his only power is being "invisible to girls." Dave orders a suit and mask on the internet with the plan to take it to the streets of NYC and act like a superhero. He asks the question: "why hasn't anyone ever tried this before?" His friend explains to him that no one has ever tried being a superhero because it is stupid and would probably result in death.

Dave is not deterred even though his a** is kicked often resulting in hospitalization and replacement of bones and such. These "defeats" only spurs on our hapless yet charming hero. The story becomes so convoluted that his love interest thinks he's gay.

And Nicholas Gage plays "Big Daddy" who comes very close to being a real superhero and has a gun room that would make Burt "Tremors" Gummer jealous. Big Daddy's little girl, Mindy (Chloe Grace Moretz), almost steals the show and will be partially remembered for her potty mouth. But this kid can act; she played the little sister in "(500) Days of Summer" and a long list of other movies and she's only 13. Keep your eye on Ms. Chloe; she and Cage were magnificent in this Action/Comedy/Drama.

Who are the big winners? Everyone that has anything to do with this film; it will be a career-changing event for all who participated. You will hear much deserved criticism about the trashy content, but it is a hoot! Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 93. Larry H.

The Burning Desire

This movie is a documentary of the tragedy of Bonfire that happened on the Texas A&M campus on November 18, 1999, at 2:42 am. The director is listed as 12th Man Productions - Texas A&M and the Print Source as 12th Man Productions-Texas A&M Athletic Department. It is an all Aggie effort and one of the movies premiered at the Houston Film Festival this week at AMC Studio 30.

But the story is about the how the student body and community pulled together with a grieving state and nation when 12 Aggies died and many others were injured. The film is primarily photos and brief videos of the surrounding events immediately after the heartbreaking event and interviews of students, faculty, politicians, football players, yell leaders and Coaches R. C. Slocum, Jackie Sherrill, and Mack Brown.

Much credit was given to the UT student body and the way they reached out to help the Aggies during a time when the Aggie "family" was hurting. The primary theme of the movie; however, was to fully and fairly document the closeness of the Aggie community and the healing that took place after Bonfire while balancing the need to go forward with the football game during the following Thanksgiving weekend.

This is an extremely well done documentary and done with dignity and good taste that will make all Aggies and Texans feel a sense of pride about a catastrophe that affected people far beyond the A&M campus. I recommend this movie to all but it is a true "must see" for an Aggie. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade: Not rated. Larry H.

The Red Barron

This is another feature film at the Worldfest-Houston at AMC Studio 30. And to no one's surprise, this is the story of Baron Manfred von Richthofen, the most feared and decorated German pilot in World War I.

I was very excited to see this film and was appropriately impressed with the aerial combat scenes even though Director Nikolai Muellerschoen explained after the presentation that "none of the airplanes were in the air; they were all shot on the green screen; and none of the pilots we talked to were willing to fly like the WWI pilots because it was too dangerous."

This movie had great potential but missed the mark because it relied too much on a predictable storyline and mediocre acting. And I did not think either of the lead roles was well done and the performances lacked believability. The leading lady was not sexy enough for the role and lacked the "it" factor. Matthias Schweighofer was the Red Baron and I had trouble accepting him as an historical figure.

Nikolai seemed like a nice man, but I was glad when this one was over so I could go home. Not a good Monday night. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 74. Larry H.

The Joneses

The 43rd Annual Worldfest-Houston is being held now (April 9-18, 2010) which is also known as The Houston International Film Festival. The venue is AMC Studio 30 on Dunvale.

The Houston Film Critics Society is heavily involved with the festival and a committee of our members is serving as the "jury" for choosing the winners in the various categories. There are 92 full length features, documentaries and short films from countries worldwide including UK, Sri Lanka, India, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Australia, Ireland, Turkey, Spain, Norway, Poland, France, Croatia, Israel, Russia, German, Japan, Italy, Canada, and of course USA and Houston.

The festival is open to the public so if you missed it this year, be sure to put it on your "must do" calendar for next year and go to worldfest.org for more details and dates. I've already seen three movies: USA and Germany.

The first day Grand Opening on Friday April 9th began with the independent film "The Joneses" starring Demi Moore and David Duchovny who did not received their "normal, very high salaries" according to Producer Doug Mankoff. Mankoff attended the screening and made a short introduction of the film and then did a Q&A immediately following the movie.

The synopsis, according to the very thick festival program, is the "perfect couple...and their gorgeous teen-aged children...are the envy of the posh, suburban neighborhood filled with McMansions. But as the neighbors try to keep up with the Joneses, none are prepared for the truth about this all-too perfect family."

Demi and David might not have demanded their usual salaries in order to help the making of this film, but their acting was up to their usual standards; so kudos to them. This film sneaked up on me. The first half seemed slow and predictable, but evidently Director/Screenwriter Derrick Borte must have been merely setting me up for the big emotional punch.

I was emotionally detached until Demi Moore hugged her teenage daughter on the bridge. If you see this movie, try to remember that scene and let me know if you have the same reaction.

When the movie was over and I was processing the experience and discussing it with Monique "Date Night" H., we had similar reactions. By the end of the movie, I was totally engaged and relating to all of the main characters. This is a sophisticated script which never stops beginning and crescendos to the very end. I want to see this movie again. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 89. Larry H.

