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![Labor Day Weekend Movies]()
It's "The American" vs. "Machete" vs. Drew Barrymore at the Labor Day Weekend box office wars. See if movie reviewer Marshall Fine thinks any of them are worth a thin dime. Follow FOX411.com on Twitter.![The American]()
If you’re planning to see “The American” because the commercials make it look like George Clooney goes “Bourne,” you’ll be sorely disappointed. If, on the other hand, you’re interested in a thoughtful and moving character study of a man whose life as a killer finally sickens his soul and makes him seek escape and redemption – if you’re in the mood for a thoroughly European-feeling art film that happens to have flashes of violence – then “The American” is the movie for you. Clooney gives a quietly intense performance as a professional killer who decides to take one last job, and hides away in a small Italian town to prepare for it. But it’s not – repeat, NOT – an action-thriller in any conventional sense. ***** 5 stars (out of 6) For the full-length review go to Hollywoodandfine.com. Follow FOX411.com on Twitter.![Machete]()
“Machete” is wild, bloody fun, both a tribute to and send-up of the splattery exploitation films that filled drive-in movie screens in the early 1970s. Packed to bursting with outlandish action sequences and squirty special effects, it’s the story of a former Mexican cop (Danny Trejo) who, double-crossed by his superiors while chasing a drug lord (Steven Seagal), now sustains himself as an itinerant, undocumented worker in Texas. When he’s recruited to assassinate a U.S. senator (Robert De Niro), he sees his opportunity to get back at the man who ruined his life. Movies don’t come much more outrageously entertaining than this one. * * * * * 5 Stars (out of 6) For the full review go to Hollywoodadfine.com.![Going the Distance]()
In “Going the Distance,” real-life couple Drew Barrymore and Justin Long play a newly enamored couple forced to separate because her internship at a New York newspaper is over and she’s going back to grad school in the Bay Area. Can they make it work? This is a movie with surprisingly funny moments, most of which have to do with each half of this long-distance relationship’s best friends, played by Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Christina Applegate and Jim Gaffigan. Barrymore and Long have chemistry and, while it won’t change the world, it will provide date-night laughs. * * * * 4 Stars (out of 6) For the full review go to Hollywood andfine.com.![The Winning Season]()
“The Winning Season” is a clichéd sports movie – but one that wins far more laughs than you’d think possible. That’s because of a delightful central performance by Sam Rockwell, one of the most inventive actors in film today. He plays Bill Greaves, a has-been who comes back to coach girls’ high-school basketball in Indiana. And, in this hoops version of “The Bad News Bear,” the irascible loser of a coach turns an inexperienced squad of girls into a team – and they turn him into a human being. Yes, it’s a formula – but Rockwell makes it more entertaining than you’d imagine. **** 4 stars (out of 6) For the full-length review go to Hollywoodandfine.com. Follow FOX411.com on Twitter.![The_Last_Exorcism]()
“The Last Exorcism,” for better or worse, will remind some viewers of “The Blair Witch Project,” with its mock-doc set-up and handheld jitters. Its story follows a documentary crew as it films a former preacher (Patrick Fabian), who says he will expose himself as a fraud for the exorcisms he has performed in the past. He’ll perform one and then show that, in fact, there is no devil or demon involved, just a psychologically unbalanced individual. But the “possessed” girl he chooses gives him more to work with than he expects, in this deliciously creepy and economical horror film. **** 4 stars (out of 6) For the full-length review go to Hollywoodandfine.com. Follow FOX411.com on Twitter.![Flipped]()
There are two sides to every story – but “Flipped” only makes one side interesting. This romantic comedy, about 13-year-olds who live across the street from each other, wants to shows us both sides of a one-sided romance, between a little girl who falls for the new boy in town – and the boy who has no interest in the girl until she blossoms into a young woman. But the writing makes the boy a dud, unworthy of the girl. Rob Reiner perhaps hoped to strike “Stand By Me”-style magic, with this early 60s tale. But with a main character who’s such a zero, it’s hard to root for either of them. ** 2 stars (out of 6) For the full-length review go to Hollywoodandfine.com. Follow FOX411.com on Twitter.![Mesrine: Killer Instinct]()
