Skyline starts out promising enough but instead of becoming more engrossing as it goes on, it becomes laborious. The film just becomes stupider and stupider with each passing frame. In fact, everything about Skyline gets worse and worse as the film plays on; performances, story, script and even the special effects. All in all, Skyline makes last year’s District 9 look positively Shakespearean in contrast.

Due Date, director Todd Phillips follow up to his smash comedy hit The Hangover is merely an okay movie, displaying none of the comic highlights that made his last film a comedy classic. With the pedigree behind Due Date, it should’ve been the funniest comedy of the year. Instead, the film is a flaccid, uninspired, somewhat amusing road trip movie. At times, it seems like Due Date is about to deliver some big laughs, but it always somehow falls short of the mark. How did this happen? Not only does it star Robert Downey Jr., arguably one of the best actors around and a sizable comic talent, but he is joined by the breakout star of The Hangover, Zach Galifianakis. This movie should’ve been comedy gold, so what happened?

Paranormal Activity 2 tries really hard to stick to the formula that made the first film so successful and largely it succeeds in doing so, but the magic, so to speak, is gone. That’s not to say that PA 2 is a bad movie, it’s not, it’s just not as good as the original. The first film was like catching lightning in a bottle and that is nearly impossible to pull off twice. 

The creation of Facebook, the social media website that has been seamlessly woven into the fabric of our culture, is an engaging, thought provoking tale. Based on the true story of Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of the global phenomenon, The Social Network is a fascinating movie that blends courtroom intrigue, backstabbing and duplicity with taut, multi-layered performances. There is little doubt that David Fincher’s film will be remembered at the Oscars this year. The big question is how audiences will react to Mark Zuckerberg; is he a backstabbing jerk who betrayed his friends or just a guy who got wrapped up in something bigger than himself? Perhaps it is a little bit of both. Opinions will vary of course, but that’s exactly the point of a great film, to stir up debate.

Sylvester Stallone has assembled a myriad of actions stars both past and present for his macho, testosterone laced, action flick throwback to the 80’s The Expendables and largely he has succeeded. The action is sleek and riveting and will excite just about anyone into this sort of mayhem. The problem with the film is some of the scenes that take place between the carnage. It would be easy to blame this on Stallone’s script, but the truth is, the only reason some of the scenes don’t work is due to the acting chops of some of the “actors” onscreen.   Let’s face it, master thespians, most of these guys are not (why am I sounding like Yoda?). No one ever expects Jet Li or Dolph Lundgren to be nominated for an Oscar. 

The Other Guys is a funny movie no doubt about it, it just doesn’t reach the comedic highs of Will Ferrell’s best films. As such I’m reviewing this film as a comparison to his earlier work. There are plenty of ridiculous moments and demented lines in the script written by director and frequent collaborator, Adam McKay (along with Chris Henchy), but the film never reaches the lunacy of Ferrell and McKay’s other films together.

You have to love Steve Carell and Paul Rudd. They are two of the easiest stars to watch on the big screen, each exuding a casual charm and niceness. While Dinner for Schmucks isn’t their best and funniest collaboration, it is a genial, amusing comedy, wrapped around a gooey, moral center. There aren’t too many uproarious laughs to be had, but the film will keep you smiling and giggling the whole way through. 

In the realm of movies inspired by video games such as Streetfighter, Mortal Kombat and Super Mario Bros, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is an amazing movie. When comparing it to other adventure themed movies like Pirates of the Caribbean, The Mummy or any of the Indiana Jones films (yes even Crystal Skull), Persia falls way short of the mark. It’s not terrible in an offensive way, but there is absolutely nothing magical about the film at all. It is merely mediocre at best.

The Hollywood Reporter recently ran a story about the casting of Peter Parker for the Spider-Man reboot. According to them, director Mark Webb (could he have a more appropriate last name for this project?) has narrowed the field down to a handful of young actors, although there have been no screen tests as of yet. 

The finale for Lost has left some fans completely satisfied while others feel ripped off by the conclusion of the show. They feel that the answers given weren’t enough and that the series on a whole was a complete waste of time. Many theories have sprung up about what it all means. Some of those theories are ridiculous (the castaways all died on flight 815 and the island was a construct of Jack’s mind in his last few minutes of life) and some are spot on (the island was real and the flash sideways was a version of purgatory). There are plenty of questions that went seemingly unanswered, but the truth is, every answer you need has been imbedded throughout the entire series. Some answers are hard and fast while others are meant to be interpreted from clues and hints sprinkled throughout episodes.