I have to get out this last tweet!

As a die-hard “Harry Potter” fan, when I first saw a preview for “Percy Jackson & the Olympians:  The Lightning Thief” I rolled my eyes and thought “oh how nice, they are copying “Harry Potter””.  However, the more previews I saw for “Lightning Thief” the more I actually wanted to see it.  I always loved reading Greek myths in school, so when I realized that this story is about the son of Poseidon and the daughter of Athena, I was there!!

Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman) is your average high-school student.  While on a school field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and in the ancient Greek section, he is caught off guard by an attacking fury who demands that he return Zeus’s lightning bolt.  Percy is confused, as he has no idea what a fury is, why it’s attacking him, and why it thinks he has Zeus’ lightning bolt.  Somehow, Percy’s best friend Grover (Brandon T. Jackson) and his teacher Mr. Brunner (Pierce Brosnan) know what’s going on and they come to Percy’s rescue.   This part was confusing; it wasn’t explained how Grover and Mr. Brunner anticipated the attack. Maybe the books elaborated more on it, but the film lacked the proper exposition to my liking.  It is later revealed that Zeus’s lightning bolt has been stolen, and if it’s not returned by the summer solstice, then there will be a war in Mount Olympus.

It is soon revealed that Percy’s mother, Sally (Catherine Keener) had a relationship with Poseidon, hence, Percy was born.  Sally’s husband, Gabe (Joe Pantoliano) doesn’t get along with Percy, and he’s not very nice to Sally either, but that is explained.  Since it’s not safe for Percy to be in the real world, Grover and Sally take him to a special camp for children of mortals and gods, Camp Half-Blood.  While there, Percy meets Annabeth (Alexandria Daddario), a daughter of Athena, and Luke (Jake Abel), a son of Hermes.  At Camp Half-Blood, I found it rather disbelieving that the second Percy picks up a sword, he is able to wield it like a pro.  He didn’t even visit the weapons master to learn his sword fighting skill!!  This was explained as his “warrior instinct”.  Hmmm, I don’t buy it!!  But I’ll play along.

The characters seamlessly accepted their new roles as demigods with too much ease.  Also, everything we just a little TOO convenient for me.  I didn’t feel as if the characters were in any real peril.  There was always someone/something that “just happened” to be nearby to give them aid.  And mortals (such as Sally) had entirely too much knowledge about things that mortals don’t usually know about, such as the location of Camp Half-Blood, and how to get to Mount Olympus (what, you don’t know that?)  The climactic finale managed to drag a little bit.  Otherwise, the acting was solid, the special effects were fantastic, and the references to Greek gods and goddesses were plentiful.  I liked the mixing of ancient Greek mythology with present-day pop-culture, which oddly didn’t seem forced.  Everything blended nicely.

It must have left a decent mark with me, because I will be taking a field trip to my friendly neighborhood library to borrow the first “Percy Jackson” novel.  Maybe it will fill in some of the background details for me.  Overall, if you enjoy the “Harry Potter” and “Chronicles of Narnia” movies, you will enjoy “Percy Jackson”.

“When in Rome” is a romantic comedy that is more comedy than romance (thank God). Kristin Bell stars as Beth, a single, career-driven woman whose sister Joan (Alexis Dziena) is about to be married in Rome after a whirlwind romance. While at Joan’s wedding, Beth meets Nick (Josh Duhamel), a charming reporter who flirts with her.

Beth thinks there is chemistry, but then she sees Nick with another woman. Upset and hurt, Beth drunkenly stumbles into the Fontana de Amore, where legend states that if you throw in a coin, you will find love. She decides to take some coins in the hope that she will get some love of her own.

When Beth returns home to NYC, she suddenly finds herself the object of affection of several men. Antonio (Will Arnett) is an artist, Lance (Jon Heder, yes, Napoleon Dynamite himself) is a street magician, Gale (Dax Shepard) is a model, and Al (Danny DeVito) is a sausage magnate. These guys can’t get enough of Beth!! She is inundated with flowers and baskets of meat products. Even with all this attention, Beth can’t stop thinking about Nick. When she learns that the owners of the coins she took from the fountain will magically fall in love with her, she wonders if what she and Nick have is real or an illusion.