Forget “Public Enemies” – the two-part film about French gangster Jacques Mesrine (“Mesrine: Killer Instinct” and “Mesrine: Public Enemy #1”) really gets the juices flowing. Starring Vincent Cassel in the title role, the films look at the astonishing exploits of a criminal who ran wild in France in the 1970s, robbing banks and breaking out of prison on a regular basis. Cassel makes him an intriguingly multifaceted character – if not exactly a hero – with his own code of honor and a strong sense of how to use the media to enhance his own legend. The films (one opens Aug. 27; the other Sept. 3) are energetic, captivating and exciting. ***** 5 stars (out of 6) For the full-length review go to Hollywoodandfine.com. Follow FOX411.com on Twitter.![Centurion]()
Murky, bloody and relentless, “Centurion” has lots of action but not much suspense. The story of a group of Roman soldiers battling the locals in Great Britain in 117 A.D. is long on battle scenes – with beheadings and the like – and short on story or excitement. Michael Fassbender has star power as Quintus, a soldier with a strong will to survive, but this is mostly a movie about his running and fighting for his life, against a brutal enemy. It’s like a vicious video game, without much plot or reason for being. ** 2 stars (out of 6) For the full-length review go to Hollywoodandfine.com. Follow FOX411.com on Twitter.![Eat, Pray, Love]()
“Eat Pray Love” is a 2:20 travelogue with a love story grafted on. It helps that it has Julia Roberts as the lead and that it offers lovely images of Italy, India and Bali. But this interior journey – about a woman trying to find herself through food, prayer and romance – feels too coddled, too calculated and just too familiar. Isn’t this what every other movie on the Lifetime channel is about? It’s nice to see Roberts back on the big screen – but this one just feels self-indulgent. *** 3 stars (out of 6) For the full-length review go to Hollywoodandfine.com. (Columbia Pictures) Follow FOX411.com on Twitter.![Tales_from_Earthsea88]()
“Tales from Earthsea” marks the directing debut of Goro Miyazaki, son of noted Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki (“Spirited Away”). Adapted from a series of books and stories by Ursula LeGuin, its story – about a good wizard trying to stop a bad wizard from upsetting the balance of nature – is pokey and preachy. Beautifully hand-drawn, the animation is serving a story that is slow-moving at best, and downright boring at worst. It looks great – but it never seems to go anywhere in a hurry when it can dawdle its way there instead. *** 3 stars (out of 6) For the full-length review go to Hollywoodandfine.com. Follow FOX411.com on Twitter.![Mao's Last Dancer]()
“Mao’s Last Dancer” tells the true story of Li Cunxin, a ballet dancer from the People’s Republic of China who came to Houston in 1981 as part of a cultural exchange – and wound up defecting. But director Bruce Beresford slathers on the clichés, even as he jumps back and forth between Li in Houston and Li as a youngster learning ballet, something he’d never had an interest in before being selected by Chinese officials because of his flexibility. The emotional manipulation – Li eventually defects and cannot return to China or see his family – is heavy-handed and the writing is flat. The only aspect that really works is the dance photography because real-life dancer Chi Cao is amazing to watch in action. ** 2 stars (out of 6) For the full-length review go to Hollywoodandfine.com. (Samuel Goldwyn) Follow FOX411.com on Twitter.![Animal_Kingdom_iyuh]()
“Animal Kingdom” will remind some of 1986’s “At Close Range,” with its tale of a romantic teen’s initiation into a life of crime by his family – and his unwillingness to give up his soul for the sake of family survival. This Australian thriller is gritty, tough and explosive, building to moments of terrific suspense as the teen discovers that blood relations only carry so much weight in this particular family. It’s sharp-edged and economical, a movie with terrific tension and little wasted motion. **** 4 stars (out of 6) For the full-length review go to Hollywoodandfine.com. Follow FOX411.com on Twitter.![Scott Pilgrim vs. The World]()
“Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” is a bright, inventive summer comedy that embraces a gamer’s sensibility in telling the story of one musician’s fight to hang on to his girl. Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) plays bass in a Toronto band – and when he meets the girl of his dreams (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), he finds that he also inherits the enmity of her last seven boyfriends. And they all want to fight him. Witty, with a light touch and a clever eye, this film mixes a variety of visual elements to create something new. It’s a surprise seasonal treat. **** 4 stars (out of 6) For the full-length review go to Hollyoodandfine.com. Follow FOX411.com on Twitter.![The Expendables]()
