Plot

As single mom Grace juggles work, bills, and her affair with a married doctor, her daughter, Ansiedad, plots a shortcut to adulthood after finding inspiration in the coming-of-age stories she's reading for school.

Release Year: 2012

Director:
Patricia Riggen

Stars: Eva Mendes, Cierra Ramirez, Patricia Arquette

Storyline
As single mom Grace juggles work, bills, and her affair with a married doctor, her daughter, Ansiedad, plots a shortcut to adulthood after finding inspiration in the coming-of-age stories she's reading for school.

Cast:

Eva Mendes
–

Grace

Matthew Modine
–

Dr. Harford

Patricia Arquette
–

Ms. Armstrong

Cierra Ramirez
–

Ansiedad

Raini Rodriguez
–

Tavita

Landon Liboiron
–

Trevor

Richard Harmon
–

Bad Boy

Eugenio Derbez
–

Mission Impossible

Russell Peters
–

Emile

Brenna O'Brien
–

Valerie

Tiera Skovbye
–

Jezabel

Kendall Cross
–

Mrs. Harford

Madison Desjarlais
–

Girl

Bernadette Beck
–

Shannon

Jocelyne Loewen
–

Becky

Taglines:
A tale of acting up, acting out, and acting your age.

Release Date: 3 Jan 2012

Filming Locations: Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada ]]> http://www.movie-database-internet.com/2012/Girl-in-Progress/feed/ 0 http://www.movie-database-internet.com/2012/Chimpanzee/ http://www.movie-database-internet.com/2012/Chimpanzee/#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 16:14:21 +0000 admin ]]>

Plot

A 3-year-old chimpanzee is separated from his troop and is then adopted by a fully-grown male.

Release Year: 2012

Rating: 6.9/10 (653 voted)

Critic's Score: 57/100

Director:
Alastair Fothergill

Stars: Tim Allen

Storyline
Oscar, a baby chimpanzee is enjoying his life with his mother in the jungles along the Ivory Coast. Without warning, young Oscar is tragically orphaned during an attack from a rival group of chimpanzees. Afterwards, he attempts to survive on his own, and to be accepted by the other chimps. But Oscar struggles, until he is surprising adopted by the Alpha Male of his group.

Cast:

Tim Allen
–

Narrator

(voice)

Taglines:
For Oscar, every day is an adventure.

Details

Official Website:
Disney [United States] |

Release Date: 20 April 2012

Filming Locations: Uganda

Opening Weekend: $10,673,748
(USA)
(22 April 2012)
(1563 Screens)

Gross: $18,920,794
(USA)
(29 April 2012)

User Review

Flawed but Enjoyable Documentary

Rating: 6/10


From the people that brought you the fantastic documentary—Earth—comes
a documentary cut from an entirely different cloth. Unlike Earth,
Chimpanzee is able to weave a storyline by following a specific clan of
chimps, giving each one a name, and following a youngster as he learns
the rough life of the forest. The personal touch is brilliant and
allows for a heartfelt documentary. In the end, the only problems are
in the way the movie is edited and narrated.

One of the best things about Chimpanzee is the way in which it elicits
empathy from the viewer. The movie focuses on features of chimpanzees
that remind of us ourselves—using tools to get food, breastfeeding, and
youth playing games while adults try to sleep. By the time the
documentary develops a plot, you will honestly care about the
characters involved. You will laugh time and time again.

You will not cry. Despite the disturbing and depressing nature of the
film, everything is glazed over. This points us directly at the core
problem of Chimpanzee—the narration. First off, Tim Allen wasn't the
right choice. He doesn't do the inflections correctly and often speaks
far too excitedly. The other major problem with the narration is the
script. When Tim Allen started speaking for the Chimps, I was amused.
When it continued, it became rather annoying. The narration should have
been used to support the documentary—not overshadow it.

Chimpanzee was marketed as a children's film. We received the
children's preshow and nothing but adolescent trailers. That is what
stopped the documentary from being great. By skipping over the scenes
that are too hard to watch and not diving into the real reason an Alpha
Male would take in a young chimp, the documentary shortchanges itself.
Earth was great because it wasn't directed at an adolescent audience.
That freed the team up to build the best movie. The same was not the
case for Chimpanzee.

If you enjoy documentaries, you will enjoy Chimpanzee. Although the
movie does not deliver critical thoughts, it is filled with incredible
visuals and an intriguing storyline. If you are not a fan of
documentaries, there is no reason to see Chimpanzee. I hope this movie
does not show a trend for wide release documentaries. Documentaries are
beautiful when they are not dumbed down for our children.

reillyreviews.wordpress.com

Plot

British retirees travel to India to take up residence in what they believe is a newly restored hotel. Less luxurious than its advertisements, the Marigold Hotel nevertheless slowly begins to charm in unexpected ways.

Release Year: 2011

Rating: 7.5/10 (4,652 voted)

Critic's Score: 62/100

Director:
John Madden

Stars: Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith

Storyline
A group of British retirees decide to "outsource" their retirement to less expensive and seemingly exotic India. Enticed by advertisements for the newly restored Marigold Hotel, they arrive to find the palace a shell of its former self.

