I Am Number Four (PG-13)

This is an action sci-fi thriller, but it is also yet another teenager-with-extraordinary-abilities love story. This time the lead, John Smith (Alex Pettyfer), is not a vampire or werewolf, but a refugee from another planet whose inhabitants have sent him and eight other youngsters to Earth to evade death from the hands of the evil Mogadorians. After destroying their home planet and its inhabitants, the Mogadorians track the remaining children and their helpers to Earth. Now they are killing these children—in numerical order. Three very graphic executions are shown before we meet John. He is No. 4.

John and his protector Henri (Timothy Olyphant) have had to move from place to place all his life to stay ahead of the menacing villains. They have not been able to stay in any place long. As an attractive teenager it is hard for John to blend in at the local high school. As he matures his abilities and superpowers are hard to control and become evident to those around him. When his notoriety makes it necessary to make another move, John refuses. He has met the love of his life, Sarah (Dianna Agron), and he will not leave her. It is time for him to make a stand. When he is located by the Mogadorians, the equally gifted No. 6 (Teresa Palmer) comes to his aid.

This is not a film for younger children. There is a great deal of fighting, stabbing, blasting and bigger-than-life villains who travel with huge, big-toothed mad dog like creatures. They may also not find the tender moments of first love very interesting.

The Green Hornet (PG-13)

This revival of the campy television series of the ’60s keeps some of its old fashioned charm –the theme music, the car flipping garage, and the fast karate action – but the lead characters’ roles are very different. Britt Reid’s character (Seth Rogen) is a rather sour, spoiled, complaining young man who has lingering issues when his father dies. He inherits his newspaper business, the L.A. Daily Sentinel. His only “friend,” Kato (Jay Chou), has a much larger part in the movie than he did in the series, and this is accentuated by Britt/The Green Hornet as he continually argues with him over what his role should really be—butler, chauffeur, mechanic, protector or friend. Secretary Lenore Case (Cameron Diaz) adds some lovely spice to the two men’s interactions with each other, but it is Chudnofsky (Christoph Waltz) who really sets the plot rolling. Britt’s new “career” of masked superhero heats up when he has a faceoff with this mega-menace.
There is a great deal of fighting (karate and otherwise), guns, chasing, crashing and dashing so younger viewers may miss most of the humor. Comic book enthusiasts and people who remember the television series will be glad to see their “old friends” back. Even Black Beauty, the 1966 Imperial Crown sedan, is exactly the same – shined up and on the screen once again!

The Rite (PG-13)

This dramatic horror film was inspired by true events. It is based on the novel by Matt Baglio, The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist. The story follows a reluctant young college student’s trip to the Vatican to study exorcism. As part of his studies he meets and helps a rather unorthodox priest, Father Lucas (Anthony Hopkins), who shows him the darker side of faith.

The Exorcist (1973) it is not. There are no new theatrical ideas to make the victims of possession really scary and no tricks to make the audience jump, but the connections between science and faith are interesting. Outstanding performances by Colin O’Donoghue (as Michael Kovak, the seminarian), and of course Hopkins, carry us through the story to a case too difficult for either priest to resolve. Along the way both men must reassess their lives and motives.

This is not a good selection for children since it is about demons in the real world and the power held by the devil over the world and its people. Also, it is just too creepy for young, creative minds.

Unknown (PG-13)

This fast-action thriller, based on the novel by Didier Van Cauwelaert, is full of mystery and violence. Although there appear to be some rather large holes in the plot during the first part of the film, by the end of the story the audience will be surprised that those “holes” were not really there. Thing are not always as they first seem, and this complex mystery has to be unwound carefully.
Dr. Martin Harris (Liam Neeson) and his beautiful wife, Elizabeth (January Jones), arrive in Germany for a scientific conference. All seems calm and loving, but not for long. After a horrific car accident, Martin lapses into a coma. When he awakens, he finds that another man has assumed his identity, job and wife. Without his passport or any witnesses to testify he is the “real” Dr. Harris, he is left wondering what is happening to him. “Do you know what it is like to feel crazy? It is a war between being told who you are and knowing who you are. Who wins?”

