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Catholic News Service
Director Tim Burton’s gothic comedy “Frankenweenie” is a skillful 3-D animated spoof of horror conventions built around the heart-warming relationship between a boy and his dog.
This black-and-white, stop-motion cartoon, an expanded version of Burton’s 1984 live-action short of the same title, might prove too scary for small fry. But it will delight their older siblings and amuse parents as well.
Catholic News Service
Liam Neeson scowls his way through the sour sequel “Taken 2.” Moviegoers may find themselves displaying a similar expression should they choose to spend a long 90 minutes watching Neeson tangle with and inevitably best one anonymous heavy after another.
This time out, Neeson’s Bryan Mills, a retired CIA agent short of fuse but long on mad fighting skills, is up against the machinations of a grudge-bearing Albanian by the name of Murad (Rade Sherbedgia). Murad is out for revenge because Bryan killed his son, the principal baddie of the first installment of the franchise.
Catholic News Service
Extravagant musical TV shows and movies are all the rage, from the campy “Glee” to the stern-faced “Step Up Revolution.”
Some of these productions are calculated to appeal exclusively to aspiring entertainers. Others attempt to use song and dance to proclaim a message, whether it be the importance of self-confidence or of social justice.
Catholic News Service
In the dystopian distant of science fiction, and especially “Looper,” there will be time travel, but it will be illegal, so only criminals will utilize it.
Dang. In the near future, though, all cars will be electric, we’ll have cool flying motorcycles, a genetic mutation will make telekinesis sort of commonplace, and we’ll still rely on our trusty firearms on the remote prairie.
Catholic News Service
We are used to fables of humans fleeing from spooky ghouls and ghosts, but what if they were as scared of us as we are of them?
That is the premise of animated comedy “Hotel Transylvania’ — an enjoyable, if slightly rude, pro-family romp in which the infamous Count Dracula (voiced by Adam Sandler) has established a “monsters only” resort to provide a safe haven for spooks to relax away from the torches and pitchforks of their antagonists.
Catholic News Service
“House at the End of the Street” has some wild, weird stuff going on in the sub-basement, but overall, it’s a somewhat elegant psychological thriller overstuffed with spooky music and with less gore than an old episode of “Murder, She Wrote.”
Director Mark Tonderia and screenwriter David Loucka have crafted a tale that floats on the star power of Jennifer Lawrence, who plays 17-year-old Elissa Cassidy, a sensitive girl who likes to “rescue” others.
Catholic News Service
There’s no need to dread going to see “Dredd 3D,” so long as you’re a teenager addicted to violent video games. For “Dredd” is just that: a gamer’s fantasy come to life, in gory, blood-splattering 3D that will leave many viewers running for the doors.
Director Pete Travis has adapted the British graphic novel series “2000 A.D.” in this good-vs.-evil story set in a post-apocalyptic future. It’s a grim place and not for the squeamish, as hardly a frame goes by without a head being blown off or a body being skinned alive.
Catholic News Service
A story with a Christian message is a rare and compelling gem for Catholic viewers in today’s Hollywood culture. At the same time, a film that leads first with a positive message, and merely tacks the story on as an afterthought, is one set to leave even the most devoted Christians cold.
Unfortunately, this is a problem with “Last Ounce of Courage” — a picture about religious freedom and standing up for what one believes against the tyranny of the vocal minority.
Catholic News Service
Filmed entirely with handheld cameras, “End of Watch” is an immersive experience. This gritty police drama has a documentary feel and authentic look, putting the viewer front and center in a clash between good and evil in the inner city.
Regrettably, the pervasive violence and incessant trash talk in “End of Watch,” written and directed by David Ayer, will deter many from seeing a riveting, well-acted film with a powerful Christian message of brotherhood and laying down one’s life for another.
Catholic News Service
With a few exceptions, every character Clint Eastwood has portrayed during his long career has had an ornery streak, regardless of their capacity for righteous or noble acts.
In the 2008 hit “Gran Torino,” which he also directed, Eastwood starred as a curmudgeonly Detroit widower who surprises even himself by coming to the aid of his Hmong neighbors.
