Imagine That

Rating: PG

Movie Release Date: June 12, 2009

DVD Release Date: October 6, 2009

Plot 411: An finance exec uses his daughter's imaginary friends to pick stocks for clients.

Review: Eddie Murphy plays Evan, a bigwig workaholic who faces some competition from Johnny (Thomas Hayden Church), a new guy in his company. Johnny is using his native American roots to pitch financial decisions to clients. He swoops in and begins taking Evan's clients. During this time, Evan is babysitting his daughter Olivia (Yara Shahidi) for the week. She is having trouble adjusting to the divorce of her parents. Her mom is played by Nicole Ari Parker. To cope, she is unusually attached to her blanket, which she uses to escape into make-believe lands. However, when her fairy princesses begin giving extraordinary stock tips, Evan does all that he can to get their advice. Even though this is supposed to be a kid's movie, I think adults would be the best served by watching it. The movie has several funny scenes (I mean, it's Eddie Murphy for goodness sake), but I didn't feel like there was a ton of things to offer kids. The movie focuses on the lack of involvement Evan has in his daughter's life and how he is consumed with success and status at work. We could all heed this movie's advice and probably be better off as a result.

Watch It: But don't expect another The Nutty Professor performance.

Skip It: And set your kid up with How To Train Your Dragon instead.

Boogie Nights

Rating: R

Movie Release Date: October 10, 1997

DVD Release Date: April 7, 1998

Plot 411: The ups and downs (literally and figuratively) of one kid's porn career, which spans the '70s and '80s, and how it affects his life.

Review: Mark Wahlberg plays down-and-out, 17-year-old teen Eddie Adams whose gifts in certain areas allow him to break into the porn industry. He changes his name to Dirk Diggler and becomes a star for director John Horner (Burt Reynolds). As the movie unfolds, we're privy to insider info and goings on, which really turn out to be a host of humorous events. The sex industry is really a backdrop for the characters. Many of them are flawed in ways that everyone can relate to, such as being separated from a child, having an alcoholic parent or dropping out of school. We learn that everyone in Horner's company uses the film industry as a escape from the real world. For the most part, it's just a job that they do. We see the rise and fall of people as fame and drugs are introduced, then abused. What I loved the most was the transition in clothing and hairstyles. The changes were very distinct and recreated that period of time easily. Other adult film stars in Horner's stable were Rollergirl (Heather Graham), Amber Waves (Julianne Moore), Reed Rothchild (John C. Reilly), Becky Barnett (Nicole Ari Parker) and Buck Swope (Don Cheadle). The actors all serve as a disfunctional family unit, supporting each other during rough times and celebrating successes together.

Watch It: For a humorous look at the steamy sex business. It's all smoke and mirrors.

Skip It: If you're already turned off from the Plot 411. It's a different kind of movie than most so it does take a certain kind of audience to enjoy it.