It’s always nice when a movie surpasses expectations. It’s even nicer when that better-than- expected film negates the potential title-related puns that critics could have used to lambaste it. In other words, there’s nothing despicable to say about “Despicable Me” other than the title’s overall irrelevance and potential roadblock to making more money.

Maybe it’s unfair to compare this year’s January box office to last year’s considering that “Avatar” acted as ideal cushioning for all of 2010’s early films, but “The Rite” taking No. 1 with fewer than $15 million? It’s going to take an impressive February to fully exorcize those demons.

27-year-old British actor Henry Cavill has been cast as Clark Kent/Superman in the newest film incarnation of the comic world’s most iconic figure from director Zack Snyder (“300,” “Watchmen”). Cavill basically fits the description of a 28- to 32-year-old “discovery, or an actor from TV who isn’t yet a big star” that Warner Bros. was […]

January has come to its bleakest. Not until the weekend after the Super Bowl/before Valentine’s Day will anything come along to resuscitate the box office. Unfortunately, I’ve run out of Oscar-nominated Best Pictures to see, so I’ll have to scout out some more artsy fare (perhaps “Blue Valentine”) or finally do some work on my […]

You know what’s better than going to a world-renowned film festival, waiting in lines for hours and crossing your fingers to get a first look at some of the brightest and most original new films? Pretending you did all that. As a film blogger with no money to go to such festivals, I’ve been trying […]

Compelling figures make for compelling drama. Compelling characters who feel ordinary make for award-worthy drama. The script that David Seidler assembled into “The King’s Speech” using purely research taps into a story that’s simply gold: a British monarch, whom we are accustomed to view as having an inherent infallibility, with a speech impediment that makes […]

And they’re up! I’ve got your list of Oscar nominees this morning along with how my predictions checked out. “The King’s Speech” blew away the pack with 12 nominations. Best Picture favorite “The Social Network” had eight by comparison, but there’s no question “Speech” has begun to turn the tide a little bit. We’ll see […]

Who’s pregnant with two top-ten films in America right now? Natalie Portman. “No Strings Attached” took in a strong rom-com opening weekend with $20 million, enough to detach “The Green Hornet” from the number one spot. “Hornet,” in fact, held up pretty well down just 47 percent from the previous weekend, a rarity for a […]

On Tuesday morning, film critics’ Christmas arrives. Instead of leaving milk and cookies out for Santa Claus, however, we’ll be getting our caffeine ready for the 8:30 am. EST (an extra 30 min. of sleep this year!) arrival of the Academy and Oscar winner Mo’Nique who will be making the big announcement(s). This year’s list […]

The French film that “Dinner for Schmucks” draws its inspiration from, “Le Diner de Cons,” was successful because it made us seriously ponder who the real idiot was — the up-and- coming businessman or the dolt he must invite to a business dinner. With “Schmucks,” you seriously ponder if the real idiot has been you […]

No doubt about it folks, we are in the age of the R-rated sex comedy. This explosive trend among movies stems from filmmakers and producers’ never-ending pursuit of making the rare comedy that costs little but rakes in obscene amounts of money. “No Strings Attached” fits the exact profile of a film quite literally strung […]

Last weekend we watched “The Green Hornet” top the box office with ease. The task is not so simple for this week’s entries. One film was a postponed would-be Oscar contender and releases in just 650 theaters. The other’s best shot lies in the hands of spotlit actress Natalie Portman as it releases in between […]

We’ve seen trailers from “Green Lantern” and “Thor” this upcoming summer as well as some scattered images from “Captain America: The First Avenger,” but “X-Men: First Class,” the summer’s second superhero movie, has remained relatively quiet. Well, now that shooting is almost finished, we finally have an onslaught of photos and great quotes from director […]

Stop the presses because we have official “The Dark Knight Rises” casting news. After tons of rumors of Christopher Nolan searching for two female leads, he’s found at least one, and it’s for the role of Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman. Academy Awards darling (and this year’s host) Anne Hathaway will played the role originated by […]

Natalie Portman has long been a respected actress, but coming off a Golden Globe win and on the brink of a second career Oscar nomination, the 29-year-old has finally hit her stride and could quite possibly become one of the more in-demand actresses of the next decade.