I’ve always thought “Monsters, Inc.” was the most underrated of the Pixar films. It came out the same years as “Shrek,” which grabbed the Academy Award for animated feature and most of the limelight. But it was a sweet, playful story with a smart twist on the scary monsters every child imagines is hiding in their closet.

The sequel, or rather prequel, arrives 12 years later and can’t meet the high standard set by its predecessor, though it’s still an enjoyable romp. Since “Inc.” pretty much wrapped up all the troubles facing that universe — with the monsters switching to making tykes laugh instead of scream to solve their energy crisis — there wasn’t anywhere to go, story-wise.

Solution: go backward!

So we tag along as green, one-eyed cue ball Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) and furry blue behemoth James P. Sullivan (John Goodman) make their debut as freshmen on the campus of “Monsters University.” Rather than best buds, they’re rivals competing for status as the big scarer on campus (BSOC?).

There’s an unavoidable disconnect here, since we know all the sweat and toil they put into horrifying kids will eventually come to naught. And Crystal and Goodman, two guys in their 60s trying to pass vocally as teenagers, sound like … two guys in their 60s straining at the upper ends of their voice range.

Randall, the fearsome disappearing serpent voiced by Steve Buscemi, turns up in a bit part as Mike’s awkward roommate, who falls in with the misguided popular crowd. It seems a poor use of a really good character.

The animation is terrific, and we get to see some more crazy variations of monster biology, including a snail student who races to get to class on time, unsuccessfully. I’d advise you to skip the 3D upgrade, since it doesn’t really seem to add much to the spectacle.

The story boils down to a pretty standard college comedy, though toned down for a G rating compatible with even the smallest audience members. There are familiar jocks-versus-nerds contests, dissimilar fraternity brothers finding an unlikely bond, and even a scary dean cracking down on all the fun.

The dean, named Hardscrabble, is voiced by Helen Mirren and is the best creation in the new movie. She scritches about on chitinous legs with an insectoid torso, flies around on bat wings and always seems to be standing so her face is cast in shadow. Neat trick, that.

Hardscrabble, a legendary scarer in her own right, doesn’t think either Mike or Sulley has what it takes. So they’re forced to enter, and win, the annual Greek Scare Games in order to get back into her loathsome graces.

Rebuffed by the top fraternities, the boys have to join up with Oozma Kappa, a lame bunch of reject monsters (“We’re O.K.!”). They include Don (Joel Murray), a tentacled middle-aged salaryman giving college another try; Squishy (Peter Sohn), a multiple-eyed pile of goop with a confidence problem; Art (Charlie Day), a dippy hippie type who looks like an inverted “U” with purple fur and four hands; and Terri/Terry (Sean Hayes and Dave Foley), a two-headed dude who doesn’t always agree with himself.

There’s some nice byplay as Sulley and Mike butt … well, cranial surfaces. (Mike doesn’t really have a head, unless you count his whole body as one.) The set-up is that Sullivan is the natural talent from a prodigious family of scarers who tries to skate by without trying, while Mike is a grind who knows the academia of fright in and out, but lacks that certain something.

Director Dan Scanlon and fellow screenwriters Robert L. Baird and Daniel Gerson are Pixar backbenchers called up for a turn at bat, and they acquit themselves without swinging for the fences. “Monsters University” is a reasonably fun, not terribly original but never boring ride with a pair of old, likable chums.

Note: the film is preceded by a 7-minute short, “The Blue Umbrella,” written and directed by Saschka Unseld. It’s about everyday city objects secretly coming to life, and it’s a charming mix of hyper-realistic animation and cartoony tropes.

4 Yaps

After enduring a shipwreck, one young boy is left to find a way to survive with the help of a few animals who have survived with him and are left by his side. Directed by Ang Lee.

Rated PG

Hitchcock

The master of horror is the subject of this biopic starring Anthony Hopkins as director Alfred Hitchcock. Helen Mirren stars as Hitchcock’s wife, who worked with her husband behind the scenes as he stood at the helm of what would be arguably his most notorious film. Also starring Scarlett Johannson.

