The conclusion of the Batman collaboration between director Christopher Nolan and star Christian Bale is a big, ambitious film just like “The Dark Knight.” And also like its predecessor, “The Dark Knight Rises” is overburdened with too many supporting characters and secondary plots.

As the story opens, it has been eight years since Bruce Wayne last donned the Caped Crusader’s cowl. Peace has reigned throughout the land, but then a mysterious terrorist named Bane (Tom Hardy) arrives. He handily defeats Batman in personal combat and takes the reins of Gotham City.

Meanwhile, super-thief Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway) plays the lines of loyalty between the two, whispering ominously about a storm brewing to wipe away the city’s veil of security.

The biggest problem with Bane, other than the fact that he pales in comparison to Heath Ledger’s Joker, is that his motivations never really come into clear relief. Hardy’s choice to play him with an odd speech cadence, coupled with Bane’s metallic face mask, also makes him difficult to understand.

Familiar faces return, including police commissioner Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman), loyal Wayne family butler Alfred (Michael Caine) and weapons guru Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman). New on the block is Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a young police detective whose importance becomes clearer late in the going.

It’s still a worthy piece of filmmaking, especially for those who like their superhero tales in the dark-and-portentous mode. But I can’t help thinking a stripped-down, sleeker finale would’ve been better.

In terms of extras, Blu-ray is the only way to go for the serious videophile. The DVD comes only with a single featurette chronicling Bruce Wayne’s journey from zero to hero.

The highlight of the Blu-ray edition is “Ending the Knight,” a comprehensive making-of documentary examining virtually every aspect of the filmmaking process, from the story concept to special effects. It also includes a gallery of images and a documentary on the Batmobile, chronicling all five of the Dark Knight’s motorized chariots.

Film: 4 Yaps
Extras: 4.5 Yaps

Bob Hoskins — one of Britain’s most distinctive and recognisable actors — has retired recently due to an ongoing battle with Parkinson’s disease. Known for his hard-man portrayals in a few top-quality British gangster films, Hoskins does have a bit more variety on his film list. People in the United Kingdom also became familiar with Hoskins because of his TV ad work for BT in the early 1990s and their famous catchphrase, “It’s good to talk.”

Hoskins’ modesty and warmth frequently shines through the gangster act seen on the big screen. He famously received a cheque for £20,000 and a thank-you note from director Brian de Palma after Robert De Niro was chosen for a role in 1987′s “The Untouchables” over him. His modest nature dictates that he was most likely first choice and that that cheque was a lot larger.

The Long Good Friday (1980)

In his breakthrough role, Hoskins plays Harold Shand, a leader of the London underworld who has big development plans for the docklands area he owns. Over the course of one weekend, Shand’s efforts to legitimise his businesses are shattered by a serious of bombs from an unknown enemy — one in his Rolls Royce, one in his pub and another in his casino. The attack threatens to ruin his big real estate deal with the American mob. Despite looking dated, this is one of Britain’s most exceptional gangster films, carried by Hoskins’ affectionate and brutal performance as a gang leader. In the end, you’ll end up rooting for him.

Mona Lisa (1986)

George (Hoskins) is tough on the outside and full of sentiment on the inside in this seedy thriller from director Neil Jordan. After serving a term in prison for his gangster boss, Denny (Michael Caine of 1999′s “The Cider House Rules”), George takes a job as chauffeur to high-class prostitute Simone (Cathy Tyson). The pair follows the well-worn route of an unlikely relationship that, over the course of the film, turns into something more. Ferrying her from client to client, George becomes increasingly protective ofSimone and, touched by her devotion, delves further into the criminal underworld to help her find her best friend. “Mona Lisa” is a fun film that rightly earned Hoskins a Golden Globe and a BAFTA award for Best Actor. His excellent performance and pairing with Tyson makes this film a great watch.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988)

The first film in history to successfully combine live action with animation is also a mix of slapstick comedy, noir and buddy movie that only director Robert Zemeckis could pull off. Hoskins is lovable Detective Eddie Valiant, the man caught in the middle of a bigger plot to get rid of Toontown. He manages to inject a lot of heart into a role which, without Hoskins, would feel rather shallow. He’s also great on screen with Roger Rabbit (voiced by veteran voice talent Charles Fleischer) and manages to stand out amid a plethora of famous ‘toon characters. His reluctant-hero detective wouldn’t be out of place in any big-name noir.

