Movie: The Twilight Saga: New Moon * Trailer * Official Site * Gecko Links	In Theaters: Nov. 20, 2009
Runtime: 130 minutes	Directed by: Chris Weitz
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some violence and action	Gecko Rating:

I was a little dismayed when I saw that Roger Ebert had given “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” only one star, but I can sort of see where he’s coming from. In terms of overall production, “New Moon” might not be the best movie ever made, but it’s romantic, continues the story beautifully from the first movie (“Twilight”), and sets things up nicely for the third film, “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.” It also appeals perfectly to its target audience – young girls and middle-aged moms. For all these reasons, it gets four out of five geckos from me.

More after the jump…

We pick up the story with Bella (Kristen Stewart) celebrating her 18th birthday at the start of her senior year. She’s not really into the whole “presents and cake” thing, but agrees to a birthday party at the Cullen’s house. When she cuts her finger while opening a gift, Jasper (Jackson Rathbone) nearly attacks her. Being a young vampire, he doesn’t have as much control over his bloodthirsty instincts as the others. It all ends well, but the incident makes Edward (Robert Pattinson) realize that over the long haul, his relationship with Bella will never work. So he and his family leave Forks, Washington, leaving Bella to stumble through her senior year alone and depressed. 

But she finds comfort with longtime friend Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), who’s suddenly grown buff and strong. To get over her heartbreak with Edward, Bella asks Jacob to help her fix up a couple of motorcycles, so the two can ride together. But Bella has an ulterior motive. She discovers that whenever she’s in danger, Edward appears to her in a vision. Thus, she puts herself in danger quite often, from reckless motorcycle driving to cliff diving to solo ventures into the woods. There are still dangerous creatures lurking out there.

And Jacob is harboring a secret of his own, as he starts hanging with a group of Native American boys who like to wander bare-torso’d through the woods. The audience where I was the movie was so funny, because every time a guy would rip his shirt off or run through the woods half-naked, everyone would ooh and aah. I have to say, Taylor Lautner definitely logged plenty of gym time.

Meanwhile, the Cullens are off somewhere in the world, but Edward, distraught over news he hears about Bella, goes to see the Volturi in Italy. They’re the leaders in the vampire world, tasked with making sure all the vamps adhere to their many laws. When Bella hears about it via Alice (Ashley Greene), she has to take action, much to the chagrin of Jacob.

“The Twilight Saga: New Moon” is romantic, funny and dramatic, but oh, the teen angst. They’re tortured souls! The computer generated effects are beautiful, with gigantic, fearsome wolves who snarl and fight like, well, wild wolves. That bad vampire Victoria makes an appearance, as well, and gets into a violent tussle with the wolves.

The Volturi are a great addition to the saga, and while they don’t have a lot of screen time, they use it well. Dakota Fanning plays Jane, a powerful vampire who can inflict pain with her mind. The leader Aro (Michael Sheen) makes a giddily evil vampire, and he’s flanked by the more silent and stoic Caius (Jamie Campbell Bower) and Marcus (Christopher Heyerdahl).

The Quileute Wolf Pack includes Alex Meraz as Paul, Chaske Spencer as Sam Uley, Bronson Pelletier as Jared, and Kiowa Gordon as Embry Call. They look just fine, don’t they? 

I’m sure “New Moon” will be spoofed to the nth degree, and there’s plenty to spoof: longing looks between characters, mannerisms like Bella’s lip-biting, Jacob’s strength, and Edward’s sparkling … just about every character could easily be a “Saturday Night Live” skit. But that’s ok. It means the movie embeds itself into our psyche.

I think maybe Roger Ebert should have seen “New Moon” with some junior high girls (ok, that doesn’t sound right!). But I took my 12-year-old daughter and two of her friends, and just watching their joy at seeing the movie made it all worthwhile. And this mom loved it, too.

Note to Parents: The PG-13 rating is spot-on, but if your younger-than-13 child saw the first “Twilight” movie and was ok with it, they should be fine with this one, though there’s considerably more action. The wolves are quite awesome, snarling and fighting to the max. There’s an intense fight scene involving the Volturi, where one character gets thrown around quite a bit and another is dismembered. Not much is shown, but the effect is there.

