[MOVIE TRAILER] Green Lantern 2011

Green Lantern 2011. In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, a small but powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps. A brotherhood of warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him superpowers.

But when a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan. Hal is a gifted and cocky test pilot, but the Green Lanterns have little respect for humans, who have never harnessed the infinite powers of the ring before.

But Hal is clearly the missing piece to the puzzle, and along with his determination and willpower, he has one thing no member of the Corps has ever had: humanity. With the encouragement of fellow pilot and childhood sweetheart Carol Ferris, if Hal can quickly master his new powers and find the courage to overcome his fears, he may prove to be not only the key to defeating Parallax... he will become the greatest Green Lantern of all.

Also Known As: Green Lantern 3D
Genres: Action/Adventure, Science Fiction/Fantasy and Adaptation
Release Date: June 17th, 2011 (wide)
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action.
Distributors: Warner Bros. Pictures

[MOVIE TRAILER] Judy Moody 2011

Judy Moody 2011. This summer, Judy Moody is planning the most super-duper, double-rare summer vacation ever with best friends Rocky and Amy. Except that it turns out Rocky is going to circus camp to learn to tame lions, Amy is headed off to Borneo with her mom to save a lost tribe and Judy is stuck home with her pesky little brother Stink and second-best friend Frank Pearl.

Just when she thinks things are as rotten as they can be, her parents announce that they will be going to California and Judy will have to stay behind with her Aunt Opal, who she's never even met! It looks like Judy's best summer ever has just become her way worst summer ever. But feisty, fearless Judy Moody never gives up. With help from some unexpected sources, she's headed for a summer full of surprises.

Production Status: Released
Genres: Comedy, Kids/Family and Adaptation
Release Date: June 10th, 2011 (wide)

MPAA Rating: PG for for mild rude humor and language.
Distributors: Relativity Media
Production Co.:Smokewood Entertainment Group
Filming Locations: Los Angeles, California, USA
Produced in: United States

[VIDEO Trailer] BAD TEACHER 2011

Bad Teacher (2011)
Some teachers just don't give an F. For example, there's Elizabeth. She's foul-mouthed, ruthless, and inappropriate. She drinks, she gets high, and she can't wait to marry her meal ticket and get out of her bogus day job.

When she's dumped by her fiance, she sets her plan in motion to win over a rich, handsome substitute - competing for his affections with an overly energetic colleague, Amy.

When Elizabeth also finds herself fighting off the advances of a sarcastic, irreverent gym teacher, the consequences of her wild and outrageous schemes give her students, her coworkers, and even herself an education like no other.

Production Status: In Production/Awaiting Release
Logline: After being dumped by her current boyfriend, a foul-mouthed, gold-digging seventh-grade teacher sets her sights on a colleague who is dating the school's model teacher.
Genres: Comedy
Release Date: June 24th, 2011 (wide)
MPAA Rating: R for sexual content, nudity, language and some drug use.
Production Co.: Mosaic
Central Casting, Inc.
Deluxe Motion Picture Catering
Sony Pictures Scoring Stage
Prologue Films
Wildfire Lighting and Visual Effects
Sony Colorworks
Hammerhead Productions, Inc.
Studios: Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group
Filming Locations: Los Angeles, California, USA
Produced in: United States

[VIDEO Trailer] Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)

When a mysterious event from Earth's past erupts into the present day it threatens to bring a war to Earth so big that the Transformers alone will not be able to save us.

