July 26, 2007

"No Reservations" (PG, 1 hr., 33 min.)

A romantic-family comedy about a control freak chef who suddenly finds herself guardian to a young child, "No Reservations" opens with an easy lightness, but soon weighs itself down with sentimentality, corny music montages, and adult stars (Catherine Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhart) who seem ever more miscast. It is acceptable fare for most kids 10 and older and perfectly watchable, but unlikely to charm them, despite the presence of talented young Abigail Breslin ("The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause," G, 2006, and "Little Miss Sunshine," R, 2006). A key story element involves a child dealing with the emotional trauma of her mother's death. This makes "No Reservations" a more somber tale than its PG rating indicates. The film's portrayal of grief is actually one of its stronger points, but that could make it heavy going for some preteens. The movie also shows adults drinking and at times drunk. An understated kissing scene leads to an implied night together.

Kate (Zeta-Jones) runs the kitchen in a trendy New York eatery with compulsive precision. Her underlings respect but don't hang out with her. After her sister dies in a car crash while coming to visit her, Kate becomes guardian of her young niece, Zoe (Breslin), barely missing a day of work despite her sadness and new responsibility. When she serves the grieving child a fish with the head still on, it becomes clear she has no idea how to treat a kid. Enter charming, funny Nick (Eckhart), a talented chef the restaurant owner (Patricia Clarkson) hires to assist Kate. Between her bewilderment over child rearing and her paranoia over Nick entering her domain, Kate is ripe for a life-changing experience. Alas, Eckhart and especially the chilly Zeta-Jones try too hard, and the souffle falls.

P.S. FOR TEENS: If you think you're ready to try a few foreign films with subtitles (always better, if you have a choice, than ones with English "dubbed" over the original dialogue), check out the movie "No Reservations" is based on. It is a German film called "Mostly Martha" (PG, 2001). The story is the same, but the actors and director seem to have a lighter way of telling it. And, if you enjoy the cooking aspect of the story, check out one of the best movies ever made about love of food and the art of cooking, "Babette's Feast" (G, 1987) from Denmark.

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"The Simpsons Movie" (PG-13, 1 hr., 27 min.)

That bonehead Homer Simpson nearly "kills" his town of Springfield and risks alienating his family forever in this very funny feature-length episode of the 18-year-old animated TV show. About an hour in, the movie starts to feel a bit padded, but regains its momentum for a big finish. As in the TV show, the material is often tasteless and politically incorrect, but never raunchy. Many of the gags relating to current events will be lost on kids between 10 and 13, but -- with a parental OK -- they ought to find the antics of Homer (voice of Dan Castellaneta) et al. mighty amusing, as will their elders. And if parents have to explain some of the jokes, their kids will absorb a dollop of knowledge in the process.

Ever the flawed dad, Homer dares his son Bart (voice of Nancy Cartwright) to skateboard naked, in a hilarious sequence that eventually offers a brief glimpse of Bart's "doodle," after which bystanders make fun of it. Since the animated characters are hand-drawn, the "doodle" is sketchy, not graphic. Characters drink and smoke -- including, at times, kids. Evengelical Christianity is made fun of, but the Simpsons' religious neighbor Ned Flanders (Harry Shearer) gives Bart fatherly kindness when Homer falls short. There is mildly crude language ("pig crap") and rare profanity. At one point townsfolk seem ready to lynch the entire Simpson clan, with torches, nooses and weapons. There is just the start of a marital love scene between Homer and Marge (Julie Kavner). Two gay policemen kiss before disappearing into a motel room. A violent video game shows a walrus blowing up a penguin, and a bomb-detecting robot commits suicide.

Homer causes an ecological disaster when he dumps a silo full of his pet pig's droppings into Lake Springfield. A squirrel emerges from the lake with twenty extra eyeballs. The Environmental Protection Agency (led by an evil administrator voiced by Albert Brooks) puts a quarantine dome over Springfield. Homer and his family become pariahs and escape to Alaska. When Marge hears Springfield might be destroyed, she insists they go back to save it. Homer refuses until he has an epiphany about selflessness -- and learns what "epiphany" means.