After.Life

If you can't handle dead bodies and funeral homes, then you need to see another movie. Liam Neeson stars as the spooky funeral director Eliot Deacon who has a "gift" for being able to talk to the recently deceased. He doesn't just see dead people, he can actually converse with them about their lives and what's about to happen to them while he is preparing their bodies for internment.

Anna Taylor (Christina Ricci) was tragically killed in a car wreck and now she is on the slab in Deacon's funeral basement and is not happy about being dead. As a matter of fact, since she can talk and get up and walk around, she believes she is not dead. Deacon calmly yet forcefully reminds her that she is indeed dead and that she needs to accept it and stop "...blaming him."

Are you following me? Liam Neeson and Christina Ricci are in an ongoing struggle while she is a corpse and he is stitching up her mortal wounds to make her look presentable for her funeral. This is fascinating stuff and I was buying in on the whole concept. My theatre audience was mesmerized.

This screenplay by Agnieszka Wojtowicz-Vosloo, who also directed, is an entertaining attempt to delve into death and what happens to us when the end finally comes in spite of our denial that our life has ended when there was unfinished business, but darn the luck, we died too soon. The theme is that simple; the presentation was very complicated.

Anna had been in love (maybe) with Paul (Justin Long) and they almost got engaged the night of the car wreck, yet Anna asked Eliot Deacon if Paul cried when he learned of her death. Oh yeah, Deacon lives in the real world and the world of death. Then add Anna's 11 year-old student named Jack (Chandler Canterbury) who becomes a pivotal player and the plot thickens.

I saw this film at the Edwards 24 in Houston as an invited guest of my friend Jeb L. who is a friend of one of the producers, William O. Perkins III. We were in Theatre 15 and the crowd was packed with "Billy's" friends. Shortly before the movie began, Billy addressed the audience with humor and the enthusiasm of a proud father. The crowd was pumped and met Billy with applause; it was fun.

Billy also introduced Houston's own Chandler Canterbury as one of the "important stars of this movie." Chandler is an eleven year old who was born and raised in Houston and has a bright career; he has been in several movies and played Benjamin Button at age 8. Keep your eye on Jack and let me know your take on the scenes with his "mother."

I agree with Billy when he described the movie as "dark, disturbing, but has an uplifting theme if you look for it." And Christina Ricci is the best looking corpse ever and is completely nude for much of the movie. What a movie! Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 91. Larry H.

Date Night

This is the best silly movie I've seen in a long time. I laughed more than most people in the theatre, so maybe I liked this film due to my insanity.

I was on a date with Monique H. to see "Date Night" so I guess I know a thing or two about Date Night. The name of the movie comes from the routine of going on a "date" to get away from the kids in order to keep the spark in a marriage. Not that I need such a spark.

But Phil and Claire Foster (Steve Carell and Tina Fey) have become a "boring married couple from New Jersey" who go into Manhattan to eat at a trendy restaurant, The Claw. Their marriage has become dull and they are trying to make the best of it in spite of being too tired when they get home from work to have much time for each other.

They do not have reservations at The Claw so they "take" the reservations of the Triplehorns. Bad idea; some really tough gangster-type guys with twitchy trigger fingers are looking for the Triplehorns and mistakenly conclude that our cute little couple form Jersey are the blackmailing Triplehorns.

We all know that Steve Carell and Tina Fey are the darlings of America and the current King and Queen of Comedy TV so how could they ever be involved in anything as sinister as bad guys with guns? If you believe the previous sentence, then you will laugh as much as I did. Carell and Fey get into one mess after another in their attempts to right the situation and of course they just did the hole deeper and funnier.

Claire is convinced that they are about to get "whacked off." Phil is equally insightful when he quickly concludes that when a bad guy tilts the pistol sideways while aiming that such a move is a prelude to a "kill shot." And they end up in a crazy car-chase scene while driving an Audi R8 sports car which is the same car that Tony Stark (Iron Man) drives and I'm pretty sure it's the same car that the Lord wants me to have.

I liked everyone and everything about this impractical and ridiculous plot. Even the bad guys were charming. One of the thugs (Armstrong) is Jimmi Simpson who played an unbalance, pleasant misfit in the TV series "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia."

The cast was awesome: William Fitchner, Taraji P. Henson, Mila Kunis, James Franco, Ray "I Always Wanted to be a Gangster" Liotta, and the shirtless and very chiseled Mark Wahlberg. And I mean Wahlberg did not wear a shirt in 6-7 scenes; he never broke a smile and was hilarious. All of this must be credited to an outstanding script by Josh Klausner and the direction by Boy Wonder Shawn Levy. Get out of the house and take somebody on a date to see this fun movie. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 90. Larry H.

Clash of the Titans

I saw this movie on Good Friday but this is a Bad Movie! I checked in to get my 3D glasses a few minutes late so when I entered Theatre #5 at AMC First Colony there weren't many open seats. Catch this: I had to sit between a group of four and a group of three.

