Lights Camera Jackson

Movie Reviews, Entertainment News and Views from Lights Camera Jackson

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‘Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb’ Review

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“Night at the Museum” was released during the crowded holiday season of 2006. I avoided seeing it right away because I just wasn’t excited about the premise from the trailers and commercials. But once I did check it out, about halfway through I realized I was watching something special. 2009’s copycat sequel, “Battle of the […]
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‘Annie’ Review

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In the opening scene of this modern update of the “Annie” story, a brainiac girl is doing a class presentation. She’s white, with red hair, and her name is Annie. When she finishes, the teacher asks the other Annie in the class (our young heroine, played by “Beasts of the Southern Wild” Oscar nominee Quvenzhane […]
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‘Penguins of Madagascar’ Review

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Not long after DreamWorks Animation released its over-the-top, all-star comedy “Madagascar” in 2005, the studio was already thinking about having the film’s breakout characters, the slick and suave Penguins, headline their own movie. Now, nearly 10 years later (and following two more “Madagascar” films and a “Penguins” TV series on Nickelodeon), the Penguins are finally […]
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‘Big Hero 6’ Review

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Walt Disney Animation Studios hit a grand slam last year with the cultural phenomenon “Frozen”, which grossed nearly $1.3 billion worldwide, won two Oscars, and was one of the best films of 2013. The studio’s follow-up, the superhero adventure “Big Hero 6”, will likely make a lot of money, especially overseas, but it’s one of […]
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‘The Book of Life’ Review

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“The Book of Life” is Reel FX Animation Studios’ follow-up to last year’s Thanksgiving-themed comedy “Free Birds”. Here the studio takes-on a different holiday with the help of producer Guillermo del Toro and visionary director Jorge Gutierrez, as “The Book of Life” breathes new life into the Mexican fiesta – The Day of the Dead. […]
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‘The Boxtrolls’ Review

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“The Boxtrolls” is the latest stop-motion animation film distributed by Focus Features and brought to life by Laika, the makers of “Coraline” and “ParaNorman”. Both of those movies were nominated for the Best Animated Feature Oscar, and I’ll be very surprised if “The Boxtrolls” isn’t on the ballot this year. What, on the surface, appears […]
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‘Dolphin Tale 2’ Review

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Released nearly three years ago, “Dolphin Tale” was a smart, sophisticated and sweet live-action family film with genuine heart. I was surprised when Warner Bros. announced they were making a sequel, wondering if this saga could support a franchise. But since the first film was based on real life events, and more events took place […]
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‘The Identical’ Review

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“The Identical” is a small, Christian-based drama with the most contradictory title of any film this year. In so many ways this movie is unlike any ever made. The set-up is o.k. – a young, married couple living in the South back in the 1930s, decides to give one of their newborn twin boys to […]
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‘When the Game Stands Tall’ Review

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I give the team behind the new sports movie, “When the Game Stands Tall” a lot of credit for pulling-off something nearly impossible: they’ve made a film about the most successful high school football team of all-time that’s about as exciting as a 0-0 tie in an NFL exhibition game. “When the Game Stands Tall” […]
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‘The Hundred-Foot Journey’ Review

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“The Hundred-Foot Journey” is a smart, sweet and surprisingly delectable end-of-summer romantic dramedy. Executive Producers Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey clearly understood the vision of director Lasse Hallstrom (whose impressive credits include “The Cider House Rules”, “Chocolat” and “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen”) and screenwriter Steven Knight (who’s having a fantastic year with indie gem […]
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