Also Known As: Transformers 3: Dark of The Moon
Production Status: In Production/Awaiting Release
Genres: Action/Adventure and Sequel
Release Date: July 1st, 2011 (wide)
Distributors: Paramount Pictures
Production Co.: Di Bonaventura Pictures, Inc., Kurtzman/Orci
Studios: Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks Studios
Filming Locations:

• Moscow, Russia
• Los Angeles, California, USA
• Texas, USA
• China
• Africa
• Florida, USA
• Chicago Film Studios, Chicago, Illinois, USA
• Gary, Indiana, USA

Produced in: United States (S)

Free Movie Trailer: Transformer 3

[VIDEO Trailer] Real Steel (2011)

Real Steel Movie Review
Charlie Kenton is a washed-up fighter who lost his chance at a title when 2000-pound, 8-foot-tall steel robots took over the ring. Now nothing but a small-time promoter, Charlie earns just enough money piecing together low-end bots from scrap metal to get from one underground boxing venue to the next.

When Charlie hits rock bottom, he reluctantly teams up with his estranged son Max to build and train a championship contender. As the stakes in the brutal, no-holds-barred arena are raised, Charlie and Max, against all odds, get one last shot at a comeback.

Actors
Hugh Jackman (Charlie Kenton)
Dakota Goyo (Max Kenton)
Kevin Durand (Ricky)
Anthony Mackie (Finn)
Evangeline Lilly
Hope Davis (Aunt Debra)
John Gatins (Kingpin)
Olga Fonda
James Rebhorn

Logline: In the near future, a bot boxing manager and his son take their 2000-pound robot fighter to the box boxing championships.
Genres: Action/Adventure, Science Fiction/Fantasy and Sports
Release Date: November 18th, 2011 (wide)
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some violence, intense action, and brief language.
Distributors: DreamWorks Pictures

Real Steel Trailers

[VIDEO Trailer] THOR (2011)

Thor, a powerful but arrogant warrior, is sent down to Earth as punishment for reigniting a reckless war. But after a dangerous villain from his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth, the hammer-wielding Thor will learn what it takes to be a true hero in order to save mankind.

Actors
Chris Hemsworth (Thor)
Natalie Portman (Jane Foster)
Tom Hiddleston (Loki)
Anthony Hopkins (Odin)
Stellan Skarsgard (Dr. Erik Selvig/ Professor Erik Selvig)
Kat Dennings (Darcy Lewis)
Clark Gregg (Agent Coulson)
Colm Feore (Laufey)
Idris Elba (Heimdall)
Ray Stevenson (Volstagg)
Tadanobu Asano (Hogun the Grim)
Joshua Dallas (Fandral)
Adriana Barraza (Isabel Alvarez)
Jaimie Alexander (Sif)
Rene Russo (Frigga)
Adriana Barraza
Matt Battaglia (Pete)

Also Known As:

• Thor 3D
• Thor: An IMAX 3D Experience

Production Status: In Production/Awaiting Release
Logline: Thor, the hammer-wielding, Norse god of thunder, is banished to Earth but becomes a hero.
Genres: Action/Adventure and Adaptation
Running Time: 2 hr. 10 min.
Release Date: May 6th, 2011 (wide)
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence.
Distributors: Paramount Pictures
Production Co.: Marvel Studios, Marvel Entertainment
Filming Locations:

1. Manhattan Beach, California, USA
2. Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
3. Getty Center, Los Angeles, California, USA

Produced in: United States

[VIDEO Trailer] The Hangover Part II (2011)

The Hangover Part II
Phil, Stu, Alan and Doug travel to exotic Thailand for Stu's wedding. After the unforgettable bachelor party in Las Vegas, Stu is taking no chances and has opted for a safe, subdued pre-wedding brunch. However, things don't always go as planned. What happens in Vegas may stay in Vegas, but what happens in Bangkok can't even be imagined.