Let me make myself clear: I had to sit between two young men that were none too happy that Larry H. showed up at a time when the crowd had already geared up and was proudly wearing their big glasses. The good news is that my seat was on the front row of the upper section so we had a rail to hang our feet on during the movie; I love that.

"Clash of the Titans" is a re-tool of the 1981 version of the same name but this time the special effects are magnificent circa 2010. But don't start thinking that some fancy Hollywood upgrades can save this flick unless you are male age 16-26 and their girlfriends wearing shorts.

My crowd loved this movie and almost no one went to the bathroom or concession stand because they were scared they might miss something. If I had been sitting closer to the aisle, I would have gone to the bathroom and acquired more food and drink; I was sleepy.

But don't tell the two groups that I was sitting with. The alpha males were blurting out their guesses of the next scene and they were invariably right. I didn't have a clue but these dudes knew when Zeus was going to pop in the action or when Perseus was going to pop out of the guts of a monster.

And the audience was laughing and giggling throughout; I never laughed excepted once when my two groups were gleefully giggling with such enthusiasm that I felt compelled to make a fake grunt and a hrrrmmmphhh lest they think I'm an old f**t.

I do not have the energy to explain this story and don't care. This movie will be a huge hit and make a ton of money, but not because of me. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 73. Larry H. See my new web site at www.larryhmoviereviews.com

Greenberg

I saw this movie on a beautiful, sunny Friday afternoon and I'd rather have been outside than in the main theatre of Landmark's River Oaks near downtown Houston. Based on the body language of the other ten souls in the theatre with me, they would have preferred some sunshine, too.

Ben Stiller is Roger Greenberg who recently was released from a "mental hospital" in New York and has come to LA to house sit for his successful brother while he takes his family to Vietnam for six weeks. An assistant comes with the house played by Greta Gerwig. You gotta give this new generation of actors props for refusing to change their name. Greta Gerwig?

Greenberg is 40, OCD, sad, misguided, insecure, unemployed and looking for love in all the wrong places. So of course, he is destined to start a "relationship" with the much younger assistant who works for his brother. They are a good match in that she is equally insecure, underemployed, and has already found love in all the wrong places. Their social and sexual interaction is classically flawed and borders on love/hate.

This movie is all about development of characters without any kind of backdrop of action or suspense other than a mild wonderment of where the next neurotic mood might take these hapless folks. I liked Greenberg the least even though Stiller's performance was solid.

Greta Gerwiz is the big winner as the gangly, semi-cute Florence Marr who lives by herself and has zero sexual boundaries. Her acting which ranged from an emotional basket case to a sensitive, young, vulnerable woman was memorable and will serve her well when directors are looking for a twenty-something actress that is not a bimbo.

I'm a huge fan of Ben Stiller, but this is not Funny Ben but serious, pathetic Ben and now he has proven that he can deliver in a different type of role, Benny needs to go back to comedy where he belongs and I prefer.

Director Noah Baumbach is only 40 years old and showed great promise with this film even though I did not enjoy it. Baumbach wrote the screenplay for "Fantastic Mr. Fox" so he's got talent. But great movies are rare and this is not one of them.

I knew things were going badly when the straw for my drink had a little crack in it about halfway, so in order to get it to work properly, I had to hold it just right with my thumb and finger and then suck real hard. Real men do not go back to the concession stand for another straw! Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 76. Larry H.

The Ghost Writer

Dinner and a date with Monique H. That's how I spent my Saturday night. When I go to movies on Fridays, Monique H. thinks that I'm at my day job so it is not a problem, but when I want to see a movie on a Saturday night, things get a little more complicated. She's a fun date.

We started the evening at Smash Brothers near Edwards 24 inside the loop. As I have explained before, when I take Monique H. out to dinner, I attempt to show her a good time. She had a burger and I had a "classic hot dog" with beans on it instead of chili; what's up with that?

I'd heard good things about this movie directed by Roman "I Don't Live Here Anymore" Polanski, so I was looking forward to seeing a quality movie in 2010; the pickins have been slim. Immediately before and after the Oscars, weak movies prevail. If you doubt me, take a look at the dismal list of flicks now showing at your local theatre. Don't despair; this is an annual ritual and I promise that the movies will get better.

This is billed as a suspense thriller and I admit that I had Hitchcockian flashbacks throughout. I don't want to over hype this movie, but it had the feel and cinematography of Alfred Hitchcock's "North by Northwest" (1959) starring Cary Grant as Roger Thornhill.

Ewan "Moulin Rouge" McGregor plays the ghost writer hired to write the memoirs for former British Prime Minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan). The publishers are in a hurry to get the book in print within a month. The schedule just hit a snag as Lang's former ghost was recently found washed up on shore near the exclusive and highly secured compound in the USA where Lang is living.

McGregor is the conscience of the audience and is our investigator in his attempts to unravel the mysteries surrounding the British investigation of Lang's potential involvement of war crimes involving torture and the US Government. The secrecy is intense and he is ordered not to remove the manuscript "...from this room and it is not to be copied."

Lang and his wife Ruth (Olivia Williams) seem to be the classic political couple with all the ego and marital problems related to power. And The Ghost is in the middle. Note to women: there is a shot of the backside of Ewan getting out of bed nude.

