Jonathan Liebesman

CHICAGO – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 100 pairs of advance-screening suburban movie passes up for grabs to “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” with Megan Fox and Will Arnett! There will be a photo booth, music and giveaways at this event!

CHICAGO – Just because a tale is enormously influential and older than the hills doesn’t mean that it’s foolproof. Just ask “John Carter.” Or “Mirror Mirror.” What makes the “Titans” franchise particularly unseemly is its air of smugness. It trashed Ray Harryhausen’s admittedly outdated 1981 version of “Clash of the Titans” in its 2010 remake, but failed to establish a personality of its own.

CHICAGO – 2010’s “Clash of the Titans” was a surprising box office smash, making almost $500 million worldwide. That kind of money demands a sequel, but what to call it? “Clash of the Titans 2” wouldn’t be exciting enough but it should sound similar.

CHICAGO – With “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” about to hit theaters and get the adrenalin flowing for major city destruction from another planet, you may be tempted to catch up with Jonathan Liebesman’s “Battle: Los Angeles” for a similar dose of macho male escapism. Don’t fall for it. This is an annoying movie that fails on nearly every level.

Rating: 1.0/5.0

CHICAGO – It used to be an insult to say that a loud action movie reminded a critic of a video game. The fact is that most recent video games feature better storytelling and more entertainment value than the horrendous “Battle: Los Angeles,” an annoying movie with such inept direction that it’s not even fun on a visceral level. Even the explosions are boring.