Last year it seemed that Hollywood was taking a short break from adaptations of toys, video games, comic books, and TV shows when two films were announced that would be live-action versions of classic fairy tales. Well, actually both would be based the same tale ” Snow White and the Seven Dwarves ” by the Brothers Grimm. The entertainment news magazines, blogs, and TV programs were all a flutter. Remember the dueling big asteroid and volcano movies from a decade ago! Would the movie-going public be interested in two versions of that raven-haired heroine? And more importantly, who would make it to the multiplex first?  Slowly photos and trailers hit the internet and it became clear that the films were quite different in tone. The darker, action-heavy SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN would fit better, perhaps, amid the big, blockbuster thrill-rides of the Summer. Spring was deemed a better time for a more lighter, irreverent, frothy retelling and so MIRROR, MIRROR is the first to hit the screens. Will this Snowy be the fairest flick of the two?

Most of us are pretty familiar with the basic story thanks to Disney’s ground-breaking first animated feature film. The MIRROR team has re-worked the plot and added bits and pieces from other fables and fairy stories. As it begins, the wicked stepmother queen herself ( Julia Roberts ) brings us up to speed with a prologue acted out by shiny porcelain puppets ( CGI, no doubt ). After the King disappeared into the dark forest many years ago, she’s ruled the kingdom ( plunging it into a constant dreary winter ) and kept lovely Snow White ( Lilly Collins ) locked away in the castle. The queen’s running out of funds and may have to marry the frumpy, older, much richer Baron ( Michael Lerner ). The villagers of the kingdom are almost taxed to starvation (shades of Robin Hood ). But then she meets the handsome Prince Alcott ( Armie Hammer ) after he and his valet are robbed by a pack of seven ( ! ) bandits in the nearby woods. Her plans go askew when he meets… guess who at the big animal-themed costume ball ( a bit of Cinderella there ). Banishment, deception, sorcery, reunions, and new friendships occur as the film hurtles towards several big reveals and the ( hopefully! ) happy ending.

This marks the fourth film of director Tarsem Singh ( he made THE IMMORTALS last year ). He gives us many of the same visual tricks ( slow and fast motion, extreme color palettes, wire-work acrobatics, rapid cutting ), but doesn’t have a light touch that this material demands. There’s no THE PRINCESS BRIDE subtlety on display here. There are opulent palace sets, outrageous over the top gowns ( hey Costume Design Oscar nominators! ), and an overly busy Allan Menkin score to capitalize every wink and grimace. And Singh seems to just be moving the cast like chess pieces ( as the queen does in an early scene ) toward the big action set-ups. Julia Robert’s drag-queen villainy and vanity, perhaps a riff on Tallulah Bankhead ( Google her kids! ), quickly becomes tedious. She’s also the mirror reflection/ witch who stares blankly, wears all white, delivers cryptic warnings, and sends killer marionettes ( huh? ) after the heroes. Collins’s Snow is a fairly vacant princess who looks lovely ( even with Peter Gallagher eyebrows ), but tends to be overshadowed in many scenes. She finally gets a bit more interesting after meeting the dwarves and gets a training montage ( surprised I didn’t hear ” Eye of the Tiger’! ) and a makeover ( ?! ) by the metro sexual member of the gang. Speaking of the seven, they’re played by actual diminutive actors ( as opposed to being “hobbit-ized” ) and are not the jewel-miners from the 37′ classic. After taking off their accordian-legs ( really !) we find that each has a name reflective of a trait or habit ( ” Grub ” loves to eat! ” Chuck” likes to laugh or chuckle! Sooo cuuute! And clever! ). One’s got a little crush on Snow and comes off a tad creepy. Hammer is pretty and prince-ly as Alcott ( should make the ladies’ hearts flutter ), but is too pompous and comes off as a teasing older brother in scenes with ” kid sister ” Snow. There’s very few sparks between the two. The very talented Nathan Lane is wasted as the queen’s put-upon aide who looks fearful as he scurries about ( literally after getting hexed! ) and peppers his royal compliments with a sarcastic snark. I was delighted to see a couple of great screen vets. Lerner get delightfully frustrated in his pursuit of the queen, while former ” brat packer” Mare Winningham as the head of castle cleaning and kitchens tries to nurture Snow while placating the queen. Most of the sets are imaginative except for the overused white-blanketed forest. Even in bare feet nobody seems cold there. The very small kiddies may find this amusing, but the pacing and tiresome attempts at wit should have the elders glancing at the time. For a wise cracking jab at story books I’ll take the first SHREK or PRINCESS BRIDE over this ( and I’ll take Jay Ward’s still fresh and hilarious ” Fractured Fairy Tales” from TV’s “The Bullwinkle Show” over all of them). I hope Charlize, Bella Swan, and Thor have a better flick with their take on this timeless tale in a few months.

Overall Rating : 1.5 Out of 5 Stars

You can bet that the major studios have been looking at the movie career of multimedia mogul Tyler Perry very closely. Particularly those big box office numbers. For the last few years Perry has become a major Hollywood power player with his low budget, big grossing  films. Most of these have been adaptations of his stage productions that tour the country playing for a couple of performances to very enthusiastic, mostly black audiences. Many are little morality dramas spiced up with comedy (often with Perry himself in drag as that force of nature Madea-very broad comedy) and religious lessons (with an occasional hymn or song). Now the big studios hope to tap into that market with a mix of Perry, and a dash of TV’s “American Idol” and “Glee” with a pinch or two of FOOTLOOSE. The end result is a cinematic stew called JOYFUL NOISE, which might tickle the taste buds of many moviegoers. Or not.

When the cameras dolly (wait for it!) down the streets of sleepy Pacashau, Georgia we see the results of the economic down turn with many of the main street stores boarded up and plastered with ” Going Out of Business ” signs. But things are hoppin’ at the Pacashau Divinity Church with the singin’ and testifyin’ rainbow-hued choir (no racial tensions in this peach-flavored Brigadoon) led by Bernard Sparrow (Kris Kristofferson). But before the hymn is finished (hey, before the last of the opening credits) Sparrow has taken wing. The solemn, sometimes stuffy pastor (Courtney B. Vance) passes over widow G.G. Sparrow ( Dolly Parton ) for the position of choir director and appoints Vi Rose (Queen Latifah), the first of several conflicts between the two earth mothers (kind of like Stallone and Snipes facing off in DEMOLITION MAN). Vi Rose is a hardworkin’ mom and nurse (Dad has re-upped at a military base far,far away) trying to raise two kids: her rebellious sixteen year old daughter Olivia (Keke Palmer), who’s the choir’s big voiced MVP, and her kid brother Walter (Dexter Darden), whose Asperger’s syndrome compels him to rattle off music history one-hit-wonder trivia. As if things weren’t complicated enough, G.G.’s teenage grandson Randy (Jeremy Jordan) arrives in town after his mom kicked him out of his NYC home. He’s gonna’ shake things up and make em’ kick off their Sunday shoes (Oops. Well, it does seem that he stumbled on to this set right from the FOOTLOOSE remake auditions). Randy takes an immediate interest in the choir especially Olivia (Conflict #2!) . And before you can say “Conflict #3,”  Randy (and G.G.) are pushing Vi Rose to move away from the “traditional” spirituals and get down with gospel versions of pop tunes. I mean that’s the only way they’re gonna’ make it past those pesky regionals (aren’t those “Glee” kids always worked up about them?) and head on to the national finals (cue another TV bit from “American Idol” – “Welcome to Hollywood!”). I mean the poor, out-of-work folks back in Pacashau are a countin’ on them!