Early in the movie, Jasper nearly attacks Bella, leading to a fight between him and Edward. Victoria (Rachelle Lefevre) and Laurent (Edi Gathegi) have separate tussles with the Wolf Pack, who also come after Bella at one point. Bella puts herself in danger, approaching a motorcycle gang, driving a motorcycle recklessly, and nearly drowning in a cliff-diving scene.

There are also plenty of romantic scenes, but nothing much more than kissing and hand-holding. Language is fairly mild, including “bloodsucker,” “dammit,” “what the hell,” and “oh my God.”

Image: TM and © 2009 Summit Entertainment, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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Movie: 2012 * Trailer * Official Site	In Theaters: Nov. 13, 2009
Runtime: 158 minutes	Directed by: Roland Emmerich
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense disaster sequences and some language	Gecko Rating:

If you’re not familiar with the theories surrounding the year 2012, there are a lot of them, ranging from the Apocalypse, the return of the aliens, a comet colliding with the earth, sunspots, and other various cataclysmic events.

But some also say the year will signal a spiritual awakening, so maybe it’s not all bad. Check out Armageddon Online for more theories.

In the movie “2012,” the focus is on a series of catastrophic natural disasters that center on a shift and destabilization of the earth’s core. Thus we’ve got earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and just about every other sort of disaster you can think of.

More after the jump…

The central character is Jackson Curtis (John Cusack), an author who’s written a book about Atlantis but works as a driver for a Russian diplomat, Yuri Karpov (Zlatko Buric). Now divorced, Jackson is disconnected from his two kids (Liam James and Morgan Lily), and decides to take them on a camping trip to Yellowstone. Meanwhile, his ex-wife Kate (Amanda Peet) and her new husband Gordon (Tom McCarthy) stay behind in their happy suburban home.

But, of course, things start coming apart. California starts experiencing little earthquakes, and Jackson and the kids see some odd happenings during their Yellowstone camping trip, too. They also meet a crazy mountain man, Charlie Frost (Woody Harrelson, whose perfectly cast in that role), who broadcasts a radio show, warning everyone that the end is near. 

Meanwhile, the politicians are gearing up in Washington, D.C. and around the globe, including U.S. President Thomas Wilson (Danny Glover), his daughter Laura (Thandie Newton), and a geologist, Adrian (Chiwetel Ejiofor). They’re aware of the earth shifts and have a plan of their own. When Jackson catches wind of the plan from Charlie, he does everything in his power to get his family — including Gordon — to safety.

A lot of the dialogue in this movie is downright corny, but the special effects make up for it. You have to just sit back and enjoy the disaster ride that includes giant cracks that open up in the earth and threaten to swallow whole stores, skyscrapers toppling into each other, massive pieces of land sliding into the earth (cities and all), and sweeping tsunamis taking out entire continents, including a monk’s retreat on a mountaintop. And it’s all done really well.

But you also have to snort in disbelief at some of the outrageous things that would never happen, should a real disaster of this type occur. Like planes taking off on rubbled runways, then landing in a remote mountain area near exactly where the travelers were headed.

Still, as far as disaster movies go, this is a fun one. If you like this sort of thing, you should definitely check it out. At 158 minutes, though, it’s long, so be prepared for lots of disaster.

NOTE TO PARENTS: While I wouldn’t call “2012” a family movie, it definitely has some family elements to it. Even though Jackson feel disconnected to his kids and ex-wife, they work together during the disaster and realize they need each other.

The PG-13 rating seems on target for this movie. There are plenty of disaster scenes and people in peril, but you don’t see too many close-up shots of dead people or anything, and the movie isn’t “real” enough to warrant any major emotional upheaval in kids 13 and older.

Images: Sony Pictures Releasing

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Movie: Disney’s A Christmas Carol * Trailer * Official Site	In Theaters: Nov. 6, 2009
Runtime: 96 minutes	Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
MPAA Rating: PG for scary sequences an images	Gecko Rating:

We all know the classic Charles Dickens tale about the crotchety Ebenezer Scrooge who’s visited by three ghosts who make him see the light. There’s really nothing new to tell here, but it’s the WAY the story is told that makes it seem fresh and new in our eyes. This animated, 3D version of “Disney’s A Christmas Carol” does indeed bring new life to the story.

