Who would’ve known that a film adaptation of a play that has an impressive pedigree, which includes five Tonys and a Pulitzer, would essentially be a flop on screen. Nothing about this film makes the play look appealing. The best part of the movie was of course Meryl Streep, and to a lesser extent Julia Roberts. Violet, the overbearing antagonistic, mother was played beautifully by Streep, and Roberts shines as the the equally antagonistic and vicious Barbara. That is about the extent of the accolades. It felt more like a reality TV show about a dysfunctional family than a work of cinema. But, wasn’t the dialog amazing? Yes; however, Lett’s dialog, whereas it would be captivating on stage, does not transfer well to the screen. The movie does have its hilarious moments, but they aren’t enough to balance out the darker moments. Lett’s characters on the screen certainly get worked up about the revelation of skeletons in the closet, and each character has his or her moment, but those of us trapped in the audience will wonder why we should be bothered.

Director Peter Jackson brings another big Christmas time blockbuster from Middle Earth to a theater near you. “The Desolation of Smaug” picks up nearly where “An Unexpected Journey” leaves off. Once again, this movie should be subtitled “Gandalf Runs with Short People.” Although there are a few epic battle scenes, there is a lot of extreme wide shots of the characters running. Unlike its predecessor though, this one is better and much more energetic. By all accounts, the river battle is a spectacular marriage of cinematography and CGI. Some of the sequences from the movie are not found in “The Hobbit,” but found in “The Quest of Erebor.” That’s how a–what should be a 3hr movie all together–becomes a trilogy. Whether you’re a fan of the franchise or not, you cannot escape the awesomeness of Smaug on screen. Like so many movies though, there lacks measurable character development and exposition. All-in-all, Jackson’s sequel has done a much better job at entertaining and capturing the imagination of the audience than in the first one.