Ratings based on four-star system.
'Imagine That'
Rated PG
2 1/2 stars
The words "Eddie Murphy family comedy" are enough to send shivers down the spine of any self-respecting film lover. Between "Meet Dave," ''The Haunted Mansion" and "Daddy Day Care," he doesn't exactly have the greatest track record with this genre, at least in terms of quality (box-office success can be an entirely different and often baffling phenomenon). Which is what makes "Imagine That" such a pleasant surprise. It's based on a clever premise and it makes good use of Murphy's comic strengths — singing, dancing and creating myriad voices and personalities — without letting him go overboard and get too obnoxious. Its feel-good revelations are predictable, yes, but it only really turns sappy toward the very end. And it offers an irresistible young co-star in newcomer Yara Shahidi, who very much holds her own as Murphy's daughter without being too cutesy or cloying. Murphy stars as Evan Danielson, a Denver-based financial executive who barely has time for his 7-year-old, Olivia. Estranged from his wife (Nicole Ari Parker), Evan is stuck watching Olivia for a few days but has no idea what to do with her, so he ignores her and instead focuses on his computer screens and constant phone calls. But she's paying attention to everything he says and does — and so are the princesses, Olivia's imaginary friends. Somehow, the princesses come up with advice on which stocks daddy should buy and sell — and somehow, they're always right. When Evan gives in and starts following their suggestions, he becomes a superstar at work — and naturally, learns to loosen up at home and have a little fun with his daughter in the process.
'Moon'
Rated R
4 stars
"Moon" does something extraordinary: It seems familiar and derivative, yet upends your expectations about science fiction and surprises you over and over. Melancholy and mesmerizing, equal parts mystery and character drama, it keeps you guessing until the end. The intelligent, assured debut from director Duncan Jones — David Bowie's son, though we won't have to describe him in terms of his famous father for much longer — harkens to the fundamentals of the genre, in which people and provocative ideas mattered more than shiny gadgets and splashy effects. The fact that it's anchored by a subtle yet powerful performance from Sam Rockwell in two separate roles — he's practically the entire cast — is a prime example of this back-to-basics approach. Rockwell stars as Sam Bell, an astronaut in the near future living in a station on the far side of the moon. He's about to wrap up his three-year contract mining helium, the Earth's main energy source, and he's eager to get home to his wife and little girl. One day, amid his daily routine, he starts seeing and hearing things and his health begins to deteriorate. The base's computer, Gerty (voiced by Kevin Spacey), listens and tries to be sympathetic, tries to assuage him. But then Sam sees another version of himself: younger, fitter, more organized and businesslike. The character itself provides much of the film's allure (Nathan Parker wrote the script from Jones' story idea): Is this a clone? Or is the second Sam a figment of his imagination, a product of his isolation? You can interpret it any number of ways. The haunting score from Clint Mansell, longtime collaborator of Darren Aronofsky, adds to the mood and will stay with you afterward.
'The Taking of Pelham¬ 1¬ 2¬ 3'
Rated R
2 stars
The way the original 1974 film's title has been condensed tells you everything you need to know about the direction "The Taking of Pelham¬ 1¬ 2¬ 3" is headed. In these fast-paced, mixed-up times, it simply takes too long to spell out the numbers. Then again, just knowing the director is Tony Scott ("Top Gun," ''Man on Fire," ''Domino") is a major indicator of the changes in store. A low-key, steadily paced thriller about a New York subway hijacking has been amped up with Scott's trademark acrobatics: incessant camera movement, sped-up footage that jarringly cuts to slo-mo, seizure-inducing edits and a blaring soundtrack. Considering that you have heavyweights Denzel Washington and John Travolta squaring off, with a script from Oscar-winner Brian Helgeland ("L.A. Confidential"), you just want to scream at the screen for Scott to settle down and let the exchanges play out for themselves. For the brief moments he does just that, "The Taking of Pelham¬ 1¬ 2¬ 3" can be an engaging battle of wits, despite its preposterous premise. Inspired as the original was by the John Godey novel, "Pelham" stars Travolta in the Robert Shaw role as Ryder, the leader of a group of baddies who take over a downtown 6 train. He demands $10 million in one hour (up from $1 million in '74) or he'll start killing the passengers. Washington (in the Walter Matthau role) plays Walter Garber, the dispatcher on the other end of the microphone who must listen/probe/stall/cajole as a de facto crisis negotiator. While Washington brings his typical grace to this rare regular-guy role, Travolta gets shrieky in a way that recalls his performance in the infamous "Battlefield Earth."