Actors

• Bradley Cooper (Phil)
• Ed Helms (Stu)
• Zach Galifianakis (Alan)
• Justin Bartha (Doug)
• Ken Jeong (Mr. Chow)
• Sasha Barrese (Tracy)
• Mike Tyson (Himself)
• Jamie Chung (Flora)

Genres: Comedy and Sequel
Running Time: 1 hr. 50 min.
Release Date: May 26th, 2011 (wide)
MPAA Rating: R for for pervasive language, strong sexual content including graphic nudity, drug use and brief violent images.
Distributors: Warner Bros. Pictures

Watch the The Hangover Part II  Movie Trailer

[VIDEO Trailer] Jumping The Broom (2011)

Jumping the Broom
Release Date: 2011-05-06
Starring: Julie Bowen, Paula Patton, Laz Alonso, Angela Bassett, Loretta Devine, Mike Epps, Lil' Romeo
Directed by: Salim Akil
Produced by: Tracey E. Edmonds, Elizabeth Hunter, T.D. Jakes, Glendon Palmer, Curtis Wallace
Written by: Arlene Gibbs, Elizabeth Hunter

A collision of worlds when two African-American families from divergent socioeconomic backgrounds get together one weekend in Martha's Vineyard for a wedding. Taylor is caught in a six-month whirlwind romance that includes nights at the opera, long-stem roses and live performances from R&B crooner El DeBarge and proposes to Watson at the beginning of the film.

Watson, who has to move to China for business, happily accepts. But doubts about their impending marriage begin to seep in when they confront difficult future in-laws, pressure from friends, and revelations of dirty secrets. (S)

[VIDEO Trailer] Colombiana (2011)

Movies Tittle: COLOMBIANA (2011)
Starring: Zoe Saldana, Lennie James, Michael Vartan, Marshall Warren, Callum Blue, Jordi Mollà, Max Martini, Sam Douglas, Monica Acosta

Directed by: Olivier Megaton

Release Date: September 2, 2011

A young woman grows up to be a stone-cold assassin after witnessing her parents’ murder as a child in Bogota. She works for her uncle as a hitman by day, but her personal time is spent engaging in vigilante murders that she hopes will lead her to her ultimate target – the mobster responsible for her parents’ death.

Production Status: In Production/Awaiting Release
Genres: Action/Adventure, Art/Foreign, Drama and Thriller

Release Date: September 2nd, 2011 (wide)
Distributors: Sony Pictures Releasing
Production Co.: EuropaCorp

• Filming Locations: New Orleans, Louisiana, USA 
• New Mexico, USA
• Paris, France
• Chicago, Illinois, USA
• Mexico

Produced in: France

Here is Colombiana (2011) Video Trailer. Check it out!

[VIDEO Trailer] One Day (2011)

One Day (2011) Review
After one day together -- July 15th, 1988, their college graduation -- Emma Morley and Dexter Mayhew begin a friendship that will last a lifetime. She is a working-class girl of principle and ambition who dreams of making the world a better place.

He is a wealthy charmer who dreams that the world will be his playground. For the next two decades, key moments of their relationship are experienced over several July 15ths in their lives.

Together and apart, we see Dex and Em through their friendship and fights, hopes and missed opportunities, laughter and tears. Somewhere along their journey, these two people realize that what they are searching and hoping for has been there for them all along. As the true meaning of that one day back in 1988 is revealed, they come to terms with the nature of love and life itself.

Logline: Dexter and Emma meet for the first time on college graduation day in 1988 and proceed to reunite one day a year for the next 20 years.
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance and Adaptation
Release Date: August 19th, 2011 (limited)
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sexual content, partial nudity, language, some violence and substance abuse.
Actors: Anne Hathaway as Emma, Jim Sturgess as Dexter
Directors: Lone Scherfig Director
Distributors: Focus Features

One Day Trailers & Video Clips

[VIDEO Trailer] Fast Five (2011)

Fast Five (2011)
Since Brian O'Conner and Mia Toretto broke Dom Toretto out of custody, they've blown across many borders to elude authorities. Now backed into a corner in Rio de Janeiro, they must pull one last job in order to gain their freedom. As they assemble their elite team of top racers, the unlikely allies know their only shot of getting out for good means confronting the corrupt businessman who wants them dead.