The characters in this movie, especially the colorful supporting cast, were fantastic. The story wasn’t as cliched as I thought it would be and there were more than just a few humorous situations. Overall it was a fun, funny movie that I really enjoyed. So is it true love or a magic spell?? You will have to watch the movie to find out!!  But you will not be disappointed. “When in Rome” is one of the funniest movies I’ve seen in a while.

It seems like The Rock has given up action movies in favor of kid-friendly comedies. In Dwayne Johnson’s latest kiddie flick, “Tooth Fairy”, The Rock plays Derek Thompson, a cocky, arrogant hockey player better known as “The Tooth Fairy” because of his penchant for knocking opposing player’s teeth out. When a hotshot new player Mick “the Stick” Donnelly (Ryan Sheckler), comes on the team and steals Derek’s thunder, Derek does not take it well. He takes out his frustrations on his girlfriend Carly’s daughter Tess (the adorable Destiny Whitlock) by nearly telling her that the Tooth Fairy doesn’t exist. His punishment for not believing is being summoned to Tooth Fairy Land, where he is ordered to serve two weeks as a tooth fairy.

As a tooth fairy, Derek is given some pretty awesome gadgets to complete his tooth-gathering job, including Invisible Spray, Amnesia Powder, Shrinking Paste, and Cat Away, most of which he uses during off-duty hours to his own advantage. In one scene, he repeatedly uses Amnesia Powder on Carly (Ashley Judd) until he sufficiently answers her question about their relationship. While serving his sentence, Derek grows closer to Carly’s son Randy (Chase Ellison) but he ends up shattering his dream of becoming a rock star. Derek can be a really rotten guy!!!

Chock-full of corny puns and sight gags, the only part of the movie I appreciated were the scenes with Julie Andrews. The always-regal Andrews is sufficiently exasperated at Derek’s antics but she handles him with grace. Oh, how do you solve a problem like Derek Thompson?   Right!  I went into this movie not expecting much and that’s what I got. hell, a dollar under my seat would have been nice. It’s a decent flick for the kids, not so much for the adults I am afraid.   There’s a cameo from a certain “guy”, but I don’t want to ruin it for you as it may be the only thing that keeps you awake – that and the screaming children surrounding you!

Zac is back.

“Me and Orson Welles” stars Zac Efron as Richard Samuels, a high-school student who is bored with school and longs to be doing something more exciting than studying. A chance encounter with Orson Welles (Christian McKay) changes his outlook on things. Welles is casting for his latest project, an updated version of “Caesar” and Richard is given the role as Lucius. Richard is thrust into the “glamorous” world of show business, and he learns the ropes from Sonja Jones (Claire Danes), who works at the theatre where “Caesar” will be performed. Sonja will do anything to get ahead and this leads to disappointment for Richard, who after a night of passion with Sonja, thinks he is in love with her.

In this movie, Orson Welles is portrayed as a shady, womanizing, slightly crazy genius. Sometimes he was like-able, most times he was not. Efron did a good job in his role (as always). Supporting cast included Ben Chaplin, who had a few solid scenes as George Coulouris and who played Mark Antony in “Caesar” and Kelly Reilly as superficial “shine the light on my face this way, not that way” Muriel Brassler, who played Portia in “Caesar”.

I wasn’t sure who exactly the target audience for this movie was. We have Zac Efron, teen heartthrob, in a movie about a producer/actor from the 30’s. I’m not sure if this movie was geared towards the teenage girls, or the older crowd.  I noticed that a lot of the older folks in the audience thought the movie was hilarious (maybe because they were around in the 30’s??).

The Princess and the Frog is the latest in a (very) long line of Disney Animated Classics.  This is the first hand-drawn Disney film since 2004, and it was well worth the wait.  Loosely based on the fairy tale “The Frog Prince”, “The Princess and the Frog” is set in the French Quarter of New Orleans in the 1920s during a jumpin’ Mardi Gras.

