The Last Airbender - B

Rated PG for fantasy action violence, 103 minutes

Hokey, entertaining and with splashy special effects, “The Last Airbender” is a solid family film

Poor M. Night Shyamalan. He makes his first decent movie in nearly 10 years and it opens the same week as that teenage vampire film, which may certainly “eclipse” this at the box-office. OK, bad puns aside but "The Last Airbender," the new children’s action-fantasy film based on the popular Nickelodeon’s animated series, is entertaining, fun and peppered with sublime visual effects. The flaws are obvious: it’s a little hokey and some the acting is wooden, but it works great as a summer family film.

Air, Water, Earth, Fire. Four nations tied by destiny when the Fire Nation launches a brutal war against the others. A century has passed with no hope in sight to change the path of this destruction. Caught between combat and courage, young Aang (Texan Noah Ringer in his feature film debut) discovers he is actually the reincarnated Avatar with the power to manipulate all four elements. Aang teams with Katara (Nicola Peltz), a Waterbender, and her brother Sokka (Jackson Rathbone, who also appears in "Twilight") to restore balance to their war-torn world, but not before the weary Prince Zuko ("Slumdog Millionaire’s" Dev Patel) can capture Aang and restore his prominence within the Fire Nation.

"The Last Airbender" is an enjoyable, far more earnest live-action version of the animated, comedic 2005-2008 Nickelodeon series. Fans will surely notice the slapstick tone of the series has been toned down in favor of big-budget action and special effects, but most of it works modestly well. The expensive production - estimates put the cost at the film anywhere from $150-$300 million – should still please fans though every bit of its huge budget shows on screen with its lush sets, photography and nifty special effects that highlight the film (and once again the 3D here is OK but unnecessary). Earth, air, water and fire are all well represented, though the more memorable effects come with the water-soaked climax that kids in particular will get a kick out of.

Shyamalan helms the action, special effects and overall production elements very impressively, and is a departure for the horror-themed director, and he could make you forget that his last two films, "The Happening" and "Lady in the Water," stunk, and his one before that, "The Village," was subpar. Thankfully, "The Last Airbender" marks the director’s return to quality projects and his best film since 2002’s "Signs."

Shyamalan’s decent direction is slightly hampered by his choppy, too-hokey screenplay (talking dragons, waterballs and flying creatures just to name a few) and the stiff performances of some his young cast. Ringer, in his motion picture debut, is a little awkward in his initial scenes but he becomes a nimble presence and his young hero is the heart of the film. The rest of the cast is a mixed bag; the underused Peltz an intriguing Katara while Patel is a game (but maybe miscast) Zuko; however, it’s truly unfortunate that "Airbender’s" worst performance comes from the wooden Rathbone, who’s actually more memorable in "Eclipse" than his emotionless turn here.

After a slow start, "Airbender" picks up considerably about halfway through and shows great stamina until its water-drenched ending, which obviously leaves it open for more "Airbender" installments (a trilogy is planned). The first-rate CG visual effects and some of the fight scenes are memorable, just don’t expect much bloodletting with its PG rating.

Imperfections aside, "Airbender" still manages to entertain. The snow and talking dragons may remind of "The Golden Compass" and "Aragon" movie failures, but unlike those films, "The Last Airbender" is enjoyable enough to come recommended and is something the whole family might enjoy.

Twilight: Eclipse - C+

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence, and some sensuality, 124 minutes

"Eclipse" - Team Edward? Team Jacob? How about Team Bland

If the "Twilight" saga - both Stephenie Meyer's books and movies - are all about pleasing its fans - then the mildly enjoyabe third film in the series, "Eclipse," should do very well. Some might even classify it as the best "Twilight" film, which still isn't saying much. To sum it up quickly, it's more faithful to the novel, it has more action and slightly (make that VERY slightly) less cheesy teen angst than the previous two, but a couple of intense battle scenes (and those come near the end of the film) can't make up for the otherwise dull, tedious story and second-rate acting that has plagued these films from the start.