Rated R

Also coming to DVD & Blu-ray this week:

“Rise of the Guardians” (Hugh Jackman, Rated PG)
“Playing for Keeps” (Gerard Butler, Rated PG-13)
“This Must be the Place” (Sean Penn, Rated R)
“In Their Skin” (Selma Blair, Not Rated)
“The Devil’s in the Details” (Ray Liotta, Rated R)
“Miss Dial” (Gabrielle Union, Rated R)

British Independent Film Awards

The BIFA annual awards ceremony took place on 9^th December. It was created in 1998 to honour the fast growing number of independent British films outside the mainstream releases. This year “Broken” starring Tim Roth (“Reservoir Dogs” (1992)) and Cillian Murphy (“Sunshine” (2007)) was named best film. The story centres on three families living in a quiet cul-de-sac in North London following a violent attack on a local schoolgirl. This is the debut feature of theatre director Rufus Norris who trained at RADA before turning to directing. Peter Strickland’s psychological thriller “Berberian Sound Studio” picked up four awards. Toby Jones plays a shy sound engineer who travels to Italy to record sound effects for a horror film. His efforts feature butchering melons, cabbages and radishes to achieve the right sounds.

Andrea Riseborough

The up and coming British actress received a best actress award from at the BIFA’s for her part in “Shadow Dancer” about an IRA member turned informer. A big part for her, out next year, is sci-fi film “Oblivion” starring Tom Cruise, a trailer for which was released recently, in what looks to be a big sc-fi hit for 2013. She’s been thrown in the deep end with this role which should open many doors in Hollywood for the actress from Whitley Bay in the North East of England. Her character of Victoria is so far shrouded in mystery. After Earth’s evacuation, on a mission to collect valuable resources, drone Jack Harper (Cruise) attempts to rescue her. Riseborough is one of a group of young British newcomers making names for themselves across the pond. There is a big opportunity to flourish under the direction of Joseph Kosinsku, who is responsible for producing and co-writing the screenplay as well. He has already experienced success with creativity the sci fi genre with sequel “Tron: Legacy” (2010). Riseborough also starred in “Brighton Rock” (2011) with Helen Mirren (“The Queen” (2006)) and in the same year in “W.E” she played a stunning portrayal as Wallis Simpson, under the direction of Madonna.

“Quartet” (2013)

Released at the beginning of January 2013 this is a film to beat the post-Christmas blues. “Quartet” features an ensemble cast of fabulous British oldies in a witty comedy just right for the kind of audience who enjoyed films like “Calendar Girls” (2003) and “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” (2011). Maggie Smith (“Gosford Park” (2001)) leads the group as Jean, a retired opera singer who moves into a plush ‘retirement home’ especially for musicians. Expect lots of laughs as she reconnects with old friends and lovers from her past and confronts the reasons behind her retirement from opera. Michael Gambon (Prof Albus Dumbledore to most), Scottish comedian Billy Connelly and Tom Courtenay (“The Golden Compass” (2007)) also star. This is Dustin Hoffman’s first turn at directing and this is a very interesting choice to direct such a rich British cast; and a challenging task for the first time director.

“Citadel” (2012)

A strange suspense thriller released earlier this year. You probably missed it but, if you’re into that sort of thing, it’s definitely worth a watch. A year after helplessly watching his pregnant girlfriend being attacked by a gang of hooligans a young and highly agoraphobic father (Aneurin Barbard) tries to protect his daughter from the same gang. Running away from a gang is tough enough without holding a baby as well. The film is short at only 85 minutes and the first half is mainly concerned with a nurse and a priest trying to talk him past his fears. The rest of the film is focused on Barbard’s nervously looking over his shoulder at shadowy hallways and mysterious shapes in doorways.

If Alfred Hitchcock hadn’t been a bona fide figure, Hollywood would’ve invented him. With his inverted-lightbulb physique and that pained slur of a monotone drawl, the great film director stood out both for his exemplary craftsmanship and his oddball image. In some ways, his personal iconography has endured every bit as much as his movies.

“Hitchcock,” which puts the filmmaker under the microscope during the making of his landmark film “Psycho,” features a spot-on impersonation by Anthony Hopkins. Wearing an impressive body suit and extensive facial prosthetics to mimic the droopy mien of “Hitch” (as he preferred to be called), Hopkins evokes the spirit and personality of the man behind masterpieces like “Rear Window,” “North by Northwest” and “Vertigo.”

In this portrait, Hitchcock is both supremely self-confident and filled with obsessive fears about being a washed-up failure. At age 60, Hitch frets his best days are behind him, that he is tainted by his association with television and that he will never receive the accolades (i.e., an Academy Award) he feels are surely deserved.

