Ninjango: Rise of the Green Ninja

After defeating the Great Devourer in Season One, young Ninjango masters Kai, Jay, Zane, and Cole are ready for a little rest and relaxation as they rebuild the town that was destroyed in the big fight and their lives. Their arch nemesis Lord Garmadon, who has stolen the four Golden Weapons of Spinjitzu, has other plans, plans that call for him to take control of the Serpentine and the ninjas' flying ship 'The Bounty.'  It all sounds a bit too complicated, especially for a kid's afternoon TV show, but the story is told in simple language that any adult can understand (kids get it already). Like any kung fu movie, it’s the action that counts, and the series features some great set pieces played out in eye-popping animation. It’s a bit of a drag that the characters all have Lego faces, meaning they show the emotional range of … well, of a Lego, but that doesn’t keep it from being mindlessly entertaining. 

Robot Monster

Sure, on one level it’s one of the worst movies ever made. The dialogue is crap, the story a mess, the acting more wooden than a plank and the special effects, which consist mainly of a bubble machine pumping out bubbles into just about every scene with no rhyme, reason of explanation, aren’t very special at all. But so what? It’s also a hoot to watch. It’s the story of an alien being called Ro-Man (who looks like a fat guy in a gorilla suit wearing a kid's space helmet on his head) and his plans to kill the last eight people on earth so that his people can take over the planet. The scrappy survivors, however, have no intention of giving up the planet without a fight. If you are wondering how it all turns out, you are missing the point of a movie like this. In fact, the less you think about it, the more fun you will have.

Doctor Zhivago

In 1965, director David Lean made a romantic epic based on the Russian novel about a beautiful young girl who is passionately loved by three very different men -- a revolutionary, a mogul, and a doctor. The chemistry between stars Omar Sharif and Julie Christie was pulsating enough to stand up against the grandeur of the Russian revolution, and it had the kind of theme song (Laura’s Theme) that stuck in your head for years after you saw the film. It was nominated for 10 Oscars and won 5. Thirty-seven years later, PBS decided to remake it into a Masterpiece Theater episode with decidedly mixed results. The TV version lacks the scope of Lean’s picture, but the intimacy the smaller scale provides adds to the depth of the story by playing it out on a more personal scale. Unfortunately, the chemistry between stars Hans Matheson and Keira Knightly as Zhivago and Laura isn’t very strong, to say the least, so the TV movie never makes the leap from generic love story to world class romance.

The Assassins

Tamaki Hiroshi and Crystal Liu Y Fei star as Mu Shun and Ling Ju, childhood friends who are kidnapped at a young age to be trained as assassins with one mission in mind, to kill the cruel warlord Cao Cao (Chow Yun Fat). As single minded as the pair may be, the film, directed by Linshan Zhao, meanders all over the place to try and encapsulate the history of the Han Dynasty in 90 minutes, much to the detriment of the original story. The film eventually finds the right balance of action and intrigue in the last half hour, but it’s almost too late given the plodding nature of the plot leading up to it. Still, Crystal Liu Yo Fei gives a compelling performance as the assassin forced to share a bed with the man she is dedicating to killing, and Chow Yun Fat is enormously entertaining as the vicious leader who defies the gods to gain power.

Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best

Alex (Ryan O'Nan) could be the saddest musician you ever met: His songs are sad, his voice his sad, he tells sad stories between songs and he’s sad when he meets fans at the end of the show. He’s so sad, his singing partner quits after only a few gigs because he can’t be sad any more. Suicide (set to sad music) seems his best option when a wacky breath of fresh air named Jim (Michael Weston) comes into his life bearing a box of child’s musical instruments and a dream of winning a battle of the bands. So what if they’ve never played before; Jim is sure they can win so they set off on a cross-country road trip to live their musical dream. Even if there wasn’t a single song in the movie, it would be worth watching for the easy-going charm of the leads, as well as the fiery park that Arielle Kebbel adds as their manager. The fact that the film is filled with infectious pop music that is just as charming makes the experience of watching the film an absolute delight.

Purple Noon

French actor/icon Alain Delon stars as Thomas Ripley, a professional moocher who sees an opportunity to take over the identity of his rich friend for good and doesn’t hesitate to make the most of his moment, even if it means killing the fatted calf he’s been living off for so long. Of course, it isn’t long before Ripley discovers that pretending to be somebody for an afternoon is easy compared to trying to actually live his life. Director René Clément does a masterful job of pacing the film, seducing the audience into the world of Ripley to such a degree that we almost forgive him his murderous act because we, too, want to live the rich life he assumes. Kudos, too, to cinematographer Henri Decaë for helping Clément find a way to drag the elements of classic film noir out of the shadows and into the bright Mediterranean sunlight wihtou losing any of its inherent mystery.

Liberal Arts

A New York City college entrance examiner named Jesse (writer/director Josh Radner) takes a break from his mindlessly boring big city job to go back to his preppy college where a beloved professor (Richard Jenkins) is celebrating his retirement. While he’s there, he meets a much younger girl with the unfortunate name of Zibby (Elizabeth Olsen) who really digs him and it scares the heck out of Jesse. She’s not only much younger and a virgin to boot (although she makes it clear that is one thing she’d like him to take care of), but is filled with a sparkling joie de vivre that terrifies him because it reminds Jesse of how his unfulfilled life has extinguished the spark in him. It sounds like a formulaic rom/com, but Radner’s script is a lot smarter – and more honest – than anything that genre has offered in years. His talent for pacing scenes is impressive, particularly in the way he lets each of the characters get plenty of room to develop in interesting ways. The actors all make the most of it, too, especially Olsen whose performance is both delicately layered and lovingly created.