Matthew R. Reis: Film and TV Critic

Apetastic? Nope. (Now on DVD) 2 Stars Blog Exclusive! Charlton Heston's performance as Colonel George Taylor in 1968s "Planet of the Apes" was iconic. In 2001 Mark Wahlberg's turn as Captain Leo Davidson in the "Planet of the Apes" remake was ghastly. Now actor, director and Yale student James Franco has to deal with an ape infestation of his own in "Rise of the Planet of the Apes." So how does all this monkey business translate to the big screen this time around? Not well. Not well at all. As a prequel a lot of people already know how “Rise” will end before the projector even warms up. Due to the film's lack of quality content "Rise" offers nothing worthwhile and fails to justify why a prequel was needed in the first place. Both diehard franchise fans and virgins of the series will be disappointed. Besides above average acting and terrific visual effects this film is trash. The biggest problem stems from Rupert Wyatt's ...

See. Watch. Enjoy. (Now on DVD) 3 1/2 Stars Blog exclusive! “Eat Pray Love”, adapted from the New York Times #1 best selling book of the same name, is a charming, lovely film. Julia Roberts is Elizabeth Gilbert a woman desperate to climb out of her own despair. Unhappy with her marriage to Stephen (Billy Crudup) and searching for a greater purpose in life Gilbert goes against societal convention and makes an extraordinary decision. She chooses to travel around the world for one year. Free of almost all material possessions and stressors Gilbert ventures to Rome, India and Bali in search of herself. Along the way she makes important discovers and friendships and meets the perfect man. The films target audience, middle-aged women, will connect with Gilbert’s story. Obviously food, love, and friendship are among the reasons why. But the truest reason is that mid life crises are real and it is an easy thing to relate to if you've been through one yourself. The filmmakers utiliz...