TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

QUICK FLICKS

ADVERTISEMENT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 26, 2008

OPENING

Mongol (not Reviewed)

Nominated for Best Foreign Language Film, this action-adventure movie recounts the early life of Genghis Khan who was a slave before going on to conquer half the world, including Russia, in 1206. In Mongolian with English subtitles. 126 minutes (R; sequences of bloody warfare)

WALL-E ***½

After more than 100 years doing its lonely work of garbage collecting on Earth, the robot WALL-E discovers his true purpose when a visitor prompts him to pursue adventure elsewhere in the galaxy. This sure-to-be Pixar/Disney classic includes the voices of Fred Willard and Jeff Garlin. Review, Page 6. 103 minutes (G)

Wanted ***

The life of a cube-dwelling slacker (James McAvoy) is changed when his estranged father is killed and he's recruited by an attractive assassin (Angelina Jolie) to avenge his death. Review, Page 4. 111 minutes (R; strong bloody violence throughout, pervasive profanity and some sexuality)

OPENING WEDNESDAY

Hancock (not reviewed)

It's Independence Day, you know what that means -a new Will Smith movie. This time he plays Hancock, a hard-living superhero who's fallen from favor with the people he's supposed to help. Also stars Charlize Theron and Jason Bateman. 92 minutes. (PG-13; some intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence and language)

Kit Kittredge: An American Girl (not reviewed)

Aspiring reporter Kit Kittredge (Abigail Breslin) finds adventure and struggle during the Great Depression in this film based on An American Girl books and dolls. Also starring Chris O'Donnell, Julia Ormond and Stanley Tucci. 100 minutes. (G)

TAMPA THEATRE

A historic film house at 711 Franklin St. in downtown Tampa; (813) 274-8981. Tickets for regular screenings: $9 adults, $8 students with ID, $7 seniors age 55 and older, military and children 12 and younger. Weekend matinees: $7. Admission includes pre-show Mighty Wurlitzer Theater Organ mini-concert.

Before the Rains (not reviewed)

Amid upheaval in 1930s India, a British man (Linus Roache) embarks on an affair with an Indian woman (Nandita Das) while another villager (Rahul Bose) tries to quell his inner struggle. 98 minutes. (PG-13; violence and sexuality)

Show times: 3, 5:15, 7:30 p.m. Saturday; 7:30 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday

Pink Panther (not reviewed)

The film that launched a comedic franchise stars Peter Sellers as bumbling Inspector Clouseau (Peter Sellers), who is on the tail of a famous jewel-thief set on stealing the famous "Pink Panther" gem. Also stars David Niven, Robert Wagner and Claudia Cardinale. 113 minutes. (Not rated; nothing objectionable)

Show time: Sunday at 3 p.m.; admission is $8

STILL IN TOWN

Baby Mama **½

Tina Fey stars as a successful single woman unable to conceive a child who pins her maternal hopes on working-class surrogate (Amy Poehler) who is more child than adult. 96 minutes (PG-13; crude and sexual humor, profanity and drug references)

The Bank Job **½

In this film based on a true story, a dodgy car dealer (Jason Statham) and a friend from his old neighborhood (Saffron Burrows) rob a bank of safe deposit boxes that yield money, jewelry and a treasure trove of scandalous secrets. 110 minutes (R; sexual content, nudity, violence and profanity)

College Road Trip (not reviewed)

When an overachieving high school student (Raven-Symone) decides to travel around the country to check out colleges, her overprotective police officer dad (Martin Lawrence) decides to tag along. 83 minutes (G)

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian ***

The adventure continues when the Pevensie children return to Narnia, find it in ruins and are compelled to ward off an evil king and restore the rightful heir, Prince Caspian, to the throne. 140 minutes (PG; battle action, violence)

Dinosaurs Alive! (not reviewed)

Audiences get to tag along on a dinosaur hunt with two paleontologists from the American Museum of Natural History as they search for fossils in renowned dinosaur hotbeds. Opening in conjunction with "Dinosaurs! The Exhibition" at Tampa's Museum of Science & Industry. 40 minutes (Not rated)