The screenplay by Robert Harris and Polanski adapted from Harris' novel "The Ghost" is spectacular. The dialogue and twists and turns of the story are intriguing and spellbinding. Polanski has made an exceptional movie that hits on all cylinders. The acting, editing, and set design are brilliant. The music by Alexandre Desplat is perfect for the story and sets the ideal moods. Hitch would approve of this movie. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 91. Larry H.

Green Zone

"The Green Zone is the common name for the International Zone of Iraq - a 10-square-kilometer (3.8-square-mile) area in central Baghdad, Iraq, that was the center of the Coalition Provisional Authority and remains the center of the international presence in the city." Wikipedia.

That dry, rather dull explanation of the heart of the combat area in Iraq for over seven years reminds me of this movie. The action and fighting led by the hero Chief Warrant Officer Miller (Matt Damon) is almost nonstop close quarter combat and very intense but the story is about as exciting as the Wikipedia definition of the namesake of this film.

Director Paul Greengrass has skillfully put together a memorable, contemporary shoot 'em up war movie that would make John Wayne proud, but I became weary of the same firefights through the lens of a jerky camera. The Duke, however, would not participate in this movie as there is a slant against the U.S. Government.

Warrant Officer Miller and his team are tasked with finding and destroying WMDs (Weapons of Mass Destruction) in the early months of the Iraq war shortly after the March 2003 bombardment and "shock and awe" of downtown Baghdad. Problem: Miller can not find any WMDs. We know that now, but there was a time when we were holding our collective breath in hopes of finding the WMDs, and thus confirming one of the primary reasons for the invasion.

The screenplay by Brian Helgeland ("Mystic River" and "L.A. Confidential") lacks a sympathetic character and perspective while challenging the slanted "intel" fed to the American people and soldiers in the field. I understood his premise and Lord knows Warrant Officer Miller led the fight to get to the bottom of the WMD ruse as he was just "...trying to do his job and save lives." But after the 25th firefight and screaming match, I was bored and wanted to go home.

This is not Matt Damon's fault; he played a very believable, dedicated soldier who knew the business end of an M-4 carbine. And I was proud of Amy Ryan who ably portrayed a Wall Street Journal reporter as she is best known as Michael Scott's girlfriend, Holly, on the TV series "The Office." Greg Kinnear was the pentagon-flunky antagonist but I didn't like or dislike his character. I was squirming in my seat and looking at my watch; enough said.

Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 74. Larry H.

Alice in Wonderland

All is right with the world in spite of this movie that should have been named "Alice in Neverland" as in never should've been made. Shame on Disney Productions for spending a ton of money in making a beautiful film with no texture or humanity.

And shame on Tim Burton who has made some inventive and memorable movies ("Beetlejuice" and "Edward Scissorhands") but was not up for the task this time. During the movie, I had the recurring thought that Burton must have been lulled into complacency because the cinematography and CGI were so gorgeous and stunning. During editing, he must have looked at the cuts and declared "this has got to be good because it's so pretty and the music is grand...and it's merely an update of the classic Lewis Carroll story...what could go wrong?"

Everything "Visual Effects Breath!" The audience still demands a story with human emotions and characters that command empathy. A movie can not stand on technical feats created by the latest and greatest computer software even if Mr. Cool (Johnny Depp) plays Mad Hatter. What could possibly go wrong with a Tim Burton movie starring Johnny Depp as Mad Hatter? Ask the investors when they barely get their money back.

One of my favorite young actresses (Mia Wasikowska) portrays the 19 year old Alice who falls down the hole again and reunites with the Red Queen (Helen Bonham Carter), White Queen (Ann Hathaway), Knave of Hearts, Tweedledee/Tweedledum, and the Cheshire Cat and White Rabbit. Sounds great doesn't it? It was brutal; I could hardly stay awake. This movie should be thrown down a rabbit hole in a Texas rice field.

Here is some good news: the music by Danny Elfman is enchanting and potent. Elfman composed the theme music for "Beetlejuice" so he and Burton go way back. And for that matter Tim Burton and Johnny Depp are known for their winning partnership, but they sold out for this movie and went for the easy, big bucks. Hope they got their money up front.

But I saw this movie at noon on Friday, had a Mr. Pibb and a popcorn, and now I'm ready for my weekend. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 71. Larry H.

The Last Station

A historical drama about the genius author of "War and Peace," bigger-than-life Leo Tolstoy (Christopher "Captain Von Trapp" Plummer). The movie begins in 1910 Russia when Tolstoy is an old man and struggling to balance his immense celebrity and wealth with his life's philosophy of brotherly love and world peace through pacifism.

His followers are part of the Tolstoy Movement and they live in a commune where they till the soil and act like 1960's hippies. Regrettably, the movie does not delve into the lives of these dedicated supporters. Director/Screenwriter Michael Hoffman missed a golden opportunity because I'm convince these little peaceniks were slipping out in the woods to drink some vodka and spoke a little weed behind Leo's back.

