REGAL SOUTH BEACH MOVIE SHOWTIMES

South Beach Stadium 18
1100 Lincoln Road
(305)674-6766
Discounted Showtimes in Parenthesis ( )
Schedule for Friday, Feb. 26 through Thursday, March 4

Jennifer Garner as Julia Fitzpatrick in "Valentine's Day." Photo by Ron Batzdorff

Cop Out: D
(Bruce Willis, Tracy Morgan, Guillermo Diaz) Partners Jimmy (Willis) and Paul (Morgan) try to get Jimmy’s rare baseball card back from a Mexican drug lord (Diaz) in this labored and awful comedy. Morgan plays his character as a petulant baby, and you will immediately want to punch him in the face. This is the first film Kevin Smith (“Clerks”) has directed that he hasn’t also written, and it shows. At no point is the script sharp, clever, funny, witty, amusing, inspired or original. What a disaster. Rated R.

Shutter Island: B
(Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Kingsley, Patricia Clarkson) In 1954 off the coast of Boston, two federal marshals (DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo) are sent to a hospital for the criminally insane to investigate the disappearance of Rachel (Emily Mortimer), an inmate who murdered her three children. Director Martin Scorsese (“The Departed” does a great job of creating an eerie mood and atmosphere, but the story is a bit too complex for its own good. Kudos to DiCaprio and the accomplished cast for fine performances all around. Based on the novel by Dennis Lehane (“Mystic River”). Rated R.

The Last Station: C+
(Helen Mirren, Christopher Plummer, Paul Giamatti) In his dying days, famed Russian writer Leo Tolstoy (Plummer) debates leaving the rights to his work to his wife (Mirren) or to his loyal followers, called “Tolstoyans.” The Oscar-nominated performances of Mirren and Plummer are strong, but the story feels hollow in that Tolstory doesn’t believe in the ideals of his legions of his followers, and therefore has no real reason to consider giving the rights to them. Rated R.

The Wolfman: C
(Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt) Upon hearing the news that his brother (Simon Merrells) was murdered, actor Lawrence Talbot (Del Toro) returns to his dreary English home and meets his brother’s ex-fiancé (Blunt). His father (Hopkins) warns him to stay inside, but he doesn’t listen and is soon bitten by a werewolf. Bad things happen from there. I know it’s set in 1891 England, but it’s so insistently gloomy that you can’t help but think some sunshine would brighten everyone’s spirits. Alas, the story is a bit all over the place and the action/effects are serviceable but not impressive. Rated R.

Valentine’s Day: D
(Ashton Kutcher, Jennifer Garner, Julia Roberts) Love is lost, found, hated and embraced in this comedy/drama of intertwining stories set on Valentine’s Day in Los Angeles. It’s trying to be “Love Actually” for Valentine’s Day, but it’s not funny, charming nor cute enough to fulfill its purpose. Rated PG-13.

From Paris With Love: D+
(John Travolta, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Kasia Smutniak) In Paris, an ambassador’s assistant (Meyers) helps an unconventional American spy (Travolta) stop a drug ring, then a terrorist cell. The story is utter nonsense, but the action is good fun and Travolta is a real treat. Rated R.

Dear John: C
(Channing Tatum, Amanda Seyfried, Richard Jenkins) Young lovers (Tatum and Seyfried) meet, fall in love in two weeks, and then really fall in love by writing letters to one another while he’s at war and she’s in college. The performances by Tatum and Seyfried aren’t terrible, but director Lasse Hallstrom (“The Cider House Rules”) tries to cram too much into the 105-minute running time, and as a result we end up not caring about anything. Based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks. Rated PG-13.

When In Rome: C
(Kristen Bell, Josh Duhamel, Will Arnett) Unlucky in love career girl Beth (Bell) thinks the guy of her dreams (Duhamel) only loves her because he's under a spell. Though it has some amusing moments, such as a dinner date in the dark, most of the painfully predictable inanity is one dull rom-com moment after another. Rated PG-13.

Edge of Darkness:B
(Mel Gibson, Ray Winstone, Bojana Novakovic) A Boston homicide detective (Gibson) discovers a massive government conspiracy as he investigates his daughter’s (Novakovic) murder. Director Martin Campbell’s (“Casino Royale”) film has a bit too much moral philosophizing for its own good, but decent action, an intriguing story and a nice performance from Gibson help keep us in suspense. Rated R.

Extraordinary Measures: B
(Brendan Fraser, Harrison Ford, Keri Russell) John Crowley (Fraser) leaves a successful career in corporate America to team up with a research scientist (Ford) in an attempt to save the lives of Crowley’s children, who have a terminal disease. Strong performances from Ford and Fraser highlight a very touching and moving story that thankfully avoids getting too melodramatic. Based on a true story. Rated PG.

The Book of Eli: B
(Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis) In post-apocalyptic America, a lone warrior (Washington) carries a rare book to the west coast while a savage despot (Oldman) tries to steal it from him. Washington and Oldman are solid as always, and although the story is not always believable, it is suspenseful and entertaining throughout. Rated R.

Leap Year: D+
(Amy Adams, Matthew Goode, John Lithgow) Irish legend says women are allowed to propose to their boyfriends on Leap Year day, so upon the advice of her idiot loon father (Lithgow) headstrong Anna (Adams) flies to Ireland to propose to her boyfriend (Adam Scott) of four years, who’s attending a medical conference. After a rough detour she meets a gruff bartender (Goode) and inexplicably falls in love with him. The idiot tradition is dumber than the people who believe in it, and this inane, trite romantic comedy has 2010 off to a terrible start. Rated PG.

