Out of the Furnace - C+

Rated R, 106 minutes

"Out of the Furnace" a slow, downbeat but well-acted tale of redemption

Christian Bale

The well-acted new drama "Out of the Furnace" has a superb cast, director and story though the depressing story doesn't live to the talent involved. Russell Baze (Christian Bale) has a rough life: he works a dead-end blue collar job at the local steel mill by day, and cares for his terminally ill father by night. When Russell's brother Rodney (Casey Affleck) returns home from serving time in Iraq, he gets lured into one of the most ruthless crime rings in the Northeast and mysteriously disappears. Directed and co-written by "Crazy Heart's" Scott Cooper,  it's a low-key, downbeat film peppered with a few powerfully strong moments, though overall it's an unsatisfying look at someone trying to redeem himself. Bale gives another believable turn and grounds the film well; he and Woody Harrelson, playing a terrific, slimeball villain, have some good moments together. The rest of the A-list cast, however, is largely underutilized. Affleck is good, but Zoe Saldana, Forest Whitaker, Willem Dafoe and Sam Shepherd have little to do in their fleeting moments on screen (particularly Whitaker, in a bafflingly small part). The second act in particular drags before it picks up again in its final, violent act. "Out of the Furnace" is a well-acted but uninvolving tale that lacks a strong narrative to have a huge impact. This one is definitely a rental.

Wes's  Grade:  C+

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues - C

Rated PG-13, 119 minutes

Stupidity reigns supreme in overlong "Anchorman 2"

Will Ferrell as Ron Burgundy

Will Ferrell is a brilliantly funny comedian, but his comedic talents are wasted in the exceedingly tiresome, plodding comedy "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues," a sequel to the 2004 cult hit "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. Peppered with some of Ferrell's typically funny chortles, it could've easily been condensed to a 5 minute sketch and accomplished much more. The 1970s are over and San Diego newsman Ron Burgundy (Ferrell) and his team have hit rock bottom until a 24-hour news channel is being developed and his team is recruited for it. Directed by Ferrell's go-to comedy director, Adam McKay, produced by Judd Apatow and co-written by Ferrell and McKay, "Anchorman 2" is a needless sequel in which the silliness keeps on going and going and going. On that note, it's a comedy of excess and mainly for fans of the original film, whose cast, including David Koechner, Steve Carrell, Christina Applegate and Paul Rudd, return for this outing as well. It's to Ferrell's credit that his promotion of the film through the recent Dodge Durango commercials have helped that car brand's sales, and Ferrell is funny in them, they're also only a minute or less. "Anchorman 2" channels its stupidity often and there are admittedly some funny moments, but they're scattershot and strung together, going on much longer for what it is. Fans of Ferrell and the original film will get a kick out of it, for the rest of us, to quote Burgundy himself from the film, "as a wise man once said: so."

