Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Banks and Jennifer Lawrence star in “Catching Fire,” the sequel to 2012’s “The Hunger Games.”The highly-anticipated film is the second in a series of four films based on a young adult book series by Suzanne Collins.

It always warms my heart when a beloved book is faithfully adapted into a movie. In 2010, adaptations of both “Shutter Island” and “Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 1” turned great pieces of literature into crowd-pleasing cinema without annoying hardcore fans of the original subject material. A more recent example would be Gary Ross’ critically acclaimed and financially successful “The Hunger Games,” which rekindled our fondness for Orwellian dystopias. Now, as the holidays roll around, we have been rewarded a sequel, “Catching Fire,” which not only sticks closely to the book but also trumps the first. It’s the best Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and Christmas gift anyone could have hoped for!

After Ross decided not to direct “Catching Fire” (released Nov. 22), the production gained a shiny new director in the form of Francis Lawrence, known for character-driven films such as 2007’s brooding Will Smith post-apocalyptic “I Am Legend.” While the first “Hunger Games” was enthralling, it really only grazed the surface of the intriguing dystopia that Suzanne Collins constructed in her best-selling science-fiction trilogy.

The sequel takes us on a further and richer exploration of this world while flaunting a pitch-perfect cast and toning down the shaky camera effect.

The sequel returns the viewer to Panem, a post-apocalyptic version of North America broken into 12 districts ruled by a ruthless totalitarian government known as “The Capitol” that allows its people to suffer in poverty and hunger. In a lot of ways, its methods of intimidation, assassinations, and absence of civil liberties strike a resemblance to Nazi Germany. Who is the lunatic behind all this madness, you may ask? That would be President Coriolanus Snow, played by a sinister and white-bearded Donald Sutherland. While following the novel’s first-person narrative, the movie also provides more scenes and exposition on Snow and his hatred for insurrection. Philip Seymour Hoffman joins the cast as Plutarch Heavensbee, head game maker and Snow’s adviser of sorts. Hoffman’s unreadable Heavensbee is reminiscent of Owen Davian, the villain he played in 2006’s “Mission: Impossible III.”

The story also returns to one of the greatest fictional heroines of our time who’s pretty skilled with a bow and arrow: Katniss Everdeen, portrayed to overwhelming perfection by Jennifer Lawrence. She has been blowing up Hollywood lately with her transition from indies to bigger-budgeted films. Look for her in David O. Russell’s “American Hustle” as well as Bryan Singer’s “X-Men: Days of Future Past.”

After surviving the Hunger Games, a yearly broadcast battle royale to the death between tributes from each district, Everdeen suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and immense guilt. Moreover, she has unknowingly started the stirrings of a rebellion against the Capitol, which she must personally put a stop to by pretending to be madly in love with fellow victor Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson). As they tour the different districts, the director crafts extremely tender moments with people weeping one moment and rioting the next, getting shot for showing the slightest hint of defiance.

Things really heat up with the Quarter Quell of the Hunger Games, when a nefarious twist is introduced in honor of the 75th anniversary of the Games. As a result, Katniss finds herself being forced to compete against other victorious tributes. Some of the notable competitors are Sam Claflin (“Snow White and the Huntsman”) as trident-wielding lady killer Finnick Odair as well as Jena Malone (“Sucker Punch”) as Johanna Mason, who gets quite the chuckle-inducing scene in an elevator.

Among the new faces, there is no shortage of old ones like the alcoholic mentor Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson), Lady Gaga-esque Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks), over-the-top television host Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci), stylist Cinna (Lenny Kravitz) and Katniss’ other love interest Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth). The movie’s 2.5-hour running time allows for more development on each of these characters, bringing them to vivid life right before our eyes.

One of the movie’s greatest strengths is the ease with which it transitions between its two halves. In the first half, we see Panem in the dead of winter; Jo Willems’ cinematography is quite bleak as the movie explores the aftermath of the Games on Katniss’ well-being and her loved ones. During the second half, the colors begin to warm up, especially since the 75th Games take place in a tropical setting. In short, the movie complements the book quite well while also doing things that the book never could. It is violent, emotional and sometimes funny. It’s a parable about standing up to oppression and the endurance of the human spirit. This movie is the definition of “jumping off the page.”

It’s amazing what a difference an extra $52 million has made for “Catching Fire.” Its $130 million budget makes the $78 million budget of the first movie look like peanuts. James Newton Howard returned for the sequel with an engaging score that fluctuates between ominous and hopeful. The soundtrack also includes a number of original songs inspired by the movie from Coldplay, Of Monsters and Men, and Imagine Dragons that play during the end credits.

Like Warner Bros. did for the last “Harry Potter” book, Lionsgate has decided to split the last “Hunger Games” novel, “Mockingjay,” into two movies that will be released in November 2014 and 2015, respectively, with Francis Lawrence directing both. Hopefully he’ll do a fantastic job of adapting the worst book in the series into a harrowing and emotionally satisfying dramatic conclusion. From what we’ve seen so far, I think it’s safe to say that the odds are ever in our favor.

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The same year that Robert Zemeckis brought us the sci-fi comedy masterpiece that was “Back to the Future,” author Orson Scott Card published a tour de force of his own: the military science fiction novel known as “Ender’s Game.” Despite Card’s fond protection over film rights and artistic control, the Nebula and Hugo award-winning book has now been adapted for the big screen, 28 years later. Released Nov. 1 and with a budget of $110 million, “Ender’s Game” is written and directed by Gavin Hood, the South African director who also created 2009’s “X-Men Origins: Wolverine.” Despite being mostly faithful to the material that inspired it (with some small but major changes), featuring a talented cast and some impressive visuals, it seems that “Ender’s Game” will join “Watchmen” and “Cloud Atlas” on the list of literary works that have been deemed unfilmable.

