FamilyFilmgoer BY JANE HORWITZ ANDOLDER 6
TANGLED (PG). An animated, 3-D riff on the Rapunzel fairy tale, “Tangled” is a delightful bet for kids 6 and older—humorous and prettily made, with some truly inspired musical comedy numbers. A sorceress steals baby Rapunzel from the castle and locks the child in a tower. Rapunzel grows up thinking the sorceress is her overprotective mother, while the king and queen still hope to find their missing child. Rapunzel’s ever-growing magical hair keeps the sorceress looking young. When Rapunzel nears 18, her “mother” is away one day and Flynn Ryder, a thief on the run, scales the tower to hide out. Rapunzel, aided by her little chameleon Pascal, bops Flynn on the head with a skillet. Flynn helps Rapunzel get out and see a bit of the world, and then drops his criminal ways to protect her.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Most of the action sequences are not scary and played for comedy. The 3-D effects are muted and not likely to scare kids 6 and older.
10 ANDOLDER
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS—PART I (PG-13). More violent and darkly moody than last year’s film, this second-to-last installment deserves a stronger rating than PG, but something less than a PG-13. A “PG-10” would be perfect. Most kids 10 and older who are familiar with the seventh and final book in J.K. Rowling’s series will be okay at the film (the second half comes out in July), despite its escalation of scary moments. Kids younger than 10 may quail at the intensity of the attacks on wizards-in- training Harry, Hermione and Ron by the evil Lord Voldemort and his shape-shifting Death Eaters. Harry and the others wander in the wilderness, trying to avoid the Death Eaters and destroy a Horcrux, a jewel that contains part of Voldemort’s soul. Harry’s final battle with the evil wizard looms ahead.
THE BOTTOM LINE:With SPOILER ALERTS: Tragic deaths of magical creatures and humans occur, as well as several bloody injuries. Voldemort holds a Hogwarts professor in suspension, then sics his serpent on her, its jaws gaping—though we don’t see the actual devouring. Someone nearly drowns, and everyone engages in explosive wand
COPYRIGHT DISNEY ENTERPRISES
Rapunzel (voice ofMandyMoore) ventures outside her tower/home with Flynn (Zachary Levi) in “Tangled.”
battles. Harry shares a mildly steamy kiss with GinnyWeasley. Dumbledore’s tomb is opened. Harry weeps at his parents’ grave.
13 PG-
BURLESQUE. Glitzy, schlocky, kitschy, a rip-off—“Burlesque” is all those things, but it is also fun. The movie’s entire premise is too sexualized for middle-schoolers, but for high-schoolers and adults, it’s a hoot. Pop diva Christina Aguilera plays Ali, who leaves a small town for Los Angeles, hoping to dance and sing. She discovers a club run by the formidable Tess (Cher) and her right- hand man, Sean. Ali lands a job as a waitress and meets bartender Jack. They become platonic roommates, with lots of sexual tension. Ali proves to Tess she has musical and dancing chops, plus the ability to save the financially shaky club.
THE BOTTOM LINE: There are several implied overnight trysts. The dancing is very steamily choreographed, but not quite sexually explicit. Characters drink a lot, some smoke and the script contains midrange profanity and sexual slang.
R
BLACK SWAN. The explicit sexual situations and language in this gripping, handsomely wrought hallucinatory thriller make it clearly for those 17 and older. “Black Swan” unfolds within the insular world of professional ballet. Director Darren Aronofsky and his terrific star Natalie Portman delve deeply into the
obsessive pursuit of perfection. Nina Sayers is a dedicated ballerina. A naive, sexually uninitiated woman- child, she lives like a nunlike existence with her controlling mother. All Nina’s psychological quirks and weaknesses are triggered when she’s cast in “Swan Lake” as both the innocentWhite Swan and the demonic Black Swan.