The many diverse elements in this film seem to bump, and often crash, into each other making for a sloppy, disjointed wreck of a film. At times it did seem like the first season of a new musical “dramedy” TV show called “The Church Choir” all mashed up into two long hours.  Like episodic TV, besides the main leads we get the wacky choir second-stringers (one repeats everything, another believes her lovin’ is fatal- a literal killer “booty”, there’s a break-dancin’ good ole’ boy, and an Asian who talks like Jethro Bodine- it’s pure comedy gold!) The stars do their best, but are hampered by the cliche’ ridden script. It seems as though Latifah’s Vi Rose is delivering sermons to other characters rather than conversing with them. She’s constantly ’ speech-ifying’. Dolly’s still playing the sweet, feisty, down-home, trashy-dressin’ gal, but is saddled with lots of tired corn-pone idioms and adages. I couldn’t help, but be distracted and saddened by her appearance, which is referenced a few times in the dialogue (Dolly’s G.G. says, “God didn’t make plastic surgeons to starve!”). It’s a shame that actors (male and female) don’t allow themselves to age gracefully (and have a mobile face instead of a plastic kabuki-like mask). This film is the second to explore Asperger’s in the past few weeks (after EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE), but here it seems to be more of a plot device to bring the two young love birds together. Most of the time Walter wears shades (resembling Jamie Foxx in RAY) and is able to interact socially when the script needs him to do so. His confrontation with Vi Rose questioning God is, at the least,  awkward (He cries, “I don’t wanna’ be like this!” Really?). The scenes at the national finals are laughingly absurd. Sure the stage crew could completely improvise and fellow the performers! No sweat! The popularity of gospel music is deserving of a great fiction feature film since there’s been a number of great documentaries (like 1982′s SAY AMEN, SOMEBODY). Let’s hope Hollywood will produce one soon. In the meantime file this under films you can give to Grammy for her new DVD player.

Overall Rating: 1.5 out of 5 stars

This movie year we film fans are getting to see new works from directors who might not be referred to as prolific. They’re not giving us a new movie every year like Woody Allen ( who’s had a great 2011 with MIDNIGHT IN PARIS ). One is Terence Malick, who gave us THE TREE OF LIFE a few months ago. Another is Cameron Crowe. It’s been six years since Mr. Crowe took us on a cinema trip to ELIZABETHTOWN. Well, he’s back at the multiplex, but like Martin Scorsese with HUGO, he’s tackling what might be pegged as a family film, the based-on-a-true-story WE BOUGHT A ZOO.

The film’s focus is hotshot newspaper reporter Benjamin Mee ( Matt Damon ), whose life is at a turning point. Recently widowed, he’s doing his best to raise his two children on his own. Rosie’s ( Mary Elizabeth Jones )  a sweet little sprite still missing Mommy, but the main challenge is Ben’s acting-out teenage son Dylan ( Colin Ford ). After Dylan’s suspension from school, and big cutbacks at the paper ( he will not be a blogger! ), Ben thinks the family needs a new change of venue. A new home with a big yard away from the city should be just the ticket. Ben finds the perfect new house, with a small catch: it’s attached to a small, run-down zoo. Utilizing his family inheritance ( much to the chagrin of his big brother played by Thomas Haden Church ), Ben plunges into this new home and job. Dylan rebels against this change, despite the cute zoo staffer Lilly ( Elle Fanning ), who takes a shine to him. Ben must rally the zoo keepers, led by Kelly ( Scarlett Johansson ), and try to spruce up the place to pass a big inspection and re-open the place tot he public. He finds that the job of zoo owner and single dad may be much more than he can handle.

Contrary to what you may have gathered from the film’s marketing people, this is not a sequel to ZOOKEEPER. Crowe gives this family flick a harder edge than expected. The animals here are not cute, wise-cracking, slapsticky, CGI creatures we’ve seen in other comedies. There’s a real danger to them, and with one zoo veteran a sense of mortality. The humans are more complex also. Damon continues to impress this time as a very believable family man, who’s trying to hold tha family together while dealing with his own great loss. He also works very well with his fellow actors. Damon’s not upstaged by the cuteness onslaught of Ms. Jones ( Memories of Drew Barrymore as Gertie in E.T. ) and his scenes dealing with Ford really crackle. Filmgoers may be surprised by the real, raw drama in many of their altercations. Church is charming and very believable ( they look like they could be related ) as Damon’s cynical, funny big bro. The film’s main problem may be the forced whimsy from the wacky, eccentric zoo staff. They seem to be taking too much time away from the family dynamics. Johansson does what she can with the underwritten Kelly who predictably goes from tough to tender toward Ben. Damon has had some great chemistry with several actresses in his recent films ( Emily Blount in THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU and Bryce Dallas Howard in HEREAFTER ), but no real sparks are generated between these two. Like HUGO and WAR HORSE, WE BOUGHT A ZOO brings a tougher edge to the family movie genre, but coming from the very gifted Crowe it seems to be a better cast cable flick. It’s a well made film with a few entertaining moments that never really mesh together. But , let’s hope Crowe doesn’t wait some many years before bring us ( hopefully ) a much better film.

Overall Rating: Three Out of Five Stars

Ah, what Hollywood will do in the pursuit of family movie box office bucks. The studio executives love pre-sold properties, so for the past several years the rights to the Saturday morning superstars of yesteryear have been scooped up to attract not only the small set, but their parents who have nostalgic memories of wolfing down their sugar-blasted cereals in front of the old, glowing cathode tube babysitter. For most of these trips down memory lane, the classic characters are rendered in CGI alongside live actors, perhaps to set these new efforts apart from their limited cell animation roots. This may have begun with CASPER, who frolicked with Christina Ricci and Bill Paxton, and continued with SCOOBY DOO ( and a CGI Great Dane ), YOGI BEAR, this past Summer’s smash THE SMURFS, and now the third of the movie series, ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS : CHIPWRECKED. While they might be best remembered by most adults as TV stars, the Chipmunks were created for novelty records ( now that’s really going back ). After several audio experiments, music producer/ songwriter Ross Bagdasarian ( movie trivia : he’s the lonely piano player living across from Jimmy Stewart in REAR WINDOW ) created the trio for the recording ” The Chipmunk Song” AKA ” Christmas Don’t Be Late “. Not only did Bagdasarian provide the voices of Alvin, Simon, and Theodore, but he become the character David Seville, the human manager / father figure to the child-like rodents. This prompted several more best-selling record albums and eventually a CBS prime time animated series ( produced by Format Films ), ” The Alvin Show “. A few more albums followed until they drifted into pop culture limbo after the death of Bagdasarian in 1972. In the early eighties son Ross Bagdasarian, Jr. revived the group with new versions of pop tunes and returned them to Saturday mornings on NBC with a new series in 1983 ( this time produced by Ruby-Spears and later DIC ). The trio invaded home video with a series of original animated films and jumped to cinemas in 2007 with the live action/ CGI hybrid ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS. A follow-up in 2009, ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS : THE SQUEAKQUEL introduced moviegoers to the trio’s female counterparts : Brittany, Jeanette, and Eleanor. Both flicks were box office bonanzas, so here’s the film that hopes to pull off the old franchise hat trick.