Hook (1991)

For everyone, film fan or not, there is a mental list of films that, as a kid, they watched time and again (probably at Christmas) that, in adulthood, bring back sentimental feelings. If you were young enough at the time, Steven Spielberg’s “Hook” is one of those films. Dustin Hoffman (of 1996′s “Sleepers”) takes the lead baddie role as Captain Hook with Hoskins as his right-hand man (and confidant), boatswain Smee — or “SMEEE!!” as frequently Hook calls upon his sidekick with frustration. The show is stolen by Robin Williams’ (“Night at the Museum,” 2006) performance as a middle-aged Peter Pan revisiting his childhood in Neverland and training for a duel with Hook and take back his kidnapped children. Hoskins, though, is perfect as a sidekick, adding charm and touch of comedy to his pirate character.

And so the Batman saga ends not with a bang but an allegory. Director/co-writer Christopher Nolan has made it clear “The Dark Knight Rises” will be the last movie about the Caped Crusader — at least that he will make — and this knowledge seems to have freed him to make a superhero movie that’s different from any other in the genre, one in which the superhero has grown tired of the mask and has to be convinced to put it on again.

It’s notable that Christian Bale spends far more screen time out of the Batman costume than in.

It’s a big, epic, sprawling movie that, like the last entry four years ago, is too overstuffed with tertiary plot lines and secondary characters for its own good.

And, of course, nothing can replace Heath Ledger’s unique, disturbing presence as the Joker. Even though he was captured at the end of the last movie and, at one point, Gotham City’s prison is busted open for all the criminals to escape, there’s no half-hearted (and misguided) attempt to cast another actor in that now-iconic role.

As the story opens, eight years have passed since the events in “The Dark Knight.” Bruce Wayne has not donned Batman’s cowl since then, with the populace mistakenly believing that he killed Harvey Dent, who actually went mad and became Two-Face. Dent has become a symbol of the peaceful good times that have endured since — thanks in part to some draconian laws put in place in Dent’s name.

When we first see Bruce, he seems to have aged 20 years. He has graying hair and a lined face, and walks around with a cane and a severe limp. He’s become a recluse, rarely leaving his mansion despite the urging of loyal butler/henchman Alfred (Michael Caine) to do so. You quit being Batman, Alfred tells him, but you didn’t start a new life.

The villain here is Bane, played by Tom Hardy underneath a strange metal mask of tubes and 30 pounds of muscle he put on for the role. Bane is a brilliant terrorist who’s utterly unnerving but whose motives never really come into clear relief.

He emerges from a mysterious past, supposedly growing up in darkness inside a pit of a prison, and seems to have dedicated his entire life to destroying Batman and the city he loves. Why? We’re never really sure.

When Bane first appears on the scene, Bruce resolves to get back in the game. He is cocky and confident in his gadgets and combat abilities despite a doctor’s assessment that he has no cartilage in his knees and scarred internal organs. He shouldn’t even be skiing, let alone tangling with super-strong madmen.

Bane easily defeats Batman in personal combat and exiles him. Bane then steals something really, really powerful that belongs to Bruce Wayne and turns it against Gotham. And then he … waits five months to unleash the destruction, which just happens to be enough time for Bruce to convalesce and return to foil his plans.

Hardy makes a few bold performance choices, some of which pay off and some don’t.
Much has been made about his voice, occasionally difficult to understand
behind the metallic echo of his mask, which resembles a shark’s maw coming at you. Beyond the comprehension issues, Bane speaks in an oddly inflected pattern with a stiff sort of formality to it. He also has a habit of placing his hands on the lapels of his coat or armor, like a Dickensian barrister puffing himself up.

