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.

The Dark Knight (PG-13 for menacing and intense violence). Christian Bale returns as the Caped Crusader in an action thriller co-starring the late Heath Ledger as Batman’s archenemy, a psychopathic clown known as the Joker. Cast includes Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, and Michael Jai White.

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 (Terence 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.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army (PG-13 for profanity, violence, and sci-fi action). Ron Perlman reprises the title role in this horror sequel about a red-horned hellspawn who returns to Earth to save the day when the truce between humanity and the invisible realm is broken by a diabolical demon with an army of marauding creatures.

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 that overhauls the cast from Ang Lee’s 2003 production while also ignoring the original’s plot. Here, the Hulk seeks a cure for the condition that 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.

Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D (PG for intense action and scary scenes). Brendan Fraser stars in this adaptation of the Jules Verne classic about a science professor who discovers a portal to the bowels of the planet while searching in a cave for his missing brother.

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 that 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 Last Mistress (Unrated). Ever-controversial Catherine Breillat directs this exploration of female desire, set in the 19th century during the reign of King Louis Phillippe, about a bachelor (Fu’ad Aft Aattou) who has to contend with the wrath of his troublemaking, jealous lover of ten years (Asia Arguento) after announcing his engagement to an angelic virgin (Roxane Mesquida) of noble birth. In French with subtitles.

Mama Mia! (PG-13 for sex-related material). Screen adaptation of the hit Broadway musical, set on an enchanting Greek island, where an 18-year-old bride-to-be (Amanda Seyfried) has invited all three of her mother’s (Meryl Streep) ex-lovers to her wedding, hoping to determine which one is her father: the businessman (Pierce Brosnan), the adventurer (Stellan Skarsgard), or the banker (Colin Firth).

Meet Dave (PG for action, suggestive humor, and mild epithets). Science fiction comedy starring Eddie Murphy as a human-looking spaceship from outer space that lands in Manhattan and falls in love with a widowed single mother (Elizabeth Banks). Cast includes Gabrielle Union, Judah Friedlander, Scott Caan, Kevin Hart, and Adam Tomei.

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 continent’s cultural heritage by rescuing and returning millions of stolen treasures. In English, Russian, German, Polish, French, and Italian with subtitles.

Space Chimps (G). Animated adventure about a trio of chimpanzee astronauts (Andy Samberg, Cheryl Hines, and Patrick Warburton) sent to another galaxy to rescue the peaceful inhabitants of an uncharted planet from the clutches of an evil tyrant (Jeff Daniels). Voice cast includes Kenan Thompson and Stanley Tucci.

Transsiberian (R for violence, torture, and profanity). Crime thriller about an American couple (Woody Harrelson and Emily Mortimer) traveling by train from China to Moscow who unwittingly become involved with Russian cops and mobsters after being befriended en route by another couple (Eduardo Noriega and Kate Mara). Cast includes Ben Kingsley and Thomas Kretschmann. 

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 about a robot left on Earth after it has been evacuated because of 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 that includes Jeff Garlin, Sigourney Weaver, Fred Willard, and John Ratzenberger.

Wanted (R for sexuality, pervasive profanity, and graphic violence). Science-fiction 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.

Return to Cinema Review | Return to Top