Well. what did they come up with for this new movie adventure? Let’s send ‘em on vacation! On a high seas cruise to be exact. Dave Seville ( Jason Lee ) takes the chipmunks and chipettes on a nautical excursion before they perform on the International Music Awards show. This will be a perfect opportunity for ole’ Dave to sooth his jangled nerves. But with that hellion Alvin leading the group there’s little chance of any relaxation for Mr. S! Dave soon earns the ire of the ship’s captain and the intrusive ship mascot who turns out to be the villain from the previous films, Ian ( David Cross ) former music producer now reduced to wearing a cumbersome pelican costume. An incident with a kite sends the ‘munks flying off the boat. Dave and Ian grab a paraglider, but soon are adrift at sea. The six castaways land on an island that turns out not to be deserted. There’s a loopy delivery woman named Zoe ( Jenny Slate ) who helps them. The island provides more than just survival challenges for the title trio. The more immature Theodore is still traumatized by a monster flick he watched in their cabin on the ship. A spider bite turns the usually timid Simon into a reckless, French-accented daredevil who makes Jeanette swoon. And the usually irresponsible Alvin must take charge as a looming volcano threatens to erupt. Will they be re-united with Dave ( and Ian ) and return to civilization in time for the big award show. And what’s the secret behind the waterfall?

These little critters may just have overstayed their time at the multiplex with this uninspired ( well, with a bit of inspiration from CASTAWAY and TV’s ” Survivor “, ” Lost “, and ” Gilligan’s Island ” ) romp. The chipmunks are just not complex enough to warrant a third film. Theo’s the pudgy baby, Simon’s the timid brainiac, and Alvin’s the wild card. Their main gimmick ( squeaky, sped-up voices ) grows tiresome quickly. I could only understand have of the vocals on their takes on pop tunes ( luckily there’s only one ” chip-rap ” number ). Some name actors supply the voices, but sound nearly alike ( I can’t tell you which chipette is Christina Applegate, Anna Faris, or Amy Poehler ). The CGI animation of them is serviceable, but in most of the action scenes they bounce around like little furry rubber balls ( I’m so glad we were spared 3D on this one ). Their live human co-stars don’t fare much better. Lee and Cross have shown their impressive comedy skills on TV ( in ” My Name is Earl ” and ” Arrested Development ” ), but here the must struggle through some poorly scripted bits of clumsy slapstick. It was a surprise seeing the gifted SNL vet Slate involved, but she can’t turn this into comic gold. Even the biggest baby boomer and Gen X fans ( now parents ) will be checking their time pieces as this film plods along. With much superior family films still in theatres ( THE MUPPETS, ARTHUR CHRISTMAS, and the magical HUGO ), there’s no need to board this sinking ship. The old ” it’s just a kids’ movie” excuse should not give a free pass to mediocre movies.

Overall Rating: One Out of Five Stars

Countless movies over the years have dealt with the exploits of fictional characters that have brought things to life-from Doctors Frankenstein to Herbert West ( the Re-Animator flicks ). With the new documentary BEING ELMO we learn about a real-life re-animator named Kevin Clashwho,instead of body parts or mechanical men, gives life to stitched together bits of foam and felt. More importantly, he’s the guy behind the pre-K superstar of Sesame Street, Elmo.

Clash’s journey to that TV street began on a real, urban street in Baltimore in the early 1970′s. He was fascinated by puppets and marionettes and was encouraged by his family ( his father was not upset that he used the lining of his trench coat for one of his first puppet creations ). Entertaining the children in his mother’s day-care service in the back yard ( a blanket tossed over the clothes line was his stage ) to cheering up kids at hospitals and schools, Clash soon made a name for himself in the area. Word reached the local TV stations and soon he was an integralpart of a local kids’ show. They helped put him in touch with Robert Keeshan, who brought Clash on board his long-running ” Captain Kangaroo “. Of course the big superstar of puppetry those days was Muppet mastermind Jim Henson. After catching a TV showabout the making of his characters, Clash set about meeting the designer and engineer of the Muppets, Kermit Love. Thanks to his mother making many phone calls, Clash met the puppet wizard during a highschool NYC field trip. This lead to the syndicated TV kids’ show ” The Great Space Coaster” , and finally, once the Captainand the Coaster left the airwaves, to Henson’s staff. After working on the feature film LABYRITH, Clash became one of the main Muppet performers on ” Sesame Street “. After toiling away with a number of Street residents, one of the other muppeteerstossed him a red, furry, orange-nosed monster character ( who he had voiced as a caveman-type ) and said, ” See what you can do with this!”. Clash brainstormed and soon came up with a mischievous, affectionate, five-year-old charmer that captured the hearts of tykes everywhere. Clash had finally found his foam and felt perfect alter-ego, Elmo.

BEING ELMO is an engaging story that, not only tells of the joy of performing and being encouraged by a supportive family, but also gives many examples of the benfits ofpaying-it-forward. Clash gets lots of advice from the local Baltimore TV crew, then Kermit Love, and finally Henson andhis Muppet team. Soon, Clash is passing his wisdom and skills to performersof the foreign versions of Sesame and, finally, a wide-eyed, pre-teen puppeteer. The film is sparsely narrated by Whoopi Goldberg. Clash mostly tells his own story in interviews with the film makers, and extensive footage from past TV news stories about him ( some great scenes from the old TV show ” The Big, Blue Marble” ) and behind the scenes featurettes. surprisinglywe see some clips from Henson’s memorial service in 1990. And, the film does address the whole ” Tickle Me Elmo” mania that swept the country a few years back. Clash seems a bit stunned by this, but he’s truly touched by the impact that he’s made on children. We see him welcoming an ailing little girl and her family to the Street set in a touching sequence. Seems that a visit to their little furry friend is a popular request at the Make-A-Wish Foundation. There’s many interviews with other performers and family members, but some of his adult personal life is glossedover a bit. After seeing home video of his wife headed to the hospital to give birth, we don’t hear about her until a few moments later when she’s referred to as an ex-wife. There’s many scenes of Clash regretting being an absentee father to his daughter and then many clips from her big sweet sixteen party. These are many quibbles. BEING ELMO is a charming film that celebrates a determined, gifted man who, thanks to hard work and encouraging mentors, found an outlet to hare his love and joy, and made all his young dreams come true. It’s a story that should touch ( and tickle ) even the most cynical filmgoers.

