Matt King (George Clooney) is an attorney working and living in Hawaii, with a beautiful wife (Patricia Hastie) and two young daughters. Sounds like a perfect life. Except he is a workaholic who has long neglected his wife, who recently had a serious boating accident that put her in a coma. An absentee father, Matt has no idea how to connect with his daughters, Alexandra (Shailene Woodley) and Scottie (Amara Miller).
On top of his family crisis, Matt is under pressure by his cousins to sell a large piece of property that could make them all very, very, very rich. Matt is the single surviving trustee and has the sole power to make the decision. It's almost a done deal, except the sale would have changed the face of Hawaii and made a lot of natives angry.
And as if that's not enough to drive Matt insane, he finds out that his wife was cheating on him before the accident, and she was considering a divorce. Stricken with guilt and anger and a sense of impotence, he decides to track down his wife's lover. 
George Clooney (The Ides of March) has never been better. He lets down his guard and toss away his suaveness to play a bumbling, befuddled middle-aged man who has lost touch of his own life and family. Clooney's performance is self-effacing, nuanced, and heartfelt. He makes us feel his character's anger and sorrow and everything in between without being melodramatic. In fact, his character's cool exterior can be deceiving. Clooney manages to give Matt King a full internal life despite the fact that he's a distant husband and father.
Shailene Woodley (Moola) gets her big screen break here as Clooney's eldest daughter, a potty-mouthed, rebellious teenager who can't connect with either of his parents. Woodley does a fine job giving the character range (from callousness to deep, conflicting emotions). But the standout is newcomer Amara Miller, who plays Scottie with such innocence and vulnerability that you just want to hug her. She's particularly heartbreaking in a scene where she learns of the truth about her mother. If you don't shed a tear watching her, you have no heart.
The rest of the cast include Nick Krause (ExTerminators) as a surfer who is smarter than he looks. He does a great job. Patricia Hastie (Princess Kailulani) spends most of the film in a bed playing the comatose wife. Beau Bridges (Max Payne) plays it loose as Cousin Hugh. Matthew Lillard (Scooby Doo) is an interesting choice for the lover. And Judy Greer (Love and Other Drugs) is affecting as Lillard's wife.
Written by Alexander Payne (Sideways), Nat Faxon (Adopted) and Jim Rash (Adopted) and based on by Kaui Hart Hemmings's novel, the screenplay is rather barebone. The story unfolds rather quickly with a lot of voice-over. It feels a bit too much exposition, but I suppose it has to be done that way to get the information out without bogging down the plot. Once the plot actually starts, though, it follows a loose structure that weaves various plot threads together. At times it feels rather contrived, with just a tad too many coincidences to suspend our disbelief. The motivations behind the characters' actions are also not always clear or convincing.
The strength of the screenplay is the dialogue. And the strength of the film itself is the performances. And director Payne does a great job letting his actors do their thing. Clooney, in particular, shines as the leading man. Payne explores the grieving process without beating us over the head with grand emotions. Don't get me wrong, the emotions are there and at times they are overwhelming. But Payne doesn't dwell on them, or make a big spectacle out of these emotional scenes. In fact, most of the scenes are understated and achieve certain emotional poignancy that takes a lot of restraint on the director's part.
The Descendants is a flawed little film that explores many big emotions. It's about choices. It's about family. It's about betrayal and agony. It's about forgiveness and unconditional love. There are many big themes. Perhaps that's why it can be so overwhelming for a such a small film.
Ned (Paul Rudd) is a happy-go-lucky guy who enjoys his guilty pleasure: marijuana. His major flaw? He trusts people too easily; he's gullible. After Ned was entrapped and imprisoned for "dealing," he loses his girlfriend, job and home, and needs a place to stay. Naturally he turns to his family, which includes sisters Miranda (Elizabeth Banks), Natalie (Zooey Deschanel) and Liz (Emily Mortimer).
Soon Ned is entangled in his sisters' tangled lives. Liz is an unhappy housewife married to a selfish jerk (Steve Coogan). Natalie isn't sure about her sexuality even though she's in a loving lesbian relationship with lawyer Cindy (Rashida Jones). And Miranda is a demanding, ambitious journalist who has no time for romance. While they all love Ned, they all have their own problems and can't really handle their idiotic brother, who has a problem of speaking what he thinks, uncensored.
Ned's child-like demeanors and simple world view soon unravel his sisters' worlds. Ned's penchant for the truth is at odds with his sisters' deceptions: Liz is in denial about her marriage; Liz is compromising her integrity just to get ahead at work; and Natalie cheated on Cindy. Even though they hate Ned for "ruining" their lives, eventually they realize it's all for the best and they begin to learn something from their idiotic brother.
