‘The Other Woman’ makes a perfect payback funny indeed

By the end of “The Other Woman,” everybody in the theater cheers the way things shake down. Leslie Mann, Cameron Diaz and Kate Upton sure make a good team against the cad who decided he wanted them all at the same time. Mann is the star of this show, using the physical comedy skills that…

‘Heaven Is for Real’ should make everybody think hard about belief

The film studio bigwigs who released ‘Heaven Is for Real’ this particular weekend knew what they were doing. My dear wife Karen and I watched with appropriate wonder on Easter proper. Greg Kinnear, Kelly Reilly and Connor Corum are fabulous as Nebraska Todd Burpo, his wife and their smart 4-year-old. It’s a true story, which…

Kevin Costner matures into the GM role in ‘Draft Day’

Kevin Costner long ago passed that movie star moment when some fans start to despise his work because … because … because … well, because he’s so damn successful, might appear a bit smug at most times, has the swagger to bring his rock band out on tour even though he might not be the…

On Madagascar, they battle to extend lemurs’ 60-million year history

I am convinced in a big way. Save the lemurs. I didn’t know much about the furry primates before viewing the new IMAX documentary “Island of Lemurs: Madagascar.” But after 38 minutes of observing how the 60-million year history of this animal is in danger because its forest land habitat is shrinking on the fourth-largest…

‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ is full of wonderfully odd

In Wes Anderson’s world of “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” there are more odd ducks flapping about than in the pond next to the nuclear power plant. You know the old saying about funny peculiar or funny ha-ha? In this strange and wonderful offering, Ralph Fiennes and Tony Revolori answer yes and yes. Fiennes’ expansive turn…

‘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…

‘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…

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…

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…

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Mark Bialczak

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