Kam’s Kapsules by Kam Williams

12 Rounds (PG-13 for intense violence). Crime thriller, set in New Orleans, about a police detective (John Cena) who finds his fiancée (Ashley Scott) kidnapped by a revenge-minded escaped-con (Aidan Gillen) whose own girlfriend had been accidentally killed while being apprehended for a multi-million dollar heist.

17 Again (PG-13 for profanity, sexuality, and teen partying). Time-travel comedy about a middle-aged man (Zac Efron) stuck in a bad marriage and a dead-end job who gets a new lease on life when he is miraculously turned into a teenager after falling into a river. Cast includes Matthew Perry, Thomas Lennon, and Leslie Mann.

Adventureland (R for profanity, sexuality, and drug use). Retro romantic comedy, set in Pittsburgh in 1987, revolving around the plight of a graduate school bound virgin (Jesse Eisenberg) forced by his family’s financial woes to take a minimum-wage job at an amusement park the summer before he’s supposed to start at Columbia. Cast includes Kristen Stewart, Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, and Kelsey Ford.

Crank: High Voltage (R for nudity, gory violence, graphic sexuality, and pervasive profanity). Jason Statham reprises his role in this sequel which finds the frantic hit man with heart disease on the run from Mexican and Chinese mobsters while trying to get some urgently needed medical assistance. Returning cast members include Amy Smart, Dwight Yoakum, and Efren Ramirez, while additions to the cast include David Carradine and Corey Haim.

Dragonball Evolution (PG for intense action and brief adult language). Science fiction martial arts adventure, based on the Akira Toriyama novel about a young warrior (Justin Chatwin) who, with a handful of friends, sets out on a quest to save the planet from an evil king (James Marsters) bent on world domination. Cast includes Chow Yun-Fat, Emmy Rossum, Texas Battle, and Ernie Hudson. In English and Japanese with subtitles.

Duplicity (PG-13 for profanity and sexuality). Clive Owen and Julia Roberts co-star in this espionage thriller as corporate spies working for competing companies who decide to doublecross their respective bosses (Tom Wilkinson and Paul Giamatti) when their mutual attraction blossoms into love.

Fast & Furious (PG-13 for violence, sexuality, profanity, drug references, and intense action sequences). Fourth installment of the popular muscle car series, featuring a reunion of the original’s principal cast, revolves around a couple of unlikely buddies, a cop (Paul Walker) and a fugitive ex-con (Vin Diesel), who team up to infiltrate and bring down a Los Angeles heroin cartel. With Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, and Laz Alonso.

The Great Buck Howard (PG for suggestive language and a drug reference). Road comedy about a law school dropout (Colin Hanks) who takes a job as the assistant to an over-the-hill mentalist (John Malkovich), much to the chagrin of his mortified father (Tom Hanks). Cast includes Tom Arnold, Griffin Dunne, Steve Zahn, and Ricky Jay with cameos by Conan O’Brien, George Takei, and Martha and Jon Stewart.

Hannah Montana: The Movie (G). Musical adventure about a teenage pop star (Miley Cyrus) overwhelmed by sudden fame who follows her father’s (Billy Ray Cyrus) advice by retreating to her tiny Tennessee hometown in order to get a fresh perspective about what really matters most in life. With Vanessa Williams, Barry Bostwick, and Emily Osment.

The Haunting in Connecticut (PG-13 for intense terror and disturbing images). Haunted house tale, based on a true story, recounts the host of supernatural horrors visited upon a family that moved into a renovated Victorian mansion that had been a mortuary where unspeakable acts had transpired. Cast features Virginia Madsen, Kyle Gallner, Elias Koteas, and Amanda Crew.

I Love You, Man (R for pervasive profanity and crude sexual references). Romantic comedy about a bride-to-be (Rashida Jones) whose friendless fiancé (Paul Rudd) searches for a buddy (Jason Segel) to serve as his best man at his impending wedding. With Jon Favreau, Jaime Pressley, J.K. Simmons, Andy Samberg, and Jane Curtin.

Knowing (PG-13 for disaster sequences, disturbing images, and brief profanity). Nicolas Cage stars in this thriller about a professor whose son (Chandler Canterbury) digs up a time capsule buried in 1958 containing a coded scroll accurately predicting not only every disaster for the past 50 years but also an imminent cataclysmic event.

Monsters vs. Aliens (PG for science fiction action, crude humor, and mild epithets). Animated adventure about a young woman (Reese Witherspoon) turned into a 50 foot giant by a meteorite, who is called upon by the President of the United States (Stephen Colbert) to defend the planet against an army of invading aliens with the help of a rag-tag team of monsters. Voice cast includes Seth Rogen, Hugh Laurie, Will Arnett, Kiefer Sutherland, Amy Poehler, Paul Rudd, and Renée Zellweger.

Observe and Report (R for graphic nudity, pervasive profanity, sexuality, violence, and drug use). Comedy about a bipolar security guard (Seth Rogen) determined to win the heart of a cashier (Anna Faris) and to catch the flasher (Randy Gambill) ruining the ambiance of the mall where he works. With Ray Liotta, Michael Pena, and John and Matt Yuen.

Race to Witch Mountain (PG for action, violence, mature themes, and frightening situations). Adventure, based on the Alexander Key children’s best seller, about a cabdriver (Dwayne Johnson) who goes on the ride of a lifetime after picking up a couple of runaway teens (AnnaSophia Robb and Alexander Ludwig) who have paranormal powers. Cast includes Carla Gugino, Ciaran Hinds, and Garry Marshall.

Shall We Kiss? (Unrated). French flashback farce in which a couple of strangers (Julie Gayet and Michael Cohen) meet en-route to Paris and spend a long evening together there weighing the pros and cons of sharing an illicit farewell kiss. In French with subtitles.

Sin Nombre (R for violence, profanity, and sexuality). Immigration saga revolving around the attempt of a Honduran family to sneak across the Mexican border into the U.S. by riding atop a freight train in the middle of the night. Cast includes Paulina Gaitan, Kristian Ferrer, Diana Garcia, and Edgar Flores.

State of Play (PG-13 for violence, profanity, sexual references, and brief drug use). Screen adaptation of the B.B.C. mini-series of the same name revolving around a team of reporters working in conjunction with the police to solve the murder of a congressman’s (Ben Affleck) mistress. Cast includes Russell Crowe, Helen Mirren, Viola Davis, Robin Wright Penn, Rachel McAdams, Jason Bateman, and Jeff Daniels.

Sunshine Cleaning (R for profanity, sexuality, disturbing images, and drug use). Comedy about a single mother (Amy Adams) who gets more than she bargained for after starting a crime scene cleaning business with her sister (Emily Blunt) in order to be able to send her son (Jason Spevack) to private school. Cast includes Alan Arkin, Steve Zahn, and Paul Dooley.

Two Lovers (R for profanity, sexuality, and drug use). Drama, set in Brooklyn, about a suicidal bachelor (Joaquin Phoenix) who lands in a love triangle with an unstable neighbor (Gwynneth Paltrow)) and the supportive friend (Vinessa Shaw) of the family whom his parents (Isabelle Rossellini and Moni Moshonov) would prefer him to date.

Return to Cinema Review | Return to Top