But he's not the only one on their tail. Hard-nosed federal agent Luke Hobbs never misses his target. When he is assigned to track down Dom and Brian, he and his strike team launch an all-out assault to capture them. But as his men tear through Brazil, Hobbs learns he can't separate the good guys from the bad. Now, he must rely on his instincts to corner his prey... before someone else runs them down first.

Also Known As:

• Fast Five: The IMAX Experience
• The Fast and the Furious 5
• The Fast and the Furious V
• Untitled (Universal Pictures/The Fast and the Furious Sequel)
• Production Status: In Production/Awaiting Release

Genres: Action/Adventure and Sequel
Running Time: 2 hr. 10 min.
Release Date: April 29th, 2011 (wide)
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, sexual content and language.
Production Co.: Original Film, One Race Films
Studios: Universal Pictures
Filming Locations:

• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Puerto Rico 
• Atlanta, Georgia, USA
• Parker, Arizona, USA

Produced in: United States

VIDEO Trailer Fast Five (2011)

[VIDEO Trailer] Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011). When Captain Jack Sparrow crosses paths with the enigmatic Angelica, he's not sure if it's love -- or if she's a ruthless con artist who's using him to find the fabled Fountain of Youth. When she forces him aboard the "Queen Anne's Revenge," the ship of the legendary pirate Blackbeard, Jack finds himself on an unexpected adventure in which he doesn't know whom to fear more: Blackbeard or Angelica, with whom he shares a mysterious past.

Also Known As:

• Pirates of the Caribbean 4
• Pirates of the Caribbean IV
• Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides An IMAX 3D Experience
• Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides in Disney Digital 3D.

Production Status: In Production/Awaiting Release
Logline: Captain Jack Sparrow sets out to find the Fountain of Youth.
Genres: Action/Adventure, Comedy and Sequel
Release Date: May 20th, 2011 (wide)
Production Co.: Jerry Bruckheimer Films

Studios: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Jerry Bruckheimer Films

Filming Locations:

• Oahu, Hawaii, USA
• Kauai, Hawaii, USA
• London, England, United Kingdom
• Pinewood Studios, Buckinghamshire, England, United Kingdom
• Los Angeles, California, USA

Produced in: United States

Here is Video Trailer Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)

Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Rob Marshall, "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" captures the fun, adventure and humor that ignited the hit franchise--this time in Disney Digital 3D(TM).

Johnny Depp returns to his iconic role of Captain Jack Sparrow in an action-packed adventure. Crossing paths with the enigmatic Angelica (Penelope Cruz), he's not sure if it's love--or if she's a ruthless con artist who's using him to find the fabled Fountain of Youth.

When she forces him aboard the "Queen Anne's Revenge," the ship of the legendary pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane), Jack finds himself on an unexpected adventure in which he doesn't know whom to fear more: Blackbeard or Angelica, with whom he shares a mysterious past.

The international cast includes franchise vets Geoffrey Rush as the vengeful Captain Hector Barbossa and Kevin R. McNally as Captain Jack's longtime comrade Joshamee Gibbs, plus Sam Claflin as a stalwart missionary and Astrid Berges-Frisbey as a mysterious mermaid. "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" (Source)

“Girl Next Door” has much to love

They have been best friends for years. She trusts him completely and he is deeply in love with her. But she has a boyfriend— and no clue.

"Girl Next Door" entertained audiences at Southwestern College's Mayan Hall as part of the Festival of New Student Plays. Written by SWC student Diana Aguila, the clever 45-minute play held the audience's attention through to the end.

Francisco Ramirez played the memorable character of David, the pizza delivery guy who professes his love to his next-door neighbor Stacey (Eva Flores) after she tells him she left her boyfriend.

But when David finds out Stacey is moving in three weeks, he drifted into hopelessness. Ramirez shone throughout the play he delivered an empathetic performance.

Flores created a cute Stacey that was a friendly "girl next door.

" Her performance was steady but lacked needed emotion at times.