Instead of having some fun with this story, Hoffman concentrates on the Last Will and Testament of Tolstoy who wants to leave the rights to his literary assets to the people of the world and the angst this causes his wife Sofya (Helen Mirren). They had been married 48 years and had more than their share of discord. But Sofya is nobody's fool and she figures that she is entitled to this obvious large pot of gold and she is willing to fight for it. And more accurately, chew on Tolstoy until he packs his bags and leaves his estate and her.

The countess is none too pleased with this turn of events so she kicks it into high gear of Drama Momma. Paul Giamatti and James McAvoy play Tolstoy's old and young confidants; Giamatti as Vladimir Chertkov is brilliant as the arch enemy of Sofya.

This movie will be remembered for Mirren's Oscar nomination for Best Actress and little else. Monique H. and I whispered and played with our popcorn and Milk Duds far too much.

Let's face it; Helen Mirren is no Sandra Bullock. Relax, I'm kidding, but don't be surprised if the 45 year old Bullock takes home the gold on March 7th. The acting in "The Last Station" was borderline great but the story was uninspired and dull. Go see this movie if it is important to you to see all the nominations for Best Actress (my excuse) or if you are a Tolstoyan. Otherwise, go see "Avatar" and "The Hurt Locker" to ensure that you see the Best Picture of 2009 before the big show. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 79. Larry H.

Shutter Island

I saw this flick on a dreary Saturday afternoon; an omen of things to come. This movie is a bust. The great Martin Scorsese has fallen to earth and he took Leonardo DeCaprio with him. The two of them have had some good times ("Departed") but you can't win all the time.

But don't feel sorry for these two; Marty is still one of our most accomplished directors and Leo is in my top two or three top actors. Nothing about this movie has made me change my mind about their talent and I forgive them for boring me.

And besides, I have been a huge fan of Leo's ever since he got rooked out of a nomination and Oscar for his memorable portrayal of Jack Dawson in "Titanic." Kate Winslet was good in "Titanic" but it was Leo/Jack that won the day not Rose. Ok, fine I've said. Let's move on with life.

I had high hopes for "Shutter Island" because I'm a sucker for psycho thrillers involving the criminally insane but now I just feel like a sucker. I was sitting at the very top of the aisle in Theatre #16 at AMC The Fountains. I like that seat and since there were no seats in front of me, I literally stretched my legs as far as I could down the steps. I felt like I was sitting in the cat bird's seat.

Anyway, I got so bored about midway through the movie that I spotted a pair of shiny white Nike Shox about two rows in front of me and I started watching this guy's shoes instead of the movie. That's a first for me. I decided to call it the Shoe Bomb Theory which should not be confused with the God Bomb Theory even though both theories are similar. The Theories are simple: Stop this movie now and let me out of here!

I did not like any characters and while I completely understood the story and the twists and turns, I did not care. When a bad guy (I guess he was a bad guy) slipped up behind Leo and started choking him, I hoped that the bad guy would kill Leo so the movie would end.

The screenplay by Laeta Kalogridis, who is also an executive producer for "Avatar," must take the fall for this disaster. I have not read the novel by Dennis "Mystic River" Lahane but based on the movie, I bet the novel is pretty good. What does that mean? The movie could not connect the dots. The sun got in Marty's eyes and he couldn't see clearly and Leo was just doing what Marty told him to do. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 72. Larry H.

A Single Man

Colin Firth is nominated for Best Actor and he has a legitimate shot at winning the gold on March 7th. His portrayal of English Professor George Falconer is Oscar-worthy.

The movie begins in Los Angles in November 1962; long before gay rights and acceptance of homosexuality. But Professor Falconer is living with his partner, Jim, who is tragically killed in a car wreck. Jim's family will not allow George to attend the funeral.

Meanwhile, George must go on with life in the classroom and suburbia where his neighbor describes him as "light in the loafers." He finds some comfort in his old London girlfriend Charley (Julianne Moore) and a young male student.

George is not coping well and it is obvious to all who see his sleep-deprived eyes and melancholy demeanor. The world does not know that George is plotting his own suicide.

Director Tom Ford has masterfully told a complicated human story of a man trapped and desperate yet seeking solace wherever he can find it. George hides behind some rather large horn-rimmed glasses but his eyes and expressions are not hidden.

As good as the acting and direction were, I did not particularly enjoy this movie at Landmark's River Oaks near downtown Houston. I like going to the old theatre; it's got character and reminds me of my childhood.

During the movie, a lady near the front decided she needed to go the concession stand but was a tad disoriented and when she arrived at the top of the stairs she unexpectedly turned left and opened the exit doors to the horror of the rest of us. With these doors open, a rush of very bright sunlight came beaming into our little dark and protected environment. There was a collective groan. The obviously embarrassed woman hurriedly retreated without closing the doors. Luckily a Good Samaritan quickly jumped into action and closed the double doors to a loud "thank you" from the crowd. Now that's character.

Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 82. Larry H.

Valentine's Day

Love is in the air and in this movie. I showed up at First Colony AMC to see this movie on Friday February 12th on opening day with a bit of a 'tude. You must understand that the great Larry H. does not see silly, love-story movies with the sophomoric title of "Valentine's Day."