'The Hangover'
Rated R
2 1/2 stars
You'd be forgiven for thinking this is a documentary. After all, who hasn't woken up in a trashed Las Vegas hotel suite with a missing tooth, a tiger in the bathroom, a baby in the closet and little or no memory of what happened the night before? Director Todd Phillips and screenwriters Jon Lucas and Scott Moore take this idea to bold new heights — or depths, depending on your perspective — with a comedy that stays weird and wild for the first two-thirds, only to disappoint in the final act. Structurally, though, it's based on a clever concept: Three guys take their buddy Doug (Justin Bartha) to Vegas for a bachelor party right before his wedding. When they wake up the morning after their debauched bacchanal, they realize the groom is missing — and that's only the beginning of their trouble. As they nurse their pounding heads and retrace their steps, they stumble down an increasingly absurd, and surprisingly dark, path. And because it all turns out to be so unpredictable, we feel like we're solving a mystery right along with them. Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis make a believably motley trio, with Galifianakis in particular stealing many moments with a performance that's a fascinating balance of creepy and endearing. But Ken Jeong, veteran of many a Judd Apatow production, is stuck in a role that's a distasteful (and unfunny) stereotype of both Asians and gays.
'Land of the Lost'
Rated PG-13
1 star
There is exactly one funny bit here, and it stands out because it comes at the very beginning and the very end. Will Ferrell, as arrogant scientist Dr. Rick Marshall, appears on the "Today" show to discuss his time-travel theories and pimp out his latest book. Matt Lauer, thinking he's a crackpot, interviews him with unmistakabale disdain and chafes at Marshall's attempts to hijack the segment. In between, though, is an awkward combination of kitschy comedy (which is never amusing) and earnest action (which is never thrilling). And it's not as if the source material was worthy of a big-budget summer blockbuster starring an A-lister. The Sid & Marty Krofft TV series "Land of the Lost," about a family that gets sucked into a prehistoric age when an earthquake hits while they're rafting, aired for just three seasons in the mid-1970s. It was laughable with its stiff dialogue and low-tech effects. At least the series knew what it was, though. Working from a script by Chris Henchy and Dennis McNicholas (though Ferrell and co-star Danny McBride clearly did a healthy amount of ad-libbing), director Brad Silberling can't seem to decide whether he's making fun of the show's cheesy visuals or seizing on its sense of rough-hewn adventure. And so in hopes of pleasing the lowest common denominator nonetheless, they offer an overload of jokes about dinosaur poop and urine. Danny McBride and Anna Friel co-star as Will and Holly, with "Saturday Night Live" writer Jorma Taccone as the mischievous primate Chaka.
'My Life in Ruins'
Rated PG-13
0 stars
As we learn here, the Greek word for mojo — or zest for life — is "kefi." Nia Vardalos' character has lost hers and needs to get it back. Wonder what the Greek words are for corny, hackneyed and flat. Because those are all applicable, too. Vardalos tries to recreate the unexpected magic of the 2002 sleeper smash "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," which made her a star and earned her an Oscar nomination for her screenplay. Although she didn't write the script this time — that's the dubious work of former "Simpsons" writer and producer Mike Reiss — "My Life in Ruins" strives for the same sort of affectionately teasing ethnic humor. Instead, it feels like an uncomfortable parade of Borscht Belt gags and lame stereotypes. Vardalos stars as Georgia, a Greek-American tour guide living an uptight life in Athens. She always gets stuck with the obnoxious tourists while her rival gets the beautiful women and polite Canadians. These people are spectacularly unfunny, especially under the overly jaunty direction of Donald Petrie ("Miss Congeniality," ''Just My Luck"). With her love of history, Georgia wants to share the glory of the country's ancient ruins and tell their stories; all her tacky travelers want to do is shop and eat ice cream. But this being a contrived romantic comedy, Georgia naturally finds love where she least expects it: right on her tour bus, with the long-haired, unkempt driver, who's been saddled with the unfortunate name of Poupi Kakas (Alexis Georgoulis). Go ahead, say it out loud to yourself. Then try to contain the sidesplitting laughter.
