Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa - C

Rated R, 91 minutes

"Bad Grandpa" serves up same old, cheap laughs

Jackson Nicoll and Johnny Knoxville

"Bad Grandpa" is a stale extension of the hugely profitable, profane hidden-camera MTV series "Jackass," which ran its course over three sequels. It's back, sort of, with Irving Zisner, the Johnny Knoxville-created Grandpa character featured in some of the "Jackass" pranks. Grandpa and his grandson Billy (actor Jackson Nicoll) trek across country, pranking people on hidden camera along the way. Inane and utterly unnecessary, Knoxville and his "Jackass" director Jeff Tremaine are back for more hijinks and stupid shtick in this spinoff, except the pranks unfold from a more structured story than the plotless "Jackass" movies. Problematic is that this plot isn't funny and the pranks generally aren't as good or as elaborately staged as the "Jackass" stunts. Knoxville, a charming actor who's become sort of a contemporary, low-brow Allen Funt, admittedly garners some laughs and funny reactions from onlookers as he plows through a furniture store or boisterously crashes a bingo parlor, but overall there's fewer outrageous laughs than the "Jackass" movies usually produce. Cheaply produced and really just a silly string of bad, smutty jokes, "Bad Grandpa" will attract enough of the "Jackass" following to still turn a profit, even if it has a been-there, done-that feel to it.

Wes's Grade: C

12 Years a Slave - A-

Rated R, 134 minutes

Benedict Cumberbatch and Chiwetel Ejiofor

Brutal, powerful "12 Years a Slave" reminds us of a dark chapter in U.S. history

"12 Years a Slave" is a brutal, gripping reminder of one of the darkest times in U.S. history, a time when the insitution of slavery existed. Part pertinent history lesson and part captivating personal story, it's superbly acted over a fascinating but difficult story to watch. It tells the story of Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a New York State citizen who was kidnapped and made to work on a plantation in New Orleans in the 1800s, initially working for a kind plantation owner (Benedict Cumberbatch) but who is then sold to a much more harsh slaveowner (Michael Fassbender) from whom he escapes again for his freedom after 12 years. Directed by Steve McQueen ("Shame") and written by John Ridley ("Red Tails") and based largely on Northup's account, it's a superbly acted, compelling and merciless story of a shameful period in United States history. The last act in particular is difficult to watch as Fassbender's torturous slave owner enters the picture, and while it is universally well-acted, Ejiofor and newcomer Adepuro Oduye are the most memorable and often very hearbreaking, as Northup and a fellow slave named Eliza, both of whom must endure beatings, whippings and all sorts of inhuman treatment. Fassbender and Sarah Paulson, as the brutal slaveowner and his equally harsh wife, are strong amongst a large cast that also includes Cumberbatch, Paul Giamatti, Paul Dano, Alfre Woodard and in a small part, co-producer Brad Pitt. Because of the film's somewhat excessive brutality and depressing storyline, the film isn't for everyone, but if you see it, there are many images that will stay with you long after the film is over. "12 Years a Slave" should garner a host of Oscar nominations, from the acting, to its ultimately triumphant story to the lush photography, the energetic score and its realistic sets and costumes, all of which are first-rate. "12 Years a Slave" is one of the year's best and most gripping films, and put this on your list to see before it starts winning some well-deserved awards.

Wes's Grade: A-

The Counselor - C+

Rated R, 111 minutes

Stylish but unsatisfying "The Counselor" all over the map

Cameron Diaz and Penelope Cruz

In spite of a talented director, an acclaimed writer and a gifted, award-winning cast, the slick but unsatisfying thriller "The Counselor" fails to deliver the goods. The film tells the story of a greedy lawyer, known only as The Counselor (Michael Fassbender), who finds himself in over his head when he decides to delve into the dark world of drug trafficking. Entangled with him is his naive girlfriend Laura (Penelope Cruz); Westray (Brad Pitt), a seedy middleman and Reiner (Javier Bardem) and Malkina (Cameron Diaz), a mysterious and dangerous couple. Directed by Ridley Scott, written by Cormac McCarthy ("No Country For Old Men") writing his first original screenplay, "The Counselor" is a vapid thriller that gets points for style but is otherwise all over the place in developing its story and characters. There are a couple of memorable scenes (Pitt's demise and Diaz's romp on a car windshield), but the film jumps back and forth from one character to another, enough time to just skim the surface. Interestingly, Scott's usual heavy-handed visual flair is toned down some here (very few jumpy edits), and while the film has a nice, dark and often bloody sheen to it, it fails under McCarthy's scattershot screenplay, which inserts a few stilted, heady monologues about life and death that provide little insight. Fasssbender has the best performance though a miscast Diaz will receive the most notices as a brilliant but scary sociopath; the role of a strong woman like this requires a strong actress, and as devilish as Diaz tries to be, she doesn't deliver. Bardem chews through the scenery, while his real-life wife Cruz is wasted in a very small role as Fassbender's love interest. "The Counselor" has a few entertaining scenes, but considering the talent involved in front of and behind the camera, it's a disappointment.

