The Walk - B

Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Philippe Petit

Rated PG, 123 minutes

Since I was a boy, I have been absolutely terrified of heights. Unlike daring and audacious French high-wire artist Phillippe Petit, I could never walk a high wire. The fascinating, occasionally exhilarating Robert Zemeckis film "The Walk" details Petit's obsession in achieving the impossible: traipsing across the freshly constructed World Trade Center aka The Twin Towers. Most of it works well, with the stellar visuals more memorable than the story, which lacks complexity and heft. As a boy, Philippe Petit dreams of performing daring feats for dazzled crowds. As an adult (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), his life's ambition comes true when he becomes a high-wire artist who stares death in the face with every step. The daredevil, with plenty of help from his accomplices, including a his mentor Papa Rudy (Ben Kingsley) devises a plan, of which he calls "the coup," to walk on a tightrope attached to the north and south towers of the World Trade Center. Against all odds, Petit performs the seemingly impossible stunt on Aug. 7, 1974. Directed by Zemeckis, who also co-wrote its screenplay with documentary filmmaker Christopher Browne, "The Walk" isn't a perfect execution but still an engaging, even romanticized view of Petit's story, one that has been covered before, but never before in glorious 3D. On that note, "The Walk's" technical details dazzle more than the cast or story; Oscar-winner Zemeckis of "Cast Away" and "Forrest Gump" fame shows his skill with this, though occasionally heavy-handed here, adding in needless special effects and CGI in early shots that don't need them, yet better used in the climactic Twin Towers shots, the chief highlight of the film. The acting and script are less successful, with the dynamic Joseph Gordon-Levitt an odd casting choice; the lithe American actor captures Petit's physicality though a European actor would've better captured his spirit, especially his arrogance, charm and rogue appeal. However, the biggest flaw is having Gordon-Levitt's Petit narrate the story (which truncates details and adds composite characters) from atop the Statue of Liberty with the old New York City skyline hovering in the back, an unnecessary, gimmicky choice that interrupts the film's narrative flow and overlooks some important details, such as the swaying nature of the Towers.  Speaking of skyline, the most memorable cast member is the Twin Towers in realistic CGI form, which cast a haunting yet beautifully intimidating glow, particularly in the final moments, and while it doesn't overtly discuss 9/11, Petit's final line is an obvious reference. The enjoyable, idealized "The Walk" has a worthy story but would've been more compelling with some cast and story changes. If you haven't seen the excellent Oscar-winning 2008 documentary "Man on Wire" detailing the actual event, now would be a great time to do so and would make a great companion piece to this film.

Hotel Transylvania 2 - C

Rated PG, 89 minutes

You become extremely hesitant when comedy veteran Adam Sandler grabs his pals to make an animated movie, thinking it might be "Grown Ups" in comic form. Admittedly, Sandler and company are a little - gulp - easier to take in animated form, and in 2012 "Hotel Transylvania" became a big hit, so he brought them back for more in the sweet but flimsy, scattershot "Hotel Transylvania 2," which offers little surprises from the first. Hotel Transylvania has gone through several changes since Johnny (Andy Samberg) first stumbled onto it: the hotel is now open to human guests, Mavis (Selena Gomez) and Johnny have a young son named Dennis (Asher Blinkoff), whose lack of any vampire abilities worries his grandfather, Dracula (Sandler). When Johnny and Mavis consider moving out of Transylvania to raise Dennis elsewhere, his "Vam-pa" puts him through "monster-in-training" hoping he gain his fangs to become the monster that Dracula has always hoped he'd be. Directed by Genndy Tartakovsky, who directed the first film, and co-written by Sandler and his "SNL" cohort Robert Smigel, the thin "Hotel Transylvania 2" should most please the young ones, who'll enjoy the cute monsters but likely won't get most of the trademark Sandler potty humor: it's essentially a string of sight gags and non-sequitur humor that would make Seth MacFarland very happy. Much like a "Family Guy" episode, it's a little all-over-the-place in terms of storytelling and stuffed with many familiar voices from Sandler's crew: Kevin James (Frankenstein), David Spade (The Invisible Man), Steve Buscemi (Wolfman) as well as Samberg, not to mention comedy legend Mel Brooks as Dracula's father (is that really possible?) who's an inspired choice given his "Young Frankenstein" roots but he's given little do, appearing only in the last act for a few minutes (and there are many other fine comics such as Rob Riggle, Megan Mullally, Nick Offerman and Keegan Michael-Key who are wasted as well). Much like a live-action Sandler film, you throw a bunch of stuff out, most of it doesn't work, with only a handful of truly funny jokes or gags that really work (the zombie bell boys and Blobby the green blob among them). The good thing, while it's not Disney it's also not tripe like "Grown Ups" or "Jack and Jill" so on that note, the sloppy, crowd-pleasing "Hotel Transylvania 2" is a harmless yet forgettable animated diversion. Call it a win of sorts for Sandler, who's live-action stuff has been tanking of late.

