Magic Mike will mostly please

I like a good story. I also appreciate a bit of flash.

Magic Mike scores on flash, and gets good effort for trying to get in a good story.

Frankly, I don't think the story will matter to most women going to the movie. It's all about the visuals. And there are plenty. Plus, the dance choreography is very well done.

There's good laughs, too. And yes, the story tries to be more than a superficial stripper flick. Sadly, it comes off a bit choppy and lacking good chemistry. My rating: C+/B- I'm torn here because the flash is hot, but the story fizzles.

The trailer:

LOL at Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted

This is a fun family film. Plenty of jokes for all ages, even then teen I took with me who didn't initially want to be there.

The animated film features the same gang from the previous Madagascar movies - Alex the lion (Ben Stiller), Marty the zebra (Chris Rock), Melman the giraffe (David Schwimmer) and Gloria the hippo (Jada Pinkett-Smith). Yes, the penguins and monkeys show, too. It begins in Africa, the gang longing for home. But the penguins take off for Monte Carlo. Feeling abandoned, the zoo crew (remember they escaped from the Central Park Zoo) figure a way to catch up to the penguins. That's when Capt. Dubois (Francis McDormand) - an animal control chief who makes trophies out of animals she catches - sets her eyes on Alex. She needs only a lion to complete her collection. She's odd, and hunts like a dog. Lots of hijinks trying to escape her grasp, which leads to joining a zoo. Circus-Afro song and lots of silliness follows. There's also a bit of a story of overcoming fears that will be good to talk about with little ones. The end will have you laughing and singing.

The only precaution for parents of little ones is they may be fascinated by the use of "Bolshevik" in place of BS. Overall grade: B+

Check out the trailer:

Get advanced screening passes to see BRAVE

I've been waiting for Brave to come out, as has my daughter. It look just so fun! You have to check out the trailer:

The film is rated PG for some scary action and rude humor. It follows the story of Merida, a young Scottish princess who challenges the traditions and expectations laid upon her. She's a skilled archer, and she's determined to create a new destiny for herself, unleashing chaos in the kingdom. There's a curse, battles and plenty of adventure promised.

Well, I'm happy to say we have a link to 25 pairs of passes to the advanced screening of this Disney/Pixar film at 7 p.m. on June 20, 2012, at the AMC Westgate, 9400 W. Hanna Dr., Glendale, AZ. Just click on the link to get to the SeeItFirst advanced screening site. This is a site used by Disney. When you register, you may get information sent to you about Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment and other Disney companies. If you don't want that info sent, just click on the appropriate link to opt out.

This is an advanced screening, so do plan to arrive early. Often these free advanced seats for popular movies fill up quickly. Most are first-come, first-served. Some films are overbooked to ensure a full house. Please read all the info about the screening on the SeeItFirst website.

Snow White and the Huntsman

This is not the happy Disney version of Snow White. It's a much darker story what will at times remind you of the Tom Cruise movie Legend, as well as Excalibur. The acting is uneven, but Charlize Theron puts on a good performance as the Evil Queen Ravenna. Kristen Stewart, as Snow White, shows she can do a better job acting than in Twilight, but only at times. The film may be too intense for younger audiences. Among the more intense scenes: A character is seen eating the insides of animals and digging nails into another character's heart, lots of sword violence, characters are in peril in the dark forest, a troll tries killing some characters, etc. Women are drained of their youth and beauty, so some of the kingdom's women purposely scar themselves to avoid that fate. Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence and brief sensuality. Grade: B.

The trailer:

Men in Black III

It's silly, but generally fun. Men in Black III is an action-packed adventure back in time to kick alien booty and save a beloved MIB agent. The opening scene is a bit nauseating as Boris the Animal (an alien played by Jemaine Clement) deep kisses a sexy girl who comes to break him out of a high-security space prison. You will roll your eyes at times, but you'll be nicely surprised by Josh Brolin's performance as a younger version of Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones). You also learn Agent J's (Will Smith) involvement in the early Men in Black days. Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action violence, language and brief suggestive content. Grade: C.

The trailer: