The Alphabet Killer (R-2008)

I had not heard of this movie when I picked it up from Redbox, but I knew this much: The story of a serial killer preying on children with the same first and last initials would, at the very least, be interesting. Who knew I could be so wrong? For starters, this is another of those movies "based on a true story" that bears NO resemblance to the true story. It has gotten to the point that it no longer has any meaning when a movie is "based on a true story" or "inspired by actual events". This movie is really a completely fictional account of a detective, Megan Paige (Eliza Dushku), who finds herself unraveling while working on the case, losing her fiance (Cary Elwes), her job and her mind in the process. She ends up institutionalized for a while and, two years later, begins to put herself back together and returns to the police force in a desk job. Then, the "Alphabet Killer" strikes again and she finds herself getting more involved in the case, teetering on the brink of schizophrenia along the way. It is amazing how uninteresting a film they were able to put together with that concept. Dushku is not a bad actress, but she did not seem to be able to pull off the schizophrenia thing. Of course, there is always the chance that I have never met a schizophrenic, so I am unaware that she nailed it, but it certainly did not appear that way. Her shaking hands and head and "staring off into space" eyes just seemed forced and definitely felt like acting. (Remember, the key to acting is to never get caught doing it). So, this ended up being a very disappointing movie. The fact that I never heard of it until I saw it in Redbox should have tipped me off to that.

Grade: D

Trailer:

Bolt (G-2008)

"Bolt" is one of Disney's few non-Pixar cracks at computer animation. Of course, Pixar's John Lasseter was heavily involved, so the pedigree is still there. "Bolt" is the story of a TV dog who plays a dog with superpowers, Bolt (John Travolta). In order to get the best from the dog, they have managed to convince him that he really is a super-dog and that the shows are actually happening (canine method acting). This all works beautifully until Bolt gets out of his trailer and thinks his Penny (Miley Cyrus) is in trouble. In a series of unfortunate events, he finds himself in New York City, on the opposite coast from Penny and begins to learn he is not really a super dog after all. With the help of stray cat, Mittens (Susie Essman), and a hamster, Rhino (Mark Walton), Bolt must find his way home to be reunited with Penny. "Bolt" pretty much hits all of the spots it needs to hit. It is funny when it needs to be funny, cute when it needs to be cute and warm when it needs to be warm. It mixes those styles very well and the result is a very entertaining movie the whole family could enjoy. In fact, in many ways, it is more Pixar than Pixar. Pixar's early films were more straight entertainment and humor. Lately, while still very good, the Pixar movies seem to be more message-based, culminating in "Wall-E", which turned out to be very heavy on the message, not so much on the funny. We enjoyed this movie and had a lot of laughs and my daughter has already seen it twice.

Grade: B

Trailer:

Transporter 3 (R-2008)

"Transporter 3" is one of those movies that you really know what you are getting going in and you get exactly that. Looking for well-written drama with an engaging storyline? Look elsewhere. Looking for escapist action with over-the-top stunts and fight scenes? Well, pull up a chair. In this installment. Frank Martin (Jason Statham) has turned down a job he was not comfortable with taking and recommended a replacement. When the replacement does not work out, Martin finds himself reluctantly completing the job. To "guarantee" his cooperation, he and the woman he is transporting are given explosive bracelets which will explode if they ever get too far away from the car. What follows, of course, is some great car chases, explosions, violence and near non-stop action. One interesting thing about this series is how, uh, homo-erotic the fight scenes are. In the first one, he has a fight in a garage with no shirt on and doused in motor oil (so no one can grip him) and it is one of the most amazing and totally uncomfortable fight scenes I have ever seen. ("Uh, this is cool, but isn't this really a dude hot oil wrestling??"). In this one, he again has a fight scene with a group of thugs in which each piece of clothing is removed one by one and used as weapons. Again, very cool and very homo-erotic. Strange. While I liked this movie overall, I think the franchise has run its course. This one seems to be a very close copy to the original, which would indicate they have run out of ideas. Statham is great, as usual, and is probably the best action star out there right now.