Writers: Ol Parker, Deborah Moggach

Cast:

Judi Dench
–

Evelyn Greenslade

Tom Wilkinson
–

Graham Dashwood

Patrick Pearson
–

Graham's Colleague

Hugh Dickson
–

Judge

Bill Nighy
–

Douglas Ainslie

James Rawlings
–

Estate Agent

Paul Bhattacharjee
–

Dr. Ghujarapartidar

Penelope Wilton
–

Jean Ainslie

Maggie Smith
–

Muriel Donnelly

Liza Tarbuck
–

Staff Nurse

Lucy Robinson
–

Judith

Ronald Pickup
–

Norman Cousins

Celia Imrie
–

Madge Hardcastle

Simon Wilson
–

Madge's Son-in-Law

Sara Stewart
–

Madge's Daughter

Details

Official Website:
Official site |
Official site [Spain] |

Release Date: 24 February 2012

Filming Locations: India

Opening Weekend: £2,222,051
(UK)
(26 February 2012)
(504 Screens)

Gross: $737,051
(USA)
(6 May 2012)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

124 min

Did You Know?

Trivia:

>Tom Wilkinson's character is called Graham Dashwood. Tom Wilkinson played Mr Dashwood in the 1995 version of
Sense and Sensibility.

Goofs:

Factual errors:
When they arrive in India, their flight to Jaipur is canceled because of bad weather. Such a thing may only occur during Monsoon (from June till September), but if that were the case there should have been bad weather each day, something that could not pass unmentioned.

Quotes:

>Sonny:
Everything will be all right in the end… if it's not all right then it's not the end.

User Review

Two Important Don'ts: DON'T miss this movie, and DON'T believe the critics

Rating: 10/10


I agree heartily with all the reviewers here (except "disappointed")
because this is a GREAT BRITSH FILM for which the critics have not
given hardly enough credit. I am glad I didn't listen to their
"disappointment" and went to see it anyway. Sometimes it is critics
that are the disappointment! The acting was tremendous. The setting of
India was beautiful and perfect. The theatre was full and as most
people have already said here, everyone was laughing out loud. It was
like a great and funny and cleansing session at a cinema/therapist,that
just washed over you, so touching were all the emotions and insights,
so real to life ,you could not believe they were acting.

I read one newspaper critic who said the characters didn't have enough
depth. Well, no, it was a two hour movie, silly, and what you got was a
vignette of 7 real lives, each of them facing the reality of old age in
their own way.

How wonderful to have a real movie about real issues that addresses
them with humour and leaves you feeling uplifted. And how refreshing to
have a film by and for the mature and senior members of society. To me
the whole idea and effect of this movie is to fly in the face of the
Western idea we have of old age somehow being something pitiful, to be
feared, and if possible, to be glossed over, fixed up and avoided, so
you can remain as young, powerful and appealing to your very last day,
as possible.The movie opens up all these ideas to question and I am
sure left many, like me, pondering. Why are over 60's in this country
called Old Age Pensioners, when no self-respecting American would allow
that? They are "Senior" Citizens over there(note the difference). Why
don't we look after and respect our elders? Why does the extended
family work perfectly well in countries like Italy, Spain, Greece,
India, but is a rarity here? And who is responsible for ignoring or
marginalizing a whole generation of baby boomers who lived through and
oversaw one of the biggest transformations in society ever? They were
the generation that believed in a Brave New World, and many of them
still do.

A society that doesn't value the wisdom and experience of its elders is
without foundation.Young and old,"every man is a piece of the
continent, a part of the whole". Go and see this movie and think about
it. And take your family. Great stuff.

Plot

One year after meeting, Tom proposes to his girlfriend, Violet, but unexpected events keep tripping them up as they look to walk down the aisle together.

Release Year: 2012

Rating: 6.9/10 (2,389 voted)

Critic's Score: 61/100

Director:
Nicholas Stoller

Stars: Jason Segel, Emily Blunt, Chris Pratt

Storyline
Exactly one year after Tom Solomon meets Violet Barnes, he surprises her with a ring. By all accounts, Tom and Violet are destined for their happily ever after. However, this engaged couple just keep getting tripped up on the long walk down the aisle.

Writers: Jason Segel, Nicholas Stoller

Cast:

Jason Segel
–

Tom Solomon

Emily Blunt
–

Violet Barnes

Chris Pratt
–

Alex Eilhauer

Alison Brie
–

Suzie Barnes-Eilhauer

Lauren Weedman
–

Chef Sally

Mimi Kennedy
–

Carol Solomon

David Paymer
–

Pete Solomon

Jacki Weaver
–

Sylvia Dickerson-Barnes

Jim Piddock
–

George Barnes

Eric Scott Cooper
–

B&B Manager

Dakota Johnson
–

Audrey

Jane Carr
–

Grandma Katherine

Clement von Franckenstein
–

Grandpa Baba

Michael Ensign
–

Grandpa Harold

Madge Levinson
–

Grandma Leonora

Release Date: 27 April 2012

Filming Locations: Alamo Square, Hayes Valley, San Francisco, California, USA

Opening Weekend: $10,610,060
(USA)
(29 April 2012)
(2936 Screens)

Gross: $10,610,060
(USA)
(29 April 2012)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

124 min

Did You Know?

Trivia:

>Jason Segel and >Emily Blunt previously played romantic interests in
Gulliver's Travels. They also both appeared in
The Muppets.

Quotes:

>Suzie Barnes-Eilhauer:
This is supposed to be exciting. It's your wedding – you only get a few of these!

User Review

Enjoyable, Funny, some Dark humor, some parts dragged

Rating:


Enjoyable funny movie that portrayed the modern day conflict of a
couple with two careers. Who gives up what and why and how willing are
they to accept the true full meaning of the compromise. Several good
points are made and good analogies used.

Humor works for both guys and gals.

Without spoiling anything, the element used to mark time is somewhat
dark.

