Let Me In

Count me as one of the skeptics who thought this remake was totally unnecessary. Now that I've seen Let Me In, I still feel the same way...for the most part. Let the Right One In was one of the most original takes on the vampire genre ever, offering a nice break from the innocuous territory tread by the tween-friendly Twilight series. Like most foreign films, Let the Right One In never quite gained the mainstream traction or exposure it deserved upon its initial release. Instead, it was one of those word-of-mouth films that most people discovered on video. And judging by the recent box office numbers, Let Me In might follow the same pattern. As American remakes go, this one is about as good as it gets. It remains extremely faithful to the original, despite taking place in 1983 Los Alamos, New Mexico instead of Sweden. Director Matt Reeves nails the tone and avoids any major deviations from the original's story. Chloe Moretz (from Kick-Ass) is good as Abby, the mysterious girl who moves into an apartment complex. But Kodi Smit-McPhee (from The Road) is even better as Owen, a troubled 12-year-old who eventually befriends Abby. Little by little Owen discovers that Abby isn't quite what she seems. If you've seen the original, you know exactly what to expect from each scene, with only a few minor tangents. But for those who missed out on Let the Right One In or simply can't handle subtitles, Let Me In is a worthy alternative, giving English-speaking audiences no more excuses for familiarizing themselves with this great tale.

Easy A

Judging from the trailers, Easy A looks like another cookie-cutter high school movie. But this isn't some cheap Superbad knock-off. For one, it has a great cast lead by Emma Stone playing the typical socially-invisible teenager. But when false rumors begin to circulate, her social standing changes dramatically. Instead of fighting the rumor mill, she embraces her new role as the campus harlot, even going so far as wearing a scarlet A. Of course, it's all an act, leading to some genuinely awkward, but hilarious encounters. The writing is snappy and delivered with comedic perfection by Stone. I liked Stone in Superbad, The House Bunny, and Zombieland. Here she proves she has the talent to carry a movie on her own. But she has plenty of help from a surprisingly esteemed cast including Stanley Tucci and Patrica Clarkson as her eccentric parents. Thomas Haden Church is a laid-back English teacher married to a high-strung guidance counselor played by Lisa Kudrow. Malcolm McDowell even gets some decent screen time as the school's principal. Then there's a small and somewhat underutilized Fred Armisen as a local pastor. Altogether it's a solid movie filled with rich comedic performances. And if you grew up on John Hughes movies during the 80s, you'll certainly appreciate the way this film pays homage to those classics.

Salt

Salt appears to be an attempt to launch a new Bourne-like franchise starring Angelina Jolie as a spy with a mysterious past. But to call this film a Bourne knock-off isn't completely fair. Salt does have a lot going for it, including a strong cast lead by Jolie and Liev Schreiber. If you've seen the trailer, you already know the premise. Jolie's Evelyn Salt is a CIA operative accused of being a Russian double agent tasked with killing the Russian president. But just when you think this is a simple Fugitive-like setup, the film takes some unexpected turns. At times I admit I wasn't quite sure of Salt's true allegiances. But the movie doesn't give you a lot of time to think. This is a frantically paced action movie with plenty of chase sequences, fight scenes, and gun battles. As she's proven over and over, Jolie is a natural action star making even the more preposterous setups feel credible. But she also has the acting chops to give the character an emotional depth and sense of vulnerability. There's a turning point in the film where Salt's humanity comes bubbling to the surface in a deliciously brutal sequence of calm rage. At this point all bets are off. You never quite know what she's going to do next. It's this unpredictability which is the film's greatest strength. Plus, you can't go wrong with the near-perfect pacing. While this may not be the most memorable spy movie you'll ever see, it certainly is entertaining. After all, isn't that why we go to movies in the first place?

