In Cinemas this week (29 July – 4 August)

Larry Crowne

Until he was downsized, affable, amiable Larry Crowne was a superstar team leader at the big-box company where he’s worked since his time in the Navy. Underwater on his mortgage and unclear on what to do with his suddenly free days, Larry heads to his local college to start over. There he becomes part of a colorful community of outcasts, also-rans and the overlooked all trying to find a better future for themselves…often moving around town in a herd of scooters. In his public-speaking class, Larry develops an unexpected crush on his teacher Mercedes Tainot, who has lost as much passion for teaching as she has for her husband. The simple guy who has every reason to think his life has stalled will come to learn an unexpected lesson: when you think everything worth having has passed you by, you just might discover your reason to live.

Cast:
Tom Hanks (Larry Crowne)
Julia Roberts (Mercedes Tainot)
Cedric the Entertainer (Lamar)
Nia Vardalos (Map Genie)

Director: Tom Hanks
Writer: Tom Hanks, Nia Vardalos
Runtime: 98 min
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Rating: K
Language: English
Production Year: 2011

Zookeeper

The animals at the Franklin Park Zoo love their kindhearted caretaker, Griffin Keyes. Finding himself more comfortable with a lion than a lady, Griffin decides the only way to get a girl in his life is to leave the zoo and find a more glamorous job. The animals, in a panic, decide to break their time-honored code of silence and reveal their biggest secret: they can talk! To keep Griffin from leaving, they decide to teach him the rules of courtship — animal style.

Cast:
Kevin James (Griffin Keyes)
Rosario Dawson (Kate)
Leslie Bibb (Stephanie)
Ken Jeong (Venom)

Director: Frank Coraci
Writer: Nick Bakay, Rock Reuben
Runtime: 102 min
Genre: Comedy, Family, Romance
Rating: K
Language: English
Production Year: 2011

The Company Men

When the GTX Corporation must cut jobs to improve the company’s balance sheet during the 2010 recession, thousands of employees will take the hit, like Bobby Walker. Bobby learns the real life consequences of not having a job. Not only does he see a change to his family lifestyle, and the loss of his home, but also his feelings of self-worth.

Cast:
Ben Affleck (Bobby Walker)
Tommy Lee Jones (Gene McClary)
Chris Cooper (Phil Woodward)
Kevin Costner (Jack Dolan)

Director: John Wells
Writer: John Wells
Runtime: 104 min
Genre: Drama
Rating: 12
Language: English
Production Year: 2010

Bridesmaids

Annie is a maid of honor whose life unravels as she leads her best friend, Lillian, and a group of colorful bridesmaids on a wild ride down the road to matrimony. Annie’s life is a mess. But when she finds out her lifetime best friend is engaged, she simply must serve as Lillian’s maid of honor. Though lovelorn and broke, Annie bluffs her way through the expensive and bizarre rituals. With one chance to get it perfect, she’ll show Lillian and her bridesmaids just how far you’ll go for someone you love.

Cast:
Kristen Wiig (Annie)
Maya Rudolph (Lillian)
Ellie Kemper (Becca)
Wendi McLendon-Covey (Rita)

Director: Paul Feig
Writer: Kristen Wiig, Annie Mumolo
Runtime: 125 min
Genre: Comedy
Rating: 12
Language: English
Production Year: 2011

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Harry, Ron and Hermione continue their search for Voldemort’s horcruxes. Three of these horcruxes have been destroyed, and three remain. One is known to be the cup that belonged to Helga Hufflepuff. Nagini, Voldemort’s snake, is known to be another. The other’s shell is not yet known. Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s search will take them to Gringotts and Hogwarts, where the final battle between good and evil will decide the fate of the world. Who will survive this epic battle? What really happened 16 years ago when Voldemort failed to kill Harry Potter? Who is the true master of the Elder Wand? These questions and more will be answered in this epic finale. The fate of the world lies on the shoulders of one man: Harry James Potter. Will he have to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to bring peace to the wizarding world? It all ends here.

Cast:
Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter)
Emma Watson (Hermione Granger)
Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley)
Ralph Fiennes (Lord Voldemort)

Director: David Yates
Writer: Steve Kloves, J.K. Rowling
Runtime: 130 min
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
Rating: 12
Language: English
Production Year: 2011

Mr. Popper’s Penguins

Tom Popper grew up having very little interaction with his father who was off exploring the world. When he grows up he spends most of time on his work and ignores his children. One day his father sends him an unusual gift: six penguins. Popper’s penguins turn his swank New York apartment into a snowy winter wonderland – and the rest of his life upside-down. Filmed on a refrigerated soundstage with real Gentoo Penguins.

