CAPSULES
By Catholic News Service
NEW YORK (CNS) -- The following are capsule
reviews of movies recently reviewed by Catholic News Service.
Get Him to the Greek (Universal)
Raucous, frequently coarse comedy in which a timid young record company
executive (Jonah Hill) is tasked by his hard-bitten boss (Sean Combs)
with escorting a hedonistic British rock star (Russell Brand) from London
to the titular Los Angeles theater for a comeback concert, a journey
that coincides with, and aggravates, a break with his live-in girlfriend
(Elisabeth Moss). Like his 2008 debut, "Forgetting Sarah Marshall,"
in which Brand's character first appeared, writer-director Nicholas
Stoller's tale of an unlikely friendship features a few touching moments
and some positive underlying values, but these elements are ultimately
eclipsed by obscenity-laden dialogue and debauched, sometimes perverse
behavior. Brief graphic nonmarital sexual activity, scenes of aberrant
sexuality, cohabitation, drug use, some gruesome images, upper female
and rear nudity, much sexual humor, a couple of uses of profanity, and
pervasive rough and crude language. The Catholic News Service classification
is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America
rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or
adult guardian.
Marmaduke (Fox)
Small children might like this comedy based on the titular comic-strip
Great Dane (voiced by Owen Wilson), but adults may find it about as
charming as a bucket of doggie drool. Director Tom Dey has constructed
a slapstick-laden story with the canine hero as a gangly and quite talky
adolescent attempting to fit in with cliques at a dog park that represents
high school, while a parallel plot has his human family (led by Lee
Pace) attempting the same transformation after they move from Kansas
to Southern California. Some mild scatological humor. The Catholic News
Service classification is A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture
Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested.
Some material may not be suitable for children.
Splice (Warner Bros.)
Director Vincenzo Natali's perverse tale of modern science run amok
chronicles how genetic engineers (Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley) who
create new life forms by "splicing" together genes from different
animals decide to take the next step and use human genes to create "Dren"
(Delphine Chaneac), a monster with the body of a beautiful woman. The
trio morph into a happy if unconventional "family" until Dren
grows up and her hormones start raging, with deadly results. Generally
sympathetic presentation of human cloning, genetic engineering and embryo
destruction; nudity; nonmarital sexual activity; rape; rough language;
and bloody scenes of violence and torture. The Catholic News Service
classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association
of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying
parent or adult guardian.
Killers (Lionsgate)
Very much the definition of mindless fun, only if you enjoy anything
Ashton Kutcher says or does. Director Robert Luketic and screenwriters
Bob DeRosa and Ted Griffin play explosions, gunfire and car crashes
by rote in this combination of marital comedy and espionage thriller,
very much derivative of "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" and others of
the genre, but the comic bickering between Kutcher and co-star Kathleen
Heigl is usually stale and insipid. Fleeting crass language, mild sexual
banter, and all violence is played for comic effect, making this acceptable
for older adolescents. The Catholic News Service classification is A-II
-- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America
rating is PG-13 -- parents
Copyright (c) 2010 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of
Catholic Bishops
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