Fast & Furious


Rating:

Directed by: Justin Lin

The Skinny: After diminishing sequel returns, the cars and crooks franchise sheds the unweildy "The" weight in its title and reunites the fast and/or furious original players: Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriquez and Jordana Brewster. Because YOU DEMANDED IT! OK…not really. Because THEY WEREN'T BUSY!

The Good: These movies are often referred to as "car porn" and, well, that's an apt description on more than one level. Like porn, it's really hard to criticize Fast & Furious for its cringe-inducing dialogue, afterthought of a story, and ridiculous action. That's not really the point, is it? The real point is made in every lingering shot of slick body work and muscular engines, which the movie has in abundance.

The Bad: But, like porn, you can't call this a "good" movie. It's not. Even judged on its own slight merits, Fast & Furious falls short. The race scenes are way too "video gamed" out to have any real impact. You should feel like you're behind the wheel of these badass machines, tearing down busy streets while you flirt with automotive carnage—you shouldn't feel like you're watching someone else unlock Midnight Club levels. And the "emotional" impact of these "beloved" characters coming back together would probably work better if you were ever made to care about any of them.

Missed Opportunity: We still think 2 Fast 2 Be 4 Gotten would have been a better title.

Theater, DVD, or TNT in Five Years? This is a rental only if you've lent out your copy of Midnight Club and have nothing else to do.

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Adventureland


Rating:

Directed by: Greg Mottola

The Skinny: The director of Superbad returns with this '80s-set tale of a pampered college kid (Jesse Eisenberg) who learns that not only are his parents unable to fund his summer jaunt across Europe, but that he has to take a summer job at a crappy amusement park.

The Good: Not only set in the '80s, Adventureland actually feels like an '80s movie in the best way possible. It's not as gag-reliant as some comedies—instead, it just kind of lets its characters be who they are and trust that the laughs will come. And they do. There's no deep story being told here, but the movie succeeds in really capturing the feel of that last summer before you had any real responsibilities. Adventureland also seems like the type of movie that benefits from repeat viewings.

The Bad: Ryan Reynolds' caddish handyman character isn't bad, but the role is a little stiff. Reynolds has the comedy chops, but he's restrained and, well, boring for most of the movie. Otherwise, though, there's not a lot of cons here.

Making the Leap: Yes, the cock-punching, serial urinator Tommy Frigo is that same kid from those annoying AT&T ads.

Theater, DVD, or TNT in Five Years? This is worth going to see in a theater, definitely.

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The Escapist


Rating:

Directed by: Rupert Wyatt

The Skinny: A "lifer" in a tough British prison (Brian Cox) decides to hatch an escape plan when he learns that his junkie daughter is on the verge of death. He rallies together a ragtag group of inmates, including a jacked-up Joseph Fiennes, and sets his plan in motion under the watchful eyes of wardens and the prison's resident "king," Rizza (Damien Lewis).

The Good: There are probably way too many therapy bills involved in the question of why we can't seem to get enough of prison movies, but The Escapist earns a spot in the upper tier of this mini-genre. It doesn't check off all the usual cliches, which is appreciated, and the story is lean and mean with very little dialogue. It sounds dull, but it's the exact opposite. The looks, nods, and shared silences create an almost unbearable tension. It doesn't hurt that the cast is uniformly excellent—especially Cox (no surprise) and Fiennes, who completely sheds any residual Shakespeare In Love ponciness as the badass Lenny Drake.

The Bad: It's difficult to explain some of our minor concerns without spoiling the ending, so…we won't. But, honestly, this is a pretty solid movie overall, so even our small nitpicks don't amount to much.

VOD: The Escapist is only getting a small theatrical release, but it will be available On Demand starting Friday.

Theater, DVD, or TNT in Five Years? If you can find a theater, go for it. If not, definitely worth the VOD rental.