The other big addition is Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle, a slyly seductive jewel thief who tries to walk a risky line between loyalty to Bane and Batman. Neither really trusts her, or her either of them, but there’s a connection between her and Bruce. He represents the 1%, and she makes Occupy Wall Street-ish threats about “a storm coming” to wash away the privileged, which supplies an edge to their banter.

I should mention that no one ever actually calls her Catwoman, and she doesn’t wear a costume other than some minimalist sartorial adornment. It’s a surprisingly beefier role than you’d expect, and Hathaway has a strong presence in it.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is another important new character as young police detective John Blake — or, at least, seemingly important. Blake seems to be everywhere during the movie, popping up to assist Commissioner James Gordon (Gary Oldman) with a key bit of evidence or even fight alongside Batman. But after the movie, I started thinking about what purpose Blake plays in the story and decided he’s really not that pivotal at all, except for that part at the end where … well, you’ll see.

Matthew Modine is another new add as Gordon’s right-hand man, Ben Mendelsohn plays a mercenary-minded industrialist making a play for Wayne Enterprises, and Marion Cotillard plays Miranda Tate, a former business partner of Bruce’s who got burned on a bad business deal.

Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), Bruce’s R&D man, returns to the fold and apparently has spare Batman suits and gear stuffed in just about every corner of Gotham. Most notably is a flying machine that’s part helicopter, part jet and all seriously badass.

I saw this film in a genuine IMAX theater at the Indiana State Museum. More than an hour of the 165-minute film was shot on special IMAX film, and when that entire picture opens up from widescreen to a massive six-story wall of spectacle, it’s quite tremendous. This one is definitely worth the ticket upsell.

“The Dark Knight Rises” isn’t as good as the last film, but I wouldn’t call it a disappointment. If anything, its faults arise from being too ambitious, too big and too much. A shorter film that focused on the dynamic between Batman, Bane and Selina Kyle might’ve been a better fit for this material. But that’s the sort of movie you make when you’re starting out something big, not wrapping it up.

4 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 Two — It Gets Awkward

Madagascar (Eric Darnell & Tom McGrath, 2005)

Recommended by Josh West

I typically like to ignore Dreamworks. Their films rarely impress me because their stories are so basic, the voice talent is unimaginative and the scripts are filled with so many pop-culture gags that don’t fit with the characters. What do you know? “Madagascar” is a similar mess. Having domesticated zoo animals sent to Africa is actually a great premise …that is never explored in this movie. This is more about Alex the Lion being a complete jerk to all of his friends, a powerful theme that you shouldn’t be yourself especially if you’re a carnivore, and an obnoxious trend in which all of the characters put their face really close to the screen. I laughed once when the chimp said he was going to throw poo at Tom Wolfe. The rest was tedious. Good work again, Josh!

Counter-Recommendation for Josh: Flirting With Disaster

1.5 Yaps

Pirates (Joone, 2005)

Recommended by Robbie Mehling

I said I would review anything that was recommended. Oh, boy. “Pirates” is the most expensive porno ever made at its time, with a budget of $1 million. IMDB says there are more than 300 effects shots in a film shot on the actual HMS Bounty. There are two versions of this film, the XXX one and another re-edited into an R-rated romp available through Blockbuster and Netflix. Yet despite all this, it’s still a Pinocchio. It wants to be a real movie, but it’s impossible to critique it as one.

The plot is surprisingly not porn-y. It’s not something dumb like “There’s a pirate on the loose who keeps having sex!” It’s about a pirate who kidnaps a guy with an important legacy that will help him find treasure and the bumbling pirate hunter posed to take him down. That’s just stale, not erotic! This would just be a silly lame movie with awful acting, but the sex adds a new level of confusion. For example, the first scene is actually about characterization and romance. (By the way, this whole movie is all about love and romance, not degradation or disrespect. Honestly.) The newly married couple is awkward around each other and worried whether they even find each other attractive. But then their sex scene does not reflect that this is either partner’s first time in bed with someone. The breast implants also add character contradictions and period-piece anachronisms.

So it’s hard to judge this as a regular movie because it’s lame, and it’s difficult to judge this as a porn because that’s not too great in that area, either. What’s left is an amazingly ambitious movie that really wants to be a real boy. Did I mention there’s even a score to this movie? Like a decent one. This is just bizarre.

