Dirty Wars - B+

Unrated, 87 minutes

"Dirty Wars" a riveting documentary on the U.S. military presence on foreign soil

Journalist Jeremy Scahill

Investigate journalist Jeremy Scahill turns his compelling book "Dirty Wars: The World is a Battlefield" into a stirring, relevant documentary on the presence the U.S. military has taken in other countries. Scahill, a journalist for The Nation magazine, take a bold look at our military policies in nations such as Yemen, Afghanistan and Somalia, and how those policies aren't serving their intended purpose. "Dirty Wars" is part detective work, part political thriller that's gritty, complex and difficult to understand but also a fascinating, searing portrait that gives a different look at the flawed U.S. military policies designed to promote democracy and freedom. Scahill is best out in the field searching for answers, and he literally puts his life on the line in dangerous places such as Somalia (the intensely scared look on Scahill's face tells it all in one particularly gritty section involving a load of gunfire) to show that our military policies aren't as successful as made out to be. Some viewers may be lost on all the jargon the journalist, who also narrates (the film is well directed by filmmaker Richard Rowley) throws out, and as a result the film occasionally becomes a tad heavy handed. Still, overall "Dirty Wars," an independently financed and produced documentary, is an intense, gripping and often fascinating look at an story that deserves more attention.

Wes's Grade: B+

Unfinished Song - B

Rated PG-13, 93 minutes

Bittersweet, sentimental "Unfinished Song" hits the right notes

Terence Stamp

Charming, funny and touching, the British comedy "Unfinished Song" proves you're not too old to try something new. The story is familiar and you won't have a doubt about where it ends up, but it's so pleasantly assembled you'll have a good time getting there. Arthur (Terence Stamp) is a curmudgeon old soul perfectly content with sticking to his dull daily routine until his beloved but terminally ill wife Marion (Vanessa Redgrave) introduces him to a spirited local singing group of senior adults led by the youthful and charming Elizabeth (Gemma Arterton), who has them singing some fast-paced pop songs. "Unfinished Song" is a remarkably upbeat, lyrical but often unconventional film with a few good notes provided by a cast who outshines the predictable script. Known as "Song for Marion" across the pond and already a hit there, nominated for several British Independent Film Awards, "Unfinished Song" is held together by the charming Stamp as one grumpy old man, and the delightful Redgrave in an effervescent performance that is the film's centerpiece. Interestingly, it's directed by British horror film director Paul Andrew Williams, but it's enjoyable (yet different) in seeing older folks prance around, having fun singing some '80s and '90s pop tunes like Salt-n-Pepa's "Let's Talk About Sex" and The B52's "Love Shack" (especially memorable). Arterton ("Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters") is also strong as the young choir director who inspires Arthur, as well as Christopher Eccleston as Arthur's estranged son. "Unfinished Song" wears its sentiment on its shoulder, and on that note you'll want to keep plenty of tissues handy, particularly in the film's best scene as Redgrave sings Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors" in front of a big audience. Satisfying and uplifting, "Unfinished Song" isn't perfect, but it has heart and is worth a look, especially for Redgrave and Stamp, who have an unmatched chemistry together.

Wes's Grade: B

White House Down - C

Rated PG-13, 137 minutes

Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx

Emmerich is back with another mindless action thriller in "White House Down"

2013 is blessed with not one, but two action thrillers with the White House in physical distress, the first being spring's "Olympus Has Fallen" and now "White House Down" from "Independence Day" director "Independence Day," who must have a thing for exploding Presidential mansions. Mindless, preposterous fun, it's best to just to sit back, enjoy and not actually think about the details of "White House Down." A group of domestic terrorists and mercenaries led by Emil Stenz (Jason Clarke of "Zero Dark Thirty") overtake the White House, threaten to kill the President (Jamie Foxx) and destroy mankind with nuclear bombs, but not before US Capitol Police officer John Kale (Channing Tatum) can get to them. Also starring James Woods as a bad Secret Service agent, Maggie Gyllenhaal a good Secret Service agent and Richard Jenkins as the Speaker of the House, "White House Down" is essentially another version of "Olympus" with similar plot points and characters, and much like that film, it's ridiculous, over-the-top and dumbed down considerably, and (unsurprisingly) director Emmerich and "The Amazing Spider-Man" writer James Vanderbilt wouldn't have it any other way. With a large bucket of popcorn and some Milk Duds, "White House Down" can be enjoyable, if not, exhausting, entertainment that the summer tends to bring out, and Tatum and Foxx seem to be the perfect pairing for something like this, with Foxx's mugging for the camera and Tatum's athleticism. Too bad a smart actress like Gyllenhaal is given little to do, but Woods' chomping on scenery at every turn is actually pretty fun to watch (and he's always a terrific bad guy). Lots of explosions, shooting, running, beating up people and destroying endless amounts of White House accessories takes time, and on that note it grows tiresome after awhile. Emmerich has assembled a great cast, some nice action set pieces and an otherwise forgettable piece of nonsense in "White House Down," which means it will likely be a decent hit at the box-office. Fun, but leave your brain at the door.