Be familiar with the song 'Cu cu ru cu cu Palamo'. It is sung very well
in Spanish early in the course of the movie with no translation but is
tone setting for the movie. Used again in the credits.

At just over 2 hours, this movie seemed to drag at some points and
several scenes could have been edited down a wee bit. Don't need to see
something for 30 seconds or 2 minutes when the point is made and
understood in considerably less time.

I don't see any academy nods for this one nor would I have expected any
for this genre of movie but it was an enjoyable movie for an evening.

My wife and son were there and enjoyed it as well.

Plot

Pirate Captain sets out on a mission to defeat his rivals Black Bellamy and Cutlass Liz for the Pirate of the year Award. The quest takes Captain and his crew from the shores of Blood Island to the foggy streets of Victorian London.

Release Year: 2012

Rating: 7.1/10 (3,263 voted)

Critic's Score: 73/100

Director:
Peter Lord

Stars: Hugh Grant, Salma Hayek, Jeremy Piven

Storyline
After years of humiliation and failed attempts to win the coveted Pirate of the Year Award, Pirate Captain and his oddball crew take on the cream of the pirating crop – Black Bellamy, Peg Leg Hastings and Cutlass Liz – in a race to pillage the most booty. They soon cross paths with lovelorn scientist Charles Darwin, who persuades the Captain that the crew's prized 'parrot', Polly, could be the answer to the 'untold riches' they are searching for. Their adventure takes them to Victorian London where they meet Darwin's sidekick 'man-panzee' Mister Bobo, and the notorious pirate-hating Queen Victoria herself. It soon unfolds that Darwin's motives for helping the crew are not what they seem, and the Queen has an evil hidden agenda of her own. The Pirate Captain must choose between basking in the glory of being crowned Pirate of the Year, or staying faithful to his trusted crew.

Cast:

Hugh Grant
–

The Pirate Captain

(voice)

Martin Freeman
–

The Pirate with a Scarf

(voice)

Imelda Staunton
–

Queen Victoria

(voice)

David Tennant
–

Charles Darwin

(voice)

Jeremy Piven
–

Black Bellamy

(voice)

Salma Hayek
–

Cutlass Liz

(voice)

Lenny Henry
–

Peg Leg Hastings

(voice)

Brian Blessed
–

The Pirate King

(voice)

Russell Tovey
–

Albino Pirate

(voice)

Anton Yelchin
–

The Albino Pirate

(voice:US version)

Brendan Gleeson
–

The Pirate with Gout

(voice)

Ashley Jensen
–

The Surprisingly Curvaceous Pirate

(voice)

Al Roker
–

The Pirate Who Likes Sunsets and Kittens

(voice: US version)

Mike Cooper
–

Admiral Collingwood

(voice)

David Schneider
–

Scarlett Morgan

(voice)

Taglines:
Prepare for a new breed of pirates.

Details

Official Website:
Official site |
Official site [uk] |

Release Date: 27 April 2012

Box Office Details

Budget: $60,000,000

(estimated)

Opening Weekend: $11,137,734
(USA)
(29 April 2012)
(3358 Screens)

Gross: $11,137,734
(USA)
(29 April 2012)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Did You Know?

Trivia:

>Brian Blessed is printed above the tick box representing the best choice for 'Roaring' at 'The Pirate of the Year' awards. Blessed performs the voice of the Pirate King.

Goofs:

Continuity:
When Charles is describing the new species of Barnacle he discovered, he is seen with his back facing his collection of animals. In the next shot, the animals are to his right.

Quotes:

[from trailer]

>Cutlass Liz:
That trophy has got MY name on it.

User Review

A rousing triumph from Aardman

Rating: 9/10


Having loved Aardman's other work, especially Wallace and Gromit,
Creature Comforts, Chicken Run and Shaun the Sheep, I was much looking
forward to The Pirates! And I found myself loving it. Apart from
sagging slightly in the pace in the middle with a couple of scenes that
could've done with more punch perhaps, it has all the attributes that
made me love Aardman in the first place.

For instance, The Pirates! is a marvellous looking film, you could
really tell that a lot of creativity and effort went into it. The
colours and backgrounds are plentiful and rich with always something
interesting to look at, and the character designs are appealing with
the title character reminding of a youthful Wallace with hair and a
beard. The 3D is one of the rare instances where it enhances the
visuals and action rather than detract from it.

Theodore Shapiro's music is enough to rouse the spirit, and does very
well conveying a sense of adventure. The songs featured are fun and
memorable. I also loved the crispness and wit of the dialogue managing
to appeal to children and adults alike, and the story is exciting with
lots of charm and heart. The characters appeal because of their
larger-than-life personalities, true the names are on the generic
side(Pirate Captain, Pirate with gout) but that was probably the
intention. I did enjoy seeing the likes of Charles Darwin and Queen
Victoria as well, and they especially Queen Victoria added a lot to the
film.

As for the vocal cast, the cast itself was one of the film's main
attractions and the voice work is first rate. Hugh Grant shows
impeccable comic timing, and Salma Hayak voices Cutlass Liz with lots
of sass. Jeremy Piven shows that he can do wonderfully with a character
that is strongly-written and provides a good contrast to Grant's Pirate
Captain. Brendan Gleeson and Brian Blessed give rousing turns, David
Tennant's Charles Darwin charms and Imelda Staunton voices Queen
Victoria as if she were born to do it.

Overall, Aardman does it again, a wonderful family film that anybody
could enjoy. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Plot

A Marine travels to Louisiana after serving three tours in Iraq and searches for the unknown woman he believes was his good luck charm during the war.