“The Expendables” features an impressive cast of big-name action stars, starting with writer-director Sylvester Stallone. But this explosive action film is short on strong writing that pulls you into the story of mercenaries on an impossible mission. The jokes aren’t funny, the drama seems cheesy without grabbing the audience – and the action is so sliced-and-diced that you never get a real sense of what it feels like when former UFC champ Randy Couture delivers a pile-driver to former WWE champ “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. The cast – which also includes Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Mickey Rourke and Eric Roberts – is strong, but the movie is pretty thin stuff. *** 3 stars (out of 6) For the full-length review go to Hollywoodandfine.com. Follow FOX411.com on Twitter.![Middle_Men]()
“Middle Men” wants to be “Boogie Nights” – but it's about porn on the Internet. Its story – about the guys who figured out how to charge credit cards on the World Wide Web – is interesting enough, but it has two fatal flaws. First, it’s built around Luke Wilson, an actor who sucks the energy out of every scene he’s in. And he’s supposed to be a smart guy (a stretch, anyway) – but he’s in business with a pair of loose-cannon coke addicts and doesn’t know enough to cut them loose. So while there’s plenty of sensationalism, the central premise and roles undercut the movie at every turn. ** 2 stars (out of 6) For the full-length review go to Hollywoodandfine.com.![Cairo_Time]()
If you don’t know who the marvelous Patricia Clarkson is, check her out in “Cairo Time,” the first film to really allow her to stretch out as a leading lady. She plays Juliette, a magazine editor who arrives in Cairo, expecting to meet her diplomat husband for a vacation. But he’s been called away on assignment, so she has lots of time to explore this exotic city on her own – and in the company of Tareq, a friend of her husband who has volunteered to show her around. Will she succumb to the romantic vibe of both Cairo and Tareq? See the film and find out – and bask in the glow of Clarkson’s honey-haired, smoky-voiced beauty. **** 4 stars (out of 6) For the full-length review go to Hollywoodandfine.com.![The_Disappearance_of_Alice_Creed]()
“The Disappearance of Alice Creed” is like a really intriguing equation: How many different ways can a thriller built around three characters take an unexpected twist? That’s the story here. Two ex-cons team up to kidnap the daughter of a rich man and hold her for ransom. But everybody has secrets in this cozy little trio – and each secret shifts the power dynamic between the three of them. It helps that the cast includes the fierce Eddie Marsan and the surprising Gemma Arterton as the resourceful victim. It will grab and hold you from start to finish. **** 4 stars (out of 6) For the full-length review go to Hollywoodandfine.com.![Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore]()
“Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore” is a pointless sequel to an amusing 2001 gimmick film – one in which the animals talk and have secret lives that humans know nothing about. The animals have little that’s funny to say and the script relies on jokes about dogs sniffing each other’s butts and the odor of a cat litter box for its laughs (which are nonexistent). Rather than seeing this one, take your kids to see “Toy Story 3” again. * 1 star (out of 6) For the full-length review go to Hollywoodandfine.com.![Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel]()
“Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel” has a fascinating subject but takes a pretty standard approach. It’s a by-the-numbers biographical documentary about one of the most intriguing figures on the 20th century’s second half. Hefner and Playboy magazine had a huge impact on society at a moment when social mores were in transition. But this film is mostly about people kissing up to Hefner and about Hefner patting himself on the back. The material is interesting, whether you’re familiar with his history or not, but the way it’s told leaves a lot to be desired. *** 3 stars (out of 6) For the full-length review go to Hollywoodandfine.com.![Dinner for Schmucks]()
