By DNA Smith
PICKS OF THE WEEK
“Megamind” (PG) — Like “Despicable Me,” “Megamind” is an hilariously funny animated film about a supervillain who has a change of heart. Will Ferrell stars as Megamind, scourge of Metro City, who vanquishes the city’s hero, Metro Man (Brad Pitt). With the city’s champion out of the way, Megamind soon discovers that having free reign to commit chaos isn’t as much fun as he’d thought it would be.
Missing the struggle he had with Metro Man, Megamind hatches a scheme to create a new hero to battle (Jonah Hill). Things take a turn for the worse when the hero-in-training becomes an even worse villain than Megamind himself — which means Megamind and his minion (David Cross) must now become heroes to save the city from the villain they’ve created.
“Due Date” (R) — If you liked “The Hangover,” then you’ll love “Due Date.” It’s got the same director (Todd Phillips) and the same star (Zach Galifianakis), the same over-the-top humor, plus the comedy chops of Robert Downey Jr. Such a deal!
RDJ plays Peter, a father-to-be who needs to get cross-country to be with his wife (Michelle Monaghan) for the birth of their child. He hitches a ride with Ethan (Galifianakis) and, like “Planes Trains and Automobiles,” the mismatched pair endure a series of ridiculously hilarious events on their journey.
“Memento: 10th Anniversary Edition” (R) — Guy Pearce, Joe Pantoliano and Carrie-Anne Moss star in the most riveting psychological thriller of the past 30 years. Director Christopher Nolan (“Inception,” “The Dark Knight”) takes what would be a run-of-the-mill whodunnit and flips it on its head by messing around with the timeline, creating a bold, original and compelling mystery that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat right up to the end credits.
Pearce plays Leonard, a man trying to hunt down the man who raped and murdered his wife. Because of a head wound sustained during the attack, Leonard cannot form new memories. His short-term memory resets after about 10 minutes, so he is unable to remember any of the clues he’s learned. So, with the help of Polaroid pictures and a massive amount of self-inflicted tattoos, Leonard slowly is able to piece together the evidence needed to find his wife’s killer.
If you love a well-crafted mystery, bravura performances and intelligent filmmaking, you simply must watch “Memento.”
TV SERIES
“All-Star Superman”
“FLCL” The Complete Series
“Nurse Jackie” Season Two
“Survivor 20: Heroes vs Villains”
“Weeds” Season Six
“Huge” The Complete Series
“Ice Road Truckers” The Complete Season Four
“Midsomer Murders: Set 17”
“Les Miserables: The 25th Anniversary Concert”
“New Tricks” Series Three
“Invader Zim: Operation Doom”
“Fresh Fields” Set One
“Have Gun Will Travel” Fifth Season
“Guild” Season 4
“How the Earth Was Made” Complete Season 2
“Border Wars” Season Two
© 2011 King Features Synd., Inc.