I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry *1/2
Cast: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Jessica Biel, Dan Aykroyd, Ving Rhames, Steve Buscemi
Director: Dennis Dugan
Running Length: 1:45
MPAA Classification: PG-13

When Larry (James) has his insurance for his kids lapse, he needs to figure something out so they will be taken care of if anything happens to him. After all, he is a firefighter, and that is a dangerous profession. He enlists fellow firefighter Chuck (Sandler) to help him with his plan. They will pretend to be gay and get married so that they can reap the benefits of a domestic partnership. The government is suspicious, and sends an investigator by the name of Clinton Fitzer (Buscemi) to look into the matter. Chuck and Larry get a lawyer of their own, Alex McDonough (Biel). Of course, Chuck is immediately interested in her, and that may prove to be a problem with their plan.

There really is only one problem with “Chuck and Larry”, although it’s a big one: the movie is not funny. Sandler and James are going through the motions in what could be a funny premise, but more often than not, the humor falls flat. Aykroyd and Buscemi are painful to watch, and ff that isn’t bad enough, the movie becomes preachy as it draws to a end, an ending that is a ridiculous solution to the problem at hand. I cannot recommend this film at all.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix ****
Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Michael Gambon, Imelda Staunton, Gary Oldman, Ralph Fiennes, Brendan Gleeson, Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Robbie Coltrane, Emma Thompson, Helena Bonham Carter, Katie Leung, Evanna Lynch, Bonnie Wright
Director: David Yates
Running Length: 2:15
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Before year five at Hogwarts can even begin, Harry (Radclife) and his cousin Dudley are attacked by dementors in the muggle world. Soon Harry finds himself on trial for having used magical powers to save himself and his cousin. Voldemort’s (Fiennes) presence is felt everywhere. The Ministry of Magic denies he is alive. Those at Hogwarts, specifically the Order of the Phoenix, know better. To stop the truth from getting out, the Ministry sends Dolores Umbridge (Staunton) to Hogwarts. She gradually begins to seize power, punishing those students and teacher who dare to challenge her. Meanwhile, Harry is having visions and teaching his classmates himself to prepare them for an inevitable showdown.

Gone are the lighter days of “Harry Potter” 1 & 2. “Order of the Phoenix” is firmly traveling down the dark road that will end two movies in the future. The movies have grown up, and that is very welcome. Each is better than the one before, and “Order of the Phoenix” is no exception. The actors could play their characters in their sleep at this point, and returning to the wizard world is like visiting old friends. Radcliffe, Grint, and Watson have all become the beloved characters at this point, and the supporting cast has accomplished the same with less screen time. David Yates brings yet another voice to the director’s chair, and pulls it off despite limited motion picture experience. “Order of the Phoenix” is another fine film in what is probably one of the most significant movie franchises ever. I highly recommend this film.

Transformers ***1/2
Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Rachael Taylor, Anthony Andersen, Jon Voight, John Turturro
Director: Michael Bay
Running Length: 2:15
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Sam Witwicky (LeBeouf) has graduated from school, and his dad decides to buy him a car. That car turns out to be a robot named Bumblebee, who is searching for Sam’s grandfather’s glasses. The glasses contain a clue to where the Allspark, the Transformers’ cube of power that allows the creation of life, is. Bumblebee is one of the good guys, and soon he is fighting off the evil Decepticons, who want to use this cube to take over the Earth. Led by Optimus Prime (Cullen), the Autobots must fight off the Decepticons and save the Earth with the help of Sam and his girlfriend (Fox).

“Transformers” is based on the 20 year old toy line. I loved Transformers as a kid, and the thought of a movie intrigued me. The thought of Michael Bay directing terrified me. But I was hopeful. Fortunately, “Transformers” turned out to be a pretty faithful adaptation of the toy line and cartoon from the 1980s. Michael Bay, a terrible director for the most part, is well suited for the shoot ‘em up, special effects heavy movie. This is easily his best film. “Transformers” delivers the action and effects, but most surprisingly, it is funny. It is absolutely great to hear the voice of Peter Cullen coming out of Optimus Prime. (He voiced him in the cartoon series). Shia LaBeouf continues his climb up the ladder of stardom by giving a good performance in a movie that executive producer Steven Speilberg says is just about “a boy and his car”. “Transformers” is one of the bigger surprises of the year, and is a film that can be enjoyed by all. If you are looking for a great summer popcorn flick, I highly recommend “Transformers”.