Release Year: 2012

Rating: 5.8/10 (3,819 voted)

Critic's Score: 39/100

Director:
Scott Hicks

Stars: Zac Efron, Taylor Schilling, Blythe Danner

Storyline
Logan is a marine serving in Iraq. While there, he finds a photo of a girl with "be safe" written on the back. He is admiring it when his unit is attacked. He survives and credits the photo for saving him. He tries to find the owner but can't, assuming he was killed. When he goes back to the States, he finds it difficult to adjust and is still haunted by what happened. Analyzing the photo, he finds in the background a landmark that tells him she is in Louisiana. He then goes there and finds her. He learns her name is Beth. He tries to tell her what happened but can't get the words out. She assumes he's there to apply for the job they advertised looking for someone to help at her family's business, a dog kennel. He says yes but at first she gets an uneasy feeling from him but her grandmother decides to give him a chance. It isn't long that he makes a connection with her son…

Writers: Will Fetters, Nicholas Sparks

Cast:

Zac Efron
–

Logan

Taylor Schilling
–

Beth

Blythe Danner
–

Ellie

Riley Thomas Stewart
–

Ben

Jay R. Ferguson
–

Keith Clayton

Adam LeFevre
–

Judge Clayton

Robert Hayes
–

Victor

(as Robert Terrell Hayes)

Joe Chrest
–

Deputy Moore

Russell Durham Comegys
–

Roger Lyle

(as Russ Comegys)

Sharon Morris
–

Principal Miller

Ann McKenzie
–

Charlotte Clayton

Kendal Tuttle
–

Aces

Cameron Banfield
–

Younger Marine

Ritchie Montgomery
–

Cottage Owner

Courtney J. Clark
–

Logan's Sister

Details

Official Website:
Official site |
Official site [Mexico] |

Release Date: 20 April 2012

Filming Locations: New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Box Office Details

Budget: $25,000,000

(estimated)

Opening Weekend: $22,518,358
(USA)
(22 April 2012)
(3155 Screens)

Gross: $39,409,719
(USA)
(29 April 2012)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Did You Know?

Trivia:

Theaters on military installations were given an advanced showing of the film.

Goofs:

Factual errors:
Beth's piano, which was covered-up and apparently not used for a long time, was absolutely perfectly in tune when Logan plays it. Pianos do not hold their tune like this.

Quotes:

>Beth:
Why did you come here?

>Logan:
To find you.

User Review

Middle of the road romantic weepie fare

Rating: 4/10

As romantic dramas go, The Lucky One is pretty thin stuff. It has a
workable premise and everything, but the movie can't think of anything
to do with itself, so it pads out its running time with one musical
montage after another. You know a director has run out of ideas when he
puts two different montages in about a span of two minutes apart from
each other. The film is based on a book by Nicholas Sparks, who has
done much better (and worse) than this. This falls somewhere in the
middle.

Our hero is Logan, a Marine fighting overseas as the film begins, and
played with wooden indifference by Zac Efron. There's nothing
particularly interesting about Logan to begin with. He's handsome, he's
noble, he works hard, and that's about it when it comes to his
personality. Despite this, Efron could have shown a bit more life in
his performance. After a particularly intense battle, Logan spots a
photo of a woman lying in the rubble of the battlefield. Lucky thing he
found and walked over to that photo, as moments later, a bomb drops
where he was standing just seconds ago, killing his comrades. Logan
finishes his tour, but is obsessed with discovering who the woman in
the picture is, and who it belongs (or belonged) to. He returns home
briefly to Colorado to live with family for a while, but when he can't
readjust to civilian life, he packs his bags and, with his faithful dog
Zeus by his side, decides to walk cross country to search out who the
mysterious woman in the photo is.

His travels take him all the way to North Carolina, which is quite an
amazing feat to walk all that distance. What's even more amazing is how
Logan managed not to get dirty, or even mess up or grow out his hair
during those many long months of walking. He arrives at a farmhouse/dog
kennel, where it just so happens that the woman in the photo lives and
works there. She's Beth (Taylor Schilling), who works at the kennel, is
a single mother to her seven-year-old son, Ben (Riley Thomas Stewart),
and shares the home with her mother (Blythe Danner, who gives the most
interesting performance in the film). Logan means to tell Beth about
the photo he found that day, but he just can't bring himself to mention
it. Part of this is because of Logan having issues with his own past as
a soldier, and part of this is for plot convenience, so that the movie
can drag out his secret as long as it can, until it is dramatically
appropriate. He takes a job at the kennel, and becomes a natural taking
care of the many dogs.

He also starts building a bond with both Beth and her young son. She
starts sharing her private hopes and dreams with him, and little Ben
starts taking him to the old tree house where he hangs out, which is
accessible only by crossing a rickety old bridge over a raging river.
As soon as I saw that broken down old bridge, I knew it would collapse
at one point – most likely during the intense climax, and during a
storm. Sure enough, as the climax approached, those storm clouds
started rolling in, and all the central characters started heading for
that bridge. Logan also gets to meet Beth's ex-husband, Keith (Jay R.
Ferguson), who serves as the town Sheriff as well as the town bully.
He's a one dimensional villain who exists solely to push Logan and Beth
around, and threaten to take Ben away from them. As a villain, he
couldn't be any less subtle if he was wearing a T-shirt at all times
that had the words "HI! I'M A SLIMEBALL!" written on it.

