August Rush (PG)
RATING: 2 EXCLAMATION POINTS
Who’s in it: Freddie Highmore, Robin Williams, Keri Russell, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Terrence Howard
What it’s about: August (Highmore) is a musical prodigy whose birth was somehow hidden from his musician parents (Russell, Rhys Meyers), who now don’t know he exists. He leaves his country orphanage for New York City in hopes of finding them.
Worth watching? “What we have here is one of the most shamelessly manipulative movies ever made.”
[SOREN ANDERSEN, MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS]Hitman (R )
RATING: 1 EXCLAMATION POINT
Who’s in it: Timothy Olyphant, Dougray Scott, Olga Kurylenko
What it’s about: The man named 47 (Olyphant) was raised by monks to murder, and murder he does. When he goes after the Russian president, Interpol, his own agency and the Russians hunt him.
Worth watching? ” ‘Hitman,’ the thriller based on the mass-murdering-assassin video game, is a ‘Bourne’ knockoff, and not a very good one at that.”
[ROGER MOORE, THE ORLANDO SENTINEL]This Christmas (PG-13)
RATING: 4 EXCLAMATION POINTS
Who’s in it: Delroy Lindo, Chris Brown, Loretta Devine, Idris Elba, Regina King
What it’s about: Six grown children and their significant others return to the nest of the matriarch they all call Ma Dear (Devine) for several days of intense family interaction.
Worth watching? “Finally! A Christmas movie that is neither cynical nor saccharine in its handling of the holiday.”
[SOREN ANDERSEN, MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS]