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BEYOND THE RATINGS GAME

-- FINE FOR 8 AND OLDER:

"Evan Almighty" PG (Milder sequel to "Bruce Almighty" (PG-13, 2003) updates the Noah story in flat-footed style; yet its portrayal of adults acting silly and wild animals acting tame may tickle many kids; Steve Carell as new Congressman Evan Baxter (a TV anchorman in the first film); a big-shot politico (John Goodman) pressures him to back an evil land bill, and Evan starts getting odd deliveries of wood and tools; God (Morgan Freeman) appears and tells him to build an ark; pairs of critters flock to him and his beard grows fast. Bird doo gags; rare, mildly off-color lines; kid describes a duck's penis; drug reference; implied nudity; briefly intense image of homes swept away by flood; partly muffled profanity; some adults may object on political or theological grounds.)

-- MORE ACESSIBLE TO 10 AND OLDER:

"No Reservations" PG (NEW) (Initially airy romantic family comedy grows heavy and sentimental -- unlikely to hold kids' interest and marred by miscast adult leads; Catherine Zeta-Jones as Kate, a stern, emotionally guarded gourmet chef whose sister dies in a car crash, making Kate sole guardian of her 9-year-old niece (Abigail Breslin) and clueless how to relate to her; Aaron Eckhart as a fun-loving assistant chef hired to share power with Kate in the restaurant; she wavers between grief over her sister, fear of failing her niece, and job paranoia over a man she's also attracted to. Key theme involves a child dealing with the trauma of her mother's death; film's depiction of grief is one of its stronger points, but might make it too intense for some preteens; adults drinking and at times drunk; understated kissing scene leads to implied overnight tryst.)

"Hairspray" PG (Exuberant film version of the Broadway musical based on John Waters' original 1988 film (PG), about plump, fearless Tracy Turnblad (Nikki Blonsky), a teen in early 1960s Baltimore who infuriates the producer (Michelle Pfeiffer) of a local teen dance show by agitating for it to be integrated (instead of once-a-month "Negro Day"); Tracy and her pal (Amanda Bynes) befriend African-American classmate Seaweed (Elijah Kelley) and his mom, Motormouth Maybelle (Queen Latifah), emcee of "Negro Day"; John Travolta plays Tracy's mom, Edna (a role played by men since the first film); in fat-suit, wig and thick Baltimore-ese, his dainty Edna is riveting; she and hubby Wilbur (ideal Christopher Walken) have a lovely song-and-dance duet. Some sexual innuendo, either euphemistic or visually subtle enough so most preteens won't get it (though some will); suggestive dance moves; implied teen pregnancy; smoking; drinking; pregnant women smoking and drinking. A hooty, irreverent, painless injection of cultural history for most kids 10 and up and all teens.)

"Ratatouille" G (Gorgeous, deftly written computer-animated fable about following your bliss; young French rat Remy (voice of Patton Oswalt) has a genius for food and rejects his family's love of garbage and hatred of humans; by accident and fate, he lands in a Paris restaurant, bonds with a gawky kitchen boy (Lou Romano) and turns him into a chef by hiding in the guy's hat and pulling his hair to guide his hands. Remy and his (at times swarming) rat pals have cute pink noses, but will still chill the rat-phobic; harrowing scenes when he is nearly trampled, or chased by humans holding guns and meat cleavers; store selling rat poison displays dead rats; wine-drinking. "Ratatouille" preceded by "Lifted," a droll animated short about space aliens abducting a man, partly baring his behind.)

-- PG-13s OF VARYING INTENSITY AND ONE ARTY PG:

"The Simpsons Movie" (NEW) (Very funny animated feature-length episode of iconic TV series only loses momentum for a bit in the middle, then picks up steam again; boneheaded Homer Simpson (voice of Dan Castellaneta) dumps pig poo into Lake Springfield, causing such bad pollution, the EPA puts a dome over the town; Homer, Marge (Julie Kavner) and the kids escape being lynched by townsfolk and go to Alaska till Marge decides they must save Springfield or else. Parenting-challenged Homer dares son Bart (voice of Nancy Cartwright) to skateboard naked, offering a glimpse of Bart's sketchily drawn "doodle"; characters drink and smoke -- including, at times, kids; evangelical Christianity spoofed; mildly crude language ("pig crap"); rare profanity; start of a bedroom scene between Homer and Marge; two gay policemen kiss, then disappear into a motel; bomb-detecting robot commits suicide. Often tasteless and politically incorrect, but never raunchy; film's more esoteric gags will be lost on kids 10 to 13, but -- with a parental OK -- they will find film highly amusing, as will teens on up.)

