Imax, Disney in deal for 3 movies in 3D

Imax Corp. and Walt Disney Studios said Wednesday that they have agreed on a deal to release three more 3D movies to Imax theaters next year. The movies are "Mars Needs Moms," which is scheduled to be released next March; "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," set for release in May; and "Cars 2," which is scheduled to be released next June.

Disney had previously agreed to release five 3D films with Imax. Many moviegoers experienced Imax for the first time when they saw "Avatar," which in turn boosted both the number of the company's new repeat customers and demand for 3D films in huge-screen format. Imax shares fell 14 cents to $16.16 in afternoon trading, while shares of Walt Disney Co. rose 2 cents to $34.37.

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Movie Review The Karate Kid (2010)

It's a sign of our times. The reboot of the 1984 classic that pitted underdog Daniel Larusso against merciless bullies offers the same crowd-pleasing charm but with a contemporary twist.

"The Karate Kid" reflects both globalization and bone-crunching stylistics, packaging dislocation and violence as picture-postcard entertainment stamped in China.

Will the PG crowd enjoy the retread? Absolutely. Will parents feel conflicted about mixed messages? Probably.

Teaching children to adapt, face their fears, learn to respect others and strive for peaceful solutions are noble goals. But director Harald Zwart ("Agent Cody Banks") and screenwriter Christopher Murphey (story for "The Unsaid") litter the road to enlightenment with brutal facial bruises, kicks and snapping bones. The mantra of "No weakness! No pain! No mercy!" may overpower the movie's more admirable life lessons.

Instead of relocating from New Jersey to California, this protagonist (Jaden Smith of "The Pursuit of Happyness") and his widowed mother (Taraji P. Henson of "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button") move from Detroit to China. Twelve-year-old Dre's sense of loss is palpable. Clutching a skateboard like a teddy bear, the cool kid with the cornrow braids hates his new home. He doesn't understand the culture or the language, and as seemingly the only African-American kid in Beijing, he's certainly positioned as "The Other." Dre engenders sympathy even though he's got attitude and Smith often mumbles his lines or delivers them unconvincingly.

Following the original movie's narrative formula, boy meets girl (Wenwen Han in a charming debut). Boy repeatedly gets beaten up by a gang of bullies (led by Wang Zhenwei). Enter the apartment maintenance man and latent grand master of martial arts (Jackie Chan) to mentor Dre for an approaching tournament, where the underdog can face his opponents on a level kung-fu mat. Dre puts the relationship into perspective: "You're Yoda, and I'm like a Jedi."

Chan plays Mr. Han as a slouched and broken man who snaps back to life on an as-needed basis. Similar to the iconic Mr. Miyagi, he puts Dre through repetitive exercises that the student doesn't understand. Jacket on. Jacket off. Jacket on. Jacket off. Just when you're tiring of the routine, and praying that fence painting isn't up next, Han shows Dre that hanging up a jacket and kung fu are one and the same.

Lenser Roger Pratt takes the armchair tourist on a visually breathtaking journey to the Forbidden City, Wudang Mountains and Great Wall of China. He provides glimpses of ancient architecture juxtaposed with statues of Mao, bustling streets and markets, and Chinese people of all ages enjoying the outdoors.

Zwart directs the key action sequences of the climactic tournament in slow motion and with ear-splitting sound effects. Feel-the-blow violence gets star treatment -- and then instantly replayed on the venue's big screens. Only you can decide if rooting for Dre to deliver vicious strikes, kicks and throws undercuts the philosophy of kung fu or constitutes harmless entertainment. Rated PG for bullying, martial-arts action violence and mild language. In English and Mandarin with English subtitles. 2 hours, 20 minutes.

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Disney Pixar Toy Story 3 Stills

New stills have been released from the upcoming Disney/Pixar movie “Toy Story 3,” which is set to hit theaters on June 18, 2010.

In the stills you can see all of your favorite Toy Story characters who have been with us ever since the first movie, and you can meet a ton of new characters from the third and upcoming movie. Who’s excited for Toy Story 3?

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Movie review - Marmaduke dog doesnt deserve to be let out

Wouldn’t it be great if 7-year-olds could drive themselves to the movies? You could give them some money for Junior Mints or whatever, send them on their way, and never have to trouble yourself with tripe like “Marmaduke.” The kids are happy, the parents are happy, it’s a win-win.

