Thelma Adams: Novelist, Critic, Oscar Expert

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Movie Review: Hangover 2, even more hungover

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Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Hangover 2

photo credit: Melissa Sue Gordon

Us Rating: **

Phil (Bradley Cooper), Alan (Zach Galifianakis) and Stu (Ed Helms) return with a carbon-copy follow-up to the Las Vegas–set hit. This time, the gang hits a remote Thai beach resort for Stu’s wedding, but after a night of beers they wake up in the center of seedy Bangkok. Sadly, however, all the original’s surprise has evaporated, only to be replaced by cheap substitutions.

In the first flick, the guys found a baby and lost the groom, and Stu wed a prostitute. Here, they meet a smoking monkey and lose the bride’s brother, and Stu gets it on with a transsexual hooker! While the talented cast does their best — Ken Jeong gets a couple laughs for his coked-up Mr. Chow — what happened in Vegas should have stayed in Vegas.

Review: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

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credit: Peter Mountain

Us Rating: **1/2 Johnny Depp returns as irreverent Jack Sparrow in the fourth installment of the wacky adventure series. This time, the pirate embarks on a quest for the fountain of youth, racing against rivals Blackbeard (Ian McShane) and Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) — yet finding time to romance ex-flame Angelica (Penelope Cruz). The actress livens things up somewhat as she and Sparrow spar in a tavern, sling insults and double-cross each other. And campy Rush continues to amuse: When he and Sparrow are captured, he drinks from his wooden peg leg — and offers Sparrow a swig! But the entertaining flick gets bogged down by endless, listless swordfights. Plus, McShane’s serious Shakespearean delivery doesn’t belong in such a satirical romp.


Movie Review: Scream 4

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Horror,Wes Craven,Sequel,David Arquette,Courtney Cox,Emma Roberts,Neve Campbell

Arquette (left), Cox

Us Rating: ***

“I still got it!” Courteney Cox proclaims in this “screamake” of the popular ’90s slasher series. And she does! The sitcom star is the main attraction as Gale, aggressive ex-newswoman, bored wife of plodding sheriff Dewey (a comically sad-sack David Arquette) and bestselling chronicler of those gruesome Woodsboro massacres. On the anniversary of the slayings, victim turned self-help author Sidney (a sharp Neve Campbell) returns to the scene of the crime for a book signing.

She reunites with her cousin (Emma Roberts) — one of an entirely new generation of quick-witted potential targets. As nemesis Ghostface shishkebabs cops, teens and bystanders in rapid succession, Sidney must reboot her inner survivor and overcome her why-me-again self pity. The series was once considered cutting-edge: ironic about horror-movie conventions yet jump-in-your-seat scary. The only nod to the passage of time seems to be the addition of texts, tweets and webcams. But the entertaining Scream formula still works: When there’s a big shiny knife, the action never gets dull.