Drillbit Taylor **

Three boys tired of being picked on by the school bully seek protection by placing an ad for a bodyguard in Soldier of Fortune magazine. A homeless guy (Owen Wilson) answers the call, and hilarity in the vein of Judd Apatow (this film's producer), ensues. 102 minutes (PG-13; crude sexual references, bullying, profanity, partial nudity and drug references)

Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears A Who **½

From the beloved children's book, Horton (voiced by Jim Carrey) hears a cry for help coming from a speck of dust and is determined to help the people - no matter how small. Steve Carell, Carol Burnett, Amy Poehler also are featured voices. 88 minutes (G)

88 Minutes *½

Al Pacino portrays Jack Gramm, a college professor and FBI forensic psychiatrist who receives a death threat saying he only as 88 minutes to live. He must use his training to narrow a list of suspects that includes a disgruntled student, a jilted ex-lover and a serial killer on death row. 108 minutes (R; violence, nudity and profanity)

The Foot Fist Way **

Made on the cheap in just 19 days, this comedy tells the story of an inept, self-involved martial arts instructor (Danny McBride) trying to rebuild his life by fighting anyone who challenges him. 87 minutes (R; profanity and sexual content)

The Forbidden Kingdom **½

Based on a Chinese fable, a teenager discovers a unique weapon in a pawn shop and is transported back in time to ancient China, where he joins a crew of warriors fighting to free the imprisoned Monkey King. Stars Jackie Chan and Jet Li. 113 minutes (PG-13; martial arts action and violence)

Forgetting Sarah Marshall ***

After a devastating breakup with his TV star girlfriend, Peter (Jason Segel) heads to Hawaii on vacation only to find his ex (Kristen Bell) and her new boyfriend staying at the same resort. 112 minutes (R; sexual content, profanity and graphic nudity)

Get Smart *½

Steve Carell ("The Office") steps into the telephonic shoes of bumbling secret agent Maxwell Smart who, with vivacious super-spy partner Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway), attempts to thwart a nuclear plot by crime syndicate KAOS. 110 minutes (PG-13; rude humor, action violence and profanity)

Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk (not reviewed)

Robert Redford narrates this IMAX movie that takes audiences on a river-rafting adventure down the Colorado River with a team of explorers committed to bringing awareness to global water issues. 40 minutes (not rated)

The Happening **

Director M. Night Shyamalan tries breathing life back into his career with this frightening tale of a schoolteacher (Mark Wahlberg) and his family on the run for their lives as the world descends into chaos and self-destruction. How's that for vague? 91 minutes (R; violent and disturbing images)

Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay **

Picking up where the last movie left off, the pot-smoking duo (John Cho, Kal Penn) find themselves labeled as terrorists and on the run when they try to sneak a bong onto a flight to Amsterdam. 102 minutes (R; crude and sexual content, graphic nudity, profanity, drug use)

The Incredible Hulk **½

Edward Norton plays Bruce Banner in the latest retelling of the big green guy's life on the run, separation from his girlfriend (Liv Tyler) and the dangers of getting angry. Oscar winner William Hurt portrays Hulk's nemesis, Gen. Ross, part of the military machinery that wants to capture and exploit his power. 114 minutes (PG-13: intense action violence, frightening sci-fi images, brief suggestive content)

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull **½

Harrison Ford returns to the screen as our favorite archeologist in this predictable but enjoyable romp about a Soviet plot to harness the power of a mystical crystal skull. Along the way Indy runs into a Communist vixen (Cate Blanchett), a lost love (Karen Allen) and a biker with an attitude (Shia LeBeouf). 126 minutes (PG-13; violence and scary images)

Iron Man ***½

Wealthy industrialist Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is forced to build an armored suit after a life-threatening incident, and he ultimately decides to use its technology to fight against evil. Also stars Jeff Bridges and Gwyneth Paltrow. 126 minutes (PG-13; sci-fi action and violence, suggestive content)