Overall Rating : Four Out of Five Stars

Wow. It seems only yesterday that I was bemoaning having to don the big glasses and watch another film in 3D. It seemed that it was turning into a tired gimmick. It was an extra cost for films that needed an extra push. And then there’s the films converted to 3D after being shot with standard cameras. I couldn’t recall all the 3D movies I’d seen this past year. And then a master shows us how it’s done. Martin Scorsese’s HUGO (based on the children’s book ” The Invention of Hugo Chabret” by Brian Selznick ) truly utilizes the format to its full potential. With most films, I’ve told friends that the 3D wasn’t necessary. With this film I hope people will make the extra effort ( and spend a bit more ) in order to experience it’s eye-popping wonders. A friend was complaining that Scorsese was slumming by stooping to shoot in 3D. I remembered that Alfred Hitchcock shot DIAL M FOR MURDER at the height of the 3D movie craze of the 1950′s ( after the big box office of HOUSE OF WAX and B’WANA DEVIL ). If Hitch could work with the format, why shouldn’t Scorsese get a crack at it? I think movie goers will be glad he did. 

At the film’s start we’re high above Paris. The camera swoops into the train station. The year is 1930. We meet a pre-teen boy named Hugo ( Asa Butterfield ). It’s revealed that Hugo worked alongside his inventor father ( Jude Law ) who was the custodian of a large museum. They both attempt to activate a small robot called an automaton. It appears that it writes with pen and ink. Their work comes to a halt when the father is killed and Hugo must live with his lush of an uncle,Claude ( Ray Winstone ) who is the clock maintenance man at the station. When Claude goes missing after a bender, Hugo assumes his duties at the station. As he scrambles to survive while servicing the clocks, Hugo must keep two steps ahead of the determined station inspector ( Sasha Baron Cohen ) and his Doberman. The inspector believes that Hugo is a thieving child of the streets. In his adventures Hugo works with a sullen toy shop owner ( Ben Kingsley ) and befriends the man’s god-daughter Isabelle ( Chloe Grace Moretz ). As the two kids explore the city they soon discover the mystery surrounding her Papa Georges.

This barely scratches the surface of all the wonders of the film. The Paris of 1930 is almost another character in the film. HUGO makes a nice companion piece to Woody Allan’s film from earlier this year MIDNIGHT IN PARIS. Both films are meticulous in their recreation of the era and both feature real artists of the time, although there’s more historical cameos in the Allen film. HUGO has yet another cinema brother in the soon to be released THE ARTIST. In one scene Hugo sneaks Isabelle into a cinema where she is dazzled by an American silent film ( kudos to Scorsese for the excellent choice ), while THE ARTIST  is a silent film set around the same period in Hollywood. In this film Scorsese is really able to display and share his passion for the history of cinema. While dazzling us with the sumptuous visuals, Scorsese has not neglected the actors. The film rests on the very capable shoulders of young Butterfield, His Hugo is a smart, resourceful, daring young man. Moretz continues to build a great body of film work as Hugo’s sympathetic sidekick ( and perhaps love interest ). Cohen aptly displays his considerable comic skills ( almost a slapstick silent film clown ) as the comic villain . But the inspector’s not all bad. He pines for the train station flower seller ( Emily Mortimer ), but is embarrassed by the brace on his left leg ( a war injury ). Kingsley gives a very moving performance as the toy peddler who is more than he seems, although his interplay with Hugo makes for some great comedy. Bravo  to the producers for populating the station with some great veteran actors like Richard Griffiths and the great Christopher Lee as a kindly book seller. The film may be a tad too long for the very young ( some were getting a bit fidgety at the screening ), but older kids will be thrilled by Hugo’s daring escapes and adventures. With HUGO Scorsese has wrapped up a delightful cinema gift to us this holiday season and proves that any movie format can work when an artist with passion is behind the lens.

Overall Rating: Four and a Half Out of Five Stars

Anyone who had the misfortune of growing up without The Muppets has my unyielding sympathy. There’s never been anything like it, and there will never be anything like it again… that is, of course, for the revival film simply called THE MUPPETS, directed by James Bobin.

THE MUPPETS (2011) was written by, and co-stars Jason Segel as Gary, a happy go lucky guy who lives with his pal Walter, who happens to be a Muppet who thinks he’s a man. It is abundantly clear that Segel has a passionate love for The Muppets and fellow fans will catch this immediately. He gets it, and he nails what needed to be done for a successful revival of the beloved characters in a time when such projects often go terribly awry.

I say Jason Segel is the co-star because, really… we all know Kermit the Frog is the real star. But in all fairness, Amy Adams is a great addition to the film as Gary’s girlfriend Mary. Gary and Mary are madly in love, but she wishes for more, a married life. Unfortunately, Gary and Walter are inseparable. So, when Gary invites Walter along with him and Mary to Los Angeles to see the sights, Mary feels a bit like a third wheel.

But, enough of this romance stuff. Off we go, to Los Angeles where Walter dreams of touring the now closed Muppets Studio. Unfortunately, what they find upon their arrival is heartbreaking. An evil oil tycoon named Tex Richman, played by Chris Cooper, has bought up the Muppets Studio property and plans to tear it all down in favor of oil exploration. The nerve!

Walter and Gary must now try and save the Muppets Studio, and the only way to do that is to get the band back together and put on one last show… a show to save the Muppet Theatre. This will prove easier said than done. We first reunite with Kermit the Frog. This is the first of several Muppet encounters that feels as familiar as so many of us being laid off and out of work. Muppets should never be down on their luck, but as Tex Richman points out… it’s a new era, and The Muppets are now irrelevant. To hell with that!

“You simply can’t keep a good Muppet down,” is what I always say. The Muppets feel and fresh and alive as I remember them some 25 years ago. Wow. I’d feel old now, if not for my abundantly active inner child. Not only do The Muppets have to overcome impossible odds, renovating the dilapidated Muppet Theatre and putting on a telethon to save it with little time to prepare, they must also contend with Tex Richman’s more modern and off-putting Moopets, his replacement for the Muppet.

THE MUPPETS (2011) is quite possibly the best live-action family musical I’ve seen since the original Muppet movie, but I am a bit biased. There is an intelligent cuteness to the song and dance scenes. The jokes are hilarious, for kids of all ages. That includes you, mom and dad. Segel is charmingly oblivious. For a guy that stands 6 foot 5 inches, you wouldn’t think he’d be able to pull off this level of being adorably silly, but he does.

Amy Adams is a blast, as well, especially during her musical numbers. Adams clearly jumped in with both feet and embraced the quirky, over-the-top nature of The Muppets, milking her scenes for all their worth without overdoing it a bit. Chris Cooper takes the essence of a Muppets villain and runs with it, giving a cheeky self-aware evildoer performance that rivals the best… Maniacal laugh! Maniacal laugh!

THE MUPPETS (2011) is everything fans hope it will be. I dare you to walk out of the theater and not be wearing a smile from ear to ear. I dare you not to get goose bumps when Kermit and Miss Piggy perform their classic duet of  “Rainbow Connection” for the first time in years. It’s unavoidable. Prepare yourself to rekindle that long, lost connection with all of your favorite Muppet characters, along with a gleefully rich cast of supporting and cameo roles including Rashida Jones, Alan Arkin, Zach Galifianakis, Ken Jeong, and… many more. I don’t want to spoil all the surprises.

