“We put an explosive charge inside your head.”

Now that can only be a good thing if it’s the first line of a movie that you’re sitting in the theater to see. However, if you’re Ethan Hunt in Mission Impossible III, it adds a little stress to your already tense scenario of having a gun pointed at your head and your fiancée bound and gagged in front of you. And that kind of tension just doesn’t wither away.

Thankfully.

Mission: Impossible III is the best mission yet. Action movies tend to be formulaic and sequels obviously even more so, yet M:I III manages to keep the audience guessing, clinching and exclaiming “That’s so cool!” Sure it has the requisite explosions, gadgets and one-liners, but there is a freshness to it. J.J. Abrams might be why.

Each “Mission” has had a different director (Brian De Palma and John Woo respectively,) but after Tom Cruise watched a couple episodes of the television show “Alias,” he knew Abrams was his man for the third installment. With him, success was inevitable. Master of dynamic tempo and delicious intrigue, Abrams knows how to showcase impossible missions.

The rest of the team did well in choosing to accept this risky mission of sequel making. Led by Tom Cruise, the cast is stocked with talent. Say what you want about Cruise, he explodes on the big screen. I don’t know if it’s because he jumps on couches in real life but when he jumps tall buildings in the movies, it seems so feasible. If anybody can get through all of this, it’s Ethan Hunt and his team.

Ving Rhames returns as the ever faithful Luther and injects droll comic relief. Maggie Q dons audacious attire for the Vatican and Jonathan Rhys Meyers flies through windmills to support their team leader. Billy Crudup defends him in the IMF home office while the always stellar Laurence Fishburne harasses him like only a superior can.

Playing Hunt’s fiancée is Michelle Monaghan who bears a resemblance to Katie Holmes that isn’t a little creepy. (She doesn’t curl up only one side of her mouth when she speaks, but otherwise…) But who we’re all really watching is Philip Seymour Hoffman. With his Oscar win, we’re sure to see more of him in roles as awesome as this. Okay, truthfully the role isn’t that extraordinary, what he does with it is.

In between escalating missions that take Hunt and his team to industrial Berlin, downtown Shanghai and the impenetrable Vatican, Hunt is at home with his fiancée trying to create a normal life. The far-reaching plotline, inherent in this cinematic genre, wins credibility with its simple love story. Instead of another whirlwind adventure with the invulnerable adrenaline addict, Ethan Hunt is now an instructor who wants a life and a family. He is now the reluctant agent. That makes his reentry into the field more dramatic and the chases, threats and close calls matter just a little bit more because of it. 

Unlike many action movies that eventually incite you to cry ‘enough with the explosions,’ Abrams seems to have a genuine knack for storytelling and its innate rhythm which makes this film the most pleasurable of the series. With that said, get ready to shake your head in disbelief - especially when Meyers wears jeans into the Vatican. That would just never happen.

Ultimately, the real mission impossible is making a third movie in a franchise original, alive and worth seeing. Somehow J.J. Abrams, Tom Cruise and a stellar cast pull it off big time. They also offer us a fair warning: if you ever get kidnapped by bad guys, don’t let them shoot anything up your nose. This is very, very bad.

For those with little children, perhaps you’ve heard of Ice Age, the 2002 film starring the voice talents of Ray Romano (Manny the Mammoth), John Leguizamo (Sid the Sloth) and Denis Leary (Diego the Saber-Toothed Tiger) and Chris Wedge (director and everyone’s favorite squirrel hunting down a nut, Scrat)? If you haven’t, that’s too bad. Ice Age was a great film for the entire family.

Usually, you can’t strike family comedy gold twice in a lifetime. And almost never with the same characters. Of course, major and not-so major entertainment conglomerations try and try again. Ice Age 2: The Meltdown is a refreshing anomaly in a world of bad sequels. It’s fresh, funny and very good. In fact, in some ways it may be superior to the original.