Though it combines some elements from sequels, the movie’s basic story still follows the first novel’s plotline. In the future, Earth is attacked by an insectoid alien race known as the Formics (referred to as “Buggers” in the first book). After millions of casualties, humanity comes out victorious and forms the International Fleet, beginning to train gifted children who will eventually take command in case of another invasion. Cue Ender Wiggin, a strategically adept genius who is believed to be the very prodigy that the fleet is looking for. The title role is played by Asa Butterfield (the star of Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo”) who imparts a reluctant maturity to the part as greatness is thrust upon him. He is recruited by Col. Hyrum Graff, played by Harrison Ford and comes off as a grizzled and irritable version of Han Solo. Sadly, he isn’t used to his full potential, which is a real shame considering that he anchored some of the most famous and influential science-fiction films of all time (excluding the fourth “Indiana Jones” movie!). Viola Davis of “The Help,” Hailee Steinfeld of “True Grit,” Abigail Breslin of “Zombieland” and Ben Kingsley of “Iron Man 3” all co-star but are squandered as well. While all talented actors, none really pop off the screen in a high-stakes movie that should be engaging and fun.

The movie really finds momentum once Ender is shipped to Battle School, a massive Earth-orbiting space station in which cadets learn fighting tactics and teamwork. Here, we enter a futuristic boot camp full of complex rivalries and dynamics between the recruits and their superiors. Think of it as the opening of “Full Metal Jacket” in space. The emphasis on militarism that pervades both the book and movie is a theme that is reminiscent of works by Robert A. Heinlein, one of the “big three” famed writers of science fiction, along with Arthur C. Clarke and Isaac Asimov. Heinlein’s 1959 novel and its 1997 film adaptation “Starship Troopers” also has a slightly similar plot to Card’s novel.

Some of the most entertaining scenes occur in the battle room, a zero-gravity area where the trainees compete in an extreme version of laser tag. The claustrophobic and futuristic space station sets are like something out of Ridley Scott’s “Alien.” All the while, Hood’s effects team fills the movie with breathtaking and realistic shots of space and lens flares that may remind one of J.J. Abrams’ “Star Trek” reboot franchise. This seems appropriate, as the screenwriters of those movies (Alex Kurtzman and Robert Orci) serve as producers on this feature. Even the short time spent on Earth showcases some beautiful locales such as vast forests and sparkling lakes.

Other captivating sequences involve the “dogfights” between the alien and human ships that are reminiscent of similar exciting aerial battles in “Star Wars” (X-Wings vs. Tie Fighters) and “Independence Day” (Will Smith vs. aliens). However, I would have liked for them to be a bit longer in “Ender’s Game,” which doesn’t feature enough excitement. Instead, the movie tries to focus more attention on the deep, philosophical ideas that Card explored with more success in his book. You just can’t capture such profundity in 114 minutes. Still, the reveals are pretty great (for anyone who hasn’t read the book), and the technology is cool even if it is borrowed from better sci-fi movies like “Minority Report”; the climax even features a Death Star-like weapon of mass destruction.

Perhaps Hood’s ultimate downfall is that he tried to adapt a book that is told from Ender’s point of view — the same reason that Card has stated as justification for calling his book unfilmable. On the other hand, the same narrative technique was also used by Suzanne Collins in her “Hunger Games” trilogy, and Garry Ross did a bang-up job making it work for the silver screen. All in all, the film probably won’t become a sci-fi classic, nor will it add anything new to the genre. Despite taking place in space, it’s not really out of this world.

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If Garry Ross’ “Pleasantville” was a piece of anti-nostalgia spearing mid-20th century values in television, then that makes Randy Moore’s “Escape from Tomorrow” a satire of the all-powerful and omnipresent Disney brand (which is the proud owner of Pixar, Marvel Entertainment and Lucasfilm). The fantasy-sci-fi-mystery-psychological-horror film (in limited release Oct. 11) is a movie that defies all logic and convention of storytelling that we are all used to seeing on the silver screen. The film was shot guerilla style in the parks of Walt Disney World and Disneyland without any permission from The Walt Disney Co. This was accomplished with handheld cameras, planning months in advance (mostly for lighting purposes), having rigorous rehearsals, and keeping scripts on iPhones. The crew even went on certain rides multiple times in order to get the scenes just right. Moore was so concerned about keeping his work a secret from the company that the writer/director edited the project in South Korea. Full of surrealism, trippy (often unsettling) images and a neo noir vibe, a better title might have been “Acid Trip.”

Photo Courtesy Indiewire.“Escape from Tomorrow,” written and directed by Randy Moore, created quite a buzz when it premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. Even though the legality of the movie was questioned, it is now available to watch on iTunes.

The plot focuses on a family trying to enjoy its last day of vacation at the Walt Disney World Resort. As the day progresses, a recently fired father, Jim White (Roy Abramsohn), begins to experience terrifying hallucinations and encounters, almost all of which are sexual in nature. His character is very similar to Kevin Spacey’s Lester Burnham in “American Beauty.” After that, you’re on your own because nothing really makes sense in this movie beyond the basic dysfunctional family plot. All the familiar places like the Magic Kingdom and Epcot are in place, but Moore seems so busy showing us how he duped Disney that he forgot to stitch together a coherent story. At times, it’s jerkier than the rides in the amusement park setting, borrowing a little something from every genre out there. If you enjoy robot scientists, attractive Parisian girls and sex-crazed witches, then this is the movie for you.

Like the New Wave French filmmakers of the ‘50s and ‘60s, Moore casts off established techniques and embraces the taboo to create something entirely unique in the wake of European art cinema. In a way, it makes the movie more of an experiment than anything else. This doesn’t mean that the shots aren’t beautiful and ingenious as your childhood is ruined by conspiracy theories of costumed princesses being prostitutes for wealthy Chinese businessmen. Many may find the movie disturbing because of is its juxtaposition of sexual images with the purity and innocence associated with the Disney name. All the while, Abel Korzeniowski’s light score really captures the essence of wonder that Disney has built an empire on, lulling viewers into a false sense of security.

