Opening
WRATH OF THE TITANS -(Odeon/SilverCity/Westshore/Uni 4) Wrath of the classics scholars will be more like it, as Hollywood delivers a novel tale about how half-mortal Perseus braves the underworld to rescue his father (a.k.a. Zeus). Meanwhile, his mean half-brothers Ares and Hades unleash the brutal Titans upon the world. This fantasy epic stars Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, and Rosamund Pike. Starts Fri.
MIRROR MIRROR -(Odeon/SilverCity/Westshore/Uni 4) Here’s a promising retelling of the Snow White fairy tale starring Julia Roberts, Nathan Lane, and Armie Hammer. Directed by noted visual stylist Tarsem Singh (The Cell). Starts Fri.
Continuing
★★ ACT OF VALOR -(SilverCity) Real Navy SEALS enact a fictional tale about elite soldiers going up against narco-terrorists, jihadists, and other threats to our comfy way of life in the west.
BIG MIRACLE -(Caprice) Drew Barrymore stars in a heartfelt movie (based on real events) about a news reporter and a Greenpeace volunteer who work to save a family of grey whales trapped by ice in the Arctic Circle.
★★ DR. SEUSS’ THE LORAX- (Odeon/SilverCity/Westshore) This is an over-stuffed, garishly coloured eco-parable that is preachy and only fitfully engaging. Featuring the voices of Danny DeVito, Zac Efron and Taylor Swift.
GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE -(Caprice) Nicholas Cage once again reprises his role as an avenger from beyond the grave, in a third-tier Marvel Comic adaptation that has staggered from bad to worse.
HOP -(Caprice, Sun. only at 10 am) In this fluffy bit of animated fun for the whole family the teenage son of the Easter Bunny heads to Hollywood to join a rock ‘n’ roll band — only to encounter some unexpected adventures.
★★½ THE HUNGER GAMES -(Capitol/SilverCity/Uni 4/Westshore) With Twilight fading fast, the latest teen sensation is undoubtedly this fantasy account of a future world where every year 24 young people are selected to fight to the death on live TV. Everyone else seems to love this movie, but other than for the great lead performance by JenniferLawrence I found this derivative and a bit on the cheesy side.
★★★ THE IRON LADY -(Caprice) Meryl Streep finally got a date with Oscar for her amazing turn as Margaret Thatcher, in a biopic of England’s first female prime minister that explores her polarizing politics and the price she paid for power. Smoothly directed, although a bit of a standard “greatest hits” kind of biography.
JEFF, WHO LIVES AT HOME -(Odeon) Jason Siegel stars as a stay-at-home mega-slacker who finally gets some focus in his life by helping his brother come to terms with his adulterous wife. With Ed Helms.
★★ JOHN CARTER -(Capitol/SilverCity/Westshore) Although Edgar Rice Burroughs is most famous as the creator of Tarzan he also wrote a series of epic sci-fi adventures about a Civil War vet who magically travels to Mars, there to have astonishing adventures. The resulting movie? Not so great.
JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND -(Caprice) There’s lots of action and adventure in this fantasy tale of a rescue mission to a mysterious island that is home to lots of strange — and dangerous — critters. With Dwayne Johnson and Michael Caine. Note: moves here from the Westshore on Friday.
★★ PROJECT X -(Capitol) Three high school seniors throw “the party of a lifetime,” which inevitably spirals into chaos and debauchery — and that’s before most of the neighbourhood gets destroyed. It’s lewd, crude and occasionally funny.
★★½ SAFE HOUSE -(Capitol) Denzel Washington is great playing a rogue CIA agent — unfortunately, all the violence and jerky, Bourne-style camerawork can’t obscure how derivative the plot is. Ryan Reynolds is along for the ride. Note: moves here from the Westshore on Friday.
★★★ SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN -(Odeon) Lasse Hallström (Chocolat) directs Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt in a whimsical tale, part satire and part romantic comedy — about a fisheries expert who becomes a consultant to a sheik who wants to bring the sport of fly fishing to the desert. See review.
★★★½ the secret world of arrietty -(Caprice) This Japanese-influenced animated tale features a family of four-inch-tall people who live secretly amongst normal humans — until their daughter gets discovered. Although aimed at younger kids, this is a delight for all fans of great animation.
★★★★ A SEPARATION -(Odeon) This Oscar-winning drama from Iran features a marital dispute that widens into deceit, confusion, and tragedy. Easily one of the best films in recent years.
★ SILENT HOUSE -(Caprice) Elizabeth Olsen, who had a remarkable break-out performance in Marcy Martha May Marlene, screams a lot in this astonishingly tedious horror flick about a house haunted by an evil history. Call this The Blair Ghost Home Renovation Project.
★★★ 21 JUMP STREET -(Capitol/SilverCity/Uni 4/Westshore) The TV show about undercover cops in high school jumps to the silver screen, getting a spoofy and raunchy makeover in the process. As guilty pleasures go, this one is pretty darned funny. Starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum.
