RATINGS 5 Outstanding 4 Very Good 3 Good 2 Fair 1 Poor
OPENING
Argo (SilverCity) PG
Frankenweenie
(Cineplex Odeon Westshore, Empire Capitol 6, SilverCity ) When his dog unexpectedly dies, a boy does some tinkering and uses science to bring his beloved pooch back to life. With the voices of Catherine O'Hara, Martin Short, Martin Landau and Charlie Tahan. Written by John August. Directed by Tim Burton. In 3-D. G
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
(SilverCity) A high school freshman with dark secrets befriends two misfit seniors and navigates the pitfalls of adolescence. With Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller and Mae Whitman. Written and directed by Stephen Chbosky. PG
Premium Rush
(Roxy) For an intrepid New York City bike messenger, a routine delivery turns into a life-or-death chase. With Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Michael Shannon. Thanks to Shannon, stunt cyclists and Google Maps, we have something interesting to look at for 90 minutes. The plot, however, keeps slipping out of gear. - Katherine Monk. 14A
Taken 2
(Cineplex Odeon Victoria, Cineplex Odeon Westshore, Empire University 4, SilverCity, Star) Having saved his daughter from a European sex slave ring, an ex-CIA agent is targeted for revenge and must once again fight to protect his family. With Liam Neeson, Famke Janssen and Maggie Grace. Written by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen. Directed by Olivier Megaton. PG
CONTINUING
The Bourne Legacy Rating 31/2
(Caprice, Cineplex Odeon Victoria, Cineplex Odeon Westshore) Jeremy Renner steps into the Bourne series as Aaron Cross, a government agent who has been genetically altered to be smarter and stronger. Naturally, the government wants to kill him, and the film is a long chase - by computer, and then by motorcycle - told with wordy complexity and watchable excitement. - Jay Stone. PG
The Dark Knight Rises Rating 41/2
(IMAX) Christopher Nolan delivers everything his third Bat-movie required as he pits Bruce Wayne against his own alter ego, and the world against a raving madman in a mask. While it follows genre formula to a T, this epic reel also picks up on the bloody threads of the French Revolution as Nolan gives form to the Occupy movement, and the public desire to hang corporate bankers from the highest tree. Smart, cinematic and skilfully executed at every level, The Dark Knight Rises proves you can make a socially provocative and politically subversive statement and sell it as top-notch escapism. Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson and Morgan Freeman star. - Katherine Monk. PG
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days Rating 1 1/2
(Caprice) An adolescent boy tries to survive summer misadventures in such fraught situations as swimming at the public pool and going camping. The stories by Greg Heffley have appealed to millions of readers, yet the same stories don't work in a live-action setting. With Zachary Gordon and Devon Bostick. - Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune. G
Dredd 3D Rating 3
(Caprice, Cineplex Odeon Victoria, SilverCity) The comic about pitiless police in a dystopian future has been turned into a stripped-down sci-fi action film with Karl Urban as the raspy hero and Olivia Thirlby as his psychic assistant. The action involves chasing bad guys through a monumental highrise, a plot similar to the superior film The Raid: Redemption, but Dredd himself - RoboCop with a rasp - is worth seeing. - Jay Stone. 18A
End Of Watch Rating 3
(Empire Capitol 6, Empire University 4, SilverCity) A frightening, on-the-run down the streets of South Central Los Angeles with two policeman (Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena) whose teasing banter provides a funny counterpoint to the drugs, murder and child abuse outside. The drama is piled to the sky, but there's a humanity that draws us in. - Jay Stone. (NR)
The Expendables 2 Rating 2 1/2
(Caprice, Roxy) After a seemingly routine mission goes awry, a band of mercenaries seeks revenge against an adversary and stumbles onto a global threat. The result is a showcase of muscles, an impressive load of firepower and not much else. With Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham and Jet Li. 14A
Finding Nemo 3D Rating 5
(Cineplex Odeon Westshore, SilverCity) There is probably no better film for conversion to 3-D than Disney/Pixar's animated oceanic kids' adventure, Finding Nemo. With its beautifully crafted story of the bond between parent and child, and the watery sea-green milieu, Nemo is a treasure trove of unexpected humour heightened by a sublime score. It's a captivating fish tale, from either side of the tank. - Chris Knight. G
Hope Springs Rating 3
