Invincible ***
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Greg Kinnear, Elizabeth Banks, Kevin Conway, Michael Rispoli, Michael Nouri
Director: Ericson Core
Running Length: 1:40
MPAA Classification: PG

In order to turn around the hapless Philadelphia Eagles, new coach Dick Vermeil (Kinnear) decides to have open tryouts for the new season. Long time fan Vince Papale (Wahlberg) is pushed by his friends to try out, and ends up being the only walk on player to make the team. Vermeil stands by Papale as the rest of the team questions his decision.

“Invincible” is the latest in a long string of sports movies from Disney, and like its predecessors, it delivers exactly what you expect: the story of an underdog overcoming various obstacles to succeed. This is a true story, so there are no real surprises, but the desire to see Papale succeed keeps the movie going. In fact, the story outshines everything else about this movie. The acting is adequate, the directin is fine, but nothing outstanding. The story of Papale gives hope to anyone who has dreamed of playing professional football. “Invincible” is an entertaining movie that can be enjoyed by all.

Hollywoodland ***
Cast: Adrien Brody, Diane Lane, Ben Affleck, Bob Hoskins, Robin Tunney, Joe Spano, Molly Parker, Caroline Dhavernas
Director: Allen Coulter
Running Length: 2:06
MPAA Classification: R

In 1959, George Reeves (Affleck), star of TV’s “Superman”, died. To this day ruled a suicide, the death is very suspicious. Investigator Louis Simo (Brody) is hired by Reeves’ mother to look into the death. At first he sees it as the suicide that officials are calling it, but pretty soon he realizes the clues do not add up, and it could be murder after all.

Interwoven with this storyline is another about Reeves himself. Beginning in the 1940’s, it shows him meeting long-time mistress Toni Mannix (Lane), wife of mob-connected film producer Eddie Mannix (Hoskins), and getting the “Superman” gig. “Superman” is not the job he thought it would be, and he is under-paid, typecast, and not respected for the role. Then enters Lenore Lemmon (Tunney, his eventual fiancée.

George Reeves is an interesting man, and “Hollywoodland” gives some insight in to his life and death. It is interesting to note that the thing that made him famous also made him miserable. Ben Affleck gives his best performance in many years as Reeves. The supporting cast are all top notch, especially Bob Hoskins as Mannix. “Hollywoodland” does not pretend to know the answer, instead offering a number of possibilities as to what happened that night. “Hollywoodland” is an entertaining and interesting film about one of the biggest unsolved mysteries of its time. I recommend it.

The Wicker Man ***
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Ellen Burstyn, Kate Beahan, Frances Conroy, Molly Parker, Leelee Sobieski, Diane Delano
Director: Neil LaBute
Running Length: 1:37
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Edward Malus (Cage), a California cop, is looking into the disappearance of an old girlfriend’s daughter. Willow (Beahan), the old girlfriend, lives on the mysterious and remote island of Summersisle. Edward makes the journey, and finds that the women run the island, with the men being laborers. The islanders worship a nature goddess, and the islanders look to Sister Summersisle (Burstyn) for leadership. Soon, it seems that the islanders may have some idea of what happened to the girl, but none of them are talking. As the May Day ritual gets closer, Edward must find her before it is too late.

“The Wicker Man” is an interesting movie. It keeps you guessing for the majority of its running time, and then delivers a whollop in the last ten minutes. I have never seen the original, so I cannot make comparisons, but I do know the ending is the same, and that is perhaps this versions greatest triumph in today’s movie world. Cage is adequate as Edward, not giving much more than the script requires. Burstyn in eerie as the matriarch of the island. The story is good, and the atmosphere created by the filmmakers is downright creepy at times. If you are looking for a good suspense film, then “The Wicker Man” is for you.

Barnyard **
Cast: Kevin James, Courtney Cox, Sam Elliott, Danny Glover, Wanda Sykes, David Koechner
Director: Steve Oedekerk
Running Length: 1:30
MPAA Classification: PG

When the farmer is away, the animals will play. In fact, when the farmer is away, the animals stand on two legs, walk, and talk. One of those animals, Otis the cow (James), is a prankster who does as little as possible and enjoys life. Otis’s day, Ben (Elliott), is the animal that keeps the farm running smoothly. He is their leader, and he takes this position seriously. Try as he might, he is unable to talk Otis into getting serious about life. He wants Otis to lead the farm when he is gone, but Otis wants none of that. Soon, when Ben is unable to lead, and Otis does not step up, the coyotes begin to think that the farm could be theirs for the taking.

“Barnyard” is about as middle of the road in quality as a kids’ movie can be. It does some things right and provides some laughs, but it also does a lot of things wrong. Most disturbing are the male “cows”. Even kids know that males should not have udders, and it is a bit disconcerting to hear Sam Elliott’s voice come out of a cow. The story is not too original, with echoes of “The Lion King”, and not all the jokes work. On the positive side, it does offer up a good moral of responsibility, and young kids will find it more funny than adults. This is a forgettable entry into 2006’s animated movies, and will be forgotten within a year.

Little Miss Sunshine ***1/2
Cast: Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Steve Carell, Abigail Breslin, Paul Dano, Alan Arkin
Directors: Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris
Running Length: 1:40
MPAA Classification: R

When a beauty contest winner is forced to abdicate her position, Olive (Breslin) is elevated to the top spot. Now she will compete in the Little Miss Sunshine pageant in California. Various situations force her entire family to come along with her. Richard (Kinnear), the dad, is a motivational speaker who is a few steps away from making it big. Sheryl (Collette), the mom, is the glue that is holding the family together. Dwayne (Dano) the teenage son, has taken a vow of silence and likes to read Nietzsche. Uncle Frank (Carrell), is living with them after recently attemting suicide. Grandpa (Arkin) is a heroin addict and lives an edgy life. The group sets off on a trip that will test all of them.

“Little Miss Sunshine” is a genuinely funny and sweet movie. All the actors give their characters real life. This could very well be the most dysfunctional family around, and first time directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris succeed in making them real. At times funny and sad, their trip to the pageant is a memorable one that will have audiences talking well after the film is finished. I highly recommend this film.

Beerfest ***
Cast: Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter and Erik Stolhanske
Director: Jay Chandrasekhar
Running Length: 1:50
MPAA Classification: R

Jay (Soter) and Todd (Stolhanske) are asked by Great Gam Gam (Leachman) to take their father’s ashes back to Germany and spread them at Oktoberfest. They are all too happy to do this, as it will give them a chance to drink it up with the Germans. Once there though, they end up at a “Fight Club”-style drinking competition called Beerfest. Beerfest is sponsored by Baron Wolfgang von Wolfhausen (Prochnow), their estranged uncle. Attempting to represent America and defend their father’s honor, they enter the competition and are humiliated. Upon returning to the States, they recruit college drinking buddies Fink (lemme), Landfil (Heffernan), and Barry (Chandrasekhar) to back to next year’s Beerfest and bring home the gold for the US.

“Beerfest” is the latest from comedy troupe Broken Lizard, and they have made a raunchy, entertaining film. This film is laugh out loud funny at times, and although it will not win any awards, it does not disappoint. If this movie sounds remotely funny to you, chances are that you will enjoy it. This is definitely one of the funnier movies of the year.