The Portland Press Herald/ Thursday, December 22, 2011 3E20 5= j BVS >]`bZO\R >`Saa 6S`OZR BVc`aROg 2SQS[PS` GO
RELEASES DVD I<C<8J<J N E W O N DVD A N D BLU-RAY <3E =< 2D2 /<2 0:C @/G "COLOMBIANA," starring Zoe Saldana and ¾1=:=;07/</ œ abO``W\U H]S AOZRO\O O\R Michael Vartan. Love him or hate him, Luc Besson ;WQVOSZ DO`bO\ :]dS VW[ ]` VObS VW[ :cQ 0Saa]\ knows how to entertain, and his name in the Y\]ea V]e b] S\bS`bOW\ O\R VWa \O[S W\ bVS production credits of this slam-bang, none-too^`]RcQbW]\ Q`SRWba ]T bVWa aZO[ PO\U \]\S b]] intelligent actioner benefits from a brisk pace, a W\bSZZWUS\b OQbW]\S` PS\S¿ba T`][ O P`WaY ^OQS O fair share of oddballs setpieces, and an engaging TOW` aVO`S ]T ]RRPOZZa aSb^WSQSa O\R O\ S\UOUW\U and even, dare we say, sensitive performance O\R SdS\ RO`S eS aOg aS\aWbWdS ^S`T]`[O\QS from Saldana as a lithe and lovely killing machine T`][ AOZRO\O Oa O ZWbVS O\R Z]dSZg YWZZW\U [OQVW\S spurred on by childhood remembrances of her a^c``SR ]\ Pg QVWZRV]]R `S[S[P`O\QSa ]T VS` parents' horrific murder. Special features include ^O`S\ba¸ V]``W¿Q [c`RS` A^SQWOZ TSObc`Sa W\QZcRS a making-of featurettes. Rated PG-13. Running O [OYW\U ]T TSObc`SbbSa @ObSR >5 ! @c\\W\U time: 1:48 bW[S( ("& Suggested retail price: $30.99; $35.99 AcUUSabSR `SbOWZ ^`WQS( ! '') !# ''
20th Century Fox bV 1S\bc`g 4]f
Scarlett Johansson and Matt Damon in "We Bought a Zoo." AQO`ZSbb 8]VO\aa]\ O\R ;Obb 2O[]\ W\ ÂľES 0]cUVb O H]] Âś
Paramount Pictures >O`O[]c\b >WQbc`Sa
Tom Cruise scales new heights in B][ 1`cWaS aQOZSa \Se VSWUVba W\ "Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol." Âľ;WaaW]\ 7[^]aaWPZS Âł 5V]ab >`]b]Q]Z Âś
'Ghost Protocol' Ă&#x160;>_fjk GifkfZfcĂ&#x2039; should keep all eyes j_flc[ b\\g Xcc \p\j on Tom Cruise fe Kfd :il`j\ By R E N E RODRIGUEZ #Z 3&/& 30%3*(6&; .D$MBUDIZ /FXTQBQFST McClotchy Newspapers
Uneven 'Zoo' falls short Le\m\e Ă&#x160;QffĂ&#x2039; ]Xccj j_fik of its feel-good aspirations f] `kj ]\\c$^ff[ Xjg`iXk`fej By R O G E R MOORE #Z 30(&3 .003& .D$MBUDIZ /FXTQBQFST McClotchy Newspapers
"We Bought a Zoo" is a holiday i8F #PVHIU B ;PPw JT B IPMJEBZ movie worth rooting for. Directed by the NPWJF XPSUI SPPUJOH GPS %JSFDUFE CZ UIF cinema's last great romantic, Cameron DJOFNB T MBTU HSFBU SPNBOUJD $BNFSPO Crowe, it features cute tykes, young $SPXF JU GFBUVSFT DVUF UZLFT ZPVOH romance and a grownup grieving for SPNBODF BOE B HSPXOVQ HSJFWJOH GPS a lost love, adorable animals and the B MPTU MPWF BEPSBCMF BOJNBMT BOE UIF comically crotchety Thomas Haden DPNJDBMMZ DSPUDIFUZ 5IPNBT )BEFO Church. $IVSDI The director of "Jerry Maguire" 5IF EJSFDUPS PG i+FSSZ .BHVJSFw - whose last feature film, "Elizabetho XIPTF MBTU GFBUVSF mMN i&MJ[BCFUI town," was a heartfelt flop - seems to UPXO w XBT B IFBSUGFMU nPQ o TFFNT UP be taking no chances, pulling out all the CF UBLJOH OP DIBODFT QVMMJOH PVU BMM UIF emotional stops. FNPUJPOBM TUPQT But despite all that, "Zoo" struggles #VU EFTQJUF BMM UIBU i;PPw TUSVHHMFT to find its footing and Crowe fumbles in UP mOE JUT GPPUJOH BOE $SPXF GVNCMFT JO getting at the film's heart. It's someHFUUJOH BU UIF mMN T IFBSU *U T TPNF thing of a sweet-natured slog, peppered, UIJOH PG B TXFFU OBUVSFE TMPH QFQQFSFE as all of Crowe's films are, with the pop BT BMM PG $SPXF T mMNT BSF XJUI UIF QPQ
