Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Josh Duhamel
This second Transformers sequel isn’t as numbing as number two, but there’s still no denying that the franchise has gotten very rusty. Though things eventually pick up, the first half of Dark of the Moon seems to consist entirely of actors trying to be as annoying as possible.
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER – B-
Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell, Tommy Lee Jones
There has been a lot of build up to The Avengers, but Captain marks the first origin story (following Thor, Iron Man and Hulk) that plays more like a preview than a stand-alone movie. Despite its retro, good ol’ boy charms, Captain doesn’t really build to a satisfying conclusion.
LARRY CROWNE – C
Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Bryan Cranston
Hanks has shown pretty good instincts when it came to picking his projects before and behind the camera. But it is hard to get a finger on what he was thinking when he co-wrote and directed Crowne, an aimless and one-note comedy that plays like a sloppy episode of Community.
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEALTHY HALLOWS, PART II – B+
Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint
After a surprisingly disappointing Part I, the Harry Potter series returns to its glory with this deeply satisfying swan song. Though certain elements of the story seem rushed, it all remains spell-binding, emotionally captivating and meticulously crafted. Farewell Potter.
GREEN LANTERN – C+
Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard
Not as bad as you may have heard but not as fun as you would have hoped, Green Lantern is a forgettable superhero adventure that is ultimately unable to find the right balance between goofy humor and legitimate thrills. It looks nice but it doesn’t ever really engage.