'Departures'
Rated PG-13
2 1/2 stars
A surprise winner of this year's foreign-language Oscar, beating out front-runners "Waltz With Bashir" and "The Class," this Japanese dramedy has its moments but is ultimately overlong and too melodramatic. Director Yojiro Takita and writer Kundo Koyama begin with an intriguing premise, though: After the symphony orchestra he plays for disbands, cellist Daigo Kobayashi (Masahiro Motoki) leaves Tokyo and returns to his hometown with his sunny, supportive wife, Mika (Ryoko Hirosue). There, he answers a help-wanted ad he thinks is from a travel agency, but in this case, "departures" pertains to the dead. (The long, wooden boxes in the office should have given him a clue.) But Daigo needs the money, and even though he has zero experience in this area, he trains with the company's crusty owner, Sasaki (Tsutomu Yamazaki), in the ritual of encoffination. This is the washing, clothing and placing of the deceased into a coffin while family members watch and grieve. Daigo is disgusted at first, which provides the film's early comedy. But in time, he comes to appreciate the beauty of the act, the care that goes into it and the closure it provides for the loved ones left behind. It's a lovely and moving process. Too often, though, his interaction with the families turns maudlin, which is unnecessary: The state in which we're seeing them is clearly emotional enough on its own.
'Drag Me to Hell'
Rated PG-13
3 1/2 stars
The name alone tells you exactly what this is — an unabashed celebration of B-movie schlockery — but the dichotomies director Sam Raimi presents within that familiar genre are what make this such a kick. Raimi returns to the kind of cheeky horror that made him a cult favorite with the low-budget "Evil Dead" trilogy, but he applies all the high-tech tricks he's acquired with the blockbuster "Spider-Man" trilogy. He and brother Ivan Raimi have written a rather old-fashioned terror tale, full of curses and creaks, bumps and shrieks, but they've added a heavy splattering of their trademark dark humor. (Some of the absurdly funny visual gags include creative uses for office supplies, a talking goat and an unsuspecting kitty.) All these contradictions add up to one hell of a ride: You'll squirm, you'll scream, you'll laugh your butt off and beg for more. Alison Lohman's character, the innocent Christine Brown, gets more than she ever could have imagined. A bank loan officer competing for a promotion, she denies a creepy old woman an extension on her mortgage loan, thinking that's the right decision to impress her boss (David Paymer). Turns out she turned down the wrong customer: Mrs. Ganush (Lorna Raver) is a vengeful gypsy who feels so shamed, she places a powerful curse on Christine that torments her day and night.
'Up'
Rated PG
3 1/2 stars
The title is deceptively simple, which is fitting, because the latest achievement from Pixar Animation is deeper and more complex on every level than it would initially appear. It's a classic B-movie exotic adventure, the kind that inspired Steven Spielberg and George Lucas to make "Raiders of the Lost Ark," but it's told through the most high-tech, gorgeous 3-D animation. It's a mismatched buddy comedy, the kind we've seen countless times before, but the buddies are a curmudgeonly 78-year-old man and a tubby 8-year-old boy — who wind up together in a flying house, traveling to South America. And, as with many family films that get pumped out each summer, it has talking dogs. But it's how the dogs talk and what they say that are truly inspired, and oddly realistic. Pete Docter (Pixar's "Monsters, Inc.") and co-director and writer Bob Peterson turn their imagination this time to human beings, rare creatures in the animated kingdom. But between the richness of the characters, the meatiness of their interaction and the authenticity of the details, it won't take you long to forget that "Up" is a cartoon and become immersed. Ed Asner is the perfect choice to voice the cranky widower Carl Fredricksen, who ties thousands of helium balloons to his house and takes to the skies, with endearing newcomer Jordan Nagai playing the overeager scout who's trapped on his front porch.
— Associated Press