The 15 Best Movies I Saw in the First Half of 2007
1. The Queen **** (from 2006)
2. Babel **** (from 2006)
3. Zodiac ***1/2
4. Notes on a Scandal ***1/2 (from 2006)
5. 1408 ***1/2
6. 300 ***1/2
7. Pan's Labyrinth (El Laberinto del Fauno) ***1/2 (from 2006)
8. The Last King of Scotland ***1/2 (from 2006)
9. Knocked Up ***1/2
10. Ocean's Thirteen ***1/2
11. Live Free or Die Hard ***1/2
12. Spider-Man 3 ***1/2
13. Ratatouille ***1/2
14. Grindhouse ***1/2
15. Vacancy ***1/2

Ratatouille ***1/2
Cast (voices): Patton Oswalt, Ian Holm, Lou Romano, Brian Dennehy, Peter Sohn, Peter O'Toole, Brad Garrett, Janeane Garofalo
Director: Brad Bird
Running Length: 1:50
MPAA Classification: G

Remy (Oswalt) is a rat who wants to be a chef. He has refined senses and refuses to eat the garbage that other rats eat. They use him as a “poison detector”, a job which he despises. One day, he meets Linguini (Romono), a janitor at Gusteau’s, a famous Paris restaurant. Hiding under his hat, Remi can manipulate Linguini into creating amazing dishes. Soon, everyone is talking about this new chef, but the chef whose position he has usurped (Holm) wants revenge. Renowned food critic Anton Ego (O’Toole) is also reviewing the restaurant, and Remi and Linguini may be in over their heads.

“Ratatouille” is the latest in the string of great movies from Pixar. It’s a notch below last year’s “Cars”, but still better than the majority of animated movies that have come out in the last decade. The humor works on two levels as has become Pixar’s standard. Kids and adults alike will enjoy this film. The voice talents are mostly lesser names, and that works fine; they all suit their characters. “Ratatouille” is a great film that young and old can enjoy together.

Live Free or Die Hard ***1/2
Cast: Bruce Willis, Timothy Olyphant, Justin Long, Maggie Q, Kevin Smith, Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Director: Len Wiseman
Running Length: 2:10
MPAA Classification: PG-13

When cyberterrorist Thomas Gabriel (Olyphant) begins to take down America’s computer systems, John McClane (Willis) gets the call from his superiors to pick up programmer Matt Farrell (Long). Farrell has some idea of what Gabriel has done, and all of Farrell’s colleagues have been killed. Farrell is the last hope to stop Gabriel. Of course, McClane is not the only one out to find him. Gabriel’s goons are looking to finish him off before he can be of any help to the authorities. McClane foils their plans repeatedly, and as Farrell gets closer to shutting Gabriel down, Gabriel kidnaps McClane’s daughter Lucy (Winstead) to use as leverage. Of course, putting McClane’s family members in danger has never really worked well for terrorists before.

After twelve years, John McClane is back. He is a older and a bit more hardened, but it is good to see him again. I forgot how much I liked the “Die Hard” movies, and seeing McClane again was like seeing an old friend. Bruce Willis still seems at home playing him, and I have a feeling that this movie will breathe new life into the franchise. Olyphant is good as the bad guy, and Long gets the job done as the sidekick, although he may have a hard time living down those Mac commercials. The story is scary enough to make you worry it could happen, but over the top enough to just be a bit too ridiculous. All in all it is good fun though. Those worring about the PG-13 rating watering down this R-rated franchise should not worry. Nothing is lost. I highly recommend this film as one of the best action movies of the summer.

1408 ***1/2
Cast: John Cusack, Mary McCormack, Samuel L. Jackson
Director: Mikael Håfström
Running Length: 1:34
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Mike Enslin (Cusack) makes his living by writing about haunted houses. He is a skeptic, and his writings chronicle the lack of ghosts in these haunted places. Next on his agenda is room 1408 at the Dolphin Hotel in New York. The room is a prime prospect for him. The hotel has been around for almost 100 years and 56 people have died in the room. The manager of the hotel (Jackson) strongly advises Enslin not to go into the room, but Enslin persists and soon finds himself in 1408 for the night. Soon, he finds that he may have made a mistake, but my then the room will not let him go.

“1408” is probably the best horror movie I have seen in a while. It is even proof that a good horror movie can be made with a PG-13 rating. This is all due to then fine acting provided by John Cusack, who must carry the movie all by himself for the majority of the film’s running time. Jackson is good in his small role as the hotel’s manager, but this is Cusack’s movie. Based on the short story by Stephen King, this film is easily one of the best based on King’s work. I highly recommend this film.

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer ***
Cast: Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Michael Chilkis, Julian McMahon, Kerry Washington, Andre Braugher, Laurence Fishburne (voice), Doug Jones
Director: Tim Story
Running Length: 1:32
MPAA Classification: PG

Reed Richards (Gruffud) and Sue Storm (Alba) are getting married, or at least trying to. Extraterrestrial intervention, in the form of the Silver Surfer (Jones, voice of Fishburne), stops the wedding and threatens the very existence of the Earth. The Surfer’s arrival also awakens Dr. Doom (McMahon), and soon he is helping the Fantastic Four to stop the Surfer, although he has plans of his own. When the Surfer’s master, Galactus, arrives, the Fantastic Four must fight Doom, convince the Surfer that they deserve to live, and stop Galactus from eating the planet.

The Fantastic Four are a more light hearted superheroes than the X-Men or Batman, but that is not a bad thing. Like the first movie, this one is child friendly and entertaining in a lighter way. The gang from the first movie are all back for a second go at things, and they seem more comfortable in their roles. The Surfer is a cool looking character that is more than he seems, and the action is a little more impressive this time around. “Rise” does enough things right that the mistakes are easier to take. The exception might be the anti-climactic ending, but I don’t know how that could have been handled differently. All in all, “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer” is an entertaining addition to the Marvel movie world.

Ocean’s Thirteen ***1/2
Cast: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Al Pacino, Andy Garcia, Elliott Gould, Don Cheadle, Bernie Mac, Ellen Barkin, Carl Reiner, Eddie Izzard, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Eddie Jemison, Shaobo Qin
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Running Length: 2:02
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Danny Ocean (Clooney) and his gang are back, this time to get revenge against Willie Bank (Pacino). Bank has screwed over Reuben Tishkoff (Gould), and taken his land and money to build a new casino, causing Reuben to have a heart attack. The gang, led by Ocean, Rusty Ryan (Pitt), and Linus Caldwell (Damon), decide to put the new casino deep into the red and steal Bank’s diamonds.

“Ocean’s 13” is a vast improvement over “12” and on par with “11”, if not a little better. The cast know their characters so well by this point and have a great chemistry. You know that they had fun making this movie, and it shows. The action is minimum, but interest is sustained through following their plan as it comes to fruition. There are some twists, but nothing earth-shattering. Mostly, this is a chance to see good actors doing their thing. Fans of this series will not be disappointed, and although director Steven Soderbergh says this is the last one, I can’t help but hope that he changes his mind.

Knocked Up ***1/2
Cast: Katherine Heigl, Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Jason Segel, Martin Starr
Director: Judd Apatow
Running Length: 2:08
MPAA Classification: R

Alison Scott (Heigl) is an up-and-comer who has just received a promotion at the E! Entertainment network, and will now be doing on-air interviews. Ben Stone (Rogan) is a slacker who watches movies for nude scenes so he can post the info on a Mr. Skin-type website he and his buddies are creating. He also likes to smoke pot and just hang out. Alison’s and Ben’s paths cross on the night of her promotion, and after a few drinks have a one night stand. Two months later, their misunderstanding they had about condom use, comes back to haunt them as Alison discovers she is pregnant. Ben and Alison decide to give it a shot and get to know each other, since either way, their lives are now entwined.

Director Judd Apatow’s follow up to “The 40-Year Old Virgin” shows that he is a gifter writer and director. “Knocked Up” has all the charm of his first film, and is excellent. Heigl and Rogan are a cute couple, and have great chemistry. Rogan is hilarious as usual, and this could very well be a breakout role for him. The rest of the cast is pulled from Apatow’s previous works “Freaks and Geeks” and “Undeclared”. His wife and kids are even in the film, and it is obvious these people all enjoy working together. “Knocked Up” is a rare movie that will satisfy both men and women. I highly recommend this film. It is probably the funniest movie out there since “The 40-Year Old Virgin”, and well worth your time.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End **1/2
Cast: Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Kiera Knightley, Geoffrey Rush, Chow Yun-Fat, Jack Davenport, Bill Nighy, Jonathan Pryce, Kevin R. McNally, Tom Hollander, Naomie Harris, Stellan Skarsgård, Lee Arenberg, Mackenzie Crook
Director: Gore Verbinski
Running Length: 2:48
MPAA Classification: PG-13

At the end of “Dead Man’s Chest”, the pirates resolved to rescue Captain Jack Sparrow (Depp) from Davy Jones’ Locker. Wih the help of Captain Sao Feng (Yun-Fat), Will Turner (Bloom), Elizabeth Swann (Knightley), and the newly resurrected Captain Barbossa (Rush) travel to the Locker to retrieve Jack so they can attend a meeting of the Nine Lords of the Bretheren to come up with a plan to fight Davy Jones (Nighy) and Lord Cutler Beckett (Hollander), who control the seas.

“At World’s End” feels just like “Dead Man’s Chest” (makes sense since they were filmed together) which felt just like “Curse of the Black Pearl”. What was fresh and new isn’t anymore. The biggest difference between all these movies, is that “At World’s End” is the longest. In fact, it is way too long, and that hurts the film immensely. The charm of Jack Sparrow is beginning to wear thin, and a break from this franchise would probably help in the long run. Completists will want to see the third adventure of these pirates, but “At World’s End” is disappointing, and that is a shame for a series that started out as something new and fresh.

Shrek the Third **1/2
Cast (voices): Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Rupert Evert, Justin Timberlake, Julie Andrews, John Cleese, Eric Idle
Directors: Chris Miller, Raman Hui
Running Length: 1:33
MPAA Classification: PG

King Harold (Cleese) is dying, and names Shrek (Myers) as his heir. Shrek wants none of that, and sets out to find Arthur (Timberlake). Aided by Donkey (Murphy) and Puss ‘n Boots (Banderas), he finds Arthur only to discover he is a bit of a loser. Meanwhile, back in Far Far Away, Prince Charming (Evert) stages a coup, imprisioning Fiona (Diaz), Queen Lillian (Andrews), Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, and others. Shrek has his work cut out for him.

“Shrek the Third” is move of the same. There is nothing remotely new about this installment of the franchise. It exists only to make money, and will make a lot of it. But, the story feels tired this time around. Sure, it is good to see the familiar characters once again, but they give us nothing new. Adults may be bored, but children will probably love it (my nephew did). I really cannot recommend this film though.

Hot Fuzz ***1/2
Cast: Simon Pegg, Jim Broadbent, Timothy Dalton, Nick Frost
Director: Edgar Wright
Running Length: 2:03
MPAA Classification: R

Nicholas Angel (Pegg) is a perfect cop. So go that he has been transferred from London to the town of Sandford. He is making them look bad, and they want him out of their hair. Upon arrival, he brings big city justice to the small town, until his superior, Inspector Frank Butterman (Broadbent) encourages him to relax a bit. Angel is partnered with the inspector’s son, Danny (Frost), an enthusiastic cop who isn’t really that good. He is fascinated with Angel and the stories he shares. A sudden rash of deaths in Sandford are put off by the inspector as accidents, but Angel fears something more is happening, and feels that Simon Skinner (Dalton), the local grocery store owner, is behind it. Angel must get to the bottom of what is going on in Sandford, and find out if Skinner really is the bad guy.

“Hot Fuzz” is an excellent and very funny movie. Pegg and Frost are hilarious together, playing off each other with ease. There is a long setup that pays off with a final 30 minutes packed with action. “Hot Fuzz” lampoons the action genre with great skill, and unlike most action movies, there is real character development that makes us care for the duo at the heart of the movie. Dalton, as the apparent bad guy, seems to be savoring every moment of his screen time. He is delightfully evil, and about as far from his James Bond days as he has ever been. The supporting cast is also excellent. The only drawback is that the movie runs a little too long. Still, those looking for a smart, funny action-comedy will not be disappointed with “Hot Fuzz”.

