March 23, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES I & III • Page 21 New small screen releases include ‘The Tourist’ by Dennis Seuling “The Tourist” (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment) wastes megawatt stars Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp in a 10watt, plodding script. Elise (Jolie) is a beautiful, mysterious woman who initiates a flirtatious encounter with recently widowed math teacher Frank (Depp) on a spurof-the-moment trip to Europe. From their initial meeting aboard a train, a whirlwind romance takes them to Paris and Venice. However, Elise is involved with an international fugitive who owes a great deal of money to a dangerous group of gangsters. Unwittingly drawn into this intrigue, Frank becomes the target of killers and must try to extricate himself from a very sticky situation. The leads should have brought some pizzazz to the film. Instead, they are both coasting on star power. This is especially disheartening since we know each has done some excellent work on screen. Though Depp and Jolie look great, they never convey believability. It’s Johnny and Angelina playing let’s pretend rather than two skilled actors embracing their characters. Director Florian Henckel Von Donnersmarck is hardly the right choice for a smart, globe-trotting thriller. The footage of Venice and Paris is breathtaking, but the film should be more than a Fitzpatrick Travelogue. Too often, the stars are separated by one plot bump or another. If you have stars, why keep them apart or off screen most of the time? Looking like a distillation of “Charade” and a couple of Hitchcock features, “The Tourist” lacks punch. It just meanders along, offering no reasons for viewers to stay involved. Blu-ray extras include director commentary, five featurettes, an alternate animated title sequence, and an outtake reel. “Tangled” (Walt Disney Home Entertainment), Disney’s 50th animated feature, is a retelling of the Grimm Brothers’ “Rapunzel.” Rapunzel (voice of Mandy Moore) is now a princess abducted at birth by enchantress Mother Gothel (Donna Murphy) and locked in a tower for 18 years. Gothel has convinced Rapunzel she is her mother and wants to protect her from the wicked world, but she is actually interested only in Rapunzel’s 70 feet of hair, which keeps the enchantress eternally youthful. Rather than a prince, Rapunzel’s hero is rascally thief Flynn Rider (Zachary Levi). Flynn gets involved in all sorts of adventures and misadventures and there are some fights as well, most likely to keep boys in the audience interested in a story that is really about a girl’s self-empowerment. The tone of the movie is often flip- Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie in ‘The Tourist.’ pant and glib, in keeping with such recent features as “Shrek,” yet attempts to capture the innocence and romance of earlier Disney films, such as “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” The two styles somehow meld nicely, and the script is fast-paced and witty. The songs by Alan Mencken are serviceable, and the look of the film is lush. Though made with computer animation, it has the old hand-drawn quality, which will be nostalgic for those brought up with Disney animated movies. Extras on the two-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo pack include two original storybook openings, deleted scenes, a making-of featurette, and two extended songs. “The Times of Harvey Milk” (The Criterion Collection) is a documentary about the human rights activist and first openly gay politician elected to public office, the inspiration for the feature film “Milk” starring Sean Penn. Director Robert Epstein chronicles the rise and assassination of Milk, who was brought to the San Francisco board of city supervisors in the same election that (continued on Crossword page) ���������������� ��������� ������������ ����������������������������������� ��������������������������������������������� Mon-Thurs 11:30-10 Fri 11:30-11 Sat 12-11, Sun 12-10 OPEN 7 DAYS Authentic Cuisine from Spain Lunch • Dinner • Cocktails �� ����������������� ��������� ���������������� ��������������������� Join us for Easter Brunch or Dinner Call for Reservations Watch for our next ���������� �������������������� ���������� HAPPY HOUR ������������������ ������� ��������� ������ ������������������������ ����������������������� �������������� ������ ������������������������ ������������ ������ ������������������������ ����������� ������ ������������� ���������������������������������� ������ ������������������ ������������������������������ ����������������������������������� ������������ �������������������������������������� Coming in April �� � � � � � ������ Sunday Brunch �������������������������������� Join us for ������������������ C • O • R • T• I • N • A R I S T O R A N T E Fine Dining For Lunch & Dinner ��������������������� ���������� ��������� �������������� ��������� ������� Lunch Starts at $7.00 • Mon-Fri 11:30AM–2:30PM Dinner Starts at $12 • Mon-Thurs 5PM–9:30PM • Fri & Sat 5PM–10PM ������������������� �������������� � �� Dine & Dance Live Entertainment ������������������������������������������������ ������������������������������������������� ���������������������� March 25: Sounds of Sinatra Private Party Room For Up To 60 People • Call for Reservations - 973-942-1750 118 Berkshire Ave., Paterson, NJ (Totowa Section) • www.cortinarestaurant.com 3-23-11 LegendsSteakhouse(3-23-11) Charge