The Lucky One is pretty standard stuff as these kind of films go – The
central romance between Logan and Beth is nice and all, but the
characters don't really have a lot of personality to go with their
physical attractiveness. You get the feeling that these two don't have
a lot to talk about when they're alone. The movie also has its share of
corny romantic lines, such as when Logan tells her, "You deserve to be
kissed every hour, every minute, every second of every day", or when he
says, "Finding that picture of you on the battlefield was like finding
an angel in Hell". Yes, the movie is gooey in its sentimentality, but
it never offends. I also enjoyed Blythe Danner's performance. She seems
to know what kind of a movie she's stuck in, and has a little fun with
it, delivering some much needed sarcasm and wit in her performance.
It's no wonder I found her the most interesting character, she's the
only one who gets to act like a real person.

The movie was directed by Scott Hicks (No Reservations), who's done
some films I've admired, but seems to be cashing a paycheck here. I
don't blame him for wanting to take it easy once in a while, but I wish
he had picked a more interesting script. I can't really picture The
Lucky One being a very memorable romantic weepie, but hey, I said the
same thing about The Vow, so what do I know?

Plot

Set in a future where the Capitol selects a boy and girl from the twelve districts to fight to the death on live television, Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her younger sister's place for the latest match.

Release Year: 2012

Rating: 7.6/10 (122,311 voted)

Critic's Score: 67/100

Director:
Gary Ross

Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth

Storyline
In a dystopian future, the totalitarian nation of Panem is divided between 12 districts and the Capitol. Each year two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. Part entertainment, part brutal retribution for a past rebellion, the televised games are broadcast throughout Panem. The 24 participants are forced to eliminate their competitors while the citizens of Panem are required to watch. When 16-year-old Katniss's young sister, Prim, is selected as District 12's female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart Peeta, are pitted against bigger, stronger representatives who have trained for this their whole lives.

Writers: Gary Ross, Suzanne Collins

Cast:

Stanley Tucci
–

Caesar Flickerman

Wes Bentley
–

Seneca Crane

Jennifer Lawrence
–

Katniss Everdeen

Willow Shields
–

Primrose Everdeen

Liam Hemsworth
–

Gale Hawthorne

Elizabeth Banks
–

Effie Trinket

Sandra Ellis Lafferty
–

Hob Vendor

(as Sandra Lafferty)

Paula Malcomson
–

Katniss' Mother

Rhoda Griffis
–

Registration Woman

Sandino Moya
–

Propaganda Film Tribute

(as Sandino Moya-Smith)

Josh Hutcherson
–

Peeta Mellark

Raiko Bowman
–

Peeta's Mother

Dwayne Boyd
–

Peacekeeper #1

Anthony Reynolds
–

Peacekeeper #2

Judd Lormand
–

Peacekeeper #3

Taglines:
The World Will Be Watching

Details

Official Website:
Lionsgate [United States] |
Official Facebook |

Release Date: 23 March 2012

Filming Locations: Barnardsville, North Carolina, USA

Box Office Details

Budget: $78,000,000

(estimated)

Opening Weekend: $152,535,747
(USA)
(25 March 2012)
(4137 Screens)

Gross: $372,019,021
(USA)
(29 April 2012)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

142 min

Did You Know?

Trivia:

In an interview with Slate, >Elizabeth Banks said that she based Effie Trinket's voice on the voice that Rosalind Russell used while playing the title character in the 1958 movie
Auntie Mame.

Goofs:

Continuity:
While Katniss is hiding from the tributes in the tree she is shown once in her sleeping bag in one shot, and out of the sleeping bag in another.

Quotes:

>Katniss Everdeen:
[after blowing up the Career Tributes' stockpile, Katniss finds Rue in a trap, as she helps her to get free one of the boy tributes throws a spear which hits Rue in the chest, Katniss quickly kills the boy tribute with an arrow and tries to comfort the dying Rue in her arms]
It's okay. You're okay. You're okay. You're okay.

>Rue:
Did you blow up the food?

>Katniss Everdeen:
Every bit of it.

>Rue:
Good. You have to win.
[Katniss looks up at the dead tribute boy who had shot the spear at Rue]

>Rue:
Can you sing?

>Katniss Everdeen:
Okay.
[Katniss holds the dying Rue and starts crying and sings to her in her last moments, after Rue dies Katniss covers her body with flowers and gives a special salute to district 11, Rue's district]

User Review

A true game-changer for movies aimed at teens.

Rating:


Let me start by saying that I'm a huge fan of the "The Hunger Games"
book series by Suzanne Collins. I've read them countless times and when
I found out they were making a movie of them a little over a year ago I
was very excited. But I was also worried.

"The Hunger Games" is not very easy source material. The book is
written in first person narrative with very detailed descriptions of
everything form the characters' looks to the strange futuristic devices
they use in Panem, the future version of the U.S. where the story takes
place. I couldn't imagine that they would be able to convey every
detail as I had imagined it and make the story believable without an
R-rating or a huge budget. All of my concerns were wiped away when I
saw the movie.

I've never seen a more faithful adaption of a book in my life. All of
the costumes, the sets, the locations, the cast (I'll talk more about
them in a while) and the pacing is as if they were exactly replicated
from the book. And the small things that do differ or are added (such
as more insight to the gamemakers' control room) only add to the
amazing world Collins created and improve the narrative movie-wise. And
the movie is great for people who haven't read the books as well. Not
once did I feel as if something was vague or badly explained.