Wes's Grade: C

The Heat - C

Rated R, 117 minutes

Melissa McCarthy & Sandra Bullock

McCarthy and Bullock serve up lukewarm, predictable laughs in "The Heat"

"The Heat" is a standard fare, predictable and profane female police buddy-buddy comedy that's made better by it's two mega-watt stars in Oscar-winner Sandra Bullock and Emmy-winner Melissa McCarthy though overall it's a lukewarm affair. Uptight FBI special agent Sarah Ashburn (Bullock) is paired with testy Boston cop Shannon Mullins (McCarthy, walking off with the movie) in order to take down a ruthless drug lord. The hitch: neither woman has ever had a partner -- or a friend for that matter. Directed by Paul Feig, who also helmed another popular McCarthy comedy, "Bridesmaids" and written by "Parks and Recreation" scribe Katie Dippold, "The Heat" is serviceable, medicocre fare with a by-the-numbers plot that's been seen in this genre since Eddie Murphy's "48 Hours." Bullock, the uptight cop, paired with McCarthy's brusque cop, with the two initially hating each other and becoming pals by the end of the movie as they bring down the bad guys, is not exactly a spoiler alert for anyone who has seen the ubiquitous trailers for the film recently. The leads performances, much like the film itself, is something you've seen before: McCarthy's off-putting bully routine is something she's becoming quickly typecast for (though one riff about her bosses' privates are funny) and Bullock is worse off, playing essentially the same character from her "Miss Congeniality" movies, which weren't exactly classics. However, it is nice seeing two actors play against type: serious actors Oscar-nominee Demian Bichir play lighthearted and comedian Marlon Wayans play toned down though the script gives them little to do, while it's more fun seeing "Saturday Night Live" vet Jane Curtain, perfectly cast in a tiny role McCarthy's onscreen Mom (another nice touch: McCarthy's captain is played by Tom Wilson, aka Biff from the "Back to the Future" movies). Much like McCarthy and Feig's "Bridesmaids," this runs a little too long for what it is - buddy comedy - and about 15-20 minutes could've easily been chopped off (one particular scene with a choking patron in Denny's is really unnecessary). "The Heat" is absolutely nothing new in terms of comedy (or in terms of feminism for that matter): it takes a simple, often low-brow approach and you know where it'll end up, and while peppered with a few fun moments, mostly provided by McCarthy, it's largely unmemorable. Worth a look, if only to see two talented actresses play a foul-mouthed, mediocre version of "Cagney and Lacey." In a summer, not to mention a year, in need of comedies, the mildly enjoyable "The Heat" will have to do for now.

Wes's Grade: C

The Bling Ring - C

Rated R, 90 minutes

Interesting but vapid true crime drama "The Bling Ring" has little to say

Emma Watson and pals in "The Bling Ring"

The new film from Oscar-winning director Sofia Coppola ("Lost in Translation"), "The Bling Ring" is an interesting real-life tale that seems destined for the big screen. A group of young teens, including Rebecca (Katie Chang), Marc (Isreal Broussard) and Nicki (Emma Watson), steal a load of clothes and accessories from some Hollywood celebrities, including Paris Hilton, Rachel Bilson, Lindsay Lohan and Orlando Bloom and then get caught in their own web of lies and deceit. The movie is based on actual events of a group of teens who were caught a few years ago of doing this very thing, and the real story is more intriguing than the boring, slow-moving and empty tale than Coppola spins. Though Coppola is a gifted director and writer, her source material is thin and lacks an emotional pull one way or the other (in other words, you just don't really care); it also lacks the charm and fun that something like this should have, and this ultimately is one of Coppola's weaker, if not, weakest film to date. "The Bling Ring" has about as much depth as a People or US Magazine article, which isn't surprising given the source material is indeed a Vanity Fair magazine article. While it's sleek, shiny and packaged well, much like the jewelry that's stolen, "The Bling Ring" doesn't say much or make any statements about these people and in turn becomes largely forgettable. Not worth it.

