Now Playing

Here's a look at the new films I saw this week.

Monster's University
Starring: (The voice talents of) Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Nathan Fillion, and Helen Mirren
Synopsis: This is the Pixar animated film for the year. It's a prequel to the original "Monster's, Inc.," which bowed in 2001. Twelve years later we get a return to the world of Mike (Crystal) and Sully (Goodman). This time it explores how they first met in college. The film includes a lot of familiar tropes from college films, but toned down for a more kid-friendly audience. There are some laughs and some interesting story points. The film more or less does what you'd expect from this type of animated film. It will likely end up among the top animated features of the year, and it does its job of being a family friendly option during the summer.
Rating: G, for all audiences.
Verdict: Three stars out of four

The Heat
Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Sandra Bullock, Demian Bichir, Thomas Wilson, and Marlon Wayans
Synopsis: In 2009, the film “Bridesmaids” changed the way we think of female driven comedies. It made a star of Melissa McCarthy, and offered a brash and crass new brand of comedy written by and featuring women. Prior to that, it was a different archetype that was usually featured in female-driven comedies. The characters were socially awkward and so proficient at their jobs they often threatened their male counterparts. One of the queens of that type of comedy was Sandra Bullock. With “The Heat,” a new summer comedy from “Bridesmaids” director Paul Feig, those two styles comes together. McCarthy brings the brash and crass while Bullock brings the socially awkward and uptight. And it works well to create something new and entertaining. “The Heat” comes from writer Katie Dipold, who works on another female-driven comedy, “Parks and Recreation.” The plot here really isn’t that important or hard to figure out. But what the film is really all about is these two ladies, and how they learn to appreciate one another and come together. This film was originally due to be released in April but was pushed back to a prime June slot. The studio has also already announced a sequel, meaning audiences will get to see how these characters grow. Since the end of the film paves the way nicely for a second installment, it’s easy to see how this might develop into a film franchise. Given the rudimentary nature of the plot, “The Heat” is really built on the personalities of its two leading ladies. Both are playing familiar character archetypes they’ve played in other films. Still, the combination here works well. The film was funny and engaging thanks to the talent of Bullock and McCarthy. Feig, who also worked on small screen efforts such as “The Office,” “Nurse Jackie” and “Weeds,” has a good feel for the story and creates a nice pace for the film. All the elements work together to maximize the laughs in the film. “The Heat” is a solid summer comedy. It doesn’t feel as groundbreaking as “The Hangover” or “Bridesmaids,” but it has all the elements to create a nice little franchise. As long as Bullock and McCarthy keep making these films, likely they will continue to find an audience.
Rating: R for pervasive language, strong crude content and some violence. Enter with caution.
Verdict: Three stars out of four.

White House Down
Starring: Channing Tatum, Jamie Foxx, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Richard Jenkins, Jason Clarke, and James Woods
Synopsis: Earlier this year we got "Olympus Has Fallen," a movie about an attack on the White House, the collapse of the government, and the one agent that stood in the way of the fall of the executive office. Now we get "White House Down," which is essentially the same idea with different actors. This time it's PG-13 and comes from the director that gave us "Independence Day." I liked "Olympus Has Fallen" for what it was. Gerard Butler did a nice job in the lead role, and it worked as a good action film. With "White House Down," you get a similar story but a different feel. Tatum and Foxx do a great job in the lead roles, and this is a film that works for what it is. The action sequences are well done, the special effects work, and there is a bit of comedy. In fact, what makes this film slightly different is the plot and the tone. In terms of plot, "White House Down" offered what felt like a more plausible in terms of how that attack could happen. The tone also worked better. There is humor, some good character interactions, and the violence was toned down a bit. All of which makes "White House Down" a good summer movie.
Rating: PG-13 for prolonged sequences of action and violence including intense gunfire and explosions, some language and a brief sexual image.
Verdict: Three stars out of four.

Upcoming Releases:
Friday, July 5 — "The Way, Way Back"
Friday, July 12 — "Pacific Rim," "Grown Ups 2"
Wednesday, July 17 — "Turbo"
Friday, July 19 — "R.I.P.D.," "Red 2," "The Conjuring," "Girl Most Likely"
Friday, July 26 — "The Wolverine," "The To Do List"
Wednesday, July 31 — "Smurfs 2"