Summit Entertainment has send us over the official IMAX poster and stills for their upcoming release "Ender's Game". The film stars Asa Butterfield, Hailee Steinfeld, Ben Kingsley, Viola Davis, with Abigail Breslin and Harrison Ford. "Ender's Game hits theaters on 11/1.

For more information on this film, you can go to the film's official website at: IF-BattleSchool.com .

Plot Synopsis:

In the near future, a hostile alien race called the Formics have attacked Earth. If not for the legendary heroics of International Fleet Commander Mazer Rackham (Ben Kingsley), all would have been lost. In preparation for the next attack, the highly esteemed Colonel Hyrum Graff (Harrison Ford) and the International Military are training only the best young minds to find the future Mazer.

Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield), a shy but strategically brilliant boy, is recruited to join the elite. Arriving at Battle School, Ender quickly and easily masters increasingly difficult challenges and simulations, distinguishing himself and winning respect amongst his peers. Ender is soon ordained by Graff as the military's next great hope, resulting in his promotion to Command School. Once there, he's trained by Mazer Rackham himself to lead his fellow soldiers into an epic battle that will determine the future of Earth and save the human race.

Based on the best-selling, award winning novel, ENDER'S GAME is an epic adventure which stars Asa Butterfield, Hailee Steinfeld, Ben Kingsley, Viola Davis, with Abigail Breslin and Harrison Ford.

Summit Entertainment recently send us over teaser posters for their upcoming release of "Ender's Game". The upcoming film stars Asa Butterfield, Hailee Steinfeld, Ben Kingsley, Viola Davis, with Abigail Breslin and Harrison Ford. "Ender's Game hits theaters on 11/1.

For more information on this film, you can go to the film's official website at: IF-BattleSchool.com .

Plot Synopsis:

In the near future, a hostile alien race called the Formics have attacked Earth. If not for the legendary heroics of International Fleet Commander Mazer Rackham (Ben Kingsley), all would have been lost. In preparation for the next attack, the highly esteemed Colonel Hyrum Graff (Harrison Ford) and the International Military are training only the best young minds to find the future Mazer.

Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield), a shy but strategically brilliant boy, is recruited to join the elite. Arriving at Battle School, Ender quickly and easily masters increasingly difficult challenges and simulations, distinguishing himself and winning respect amongst his peers. Ender is soon ordained by Graff as the military's next great hope, resulting in his promotion to Command School. Once there, he's trained by Mazer Rackham himself to lead his fellow soldiers into an epic battle that will determine the future of Earth and save the human race.

Based on the best-selling, award winning novel, ENDER'S GAME is an epic adventure which stars Asa Butterfield, Hailee Steinfeld, Ben Kingsley, Viola Davis, with Abigail Breslin and Harrison Ford.

Zombieland
Year: 2009
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Stars: Jessie Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone
MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 80 Mins





The zombie genre has exploded in the last five years with “Dawn of the Dead (remake)” “28 Weeks Later”, “Shaun of the Dead”, “Dead Snow”, George Romero’s upcoming “Survival of the Dead” and the “Resident Evil” sequels. Now here’s the latest entry “Zombieland”.

The film is about Columbus, a geeky nerd (Jessie Eisenberg), who lives by a set of rules in mist of a zombie apocalypse. While walking in the middle of the highway, he meet up with Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), a gun toting zombie killer with a fond for twinkles. On their cross- country adventure, they hook up a pair of sisters (Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin) who are running scams, while surviving this zombie mayhem. Soon they don’t know is what’s worse, trying to survive a zombie apocalypse or trying to survive with each other.

There are some films that don’t attempt to have a plot or any of the elements that you can recommend, but afterward you come out of theater saying that you had a fun time. This was the case with “Zombieland”. This is no Shaun of the Dead by no means, but I couldn’t help myself enjoy the film for what it is.

Ruben Fleischer’s direction was good enough to make this a fun guilty pleasure film. The way he directs the action scenes help this film become a fun one to watch. Fleischer directs them in quick and rapid style that helps makes the scenes feel like that you are actually watching a full-fledged horror film. But makes this film successful is the way he directs the comedy scenes. I liked how he adds title card repeatedly, when you come across one of the rules that the main character lives by. It got kind of redundant at first but once the humor clicked, it became funny. He does a very good job creating chemistry be Jessie Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson (who is very funny here). The chemistry between the actors is probably the key thing that makes this very fun. If the chemistry between the two main actors failed, then this probably would have been a hard film to sit through.

Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick’s screenplay was average for the most part. There were things that I liked with this screenplay. First, I liked how they named each of the main characters based on a city. It adds to the humorous element that is in the film already and makes you get into the story, if you figure the joke second. Second, their strongest writing came at a point in the film where the celebrity cameo (which I will not spoil) happens. That was about a good ten minutes where the four are at his house and they find him still alive. It was my favorite part of the film, because the writing there was funny and got most laughs out of me during any part of the film. Finally, it doesn’t take itself to seriously, as it tries to be it’s own movie and not other “Shaun of the Dead” clone.

The screenplay has its problems though. I thought there was little character or story development, as it made me what to know more about what happen in the beginning. Maybe if they set this film around the time the zombie invasion started, this would have been something special, instead of a guilty pleasure film. Also, I would have liked to have seen some scenes written a little longer, because this felt like a fast film at eighty minutes. Hopefully, they will correct that for the inevitable sequel.

“Zombieland” is no “Shaun of the Dead”, but if you are looking for a fun time at the cinema, then this is movie for you.

Review Rating: Three and a Half Stars.

Starring: Abigail Breslin, Jodie Foster, Gerard Butler

Rating: 2 out of 5 (3 1/2 for kids)

I waited until Saturday morning to see this movie. I would like to say it was only because it would be the best way to gauge the audience’s reaction to a kids' movie, but honestly, my Friday night ritual movie takes a backseat to the season premiere of “Battlestar Galactica.” Still, I think it was a wise to delay until Saturday so that I could see how kids reacted to this movie. Although I may not have been bowled over, you could have heard a pin drop in the theatre. It is rare that you go to a movie stocked with that many kids and do not hear a peep from any of them. Either they were riveted to the screen or high on the sugary goodness of Raisinettes, they fell asleep during the hypnotic opening credits.

“Nim’s Island” is the story of 11 year old Nim who lives on an island in the Pacific Ocean, somewhere near the Cook Islands. Her mother, an oceanographer, died when she was four years old. Her scientist father Jack (Gerard Butler with an American accent) loaded her onto their boat and sailed around the world twice until he discovered this “Fire Island” where they settled to live. Nim grew up on the island with her father and only the local animals as her friends. It sounds like a lonely existence but you would never know it from the total, unmitigated joy emanating from both Nim and her father. These are clearly two people who are passionate about life and quite content with what they have. Nim spends her days with her sea lion, pelican, and lizard friends, and only punctuates this routine with shipments from the outside world, which occasionally include the latest Alex Rover adventure novel.

Jack sets off on a two day boat trip to track down new species of plankton, reluctantly leaving behind his stubborn daughter after she talks him into letting her stay behind to help hatch sea turtles. However, a horrible storm pops up out of nowhere, leaving Jack stranded out at sea in his sinking boat. Meanwhile, Nim enjoys her freedom back on the island and even manages to meet her hero Alex Rover online. What Nim does not know is that adventurer Alex Rover is actually an agoraphobic woman named Alexandra living in San Francisco who has never done anything close to adventurous, save attempting to get her mail. When the crazy storm comes ashore on the island, Nim becomes worried when she no longer can contact her father by satellite phone. Scared, Nim reaches out to her hero Alex Rover and manages to talk her into coming to the island to help her.

This movie has a number of things going for it. The cast is phenomenal, even if I do not buy for a second that Jodie Foster would be afraid of anything. The four main characters, Nim, Alexandra Rover, imaginary male Alex Rover (also Butler), and Jack are likeable and interesting. The story idea is exciting and fun, and it is exactly the kind of movie I would have either imagined myself as a child or been anxious to watch repeatedly at the local movieplex. The problem I had with the movie was that despite the story and actors, it still kind of felt flat. In part this was the directing, but in larger part, the writing just did not flow well. There was 10 lbs of plot in this 5 lb bag and yet the movie still seemed to drag. The side plot of Nim defending her island was fun, but it took up too much of the screen time. I almost would have liked to see more of Alexandra’s journey and struggle, but on the other hand, I don’t think Jodie Foster’s comic timing would have made that more enjoyable. I also liked the imaginary Alex Rover played by Butler with his native Scottish accent, talking to Foster. It kind of reminded me of Jack Flack from “Cloak and Dagger” only Alex haunts the adult rather than the child in this movie. Still I liked Alex’s chemistry with Alexandra quite a bit, and I almost would have liked to see more of it.

