Maile Flanagan Movies
- 2011
- PG13
- Add Transformers: Dark of the Moon to QueueAdd Transformers: Dark of the Moon to top of Queue
The interstellar war between the Autobots and Decepticons shifts into overdrive following the discovery of Sentinel Prime (voice of Leonard Nimoy) in this sequel from director Michael Bay. Only a precious handful of officials in the government and military realize that the 1969 moon mission was the result of an event that threatened profound repercussions for the entire human race. When the Apollo 11 astronauts discover the wrecked remains of Sentinel Prime on the surface of our natural satellite, they bring him back to planet Earth. But Sentinel Prime wasn't the only alien object on the moon, and when a malevolent new enemy makes its presence known, only the Autobots can save humankind from certain destruction. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, (more)
A pet chameleon who has lived his entire life in the confines of a cozy glass terrarium discovers adventure beyond his wildest imagination in this animated Western adventure from Pirates of the Caribbean director Gore Verbinski. When we first meet Rango (voice of Johnny Depp), the sheltered pet chameleon is safe in his terrarium, and embarking on epic adventures through the power of imagination. Then, suddenly, his safe existence is irrevocably upended thanks to a bump in the road that sends him soaring out of a car window and right onto the searing-hot asphalt of a desert highway. On the advice of a wise armadillo who relays the story of the Spirit of the West, our conical-eyed hero sets out in search of a town called Dirt, narrowly escaping a hungry hawk and encountering a self-sufficient pioneer named Beans (voice of Isla Fisher) along the way. Upon arriving in the dusty desert town, Rango wanders into the local bar and convinces the townspeople that he's a notorious gunslinger with a lightning-fast trigger finger. When one of the locals challenges Rango to a showdown on Main Street, the hawk that menaced our hero on his way to town shows up looking for a rematch, and ends up beak-down in the dirt. Convinced that Rango is the real deal, the Mayor (voice of Ned Beatty) decides to name the brave chameleon their new sheriff. But Rango's honeymoon in Dirt is short-lived when bandits steal the town's entire supply of water, and the newly christened sheriff forms a posse in order to get it back. Little do they realize they were all being manipulated by one greedy power-monger who's determined to keep the people of Dirt under his thumb with the help of a diabolical villain named Rattlesnake Jake (voice of Bill Nighy) whose Gatling-gun tail makes Swiss cheese of all challengers. Now, if Rango can just locate the Spirit of the West (voice of Timothy Olyphant) and summon the courage to realize his true potential, perhaps he can finally free the people of Dirt from the tyranny that binds them, and discover his true destiny under the scorching desert sun. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, (more)
- 2009
- PG
- Add Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs to QueueAdd Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs to top of Queue
As we rejoin the motley herd from the two previous Ice Age films, Manny the mammoth (Ray Romano) nervously pampers his expectant mate, Ellie (Queen Latifah), while his best friend, Diego the saber-toothed tiger (Denis Leary), bristles at the thought of Manny's domesticated existence. Meanwhile, Sid the sloth (John Leguizamo) continues to annoy everybody, and Scrat the rock rat is still trying to get that acorn. When Sid accidentally discovers an underground world populated by dinosaurs, he steals three dino eggs so that he, too, can become a "mommy." After the little ones hatch, their real mom comes to retrieve them, and snatches Sid as well, prompting the others to band together yet in order to rescue their friend. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, (more)
- 2006
Derek (Patrick Dempsey) tears into Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) over her perceived relationship with Mark, but this time she gives back as good as she gets--with startling results. Likewise trading angry words are Burke (Isaiah Washington) and Cristina (Sandra Oh), while Izzie (Katherine Heigl) manages to upset Denny (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) even as she tries to cheer him up. Elsewhere, Callie's sanitary shortcomings cause problems with her temporary roomates; and we learn a bit more about handsome veterinarian Finn (Chris O'Donnell). But all these intrigues take second place to a horrible automobile accident caused by an intern (John Cho) suffering from short-term memory loss. In the episode's climactic moment, it appears as though a female crash victim will die, but there's a slim chance that her unborn baby can be saved. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2003