“Dinner for Schmucks” is a hoot: a funny, silly film with heart but also a huge sense of the absurd. Paul Rudd plays a junior executive at an investment firm who wants to get ahead; to do so, he gets himself invited to his boss’ party, where the object is to bring an idiot to dinner – and the biggest idiot wins. But Rudd’s idiot is Barry (Steve Carell), a one-man disaster zone who not only thinks Tim wants to be friends but unleashes his cloud of bad luck on his new buddy. It’s a funnier, more satisfying film than you’d think, thanks to both Rudd and Carell, and a supporting cast that includes Zach Galifianakis and Jemaine Clement, among others. **** 4 stars (out of 6) For the full-length review go to Hollywoodandfine.com.![Get_Low]()
“Get Low” unites veterans Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek and Bill Murray in an unlikely period comedy that’s less about big laughs than knowing chuckles. Set in Depression-era Tennessee, it focuses on a hermit (Duvall), who hires the local undertaken (Murray) to throw him a funeral – but while the hermit is still alive, so he can hear what people have to say about him. In fact, the hermit has secrets he’s been hiding for years, which involve a prim local widow (Spacek). But he’s got to come to terms with the secret himself if he’s going to calm his conscience. Funny and heartfelt, this one is a subtle gem with a great cast. ***** 5 stars (out of 6) For the full-length review go to Hollywoodandfine.com.![The_Extra_Man]()
“The Extra Man” is a comedy about a young man (Paul Dano), who comes to New York to find himself and winds up renting a room in the apartment of old-school escort Henry Harrison (Kevin Kline), who specializes in squiring rich, elderly widows around town. The young man, however, is the focus of the film – which is unfortunate, because Dano is such a dead fish as an actor. When Kline is onscreen – or John C. Reilly as his weird neighbor – the film comes to life. But the film focuses on Dano’s character, which unfortunately robs it of its comic energy for long stretches at a time. *** 3 stars (out of 6) For the full-length review go to Hollywoodandfine.com.![The_Concert]()
“The Concert” is an unlikely hit: a foreign-language comedy with heart about an imposter orchestra that sneaks out of Russia to perform a prestigious gig in Paris. The conductor has been banned from performing for 30 years – but he seizes his chance to impersonate the Bolshoi Orchestra for a Paris performance that will vindicate his musical exile. Filled with emotion but also with jokes about the culture clash of repressed Russians on the loose in France, “The Concert” is warm, funny and moving. **** 4 stars (out of 6) For the full-length review go to Hollywoodandfine.com.![Life_During_Wartime]()
In “Life During Wartime,” director Todd Solondz assembles many of the characters from his deeply disturbing 1998 comedy “Happiness,” but has new actors to play them. What he doesn’t have is a plot or a pace or even the kind of sick-humor characterization that made his earlier films such squirmy delights. Here’s something I never thought I’d say about a Solondz film: It’s boring. * 1 stars (out of 6) For the full-length review go to Hollywoodandfine.com.![Countdown_to_Zero]()
Like “An Inconvenient Truth,” “Countdown to Zero” wants to spread a frightening message and paint doomsday scenarios – in this case, about the scary ease with which a terrorist could obtain a nuclear weapon and use it against the world. It also shows just how carelessly the world’s nuclear powers have been in stewarding their nuclear stockpiles and how close we’ve come to accidental annihilation in the past. The information is solid and depressingly consistent – if only the filmmaking were a little stronger, so the whole thing felt less like a college lecture. **** 4 stars (out of 6) For the full-length review go to Hollywoodandfine.com.![The_Dry_Land]()
“The Dry Land” follows James (Ryan O’Nan), a soldier returning from duty in Iraq, who has trouble reintegrating into his old life in a small Texas town. Outwardly placid, he harbors fears, anger and bad memories of his time in Iraq – and can’t express them to his wife or friends. This is a subtle and moving film about the toll of an unwarranted war, the fallout of which we’ll be feeling for years to come. O’Nan gives a breakout performance in this understated gem. ***** 5 stars (out of 6) For the full-length review go to Hollywoodandfine.com.![Farewell]()
