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.

Grindhouse ***1/2
Cast: Planet Terror: Rose McGowan, Freddy Rodriguez, Josh Brolin, Marley Shelton, Bruce Willis, Michael Biehn, Naveen Andrews, Michael Parks; Death Proof: Kurt Rusell, Rosario Dawson, Vanessa Ferlito, Rose McGowan, Zoe Bell, Tracie Thoms, Kelley Robins
Directors: Robert Rodriguez (Planet Terror, trailer: Machete); Quentin Tarantino (Death Proof); Eli Roth (trailer: Thanksgiving); Edgar Wright (trailer: Don't Scream); Rob Zombie (trailer: Werewolf Women of the S.S.)
Running Length: 3:10
MPAA Classification: R

“Grindhouse” is a double feature, paying homage to exploitation films of the ‘60s and ‘70s. Those movies were poorly made, but loved by many and a bit of a guilty pleasure.

“Planet Terror”, directed by Robert Rodriguez, is an end of the world-zombie movie. Cherry (McGowan) has her leg bitten off by zombies and ends up with a machine gun prosthetic. Aided by Wray (Rodriguez), Dakota (Shelton), and a ragtag group of others, they try to get out of town and hopefully to a safe place where there are no zombies.

“Death Proof”, directed by Quentin Tarantino, is a killer movie with Kurt Russell playing stuntman Mike. He likes to pick women up at bars and take them for the ride of their lives. One day, he picks the wrong women to go after, and is in for the surprise of his life.

“Grindhouse” works because it is an homage. If these movies were marked for today’s audiences, they would be destroyed by the critics. Knowing that the directors are in on the joke makes “Grindhouse” a unique and fun experience. Both movies have their strong points and weaknesses, so I have a hard time choosing a favorite. I would just suggest seeing them together, as some theaters have begun to show them separately. This is probably not the best film from either Tarantino or Rodriguez, but I think that it is easily the most fun.

Meet the Robinsons **1/2
Cast (voices): Daniel Hansen, Jordan Fry, Wesley Singerman, Angela Bassett, Stephen J. Anderson, Harland Williams, Adam West, Nicole Sullivan, Tom Selleck
Director: Stephen J. Anderson
Running Length: 1:32
MPAA Classification: G

Lewis is an orphan who enjoys inventing things. Some of them work, but most of them do not. For a science fair, he invents a device to pull memories out of the cerebral cortex and display them on a video screen. On the day of the science fair, the “Bowler Hat Guy” show up and steals it. Soon, Wilbur Anderson appears, claiming to be from the future. He grabs Lewis and takes him 25 years into the future. There, in the future, they must try to stop “Bowler Hat Guy” from destroying the future. Along the way, Lewis discovers what having a family, specifically the Robinsons, means.

“Meet the Robinsons” is an average Disney movie, although on the upper side of average. The animation is not up to Pixar standards, but it does get the job done. The voice talents are adequate, with no major names in the main roles. This serves the movie well for adults, as there is no disconnect between voice and character. Kids will probably enjoy it thoroughly with its bright colors and nice story about family. Adults may be a little bored as the film is geared more toward the younger audience. Or maybe Disney is not up to crafting stories like Pixar can. Either way, it is an entertaining diversion until Pixar takes up the reins again on computer animated films from Disney.

Blades of Glory **1/2
Cast: Will Ferrell, Jon Heder, Will Arnett, Amy Poehler, Jenna Fischer, William Fichtner, Craig T. Nelson
Directors: Josh Gordon, Will Speck
Running Length: 1:30
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Chazz Michael Michaels (Ferrell) and Jimmy MacElroy (Heder) are professional ice skaters. They are exact opposites and bitter rivals. Chazz is the bad boy who does things on his own. Jimmy is graceful but without passion. When they tie for a gold medal, the resulting brawl ends up with them being banned for life from the men’s competition. Jimmy’s coach then gets an idea: put them together and enter them in the pairs competition. They would be able to do moves that a man and a woman together never could. They could be unstoppable. The only obstacle in their path is the team of Stranz (Arnett) and Fairchild (Poehler) Van Waldenberg, and they will do anything to remain on top of the pairs competition.

“Blades of Glory” does for figure skating what “Talladega Nights” did for NASCAR. Farrell and Heder have good comedy chemistry, and the skating scenes are the funniest parts of the movie. This is not Will Ferrell’s funniest movie, but does have enough laughs to make a viewing worthwhile, although I would recommend waiting for DVD. Fans of Will Ferrell will not be disappointed, but those expecting nonstop laughs will be.

Shooter ***
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Michael Pena, Danny Glover, Elias Koteas, Kate Mara, Rhona Mitra, Ned Beatty, Rade Serbedzija
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Running Length: 2:00
MPAA Classification: R

Bob Lee Swagger (Wahlberg) is an ex-special ops sharpshooter. Colonel Isaac Johnson (Glover) ventures into the middle of nowhere to find Swagger, and ask for his help. Apparently, someone is planning to assassinate the President soon, and they want Swagger to figure out how to stop the attack. He agrees, but then finds himself framed for the attempt. Soon, he is on the run, relying on help from Sarah (Mara), the girlfriend of his ex-Marine partner and FBI agent Nick Memphis (Pena), both of whom become targets as well.

Despite all the action, “Shooter” has quite a bit of substance, with twists and turns that are unexpected. The movie moves at a fast pace that keeps the audience on the edge of their seat. Wahlberg is solid as the ordinary guy Swagger. Danny Glover is very good in his important supporting role as well. If you are looking for a good action movie with some brains, “Shooter” is the movie for you.

The Last Mimzy ***
Cast: Rhiannon Leigh Wryn, Chris O'Neil, Timothy Hutton, Joely Richardson, Michael Clarke Duncan, Rainn Wilson, Kathryn Hahn
Director: Bob Shaye
Running Length: 1:30
MPAA Classification: PG

Ten-year old Noah (O’Neil) and his sister Emma (Wryn) discover a black box on the beach when on vacation. The box contains strange items including a stuffed rabbit named Mimzy that speaks to Emma telepathically. They hide the items, and the longer they are exposed to them, the smarter they become. Their parents do not notice, but Noah’s science teacher, Larry White (Wilson), does. Meanwhile, Mimzy is dying and only the kids can save her.

“The Last Mimzy” is an interesting and entertaining family-science fiction film. It is character driven, and does not go over the top on effects. O’Neil and Wryn, the two kids, are excellent in parts that need capable actors. I don’t know that they have been in many movies before this one, but they are solid here. The supporting cast does an adequate job, although Michael Clarke Duncan’s role seems unnecessary. I recommend this film.