With Guillermo Del Toro’s hotshot Jaeger pilots in Pacific Rim, which is so far the best summer movie extravaganza to open in this so far-disappointing season.
Our Piers Marchant really liked it, insisting that the film’s “churning glory in the sheer spectacle of the battle royals” ensures we won’t “dwell long” on the few plot holes.
Those looking for anti-mecha counter-programming can always turn to Henry James, and this week’s there’s What Maisie Knew, which despite being transposed from the Victorian world to modern Manhattan, surprising retains much of the flavor of (at least the first half) of James’ 1897 novel about a divorcing couple and the young daughter they each use as a weapon against the other. Our reviewer, Karen Martin, is especially impressed with the film’s performances, especially that of young Onata Aprile in the title role: “Somehow she’s able to convey Maisie’s helplessness at controlling the situation without making her seem pathetic. It’s devastating, and hard to forget.”
Oh, and Adam Sandler’s back, with Grown-Ups 2, a film that screened too late for our deadlines. Word is it’s another Adam Sandler movie.