The wait for a good action movie is 5IF XBJU GPS B HPPE BDUJPO NPWJF JT finally over. "Mission: Impossible - Ghost mOBMMZ PWFS i.JTTJPO *NQPTTJCMF o (IPTU Protocol" is pure popcorn of the highest, 1SPUPDPMw JT QVSF QPQDPSO PG UIF IJHIFTU most flavorful order. NPTU nBWPSGVM PSEFS Brad Bird ("The Incredibles," "Rata#SBE #JSE i5IF *ODSFEJCMFT w i3BUB touille") is the first director from the Pixar UPVJMMFw JT UIF mSTU EJSFDUPS GSPN UIF 1JYBS stable to cross over into live-action films, TUBCMF UP DSPTT PWFS JOUP MJWF BDUJPO mMNT and he has set a high bar for everyone BOE IF IBT TFU B IJHI CBS GPS FWFSZPOF f else to follow. Someone should sit Michael FMTF UP GPMMPX 4PNFPOF TIPVME TJU .JDIBFM Bay down in front of this movie, his eyes #BZ EPXO JO GSPOU PG UIJT NPWJF IJT FZFT forced open "Clockwork Orange"-style, GPSDFE PQFO i$MPDLXPSL 0SBOHFw TUZMF and make him watch it until he learns the BOE NBLF IJN XBUDI JU VOUJM IF MFBSOT UIF By R E N E RODRIGUEZ #Z 3&/& 30%3*(6&; lesson: This, sir, is how it's done. MFTTPO 5IJT TJS JT IPX JU T EPOF .D$MBUDIZ /FXTQBQFST McClatchy Newspapers Unlike the James Bond franchise, 6OMJLF UIF +BNFT #POE GSBODIJTF Watching "The Adventures of Tintin" 8BUDIJOH i5IF "EWFOUVSFT PG 5JOUJOw where most of the films adopt the same, XIFSF NPTU PG UIF mMNT BEPQU UIF TBNF gives you the same thrill you felt when you HJWFT ZPV UIF TBNF UISJMM ZPV GFMU XIFO ZPV anonymous style, Tom Cruise's original BOPOZNPVT TUZMF 5PN $SVJTF T PSJHJOBM saw "Toy Story" for the first time: Here TBX i5PZ 4UPSZw GPS UIF mSTU UJNF )FSF is a next-gen animated film that builds on JT B OFYU HFO BOJNBUFE mMN UIBU CVJMET PO Please see'GHOST,' Page E24 everything that has come before to create Gc\Xj\ j\\ ¡56=AB ¸ GX^\ <)+ FWFSZUIJOH UIBU IBT DPNF CFGPSF UP DSFBUF something new and exciting. TPNFUIJOH OFX BOE FYDJUJOH Motion capture has been used every.PUJPO DBQUVSF IBT CFFO VTFE FWFSZ where from "The Polar Express" to "AvaXIFSF GSPN i5IF 1PMBS &YQSFTTw UP i"WB REVIEW I<M@<N tar." But in his first foray into animation, UBS w #VU JO IJT mSTU GPSBZ JOUP BOJNBUJPO director Steven Spielberg uses the tech"MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - GHOST PROTOCOL," EJSFDUPS 4UFWFO 4QJFMCFSH VTFT UIF UFDI ¾;7AA7=<( 7;>=AA70:3 ³ 56=AB >@=B=1=: œ nology to achieve something that could OPMPHZ UP BDIJFWF TPNFUIJOH UIBU DPVME starring Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, abO``W\U B][ 1`cWaS 8S`S[g @S\\S` be described as cartoonish photo-realism Paula Patton, Simon Pegg, Michael CF EFTDSJCFE BT DBSUPPOJTI QIPUP SFBMJTN >OcZO >Obb]\ AW[]\ >SUU ;WQVOSZ - the images look like impossibly beautiful Nyqvist, Anil Kapoor and Tom o UIF JNBHFT MPPL MJLF JNQPTTJCMZ CFBVUJGVM <g_dWab /\WZ 9O^]]` O\R B][ hand-drawn photographs - and then frees Wilkinson. Directed by Brad Bird. IBOE ESBXO QIPUPHSBQIT o BOE UIFO GSFFT EWZYW\a]\ 2W`SQbSR Pg 0`OR 0W`R his camera from all earthly constraints. Rated PG-13 for vulgar language and IJT DBNFSB GSPN BMM FBSUIMZ DPOTUSBJOUT @ObSR >5 ! T]` dcZUO` ZO\UcOUS O\R The results are extraordinary. This is violence. Running time: 2:13 5IF SFTVMUT BSF FYUSBPSEJOBSZ 5IJT JT dW]ZS\QS @c\\W\U bW[S( ( !