Sadly, that’s not the way it works, and so you’re going to have to schlep to the multiplex with your 7-year-old. Because that’s who the target audience is for this talking-dog extravaganza, based on the long-running comic strip, and no one else. Adults, meanwhile, will have to endure groan-inducing puns, some seriously cheesy green-screen effects and a hokey, feel-good ending.

Tom Dey (“Shanghai Noon”) directs from a script by Tim Rasmussen and Vince Di Meglio, who also wrote the painfully unfunny “License to Wed.” We know we’re in trouble early when Marmaduke (voiced by Owen Wilson) climbs into bed with his owners, Phil (Lee Pace) and Debbie (Judy Greer), and promptly passes gas, prompting one of many exasperated, sitcommy cries of “Marma-DUKE!” Later on, there is the obligatory who-let-the-dogs-out joke.

But somewhere in there is a clever nugget of an idea: the dog park as a canine version of high school.

Once Marmaduke and his family move from Kansas to Orange County, Calif., for Phil’s new job with an organic pet-food company, the 200-pound Great Dane must learn to make friends in a totally different environment. (William H. Macy is wasted in the role of Phil’s demanding boss.) Marmaduke and the family cat, Carlos (George Lopez), prepare for their journey by watching an episode of “The O.C.” — and tooling on it appropriately — which is good for a laugh. The two characters have an amusing camaraderie.

Mazie, a tomboyish Australian shepherd voiced huskily by Emma Stone, becomes Marmaduke’s first friend and explains the various cliques to him: the pedigrees, led by an intimidating Beauceron named Bosco (Kiefer Sutherland); and the drama geeks who roll over and play dead.

Then there are the mutts, including Mazie, a Dachsund-Cairn terrier mix named Raisin (Steve Coogan) and a skittish Chinese Crested named Giuseppe (Christopher Mintz-Plasse). They’re the outcasts, the rescue dogs, and the goofy, gangly Marmaduke fits in with them just fine. But then he dares to have a crush on Jezebel, the gorgeous Collie who hangs out with the wealthy dogs and just happens to be Bosco’s girlfriend.

Wilson isn’t a horrible choice to voice Marmaduke — he’s got that laid-back thing going, which is preferable to having the dog be obnoxiously overeager — but the script has him talking nearly the entire time.

This also brings us to the small problem that the talking-animal effect — which takes place throughout the movie — looks distractingly jerky and fake. Not that cats and dogs are supposed to talk in real life, but in the movie “Cats & Dogs,” for example, the movement was seamless.

The 7-year-olds in the audience won’t know or care. But they deserve better.

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Animated Disney movies inspired by English literature

Disney has used mythology historical characters, fairy tales and fables as the foundation for some amazing animated films. But, curiously for such an American icon, its also drawn on the diverse world of English literature for some of its most successful projects.

Alice In Wonderland (1951)

Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures In Wonderland became the first animated Disney feature to use classic English literature as a bedrock. In the Disney version, elements from both the original Alice adventure and the sequel Through The Looking-Glass were combined to give a strong flavour of the Carroll's perversely warped universe.

Unfortunately, UK reviewers weren't kind to it, and it was one of the first Disney productions to be accused of 'Americanising' a literary classic.

In retrospect, Alice In Wonderland represents some amazing work in animation, but also in art direction by Mary Blair. Where it slightly fails is in harnessing the frenetic action sequences into solid story telling.

Given how rich the source material is, it's not a surprise that Disney has been tempted back to Carroll's wildest imagination with their recent Tim Burton directed live action version, Alice In Wonderland.


Peter Pan (1953)

The second animated Disney feature to use a classic British book as its inspiration took J. M. Barrie's play Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up, and made is accessible to a much wider audience.

It's actually worth pointing out that Barrie originally wrote this as a play, but the novelisation which first appeared in 1911 was entitled Peter & Wendy.

While most of the elements from Barrie's Pan transfer well to the Disney version, there are some darker overtones in the novel which are left out, probably for good reason.

I've tried to forget the sequel Return To Neverland, and the prequel Tinker Bell, but the 1953 animated Pan is an animated classic that stands the test of time marvellously.