Grade: C+

Trailer:

Role Models (UR-2008)

"Role Models" is the movie that moves Paul Rudd from the unknown sidekick into a leading movie star. Rudd plays Danny who, with his childish buddy, Wheeler (Sean Willam Scott), has a temporary lapse of judgement that has them facing jail time. Instead, however, the judge decides to place them in a "big brother" type program where they are expected to be mentors to a couple of kids who have trouble making friends. Danny is paired up with Augie (Christopher Mintz-Plasse, aka "McLovin"), who is a nerdy type obsessed with "LARP"ing (Live Action Role Playing) and has trouble fitting in with his peers. Wheeler is placed with Ronnie (Bobb'e J Thompson), a foul-mouthed kid with a serious attitude problem. The comedy is built around these two guys, who have no business being role models, struggling to do the right thing to avoid jail time while also trying not to get too involved with these kids at all. While the movie does go through the "growth of the characters as people" sap, it always manages to remain funny. I also found it amusing that their jobs involve going to schools to give students "Stay away from drugs" speeches while touting the benefits of energy drinks, sort of a "legal drug". Scott and Rudd work well together and Scott is at his best since "Stiffler". Thompson, the foul-mouthed kid, is hilarious and pretty much steals the movie. Some may find a kid this age saying the things he does to be offensive, but I have to admit that this politically incorrect type stuff is very funny to me. This is a funny movie, beginning to end, and the entire cast gets their chance to shine.

Grade: B

Trailer:

Lakeview Terrace (PG-13-2008)

"Lakeview Terrace" is sort of a poor man's "Gran Torino". In "Gran Torino", you have Clint Eastwood's retired "old school" racist who is angry about the non-white family moving next door. In "Lakeview Terrace", you have Samuel L. Jackson's much younger racist cop who is angry about the mixed race couple moving next door. The major difference is that "Gran Torino" is a story of personal redemption and "Lakeview Terrace" presents an unapologetic bad dude in Samule L. Jackson's Abel Turner. Turner is an LAPD cop who becomes enraged when Chris and Lisa Mattson (Patrick Wilson and Kerry Washington) move in. Chris is a white businessman and Lisa is his black wife. Right from the start, Turner starts to make their life miserable in subtle and not so subtle ways. It is clearly his intent to drive them out. The movie is a pretty entertaining look at neighbors who just will not get along. Turner's character is given a background story to explain his problem with this couple (which is actually unnecessary and takes away from his character a little, in my opinion: seemed forced). One of the other problems is the couple themselves as they actually give Turner plenty of legitimate reasons to not like them (making love in the pool in full view of Turner's children, tossing cigarette butts over his fence). Sure, his reactions and methods are completely excessive, but making the couple less sympathetic makes the audience care less about what happens to them. This is no tale of redemption as Turner becomes more and more obsessed with driving this couple out and the things he does are more and more extreme, leading to an explosive finale. Samuel L. Jackson is great, as usual, and the rest of the cast is pretty good, too. It is a good, entertaining movie, but not great.

Grade: B-


Trailer:

My Best Friend's Girl (R-2008)

Here is a movie that had great potential. The movie opens strong with a brilliantly funny bad date and includes another funny sequence near the end at a wedding. In between, you have a very bland romantic comedy which just does not deliver enough on the comedy part. Even the romance is sort of contrived to find a way to use the Cars song of the title as its basis. Dane Cook stars as Tank, who makes his living as a guy who will take the girl that dumped you on a date so horrific she is "guaranteed" to come running back to you. This premise is played out in the opening sequence mentioned earlier for results funny enough to make you think you are in for some good comedy. Unfortunately, the scenario of the title is quickly introduced when Tank's best friend, Dustin (Jason Biggs), finds himself dumped by his dream girl, Alexis (Kate Hudson), and reluctantly agrees to use Tank's services. Of course, Tank finds himself smitten with Alexis himself and begins to try to woo her for real. Other than the two sequences mentioned earlier, the movie has too much sap and not enough funny, although Jason Biggs has his moments and Alec Baldwin delivers in the few scenes he has. I am tempted to recommend this on the basis of those two scenes alone, but I can't go that far. My advice is to rent it, use the chapter search to find those two parts and then move on to another movie. Interestingly, Dane Cook, the comedian, was much better in his only dramatic role ("Mr. Brooks") than in any of his comedies, although it is not his performance that is lacking here.