In the first 30 minutes, I was so nonplussed and turned off by the syrupy characters that I started to walk. Then I decided it was so cold outside and not time yet for date night with Monique H. that I might as well stay just to see if it could possibly get any better. But my 'tude was getting pretty bad. I didn't like any of the quirky, loser characters and my patience was thin meaning I was beginning to think that the other audience members were losers, too.

Then something peculiar happened: I laughed, no it was a guffaw, and then Taylor Swift's zany high school character came on the scene and demonstrated her love for Willy (Taylor Lautner) through a head twisting dance. Swift was so charming and funny that I decided to give it a few more minutes before I walked. Then the "love is in the air" among a host of sweet and sappy people started to jell.

And then this floppy film turned a corner and I became completely hooked and even got teary-eyed several times. In the end I was actually crying; not deep breathing and shoulder hunching, but there was a salty discharge. I would have been embarrassed but I'm pretty sure the other suckers in Theatre #13 were reaching for Kleenex, too.

Here's the plot: a whole bunch of folks, young and old face the ups and downs of a traditional and emotional ride on Valentine's Day.

The biggest winner was Taylor Swift but Ashton Kutcher and Jennifer Garner were a close second. I've never got Kutcher other than he has the ability to date hot, older chicks in real life but I thought as an actor he was a doofus. Not anymore, I am now out of the closet; I like Ashton Kutcher as an actor and predict that he has some huge starring roles in his future.

I spent much of this movie thinking about a young Larry and Monique H. when we were wild and crazy; she looked like Taylor Swift and I looked like Taylor Lautner. This movie can cause temporary episodes of delusion.

I can't say enough about Director Garry Marshall's ability to string together multiple stories and stars that meld into a cohesive theme of love is difficult but worth it. There is already serious talk about a sequel entitled "New Year's Eve" and if Katherine Fugate also writes the screenplay, then I'm in. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 89. Larry H.

It's Complicated

I didn't see this movie until Super Bowl Sunday on February 7th; it debuted on December 25th. So, where have you been Larry H.? Been busy with Christmas and such and quite frankly I didn't think I'd like what appeared to me to be the ultimate chick flick.

And then my chick said she wanted to see it and we needed to kill some time before the Super Bowl. And when Monique H. says she wants to go the movies, Larry H. says "how high?"

This is a silly movie that works. Occasionally, great acting can save a cute story; this one had Meryl Steep, Alec Baldwin, and Steve Martin. Nancy "Something's Gotta Give" Meyers wrote and directed "Complicated" with her patented female touch sprinkled with humor and pizzazz as only she can do.

Here's the story: Jane (Streep) is having an affair with Jake (Baldwin) who is her ex-husband and married to a much younger woman. Then there's Adam (Martin) the boyfriend who is her sensitive, cute architect and does not want to get involved with anyone that is involved. Cute, corny, and cool if you like watching a group of fifty-somethings having fun and smoking a few doobies.

I granted Monique H. special permission to talk/whisper during this movie because one need not concentrate during drivel plus I needed to mock throughout the flick. I had fun even though Alec Baldwin reminded me more of his "30 Rock" character Jack Donaghy than he did Jake. To my surprise during a poignant scene near the end of the movie, I realized that Baldwin was holding his own with the great Meryl Steep.

Director Meyers has a good feel for cars: Jane was driving a Toyota Highlander; Jake sported a Porsche Carrera and Adam an Audi; that's about right. This is a shockingly good movie in spite of it being an inane tale of a zany love triangle/quadrangle. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 88. Larry H.

Edge of Darkness

This is a good reason not to get too involved with the private lives of movie stars. Mel Gibson has taken his fair share of hits lately (5+ years) for being a overbearing, insensitive, drunk. He has not done a movie in over eight years ("Signs") and his off-screen bio probably contributed to his hiatus.

But Mel can act and evidently the public has forgiven or forgotten because my theatre had a large crowd. Maybe Tiger just needs a little time and some rehab and he can make a comeback. What about Johnny Leno and Coco O'Brien?

Mel Gibson (age 54) plays Boston PD Detective Tommy Craven whose daughter Emma is murdered in the first five minutes of the movie. Props to Director Martin Campbell for grabbing the audience's attention in those first few minutes of the story and setting the mood for the rest of the movie. This is not a great film, but it has a great beginning and end.

Emma Craven (Bojana Novakovic) worked for the mysterious Northmoor Company in rural Massachusetts that has top secret contracts with the US government and is very serious about its security. Emma and some of her friends have some incriminating information about the company and they want to blow the whistle. Uh oh, that's dangerous business.

And if your daddy has a gun and a badge and is grief stricken, then things can really go badly for the bad guys. But who are the bad guys and what have they done and who and why are they trying to kill people? Lots of people.

The script by William Monahan and Andrew Bovell is well written with just the right blend of action and suspense except in the middle. Luckily for Director Campbell, this is not his first rodeo with "Edge of Darkness" as he was the director of a six-episode TV series by the same name and similar plot in the mid 80's. Campbell must have learned something over the last twenty something years because the direction and editing are key to the film's measured success.

The acting was acceptable as a general proposition but Ray Winstone, the British-born actor, who plays the conflicted and mystifying Jedburgh was the big winner.

