You can't help but be swept up in this eye-popping visual feast that deserves its comparisons to great movies such as Gone With the Wind and Out of Africa.

Story

Australia is like no other movie this year -- or even this century, for that matter. It's heart and soul live in conjuring up memories of the kind of epic movie they just don't make anymore. The incomparable Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge) proves nobody does this kind of thing better. The story begins just at the brink of World War II, as a prim and uptight Englishwoman Lady Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman) travels to the distant and uncharted Northern Territory of Australia in order to deal with her husband's supposed infidelity. When she finds him murdered, however, the only way she can save their ranch Faraway Downs is to join a strapping "drover" (Hugh Jackman) in driving 1500 head of cattle to the Australian port Darwin, where the military can buy them. Trying to interfere with their mission are the evil land baron, King Carney (Bryan Brown), and his henchman Neil Fletcher (David Wenham), who are determined to add her ranch to their collection. As inevitable romance rears its head, Lady Ashley must also protect a precocious aboriginal kid, Nullah (newcomer Brandon Walters), a half breed she is determined to adopt before he is turned over to the state for re-education. Meanwhile, the Japanese loom closer.

Acting

Luhrmann provides a grand showcase for a wonderful array of actors from Down Under, including Kidman and Jackman. Kidman, who has had a recent dry spell in films, is back in form as the rigid Brit, who is transformed by her visit. It's the kind of role Katharine Hepburn did so well in movies like The African Queen. Newly crowned People Magazine "Sexiest Man Alive," Jackman lives up to the title, all brawn and bravado, the epitome of the rugged cowboy who becomes the dashing hero. Together, the two actors steam it up and redefine what it means to be a matinee idols. As the half-caste kid Nullah, 13 year-old Walters is a marvel and steals the show. Veteran aussie actors Brown and Wenham (Lord of the Rings) are properly menacing and hateful, while the group accompanying Jackman and Kidman are splendid, including: legendary Jack Thompson (Leatherheads) as the gregarious over-the-top Kipling Flynn; Drover's aboriginal partner Magarri (David Ngoombujarra); and the mystical King George (David Gulpilil), Nullah's grandfather, who seems to show up at the oddest times.

Direction

There can be no question Baz Luhrmann is the most flamboyant, old school director working today. After completing his "Red Curtain Trilogy" of musicals, including his Oscar-nominated Moulin Rouge, he goes above and beyond with Australia, throwing in everything -- including the kitchen sink. Baz loves old movies and you can tell. Maybe more like Lawrence of Australia, this films is a mind-boggling wonder with epic scope and splendor. The spectacular CGI-driven cattle drive and the bombing of Darwin are all done in large strokes. He even throws in an homage to The Wizard of Oz that takes the film to the kind of sentimental heights fans will probably eat up. How contemporary audiences will react to this throwback to Hollywood's heyday of big, brawny cinema is anyone's guess, but the singular vision of Luhrmann is to experience Australia and fall in love with the possibility of grand movies all over again.

Bottom Line

Hollywood.com rated this film 3 1/2 stars.

If it wasn't for Vince Vaughn's rapid-fire comedy, this would be Four Christmases too many.

Story

Four Christmases sort of follows along the same lines as any holiday movie these days -- dysfunctional families being dysfunctional until they realize how warm and fuzzy it is being dysfunctional. Yawn. In this case, unmarried, yuppie couple Brad (Vaughn) and Kate (Reese Witherspoon) have successfully avoided their crazy families during the holidays for a few years now, concocting some cockamamie goodwill story about saving babies in a third-world country, while they really go on an island adventure. But uh-oh, plans go awry this Christmas, and they are forced to indulge in a little family good cheer. Guess what, though? Brad and Kate learn something from their ordeal. They realize a) they love each other and might want a family of their own, but they need to get to know each other better and b) they still don't want to spend the holidays with their families. Ever again.

Acting

While Witherspoon is no slouch in the comedy department and definitely holds her own with her co-star -- even though he looks freakishly tall next to her tiny frame -- Vaughn is the one who keeps things afloat for the most part. Honestly, he could read from the phone book in that quick-paced, stream of consciousness way he's perfected and we'd still laugh. It's Four Christmases long list of supporting players, however, that is rather alarming, starting with Robert Duvall as Brad's no-nonsense dad to Sissy Spacek as Brad's hippie mom. Sure, Mary Steenburgen and Jon Voight, who play Kate's divorced parents, would do a movie like this, but Duvall and Spacek? They must have needed a paycheck. The one standout is Jon Favreau as Brad's brother, a buffed out, Mohawk-ed extreme fighter. Old buddies Favreau and Vaughn may have needed to work out a little aggression.

