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Here's a look at the new movies I saw this week! Summer is in full swing!

Battleship
Starring: Taylor Kitsch, Rihanna, Jesse Plemmons, Liam Neeson, Brooklyn Decker, and Alexander Skarsgard
Synopsis: On paper, it’s hard to see how you make an exciting movie out of the board game Battleship. Sure, it’s kind of fun to hide your ships and try to sink your opponents ships, but it’s a little like trying to turn checkers into a thriller. Then there were the early trailers for the movie version of “Battleship,” which seemed to confirm the worst fears about the idea. But, oddly, that was misleading. Though it would be easy to call the film an homage to Michael Bay — sort of a love child of “Transformers” and “Pearl Harbor” — you can’t help but be a bit entertained by director Peter Berg’s vision for “Battleship.” Perhaps the best, most successful board game adaptation in movie history is the 1985 film “Clue.” Starring Tim Curry, the film was full of fun and whimsy, and latched on to a game concept that lent itself nicely to a light film adaptation. The “Battleship” team don’t have that luxury with their source material, but in a way they make it work too. Screenwriters Erich and Jon Hoeber deserve a lot of credit here. The pair previously wrote the screenplay for the underrated film “Whiteout” and “Red,” and have a knack for mixing comedy and drama. Of course it’s not perfect. There are ridiculous elements to the film too, like having a main character named Stone Hopper, but for the most part it works the way you’d expect a summer blockbuster to work. That, too, is a credit to Berg. He does all the things that you need to create an entertaining summer blockbuster, manages to work in touches from the board game organically into the flow of the narrative, and adds the right notes of levity at times too. Somehow it all works in a surprisingly entertaining way. The cast does the job here as well. Neeson and Skarsgard play supporting roles, but help add gravitas to the production. Kitsch — who gained fame working for Berg on the TV show “Friday Night Lights” — does a nice job in the lead role, suitably carrying the film. He seems well suited to the role. Rihanna does a credible job in her role and Plemmons — another “Friday Night Lights” alum — helps add some of the humor. “Battleship” is an entertaining movie, but it is still a summer movie. It isn’t deep, complex, or meaningful. It’s loud, effect-driven, makes use of a big rock soundtrack, and stays light on the dialogue and story. But it’s a film that knows what it is and doesn’t try to be anything else. The film doesn’t take itself too seriously, but focuses on delivering some quality summer blockbuster entertainment. When considering that, it’s fair to say that “Battleship” hits its marks pretty effectively.
Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, action and destruction, and for language.
Verdict: Three stars out of four.

Blue Like Jazz
Starring: Marshall Allman, Tania Raymonde, Claire Holt, and Justin Welborn
Synopsis: I love the book "Blue Like Jazz," by Donald Miller. If you want to know more about my feelings about the book versus this movie, please see yesterday's post. That being said, it's fair to say I can't be objective about "Blue Like Jazz." It means a lot to me. It's like me trying to evaluate a John Irving novel adaptation, it falls into my blind spot. This is a pseudo-Christian film, and it does preserve an interesting message about faith, culture, and interacting with the world. It tells the story of college student who tries to rebel against his conservative Christian upbringing but ends up finding God in a new way. There are elements of the film which capture the beauty and heart of the book, which is a non-fiction collection of essays on faith. There are some nice performances in the movie, and there are some things this film does well. But it's a little uneven, it drags in parts, and the basic construct is a little muddled. I wanted to love this film, and I liked it for what it tried to be, but it falls short of being a great film. It's entertaining, and those that loved the books will recognize some of the things you loved from that work. But somehow the heart of the book just doesn't translate into this film.
Rating: PG-13 for mature thematic material, sexuality, drug and alcohol content, and some language.
Verdict: Two stars out of four.

The Dictator
Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen, Ben Kingsley, and Anna Faris
Synopsis: By now, you know what you're getting with a movie from Sacha Baron Cohen. In the past, Cohen has birthed wild characters and shot a documentary-style comedy blitz, ambushing real people that aren't in on the joke. But he's a little too famous now. So, with "The Dictator," it's the same kind of wild character, but contained in a totally fictional film. And that's part of the problem. Some of the fun of "Borat" and "Bruno" were seeing people's reactions to what was going on. Even if what Cohen was doing was wildly offensive, seeing the reaction of real people was amusing and an interesting study in humanity. There is no such amusement to be found in "The Dictator." Sure, some of the things are funny. Cohen is insightful when it comes to pointing out the hypocrisy in our style of government and the public stances Western nations take. His final speech about what conditions are like under a dictatorship should give all Americans a moment of pause as we consider what this nation has become. And there are some funny moments. There are unexpected moments. There are moments that you can't help but smile at. Still, this film is uneven and, even at 83 minutes, it feels too long. It is the kind of thing better served as a "Saturday Night Live" sketch, or confined to a half hour sitcom slot on HBO.
Rating: R for strong crude and sexual content, brief male nudity, language and some violent images. Enter with caution.
Verdict: Two stars out of four.

What to Expect When You're Expecting
Starring: Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Banks, Brooklyn Decker, Anna Kendrick, Chace Crawford, Chris Rock, Ben Falcone, Dennis Quaid, Rodrigo Santoro, and Matthew Morrison
Synopsis: This is one of those big, sprawling, star-studded comedies. This time it tackles the most famous book on pregnancy there is, and turns it into a big, multi-character look at pregnancy. Predictably the film wedges in every type of situation and character archetype. This is a way to translate the helpful information in the book into a fun, light-hearted summer comedy that serves as counter-programming to loud, effects-driven fair like "Battleship." It works to a certain extent. There are some funny moments, and some things are done well. Like so many of these movies, there are too many characters to really go deep or get invested in any of them. And, like so many of these movies, it feels a little long. Clocking in at nearly two hours, by the time the birthing sequence arrives, you're ready for those babies to come out and the party to end. This isn't a terrible movie, but it isn't terribly memorable either. For those looking for a little light-hearted fun, you could do worse than "What to Expect When You're Expecting."
Rating: PG-13 for crude and sexual content, thematic elements and language.
Verdict: Two stars out of four.

Upcoming Releases:
Friday, May 25 — "Men in Black III," "The Chernobyl Diaries"