Fraser and Ford in "Extraordinary Measures"

Up In The Air: A
(George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick) Ryan Bingham (Clooney) loves life on the road, but his livelihood is challenged when a hotshot college grad (Kendrick) wants to change the way his company does business. One downfall of staying home is that he’ll no longer be able to see Alex (Farmiga), a fellow road warrior who describes herself to Ryan as “like you, only female.” Great performances, a sharp script (co-written by Sheldon Turner) and direction by Jason Reitman (“Juno”), and a story for our times make this the best movie of 2009. Rated R.

It’s Complicated: B
(Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin) Jane (Streep) has been divorced from Jake (Baldwin) for 10 years and just recently settled in and found happiness. Complications ensue, however, when she develops feelings for a nice-guy architect (Martin) while having an affair with Jake, who remarried a younger woman (Lake Bell). Writer/director Nancy Meyers (“Something’s Gotta Give”) has cornered the market on adult romantic comedy, and thankfully she does it well. The characters are engaging and likeable, and the story is fun too follow without getting too heavy-handed. Rated R.

Nine: B
(Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz) In 1965 Rome, a director (Day-Lewis) seeks inspiration from the women in his life in this adaptation of the Broadway musical. Each big-name star (Cotillard, Cruz, Kate Hudson, Nicole Kidman, Fergie) gets at least one number all to his/herself, and most succeed admirably. With Rob Marshall (“Chicago”) directing, we’d expect nothing less. Too bad the story has no structure and never comes together. Rated PG-13.

The Young Victoria: B
(Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Paul Bettany) This solid period piece drama looks at the first years of Queen Victoria’s (Blunt) reign in mid-1800s England and her budding relationship with Prince Albert (Friend) of Belgium. Blunt (“The Devil Wears Prada”) proves she can really act in this ambitious turn as the queen, and kudos to the costume and production designers for making the era look authentic. Rated PG.

A Single Man: B+
(Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Nicholas Hoult) Distraught over the loss of his boyfriend (Matthew Goode), George (Firth) contemplates suicide while seeking comfort in an old friend (Moore) and one of his students (Hoult). The performances are top-notch, especially Firth, and this is a strong directing debut from fashion designer Tom Ford. Based on the novel by Christopher Isherwood. Rated R.

The Lovely Bones: C
(Saoirse Ronan, Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci) After being brutally murdered (which we thankfully don’t see), 14 year-old Susie (Ronan) watches over her family from the “in-between” in this adaptation of the Alice Sebold novel. The performances are good – particularly Tucci – but director Peter Jackson’s film lumbers along too slowly, and the drama clearly needs more urgency to be effective. Rated PG-13.

The Messenger: B+
(Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton) Charged with the difficult task of informing families of deceased loved ones, Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery (Foster) breaks the rules of his immediate superior (Harrelson) by falling for the widow (Morton) of a fallen soldier. Foster and Harrelson deserve Oscar nominations in writer/director Oren Moverman’s impressive directing debut. Rated R.

Avatar: B+
(Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver) On a distant moon called Pandora, the Avatar program allows a paralyzed former Marine (Worthington) to infiltrate a blue-skinned, 10-foot tall alien race called the Na’vi. His mission is to obtain information that can be used against the Na’vi, but things change when he falls in love with his teacher, Neytiri (Saldana). The story is predictable, but writer/director James Cameron’s film is so visually stunning (especially in 3-D) that it’s a marvel to watch and enjoy. Rated PG-13.

Crazy Heart: B
(Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Robert Duvall) Faded country singer Bad Blake (Bridges) battles alcoholism and dates a young journalist (Gyllenhaal) as he tries to come to terms with his life and career. The story has flaws – it’s nearly impossible to buy the love story – but Bridges gives a performance that will likely earn him an Oscar nomination, and darn if you’re not rooting for Bad to pull through in the end. Rated R.

Did You Hear About The Morgans?: C
(Hugh Grant, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sam Elliott) On a date to “celebrate” the three-month anniversary of their separation, married New Yorkers Paul (Grant) and Meryl (Parker) witness a murder and are forced to enter the Witness Relocation Program. They’re then shipped to Wyoming, where their city-slicker ways are frowned upon. Grant has some funny one-liners, but the rest is bland and boring. Rated PG-13.

Invictus: B
(Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon, Tony Kgoroge) In an attempt to help unite his apartheid-torn country, South African President Nelson Mandela (Freeman) asks the captain of the national rugby team, Francois Pienaar (Damon), to win the 1995 Rugby World Cup. Strong lead performances and compelling drama make this a success, but you will not be alone if you have trouble believing one sporting event can eradicate 50 years of racial hatred. Directed by Clint Eastwood. Rated PG-13.

Everybody’s Fine: B
(Robert De Niro, Kate Beckinsale, Drew Barrymore) A widower (De Niro) visits his grown children (Beckinsale, Barrymore and Sam Rockwell) and learns their lives are not what they’ve described. This nice, thoughtful drama from writer/director Kirk Jones features a solid performance from De Niro and some deft storytelling touches (seeing the children as kids rather than adults, etc.) that make it truthful and heartwarming. Rated PG-13.

Brothers: B
(Jake Gyllenhaal, Natalie Portman, Tobey Maguire) With his brother Sam (Maguire) presumed dead in Afghanistan, ex-con Tommy (Gyllenhaal) helps Sam’s wife, Grace (Portman), around the house and with her two little girls. Bravura performances (especially Maguire) and a story that’s more complicated than you’d expect overcome the slow pacing in director Jim Sheridan’s (“In America”) latest. Rated R.
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