A thoughtful, touching and exciting tale of real-life espionage, “Farewell” offers a forgotten chapter of Cold War intrigue. At the center is a Russian KGB colonel, fed up with the way Brezhnev is running the USSR, who decides to leak documents to the West to show that Russia is, in fact, not the threat that the West believes. His go-between is a naïve French businessman, who finds himself caught up in a plot that puts him in far over his head. Bouncing around the globe and featuring cameos by Ronald Reagan (played by Fred Ward) and other real-life figures, “Farewell” offers both soul and suspense in equal portions in a smart, well-crafted package. ***** 5 stars (out of 6) For the full-length review go to Hollywoodandfine.com.![Salt]()
Pass the popcorn – “Salt” is an action-thriller with the brains and adrenaline to keep you glued to your seat, even when the action seems unlikely. Angelina Jolie plays a top CIA covert operative who is suddenly accused of being a double agent by a Russian defector. Even as she goes on the run to clear her name, the movie makes you second-guess her innocence. Director Phillip Noyce (“Patriot Games”) knows his way around suspense – but he’s got a secret weapon in Jolie, whose beauty disguises her deadly physical skills and will to use them. It’s the first fun film of its kind this summer. **** 4 stars (out of 6) For the full-length review go to Hollywoodandfine.com.![The Sorcerer's Apprentice]()
“The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” features Nicolas Cage as a sorcerer in a hilarious wig and Jay Baruchel as the nebbishy physicist who may have magic powers. Cage is a disciple of Merlin; Baruchel may be Merlin’s descendant. And they’ll need all their ability to battle a team of evil magicians, who want to raise an army of the dead and rule the world. Unfortunately, the special effects are the only thing with any imagination in this stumbling, snore-inducing piece of prefabricated entertainment product from producer Jerry Bruckheimer. ** 2 stars (out of 6) For the full-length review go to Hollywoodandfine.com.![Inception]()
“Inception” is the best movie of the summer, a fascinating and haunting sci-fi tale that creates unreal realities and makes dreams come to life. Leonardo DiCaprio plays a thief who specializes in invading other people’s dreams to find their secrets. But he gets a new job: to plant an idea in someone’s head, something that’s never been tried. Writer-director Christopher Nolan skillfully moves among several layers of “dream” reality, keeping the audience thinking, even as he’s got them glued to their seats. ****** 6 stars (out of 6) For the full-length review, go to Hollywoodandfine.com.![Despicable_Me_vvv]()
“Despicable Me” pits the world’s greatest villain, Gru (voiced by Steve Carell), against a new contender for the title, Vector (Jason Segal) – which leads Gru to adopt three little girls to help him steal a shrink ray. This imaginative and wacky computer animated film has the look and feel of an old “Looney Tunes” cartoon – preferably one with the Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote. It’s wild enough for any kid, and smart enough to keep parents chuckling along as well. **** 4 Stars (out of 6) For the full-length review go to Hollywoodandfine.com.![The Twilight Saga: Eclipse]()
“The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” is the third film adapted from one of Stephanie Meyer’s best-selling books about teenage vampires. Is it the best “Twilight” ever? Well, it’s certainly leaner, with less of the moony, teen-romance patchwork of longing looks set to an emo soundtrack. The push-pull between Jacob and Edward is more obvious, even as Kristen Stewart’s Bella offers them both encouragement of a sort. Still, Jake just won’t hear her – that she’s made her choice (sorry team Jacob) – and he seems a little stalkerish. Well, if you’re a fan, you’ll probably like it. *** 3 stars (out of 6) For the full-length review go to Hollywoodandfine.com![Grown Ups]()
“Grown Ups” may be the laziest big-budget movie to hit screens in ages. It’s as if stars Adam Sandler, David Spade, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider and Kevin James figured they had enough chemistry that they didn’t need a script. They were wrong. This laugh-resistant, script-deficient comedy – about members of a junior-high-school basketball team who reunite for a summer vacation after the funeral of their coach – never builds a rhythm, never bothers to tell a story and barely seems to keep the stars involved. This isn’t slacker comedy – it’s just plain slack. * 1 star (out of 6) For the full review go to Hollywoodandfine.comTo See or Not To See, That Is the Question
Other movie reviews stop at 5 stars. They are all losers. At FOX411.com, 4 + 1 + 1 = 6. Do any of this weekend's releases garner the coveted Fox411 6-Pick?
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- To See or Not To See, That Is the Question