Inception

Have you ever woken up from a dream with an unshakable idea? If so, Christopher Nolan's Inception will give you plenty to think about. Of all the movies releasing this summer this is the only one that I felt any sense of excitement about. Like everyone else, I had no clue what the film was really about, but the trippy visuals in the trailers and Nolan's track record for constructing complex narratives were enough to pique my interest. At it's core, Inception is a heist movie. It's about a group of criminals, led by Leonardo DiCaprio's Cobb, who enter people's dreams to steal information. But in their latest job, they must implant an idea in their target's head, something referred to as inception. But like any good heist movie, things don't exactly go according to plan. Cobb's own psychological turmoil introduces several obstacles to the dream scape as the group dives through multiple layers of subconsciousness. The dreams within dreams concept is handled extremely well producing at least three simultaneous narratives, all featuring the same characters attempting to accomplish some sort of goal within a finite time frame. Simply keeping up with what's going on in each dream layer is somewhat exhausting, but it's also completely engaging. I think it's safe to say my mind hasn't had this kind of a work-out since Memento. And like Memento, I think I'll need to see Inception a few more times before I get a good idea of what's really going on. But I do have a theory...

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Although I like Nicholas Cage, this is a movie I had absolutely no intention of seeing. But sometimes situations arise that one must take advantage of. Such was the case here when I had the chance to go to a movie with my niece and nephews. If you've seen the trailer you have a good idea of what this one is about. Cage plays a centuries-old sorcerer in search of an apprentice (known as the Prime Merlinian) capable of defeating the evil sorceress Morgana. The apprentice he finds is a NYU physics nerd played by Jay Baruchel. Together they must stop Morgana from reanimating the world's long-dead evil sorcerers, thus saving the world. With a premise like that, the script pretty much writes itself with all the expected Bruckheimer set pieces one would expect from a summer movie. This is one of those movies that just washes over you without engaging your brain. In fact, it's best not to apply any sort of logic or rational thought into this one. Just let it unfold in front of you, preferably while laying on a couch when the remote control is just out of reach. However, I did appreciate one aspect of this movie. It tries to apply science to the world of magic, but not in a disappointing midi-chlorian sort of way. Ultimately, the physics nerd makes a great sorcerer because of his understanding of science. While I'm not confident this movie will inspire anyone to pick-up a science textbook, I thought basing the magic in real-world physics was a nice touch.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Twilight clearly isn't my thing. But I can certainly understand the appeal, especially to tweens, their mothers, and every other female on the planet. This is pure soap opera drama with a supernatural element. After all, what girl (or disillusioned soccer mom) wouldn't want to have a pasty vampire and hunky werewolf fight over them? Eclipse offers more of the same as the Edward/Jacob rivalry intensifies. But at some point the boys must work together to protect Bella from a vengeful Victoria and her army of newly turned vampires. But this epic alliance between the (good) vampires and werewolves takes a backseat to more creaky dialogue, something that has become a series staple. Though I admit, there are far fewer cringe-inducing lines here than in New Moon. But then there's the tent scene which is just so shamelessly contrived that even the actors seem to have a hard time keeping a straight face. Having never read the books I can't say what twists and turns await us in Breaking Dawn, the saga's final chapter. Bella's future seems decided by the end of this film given her impending nuptials with Edward. But I do know that Breaking Dawn is largely hated by the fan base, so perhaps there is still hope for this franchise?

Toy Story 3

This is just about as good as movies get. Given the series long hiatus, I was a bit nervous about how this one would turn out. But the story does a great job accounting for the passage of time and reacquainting the audience with the key characters. Andy has grown up and is preparing for college. As a result his toys face an uncertain future during the universal sorting process we all go through at some point. Will Woody, Buzz and the others be kept, donated, or just trashed? But that's just the earliest dilemma. Like the previous films, the toys find themselves on an epic adventure outside the safe confines of Andy's bedroom. Along the way they meet several new characters and face numerous challenges. Of course, there's plenty of humor and action. But Toy Story 3 also hits a strong emotional chord, not unlike WALL-E and Up. This is where Pixar shows they're light years ahead of the competition, and not just in the field of animated films. They haven't made a movie for kids that grown-ups can merely tolerate. This is good old-fashioned entertainment for everyone, something reflected by the diverse audience in attendance on a Saturday afternoon. And judging by the tearful moments and applause at the end, this is a movie that everyone loved, myself included.