In this installment of the "Twilight" saga, Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward (Robert Pattinson) have been reunited, but their forbidden relationship is threatened to be torn apart again with an evil vampire chick named Victoria (Bryce Dallas Howard, replacing Rachelle Levefre) putting together an army of vampires to seek her revenge on the Cullen family. Bella is forced to choose between her true love for Edward or her growing friendship with Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), which is made more complex by the fact that the vampires and werewolves are temporarily working together to help bring down Victoria's powerful vampire army. Who will Bella choose and will anyone be left standing after the battle with Victoria's vampire army?

I will say that as a non-"Twilight" fan I was more entertained than in the previous installments, particularly with the energy and ardor of the battle sequences, which are the clear highlight of the film, but that would make it a better film in the same way the chase sequences made "Smokey and the Bandit" a great film. Burt Reynolds jokes aside, "Eclipse" is probably the more memorable of the three films, with a certain intensity (and a lot more blood-letting) missing from the first two, but there's still too much tedious pining of the teenage soul throughout the rest of it. Yes, it is a love story, but please, please make it more exciting to watch and give me characters I truly care about.

Kristen Stewart is indeed a decent actress who makes Bella her own, but it's near laughable to see Edward refusing to sleep with Bella only to have him propose on one knee. Sure, I'm all for sexual purity but in this one case it would've been perfectly acceptable since Edward is hardly human and Bella could be turned into a vampire, which is what she always wanted, right? Wrong. She must choose between the two most boring guys ever, which is a joke in and of itself: Pattinson, a vacuous actor if there ever was one, and the muscular Lautner, obvious eye candy but still the worst actor of his generation (it's just painful hearing him recite his lines).

British music video director David Slade helms this outing serviceably, in particular the action scenes, and one thing for sure is getting better with each "Twilight" installment: the special effects. The werewolves are leaner, meaner and more detailed and there's less of the cheapish running up trees by vampires and more jumping and breaking of necks, as much as a PG-13 rating will allow.

My "Twilight" friends and fans who have read the books tell me that things get darker and more interesting with each novel. I've yet to see an interesting story told in the film versions, which makes me eager to see if director Bill Condon ("Dreamgirls") can work his magic with the last two films and actually turn out a movie that's entertaining, engaging and far less dull than the movies have been so far. We'll see.

But what matters most is that true fans of "Twilight," (and most of them female) should be pleased with "Eclipse." Team Edward? Team Jacob? Team do I care? I'll let the fans decide.

Grown Ups - D -

Rated PG-13 for crude material including suggestive references, language and some male rear nudity, 102 minutes

Offensive, sloppy, immature "Grown Ups"

Imagine you got together a few friends you used to work with, played around in front of a camera, cracked some jokes and pretended to have gorgeous wives. That's essentially what Adam Sandler has done, except on a slightly larger scale, with his pitifully, excruciatingly unfunny and sloppy new lowbrow comedy "Grown Ups." You'd think that with his buddies Chris Rock, Kevin James, Rob Schneider and David Spade, all on the big screen together for the first time- you'd think - there would be some better (and smarter) material, but the movie falls flat and takes a crash landing in the first few frames.

Sandler and his pals, James, Rock, Schneider and Spade were all childhood pals in New England who somehow played on a championship basketball team. They reunite 30 years later when their coach dies and they spend the weekend together in the same lakehouse they celebrated their championship in, along with their wives, including Salma Hayek, Maya Rudolph, Joyce Van Patten and Maria Bello and children in tow. They realize how different they are but also realize the meaning of true friendship.

I went in to "Grown Ups" with low expectations anyway, but at least expected a few more laughs than normal, given the comedic talent involved. But I was sorely disappointed painfully sitting through the incessantly dumb, immature jokes so redundantly piled on, but then should I really be surprised? What is surprising is that Sandler actually gets credit for writing a script for this mess, and only he would write himself as a successful Hollywood agent with the gorgeous wife.