It’s directed by Robert Zemeckis, the genius behind “The Polar Express,” and this animation is quite similar to that film. It’s really well done, somehow merging real people – in this case, mainly Jim Carrey, who plays Scrooge and all three ghosts – with the animated figures. So what you get is an animated film that seems almost like live action, jumping right off the screen at you (the 3D helps in that regard, too!).

More after the jump…

Zemeckis also helmed “Monster House,” and so even his family films have a tendency to be dark and psychological. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but in the case of both “Monster House” and “Disney’s A Christmas Carol,” they’re much too scary for little ones.

“Disney’s A Christmas Carol” opens with Scrooge looking over the body of his dead partner Marley, now lying in a casket with coins on his eyes. Of course, miserly Scrooge snatches up the coins before the body is sent to its final resting place.

We have Bob Cratchit (Gary Oldman, who also voices Marley and Tiny Tim), working faithfully in Scrooge’s dismal accounting shop. Bob somehow manages to keep his positive attitude, despite hanging around the cup-half-empty Scrooge all day. At home, his family likewise manages to be positive, despite being dirt-poor with a crippled Tiny Tim.

Another main character is Fred (Colin Firth), Scrooge’s well-off nephew who desperately desires to be friends with the old man, who’ll have none of it. Instead, Scrooge shuffles home to his massive dark house and settles in for the night with some porridge. And that’s where the action begins, with the procession of ghosts calling on him in the wee hours.

The ghosts are pretty scary although each has their little quirks. The first one, the Ghost of Christmas Past, is a funny little spirit with a flame for a head. During this sequence, we see the young Scrooge courting his love, Belle (voiced by Robin Wright Penn).

The Ghost of Christmas Present is a giant Viking type spirit sitting atop a large mound of bountiful things. And the third, the Ghost of Christmas Future, is a dark, Grim Reaper type spirit accompanied by a team of frightening stampeding horses. Each takes Scrooge through their particular time era, showing him as a young boy, a young man, a present-day miser, and a dead soul with no one to grieve for him.

The animation during these sequences is stunning, capturing both the beauty and despair of this particular era. However, if you’re at all prone to motion sickness, I recommend closing your eyes during the flying scenes. During the Ghost of Christmas Present sequence, the floor somehow becomes a glass through which you can see into the present-day time. Really awesome, and they use the 3D technology to its best use in this movie. I say that because it’s blended so well into the animation that you don’t really even notice that you’re wearing 3D glasses.

Overall, “Disney’s A Christmas Carol” is a creative and visually beautiful take on the classic tale, the ultimate story of an old miser regaining hope and love, even when things are at their bleakest. Jim Carrey is a master at his craft.

NOTE TO PARENTS: There’s really no sexual content or language issues to speak of. Most of the PG rating comes from the frightening scenes involving ghosts, skeletons, corpses, and red-eyed stampeding horses. The movie opens with Marley’s body in a casket, and we also get scenes of Scrooge being haunted in his dark mansion, and falling into a deep hole towards a casket. For these reasons, I don’t recommend it for kids younger than eight.

Images: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

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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 person on the screen – not a caricature of a historical figure. There, I’ve said it.

Most of us know the story of Amelia Earhart, the legendary pilot who brought flying into the realm of women, and who disappeared while flying over the Pacific Ocean in 1937, while attempting to fly around the world with her navigator, Fred Noonan (Christopher Eccleston). They were supposed to re-fuel on Howland Island, a tiny speck of land in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, but while trying to make radio contact with a ship, their connection was lost and they were never seen again.

More after the jump…

That was the best scene of the movie, because you really get the whole impact of that lost radio contact – both Amelia and Fred realize that this is the end for them. We don’t actually see them fly into the ocean, but you know it happens.

Prior to this fateful flight, Amelia fell in love with and married publisher George Putnam (Richard Gere), who helped her create the hype over “Lady Lindy,” as well as an advertising campaign (selling an “Amelia Earhart” luggage and clothing line, among others) and lecture circuit to help fund her flying. She wasn’t happy with it, but she knew it was necessary to keep her in the skies. She loved the freedom of flying.

But Earhart also had an affair – with fellow pilot Gene Vidal (Ewan McGregor) whose son Gore Vidal grew up to be an icon himself.