Direction

Newbie director Seth Gordon, whose claim to fame is the little-seen but hilarious documentary King of Kong, unfortunately shows his lack of experience with Four Christmases. But maybe it isn't Gordon's fault -- not completely. The real culprit may be the way this film follows the same, tired Christmas cookie cutter plot holiday movies seem to be about these days -- in which the families are SO dysfunctional, the antics SO over the top, it makes you want to run out of the theater so you can get to your own defective family for a little normalcy. I'm not saying we can return to the It's a Wonderful Life-type sugary fare, but it would be nice to see a holiday comedy about familial ties that isn't always so mean spirited.

Bottom Line

Hollywood.com rated this film 2 stars.

Milk is a moving and important film for our times with a tremendous performance by Sean Penn.

Story

In 1977, Harvey Milk (Penn) was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. While this would not normally be an earth-shattering phenomenon, in this case, Milk became the first out-of-the-closet gay person to win a major public office in the United States -- and was assassinated in 1978, along with San Francisco Mayor George Moscone. Based in part on the Academy Award-winning documentary The Life and Times of Harvey Milk, the film focuses on the last decade of his life as he moves from New York at age 40 to San Francisco with lover Scott Smith (James Franco). Using his experience as an entrepreneur as a catalyst, he suddenly becomes more politically involved, making a couple of runs for office and finally getting elected. With a new lover (Diego Luna) and agenda, Milk takes on some major issues -- including lobbying against California's controversial Prop 6, an initiative to fire gay schoolteachers. But his activities anger another supervisor, Dan White (Josh Brolin), and soon their destinies will collide.

Acting

It's not an overstatement to say that Sean Penn's performance here is a revelation. As Harvey Milk, he not only perfectly embodies the late politician but exudes a certain kind of warmness and humor we rarely see from the star. His immersion into the persona of Milk is truly remarkable and winning. A large supporting cast includes: standout performances from Franco, as Milk's true love and friend Scott, who eventually can't compete with Harvey's increasing ambition; Diego Luna, hilarious and annoying as Milk's lover later; and Emile Hirsch as Cleve Jones, a young activist and Milk protégé. Brolin, as the unlikeable White, perfectly captures the frustration and simmering jealousy the man he feels steals his job. It's a risky role, and there is little room for audience empathy, but Brolin makes this loser understandable, if not acceptable. As the lone woman among the principal players, Alison Pill is bright and appealing, as Milk's campaign manager Anne Kronenberg.

Direction

Gus Van Sant's odd directorial career encompasses a series of ups and downs with the highlights being Drugstore Cowboy and his Oscar-nominated work on Good Will Hunting. The absolute nadir of Van Sant's resume is undoubtedly his ill-advised shot-by-shot remake of Hitchcock's untouchable Psycho. It's nice to report he's back in form now with the warm, funny and moving Milk, a film that doesn't quite escape the clichés of the biopic genre but still finds its own beats, thanks in large part to the piercing performances. Getting such mature and joyful work from Penn, a brilliant but distant actor, is impressive indeed. He also imbues the movie with a documentary feel, appropriate since much of the source material comes from the Oscar-winning docu. Milk paints us a triumphant and inspiring life, one that won't soon be forgotten, especially with its parallels to current California circumstances. The state's recent anti-gay marriage initiative Prop 8 could not have come at a more significant time in making Harvey Milk's crusade seem more relevant than ever.

Bottom Line

Hollywood.com rated this film 3 1/2 stars.

The third time is not the charm for the action franchise, with Jason Statham merely going through the motions as the implacable, unstoppable Frank Martin, to whom bad things always seem to happen.

Story

After surviving the running, jumping, shooting and chasing from the first two Transporters, Frank Martin (Statham) once again finds himself mixed up in mayhem. The latest "package" he is to deliver consists of Valentina (Natalya Rudakova), the kidnapped daughter of a powerful European politician (Jeroen Krabbe), who is being blackmailed by bad guys. Unless Frank delivers Valentina to those aforementioned bad guys, he'll go boom! See, he's been outfitted with a metal bracelet that will blow up if he strays too far from his beloved BMW. But, as you might expect, Frank is not one to take this sort of thing lying down, and it's not long before he's turning the tables on his tormentors. What follows is the expected barrage of fisticuffs (choreographed by Corey Yuen), firepower and ferocity, but all of it seems arbitrary this time, as if the filmmakers are merely fulfilling a contractual obligation. The first Transporter was passable junk, but the sequels have just been junk. Even fans may be turned off by the sheer, overwhelming sense of familiarity.