Wes's Grade: C

World War Z - B-

Rated PG-13, 116 minutes

Flawed but intense, zombies are the best part of "World War Z"

Brad Pitt

OK, the hype surrounding the new flawed new zombie thriller "World War Z" is a bit much. It is not the zombie movie to end all zombie movies. It's murky, uneven and its lead actor a little bland, but is has some strong points too. Quite a few of them actually. Think "The Walking Dead" on speed mixed with apocalypse in which the undead are far more memorable than the living. The story revolves around United Nations employee Gerry Lane (Pitt), who traverses the world in a race against time to stop a pandemic that is toppling armies and governments and threatening to decimate humanity itself. Directed by Marc Forster ("Quantum of Solace"), "World War Z" is a stirring, intense zombie apocalyptic thriller in which the "Z" in the title is the most memorable part of the film, especially a breathless opening sequence of terror as the zombie plague quickly spreads across a dense area. When it slows down a bit, things becomes less interesting, due to an uneven script and banal human interaction that hamper the expensive, problem-filled production, seemingly beset with more zombie-like issues than you could shake a stick at since it first began filming in 2011 (script rewrites, shoots, reshoots, you name it). However, one thing that "World War Z," based on Max Brooks' 2006 best-selling novel, did get right is the zombies themselves; in this interpretation they're strong, agile, agitated by noise and quite determined for being so undead, not to mention they could run circles around any of the "The Walking Dead" crew. When they're on screen, the film pops with visual energy and intensity and much less so when the humans, led by a dullish but solid Pitt and his dirty locks, take center stage as they trot the world to determine a cure for this awful plague. In spite of a murky plot and some patchy scenes, particularly in its later chapters, "World War Z" is a vivid, but not overly violent, portrait of a zombie apocalypse in which all the excitement unsurprisingly comes from the zombies (after seeing them here, you could say the rock the place, literally). Certainly worth a look, especially for zombie enthusiasts, who'll clamor to see it faster than any of the undead.

Wes's Grade: B-

Monsters University - B-

Rated G, 102 minutes

Colorful "Monsters University" lacks originality but still gets laughs

Sully and Wazowski on campus in "Monsters University"

Upfront, I will say "Monsters University," the long-anticipated sequel to the Pixar classic "Monsters, Inc." isn't as original or fun as that 2001 film, and it goes on a tad too long. Yet it's loaded with some colorful characters and enough laughs to make the 14th Pixar film worth seeing. Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) and James P. Sullivan (John Goodman) are an inseparable pair, but that wasn't always the case. "Monsters University," set about 10 years before the first film, unlocks the door to how Mike and Sulley overcame their differences (studious Mike vs. laid back Sulley) after they first met in college to become the best of pals. Charming but predictable, "Monsters University" is a pleasantly entertaining entry in the Pixar collage of films, but not its best. Well-voiced with energy by Goodman, Crystal and a large variety of characters, which is part of its problematic, thin script. It revolves around a "Hunger Games"-esque (just much less violent and no deaths) sort of games to see who the scariest is, but the problem is that it's not terribly original or funny, and it takes much too long to resolve. Also a weakness: its most intriguing aspect, how the two started to work at Monsters, Inc., is an afterthought and shown over a collage of photographs at the end. The second is that "MU" is infused with so many different (albeit colorful) characters you may forget who is who (most memorable: a deliciously evil Helen Mirren as the strict headmistress and "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia's" Charlie Day as the gangly purple creature Art). Third, with the first film a generation ago (12 years), it may take some repeat views of that film to genuinely enjoy this one. Even with those imperfections and lacking the heart of such a well-loved first film, "MU" still provides a few hearty laughs (a sequence with Mike riding a pig is one of them) to keep the young set engaged through many of the quieter, lesser moments of the film. "Monsters University" isn't as frightfully fun as "Monsters, Inc." but you'll have a good time, and is preceded by an unconventional but striking animated short "The Blue Umbrella." And listen closely for Pixar stalwart John Ratzenberger, who's appeared in all the Pixar films, in a voice cameo here too.

Wes's Grade: B-