REVIEW I<M@<N "WE BOUGHT A ZOO," s t a r r i n g M a t t ÂľE3 0=C56B / H== Âś abO``W\U ;Obb Damon, Scarlett Johansson, Elle 2O[]\ AQO`ZSbb 8]VO\aa]\ 3ZZS Fanning, Colin Ford, Thomas Haden 4O\\W\U 1]ZW\ 4]`R BV][Oa 6ORS\ Church and John Michael Higgins. 1Vc`QV O\R 8]V\ ;WQVOSZ 6WUUW\a Directed by Cameron Crowe. Rated 2W`SQbSR Pg 1O[S`]\ 1`]eS @ObSR PG for language and some thematic >5 T]` ZO\UcOUS O\R a][S bVS[ObWQ elements. Running time: 2:04 SZS[S\ba @c\\W\U bW[S( ( "
"DOLPHIN TALE," starring Harry Connick ¾2=:>67< B/:3 œ abO``W\U 6O``g 1]\\WQY Jr. and Ashley Judd. Almost criminally uplift8` O\R /aVZSg 8cRR /Z[]ab Q`W[W\OZZg c^ZWTb ing, director Charles Martin Smith's ("Air Bud") W\U RW`SQb]` 1VO`ZSa ;O`bW\ A[WbV¸a ¾/W` 0cRœ fact-based tale of a maimed dolphin who brings TOQb POaSR bOZS ]T O [OW[SR R]Z^VW\ eV] P`W\Ua together a wide range of emotionally wounded b]USbVS` O eWRS `O\US ]T S[]bW]\OZZg e]c\RSR individuals pours on the schmaltz pretty thick, W\RWdWRcOZa ^]c`a ]\ bVS aQV[OZbh ^`Sbbg bVWQY but the talented cast (which also includes Pcb bVS bOZS\bSR QOab eVWQV OZa] W\QZcRSa redoubtable veterans Morgan Freeman and Kris `SR]cPbOPZS dSbS`O\a ;]`UO\ 4`SS[O\ O\R 9`Wa Kristofferson) keeps things from getting too 9`Wab]TTS`a]\ YSS^a bVW\Ua T`][ USbbW\U b]] unbearable. Rated PG. Running time: 1:53 c\PSO`OPZS @ObSR >5 @c\\W\U bW[S( (#! Suggested retail price: $28.98; Blu-ray $35.99 AcUUSabSR `SbOWZ ^`WQS( & '&) 0Zc `Og !# '' "MIDNIGHT IN PARIS," starring Owen Wilson ¾;72<756B 7< >/@7A œ abO``W\U =eS\ EWZa]\ and Rachel McAdams. Charming surprise from O\R @OQVSZ ;Q/RO[a 1VO`[W\U ac`^`WaS T`][ writer-director Woody Allen whisks Allen sure`WbS` RW`SQb]` E]]Rg /ZZS\ eVWaYa /ZZS\ ac` rogate Wilson away to 1920s-era France while `]UObS EWZa]\ OeOg b] ' a S`O 4`O\QS eVWZS on a modern-day pre-wedding vacation with ]\ O []RS`\ ROg ^`S eSRRW\U dOQObW]\ eWbV his fiancee (McAdams), where he inexplicably VWa ¿O\QSS ;Q/RO[a eVS`S VS W\Sf^ZWQOPZg finds himself canoodling with the likes of Ernest ¿\Ra VW[aSZT QO\]]RZW\U eWbV bVS ZWYSa ]T 3`\Sab Hemingway, Gertrude Stein and Salvador Dali, 6S[W\UeOg 5S`b`cRS AbSW\ O\R AOZdOR]` 2OZW among other icons of the time. Wisely, Allen O[]\U ]bVS` WQ]\a ]T bVS bW[S EWaSZg /ZZS\ declines to explain how any of this is happening RSQZW\Sa