Dennis Dugan, who's worked with these guys before on such dreck as "The Benchwarmers," "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry" and "You Don't Mess with the Zohan," makes no effort at creating real characters or stories and just lets the cast just mess around on camera. If you’ve seen any of those earlier films, you know what’s in store in "Grown Ups ," and it’s more cringe-worthy than laugh-worthy.

Sure, all of the guys at some point get in a brief zinger here and there, especially Rock and Spade, but this is really just a waste of celluloid with some brief episodes slung together and some unfunny, offensive jokes thrown in. The dog who's vocal cords are shut; making fun of overweight children; James dancing around with a KFC bucket on his head; or anytime that Schneider is onscreen making out with his older wife, Joyce Van Patten (she's Dugan's ex-wife but cinemaphiles will recognize her - in much younger form – from the original "The Bad News Bears"), which is as yucky as you’ve seen in the film’s trailers. It also trots out former "Saturday Night Live" vets Colin Quinn (along with Schneider among the most annoying comedians ever), Tim Meadows and Norm Macdonald, as if that would help any, and utterly wastes a decent actor like Steve Buscemi.

Given that most of the viewers of "Grown Ups" will likely be male, at least Sandler is smart enough to have the pretty Hayek, Bello and Rudolph as eye candy in between all the gross-out jokes, but the sexist material only treats them as objects and little else, given they come out at the end in the pointless climax, a basketball rematch with their old foes, dressed in skimpy cheerleader costumes.

While all of this is seemingly typical Sandler fluff, I give him a little credit. Year after year, he churns out critic-proof films the masses turn out to see and he somehow turns a profit on them, and "Grown Ups" will likely join that list of films. I could certainly make statements like: “'Grown Ups' is one of the worst comedies of the year” and “a disappointment for even Sandler fans” (both are true) but that doesn’t matter, his fans will still turn out. Go if you must but you’ve been warned.

Knight and Day - C+

Rated PG-13 for sequences of action violence throughout, and brief strong language, 110 minutes

"Knight and Day" an uneven blend of thriller and comedy

The mildly entertaining new spy thriller "Knight and Day" starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz is a very divisive film. People will love it or loathe it. It will be either a big hit or a huge flop. On the upside, there is a reckless, enjoyable charm to it and it's peppered with some decent action sequences, on the downside it's wildly uneven, implausible and largely pointless.

Diaz is June Havens, a midwestern girl who finds herself wrapped up in the life of a secret agent named Roy Miller (Cruise), with a deadly mission of guarding a top genius inventor (Paul Dano) who has created a perpetual energy battery that some high-powered and dangerous criminals the globe over is seeking. June is unsure who to believe - the beguiling Miller - or his colleagues at the CIA, including Agent Fitzgerald (Peter Sarsgaard), who also has an interest in the battery, and their director (Viola Davis), who just wants all of this put to rest. June and Roy soon realize the only thing they can count on is each other.

"Knight and Day" is filled with a high-powered energy and a fast pace that starts minutes into the film. The only thing is, it's hard to buy into the story and particularly the romantic comedy angle, which seems forced and inconsequential to the story. Diaz's annoying, shrill character really is unnecessary; Cruise could've (and has) played this alone in the past ("Mission: Impossible" anyone?) and done just fine. All said and done, much of "Knight and Day" is a pointless excuse to get Diaz and Cruise together onscreen, which isn't a bad thing given the eye candy they provide, but a more engaging story would've helped; after all, the bad guys are after a...battery.

The action sequences, and there are many in "Knight and Day," are the real highlight, including the opening plane crash sequence, to many explosions to the finale, an exciting motorcyle-car chase-bull run through the streets of Spain. The script, on the other hand, is wildly jumpy, going from one episode to the next, as Diaz's character literally wakes up to another adventure.

