From Paris With Love

Rating: R

Movie Release Date: February 5, 2010

DVD Release Date: June 8, 2010

Plot 411: An intelligence operative gets activated for his first real field assignment and is partnered with an unorthodox cowboy of a spy.

Review: James Reece (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) is a young spy who moonlights as the American ambassador to Paris' personal aide. In addition to his duties as an aide, he spends time working small jobs that assist other field agents. However, when he is tasked with getting a senior agent named Wax (John Travolta) out of customs, he is quickly schooled in the ways of international spydom. Travolta and Meyers play well off each other and are able to portray their characters in believable and likeable ways. Wax is incredibly free-spirited and dead bodies pile up fast around him. You can't say he isn't effective. Reece's inexperience reflects the audienece's shock at Wax's method. In an almost carefree manner, Wax shoots up an entire room without flinching. Together Travolta and Meyers are a pretty entertaining comedic duo. The movie's pace was slow going at first as it's trying to establish the scene, but it quickly got into gear. The combination of direcctor Peter Morel and writer Luc Besson worked well in my opinion. When the action blew up, it reall went for it. There were multiple gunfights in close quarters and some decent action sequences.

Watch It: Because it's pretty entertaining and there's a cool scene where Travolta slides down a pole upside down. Wonder where he learned that trick? Carmen Electra's pole dancing video?

Skip It: Because it's probably highly inaccurate as far as the special ops world is concerned. The body count keeps rising and no one blinks an eye.

August Rush

Rating: PG

Movie Release Date: November 21, 2007

DVD Release Date: March 11, 2008

Plot 411: An orphan caught in the system truly believes his parents are out there and knows that all he needs to do is play music to draw them back.

Review: Evan (Freddie Highmore) is a kid growing up in the New York foster care system. He refuses to be adopted because he believes his parents are out there looking for him. The reality of it is that his parents (Keri Russell and Jonathan Rhys Meyers) don't even know he's alive and aren't even together. However, Evan is so sure they're out there that he runs away and becomes a street kid. He is taken in by Wizard (Robin Williams), a guy who cares for many other runaways in exchange for a cut of their street performances. Evan's talent is so great that he soon moves on to bigger and better things in hopes that his parents will one day find him. This is a truly moving and inspirational film. You'll feel the music flowing through you, just as it flows through Evan. Highmore makes you fall in love with Evan because of his sweet disposition. You really root for the kid and hope things work out, even though through our adult eyes you know the situation is pretty dire. Evan's optimism is unmatched and you gotta wonder how someone in that kind of situation can sustain it. Williams plays a scoundrel one minute and a loving father figure the next. It's quite an interesting mix.

Watch It: And let the music grab hold of your soul.

Skip It: If you live firmly in reality. Some of the plot is a stretch of the imagination.