The story centers around Tiana (Anika Noni Rose), a hard-working waitress whose dream is to own a restaurant. When word gets out that Prince Naveen of Maldonia (Bruno Campos) is coming to town for the Mardi Gras celebration, several girls want to meet him.  Charlotte La Bouff (Jennifer Cody), Tiana’s best friend who is rich and spoiled, but surprisingly not obnoxious like certain other rich, spoiled celebutantes we know and love to loathe, certainly wants to grab the Prince’s attention.  But a sinister figure is also anxious to make the Prince’s acquaintance, Dr. Facilier (Keith David), an evil voodoo magician who is deeply in debt to “the other side”.

If you’ve seen the previews, you know that Prince Naveen is transformed into a frog, and as the fairy tale goes, can only be made human again if kissed by a Princess.  Since Tiana is not a Princess, when she attempts to break the spell, it results in her transformation as well.  What happens next bears a slight resemblance to “The Wizard of Oz”, as Naveen and Tiana share a magical journey into the bayou to find Mama Odie (Jenifer Lewis), a good voodoo priestess who can help turn them human again.  Along the way they meet Louis (Michael-Leon Wooley), an alligator with an appetite for jazz and Ray (Jim Cummings), a Cajun firefly who pines for his lost love Evangeline.

I felt that this movie had a slightly different tone to it than other classic Disney Princess films.  The same elements that make a great Disney film were there, but I think setting it in the roaring twenties and in New Orleans (versus across the pond – or swamp) really brought out some nuances that danced into a delightfully animated bayou foxtrot.

Some voodoo scenes may be a bit intense for the little ones.  Overall, this was a fantastic movie!  Great music, wonderful animation, and a heart-warming story.  Also featuring John Goodman as Charlotte’s father ‘Big Daddy’ La Bouff, The Princess and the Frog will make you laugh and it may make you cry but you can bet there will be a happily ever after.

When I got to the theater at 9:00 for the 9:30 screening of Michael Jackson’s “This Is It”, I was amazed to see that there was already a line of devoted fans waiting to see the midnight viewing of the concert movie.  I guess I shouldn’t really have been surprised, because it doesn’t matter who you are, or where you are from, you have somehow been influenced by Michael Jackson.

“This Is It” is a compilation of rehearsal footage recorded in 2009 for the concert tour that never happened, due to the untimely death of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson.  Throughout the almost two hour movie, we get to see what it takes to create a world tour. From the backup dancer auditions, to dance rehearsals, set design to special effects, we get a behind the scenes look at everything. Although this was all rehearsal footage, and therefore not polished to perfection, there was some finished material. For example, the video that was created for the intro to the song “Smooth Criminal” was amazing.

All the hits are covered, including “Wanna Be Startin Something”, “Beat It”, “Man in the Mirror”, and “Thriller”. This is the closest thing to seeing the King of Pop live, and it was fantastic.

And boys and girls, remember, even though this isn’t a “real movie”, it’s still a movie – which means keep your damned cake-hole shut!!  Yes, I am talking to the two people in the back of the theater that were beside me talking non-stop throughout the movie.  I really could have done without your distractions.

Bottom line:  a must for Michael Jackson fans (and let’s face it, who isn’t??).

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…Hollywood has run out of ideas!!  That’s why movies keep being remade.  The latest remake, “Fame”, an updated version of the musical which was originally released in 1980, is in theaters now.  I haven’t seen the original “Fame” in a long time, so this review is going to focus on the 2009 edition.

“Fame” follows a group of students at the New York School of Performing Arts over a four-year period, starting on Audition Day and ending on Graduation Day.  The students are gifted in music, singing, dancing and acting, and over the course of their school careers, each meet with varying degrees of success.  Some make it big, while others are told they will never be good enough. The school employs some unusual methods of learning, including Ms. Rowan the singing teacher (Megan Mullaly), who took her students to a karaoke bar and graded them on their performance.

Most of the cast is unknowns or relative unknowns, with the exception of the teachers.  Bebe Neuwirth, Charles S. Dutton, Kelsey Grammer, Megan Mullaly, and Debbie Allen gave solid performances as the instructors and mentors of the students.  Some of the other acting was not as polished but it was better than I would have expected for first-timers.