Cast:
Jim Carrey (Mr. Popper)
Carla Gugino (Amanda)
Angela Lansbury (Mrs. Van Gundy)
Ophelia Lovibond (Pippi)

Director: Mark Waters
Writer: Sean Anders, John Morris
Runtime: 94 min
Genre: Comedy
Rating: K
Language: English
Production Year: 2011

Insidious

A family moves to a new house only to discover shortly after that dark spirits have possessed their home and that their son has inexplicably fallen into a coma. Trying to escape the haunting and save their son, they move again only to realize that it was not their house that was haunted.

Cast:
Patrick Wilson (Josh Lambert)
Rose Byrne (Renai Lambert)
Ty Simpkins (Dalton Lambert)
Andrew Astor (Foster Lambert)

Director: James Wan
Writer: Leigh Whannell
Runtime: 103 min
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Rating: 15
Language: English
Production Year: 2010

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

The Autobots Bumblebee, Ratchet, Ironhide and Sideswipe led by Optimus Prime, are back in action, taking on the evil Decepticons, who are determined to avenge their defeat in 2009s Transformers Revenge of the Fallen. The Autobots learn of a Cybertronian spacecraft hidden on the Moon, and race against the Decepticons to reach it and to learn its secrets, and once again human Sam Witwicky has to come to the aid of his robot friends. There’s new characters too, including a new villain in the form of Shockwave, a longtime “Transformers” character who rules Cybertron while the Autobots and Decepticons battle it out on Earth.

Cast:
Shia LaBeouf (Sam Witwicky)
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley (Carly)
Josh Duhamel (Lennox)
John Turturro (Simmons)

Director: Michael Bay
Writer: Ehren Kruger
Runtime: 157 min
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Rating: 12
Language: English
Production Year: 2011

Cars 2

Star race car Lightning McQueen and his pal Mater head overseas to compete in the World Grand Prix race. But the road to the championship becomes rocky as Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage.

Voices:
Owen Wilson/Sakis Rouvas (Lightning McQueen)
Larry the Cable Guy/Pavlos Kontogiannidis (Mater)
Bonnie Hunt/Vicky Kaya (Sally Carrera)

Director: John Lasseter, Brad Lewis
Writer: Ben Queen, John Lasseter
Runtime: 113 min
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Rating: K
Language: English/Greek
Production Year: 2011

Kung Fu Panda 2

Po is now living his dream as The Dragon Warrior, protecting the Valley of Peace alongside his friends and fellow kung fu masters, The Furious Five – Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey. But Po’s awesome new life is threatened by the emergence of a formidable villain, who plans to use a secret, unstoppable weapon to conquer China and destroy kung fu. It is up to Po and The Furious Five to journey across China to face this threat and vanquish it. But how can Po stop a weapon that can stop kung fu? He must look to his past and uncover the secrets of his mysterious origins; only then will he be able to unlock the strength he needs to succeed.

Voices:
Jack Black/Christos Thanos (Po)
Angelina Jolie/Iro Loupi (Tigress)
Dustin Hoffman/Manolis Giourgos (Shifu)
Jackie Chan/Giorgos Papadopoulos (Monkey)

Director: Jennifer Yuh
Writer: Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger
Runtime: 90 min
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Action
Rating: K
Language: English/Greek
Production Year: 2011

Winnie the Pooh (Greek)

During an ordinary day in Hundred Acre Wood, Winnie the Pooh sets out to find some honey. When he is out searching for it, he discovers Eeyore who has lost his tail. Pooh and Eeyore ask for Owl’s help in finding the tail and Christopher Robin holds a competition to find a new tail for Eeyore. Pooh later finds a note from Christopher Robin that reads: “Gone out. Busy. Back soon.” But then Owl misinterprets the note, proclaiming that the boy has been captured by a creature called a “Backson.” Soon, the whole gang is on a wild quest to save Christopher Robin from the imaginary culprit. It turns out to be a very busy day for a bear who simply hoped to find some honey.

Voices:
Jim Cummings (Pooh / Tigger)
John Cleese (Narrator)
Craig Ferguson (Owl)
Tom Kenny (Rabbit)

Director: Stephen J. Anderson, Don Hall
Writer: A.A. Milne
Runtime: 69 min
Genre: Animation, Family
Rating: K
Language: Greek
Production Year: 2011