One Hundred And One Dalmatians (1961)

Whenever a villain isn't quite threatening enough, many reviewers will refer to Cruella De Vil as the model of how it should really be done. That's an accolade to this inspired conversion of the work of novelist and playwright Dodie Smith, and the amazing skills of animator Ub Iwerks and his Disney team, who put this movie together.

It was the first to use cell Xeroxing, and this gave the production an entirely different visual impact to the animated features that came before it. Forget the live action versions with Glenn Close and talking animals, this is the best Dalmatians movie by a country mile.


The Sword In The Stone (1963)

As a child, I enjoyed this Arthurian animated romp without ever realising that it was based on the T. H. White's The Once And Future King (yes, the same book that Charles Xavier talks about, and Magneto is reading in X2!).

The book is divided into four parts, of which The Sword In The Stone is actually just the first part, and covers Arthur's early mentoring by Merlin.

The Disney version is light, bright and mixes magic, humour and adventure in equally large helpings. But, given how dark the later chapters in the book become, I can see why they stopped at The Sword In The Stone.


Winnie The Pooh (1966 onwards)

Pooh first appeared in a series of sixties short animated movies after Disney licensed certain rights to characters and stories by A. A. Milne. What made these productions so endearing was the stylised illustration look and the unique voice talent of Sterling Holloway as Pooh.

The original illustrations by E. H. Shepard inspired the Disney artists, and the charm of the original stories of Christopher Robin, Pooh, Piglet and friends are now timeless classics in their own right.

Since then, Disney has been tempted to stray away from the Hundred Acre Wood and Milne's source material, introducing a Gopher (not indigenous to the UK), and more recently replacing Christopher Robin with a girl, no less!

But we're promised that Pooh is going back to his roots when Disney releases an all-new Winnie The Pooh feature film next year. Not bad for a bear of very little brain...


The Jungle Book (1967)

Okay, I accept that Rudyard Kipling was born in Bombay, but he's generally accepted to be a British author, and so I've included his classic animated movie as one of those that should be here.

What most people don't realise is that The Jungle Book in print contains fourteen stories in all, about which only some are about Mowgli and his unorthodox upbringing.

Those responsible for converting this into a movie did an exceptional job, tuning into the very modern vibes about man in harmony with nature, while working in lots of visual gags and even some memorable musical numbers.

The inclusion of songs wasn't purely a Disney invention, the Ripling original has some, but not The Bare Necessities and I Wanna Be Like You in it.

The other highlights of this film are the numerous exceptional voice talents, including Phil Harris as Baloo, George Sanders as Shere Khan and Sterling Holloway (Pooh) as Kaa the Python.

Walt Disney, sadly, died during the making of The Jungle Book, so it marks the end of an era in that respect.

Bedknobs And Broomsticks (1971)

Yes, I accept this is essentially a live action movie, but it does have plenty of animation in it also, so I thought I'd include it.

The source material here was two books by English author Mary Norton, entitled The Magic Bed Knob, Or, How To Become A Witch In Ten Easy Lessons and Bonfires And Broomsticks. It features the pre-investigative Angela Lansbury and quintessential Brit David Tomlinson.

In many respects this movie is a soul mate to Mary Poppins (1964), having a very similar feel and ingredients. It's all tons of fun, and who can't love a Disney movie that has Nazis in it getting a kicking from a British museum collection?

I often wonder if Angela still has that bedknob somewhere?


The Rescuers (1977)

I wasn't anticipating including this until I realised that Margery Sharp, writer of children's novels The Rescuers (1959) and Miss Bianca (1962), from which this movie took its inspiration, was English.

Margery Sharp went on to write many books involving the Rescuers, the last being published a year after the movie was released.

What I love about this production is that, while the animal characters are attempting to rescue the abducted child, Penny, she's not remotely compliant with Madame Medusa and her henchmen, especially the alligators, Brutus and Nero.

This movie came at an important time for Disney animation when it'd had a difficult period adapting to the changing tastes of seventies children. It doesn't have the technical wonder of earlier movies, but it's jolly entertaining all the same.