This time, Manny, Sid and Diego, who’ve come together to form the most unlikely of herds, are faced with new perils. The Ice Age is just about over. The world is beginning to thaw. As the ice melts, the water is rising dangerously. Fast Tony, voiced by “Tonight Show” host, Jay Leno, is scaring the animals in the hopes of turning a profit on shoddy products that are supposed to ’save their lives’.

Manny calls Fast Tony out as a liar; but then realizes that there is some truth to the doomsday talk. He, Sid and Diego discover when they take a trip to the top of the ice mountain that the water is rapidly rising and a massive flood is imminent in about three days time.

Everyone heads up and moves out. The eagles, who are sort of hoping that there will be mass destruction - it’s good for their food supply - say there’s a boat at the end of the valley. The animals go without much delay.

Meantime, Manny is still wrestling with the fact that he’s the last mammoth; or, so everyone else believes. He takes some time alone in the forest to think. Instead, he finds a lady mammoth, Ellie (Queen Latifah). Problem is - Ellie thinks she’s a possum. Her extreme-sports-loving brothers, Crash (Sean William Scott) and Eddie (Josh Peck), love her and don’t do anything to dispel her of the notion.

The “possums” became part of Manny, Sid and Diego’s posse. Together, they have quite an adventurous trip. Sid and Diego try to urge Manny to let the past go and start a new future with Ellie, who eventually realizes she is a mammoth after all.

If this weren’t enough, the crew has a nasty alligator and his cronie to contend with. The same ones who gave them trouble in the first film and were put on ice have also melted. Time in the ‘cooler’ has done nothing to squash their anger. They’re out for revenge.

As the world is about to end, can Manny and Ellie find love? Will Manny be able to save them all from destruction - and learn to live and love again? These questions of course have positive - and perhaps, stock - answers. The way the movie gets to those answers is still worth the whole trip and the price of admission.

Ice Age 2: The Meltdown is a great movie. It’s entertaining, funny, poignant and just a fantastic way to spend an afternoon with or without the kids.

Let me know what you think of this movie by adding your comments below.

Curious about the movie Curious George? It’s hard to resist a cute little monkey and an animated Will Ferrell and Drew Barrymore. Top it off with a gentle soundtrack by Jack Johnson and you have a movie the whole family will enjoy.

This movie is great for babies, toddlers and preschoolers. The bad guy isn’t so bad. Instead, he’s a jealous son who wants to turn the museum into a parking lot. He’s more of a nuisance than a heavy handed tough guy.

Curious George is a delight to watch on the big screen. Jack Johnson’s music compliments the antics of this fun loving music making the movie enjoyable for Mom and Dad too. The storyline isn’t complicated but its captivating enough to keep the interest of even the wiggliest of kids.

Will Ferrell adds a few chuckles but they are all in good taste. And Drew Barrymore is as sweet as ever as the young school teacher with an obvious crush on the “Man With The Yellow Hat.”

Let me know what you think of the movie by adding your comments below.

If you’re looking for a heart touching film that will provide some great family entertainment, be sure to see the movie Eight Below.

The story is a harrowing tale of eight sled dogs that are left behind when researchers are forced to leave Antarctica because of an incoming storm. The dogs are chained near the research station to keep them safe. The research team plans to return for them in a few days. However, before the guide who owns the dogs can return, winter sets in and all flights to the station are cancelled until spring. What will happen to the dogs? Will they survive the harsh Antarctic winter, or will their owner return to find they’ve all succumbed to the frigid temperatures?

Eight Below is based on a true story. The movie mainly focuses on the dogs. Their owner, played by actor Paul Walker, thinks about them constantly and is determined to rescue them. He falls into a state of depression at the thought of his dogs tethered outside the research station in the glacial temperatures. He appeals to Dr. Davis McClaren, played by Bruce Greenwood, the financier of the expedition, to allow him to return for his dogs. His request is denied. In the meantime, the audience is informed of how long the dogs have been on their own through subtitles.