THE VOW -(Caprice) Romantics can keep the spirit of Valentine’s alive by watching this sudsy confection about a woman (Rachel McAdams) who wakes up from a coma with no recollection that she’s married. Her distraught husband (Channing Tatum) has to make her fall in love with him all over again.
★★ WANDERLUST -(Caprice) Two impoverished yuppies explore the world of a hippie commune in a hit-and-miss comedy starring Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston.
Leaving Thurs.
★★½ THIS MEANS WAR -(SilverCity)
★★★★ TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY -(Odeon)
★★★★ PINA -(Odeon)
★★★½ PUSS ‘N’ BOOTS -(Caprice)
★★ FRIENDS WITH KIDS -(Odeon)
★★★½ THE ARTIST -(Odeon)
Imax
AFRICAN ADVENTURE: SAFARI IN THE OKAVANGO -(noon [except Sat.], 3 pm)
★★★½ MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: GHOST PROTOCOL -(8 pm, Thurs.-Sat., & 7 pm, Sun.-Mon.) Tom Cruise is back for a fourth outing with the IMF crew, in a particularly turbo-charged action flick with good performances, a tricky plot and amazing stunts. This is great in IMAX!
ROCKY MOUNTAIN EXPRESS -(10 am, 1 pm, 4 pm, 6 pm [Sun.-Wed.], 7 pm [Thurs.-Sat.] Here’s a patriotic account of the many daunting challenges behind building the CPR railway: part history lesson, part glorious travelogue.
TORNADO ALLEY -(11 am [except. Sat.], 2 pm, 5 pm) Take an incredible trip into the violent heart of tornadoes via never-before-seen footage collected by a fearless (crazy?) storm chaser.
Screenings
MOVIE MONDAY – Screening A Mother’s Courage. A resourceful mother from Iceland who is determined to discover the best treatment for her autistic son is the heroine of this 2008 documentary. 6:30pm MONDAY in the 1900-block Fort. By donation. 595FLIC. moviemonday.ca
POSITIVE LIVING CENTRE OF VICTORIA- presents I Am, an inspiring documentary from Hollywood director Tom Shadyac (Liar Liar, The Nutty Professor) who had a near-fatal accident and found himself asking profound questions about the meaning of life. THURSDAY, 7:30 pm, 3281 Harriet Rd.
QUEBEC CINEMA- gets some profile via this award-winning drama from Quebec director Anne Edmond, which focuses on a casual one-night stand that unexpectedly becomes an evening of intimacy and transformation. FRIDAY, 7:00 & 9:15 pm at the Vic Theatre, 808 Douglas St. NOTE: CASH ONLY!
TAKING THE FALL- Life on the streets of Victoria is revealed in the debut of a brand new documentary facilitated by the Comittee to End Homelessness. SATURDAY, 6:30, Vic Theatre, 808 Douglas.
Cinecenta
Cinecenta at UVic screens its films in the Student Union Building. Info: 721-8365. cinecenta.com.
★★★ PAYBACK -(Wed.-Thurs., Mar. 28-29: 7:10, 9:00 & Fri.-Sat., Mar. 30-31: 3:00, 7:10, 9:00) The latest from acclaimed (and Victoria raised) documentary filmmaker Jennifer Baichwal (Manufactured Landscapes) is an intriguing and wide-ranging meditation on the different meanings of debt. Inspired by a book by Margaret Atwood.
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON -(Sat.-Sun., Mar. 30-31: 1:00 matinee) A wimpy young Viking aspires to be a brave dragon hunter, only to end up “adopting” a baby one and discovering that there is more to the breed than he had assumed. By all accounts this animated romp is a fine and fun serving of family entertainment.
★★★½ MISSION IMPOSSIBLE -(Sun., Mar. 31: 3:00, 7:00, 9:30 & Mon., April 1: 7:00, 9:30) Tom Cruise is back for a fourth outing with the IMF crew, in a particularly turbo-charged action flick with good performances, a tricky plot and amazing stunts.
THE ROOM -(Tues., April 3: 7:00, 9:00) The latest so-bad-it’s-great cult movie is this über-turkey that was written by, directed and starring this generation’s Ed Wood.
IN DARKNESS -(Wed.-Thurs., April 4-5: 7:15 only) Oscar-nominated, this amazing true-life story is set in Poland during WWII and concerns a group of Jews that were hidden in the sewer system to avoid detection by the Nazis.
The Roxy
★★ PROJECT X -(7:00) See earlier write-up.
★★ ACT OF VALOR -(8:45) See earlier write-up.
★★★★ HUGO -(2:10 matinee, Sat.-Sun.) Although Martin Scorsese isn’t exactly known as a child-friendly filmmaker he deservedly won lots of Oscar gold for this beguiling tale of a 1930s Paris orphan who lives in the walls of a train station and gets involved with a legendary filmmaker from the earliest days of cinema. The great cast includes Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen and Christopher Lee.
JOURNEY 2 -(4:15 matinee, Sat.-Sun.) See earlier write-up.