The Intern - C

Robert DeNiro is "The Intern"

Rated PG-13, 121 minutes

You're fired. The likable but forced new Nancy Meyers dramedy "The Intern" has two charming leads that will likely win over many, but don't fooled, it's a flimsy attempt to brown nose audiences into thinking a mediocre film is a great one. Jules Ostin (Anne Hathaway), the founder and CEO of a fashion based e-commerce company, agrees to a community outreach program where a senior, Ben Whittaker (Robert De Niro), will intern at the firm. Directed, written and co-produced by Meyers of "Something's Gotta Give" fame, the bland and unmemorable "The Intern" is so easy, contrived and predictable you'll know what's going to happen from the moment DeNiro's character steps into the successful internet start-up led by the driven but warm Hathaway. For one, few companies, especially the casual, youth-oriented one portrayed in the movie, would dare offer a "senior intern" program for senior citizens. Second, there's not many senior citizens that would likely want to participate anyway, reentering the workforce and being treated badly for nothing is not exactly a great way to spend their retirement. Meyers is a talented filmmaker, but the uneven storytelling hampers the film, not to mention much of it is not that funny. It veers into an unfortunate and unnecessary slapstick sequence mid film involving an email sent to the wrong account, and then turns extremely serious in the last act, but only then skimming the surface of a few pertinent issues in the workplace such as sexism and work-life balance along with personal ones such as infidelity and parental role reversal (I especially didn't care for the unrealistic viewpoint of marriage in particular - the "just stick it out and things will get better" viewpoint). DeNiro, in likable guy form here giving pointers to the younger fellas about how to dress and treat a lady, and Hathaway's career-driven family woman, are certainly appealing though the film loses some passion when they get all chummy late in the film talking about life and work. The real charmer here is the lovely but misused Rene Russo in a small part as DeNiro love interest, a masseuse with the capability of stirring some happy endings. "The Intern," with it's two charming, Oscar-winning leads, is another of those forgettable crowd-pleasers that nearly masks the fact that considering the talent involved, it's a disappointment.

Sicario - B

Emily Blunt

Rated R, 120 minutes

The term sicario means hitman in Spanish, though in the drug cartel wars, its hard to often tell who's hitting who. That's the premise of the tense, well-acted new drug cartel drama "Sicario," featuring an especially memorable performance from the always watchable Benicio del Toro, in fine form with shades of his Oscar-winning role from "Traffic." At the border between the United States and Mexico, idealistic FBI agent Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) is enlisted by a government official (Josh Brolin) to aid in a joint task force tracking down an anonymous drug lord. Directed by Denis Villenueve of "Prisoners" and "Incendies" fame and written by Taylor Sheridan, the taut, brooding thriller "Sicario" is a complex, powerful tale that's part psychological drama and part chilling revenge tale. Filmed on location in New Mexico, the dusty story is told from two perspectives: from Blunt's FBI agent, who's unsure of what exactly she's volunteered to help with, and from del Toro's, as a mysterious "advisor," a former drug cartel member seeking revenge. Acclaimed actor del Toro, his weathered, unusual look and beady eyes serving him well here, broods quietly on the sidelines in one of his more memorable turns, while Brolin chews scenery as an unconventional FBI agent heading the charge. The top-notch production has a few decent action set pieces and plenty of blood, particularly in the final, intense climax with a shocking end to it; the film's final exchange between del Toro and Blunt is one of the few false notes in the film, and I wish that ending had a little more shape to it. "Sicario" isn't perfectly executed and goes on a tad too long, but it's still a worthy, satisfying ride with solid turns from everyone, especially del Toro's memorable tough guy.

