What To See - And Not To See - This Weekend

"The Karate Kid" is mistitled - because what little Jaden Smith is using is kung fu. But "Karate Kid" is the brand name - and this is nothing if not a product, and a knock-off at that. A remake of a less-than-classic 1984 hit, the film casts Smith as the new kid in China when his mom's job moves to Beijing. And then he runs afoul of a group of bullying Chinese kids - until he gets Jackie Chan to teach him kung fo for a big tournament. And there he fights - you guessed it - the kids who were bullying him. But this film takes a distasteful glee in the violence of the fighting. And young Smith just isn't much of an actor. ** 2 stars (out of 6) <a target="_blank" href="http://hollywoodandfine.com/reviews/?p=2436">Go to Hollywoodandfine.com for the full review.</a>

In "Winter's Bone," newcomer Jennifer Lawrence plays a backwoods Missouri teen on a desperate search for her father, who has jumped bail - after putting up the family house as collateral. So she has a week to find him or she and her young siblings and simple-minded mother will be put out. It's a dark, gritty journey into the American heartland, a landscape marked by poverty and meth-addiction and Lawrence gives one of the performances of the year. The film won awards at this year's Sundance festival and promises to be one of the year's best. ****** 6 Stars (Out of 6) <a target="_blank" href="http://hollywoodandfine.com/reviews/?p=2426">For the full review go to Hollywoodandfine.com.</a>

"Joan Rivers - A Piece of Work" is a year in the life of a comedy legend, a woman who conquered the man's world of stand-up comedy and went on to become one of the biggest brand names in comedy. But, as this inside look at her life and career shows, Rivers is insecure and dissatisfied, constantly pushing to keep herself both relevant and busy. She reveals herself to be both surprisingly vulnerable and amazingly self-aware. And, oh yes, still very, very funny. The girl can't help it. ***** 5 Stars (Out of 6) <a target="_blank" href="http://hollywoodandfine.com/reviews/?p=2430">For the full review to go Hollywoodandfine.com.</a>

"Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky" is a mouthful of a title. But this elegant drama is an erotic and insightful look at a much-speculated upon romance between the famed composer and legendary fashion icon. Set in 1920, with a sheen of period luster and informed by Chanel's visual style, this film matches Stravinsky (Mads Mikkelsen) and Chanel (Anna Mouglalis), two stubborn, creative, coolly controlling types. They strike sparks but this fire will burn hot, but not for long. It's a rich, restrained tale with a real sexual charge. **** 4 Stars (Out of 6) <a target="_blank" href="http://hollywoodandfine.com/reviews/?p=2433%20">For the full review go to Hollywoodandfine.com.</a>

“Sex and the City 2” is almost as long as five episodes of the series – and has fewer laughs than one of them. Yes, Carrie and Big are having relationship problems – after two years of marriage, she thinks they’ve become boring and predictable. But this movie is really about the numerous costume changes each woman makes during a humor-free visit to the Middle East, where the horny Samantha runs up against Muslim fundamentalism. It’s tepid and uninspired and way, way too long for how much story they actually have. ** 2 stars (out of 6) <a target="_blank" href="http://hollywoodandfine.com/reviews/?p=2395">Go to Hollywoodandfine.com for the full review.</a>

In “Survival of the Dead,” George Romero finds the last little morsels of meat on the corpse of the zombie film. A group of mercenaries are enlisted by a guy to help him take over the island he was kicked off of – his ancestral home – by his long-time rival. Oh yeah, and there are still zombies roaming the land, searching for human flesh to chomp on. The melodrama is formulaic – and the scenes of zombies munching on raw human don’t shock like they used to. ** 2 stars (out of 6) <a href="http://hollywoodandfine.com/reviews/?p=2399">Go to Hollywoodandfine.com for the full review.</a>