The film includes shots here and there of archival footage of the real Amelia Earhart, and with her thin frame and tousled hair, Swank closely resembles the famed aviatrix. I have no idea what the real Earhart sounded like, but both my 12-year-old daughter and I were ultra-annoyed with how Swank talked – like she had cotton in her mouth. I don’t know – maybe that’s how the real woman sounded. The film also portrays her as a women with a gentle soul and the heart of a poet. I hope that’s how she was in real life, because it adds to her mystique.

“Amelia” isn’t a bad movie, and it’s clear that Earhart helped women make great strides in not only aviation, but other areas of their lives, too. The movie is also visually stunning, with sweeping views of land across the globe, as seen from the cockpit of an airplane.

Still, the movie leaves something to be desired and will most likely appeal to people who are interested in aviation or the life of Earhart. At the very least, it will make you want to search further to find out more about her.

Images: TM and © Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

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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 1963 to 1966, and follows the adventures of the title character, Astro Boy (voiced by Freddie Highmore). He starts out as a real boy named Toby who lives in the thriving metropolis of the floating Metro City with his scientist dad, Dr. Tenma (Nicolas Cage).

But when Toby tags along during a presentation to the war-mongering President Stone (Donald Sutherland), he ends up getting killed in a freak lab accident involving a giant robot (kind of intense for little kids right off the bat).

More after the jump…

So Toby’s genius scientist-dad decides to re-create his son in the form of a robot who looks and sounds just like his son, and even has his son’s memories. Except when all is said and done, Tenma decides that he doesn’t want a robot for a son.

So he rejects Toby, who then runs away and falls in with a group of misfit orphans on the over-polluted Earth, including black-and-purple-haired Cora (Kristen Bell) and Zane (Moises Arias), who live with Ham Egg (Nathan Lane), their seemingly kind adoptive father who runs a Coliseum-like show where robots battle to the death.

But in order to make the war robot he wants, the President needs the blue energy inside Astro Boy, so the military goes on the hunt for him. Meanwhile, Toby is hiding his true identity from the orphans, because he knows they’ll reject him if they knew the truth. 

I get what they’re trying to do here. The original “Astro Boy” tackled some heavy issues like war, pollution, death, and parental rejection. But it doesn’t really work as a cute kids’ movie, which based on the trailers, is what this movie purported to be. 

It’s CG-animated, which you’d think would be targeted towards kids ages six to nine, but it’s too dark, violent and sad for those ages. And yet my older kids weren’t the least bit interested in seeing it because it’s “a kids’ movie.”

The storyline and characters are also fairly predictable – outcast kid who realizes his true powers and becomes a hero, geeky but kind-hearted orphans, power-hungry President, cute robot sidekick (Astro Boy adopts a little trashcan-dog), giant but helpful robot … I’m not really sure what ages this movie is appropriate for. Maybe older kids familiar with the original Manga series. But then, they’ll probably just go back to the original manga series, rather than see this movie.

As for the violence, the story includes plenty of weapons-based explosions and disasters, the killing of Toby, and several robots destroyed throughout the movie, including those in the battle-to-the-death scenes in the Coliseum.

For all of these reasons, I can’t really recommend “Astro Boy” for kids. I will say this, though: I really liked the CG animation, which does a good job of picking up all the little emotions and details of the characters. And things end well, so at least it’s not like the horrible “Marley and Me” ending, with everyone in the theater sobbing their hearts out. 

Image: TM and © 2009 Summit Entertainment, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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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 fall in love with her student. The romance consumes them both and plunges them into struggles over sex, money, age and status.

It’s a lovely film (though darker than the trailer lets on), with heartfelt performances by Pfeiffer and Friend. Directed by Stephen Frears, it’s rated R for some sexual content and brief drug use. The DVD hits store and cyber shelves on Oct. 20, 2009. Bonus features including deleted scenes and a making-of featurette.

THE GIVEAWAY: I have five (5) DVDs of “Cheri” to give away.

HOW TO ENTER: To enter the contest, simply leave a comment on this post by midnight on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009. Be sure to include a valid email address. Winners will be drawn randomly. I’ll email the winners for their snail-mail address after the contest ends. Good luck!

Check out premiere pics here, and the trailer below…

Image: Buena Vista Home Entertainment

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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 to the screen every time they’re on. As for the storyline …

It follows a boy named Max (Max Records) who’s having some issues in life. He has a big imagination, but seems to have no friends. When his older sister Claire’s friends cave in Max’s snowfort, he bursts into tears, but they only drive away, and Claire (Pepita Emmerichs) does nothing to help Max feel better.