One disappointing moment came when David wrote an anonymous love letter to Stacey that she believed came from her ex-boyfriend. Stacey's reaction was less than believable when David revealed that he was the author of the note. A poignant moment was lost.

George Adkins played Andy, David's quirky friend who loves to eat and adds a comedic element to the tension-filled story. Aguila wrote a lot of witty lines for the character and Adkins responded with a laughter-provoking performance.

Coming in and out of scenes with encouraging lines for David, Adkins sometimes underplayed moments but his comedic clumsiness was a success at making the crowd burst into laughter when he bumped into walls and tripped over his own feet.

People who paid the $8-$10 to watch the "Girl Next Door" left satisfied.

This charming play made crowd members reminisce about that ever-so-enchanting moment when they first uttered the words "I love you." (Source)

Fast and Furious fifth movie premieres

Fast Furious 5 star Paul Walker says there's a lot more at stake for the franchise the fifth time around.

Walker walked the red carpet at the world premiere of the film in Rio de Janeiro on Friday night with co-stars including Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson and Chris Ludacris' Bridges.

The fifth film in the franchise is set in Rio de Janeiro and features cast members from the four previous movies.

'Now that we've been doing this for 10 years the last thing we want to do is disappoint people, so you go into it with that added pressure,' Walker told AAP from the red carpet.

'In the first film nobody knew what we were doing (and) what we were in the process of cranking out.

'We had no idea that we were going to make something that was even going to stand two weeks, let alone 10 years.'

Diesel said the cast were fortunate for their fans, who have stuck by the films since The Fast and the Furious premiered in 2001.

'I don't know why we're so fortunate and lucky that people have been so loyal to the franchise,' he said.

'But I'm grateful and I'm blessed.'

Fellow Fast Furious 5 star Elsa Pataky said she misses husband Chris Hemsworth - the Australian actor currently travelling the world to promote his movie Thor.

'I do miss him,' she said.

'It's very weird that we're working and promoting a movie at the same time.

'They're such big movies for both of us, so it's a great moment and we have to enjoy it even if we are apart.'

She said she had seen Thor and really enjoyed it.

'Everybody's going to freak out with him and with the movie,' she said.

'He's amazing and the movie's really really good, but our movie's really good so there's a bet on the table.

'We'll see what happens.' (Source)

Atlas Shrugged Opens this Weekend

"Atlas Shrugged, Part 1" opens this weekend. The film has been mentioned several times on every single talk show on WBCK in the past few weeks. The nearest theater showing "Atlas Shrugged" is "Rave Motion Pictures" in downtown Kalamazoo, 180 Portage Street...a stone's throw from Okun Brothers Shoes.

"Atlas Shrugged" takes place in a world where excellence and individual achievement are swept aside by socialist ideals, leading the most brilliant do-ers in society to just throw in the towel and walk away." "Atlas Shrugged" opens Friday April 15th, with showings at 12:20, 2:55, 5:25 8:05 10:30 Fri-Sat-Sun. (Source)

'Miral' review: Julian Schnabel's direction and Freida Pinto's acting cant bypass passive script

With Frieda Pinto, Willem Dafoe. A Palestinian girl comes of age as conflict increases. Director: Julian Schnabel. (1:54). PG-13: Violence, sexuality. At Lincoln Plaza and the Angelika.


Any film as politically specific as "Miral" needs to be addressed on two levels, as a movie and as, from a certain viewpoint, a polemic. If a viewer can separate one from the other — and some may not — there's an intense, novelistic drama here.

In 1948 Palestine, following the implementing of the UN's two-state solution, social worker Hind Husseini (Hiam Abbass) takes in 55 Palestinian orphans displaced by military action. Almost by accident, she starts a girls' orphanage and school.

We then briefly meet Nadia, whose damaged life includes a brief imprisonment. While in jail she meets Jamal (Alexander Siddig), the brother of an inmate. Jamal marries her upon her release, despite Nadia's being pregnant with another man's child. That child, born in 1973, is Miral, placed in Hind's orphanage school at age 5.

