Tron Legacy

For anyone who has seen the previews for this long-awaited sequel, know this little nugget of truth going into this film - the trailers are about as good as the actual movie. That's good in a way. The teasers sport incredible visual effects and a pulse-pounding score that ooze creativity and intrigue. Unfortunately, the actual movie does those amazing aesthetics a disservice with flat characters and even flatter dialogue. The fact that the final score of the finished product is as high as it is really speaks to how cool the bells and whistles actually are. "Tron Legacy" is worth catching on TV late at night, but is worth little more.

Bryce **

BANGERANG SCORE: **

The Social Network

Wow. Who would've thought that a movie about something as trivial as Facebook could be so totally engrossing and unforgettable? Yet here we are. Director David Fincher and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin have delivered a compelling entrepreneurial story that digs deep into the mind of Facebook's founder and the controversy surrounding the site's climb to global dominance. It has great performances all around and some of the smartest, snappiest dialogue you'll ever find. The story and characters grab you from the very first scene and completely own your attention until the credits roll. That is a very difficult feat for any film to accomplish but "The Social Network" accomplishes it effortlessly. It unfortunately has a few unnecessarily graphic scenes of partying and promiscuity, but if you can get past that, it's awesome. This is the best film of the year so far and an instant classic.

Bryce ****
Chase ****
Landon ****
Logan ****

BANGERANG SCORE: ****

Tangled

Don't let the visuals fool you, "Tangled" has much more in common with the classic Disney hand-drawn musicals than it does with modern computer animated fare. Like "The Princess and the Frog," before it, Disney continues its animated renaissance with this funny and heart-felt princess tale. The musical elements of the film weren't totally stellar (with the notable exception of "I See the Light"), but were good enough to maintain the atmosphere and keep the story moving. The animation was often incredible while the comedy and drama were nearly spot-on. This a worthy addition to the Disney library.

Bryce ***
Chase ***
Landon ***
Logan ***

BANGERANG SCORE: ***

Secretariat

"Secretariat" offers everything that an old-fashion, feel-good sports movie should and not an inch more. It starts with some well-crafted racing scenes, throws in some solid performances, strikes a few emotional chords, delves into a couple of cliches, ties it all together with a rousing score, and calls it a day. If that's all you're looking for, you'll enjoy it. But if you're expecting something more substantial (a la "Seabiscuit"), you're going to be disappointed.

Bryce **1/2

Chase **1/2

Landon **1/2

Logan **1/2

BANGERANG SCORE: **1/2

Despicable Me

It doesn't make sense. "Despicable Me" is one of the most critically and publicly acclaimed animated movies of the year. How is this possible? Especially in a year where it is placed in direct contrast with the likes of "Toy Story 3" and "How to Train Your Dragon"! There hasn't been an animated movie that's fallen this flat in quite some time. The thing is filled to the brim with cheap sight gags and juvenile bathroom humor. It tries to tie it all together by pulling at your heart strings towards the end but it's too little, too late.  In the end, there's very limited enjoyment. If any of the aforementioned qualities sound appealing to you, by all means see it.  But your money is better spent elsewhere.

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

BANGERANG SCORE: *1/2

Inception

There hasn't been a movie with a concept this ambitious in a long time. Probably ever. With "Inception", Christopher Nolan throws you into a complex labyrinth of dreams and dreams within dreams that's a lot of fun to get lost in. The cast is great and the smart, layered script holds it's mind-blowing charm throughout, providing one "wow" moment after the next.  Not to mention some thrilling action scenes.  If there's any gripe to be had with this movie it's that its emotional core which, while very well acted, isn't quite as relatable or compelling as it attempts to be. Even with that, this is one of the best movies of the year by a mile and has to be seen

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

BANGERANG SCORE: ***1/2

Dinner for Schmucks

Raunchy comedies like these are just not funny. Sure, Steve Carrell is a good actor, especially in movies like "Dan in Real Life" and on TV like his role in "The Office". It has now gotten to a point where he's being cast in the same role over and over again. His characters are all tactless bumbling idiots with a severe lack of self-awareness. It has worked in the past, but doesn't work here. The script for this film is horribly written and the humor is very stale and filled to the brim with sexual content. Stay away from this one. Definitly not worth your time

Landon *1/2

BANGERANG SCORE: *1/2