THE BOTTOM LINE: “Black Swan” includes explicit sexual situations and fantasies, both heterosexual and lesbian. Brief moments of violence and implied self-injury are intense and somewhat bloody, but not highly graphic. Characters drink, use recreational drugs and smoke. The script features very strong profanity and crude sexual slang.
LOVE&OTHER DRUGS. Teens 17 and older who enjoy an intense love story with a weepy-happy ending will get their ticket’s worth at “Love & Other Drugs.” The R rating reflects steamy, semi-nude, quite explicit sexual situations and strong language—not for middle-schoolers. Jamie is an under-achieving ladies’ man. He gets a job hawking prescription drugs to doctors, and soon he’s cleaning up, selling Viagra. He falls hard for one doctor’s patient, Maggie, a sarcastic, beautiful artist with early-stage Parkinson’s disease. She claims she wants no ties—just an affair. Jamie agrees, but his stronger feelings take over and suddenly the playboy is vulnerable.
THE BOTTOM LINE: In addition to the sexual situations, the film includes very strong profanity, graphic sexual slang, much drinking, some prescription drug misuse and brief pot-smoking. There’s a real-life scene where people in various stages of Parkinson’s disease talk about their lives.
weekend@washpost.com Horwitz is a freelance reviewer.
NOW PLAYING EVERYWHERE CHECK DIRECTORIES FOR LISTINGS
Watching with kids inmind
BILL NIGHY
EMILY BLUNT A COMEDY SO FUNNY, IT’S CRIMINAL. TARGET WILD RUPERT GRINT ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK ALBUM AVAILABLE ON RECORDS ©MAGIC LIGHT PICTURES (WILD TARGET) LIMITED / WILD TARGET LIMITED 2009
EXCLUSIVE ENGAGEMENT
www.wildtargetmovie.com
CINEMA ARTS THEATRE Main St.- Fairfax 703/978-6991
CHECKTHEATRE DIRECTORIES OR CALL FOR SHOWTIMES
A FILM BY STEPHEN FREARS
WWW.SONYCLASSICS.COM
WWW.TAMARADREWEMOVIE.COM AMC LOEWS
LANDMARK’S BETHESDA ROW CINEMA Bethesda 301-652-7273
SHIRLINGTON 7 Arlington 888-AMC-4FUN
EXPERIENCE THE HOLIDAY CLASSIC AS YOU’VE NEVER SEEN IT BEFORE
“Elle Fanning’s performance is simply MAGICAL!”
–Hollywood Mom Blog
“A FANTASTIC film for families
this holiday season!” –
MovieWeb.com An ANDREI KONCHALOVSKY FILM
Follow the nutcracker in 3D on An ANDREI KONCHALOVSKY FILM
© 2010 Cinemarket Follow the nutcracker in 3D on EXCLUSIVEENGAGEMENT STARTSTODAY THE#
PHOENIX THEATRES WORLDGATE 9 Herndon, VA 703/318-9290
CHECKTHEATRE DIRECTORIES OR
CALL FOR SHOWTIMES
THE 1MOVIEIN THEWORLD!
CONVENTION AND DEFINES A GENERATION.” “ONE OF THE BEST MOVIES OF THE YEAR.” “GRADE-A
“THE CINEMATIC EPIC THAT DEFIES Jake Hamilton, FOX-TV
Shawn Edwards, FOX-TV
EPICALLY INTENSE!” Elizabeth Weitzman, NY DAILY NEWS
“A THRILLER OF A RIDE.
STORYTELLING AT ITS BEST.
THE BAR HAS ONCE AGAIN BEEN RAISED IN THE WORLD OF ‘HARRY POTTER.’”
Ben Lyons, E!
YTELLING CINEMATICALLY REWARDING CHAPTER YET.”
“THE MOST Lisa Schwarzbaum, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY RUPERT GRINT
“Very Funny, ‘Tamara Drewe’ Is One In A Million!”
-Michael O’Sullivan,
47 EZ
the washington post friday, december 3, 2010 l
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132