Our guide to what"s on in your local cinema
MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA (PG) This colourful computer animated sequel cheekily recycles the plot of The Lion King.
Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath"s film strands its menagerie of misfits in the wild, where they discover the courage to follow their hearts and to reclaim a birthright as king of the jungle.
As in the first film, Sacha Baron Cohen merrily scene-steals as a crazy lemur. Kids will squeal at the slapstick and bright colours, but parents and older audiences will have to search much harder for amusement.
Rating: Two and a half stars
TRANSPORTER 3 (15)
Jason Stratham returns as Frank Martin in Olivier Megaton"s brawny yet brainless sequel. Expect car chases and punch-ups galore in this high-octane action movie, where some scenes verge on the ridiculous. Transporter 3 appropriates an eco-friendly central theme as a hook, but the filmmakers are more interested in orchestrating mayhem than saving the planet. Frank is sent on a job to pick up Valentina (Natalya Rudakova), the kidnapped daughter of Leonid Vasilev (Jeroen Krabbe), head of the Ukraine"s powerful Environmental Protection Agency. However, plans go awry when sparks of passion fly between Frank and Valentina.
Rating: Two stars
FOUR CHRISTMASES (12A)
Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn fail to impress in this lifeless romantic comedy. Happily unmarried San Francisco couple Brad (Vaughn) and Kate (Witherspoon) have been together for years but have no plans to walk down the aisle. Every December 25, the lovebirds make outlandish, charity work-related excuses to their loved ones so they can jet off to sunnier climes to soak up the sun. But when the fog sets in and they are unable to fly, the bickering duo are forced to spend the holiday season with their extended families. A tinsel-strewn re-tread of Meet The Parents that doesn"t quite make the cut.
Rating: Two stars
CHANGELING (15)
Angelina Jolie makes a strong bid for an Oscar nomination with her tour de force portrayal of a crusading mother in Clint Eastwood"s harrowing drama. Based on a shocking true story, Changeling tells the story of single mother Christine Collins (Jolie), who arrives home one day to find her son Walter (Gattlin Griffith) has disappeared without trace. After months of fearing the worst, Captain JJ Jones (Donovan) of the LAPD claims to have found Walter. Unfortunately, it"s a case of mistaken identity but in order to avoid a media maelstrom Jones forces Christine to lie. Jolie is sensational as a woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown, who screams and shouts for justice, fearful she might not get the answers she craves.
Rating: Four stars
WHAT JUST HAPPENED (15)
Based on noted film producer Art Linson"s memoir, What Just Happened satirises the inner workings of Hollywood, as seen through the eyes of a middle-aged producer suffering a crisis of confidence. Robert de Niro stars as film producer Ben, embroiled in couples" separation therapy with ex-wife Kelly (Robin Wright Penn), and struggling to complete a disastrous, controversial new film. Cameos from Sean Penn and Bruce Willis, both playing themselves, fall flat, and with few laugh-out-loud moments, the credits can"t roll fast enough.
Rating: Two and a half stars
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