This may be due to director James Mangold's ("Walk the Line") craggy direction, who handles the action serviceably but doesn't integrate the romance as smoothly. Cruise throws Diaz around, drugs her up and before you know it, they're in love. As for the supporting cast, recent Tony-winner and Oscar-nominee and wonderful actress Viola Davis ("Doubt") is considerably underused as the CIA director, while character actor Peter Sarsgaard ("An Education"), playing another slimeball, is fun but miscast.

"Knight and Day," with all it's shortcomings, has an carefree appeal and some energetic fun that manages to keep you centered in the action, even if you don't care much for the stars, who have the capability to both charm and annoy at the same time. With that in mind, you'll hate it or hate that you enjoyed it.

Ondine - B

Rated PG-13 for some violence, sensuality and brief strong language, 102 minutes

"Ondine" - a lovely fairy tale that treads familiar waters

"Ondine" is an Irish fairy tale about a fisherman who believes he has discovered a mermaid. It's a handsomely photographed, well-acted and tender story from Neil Jordan ("Interview with the Vampire") and starring bad boy Colin Ferrell in a change of pace for him. The script is a little uneven and slow, but there are a handful of nice, poignant moments.

"Ondine" tells the story of Syracuse (Colin Farrell), an Irish fisherman whose life is transformed when he catches a beautiful and mysterious woman (Polish actress Alicja Bachleda) in his nets. She says her name is Ondine, which means "she came from the sea." His ailing but irrepressible daughter Annie (Alison Barry) comes to believe that the woman is a selkie, a magical seal/woman creature who can transform themselves into a human, while Syracuse falls helplessly in love. All goes well until the real, dark world intercedes in the tale, and Syracuse, Annie and Ondine are forced to deal with secrets that could permanently all of their lives.

"Ondine" is a well-developed, emotionally satisfying story that's part love story and part fairy tale, all with dark shadings. It all has a familiar ring to it, but those that stay with the story will appreciate it's poignant payoff in the end. "Ondine" is especially memorable for the low-key but believeable turn from Ferrell, who gives his best performance in several years and this, along with the recent "Crazy Heart," proves he may be developing into a solid character actor.

The title role is well-played by a novice, Polish actress Bachelda, a risky move for director Jordan considering he could've gone with a more well-known actress in the role. The role is the film's trickiest and the more underdeveloped; Bachelda plays it well though a little emotionally vacant at times. The role probably could've been more skillfully played by a better actress, but we'll never know that. Newcomer Alison Barry is outstanding as Ferrell's daughter and nearly outshines him; she's the real heart and soul of the film and has some of the best scenes. Watch for director Jordan's favorite actor (he's collaborated with Jordan on several films) Stephen Rea in a small role as a priest.

"Ondine" may not please everyone, but then most fairy tales don't. Either you'll like it or you won't with little in between. I happened to enjoy it, particularly the restrained Ferrell performance.

Jonah Hex - C-

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, disturbing images and sexual content, 80 minutes

Unfocused, messy "Jonah Hex" doesn't deliver

Take a decent DC Comics character, scramble it with a couple of solid character actors, a pretty movie star and some big explosions and you come up with the murky, jumpy "Jonah Hex," a disappointing adaptation of the graphic novel character. Sure, it's moderately entertaining with a handful of energetic action set pieces, but in the end it's a rather pointless affair.

Jonah Hex (Josh Brolin) is a scarred bounty hunter and ex-Confederate military in the post-Civil War who nearly died at the hands of an evil criminal named Quentin Turnbull (John Malkovich), who scarred Hex's face in a grotesque way. Turnbull supposedly died before Hex could enact his revenge, but he is back again, wreaking havoc and building a dasterdly weapon and an army that could destroy thousands. The U.S. military under President Grant's (Aidan Quinn) is devising its own way to stop Turnbull: by using Hex to stop him. Hex, who also has special powers to speak to the dead, is on a very personal mission of redemption, love with a beautiful woman named Talulah (Megan Fox) and exacting violent revenge on the man who physically and mentally scarred him for life.