It’s often hard to remember that “Escape from Tomorrow” was shot with handheld equipment on location, as each image is crisp in its black-and-white format that harkens back to the old-fashioned movies that are constantly playing on Turner Classic Movies. With its dreamlike quality and shocking reveals, it may remind one of Rod Serling’s 1960s anthology television series “The Twilight Zone.” Still, the film is way more provocative in every regard, as the director successfully strips away the sentimentality of it all while paying homage to German expressionist cinematography and the film noir genre. What should be a delightful and memorable family excursion turns into a nightmarish world of sex, uncertainty and devious machinations. Whether the overall message is that the so-called “Happiest Place On Earth” is not even safe from the harshness of reality or a warning about the “terror of ubiquitous entertainment” (according to the Sundance Film Festival, where the movie played for the first time last year), one can surely agree that it is a beautiful piece of ambitious moviemaking. Non sequiturs aside, it’s hard not to admire the chutzpah and flashes of brilliance that went into making it.

While the fear of legal issues made many critics doubt that the movie would be shown to a wide audience, it is now on iTunes for all the brave to enjoy. After watching you may ask, “What the hell did I just watch?” The movie is less “Inception” and more Salvador Dali, but if you’re looking for something more family friendly, then you’ll have to wait for “Saving Mr. Banks” (out Dec. 13), which dramatizes the Disney Studios production of 1964’s “Mary Poppins” with Tom Hanks playing Walt Disney himself. However, if you do choose the former, then good luck looking at Mickey Mouse the same way ever again.

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He’s played a toy cowboy, a war hero and an astronaut, and now he’s a cargo ship captain? While this might not seem like the most glamorous role for Tom Hanks, he doesn’t fail to impress us, giving bravura and a relatable performance in the biopic “Captain Phillips,” based on the book “A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea.” Released Oct. 11, Paul Greengrass’ shiny new survival/action thriller portrays the real-life events of the Maersk Alabama hijacking, in which an American cargo ship was overtaken by armed Somali pirates in 2009, the first successful pirate seizure of an American ship since the early 1800s. No elaborate swordfights, “arghs” or rum-swigging Johnny Depps here, just men with tattered clothing sporting AK-47 firepower in motorboats. From its humble opening to its nail-biting final minutes, the movie delivers on drama, action, suspense, emotion and thrills.

Photo Courtesy CTMG. Tom Hanks is accompanied by a lesser-known cast in “Captain Phillips,” including the Somali-American actors playing the hijacking pirates. Barkhad Abdi portrays the aggressive and demanding leader of the Somali pirates, who stalk and board Captain Phillips’ ship.

“Phillips” also sees a welcome return to form for both Hanks and Greengrass. The director is well known for action-packed spy/political/military thrillers like the last two entries in the Matt Damon “Bourne” trilogy as well as 2010’s “Green Zone.” Moreover, in 2006 he tackled the plane hijackings of Sept. 11 in the gut-wrenching film “United 93,” certifying his ability to translate tender and disastrous subjects into electrifying cinematic masterpieces. In Hanks’s case, he once more plays the role of an ordinary man plunged into extraordinary circumstances like he did in “Forrest Gump” and “Cast Away.” Here he assumes the bearded persona of Capt. Richard Phillips, an average Vermont family man leading a laden container ship to Africa, infusing a Bostonian accent similar to the one he used in 2002’s “Catch Me If You Can.”

Other than Hanks and a small cameo by Catherine Keener as his wife, the use of virtually unknown actors adds to the realism and stakes of the film, a technique that played in Greengrass’ favor in “United 93.” Along with the quasi-documentary style of shooting (lots of shakiness and close-ups), Barry Ackroyd’s (“The Hurt Locker”) crisp cinematography of the ocean and boat settings, and Billy Ray’s well-researched screenplay, the film jumps off the screen (no 3-D required!) and grabs you by the collar with its uncanny authenticity — a feat that most big-scale thrillers fail to do nowadays.

As Phillips and his men sail over a pristine ocean, they are chased and their ship boarded by a ragtag band of bickering Somali pirates in tense and clever sequences of deception, gunfire, flares, hoses and ladders. Despite the immense star power of Hanks, the Somali-American actors portraying the pirates deliver some of the best performances of the film, especially Barkhad Abdi, who plays the stubborn leader of the group who has bitten off a little more than he can chew. Once the pirates are aboard, Phillips and the crew play a nerve-racking game of cat-and-mouse with the greedy, trigger-happy pirates, trying to outwit and injure them one by one until Phillips is taken hostage in the ship’s lifeboat, which plunges into the ocean headed for the Somali coast.

As the U.S. Navy gets involved, the movie turns into “Die Hard” at sea. The injured and manic pirates demand $10 million for the captain’s safe return. The cramped, sweaty shots inside the lifeboat add a sense of tension and claustrophobia. Everything seems lost. With all the military and nautical lingo, one could think of the film as an upscale Michael Bay movie — one that ratchets up the brains and downplays the violence and explosion pornography. Nevertheless, the movie is 134 minutes and seems to drag on, mainly at the end. While this is to build to the climax, it often feels a little boring and superfluous, making you wish it would end already.

At the center of it all, Hanks is the beating heart that keeps the film running smoothly. His everyman, almost fatherly performance (especially in the closing minutes) is a testament to his maturation as an actor and a confirmation of the praise he has received over the years. Besides “Jaws” and “Pirates of the Caribbean,” this is one of the best suspenseful and exhilarating seafaring movies out there. If you plan on seeing the movie, do yourself a favor and forget everything that “Titanic,” “Waterworld” and “Speed 2: Cruise Control” taught you about aquatic-based cinema. Just don’t be surprised if “Captain Phillips” sails straight into Oscar-infested waters.

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In the vein of Pearl Harbor, the Oklahoma City Bombing and 9/11, another day that will always live in infamy is Nov. 22, 1963. It is the day that shots were fired from Lee Harvey Oswald’s Carcano Rifle, killing President John F. Kennedy’s in Dallas, marking the fourth successful presidential assassination in the United States. Any casual disciple of American history is aware of the major players in this event that has spewed more conspiracy theories than a hobo wearing a tinfoil hat.