At 17, "Miral" (now played by "Slumdog Millionaire's" Frieda Pinto) is challenged by her cousin's relationship with a Jewish girl, while becoming a supporter of the militant Intifida movement. As Miral remains resolute, peace seems possible at the Oslo summit.

Director Julian Schnabel, and cinematographer Eric Gautier imbue the film with distinctive looks: Early glimpses at parties and homecomings prior to 1948 have a sepia-toned calm; scenes in which Miral's mother embodies the unsettled late ‘60s are hazy and smoky. For the early '90s, the film is crisp and attentive, alert to danger. Schnabel, whose "Before Night Falls" and "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" used similarly exquisite visuals to powerful effect, is master at quickly immersing us in emotions.

Yet Rula Jerebreal's script, adapted from her novel, falters in its final third, when "Miral"'s political awakening — which looked to become a tragic distillation of the lives that lead to it — turns oddly passive. The film seeks to humanize a seemingly unwinnable conflict, and it succeeds at that. But stepping back sadly weakens its story as well as its politics. (Source)

'Rango' review: Johnny Depp's take on animated western conquers reptile dysfunction

With the voices of Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher. Animated adventure about a charismatic chameleon. Director: Gore Verbinski (1:47). PG: crude humor, language, violence, mature themes. At area theaters.

"A strange and bewildering tale" is what we're told to expect when "Rango" begins, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a more apt description for Gore Verbinski's wonderfully inventive animated western.

The latest collaboration between Verbinski ("Pirates of the Caribbean") and Johnny Depp is sharp-edged, surreal, and often astonishing in its giddy creativity. What it is not, however, is a family film.

Or, at least, not the safe, cuddly type the movie's ad blitz may have led you to expect. John Logan's near-existential script is obsessed with death and violence and animals who are named "Roadkill" for a reason.

Then again, I can't remember the last animated hero as inviting as Depp's Rango, a lonely chameleon with untapped flair. He gets his chance to impress when he happens upon a parched community in the Mojave Desert, where the central well has run suddenly, suspiciously dry.

After regaling the desperate citizens with outlandish tall tales, Rango is elected sheriff — a job, it turns out, he was born to do. Aided by a feisty lizard (Isla Fisher) and obstructed by a shifty turtle (Ned Beatty), Rango sets out to uncover the truth and save a town.

A movie made by outlaw insiders, "Rango" is the rarest of studio releases: one that stubbornly resists limits. Which is not to say you need cult tastes to enjoy its irreverence. In a vocal performance of extraordinary range, Depp offers something for everyone, while those old enough to enjoy "Pirates of the Caribbean's" bawdy humor will welcome the similar sensibility here. Visual consultant Roger Deakins — who last made "True Grit" — ensures that each shot is a visual marvel.

Really, the animation is so gorgeously rendered, it puts every 3D effort in recent memory to shame.

Mostly, though, the picture feels as if it were made for movie-lovers — and not just those ready to spot each cinematic reference, but anyone who appreciates the risks film allows. Granted, not every joke works, and sometimes the pacing feels a little slow. But when uninspired comedies like "Gnomeo & Juliet" are the norm, it's nice to know there's also room for Rango. (Source)

'Your Highness' review: James Franco's a hero who saves the medieval fantasy comedy

Your Highness Review. With James Franco, Natalie Portman, Danny McBride, Zooey Deschanel. Broad spoof of medieval fantasy adventures. Director: David Gordon Green (1:42). R: Strong language, crude humor, violence, drugs, sexuality. At area theaters.

Why is James Franco so determined to distract us from the fact that he's a terrific actor? Even as he earns attention for shutting down his Twitter account or taking 72 exams at once or being the most disconnected host in Academy Award history, it's becoming clear that his true gifts are best seen on screen.