But the movie, directed by Sacha Gervasi from John J. McLaughlin’s screenplay (based on a book by Stephen Rebello), goes further by exploring the relationship between Hitchcock and his wife, Alma Reville. And it’s in this journey that the film rises from amusing bauble to a full-throated and satisfying depiction of a great man and the unheralded woman who helped make him so.

Alma, played by Helen Mirren, dutifully performs the role of the loyal wife in public but quietly seethes with resentment underneath. A talented editor and writer in her own right, she married a promising young director and made his career her own. Reville rewrote scripts, played the part of Hitch’s main sounding board and even (if this film’s depiction is to be believed) stood in for him behind the camera when his health failed.

As the story opens, Hitch is coming off the resounding success of “North by Northwest” but hasn’t a clue as to what to make for his next picture. Some, including Alma, are quietly suggesting he retire with grace. Those calls become increasing urgent as he lights upon the gruesome story of Ed Gein, a serial murderer who chopped up his victims.

When the Hollywood press is repulsed by the topic, Hitchcock digs deeper. When Alma dismisses the story as a cheap horror show, he is intrigued by the challenge: “What if someone really good made a horror picture?” he asks.

Realizing that his dream female star, Grace Kelly, is now unavailable due to having married into royalty, Hitch settles on Janet Leigh. As played by Scarlett Johansson, Leigh is a paragon of niceness and professionalism in a cutthroat business. At first, she’s ambivalent about Hitchcock, especially how he will handle the famous shower scene. But she eventually finds herself in his corner.

“Compared to Orson Welles, he’s a sweetheart,” she muses.

Her counterpoint is Vera Miles (Jessica Biel), whom Hitch had hoped to make a big star, but she rejected him to play the real-life role of wife and mother. It was part of his long fixation on “these blonde women of mystery” who regularly populated his films.

Hitch can’t get the studio to finance “Psycho,” so he ends up writing a check for $800,000 out of his own pocket. It threatens to bankrupt the couple, and Alma responds to being shut out of the creative process by collaborating with an old friend (Danny Huston) who’s a little bit too familiar with the married “Mrs. Hitchcock.”

Director Gervasi’s only other film was the documentary “Anvil: The Story of Anvil,” which looked at a washed-up heavy metal band. His switch to narrative storytelling is a seamless one as he expertly plucks the audience’s strings, much like composer Bernard Herrmann’s screeching violin strings in “Psycho.”

At a crisp 98 minutes, “Hitchcock” is as taut as one of Hitch’s own mystery thrillers.

4.5 Yaps

Since so many movies were recommended, I’m not going to be able to get this done in a month. Every Tuesday, I’ll write about which ones I’ve watched and what I thought about them. The only rule to the recommendation was that they had to pick a film I haven’t seen. Some used that to pick great movies they know I haven’t watched yet and some used that to pick movies that look so awful they know I wouldn’t watch it. Either way, I’m watching them now.

Week Ten — In the Years 2000….! (And One from the ’70s)

Puppet (David Soll, 2010)

Recommended by Patrick Mitchell

A few months ago, I saw the movie “Being Elmo,” which is a delightful look at the puppeteer who created the character of Elmo. It profiled the story of him growing up loving the magic behind Jim Henson’s creations and then being able to impact lives doing what he loved. This documentary “Puppet” never has that emotional hook, but it’s still able to look at the passion behind this medium. Perhaps I wasn’t as invested because I didn’t have the childhood nostalgia attached to these types of puppets. However, to see them work to expand what can be done with puppets is still a feat.

Counter-recommendation: Synecdoche, New York

3.5 Yaps

Dragonball: Evolution (James Wong, 2009)

Recommended by Joe Donohue

I admit it. I watched “Dragonball Z” for a month or so back in junior high; we all did. It was not the greatest show, but it was a bit entertaining until I realized that nothing actually happened in the plot. That said, I’ll take a full episode of Goku charging up an attack than this horrible, worthless piece of crap. This script is everything that’s wrong with everything. For no reason, the first act is a cliched high school drama. Then it’s a fantasy-epic cliché that is awful. Then the last act adds a whole bunch of plot that doesn’t make an ounce of sense, with pseudo-lessons learned and a cliffhanger that negates everything. Everything said could be in the running for the worst dialogue in the history of cinema. I felt pity for every actor involved, and this ought to be a career killer for the director and writer. I am a worse person for have seen this.

Counter-recommendation: Any other movie ever.