Photo Courtesy Parkland Stills. Zac Efron, who normally fills the role of handsome heartthrob, plays Dr. Charles James “Jim” Carrico in “Parkland,” released Oct. 4. Efron is joined by other well-known celebrities including Paul Giamatti and Billy Bob Thornton.

Based on Vincent Bugliosi’s book “Four Days in November,” Peter Landesman takes a look at the lesser-known supporting characters on that dark day, and the three that followed, in his new movie “Parkland,” which was released Oct. 4. Despite boasting a Tom Hanks producing credit and an ensemble cast, the film never quite breaks free of its made-for-TV vibe due to underdeveloped characters, squandered talent and superficial treatment of the subject matter. With the movie riding on the coattails of greater American historical dramas steeped in national tragedy and flaunting liberal use of a shaky camera, I’d dub “Parkland” as this fall’s discount “Argo.”

Shortcomings aside, Landesman’s debut as a director and writer starts with an emotional smack to the face, as women’s clothing manufacturer Abraham Zapruder (Paul Giamatti) records the now iconic and only film of the president being shot with his Bell & Howell home-movie camera. While people panic in the streets and he screams “Oh my God, they killed him!” we get two things: a small inkling of how tragic that day in Dealey Plaza was, and Giamatti’s only shining moment before his presence all but disappears as he copes with what he has witnessed.

The next noteworthy (and bloody) sequence follows soon after, when Kennedy is rushed to Parkland Memorial Hospital (the film’s namesake) where an operating room full of frantic actors (Zac Efron, Marcia Gay Hayden and Colin Hanks) tries to resuscitate him. Efron stands out in his role as Dr. James Carrico, desperately using CPR on the president’s lifeless body after all else has failed. The tear-inducing shot of Jackie Kennedy sobbing over her husband reminded me of a similar scene from August’s blockbuster “The Butler.”

Unfortunately, “Parkland” becomes pretty boring and quiet after this, a real shame after its high-octane opening. The viewer is treated to stock footage of devastated Americans and famous newscasters like Walter Cronkite brooding over the assassination, stock footage that may conjure memories of the opening minutes to Spielberg’s “Munich.” All the while, James Newton Howard’s poignant, ominous and horn-filled score plays in the background, mirroring both his beautiful themes on Peter Jackson’s “King Kong” and John Williams’ utterly American soundtrack for “Saving Private Ryan.”

Another subplot involves James P. Hosty, the FBI agent assigned to investigate Lee Harvey Oswald prior to the shooting, portrayed by Ron Livingston (“Office Space”) in a role that he makes so mundane that it could have gone to any fortysomething schmo out there with a working set of vocal cords. Maybe we would care more about the fact that there may have been a chance to stop Oswald if Livingston was more of a colorful character.

The last two subplots involve the Secret Service (led by an unimpressive Billy Bob Thornton) and Oswald’s family, the more interesting of the pair. Perhaps the most complex character of the entire film is James Badge Dale (“The Departed,” “The Lone Ranger”) as Lee’s brother Robert, a man who despises his sibling’s actions yet stands by him at the same time; we can never truly get a complete reading on him.

Hot off last year’s “Silver Linings Playbook,” Jacki Weaver plays their mother, Marguerite, who insisted that Lee was an American hero and deserved to be buried with Kennedy at Arlington National Cemetery. The role is as one-dimensional as you can get, one that makes her as petulant and annoying as Lois Smith was as George Reeves’ mother in “Hollywoodland.”

All in all, Landesman’s biggest problem is his eagerness to play all his cards at once in a matter of 94 minutes. In this regard, he fails to reel us in and keep our attention, as the movie keeps jumping from one event to the next without giving us a chance to reflect. While not treading on the same conspiracy ground that Oliver Stone did in “JFK,” I might have been more enthralled if it did. A look at the Warren Commission that investigated the assassination may not have hurt either, but it seems that the matter of Kennedy’s death has been too overused in popular culture (from movies to books to television miniseries) for us to really care anymore. It might be time for Hollywood to start pursuing lesser-known and more obscure historical events like Ben Affleck did with his Oscar-winning success last year. Even Ron Howard was able to create a gripping piece of cinema out of something as humdrum as a presidential interview with “Frost/Nixon.” In a sense, historical dramas are a lot like senior citizens. If you treat them with respect, they might just tell you one hell of a story.

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Photo Courtesy The Weinstein Company. Forrest Whitaker stars as Eugene Allen in “Lee Daniels’ The Butler,” released Aug. 16. Based on a true story, “The Butler” tells the tale of a man who had a front-row seat to the Civil Rights Movement in America in his position as a butler in the White House, a position he held for 34 years.

Dramatized versions of American history with a splash of humor always seem to make better movies than the actual events that inspired them. One only need look at two recent additions to this genre of historical manipulation: Ben Affleck’s Oscar-winning “Argo” and Quentin Tarantino’s “Django Unchained.” Both films tackle heavy American subjects by fudging the events or exaggerating reality and throwing in a joke or two. The final result is a sentimental patriotic fable that is almost always romanticized, inspiring or heartwarming.

The latest director to try his hand at one of these movies is Lee Daniels (“Precious”) in “The Butler,” released Aug. 16. The film takes a look at the plight of African Americans and their efforts during the Civil Rights Movement and beyond. With immensely mature themes and a greatly talented ensemble cast, Daniels weaves an almost successful, thought-provoking and tear-jerking story of family and race that plays out like an African-American version of “Forrest Gump” with its integration and recreation of iconic events through photos and stock footage.

Based on the true story of Eugene Allen, a black butler who served in the White House for 34 years, Danny Strong’s somewhat moving screenplay tells the story of Cecil Gaines, our narrator and a man who grows up facing terrible racism on a cotton farm in the South. After his father is shot to death by the white farm owner, Cecil is trained to be a house boy, eventually becoming the most popular butler in the White House, a job that ironically has a zero-politics policy. The adult Cecil is portrayed by Forrest Whitaker (“The Last King of Scotland”) in a wonderful performance as a kind-hearted, cautious and sometimes wise-cracking family man watching history unfold right in front of him. Like Gump, he always happens to be in the right place at the right time, and we get a front-row seat, seeing the world through the eyes of this simple man. Cecil seems to be the only butler in the whole movie who seems to walk into important conversations that pertain to him on matters of racial activity.