Counter-Recommendation for Robbie: Zack and Miri Make a Porno

2 Yaps

The Night They Raided Minsky’s (William Friedkin, 1968)

Recommended by Alan Gordon

OK. Let’s move from the awkwardness of the porn to this ’60s comedy about…the first ever strip tease. This is just getting silly. On the bright side, this movie is awesome. This is exactly what I was hoping for out of this marathon: a great movie that I’ve never heard of before. This is one of those crazy 1960s comedies that almost has too much style. The editing choices are sporadic, and that’s part of its charm. Elliott Gould owns a ragtag burlesque theatre that houses Jason Robards as a BFC quick-witted playboy comedian. Robards is at odds with his comedy partner when a new naïve French Amish girl wants to become a dancer and they both have a thing for her. There are so many great lines in this movie that I wish I was taking notes.

Counter-Recommendation for Alan: Sex and the Single Girl

4.5 Yaps

Forbidden Zone (Richard Elfman, 1982)

Recommended by Ian Shepherd

I guess if there’s one genre of film I don’t really get into it’s the wacko movies. These are the crazy midnight movies in which nothing makes sense and there’s a guessing game about which drugs the director is on. I like weirdness like “Childrens Hospital,” but not Tim and Eric. Maybe it’s because this weirdness is so emotionally based. I can’t judge the story of “Forbidden Zone,” in which a suburban girl falls into the sixth dimension in her basement and now must get away from Queen Doris. It’s all just madness — a student can’t give the pledge because he keeps clucking like a chicken, the sixth-dimension Princess is always topless, there’s a singing Danny Elfman Satan. So did I have fun? A bit. It’s very watchable and silly even if the film can’t keep the insanity up for the full 73 minutes.

Counter-Recommendation for Ian: The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra

3 Yaps

Red Eye (Wes Craven, 2005)

Recommended by Molly Raker

Scarecrow: “I’ve been watching you for eight weeks. I know everything about you: what you drink, what you do, how you work, your family situation, everything. Now that you’re on a plane WHICH I KNOW YOU’RE SCARED OF, I’m going to reveal my entire plan and demand that you switch this guy’s room so I can kill him easier.”

Mean Girl: “What?”

Scarecrow: “What?”

Mean Girl: “You did all of this work and threatened my father just to get me to change one of the rooms at my hotel?”

Scarecrow: “Yes! BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!”

Mean Girl: “Why didn’t you just call me, say you were working with that guy and you want a room change?”

Scarecrow: “Hmmmmm.”

Mean Girl: “Or even just skip me all together. Get the easiest hacker to switch rooms. Or my employees are pretty stupid. Just pretend to be the guy and tell her you want to switch rooms. You obviously know your way around the hotel if you tampered the room already.”

Scarecrow: “Shows what you know! We have a rocket launcher that we’re just going to aim at the room! BWHWAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!”

Mean Girl: “Just aim it at the different room, you idiot! How will that even be accurate? Forget it, AIR MARSHAL! THIS GUY IS THREATENING TO KILL ME!”

Scarecrow: “Air what? Aghahhahhahahah” (He was tazed)

Counter-Recommendation for Molly: Air Force One

2 Yaps

Get Carter (Mike Hodges, 1971)

Recommended by Ed / Matt Leer

You know who’s cool? Michael Caine. If you’re thinking, “Yeah, I never really thought about it, but Alfred is pretty cool,” shut it. Caine is always one of the go-to actors to automatically add sophistication to a character, but I like it when he’s a bloody badass. “Get Carter” showcases all that’s cool about Caine. Talking cool in a suit, smashing a car window into a guy’s head … he is even cool during phone sex. The rest of the film is just as slick as he is as a gangster trying to figure out who murdered his brother. A great watch.

Counter-Recommendation for Ed / Matt Leer: The Long Good Friday

4.5 Yaps

Next week, I’ll finally get around to an acclaimed British film from last year, finally watch what Joe Gideon was editing for so long and figure out how a ghost can ride anything. Shouldn’t it just fall through?

