CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA MOVIES

Reviews, news, showtimes and trailers for Harrisburg, Camp Hill, York and more

"Traitor," which opens Wednesday, is the kind of movie so many of us yearn to see: It's intense and intelligent, has something to say without being pedantic and presents complicated issues without condescending.

An Overture Films release, it is rated PG-13 for intense violent sequences, thematic material and brief language. Running time is 112 minutes.

The Associated PressIn this image released by Overture films, Guy Pearce, left, and Don Cheadle are shown in a scene from "Traitor."

Jason Statham in Universal Pictures' 'Death Race'

(AP) - "Death Race" bravely faces that philosophical quandary every one of us must face: What to do when a ninja breaks into your home, frames you for the murder of your wife and taunts you with a finger-gun motion?

Anna Faris in Sony Pictures' 'The House Bunny'

(AP) - Just in time for back-to-school comes "The House Bunny," which won't teach you anything new or useful, but it will prepare you for sorority rush.

Ice Cube and Keke Palmer in Dimension Films' 'The Longshots'

(AP) - "The Longshots" is a certifiable crowd pleaser, an agreeable variation on the kid sports movie formula whose family-friendly messages outweigh its corny over familiarity.

Without a doubt "The Dark Knight" is the premier summer blockbuster of 2008. But unlike many big summer movies (think 2007's "Transformers"), "The Dark Knight" is not just a superficial action flick. Themes of good and evil are absolutely pervasive in the script, while good acting and superb cinematography provide movie-goers with compelling reasons to become completely engrossed in the story for the duration of its two-and-a-half hour run-time.

Continue reading "The darkness in "Knight"" »

Before going to the Regal Cinema Center to watch "Tropic Thunder," the latest flick from Ben Stiller, long-time comedian and entertainer, I read several reviews so that I knew what to expect. The reviews were varied. "Men's Vogue" raved about the movie, saying that it was what Stiller was born to make, and praising its comedy. Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie review website, gave it an 84%, which is higher than other summer comedies such as "Pineapple Express" (68%), "Step Brothers" (51%), and "Get Smart" (53%). Other critics claimed the movie was too offensive to be funny, and too crude to cause laughter.

A personal fan of Stiller and his previous works, I enjoyed the movie's jokes and the interaction between the star-studded cast. The movie had twists and turns that were interesting and kept the flick from becoming dry. The not-so-subtle pokes at Hollywood and Tom Cruise's hilarious performance left my stomach muscles aching with laughter, a good kind of pain. The movie opened and ended creatively, and I was left satisfied walking out of the theatre.

So about a year ago I received a call from a friend who had free sneak preview tickets to some movie called "Superbad." I had no idea what the movie was about and I had never even heard of it. I quickly went to YouTube and typed in "Superbad trailer." I could not stop laughing and I immediatly called my friend back and told him I would go with him. The rest is history.

"Superbad" has proven to stand the test of comedy time. There have been many attempts to overthrow this movie from its throne, but it continues to stay strong. "Stepbrothers" was a funny movie, but it contained no where near the amount of one liners that "Superbad" did. The makers of "Superbad" tried to recreate the magic with "Pineapple Express," and they sort of did. "Pineapple Express" definately had more of a plot line, but once again, "Superbad" outnumbered "Pineapple Express" with the quotable lines.

The drive-ins are one of my favorite summer activities. Nothing beats being wrapped in blankets with tons of snacks outside watching a movie on a huge screen.

However, last Sunday night instead of thoroughly enjoying the time spent at the drive ins, my experience was a little less than expected.

Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem and Scarlett Johansson in The Weinstein Company's 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona'

(McClatchy Newspapers) - At this point in his career, it's practically impossible to separate Woody Allen the artist from Woody Allen the Guy Who Can Convince Really Big Movie Stars to Appear in His Little Films.

Padawan learner Ahoska and Jedi mentor Anakin Skywalker in Warner Bros. Pictures' 'Star Wars: The Clone Wars'

(AP) - You'll know you're in a different galaxy within the first seconds of "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," which substitutes the Warner Bros. logo and theme music for the familiar 20th Century Fox searchlight and fanfare.