Beowulf ***Cast: Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, Robin Wright Penn, Angelina Jolie, John Malkovich, Brendan Gleeson, Crispin Glover, Alison Lohman
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Running Length: 1:55
MPAA Classification: PG-13

In 6th century Denmark, Kin Hrothgar’s (Hopkins) kingdom is being terrorized by the monster Grendel (Glover). The king calls for someone to come and defeat Grendel. Beowulf (Winstone) answers that call, seeking glory more than gold. On his first night there, Grendel attacks and Beowulf must deal with him. But, Grendel is not the only creature waiting to terrorize the kingdom. Grendel’s mother (Jolie) and a dragon also lie in wait.

Computer animated and only loosely following the epic poem, “Beowulf” is an entertaining feast for the eyes. I think that animation was the way to go with this story, and the images are very realistic. Voice talents of Winstone, Hopkins, Jolie, Gleeson, and Penn all fit well with the characters. Purists will probably be disappointed with the changes, but for those not familiar with the story will probably have no problems. “Beowulf” is a great example of how far CGI has come, and an excellent diversion for those craving some action.

Bee Movie ***
Cast (voices): Jerry Seinfeld, Renee Zellweger, Matthew Broderick, Patrick Warburton, John Goodman, Chris Rock, Kathy Bates, Barry Levinson
Directors: Steve Hickner, Simon J. Smith
Running Length: 1:25
MPAA Classification: PG

Barry B. Benson (Seinfeld) is not a conformist like other bees. He yearns for something more, and that yearning leads him out of the hive into the world. After almost getting killed, he is saved by Vanessa (Zellweger), a human that owns a flower shop. She is surprised that Barry can talk, but then they develop a friendship. Accompanying her to the grocery store, he discovers that humans are stealing honey from bees and decides to file a lawsuit against the human race

“Bee Movie” is an odd but enjoyable film. The humor is geared more toward grown ups, but is flashy and eye catching which will appeal to kids. Also, there is no real moral to the story that is applicable to kids. Yet, somehow “Bee Movie” works. Fans of Jerry Seinfeld will not be disappointed in the humor he brings to the film. The voice talents do decent jobs bringing their characters to life. “Bee Movie” is a nice movie that will provide enjoyment for kids and adults.

P2 ***
Cast: Rachel Nichols, Wes Bentley
Director: Franck Khalfoun
Running Length: 1:38
MPAA Classification: R

On Christmas Eve, Angela (Nichols) is heading home after a late night. She is pretty much the last one in the building, and discovers her car won’t start. Thomas (Bentley) the parking attendant offers to help, but Angela soon realizes that he has ulterior motives. Thomas attacks her with chloroform, and when she wakes up she is in an evening dress and chained to a table. It seems that Thomas has had eyes for her for a while, and now he has her all to himself.

This movie is all Nichols and Bentley. They both give solid performances, especially Bentley. He manages to be both pathetic and creepy at the same time. The movie is tense and pretty well paced. The characters are real people and not superhuman like many movies of this type. Overall, if you are looking for a solid thriller, I recommend “P2”.

Martian Child **1/2Cast: John Cusack, Bobby Coleman, Amanda Peet, Sophie Okonedo, Joan Cusack, Oliver Platt
Director: Menno Meyjes
Running Length: 1:48
MPAA Classification: PG

David (John Cusack) has never really gotten used to his wife’s death. Years later he is considering adopting a child despite his sister Liz’s (Joan Cusack) advice. His friend Sophie (Okonedo) has the perfect child for him. Dennis (Coleman) is a child who believes he is from Mars. He hides in a box during the day because the sun bothers him. He wears a “gravity belt” to keep him from floating away. Once home, David finds that it is more difficult than expected to connect with Dennis. In these tough times, doctors from the orphanage are checking in on things, and David realizes he must make a breakthrough if he wants to keep Dennis.

While “Martian Child” is a fictionalized account of author David Gerrold’s adoption of a child, one can’t help but hope that there were less sappy moments in real life. “Martian Child” is full of them, just begging the audience to shed a tear at the characters’ plight. Cusack does his usual best with what he is given here, but the script hinders him more than usual here. Sure there is a nice story here, but it seems to be buried under a layer or two of sap. This was not a bad movie, but it definitely wasn’t my thing. I recommend this to those who enjoy tear –jerker type films.