Those of you who fancy yourself a "solver of movie mysteries" will enjoy connecting the dots and guessing the next plot revelation before your date has had a chance to lean over and whisper in your ear "he's a bad guy."

My audience liked this movie and laughed and became silent in all the right places and much to my surprise broke into approving applause and audible outbursts more than once. I marvel at an audience that gets so worked up about a movie that individuals feel compelled to let the rest of us know how they feel about what just happened on the screen. Marvel is not the right word; I admire their enthusiasm. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 88. Larry H.

Extraordinary Measures

Sometimes weird things happen and I have to work on Friday afternoons. I know such an act seems like a crime against nature, but I got caught on Friday and could not make it to the theatre.

Part of the problem was lack of enthusiasm as I tried to choose between "The Tooth Fairy" and "Extraordinary Measures." I even considered seeing "Avatar" again and pretending like there were no new movies.

I got up Saturday morning determined to go to a movie - any movie. I repeatedly perused the newspaper movie section while negotiating with myself about my choice. Then I began looking for an excuse not to go at all. I finally chose "Extraordinary Measure" starting at 11:00 am at First Colony AMC but I was convinced that it would be a dud. Even my long-time hero Gene Shalit panned it. I was getting depressed, but pushed through it and drove to the theatre and soon was feeling much better when I ate some popcorn and drank some Mr. Pibb.

I was surprise to see about 100 people already seated in Theatre #21 when I arrived. Then, I got passed that awkward moment when one is looking for just the right seat (near the target area but not near anyone else). The trailers were all about syrupy love stories and Valentine's Day which depressed me even more so I took a hit of popcorn to calm my nerves.

Ok, I was wrong. This movie caught my attention from the beginning to end. I laughed and cried in the first ten minutes. The movie is based on a true story and a book by Geeta Anand about John and Aileen Crowley (Brendan Fraser and Keri Russell) who have two children with Pompe Disease that is a deadly form of Muscular Dystrophy. Most children with this genetic disorder will die by age 9 because they are "missing an enzyme." These two adorable children are 8 and 6.

Brendan Fraser's character is the moving force of the film as he sets out on a personal and business quest to find an answer to his children's fate. The trail begins with Dr. Robert Stonehill (Harrison Ford) who is the classic curmudgeon medical scientist who is hidden in his underfunded lab at the University of Nebraska.

Dr. Stonehill is a brilliant theorist, but has never been involved in developing a new drug even though he is convinced that his research is on the way to prolonging the lives of the Pompe children. John Crowley is a graduate of the Harvard School of Business with the guts of an entrepreneur and determination of a loving father. They need money and lots of it.

The story is very emotional but was not overplayed by Director Tom Vaughan who walked a fine line between creating a Hollywood tear-jerker and a believable account of human tragedy and hope. There was way too much scientific and corporate mumbo jumbo for my taste but I respected the need to explain the very complicated world of business meets science.

My main man with the big mustache (Shalit) ripped Brendan "The Mummy" Fraser as being miscast and uncomfortable with his role. I disagree; who do you believe? Me or Gene Shalit? Ok, I thought so. Keri Russell and Fraser were perfect as the concerned parents; the only suggestion I have for them is that Fraser needs to lose a little weight and Russell needs to put on a few pounds.

The 67 year old Harrison "Han Solo" Ford was outstanding as Dr. Stonehill with an attitude and he knew this movie would be a hit which is why he is listed as one of the Executive Producers. This is a good January movie. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 89. Larry H.

Crazy Heart

Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges) is a down and out country singer who's been "rode hard and put up wet" as we use to say in Bay City. In other words, Bad had too many marriages and way too much to drink and he looked like an old horse that couldn't win the race or sing his way out of wet paper sack.

But he was charming and continued to look for salvation through all the ups and downs of his pitiful career. Sparks happen when a reporter (Maggie Gyllenhaal) comes into his life and gives him a reason not to die.

Ok, enough of the story. This movie is memorable and worth the price of admission for one reason only: Jeff Bridges. JB's been an accomplished actor for a long time - "The Fabulous Baker Boys" and "The Big Lebowski" but this is his crowning performance. He does his own singing and his soulful rendition of Bad Blake dominates the film

Surely, he will be nominated for Best Actor and has a decent chance of winning; he was that good. Occasionally, there is a movie that is not particularly entertaining or artfully produced but some aspect, such as an actor, is so spectacular that the movie is catapulted into that rare stratosphere of greatness. And this is one of those movies. Jeff Bridges is phenomenal and I recommend you see this movie soon so you will be ready for the Oscars. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 89. Larry H.

The Lovely Bones

The bones were not lovely. "I was murdered on December 6, 1973," is the explanation by the precious 14 year old Susie Salmon (Saoirse "Atonement" Ronan). The screenplay is adapted from the book by Alice Sebold and it is set in a quiet town in Pennsylvania before lost children's "faces appeared on milk cartons."

Much of the movie is from Susie's perspective from heaven or more appropriately the "Blue Horizon". As she watched her murderer continue with his life next door to her parents and brother and sister, did she influence the earthly events? Or did she merely suffer from her memories and anxiety of her terrible grief. And the grief by her parents was gut-wrenching.