Overall Rating: 4 “Wocka, Wockas” out of 5

Well, Harold and Kumar have already taken their 3D shot at Christmas, so it’s time for another 3D flick that hopes to become a holiday viewing tradition. Unlike those two ‘buds’, this one is made for all ages. And it’s animated, but ARTHUR CHRISTMAS is a co-production between Sony Animation and those fine folks from across the pond, Aardman Studios ( the Wallace and Grommit folks ), so it’s got some of that dry British humor which will appeal to the grown-ups . This film follows in the tradition of many holiday flick in that it wants to give you the real low-down on how Saint Nick makes his rounds ( this what THE SANTA CLAUSE , SANTA CLAUS THE MOVIE, and FRED CLAUS all purported to reveal ).

The film opens up on the Claus family’s busiest night of the year. We get to see an entire village serviced by Santa and countless elves. They zip in on a spaceship ( the massive S-1 ) and, like a cross between super-secret agents and wily ninjas they enter homes, disable alarms, and distribute the presents, all without getting detected ( they collect the snacks left for Santa and his reindeer and turn them into bio-fuel for the S-1 ). The slighty befuddled Santa ( Jim Broadbent ) wouldn’t get the job done without the high-tech mission control back at the North Pole  run with precision by the next in line to be Santa, oldest son Steve ( Hugh Laurie ). Oh, and in his own tiny office ( decorated with all manner of Santa stuff ) is his younger brother Arthur ( James McAvoy ), who’s in charge of answering all the letters to Santa. The big man in the big spaceship finally returns ro home base : mission accomplished. Everyone is pleased except Arthur! It turns out that a present didn’t make it on to the ship. Santa and Steve shrug it off-they’ll just ship the gift to the little girl and she’ll get it in a few days. Arthur will not stand for this. There’s a few hours before dawn breaks on the girl’s Cornwall village, so Arthur, with the aid of the retired Grandsanta ( Bill Nighy ) and his old sled Evie ( and reindeer ) embarks on a race against the clock to insure that every child has a very merry Christmas.

The film begins with a bang with the history of the Santa line ( the current one is seventeen ) , then quickly cuts to the elves leaving the S-1 I ( in invisible stealth mode ) and zipping down ropes onto the homes. This sequence is like Bond or Mission: Impossible times a hundred! McAvoy is wonderfully innocent and ernest as the son that just wants to make sure that all the kids are happy. In this film Laurie sounds closer to one of his upper-class twits in ” Black Adder” than Dr. Gregory House. Steve is quite full of himself and has his own Santa suit already whipped up ( a great gag ). Broadbent is terrific as the slightly out of it Santa. It’s a good thing Mrs. Claus ( Imelda Staunton ) is there to keep him focused. The best present here is Nighy as the crotchety, surly Grandsanta he really dislikes all these new fangled gizmos.  Some of his lines are true politically incorrect gems. The character designs are very pleasant and creative ( all those elves! ) and the 3D works well with the bright designs and backgrounds. The film tends to sag a bit when Arhtur’s on his journey, but everything leads up to a rousing and sentimental finale.  A warning : the film is preceeded by a music video of Justin Biebers version of a classic holiday tune. Talk about your lump of coal! Ah, back to the main event-ARTHUR CHRISTMAS  is a tasty holiday treat that has a smart funny script that will keep parents amused while the tykes are enthralled.

Overall Rating : Three and a Half Out of Five Stars

A DOLPHIN TALE is an exhilarating drama of a boy and nature that is highly enjoyable with enormous family appeal. It’s fluff, and predictable fluff at that, that unabashedly pulls at the heart strings but it basically works. Swimming free, a young dolphin is caught in a crab trap off the coast of Florida, severely damaging her tail. She is rescued and transported to the Clearwater Marine Hospital, where she is named Winter. Her tail is amputated and no one expects her to live much longer since she can’t swim properly without it. How will they save poor Winter?

DOLPHIN TALE is just the sort of heart-tugging, uplifting movie promised in the trailer. It’s not based on a true story, but inspired by one. Yes, there is a Dolphin named Winter that was rescued by the good folks at Clearwater Marine Hospital (you can go see Winter live right now at www.seewinter.com). To give this story some dramatic heft, DOLPHIN TALE has t make up some characters and since so many of the most emotional family films have been about the bond between children and animals (FREE WILLY, THE BLACK STALLION, even ET), this story is told through the eyes of a fictional 11 year old boy named Sawyer played Nathan Gamble and the movie really becomes his story. Sawyer was there when Winter was rescued and of course it’s only he who the dolphin responds to. Sawyer, who has some abandonment issues of his own, is given quite a melodramatic back story. His father has disappeared. His favorite cousin, who dreams of being a swimming champ, gets deployed to fight in Iraq and (get this) comes back wounded with a serious leg injury! Talk about a parallel plot line! This gives the film the chance to introduce the grumpy doctor Dr. McCarthy, a specialist in creating prosthetic limbs for soldiers at the local VA hospital. He’s of course played by Morgan Freeman and Sawyer convinces him to help save the dolphin by developing a prosthetic new tail (Dr. McCarthy notes that he has some vacation days stored up so we don’t think he’s distracted from helping war vets). But then there’s a hurricane, the destruction from which puts the Marine hospital in such debt it’ll have to be sold soon to a rich hotel magnate so the clock is ticking on saving Winter!

Thankfully director Charles Martin Smith (who, with NEVER CRY WOLF and AIR BUD has experience directing animals), knows just what to do emotionally and technically to pull off this old-fashioned sentimental yarn. An extremely handsome production, A DOLPHIN TALE effectively manipulates audiences with its rhythms and drama and Mark Isham’s soaring score is perfectly in sync with the narrative. The problem with DOLPHIN TALE is that it goes exactly where you expect it to, has a very simple story to tell (one completely laid out in the trailer), and takes a long time telling it. At almost a full two hours, younger children are going to get restless. Kids ages 8 to about 13 will totally eat it up though but it’s way too square for older teens who’ll probably find the film as saccharine as most adults. The characters, who are unilaterally impossible to dislike, are so darned well-meaning and saintly they may as well be wearing halos around their heads. The dedicated Marine biologist, played by Harry Connick, is a perfect match for Sawyer’s single mom played by Ashley Judd and he just happens to be widowed (though curiously, the script does not follow through on this romance) and has a precocious 11 year-old daughter named Hazel for Sawyer to bond with. The plot is embarrassingly straightforward and obvious and the good will and pat happy endings are laid on awfully thick. Even the billionaire real estate developer turns out to have a heart of gold so there are no villains in this film.