This 3D-animation children's series was staged in flashback form, as an elderly pig regaled his grandchildren with stories of his youth on the Raloo Farm in Ireland. Among the many friends of young Piggley Winks were Wiley the Sheep (his voice provided by the legendary Mel Brooks), Dannan the Duck, and Ferny the Bull. The object of the series was to teach the kids at home how to find creative solutions to problems, and to respect the wisdom of their elders. These were driven home on each episode with a live epilogue featuring soccer star Cobi Jones. Its title derived from the leading character's favorite slang expression, Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks was first seen over the PBS network on September 7, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Actor and playwright Tom McCarthy makes his feature film debut as a writer/director with the quirky comedy drama The Station Agent. In New Jersey, Finbar McBride (Peter Dinklage) is a four-foot-tall lonely man who chooses to live the life of a hermit in an abandoned train yard following the death of his friend. While he is there, he unexpectedly meets and befriends a couple of fellow loners. Troubled Olivia (Patricia Clarkson) is an artist devastated by the loss of her son and separation from her husband, while carefree and friendly Joe (Bobby Cannavale) runs a hot dog stand. The three unlikely friends each deal with their urge to connect compared with their individual need for isolation. Also starring Raven Goodwin, Paul Benjamin, and Michelle Williams. The Station Agent won the Audience award at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Starring:
- Peter Dinklage, Patricia Clarkson, (more)
One man's life is thrown into turmoil by picking up a telephone in this claustrophobic thriller. Stu Shepard (Colin Farrell) is a brash, cynical, and self-centered public relations man who juggles a busy career with both a wife, Kelly (Radha Mitchell), and a mistress, Pamela (Katie Holmes). Stu steps into a phone booth on a busy New York street to make a call to Pamela without Kelly being the wiser, but as soon as Stu hangs up, the phone begins to ring. Curious, Stu picks it up -- and a stranger on the other end (voice of Kiefer Sutherland) informs him that if he hangs up the phone, he'll be shot. The red dot of an infrared rifle scope convinces Stu that the caller means business, and when another man tries to make his way into the booth, he's shot mere inches from Stu, calling the attention of the police. Captain Ramey (Forest Whitaker) naturally assumes that Stu was the killer, as Stu struggles to find a way to convince the police of what's happening before more lives are lost, without leaving the booth and putting his own life on the line. At one time proposed as a vehicle for Jim Carrey, Phone Booth was directed by Joel Schumacher, from a screenplay by exploitation icon Larry Cohen. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Colin Farrell, Kiefer Sutherland, (more)
- 2002
- Add Naruto: The Movie - Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow to QueueAdd Naruto: The Movie - Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow to top of Queue
Based on the popular anime series of the same name, Naruto: The Movie follows the quest of a fledgling ninja who discovers that the actress he has been assigned to protect is in fact a princess from a magical land. Naruto has been hired to protect popular actress Yukie Fujikaze, but Yukie harbors a deep secret that could forever alter her protector's fate. Yukie is not only an actress, she's also a princess from the magical realm of Snow Country - which has recently been overtaken by a powerful evil. Now, as that evil strikes out with a vengeance, Naruto will find that overzealous fans are the least of his worries. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Junko Takeuchi, Maile Flanagan, (more)
- 2002
Created for Japanese television by Masashi Kishimoto, the half-hour anime series Naruto was set in the "ninja village" of Konoha. Protagonist Naruto Uzumaki was a misfit ninja-in-training who resorted to mischief so that people would notice him. Although circumstances had led the villagers to assume that Naruto was a demon, he was actually destined to become the "Hokage," or leader, of Konoha, but he was in desperate need of the input and support of his friends and fellow ninjas in order to accomplish this goal. Iruka and Kakashi were Naruto's main instructors at the Ninja Academy; his rival was Sasuke, heir to the fabled Uchicha ninja family, whose mission in life was to avenge the deaths of his loved ones; and Sakura was a gorgeous female ninja trainee, who was in love with the tactiturn Sasuke -- and who in turn was loved by the moonstruck Naruto. First telecast in Japan on October 3, 2002, Naruto was seen in the U.S. courtesy of Cartoon Network beginning September 10, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Maile Flanagan, Yuri Lowenthal, (more)