Wes's Grade: C

American Hustle - A-

Rated R, 129 minutes

Jennifer Lawrence

"American Hustle" an entertaining, wild ride of who's conning who

The vastly entertaining "American Hustle" is a chic, contemporary version of the "The Sting" with some real events as its backdrop. Slick, fun and playful, it's superbly acted and directed. The movie is a fictionalized (or as the producers of the movie call it, "fictionalization") of the ABSCAM scandal o of the late 1970s, it tells the story of brilliant con man Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale), who along with his equally cunning and seductive partner Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams) is forced to work for a wild FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper) while keeping Irving's unstable wife (Jennifer Lawrence) at bay. Directed and co-written by "Silver Linings Playbook" and "The Fighter's" David O. Russell, "American Hustle" is a smart, engaging crime drama that's most memorable for its brilliant, Oscar-worthy performances and characters.  With lots of feathery hair, plunging dresses and wide collars, it expertly evokes the feel of the 1970s like a shiny disco ball, and much like "The Sting," you have to watch carefully until the end to see exactly who's getting their con on. Russell's direction and writing is sharp and crisp, bringing to life the characters of this sordid tale, which is the chief reason to see the movie. Bale, in another method-y but layered turn as the plump, corrupt Irving (the film's opening scene is quite revealing), is at his best here and grounds the film superbly. Adams, as his soulmate in crime, gives one of her most believable turns yet, while Cooper is smooth and talky as the curly-haired FBI agent who may be in over his head. Oscar-winner Lawrence is most memorable: she's sensationally funny, charming and sad as the wife who can't keep her mouth shut; sure, it's the script's most showy role but Lawrence grabs it with tremendous appeal. Though it starts off a tad slow, character driven movies are rarely this fun (not to mention full of kitschy, familiar '70s tunes you'll hum along with), and Russell delivers another masterfully entertaining film in "American Hustle" with more winning performances at the forefront. One of the best movies of 2013, put this one your must-see list before the awards start pouring in.

Wes's Grade: A-

Inside Llewyn Davis - A-

Rated R, 105 minutes

Moody, funny "Inside Llewyn Davis" one of Coen Bros best

Oscar Isaac

The Coen brothers new film "Inside Llewyn Davis" is one of the year's best films, an masterful, moody and darkly funny look at the early 1960's New York City folks scene. The film follows a week in the life of young aspiring folk singer Llewyn Davis (the wonderful Oscar Isaac in a breakout performance) as he navigates the Greenwich Village folk scene of 1961. Guitar in tow and huddled against the unforgiving New York winter, Llewyn struggling as a musician against seemingly insurmountable obstacles-some of them of his own making. Loosely plotted, superbly acted and featuring some lively folk tunes, some old and some new from the Coen's and T. Bone Burnett (my favorite, which is already garnering accolades, sung by Isaac, Justin Timberlake and "Girls" Adam Driver is the peppy, short "Please Mr. Kennedy") which memorably highlight the film. Directed, written, edited and produced by the Coen's, it's one of their most insightful, masterful and affecting films of recent memory, with a standout performance from Guatemalan-born actor and singer Isaac, seen in last year's "Won't Back Down." With Timberlake, Driver, along with Carey Mulligan, John Goodman and a cat named Ulysses all in small roles, Isaac is well-supported in a film that's darker than it appears on the surface, though its grayness and darker shadings ultimately becomes part of its appeal. The moody "Inside Llewyn Davis," loosely inspired by the music of real NYC-based folks singers Dave Van Ronk and Ramblin' Jack Elliot, it's a superbly crafted film with a sheen of engaging pecularity and oddness that the Coen's do best, and it's a must-see film that's certain to win some awards.

Wes's Grade: A-

Walking with Dinosaurs - C+

Rated PG, 80 minutes

Educational "Walking with Dinosaurs" lovely to look at, offers little else

One of the dinosaurs in "Walking with Dinosaurs"

Meet dinosaurs more real than you've ever seen as you take off on a thrilling prehistoric adventure, where Patchi (Justin Long), with the help of prehistoric bird and story narrator Alex (John Leguizamo) an underdog dinosaur, triumphs against all odds to become a hero for the ages. "Walking with Dinosaurs" is produced by BBC Earth (this is based on its 1999 TV miniseries of the name) and is part educational, part narrative and a mixed bag. As an educational film for young children, it works best, as it stops to introduce all the prehistoric creatures each time a new one appears on screen. The film was shot by BBC Earth and director John Nightingale on location in Alaska and New Zealand, with the CG creatures added in later. The locals are lovely to look at and the dinosaurs very detailed, but there's not much else to keep the kids (and their parents), and even at 80 minutes, much of it seems like filler.  Also, it's odd that voices of the animals are voice-overs instead of moving along with the mouths of the creatures; even more odd some creatures "talk" while most do not at all. "Walking with Dinosaurs" is peppered with fun moments and educational for the young set, but outside of that there's little to offer a mainstream audience.