The cast is stellar. Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss carries the movie and
makes me regret complaining about her casting because she was too "hot"
and not starved enough. She IS Katniss and one can feel the graveness
of an situation just by looking at one of her expressions. Josh
Hutcherson as Peeta is also a true breakout performance. The way he
looks at Katniss will makes girls all over the world envy her, just
like it's supposed to be. Other standouts in the cast include Stanley
Tucci as the flamboyant talk-show host Caesar Flickerman, Woody
Harrelson as the sarcastic but caring mentor Haymitch and Wes Bentley
as the sinister game-maker Seneca Crane (his final scene might be the
best one in the whole movie). The child actors Willow Shields and
Amandla Stendberg who portrays Prim and Rue are believable and
heartbreaking even though they're inexperienced.

Despite the PG-13 rating the movie doesn't gloss over or sugarcoat
anything for their audience. The violence may not be gloriously graphic
but it's still there. People will feel the tributes' pain and despair
and not even realize the violence isn't gory until you've left the
theater. The movie also deals with important themes like survival,
governmental control, grief and helplessness. There is a minor love
story subplot, but it doesn't distract from the movies main themes. In
my opinion I think it rather improves them by showing some light in the
dark.

The only complaint I can think of is that the movie feels too short.
It's almost two and a half hours long, but it feels as if it goes by in
a blink. I will have to see it again to fully pay attention to every
detail (such as the costumes and animation of the Capitol, which looked
amazing). But this is still not me saying that the movie is rushed,
because as I stated the source material is very dense and the
filmmakers managed include almost everything.

People are expecting this to become the next Twilight-style teen movie
franchise. I can't say I think the two stories have anything in common
even though I hope "The Hunger Games" will do as well at the box
office. But if the first movie is any indication of the quality of
what's to come – this will be a series way out of Twilight's league.

Plot

Four friends conspire to turn the tables on their women when they discover the ladies have been using Steve Harvey's relationship advice against them.

Release Year: 2012

Rating: 4.9/10 (3,417 voted)

Critic's Score: 51/100

Director:
Tim Story

Stars: Chris Brown, Gabrielle Union, Kevin Hart

Storyline
Four women have given up on getting their men to do what they want until they find a how to book written by Steve Harvey. They start using his advice about relationships, and their men start falling in line, until the men discover what the women have been doing, then the war is on.

Writers: Keith Merryman, David A. Newman

Cast:

Michael Ealy
–

Dominic

Jerry Ferrara
–

Jeremy

Meagan Good
–

Mya

Regina Hall
–

Candace

Kevin Hart
–

Cedric

Taraji P. Henson
–

Lauren

Terrence Jenkins
–

Michael

(as Terrence J)

Jenifer Lewis
–

Loretta

Romany Malco
–

Zeke

Gary Owen
–

Bennett

Gabrielle Union
–

Kristen

La La Anthony
–

Sonia

Chris Brown
–

Alex

Wendy Williams
–

Gail

Sherri Shepherd
–

Vicki

Taglines:
Let the mind games begin.

Release Date: 20 April 2012

Filming Locations: Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office Details

Budget: $13,000,000

(estimated)

Opening Weekend: $33,636,303
(USA)
(22 April 2012)
(2015 Screens)

Gross: $60,472,199
(USA)
(29 April 2012)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

USA: 122 min

Did You Know?

Trivia:

At a budget of $12 million, the film is director >Tim Story's smallest production since
Barbershop. Story had previously worked on the highly-expensive
Fantastic Four films.

User Review

The Kevin Hart Show

Rating: 8/10


I am sure that a lot of folks will think that this is a film to plug
Steve Harvey's book, but trust me when I say that the book does not
need plugging since it made the best seller list (just wanted to get
that off my chest). This is one of those films that I am going to have
to watch again because the audience was laughing so loud and long that
I fear I missed some of the jokes. That being said ….. Kevin Hart
(Cedric) is a fool (in a good way). He had me (and the rest of the
audience) cracking up. His comic timing and expressions are priceless.
The relationship between Dominic (Michael Ealy) and Lauren (Taraji P
Henson) was probably the most honest (compared to the others). I like
the reference that they made to For Colored Girls (classic). I have
always considered Michael Ealy to be very sexy and he did not
disappoint in this film (Yum). Michael (Terrance Jenkins) was a true
mama's boy almost to the point of being sickening, but Candace (Regina
Hall) did what she had to do to rectify that situation. The longtime
relationship between Jeremy (Jerry Ferrara) and Kristen (Gabrielle
Union) is one that a lot of couples will be able to relate to. Finally,
Zeke (Romany Malco)…. What can I say, there are a bunch of you out
there and I am glad that Mya (Meagan Good) stuck to her guns. The only
negative thing that I would say about the film is that I am not sure
that Alex (Chris Brown) needed to keep popping in on the scenes. It was
kind of redundant since the film already had a "playa". Wendy Williams
(Gail) and Sherri Shephard (Vicki) had small roles in the film, but it
was good to see the talk show hosts represent. I think that a lot of
people may see this film as a "chick flick", but I like to think of it
as a great date movie. I think that the implied war of the sexes will
appeal to all and if nothing else, Kevin Hart will keep you in
stitches. This film is well worth the price of a ticket. Put down the
book and get out and see this film because this will be the one that
they will be talking about next to the water cooler on Monday. I am
giving this film a green light.

Plot

An imprisoned vampire, Barnabas Collins, is set free and returns to his ancestral home, where his dysfunctional descendants are in need of his protection.