Sleeping With Other People - C+

Rated R, 99 minutes

"Sleeping With Other People" is a fun but typical rom com that spends too much time in foreplay and not actually getting it on. Considering the cast and plot, it could've been much crazier. A good-natured womanizer Jake ("SNL's" Jason Sudeikis) and a serial cheater Lainey ("Community's" Alison Brie), who lost their virginity to each other in college and run into each other in a love addicts meeting, form a platonic relationship that helps reform them in ways, while a mutual attraction sets in. Directed and written by Leslye Headland ("Bachelorette"), "Sleeping With Other People" is a predictable, modestly enjoyable look peppered with some humorous moments, but it's just a surface look at some real issues, including sexual addiction, cheating and serial relationships, none of which is explored fully. Harmless for sure, but the charming leads give it a good whirl or two, though Headland's plot structure, including the NYC local, other relationships, breakups and best friends, seem too well-worn; admittedly however, as Jake's best friends, comedians Jason Mantzoukas (Rafi from the TV show "The League") and Andrea Savage ("Funny or Die Presents") nearly steal the show, particularly some hilarious ad-libbing over the film's end credits you'll want to stay for. Considering that two of the movie's producers, Adam McKay and Will Ferrell, are known for their wild, over-the-top antics, "Sleeping With Other People" is a pretty tame affair, mostly a makeout session instead of the full cha-ching. Likable but thin and unsatisfying, the act in particular stumbles and if you're a fan of both Brie and Sudeikis from their other efforts, this might be for you, but "Sleeping With Other People" is hardly anything you'll feel guilty about the next morning.

Stonewall - D

Rated R, 129 minutes

Gay Pride Parades, as peaceful and fun as they usually are, have their roots in the bloody Stonewall Riots of 1969 in a section of Greenwich Village in New York City, and while these initial riots weren't near as much fun-loving as the parades are today, they gave a voice to the gay rights movement. The flat, unsatisfying new drama "Stonewall" is the backdrop for a fictional story set around the riots, and while the riots themselves have an important place in gay rights history, this slow, dramatically inert movie lacks that same passion and energy. The movie revolves around the 1969 Stonewall Riots, the violent clash that kicked off the gay rights movement in New York City. It centers on fictional gay character Danny Winters ("War Horse's" Jeremy Irvine), an all-American midwesterner who flees to New York, leaving behind his sister. He finds some unlikely friends in drag queens Ramona (Jonny Beauchamp, stealing many scenes) and Orphan Annie (Caleb Landry Jones) and becomes involved with the handsome, politically motivated Trevor (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) while becoming a part of the first real gay rights movement. Directed by Roland Emmerich, yes that Emmerich of "Independence Day" and "White House Down" fame (Emmerich himself is openly gay and a champion of the LBGT community, though maybe not after this terrible film), and written by Jon Robin Baitz, creator of the hit TV show "Brothers and Sisters," the second-rate "Stonewall," in spite of a few poignant moments, is a sluggish, uninvolving affair that is less concerned about the riots than its boring, fictional plot. The bland, British actor Irvine is not much help here, striking more poses than really acting, and the movie's lackluster story- including a terribly slow middle act that considerably drags the movie down - sheds little insight into the riots, which are given minimal bookended footage in the beginning and end of the movie. Newcomer Beauchamp steals the most scenes and gives the film some much needed life as a fictional drag queen, but the film unevenly blends fiction and true life, including real NYC gay rights activists Marsha P. Johnson (Otoja Abit), Ed Murphy (played by Ron Perlman - and played while Murphy was a bad guy), and Frank Kameny (Arthur Holden), all of whose efforts seem minimal compared to the fictional characters we care little about. The woefully dull "Stonewall" is a bit of a drag all right, and for all the wrong reasons. There's a better 1996 film with the same name with a similar theme, but much darker tone, that's a more worthy effort than this.

Captive - C

Rated PG-13, 97 minutes

For a story about redemption and finding purpose, the faith-based drama "Captive" sure lacks passion and inspiration. In March 2005, Brian Nichols (David Oyelowo) escapes from the Fulton County courthouse in Atlanta, during his trial involving a rape case. In the process of the escape he murders several people, including the judge presiding over his trial, a court reporter and a DEA agent. Nichols then kidnaps a young woman, Ashley Smith (Kate Mara) at her apartment to use as a hostage. Smith gets through this time inspired by Rick Warren's inspirational book "The Purpose Driven Life" while Nichols searches for redemption. Directed by TV director Jerry Jameson and written by Brian Bird based on Smith's novel "Unlikely Angel," the uninvolving, flat "Captive" holds its audience captive with a slow, sluggish story that doesn't seem to gel. On the plus side, for a faith-based film, it has a strong cast, decent production values and a story that doesn't force its beliefs down your throat. On the downside is really everything else about the movie, which lacks power and a strong emotional core. Even with some admirable qualities, this is still the sort of thing that's better on the small screen such as Lifetime or USA; while some may appreciate that it's an "edgy Christian movie" it's really a second-rate secular drama with a few faith-based elements that aren't even mentioned until late in the film. "Captive" lacks purpose and revelation and doesn't really find its footing (and the Oprah clip over the credits is well, very awkward). Do yourself a favor and do the right thing, and skip the unsatisfying and uninspiring faith-based drama "Captive."