Cobb is desperate to get out of this line of work of Extraction, but he must do one final job so he can return home to his children. Cobb is requested to implant an idea successfully during someone’s dream. This plot is known as Inception and will take a valiant diverse group of people to pull off. As demonstrated taking over a dream is not as simple as it seems. You must be in their dream and become invisible to that persons subconscious. If you become noticed you will be targeted. During the dream you don’t want to make any big changes that would also alert the subconscious. You want everything to be as realistic as possible.

That is where a great architect comes in to assemble the dream. Cobb is introduced by his father to one of his most promising students Ariadne (Ellen Page). Cobb takes her into a dream to show her the ability she would have to design it. Ariadne begins building her world and quickly learns the projections and shapes are there from the dreamer’s subconscious, where the dream world is created by the designer, not the dreamer. Making accuracy the most important.

Setting the plan into motion Cobb begins laying all the ground work with partner Arthur (Joseph Gordon Levitt). He seeks out an imitator, someone who can impersonate someone close to the dreamer, a driver who can handle the intensity of the dream and keep the group safe when they advance down to another level of dreaming. Once the team is assembled he sets out a complicated layered dream. One that could have life altering consequences.

“Inception” is mind boggling. A great masterpiece that challenges viewers scene by scene. Christopher Nolan does not disappoint with his amazing tale which includes some of the best special effects this year. It’s inventive and fresh and definitely what a lagging box office needed this year. The only film I have seen that has captured my attention and still has me thinking outside the box days later. The cast was made up of the best and the chemistry they shared was superb. Joseph Gordon Levitt shined brightly and Ellen Page proved to be a force to be reckoned with. As expected Leonardo DiCaprio was a show stopper up to the final act. “Inception” proves to be a box office’s dream come true!

Screening will be held Thursday, July 22 at 7:30pm at the AMC Barrywoods. Winners will be notified via email and your name will be on a list for check in by the studio rep the night of the screening. Be sure to get there early. These screenings are overbooked to fill every seat. Only ONE entry per email address. Only eligible for Kansas/Missouri metro area residents. Registration ends July 18. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.

SALT

Angelina Jolie stars in Salt, a contemporary action thriller from Columbia Pictures.

As a CIA officer, Evelyn Salt (Jolie) swore an oath to duty, honor and country. Her loyalty will be tested when a defector accuses her of being a Russian spy. Salt goes on the run, using all her skills and years of experience as a covert operative to elude capture. Salt’s efforts to prove her innocence only serve to cast doubt on her motives, as the hunt to uncover the truth behind her identity continues and the question remains: “Who Is Salt?”
 
This film is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for INTENSE SEQUENCES OF VIOLENCE AND ACTION.
 
SALT in theaters July 23, 2010.

   

*UPDATE*

It’s official…the cities have been named and yes a cast member from THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE will be making a surprise appearance in Kansas City.  Check out the film’s website…

http://www.eclipsethemovie.com/#/Splash

The theatre(s) where the cast member will be making an appearance will be announced tomorrow. Please check back with the film’s website for more details.

If you are a Twilight fan you may have already seen Eclipse, and you know you want to see it again and now you have an excuse! The rumors started yesterday and it looks like this rumor is going to be proven true this weekend. The cast from TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE will be making surprise appearances at many theatres around the country this weekend. It is not known at this point if Kansas City is part of this tour. But wouldn’t you hate it if you missed out on seeing your favorite vamps or wolves. Don’t wait and buy your tickets now as they are selling out fast!

As a string of mysterious killings in Seattle is grabbing the attention of Forks residents the Cullen clan begin to become concerned as Alice (Ashley Greene) has a premonition of what or who they are after. It becomes clear rather quickly that the army of “newborn” vampires has Bella as their target and is on their way to Forks in the hunt. Knowing that the newborns, recently turned vampires who are hungry for blood and more powerful, may be more than the Cullen’s can handle they turn to the wolf packs.

Asking Jacob (Taylor Lautner) if he thinks the pack would help them in the battle and call a truce to work together in the hopes of saving Bella. Of course Jacob is ready to do anything to protect Bella and the vampires and wolves begin training together in the hopes of defeating the army.  The army will not be the only opponent as Victoria (Bryce Dallas Howard) returns. We learn she is behind the army as the leader in the shadows and has convinced Riley (Xavier Samuel) to be the front man to kill Bella and the Cullen’s.

The battle between the Cullen’s, newborns and wolves is by the far the best action sequence from all of the Twilight movies. Following the book closely Eclipse offers many Team Jacob and Team Edward scenes that all fans will love. Eclipse has the most entertaining dialogue between the two loves of Bella. Finally we are also given a vision into the past of the characters of Rosalie (Nikki Reed) and Jasper (Jackson Rathbone) giving us a better idea of how they got to where they are today. Japer who I have always found awkward to watch finally steps into the spotlight and made you like his character. One character not winning any love would be Victoria. Bryce Dallas Howard could not compete with her predecessor’s performance and I found her to be a complete disappointment.

The chemistry between Bella and Edward and Bella and Jacob was there. They definitely heated up the screen, but for me I found Kristen Stewart a little uncomfortable to watch on screen this time. I think back to her performance in the original and somewhere along the lines her performance as Bella has become strange. The romance, action and special effects made Eclipse better then New Moon. This film will not disappoint Twihards and will have everyone bummed that Breaking Dawn is a year and half away. Enjoy your holiday and get lost in the whimsical tale that Eclipse has to offer.

Hot Tub Time Machine: HOT TUB TIME MACHINE follows a group of best friends who’ve become bored with their adult lives: Adam (John Cusack) has been dumped by his girlfriend; Lou (Rob Corddry) is a party guy who can’t find the party; Nick’s (Craig Robinson) wife controls his every move; and video game-obsessed Jacob (Clark Duke) won’t leave his basement. After a crazy night of drinking in a ski resort hot tub, the men wake up, heads pounding, in the year 1986. This is their chance to kick some past and change their futures – one will find a new love life, one will learn to stand up for himself with the ladies, one will find his mojo, and one will make sure he still exists!

The Crazies: 

Imagine living in a small town where everything is safe and happy… until suddenly it isn’t. Imagine your friends and neighbors going quickly and horrifically insane. In a terrifying tale of the “American Dream” gone horribly wrong, four friends find themselves trapped in their hometown in The Crazies, a reinvention of the George Romero classic directed by Breck Eisner from a screenplay by Ray Wright (Pulse, Case 39) and Scott Kosar (The Amityville Horror, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre).

David Dutten (Timothy Olyphant) is sheriff of Ogden Marsh, a picture-perfect American town with happy, law-abiding citizens. But one night, one of them comes to a school baseball game with a loaded shotgun, ready to kill. Another man burns down his own house…after locking his wife and young son in a closet inside. Within days, the town has transformed into a sickening asylum; people who days ago lived quiet, unremarkable lives have now become depraved, blood-thirsty killers, hiding in the darkness with guns and knives. Sheriff Dutten tries to make sense of what’s happening as the horrific, nonsensical violence escalates. Something is infecting the citizens of Ogden Marsh…with insanity.

Now complete anarchy reigns as one by one the townsfolk succumb to an unknown toxin and turn sadistically violent. In an effort to keep the madness contained, the government uses deadly force to close off all access and won’t let anyone in or out – even those uninfected. The few still sane find themselves trapped: Sheriff Dutten; his pregnant wife, Judy (Radha Mitchell); Becca (Danielle Panabaker), an assistant at the medical center; and Russell (Joe Anderson), Dutten’s deputy and right-hand man. Forced to band together, an ordinary night becomes a horrifying struggle for survival as they do their best to get out of town alive.

Pretty predictable that June does none of these things and in fact gets herself further into danger. As Roy must come to her rescue repeatedly June begins to feel that Roy is bringing all the peril in her direction. Insisting that they must stay together for her survival June lets her guard down and starts to trust Roy. The pair finds themselves in many life threatening operations. As June begins to believe in Roy and his mission she soon has doubts that could cause serious repercussions.

Tom Cruise comes back in a big way. His performance as the charming and comical Roy Miller was refreshing! Sad to say I don’t feel the same about his co-star Cameron Diaz. She played the usual Cameron part, but as Cruise’s counterpart her performance could not tread water. With several fight sequences and action scenes this film will visually keep your attention. The storyline is outlandish and predictable at times but overall amusing. Knight and Day does not knock is out of the park, but it’s attempt is not in vain.

Youth in Revolt: YOUTH IN REVOLT is a coming-of-age comedy that puts a fresh and outrageous stamp on a tale of adolescent obsession and rebellion. Based on the acclaimed novel by C.D. Payne, YOUTH IN REVOLT is the story of Nick Twisp – a unique, but affable teen with a taste for the finer things in life like Sinatra and Fellini – who falls hopelessly in love with the beautiful, free-spirited Sheeni Saunders (Portia Doubleday) while on a family vacation.

But family, geography and jealous ex-lovers conspire to keep these two apart. With Sheeni’s encouragement, Nick abandons his dull, predictable life and develops a rebellious alter ego: Francois. With his ascot, his moustache and his cigarette, Francois will stop at nothing to be with Sheeni, and leads Nick Twisp on a path of destruction with unpredictable and uproarious consequences.

The Book of Eli: In the not-too-distant future, some 30 years after the final war, a solitary man walks across the wasteland that was once America. Empty cities, broken highways, seared earth–all around him, the marks of catastrophic destruction. There is no civilization here, no law. The roads belong to gangs that would murder a man for his shoes, an ounce of water… or for nothing at all.

But they’re no match for this traveler.

A warrior not by choice but necessity, Eli seeks only peace but, if challenged, will cut his attackers down before they realize their fatal mistake. It’s not his life he guards so fiercely but his hope for the future; a hope he has carried and protected for 30 years and is determined to realize. Driven by this commitment and guided by his belief in something greater than himself, Eli does what he must to survive–and continue.

Only one other man in this ruined world understands the power Eli holds, and is determined to make it his own: Carnegie, the self-appointed despot of a makeshift town of thieves and gunmen. Meanwhile, Carnegie’s adopted daughter Solara is fascinated by Eli for another reason: the glimpse he offers of what may exist beyond her stepfather’s domain.

But neither will find it easy to deter him. Nothing–and no one–can stand in his way. Eli must keep moving to fulfill his destiny and bring help to a ravaged humanity.

When In Rome: Disillusioned with romance, an ambitious New Yorker travels to Rome, where she plucks magic coins from a special fountain. The coins attract an assortment of odd suitors, including a sausage merchant, a street magician and an artist. But, when a persistent reporter throws his hat in the ring, she wonders if his love is the real thing.

Becoming tired of being a punching bag Dre decides to take a stand for himself and teach himself karate. When he finds that his training is not paying off and he has no friends he turns to the maintenance man Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), who is secretly a master of kung fu. Han takes Dre under his wing and teaches him that kung fu is not about defeating your enemy with a punch, but about maturity and respect. As the lessons with Mr. Han intensify we see a new more confident Dre evolve. Dre is entered into a karate tournament where he will face off his bullies one by one.

As the training comes to an end and the competition approaches we see the bond that develops between Dre and Mr. Han, one that will save Mr. Han from a dark place. The new “Karate Kid” has that same old feel, but is no original. Even with its amazing kung fu and superb action there were too many similarities in this remake. It was like watching the original word for word. Any attempt to modernize it failed miserably.

Jaden Smith offered a great performance as the underdog who comes out on top, but the young age of 12 I found it hard to relate to him as a champion. Even more unbelievable was that Dre learned his advanced kung fu so quickly and defeated so many that have been trained since birth. The highlight of the film was the lighthearted performance by Jackie Chan. Something far outside his usual performance that was refreshing and very enjoyable. “The Karate Kid” is lacking originality that could have made it as powerful as the original. Newbie’s to “The Karate Kid” won’t be disappointed, but the 1980’s film lovers might leave the theatre with a slight distaste in their mouths.

Hannibal (Liam Neeson) is the leader, the man that always has a plan. From the inside he has been working diligently on proving their innocence in the hopes of saving the reputation of himself and his men. Face (Bradley Cooper) is the charismatic charmer always looking for trouble and finding it so easily. B.A. Baracus (Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson) is the rough tough dude and as his knuckles say he pity’s the fool. Murdock (Sharlto Copley) is the slightly insane ranger who is the scariest pilot I have ever seen.

These four eccentric men make up the A-Team. The plots they devise are outrageous but incredible. The feature film is as loud, fantastic and perfected at making its mark like the 1980’s series. Liam Neeson proves he has what it takes to take the lead in this film. Bradley Cooper offered another womanizing performance that even the females will enjoy. Rampage Jackson pleasantly surprised me with his ability to step outside the octagon from his MMA fighting and prove to be a force to be reckoned with. Finally Sharlto Copley stole many of the scenes with his crazed bewildered eyes. Together these men were entertaining and unstoppable. Every thrilling moment had viewers entertained to the very final scene. “The A-Team” is the first action film this year that will have you sparking up conversation about the explosive antics and nonsense that makes you love it.