“Cars 2″ is certainly an entertaining movie, but there’s no denying the tang of disappointment that clings to the latest release from Pixar, the king of animation studios.

It may not be fair to judge a movie on anything other than its own merits, but Pixar has set such a high standard that anything less than a wondrous film that delights the soul and mind of children and parents alike registers as a drop-off.

Considered amidst its peers, “Cars 2″ is the cinematic runt of the litter.

The sequel takes a bold turn in shunting aside the main character of the original — hotshot race car Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) — in favor of his hillbilly sidekick, Mater the tow truck (Larry the Cable Guy). The story is that McQueen has been challenged to a series of three races all over the world, but Mater steals the show when he’s mistaken as an international super-spy.

As Finn McMissile, a snooty British agent (Michael Caine) puts it, “They’re fooled because they’re too busy laughing at the fool” — not realizing Mater really is that dense.

It’s all just an excuse for one set of action-packed hijinks after another, with the bad guys divided between a loudmouthed Italian racer and a mysterious pack of the worst lemon cars in history — Yugos, Gremlins, Pacers, etc.

“Cars 2″ is a fun bit of animation, but compared to “Toy Story” or “Finding Nemo,” it’s missing a gear.

It’s notable that “Toy Story” is the only other story Pixar has seen fit to sequelize. Whereas last year’s “Toy Story 3″ was a heartfelt romp with a beloved set of familiar characters, “Cars 2″ feels slapped-together and hasty, a merchandising opportunity with a movie attached.

“Cars 2″ arrives on video in four different versions, with goodies ramping up as you move up in price point.

The DVD and Blu-ray/DVD combo pack come with the same features. There’s “Hawaiian Vacation,” a cartoon short, plus another all-new short, “Air Mater,” and a commentary track by director John Lasseter.

Opt for the five-disc 3D combo pack, and you add deleted scenes, set exploration around the globe, short documentaries and a sneak preview of “Cars Land,” a new showcase at Disney’s California theme park.

Or you can go all in for the 11-disc Director’s Collection, which includes both the original film and sequel plus all the extras.

Film: 4 Yaps
Extras: 4 Yaps

My relationship with Brian De Palma is much like The Doctor’s with River Song, aside from all the sexual tension. Thanks to time-travel complications, those characters keep meeting in the wrong order. His future is her past. Growing up on films, I kept seeing new De Palma films like “Mission to Mars” and “The Black Dahlia” wondering why people regarded him so highly.

Then I watched “Blow Out” this summer and I got it. This was a movie by an exciting new voice who has a deep love of cinema. It was an understated masterpiece with a unique style and patience. “Dressed to Kill” is the movie he made just before “Blow Out” and … boy, is it a mess.

On one hand, it’s amazing. Visually, it’s fascinating. De Palma is a writer/director who has comfort in his own script and doesn’t need to have dialogue during a long sequence. The best scene is when Kate (Angie Dickinson) goes to a museum and sees a mysterious man. They move around the hallways in a flirtatious and dangerous manner. The emotions shift suddenly but thanks to the camera and performances, everything is clear.

There are plenty of moments of suspense juxtaposed by borderline ridiculous sexuality. The opening shower scenes last for so long you’re worried she may become too clean. Yet she’s only scrubbing certain body parts …

Then the rest of the movie is madness. Not in a fun “Kaboom” sort of way, but more like De Palma has no idea how to tell a story. The structure of the movie is this odd rip-off of “Psycho,” but he focuses on all the wrong parts. He tries to shift main characters and fails. Kate is a conflicted character who no longer feels attractive. Liz (Nancy Allen) is an overacting prostitute who only talks in sexy things De Palma wants to hear.

All of his tricks like the split screen or messing with the foreground made sense in “Blow Out” because they were responses to the themes and plot. This movie is a list of things that seem sorta interesting but don’t gel together. Michael Caine seems confused, Dennis Franz is acting crazy, I’m still not sure that Allen can act.

