Movie: Amelia * Official Site
In Theaters: Oct. 23, 2009

Runtime: 111 minutes
Directed by: Mira Nair

MPAA Rating: PG for some sensuality, language, thematic elements and smoking
Gecko Rating:

I’m sort of hot and cold on Hilary Swank. There’s no doubt that she’s a great actress – she’s won two Oscars, after all (for “Million Dollar Baby” and “Boys Don’t Cry”). But there’s something about her that’s just a little annoying. I almost hesitate to say it, but she seemed to be over-acting in her portrayal of Amelia Earhart. I just wanted her to snap out of it and be a real …read more

Movie: Astro Boy * Official Site * Film Gecko links * Trailer
In Theaters: Oct. 23, 2009

Runtime: 94 minutes
Directed by: David Bowers

MPAA Rating: PG for some action and peril, and brief mild language
Gecko Rating:

 
“Astro Boy” is one of those movies that’s cute, but that you’ll probably forget about a day or two after you see it. It’s also a little violent and sad for a kids’ movie. Not as sad as “Up” or “Marley and Me,” but still sad in its own way.
The concept began as a Japanese manga series and TV show first broadcast in Japan from …read more

Sometimes a little film comes along that grabs your emotions and won’t let go. Such is the case for “Cheri,” a period film with some of the best period actors around.
It takes place in the decadent world of Paris at the dawn of the 20th century. Michelle Pfeiffer plays Lea, a legendary courtesan who agrees to undertake the romantic education of Chéri (Rupert Friend), the 19-year-old son of a former rival (Kathy Bates).
Lea is 30 years older than Chéri and the former lover of some of France’s wealthiest and most powerful men. The last thing she expects is to …read more

Movie: Where the Wild Things Are * Official Site
In Theaters: Oct. 16, 2009

Runtime: 94 minutes
Directed by: Spike Jonze

MPAA Rating: PG for mild thematic elements, some adventure action and brief language
Gecko Rating:

I may be one of the few people who hasn’t read the book by Maurice Sendak on which this movie is based. Or if I did, it was so long ago, I don’t remember it. At any rate, I liked the movie, not so much for the storyline, but for the incredible cinematography and CG animation of the wild things. They’re so expressive, and your eyes are just affixed …read more

Movie: The Invention of Lying * Premiere Pics * Official Site
In Theaters: Oct. 2, 2009

Runtime: 99 minutes
Directed by: Ricky Gervais

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for language, including some sexual material and a drug reference
Gecko Rating:

“The Invention of Lying” is a sweet little movie – not particularly funny, but sweet with a nice message: we need to look beyond the surface of people to see what they’re really like inside.
It stars Ricky Gervais, the award-winning creator and star of the original BBC series "The Office" and HBO’s "Extras," as Mark, a down-on-his-luck loser who lives in an alternate reality …read more

Movie: Whip It * Trailer * Official Site
In Theaters: Oct. 2, 2009

Runtime: 111 minutes
Directed by: Drew Barrymore

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sexual content, including crude dialogue, language and drug material
Gecko Rating:

I’m a big fan of both Drew Barrymore and Ellen Page, so I’ve been looking forward to seeing “Whip It.” It delivers in all the right areas – warmth, action, empowerment, and family – despite a few cliché storylines you can see coming a mile away.
The story follows Bliss Cavendar (Ellen Page), a teenager living in the small town of Bodeen, Texas with her mom (Marcia Gay Harden), dad …read more

I’ll preface this post by saying I’m a big fan of anything “Star Trek” (thanks to my Trekkie mom), so I was thrilled to learn that Warner Archive would be releasing Gene Roddenberry’s 1970’s TV pilots, “Genesis II” and the follow-up “Planet Earth” on DVD today.
GENESIS II, 74 minutes, 1973. “My name is Dylan Hunt. My story begins the day on which I died.” Set between now and the era of the starship Enterprise, this story follows Hunt (Alex Cord), who awakens after 154 years of suspended animation into a post-apocalyptic world that’s torn between the peace-loving citizens …read more

DVD: Shrink * Trailer * Official Site
In Theaters: July 24, 2009; On DVD Sept. 29, 2009

Runtime: 104 minutes
Directed by: Jonas Pate

MPAA Rating: R for drug content throughout, and pervasive language including some sexual references
Gecko Rating:

I thought “Shrink” was going to be funny, but I’m here to tell you, it’s not. It’s kind of depressing, actually. It reminds me a lot of “Crash,” both in mood and music and plotline, with a lot of different storylines all crossing paths.
The movie shows us the side of Hollywood most of us never see – where people are seeing shrinks, …read more

Movie: Fame * Trailer * Official Site
In Theaters: Sept. 25, 2009

Runtime: 107 minutes
Directed by: Kevin Tancharoen

MPAA Rating: PG for thematic material, including teen drinking, a sexual situation, and language
Gecko Rating:

The original 1980 movie “Fame” was rated R, and while I understand the desire to make this one PG (to appeal to the “High School Musical” crowd), it loses a lot in translation.
This modern version could have benefitted from a PG-13 rating; then they could have included more intense material, without trying to dilute it for the younger crowd. As it is, the movie is a little …read more

Movie: Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs * Trailer * Official Site
In Theaters: Sept. 18, 2009

Runtime: 90 minutes
Directed by: Phil Lord

MPAA Rating: PG for brief mild language
Gecko Rating:

 
 
Based on the popular children’s book by Ron and Judy Barrett, “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” is a cute movie, but rather forgettable in the big scheme of things.  The graphics and animation are interesting, not to mention the idea of being able to order up whatever food you want and have giant amounts of it fall from the sky. So there’s that. But truth be told, it was more boring …read more