"Beastly" (Alex Pettyfer, Vanessa Hudgens) in Theatres on April 23, 2011

Beastly (2011)

Audience
Rating: 3.5/5
Liked the Movie: 62% (n=37,655)

Critics
Rating: 1.85/5
Liked the Movie: 18% (n=78)


Reviews:

"You have to admire the bravery of the filmmakers, who went ahead and made a movie despite not understanding the subject matter. It's also pretty impressive that anyone could miss the point of Beauty and the Beast." - Eric D. Snider, Film.com

"Beastly gets one timeless fact right: For hatchet faces, fatty cakes and Frankenskanks, high school can definitely feel like a curse." - Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

"Roses and love bloom, and you might giggle yourself sick, but this is the kind of cornball entertainment that rainy afternoons were made for. Throw in a cozy sofa too. Beastly will size down well on your television." - Manohla Dargis, New York Times

"Fundamentally misguided, poorly written, and badly acted, Beastly adds little to the legacy of its timeless source material." - rottentomatoes.com

"It's dogged by awkward dialogue, a ridiculous plot and lackluster performances, especially by the leads, Alex Pettyfer and Vanessa Hudgens." - Claudia Puig, USA Today

"Beauty and the Beast Lite. Might appeal to 11-year-old girls." - Richard Roeper, richardroeper.com

"The best thing about this movie -- starring Alex Pettyfer, Vanessa Hudgens and Mary-Kate Olsen -- is that it's only 86 minutes long." - Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter

"There is one good thing you can say about "Beastly": The title perfectly sums up what you'll see on screen." - Randy Cordova, Arizona Republic


Movie Info

Genre: Drama, Romance, Science Fiction & Fantasy

Synopsis: Beastly is an edgy teen romance about learning how to see past false surfaces to discover true inner beauty. Kyle Kingson (Alex Pettyfer) has it all - looks, intelligence, wealth and opportunity - and a wicked cruel streak. Prone to mocking and humiliating "aggressively unattractive" classmates, he zeroes in on Goth classmate Kendra (Mary-Kate Olsen), inviting her to the school's extravagant environmental bash. Kendra accepts, and, true to form, Kyle blows her off in a particularly savage fashion. She retaliates by casting a spell that physically transforms him into everything he despises. Enraged by his horrible and unrecognizable appearance he confronts Kendra and learns that the only solution to the curse is to find someone that will love him as he is - a task he considers impossible. Repulsed by his appearance, Kyle's callous father (Peter Krause) banishes him to Brooklyn with a sympathetic housekeeper (Lisa Gay Hamilton) and blind tutor (Neil Patrick Harris). As Kyle ponders how to overcome the curse and get his old life back, he chances upon a drug addict in the act of killing a threatening dealer. Seizing the opportunity, Kyle promises the addict freedom and safety for his daughter Lindy (Vanessa Hudgens) if she will consent to live in Kyle's Brooklyn home. Thus begins Kyle's journey to discover true love in this hyper-modern retelling of the classic "Beauty and the Beast" story.

Rated: PG-13 for language including crude comments, brief violence and some thematic material

Running Time: 1 hr. 35 min.

Distributor: CBS Films

Directed By: Daniel Barnz

Cast
Alex Pettyfer (Kyle Kingson)
Vanessa Hudgens (Lindy Taylor)
Mary-Kate Olsen (Kendra)
Neil Patrick Harris (Will)
Peter Krause (Rob Kingson)
Lisa Gay Hamilton (Zola)

Source: rottentomatoes.com

Sucker Punch (Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Vanessa Hudgens) in Theatres on March 25, 2011

Sucker Punch

Hazel's
Rating: 4/5
Review: Whatever the critics say, I love the movie... the concept, the actors, the scenery... awesome! I heard Babydoll is one of the orphans in Jim Carrey's movie "A Series of Unfortunate Events"... better watch that movie too =)

Audience
Rating: 3.4/5
Like the Movie: 62% (n=34,185)

Critics
Rating: 1.95/5
Like the Movie: 20% (n=108)


Reviews

"A wonderfully wild provocation - an imperfect, overlong, intemperate and utterly absorbing romp through the id that I wouldn't have missed for the world." - Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times

"I can't be sure whether it's brilliant or idiotic, although I'm pretty confident it's both, and not always in different places or at different moments." - Andrew O'Hehir, salon.com

"Director Zack Snyder and his production crew clearly had great fun envisioning this swords-and-corsets fantasy. Few others are likely to approach their level of enjoyment." - Mark Jenkins, Washington Post

"It's technically impressive and loaded with eye-catching images, but without characters or a plot to support them, all of Sucker Punch's visual thrills are for naught." - rottentomatoes.com

"Zombie soldiers, dragons, cyborgs, doesn't matter: Snyder is just a big boy with lots of toys. These, unfortunately, include his actresses." - Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News

"If the goal was sensory overload and audience stupefaction, he has succeeded indeed. Snyder apparently is offering lobotomies to all. Step right up." - Tom Long, Detroit News

"Sucker Punch reviews itself with its title -- in fact, it does leave the viewer feeling sucker-punched." - Tom Maurstad, Dallas Morning News


Movie Info

Genre: Action & Adventure, Mystery & Suspense, Science Fiction & Fantasy

Synopsis: "Sucker Punch" is an epic action fantasy that takes us into the vivid imagination of a young girl whose dream world provides the ultimate escape from her darker reality. Unrestrained by the boundaries of time and place, she is free to go where her mind takes her, and her incredible adventures blur the lines between what's real and what is imaginary. She has been locked away against her will, but Babydoll (Emily Browning) has not lost her will to survive. Determined to fight for her freedom, she urges four other young girls - the reluctant Sweet Pea (Abbie Cornish), the outspoken Rocket (Jena Malone), the street-smart Blondie (Vanessa Hudgens) and the fiercely loyal Amber (Jamie Chung) - to band together and try to escape a terrible fate at the hands of their captors, Blue (Oscar Isaac) and Madam Gorski (Carla Gugino), before the mysterious High Roller (Jon Hamm) comes for Babydoll. Led by Babydoll, the girls engage in fantastical warfare against everything from samurais to serpents, with a virtual arsenal at their disposal. Together, they must decide what they are willing to sacrifice in order to stay alive. But with the help of a Wise Man (Scott Glenn), their unbelievable journey - if they succeed - will set them free.. -- (C) Warner Bros

Rated: PG-13 for thematic material involving sexuality, violence and combat sequences, and for language

Running Time: 2 hr.

Distributor: IMAX

Directed By: Zack Snyder

Written By: Zack Snyder

Cast
Emily Browning (Babydoll)
Abbie Cornish (Sweet Pea)
Jena Malone (Rocket)
Vanessa Hudgens (Blondie)
Jamie Chung (Amber)
Oscar Isaac (Blue)
Carla Gugino (Madam Gorski)
Scott Glenn (Wise Man)
Jon Hamm (Doctor, High Roller)


Source: rottentomatoes.com