Movie Review: "Larry Crowne"

Seen on: July 1, 2011

The players: Director: Tom Hanks, Writers: Tom Hanks, Nia Vardalos Cast: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Rob Riggle, Sarah Mahoney

Fact of interest: Nia Vardalos appears in the film as the voice of Julia Roberts' GPS.

The plot: Retail salesman Larry Crowne (Hanks) is forced to reinvent himself by going back to college after being laid off.

Our thoughts: "Larry Crowne" is possibly the first mainstream film released dealing with effects of our economic downturn and what happens to the thousands of individuals who have been laid off as a result of it. Coming off the heels of critical darlings like "Up in the Air" and "Company of Men," which deal with the same material in very dramatic and serious ways, "Larry Crowne" has the particular challenge of presenting rather dark material in a wide-audience, family-friendly way.

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Greengrass to direct Somali Pirate drama

Paul Greengrass, director of films such as "The Bourne Ultimatum" and "United 93," has begun negotiations to direct the pirate drama "Maersk Alabama." The film will be based on the memoirs of Captain Richard Phillips, a hero of the high seas whose ship was overtaken by Somali pirates. Tom Hanks is set to star.

There should be no scheduling conflicts as Greengrass' plans to make a Martin Luther King Jr. biopic recently fell through. I was a huge fan of "United 93" and am sure that Greengrass will make a great film out of this material. This will be his first film since last year's excellent war thriller "Green Zone." (via Deadline)

Tom Hanks for Kathryn Bigelow's next film?

Looks like Tom Hanks could end up in Kathryn Bigelow's upcoming Paramount drama "Triple Frontier." Deadline says Hanks has not signed a deal yet, but he's seriously chatting with Bigelow, who's directing.

In a nutshell, the film is set in Argentina and focuses on the intensity of organized crime in the border zone between Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil. Word is Bigelow has to fill five lead roles for "Frontier."

The good news is the film shoots early next year. Hanks recently did voice work for Pixar's hit sequel "Toy Story 3," and he has "Larry Crowne" and "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" coming soon.

Sandra Bullock, Tom Hanks to star in 'Loud'

Sandra Bullock and Tom Hanks could be teaming up for the post-9/11 drama "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close," the big-screen adaptation of Jonathan Safran Foer's novel. Scott Rudin is producing.

The project has not yet been greenlit, but Warner has made offers to Bullock and Hanks. The story follows a boy searching for a lock after he finds a key that belonged to his late father, a 9/11 victim.

Variety says Eric Roth penned the screenplay, and Stephen Daldry ("The Reader") is in talks to direct the film. Bullock last starred in "The Blind Side." Hanks will soon star in "Larry Crowne," which he helmed.

Yay! 'Toy Story 3' is highest-grossing animated flick!

Nice! Pixar's latest animated adventure "Toy Story 3" is now officially the highest-grossing animated film ever. The 3D sequel has grossed more than $920 million, and its glorious run hasn't ended yet.

In a press release, Rich Ross, Chairman of The Walt Disney Studios, said the success of "Toy Story" is 'due to the tremendously creative and innovative team at Pixar, led by John Lasseter and Ed Catmull.'

That's quite fantastic, because the film definitely counts among the great animated films out there. One other cool announcement? "Toy Story 3" will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on November 2, 2010.

Movie Review: "Toy Story 3"

Seen on: June 15, 2010

The players: Director: Lee Unkrich, Writers: Michael Arndt, John Lasseter, Cast: Tim Allen, Tom Hanks, Joan Cusack, Michael Keaton, Ned Beatty

Facts of interest: Unkrich co-directed "Finding Nemo."

The plot: Woody, Buzz and co. are back, and this time, they have to escape from a daycare ruled by a bunch of ruthless toys...

Our thoughts: The talented, overly creative folks from Pixar are finally back in action, and the treasure they offer us this year is just as delightful as any other flick they have recently developed. A magical 3D-animated experience that simply shouldn’t be missed, “Toy Story 3” does a flawless job combining beautiful visuals with strongly developed characters and an intriguing, heartwarming story.

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Brand-new 'Toy Story 3' trailer hits the web

A brand-new trailer for Lee Unkrich's upcoming "Toy Story 3" has hit the Web, and you can check it out after the jump. Do it, because you're definitely in for a horde of new footage from the upcoming 3D film.

This time, Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz, and the rest of their toy-box friends are dumped in a day-care center after their owner, Andy, departs for college. But... no toy gets left behind! Michael Arndt wrote the script.

Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Don Rickles, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Estelle Harris, John Morris, Michael Keaton and Timothy Dalton are part of the film's large voice cast, and the film opens June 18.

This new trailer lets us in on where exactly the story is heading, and right now, I like the idea of the toys being dumped into this unfamiliar world, trying to find a way out of there to return to the home they cherish.

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New 'Toy Story 3' featurette filled with energy

Brand-new 'Toy Story 3' featurette shows returning (and new) characters in action. Plus: Buzz speaks Spanish!

What does Pixar have to offer us cinemagoers this year? In case you missed it: "Toy Story 3"! That's right, the funny toys are back in action, and you can check them out in 3D in theaters June 18, 2010. A new featurette with some new footage from the film has recently debuted online, and you can see it after the jump.

In the Lee Unkrich-directed film, Woody, Buzz, and the rest of their toy-box friends are dumped in a day-care center after their owner, Andy, departs for college. But... no toy gets left behind, and as you can see in this behind-the-scenes look, the toys will have plenty of adventures and new challenges to deal with.

Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Don Rickles, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Estelle Harris, John Morris, and Michael Keaton are part of the film's large voice cast. Timothy Dalton is also on board, voicing a new character called Mr. Pricklepants. You will get a good look at him in this fun featurette as well.

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Brand-new photo from 'Toy Story 3' hits

It looks more like a promotional still, but here is a new image from Pixar's upcoming sequel "Toy Story 3," courtesy of Moviefone. The Lee Unkrich-directed 3D animated film will open June 18, 2010.

In the sequel, Woody, Buzz, and the rest of their toy-box friends are dumped in a day-care center after their owner, Andy, departs for college. But... no toy gets left behind! (Watch the latest trailer right here)

Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Don Rickles, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Estelle Harris, John Morris, Michael Keaton, Bonnie Hunt and Timothy Dalton are part of the film's large voice cast.

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Great 'Toy Story 3' teaser trailer debuts online

Those of you who saw "Up" on Friday already caught the first teaser trailer for Lee Unkrich's "Toy Story 3," which will open in theaters June 18, 2010. Now, the awesome little preview has landed online, and you can check it out after the jump. And yes, it sure feels good to see Woody and co. back in action, doesn't it?

This teaser doesn't focus on story at all, but it definitely gives us something to be excited about. I really loved the previous two flicks, and I'm glad to see Pixar pretty much stuck to the original design and animation of the predecessors for this third installment. Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack and John Ratzenberger are part of the voice cast.

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