Director: Masakazu Hashimoto Running Time: 99 Minutes Note: This was a special preview screening courtesy of the British Film Institute.  There is currently no release plan for the US.  It is currently scheduled to be released on DVD in September in the UK.  The Japanese release was on September 9th, 2009. Video game-to-movie adaptations have one of the worst stigmas attached to them.  They usually and unfortunately fall into one of two pitfalls.  The first is that it attempts to create an entirely different product and soul than the original said game, whether it’s because the original... 

Director: Dean DeBlois; Chris Sanders Rated: PG Running Time: 98 minutes Many modern-day animated features have fallen into their own clichés and pitfalls.  Either they are too set on bridge the gap between appeasing parents and children with two very sets of different humor and plot or have uninteresting sets of ideas because they fail to approach its medium with much creativity.  The best-animated features freely take ideas and spin them into meaningful and imaginative landscapes, not being chained down by notions of reality.  How to Train Your Pet Dragon is not the perfect representation... 

The Path - a short horror game by Tale of Tales When I announce to someone I’ve recently met that I study and design video games I quite often get puzzled looks. ‘Really?’ they say. ‘You’re devoting your whole life to games? Errr… Why?’ It is at this point I take a breath, ready myself and begin my rant. I’m pretty proud of this rant; it can go on for quite some time and I’ve put a lot of work into it. It includes everything from Aristotle’s Catharsis theory to psychological theories of escapism and its importance. I deliver this rant with all the passion I have in my body.... 

Director: Joel & Ethan Coen Running Time: 105 minutes Rated: R This is a review from the London Film Festival.  This film is currently playing in theaters in the US. Bad luck.  Karma.  Fate.  The wrath of the god(s).  These are just a few of the basic terms that the human race has used to try and signify those terrible happenings that befall them whether it ranges from the trivial, such as that one morning Joe cannot find his keys and runs late for work, to the traumatic, where Sue makes a wrong turn and is stranded in the middle of the forest alone with no supplies.  It really is a... 

Director: Max Mayer Running Time: 99 Minutes Rated: PG-13 For: Those looking for a typical romance film with a bit of a twist Not For: Those seeking a deep, romance film The romantic genre has evolved into several forms in its varied history as it tried to attract audiences in various ways.  Some films went for the immensely quirky while others turned to more comedic situations as its big bullet point.  Adam follows another trend of promoting the awareness of a lesser known symptom, disease, or condition to the public through mass media, much like moves as I Am Sam.  The biggest problem these... 

Director: Michael Bay Running Time: 150 Minutes Rated: PG-13 For: Michael Bay and Transformers fans Not for: Methodical action enthusiasts In 2007, Michael Bay took on the challenge of making the Transformers cartoon series into a live action reality and was a runaway success, guaranteeing that a sequel would be coming to a theater near everyone.  2009 has arrived and brings forth Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, a sequel that trumps its predecessor in bringing bigger robots, a slightly longer running time, and more action.  If that’s all one needs to verify before going to see the film,... 

Director: Sam Mendes Running Time: 98 Minutes Rated: R For: Those that enjoy skit-by-skit, act-by-act progressive comedies, Audiences that want to watch something a bit more offbeat Not For: Slapstick romantic comedy enthusiasts, Impatient viewers Many people associate words with different locations.  For instance, the first image that appears in most minds when they hear Southern California is sunshine.  Another example is the wind with Chicago and so on.  Director Sam Mendes plays on this interesting idea of word association to a much deeper extreme, wrapped around a romantic comedy genre... 

This film will have a limited release on July 17th. Director: Marc Webb Running Time: 95 Minutes Rated: PG-13 For: Viewers looking for a film with a variety of creative approaches to a romantic comedy Not For: Those looking for simple, laugh-out-loud humor 500 Days of Summer “lies” to the audience (twice) in its first opening act.  The first states that the story about to be seen is not a happy, romantic tale.  On quite the other hand, the film still is fairly content and completely about the notion of love.  The second is that the film misleads the viewers to believe that the narrative... 

Director: Todd Phillips Running Time: 100 Minutes Rated: R For: Those looking for raunchy/simple humor Not for: Anyone looking for a unique or different approach to the Vegas/road trip genre “It was the best of times.  It was the worst of times.” As much as it sounds like a line out of A Tale of Two Cities, this actually well refers to everyone’s fond memories of Las Vegas.  Nights of debauchery, public drunkenness, casinos, strip clubs, etc. are just a few of the typical stereotypes people associate with sin city.  Films have always used Vegas as a backdrop for many different activities... 

Director: Joe Wright Running Time: 117 Minutes Rated: PG-13 For: Drama and acting enthusiasts; Jamie Foxx/Robert Downing Jr. fans Not For: Those looking for the next Best Picture nominee The Soloist looks as though it has a great movie written all over it.  It has two wonderful stars as the headliners.  The plot focuses on the redemption of one man and how another tries to get past his madness to show off his gift.  The moral itself is sound as well, focusing on the poverty within Los Angeles and the beauty within.  Two warning signs appear, however.  First, Dreamworks decided to push back... 

Director: Jody Hill Rated: R Running Time: 86 Minutes For: Seth Rogen fans, Those wanting to a different mall cop film Not for: Moviegoers seeking a smart/unique/different comedy Seth Rogen joked on Saturday Night Live that Observe and Report should not be mistaken for Paul Blart: Mall Cop.  He definitely is not mistaken.  Observe and Report approaches its plot much differently with a hard R rating and a completely different type of humor so in that sense, Rogen has nothing to worry about and most likely, it will be a financial hit from the base of Apatow comedy fans.  Is the film one... 

Director: Mike Leigh Running Time: 118 Minutes Rated: R For: The optimist; classical comedy fans Not for: Narrative-heavy, moody filmgoers A plot based on how a person spreads happiness sounds very childish at first.  Perhaps some people think about Disney films such as the recent Enchanted that is about a character’s unabashed love for all people.  Happy-Go-Lucky, though, is not a children’s film but has a very similar yet grounded tale: the life of one woman’s happy-go-lucky attitude on others.  The movie is a very classically styled comedic drama with a narrative arc that may be...