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Here's a look at the films that I saw this week. Not a lot to choose from as there were no big releases last Friday.

Gulliver's Travels
Starring: Jack Black, Jason Segel, Emily Blunt, and Amanda Peet
Synopsis: I wanted to hate this film. The trailer looked awful. It's an awful idea. And Jack Black is one of my least favorite performers. I went into this movie with a spirit of dread. Perhaps that's why it was a pleasant surprise, but my guess is that it has more to do with the fact that the filmmakers here maximized their potential. They got the most they could out of Black, the most they could out of the supporting players, and the most they could out of this odd attempt to adapt a classic novel to an 87-minute holiday comedy. There are some fun pop culture jokes, there are some decent laughs, and it moves along at a good pace. I wouldn't pay to see it in 3D, but as a 2D comedy, you could do much worse. That's about the highest praise I can give this film. It's better than you think, but it's still not going on an all-time favorites list.
Rating: PG for brief rude humor, mild language and action.
Verdict: Two stars out of Four.

Tangled
Starring the voice talents of: Zachary Levi and Mandy Moore
Synopsis: In an era where animation is about the digital format, the jokes, and the big name stars serving as voices, this film feels like a throwback. It calls back the classic Disney animated films. It's based on a fairy tale story, it's an ensemble voice cast, and it's a musical. This is in the line of "The Little Mermaid" and "The Lion King," but probably not as iconic. Levi adds some nice dimensions of comedy and Moore, a singer/actress, is good enough to carry the lead role. The film is mildly amusing at times and has a decent story. It's probably close to the second-best animated film I've seen this year. By far and away "Toy Story 3" is the gold standard, but "Tangled" and "How to Train Your Dragon" are at that next level, and I wouldn't be surprised to see those three nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Film.
Rating: PG for brief mild violence.
Verdict: Three stars out of Four

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