Rio (2011)

My Rating : 5/5 STAR
MovieStudio Quote >> “This movie will make you move. RIO is the new Madagascar!”

From the makers of the hit Ice Age series comes Rio, a comedy adventure about taking a walk on the wild side. Blu is a domesticated Macaw who never learned to fly, living a comfortable life with his owner and best friend Linda in the small town of Moose Lake, Minnesota.

Blu and Linda think he’s the last of his kind, but when they learn about another Macaw who lives in Rio de Janeiro, they head to the faraway and exotic land to find Jewel, Blu’s female counterpart. Not long after they arrive, Blu and Jewel are kidnapped by a group of bungling animal smugglers.

With the help of street smart Jewel, and a group of wise-cracking and smooth-talking city birds, Blu escapes. Now, with his new friends by his side, Blu will have to find the courage to learn to fly, thwart the kidnappers who are hot on their trail, and return to Linda, the best friend a bird ever had.

 

Love and Other Drugs (2010)

My Rating : 3.5/5 STAR
MovieStudio Quote >> “Romantic, Emotional and readily engaging. Anne and Jake make a great pair!”

Handsome and charming pharmaceutical rep Jamie (Jake Gyllenhaal) falls head over heels for radiant free spirit Maggie (Anne Hathaway),

and together the two people who never thought they would fall in love discover that their intense chemistry is more powerful than any drug on the market.

The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

My Rating: 4.5/5 STARS
MovieStudio Quote >> “Incredibly awesome performances from Streep and Hathaway. A splendid comedy!”

A drastic improvement on Lauren Weisberger‘s bestselling novel, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA showcases Meryl Streep’s knack for combining humor and sadness. While likely inspired by notorious VOGUE editor Anna Wintour, Streep’s Miranda Priestly (head of Runway magazine) is entirely her own creation. Sporting silvery hair, a vast collection of fur coats, an encyclopedic knowledge of all things fashionable, and a killer smile, Miranda is full of wicked charm. With her mature beauty and commanding presence, Miranda is as fascinating to watch as she is intimidating to the constant rotation of assistants thrown her way. When bookish Northwestern grad Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) interviews to become Miranda’s newest lackey, Miranda hires her not for her lackluster wardrobe but for her intellect.

Inside the pristine Runway offices, Andy suffers through a never-ending list of impossible tasks, and is the subject of constant harassment by Miranda’s jealous first assistant (Emily Blunt). But to the dismay of her boyfriend (Adrian Grenier) and close friends, Andy slowly finds herself seduced by the glamorous world of fashion, and by Miranda herself. While Andy’s transformation comes largely in the form of new designer clothing, the makeover is mental as well. What starts out as a firm belief in fashion’s vapidity and in Miranda’s heartlessness gradually fades into the suspicion that the boss from hell might just be hiding a soul.

While the book villainized its title character, the film gives new depths to her wrath. As Andy trades her undergrad wardrobe for one packed with Prada and Chanel (with help from Stanley Tucci in a brilliant role), viewers are able to savor the work of costume designer Patricia Field. Together with director David Frankel (who also worked on SEX AND THE CITY), Field creates a world of fashion so wonderfully extreme it would be hard for anyone to resist.

Alice in Wonderland (2010)

My Rating: 3/5 STARS
MovieStudio Quote >> “Spellbinding visual treat, but story sucks, I mean I didn’t like it a bit!”

Director and subject matter make for a perfect marriage in Tim Burton’s version of the Lewis Carroll classic.

ALICE IN WONDERLAND stars frequent Burton collaborator Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, DEFIANCE’s Mia Wasikowska as Alice, and Anne Hathaway as the White Queen.

Valentine’s Day (2010)

My Rating: 2/5 STARS
MovieStudio Quote >> “A flicko of lotsa starso, and nothing so specifico!”

An all-star ensemble cast comes together in “Valentine’s Day,” which follows the intertwining storylines of a diverse group of Los Angelenos as they navigate their way through romance and heartbreak over the course of one Valentine’s Day. Couples and singles experience the pinnacles and pitfalls of finding, keeping or ending relationships in a day in the life of love.

Directed by veteran filmmaker Garry Marshall, the film stars Jessica Alba (“Fantastic Four”), Academy Award® winner Kathy Bates (“Misery”), Jessica Biel (“I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry”), Bradley Cooper (“The Hangover”), Eric Dane (TV’s “Grey’s Anatomy”), Patrick Dempsey (“Enchanted”), Hector Elizondo (the “Princess Diaries” films), Academy Award® winner Jamie Foxx (“Ray”), Jennifer Garner (“Juno”), Topher Grace (“Spider-Man 3″), Academy Award® nominee Anne Hathaway (“Rachel Getting Married”), Ashton Kutcher (“What Happens in Vegas”), Academy Award® nominee Queen Latifah (“Chicago”), Taylor Lautner (“The Twilight Saga: New Moon”), George Lopez (“Beverly Hills Chihuahua”), Academy Award® winner Shirley MacLaine (“Terms of Endearment”), Emma Roberts (“Hotel for Dogs”), Academy Award® winner Julia Roberts (“Erin Brockovich”) and award-winning singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, in her feature film debut. Marshall directed “Valentine’s Day” from a screenplay by Katherine Fugate, story by Fugate and Abby Kohn & Marc Silverstein. The film is produced by Mike Karz and Wayne Rice, with Toby Emmerich, Samuel J. Brown, Michael Disco, Diana Pokorny and Josie Rosen serving as executive producers.

The behind-the-scenes team includes director of photography Charles Minsky, production designer Albert Brenner, editor Bruce Green, costume designer Gary Jones and composer John Debney. New Line Cinema presents, a Wayne Rice/Karz Entertainment Production, a Garry Marshall Film, “Valentine’s Day,” to be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.