"Divergent" is predictable and mundane science fiction at it worst. The dull screenplay by Evan Daugherty and Vanessa Taylor, adapted from the 2011 book of the same name by Veronica Roth, seems to borrow elements from "The Hunger Games," "Harry Potter," "Ender's Game," and "The Matrix" series. [..]
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014)
"Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb" is a fun fantasy comedy movie, a sequel to the 2006 and 2009 features. Great production values from producer-director Shawn Levy ("The Pink Panther" 2006) and screenwriters David Guion and Michael Handelman. Stars Ben Stiller, Robin [..]
Big Hero 6 (2014)
"Big Hero 6" is the story of 14-year-old Hiro Hamada and his robot Baymax who form a superhero team to fight a masked villain. This is the first animated Disney film to feature Marvel Comics characters, since the media conglomerate acquire Marvel Studios in 2009. Crisp [..]
Into the Woods (2014)
Walt Disney Pictures and producer-director Rob Marshall ("Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" 2011) did an outstanding job of adapting a Tony Award winning musical into motion picture form. "Into the Woods," written by Stephen Sondheim and James Lupine, is a unique combined retelling of four [..]
Jersey Boys (2014)
Producer-director Clint Eastwood ("Play Misty For Me" 1971) has put together a movie about the musical group the Four Seasons called "Jersey Boys." This biopic, based on the Tony Award winning musical, does a good job recreating the group's hit songs but not such a good job [..]
The Expendables 3 (2014)
"The Expendables 3" goes somewhat more cerebral than its two predecessors, earning a PG-13 rating instead of the R awarded to "The Expendables" (2010) and "The Expendables 2" (2012). Creator Sylvester Stallone was trying to reach a wider audience, with limited success. However, action sequences are [..]
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
"The Hobbit" series comes to a satisfying conclusion with "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies." Producer-director-screenwriter Peter Jackson has provided lots of action, special effects, and a storyline faithful to the 1937 J. R. R. Tolkien novel "The Hobbit" to satisfy fans, critics, and the [..]
The Prince (2014)
Bad acting and a predictable plot describes "The Prince," a crime drama from Lionsgate Pictures. A retired crime boss is forced back into action when his daughter is kidnapped by an old rival. Yawns and ho-hums all around. Director Brian A. Miller was apparently asleep [..]
Million Dollar Arm (2014)
"Million Dollar Arm" is the story of a sports agent's attempt to find baseball talent from India's huge pool of cricket players. The film is based on the true story of J. B. Bernstein's discovery of Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel in an Indian reality show competition, [..]
Planes: Fire & Rescue (2014)
"Planes: Fire & Rescue" is a sequel to last year's "Planes," continuing the story of Dusty Crophopper, a crop duster plane who is now assigned to be a firefighting plane, when he discovers that his gearbox has become damaged. Director-screenwriter Bobs Gannaway, who co-wrote the screenplay with [..]