Cecil serves through eight presidential terms between 1952 and 1986, with each president being played by other well-known actors — from Robin Williams as Eisenhower to Alan Rickman as Reagan — rocking prosthetic noses and all. The bits involving them have bright spots of talent, but these big-time celebrities, some who don’t even resemble their real-life counterparts, don’t get enough screen time, reducing the complex men they were portraying into mere caricatures. This perhaps goes most for Liev Schreiber’s Lyndon B. Johnson and John Cusack’s Nixon, two very controversial and disliked presidents. They reminded me of the 2006 movie “Bobby,” which really did not feature or even flesh out its title political character, Robert Kennedy.

At the end of the day, however, “The Butler” is not about presidents but about Cecil and his family. One major part of the story involves the relationship of Cecil and his wife Gloria with their son, Louis (David Oyelowo), as he becomes a radical racial activist, starting out in Martin Luther King Jr.’s nonviolence movement and evolving to the Black Panther shootouts with police. Oprah Winfrey makes a welcome turn as the sassy, alcoholic Gloria. Other major actors such as Terrence Howard, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Lenny Kravitz are unfortunately reduced to comic relief roles without much development or screen time.

The main focus of the movie is the push for racial equality. The film features terribly gut-wrenching, hard-to-watch sequences of nonviolent protestors being harassed at a lunch counter or a bus full of freedom riders being set aflame. The abundance of intolerance and abuse in these scenes are up there with the scene of Jews being herded into the Krakow ghetto in “Schindler’s List.” Even John F. Kennedy’s assassination packs an emotional punch, as Cecil asks Jackie Kennedy what he can do to help. All the while, the production design team had an eye for detail, stocking the scenes with period-appropriate clothing along with televisions, footage, references and music from the respective eras.

The movie works all the way up to Obama’s first election as a sign of the well-deserved triumph for civil rights. Yet this often slow and sentimental portrait of the 20th- and 21st-century United States should not be recommended as an ironclad excuse to skip your next U.S. history class. Its main purpose is to serve as a condemnation of this country’s wrongdoings and a sign of hope for a brighter future. In the words of Forrest Gump, “And that’s all I have to say about that.”

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Photo Courtesy Movies Database. Jeff Bridges (left) and Ryan Reynolds team up in one of this summer’s blockbuster films, “R.I.P.D.” The film is directed by Robert Schwentke and is based on the comic book of the same name by Peter M. Lenkov.

If the “Ghostbusters” and “Men In Black” franchises had a one-night stand, then “R.I.P.D.” would be the result of their cinematic love affair: an entertaining, albeit predictable, child who is doomed to haunt this planet as a ripoff of the classics. Released July 19, the supernatural buddy-cop comedy was directed by German Robert Schwentke (“Flightplan,” “The Time Traveler’s Wife”), who proved his worth in quirky, action comedies with 2010’s “RED.” The sequel of “RED” was also released the same day as “R.I.P.D,” but was not directed by Schwentke.

Based on Peter M. Lenkov’s comic book of the same name, “R.I.P.D.” centers around the Rest In Peace Department, an otherworldly police force whose sole (pun intended) duty is to track down and capture the rotting souls who escape judgment and wreak havoc on the living. While it borrows most of its material from better movies that are branded into the fabric of pop culture, “R.I.P.D” is light and fun summer fare that carves a comfortable little niche for itself over the course of its modest 96 -minute running time.

The film’s main protagonist is Boston detective Nick Walker, played by pretty boy Ryan Reynolds in a cookie-cutter role that could be substituted for any Hollywood heartthrob. It more or less also makes up for his involvement in “Green Lantern” and “X-Men Origins: Wolverine.” Walker is a somewhat honest cop with a loving French wife played by Stephanie Szostak (“Dinner For Schmucks”). The excellently charming Kevin Bacon plays his corrupt partner served with a side of extra sleaze. As in “Mystic River,” Bacon plays a Boston cop, but here he gets to exercise his bad-guy chops for the first time since “X-Men First Class.” After being killed in a drug raid, Nick is recruited by the R.I.P.D. to fight “Deados,” escaped souls that hide out among the living world who are responsible for global warming, the black plague and bad cell phone reception. This is just the beginning of the highly illogical Ghostbusterish fun.

The headquarters of the Rest In Peace Department is reminiscent of the sterile “Men In Black” HQ in New York’s Battery Park. However, this otherworldly police station is filled with the greatest lawmen who ever lived and died from every era of human history: 1930s detectives, English Bobbies, even “Starsky and Hutch” types. Like the “MIB” movies, there are always so many clever Easter eggs hidden in these types of scenes that it requires multiple viewings to find all of them.

Walker is partnered with Roy Pulsipher, a 19th-century gun-slinging western cowpoke lawman played by the hilariously deadpan Jeff Bridges doing his “True Grit” Rooster Cogburn accent, which is a little hard to understand at times. The mismatched pairing of Nick and Roy is the source of most of the movie’s comedy, as the two buttheads and exchange witty repartee. Still, this doesn’t mean that we have not seen this kind of stuff before. Reynolds is the young wisecracking rookie (cough, Will Smith), and Jeff Bridges is the thick-skinned no-nonsense veteran who likes to give his new partner a hard time (Tommy Lee Jones, cough). While similar to Danny Elfman’s “Men In Black” score, Christophe Beck’s soundtrack has a ‘70s cop vibe to it, with Western and contemporary influences to match the differing eras of its lead characters.