Then the movie ends and it’s terrible. It’s a lousy ending that isn’t very clever and once again, rips off “Psycho.” Then there’s another ending that is well shot and exciting but also doesn’t make any sense. There’s plenty of inventive style wasted on a mangled mess. I can see why De Palma made people excited as a director, but he rarely is able to put it all together.

If you love this movie, you’ll love the extras on the new Blu-ray. There is a 45-minute documentary about the making of this movie filled with awkward comments by De Palma and Dickinson. There are also a few more featurettes, a gallery and a trailer.

Film: 2.5 Yaps
Extras: 3 Yaps

I thoroughly enjoyed this little war drama/caper from 1969 starring Michael Caine. I admit I’d never heard of it before, but it came up as a Netflix recommendation, so I jumped. Jolly good show, as they say.

Yes, it is something of a British knockoff of “The Dirty Dozen.” A motley bunch of Allied criminals are tasked with an impossible mission during World War II for which even the commanders issuing the orders don’t think they’ll accomplish their objective. But they’re expendable, so it’s worth a go.

The X factor is Caine’s character, Douglas, a straitlaced if somewhat lazy British officer content to while away the war overseeing the loading of ships at an African port. He’s a captain in name only: He worked for British Petroleum before the war and because he has some tertiary experience with oil, he’s assigned to command a task force to blow up Rommel’s major oil dump, crippling the German desert war machine that has confounded the Allies.

Except Douglas finds that he’s hopelessly in over his head. The professorial colonel running the show (Nigel Green) has lost a string of English officers sent to “lead” his men into the field. The guy really running the show is Capt. Cyril Leech (Nigel Davenport), who was serving 15 years in prison for intentionally sinking his steamer ship for the insurance payoff when he was broken out and conscripted.

It’s a fine, memorable performance by Davenport, as a man who’s as calculating as he is black-hearted. He works for the Brits, but one senses that if the Germans offered him more money, switching sides would pose no dilemma for him.

The first half of the movie or so consists of Douglas attempting to command the strike force and Leech undermining his authority and disabusing him of the notion that he’s in charge. This culminates with Leech intentionally sabotaging Douglas’ efforts to haul their trucks up the side of a cliff using a clever pulley system. One of the trucks comes crashing down, and when the Germans discover the wreck, they prepare to annihilate the infiltrators.

Fortunately, the brigadier general in command of special forces didn’t trust Douglas’ crew, so he sent another, more professional outfit to do the job — essentially turning the first group into decoys. The Germans stumble upon this second group and prepare an ambush, with Douglas’ gang watching from the top of the cliff. Douglas attempts to alert the other British soldiers by firing his pistol, but Leech puts a knife to his throat and forcibly twists the gun out of his hands.

After the Brits are massacred, they come down to loot the dead. Douglas, outraged, picks up a machine gun and threatens to shoot his own men if they don’t bury the fallen soldiers. Leech points out that he would only have been able to kill one or two of them before dying himself, and Douglas agrees with his assessment. It’s only at this point that Leech begins to develop anything resembling respect for Douglas.

The rest of the outfit isn’t terribly memorable. There’s a big blond guy who was accused of rape, and a Greek demolitions expert, etc. The only fellows who are remotely interesting are a pair of Arabs who don’t speak any English and are pretty conclusively portrayed as being homosexual. They’re silly and girly, holding hands and such, but it’s notable that none of the other characters seems to have a problem with them being gay. For 1969, that was positively progressive.

At one point, they capture a German nurse and force her to care for one of their injured comrades. Several of them corner her and attempt to rape her, but then one of the Arabs shoots the big blond in the ass. I enjoyed the editing here, which slyly cuts to the nurse patching up her attacker’s posterior.

Things conclude in a typically nihilistic fashion for that era of war films. The Allies break through the German lines and begin a sweep across the desert. Suddenly the oil dump that needed to be destroyed becomes a crucial objective to be captured. Since headquarters is cut off from the men, they tip off the Germans about the impending attack, which ends successfully but with everybody except the two captains killed.

