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Here's a look at this week's new releases as summer rolls along. If the first two weeks are any indication, we could be in for a long summer...

Letters to Juliet

Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Christopher Egan, Vanessa Redgrave, and Gael Garcia Bernal

Quick Take: This romantic comedy provides whiplash to the viewer. It starts as terrible, perks up to something interesting during the middle two thirds then bottoms out again in the final act. It's a frustrating film because there are moments that really work and moments that don't work at all. After the first 10 minutes, I was ready to write this movie off, then it redeemed itself, only to end with a thud. I think one take away here is that while Seyfried is charming and a fine actress, she's not a true leading lady. A true leading lady makes the other actors around them better and can lift even a mediocre film. That's why sometimes we have fond memories of Sandra Bullock or Julia Roberts movies that weren't so hot. The problem with the first and third acts is that Seyfried is asked to buoy poor material and to carry interactions with Bernal, with whom there is no chemistry. In fact, I'm not sure what Bernal was going for in this film other than annoying and forgettable. However, Egan and Redgrave bring a humor and authenticity to the film that makes the second act (a lion's share of the screen time) quite enjoyable. Seyfried plays well off both of them and the writing during that section is superb. However, even Egan's charm can't over come some abominable writing in the "climactic" sequence. The final line is so atrocious that Egan demonstrates his quality as an actor merely by surviving it. Of course, with these kind of films, it's not about the destination, it's about the journey. It's not hard to see where the film is going, you're just waiting for it to get there. And there are times in "Letters to Juliet" where the journey is quite lovely, it's just book ended by boredom.

Rating: PG for brief rude behavior, some language, and incidental smoking.

Verdict: Two stars out of four.

Robin Hood

Starring: Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Max Von Sydow, William Hurt, and Mark Strong

Quick Take: Ten years ago Crowe and director Ridley Scott teamed to deliver "Gladiator," which still resonates as one of the best period epics ever made. The film earned several Academy Awards, including Best Picture. This latest pairing isn't as good. Or rather, the material isn't as complete. This re-telling of the familiar tale of the man who robbed from the rich to give to the poor is missing something — like a majority of the story. It's not that what's there isn't good, it is, it's that what's there isn't a complete story. It feels like 140 minutes of exposition leading up to the story of Robin Hood, except that the film ends when it should just be beginning. It feels like most of this film is the lead up to a sequel, or perhaps a number of sequels. And if that's the case, this might be the first part of an epic adventure that we'll look back fondly on. If not, however, then this film will remain an enigma. The acting is first rate and Scott knows how to film epics. Crowe is still an imposing leading man and in Blanchett he has a top notch partner to work off of. But the part of the plot that isn't an origin story feels like a means to an end. I'm not sure what the ultimate goal of the film is, save to pave the way for an epic film franchise. Only time will tell.

Rating: PG-13 for violence including intense sequences of warfare, and some sexual content.

Verdict: Three stars out of four.