The screenwriters trade in proton packs for guns that shoot glowing soul bullets that can erase a spirit from the cosmos. What ensues is fitting comic book action as the two partners track down spirits who have a strong aversion to Indian food, which, for some strange reason that is never really explained, causes them to transform into monsters with physical attributes that mirror their sins during life. Like Slimer in “Ghostbusters,” they’re detestably lovable repugnant monsters. They lend themselves to some nifty scenes with pretty solid special effects as Roy and Nick chase and fight the undead scum on the streets and rooftops of Boston, falling from large heights and getting hit by vehicles without so much as a scratch to show for it. The funniest part of it all is their appearance to humans. Nick appears as an old Chinese man (James Hong) wielding a banana for a gun, while Roy gets the persona of a smokin’ hot blonde played by model Marissa Miller. All this supernatural crime fighting causes them to stumble upon a plot involving a mystical Indiana Jones-like artifact that causes the movie’s major conflict. The afterlife is treated more like a whimsical bureaucracy than anything else.

Through it all, Schwentke tries to add a heartbeat to all the mindless, soulless, slapstick action by having Nick haunt his wife, who only sees him as Grandpa Chen. It’s at these points that you might see similarities to 1990’s “Ghost.” While these scenes are just barely able to touch your heart, you needn’t worry because Ryan has nothing on Patrick Swayze.

Ironically, the $130 million “R.I.P.D.” is dying at the box office, taking in a meager $12 million during its opening weekend. Nevertheless, for all its shortcomings, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the movie. While it stands on the shoulders of better movies, it doesn’t really disgrace them. It pays a loving homage to them while putting its own little twist on the “There’s more to the human world than you thought” premise. Moving at a brisk pace, it’s a fun ride even with its many flaws, but it gets by on cleverness, comedy and extremely shallow emotional depth. I wouldn’t mind a sequel just to see how much deeper this supernatural rabbit hole goes and to check in with these likable characters again. As we all know, someone has to be called when there’s something strange in your neighborhood. After all, you only live once — or do you?

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Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures. “Pacific Rim,” released July 12, stars Idris Elba and Charlie Hunnam as pilots assigned to defend the world against giant monsters that rise from the Pacific Ocean. The special effects spectacle was directed by Guillermo del Toro.

It is a wondrous thing when a movie makes you feel like a little kid again, transporting you back to a time when the only things that mattered were your action figures and imagination. This is achieved with overwhelming success in the biggest [and best], IMAX-3D, CGI-laden blockbuster extravaganza of the summer, “Pacific Rim.” Out July 12, the highly anticipated science fiction film was directed by visionary Mexican director Guillermo del Toro, a fanboy demigod who helmed 2006’s dark fairy tale “Pan’s Labyrinth” and the two adaptations of Mike Mignola’s “Hellboy” comics. In these projects, del Toro constructed expansive fantasy worlds inhabited by colorful characters and imaginative creatures. In “Rim” he’s at it again with a homage to the Japanese monster (aka kaiju) and mecha (robot/machine) genres made famous by Japanese anime, the Toho Motion Picture Co. and the sci-fi B-movies of the ‘50s and ‘60s like Godzilla and others. Armed with a script that he co-wrote with Travis Beacham (“Clash of The Titans”) and the special effects team at Industrial Light and Magic, del Toro crafts a fun and scary thrill ride that does the one thing that an epic summer action-adventure should do: bring out the child in all of us.

In the not-too-distant future, giant aliens and seemingly unstoppable creatures from another dimension begin to rise from the Pacific Ocean and wreak havoc on all of mankind, destroying cities and famous landmarks. In the terrifyingly breathtaking opening sequence, the Golden Gate Bridge is decimated by the first beast to make land. These monsters are dubbed “kaiju,” Japanese for “giant beast.” In response to these attacks, all nations put aside their differences to initiate the Jaeger (German for hunter) program, building colossal nuclear-powered robots to fight off the invaders. They are piloted by individuals locked in a neural connection while sharing memories. If all these totally awesome sci-fi concepts don’t capture your attention in the first few minutes, then I don’t know what will!

While the premise is simple enough, the director takes it to the next level by showing us what effects a hypothetical monster attack would have on the world. Jaeger pilots become rock star heroes in the eyes of the public while the kaiju and robots are turned into toys. Kudos to the Industrial Light & Magic team for creating the unique skyscraper-sized creatures from reptiles to crustaceans that can spit acid and emit electromagnetic pulses; a feat that would spin the head on the late great Ray Harryhausen. The Jaegers are eclectic as well, each with its own cool design, weapons and name. These aren’t men in ridiculous “I can see the zipper in the back” costumes. With a budget of $180 million, they’re the best darn graphics money can buy.

The video game-esque fight scenes between the Jaegers and the monsters look like what can only be described as the physical manifestations of the feverish daydreams of our 13-year-old selves. Fans of the PlayStation 2 may see parallels to the 2003 game “War of The Monsters.” Del Toro is like a kid in a candy store, a masterful puppeteer utilizing massive sets and exotic locations (from Alaska to Hong Kong) to give his film a scope and feel like no other with the help of his longtime cinematographer, Guillermo Navarro. The director conducts these suspenseful, violent and graceful scenes of kaiju butt kicking and property damage as if they are a waltz with surprises around every corner. These CGI mammoths are his personal playthings, and he uses them to make one hell of a story. To underscore just how amazing these sequences are, I shall paraphrase a YouTube comment on one of the film’s trailers: “This movie could have two hours of no dialogue, and I’d still pay to see it.”

While most adventure movies prefer one-dimensional characters who take a back seat to the action, the film’s cast is just as interesting as any special effect with their cool backstories and even cooler names. Charlie Hunnam (“Sons of Anarchy”) plays the main character and narrator, Raleigh Becket, the charming and boyishly handsome veteran Jaeger pilot with a tragic past. He’s brought back into the game by Stacker Pentecost, the head of the program. He is played by the very awesomely British Idris Elba (“Prometheus,” “Luther”) in this gruff but lovable role. Elba is a sight to behold as the hard-shelled Pentecost (a role once meant for Tom Cruise), commanding the screen with his uplifting monologues. Although overplayed in the trailers, his “cancelling the apocaplyse speech” is still rousing nonetheless. Japanese actress Rinko Kikuchi is the soft-spoken Mako Mori, Becket’s eventual co-pilot with a tragic past of her own revealed in a terrifying and surprisingly emotional flashback.

