Rain, rain, go away, I’ll finish the ark in two more days

I know, the subject of Noah, the ark and all that water is not very funny. All it takes to get very serious about the Biblical tale all over again is to see the trailer featuring Russell Crowe as the ark-builder. Tense! And yet, as I ponder the epic cinematography to come in “Noah,” I…

‘Divergent’ stars work well together, even in a chatty theater

I liked the tension in ‘Divergent.’ Stars Shailene Woodley and Theo James work well together as Dauntless faction student and teacher in a Chicago were separation is the only way to live. I didn’t much like the noise level in the row of the crowded matinee theater in which sat my dear wife Karen and…

Tyler Perry champions empowerment for single moms

There’s a lot of good work that went into “The Single Moms Club.” Tyler Perry pushed hard as writer and director to show the world that women can find strength, power and great relationships if they open the door to some unlikely friends. Diversity is good in the world of this movie. Five very different…

For those who like to go fast and those who like to join clubs

Can a movie trailer get you car sick? I felt somewhat on the verge watching the cut-cut-cut to the chases in the preview for the racy “Need for Speed.” But I did feel assured by the fact that never have a had to race myself for the big bucket at a theater, not even during…

‘Mr. Peabody & Sherman’ reinforce some timely lessons

Sure, bring the kids to “Mr. Peabody & Sherman.” They’ll get into the funny dog and silly boy. The Dreamworks animation will satisfy the most savvy modern youngster. Pay attention, mom, dad and grandparents. There’s plenty of humor and plot aimed to your level, too. I was wondering if they could match the wit and…

Time traveling with an animated dog and Greek Gods

When I was a kid, you couldn’t pull me away from the cartoon spectacular that was “Rocky and His Friends.” In one good chunk of time, I’d get the title squirrel, a moose by the name of Bullwinkle, and a smart dog and silly kid. That last pairing would be Peabody and Sherman. The Dreamworks…

As exciting as ‘Non-Stop’ is, you’ll never see it aboard a jet

You bet I believe something close to the plot of ‘Non-Stop’ could really happen. And that makes the action mystery featuring Liam Neeson as a U.S. Air Marshal supposedly making a TransAtlantic jet trip safe for all a really good watch. Everybody who saw it this past opening weekend who had positively identified the villain…

Oscar winners keep me fascinated on the small screen, too

I can’t quibble with the picks. “12 Years a Slave” was a big winner. With the local connection to upstate New York, bravo to the inspiring tale of a free man wrongly kept against his will, from the words of Solomon Northup. The pure joy and celebration of the cast on stage and the show-closing…

If you get scared flying, you may want to skip ‘Non-Stop’

First-weekend movie-goers have three interesting opening choices. Planes in peril, in “Non-Stop.” Prophet in doubt, in “Son of God.” World War in balance, in “Stalingrad: The IMAX 3D Experience.” The trailers make them all look epic in their own right, the battle in the jet, the pain and passion in Nazareth, the heat of the…

In ‘3 Days to Kill,’ CIA guy Kevin Costner aims to win back his daughter

There’s a scene in ‘3 Days to Kill’ when the CIA agent played by Kevin Costner reaches down and scoops a loved one into his protective arms. Yes, thoughts of “The Bodyguard” and the much-missed Whitney Houston jumped into my mind. In different scenes, Costner’s agent Renner tries to figure out how to connect with…