Release Year: 2012

Director:
Tim Burton

Stars: Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Eva Green

Storyline
In the year 1752, Joshua and Naomi Collins, with young son Barnabas, set sail from Liverpool, England to start a new life in America. But even an ocean was not enough to escape the mysterious curse that has plagued their family. Two decades pass and Barnabas (Johnny Depp) has the world at his feet-or at least the town of Collinsport, Maine. The master of Collinwood Manor, Barnabas is rich, powerful and an inveterate playboy…until he makes the grave mistake of breaking the heart of Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green). A witch, in every sense of the word, Angelique dooms him to a fate worse than death: turning him into a vampire, and then burying him alive. Two centuries later, Barnabas is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972. He returns to Collinwood Manor to find that his once-grand estate has fallen into ruin. The dysfunctional remnants of the Collins family have fared little better…

Writers: Seth Grahame-Smith, John August

Cast:

Johnny Depp
–

Barnabas Collins

Michelle Pfeiffer
–

Elizabeth Collins Stoddard

Helena Bonham Carter
–

Dr. Julia Hoffman

Eva Green
–

Angelique Bouchard

Jackie Earle Haley
–

Willie Loomis

Jonny Lee Miller
–

Roger Collins

Bella Heathcote
–

Victoria Winters
/
Josette DuPres

Chloë Grace Moretz
–

Carolyn Stoddard

Gulliver McGrath
–

David Collins

Ray Shirley
–

Mrs. Johnson

Christopher Lee
–

Clarney

Alice Cooper
–

Alice Cooper

Ivan Kaye
–

Joshua Collins

Susanna Cappellaro
–

Naomi Collins

Josephine Butler
–

David's Mother

Taglines:
The legend bites back.

Details

Official Website:
Official site |

Release Date: 11 May 2012

Filming Locations: Beckenham place park, Kent, England, UK

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Did You Know?

Trivia:

>Michelle Pfeiffer and >Helena Bonham Carter are in talks to star.

Quotes:

[from trailer]

>Angelique Bouchard:
If I can't have you, I'll destroy you and your family!

User Review

Could have, should have been better

Rating:

It's intriguing that a film which features – literally – sex, drugs and
rock and roll (along with plenty of blood, gore and monsters) can run
out of steam in the second half and result in one of the least
favorably-rated Tim Burton-Johnny Depp collaborations since "Charlie
and the Chocolate Factory" and the abysmal "Alice In Wonderland."

The whole idea of taking the first Gothic soap opera (which ran from
1966-70), a tale of vampires, horror and longtime family curses, and
putting it on the big screen, at first seemed a stretch; but when
director Burton decided to travel the comedic route, many fans and
less-interested folks alike were even more skeptical.

I, too, had doubts, having actually seen the television show (I was
very young, but remember the creepy opening theme music) and thought
making this sort of a fish-out-of-water "Brady Bunch Movie" thing was a
bit absurd. Then, I saw the preview and – for the first half, was
pleasantly surprised.

It begins in Liverpool in 1752, when the Collins family, dad, mom and
young son, Barnabas, immigrate to the United States and settle in
Maine. There, they establish a fishing business and soon are the
richest people in Collinsport. As a young man, Barnabas (Depp) woos a
scullery maid, Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green, "Casino Royale," "The
Golden Compass"), but refuses to marry (or even acknowledge his love
for) her.

Ticked, as ANY woman would be under these circumstances, she uses her
substantial witchcraft powers to cause the death of his beloved
fiancée, turn him into a vampire and have the townspeople bury him
alive. Almost 200 years later, a construction crew inadvertently
unearths the coffin and Barnabas now must face life in 1972.

These scenes are easily the movie's best, as he tries to deal with the
trappings of modern society; the sights, sounds, technology and mores.
He then locates his ancestral home and discovers that it is now
inhabited by the remains of his depressing, downtrodden descendants.

These include Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeifer, "New Year's
Eve"), her brother Roger (Johnny Lee Miller, "AEon Flux," the
television series "Dexter"), her daughter Carolyn (Chloe Grace Moretz,
"Kick-Ass," "Hugo"), Roger's son David (Gulliver McGrath, "Hugo"), a
meek governess, Victoria Winters (Bella Heathcote, "In Time"), an
alcoholic caretaker, Willie (Jackie Earle Haley, Academy
Award-nominated for "Little Children), a senile old maid, Mrs. Johnson
(Ray Shirley) and a drunken live-in psychiatrist, Dr. Julia Hoffman
(Helena Bonham Carter, "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet
Street").

Over the past two centuries, the accursed Collins family has not only
fallen out of favor with their namesake town, but has fallen into
despair and near poverty, as well. Their only assets being a
broken-down cannery and a few feeble fishing boats. Meanwhile,
Angelique is still alive and controls most of the fishing fleets in the
town, and is rich beyond imagination.

Using a hidden treasure trove, Barnabas restores the Collins' wealth
and prestige, which sets up the conflict in which Barnabas battles his
former trollop for control of his business, his soul and his family
legacy. His efforts to fight this imposing demonic figure and to
continue to get used to things in the seventies, spark some genuine
laughs, as does his initial introduction to the ridiculous household.

Things begin to go South, however, when there are several real (and not
very funny) killings; hey, Barnabas IS a vampire, after all, and he
NEEDS blood. It's just most of these characters were actually
interesting (including a group who just wanted to help him out of a
tough situation). The inclusion of these mass murder scenes was not
charming or darkly-humored, just disturbing.

Then, there is the introduction of a few supernatural monsters that
turn up, muddle the conclusion, present really lame and not-so-special
effects and end up not resolving much of anything.

And while Depp remains true to his Willy Wonka/Jack Sparrow/Michael
Jackson motif character hybrid he seems to have established in recent
efforts, Burton's quirky and slipshod direction has never been more
evident – or glaring here.