More after the jump…

Meanwhile, Max’s divorced mom (Catherine Keener) is seeing a guy (Mark Ruffalo), but Max is in no way onboard with this idea. Before dinner one night, he acts up, stands on top of the counter, and yells at his mom. I was thinking at the time that she needs to get a better handle on this kid. But she seems to have no control over him at all, and he runs off into the night, embarks on a journey across the sea, and lands on a distant island inhabited by all these “wild things,” where he’s crowned “King.”

Whether all of this takes place in Max’s mind, or whether it really happens, it’s not clear in the movie. I mean, it’s a fantasy movie, so anything could happen, but I got the feeling that he must have fallen asleep somewhere after he ran away, and the creatures represented what was going on in his mind.

At any rate, the wild things are these fantastical creatures, rather large with large heads and, in some instances, large bodies, too. They have their own hierarchical system: Carol (voiced by James Gandolfini) is sort of the leader. (All I could think whenever I heard his voice was, “There’s Tony Soprano.”) Then there’s Judith (Catherine O’Hara), Ira (Forest Whitaker), Alexander (Paul Dano), KW (Lauren Ambrose), Douglas (Chris Cooper), and The Bull (Michael Berry, Jr.). There’s some politics going on in the group, and they don’t all behave well.

So, my feeling is that Max created these creatures in his head, based on toys and things in his room, in order to deal with all the stuff in his life.

The story sort of meanders a bit; the creatures have little fall-outs and make-ups, and, like Max, Carol ends up being an emotional mess (really, both of these characters would probably benefit from a good therapist). As mentioned, for me the best part of this movie is the beautiful CG animation of the wild things. Their big faces are so expressive, and the lighting and settings – it was filmed in Australia — are simply gorgeous.

As for what ages this movie is appropriate for, there are a few scenes that might be scary for young kids: when Max gets out of control at his home, he trashes his sister’s room and yells at his mom, who angrily tries to grab him, but he gets out the door and runs down a dark street.

When Carol gets out of control in the fantasy world (again, “there’s Tony Soprano getting up in that creature’s face” – hopefully, young kids haven’t seen “The Sopranos”!), he smashes things, burns things, and the whole group participates in an intense dirt-clod “war,” in which some characters are injured. There’s also a more playful scene where trees are uprooted and characters are launched to and fro. And on his way to the island, Max travels through a storm and falls into the water before making his way to shore.

There’s occasional mild language, including “damn,” “hell,” “God,” and insults like “stupid.” Max’s mom has a guy over for dinner (complete waste of Mark Ruffalo’s 20 seconds of screen time), and the two kiss and drink wine in the living room while Max looks on from outside the room.

Overall, even with the gorgeous landscape, “Where the Wild Things Are” is a bit dark and violent for very young kids. For all of these reasons, I think the movie is appropriate for ages eight and older.

Check out the trailer…

Images: TM and (c) 2009 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc

Post from: Film Gecko

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 where lying — even the concept of a lie — does not exist. Everyone –from politicians to advertisers to regular joes — speaks the truth.

I often dream about this concept, where we could just say what’s on our minds without thinking about the consequences, but of course, it has its downfalls. For one thing, people can be horribly hurt when you just come out and say what you think of them.

More after the jump…

When Mark snags a date with Anna (Jennifer Garner), she has no problem telling her mom on the phone exactly what she thinks of him – he’s short and snub-nosed and there’s no way she’s going to sleep with him, not now or ever. Keep in mind that Mark is sitting across the table from her.

If that’s not depressing enough, Mark loses his job writing screenplays for the “Lecture Film” company, because his era is the 1300’s and the only thing that ever happened during this time is awful stuff like the Black Plague.

The trailer made it seem like “The Invention of Lying” would be funny, but it’s really more of a thoughtful, philosophical film. Like what happens after we die? What role does faith play in our lives? How important is it to be kind to others? And if NOT saying what you really feel is lying, then some of us need to do more of that, out of respect for others’ feelings.

