“Movie review: 'Tron: Legacy' - Times Herald-Record” plus 1 more

Movie review: 'Tron: Legacy' - Times Herald-Record

Posted: 16 Dec 2010 10:59 PM PST

Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund, right) encounters an avatar of his father (Jeff Bridges) as a younger man, in "Tron Legacy."The Associated Press

By Christy Lemire

Published: 2:00 AM - 12/17/10

Nearly three decades later after the original, and now quaint-looking, "Tron," we have the sequel "Tron: Legacy," which is in 3-D (of course) but is actually best viewed in IMAX 3-D, if that option is available to you. We're supposed to feel just as trapped inside this challenging and dangerous electronic realm as the film's characters.

And at more than two hours, we are indeed trapped — there is no justifiable reason for such a lengthy running time. While director Joseph Kosinski's feature film debut is thrilling and cool-looking for about the first half, its races, games and visuals eventually grow repetitive, which only draws attention to how flimsy and preposterous the script is from Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz. And with the return of Jeff Bridges in the lead role, there's plenty of Dude-ishness for you fans of "The Big Lebowski."

Bridges' video game developer Kevin Flynn was aiming for deeper meaning, or at least a new level of consciousness, when he created the Grid all those years ago. Now, his estranged son, Sam (Garrett Hedlund), discovers that's where Dad's been all this time — sucked into the Grid and stuck there for the past two decades.

'Tron: legacy'

2.5 stars

Fair

Rated: PG (sci-fi action violence, brief mild language)

Starring: Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund

Directed by: Joseph Kosinski

Length: 2 hours, 5 minutes

Playing at: AMCG (3-D), CHES (3-D), DEST (plus 3-D), FISH (3-D), HUDV (3-D), IMAX (3-D), LYCE (3-D), MIDD (3-D), PALTZ (3-D), PGAL (3-D), ROSV (3-D), SHOW (3-D)

The confident and good-looking Sam similarly gets drawn into this parallel universe. The scenarios are as overwhelming for Sam as they are for us — even though Sam has the benefit of his dad's DNA — and so he's happy to accept help escaping from the mysterious Quorra (a complex Olivia Wilde). Disappointingly, the moment Flynn and Sam first see each other isn't filled with wistful emotion so much as confusion.

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Critical decision near for Eberts’ movie show - Chicago Sun-Times

Posted: 15 Dec 2010 06:14 PM PST

Critical decision near for Eberts' movie show

By Lewis Lazare Media & Marketing Columnist Dec 15, 2010 12:24PM

Former New York Times movie critic Elvis Mitchell has been dropped as a critic on the new "Roger Ebert Presents At the Movies," set to debut Jan. 21. The program will be shown on more than 190 public television stations and on the Armed Forces Network, according to Ebert.

Armed Forces Network reaches an audience of nearly 1 million members of the military and their families in scores of countries.

When producers Roger Ebert and wife Chaz Ebert announced the new program in September, Mitchell was paired with Associated Press movie critic Christy Lemire, who is still with the movie review show. But since that announcement, there had been growing concern about whether Mitchell was the right person for the job. One source who had seen the pilot shot earlier this year with Lemire and Mitchell said it showed little on-air chemistry between the two.

The Eberts are now under pressure to find the right person by Jan. 1 for the show to debut on schedule. One dark horse candidate believed to be under consideration is a young male in his mid-20s with little or no experience as a movie critic or as a TV talent. Another possible option, sources said, would involve a pairing of Lemire with another critic described as a female version of tart-tongued former "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell.

Ultimately, the Eberts will have the final say on the second of the two sparring critics on their new movie review show review. "This will be an enormous decision with enormous consequences," said one source.

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Movie Film New Release

Saturday, December 18, 2010