In Brief... Our Movies
NIM’S ISLAND (G) Abigail Breslen, Jodie Foster, Gerard Butler Anything can happen on Nim's Island, a magical place ruled by a young girl's imagination. It is an existence that mirrors that of her favorite literary character, Alex Rover - the world's greatest adventurer. But Alexandra, the author of the Rover books, leads a reclusive life in the big city. When Nim's father goes missing from their island, a twist of fate brings her together with Alexandra. Now they must draw courage from their fictional hero, Alex Rover, and find strength in one another to conquer Nim's Island. It’s a wondrous and warmhearted adventure story with some nifty special effects and some first-rate performances. – Richard Roeper, Ebert and RoeperFORBIDDEN KINGDOM (PG-13) Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Michael Angarano, Crystal Liu, Colin Chou While hunting down bootleg kung-fu DVDs in a Chinatown pawnshop, Jason makes an extraordinary discovery that sends him hurtling back in time to ancient China. There, Jason is charged with a monumental task: he must free the fabled warrior the Monkey King, who has been imprisoned by the evil Jade Warlord. Jason is joined in his quest by wise kung fu master Lu Yan and a band of misfit warriors including Silent Monk. But only by learning the true precepts of kung fu can Jason hope to succeed - and find a way to get back home. The Forbidden Kingdom is for those who like plenty of kung fu action with an epic fantasy setting and a little humor thrown in. When all is said and done, the dream team combination of Chan and Li is just a nice bonus. -- James Berardinelli, ReelViews
Dr. Seuss’s HORTON HEARS A WHO (G) Steve Carrell, John Carrey, Seth Rogen, Carol Burnett, Will Arnett The imaginative elephant Horton hears a cry for help coming from a tiny speck of dust floating through the air. Suspecting there may be life on that speck and despite a surrounding community which thinks he has lost his mind, Horton is determined to help. Horton Hears a Who! brings a masterwork into the here and now with both respect and wide-eyed enthusiasm. So smart, so stimulating, so much fun. -- Tom Long , Detroit News
EXPELLED: No Intelligence Allowed (PG-13) Ben SteinStein, the well-known television personality, actor and former White House presidential speechwriter, takes a journey across America and to Europe to explore the debate between proponents of intelligent design and Darwinian evolution. What he discovers is an elitist scientific establishment that has traded in its skepticism for dogma. Even worse, Stein uncovers a long line of scientists and philosophers who have had their reputations destroyed and their careers ruined by a scientific establishment that allows absolutely no dissent from Charles Darwin’s theory of random mutation and natural selection. "..it's a surprisingly entertaining and informative doc that ...tries to address the debate over 'intelligent design' from another angle. " Edward Douglas, ComingSoon.net