The Great Mouse Detective (1986)

Eve Titus, the author whose book was the trigger for this movie, was a New Yorker, but she was happy to cite the works of Conan Doyle, and Sherlock Holmes is at the heart of what The Great Mouse Detective is all about.

What's important about this production is that it was an important steppingstone to an animation revival. The first film directed by animator Ron Clements, he then went on to deliver The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and most recently The Princess And The Frog.

In the UK, it was released as Basil The Great Mouse Detective, if I recall correctly. If, or rather when this gets a Blu-ray release I know at least one contributor here who'd give an aging relative or two to own a HD copy of this movie.


Other notables

The Lion King has many parallels with Hamlet, by William Shakespeare.
The Black Cauldron is based on Lloyd Alexander's The Chronicles Of Prydain, which borrows in turn from Welsh mythology.
Treasure Planet, an adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's adventure novel Treasure Island.
Oliver & Company is a reworking of Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens.

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Mayfaire releases free kids movie schedule ‎

Another sure sign of summer is the return of the free kids' matinees, beginning June 15 at the Mayfaire 16 theaters. The complex – part of the Regal Entertainment Group – will have two free screenings each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday morning through Aug. 12.

Viewers will have their choice of a “G” or “PG”-rated feature, with new offerings each week. The screenings will be revivals of child-friendly releases and pop hits from the past few years. Admission is free. (The catch is, the snack bar will be open; obviously, management expects to make a profit off sales of treats, including Mayfaire's “Kid's Reel Deal” specials.) Doors open at 9 a.m., and the screenings begin at 10. Seating will be first come, first served.

Here's the line-up, according to Mayfaire:

• June 15-17: Either “Doogal” (G) or “Planet 51” (PG). “Doogal,” a 2006 animated yarn about a candy-loving dog who saves the world, features the biggest film performance to date by Jon Stewart of “The Daily Show.” (He's the voice of the bad guy.) “Planet 51,” from last fall, follows an astronaut who lands on a planet of little green folk who live a suburban lifestyle. Suddenly, HE's the scary space alien.

June 22-24: “Veggie Tales: The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything” (G) or “Imagine That” with Eddie Murphy (PG).

June 29-July 1: “March of the Penguins” (G) or “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” (PG). (Note: “March of the Penguins” is one of the greatest nature documentaries ever filmed, but be warned: It might be rated “G,” but not all the baby penguins live, and the results might upset younger children.)uly 6-8: “Kit Kittredge: An American Girl” (G) or “Hotel for Dogs” (PG).

July 13-15: “Arctic Tale” (G) or “Monsters vs. Aliens” (PG).

July 20-22: “Tale of Despereaux” (G) or “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel”

July 27-29: “Charlotte's Web” (G) or “Night at the Museum 2”

Aug. 3-5: “Wallace & Gromit and the Curse of the Were-Rabbit” (G) or “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs”

Aug. 10-12: “The Polar Express” or “Ice Age 3: “Dawn of the Dinosaurs”

Any questions? Call the Mayfaire office at 256-1857.
Soon at Cinematique

When I did my piece last week on the reopening of Cinematique at Thalian Hall, I ran out of space to mention a couple of their coming attractions.

July should be a very good month for Cinematique. For July 12-14, its feature will be “Greenberg,” the new indie comedy from director Noah Baumbach (“The Squid and the Whale”), starring Ben Stiller as an angry, dysfunctional ex-musician who winds up house-sitting for his brother in L.A. Greta Gerwig – whom A.O. Scott of The New York Times called “the definitive screen actress of her generation” – co-stars.

Then, on July 19-21, Cinematique will screen the Swedish screen adaptation of Stieg Larsson‘s international best seller “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.” (The Americanized version, from director David Fincher, isn't due out until 2012.) A Swedish journalist teams with a tattooed computer hacker to try to solve a young girl's disappearance. The case leads them to a powerful but secretive family and a string of ghastly murders 40 years earlier.As if that weren't enough, the month winds up July 26-28 with “The Secret in Their Eyes,” the Argentine crime thriller than won this year's Academy Award for Best Foreign Film.

Cinematique is back on its Monday-through-Wednesday schedule, with screenings at 7 p.m. in the Thalian Hall main stage at 310 Chestnut St. Tickets are still $7.

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