FamilyFilmgoer by Jane Horwitz PG -
SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD. Teens who already love the graphic novels about Scott Pilgrim will likely flock to this movie. And whether it’s fully loyal to the books, it stands as a uniquely fun and fizzy experience, in- corporating elements of video game fantasy into the live-action story of Scott Pilgrim’s wacky life. The prem- ise gets a little tired but not enough to spoil the experience. A directionless 20-something guy who’s out of work dates a high-school-age girl and plays bass with a garage band. Suddenly, the movie flies off the screen into the video-game stratosphere after Scott falls for Ramona. Scott learns he must fight all of her ex-boyfriends in a surreal form of video-game-inspired combat in order to win her.
13 K.C. BAILEY/SUMMIT ENTERTAINMENT
The cast from “Step Up 3D” mixes break-dancing/hip-hop styles with acrobatics, mime and ballet.
THE BOTTOM LINE: The film is edgy, yet with hardly any profanity (except for one song lyric), bloodless special- effects fights. There are many refer- ences to homosexuality, since Scott’s sarcastic roommate is gay. There are also drug references and some drink- ing.
EAT PRAY LOVE. It’s a little tough to imagine most teens sticking with this rambling, artificial-feeling tale of self- discovery (based on Elizabeth Gil- bert’s popular memoir) about a 40- ish travel writer’s year-long round-the- world quest to find herself after a messy divorce. The film has nice mo- ments but is repetitive and offers preachy conclusions that seem straight out of self-help books and talk shows. Liz returns from a working trip to Bali and realizes she doesn’t want to be married to her husband anymore. She gets divorced, has an affair with a young actor, then goes on her journey to Italy, to eat and have fun, then to India to study with a guru and finally to Bali to reconnect with a medicine man. She also meets Felipe, a Brazilian who challenges her fear of love and commitment.
THE BOTTOM LINE: There is much sexual innuendo, but it is never too crude or graphic. There are numerous implied overnight trysts. There is brief backview nudity. Characters drink a lot. There is occasional profanity.
STEP UP 3D. There’s some terrific dancing in this cliched but very watchable sequel to the “Step Up” franchise of teen dance films. The en- ergy alone (plus the good-looking cast) will carry many teens along for the ride more than the corny script. The inventive dance numbers mix break-dancing/hip-hop styles with ac- robatics, mime, ballet and even a
dash of Fred Astaire. Luke is trying to keep his dance club alive so he can continue to run a rehearsal hall and dorm upstairs for street dancers. He also wants his dance crew to win a big upcoming contest. A mysterious new dancer, Natalie, joins them, along with Moose, a dance-crazed freshman at New York University who keeps ditching engineering classes to rehearse with Luke and the team.
THE BOTTOM LINE: There are some crotch-grabbing dance moves and other very mild sexual innuendo. There is rare profanity.
THE OTHER GUYS.Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg play ill-matched NYPD detective partners in this cop movie spoof that high-schoolers could find delicious. It is not great fare for middle-schoolers, because of the sexual content and frequent pro- fanity, which push the PG-13 enve- lope. Allen Gamble is a nerdy police detective whose strong suit is ac- counting. Terry Hoitz is disgraced be- cause he accidentally shot a star baseball player. Now Hoitz, who’s ea- ger to restore his reputation, must work with Gamble. When the may- hem-addicted cops in their depart- ment are sidelined, Hoitz and Gamble enter the fray, obsessed with catch- ing a sleazy financier.
THE BOTTOM LINE: There are ridicu- lously destructive car chases, shoot- outs, explosions and all sorts of taste- less jokes and much sexual innuen- do. Not for middle-schoolers.
DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS. Paul Rudd, Steve Carell and a gifted sup- porting cast make this farce a feast of laughs, though its R-ish sexual con- tent is inappropriate for many middle- schoolers. Tim works at a private eq- uity firm. Once a month, the firm’s ex- ecutives dine together, each bringing an eccentric “idiot” guest at whom they all can laugh. Tim has been invit- ed. Tim balks until he meets Barry, a nerd who makes dioramas with stuffed mice.
THE BOTTOM LINE: There are re- peated sexual jokes, along with mid-
Horwitz is a freelance reviewer.
range profanity and drinking. That all makes this comedy iffy for middle- schoolers.
