Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears A Who!

Rating: G

Movie Release Date: March 3, 2008

DVD Release Date: December 9, 2008

Plot 411: An elephant discovers an entire world on a speck of dust and must protect it from the other jungle animals.

Review: Horton (Jim Carrey) is a lovable elephant who hears a small sound emitting from a speck of dust floating in the air. He decides to house the speck on a clover because he thinks there may be creatures living on the speck. Indeed, there is the entire community of Who-ville, including its mayor Ned (Steve Carell), his wife (Amy Poehler), daughters (Selena Gomez) and son JoJo (Jesse McCartney). The animals in Horton's jungle do not believe that there might be life on the speck, and led by Kangaroo (Carol Burnett), they turn into a mob looking to destroy the speck. Can Horton save Who-ville from destruction? I really enjoyed this movie for all its wonderful dialogue and heartfelt message. The lilting gait of the narrator as he reads Dr. Seuss' classic story drives home the power of Seuss' words and emphasizes the impact he has on today's children. I didn't realize I knew so many lines from the book until I was miraculously able to recite them with the film. Today's technology merely enhances a story that is over 50 years old. Also providing voice talent are Will Arnett, Seth Rogen, Isla Fisher and Jonah Hill.

Watch It: For inspiration to make a difference in other people's lives and to firmly stand your ground when you are faced with opposition.

Skip It: And read the book first. This is definitely a must.

Definitely, Maybe

Rating: PG-13

Movie Release Date: February 14, 2008

DVD Release Date: June 24, 2008

Plot 411: A dad tells his daughter the real story of how he fell in love with her mother, but it's complicated.

Review: Will (Ryan Reynolds) is in the process of divorcing his wife when his daughter Maya (Abigail Breslin) asks him to tell her the story of how he met her mother. Besides being intrigued by what happened, Maya also hopes this will reunite her parents. Will decides to change all the names and some of the things that happen in this retelling, forcing Maya (and the audience) to guess which woman is her mother. As the story goes, Will has three relationships with women who could possibly be Maya's mother: his college sweetheart (Elizabeth Banks), a journalist (Rachel Weisz) and his best friend (Isla Fisher). As the tale unfolds, things get more and more complicated but Maya is determined to figure out who her mother is. This film took a unique stab at the rom com genre and actually made it a lot more interesting. Because of how the plot, the audience really becomes invested in the characters - if not for Will's sake but for Maya's. As each piece of the puzzle is revealed, your anticipation mounts. I also enjoyed the twists and turns of how each relationship played out. While some things were still predictable, many aspects of the relationships were utterly true to the real world. Rather than wrap things up nicely, this film showed us all the loose ends. It didn't pull its punches - just as real life never will. Reynolds does a really good job playing a concerned father and his on-screen relationship with Breslin is great. As usual, he is good looking and funny, but now his affection for his daughter really makes him a dream catch. It's just the thing to pull in female viewers.

Watch It: For the unique storytelling hook of the plot.

Skip It: If you like your romances straightforward and passion filled. This one would be described more as sweet and endearing.

The Lookout

Rating: R

Movie Release Date: March 30, 2007

DVD Release Date: August 14, 2007

Plot 411: A man just trying to get his life together after suffering a head injury is recruited for a bank heist.

Review: This was a complex story about the choices (many of which are bad) we make in life and how the affect our future. On his prom night, Chris Pratt (Joeseph Gordon-Levitt) makes the seriously bad decision to drive without his headlights on and gets into an accident that kills two of his friends and injures another. Chris also suffers serious head injuries that still affect him four years later. Just trying to live like everyone else, he has a job as a janior at a bank. Internally, Chris struggles to get a grip on things. This is difficult when he has moderate memory loss, a hindrance in some of his motor skills and just finds it hard to make it from one moment to the next. When Gary (Matthew Goode) approaches him with a quick fix to get his life together and be normal once again, he makes another bad decision. One thing leads to another and Chris is in one of the worst situations of his life. Gordon-Levitt's performance is powerful because of its subtlety. He doesn't overact Chris' struggles, but the audience is clearly aware that there are many challenges in his life. He doesn't make the character pitiful and in fact shows us just how determined Chris can be. Jeff Daniels plays Lewis, Chris' roommate and friend who is blind. Both characters rely on each other but also understand each other's strengths and failures. Isla Fisher also has a small part as Chris' love interest. This was a really good character-driven script that allowed the actors to really emote.

Watch It: For a close look at one person's struggle in life and how he decides to deal with it.

Skip It: If you're looking for an Ocean's Eleven-like heist film.

Confessions Of A Shopaholic

Rating: PG

Movie Release Date: February 13, 2009

DVD Release Date: June 23, 2009

Plot 411: Becky is trying to make it as a fashion journalist. She has all the fashion cred that a steep credit card debt can give her too. Will her devotion to fashion pay off before the bill collectors collect?

Review: Seriously, what was the director thinking when he put moving mannequins in a film who didn't come alive like Kim Cattrall (in Mannequin)? What a waste of film . . . or digital film, whatever. Another thing that bothered me was that they transplanted this obviously British chick lit book to New York as did the people who made P.S. I Love You (Ireland to N.Y.C.). Must everything be Americanized for us Americans? It's as if Hollywood doesn't think we're capable of following a simple plot if it's in an accented language. I don't think the movie comes across quite as effectively as the book. Even Suz, Becky's best friends, isn't half as quirky as I pictured her in my mind while reading the book. While Isla Fisher is definitely funny, this movie doesn't make use of her at all. She made a bigger impact in Wedding Crashers as a supporting character than she does in this movie as the lead. One good thing though is that I think we've just found a Hugh Grant for the next generation in Hugh Dancy. He's got the same bouncy hair, the boyish good looks and a subtle humor that is so British.

Watch It: If you think you'll enjoy a light-hearted comedy starring the lovely Isla Fisher, minus the crazy she had in Wedding Crashers.

Skip It: If you've already read the book. This will be a definite disappointment.

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