Overall this movie is better for kids because adults might get bored, especially on repeat viewings with their children. I think the movie has enough things going right with it that children will not only enjoy it, but have a special place in their heart for it as they get older. A great family movie, it is worth checking out in the theatre if you have kids. If you don’t have any, DVD and cable are a fine place to check this out later.

Written & Directed by: Adam Brooks

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Abigail Breslin, Elizabeth Banks, Isla Fisher, Rachel Weisz, Kevin Kline

Movie Rating: 2

Film Rating: 3

In so many ways I should not like Ryan Reynolds. Yet here I am, movie after movie, liking the guy. Even though he basically plays various versions of himself, there is something kind of likeable about him. And that was kind of how I felt about this movie: I shouldn’t like it, but the people in it are just so darn likeable.

Pre-show: After passing some random scantily clad girls in the hallway promoting the release of “10,000 B.C.” I was beginning to wonder if I had missed my theatre. Noting that “Rambo” was playing next door to the ladies, I followed the small groups of middle aged woman and sure enough, found the right theatre. I knew the work week had taken its toll on me, but much like Homer Simpson’s loss of doorbell recognition, I apparently lost the knowledge of how to navigate a multiplex at some point this week. Safely settled alone in a seat between two snuggly couples, I was ready for the Valentine’s Day movie of the week.

Movie: “Definitely, Maybe” is the story of Will Hayes (Ryan Reynolds) who is about to sign his divorce papers and who must relive his romantic life at his daughter’s insistence. Since Will adores his daughter Maya (Abigail Breslin) and because she refuses to let it go, Will agrees to tell her the story of his romantic history. However, much like “Dragnet” the names have been changed to protect the innocent. The innocent being the ears of a child in this instance. The flashbacks are punctuated with moments in the present where Maya quizzes her father for answers and tries to figure out which woman in the story is her real life mother. It actually flows rather smoothly, if predictably.

The best part about the movie by a mile is the cast. The characters are nothing truly spectacular but the cast brings such a sweetness and charm that it was hard not to enjoy the movie on some level. Will seems to have a nice chemistry with all the women, but it is precisely that chemistry that telegraphs how each woman will actually fit into his life in the present. Though predictable, it never really felt all that hokey.

Though the story moves along nicely and is never too overly sentimental, that is not to say that it was really well written. The dialogue was rarely memorable and the story went on longer than it should have. However, the script definitely gets points for realism, flow, and interest. I think if there had been any other cast in the roles that this movie would have been a much tougher sale on the script and story alone. The actors make the scenes and they make the movie.

Isla Fisher is just lovely here. At times her character borders on annoying but it is Fisher that makes the character so sweet and likeable despite her quirks. The same can be said about an animated Rachel Weisz and a subdued Elizabeth Banks. Reynolds makes a believable father, although not necessarily of Breslin. Still, Reynolds clearly has a nice bond with the actress and it shows on screen. My favorite role was probably that of Kevin Kline as Hampton Roth. Of course when Kline is in a movie, it is hard for him to not be one’s favorite. On paper the character is a bit over the top, but Kline seems to ground him and make him interesting.

Although this movie was kind of mediocre, it still held my interest for most of the show, and I found that I actually really enjoyed the evening. If for no other reason than it made me nostalgic for New York City. When you live in a city like New York, you are living so close to other people that there is a kind of forced kinship. It is rare in movies to see that kinship and sort of nice side to New York. I’m not saying it is a happy go lucky town, but not everybody starts the day off at the bagel shop there hearing, “You want lox on that? No? Well fuck you!” In this movie there seemed to be a little bit more of a realistic portrayal of what it is like to live in New York. I mean, for a movie. Anyway, I kind of dug that. It made me homesick for the East Coast.

Overall this movie was actually rather pleasant. It appears to be a comedy in the trailers, but do not let that fool you. This is more of a drama than anything. It is a sweet love story told without a lot of bells and whistles, without a lot of swelling music, and without a lot of overly romantic gestures and speeches. Well, the last bit was kept to a minimum at least. For someone like me who seems to have an allergy to schmaltz, that was a nice surprise. Maybe not a theatre kind of pick, but I would definitely recommend it for DVD or cable.