Dan in Real Life ***
Cast: Steve Carrell, Juliette Binoche, Mitch Burns, Dianne Wiest, John Mahoney, Emily Blunt, Alison Pill, Brittany Robertson, Marlene Lawston
Director: Peter Hedges
Running Length: 1:38
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Dan Burns (Carrell) writes advice columns and fiction. After his wife died, he raised their three girls by himself. Every year, the Burns family all gather at grandma and grandpa’s (Wiest and Mahoney) house for a family reunion. While at the bookstore, Dan meets Marie (Binoche). They hit it off, but eventually Marie has to leave to meet her boyfriend. Dan heads home to meet his brother’s (Cook) girlfriend, who happens to be Marie. Now they have to be in close proximity without letting on that they met and had an attraction. The secret gets harder and harder to keep and soon Dan must figure out how to tell his brother.

“Dan in Real Life” is a nice movie. It has laughs, but isn’t hilarious. The acting is good, but not great. Carrell is good at playing likeable characters, and “Dan in Real Life” is no exception. The family dynamic in the film is probably the film’s funniest aspect. “Dan in Real Life” will be enjoyed by most, but when its all over, it really hasn’t given you a whole lot. Still, I have to recommend it because I think it accomplishes what it sets out to do.

Rendition ***Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Jake Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard, Alan Arkin, Meryl Streep, J.K. Simmons, Omar Metwally
Director: Gavin Hood
Running Length: 2:00
MPAA Classification: R

Egyptian-American Anwar El-Ibrahimi (Metwally) is returning to the United States to see this wife Isabella (Witherspoon) and son. When a CIA official (Streep) receives intelligence that El-Ibrahimi may be involved with a North African terrorist attack, she orders him subjected to rendition, the policy of shipping detainees to foreign soil so they can be tortured to elicit information from them. Soon he is being interrogated in part by CIA analyst Duncan Freeman (Gyllenhaal), who comes to believe he is innocent. Meanwhile, Isabella goes to Washington to try to find her husband.

“Rendition” attempts to tackle a current issue and has mixed success. The story is compelling, but Anwar’s guilt or innocence seems pretty cut and dry. That robs the story of some of its punch. Witherspoon and Gyllenhaal, as the leads, seem to have less screen time than would be warranted for lead actors. Witherspoon has the meater role as the terrified wife, while Gyllenhaal spends a lot of time watching the actions of other characters. “Rendition” is a politically charged film that obviously takes a shot at the current administration, and those that may be turned off by that should probably look elsewhere. Overall, “Rendition” is a good movie that could have been better. While slightly disappointed with it, it is still worth seeing.

Gone Baby Gone ****
Cast: Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan, Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, John Ashton, Amy Ryan, Amy Madigan, Titus Welliver, Madeline O'Brien, Edi Gathegi
Director: Ben Affleck
Running Length: 1:55
MPAA Classification: R

Private investigators Patrick Kenzie (Affleck) and Angie Gennaro (Monaghan) are approached by Lionel (Welliver) and Beatrice McCready (Madigan) to look for their niece, Amanda (O’Brien), who has gone missing. They fear the police won’t be able to devote enough time towards the investigation and think Patrick and Angie would be a great help. Opposed to their help are the girl’s mother, Helene (Ryan); the police chief Jack Doyle (Freeman); and the two cops working the case, Remy Bressant (Harris) and Nick Poole (Ashton). They quickly discover some overlooked clues that put them in harm’s way as well as put them in the position of having to make some morally ambiguous decisions.

“Gone Baby Gone” is a mystery/thriller that is full of twists and turns. They can be figured out beforehand if one pays attention thanks to this well written and executed script. Solid performances all around compliment Ben Affleck’s first outing in the director’s chair. Like “Mystic River” before it (it was also based upon a novel by Dennis Lehane), the film doesn’t offer any easy answers. It forced the audience to decide for themselves if the right thing is done by the characters. This is a solid, top-notch film, and a definite contender for Best Picture when the Oscars come around. I highly recommend this film.