0 Yaps

Brotherhood of the Wolf (Christophe Gans, 2001)

Recommended by Josh Clayton

When I reviewed “Farewell My Queen” a bit ago, I was impressed about how there were different styles into which the period-piece genre could fit. “Brotherhood” films the majority of its tale in the traditional way to capture the life of royalty in France in the 1760s. Then it uses that style to make an effective monster movie with political metaphors. The genre mixing makes this a really fun, very well-made movie with impressive production values and likable characters.

Counter-recommendation: Army of Shadows

4 Yaps

Greenfingers (Joel Hershman, 2000)

Recommended by Ella Raymont

Another perfect example of a recommendation! I have never heard of this movie, so this was a charming surprise. Clive Owen plays a convict in a minimal-security prison who channels his anger toward gardening. Fellow inmates do the same with their time and they become quite good, garnering the attention of an expert in the field played by Helen Mirren. Sometimes the movie falls too easily into formula, especially the romance subplot, but from beginning to end, it’s a lot of fun.

Counter-recommendation: Kinky Boots

4 Yaps

They Might Be Giants (Anthony Harvey, 1971)

Recommended by Toni Kelner

Right away, I adored this plot. After the death of his wife, a respected judge has delusions that he is Sherlock Holmes and is constantly looking for Moriarty. He is submitted to a clinic where he is assigned to a young doctor named Watson. Icing on the cake is that George C. Scott plays the fake Sherlock. Although the low-budget nature of the movie adds occasional flaws, the script and cast are so wonderful it doesn’t matter. From beginning to end, this was a delight, especially as you get further in and you start to hope that maybe there is an evil Moriarty lurking in the corners.

Also I thought of the perfect casting if this was to be remade. Jeff Daniels as Playfair/Holmes, Kim Dickens as Watson, Dustin Hoffman as Wilbur Peabody and Benedict Cumberbatch as Playfair’s brother.

Counter-recommendations: Without a Clue and, of course, The Great Mouse Detective

4.5 Yaps

Dude, Where’s My Car? (Danny Leiner, 2000)

Recommended by Michael Power

Ugh. I’m really upset I watched this one. It’s one thing if you’re watching “Macbeth” and you don’t smile once during the duration. It’s another if you’re watching a comedy. This takes the dumb humor to an even dumber point at which you really want an oral history of how this movie was made. At one point, someone had to pitch the idea of ostriches attacking the lead characters, create a second draft where one character calls them llamas for no reasons and then a lot of people had to shoot this. Then another person was hired to edit the scene. This movie was actually made, and that is a triumph for all who champion bad choices.

Counter-recommendation: Up in Smoke

0.5 Yaps

Next week I will master a flying guillotine, watch Sophie take her revenge and try my first Filipino film.

15 more to go….

Since so many movies were recommended, I’m not going to be able to get this done in a month. Every Tuesday, I’ll write about which ones I’ve watched and what I thought about them. The only rule to the recommendation was that they had to pick a film I haven’t seen. Some used that to pick great movies they know I haven’t watched yet and some used that to pick movies that look so awful they know I wouldn’t watch it. Either way, I’m watching them now.

Week Nine – My Family Has Interesting Taste

The Dukes of Hazzard (Jay Chandrasekhar, 2005)

Recommended by Brandon Lugar

My brother swore this was good. He said that it was funny. There are plenty of revenge recommendations on this list, but he honestly thought I would like this movie. Well, Brandon was wrong. Lame story, lame characters and not a single joke that landed. I actually like Seann William Scott and Johnny Knoxville as actors and with the right script, they would be fun as the leads. Yet they get nothing to do and the Broken Lizard guys go for the common dominator for cheap non-jokes. Also, Jessica Simpson was hysterical only because her acting consisted of only blank stares the whole time.

Counter-recommendation: “Top Gear” episodes

2 Yaps

Hello, Dolly! (Gene Kelly, 1969)

Recommended by Linda Lugar

Why isn’t Gene Kelly on the regular lists of Best American Directors? He made one of the best ever films (“Singin’ in the Rain”) and he knows how to direct the hell out of a dance number. The extended kitchen scene didn’t make a lot of sense story wise, but it was a wonderful spectacle. There is such scale to this movie that could have been a simple romantic musical. Not every song works, and giving Dolly a backstory isn’t necessary. Still, this movie knows how to create the happiest atmosphere. No wonder WALL-E liked it so much.

