Not even name-brand voice actors in the form of Christopher Lloyd, Tim Curry, Kelly Ripa and others can ride to the aid of this film. You know you’re not leveraging the talent when the audience has to wait for the credits to see who was who. The digital models here seem to have no relationship to the actors behind the scenes. None of the performances show through, it’s just pure voiceover. Honestly, it begs the question, “Why bother hiring recognizable actors?” The lackluster result is a shame, because I do believe that 3D technology has achieved a level where we can begin to expect really good things from it. But it’s no substitute for a good story that is well told. And that is the one thing missing-in-action from Fly Me To The Moon. Young children may find some entertainment value from this film, but anyone into their tween years or beyond is probably going to find most of the film a tough slog.

This is a musical that happened to be filmed on location. The actors do have to act also, but its remarkable how well the Abba songs fit in and contribute to the narrative. The biggest struggle I had with the film in general was the fact I wasn’t familiar with the stage musical that came before it. I don’t mean to suggest that you need to know the material to enjoy it, but it did leave me floundering at first because I wasn’t sure how serious I was supposed to take things. The answer I think proves to be: not very serious at all. Mamma Mia! is fun, light-hearted fare that is most often delivered with tongue firmly in cheek. Once I figured that out I was able to settle in and enjoy the experience along with the very enthusiastic and vocal screening audience.

As Lachrimarum and art-restoration student Sarah Mandy slowly move toward the climactic confrontation, the stage is set for the conclusion of the third installment in the “Three Mothers” trilogy from famed Italian horror director Dario Argento. But there is very little tension here, or anything remotely scary. The only gasping I would expect to hear from the audience is in response to how bad Mother of Tears truly is. Most of the “horror” comes in the form of shocking and violent acts, with frequent gratuitous nudity (and lesbianism) thrown in for good measure. If that kind of gore works for you, I suppose you could find something to like about this film; but I think most horror fans expect something better in this day and age.

A more experienced director might have been able to rein in the out-of-control humor, but Marco Schnabel isn’t up to the task at this point in his career. Hard to blame him, really; trying to control a manic Mike Myers has to be a daunting task on your debut as a feature film director. On the up side, I can say I didn’t find The Love Guru painful to watch. I found enough laughs to feel entertained by the time the closing credits rolled. It was all the wincing at low-brow jokes in between that took the shine off the experience. This could have been a much better film than the one I watched.

Let me be clear: I loved War, Inc., and can’t wait to see it again. Politics and humor tend to be starkly polarizing, however, and I imagine such polemics will make it difficult to appeal to a general audience. Furthermore, the war theme may still be too raw for movie-goers to be able to navigate through the political pie crust and sink their teeth into the delicious satire underneath. And that’s too bad, because this really is one of the best examples of the genre I’ve seen in some time. The onscreen chemistry between Cusack and Tomei is wonderful; both turn in fantastic performances. They’re also joined by Hilary Duff, surprisingly strong as she lampoons her real-life pop-star status in her role as pop-star Yonica Babyyeah.

The film’s low-budget origins show in uneven production quality. At times I found myself wondering if somehow I was watching a feature-length YouTube video projected on the big screen. The Foot Fist Way is also one of the shortest movies I can remember seeing in recent times, with a running time of just 85 minutes… and that’s if you sit through the credits at the end. On the other hand, I laughed out loud frequently. There is a certain appeal in its quirky, offbeat—and often cringe-worthy—humor that I can appreciate. It provides enough entertainment to be worth watching. And if you don’t like it? Well, at least it’s mercifully brief.

Despite having never actually seen an episode of HBO’s series Sex and the City, I was vaguely aware of the basic plot recipe: single women, fashion, New York, and sex. The film jumps forward four years—and in my estimation, the end result is basically a really long movie about nothing much at all. It has a built-in audience, but doesn’t make a blip on the general movie-goer’s radar. And honestly, I think that’s what the makers intended. This is a film deliberately designed to satisfy the fans of the series while providing a sense of closure after a six season run on television. Judging by the enthusiastic response from the test audience with which I screened it, I’d say they hit their mark.

What Happens in Vegas is one of those movies that leverages its stars to get you into the theater. In this case, it’s Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher. You’re probably going to see it based on whether you like one or both of them. The draw is certainly not the story or the special effects or even the director—a mostly unknown Tom Vaughan. In truth, the two stars do a pretty good job here, but it’s nothing you haven’t seen before. Most of the time, the film falls short of being laugh-out-loud funny, but I did experience a guffaw or two. If you find the big blockbusters sold out this weekend and you’re in need of a good date movie, What Happens In Vegas could pay off for you.

If Iron Man is any indication of what we can expect this summer, I think we’re in for a great time. In this film at least, Hollywood returns to a simpler, unambiguous adventure story—and I for one greatly appreciate it. Real life is complex enough; I go to the movies to escape for a while, and this is the kind of film that works for me. If the thunderous cheering as the credits rolled were any indication, the rest of the audience agreed. My recommendation? Stop reading this review, buy your tickets, grab your popcorn, and then sit back and enjoy one of the most entertaining superhero movies you’ve likely seen. I plan to do that again myself.

I like to see a movie I’m going to review without knowing much about it. I try to be as unbiased as I can be, but sometimes that’s just not possible. In this case I’d seen the trailer for Baby Mama and wasn’t very impressed. Frankly, even the title of the film grates on me like screeching fingernails on a chalkboard. Thus you can imagine how I wasn’t very excited as a dragged myself into the theater to see this one. I was sure I was in for a miserable experience. Simply put, I was wrong.