The rest of the film is full of murders, amazing car chases, and explosions as Martin is chased by several assassins who are out to eliminate him. The steely portrayal of Rodney Cole (Frank Langella) as one of these operatives is outstanding. Martin’s quest for the truth is dependent upon unlikely sources: Gina, the cab driver who pulled him from the car after the accident (Diane Kruger), and private investigator Ernst Jurgen (Bruno Ganz) who happens to be a retired security officer from the old East German Army. As Martin’s memory slowly returns he is faced with a totally different decision to make. This film will keep you guessing right up until the very end.

Gnomeo and Juliet (Rated G)

Is it possible for garden gnomes to reenact western literature’s most famous love story? That was the goal of director Kelly Asbury and songwriter Elton John. This animated film about two neighboring families (and their garden decor) who are caught up in a longstanding feud showcases many Hollywood voices and a wonderful score of classic and original songs by Elton John as it rocks through the story of forbidden love. Gnomeo (voiced by James McAvoy), a blue gnome, falls for the lovely and adventurous Juliet (voiced by Emily Blunt), a red gnome. The blue and red gnomes families cannot work out their differences any better than their owners, Mr. Capulet (voiced by Richard Wilson) and Miss Montague (voiced by Julie Walters). The pair’s parents, Lady Bluebury (voiced by Maggie Smith) and Lord Redbrick (voiced by Michael Caine), stir up the action even more when they learn of the relationship of their “children.” Even Mr. Shakespeare (voiced by Patrick Stewart) makes an appearance as a park statue.

This film’s animation is so well done that on occasion the audience may forget that it is drawn –that is until the garden characters come into contact with “people.” As in other recent animated films, when people are around all motion stops and the characters become only cement and plastic. But these characters are so much more than their material components; their emotional messages will reach into the hearts of all viewers. There are many sight gags and exciting lawnmower races (including the powerful Terrafirminator, voiced by Hulk Hogan) as well as a wise pink flamingo (voiced by Jim Cummings) which round out this retelling. Since this is a “G” production the ending is not the same as the play so adults should not be concerned about the final scene.

Just Go With It (PG-13)

If you like Jennifer Aniston’s movies you will not be disappointed with this film. The plot is pleasant and funny most of the time with some twists and silly situations. Everyone knows what the outcome will be, but no one really cares that they know because getting there is the fun part.

This story begins with a very sad wedding event where Danny (Adam Sandler) experiences a great emotional pain; this makes him unable to make lasting commitments. He invents a fake marriage—even wears a ring—so he can “play” when he meets available women but cannot be expected to “stay” since he already has a wife. This backfires when he meets his dream girl, Palmer (Brooklyn Decker), and wants to marry her. She demands to meet the first wife before the wedding.

Since there is no “wife,” Danny asks his receptionist, Katherine (Jennifer Aniston), to help him out by playing the part of his ex. One lie leads to another, and before Danny knows it he is the father of two “children.” The whole group ends up going to Hawaii together so they can “blend.” More silliness and lies occur when they encounter one of Katherine’s egomaniac acquaintances, Devlin (Nicole Kidman), who is of course staying at the same beautiful hotel.

This is not a film for children since it deals with adult situations and the major part of the plot deals with adults lying to each other over and over again. There is a lot of talking but not much action to keep the younger set’s attention.

Rango (Rated PG)

This is an action-packed animated feature with an old western theme. The plot is the same as many of the television Westerns of the ’60s: a stranger comes to town and ends up saving the day. But this time the story is given a new twist since the “stranger” is a chameleon thespian, Rango (voiced by Johnny Depp), who loves creating, telling and acting out elaborate stories. When Rango is stranded in a Nevada desert town called Dirt, his swashbuckling stories land him in the job of town sheriff. His acting abilities then have to convince bandits and other villains that he is “man enough” for the job.

There are several scenes during the movie which may concern younger children—the car crash at the beginning of the movie which separates Rango from his keeper, Jake (voiced by Bill Nighy) the rattlesnake who has very long fangs, and bandits on flying bats who chase and shoot a variety of guns at Rango and his friends. Although these are scary, director Gore Verbinski has made sure there is no blood or gore shown and that there is plenty of silly side action to counterbalance the tension. The “circle of life” is presented several times during the film, but these scenes are explained beautifully as facts of survival in the desert. There are characters that smoke, chew tobacco, or down shots of “cactus juice” in the town’s saloon, but these are part of the stylized western theme and are not highlighted. Although the movie is a little long for very young children, it is fun for all ages.

Judy Russell teaches music and performing arts at Beauvoir, the National Cathedral Elementary School.