“End of Watch” (R) ***** Wow! What a fine film! Honest, gritty, involved, plotted beautifully, incredibly acted and totally disgusting in language and subject matter; nevertheless, this is one of the best films of the year. Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael…
Mike at the Movies
Mike at the Movies
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“Finding Nemo – 3D” (G) **** Let us be clear: This is not “Finding Nemo – 2.” That will be released in 2016 with a new story and most of the same voices. This is a re-release of the 2003…
Mike at the Movies
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“Hit and Run” (R) *** This is a goofy film that some may find too potty-mouthed but which possesses a rough charm, if for no better reason than that it’s goofy. Yul Perkins, aka Charlie Bronson (Dax Shepard, who wrote,…
Mike at the Movies
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“Hope Springs” (PG-13) **** Never have a single fried egg and slice of bacon held such symbolic power. That is the breakfast that Kay (Meryl Streep) serves Arnold (Tommy Lee Jones) every morning as he galumphs to the breakfast table…
Mike at the Movies
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“Moonrise Kingdom” (PG-13) ★★★★★ What a wonderful quirky, idiosyncratic, tender, funny love story this is! A combination of two young actors making their film debuts and an all-star class of veterans combine with the darkly comic Wes Anderson, who wrote…
Mike at the Movies
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“The Amazing Spider-Man” (PG-13) ★★★ Here we go again. Same plot, different actors, different villain. In fact, one of the problems with this version is that there is only one villain, and Peter Parker is blamed — and blames himself…
Mike at the Movies
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“Brave” (PG) ★★★★★ Few things in life can compare with the origination of a new legend. And when you hear the pipes and see the castles of Scotland even in a Pixar animated film, you suspect that legends may be…
Mike at the Movies
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“Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted 3D” (PG) *** It suddenly occurred to me why I was enjoying this film more than “human” movies with a similar amount of special effects crammed into them. Unrestrained by the demands of minimal reality,…
Mike at the Movies
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“The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” (PG-13) **** There are movies you see in which, as soon as the opening rolls, you can relax, knowing that you’re in the hands of professionals who will not let you down. Such is the…
Mike at the Movies
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“Marvel’s The Avengers” (PG-13) ★★★★ For a film that has been so much anticipated for so long, this could have been a disappointment, but it is not. Far from being a disappointment, this film transcends the genre of Super Hero…