Terminator Salvation **

Cast: Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Moon Bloodgood, Helena Bonham Carter, Anton Yelchin, Bryce Dallas Howard, Common, Jane Alexander, Michael Ironside
Director: McG
Running Length: 1:55
MPAA Classification: PG-13

The year is 2018, and John Connor (Bale) is a local leader of the resistance, fighting Skynet. Those further up the chain of command believe that they have a weapon that can shut down the machines at close range. Connor volunteers to lead the test mission, and along the way locate Kyle Reese (Yelchin), whom the machines have targeted. Reese is in Los Angeles, and befriends a stranger named Marcus Wright (Worthington), who has a secret even he doesn’t know about. When Reese gets captured, Wright and Connor must team up to find him.

“Terminater Salvation”, like “Terminater 3” is a movie that never needed to be made. “T1” and “T2” were great movies that told a complete story, and this feels like an excuse to make more money. Bale steps into the role of Connor, and gets the job done, but the performance is nothing spectacular. Director McG has some tricks up his sleeve, including a helicopter crash that is filmed interestingly, but is unimpressive overall. The biggest delight perhaps is the appearance of a former terminator 2/3 of the way through the film. Overall, I got what I expected here; the problem was that I wasn’t expecting much.

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian **

Cast: Ben Stiller, Amy Adams, Owen Wilson, Hank Azaria, Robin Williams, Christopher Guest, Alain Chabat, Jake Cherry
Director: Shawn Levy
Running Length: 1:45
MPAA Classification: PG

The magical tablet that brings exhibits to life is transferred with a number of the exhibits to the Smithsonian. Larry Daley (Stiller), now an inventor, realizes that this could be a problem, and travels to Washington, D.C. to avert disaster. By the time he arrives, Pharaoh Kahmunrah (Azaria) is planning to take over the world with the help of Napoleon (Chabat), Al Capone (Bernthal), and Ivan the Terrible (Guest). Larry rallies his troops, including Jedediah (Wilson) and Amelia Earhart (Adams) to stop him.

Given the success of the first “Night at the Museum”, a sequel was inevitable. Unfortunately, there is not much story-wise here. What story there is has plot holes, as the script doesn’t like to follow its own rules. The effects are top-notch like in the first film, but that is hardly enough to make this worth seeing. The one bright spot is the always adorable Amy Adams, who gives yet another standout performance. Kids will undoubtedly enjoy this, but adults will find the film lacking. Wait for DVD if you must see this.

Knowing **

Cast: Nicolas Cage, Chandler Canterbury, Rose Byrne, Lara Robinson, D.G. Maloney, Nadia Townsend
Director: Alex Proyas
Running Length: 2:02
MPAA Classification: PG-13

At the opening of a time capsule, Caleb Koestler (Canterbury) receives a sheet of paper covered with numbers. When he shows it to his father, John (Cage), he becomes obsessed with the 50 year old sheet of paper. He comes to discover that the numbers represent all of the major disasters that have occurred over the past 50 years including the date, death total, latitude, and longitude. His investigation also leads him to Diana (Byrne), the daughter of the little girl who wrote down all those numbers so long ago, and her daughter Abby (Robinson). Together they try to figure what will happen when the numbers run out. Meanwhile, the kids are being watched by mysterious strangers who might be the key to solving the mystery.

“Knowing” is an odd movie that starts out odd and gets progressively odder. Normally that would not bother me, but for some reason, “Knowing” just got too ridiculous for me to walk out of it with a positive feeling. I suppose I understand what the movie was trying to accomplish, and there was some interesting moments, but overall it just left me feeling disappointed. The special effects are solid, and there are some action scenes that are pulled off really well. Nicolas Cage gets some points for trying something different, something he does often, but that is not enough to save this film. I can’t recommend it.

Race To Witch Mountain **

Cast: Dwayne Johnson, AnnaSophia Robb, Alexander Ludwig, Carla Gugino, Ciaran Hinds, Tom Everett Scott, Chris Marquette, Billy Brown
Director: Andy Fickman
Running Length: 1:38
MPAA Classification: PG

Sara (Robb) and Seth (Ludwig) are alien children who have crashed to Earth. They enlist the help of Jack Bruno (Johnson), a cab driver. The kids have special talents: Sara can read minds and levitate items, Seth can shift matter. The government, led by Henry Burke (Hinds) is aware of their crash and is after them. Jack can only do so much for them, and soon he enlists the help of astrophysicist Alex Friedmen (Gugino). Soon, they are racing to their spaceship, hidden in Witch Mountain. Nut, getting out alive won’t be as easy as they think, especially with another alien hunting them down.