The ending is a bit abrupt and contrived. Leech and Douglas are hiding out in a village when the British army breaks through. Still wearing the German uniforms they’d use to infiltrate enemy lines, Douglas concocts a white flag of surrender and marches out to greet the liberators. Alas, they’re shot anyway. Why they wouldn’t have just taken off their uniforms is, of course, the unasked question.

“Play Dirty” was directed by André De Toth (his final film) from a script by Melvyn Bragg and Lotte Colin and was supposedly based on the exploits of some real-life special forces units like Popski’s Private Army. Yes, it’s a bit derivative, but well-done and satisfyingly cynical.

4 Yaps

So Pixar, the unfailing wunderkind of animated movies, has finally delivered its worst movie, by far. By that, I mean “Cars 2″ is merely pretty good.

The sequel to the 2006 flick — which many had regarded as the weakest in Pixar’s lineup — lacks the emotional oomph and layered appeal to grown-ups that is a hallmark of their oeuvre: “Finding Nemo,” “WALL·E,” etc.

“Cars 2″ is left with lots of dazzling action scenes, slick-looking CG animation and plenty of goofy humor featuring Tow Mater, the garrulous redneck sidekick from the last movie who’s been punched up to the main character. At least they had the decency to give Larry the Cable Guy, who provides the voice of Mater, top billing over Owen Wilson, who also returns as flashy race car Lightning McQueen.

It’s notable that “Toy Story,” Pixar’s first feature film, is the only other franchise the animation studio has seen fit to sequelize. Whereas the “Toy Story” movies grew deeper and more sentimental each time, “Cars 2″ seems flashy and hastily assembled.

I’m probably wandering into dangerous territory here, but this movie feels like it was made to give Disney a summer tentpole and to sell another billion dollars or two of toys and other merchandise. With last summer’s “Toy Story 3,” we could sense the heartfelt devotion the filmmakers put into visiting those characters again; I don’t feel it here.

Director by Pixar chief John Lasseter from a script by Ben Queen, “Cars 2″ is still a highly entertaining bit of animation, but the soul isn’t filled by watching it.

(Speaking of the “Toy Story” gang, they’re back from a brief visit with “Hawaiian Vacation,” a fun 8-minute short cartoon that precedes the feature.)

The film is fast-paced, even occasionally hurried, and jumps around the globe like the international spy thriller it emulates. Lightning McQueen is challenged to participate in a three-race World Grand Prix held in Tokyo, Paris and London, with the title of fastest car in the world at stake.

His nemesis is Francesco Bernoulli (John Turturro), a loudmouthed Italian open-wheel racer whose fender-less good looks draw the attention of Sally (Bonnie Hunt), McQueen’s special lady.

Sir Miles Axlerod (Eddie Izzard), a wealthy British energy tycoon, thinks he’s found a green alternative to oil-based gasoline called Allinol and want to use the races to drum up support for it.

But at the first race, Mater gets mistaken for an American super-spy and is drawn into a nefarious plot that soon takes precedence over the racing. I won’t divulge the details, but the clever upshot is that all the lemon cars of history — Gremlins, Pacers, Yugos — are behind it.

Mater’s new allies are a pair of British agents: 007-ish Finn McMissile (Michael Caine), an Aston Martin decked out with all sorts of weapons and gizmos, and Holly Shiftwell (Emily Mortimer), a smart rookie on her first assignment in the field.

The joke is the Brits think Mater’s rube routine is a ploy — “They’re fooled because they’re too busy laughing at the fool,” is how Finn puts it — without realizing he really is that dense.

That sets up a brief and not terribly convincing life-lessons moment about being true to yourself, but it carries so little weight it’s practically a throwaway moment.

“Cars 2″ is hardly a bad movie, and it’s certainly an engaging piece of entertainment. But for the first time, Pixar didn’t rev up to its highest gear.

4 Yaps

A second-rate rip-off of “Toy Story” mixed with a dose of Shakespeare, “Gnomeo & Juliet” is a British animated film that is meant to be enjoyed by the very youngest audience and merely tolerated by their parents.

The setup is that the star-crossed lovers and all of their kin are garden gnomes made of clay. They go about their business in the split backyard of an English duplex, tending their gardens and whatnot. When humans come around, though, they revert to their familiar (and tasteless) statuesque forms.

Gnomeo (voiced by James McAvoy) is the hell-raising son of the matron of the Blue gnomes, while sweet Juliet (Emily Blunt) is royalty of their arch-enemy Reds. When they fall in love, it sets up a war between the clans, with the unfortunate ones ending up in a pile of smashed bits.

Directed by Kelly Asbury (“Shrek 2″), “Gnomeo & Juliet” has some fairly clever ideas but always chooses the lowest common denominator when it comes to humor and characterization. The movie is pitched at about a pre-kindergarten level and anyone more than a few years above that will find themselves frequently bored.

In this terrific age of animation in which we find ourselves, this film just doesn’t measure up.

Extras are a bit sparse in the DVD version and don’t substantially improve even if you upgrade to Blu-ray.

The DVD has a “Crocodile Rock” music video, as well as featurettes with Ashley Jensen (who plays the princess’ frog sidekick) and Elton John. That’s it.

If you choose the Blu-ray/DVD combo pack (available in both 3D and regular versions), you get all the DVD stuff and several deleted or alternate scenes, including two alternate endings. There’s also a “Fawn of Darkness” featurette.

Film: 3 Yaps
Extras: 3 Yaps

Up-and-coming writer-director Joe Cornish is making his way up the movie ladder with his alternative take on the well-trod alien-invasion genre. Later this year, his joint writing efforts with fellow Brit Edgar Wright (2007′s “Hot Fuzz” and an executive producer on “Block”) will be released in the form of “The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn.”

“Attack the Block” is Cornish’s first outing as a feature-film director, having previously written and directed for TV and radio — most notably as one-half of the presenting team on “The Adam and Joe Show.” And what a confident and ambitious debut this is — not to be compared to, or even put on the same shelf, as Wright’s “Shaun of the Dead.”

The films employs the basic premise of humans versus aliens. Its focus is directed to a niche group of people experiencing the beginnings of an invasion, then putting together and executing a fight against the invaders. What makes this movie stand out from the rest is the setting — a council estate in very rough inner-city South London — and the cast, a band of evil little 15-year-old hoodies/chavs with foul language and a tendency toward petty crime.

Out on a routine mugging, the group of lads witnesses a fireball fall from the sky and crash onto a nearby parked car. They kill the alien that was inside the meteor and bring it back to their tower block as unlikely heroes. Tagging along with them is the nurse they were mugging, played by Jodie Whittaker (2007′s “St. Trinian’s”). This brings down more invaders, and the rampant youths form a plan and band together to fight back.

“Block” has a fun vibe throughout, with great performances from the young cast, all first timers in feature film. In particular, John Boyega stands out as lead hoodie Moses. The tight relationships between the characters gives an air of honesty to the film, and Moses’ growth through fighting the aliens is a welcome contrast to the surprising amount of violent ends some of the cast meets. Brit staple Nick Frost also makes an appearance as pot dealer Ron.

Cornish has employed some quality special effects when it comes down to the killings and alien viewings. He’s pulled out all the stops in creating some hard-hitting fight scenes of bloody mayhem, complete with blowing up aliens using fireworks. The aliens are nothing like anything else seen in this genre — sharp-toothed creatures that look like the ferocious love child of a wolf and a gorilla.

A big feature of this teen sci-fi invasion movie is the characters’ authentic accents. This is not to be confused with the Cockney accent — this is South London, innit. Think rapper Dizzee Rascal, not actor Michael Caine, and you’ll be a lot closer to a new form of “language” invading the streets of the capital. Distributor Screen Gems is so concerned with the strong, almost unintelligible form of English, that they are considering adding subtitles to the film before its general release in the United States. In case they leave them out, here is a quick guide to South London speak:

Axe – instead of ask

Creps – trainers

Endz – area, neighborhood

Low batties – trousers that hang low on the waist

Skets – derogatory term for loose girls

Sick – good

Chat – talk back

Nuff – really, very

Blud/bruv – brother

Tooled up – to be prepared with weapons

Innit? – sentence closer, seeking agreement

4 yaps