b] Sf^ZOW\ V]e O\g ]T bVWa Wa VO^^S\W\U and simply sweeps us along in the fantasy. SpeO\R aW[^Zg aeSS^a ca OZ]\U W\ bVS TO\bOag A^S cial features include a Cannes featurette. Rated QWOZ TSObc`Sa W\QZcRS O 1O\\Sa TSObc`SbbS @ObSR PG-13. Running time: 1:34 >5 ! @c\\W\U bW[S( (!" Suggested retail price: $30.99; Blu-ray $35.99 AcUUSabSR `SbOWZ ^`WQS( ! '') 0Zc `Og !# ''
Please see DVD, Page E30 Gc\Xj\ j\\ 2D2 GX^\ <*'
music the former pop music journalist NVTJD UIF GPSNFS QPQ NVTJD KPVSOBMJTU loves - from Neil Young and Bob Dylan MPWFT o GSPN /FJM :PVOH BOE #PC %ZMBO to Tom Petty and Cat Stevens. UP 5PN 1FUUZ BOE $BU 4UFWFOT Matt Damon stars as a newspaper .BUU %BNPO TUBST BT B OFXTQBQFS journalist who has made a career out KPVSOBMJTU XIP IBT NBEF B DBSFFS PVU of "adventure" stories - hunting killer PG iBEWFOUVSFw TUPSJFT o IVOUJOH LJMMFS bees, flying into the eye of hurricanes. CFFT nZJOH JOUP UIF FZF PG IVSSJDBOFT Please see 'ZOO,' Page E25 Gc\Xj\ j\\ ¡H== ¸ GX^\ <),
Ă&#x160;K`ek`eĂ&#x2039; `j k_i`cc`e^cp e\n Xe[ [`]]\i\ek intin' is thrillingly new and different REVIEW I<M@<N "THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN," s t a r r i n g ÂľB63 /2D3<BC@3A =4 B7<B7< Âś abO``W\U Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig, 8O[WS 0SZZ /\Rg AS`YWa 2O\WSZ 1`OWU Simon Pegg, Toby Jones, Cary Elwes AW[]\ >SUU B]Pg 8]\Sa 1O`g 3ZeSa and Nick Frost. Directed by Steven O\R <WQY 4`]ab 2W`SQbSR Pg AbSdS\ Spielberg. Rated PG for mock violence. A^WSZPS`U @ObSR >5 T]` []QY dW]ZS\QS Running time: 1:47 @c\\W\U bW[S( ("%
the first in an intended series of films UIF mSTU JO BO JOUFOEFE TFSJFT PG mMNT drawn from the comic books by the ESBXO GSPN UIF DPNJD CPPLT CZ UIF Belgian artist Herge (Peter Jackson, who #FMHJBO BSUJTU )FSHF 1FUFS +BDLTPO XIP produced the movie, is slated to direct the QSPEVDFE UIF NPWJF JT TMBUFE UP EJSFDU UIF next one). The character of Tintin (played OFYU POF 5IF DIBSBDUFS PG 5JOUJO QMBZFE by Jamie Bell), the intrepid reporter who CZ +BNJF #FMM UIF JOUSFQJE SFQPSUFS XIP
Sony Pictures Classics A]\g >WQbc`Sa 1ZOaaWQa
Rachel McAdams and Owen Wilson in @OQVSZ ;Q/RO[a O\R =eS\ EWZa]\ W\ Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris." Please see'TINTIN,' Page E29 E]]Rg /ZZS\¸a ¾;WR\WUVb W\ >O`Wa œ Gc\Xj\ j\\ ¡B7<B7< ¸ GX^\ <)0