Counter-recommendation: What’s Up, Doc?

4 Yaps

White Nights (Taylor Hackford, 1985)

Recommended by Todd Lugar

At the end of the day, my dad recommended to me a ballet movie. Sure, there was sophisticated Cold War storytelling, a look at how a friendship is formed under impossible circumstances, and strong scenes of tension. Doesn’t matter. This is a dance movie and a really darn good one. Take out the dancing and you have a pretty solid movie, but with them you have some really impressive scenes of pure talent. Another great example for the kind of film I was looking for with this recommendation because I don’t know if I would have picked this up.

Counter-recommendations: Top Hat and Fail-Safe

4 Yaps

Airplane II: The Sequel (Ken Finkleman, 1982)

Recommended by Keith Jackson

“Airplane!” is one of my favorite films of all time. I adore that movie up and down. I’ve seen it way too many times and could quote it to you all day. I saw it when I was young, and at that time I found out there was a sequel. So I checked out the VHS from the library (I’ll explain both of those words later) but could only last 30 minutes. I didn’t know the word “blasphemy” at the time, but I do now. This falls under the same mistake as “The Hangover Part II” where instead of continuing surprises and absurdity, they repeat the exact same jokes. At one point, they literally show a clip from the first one so you’ll understand them repeating it again. The only things saving this movie were William Shatner in the last act, a gag involving a dog through security near the beginning, the title, and Robert Hays and Julie Hagerty being so darn amusing with their reaction shots.

Counter-recommendation: A Shot in the Dark

2 Yaps

The Day of the Locust (John Schlesinger, 1975)

Recommended by J.C. Smith

Hollywood satires are often difficult because the movies are made by Hollywood. This one tried to capture the destructive and expensive lifestyle of the 1930s filled with betrayal, fame and sin. A film like “Sunset Blvd.” works because as you see that nature consume the hero; you want him to break free. With this movie, I didn’t care. All of the characters were low and uninteresting and they wanted you to hate them most of the time. Nothing about their narcissism was captivating, especially as the film went off the rails in the end.

Counter-recommendation: A Star is Born (1954)

2.5 Yaps

Thankskilling (Jordan Downey, 2009)

Recommended by Paul Weller

Frak you, Paul. There have been plenty of bad films in this marathon, but most of them thought they were making something worthwhile. “Zombie Nation” thought it was being enlightening, “Digimon” thought it was making sense, etc. This movie is proud of the fact that it doesn’t care. Using the spoof genre as a defense in not trying in the slightest, this 70-minute film is just unbearable. It’s not funny, it’s not scary, it’s not even close to being filmed decently. Having a turkey kill people could be a fun topic, but not when the type of humor is having the turkey call the heroes “retarded.” Vile on all accounts, and don’t take that as an endorsement. It’s lazy, boring, awful, vile.

Counter-recommendation: The Grindhouse trailer “Thanksgiving”

0.5 Yaps

Skeleton Man (Johnny Martin, 2004)

Recommended by Zach White

My only thought throughout this whole film was “I’m not as angry as I was during Thankskilling.” That’s all I got. This is a pathetic “Predator” ripoff with terrible actors (and Michael Rooker), dialogue, plot, pacing, logic and characters. There’s really nothing fun or interesting going on. I’m sure they thought the filmmakers thought they were hardcore because they had people holding guns while staying things like “If it breathes, I can kill it.” Well, no. Obviously you can’t because some extra in a bad skeleton costume is riding a horse all the time and you can’t do anything. Very lame and not fun.

Counter-recommendation: Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer

1 Yap

I’m going to try not to have any more weeks off, but if I can’t get enough done for a solid article, I’ll skip a week. Silly workload…

Next week, I’ll try to find my car, make a wish on some dragonballs and try on a puppet.

21 to go….

“Brighton Rock”

Helen Mirren stars in this film about a young man desperate to make a name for himself in a world of murder and organized crime. Suspected in an unsolved killing, Pinkie (Sam Riley) sets his sights on a young woman who may know more than he’d like her to.

Rated R

“Apollo 18″

In an unofficial mission, two astronauts were sent into space by the U.S. Department of Defense, following the last known mission by Apollo 17. Sent to the moon, the astronauts recorded their mission. This film is footage from that trip, said to hold the secrets to why the United States has never gone back.