The only thing I can write about this picture that was consistently
terrific was the soundtrack. From "Nights In White Satin" to "Bang a
Gong," to "Theme From 'A Summer Place,'" to "My First, My Last (My
Everything)" to "Crocodile Rock" to "Top Of the World" to "No More Mr.
Nice Guy" (as sung by Alice Cooper in an amusing cameo), these tunes -
while not ALL from 1972 – still had me humming along and enjoying the
show.

I just wished the rest of the film would have had the same effect on
me.

Plot

Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. brings together a team of super humans to form The Avengers to help save the Earth from Loki and his army.

Release Year: 2012

Rating: 8.8/10 (109,489 voted)

Critic's Score: 69/100

Director:
Joss Whedon

Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson

Storyline
Nick Fury is director of S.H.I.E.L.D, an international peace keeping agency. The agency is a who's who of Marvel Super Heroes, with Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When global security is threatened by Loki and his cohorts, Nick Fury and his team will need all their powers to save the world from disaster.

Writers: Joss Whedon, Zak Penn

Cast:

Robert Downey Jr.
–

Tony Stark
/
Iron Man

Chris Evans
–

Steve Rogers
/
Captain America

Mark Ruffalo
–

Bruce Banner
/
The Hulk

Chris Hemsworth
–

Thor

Scarlett Johansson
–

Natasha Romanoff
/
Black Widow

Jeremy Renner
–

Clint Barton
/
Hawkeye

Tom Hiddleston
–

Loki

Clark Gregg
–

Agent Phil Coulson

Cobie Smulders
–

Agent Maria Hill

Stellan Skarsgård
–

Professor Erik Selvig

Samuel L. Jackson
–

Nick Fury

Gwyneth Paltrow
–

Pepper Potts

Paul Bettany
–

Jarvis

(voice)

Alexis Denisof
–

The Other

Tina Benko
–

NASA Scientist

Taglines:
Throw down the hammer.

Details

Official Website:
Official Facebook [United Kingdom] |
Official site |

Release Date: 4 May 2012

Filming Locations: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Box Office Details

Budget: $220,000,000

(estimated)

Opening Weekend: INR 110,000,000
(India)
(27 April 2012)

Gross: $178,400,000
(Non-USA)
(29 April 2012)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

142 min

Did You Know?

Trivia:

The first Marvel film to be distributed by Walt Disney Pictures.

Goofs:

Factual errors:
The private security forces shown at the beginning of the Stuttgart scene are wearing assault rifles, apparently HK G36. However, under German law, fully automatic weapons are considered as weapons of war whose usage is restricted to armed forces and the police.

Quotes:

>World Security Council:
Director Fury, the council has made a decision.

>Nick Fury:
I recognise the council has made a decision, but given that it's a stupid ass decision, I've elected to ignore it.

User Review

An Unstoppable Force of Awesomeness! All Hail The New King!

Rating:


I have got to tell anyone who will listen that this is one of THE best
adventure movies I've ever seen. It's almost impossible to convey how
pumped I am now that I've seen it. I purposefully avoid hyping myself
for movies because when expectations are too high, nothing seems to be
able to reach them. I usually avoid the hype train whenever possible.
That said, I was jacked to see this movie and was fully aboard the hype
train. It couldn't be helped. So, I was certainly open to intense
disappointment had this movie not been good. I'm so happy to report
just the opposite has happened.

The only word I can think of to describe this movie is AWESOME. It's
amazing work and everything I had hoped for and more. It's exceptional
entertainment for the uninitiated but it has everything a fanboy could
want to be sure. It has every little nuance of what a fanboy wants to
see. One of the MANY things I loved was the tension and flat out
conflict that arises between team members. It's not a two dimensional
"team wonderful that bands together to fight crime ho ho ho." Most
don't like each other at fist and there is so much texture to be
played. That is great because so many of these characters are larger
than life. They have egos and the big guns aren't used to working with
other people or even playing by the rules. Stark, Thor and Banner all
work "the other side of the fence" so to speak. Then there's the Widow,
Hawkeye and Captain America who are used to following orders and
playing within a command structure. They are all thrown together in a
wonderful and, best of all, believable fashion. Again, more than I ever
dreamed possible.

The entire cast really delivered. You needed more than just action
actors or stunt doubles to play all these parts. The pathos is there
but so are the timing and true deep performances. Look, I was missing
Ed Norton as much as anyone on that hype train I talked about but I'm
so happy to say that Mark Ruffalo won me over. I hope he's locked up
for the long haul because we don't need any more changes. Three was the
lucky number for movie Banners. Every other actor in Avnegers that
we've seen before is BETTER than their previous incarnation (EVERY
single one) with the possible exception of RDJ as Stark. He's great but
it's hard to top his take on the character from the original Iron Man
in an ensemble movie. I also have to fully disclose that I'm insanely
attracted to Scarlett Johansson. I thought her Widow character was
amazing but I'm definitely judging that through rose colored glasses.
The character arcs that run there course during this film will surprise
a lot of general audiences expecting nothing more than a Transformers
type popcorn scarfdown.

I honestly don't want to give away ANY of the movie with this review
because this is one film that needs every scene to be savored. Do
yourself a favor and remain unspoiled. It's how I saw the movie (apart
from what the trailers showed) and even though you're obviously reading
this review, read no others with any kind of spoilers whatsoever.
Experience the awesomeness for yourself. Avengers as a movie and as a
team on screen is an unstoppable force. I'm just going to say, Hulk &
Thor combination equals AWESOME and leave it at that. This movie
defines MUST SEE.