Toy Story #3

When Toy Story first came out, it was the beginning of a new era of digitalized cinema. It was innovative and exciting. And it was fun. So much fun that there was no surprise that a sequel was in order. As almost all sequels go, Toy Story 2 was not as good as the first, but it was still nice to see our old friends again.

This go round our old friends have not aged much, but their beloved owner Andy sure has. Now 18 and off to college, the toys from his past face a new crisis; what happens to a toy once they are no longer deemed a prized possession?

Through a series of missteps Buzz, Woody, and the gang find themselves in a sort of toyland utopia – a daycare center, where they will be played with all day by children who will never tire of them and will never grow old, as a new set of enthralled youth will run through the doors for years to come.

However, the animated world is not lost to the saying “too good to be true.” Soon the toys find themselves looking to escape slobbering toddlers for their former owner even if the best scenario involves being tossed in an attic for years to come.

As Andy has matured, presumably the audience has as well, as there is a darker feel to parts of the movie that were not there before. Sure, we had the evil kids in the former films, but a sinister undertone is given to some of the new toys encountered along the way that may be a bit frightening for younger viewers. I mean one is a clown and let’s face it; those things can freak out some adults (ok, I’ll admit it, namely me).

The film is not as enjoyable as its predecessors, but can still be a lot of fun. The addition of Ken and Barbie bring freshness to the sense of nostalgia looking back on the toys we loved, not only from the series, but from our own childhoods.

Word on the street is that the 3D action is fairly tame and probably not worth the extra money (I’ll have to take the word of those that can actually see 3D as I cannot). But this is definitely worth seeing as a theater release. Even if you know it is time to move on (and it is Pixar, please don’t go “to infinity and beyond” with sequels) it still is nice to spend some quality time with those good childhood friends.

#2: Knight and Day

Like most summer blockbusters, there are a lot of reasons Knight and Day should not work. Full of plot holes and implausible scenarios, loud flashy action scenes, and time space continuum conundrums the smartest of academics would have trouble explaining. And yet there is something that catches the attention and lets you ignore all that and enjoy the ride.

June (Cameron Diaz) is on her way back home to her sister's wedding after picking up a car part in Kansas. On the flight, she meets Roy (Tom Cruise), a seemingly charming man she bumped into at the airport. Here is where the crazy impracticalities begin. After some plane mishaps, the action never really stops. Neither does the traveling to far away places in short amounts of time. And of course regardless of life endangerments and entanglements, there is still plenty of time for romance...between complete strangers who know nothing about each other...throw in some double agent like government officials, foreign bad guys, and a tagalong socially-inept genius and who wouldn't be thinking of making out rather than surviving.

Whenever a film goes through a stack of screenwriters like this one, there are always continuity issues. The overuse of CGI can only do so much to distract from those issues. The one thing that stops this film from being a complete disaster is the chemistry between Cruise and Diaz. Comic timing and facial expressions make the actors seem as if they are part of the joke; they know there are problems but are just going with it and asking us to do the same. And you should; it is a silly loud summer blockbuster in the best sense of the genre. If that is your kind of summer entertainment, take this one in.

Movie #1: (500) Days of Summer

Sometimes you can see a movie that tries to be sneaky and clever with the ending and you see it a mile away. Then there are movies like this one, which tell you upfront what you are in for, even if you don't want to believe it.

"This is not a love story," begins the story of Tom and Summer. Tom works at a greeting card company, depicting the perfect words for strangers celebrations, without words for his own. In comes Summer, just like the season, her warmth envelops him, accompanied by scorching heat waves one minute, a fierce storm the next.

We are taken through a non linear course of their entanglement, seeing all the ways that two people can bring each other up and tear each other apart. Brutally honest moments show what relationships are like in the real world. Not to say that emotions are always hidden beneath the surface. A post coital musical number in the park brings Tom's innermost feelings out into the sunshine reality of day.

Quirky, honest, not always pleasant, not always real, this movie is something to see for all those who have been through a non love story of their own. This movie reminds us how we may feel like we never want summer to end, but there is always a different season to embrace just around the corner.

The longest, most expensive Coming Attraction so far...

Let me preface by saying I loved the first Iron Man. I thought it was clever, witty, full of enough action to satisfy most testosterone levels, and enough bad boy charm from Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) to satisfy most ladies. So I was expecting a similar reaction to the sequel, especially under the helm of one of my favorite directors, Jon Favreau. This time around things were just a little...well, off.

Stark is still a narcissistic playboy, but with a little darker edge. Sure, he's got the girl by his side, Pepper Potts, (Gweneth Paltrow), even if their relationship sometimes seems a lot more like business associates than lovers (perhaps that is why the "You complete me" scene from the trailer was nowhere to be found in the finished film.)

When he is not fighting off the ladies, Stark is struggling to keep his suit to himself and out of the governments hands. The bigwigs and his pal Rhodey (Don Cheadle, replacing Terrence Howard) would like to get the suits technology into the militarys hands. Of course, if the good guys want it, so do the bad. If all these guys knew the flashlight of a chest behind the suit was slowly killing our protagonist, perhaps they would be a little less eager. Maybe.

What is slowly killing the audience's attention is the use of so many storylines. Any one of the multi-plots could have made for a compelling film. All together and even the massive amounts of CG and the humorous albeit evil villains can not keep the audience fully engaged.

The 2+ hours does appear to speed up anytime the two major baddies show up, especially Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell) a shady business competitor, out to outwit Stark and gain the notoriety that the advanced technology of the Iron Man suit would bring. To help him, he hires Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), a Russian scientist out for vengeance against the Stark lineage that has unjustly claimed the fame and prestige (not to mention $$$) that Vanko believes should be shared with the son of the senior Stark's former business partner.

Not enough new characters for you? Don't worry, a latex clad Scarlett Johannson (Natalie, Natasha, Black Widow, take your pick) is right around the corner to add a little more cleavage to the mix. And don't forget her role, along with Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury, to remind everyone that The Avengers movie is only two years away! And in case that is too long for you, Captain America and Thor are also superheroing their way to a multi-plex near you. So please, don't sweat it if this movie doesn't live up to your expectations, the next dozen or so films to come out of this will. They promise.

As more and more Marvel is piled on the movie trailer bandwagon, this flick is still worth a glance. I'd say wait until DVD, but as the temperatures soar, an air conditioned interlude may just be enough to make this worth watching on the big screen. But do your perspiring body and shrinking wallet a favor and head to the matinee.