The movie features energetic dance sequences and amazing musical performances.  When the NY School of Performing  Arts puts on a show, no expense is spared!!  Overall, if you are looking for a movie that will entertain and possibly inspire you to sing and dance, you won’t be disappointed with “Fame”.

As long as you have a college degree, everything afterward will fall into place, right?? Not quite, according to “Post Grad”.

Ryden Malby (Alexis Bledel) is about to graduate college. The world is hers for the taking. She is about to lease a beautiful loft apartment, apply for her dream job at a publishing house, and generally have a perfect life. Until Jessica Bard (Catherine Reitman), Ryden’s nemesis, gets the job instead of her. I guess this movie takes place in our time, as jobs are scarce, because now Ryden has to move back home with her eccentric family: Walter and Carmella Malby (Michael Keaton and Jane Lynch), Grandma Maureen (Carol Burnett), and brother Hunter (Bobby Coleman). Also in Ryden’s circle of people is her best friend Adam (Zach Gilford) who has clearly been in love with Ryden forever, but Ryden is either clueless or she realizes Adam’s feelings and she is leading him on (which is not nice!!).

In between Ryden applying for other jobs, she manages to hook up with her hot neighbor David Santiago (Rodrigo Santoro), who I think could pass for a Brazilian version of Orlando Bloom).  She tries out several jobs to eek out a post grad existence in today’s economy.

“Post Grad” started out promising. The beginning credits rolled over Ryden’s vlog (that’s video blog, in case ya didn’t know) recorded as she’s getting ready for her college graduation. I thought that was something different and cute. But, as Ryden’s life started unraveling, so did this movie. It seemed like there was a lack of character development. Also, Ryden’s family was just TOO weird, and she was TOO normal. I would have liked to see a better balance of the two – and if they were shooting for a zany comedic tug-of-war, /fail.

I know I always complain about movies being too long, but this one was just lacking something. It seemed to me that there were some scenes that were removed that could have filled out the story better. Overall an OK movie, but I would have expected more from a movie starring the man who was Beetlejuice!!

Why did I want to see “Bandslam”?? Because Vanessa Hudgens stars, and I was hoping that her real-life boyfriend Zac Efron would make an appearance. I didn’t expect much from “Bandslam”, but as a fan of the “High School Musical” franchise (that’s the 13-year-old girl in me) I was hoping that it would have some of the music, dancing, and fun of those movies. Although it was set in a high school, “Bandslam” was actually nothing like the “HSM” movies, but I was very surprised at how much I ended up enjoying this movie!! It was so much better than I thought it would be.

Will Burton (Gaelen Connell) is the new kid in town. Will loves all kinds of music, but he especially loves punk rock – he even writes letters to his ‘hero’, David Bowie. The beginning of the movie was narrated by Will reading his latest letter to David Bowie, and it reminded me of “The Wonder Years”. Hey, it was cute! On his first day in the new school, Will meets Sa5m – the 5 is silent (Hudgens), who is pretty much a social outcast. Will is intrigued by their initial meeting and is happy when they are paired up together to work on a school project. Will also meets Charlotte Banks (Alyson Michalka) who is the leader of a band about to compete in Bandslam. What is Bandslam, you ask? It’s basically a higher-budget version of a talent show, with the winning band receiving a record deal. Charlotte recruits Will to be her band’s manager and together they enlist other outcasts from the school to be a part of the band – which Will names “I Won’t Go On, I’ll Go On”. Will’s mother Karen (Lisa Kudrow) is quite overprotective of her only son (she was a single mother); however, she soon becomes one of the band’s biggest supporters.

I liked the music in this movie. While it wasn’t a “musical”, there was a good amount of singing. I also thought the script was good. The story flowed well and the writing was fresh. One thing I really liked was how this film broke all the stereotypes. This wasn’t your typical popular girl turns nerdy new boy into the most popular kid in school and then they end up together movie. This also wasn’t another immature gross-out comedy. Bandslam was an entertaining, fun journey with great music and it will leave you feeling cheerful and wanting to go do some karaoke!  But, please, make sure you can sing – my cat hates competition.