Ralph Breaks the Internet

Arcade world explodes outward, but moral message narrows for a cautionary tale about over-controlling friendships, in sharp contrast to the out of control online universe. Brilliant allusions to reality, a perfect peppering of product placements and an exemplary exploitation of Disney’s dynasty effectively fix up a wreck of a plot.

Rango

Dir-Actor duo leave Pirates Gore behind to bring new Deppth to untapped Western animation genre. Clunky plot and weak character development don’t overshadow great animation and original concept. Clever film references are great but Eastwood’s too far from this west desert. Alternatively titled, The Ga’Hoole, the Bad, and the Ugly.

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Disney turns random Fantasia segment into better Percy Jackson. Cage’s quirkiness perfectly fits his magical mentor for Baruchel’s nasal nerd while ample effects make the show enjoyable. Implausible romance, completely unintimidating bad guys, and Pirates style random rule invention prevent this film from being anything other than a kid’s flick.

Boogie Nights

Compelling look at veritable porn family and even more compelling looks at RollerGraham and most of Moore. Brilliant long shots, great performances, and resurrection of Reynolds lend to nearly perfect ensemble film. Wahlberg accurately predicts ‘big stardom’ despite odd car scene with his ten dollar 13-inch-long. Cast reappears in Magnolia.

An Education

Sarsgaard resumes his frequent creepy guy role, this time enhanced by being convincingly British and in pursuit of impressively talented Carey Mulligan. A peppering of bigger stars in smaller roles support the story excellently, and beautifully written, witty dialogue prevents an otherwise endearing script from becoming too clichéd or preachy.

Magnolia

Anderson channels Altman to perfect his Boogie Nights structure. Complex non-story with who’s who of actors delivering performances of their careers. Cruise plays his most obnoxious and sympathetic character yet and Hoffman proves how great he is. Even spontaneous musicality and amphibious precipitation can’t detract from this mind-bogglingly beautiful masterpiece.