After last week’s disappointing ‘Alpha and Omega,’ I’m looking forward to the magical ‘Legend of the Guardians.’ It may be one movie where 3D actually enhances the story rather than distracts from it. Also in theaters: Gordon Gekko and Betty White. Here’s the rundown:
‘Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole (3D/2D and IMAX 3D). My teenage son saw the trailer for this movie and said, “Wow, Zack Snyder’s really branching out, isn’t he?” So true, but hopefully in a good way. Snyder’s not exactly known for family movies; he helmed the R-rated ‘Watchmen’ and ‘300,’ but he makes his animation debut with this fantasy family adventure based on the books by Kathryn Lasky.
The story follows Soren (voiced by Jim Sturgess), a young owl enthralled by his father’s epic stories of the Guardians of Ga’Hoole, a mythic band of winged warriors who fought a great battle to save owlkind from the evil Pure Ones. Soren dreams of joining his heroes one day, but his older brother, Kludd (Ryan Kwanten), scoffs at the notion, and yearns to hunt, fly and steal his father’s favor from his younger sibling.
But Kludd’s jealousy has terrible consequences, causing both owlets to fall from their treetop home into the talons of the Pure Ones. Now it’s up to Soren to defeat the Pure Ones with the help of other brave young owls, soaring across the sea and through the mist to find the Great Tree, home of the legendary Guardians of Ga’Hoole. Other voices include Emilie de Ravin, Helen Mirren, Geoffrey Rush and Sam Neill. Directed by Zack Snyder; 90 min.; rated PG for some sequences of scary action.
‘Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.’ This is a must-see for fans of the original 1987 film by Oliver Stone, who directs this one, as well. This time around, Shia LaBeouf stars as Jake Moore, a young trader who’s engaged to Winnie (Carey Mulligan). She’s the estranged daughter of Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas), who’s emerging from a lengthy prison stint and looking to redefine himself in a new financial era.
The cast also includes Josh Brolin as the head of an investment bank and Susan Sarandon as Jake’s mother. Charlie Sheen makes a cameo as Bud Fox, the central figure in the original film. I can’t think of anyone better to carry on the franchise than LeBeouf, who, by the way, did the same thing for ‘Indiana Jones.’ Directed by Oliver Stone; 133 min.; rated PG-13 for brief strong language and thematic elements.
‘You Again.’ For the past couple of weeks, people in our household would randomly shout out, “And the Twitter!” Betty White is so ridiculously funny, and her delivery of that line in the trailer is outstanding.
Maybe it’s true that we never really get past high school. As a successful public relations pro, Marni (Kristen Bell) is heading home to attend her older brother’s (Jimmy Wolk) wedding. Much to her chagrin, she discovers that he’s marrying her high school nemesis Joanna (Odette Yustman), who’s conveniently forgotten all the rotten things she did years ago.
But the rivalry doesn’t stop there. When the bride’s jet-setting Aunt Ramona (Sigourney Weaver) shows up, Marni’s mom (Jamie Lee Curtis) comes face to face with her own high school nemesis. The cast also includes the white-hot Betty White, Kristin Chenoweth, Victor Garber, Cloris Leachman and Patrick Duffy. This is a really cute movie about being human, fixing past mistakes, and moving on with life. Directed by Andy Fickman; 105 min.; rated PG for brief mild language and rude behavior.
In Limited Release: ‘A Mother’s Courage,’ ‘Buried,’ ‘Enter the Void,’ ‘FrICTION,’ ‘Howl,’ ‘Tibet in Song,’ ‘Waiting for Superman.’
What movies are you looking forward to seeing?
Image: Warner Bros.
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