“Race to Witch Mountain” is a bit of a disappointment. Duane Johnson brings his trademark charm to the role of Jack, but that isn’t enough to save this film. The problem lies mainly in the script, which calls for the characters to do stupid things. Also, the childrens’ powers expand and contract when necessary to add drama. Given what these kids can do, they should have minimal difficulty finding their ship and getting off the Earth. Younger kids will probably enjoy the film, but adults may find it frustrating.

The Day the Earth Stood Still **

Cast: Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly, Jaden Smith, Kathy Bates, John Cleese, Jon Hamm
Director: Scott Derrickson
Running Length: 1:43
MPAA Classification: PG-13

The alien Klaatu (Reeves) arrives on Earth in a giant sphere that he lands in New York’s Central Park. Earth’s greeting party, led by Dr. Helen Benson (Connelly), attempts to make contact, but that is derailed when Klaatu is shot. They take him to a secret medical lab for surgery and also interrogate him on his intentions. Klaatu wants to speak to the leaders of the world to advise them that the end has come for the people of the Earth – he is there to save the planet from us.

“The Day the Earth Stood Still” is a middle of the road, average film. The effects are good, but they aren’t always necessary. The acting is ok, with Keanu Reeves’s usual wooden performance actually working for the alien Klaatu. Jaden Smith’s character Jacob is annoying and a hindrance to the story. This could have been better, I suppose. I have not seen the original, so I cannot compare the two, but I get the feeling that aside from the special effects, this version brings noting new or worthwhile to the table. I would wait for DVD if you must see this.

Max Payne **

Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Beau Bridges, Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges, Chris O’Donnell, Donal Logue, Amaury Noalsco, Olga Kurylenko
Director: John Moore
Running Length: 1:28
MPAA Classification: PG-13

NYPD detective Max Payne (Wahlberg) has worked on cold cases since the murder of his wife and child. He is consumed with trying to find their killer. There aren’t many leads to follow, and most of them are dead ends. Following one up, he meets Mona Sax (Kunis), whose sister may have been murdered by the same killer. With the help of his father’s former partner (Bridges) and an Internal Affairs cop (Ludacris), he finds himself drawn into a drug ring whose leader (Noalsco) sometimes shows almost superhuman qualities.

“Max Payne” is disappointing. It is a case of style over substance, and one can’t help but wish that there was a better story. The most interesting part is seeing the world through the eyes of the drug dealers – a world full of demons and monsters. Unfortunately, the real world part of the movie is less than compelling. Wahlberg seems to be going through the motions here, and Kunis really isn’t given much to do except show up and save the day in a key scene. This is one that you can skip.

Eagle Eye **

Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan, Rosario Dawson, Michael Chiklis, Billy Bob Thornton
Director: D.J. Caruso
Running Length: 1:58
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Jerry Shaw (LaBeouf) is a Stanford drop-out who isn’t living up to his full potential. He makes money working at a copy store and playing cards. One day he discovers $750,000 ion his bank account, and returns to his apartment to find it filled with illegal weapons. A phone call warns him that he will be arrested if he doesn’t get out of there ASAP. Rachel Holloman (Monaghan) is hanging out with her girlfriends when she receives a call that her son’s life is in danger if she doesn’t do as she is told. The instructions bring her face to face with Jerry, and together they must follow the instructions if they are to ever return to a normal life.

“Eagle Eye” is less interesting than it initially seems. Once you find out who is pulling Jerry and Rachel’s strings, the movie loses any originality. This movie has been done before, and better. Also, given what this mystery entity can do, you would think a more straightforward plan would be the logical choice. Jerry and Rachel really aren’t needed at all. There are plenty of loud action scenes to distract the viewer from all this, but even they venture a bit over the top. I cannot really recommend “Eagle Eye”, and have to admit to being disappointed by it.