Rated PG-13

Also on DVD and Blu-ray this week:

“Pool Boys” (Matthew Lillard, Rated R)

“Final Destination 5″ (Miles Fisher, Rated R)

“A Good Old Fashioned Orgy” (Lake Bell, Rated R)

“In the Name of the King II” (Dolph Lundgren, Rated R)

“The Hunters” (Dianna Agron, Rated R)

“Game Time” (Jason Hurt, Rated PG-13)

“Pete Smalls is Dead” (Steve Buscemi, Unrated)

“The Debt” is one of those “problem” movies about which you hear ill tidings. It was supposed to be released in 2010 and purportedly was one of the serious, somber-toned films expected to vie for Oscar nominations. But then its release was delayed. And then, it was delayed again.

Sometimes these sorts of films are never heard from again until finally being pushed out onto video without fanfare. In the case of “The Debt,” it’s being dumped into theaters at the end of the summer, which is only a slightly kinder fate.

Usually when a movie is handled this way, it’s a clear indication the studio thinks the movie has serious problems. Perhaps reshoots were ordered or a massive re-editing. In any case, a pushed-back release is never a good sign.

So I was pleasantly surprised to encounter a gripping, well-told drama with splendid acting by some seasoned performers as well as younger thespians playing the same characters 30 years earlier.

It’s the tale of a trio of Israeli Mossad agents sent in 1965 to track down and arrest a Nazi doctor who committed unspeakable atrocities during the war. Complications arise, the mission is compromised and decades later they’re still dealing with the consequences of their actions.

No, “The Debt” is not worthy of any Oscar talk, and the last third or so wades into a tar pit of melodrama which bogs down the narrative somewhat. But the film never failed to engage me, and I am the better for having seen it.

The story opens with young Rachel (Jessica Chastain), an untried interpreter-turned-agent. She is guarding a man tied up and gagged in a dingy apartment. From the kitchen, she hears a noise and returns to find the prisoner gone. He attacks her from the shadows, tears her cheek open with a sharp object, and, after a struggle, escapes and flees into the night.

Despite her wounds, Rachel staggers to the window and manages to shoot the man dead with her pistol.

But is this really the whole story? Director John Madden (“Shakespeare in Love”) and a trio of screenwriters — Matthew Vaughn, Jane Goldman and Peter Straughan — are just winding up. The tale grows deeper, and more twisted, in a labyrinth of emotions and morality conflicts.

We soon meet Rachel’s older self in the 1990s, played by Helen Mirren. With the twisted scar on her face and disquieting mien, she’s become a hardened woman not to be trifled with.

We also learn that Rachel eventually married, and then divorced, the leader of her team, Stefan, played by Marton Csokas in 1965 and Tom Wilkinson later in life. Stefan was a supremely ambitious young agent who pursued Rachel more out of arrogance than affection and has become a powerful figure in Israeli government.

The coupling of Rachel and Stefan is perplexing because from their first meeting, it’s apparent that Rachel is powerfully drawn to David (Sam Worthington), the third member of their team. Whereas Stefan is boastful and domineering, David is quiet and reticent in displaying his feelings.

Stefan wants to capture Vogel, the so-called Surgeon of Birkinauw, because it was be a major feather in his cap career-wise. David, though, is motivated by a burning desire to capture those who persecuted Jews and see them punished.

Ciarán Hinds plays the older David, long missing from the scene and suddenly reappearing with an request that could turn all their lives upside down.

Vogel is played by Jesper Christensen in a mesmerizing performance that’s a mix of loathsomeness and charm. Rachel first sees him by posing as a patient with a fertility problem, and the doctor seems genuinely kind and concerned for her (fake) dilemma. But then when things go awry with the plan to smuggle him out of East Berlin, he slowly reveals the blackest of hearts to the trio holding him. With his taunts and his needling questions, Vogel in many ways becomes the captor of the agents, rather than the other way around.

The romantic entanglements of the three main characters detracts from, rather than adds to, the story, in my opinion. The scenes where Stefan makes his moves on Rachel, as David quietly seethes, have an obligatory feel to them.

Still, “The Debt” is a well-made film, featuring two trios of fine actors and a seventh memorably playing their quarry. This is a worthy movie, despite how it’s being treated.

4 Yaps

I daresay audiences missed the boat on “Arthur.”

This cute and clever remake of the 1981 hit romantic comedy starring Dudley Moore manages to follow the plot of the original fairly closely, but results in a very different — but nearly equally enjoyable — film experience.