Other notable supporting roles come from the likes of Charlie Day (“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” “Horrible Bosses”), Burn Gorman (“The Dark Knight Rises”), and Ron Perlman in his fifth collaboration with del Toro. Day plays Newton Geizler, a rebellious, tattooed scientist and kaiju-obsessed groupie who yearns to understand the creatures. His nerdy and fast-talking character is reminiscent of Rick Moranis as Louis Tully in “Ghostbusters.” He also draws attention to some of the script’s shortcomings in reference to the origin of the kaiju and their motivations, an explanation that seems to have been pulled straight from “Independence Day.” His rock ‘n’ roll, gung-ho attitude is challenged by his uptight and hobbling colleague, Hermann Gottlieb (Gorman), doing a whole over-the-top “By Jove!” Sherlock Holmes shtick. The chemistry between them leads to most of the film’s comic relief. Perlman plays Hannibal Chau, a wealthy black marketeer of kaiju organs who took his name from a Chinese restaurant in Brooklyn. Despite his small amount of screen time, he is arguably one of the best and funniest characters in the film.

The whole film is tied together with an epic score from Ramin Djawadi (“Iron Man,” Game of Thrones”). With its electric and Asian influences (along with some “Inception” “BRRRRs!”), the music is often evocative of the schlocky creature features of days gone by. At the end of the day, “Pacific Rim” is a somewhat cliched apocalyptic adventure movie with all the expected themes of friendship, teamwork and hope comfortably in place. You might see similarities to “Cloverfield,” “The Avengers,” “Sym-Bionic Titan,” “Real Steel,” “Transformers,” and even Ivan Reitman’s sci-fi comedy “Evolution,” But del Toro outdoes all of them by dreaming bigger and hitting back harder. He is not afraid to explore what haunts our imaginations and what inspires our most fanciful dreams. In doing so, he creates one monster of a time.

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It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a box office smash! And it’s here to fight for truth, justice and your allowance money! Released June 14 and collecting $113 million in its opening weekend, “Man of Steel” successfully reboots the film franchise of Superman, who turned 75 this year. The movie was directed by Zack Snyder (“300,” “Watchmen,” “Sucker Punch”), a man who loves his comic book adaptations. What he gives us in “Steel” is a visually dazzling and mature superhero movie. This piece of summer action has just enough destruction, product placement and Wilhelm screams to wipe Bryan Singer’s 2006 “Superman Returns” from the minds of disappointed fanboys everywhere.

Producer Christopher Nolan and director Zack Snyder are the latest to revive the classic DC Comics Superman franchise with ‘Man of Steel,’ starring Henry Cavill, Michael Shannon and Amy Adams. Photo courtesy Warner Bros.

Produced by the rebooted Batman trilogy’s Christopher Nolan, the movie is much more grounded and darker than any previous incarnations of the iconic crime fighter on the silver screen. It does away with kryptonite and the crystalized Fortress of Solitude while subtly maintaining the integrity and elements of Superman’s expansive universe. Nolan’s touch is apparent in the movie’s modern title, music, movie posters and trailers. In fact, this is the first movie about the man in blue pajamas and red booties that does not feature John Williams’ famous Superman theme music (which sounds like it could be in a “Super Smash Bros.” video game). Hans Zimmer was chosen to compose the “Steel” score, creating one that is delicate yet uplifting, something that mirrors his work on Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy and 2010’s “Inception.”
Following in the footsteps of Richard Donner’s 1978 original, Snyder opens on the planet Krypton just as Lara Lor-Van (Ayelet Zurer) gives birth to Kal-El, aka Clark Kent, aka Superman; the first natural birth in thousands of years. Lara’s husband, Jor-El, is perfectly played by a wise Russell Crowe whose brooding outdoes Marlon Brando. Krypton is a place beyond our wildest sci-fi fantasies, full of shape-shifting metals and tough-looking animals that would give “Avatar” a run for its money. It is a place that is human enough to be relatable but sci-fi enough to be awesome! However, it is plagued by a civil war and inevitable destruction, causing Kal’s parents to send him on the first escape pod to Earth.
Written by David S. Goyer (“Blade” series), the movie’s screenplay is full of smart and sometimes funny dialogue, and clever storytelling. Kal lands in Smallville, Kan., where he is discovered and raised by Martha and Jonathan Kent, portrayed by Diane Lane and Kevin Costner. Clark’s childhood is told through a series of heartwarming flashbacks in which he hones his powers and learns “with great power comes great responsibility” lessons from his adoptive parents. The only disappointing moment involves Jonathan, a tornado and a dog. All the while, Snyder forwards back to present day as Clark roams the earth as a pariah, desperately searching for his origins. In another turn of impeccable casting, British and buff Henry Cavill (“Immortals,” “The Cold Light Of Day”) plays the title role with the quiet intensity of a guy who never really fit in. In other words, this is the role that will propel Cavill to superstardom and into the heart of stalkerish and swooning females.
Blending elements from the two original movies, the main antagonist of “Steel” is General Zod, Krypton’s military leader who is banished to the Phantom Zone for leading a coup. Michael Shannon is perfect as the maniacal general, saturating his performance with plenty of screaming and murderous rage, something he did in May’s “The Iceman.”
Other notable returning characters are Lois Lane (Amy Adams), the no-nonsense reporter from the Daily Planet, who doubles as the archetypal damsel in distress and Superman’s love interest. Still, the development of their relationship seems a bit fake, as it comes out of left field. Nevertheless, the beautiful Adams is as forceful and independent as Margot Kidder in the original. Laurence Fishburne plays her boss, Perry White, a man who will hopefully have a larger role in forthcoming sequels.
Clocking in at two and a half hours, “Steel” has been branded as just “OK” by the general public and critics alike. This is not surprising, as Snyder is known for getting mixed reviews on his films that deliver more on the eye candy aspect than anything else, but I say give it a chance. Like “Batman Begins,” it’s an origin story that needs to get all the exposition out of the way in order to get to the good stuff. Remember that “The Dark Knight” is a masterpiece compared to its predecessor. While exploiting cliches at times, Snyder reminds us why we love movies in the first place, even if “Steel” becomes a little too grandiose for its own good. Next to “Watchmen,” it’s Snyder’s most mature film to date. With its gritty cinematography and themes of identity, exclusion and fear of the unknown, “Man of Steel” makes Superman a hero who is no longer only accessible to young boys who run around in capes, pretending to fly. It does away with the whimsy of the original and puts the story into a more worldly scope than just an American one. Like the “S” on the Man of Steel’s costume, this movie is a symbol of hope for the future of caped crusaders in the clutches of Hollywood.