Wes's Grade: C+

Carrie - C-

Rated R, 92 minutes

Unnecessary version of "Carrie" a mess, offers few scares

Chloe Grace Moretz

Remakes can be tricky, especially ones based on very familiar Stephen King stories. The original, very frightening version of King's "Carrie" was made in 1976, starring Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie and was huge hit. The new "Carrie," directed by "Boys Don't Cry" Kimberly Peirce, isn't a total fiasco but still problematic. Carrie White (Chloë Grace Moretz) is a shy girl outcast by her peers and sheltered by her deeply religious but abusive mother (Julianne Moore), who unleashes telekinetic terror on her small town after being pushed too far at her senior prom. This "Carrie" has some good points: it's well-cast, age appropriate and is more faithful to King's novel, but overall lacks the chilling originality of Brian De Palma's classic film, which still produces nightmares to this day. The biggest problem with the new "Carrie" may be the familiarity with the book and the indelible first film, which made a huge star out of Spacek and garnered Oscar nominations for her and Laurie, who played the creepy Mom so well. This essentially renders the new version unnecessary, and certainly not as scary as the first, and bottom line the new movie is a mess narratively and technically. Some contemporary touches (cell phones, You Tube etc.) are to be expected but lack relevancy, while others (a bizarre prologue and a brief flying stint by Carrie) don't work at all. Worst of all, the shoddy 1970s-esque, haunted house-like special effects of flying objects and beds (really?) and Peirce's crucial mishandling of the bloody climax, so powerful and frightening in the original, is devoid of any real chills. Peirce, really the wrong choice of director for this, also wastes two fine actresses in Moretz and Moore, both inspired casting choices but lacking the genuine creepiness of Spacek/Laurie. This needless, gratuitous version of "Carrie" is a disappointment, but some will still show up out of curiosity. Don't waste your time and rent the much scarier, chilling 1976 De Palma version.

Wes's Grade: C-

I'm in Love With a Church Girl - D

Rated PG, 118 minutes

Third-rate "Church Girl" delivers honorable message, little else

Adrienne Bailon and Ja Rule

"I'm in Love With a Church Girl" highlights the struggle between good and bad, but mostly shows how a bad movie with a good message can be made. Miles Montego (rapper Ja Rule) has it all: money, women and a large house. As a former drug dealer, he's trying to move on, but the DEA (led by Stephen Baldwin) isn't convinced since he still hangs with some of his former colleagues. He falls in love with a Christian girl ("Cheetah Girls" Adrienne Bailon) and his life changes, though he struggles to let go of his past. Produced and written by pastor Galley Molina and based on his own experiences, "I'm in Love With a Church Girl" (filmed in 2010 and sitting on the shelf awaiting distribution) is about the struggles we have with faith, though it also shows the struggle with films like this to get made, with limited budget, casting and serious lack of decent production values. "Church Girl" has those same third-rate values, though unlike some of those other films it does feature a handful of known performers, including Ja Rule, Bailon, Baldwin, Vincent Pastore and a blink-you'll-miss-it-cameo from Tarantino veteran Michael Madsen. While most of those performers have their own following, the appeal is still limited to the church-going set, who will likely get the most out of this and not care how awful the script, direction and acting truly are, in spite of two charming leads who try their best given the laughable, maudlin  material. Molina, who cameos in the film and has a mostly honorable message (the use of a Lamborghini is of questionable theology, though), can't be faulted for wanting to get his testimony of how God changed his life to a wider audience, but "I'm in Love With a Church Girl," while it nails the good values message down, needs better cinematic values to win more converts to faith-based movies like this. I would recommend trying straight-to-DVD next time. Could be an interesting double feature with this week's horror remake "Carrie."