Director Frank Marshall depicts the dogs as intelligent and respects their basic instincts. When one of the team is badly injured, the other dogs hunt down birds and bring them to their crippled teammate. They work together in order to survive five months in the sub-zero temperatures of Antarctica, without shelter. Their only food source is from the merciless Antarctic tundra.

The film doesn’t have a human villain. The closest it comes to one is in the form of Dr. McClaren, who won’t cooperate in rescuing the dogs in winter, even though they saved his life when he was doing scientific research. I won’t disclose the details of the rescue in order for you to experience it for yourself.

The close-ups of the dogs faces as they struggle through anxiety, danger and yearning, allow us a glimpse into their emotions and intelligence. The eight dogs, two malamutes and a husky, touch the hearts of their audience as they struggle to survive on their own.

Rated: 4 ½ out of 5 stars.

Let me know what you think of this movie by adding your comment below.

Transamerica stars Emmy award winning actress Felicity Huffman of Desperate Housewives fame, but this role is quite unlike the one you are used to. In Transamerica, Huffman plays a transsexual male named Bree who is on his way to becoming a woman. But just a few days before his final surgery, Bree realizes that he has a son from one of his early heterosexual relationships, and the two travel across the country on an odd journey of mutual bonding.

Transamerica is the debut film by writer/ director Duncan Tucker, but you honestly would not know it by the quality of the film. The dialogue is superb, the cinematography is great, and the acting, well, the acting is pretty damn good too.

The concept of a female playing a male may sound silly at first, but Huffman pulls it off by deepening her voice in a believable manner, and various steps were taken to make her look a bit less female. While it may not be flattering, Huffman give a very powerful performance, much like the one Charlize Theron gave in Monster, in that she paints a very convincing portrait of something that is rarely explored in american culture, let alone in Hollywood movies. Most definitely an Oscar-worthy performance. Kevin Zegers does a pretty good job too, but Huffman definitely steals the show.

The bottom line is this: Transamerica is a touching film that lays on plenty of emotion, but without being trite or condescending. Quite frankly, I feel this is essential viewing for everyone.

Let me know whether you agree or not by adding your comment below.

I happen to like the Harry Potter movies quite a deal. Unlike a lot of other movies geared towards kids, the Harry Potter flicks actually bring a lot of dark intensity to the table, and the CGI (computer-generated imagery) in the films is some of the best Hollywood has come out with since Terminator 2. So I was pretty excited when I heard about Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire, and I was hoping it would be as good as the last three movies. To put it frankly, Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire is not only as good as the other movies, it is by far the best in the series yet.

One of the best things about Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire is that everything is much more mature and adult-friendly. The characters bicker and argue in a very genuine manner, and the effects are even more graphic than the last Harry Potter film. The monsters in this film are pretty evil looking, so much so that I’m sure more than a few adults will actually find themselves being a bit spooked. The film is still suitable for kids mind you, but parents should remember that there are some pretty scary parts.

Sure, Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire is not the most intellectually stimulating picture ever made, but not every movie has to be. What it is is an extremely fun, smart, and very entertaining kids movie, and that is good enough for me.

Let me know what you think of this movie by adding your comment below.

If you enjoyed Cheaper By the Dozen, you’ll love the sequel. Though sequels are not always what they’re cracked up to be, this one is great.

Steve Martin plays Dad Baker, who is affectionate to his family and it comes through as realistic affection, not a lot of sappy goo. Bonnie Hunt plays the mother and puts on a great performance managing her brood. Alyson Stoner plays daughter, Sarah, who is entering adolescence and her performance is brilliant. The scene of love’s first kiss comes off so well that it will take you back in time to your first kiss. The scene is tastefully done with elegance and the innocence and shyness of youth.

Dad and Mom Baker decide to gather their clan together for the final fling of the summer at a rented cottage on Lake Winnetka. Unknown to Dad Baker, his high school nemesis, Jimmy Murtaugh has built “The Boulders,” a fabulous home directly across the lake from the cottage. The two men take up their rivalry where it left off years before. At a Fourth of July clambake, Jimmy shows off in his usual annoying manner. Mayhem sets in when the fireworks are inadvertently set off early and destroy everything within range.