Grade: C

Trailer:

The Orphanage (R-2007)

After seeing "Pan's Labyrinth", my mind was opened to foreign language films. Seeing Benicio Del Toro, the writer/director of "Pan's Labyrinth" attached to this film, it was a slam dunk I had to see it. This is the story of a woman (Belen Rudea) who was in an orphanage as a child and returns to re-open that orphanage as a home for special needs children. Not long after she arrives, her son (Roger Princep) begins to play with his new imaginary friends. Believing this is his normal childhood imagination, she is not concerned until the day he runs down the beach with his new "friend" and never comes back. She is determined to find him and is convinced he is still alive, even as all around her, including her husband, has given up. While it is a somewhat interesting story, it is very reminiscent of "Poltergeist", especially when she brings in a paranormal research team to "read" the house. Although the "creepy house of mystery" angle makes this a horror film, it is not really scary at all. It is a somewhat interesting story and very well done, the plot borrowed too heavily from "Poltergeist" and "1408" for me to give it a strong recommendation. Either of those films are actually a better pick. I was sort of hoping for a different, imaginative film and this did not quite hit the mark.

Grade: C-

Trailer:

Watchmen (R-2009)

"Watchmen" is not your normal "comic book" movie. It is very adult, dark, brutal and sexy. This one is not for the kids, not even close. "Watchmen" takes many of the superhero standards and puts a completely new spin on them. These characters are completely complex and have major psychological issues. Each and every one of them is a "tortured soul" in one way or another. Right from the opening, they let you know what you are in for. The opening scene is a brutal battle, ending with one of the characters, known as "The Comedian" (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) being thrown out of a high-rise window. The credits sequence rolls, showing history from 1940-1980 being played out through the eyes of the Watchmen. This title sequence is amazingly well done as they recreate events such as the Kennedy assassination and the lunar landing, but many more. Then, the movie begins as we follow "Rorshach" "(Jackie Earle Haley), who believes costumed heroes are being taken out and is determined to find out who killed "The Comedian". The story of the Watchmen is told through flashbacks as the characters reminisce about the past. The moral ambiguity of these characters, who are on the side of "good" while doing some very bad things, is incredibly well written. An example of this is the part where one character shoots a pregnant Vietnamese woman in cold blood...and he is one of the "good guys"! Haley's performance as "Rorshach" is simply amazing as he conveys the vicious, uncompromising brutality of a man bent on justice both while in the mask and without it. The sequence where Rorschach does some time in prison is classic stuff. If you can't tell yet, I absolutely loved this movie. One the one hand, it is like no other costumed hero movie you have ever seen, but is also like no other movie, period, you have ever seen. It does an amazing job blending classic comic book themes with dark and gritty film noir. It does not hold back on the violence, the brutality or the sex. This movie earns its "R" rating. By the time the movie ends, you have seen the requisite super-villain do the most horrific thing you can imagine, then explain why it was actually a very good thing....and you sort of start to buy it. I could have done without the full frontal male nudity that is prevalent ("Dr. Manhattan" (Billy Crudup) is a blue man with atomic powers from a nuclear accident...and he rarely wears clothes), but, hey, it was in the novel that way, so kudos to the filmmakers for not compromising the issue. While this was a ground-breaking movie that is a visual masterpiece, it is certainly not for everybody. If any of the scenes described above bother you, I have only scratched the surface. On a final note, I saw this in "IMAX" and I am officially an IMAX snob now. If a movie is coming out and it is available in IMAX, I must see it that way. The huge screen, the explosive sound, the sharp picture: it is simply amazing.

Grade: A+

Trailer:

Beverly Hills Chihuahua (PG-2008)

This is one of those movies where you get exactly what you would expect. Going in, you would think you are getting a family-friendly, cute dog movie that is moderately funny and that is exactly what this is. Nothing more, nothing less. What you don't expect is that very little of this movie occurs in Beverly Hills, since it is more a "fish out of water" tale. Chloe (Drew Barrymore), the titular chihuahua, is taken by her dog-sitter to Mexico. It does not take long for them to become separated, sending Chloe on an adventure to return to her more familiar home in Beverly Hills. While this is definitely a fun film for the whole family, I found to be sort of predictable and bland. There were some laughs to be found, but not a whole lot of them. There are certainly worse ways to spend family movie night, but I certainly wouldn't rush to the video store to pick up this one. That being said, this movie definitely has a target audience and I think that audience will be very happy with the movie. Like I started off saying, you get exactly what you expect: good or bad.

Grade: C

Trailer:

25 movies (No, not a "best of all time" list)

Lists like these are all the rage on "Facebook", but since this one is relevant to this website, I thought I would share it here:

1. Jaws: The first summer blockbuster and the movie that changed the industry. This is the movie that made me a movie lover. I will never forget seeing it a dozen times the summer it came out.