(Caprice, Cineplex Odeon Victoria) After 30 years of marriage, a middle-age couple attends an intense, week-long counselling session to work on their relationship. The therapy scenes are exquisitely acted and paced. Without a single special effect, it's a summer movie with punch. Starring Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones. - Christy Lemire, Associated Press. PG
Hotel Transylvania
(Cineplex Odeon Westshore, Empire Capitol 6, Empire University 4, SilverCity, Star) In this animated film, Dracula has his hands full with a birthday for his daughter at his monster resort, and things get complicated when an ordinary human stumbles onto the scene. With the voices of Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Kevin James and Selena Gomez. G
House At the End Of the Street Rating 2
(Cineplex Odeon Westshore) A low-cal psychological thriller about single mom Elizabeth Shue and teenage daughter Jennifer Lawrence move into an isolated house next door to a place where a horrific murder took place. The secrets are familiar, however, rather than terrifying, and despite many thematic homages, director Mark Tonderai is no Hitchcock. - Jay Stone. PG
Ice Age: Continental Drift 3D Rating 3
(Caprice, Roxy) A group of Paleolithic animal pals tries to survive a continental cataclysm in the fourth instalment of the Ice Age series. The script has a cheap habit of copying other cartoon material, but the results are both entertaining and life affirming. With the voices of Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary and Queen Latifah. G
Lawless
(Caprice) Set in the Depression-era Franklin County, Virginia, a bootlegging gang is threatened by authorities who want a cut of their profits. Stars Shia LaBeouf, Jessica Chastain and Tom Hardy. 14A
Looper
(Cineplex Odeon Victoria, Cineplex Odeon Westshore, SilverCity) In the future, a low-level hired gun who disposes of mob targets sent back in time has to chase down an escaped target - a future version of himself. With Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis and Emily Blunt. NR
The Master
(Cineplex Odeon Victoria) A young drifter is taken under the wing of a charismatic intellectual whose new spiritual organization is catching on in postwar America. With Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix and Amy Adams. 14A
ParaNorman Rating 31/2
(Caprice, Roxy) An expertly designed stop-motion animated film about a boy who sees the dead, particularly the witches who were hanged 300 years earlier. - Jay Stone. PG
Pitch Perfect
(Cineplex Odeon Victoria, Cineplex Odeon Westshore, Empire University 4, SilverCity) An introverted college freshman is persuaded to join an all-girls a cappella group and helps enliven their old-fashioned approach to performing. With Anna Kendrick and Brittany Snow. PG
The Queen of Versailles Rating 31/2
(Cineplex Odeon Victoria) An enlightened, open and entirely unbiased view of obscene indulgence, The Queen of Versailles isn't just a great piece of skin-crawling entertainment, it's a thoughtful and somewhat humane post mortem of the American dream. - Katherine Monk. G
Resident Evil: Retribution 3D Rating 1
(Empire Capitol 6, SilverCity) The videogame franchise about a woman infected with a zombie virus scrapes the bottom of the petri dish in this low-budget and altogether boring exercise in formula. Milla Jovovich tries to bring some substance to a vacuum, but it's sucked out faster than an eyeball in a zombie's rotting maw. - Katherine Monk. 14A
Trouble With the Curve Rating 2
(Cineplex Odeon Westshore, Empire Capitol 6, Empire University 4, SilverCity) A contrived father-and-daughter story that benefits from the lean presence of Clint Eastwood. He plays an aging baseball scout who has to prove his worth to his team and to a daughter (Amy Adams) who feels cut out of his life. Eastwood makes it worth seeing. - Jay Stone. PG
Won't Back Down
(Empire Capitol 6, SilverCity) Two determined mothers take on a bureaucracy and try to transform their children's failing inner-city school. With Maggie Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis and Holly Hunter. G
SPECIAL SCREENINGS
The Secret Garden (Saturday, Cineplex Odeon Westshore)
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (Sunday, Roxy)
NT Live: The Last of the Haussmans (Thursday, Cineplex Odeon Victoria, SilverCity)
CINECENTA
2 Days in New York - 14A (Fri. and Sat., 3, 7 and 9 p.m.)
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted - (Sat. and Sun., 1 p.m.)
The Intouchables- PG (Sun., 3, 7 and 9: 15 p.m.; Mon. and Tues., 7 and 9: 15 p.m.)
Coast Modern - (Wed., 7 p.m. and Thur., 7 and 9 p.m.)
IMAX FILMS
Go to imaxvictoria.com for showtimes.
The Dark Knight Rises: The Imax Experience
Air Racers
To the Arctic
Rocky Mountain Express
Dinosaurs: Giants of Patagonia
