Eugene Weekly : Movies : 9.27.07


.MOVIE LISTINGS | MOVIE REVIEW ARCHIVE | THEATER INFO

 

OPENING OR RETURNING:
Films open the Friday following date of EW publication unless otherwise noted. See archived movie reviews.

Becoming Jane: Anne Hathaway (The Devil Wears Prada) stars in this heavily imagined look at Jane Austen’s early years — a love affair, an inspiration. It’s sweet and the cast is a delight, but the movie can’t quite connect Jane’s two passions: her writing and her interest in dashing Tom Lefroy (a wonderful Jame McAvoy). PG13. 120 min. Movies 12. (8/16)

Escape from Suburbia: The sequel to The End of Suburbia looks at the illusion of continued growth based on oil, and presents viable alternatives that can help ensure a sustainable civilization. With a panel discussion featuring director Greg Green with Jude Hobbs, Ravi Logan, Felicity Fahy and Randy White. 7:30 pm Sept. 29, Central Presbyterian Church (555 E. 15th). $5-$20 don.

Feast of Love: Director Robert Benton’s (Kramer vs. Kramer) adaptation of Charles Baxter’s novel was filmed in Portland, and stars Morgan Freeman as a professor watching his neighbors (Greg Kinnear, Selma Blair, Radha Mitchell and others) fall in and out of love. R. 102 min. VRC Stadium 15.

Game Plan, The: The Rock stretches his dramatic skills as a football player faced with a strange challenge: a little girl who claims to be his daughter. PG. VRC Stadium 15.

In the Valley of Elah: The latest from director Paul Haggis (Crash) is “inspired by true events” and concerns a veteran, his wife and their search for their son, who’s gone missing after returning from Iraq. With Tommy Lee Jones and Charlize Theron. R. 121 min. VRC Stadium 15.

Jimi Hendrix: The third season of the “In-Concert” LateNite series kicks off with a 1969 Hendrix performace at London’s Royal Albert Hall. Not rated. Bijou LateNite.

King of Kong, The: In 2003, 35-year-old Steve Wiebe, recently jobless, discovered Billy Mitchell’s Donkey Kong record online and determined to break it. When Billy Mitchell found his record destroyed, he wanted it back. Seth Gordon’s “funny and madly arresting new documentary” (Entertainment Weekly) tracks the competition that ensued. PG. 79 min. Bijou.

Kingdom, The: “If Frank Capra had ever made a Rambo movie, it would have looked like this,” said Anthony Lane in The New Yorker. Peter Berg directs an interesting cast (Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Chris Cooper) in the story of an FBI team sent to Riyadh to capture a terrorist mastermind. R. 110 min. VRC Stadium 15.

Mr. Sean’s Cartoon Club: Crazy, weird and old cartoons featuring Betty Boop, Felix, Superman and more. 12:30 pm Sept. 29 & 30, Bijou. $4.

Outsourced: Josh Hamilton, who was once so charming, stars in this unfortunate fish-out-of-water story about a call center manager whose department is outsourced. He’s sent to India to train his replacement, and wacky culture shock hijinks ensue! Except they’re actually clichéd and insincere, not wacky. PG13. 103 min. Bijou. See review this issue.

Through Deaf Eyes: This PBS documentary, which explores the diverse experiences and perspectives of Deaf leaders, historians and community members over the last two centuries, screens in honor of Deaf Awareness Week. The open-captioned screening is at 3 pm Sept. 30, with ASL-interpreted panel discussion to follow at 5 pm, Downtown Library. Free.

Please note: Listings for Cinemark 17 were not available at press time.

Films open the Friday following EW publication date unless otherwise noted. See archived reviews at www.eugeneweekly.com

 

CONTINUING:

Bourne Ultimatum, The: “I remember everything,” says Matt Damon’s Jason Bourne in this film’s action-packed trailer. Director Paul Greengrass and the major players (Joan Allen, Julia Stiles) return to the series’ satisfying third installment, which finds Bourne hunting down his past in stunning locations. PG13. 111 min. VRC Stadium 15. (8/9)

Brave One, The: Jodie Foster plays a New York radio host who is attacked by a group of men who kill her fiancé (Naveen Andrews, from Lost). The experience leaves her shaken and transforms her into a vigilante in Neil Jordan’s dated-seeming film, which fails to fully investigate the questions its story seems to raise. R. 122 min. VRC Stadium 15. (9/20)

Daddy Day Camp: C’mon, Cuba Gooding Jr., don’t you have an Oscar to live up to? Oh, never mind; just keep turning out claptrap like this sequel to Daddy Day Care. Now the daddies take the kids to camp! And things get out of control! No way! PG. 93 min. Movies 12.

Eastern Promises: David Cronenberg (A History of Violence) again directs the always-stellar Viggo Mortensen, here playing a mysterious fellow with ties to a London crime family. Naomi Watts is the midwife caught up in the family’s net when she accidentally comes across evidence of their crimes. R. 96 min. VRC Stadium 15. See review this issue.

Evan Almighty: Steve Carrell takes the starring role in this sequel to Bruce Almighty. Now, God (Morgan Freeman) wants Evan (Carrell), a former newscaster turned Congressman, to build an ark. Boy, that’s gonna involve a lot of critters. PG. 90 min. Movies 12.

Good Luck Chuck: Chuck (Dane Cook) has a hex on him: every girl he dates finds true love with the next guy she dates. Enter Cam (Jessica Alba), a klutzy sweetheart Chuck falls for hard. Clearly, he’s got to wiggle out from under his strange curse. R. VRC Stadium 15.

I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry: Adam Sandler and Kevin James star as a couple of firefighters who, for various bureaucratic insurance reasons, claim to be domestic parners — all fun and games until the news gets ahold of the story. I’m sure all related issues are dealt with thoughtfully. Um, right. PG13. 110 min. Movies 12.

Knocked Up: Judd Apatow follows The 40-Year-Old Virgin with a sweet yet still raunchy comedy about the unwanted pregnancy that occurs when up-and-coming journalist Alison (Katherine Heigl of Grey’s Anatomy) has a one-night stand with slacker Ben (Seth Rogen). R. 129 min. Movies 12. (6/7)

Mr. Bean’s Holiday: Good old Mr. Bean (Rowan Atkinson)! You either adore him, or you find him not at all funny. Here, a French vacation turns out to be full of mishaps and mistaken identity. Is Mr. Bean a kidnapper, a filmmaker or neither? G. 87 minutes. Movies 12.

Mr. Woodcock: This oft-delayed film involves a fellow (Seann William Scott) heading home to stop his mother (Susan Sarandon) from marrying his high school gym teacher (Billy Bob Thorton), who was, shall we say, no saint. PG13. VRC Stadium 15.

No End in Sight: Charles Ferguson’s searing, elegant documentary chronicles a timeline of failures surrounding the planning and management of the war in Iraq. Ferguson has placed news we’ve seen before into a precise timeline, filled in with fascinating interviews, that paints a damning portrait of ignorance and incompetence on the part of the Bush administration. Not rated. 102 min. Bijou. (9/13)

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End: Captain Jack and crew are back for the third – and what one might hope is the final — Pirates movie (which has something to do with saving Jack from the Land of the Dead and facing off with the Dutch East India Company). A warning to soda buyers: It’s two hours and 48 minutes long. PG13. Movies 12.

Resident Evil: Extinction: Alice (Milla Jovovich) is still trying to get rid of that pesky zombie-making virus. For this third film in the series, Alice gets new friends (we suspect they replace those zombified last time out) including Heroes‘ Ali Larter and singer Ashanti. R. VRC Stadium 15.

Rush Hour 3: Did I forget this one when I made my list of this summer’s needless sequels? Did I mention I blame director Brett Ratner for the murky mess that was last year’s X-Men 3? Does it matter? Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, questionable jokes and action humor: you know what you’re getting. PG13. 90 min. Movies 12.

Shrek the Third: When Shrek’s father-in-law kicks the bucket, the ogre finds himself the reluctant king of Far Far Away. His only hope of getting out of the job? His wife’s slacker cousin. PG. 92 min. Movies 12.

Simpsons Movie, The: Well, our Springfield didn’t get the premiere, but in the film maybe we’ll still see some hints that we are the real Simpsons Springfield? Still no idea what it’s about, but does it matter? PG13. 87 min. Movies 12.

Superbad: Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen both have fingers in this pie, as co-producer and co-writer, respectively. It’s the story of two high school friends, Evan (Michael Cera, Arrested Development) and Seth (Jonah Hill), who are trying — well, in classic teen movie fashion, they’re trying really hard to get laid. They’re about to go off to college; what do you expect? R. 114 min. VRC Stadium 15. (8/23)

Surf’s Up: The young, talented, possibly misguided Shia LaBeouf voices Cody Maverick, a teenage penguin surfer entering his first pro competition. A documentary crew’s filming his every move, which might — sort of — explain that “based on a true story” joke in the preview. PG. 85 min. Movies 12.

Sydney White: Sassy Sydney (Amanda Bynes) ditches her ditzy sorority sister for a house full of geeks (and there are seven of them! Get it?) and a chance at taking down the reigning wicked queen of campus. And surely she’s got to win a prince of a guy as well. PG-13. 108 min. VRC Stadium 15.

Ten, The: Director David Wain (Wet Hot American Summer, also playing) twists up the Ten Commandments in this collection of hit or miss shorts that star a cross-section of young talent, from Gretchen Mol to Liev Schreiber to members of MTV’s awesome (and long-dead) sketch comedy show The State. More conversation piece than total success, the film stretches the boundaries of what’s funny now and then. R. 93 min. Bijou. (9/20)

3:10 to Yuma: Russell Crowe and Christian Bale costar in this solid Western from director James Mangold (Walk the Line). Based on a short story by Elmore Leonard that was made into a film in 1957, the film follows a vicious outlaw (Crowe) and the Civil War vet (Bale) who’s volunteered to get the thief to the train that’ll take him to trial. R. 117 min. VRC Stadium 15. (9/13)

Transformers: It wouldn’t be summer without a Michael Bay film, right? Hot on the heels of those other ’80s toys the Ninja Turtles, the Transformers arrive, bigger and flashier than ever. Earth, it seems, will be the battleground for the war between the Autobots and the Decepticons. With Shia LaBeouf (Holes) and Megan Fox. PG13. 144 min. Movies 12.

 

 

MOVIE THEATERS
Use the links provided below for specific show times.

Bijou Art Cinemas
Bijou Theater 686-2458 | 492 E. 13th

Regal Cinemas
VRC Stadium 15 342-6536 | Valley River Center

Cinemark Theaters
Movies 12 741-1231 | Gateway Mall
Cinemark 17 741-1231 | Gateway Mall