2. The Godfather: The mafia movie of all mafia movies. Love “The Sopranos”, “Goodfellas” and similar? NONE of them would exist without “The Godfather”. The perfect storm of cast, story and script, movies like this come along once in a lifetime. I could quote this film for hours. (Feel free to add “The Godfather II” to make this a complete film).

3. Die Hard: A movie that created a whole new level of action movies. Often imitated (SO many movies are referred to as “Die Hard on a...”), but never equaled. Bruce Willis became a major star in front of your eyes as “guy in the wrong place” John McLain. Yipee-ki-yay, motherf---er, indeed!!

4. Dumb and Dumber: This is one of those movies that I just can not turn off whenever I stumble across it. This is absolutely the best “stupid funny” movie of all time. As funny as Jim Carrey may be, Jeff Daniels meets him beat for beat and is hilarious in this movie. Another movie I could quote all day. Love this Jeff Daniels line, when discussing a former girlfriend dumping him: “She said I didn't listen to her. Well, I think that's what she said, I wasn't paying attention.”

5. Requiem for a Dream: Hands down the most powerful movie I have ever seen. A dark, horrific study of drug addiction and what it can do to you. On a side note, it also unintentionally illustrates Hollywood “racism”: To portray the female lead hitting bottom, she is shown, um, giving pleasure to an African-American man. A story-telling technique that would later be used in “Traffic”.

6. The Devils Rejects: Although this did not invent the “slasher” genre, this movie re-invented it. It also is a great new take on the “psycho family” genre with the Firefly family on the run from a sheriff that is just as twisted as they are. Vicious, horrifying and yes, flat-out funny, this movie shows how twisted I may be because I loved it. Two great pieces of dialogue:

Adam Banjo: Please, mister. This is insane.
Otis B. Driftwood: Boy, the next word that comes out of your mouth better be some brilliant f---in' Mark Twain shit. 'Cause it's definitely getting chiseled on your tombstone.

After taking a car and finding a littly boy in it (Spaulding is in clown makeup):
Captain J.T. Spaulding: What's the matter, kid? Don't ya like clowns?
Jamie: [shakes head crying] Captain
J.T. Spaulding: Why? Don't we make ya laugh? Aren't we f--in' funny? You best come up with an answer, cos I'm gonna come back here and check on you and your momma and if you ain't got a reason why you hate clowns, I'm gonna kill your whole f---ng family.

7. Toy Story: Ok, have to get back down to earth after that last one. Most Pixar films could make this list, but this is the one that started the computer animation genre. If this movie didn't work, animation would not be as we know it today. Despite how amazing it looked and the attention to detail, it is really the story that make this a great movie. It is fun, an interesting concept and entertaining for all.

8. The Pope of Greenwich Village: This may not make many people's lists, but this movie hit all of the marks. You had two great young stars on the rise in Mickey Rourke and Eric Roberts who had great chemistry as cousins involved in an ill-fated heist. It is actually interesting that neither one of them really fulfilled their potential as major stars and both were never better than in this film. “They took my thumb, Charlie!!!!!”

9. Reservoir Dogs: “Are you gonna bark all day,....little doggie, or are you gonna bite?” Quentin Tarantino explodes onto to the scene in another heist-gone-bad movie. It is supposed to be “the perfect crime” as a group of strangers are brought together to pull a heist, but when they learn one of them may be an undercover cop, all hell breaks loose. No one writes dialogue like Tarantino and the addition of great action, mystery and a killer soundtrack and Tarantino lays down the elements that will become his trademarks.

10. Pulp Fiction: Well, I might as well stay on the Tarantino bandwagon with probably his best film. Tarantino resurrects the career of John Travolta and adds the element of non-linear storytelling to his repertoire. I love that when Tarantino approached Travolta to be in this movie, Travolta was overweight and said “Ok, let me get in shape” and Tarantino said, “No, THIS is the Travolta I want in this movie.” When Travolta accidentally shoots their prisoner in the head, I will never forget how hard I laughed. SO many great moments in this movie.

11. E.T., the Extra-Terrestrial: Steven Spielberg gives a new wrinkle to the classic “boy and his dog” story when Elliot finds an interesting little creature in the woods, who turns out to be an alien who was left behind by his traveling party. This is Spielberg at his best, although I wish he did not tinker with it when the days of DVD came around.