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor **

Cast: Brendan Fraser, Jet Li, Maria Bello, John Hannah, Michelle Yeoh, Luke Ford, Isabella Leong
Director: Rob Cohen
Running Length: 1:51
MPAA Classification: PG-13

In ancient China, Emperor Han (Li) united the country. The only thing left for him to conquer was death. The witch Zi Juan (Yeoh) is said to have that power, but when Han kills her lover, she curses Han and his men turning them into stone. In 1947, Alex O’Connell (Ford) discovers their tomb. Soon, the forces looking to return Han to power are able to revive him and his army. Now, Alex, with the help of his parents Rick (Fraser) and Evelyn (Bello) must stop Han from becoming immortal and return him to his grave.

It has been seven years since “The Mummy Returns”, and that is too long for the O’Connells. One could even argue that a third movie was never necessary, even five years ago, as “The Mummy” and “The Mummy Returns” were a complete story. This time around, Alex has been aged into his 20’s and looks too old to be Brendan Fraser’s son. The recasting of Evelyn also makes her appear older than Rick. Maria Bello is a solid actress, but she is out of her element here, and it shows. She is better than this silly movie, and should shy away from any possible sequels. The story is weak, lacking the charm of the first two. If you have to see this, wait until it is out on DVD.

Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D **

Cast: Brendan Fraser, Josh Hutcherson, Anita Briem
Director: Eric Brevig
Running Length: 1:32
MPAA Classification: PG

Professor Trevor Anderson (Fraser) believes that the tale told by Jules Verne in “Journey to the Center of the Earth” is a true story. When the opportunity arises, he, his nephew Sean (Hutcherson), and guide Hannah (Briem) set out on the path in Iceland set forth in the book. Misfortune sends them down a tunnel to the center of the Earth, where the find a world of man-eating plants and dinosaurs. Soon, the rising heat of the underworld necessitates that they find an escape route before being burned up. Along the way, Trevor and Sean, who aren’t close, develop a bond, and Trevor and Hannah feel sparks begin to fly.

“Journey” is the first live-action film to use the new 3-D technology that has been used for animated films. In fact, the movie is just an excuse to show off what can be accomplished in 3-D now. The story is thin and the acting is not strong. But, the film sure does look nice. The 3-D is crisp and clear. If this is a movie you want to see, be sure to see the 3-D version, and not the 2-D version. Young kids will most like be the most entertained here.

Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed **

Cast: Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, Matthew Lillard, Linda Cardellini, Seth Green, Peter Boyle, Alicia Silverstone
Director: Raja Gosnell

When real monsters start coming to life and terrorizing Coolsville, the Scooby gang must come to the rescue and stop the madman behind the scheme. The mastermind behind this terror is also tarnishing the gang's image as well, making them doubt themselves. All of this in a movie that probably did not need to be made, but was inevitable after the success of the original. The whole cast returns for this sequel, but this series is starting to feel tired already. True, younger audiences will probably enjoy it, but unless adults are big Scooby-Doo fans, there will be some disappointment. If you want to see it, wait for DVD.

Eurotrip **

Cast: Scott Mechlowicz, Jacob Pitts, Michelle Trachtenberg, Travis Wester, Jessica Boehrs
Director: Jeff Schaffer

This predictable but sometimes funny movie finds Scott and some friends heading to Europe for the summer to find his e-mail pal Mieke and to declare his love for her. Oh yeah...he had previously mistook her for a guy and told her off, so there is somewhat of a time factor involved, but that doesn't seem to speed things up too much for the gang. They find themselves travelling pretty much all over Europe, getting into bad situations that include a nude beach, an anal probe, and a brother and sister make-out session. This movie does not work enough for me to recommend seeing in the theaters. It is about middle of the road for road trip-gross out movies.

The Cat in the Hat **

Cast: Mike Myers, Alec Baldwin, Kelly Preston, Dakota Fanning, Spencer Breslin, Amy Hill, Sean Hayes
Director: Bo Welch

Dr. Seuss' feline creating comes to life in the form of a heavily made-up Mike Myers in this live action version of the children's classic. Unfortunately, it is difficult to stretch a small children's book with little real plot into a 80 minute movie. This movie was bound to happen with the success of The Grinch, but was it necessary? Mike Myers does what he can, but he only has so many impersonations he can do before he starts repeating himself. Plus, it is disturbing to see the Cat talking like Fat Bastard from Austin Powers. On the plus side, I did laugh a number of times and the movie looks great. Dr. Seuss' world is brought brilliantly into reality just like in the Grinch. Unfortunately, this is sometimes disturbing (Thing 1 and Thing 2). I am sure that this will do well in theaters, and that will probably mean another Dr. Seuss movie a few years down the road, but I don't think it is necessary.