Sarah falls in love the moment she sees Eliot Murtaugh, who played by Taylor Lautner and Eliot feels the same way about her. Sarah thinks she’s not pretty enough for Eliot and begins to experiment with makeup. The results are catastrophic.

Cheaper By the Dozen 2 takes us back in time to our early teens. It shows how sensitive thirteen year olds really are. One very heart warming scene is when Sarah’s older sister, Lorraine shows her how to properly apply makeup for a girl her age. Sarah is transformed into a beautiful young woman and the scene is done so well that it touches the hearts of the audience.

Surprisingly, Jimmy’s new wife, Sarina, who is played by Carmen Electra, is very nice. The audience has to wonder how she ever got hooked up with Jimmy. She loves all eight of her step children, is pretty and sexy and is well liked by Mom Baker. Sarina intervenes when husband, Jimmy, goes on his ego trip and puts him in his place, which delights all viewers.

If you want to take the entire family to a movie, take in Cheaper By the Dozen 2 because it is the one to see. It is much better than “The Family Stone,” or “Yours, Mine and Ours.” Cheaper By the Dozen 2 shines and is great family entertainment. Highly recommended.

Let me know if you enjoyed this movie as much as I did by adding your comment below.

Based on C.S. Lewis’ timeless classic, The Chronicles of Narnia tells the tale of four young siblings — Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter — during World War II. In an attempt to protect the children from the Nazi bombings in urban England, they are sent to an estate in the countryside to safely ride out the war.

It is within the confines of this house that the children happen upon a wardrobe while playing a game of hide and seek. What they find in this wardrobe is a portal to the magical world of Narnia. The children enter this strange world filled with otherworldly creatures. There they discover what was once a peaceful land that is inhabited by centaurs, dwarfs, and other friendly talking beasts.

But Narnia is under the spell of the evil White Witch, Jadis. Jadis has cursed the land to eternal winter. The children, with the assistance of the noble Lion King, Aslan, work to break the witch’s spell and restore Narnia to the peaceful and enchanting place it once was.

For the most part, Narnia doesn’t disappoint. It stays true to the book in terms of plot and characters. The one problem I do have with movies such as this is that the Narnia you see on screen could probably never live up to the Narnia one has pictured within their own imagination after reading the book. While I felt that emotionally the movie still struck the right cord, it just did not, and could not ever, match the vision I’ve held of Narnia since I first read the book as a child.

The other problem I had with this movie is that, it’s supposed to be geared towards children, yet, quite frankly, I would think twice before bringing children to this movie, as some of the scenes are fairly scary and violent.

On a related note, I must also say that when “blue screen” technology and CGI effects were first seen in movies they seemed cutting edge and awe inspiring. Maybe I’m just becoming jaded, but to me these special effects nowadays just seem to be anti-climactic and overused. Just my two cents.

Overall the performances in this movie were wonderful. Tilda Swinton, (from The Beach), turns in a truly hateful performance as the evil Jadis. Equally good was veteran actor, Liam Neeson, playing the majestic Lion King. The children were also surprisingly good considering their acting experience was fairly limited.

In general, I would recommend this movie as a good holiday outing. Despite some reservations about young children finding the movie too scary, the Chronicles of Narnia should have you leaving the theater feeling satisfied.

Did you find this move as enjoyable as I did? Let me know what you think by adding your comment below.

Zathura is a spin off of Jumanji, but one that will take you on a great adventure.

When two brothers, Danny and Walter Budwing, ages 6 and 10, are left under the care of their older sister, Lisa, they find themselves bored to death. Lisa isn’t at all vigilant because she prefers spending her time in bed with her iPod. When Danny and Walter get into a fight, Danny hides in the dumb waiter. Walter, thinking it would be great fun to scare the wits out of Danny, sends him to the basement. Once there, Danny, played by Jonah Bobo, comes across an old board game and begs Walter, played by Josh Hutcherson, to play it with him. After much coaxing, Walter agrees.