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The greatest thing about magicians is their ability to amaze us by performing seemingly impossible parlor tricks. The greatest thing about “Now You See Me” is that it ends. The new film (released May 31) was directed by Louis Leterrier, a man known for cranking out disappointing blockbuster adaptations of beloved stories and characters that didn’t really need a return to the silver screen. The Frenchman was behind 2008’s tepid Edward Norton tent pole “The Incredible Hulk” and the almost unwatchable and, in my opinion, disgraceful 2010 reboot of “Clash of The Titans.” His newest attempt at filmmaking follows four modern-day magicians who come together as a group of criminal masterminds.

Jesse Eisenberg stars as Daniel Atlas in “Now You See Me” (out May 31). The film was directed by Louis Leterrier and follows four magicians who come together to form a group of cunning criminals who are able to outwit the FBI and Interpol.

The movie tries to blend fantasy, crime, heist, drama and caper genres, but therein lies the problem. Although the effects are impressive, there is zero character development with a lackluster twist in a sea of likable yet squandered A-list actors who flop around like dying fish in this abomination of a movie with a script so lazy that it forgets to do what magic shows do best: keep our attention.

The film’s beginning starts off promising as it introduces its four main characters, each one specializing in a different type of magic. Jesse Eisenberg (“Zombieland,” “The Social Network”), aka Michael Cera 2.0, breaks the shackles of awkward typecasting to play Daniel Atlas, a David Blaine-like street performer who is able to pick up attractive women through his impressive, large-scale magic tricks. Woody Harrelson (who worked with Eisenberg on 2009’s “Zombieland”) is one of the movie’s few real attractions as Merritt McKinney, a hilarious wisecracking mentalist who can hypnotize just about anyone. The lovely and British Isla Fisher portrays Henley Reeves, a Houdini-esque escape artist, who, in a tense opening sequence, evades death at the jaws of flesh-hungry piranhas. The last member of the group is Jack Wilder, a small-time con artist played by James Franco’s younger brother Dave Franco (“21 Jump Street”).

If you’re looking for something more, then I’m afraid to say that you won’t find it here. The film tries to make these figures more interesting by adding lame backstories, but in reality, these characters are so one-dimensional that they belong in a “Paper Mario” game. None of them are really likable except for Harrelson, who only has a few shining moments.

These four individuals are brought together by a mysterious figure to become a magical group known as The Four Horsemen. From here, the movie devolves into a second-rate heist film that contains hints of Steven Soderbergh’s “Oceans” movies without any of the fun that made the George Clooney films a hit. Throughout the film, the Horsemen pull off amazing stunts like robbing a French bank all the way from Las Vegas and stealing heavily guarded safes. These moments have some fleeting excitement that doesn’t last long.

Their goal: to complete a list of tasks without question in order to join an age-old magical society known as “The Eye.” However, so little explanation is ever given on this plot point that it might as well be called “The MacGuffin Society.” All the while, they are pursued by the FBI and Interpol with relentless agents Dylan Rhodes and Alma Vargas right on their tails.

Mark Ruffalo (“The Avengers”) and Melanie Laurent (“Inglourious Basterds”) take on the roles of these operatives but fall prey to the same lack of development of their fellow co-stars. We feel nothing for them during the intimate moments that are so devoid of emotion that you can practically hear the sound of the cliches gushing from their characters. Nevertheless, the interaction between them and the magicians does yield some tolerable moments.

Even legendary actors Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine are not safe from this poor excuse for a movie (the two worked together on Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” trilogy). Caine plays Arthur Tressler, the rich sponsor of the Horsemen, who ends up getting screwed by his investment. Freeman plays Thaddeus Bradley, a former magician who now makes loads of cash exposing the tricks of others. Sadly, Bradley only shows up when it’s convenient for the plot to make the FBI look like idiots and explain how the criminals are pulling off their hijinks in “duh-it’s-so-obvious” moments. One need only look at Neil Burger’s “The Illusionist” or Guy Ritchie’s “Sherlock Holmes” movies to see the same cop-out device exploited. Unfortunately, these two great talents are wasted in roles that don’t let them do much. Caine is just the archetypal, overconfident rich guy, while Freeman is nothing but a walking cheat sheet.

I will say this: The film has some style. Its Vegas and New York locales are visually pleasing with their bright, flashing lights. The action scenes are so-so, with chases in the streets of Manhattan and New Orleans. The effects are pretty good, especially when they complement the various acts of the Horsemen, which, although complex, still contain the cornerstones of any good magic show like white rabbits and balloon animals. They are always one step ahead of the clueless authorities, having fun all the while (looks like someone took inspiration from the Joker). By the end, you’ll be shocked by the movie’s twist, but more so by how well it was hidden the entire time. Trust me; you’ll be expecting one thing but end up with one giant slap in the face.

While not your typical children’s magic party, “Now You See Me” is a major disappointment that slips in its own attempt to be slick. With such a promising trailer, I was truly excited for this movie, but its stars deserve better than a film that is devoid of any real magic. You’ll sit there waiting to be amazed and for things to be properly explained and will instead be crestfallen when the moment never truly arrives. Like the illusions of Barney Stinson and Gob Bluth, it’s cheesy all around. Harry Houdini is rolling in his grave.

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