CHARLIE ST. CLOUD. Many a young- er teen girl’s heart will flutter to see Zac Efron in this tear-soaked, irony- free drama about grief, loss and get- ting on with life. But when the camera lingers too long on Efron’s baby blues, it’s giggle-inducing. Charlie is about to go to college on a boat-racing scholar- ship. But when he and his kid broth- er, Sam, are in a car accident and Sam dies, Charlie is shattered. He communes with Sam’s spirit in the woods and promises to meet him there every day. Five years later, Char- lie works at the cemetery and lives like a hermit. And then he meets Tess.
THE BOTTOM LINE: The car crash is not graphic but intense when Charlie sees his little brother has died. There is a mild sexual situation. There is drinking, crude language and mild profanity.
THE EXPENDABLES. A passel of long-in-the-tooth action stars get to- gether to raise cain in this ultra-vio- lent saga directed and co-written by Sylvester Stallone, who also stars. Teens 17 and older who love action flicks may get a kick out of seeing the slightly grizzled, botoxed cast tear things up. The movie is bad, but fun — one of those guilty pleasures — and awfully bloody. Barney Ross is leader of a team of mercenaries who must assassinate an island dictator.
R
THE BOTTOM LINE: Graphically vio- lent — throat stabbings and behead- ings between the gunplay — and pro- fane, “The Expendables” is for 17- and-older. There’s a depiction of tor- ture and the implied threat of rape. Some characters drink and smoke.
weekend@washpost.com
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THE ADVENTURE BEGINS TODAY
“‘EAT PRAY LOVE’ IS A MUST-SEE.”
Kevin Steincross, FOX-TV
“JULIA ROBERTSHAS NEVER BEEN BETTER.”
Bonnie Laufer-Krebs, TRIBUTE ENTERTAINMENT
29
“SCOTT PILGRIM IS A
WORKS ITS WAYINTO YOUR HEART.” “
CLASSIC. BRILLIANTLY DIRECTED.” “THE YEAR‘S
A BREATHLESS RUSH OF A MOVIE THAT JUMPS OFF THE SCREEN,SPINSYOURHEADAROUND AND THEN Travers
GAME-CHANGER. Peter
AWESOMESTMOVIE OF THE
DECADE.AN INSTANT
SWEETEST CINEMATIC MILK SHAKE. IF YOU DON‘T THIS MOVIELOVE
TO PIECES, I DON'T WANT
TO KNOW YOU.” Jeff Jensen, EW
“TOTALLY AWESOME!
HIP AND
Jami Philbrick, MOVIEWEB
SUPER COOL!”
SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD” CCHRIS EVANSHRIS EVANS ANNA KENDRICKANNA KENDRICK ALISON PILLALISON PILL BRANDON ROUTHBRANDON ROUTH JASON SCHWARTZMANJASON SCHWARTZMAN EXECUTIVE ONALDOVASCONCELLOS
““SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD” MMICHAEL CERAICHAEL CERA MMARY ELIZABETH WINSTEADARY ELIZABETH WINSTEAD KIERAN CULKINKIERAN CULKIN PRODUCERS RRONALDO VASCONCELLOS JJ..MILES DALEMILESDALE BY
UUNINIVERSAL PICVERSAL PICTURES URES PRESENTSPRESENTS A MARC PL
XECUTIVE PRODUCERS
BASED ON THE ONI PRESS GRAPHIC NOVELS BY
GRAPHIC NOVELS BY MARC PLATT/BIG TALK FILMS T/BIG TALK FILMS PRODUCTIONPRODUCTION
EEDGAR WRIGHTDGARWRIGHT BASED ON THE ONI PRESS BRYAN YANLEE OEO’M’MALALLEYEY SCREENP BY
DIRECTEDEDGAR WRIGHTDGARWRIGHT DIRECTED
SCREENPLALA MICHAEL BACALLY ICHAELBACALL& EDGAR WRIGHTEDGARWRIGHT AA UNIVERSAUNIVERSALPICTUREPICTURE
BY BY BY BY © 2010 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS SOUNDTRACK ON ABKCO RECORDS
CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATRES AND SHOWTIMES MOBILE USERS: For Showtimes - Text SCOTT with your ZIP CODE to 43KIX (43549)!
STARTS TODAY
PRODUCEDMMARC PLARCPLATT PRODUCED
EERIC GITTERRICGITTER NNIRA PARKIRAPARK
YUMMIEST, “ONE-OF-A- KIND,
Steve Oldfield, FOX-TV
WORK OF CINEMA.” Todd Gilchrist, CINEMATICAL
SENSITIVE AND SATISFYING SMART,
“A GENUINE, NO-JOKE, OUT-OF-THE-BALLPARK
Drew McWeeny, HITFIX
MASTERWORK.”
FULLY REALIZED,
THE WASHINGTON POST • FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2010
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