In supporting roles are Jonah Hill as Frank, Mark’s suicidal neighbor; Louis C.K. as Greg, another loser type whom Mark befriends; Jeffrey Tambor as Anthony, Mark’s boss who’s tasked with the job of firing him, even though he doesn’t want to; Rob Lowe as Brad, a co-worker who’s riding through life on his good lucks and breeding genes; and Tina Fey  as Mark’s secretary. It seems like a funny little role for Fey, as she’s so big in TV and films, but whatever. She does a good job with it, as do all of the supporting players. 

If you’re a fan of Ricky Gervais or any of the other players, this movie is worth a look. I saw it with my 12-year-old daughter, and while there’s a bit of sex talk here and there, it’s nowhere near as suggestive as many PG-13 movies. I’d say it’s ok for kids 12 and up.

Check out the trailer:

Image: TM and (c) 2008 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc

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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 (Daniel Stern), and little sister. Bliss is an indie-rocker girl who works at a local barbecue diner, but her mom has never left behind her own experiences on the beauty pageant circuit. Thus, she wants her own daughters to follow in her footsteps.

Unfortunately, Bliss is the exact opposite of a beauty pageant girl. She’d rather wear army boots and Stryper t-shirts. While out shopping one day, she sees a group of girls wearing roller skates come into a store, and learns about the roller derby crowd in Austin. So Bliss sneaks away to Austin with her old Barbie skates and best friend Pash (Alia Shawkat), and ends up making the “Hurl Scouts” team and becoming “Babe Ruthless.”

The girls’ names are part of the whole roller derby game – including Smashley Simpson (Drew Barrymore), Maggie Mayhem (Kristen Wiig), and Iron Maven (Juliette Lewis).

When Bliss suddenly becomes a star on the team, it causes some major anxiety because her parents don’t know about her secret life, and her teammates don’t know she’s underage (team members are supposed to be 21).

Ellen Page has the same quirky aura of her pregnant teen character in “Juno,” and you’re instantly rooting for her to “be her own hero” as the other Hurl Scouts tell her, and break free of her mother’s dreams.

Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut is a great first, and while she hammers a few things home just a little too hard (including the drama of Bliss’ parents not wanting her to skate), she still manages to keep things loose. She has a great supporting cast to work with, including Alia Shawkat’s cool best friend character, Kristen Wiig’s sensitive tough-girl who helps Bliss through the rough spots, Jimmy Fallon’s ring announcer, and Landon Pigg’s bad-boy rocker Oliver, Bliss’ first lover (she’s 17).

NOTE TO PARENTS: Because of some of the adult-oriented material, this movie is best for kids 14 and older. But it’s a great girl-power flick, and the roller derby action makes you want to pick up some skates on your way home from the theater.

Sex/Nudity: Teens make out and kiss. Bliss and Oliver have sex, but it’s not shown (you see them stripping down in a swimming pool and kissing underneath the water). Bliss later discusses the experience with her mom. References to “crabs,” STDs, and penis size.

Violence/Gore: Much of the movie takes place in an aggressive roller derby setting, so there’s lots of pushing, shoving, elbowing, fighting, punching, and a few bruises and bloody body parts.

Profanity: Includes “sh*t,” “bitch,” “screw,” “ass,” “balls,” “hell,” “jackass,” and one use of “f*ck.” A character gives another the finger.

Images: TM and © Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

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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 of Pax and the militaristic, mutant Tyranians. Both want Hunt to join their cause. But the Tyranians have two cruel weapons to persuade Hunt: a device of torture called a stim. And an alluring mutant (Mariette Hartley) with two navels … and one ice-cold heart.

Planet Earth, 74 minutes, 1974. The time is the 22nd century. The place is the Confederacy, a matriarchy where men are enslaved and impotent. The hero is Dylan Hunt (John Saxon), a handsome 20th century scientist awakened from suspended animation – just the “breeder” a Confederacy dominatrix (Diana Muldaur, who went on to play Dr. Pulaski in “Star Trek: The Next Generation”) has been waiting for! In this sequel to “Genesis II,” Gene Roddenberry puts a reverse spin on women’s lib in an action-filled tale set in a gleaming world of futuristic cities, underground sub shuttles, palm-sized computers and skintight uniforms. Can Hunt defy the Confederacy and free his downtrodden fellow males, or is he doomed to slavery on “Planet Earth”?

Plenty of 1970s-era goodness in these two DVDs! If you’re a fan of the “Star Trek” universe or Gene Roddenberry, they’re definitely worth a look.

Images: Warner Archive

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