12. Star Wars: Much as “Jaws” hit me in 1975, “Star Wars” did the same in 1977. A great, classic storyline with cutting edge effects to show you can do just about anything on film. The remainder of the original trilogy helped flesh out what became an amazing family story. Harrison Ford establishes himself as the “go-to” guy for Spielberg with this movie.

13. Blazing Saddles: Maybe the funniest movie ever made. Mel Brooks at his finest.

14. There's Something About Mary: While this Farrelly Brothers film may be funnier than “Dumb and Dumber”, I think “Dumb and Dumber” edges it out slightly as far as re-watchability. This movie, however, is out and out funny. Everybody in this cast is at the top of their game and have never been funnier. The hair gel scene merely scratches the surface of the lewd and crude humor displayed in this movie. My personal favorite is probably the scene when Ben Stiller is arrested in a “rest stop sting”.

15. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest: So many great performances led by the always great Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher as the single biggest bitch in movie history. The power struggle between these two is legendary. This movie also launched careers, including Danny DeVito and Christopher Lloyd. The movie was funny, dark and powerful and succeeded on every level.

16. Seven: A slow build of a mystery and thriller which stars Brad Pitt as a hot-shot young detective being shown the ropes by seasoned veteran Morgan Freeman (who, by the way, manages to play Morgan Freeman in every movie!). The two are put on the case of a murder spree based on the “seven deadly sins”. Pitt's arrogance and brash personality puts him straight into a showdown with serial killer Kevin Spacey, who pulls off the ultimate mind-f--- in the back of a cop car as Pitt is taught a horrible lesson. “What's in the box???” proves you do not need a happy ending for a great movie. This, in my opinion, was the best movie ending ever.

17. Clerks: Kevin Smith dropped out of film school and put together a group of friends to make this no-budget, black and white comedy about two slacker friends who work at a neighboring convenience store/video store. This movie established Kevin Smith as a brilliant writer of comedic dialogue and is flat-out funny.

18. Silence of the Lambs: Anthony Hopkins gets all of the attention as the brilliantly evil Hannibal Lecter, and rightfully so, but this movie had much more than that going for it. Jodie Foster is also terrific as the young FBI investigator who gets the “privilege” of interviewing Dr. Lecter and finds herself in a strange relationship with the killer. Finally, Ted Levine as “Buffalo Bill” is amazing in this role and should certainly get a lot more credit. Great movie in so many ways.

19. Saturday Night Fever: John Travolta transforms from TV's Vinnie Barbarino into a similar, but much darker, Tony Manero. Manero is sort of a lovable loser who has dead end jobs by day, but is a “superstar” on the dance floor on Saturday nights. This movie portends to capture a disco scene that really didn't exist at the time, but managed to create it. Travolta catapulted from an ensemble TV actor to a major movie star with this role. “My hayr, don't touch my hayr”

20. The Exorcist: Although I love horror movies, I rarely refer to them as “scary” movies as they just don't scare me. Well, except for “The Exorcist”, which is probably the scariest movie ever to be put on film. Perhaps it is the juxtaposition of the angelic little girl being possessed by a demon, but this movie is just chilling. If you did not see the DVD edition, it is a must see for the “spider walk” scene alone. “The power of Christ compels you, the power of Christ compels you!” Excuse me, I have to go turn on all the lights now!

21. Raiders of the Lost Ark: Steven Spielberg of “Jaws” and “E.T.” and George Lucas of “Star Wars” combine forces to create a throwback character reminiscent of old-time Saturday morning serials. They turn to their favorite go-to guy in Harrison Ford and the result is movie magic and one of the great adventures of all time. I love the story that the greatest scene in the movie is the result of Fords having, uh, loose bowels on the day of shooting. When the script called for Ford to get into a long battle with a machete-wielding villain, Ford was unable to get this done in his ill state, so they improvised, having him just shoot the guy which was movie gold.

22. Caddyshack: One of the “All-star cast” comedies that were popular at the time and none were better than this one. The writing and the performances were all at the top of their game and no one was able to get this kind of performance from Rodney Dangerfield in a film ever again.

23. The Sixth Sense: One of the greatest twist-ending movies ever. Even though my wife figured this out early on (She turned to me and said “You know, they never showed him recovering from that gunshot wound” about a third of the way in), it is still a masterful job of telling this story without really letting you in on the secret that was coming, but when you watch it again, you see that all the evidence was right there in front of you.