The gooey feel-good sentiments expressed in A DOLPHIN TALE are a bit old-fashioned and the exposition a bit prolonged and overdone, but the movie still succeeds on its own terms. If people leave the theater with a fuzzy glow and wanting to go out and hug a Dolphin, then, honestly, we’re all the better for it. An astute, intelligent family picture, A DOLPHIN TALE is a potent reminder that you can have your heart in the right place and still produce a gripping, satisfying entertainment.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

As a film lover, one of the comments I’ve heard over the years that irks me every time is ” Well. it’s intended for kids”. This seems to be a blanket excuse for any sloppily made animated features aimed at the moppet set. I believe that now , thanks to the cinema gems from Pixar, Dreamworks, and Blue Sky, that hackneyed phrase can finally be put to rest. Certainly UP, RIO, and HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON have themes that interest youngsters, but they’re well executed stories that all ages can appreciate. The makers of HOOWINKED TOO! HOOD VS. EVIL seem to believe that by pairing up star voices with fairy tale satire that they can score a bullseye with that all ages audience. The end result  not only misses that bullseye, it comes nowhere near the target.

As the title suggests, this is a sequel to the original HOODWINKED from a few years ago. The Big Bad Wolf is now part of a secret spy group the Happily Ever After Agency run by a frog named Nick Flippers. When Granny Puckett is captured during a botched rescue if Hansel and Gretel, Red Riding Hood  stops her training with the Sister Hoods to prevent Verushka the witch from perfecting the recipe for a chocolate truffle that makes the consumer all powerful. Along the way they must get information from the Giant and enlist the aid of Kirk the Woodsman and his yodeling gang in infiltrating the witch’s towering apartment buiding and defeat her pig army.

This movie included many of my animation pet peeves. I knew I was in for a rough ride when the first credits seen in the first moments is not for the writers or artists but for all the celebrity voice actors. Over a black screen we got all,ALL. the actors listed along with their characters, not in a group or three or four,but individual title cards: Heidi Klum as Heidi! I don’t believe you need a recognizable voice in every role. It’s not a guarantee of quality. Even more than the Shrek films or SHARK TAILS, the script was choked with dated pop culture references. Oh, Granny’s wearing Uma’s yellow track suit from KILL BILL! The Giant’s doing Joe Pesci’s ” Do I amuse you ” monologue from GOODFELLAS! Oh, a Star Wars joke and a Star Trek gag-from the 60′s series! And the characters never shut up for more than a second! The Wolf is chattering away non-stop! One running gag involves a banjo playing goats who shows up just in time to be smashed by some falling object-almost every fifteen minutes!  Unfortunately not all the problems here are verbal. The character designs of the Wolf, Flippers and Red are very unappealing and flat. They bounce around the generic backgrounds and seem to have no weight or gravity to them. As I left the theatre my aggravation turned to sadness as I thought of all the artists that worked to produce this soon to be daytime cable TV time filler. A lot of talent is needed to produce any animation. Let’s hope that the HOODWINKED series ends with this installment and the artists move on to projects much more worthy of their time and talent.

Overall Rating: One Half out of 5 stars

Morgan Freeman, Harry Connick Jr. and Ashley Judd star in the trailer premiere for DOLPHIN TALE (via Yahoo! Movies). Inspired by the remarkable true story, the film is about a courageous dolphin named Winter and the compassionate people who banded together to save her life.

Synopsis:

Based on true events DOLPHIN TALE is a family film about Winter, a young dolphin who loses her tail in a crab trap and Sawyer, the introverted, 11-year old boy who befriends her. Sawyer meets the rescued dolphin at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, a marine rehabilitation center where she lives. Sawyer rallies friends and family alike to save Winter by convincing a pioneering doctor to create a unique prosthetic attachment to restore the dolphin’s ability to swim. Winter the dolphin will play herself in the movie.

From director Charles Martin Smith, the film stars Morgan Freeman, Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd, Kris Kristofferson and Nathan Gamble. DOLPHIN TALE hits theaters in 3D and 2D on September 23, 2011

Check out this first trailer for Jim Carrey’s family comedy MR. POPPER’S PENGUINS.

Awww…that looks so cute, doesn’t it?

Synopsis:

In this family comedy, Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) is Mr. Popper, a driven businessman who is clueless when it comes to the important things in life – until he inherits six penguins. Popper’s penguins turn his swank New York apartment into a snowy winter wonderland – and the rest of his life upside-down. Filmed on a refrigerated soundstage with real Emperor Penguins, MR. POPPER’S PENGUINS is a contemporary adaptation of the classic book.

From 20th Century Fox, MR. POPPER’S PENGUINS will be in theaters this summer on June 17. Visit the film’s official site HERE, “like” it on Facebook HERE, and follow it on Twitter HERE. (@Popperspenguins)

Walt Disney has sent us this new featurette for MARS NEEDS MOMS. In it you’ll hear from actors Joan Cusack, Dan Fogler and Seth Green, producer Robert Zemeckis and director/screenwriter Simon Wells and catch a glimpse at the making of this sci-fi, family friendly movie.

Synopsis:

Take out the trash, eat your broccoli—who needs moms, anyway? Nine-year-old Milo (Seth Green) finds out just how much he needs his mom (Joan Cusack) when she’s nabbed by Martians who plan to steal her mom-ness for their own young. Produced by the team behind “Disney’s A Christmas Carol” and “The Polar Express,” MARS NEEDS MOMS showcases Milo’s quest to save his mom—a wild adventure in Disney Digital 3D™ and IMAX® 3D that involves stowing away on a spaceship, navigating an elaborate, multi-level planet and taking on the alien nation and their leader (Mindy Sterling). With the help of a tech-savvy, underground earthman named Gribble (Dan Fogler) and a rebel Martian girl called Ki (Elisabeth Harnois), Milo just might find his way back to his mom—in more ways than one.

MARS NEEDS MOMS hits theaters in 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D March 11, 2011. Play Mars Needs Moms Low Gravity Leap on: http://disney.com/Mars

Visit the film’s official site HERE. Become a fan on Facebook: http://facebook.com/MarsNeedsMomsMovie

Fun facts about the movie:

• Berkeley Breathed, a Pulitzer-Prize winner for his comic strip “Bloom County,” is the author and illustrator of the book “Mars Needs Moms.” The story was inspired by a particular moment of disagreement that took place between his son Milo and his wife. 
• Producer Robert Zemeckis, who wrote, directed and produced “Disney’s A Christmas Carol” and “The Polar Express,” is a pioneer in performance-capture filmmaking.  The process digitally captures the performances of the actors with computerized cameras in a full 360 degrees, allowing actors like Jim Carrey and Tom Hanks to play several roles of varying ages in one film, and for 36-year-old Seth Green to portray a 9-year-old.

Meet Wingnut, the leader of the Hairy Tribe Guys, who embody the lost love of Mars. They live in the underground trash caverns, discarded by the misguided civilized society above. Wingnut was Gribble‘s buddy before Milo arrived on Mars and Gribble thinks he’s a little crazy and not too smart. But Wingnut just might understand far more about what is happening on Mars than anyone thinks.

Meet Ki, a young Martian who learned to speak English by watching a ‘70s sitcom. She spends her time painting elaborate graffiti on the walls of Mars. But she does so in secret. She’s forced to hide her artistic side on a planet that is devoid of color and emotion. The Martians are strictly forbidden from expressing any individuality—but Ki thinks for herself—particularly when she decides to help Milo.

