The Bourne Legacy

One of the best action series of all time gets an extra chapter in "The Bourne Legacy". Series screenwriter and "Legacy" director Tony Gilroy does a great job of extending the story in an interesting way and Jeremy Renner is up to the task as the new super spy. Rachel Weisz and Edward Norton are equally capable in new supporting roles which flesh out an intense and action-packed addition to the Bourne franchise. Why the low score you ask? Despite the aforementioned positive traits, the film's interesting premise ultimately gives way to an incomplete story arc with a pointless climax and virtually no resolution whatsoever. In the end, this promising new entry felt like bait to get Matt Damon to sign on for more movies.

Bryce **1/2

BANGERANG SCORE: **1/2

Bernie

"Bernie" is one of the strangest movies I've ever seen. More than a little of that is due to the fact that the true story upon which it is based is one of the most bizarre I've ever heard. Jack Black does some of his best work here as the title character - the nicest guy in a small Texas town that would never hurt a fly, let alone commit murder. Or would he? The plot unfolds in documentary style with extremely authentic and often hilarious interviews with the people of the town in which the events take place. However the humor is sometimes overshadowed by its dark undertones. If you're into dark comedies, you'll love it. If you're like me and the genre isn't exactly your thing, you'll find a lot to like but ultimately find it a bit uncomfortable.

Bryce **1/2

BANGERANG SCORE: **1/2

The Dark Knight Rises

Arguably the most anticipated movie of the year is here at long last. "The Dark Knight Rises" is the final chapter in the excellent Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy and while it is probably the weakest of the bunch, it was definitely worth the wait. This third film is somewhat different in tone than the previous installments (which were, in turn, different from each other) but it does an excellent job of concluding the story with raised emotional stakes. The story loses its focus a bit in parts, and a few of the action sequences are a tad over-the-top, but it all comes together in the end with a satisfying third act that ties everything up nicely. Tom Hardy and Anne Hathaway are excellent as Batman's new antagonists and all the returning players are as good as they've ever been. This is an electrifying conclusion to what will undoubtedly go down as one of the great movie trilogies of all time.

Bryce ***
Chase ***1/2
Landon ***
Logan ***1/2

BANGERANG SCORE: ***