24. Pure Luck: No, this is not a great movie. It is hardly even a great comedy. I mean, it was funny and all, but nothing to write home about. So, why am I writing about it? Well, because it was the first movie my wife and I saw together on a date, so of all of the movies on this list, this is the one that literally changed my life.

25. Ghost Rider: When my son, Michael went into the hospital for high-dose chemotherapy, he was upset because he had wanted to go see this. We were able to get a bootleg copy and he and I watched it one night in his hospital room. There was no way to know this was the last movie we would ever watch together. Obviously, this movie will forever hold a special place in my heart.

Well, that's it. I probably could have gone to 30 movies or so as there are movies I definitely wanted to include but ran out of room (Spiderman and Batman Begins to name but a couple). Hope you enjoyed it and looking forward to the comments!!

The Wrestler (R-2008)

I like to reveal any bias I have that may affect a review: I was a HUGE Mickey Rourke fan before his career imploded. This movie certainly does nothing to decrease that! Rourke plays Randy "The Ram" Robinson, a one-time major pro wrestling attraction who is now working at a supermarket while playing small local wrestling shows. When he is told by doctors that he can not wrestle any more, he finds himself having difficulty re-adjusting to a life outside the ring. He finds himself falling for Cassidy (Marisa Tomei), the "stripper with a heart of gold" and tries to reconcile with his estranged daughter (Evan Rachel Wood). When he finds it difficult to maintain a "real job", he finds himself drawn back to the only world he knows. Rourke does an amazing job portraying a man who is completely down and out and trying desperately to salvage some portion of his life before he completely loses what little he has left. Director Darren Aronofsky may be the best at telling these dark stories of hopelessness, as anyone who saw "Requiem for a Dream" can attest to, and does another great job here. It is amazing to see what goes on behind the scenes in the world of professional wrestling. Although it is clear that wrestling is "fake", the punishment these bodies take in the name of entertainment is horrific. The rest of the cast is also very good, but this is definitely a showcase for Mickey Rourke, who re-launches his career here. My only criticism of this film is that I saw the ending coming a mile away. It becomes very clear about halfway through the movie where this is all heading. Despite that, I really enjoyed this one.

Grade: B+

Trailer:

Jonas Brothers IMAX 3-D Concert Experience (G-2009)

This is basically going to be the shortest review ever. Why?? Well, because, would anything I write send non Jonas Brothers fans to the theatre or, conversely, keep their screaming teenage girl audience away? Of course not. The movie is exactly what you would expect: A concert movie of a hot pop act at the height of their popularity. The fans will absolutely love it and I will say it was tolerable for those parents like myself who have to bring their youngsters. It certainly helped to see it in IMAX 3D as it made the whole experience visually amazing. Sprinkled in between the concert footage is a "day in the life" of the Jonas Brothers as they move from appearance to appearance on a particularly hectic day in New York City. In fact, this concert/teen idol format is basically lifted from the Beatles movie "A Hard Day's Night". As offensive as this might seem to Beatles fans, it is important to remember that the Beatles first made their mark as a teen idol cover band before becoming the rock pioneers that made them legends. In any event, the fans will love this, the non-fans will not even bother and the parents that are dragged along will not be bothered by it. Not bad, but not quite as good as the previous Disney 3-D concert with Hannah Montana.

Grade: C+

Trailer:

Fly Me to the Moon (G-2008)

"Fly Me To The Moon" tells the story of the Apollo 11 moon landing mission through the eyes of flies who sneak aboard for the adventure of a lifetime. It is a strange dichotomy as the fly characters are really cartoony and seem to be geared to a very young audience, but the moon mission itself is portrayed very realistically with great attention to detail. Visually, it is an amazing movie to watch and I can only imagine how much better it looked in IMAX 3D (I did see a preview of the movie a while back in 3D, which did look great). The attempt to make this story work on those two levels did not really work for me. The cartoony flies were not really entertaining enough to keep the older audience interested, so by the time the Apollo 11 mission begins, you have sort of lost interest. For the younger set, I'm not sure the goal of educating them about this historic landing hit its mark. Before the credits roll, they even have Buzz Aldrin himself appear to explain to kids that there weren't really flies on Apollo 11! I do like the thought of framing these historic events in a fashion that kids might enjoy, but I think this attempt did not quite hit the mark. Since I was really into the Apollo missions when I was a kid, I did enjoy the amazing recreation of all of the space footage and the moon walk itself. It was an amazing animation job. Bottom line: the movie was really just "OK".

Grade: C-

Trailer: