Warner Bros.

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Arthur

CHICAGO – Warner Brothers has released a slate of images from a large portion of their 2011 schedule of films, including “The Rite,” “Unknown,” “Hall Pass,” “Red Riding Hood,” “Sucker Punch,” “Arthur,” “Something Borrowed,” “The Hangover Part II,” “Green Lantern,” “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2,” “Crazy Stupid Love,” “Horrible Bosses,” “Final Destination 5,” “The Apparition,” “Dolphin Tale,” and “Sherlock Holmes II.”

CHICAGO – Summer 2010 was filled with some of the laziest mainstream product in the history of the blockbuster season. Creative bankruptcy ruled almost every weekend and audiences wisely turned away from most of it.

CHICAGO – Director Rob Reiner’s career is undeniably a shadow of what it used to be with critical failures like “The Bucket List,” “Alex and Emma,” and “Rumor Has It…” diminishing the fact that this talented man gave us “Stand By Me,” “This is Spinal Tap,” and “The Princess Bride.” “Flipped” certainly doesn’t merit consideration with Reiner’s best but it is closer to form than he has been recently and it’s a film that’s easy to fall at least halfway in love with if not fully flipping head over heels.

CHICAGO – The comedy “Lottery Ticket,” recently released on Blu-ray and DVD, is so forgettable that it seems almost mean to pile on top of the negative reviews that greeted it in theaters. It’s not a horrible film, mostly because of the charms of its three leads, but there’s just not much nice to say about it either. It’s bearable and mildly-diverting, but with so many other great released on the market this month, don’t you want more than that faint praise?

CHICAGO – There are some stories that are so resonant that they can be told generation after generation and not lose any of their power. The basic foundation of “Mutiny on the Bounty” is so inherently strong that it has supported several acclaimed versions but perhaps the most beloved is still the 1935 Best Picture winner starring Clark Gable and Charles Laughton. Joining in a wave of classics hitting the new format during holiday season 2010, “Mutiny on the Bounty” is now available on Blu-ray.

CHICAGO – At its rare best, “Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore” recalls Looney Tunes productions with their brilliant blend of slapstick humor, wordplay, and breakneck pace. And the odd collection of TV-caliber guest stars including Fred Armisen (“Saturday Night Live”), Jack McBrayer (“30 Rock”), and Chris O’Donnell (“NCIS: Los Angeles”) along with a truly weird group of vocal performances that include Bette Midler and Nick Nolte of all people make for a film that sometimes resembles “Looney Tunes: Back in Action.” Sadly, resembling a funny movie does not make a comedy and this half-assed attempt at family entertainment should be sent to the pound.

CHICAGO – Two of the more beloved and acclaimed properties in the 2010 BBC output were released on Blu-ray this month and both should be near the top of holiday wish lists for genre fans. The simple fact is that BBC is doing fantasy, science fiction, and even thriller better than anyone right now and one need look no further than “Doctor Who: The Complete Fifth Series” and “Sherlock,” two sets brimming with greatness.

CHICAGO – There’s a reason beyond simple truth-in-titling that I put the names of the three stars of TNT’s “Men of a Certain Age,” of which the first season was recently released on DVD, in the headline of this review — they’re the reason to watch. Created by Romano and Mike Royce, “Men of a Certain Age” is an imperfect program with at least one perfect performance (Emmy nominee Braugher) and two that sometimes come close. The “Men” of the title are excellent and if the program around them ever rises to their standard it could become one of the best on television.

CHICAGO – When one considers that it is five-decades-old this year, the influence of the original “Ocean’s 11” is somewhat jaw-dropping. The fact is that the Rat Pack has defined cool for half-a-century now and their influence on everything from film to music to fashion shows no signs of fading. Find me another 50-year-old movie that breathes cool like “Ocean’s 11.”

CHICAGO – There is an entire generation out there that LOVES “The Goonies.” It is one of those ’80s films that is spoken about in hushed tones in certain circles as if it is the product of a time when they just made better movies. People adore the Richard Donner film that turned Sloth and Chunk into annual Halloween costumes. A 25th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray and DVD of “The Goonies” has been issued with those diehard fans in mind.