Kansas City, MO —
**Oblivion (PG-13)**
RUSS:
It sometimes seems that as special effects get better for Hollywood sci-fi movies, the scripts get more derivative. Such is the case with “Oblivion,” a reasonably entertaining but very familiar thriller. Tom Cruise stars as a service tech and caretaker for the abandoned planet Earth in 2077, something like a human WALL-E. But, of course, things aren’t always what they seem and the plot takes some meandering and puzzling twists.
If you can get past some of the illogical elements of the story, sit back and enjoy the eye candy and action scenes that propel “Oblivion” to it’s place as a fun, forgettable space oddity.
Shawn calls “Oblivion”, “a visually stunning and well executed minor sci-fi classic. Tom Cruise is completely compelling and watchable.”
RUSS: 3 Popcorn Bags
SHAWN: 4 Popcorn Bags
**West of Memphis (R)**
RUSS:
If you have not seen the three excellent “Paradise Lost” films about the West Memphis Three, then the new documentary “West of Memphis” is a solid summation. It tells the tale of three Arkansas teenagers who were convicted of murdering three little boys in 1993 in spite of flimsy evidence. The filmmakers focus on the nearly 20-year battle many people waged to free the men from jail.
“West of Memphis” effectively points an accusatory finger at incompetent police, ineffective lawyers and the intransigent Arkansas judicial system…as well as the press that only seemed interested in covering the salacious angles of the story.
Shawn calls “West of Memphis”, “a terrific well-researched documentary.”
RUSS: 4 Popcorn Bags
SHAWN: 4 Popcorn Bags
Click here to receive weekly emails full of FOX 4′s entertainment news!
Follow on Twitter: @fox4kc @RussSimmons1 @sedwardskc