Acting

Statham is as buff and tough as ever, but even he appears weary. Frank Martin is not a role with much depth or dimension, which is patently obvious the third time around. Francois Berleand is also back as Inspector Tarconi, by now Frank's bosom buddy but always bringing up the rear. As the principal villain, Robert Knepper scowls, growls, glowers and delivers the immortal line: "My name is not important." Neither is the film he's saying it in. Saving the worst for last is newcomer Rudakova, making as inauspicious a screen debut as any actress in recent memory. With way too much eye shadow, this freckle-faced beauty pouts, purrs, bats her eyelashes (all the better to emphasize the eye shadow), and gives her terrible role the performance it deserves. Krabbe, who's played his fair share of heavies, picks up an easy check for basically showing up.

Direction

There's only so much former graffiti artist-turned-filmmaker Olivier Megaton brings to the party -- and it's not a lot. After the first two films, no one's likely to tamper with the formula and Megaton doesn't even try. The only surprising thing about the film – and it's a mild one, to be sure – is that it received a PG-13 rating given the incessant violence. Given the abundance of CGI visual effects on display here, it's entirely possible that the bloodier bits were digitally erased. Undoubtedly, an unrated "director's cut" DVD will soon be lurking on video shelves, which is where this Thanksgiving turkey belongs.

Bottom Line

Hollywood.com rated this film 1 star.

Twilight sucks you in to its seductive world and keeps you there until you've consumed every last drop.

Story

Author Stephanie Meyer unleashed a phenomenon with her Twilight novels, a teen vampire romance that has spurned a teen cult following. The good news is the movie is surprisingly just as potent -- a spellbinding, terribly romantic, hypnotic and entertaining film. At its heart are the elements that make any teen drama work; in this case, it's forbidden love. It starts with 16 year-old Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), who relocates from her sunny Phoenix to the cold, gray foreboding atmosphere of Forks, Washington to live with her father. At her new high school, she meets the incredibly attractive but mysterious Cullen clan, including the allusive Edward (Robert Pattinson), who immediately intrigues her. What she doesn't know, yet, is that Edward and his "family" are a group of vegetarian vampires who drink only animal blood and must live in the terminally cloudy region of Northwest. Edward tries to drive a determined Bella away by revealing his true identity but soon realizes she is the girl of his dreams. But as the two begin their complicated romance, things get dicey when another group of, um, meat-lovin' vampires target Bella.

Acting

Teen Beat should clear their covers for a new group of stars sure to become huge with the female teen set -- and probably their mothers as well. Exuding a brooding reserve and air of mystery, the follicley-endowed Robert Pattinson is reminiscent of James Dean and completely believable as a conflicted bloodsucker who becomes dangerously attracted to a mere mortal. His Edward's unpredictable nature becomes irresistible for the attractive Kristen Stewart's Bella as she grows closer to him despite his attempts to keep her at arm's length. Not since Baby yearned for Johnny Castle in Dirty Dancing has there been such an effective pairing for the acne-challenged set. Pattinson and Stewart simmer with teen angst and desire and could be the next big thing -- especially if there are more Twilight sequels to follow. The Cullen clan, led by foster parents Peter Facinelli and Elizabeth Reaser, is perfectly cast with a good looking bunch of vampiric thesps, including newcomers Ashley Green, Kellan Lutz, Jackson Rathbone and Nikki Reed. Red-headed Rachelle LeFevre as bad vamp Victoria is ideal, along with Cam Gigandet and Edi Gathegi as the guys in her group of nomadic vampires.

Direction

Director Catherine Hardwicke has certainly shown she understands the ever-changing moods of youth with her previous efforts (Thirteen, Lords of Dogtown). But those flicks were just warm-ups for what she taps into with Twilight. She creates a wonderful, creepy kind of muted, dark and cloudy society with imposing camera angles and aching teen lust from her bright, red-lipped, hormonally charged leads. And thankfully, she leaves the fangs on the cutting room floor. These vampires are actually relatable, and Hardwick takes what could have been an awful, juvenile programmer and lifts it into a different league creating not only a movie that should cross over beyond it's target demo but one that makes us genuinely excited for the inevitable sequels.

Bottom Line

Hollywood.com rated this film 3 1/2 stars.

All decked out in awesome 3D animation, Bolt is hilarious and action-packed, the perfect holiday movie.

Story

Walt Disney animation's first foray into 3D 'toon making isn't just a technical triumph, it thankfully also tells the clever story of Bolt (John Travolta). He's a superstar TV canine who believes the superpowers he displays weekly on his series are for real --especially when it comes to the protection of his master and co-star Penny (Miley Cyrus). One day, however, the dog is accidentally shipped from his Hollywood soundstage to New York City. Lost, alone and confused on the streets of the Big Apple, Bolt is still living the show, vowing to get to Penny who he believes has been kidnapped by the "green-eyed man." And so he embarks on a cross-country journey to L.A. to save Penny. Along the way he is joined by an abandoned, wily housecat Mittens (Susie Essman) and a TV-loving hamster, Rhino (Mark Walton), who believes everything he sees on the tube is ALSO real. Of course, Bolt is in for rude awakening when he finds out he is just a regular dog, but he still needs to get to Penny -- even if it means she might not be there for him when he returns.

Acting

Disney is not a studio that generally depends on superstar voices for their animated films, but in casting Travolta and tween queen Cyrus, they have scored a bullseye. Travolta's Bolt is a delightful cross between the self-assured superstar and a pooch in denial. The actor doesn't phone it in but instead creates an original and loveable dog that stands proudly in Disney's large canon of canine greats. The action scenes created for Bolt's TV series are lots of fun and the interactions with his traveling companions are choice. As Penny, Cyrus is sympathetic, sincere, and she even gets to sing a duet with Travolta, "I Thought I Lost You," which she co-wrote. The show is nearly stolen, though, by comedian Susie Essman (Curb Your Enthusiasm) as Mittens -- a smart, determined and emotionally wounded pet cat abandoned by her owners and forced to wander the streets alone. And by Mark Walton, as the hilarious Rhino, the obsessive fanboy hamster who rolls around in his ball. Walton is actually an animator in real life who happened to be so good at voicing Rhino during tests, they just gave him the job.

Direction

Disney vets Chris Williams and Byron Howard capably usher the venerable Disney label into the brave new world of 3D animation, and the results are promising -- putting the audience right in the center of Bolt's universe. The TV series action set pieces are particularly effective in using the technology. It's not even necessary to see the film in 3D because the whole CG process has come a long way in a few short years, and Bolt is one of the best looking, most accomplished animated films in memory -- glasses or no glasses. Williams and Howard expertly blend humor, pathos and blockbuster-style action scenes effortlessly giving "Bolt" an appeal beyond just the target kid demo.

Bottom Line

Hollywood.com rated this film 3 1/2 stars.

Tons of chases and the shortest running time of any 007 flick, you won't be bored but it's more Bourne than Bond this time.

Story

Shedding many of those trappings that make a James Bond movie, well, a James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace is really the first sequel ever in the long-running series. While it's always exciting, something gets seriously shaken and stirred in the translation. Picking up exactly where the brilliant Casino Royale left off, we see Bond (Daniel Craig) trying to get to the bottom of why his love Vesper Lynd had to die, jumping right into the first of many, MANY chases as he traverses six countries. Still on rogue patrol, Bond then inadvertently meets the crafty and gorgeous Camille (Olga Kurylenko), who introduces Bond to the evil Dominic Green (Mathieu Amalric), the head of an eco-phony stealth operation angling for some prime desert land while financing a crooked Bolivian general's planned coup. With the ever resourceful M (Judi Dench) trying to keep him in line at all times, Bond must put his revenge plans on hold, as he crosses paths not only with Greene and his fake pro-environment front but also the intriguing and mysterious group known as Quantum.

Acting

In this outing, Daniel Craig -- leaner and meaner than any previous Bond -- really becomes a man of single-minded determination and grit. He's less like the James Bond we know and love and more a humorless killing machine like Jason Bourne (those two should really get together). Still, Craig is such a compelling actor that we are with him all the way even if he doesn't go for the suave Bond moves. Olga Kurylenko is a great foil but not totally in the tradition of a Bond girl. A later encounter with Gemma Arterton, as a British agent in Bolivia, does, however, briefly recall the heyday of Goldfinger. Judi Dench has taken the perfunctory role of M and turned it into a full-blown supporting role. Her dry wit and take-no-prisoners attitude is welcomed every time she shows up on screen. French star Mathieu Amalric (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) doesn't really pull off his villainous alter-ego ecologist, while Jeffrey Wright is pretty much wasted as U.S. agent Felix Leiter. At least, Giancarlo Giannini returns for some nice moments with his Craig.

Direction

Although they usually leave the challenging job of steering the Bond ship to an English director, oddly this time the baton was handed to Marc Forster, known more for his intimate dramas such as Finding Neverland and Monster's Ball. His grip on the action sequences is secure, but he never really seems to have a handle on what distinguishes this legendary movie spy from everyone else. There's a reason Bond has survived as a screen icon for almost half a century, but the sort of workman-like filmmaking Forster displays here does not represent 007's finest hour. It's almost like the producers had a checklist: car chase on winding roads; boat chase; airplane chase; rooftop chase -- all check. Quantum of Solace is definitely worth checking out, however. I mean, it IS Bond, and we wait for these movies on bated breath. Just maybe next time, a little less Bourne, please.

Bottom Line

Hollywood.com rated this film 3 stars.

Powerfully moving, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a must-see, unforgettable motion picture experience that will be talked about for years to come.

Story

Adapted from John Boyne's award winning novel, Pajamas presents a different view of the Holocaust, told as a fable primarily through the eyes of an 8-year-old German boy, Bruno (Asa Butterfield), whose father, a Nazi officer (David Thewlis), is transferred from Berlin to a desolate outpost. Bruno finds nothing much to do and no new friends to play with. His older sister Gretel (Amber Beattie) pretty much ignores him, preferring to spend time playing with dolls or talking to Lieutenant Kolter (Rupert Friend), an eerie young man working for her father. What the father knows and doesn't tell his family is that his new assignment is running a concentration camp. Despite the warnings from his mother (Vera Farmiga) to stay away from the huge backyard, Bruno heads to a "farm" he sees in the clearing, where he meets and befriends a Jewish boy, Shmuel (Jack Scanlon), on the opposite side of a barbed wire fence. As the frequency of his visits with this boy in the striped pajamas increases, Bruno learns more about intolerance in the world and the fences that divide them. As his "education" continues, the story takes a surprising turn.

Acting

Although the film has typically fine performances from an impressive roster of actors -- including Thewlis, Farmiga and Friend, as well as veteran Richard Johnson as Grandpa -- it's the remarkable young stars who make the most vivid impression. Butterfield is especially impressive showing the emerging curiosity of a young child caught up in a new environment and circumstances he can't quite grasp. His outgoing friendly nature and his discovery of a human connection, despite the barrier of a barbed wire fence, is well-played and carries the entire film. This is perhaps the first time the tragedy of the Holocaust has been portrayed in such a manner, and it's all on Butterfield's able shoulders. Equally fine is Scanlon, playing the title role with haunting, sunken eyes but who, like Bruno, shows us a better way through an uncorrupted, innocent perspective. Their scenes together are touching and quietly intense, and both are easily up to the task.

Direction

Smartly adapted for the screen by director Mark Herman, this delicate fable about the effects of hatred, senseless violence and unimaginable prejudice as filtered through the eyes of children, has become far more dramatic and complex in its trip to the big screen. The novel is essentially FOR children, an attempt to show the Holocaust in terms they could more easily understand. The film uses the children at the center of the story to express a more universal and tragic view of war and the Holocaust. Herman has still captured the surreal fable at the heart of Boyne's book, but it's pointedly real and effective in its devastating impact when seen on film. Shot on location in Budapest, Herman expertly captures the lone note of youthful hope and power of friendship embodied in his two remarkable young leads who seem immune to the reality of death and hate surrounds them. This is a daringly different and gut-wrenching movie that stays with you long after the theatre lights have gone up.

Bottom Line

Hollywood.com rated this film 3 1/2 stars.

As a roaringly funny trip, the Madagascar gang turns the laugh meter way up this time. It's great to have them back.

Story

After a brief flashback prologue where we see how the young lion Alex (Ben Stiller) is separated from his father Zuba (Bernie Mac), inadvertently ending up in the Big Apple, the story returns to present day as our favorite New York zoo denizens prepare to take off from Madagascar in a crudely constructed airplane, piloted by the penguins and propelled by slingshot. Unfortunately for Alex, lovelorn giraffe Melman (David Schwimmer), fast talking zebra Marty (Chris Rock) and svelte hippo Gloria (Jada Pinkett-Smith), instead of landing in NYC, the aircraft sputters and crash lands right in the middle of Africa, where they run into a world of exotic creatures. This also includes Alex's long lost dad and mom. Happy reunion? Not quite. Zuba's nemesis Mukunga (Alec Baldwin) insists they follow lion pride lore, which means Alex must go through a rite of passage -- one he is sure to fail if Mukunga has his way. Meanwhile, Marty tries to integrate into a pack of zebras; Gloria gets hooked up with a soulful hippo (will.i.am); and Melman is up to his neck looking for love. Oh, and they also all have to save the Kenya preserve from a life-threatening water shortage. No biggie!

Acting

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa's witty and hip dialogue provides rich voice over opportunities for a talented crew of actors. Stiller continues to be a riot as the showbiz loving, Zooperstar Alex, especially in his attempts to earn the pride's respect. Chris Rock earns his stripes, as he tries to hang with a large group of look-a-like, sound-a-like zebras. Schwimmer is winning and hysterical as Melman, now considered a witchdoctor by his fellow giraffe-ians, while Pinkett-Smith continues to shine as hippo Gloria, looking for a little action. Among the new voices, rapper will.i.am as Moto Moto, the last of the red-hot hippos, will have you wanting More More, while Alec Baldwin gets to play the heavy with Lion King style. The late Bernie Mac, playing it relatively straight as Alex's father proves (as he does in his other new release this week, Soul Men), shows us just how much his unique brand of humor will be sorely missed. Stealing the show, however, and getting king-sized laughs in an expanded role is Sacha Baron Cohen back as King Julien, the hard-partying head of the lemurs.

Direction

With a vast improvement in Madagascar's state-of-the-art computer graphic work, directors Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath take this sequel several notches up in terms of technical savvy, including the exciting opening sequence as well as the plane crash. But they really score with the script, with new co-writer Etan Cohen adding some crisp comedy. What was mostly just a serviceable script the first time around has gotten a lot more sophisticated and clever, a development parents being dragged by their kids will be keenly grateful for. This is the rare animated sequel that actually has a reason for existence other than minting money. It has more heart, drama and laughs than the original Madagascar, which, despite its flaws, still made half a billion dollars worldwide. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa should make even more as it proves to be one of the year's most entertaining comedy delights.

Bottom Line

Hollywood.com rated this film 3 1/2 stars.

Who needs role models when you can laugh your ass off with Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott pretending to BE Role Models?

Story

Meet Wheeler (Scott ) and Danny (Rudd) -- two salesmen, who get to hawk a blue sugary caffeine-filled energy drink called Minotaur. Wheeler is a swingin', KISS-lovin' single guy who loves his job playing THE Minotaur, while depressed Danny has settled into a nice mid-life crisis, loathing just about anything and everyone. These two are just destined to become role models. And so after some very bad circumstances, Wheeler and Danny do just that, forced into 150 community service hours at a mentorship program. It's either play big brother to a couple of kids or go to jail. Danny gets assigned to Augie (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), a 16-year-old obsessed with Dungeons and Dragons medieval role play, while Wheeler gets a 10-year-old, foul-mouthed troublemaker named Ronnie (Bobb'e J Thompson). After one day, jail isn't looking half-bad.

Acting

For a premise that sounds a bit shaky, the cast of Role Models simply sell it. Thanks to the likes of Anchorman and 40 Year-Old Virgin, Paul Rudd has found his niche as the go-to guy for deadpan humor. Seann William Scott , too, seems more mature this time, finally shedding that American Pie smug arrogance he's had to live with for so many years. Virgin's Jane Lynch is hysterical as the head of the mentorship program Sturdy Wings, an ex-addict who takes no crap. Elizabeth Banks (she's in everything lately) also does a nice job as Danny's girlfriend who has had it with his behavior. And the kids add to the flavor: Mintz-Plasse, aka McLovin' from Superbad, gets to try something different as the geeky Lord of the Rings wannabe, while newcomer Thompson plays the smartass kid who curses with a certain panache.

Direction

Can you believe producer/writer/director Judd Apatow had nothing to do with Role Models? It seems to have many of his signature touches, including a pretty hard R rating for a movie with kids in it. But actually, Role Models comes from the minds of ex-The State members David Wain and Ken Marino, along with Paul Rudd and a few other writers. And for once, a long list of writers doesn't spell trouble for the film; it seems to have only enhanced the comedy. The best part of Role Models has to be the medieval role-playing festival, where all known D&D and LOTR enthusiasts come out in droves, dressed in full gear, ready to wage battle and clash rubber swords for their made-up countries' supreme dominance. It really happens, folks, and to have front-row seats to this world is quite a comedic treat.

Bottom Line

Hollywood.com rated this film 3 1/2 stars.