Meet Gribble, a 30-something who has been on Mars since his own mom was “needed” by Martians many years prior. When Milo reaches the planet and is taken prisoner, Gribble rescues him, guiding him through a series of secret chutes to the elaborate lair on Mars’ lower level that Gribble calls home.

Meet Two Cat, Gribble’s homemade companion, a small robot assembled out of discarded pieces of Martian technology. Although he doesn’t speak, he clearly thinks and may, in fact, be smarter than the man who built him.

Hard to believe but in the mid 1980′s the animation department at the Disney Studios was in danger of being shut down. The recent documentary WAKING SLEEPING BEAUTY shows the  turmoil there after their big release, THE BLACK CAULDRON, tanked at the box office. Luckily the animation division was able to pull itself up by returning to classic fairy tales and hiring the team of Alan Menkin and the late, great Howard Ashman (fresh from their stage truimph “Little Shop of Horrors”) to inject some big show tunes into them. Soon Disney animation was back on top with the hat trick of THE LITTLE MERMAID, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, and ALADDIN. Now after having great success with Pixar’s films, Disney is making an attempt to revive  the musical fairy tale with TANGLED. Will it be a return to their former glories or will it croak at the box office like THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG.

TANGLED is an expanded version of the classic Grimm fairy tale of Rapunzel. The story starts near an unnamed kingdom(maybe Italy?) when a piece of the sun breaks off and lands on earth. A magical glowing golden flowers sprouts where the bit landed and is found by the ancient Mother Gothel. When Gothel reaches for the flower her wrinkles magically disappear and her youth is restored. She covers the flower with a hollow bush and returns periodically to use it’s power. Meanwhile back at the castle, the pregnant queen ‘s health is fading quickly. The king orders a search for the legendary healing golden flower. One of the soldiers finds it and brings it back to Gothel’s horror. After drinking a potion made from the flower, the queen is restored to health and gives birth to a beautiful girl with shimmering blond hair they name Rapunzel. Late one night Gothel sneaks into the nursery to find the flower. She soon discovers that Rapunzel’s hair has the same rejuvenating powers, but not when the locks are sheared(they turn brown). Gothel takes the baby and disappears into the forest, never to be found. The heartbroken king and queen launch floating lighted lanterns into the sky on her birthday in hope that the girl will see them and return. But the years pass as Rapunzel grows up in a huge tower hidden deep in the forest. The young girl believes that Gothel is her mother and will not venture out after Mother tells her of the terrors of the outside world. That all changes on the eve of her eighteenth birthday as Flynn Rider discovers her alone in the tower while eluding the king’s men( he and the Stabbington brothers have taken a jeweled crown). After knocking him out, Rapunzel hides the crown. When he awakes, she tells him that he will get the crown back if he takes her to the kingdom so she may witness the lantern launch up close. They embark on a journey with the king’s soldiers, the Stabbington brothers, and Mother Gothel in hot pursuit.

The film has a much different look than other recent Disney features. Here they’re trying to combine the lush, modeled look of CGI with the hand drawn character stylings of earlier fairy tale features. The gorgeous, bright look of the film works thanks to directors Nathan Greno and Byron Howard with a big assist from executive producer and master animation artist Glen Keane. The look and movement of many of the characters is reminiscent of Keane’s work on Ariel, the Beast, and Tarzan. Like Ariel, Rapunzel is a bright eyed, plucky young woman that all the young girls in the audience will identifywith.  Mandy Moore is great as her speaking and singing voice. Ryder Flynn is a lovable rascal like Aladdin and is given voice by TV’s Chuck, Zachary Levi. Mother Gothel, voiced by Broadway vet Donna Murphy, is not as strong a villainess as  previous Disney bad girls(particularly Ursula or Maleficent). She’s wicked, but seems to wield control over Rapunzel in a passive aggressive fashion. Great character work is on display with the two mute animals: Pascal the chameleon and Maximus the white stallion. One scenes has our heroes going to a forest eatery and meeting a motley group of thugs who might be related to the HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON vikings. Although the artwork is great I had problems with the simple story of Rapunzel be stretched to feature length. The   chases  and the flood seemed like padding. The film’s not helped by some unmemorable songs. Of course Rapunzel must sing of her desire to explore the world, “When Will My Life Begin”, but it’s no “Part of Your World”. Mother Gothel’s wannabe showstopper “Mother Knows Best” quickly becomes tedious. Luckily “I’ve Got a Dream” is livened up by some great animation of the forest thugs. I found it distracting that these medieval folks were using modern phrases like “downer” and “freak-out”. Perhaps I’m nitpicking too much. The wee ones should enjoy the frantic action and animal antics. I just hope Disney doesn’t give up on these old classics. I think there’s another timeless masterpiece to be brought to the big screen using that old magic that Walt began over seventy years ago.

Overall Rating: Four out of Five Stars

It’s rare when a film makes an unexpected turn a few minutes into viewing and sends you down another path. That’s the case of CIRCUS KIDS the new documentary from director Alexandra Lipsitz. The film begins as a profile of the St. Louis Arches, a group of young carnival performers based in the gateway city, who are a fixture of Circus Flora and St. Louis’s City Museum. We meet the group’s founder Jessica Hentoff, her own kids that are part of the troupe, and the the rest of Arches. Many of the kids come from tough, neighborhoods and relate that the Arches saved them from a life on the street. Okay,I see where this is headed. Or so I thought.

Turns out they’re headed to the Middle East. Israel to be exact. The Arches have been invited to tour there with the Gaililee Circus, a group of Jewish and Arab kids. After the Arches raise the travel funds, they arrive in Israel and meet the Gaililee kids. Their first meeting is awkward, but soon the coaches are helping the kids work together as they combine their talents. Now the Arches aren’t little angels. They tease, complain, and at one point they horrify the native kids when they hurl nasty racial epitaphs at each other at the pool. Things cool down soon enough and the kids begin to bond after the Arches stay with the families of the Gaililees. It’s great to see them observing and learning about new customs and cultures. After a couple of rough first shows, they take their act on the road, traveling to several cities and finally ending up at Jerusalem.

So what started as a profile of young midwest American circus performers turns into a great internatinal road trip adventure. Lipsitz gives equal time to the Arches and the Gaililee kids as they overcome their language and cultural barriers and learn that they’ve got many common hopes and dreams. CIRCUS KIDS presents an optimistic look at how we can work together and one day live together.

CIRCUS KIDS will play during the 19th Annual Stella Artois St. Louis International Film Festival on Sunday, November 21st at 1:30 pm at the Hi-Pointe Theatre.

Check out this new trailer for Dream Works Animation’s KUNG FU PANDA 2. This and a new theatrical trailer for RANGO were attached to MEGAMIND on Friday.

Synopsis:

Po is now living his dream as The Dragon Warrior, protecting th Valley of Peace alongside his friends and fellow kung fu masters, The Furious Five – Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey. But Po’s new life of awesomeness is threatened by the emergence of a formidable villain, who plans to use a secret, unstoppable weapon to conquer China and and destroy kung fu. It is up to Po and and The Furious Five to journey across China to face this threat and vanquish it. But how can Po stop a weapon that can stop kung fu? He must look to his past and uncover the secrets to his mysterious origins; only then will he be able to unlock the strength he needs to succeed.

