WEEKEND PIC - Dec 17 - 19, 2010

YOUR GUIDE TO THE WEEKEND MOVIES

NEW THIS WEEK

a) FAIR GAME (political drama with Naomi Watts, Sean Penn, Ty Burrell, Michael Kelly, Bruce McGill, Brooke Smith, David Denman and Noah Emmerich) Rated * * * (3 stars): With the stunning disclosures by WikiLeaks and the recent memoir by President George W. Bush, Fair Game is a fitting addition to the political revelations. However, this real-life tale of how Valerie Plame and her husband Joe Wilson (Watts and Penn) 'fight' the White House over evidence of 'nuculear' weapons in Iraq, is both touching and infuriating. It is definitely not for the action fan but if you like a thought-provoking film, this is it. (Review pending)

b) TRON: LEGACY (Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, Bruce Boxleitner, Michael Sheen, James Frain and Beau Garrett) Rated * * 1/2 (2.5 stars): After all the promotion and hype, Tron: Legacy comes with good news and bad news. Good news is the state-of-the-art visuals and pulsating music score are awesome; bad news: the narrative sucks. So if you are curious to see how Disney revisits the Game Grid of the 1982 sci-fi, put your brain on neutral and keep your eyes and ears in gear. (Reviewed below)

STILL GOING STRONG

1. SOCIAL NETWORK (biographical drama with Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Brenda Song, Joseph Mazzello, Rooney Mara, Max Minghella, Trevor Wright and Dakota Johnson) Rated * * * 1/2 (3.5 stars): This 'talk-of-the-town movie about the founder of Facebook is not only a critic's favourite but is also touted to clinch a few Oscar nominations. Directed by David Fincher, it has great dialogue, wit and commendable acting. (Reviewed below)

2. RAPUNZEL: A TANGED TALE 3D (animated fantasy with voices of Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Donna Murphy, Ron Perlman, Jeffrey Tambor, M.C. Gainey, Brad Garrett and Paul F. Tompkins) Rated * * * (3 stars): This revisionist version of the Grimm Brothers' fairy tale comes with songs and dances and should be a delightful treat for the family during the school holidays. It comes with the usual Disney-type gutsy characters - plus some thought-provoking messages for parents. (Reviewed below)

3. THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: Voyage of the Dawn Treader (fantasy adventure with Ben Barnes, Skandar Keynes, Georgie Henley, Will Poulter, William Moseley and Anna Popplewell) Rated * * * (3 stars): Not all the Pevensie siblings are back for this Narnia sea adventure in this third instalment involving Edmund and Lucy. However, their cousin, Eustace Scrubb (Poulter) 'accidentally' comes along for the trip - and provides most of the laughs and comic relief. Under Michael Apted's direction, the pace is more compact and faster in providing C.S. Lewis' magical monsters and wonders. (Reviewed below)

4. MY SOUL TO TAKE - (horror thriller with Max Thieriot, Nick Lashaway, Denzel Whitaker, Jessica Hecht, Frank Grillo, Zena Grey, Dennis Boutsikaris, Emily Meade, Shareeka Epps and Danai Gurira) Rated * 1/2 (1.5 stars): It is rather hard to believe that this trash of a thriller is the brainchild of Wes Craven, the guy who gave us Scream and A Nightmare On Elm Street. Here, it looks like he is doing a rehash of his own films, minus the scary parts. There ain't no soul to take, dudes. (Reviewed below)