Salt

The last time I enjoyed Angelina Jolie in anything (Not counting Kung Fu Panda) was Mr. And Mrs. Smith. I’m just not crazy about her choices. But despite the terrible title, Salt isn’t bad. It’s got a Jason Bourne, Manchurian Candidate vibe with some fun twists. The taut action and brisk pace, orchestrated with precision by Jolie’s Bone Collector helmsman Philip Noyce, beguiles you into ignoring the big plot holes and the impossibility of Jolie’s physical feats. So, taken with a grain, it’s one of the funner movies of an unimpressive summer.

Inception

Second viewing. There’s no point to all of the "what’s-it-about" guesswork. It’s an action movie. Buckle up and enjoy the ride.

Inception

** SPOILER ALERT **

Chris Nolan’s experiment in originality is a blast of fresh air over what was shaping up to be a stagnant and stale summer. It’s not in 3-D, but it might as well be. It’s a completely visceral experience -- you can’t just sit and idly watch. It’s tense, and it grabs you and never lets go, minute by minute, scene by scene. Chris Nolan and company honor their dreamworld subject matter and treat it with utmost seriousness. It feels important. It’s why so many of his fans worldwide are beholden to his every move -- he rewards them by RESPECTING the art form and the fan’s thirst for something new and cerebral. But it’s not a journey of typical human emotion, so it’s not sentimental or "good triumphing over evil" or whatever. The emotion is in the tension, kind of like Hurt Locker. Like the characters, you’re lost in a maze, and that feeling of fear and disorientation is the emotion that drives the movie. So even though the acting is excellent, character-wise, it’s a bit thin. But I can forgive Inception for having a slightly thin emotional spine, especially if something REALLY COOL is happening on screen. And Joseph Gordon-Levitt, defying gravity, bounding through the hotel halls, kicking asses, and "floating" his colleagues to safety… that was REALLY FUCKING COOL.

The Kids Are Alright

A strong and familiar family drama. It’s as if the filmmakers decided: because the parents are gay, the rest of the plot and story must stay safely within family drama conventions. It was certainly not necessary, keeping this story so predictable and fenced-in, but it works for what it is: a very well-acted and not all that surprising piece of dangling Oscar bait.

Predators

I can imagine the pitch meeting. The filmmakers said, “Let’s remake Predator but with good actors.” It’s not perfect, but it’s a lot of fun and pretty bad-ass. To me, it’s as if the Hollywood town crier rang a bell and declared, “Summer is finally here!”

Grown Ups

This piece of shit is a fucking travesty. The arrogance and laziness on display is appalling. How DARE the filmmakers misuse this ensemble of strong actors and comedians with this sophomoric, story-less script. Did Adam Sandler and company honestly think, “We don’t need a script! We’re hilarious! We’ll just shoot a long-ass montage in a water park and the jokes’ll write themselves!” Fuck you, Adam Sandler! Have some fucking respect. You had Maya Rudolph, for Christ sake! You had Maria Bello? And this? This lazy, conceited piece of shit is what you come up with? You’re fucking dead to me, Sandler. Funny People SUCKED! I don’t even think P.T. Anderson can save you now. “Hey everybody! Let’s make a movie by a lake in the summer! And we’ll take all of our friends and it’ll just be one big, expensive party that the studio will pay for! We don’t need a script. We’ll just get all the guys together and go canoeing and pee off the side of the boat! It’ll be hilarious! ‘Cause peeing is funny! And off of a canoe!? That’s priceless!” Fuck you, Happy Madison. The Waterboy was twelve years ago. You better get off your rich, lazy ass and do something funny, because this bullshit about releasing your home movies of your vacation with your buddies as a feature film doesn’t fucking fly.

Cyrus

I liked this. It’s funny and poignant. Yes, there are some dangling loose ends, but nothing crucial. It’s a charming take on a topical subject matter, and a strong blend of sentiment and humiliation. Kudos to the Duplass Brothers.