KUNG FU PANDA 2 will be in theaters on May 27, 2011 in 3D

For you Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade watchers, DreamWorks Animation has this news:

This Thanksgiving, a Dragon Warrior takes Manhattan ready to kick and karate chop his way into the holidays. On Thursday, November 25, 2010 at 9:00 a.m., DreamWorks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda(TM) will make a thrilling debut above the skies of New York City as a giant character helium balloon in the 84th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade(R). Po, the loveable Kung Fu Master will take larger-than-life form ready to show more than 3.5 million spectators and over 50 million viewers nationwide just how awesome he is… even when filled with helium instead of his favorite noodles!

At more than 16,000 cubic feet of helium, Po from Kung Fu Panda(TM) is truly a larger-than-life master of the ancient Chinese art of Kung Fu. Designed by the magicians at Macy’s Parade Studio, Po is created with the help of more than half a mile of fabric and is covered in 17 gallons of paint. For his Parade debut, Po the Panda measures 42-feet tall, 46-feet long, and 34-feet wide, giving him the scale to take giant leaps down the route, poised to deliver his signature martial arts moves along the way.

“Po is an incredible new addition to the Macy’s Parade balloon lineup,” said Amy Kule, executive producer of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. “He is poised to become an instant Parade classic. From the moment we saw Kung Fu Panda, we instinctively knew Po would be a huge hit with millions of children and their families that tune in to the Parade year after year. We anticipate his inaugural flight down the streets of New York this November will further establish Po as everyone’s number one panda!”

“Po makes us feel like there is a hero inside of everyone and it is very exciting for millions of fans to get to witness our Panda balloon make its kung fu-kicking debut in the skies of Manhattan alongside DreamWorks Animation’s iconic ‘Shrek’ in the 2010 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade,” commented Kerry Phelan, Head of Worldwide Consumer Products for DreamWorks Animation.

Ahead of his Macy’s Parade debut, Po will become the star of his own seasonal special, as NBC-TV airs the “Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special” on Wednesday, November 24th at 8:30 p.m. ET. However, fans of the high kicking Panda will be thrilled to hear that Po will be returning to the big screen in KUNG FU PANDA 2, out on May 27, 2011.

For fans who can’t wait until November for Po’s holiday special and Parade debut, they can interact with their favorite character in the online destination found at Kung Fu Panda World (www.kungfupandaworld.com). The interactive experience for kids allows enthusiasts to follow in Po’s footsteps to become their own Kung Fu Master. Featuring games, chat and trading activities, there are tons of elements to explore and enjoy at this exciting virtual world.

Here’s the new teaser trailer and poster for Kevin James’ family-comedy ZOOKEEPER out next summer.

With all the talking animals, this looks to be a very cute family film. Kevin James is no fool – very smart of him to star in this type of family-friendly, kid movie. And it’s Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison production company…they usually do pretty well.

Synopsis:

In ZOOKEEPER, the animals at the Franklin Park Zoo love their kindhearted caretaker, Griffin Keyes (Kevin James). Finding himself more comfortable with a lion than a lady, Griffin decides the only way to get a girl in his life is to leave the zoo and find a more glamorous job. The animals, in a panic, decide to break their time-honored code of silence and reveal their biggest secret: they can talk! To keep Griffin from leaving, they decide to teach him the rules of courtship – animal style. The film also stars Rosario Dawson and Leslie Bibb and features the voices of Cher, Nick Nolte, Adam Sandler, and Sylvester Stallone

From Columbia Pictures and MGM, ZOOKEEPER will be in theaters July 8, 2011.

Check out the film’s official site here and on Facebook here.

Here’s the 2nd trailer for 20th Century Fox’s big holiday film, GULLIVER’S TRAVELS.

Synopsis:

In a contemporary re–imagining of the classic tale, Jack Black stars as Gulliver, a big–talking mailroom clerk who, after he’s mistakenly assigned a travel piece on the Bermuda Triangle, suddenly finds himself a giant among men when he washes ashore on the hidden island of Lilliput, home to a population of very tiny people. At first enslaved by the diminutive and industrious Liliputians, and later declared their hero, Gulliver comes to learn that it’s how big you are on the inside that counts.

From director Rob Letterman (SHARK TALE, MONSTERS VS. ALIENS) and starring Jack Black, Emily Blunt, Amanda Peet, Jason Segel and Billy Connolly, the film will be in theaters in 3D on December 22, 2010.

Seeing as its MEGAMIND week, here’s the latest picture directly from Megamind himself!

A new image of Minion and me in my new office! Like my new title?

And you know? That’s a funny part in the movie too….when he gets his desk plate.

Don’t forget today’s MEGAMIND Event:

Here’s our inside look at DreamWorks Animation’s MEGAMIND with Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, David Cross & Jonah Hill!

Synopsis:

Megamind is the most brilliant super-villain the world has ever known…and the least successful. Over the years, he has tried to conquer Metro City in every imaginable way – Each attempt, a colossal failure thanks to the caped superhero known as “Metro Man,” until the day Megamind actually defeats him in the throes of one of his botched evil plans. Suddenly, the fate of Metro City is threatened when a new villain arrives and chaos runs rampant, leaving everyone to wonder: Can the world’s biggest “mind” actually be the one to save the day?

From DreamWorks Animation and Paramount Pictures, MEGAMIND will be hitting theaters in 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D on November 5, 2010.

Like it on Facebook and follow it on Twitter. The superhero movie will never be the same!

After the October 22nd screening of MEGAMIND in Hollywood, WAMG was invited to Paramount’s press junket for the film at the Beverly Hills Four Seasons. Seeing that no video was recorded at all, we’re only allowed to let you have a listen to what director Tom McGrath and stars Will Ferell, Tina Fey and David Cross had to say.

Yours truly was able to ask one question that you can hear at about the 25 minute mark. All of it is really a funny listen.

Megamind Press Junket – WAMG from Michelle McCue on Vimeo.

Here’s a little more from director Tom McGrath on the Megamind character.

Don’t forget today’s MEGAMIND Event:

This Saturday saw the premiere of MEGAMIND in Hollywood. Director Tom McGrath, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and stars Will Ferrell and David Cross walked the blue carpet.

Even Justin Bieber was there.

In this Making of Featurette, “Heroic Turn,” Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, David Cross and Jonah Hill talk about their characters in Dream Works Animation’s MEGAMIND

Synopsis:

Megamind is the most brilliant super-villain the world has ever known…and the least successful. Over the years, he has tried to conquer Metro City in every imaginable way – Each attempt, a colossal failure thanks to the caped superhero known as “Metro Man,” until the day Megamind actually defeats him in the throes of one of his botched evil plans. Suddenly, the fate of Metro City is threatened when a new villain arrives and chaos runs rampant, leaving everyone to wonder: Can the world’s biggest “mind” actually be the one to save the day?

From DreamWorks Animation and Paramount Pictures, MEGAMIND will be hitting theaters in 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D on November 5, 2010.

Like it on Facebook and follow it on Twitter. The superhero movie will never be the same!

All photos courtesy: DreamWorks Animation