Spider-Man 3 ***1/2
Cast: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Thomas Haden Church, Topher Grace, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rosemary Harris, J.K. Simmons, James Cromwell
Director: Sam Raimi
Running Length: 2:20
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Things are great for Peter Parker (Maguire). Everybody loves Spider-Man and Mary Jane (Dunst) is starring in a Broadway musical. The only negative is Harry (Franco), who is still angry over the death of his father, and holds Peter responsible. He has found his father’s hidden supply of weapons and is ready to make Peter’s life hell. Meanwhile, Flint Marko (Church) has escaped prison, and while fleeing gets caught in an experiment that turns him into the Sandman. Finally, a parasitic creature from space has infected Spider-Man’s suit, giving him stronger powers and making him more aggressive. Spider-Man must fight enemies both external and internal to save New York and his beloved Mary Jane.

While better than the original “Spider-Man”, “3” is falls short of the greatness of “2”. That was somewhat expected, I think, as “2” did everything right and would be almost impossible to top. “3” has two main problems. The first is length. It is too long, but ironically with all the story crammed in there it almost feels rushed at times. Given what happens in the film, I don’t know what could have been trimmed. This rushed storytelling results in the poor development of Venom. Even unrushed, there are a number of coincidences that have to be accepted to allow for his development, but rushed they really feel forced and unnatural at times. The good news is that the action and resolution of continuing storylines makes the film quite enjoyable. The actors know their characters inside and out, and it is hard to imagine anyone else in these roles after all these years.

“3” isn’t the best of the lot, but it does allow the series to go out on a high note. Or at least it lets these actors go out well. There will certainly be more movies, regardless of Sam Raimi and the cast’s involvement, that is sure. “Spider-Man 3” is a great summer action film, and highly enjoyable despite its flaws. I recommend seeing this film.

Next **1/2
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Julianne Moore, Jessica Biel, Thomas Kretschmann
Director: Lee Tamahori
Running Length: 1:36
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Cris Johnson (Cage) can see two minutes into his future. It helps him avoid things he wants to avoid, and excel in things he wants to excel in. His gift also lets him look more than two minutes ahead into the life of Liz (Biel), a woman he has never met. While he is searching her out, FBI agent Callie Ferris (Moore) is tracking him. She knows what he can do, and needs his help to stop a nuclear bomb from destroying Los Angeles.

“Next” could have been so much better. In fact, for the most part, it is better. The twist in the last ten minutes of the film and the abrupt ending thereafter works to undermine all the good stuff that has gone on before. In fact, without those last ten minutes, this probably would have been a 3 ½ star review. People generally like or hate Nicholas Cage, with little grey area. I fall into the former category, and appreciate his off the wall take on most characters he plays. He is good as Cris, a man haunted by what could happen. Jessica Biel is adequate as the love interest, and Julianne Moore gives her usual good performance. The problem with the movie is its attempt to be clever at the end. While not cheating, it establishes the character of Liz as a mere plot device and robs the audience of a satisfying colclusion. I recommend waiting for DVD to see “Next”.

The Invisible **
Cast: Justin Chatwin, Margarita Levieva, Marcia Gay Harden, Chris Marquette
Director: David S. Goyer
Running Length: 1:37
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Nick Powell (Chatwin) is a mopey rich kid. He is moderately popular, and probably less cool than he thinks he is. Still, he leads a pretty good life, even if he feels that he is not taken seriously. One day, he gets on the bad side of Annie Newton (Levieva), a kid from the wrong side of the tracks who is nothing but trouble. Nick gets beaten badly by her thugs, and finds himself invisible to the world, on the brink of death. He has to somehow find a way to have his body found so that he can be saved.

Forget anything you have seen in trailers for this film. They are outright misleading. He is not dead, and more importantly, there is no mystery. Instead, an idea that could have been handled better is badly handled. The film ends up as a depressing mess. The leads are unremarkable, which is a problem with the story in the direction it takes. I was very disappointed with this film, but give it two start because it did manage to do some things right. I think in a better director’s hands, this could have worked a lot better.