Susie is brutally murdered on the way home from school by the creepy next door neighbor George Harvey (Stanley Tucci). Tucci's makeup and costume disguised his well-known face and features and will cause some to fail to identify him. However, I knew the despicable character was Stanley Tucci and still could relate to him because Tucci's performance was off-the-chart good. He is one of my frontrunners for Best Supporting Actor.

The movie is riveting and intriguing but Director Peter "The Hobbit" Jackson took me down too many paths that I did not want to go. I don't care if he followed the book or not; I did not enjoy the movie on any plane other than witnessing evil in a spooky presentation. I give Jackson high marks for movie-making but the entertainment level of movies is all about me and I was not entertained.

The highlight was the acting. Tucci set the bar high, but Susie's parents Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz were up for the task as was Grandma Lynn played by Susan Sarandon. But as I've said many times, "great acting" can not save a story that does not equally support the characters. Perhaps I should not go to these kinds of movies; and perhaps you should not go to these kinds of movies, either. And I will never watch it again. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 84. Larry H.

The Book of Eli

This is another post-apocalyptic film that has the feel of "The Road." And it is almost as good with some dramatic differences. "The Book of Eli" is an original screenplay by Gary Whitta (who?) and "The Road" was adapted from Cormac McCarthy's novel. And Eli is directed by the Hughes Brothers (who?).

The Hughes Brothers (Albert and Allen) are 37 year old twins that must have enough on the ball to convince Denzel Washington to play the lead and invest some of his cash as Denzel is one of the credited Producers. The Hughes Boys will be heard from again because they have now convinced Denzel and Larry H. that they know the working end of a camera.

The editing and cinematography were superb and the foreboding music was effective and an integral part of the movie from start to finish. The young Hughes skillfully wove all elements of good movie-making and story telling into the dramatic fabric of this tale.

One of the hallmarks of this film is the slow yet effective revelation of the mystique of the story of one man's struggle to survive a dreary, dangerous world that has evolved into chaos and desperation. Our hero is willing to die for the preservation of a book that could save mankind while others are willing to kill him to possess that book.

That's about all I'm going to share about the details of this intriguing plot out of an abundance of respect for the unique aspects of this mystery. I will add that our hero (Denzel) has the combat skills to quickly dispatch/kill an overwhelming, heavily armed group of attackers that would make Spaghetti-Western Clint Eastwood proud. And there is some very graphic violence and blood if you count lopping off a man's hand with a machete-like knife as bloody.

The acting is outstanding; Denzel was his usual dominant self but Gary Oldman as the bad guy was excellent and my early favorite for Best Supporting Actor for 2010. I am mildly shocked that Denzel and the Hughes Boys decided to release a movie of this magnitude in early January '10 even before the 2009 Academy Award nominations have been announced. This film easily has nomination/award potential for 2010, but its luster might be lost in large part because of the timing; we shall see. This is a must see movie; there were a few slow areas but I loved it. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 93. Larry H.

Youth in Revolt

Dear Michael Cera,

I saw your latest movie "Youth in Revolt" on opening day January 8, 2010 (Elvis' 75th birthday) and I have some good news. You are a very hot commodity and I predict that you will make north of $250 million over the next 20 years if you don't do something stupid with guns or girls.

Here's my proposition: I want to be your agent and it's not just because my net during the next 20 years will be $10+ million but it's because I really care and feel protective of someone who is in his early 20's. Heck, Michael, I'm a dad and I know a knucklehead when I see him - i.e. Eric H.

Back to the business plan. You are the face of today's young man even though you are the exact opposite of macho and apparently do not mind playing the proverbial virgin that can't quite get the girl but you are nice and polite with no facial hair.

What's in a name? Let's review some of your most successful movies/TV shows and see if we can discover a pattern: "Arrested Development" - George-Michael Bluth; "Juno" - Paulie Bleeker and Nick Twisp - "Youth in Revolt." And then there's Elvis who played many characters and he was hot in the 50's and 60's with names like - Mike McCoy, Charlie Rogers, Rick Richards, and my personal favorite Johnny Tyronne.

So you can see, Michael, my role model in the 60's was Elvis and he had some down-home names that sounded manly and he always got the girl. I guess you could say that I've been around for a while and I know a thing or two about the careers of movie stars and I know some legal stuff that could come in handy during contract negotiations. Trust me.

In "Youth in Revolt" you nailed your character as the over-sexed 16 year old teenager Nick Twisp who is madly in love with a more sophisticated hot chick who likes everything French, but how is that working for you? I'll tell you how it is working - fantastic. We aren't going to change a thing. The audience at my theatre was full of young men that looked strikingly like you; not like the motor-cycle-jacket-wearing Elvis. But if you ever need a jacket like that, not to worry as I still have one in my closet.

Michael, I'm not saying you haven't made some good moves in your career, I'm just saying that it's time to take it up a notch and I'm the guy that can make it happen. I'm not just a Sugar Land guy; I get around. Please email me and I'll send out my standard four percent contract that will be acceptable to both of us.

Meanwhile, I thought the use of a mustachioed, cigarette-smoking alter ego in this movie was a nice twisp, I mean twist, that will bode well for you in future roles. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 85. Larry H.