Zathura is a metal contraption that sparks the boys’ interest. They wind it up, push a button and watch a little car race around the track of the game. When it stops, the game gives out a card that Walter reads to Danny. “Meteor Shower: Take Evasive Action.” As Walter speaks, the meteor shower starts, bursting through the ceiling and plunging through the floor. The boys try to avoid the meteors, but the magic of the film is that the meteors actually avoid the boys. Though the living room is thrashed completely, the boys go unscathed.

Zathura, very similar to Jumanji, is based on the book by Chris Van Allsburg, who also wrote the Polar Express. Zathura is the only board game ever made that can take its players into outer space. The allure of the film is very evident during the meteor shower when Danny and Walter don’t receive as much as a scratch when the living room is totaled. Even when they open the front door and find they’ve been transported to outer space, they are able to breathe without the assistance of oxygen tanks and space suits.

Danny and Walter take turns playing Zathura, just as they would playing any other board game. One card reads, “Shipmate Enters Cryonic Sleep Chamber,” which puts Lisa, who is entering the upstairs bathroom, into a frozen state of immobility. Other cards produce humungous alien lizards, an attack from spaceships, a frightening robot that has glowing red eyes and an unwelcome visit to a black hole.

Zathura is an adventure that will thrill kids of all ages. The boys are faced with real problems that need an almost immediate solution. Danny and Walter are the heroes of the film and do an excellent job entertaining their audience. Zathura is a must see for all those who loved Jumanji. Don’t miss it.

Let me know what you thought about Zathura by adding your comment below.

It’s 2011 and a virus has wiped out almost all of the earth’s population and pretty much all of the movie critics as well. Alright, so this one isn’t really all that bad if you’re a devotee of the animated series that ran on MTV in the 90’s.

The remaining inhabitants are under the auspices of Dr. Goodchild (Marton Csokas) who has found a cure for the virus. They live in the utopian city of Bregna, the last city on earth where, as anyone who lives in any city at any time in this country knows, is a breeding ground for sin and corruption of all manner and type. And of course, rebelling against all this corruption and sin are the holier than anybody else Monicans and their warrior supreme, Aeon Flux. Once our intrepid heroine is ordered to kill Dr. Goodchild, she immerses herself into Bregna and discovers the awesome truth behind the city.

Ok, so half the plots of Star Trek are more complicated and believable than this one. But none of those other movies have Charlize Theron parading around in what looks like 21st Century bondage wear.

I was especially disappointed in the direction of Karyn Kusama who made the wonderfully inventive and heartfelt “Girlfight” in 2000 and I guess it was the lure of the paycheck and the moviemaking on such a level that threw her a curve of monstrous proportions. She literally was in over her head and it remains my firm belief that if the studio had cut her budget in half she would have come up with twice as good a movie. But that could just be me.

I like mindless action adventure fun in my movies and there really doesn’t have to be all that much plot to be satisfying. Take for example “Armageddon”. Really nothing special in the heart and soul and characterization departments but overall it works. And overall this one really doesn’t.

It’s more similar to Vin Diesle’s Chronicles of Riddick than Armageddon – great sets, great costumes, pretty good CGI going on and yet, somehow the whole thing just really doesn’t gel. Charlize is in over her head along with Karyn Kusama but she looks really lovely. Pete Postlethwaite on the other hand looks like an ad for a candy bar rather than a serious actor.

The ultimate error in judgment on the parts of everyone involved with this movie is that they assumed that the audience would be familiar with the story line, the characters and the series in general. This assumption leaves anyone entering the theater who is unfamiliar with the series in a state of wonder trying to figure out what the heck is going on and why people are acting the way that they do. If they wanted to appeal only to the people who had seen the show, they accomplished that. Anyone else will be literally left in the dark.

Please add your comments as to what you thought about the movie. Let me know whether you’ve seen the show.