Movie Reviews

Tha Media Room wouldn’t be complete without all the great films that make our state-of-the-art systems and designs serve a purpose. So we’ve rounded up some “one-minute” reviews on newly-released films, courtesy of Roger Ebert. Catch ‘em on the big screen then grab the Blu-ray for media room playback.

Black Swan
"Black Swan" (R, 108 minutes). Natalie Portman in a bravura performance as a driven perfectionist, a young ballerina up for a starring role at Lincoln Center. Her life is shadowed by a smothering mother (Barbara Hershey), an autocratic director (Vincent Cassel) and a venomous rival (Mila Kunis) and her deposed predecessor (Winona Ryder). A full-bore melodrama, told with passionate intensity, gloriously and darkly absurd. Directed by Darren Aronofsky. Three and a half stars

Burlesque
"Burlesque" (PG-13, 116 minutes). Christina Aguilera plays the proverbial small-town girl from Iowa who gets on a bus and travels to Los Angeles hoping for stardom. She finds it in the "Burlesque Lounge," a Sunset Strip club run to Cher. With a cornball story to showcase their musical numbers, it's a cheesy entertainment of interest primarily because of the embedded music videos. Two stars

Due Date
"Due Date" (R, 95 minutes). Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis star as a mismatched odd couple who find themselves sharing a rental car on a drive from Atlanta to Los Angeles. In a comedy that's as near as makes no difference to a down-market retread of "Planes, Trains and Automobiles," they create big laughs and have some funny stops along the way, but the Galifianakis character is so obnoxious in such a passive aggressive way that we don't much want to see the journey continue. Passable entertainment but a missed opportunity. Directed by Todd ("The Hangover") Phillips. Two and a half stars

Faster
"Faster" (R, 95 minutes) a pure thriller, all blood, no frills, in which a lot of people get shot, mostly in the head. Dwayne Johnson stars as Driver, a just-released prisoner working his way down a hit list of those was betrayed him and killed his brother. Billy Bob Thornton is the heroin-addicted cop, close to retirement, on his trail, along with a detective played by Carla Gugino. Oliver Jackson-Cohen is the Brit hit man also on Driver's trail. Efficiently delivers action for an audience that likes one-course meals, but that's about it. Two and a half stars

Love and Other Drugs
"Love and Other Drugs" (R, 112 minutes) Jake Gyllenhaal plays a gung-ho pharmaceutical salesman in the 1990s, not above flirting with doctor's receptionists if it gets him through the door. Anne Hathaway plays the beautiful patient of one doctor. They meet under shady circumstances, but nonetheless fall in love, and she reveals she's in the early stages of Parkinson's. This fact changes the course of a comedy into something much more serious, and the comic elements become an awkward fit. With Oliver Platt, Hank Azaria, Josh Gad and Gabriel Macht. Directed by Edward Zwick. Two and a half stars

Megamind
"Megamind" (PG, 95 minutes). Bright and amusing 3D animation as two aliens (voiced by Will Ferrell and Brad Pitt) battle for control of Metro City. Tina Fey voices a local TV reporter, David Cross is a piranha-like sidekick for Megamind, and John Hill is a put-upon TV cameraman who finds himself transformed into a third super being. The 3D isn't really necessary, but is well-handled. Three stars