Men in Black (1:45) 2012

Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are back as special agents fighting Boris, an escapee from LunarMax, who is attempting to destroy Earth. Agent J (Smith) goes back in time and meets his much younger partner played by Josh Brolin. Brolin nails Agent K's (Jones) mannerisms, speech patterns and facial expressions (or lack of expressions). The scenes with Brolin are the best part of the movie. MIB3 contains the standard fare of aliens, often masquerading as humans. Some aliens are our friends and others are criminals and the agents having to determine the good aliens from the evil ones. The end of the movie uncovers some of the secrets which Agent K has been keeping from Agent J in a touching final scene. If you are a fan of MIB, the third film is better than the second and almost as entertaining as the original. MIB3 is doing well at the box office this holiday weekend. The summer blockbusters are off to a good start!

Crooked Arrows (1:40) 2012

Every once in awhile, a true gem of an independent movie shines brightly. Crooked Arrows is this gem. My daughter and I thoroughly enjoyed this modern tribal lacrosse movie. Joe Logan is a Sunaquat tribal member who is brokering a deal to expand the local casino. In order for the tribal council to approve his plan, Joe must first coach the tribe's lacrosse team. Although Joe is reluctant, he does accept the position and rediscovers his love of the game. The Crooked Arrows are just like the other movie teams, Bad New Bears and the Mighty Ducks, with the players have raw undeveloped talent. Joe works to have the players work as a team. As the Crooked Arrows begin to win games and move up in the standings, they bring lacrosse back to their people. Will they be able to win the state championship? The film,financed by the Onandaga Nation, is an underdog crowd pleaser. The opening scenes explain how lacrosse was first played. The soundtrack and the scenery (set in New York but filmed in Massachusetts) add to the story. Although the storyline is predictable, this is a fun and inspiring family movie. See it!

It's Complicated (2:00) 2009

Need some laughs? (Jane) Meryl Streep and (Jake) Alec Baldwin are long divorced with adult children when Jake discovers that he is not really happy with his much younger second wife. Jake wants to give it another try with Jane. Jane has moved on, running a successful business and is at the start of a new relationship with a wonderfully sensitive and fun new man, Adam. Jane and Jake become involved again and have a fling unbeknownest to their children. Is love better the second time around? This is a very entertaining lighthearted fare. Streep and Baldwin have wonderful chemistry, it is easy to believe they are divorced but still care for each other. And it is just as easy to believe Streep and Adam (Steve Martin) have a chance of finding happiness together.  The best scene in the movie is when Streep shares with her girlfriends the news of her relationship which is with her ex husband. Their reaction alone is worth the price of admission. If you missed this movie the first time round, it's well worth a spot on the queue.

Marvel's The Avengers (2:22) 2012

The Avengers broke all attendance records for new releases this weekend. My daughter and I went today at 3:30 and the theater was packed to see old favorites, Thor, The Hulk, Iron Man, and Captain America. It's a long movie but it is action packed, full of computer generated effects. I noticed that the very young children (ages 5-7) were restless but everyone else was engaged in the movie. My favorite is the wise cracking flippant Iron Man played by Robert Downey, Jr.  Mark Ruffalo is The Hulk with a smaller part but reminds me of Bill Bixby, the original TV Hulk. The plot picks up with Loki, Thor's brother, returning to Earth. He plans to enslave the human as he conquers our planet. The Avengers, first at odds with each other, join forces to battle Loki and his army. Lots of crashes, killing, car smashes and building destruction take place throughout the film. It's a romp, the beginning of the summer blockbusters. A must see for all comic book fans.