Paul Rudd (How Do You Know?) has made a name for himself for playing the dorky but cute boy next door. In Our Idiot Brother, Rudd plays the title role and turns up his affability to full throttle. As perpetual stoner and man-child Ned, Rudd is extraordinarily charming and sympathetic, even though sometimes you really do want to slap him silly and say, "Grow up already!" That's a good thing.
The trio of sisters have very distinctive personalities and they're well portrayed by three capable actresses. Elizabeth Banks (The Next Three Days) plays a similar character as her Emmy-nominated Avery in 30 Rock, but she does it so well. Zooey Deschanel ((500) Days of Summer) also plays a role that is similar to Summer (albeit a bisexual) and does a good job. The more complex role belongs to Emily Mortimer (Shutter Island), however. Her vulnerability and anger come through in a character who is deep in denial and low self-esteem.
Rashida Jones (The Social Network) is excellent as Natalie's bossy but kind girlfriend. Steve Coogan (The Trip) sinks his teeth in the role of an ultimate douche-bag. Adam Scott (Piranha), as Miranda's neighbor, adds a bit of sex appeal to the production.
Written by David Schisgall, Evgenia Peretz and directed by Peretz's brother Jesse (The Ex), Our Idiot Brother has a loose, character-driven plot that is centered on Rudd's character, surrounding by his sisters and their extended family. The plot is not really linear, but it does progress, with a central question: Is Ned really an idiot? The obvious answer is "yes," as the audience and Ned's own family can attest. But soon we find that everything is relative. While everyone around Ned seems to have it all together, they are far less happy and fulfilled, and they don't connect to others the way their idiot brother does. Fortunately, Peretz doesn't beat us in the head with that message. Instead, she lets the story and the character brings that across.
Granted, the characters and story can be frustrating at times. I mean, seriously, Ned is in his 30s and can he just get a grip? Is his brain really so baked that he can't tell what can harm him? Even an 8-year-old child seems to know better. In that regard, the character is rather frustrating to watch, even if we wish him the best. There are other inconsistency (for example, if Ned has a big mouth, then why would Natalie tell him her secret and then expect him to keep it from Cindy?), plot holes and contrivance.
The direction has an independent feel to it, which is actually an asset. The film is laid back and fun, much like the central character, and the story moves along well enough. Even with a large cast of supporting characters, we're never confused and the focus always rests on Ned: his influence on others and their reactions to him.
Our Idiot Brother is a nice, funny, small film with some stars in it. Could it be better? Definitely (it could, perhaps, use more obscure actors instead of all-to-familiar faces). But it's an entertaining, character-driven family comedy and there's nothing idiotic about that.
Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) and the residents of Radiator Springs quietly lead their provincial lives until their best friend, superstar Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson), returns. But before McQueen can settle in and have some private time with girlfriend Sally (Bonnie Hunt), he's invited to the World Grand Prix by Sir Miles Axelrod (Eddie Izzard). Reluctantly, McQueen takes Mater with him, but he reminds Mater to change the way he acts on the world stage.
Well, Mater being Mater, he acts the same way he does, and the world sees him as just an idiot who embarrasses McQueen everywhere he goes. Little does he know, though, he's soon involved in an international espionage. Turns out MI6 agents Finn McMissile (Michael Caine) and Holly Shiftwell (Emily Mortimer) are tracking a mysterious group of terrorists trying to sabotage the race. They mistaken Mater for an American spy.
When Mater causes McQueen to lose his first race, Mater leaves to return to Radiator Springs, but instead McMissile and Shiftwell take him along to track down the terrorists. They realize the terrorists are using a camera gun to blow up race cars in order to sabotage Sir Axelrod and his alternative fuel. When McMissile and Shiftwell are disabled, Mater has to rise to the occasion to help stop the terrorists from destroying the race and killing his best friend McQueen.
Larry the Cable Guy (Witless Protection) returns as the voice of lovable Mater. Larry is fine as a sidekick, and the character of Mater has some endearing qualities despite his irritating idiocy. Stupidity is funny up to a point, but when your main character is stupid, it gets old fast. Owen Wilson (Midnight in Paris) is more at ease this time as McQueen. He's smooth, confident and witty. Unfortunately, he stays in the backseat (pun intended) most of the time.
A slew of new characters are introduced in this sequel. Michael Caine (The Dark Knight) is smart and charming as Agent McMissile, which has some of the funnest scenes in the movie. Emily Mortimer (Shutter Island) is cool and fun as Agent Shiftwell. These two are definitely the most memorable characters. John Turturro (Transformers: Dark of the Moon) is effectively cocky as McQueen's chief rival Francesco Bernoulli. Eddie Izzard (Across the Universe) has a small but pivotal role as Sir Axelrod. And Vanessa Redgrave (Letters to Juliet) lends her sultry voice as the Queen of England.
Some of the cast of the original return in small, supporting role (since much of the story happens outside of Radiator Springs): Bonnie Hunt (Toy Story 3) as McQueen's understanding and perfect girlfriend Sally, Tony Shalhoub (How Do You Know?) as Luigi, and John Ratzenberger (Toy Story 3) as Mack.
Cars 2 is written and directed by John Lasseter (together with Brad Lewis, Ben Queen and Ben Fogelman), and you would think it would be very good. Well, it is very entertaining, for sure. There's never really a dull moment, and this should keep the little boys very happy. But compared to other Pixar films, this is seriously lacking in character development, story, and that je ne sais quoi in almost every Pixar movie including the original Cars. In fact, the original was considered one of the weakest films from Pixar and I was surprised to learn that they were making a sequel. At least the first one has a soul that is anchored in Radiator Springs (with a nice nostalgic theme) with a cast of wonderful characters, and Wilson did a good job playing the reluctant hero. This one? Not so much.
Mater is a funny sidekick, but as the hero, he's just not really that good. The plot is convoluted, what with the James Bond-esque plot and action sequences. When did this become Spy Kids for cars? Most of all, except for a few characters such as McMissile and Shiftwell, we don't care about any of them. There is a lot of noise, action, and explosions (especially for a family film -- in comparison, The Incredibles, Pixar's most action-packed feature before Cars 2, has far less violence). It's very busy, and sometimes you don't even know what's going on.
Lasseter has said that Cars was his favorite because of his love for cars, but it seems that his ego is really getting in the way. Cars 2 is bloated, convoluted, irrelevant without memorable characters and a heart and soul in the middle. Yes, it's entertaining, fast-paced, and the animation is, as usual, top-notch. But it lacks the signature elements of a Pixar production. Seriously, if you don't pay attention, you may actually think this is made by Dreamworks. Are Pixar trying to pander to the Shrek audiences? They really don't need to. Let's hope there is no Cars 3 in the works.
John (Russell Crowe) and Lara Brennan (Elizabeth Banks) are a happy couple raising a young son Luke (Ty Simpkins) in Pittsburgh, PA. Then Lara is arrested and convicted for murdering her boss. After almost three years, the evidence, albeit all circumstantial, is too strong, and their final repeal is denied. After Lara tries to kill herself and running out of options, John decides the only way to find justice is by breaking Lara out of prison.
John starts to gather information and device a plan. He seeks out Damon Pennington (Liam Neeson), a famed jail-breaker. Pennington's advice is solid but grim: Pittsburgh is one of the toughest cities to attempt an escape, and he doubts John, a community college teacher, has what it takes to carry out a well-executed plan.
Uncertain himself, John decides to move forward, as his wife is being transferred out of Pittsburgh in only three days. His inexperiences and nerves almost cost him his own freedom or, worse, life. Guided by his love for his family, he realizes there's only one way out, and that's to stay focused and keep going until they're free or dead.
Russell Crowe (Robin Hood) is in top form as the devoted family man and teacher-turn-criminal. His performance, while not a powerhouse as that in Gladiators or even Insider, is commendable for its intensity, internal conflict and subtlety. Crowe is not playing a larger-than-life action hero; he's playing an ordinary man forced to take extreme measures. He's convincing and gets our sympathy immediately.
Elizabeth Banks (The Uninvited) is good, but not great, as Lara. Hers is a tough role to play -- a loving wife and mother who has been wrongfully convicted of murder and incarcerated for life. Banks does a good job with her scenes, but her character is not fully written, and thus there's something missing in her characterization. It almost feels contrived.
The support cast is all good. Olivia Wilde (TRON: Legacy) is beautiful and gentle as a mother who has the hots for John. Liam Neeson (The A-Team) has a very small, gruff role as Pennington. Brian Dennehy (Every Day) is wonderfully stoic as John's father. And Jason Beghe (Medium) successfully channels Ed Harris as a sympathetic detective.
The screenplay by Oscar-winning writer-director Paul Haggis (Million Dollar Baby) is a solid character-driven piece. Perhaps that's at once its biggest strength and problem. The film is heavily marketed as a suspense-thriller. While there are definitely suspense and thrills, especially in the final act, the movie is really a personal drama about family and priorities, and to some extent about our justice system. Haggis's screenplay is full of great personal moments and emotional subtleties, but because of them, the plot drags, and feels rather repetitive at times.
And as a suspense-thriller, there are the obligatory plot holes and implausibilities. He tries too hard to cast doubt about Lara's innocence -- her abrasive personality, etc. It's not necessary; it's not what this story is about. As a Pittsburgh native, I have to seriously suspend my disbelief. Some of the plot twists would never make sense if the story actually happened. However, by then we're so emotionally involved with the characters that we don't care. We just want them to get away.
Haggis's direction is fluid and personal, with lots of close-ups and intimate moments. That said, I think he dwells on those moments too much and they drag down the storytelling. How many times do we need to be reminded that John and Lara love each other? It's like he wants to hit us over and over again how John will do anything for Lara, and that's unnecessary; it only bogs down the plot. What is interesting, however, is when John screws up. Every time John makes a mistake, every time he almost gets caught, the tension is palpable. If Haggis had stayed focused on that plight, it would have been a stronger movie.
Expectations be damned -- those who are looking for a taut, twisty thriller may be disappointed, and those looking for an intimate family drama may miss out on this. I think the movie has been botched by the marketing. I suppose the box office record in the next few days or weeks will tell us if I'm right.
In a Superman-esque opening, we learn that Megamind (Will Ferrell) is the lone survivor of his planet. But he's not the only one. Metro Man (Brad Pitt), from a neighboring planet, also survives, and they both end up on Earth. Megamind has the misfortune of landing in a prison, and because he looks odd, he's constantly picked on. Quickly he and the popular Metro Man become mortal enemies. They often try to one-up each other. Metro Man becomes the de facto superhero of Metro City, and Megamind the super villain who can never win.
At the opening ceremony of the Metro Man Museum, Megamind once again tries to defeat Metro Man. He kidnaps reporter Roxanne (Tina Fey), whom he believes is Metro Man's main squeeze. But his plan goes too well, and he destroys Metro Man for good. For a while, Megamind enjoys his victory and being fearsome, but after a while, he realizes life is boring and there is no point without a hero to fight. And to his surprise, he misses Metro Man.
So Megamind decides to create a new superhero to fight him. By using Metro Man's DNA, Megamind accidentally makes Roxanne's cameraman Tighten (Jonah Hill) a superhuman. Unfortunately, Tighten has none of the quality that makes up a superhero. Instead, Tighten wants to be a super villain like Megamind.
Will Ferrel (The Other Guys) stages his "come back" with the back-to-back comedies. As the voice of Megamind, Ferrel exercises his zaniness with an over-the-top performance. He's entertaining when he doesn't sound obnoxious -- and that's a very thin line at times. Brad Pitt (Inglourious Basterds), on the other hand, is all dapper and charming as the hunky Metro Man. The two voices and characters are definitely yin and yang for each other.
Tina Fey (Date Night) provides the voice for the only major female character. Her performance is spirited and sexy. Her voice and Ferrel's surprisingly compliment each other well. On the other hand, even in animated character form, Jonah Hill (Get Him to the Greek) practically plays himself again. His whiny voice fits the character perfectly.
The rest of the voice cast includes David Cross (Year One) in a funny role as Minion, Ben Stiller (Greenberg) in a small role as Bernard, and J.K. Simmons (Up in the Air) as the deadpanning Warden.
The screenplay is written by two novice writers: Alan J. Schoolcraft and Brent Simons, and it shows. While the story has a natural "coming of age" arc, the treatment is rather chaotic. The first and last act are relatively smooth (and standard -- well, I mean, we've seen it before in something like The Incredibles), but the second act is rather a mess. Over all, I feel the story lacks a focus, and there are too many bits and pieces vying for our attention. It's busy, and which may please the young ones in the audience. But for us adults, it feels bloated and out of control at times. The comedy is often broad, and the dialogue skit-like. The premise is try-and-true, but lacks certain imagination. The beginning, for example, is a complete ripoff of Superman, albeit having a comedic, new twist.
Under Tom McGrath's (Madagascar), the animation, however, is top-notch. We can always count on the animators at Dreamworks to do great work. The colors are vibrant. The characters are well designed. And the action sequences are well rendered. The production value is consistently good. The pacing, however, suffers from the script. Even McGrath can't save the film from the sloppy second act. Fortunately, the third act delivers, even though the ending is predictable.
