Kam’s Kapsules by Kam Williams

The Children of Huang Shi (R for violence and disturbing images). Historical drama, set in China in 1937, chronicles the real-life exploits of George Hogg (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers), a British journalist who, with the help of an Australian nurse (Radha Mitchell) and a leader of the resistance movement (Chow Yun Fat), saves sixty orphans from the clutches of Japanese invaders by leading them on a perilous trek through the mountains to the Mongolian border. Suspiciously similar to the 1958 screen classic The Inn of the Sixth Happiness. In English, Mandarin, Japanese, and Russian with subtitles.

Get Smart (PG-13 for violence, profanity, and crude humor). Screen adaptation of the sixties spy sitcom stars Steve Carrell as Maxwell Smart, aka Secret Agent 86. Gadget-driven, slapstick adventure pits the bumbling Smart and fellow CONTROL agents against Kaos, an evil crime syndicate masterminded by Siegfried (Terrence Stamp) and bent on world domination. Cast includes Anne Hathaway as 99, Alan Arkin as the Chief, David Koechner as Larabee, The Rock as Agent 23, and Bill Murray as Agent 13.

Hancock (PG-13 for profanity and sci-fi violence). Will Smith stars in this action comedy about a misunderstood superhero out of favor with the public who tries to resurrect his image with the help of the PR executive (Jason Bateman) whose life he saves. Featuring Charlize Theron and cameos by scriptwriter Akiva Goldsman and director Michael Mann.

The Happening (R for violent and disturbing images). M. Night Shyamalan directs this sci-fi thriller about a teacher (Mark Wahlberg) who escapes to the Pennsylvania countryside with his estranged wife (Zooey Deschanel) in an effort to avoid the airborne toxin which has been causing people in cities to commit suicide. With John Leguizamo, Ashlyn Sanchez, and Spencer Breslin.

The Incredible Hulk (PG-13 for action violence, frightening sci-fi images, and brief suggestive content). Edward Norton replaces Eric Bana as the Marvel Comics superhero in a screen adaptation which overhauls the cast from Ang Lee’s 2003 production while also ignoring the orig’s plot. Here, the Hulk seeks a cure for the condition which causes him to morph into a giant green monster when stressed. New cast includes Liv Tyler, William Hurt, Tim Roth, Robert Downey Jr., and Tim Blake Nelson, with cameos by Stan Lee and Lou Ferrigno.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (PG-13 for violence and scary images). Harrison Ford returns for a fourth adventure as the famed archeologist, set in 1957 in the jungles of Peru, in a desperate race against Russian spies to find an ancient artifact said to hold the key to a host of magical powers. Spielberg directed cast includes Cate Blanchett, Shia LaBeouf, Ray Winstone, Jim Broadbent, John Hurt, and Karen Allen.

Kit Kittredge: An American Girl (G). Depression era drama, inspired by the illustrated children’s novel of the same name by Valerie Tripp, stars Abigail Breslin as a spunky nine year old who, with the help of her friends, sets out to solve the string of robberies around Cincinnati which has left her cash-strapped family facing foreclosure. With Joan Cusack, Julia Ormond, Jane Krakowski, Stanley Tucci, and Willow Smith.

Kung Fu Panda (PG for martial arts action). Animated comedy about a clumsy panda bear (Jack Black) working as a waiter in his family’s noodle restaurant who is called upon to fulfill an ancient Chinese prophecy by defending his idyllic, peaceful homeland from a menacing snow leopard (Ian McShane) threatening the kingdom. Voice cast includes Dustin Hoffman, Lucy Liu, Jackie Chan, Angelina Jolie, Michael Clarke Duncan, and Seth Rogen.

The Love Guru (PG-13 for sexuality, profanity, slapstick violence, crude humor, and drug references). Mike Myers comedy vehicle about an orphan abandoned at an ashram in India who employs some unorthodox therapeutic methods upon his return to the U.S. as a relationship advice expert. Cast includes Jessica Alba, Jessica Simpson, Jessica Barrow, Meagan Good, Sir Ben Kingsley, Vern Troyer, and Justin Timberlake.

Mongol (R for graphically-depicted battle sequences). Bloody bio-pic revisits the transformation of a lowly slave named Temudgin (Tadanobu Asano) into Genghis Khan (1162-1227), the legendary warrior who would unite numerous nomadic northeast Asian tribes en route to conquering half the world and creating the largest empire in history by 1206. In Mongolian with subtitles.

The Rape of Europa (Unrated). Historical documentary, narrated by Joan Allen, recounts the looting of Europe’s art by the Nazis during World War II, and the subsequent heroic efforts of curators to salvage the conti’s cultural heritage by rescuing and returning millions of stolen treasures. In English, Russian, German, Polish, French, and Italian with subtitles.

Sex and the City (R for profanity, sexuality, and graphic nudity). Screen adaptation of the popular HBO series picks up four years after the show ended, with all the leading ladies (Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon, and Kristin Davis) as well as the four objects of their affections (David Eigenberg, Evan Handler, Chris Noth, and Jason Lewis) reprising their original roles in a candid romp updating their relationships. Cast includes Candace Bergen, Jennifer Hudson, and comedian Mario Cantone.

Then She Found Me (R for profanity and sexuality). Helen Hunt makes her scriptwriting and directorial debut and stars in this dramatic comedy about a New York City schoolteacher who, saddened by the death of her adoptive mother (Lynn Cohen) and abandoned by her husband (Matthew Broderick), gets a new lease on life when she’s courted by the father (Colin Firth) of one of her students and also tracked down by the birth mother (Bette Midler) she never knew. Featuring a cameo by Salman Rushdie.

The Visitor (PG-13 for brief profanity). Sophomore offering from actor-turned-director Thomas McCarthy (The Station Agent), a quirky drama revolving around a jaded professor (Richard Jenkins) at a college in Connecticut who heads to New York to attend a conference only to find a young couple from Senegal (Danai Jekesai Gurira) and Syria (Haaz Sleiman) living in his pied-a-terre.

WALL-E (G). Disney/Pixar animation collaboration revolving around a robot left on Earth after it’s evacuated due to pollution. He falls in love with the female robot sent back by humans to retrieve the last plant on the planet. Featuring computer generated sounds augmented by a voice cast which includes Jeff Garlin, Sigourney Weaver, Fred Willard, and John Ratzenberger.

Wanted (R for sexuality, pervasive profanity, and graphic violence). Sci-fi thriller about a slacker (James McAvoy) recruited to join a secret society of vigilantes following his father’s murder by an assassin (Angelina Jolie). Cast includes Morgan Freeman, Terence Stamp, and Common.

When Did You Last See Your Father? (PG-13 for sexuality, mature themes, and brief profanity). Twilight-of-life drama, based on Blake Morrison’s candid memoir of the same name, about a doctor (Colin Firth) who reflects upon his relationship with his terminally ill father (Jim Broadbent) while at his side in the hospital.

You Don’t Mess with the Zohan (PG-13 for nudity, profanity, sexuality, and crude humor). Action comedy starring Adam Sandler in the title role as an Israeli secret agent who fakes his own death to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a beautician in New York City. Cast includes John Turturro, Rob Schneider, Kevin James, Henry Winkler, Talia Shire, George Takei, Mariah Carey, Dave Matthews, Lainie Kazan, Charlotte Rae, and Shelley Berman.

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