Entertainment - southflorida.com

Review: A far out trip to the past in 'Men in Black 3'

By Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times Film Critic — Fri, 25 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

In the new installment of the space-alien policing series, Will Smith and Josh Brolin (as a younger Tommy Lee Jones) are chasing a bad alien in 1969, and the new mission makes for a campy, fun film.

"Men in Black 3" has got the MIB mojo back — well, most of it anyway. With Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones once again suited up and sporting shades as agents J and K, and a casting coup in Josh Brolin playing K's younger self, the latest alien crisis is good trippy fun as the fate of Earth, and '60s retro style, hang in the balance.

Review: Wes Anderson finds near perfect balance in 'Moonrise Kingdom'

By Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times Film Critic — Fri, 25 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

The writer-director's humanism and surrealism blend well in the fable starring young talents Kara Hawyard and Jared Gilman with Bill Murray, Frances McDormand and Bruce Willis.

It seems fitting that "Moonrise Kingdom,"arguably Wes Anderson's most grown-up film yet, is a warm and funny fable about kids on the cusp.

Review: Bland frights in 'Chernobyl Diaries'

By Mark Olsen, Special to the Los Angeles Times — Sat, 26 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

The Oren Peli-produced 'Chernobyl Diaries' has a hard time scaring up much thrills with dull characters and a rote horror formula.

The perils of dubious tourism come to the fore when a group of young travelers see more than just the sights in"Chernobyl Diaries,"the new make-work horror-thriller directed by Brad Parker but perhaps more significantly co-written and produced by Oren Peli, the man responsible for the"Paranormal Activity"franchise.

Review: Hero's tale 'Arjun' is charming

By Robert Abele — Fri, 25 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

The animated mythological tale follows the maturing of an heir from trainee to hero.

The Indian animated film "Arjun: The Warrior Prince" — a mythological yarn from the Mahabharat about the maturing of an heir from naïve trainee to noble hero — could prove to be something of a treat for fans of the genre.

Review: 'Memorial Day' suffers from battle fatigue

By Gary Goldstein — Fri, 25 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

There's nothing memorable about this generic tale of a military family.

No, the aptly-timed "Memorial Day" isn't Garry Marshall's latest holiday-centric rom-com. Rather, it's a self-conscious, leadenly-paced drama that conflates the World War II combat experiences of stalwart Bud Vogel (John Cromwell) with those of his future grandson, Kyle (Jonathan Bennett), who fights in Iraq 60 years later.

Review: Jewish family faces crisis in 'Mighty Fine'

By Gary Goldstein — Fri, 25 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

The semi-autobiographical, 1974-set film looks at a Jewish family in crisis.

"Mighty Fine," unfortunately, isn't. Although this semi-autobiographical, 1974-set look at a Jewish family in crisis is filled with raw, uncomfortable, complicated emotions, writer-director Debbie Goodstein-Rosenfeld presents her well-intended story as more of a highlights reel of troubled behavior than as an organically unfolding narrative.

Review: 'Elena' a harrowing portrait of Russian life

By Sheri Linden — Fri, 25 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

The brutally honest film by Andrey Zvyagintsev underscores the classic battle between haves and have-nots.

Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev, whose 2003 feature debut, "The Return," was a masterpiece of cinematic allegory, turns to noirish territory, by way of Dostoevsky, in his third film, the spellbinding and impeccably crafted"Elena."

Video: Kristen Stewart in 'On the Road': 'I just want ... a baby'

By Kenneth Turan and Julie Makinen — Wed, 23 May 2012 18:41:00 EDT

Cannes Film Festival: Walter Salles' journey to 'On the Road'

By Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times Film Critic — Wed, 23 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

It's been a long ride for director Walter Salles and his lyrical 'On the Road,' which stars Kristen Stewart and Sam Riley in an adaptation of Jack Kerouac's ode to youthful freedom.

CANNES, France — Walter Salles carefully raises the fingers of his right hand and gently strokes the back of his left.

'Snow White and the Huntsman' director wanted real feeling at its core

By John Horn, Los Angeles Times — Sun, 20 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Rupert Sanders says that, amid the action and special effects, he aimed for an emotional core that felt real. 'Fairy tales are a parable,' he said. 'They teach us something about how to behave, about the human condition.'

MARLOES SANDS, Wales — Nearly a hundred soldiers on horseback sprinted across the beach here last fall, dodging arrows and catapulted fire balls. Despite many casualties, the charging "Snow White and the Huntsman" army was determined to storm the castle of the evil Queen Ravenna, who not only can suck the beauty out of young women but also transmogrify into a murder of crows.