Vacancy ***1/2
Cast: Luke Wilson, Kate Beckinsale, Frank Whaley, Ethan Embry
Director: Nimrod Atal
Running Length: 1:22
MPAA Classification: R

While driving home, David Fox (Wilson) swerves to avoid a raccoon. The car is damaged, and he and his soon to be ex-wife Amy (Beckinsale) must stay at the only motel around to wait for the local garage to open the next day. The desk manager (Whaley) is Norman Bates-creepy, and the room leaves much to be desired. Putting a videotape into the VCR in the room, David and Amy are treated to home made snuff films that were made in their hotel room. Soon, masked men are banging on their door, and David and Amy are in for the night of their lives.

At 82 minutes, “Vacancy” is lean and mean. It a tense ride, that does not let up. Wilson and Beckinsale are great as the “any person” couple whose marriage is on the rocks. It is good to see bigger names in a horror movie, and they get the job done soundly. Whaley is excellent as one of the creepiest characters to ever inhabit a horror movie. I would definitely find another place to stay if he was working the front desk at a place I wanted to stay at. This is an above average horror movie that relies more on tension and creepiness than on blood and gore. I think that both fans of the genre and non-fans would enjoy this film. I highly recommend this film.

Fracture ***
Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Ryan Gosling, David Strathairn, Rosamund Pike, Embeth Davidtz, Billy Burke
Director: Gregory Hoblit
Running Length: 1:55
MPAA Classification: R

Ted Crawford (Hopkins) shoots his wife Jennifer (Davidtz) in the face. He loves her, but knows that she is having an affair, and cannot allow that to continue. She is in a coma, and he is arrested. But, Crawford has planned ahead, and what looks like an open and shut case – there is a confession and a weapon – is not. Assistant D. A. Willy Beachum (Gosling) is a hot shot who is not used to losing and is on the brink of a new job. He takes the case, and soon finds he may be in over his head as the case falls apart around him.

“Fracture” is an entertaining and engaging film. 95% of that is due to Hopkins and Gosling who both bring their A game. Hopkins’s Crawford is cold and calculating, Gosling’s Beachum is arrogant and cocky, and yet both characters are likeable in their own way. The plan to beat the charge is clever, and there is no real sense of how everything will turn out until the final few minutes. “Fracture” is an enjoyable thriller that succeeds due to the talent of the lead actors. I recommend it.

Disturbia ***
Cast: Shia LaBeouf, David Morse, Sarah Roemer, Aaron Yoo, Carrie-Anne Moss
Director: D. J. Caruso
Running Length: 1:45
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Kale (LaBeouf) is a troubled kid wo, a year after his father’s untimely death, is in court for punching his Spanish teacher. This is not his first bit of trouble, and the judge sentences him to three months under house arrest. He must wear an ankle bracelet that will alert authorities if he is farther away than 100 feet from the signal box. His mother (Moss) cancels his online subscriptions, and all Kale has to do is stare out of his bedroom window. He watches his neighbors’ lives unfold before him. The most interesting are Ashley (Roemer), the new neighbor girl and Mr. Turner (Morse), a man whose care looks like the one reported to have been involved in a kidnapping.

Sure, “Disturbia” is just “Rear Window” for teens. But, it is also a well made, tense thriller. It falters a little at the end when it veers away from the “Rear Window” storyline, but that is to be expected. Shia LaBeouf does a good job as leading man. Get used to seeing him, he will be leading the cast of “Transformers” and also star in “Indiana Jones 4”. David Morse is at his creepy best. Mr. Turner is a sleaze from his first appearance to his last, and as quite memorable. “Disturbia” succeeds as a modernizing of a classic. It is not up to the caliber of “Rear Window”, but it does not disappoint either. I recommend it.

TMNT ***
Cast (voices): Chris Evans, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Mako, Patrick Stewart
Director: Kevin Munroe
Running Length: 1:27
MPAA Classification: PG

Leonardo is in South America learning to be a better leader. Raphael and the others are still in Manhattan, but he is distant from Donatello and Michelangelo. He is spending his nights as the Nightwatcher, a superhero who is protecting the city. Soon, strange things start happening, and April O’Neil, friend of the turtles, tries to get them back together to fight this new menace.

Using the live action movies from the 90’s as a vague history, this CGI film jumps right into the story and doesn’t let up until the end. This is my first turtles movie, but I have to think that CGI treats them better than the live action movies did. There are no limits to the fight scenes and camera angles as they bound across the city. “TMNT” was surprisingly good and entertaining. Kids and action fans will not be disappointed.