Jonah Hex is a shoddy, mildly enjoyable misfire that has gone wrong in the hands of the wrong director. Brolin, under heavy makeup, tries his hardest for a believable performance and he would succeed had the unfocused script not gone in so many directions. Jimmy Hayward, director of "Horton Hears a Who" and an animator who ironically worked on the first two "Toy Story" films, is the wrong choice for the material, falters in navigating the material. The uneven plot, filled with lots of explosions and gun shooting, simply doesn't give a chance to fully develop the Hex character.

Malkovich chews up the screen and it's always nice seeing Michael Shannon, who's wasted in a brief supporting part as a circus ringleader. The beautiful Fox has little to do as Hex's love interest, and she's the weakest link in a movie full of them. The first big action set piece, in which Hex fires upon a group of criminals, is tremendously pointless, and goes down hill from there. The predictable showdown between Hex and Turnbull pulls absolutely no surprises, either, only setting up more films if this is a hit.

"Jonah Hex" could've been great. It has all the right elements, but fell apart under a forgettable, uneven story and misdirection. Comic book enthusiasts will likely be very disappointed, to say the least. Not worth your time unless you really enjoy this type of thing.

Toy Story 3 - B+

Rated G, 103 minutes

A colorful, funny playtime with Pixar's "Toy Story 3"

It's hard to believe that it's been 15 years since the first "Toy Story." That film helped put Pixar on the map with animation movies, and the rest has been history. Lots of things have changed since 1995, but one thing is for sure, Pixar can still make great animated films with a rich palette, warm storytelling and some fun moments. It's also great seeing Woody, Buzz and the gang back for another adventure and while the thin story treads familiar ground, there still some fun moments to be had with an poignant, unforgettable ending.

Andy Davis is now 18, fresh out of high school and soon to be off to college. His childhood toys Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) along with Jessie (Joan Cusack), Hamm (John Ratzenberger), Rex (Wallace Shawn), the Potato Heads (Don Rickles and Estelle Harris) and the whole gang clamor for his attention, afraid he'll forget them forever when he goes off to school. Due to a mix-up, the toys end up in Sunnyside, a daycare that gets a lot of use out of used toys. All of them think it's a great place where they'll be wanted, led by a big, friendly purple bear named Lotso (Ned Beatty) but Woody constantly reminds them that they're Andy's toys. They soon realize the truth about Lotso and Sunnyside and decide to make their way back to see Andy before he heads off to college.

"Toy Story 3" is a florid, enjoyably fun animated vehicle that doesn't disappoint though it's not the best of the three films. Pixar, now making their films largely away from the Disney studio, have remodeled the characters for some fresh laughs but a thin, familiar story and too many characters seem to detract from the Woody-Buzz chemistry that made the first two films so memorable.

Back in the 1990's when the first two films were released, both Hanks and Allen were nothing short of superstars, something that's definitely not the case today. For that reason, the writers and producers of "Toy Story 3" have added a considerable amount of characters, including Barbie (Jodi Benson), Ken (Michael Keaton) and Lotso (Beatty) and while they all have some good moments, they fill "Toy Story 3" with too many predictable laughs and a distracting busyness.

The middle section sags but it picks up for an energetic climax and a very emotional ending that will have you reaching for the tissues. All the actors do solid work, and it's nice hearing both Hanks and Allen again. Rickles, Ratzenberger and Shawn are all a hoot as usual and steal most of the film's best laughs, such as when Mr. Potato Head uses a tortilla as a disguise.

Even with it's flaws, "Toy Story 3" is still far better and more clever than most animated films these days. It's entertaining, often hilarious (one bit with Buzz in Spanish is particularly funny) with great appeal to the masses. It comes with the usual Pixar short that precedes the main film, this time a clever, symbolic one called "Day and Night." Also, don't forget to stay over to watch the credits for more fun moments.