Wes's Grade: C+

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug - B+

Rated PG-13, 161 minutes

Impressive visuals the highlight the richly entertaining "Desolation of Smaug"

Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins

Well, first things first. The second entry in the latest round of "The Lord of the Ring" films, "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug," is better than 2012's "The Hobbit." With a leaner narrative, more efficient pacing and more sublime visuals, "Smaug" has more to offer than the slow-moving "Hobbit." This film continues the adventure of Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) as he journeys with the Wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellan) and thirteen Dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) on an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, battling a deadly, fire-breathing dragon named Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch) in the process. Peter Jackson and company once more bring to life Tolkien's novel, and while the experience is usually a dense, lengthy one, "The Desolation of Smaug" underscores Jackson's expert ability to tell a story. Tolkien fans almost always get the most out of these films, and that is the case here, but "Smaug" is far more transparent and fun even for non-Tolkien fans (myself included, many of the characters names and locals are a blur), with a last act that is by far more rewarding than nearly any of the "LOTR" films. Unsurprisingly, the film is a first-rate technical achievement, featuring an Oscar-worthy score, photography and visuals, with the Orcs and the spiders the standouts of a film loaded with them; of course, the most sublime visual is the enormous, talking and fire-breathing dragon known as Smaug, who makes his long-awaited entrance nearly two-thirds of the way through. It helps that Smaug is voiced by a terrific character actor in Benedict Cumberbatch (seen as the villainous Khan in the latest "Star Trek" film), who memorably infuses Smaug with a silky yet baritone evil you won't easily forget. A nice addition to the cast is "Lost's" Evangeline Lilly, as the toughest female elf in Middle Earth, well-paired with returning cast members Orlando Bloom (as Legolas) and Ian McKellan's Gandalf, in a smaller role here. "Smaug" is a tad slow-going in the first act taking considerable time to get to the best parts of the film, but that last act won't disappoint, even with an ending that is a literal cliff-hanger as it flies off into the next and final chapter of this film series. "The Desolation of Smaug" is vastly entertaining, a great escape, and a must-see action fantasy film for "Lord of the Rings" fans and non-fans alike.

Wes's Grade: B+

Narco Cultura - B

Rated R, 103 minutes
In English and Spanish with English subtitles

Gripping, violent doc "Narco Cultura" shows how influential crime can be

Musicians in "Narco Cultura"

The fascinating new documentary "Narco Cultura" shows the growing impact of crime, in particular from drug traffickers on both sides the border, upon our pop culture, and how it's been romanticized and stylized through music and film, especially in Mexico. To a growing number of Mexicans and Latinos in the Americas, narco-traffickers have become iconic outlaws, glorified by musicians who praise their new models of fame and success. The film shows how they represent a pathway out of the ghetto, nurturing a new American dream fueled by an addiction to money, drugs, and violence. Disturbingly powerful yet relevant, "Narco Cultura" doesn't provide much answers but does show why the narco culture is so popular, in giving people hope for power and money. Directed and written by war photographer Saul Schwartz in his debut documentary film, the narco culture is similar to the impact of rap, hip hop and violent video games in the U.S.; the violence and bloodshed is abhorrent but it doesn't stop entertainers from profiting from it. The film alternates between showing the realities of drug trafficking with those profiting from it in the Mexican-American entertainment industries, glorifying it's romantic side of wealth and power. "Narco Cultura" doesn't hide the guns, the violence, the bodies, the drugs or the money (not to mention many grieving families); remarkably, people in this culture realize these dangers even with all the success it may bring them. It's difficult but often mesmerizing to watch, and on that note it's outlook is rather depressing in that it provides little solutions except to let it die out in pop culture as people see the dangers of the lifestyle. "Narco Culture" isn't an uplifting film but it is an affecting, thought-provoking look at a culture that is unfortunately a way out for many.

Wes's Grade: B