That's also where we can most appreciate his admirable rejection of limitations. Having just earned an Oscar nod for his intense work in "127 Hours," he tackles the juvenile lunacy of "Your Highness" with equal commitment. And rather remarkably, he makes it work.

It's Franco's straight-faced turn that grounds this proudly lowbrow caper from his "Pineapple Express" collaborators, David Gordon Green and Danny McBride.

McBride, who co-wrote the screenplay, also stars as Prince Thadeous, a regal slacker who brings a thoroughly modern attitude to Olde England. Perpetually resentful of his golden brother, Fabious (Franco), Thadeous prefers to hang around the castle smoking unidentified herbs, while Fabious slays dragons.

But this cushy setup is threatened when Fab's beloved (Zooey Deschanel) is kidnapped by a warlock (Justin Theroux). The king (Charles Dance) sends both his sons to rescue her, with only Fabious aware of the dangers ahead. Soon, Thadeous must prove himself against monsters, evil knights and a noble warrior (Natalie Portman) whose own quest conflicts with theirs.

McBride has written a genuinely funny script, but he can't help overplaying each crudely adolescent punchline. And as an actor, his instincts are equally broad. It's as if a chemically altered college kid watched a bunch of Judd Apatow movies, and then decided to remake "The Princess Bride."

The overall effect gets tiresome, but Green has wisely instructed McBride's co-stars to approach the proceedings with complete seriousness. While the majority of the cast handles this task easily (only Deschanel seems lost), Franco truly saves the day. His hilarious deadpan in the midst of utter insanity turns a bawdy goof into a most welcome lark indeed. (Source)

'Source Code' review: Jake Gyllenhaal and Michelle Monaghan add heart to Duncan Jones' brainy film

Source Code' review
With Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga. Scientists send a pilot back in time to stop an explosion. Director: Duncan Jones. (1:33) PG-13: Violence. At area theaters.

Is "Source Code" a cerebral drama that believes it's a roller-coaster ride? Or is it an adventure flick with a headful of crazy ideas?

The truth is, it's in a little gray zone in between. More important, this is also the first film in a while to have a decent heart while quickening your pulse.

That begins on a speeding train, which is where Capt. Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) finds himself, hurtling toward Chicago one morning with no idea where he is, who the pretty girl (Michelle Monaghan) is with him or why he looks different in the mirror.

Suddenly, eight minutes later, a bomb blows up the train.

Yet after the explosion, he immediately awakens in a dank testing module, where Stevens — a military pilot and Afghanistan veteran — is informed by Capt. Goodwin (Vera Farmiga) that he has been recruited for a never-before-used secret program called Source Code.

Invented to fight terrorism, the program uses quantum physics and chemical synaptic-map mumbo jumbo to shuttle Stevens' consciousness back in time (or something like that) and into the body of a soon-to-die male passenger.

The catch? The process gives him only eight minutes to find the bomb and the suspect before a bigger catastrophe occurs.

So back Stevens goes, again and again, and as the story plunks its "Twelve Monkeys"-meets-"Groundhog Day" scenario inside of a house of cards built by Rod Serling and M.C. Escher, the truth emerges.

To reveal anything else about this top-shelf B-movie would kill the fun, but director Duncan Jones — whose slow, intriguing "Moon" had the opposite pacing as "Source Code" — has a way with mind trips, men in boxes and the potential for parallel lives.

Jones and screenwriter Ben Ripley also reward attentive viewers with clues and references. They know their way around genre riffs: Jeffrey Wright's a hoot as an almost-mad scientist, Farmiga has a HAL-9000 lull to her voice, and Chris Bacon's music occasionally recalls the classic sci-fi scores of Jerry Goldsmith.

Gyllenhaal and Monaghan pull off the human moments within this intricate mousetrap — he's haunted, she's sprightly — and never get lost in the puzzle.

Though it doesn't need its last twist, "Code" clicks on several levels, including the important one where action movies still have a brain. (Review Source)