Kung Fu Panda ***

Improbably chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy, an ungainly panda (voiced by Jack Black) trains to join an elite group of martial artists in this animated family comedy. 91 minutes (PG; martial arts action)

The Love Guru *½

Mike Myers tackles yet another accent in this film as Pitka, a self-help guru who tries to help the Toronto Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup by reuniting the team's star player with his estranged wife. 88 minutes (PG-13; crude and sexual content, profanity, comic violence and drug references)

Made of Honor *½

Patrick Dempsey leaps back to the big screen in this predictable comedy about a man who realizes too late that he's in love with his best friend (Michelle Monaghan), who's just announced her engagement to another man. 101 minutes (PG-13; sexual content and profanity)

Married Life (not reviewed)

A twisted tale set in the 1940s about an adulterous man (Chris Cooper) plotting his wife's death instead of putting her through the humiliation of a divorce. Also stars Pierce Brosnan, Rachel McAdams and Patricia Clarkson. 90 minutes (PG-13; sexuality)

Nim's Island **½

Nim (Abigail Breslin) lives on a remote island with her scientist dad (Gerard Butler), having adventures similar to books by her favorite recluse author and e-mail buddy (Jodie Foster), who finds her way to paradise when the young girl's dad goes missing. 96 minutes (PG; mild adventure action and profanity)

Sex and the City **½

The continuing adventures of Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha from the popular HBO series hit the big screen, picking up four years from where the series ended and may - or may not - include a wedding. Stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall and Christopher Noth. 148 minutes (R; strong sexual content, graphic nudity and profanity)

Speed Racer *

Day-glo, live-action version of the cheesy '60s Japanese anime series stars Emile Hirsch as Speed, the young hotshot of the Racer family, who gets behind the wheel to take on a corrupt corporate honcho ruining auto racing. Also stars Matthew Fox as Racer X and Christina Ricci as Racer's girlfriend, Trixie. 135 minutes (PG-13; action, violence, profanity, brief smoking)

Superhero Movie (not reviewed)

A man (Drake Bell) bitten by a genetically altered dragonfly becomes the world's newest and likely most inept crime-fighter in this sendup of superhero movies. Also stars Leslie Nielsen, Tracy Morgan and Sara Paxton. 85 minutes (PG-13; crude and sexual content, comic violence, drug references and profanity)

The Strangers (not reviewed)

A romantic evening goes horribly awry when a couple (Liv Tyler, Scott Speedman) returning home from a wedding is terrorized by three mysterious strangers. 90 minutes (R; violence/terror, profanity)

Then She Found Me (not reviewed)

Oscar winner Helen Hunt stars in and directs this film about a schoolteacher with a clicking biological clock whose marriage just went kaput - then she's confronted, for the first time, by her suffocating birth-mother (Bette Midler). 100 minutes (R; profanity and sexual situations)

21 **

A fact-based tale about a professor (Kevin Spacey) who takes a group of card-counting MIT students to Las Vegas to break the bank, but they run into trouble when a Sin City security chief (Laurence Fishburne) catches on to their blackjack scam. 123 minutes (PG-13; violence, sexual content, partial nudity)

What Happens in Vegas **

Two people (Cameron Diaz, Ashton Kutcher) discover they've gotten married following a night of debauchery, with one of them winning a huge jackpot after playing the other's quarter. While trying to undermine each other and get the dough, they fall in love. 99 minutes (PG-13; sexual and crude content, profanity, drug references)

You Don't Mess With the Zohan **

Adam Sandler stars as an Israeli commando who fakes his own death to follow his dream of becoming a hairdresser in New York. Silly and often juvenile, but its heart is in the right place. 113 minutes. (PG-13; crude and sexual content, profanity, nudity)

Young@Heart (not reviewed)

Documentary about a senior citizens chorus that covers songs by bands such as The Clash and Coldplay. What ultimately emerges is a funny and moving testament to the simple things these seniors value: old friendships, new challenges and a little time in the spotlight. 108 minutes (PG; mild profanity)

Listing compiled from Tribune wires and staff reports; Associated Press critics' ratings are out of four stars.

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT