Russell Brand, James Marsden, Kaley Cuoco | PG |
COMEDY
Sometimes I'm a sucker. Give me a cute premise about the Easter Bunny (Hugh Laurie) running a Wonka-esque candy factory and passing the torch to his ingrate son, E.B. (Brand), and I'm sold. It helps that Brand puts a hilariously snarky voice performance into his big-eyed rabbit. But Hop, a live-action/animation hybrid, is more fun than smart. When E.B. runs away from home he finds Fred (Marsden), a human buddy who's equally aimless but a touch too bumbling. As Fred tries to hide him from humans, he helps E.B. get on a TV talent show with David Hasselhoff (if there's logic there, I can't find it). There's also a pointless coup going down back at Bunny HQ, but kids won't care about that. If they giggle that E.B. poops jellybeans, don't despair-I laughed too.
Super
Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page, Liv Tyler | Unrated |
COMEDY
Super is what might happen if Batman went psycho. Amiable dork Frank (Wilson) loses his wife (Tyler) to her scuzzy drug-dealer boss (Kevin Bacon), and something snaps. He gets a vision that he should fight crime as the Crimson Bolt, smacking evildoers (and some not so evil) with a pipe wrench. Soon he's joined by Boltie (Page), his unhinged sidekick who thrives on hurting people. As a mini-avenger, Page is about as manic as Wilson is contained, an unevenness evident throughout the film. Archly funny scenes are followed by twisted violence, visual effects come and go, and ideas get raised and dropped. Still, fanboys may appreciate the wicked comic-book satire.
Insidious
Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne | PG-13 |
REVIEWED BY RENNIE DYBALL
HORROR
Movies like this make me afraid to have kids. I mean, what if they turn out like Dalton, the young son of Josh (Wilson) and Renai (Byrne), who falls into what seems to be a coma-but is actually something much creepier? Insidious is a modern, jump-out-of-your-seat frightfest with all the unsettling creepiness of classic horror fare. An incessantly scary ride.
BROADWAY STAR ROSE HEMINGWAY
DANIEL RADCLIFFE'S NEW LEADING LADY
ON KISSING RADCLIFFE IN HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING
"It's good!" says the Philadelphia native, 27, who makes her Broadway debut in the musical comedy. "He's everything you'd dream of. But it was originally choreographed to be this very long, frozen kiss. We used to giggle through it. Sometimes we still giggle through it."
ON REAL-LIFE SPARKS
No way-she's a newlywed! Husband Geoffrey toured with her in Mamma Mia! A bonus: "We work out our audition songs together," she says.
WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT
Long before Hop, Roger seamlessly blended 'toons and live action.
DONNIE DARKO
Creepy dream-rabbit Frank saves Jake Gyllenhaal but predicts doom for the rest of us.
HARVEY
Impish and invisible (to most folks, anyway), Harvey is James Stewart's pal, so he's fine by me.
WHAT I Love THIS WEEK
CATHERINE DENEUVE
IN POTICHE
Deneuve is delightful as a still-stunning but ignored housewife who becomes a canny mogul.
KRISTEN WIIG
IN PAUL
You know she's good when she's getting bigger laughs than the wise-cracking alien.
CAPTAIN AMERICA
TRAILER
Chris Evans as a patriotic but puny kid who becomes a hunky superhero? I'm in.
CATCHING UP WITH...
FREIDA PINTO
HOW HAS YOUR LIFE CHANGED SINCE SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE?
I am able to choose my projects now. Before, I was struggling and almost gave up acting to become a wedding planner! I'm good at organizing and a bit obsessive-compulsive with it.
YOU'RE NOW KNOWN AS A FASHIONISTA. WHAT'S YOUR STYLE SECRET?
I've never really thought of it that way. But I learned you have to be mindful of colors that suit you.
IN YOUR NEW MOVIE MIRAL YOU HAVE A LOVE/HATE BOND WITH YOUR ONSCREEN DAD. RELATE?
No! I am Daddy's little girl. I always said when I get married, the person I choose must have my father's qualities: be patient, love me to bits and really say that I'm the apple of his eye.
SPEAKING OF, HOW'S LIFE DATING SLUMDOG COSTAR DEV PATEL?
Dev's one of my best friends. He's sweet, hilarious and smart. He understands me so well that if I say five words to Dev, he understands the 50 words that follow. He makes it easy and less tiring.