Wes's Grade: D

The Fifth Estate - C+

Rated R, 128 minutes

Well-acted but sluggish "Fifth Estate" doesn't do its source justice

Daniel Bruh and Benedict Cumberbatch

"The Fifth Estate" is about famous activist and investigative journalist Julian Assange, founder of the globally recognized website WikiLeaks, which publishes classified information from various, secret sources. Assange is an intriguing, ego-driven subject worthy of a movie, though the uneven, mildly listless thriller "The Fifth Estate" doesn't do him justice. The film explores the rise of Assange (the ubiquitous Benedict Cumberbatch) and his website WikiLeaks, as told through the eyes of former colleague Daniel Domscheit-Berg ("Rush's" Daniel Bruh), whose account of the story is one of the main sources of the film. Directed by Bill Condon ("Dreamgirls") with a screenplay by TV's Josh Singer, "The Fifth Estate" is memorable mainly for Cumberbatch's entertaining portrayal of the internet activist, yet the film only skims the surface of Assange personally. "The Fifth Estate" is problematic for several reasons, namely Condon's heavy-handed direction; he seems to be the wrong fit for the material and can't find the balance for a character-driven thriller such as this. As well, Singer's script is dry and isn't exactly revelatory into Assange's life, providing very little connection between the man and his dangerous website, lacking a sense of urgency or relevancy given Assange's impact on 21st century news reporting. Condon also feels the unnecessary need to metaphorically play out the characters real life actions, an annoying contrivance that adds little to the film. The best thing about "The Fifth Estate" is the charming performance from Cumberbatch ("Star Trek Into Darkness"), who is having a terrific year in movies, providing a beguiling energy the film overall lacks, even if the internet can provide more insight into Assange than this film does. As his colleague Berg, Austrian actor Bruh is also very good, and he and Cumberbatch share an odd but convincing warmth together on screen. The first hour of "The Fifth Estate" is a bit of a drag as it slogs through the website's early days until it picks some steam when it hits the U.S. with the Brandon Manning scandal, which is still playing out in the news. Laura Linney, Stanley Tucci and Anthony Mackie also appear as U.S. government officials and while they're good in small, foolproof roles (especially the always smart Linney), Condon underuses them in underwritten roles. Assange, who has unsurprisingly voiced strong opposition to "The Fifth Estate," is a fascinating subject who has given some justice to the news, too bad you wouldn't know it from this lethargic, uninteresting thriller.

Wes's Grade: C+

The Escape Plan - C

Rated R, 116 minutes

Preposterously entertaining, "Escape Plan" pairs two old and too-old action stars

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone

Don't think about it, just go see it. That would be what Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger want you to do with their latest mindless action movie "Escape Plan." And admittedly, these guys keep coming back and keep trying so hard to entertain, even in slick, fast-paced and altogether stupid schlock such as this.  One of the world's foremost authorities on structural security agrees to take on his hardest job: breaking out of an ultra-secret, high-tech facility called "The Tomb." Deceived and wrongly imprisoned, Ray Breslin (Stallone) must recruit fellow inmate Emil Rottmayer (Schwarzenegger) to help devise a daring, nearly impossible plan to escape from the most protected and fortified prison ever built. Ludicrous and utterly preposterous would be understatements in describing "Escape Plan," but it also is rarely dull, modestly watchable and occasionally fun. Directed by Swedish director Mikael Håfström, who directed the John Cusack thriller "1408," it pairs Stallone and Schwarzenegger in their first outing together ("The Expendables" movies are ensemble action pieces, if you want to call them that) and for what it's worth, they do seem to enjoy working together, even if the movie itself is unsurprisingly subpar for them. Preposterously contrived and laughably serious, "Escape Plan" is one the downright silliest, stupidest things I've seen in some time, but I will also admit to being entertained by these two old action stars well past their prime. Even surrounded by a talented cast including a milquetoast villain in "Person of Interest's" Jim Caviziel, along with Amy Ryan, Vincent D'Onfrio, 50 Cent, Vinnie Jones and even Sam Neill, you still must face the fact that Sly and Arnold are just simply too old for this thing; you quickly lose count of all the fast edits, stunt doubles and incredibly good hairpieces that somehow stay in place (Sly you aren't fooling anyone!). "Escape Plan" does have a quick, crowd-pleasing energy to it that's a predictable cross between "Under Seige" and "Con Air" minus Seagal and Cage, both of whom would fit in perfectly here. Ridiculous, mindless fun. Guilty pleasure. It's maybe even "Die Hard" on a boat. Whatever you call it, "Escape Plan" isn't a great movie, but it manages to entertain, and at this point in their careers, Sly and Arnold should be thankful for at least that.

Wes's Grade: C