That’s mostly due to the casting of British comedian Russell Brand in the title role. Brand, known for his bad-boy image and hedonistic film characters, plays a sweet, almost innocent man-boy multi-millionaire happily drinking and partying away his life.

Unlike Aldous Snow, Brand’s hedonistic character from “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Get Him to the Greek,” his Arthur has a good streak a mile long — hidden underneath a wastrel life of debauchery.

Brand shows us the character’s vulnerable and tender side, and it’s something we’ve never seen out of him before. Turns out the Brit known for hardcore comedy has a softie inside.

As in the original, Arthur is threatened with disinheritance unless he marries a woman from an appropriate family (played by Jennifer Garner in rhymes-with-witch mode). But then he falls in love with a sweet working-class girl (Greta Gerwig) and decides to risk it all, with the tacit approval of his servant/life-lessons teacher Hobson, played by Helen Mirren.

Audiences stayed away in droves from this remake, but for once the reboot was actually a welcome one. Brand creates a thoroughly charming character who actually makes us forget about Dudley Moore, if only for a little while.

Video extras are the same for both Blu-ray and DVD versions and are a bit disappointing.

You get “Arthur Unsupervised,” a behind-the-scenes look at production with Brand and director Jason Winer. It promises “fun footage, outrageous photos and ad-libs too wild for theaters.” Meh.

There’s also a gag reel and 10 minutes of deleted/extended scenes.

There’s also a combo pack available that includes Blu-ray, DVD and digital copies of the film.

Film: 4.5 Yaps
Extras: 3 Yaps

Hollywood finally figured out what to do with kinky British comedian Russell Brand, and it turned up in the unlikeliest of places: A remake of a 30-year-old romantic comedy starring Dudley Moore.

Brand, best known for his hedonism-embracing rocker Aldous Snow in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” combines a verbose patter of self-effacing commentary with the hair and dress code of Keith Richards circa 1975. He has often rubbed American audiences the wrong way, though he’s a big star across the pond.

I recently heard an interview Brand did with NPR’s Terry Gross and was struck by how thoughtful and well-spoken he came across. Perhaps that paved the way to embracing his charming performance as Arthur, an impish millionaire man-boy who drinks only well-aged booze but has defiantly resisted any maturation of his own.

It is, of course, Dudley Moore’s signature role from the 1981 film written and directed by Steve Gordon who, alas, died young the year after it was released. I admit I resisted the idea of this remake — and by such young hands, too. This is the first feature film for director Jason Winer.

But the two films, while nearly identical in plot, are largely divergent in their tone and humor. Brand creates a distinctive character based on his own persona rather than trying to mimic Moore. He is by turns hilarious and touching, with an inner core of sweetness we haven’t seen from him before.

Put it this way: If Aldous Snow — also seen in “Get Him to the Greek,” the quasi-sequel to “Sarah Marshall” — was defined by a complete lack of guile in obscuring his loathsome core, then Brand’s Arthur uses the trappings of the spoiled rich playboy to conceal the fact that he’s really gentle and vulnerable inside.

No doubt you’ve also heard about the film’s big casting twist — putting Helen Mirren in the role of Hobson, the stern servant played by John Gielgud in the original movie. Hobson’s job, indeed her very life, is given over to managing Arthur’s drunken debauches and steering him ever so subtly — and usually ineffectively — toward the light. Mirren turns out to be a grand slam, allowing a little bit of maternal warmth to shine through the relationship.

The basic story is unchanged. Arthur, a continual embarrassment to the Bach family, is ordered to marry a respectable woman by his powerful and emotionally distant mother (Geraldine James) or be cut off from the vast familial fortune. He reluctantly agrees but then meets a dazzling poor girl who steals his heart away.

Naomi is played by Greta Gerwig, an indie film star who occasionally pops up in mainstream movies. She has a radiant smile and some smarts, too, and is initially resistant to Arthur’s overtures. She eventually melts, though, after he makes some pretty extravagant overtures for their first date.

Jennifer Garner plays Susan, the all-too-wrong fiancée for Arthur. She’s the hard-charging daughter of a manly-man construction magnate (Nick Nolte) and sees Arthur as part fix-it project and part keys to the CEO chair of the Bach conglomerate.

The biggest compliment I can give to the new “Arthur” is that it made me forget about the old one, or at least not mind that they remade it. Rather than a bland retread, Brand gives us a thoroughly funny, charming and irresistible character.

4.5 Yaps