"Broken English" (NEW; LIMITED RELEASE) (Parker Posey in wrenchingly sympathetic comic-dramatic turn as a self-absorbed 30-something hotel executive who has affairs but no love in her life and feels hollow and tragic; she is unable to respond when the possibility of love appears in the form of a young Frenchman (Melvil Poupaud); Drea de Matteo as her supportive pal; Gena Rowlands as her mom; written and directed by Zoe R. Cassavetes, Rowlands' daughter. Drinking, drunkenness; marijuana; cigarettes; steamy kissing scenes, including in a bathtub; implied overnight trysts; implied toplessness; dependence on sleeping pills, tranquilizers; infidelity theme. Not for middle-schoolers.)

"Vitus" PG (NEW) (Poignant, if predictable tale of a young Swiss piano prodigy (Fabrizio Borsani as 6-year-old Vitus, Teo Gheorghiu as 12-year-old Vitus) whose mother (Julika Jenkins) and dad (Urs Jucker) push him too hard; he seeks solace with his grandfather (Bruno Ganz); fine portrayal of well-intentioned parents who live through their kids without understanding them. Rare mild profanity; adults drink; a child drinks champagne; smoking; boy's dangerous escape attempt. In German with subtitles. Fine intro to European films for teens.)

"I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry" (Cheesy comedy spews tasteless anti-gay gags, then tries to preach tolerance; Adam Sandler and Kevin James as firefighter pals who enter into a same-sex marriage to get life insurance benefits for widower Larry's (James) kids; insensitive subplot about Larry's grade-school son (Cole Morgen), who hates sports, likes dancing and may be gay. Surprisingly explicit sexual humor, slang; veiled references to arousal; suggestive dancing; shower scene in firehouse with endless don't-drop-the-soap joke; a man handles a woman's breasts to see if they're real; caddish Chuck (Sandler) cavorts with several women at once; cheap laughs at heavy people, ethnic stereotypes; gross joke about burned rat; toilet humor; marijuana reference; much profanity. Not for middle-schoolers or 'tweens.)

"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" (Wizard-in-training Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) at 15 feels alienation and foreboding in this gripping, somber treatise on the trials faced by truth-tellers in worlds real or magical, based on J.K. Rowling's fifth book; the Minister of Magic (Robert Hardy) makes Harry a pariah for allegedly lying about his fight with evil Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) -- as portrayed in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" (PG-13, 2005); horrid Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton) joins Hogwarts to impose the Ministry's Taliban-esque rules; Harry teaches his friends in secret so they'll be able to fight Voldemort, too; the climactic battle is still quite chilling. Skeletal spirits could spook younger kids, but Voldemort's awful face is the eeriest sight; Umbridge etches words on Harry's hand as if by an invisible knife -- an act of torture; younger kids may shrink from gamekeeper Hagrid's (Robbie Coltrane) giant half-brother, the childlike Grawp; gross humor about boils; adults drink. Parents of younger kids may want to screen it first.)

"Transformers" (Giant, robotic, ever-morphing space aliens -- good Autobots and evil Decepticons -- do battle on Earth in great-looking sci-fi action flick based on Transformer action figures -- a cool blend of live filming and digital effects, but with vivid human characters who prevent techno trivia from taking over; teen protagonist Sam's (Shia LaBeouf) first car, an old yellow Camaro, turns out to be the Autobot Bumblebee (voice of Mark Ryan) in disguise; Sam and Mikaela (Megan Fox), the girl he lusts after, ally with Bumblebee and Autobot leader Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen). Intense, if bloodless mayhem: younger kids may quail as Transformers change from vehicles into huge robot warriors who shatter buildings; battlefield violence; strong sexual innuendo, slang, verbal reference to masturbation; rare profanity; mild ethnic, misogynistic slurs; drug reference; adults drink. Too much sexual content for preteens.)

"License to Wed" (Robin Williams in bad comedy as an eccentric minister who requires bland couple Sadie (Mandy Moore) and Ben (John Krasinski) to pass his marital counseling course, even bugging their bedroom to enforce abstinence; Williams' semi-lewd stand-up riffs ill-fit a cleric's persona; also, Reverend Frank is a bachelor whose 24-7 companion is a preteen minister-in-training (Josh Flitter) -- a truly tone-deaf touch. Crude sexual, references to "doing" someone, "the clap," Viagra, sexual orientation; midrange profanity; slightly steamy but nonexplicit bedroom scenes; Ben bashes an animatronic infant -- a gag more disturbing than comic; Sadie drives while blindfolded; ethnic stereotypes; drug reference; drunkenness; women in labor. Not for middle-schoolers.)

-- AN R: