The Despicable Me of the title is a super villain named Gru (voiced by Steve Carell) who accomplishes his evil deeds with the assistance of a mad scientist named Dr. Nefario (voiced by Russell Brand) and an army of amusing yellow minions. But recently, Gru’s been one-upped by a younger villain named Vector and he’s feeling the pressure to pull off an epic heist. So he gathers the minions and Dr. Nefario and announces his grand plan: they’re going to steal the moon! First though they have to “acquire” a shrink ray, but just as they manage to steal it, Vector swoops in and grabs it from them.

Gru must get that shrink ray back and part of his plan to get inside Vector’s lair involves sending in three little orphan girls selling cookies. So he adopts the girls, Margot, Edith and Agnes, and of course, they turn his life upside down. We start to see a softer side of Gru as they start to warm his evil heart. He becomes so attached to them he even begins to rethink his plan to steal the moon.

By the end, Gru manages to do it all and be both super villain and super dad. He even manages to make his hard-to-please mother (voiced by Julie Andrews) proud. This is a movie with heart and humor, and even with the extra charge for 3D, is well worth the price of admission.

My 10-year-old niece was not as enamored by the flick as my now-14-year-old nephew, but I suspect that’s because my nephew has grown up somewhat parallel to TS3’s main ‘human’ character, Andy.

Toy Story 3 opens with Andy clearing out his room as he gets ready to leave for college. He decides to hold onto his favorite toy, Woody, and put the rest of the toys in the attic. But through a series of mishaps, all the toys end up at a local daycare center that sorta resembles the Island of Misfit Toddlers and Toys. At first, Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head, Slinky Dog, Rex, Hamm the Piggy Bank, etc. have high hopes for their new digs — after all, they just want to be played with. But things take a nasty turn when some other toys – led by a bear that smells like strawberries- imprison Andy’s toys and turn Buzz against his friends by setting him back to ‘demo’ mode. Sounds crazy, but it’s all quite clever.

Ultimately, the toys must work together to escape the daycare center and find their way back to Andy’s house before he heads off to school. The soundtrack hits all the right notes. And a sassy Barbie and metrosexual Ken are definite scene-stealers.

Bottom line: Toy Story 3 is a great choice for a family movie outing (especially if you’ve seen 1 and 2 in theaters or on TV/DVD). Don’t feel compelled to see this one in 3-D, however. It doesn’t really add anything to the experience. But definitely stay through the credits. There’s a fun little ‘extra’ that’s worth watching as you verify all the famous voices that go with the various characters, from Tom Hanks’ Woody and Tim Allen’s Buzz Lightyear to Ned Beatty’s deliciously-evil Lotso bear.

The second Shrek was okay. Not as good as the first, but not bad.

The third Shrek, I never did see. And apparently, I didn’t miss much.

The fourth (and allegedly final) Shrek is – like the second one- just okay.

So it’s definitely time to say good-bye to our favorite ogre (Mike Myers), his wife Fiona (Cameron Diaz), Donkey (Eddie Murphy), Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) et al. Their story – once so refreshing and unique- is now quite stale. Even my 10-year-old companion looked bored. That said, I suspect that the box office will ultimately dictate the future of the franchise, ’cause let’s face it, money talks.  A spin-off perhaps?

The best thing Shrek Forever After has going for it is that there’s nothing else (or better) out there at the moment for young moviegoers. So if it’s an extremely hot or rainy day and you need a 90-minute escape plan for the whole family, then go for it. Just keep your expectations in check. And stick to the 2-D version. I can’t imagine that this particular movie would be any better in 3-D, just more expensive (and thus, perhaps, even more disappointing).

The basic premise for Shrek Forever After is a familiar one – in a Christmas Carol meets It’s a Wonderful Life sort of way. Our “hero” Shrek is living the dream: he’s got an ogre of a wife who adores him, three little ogres, his best friend Donkey, and throngs of admirers in his home kingdom of Far, Far Away. Trouble is, all that bliss kinda goes against an ogre’s nature, and Shrek starts feeling nostalgic for his glory days as a more intimidating creature of the swamp… a time when his mighty roar triggered fear rather than laughter and applause.

In a moment of weakness (i.e. mid-life crisis), Shrek makes a deal with the devil – in this case, an evil little guy named Rumpelstiltskin. Shrek agrees to trade a day from his distant past in exchange for a day of traditional ogre fun. Rumpelstiltskin then robs poor Shrek of his “birth day”, which changes the course of all the lives that Shrek has touched over the years. It’s very “George Bailey”-esque.

And like George Bailey, Shrek ultimately gets his life back, and learns some valuable lessons along the way. The End. Or so we’re told.

Ondine Opening: June 4
Starring: Colin Farrell, Alicja Bachleda, Stephen Rea
What It’s About: When Irish fisherman Syracuse (Farrell) finds a mysterious woman named Ondine (Bachleda) in his fishing net, he assumes she is dead before finding out she may in fact be a mermaid. With the help of his disabled daughter, Syracuse falls in love with the possible mythical creature before a series of dark events threaten to overshadow the relationship.

Splice Opening: June 4
Starring: Adrien Brody, Sarah Polley, Delphine Cheneac
What It’s About: In Vincenzo Natali’s sci-fi thriller, Clive (Brody) and Elsa (Polley) are two scientists who mix human DNA with genetically engineered animal experiments to create Dren, a deformed female infant. Surprisingly, absolutely nothing goes wrong after that. Or Dren becomes a winged half-human monster hellbent on destroying all in her path.

The A-Team Opening: June 11
Starring: Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Quinton Jackson, Sharlto Copley, Jessica Biel
What It’s About: In the big-screen version of TV’s ‘The A-Team’ — the TV show about three wrongly accused escaped military fugitives (and one crazy pilot) — Bradley Cooper plays Face; Liam Neeson is Hannibal, the man who loves it when a plan comes together; and Sharlto Copley brings the crazy as Capt. “Howling Mad” Murdock. Apparently Dirk Benedict, the original Face, approves: He filmed a cameo for the film. Looks like a lot of fun.

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work Opening: June 11
Starring: Joan Rivers, Don Rickles, Kathy Griffin
What It’s About: This documentary takes a look at the life and work of Joan Rivers, one of the most popular comediennes and television personalities in history. Starting her career in the early ’60s as a stand-up comic — no small feat for a female at the time — Rivers became a ‘Tonight Show’ staple and has hosted several talk shows. Filmmakers Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg followed Rivers for a year as the comedian prepared for an one-woman show in the UK and became a participant on a reality TV show.

The Killer Inside Me Opening: June 18
Starring: Casey Affleck, Jessica Alba, Kate Hudson, Simon Baker, Bill Pullman
What It’s About: Michael Winterbottom (‘24 Hour Party People,’ ‘9 Songs’) directs this neo-noir about small-town Sheriff Lou Ford (Affleck), who leads a double life as a serial killer. When his area becomes inundated with unsolved murders, Ford must deflect any suspicions about him toward other suspects. The film is based on author Jim Thompson’s acclaimed 1952 novel.

Knight and Day Opening: June 25
Starring: Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Peter Sarsgaard, Paul Dano
What It’s About: Diaz plays June, an unsuspecting lonely girl who literally runs into a dangerous secret agent named Milner (Cruise) inside an airport, an encounter that starts the two on a whirlwind chase to avoid capture by a federal agent (Peter Sarsgaard).

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse Opening: June 30
Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Bryce Dallas Howard
What It’s About: In the third ‘Twilight’ film, Bella’s targeted by a vengeful vamp. And who — or what — is responsible for a string of mysterious slayings in Seattle? Bella’s still torn between Edward and Jacob, and her choice may be the spark that ignites an epic werewolf vs. vampire war. Plus, she’s got to study for finals: It’s her senior year! You know this will be huge!

The Last Airbender Opening: July 2
Starring: Jackson Rathbone, Dev Patel, Cliff Curtis, Nicola Peltz
What It’s About: M. Night Shyamalan tries his hand at a children’s fantasy flick in this hero’s adventure following young Aang (Noah Ringer), the last in a long line of Avatars, or masters of all four elements. To restore peace to the four nations (Fire, Earth, Water and Air), Aang must fulfill his destiny of defeating the evil Fire Lord (Curtis) and freeing the other elements’ people from his tyrannical rule. Sounds horrid, but let’s hope M. has another The Sixth Sense in him.

The Kids Are All Right Opening: July 7
Starring: Annette Bening, Mark Ruffalo, Julianne Moore, Mia Wasikowska, Josh Hutcherson
What It’s About: Committed couple Nic (Annette Bening) and Jules (Julianne Moore) have raised two teenagers together, but are thrown for a loop when their children want to track down their biological father (Mark Ruffalo) — and they all learn what it really means to be a family.

Cyrus Opening: July 9
Starring: John C. Reilly, Jonah Hill, Marisa Tomei, Catherine Keener
What It’s About: John (Reilly) has been divorced for seven years and has given up on meeting the perfect woman. When his ex-wife (Keener) invites him to a party, he meets Molly (Tomei), a beautiful, fun woman with only one downside: her weird son Cyrus (Hill). A 21-year-old New Age musician, Cyrus enjoys a bond with his mother that’s a bit closer than most, which means his displeasure with mom’s new boyfriend runs fast and deep, and Cyrus and John repeatedly — and comedically — lock horns.

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice Opening: July 16
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Jay Baruchel, Monica Bellucci, Alfred Molina
What It’s About: Jerry Bruckheimer’s latest summer action epic is a live-action adaptation of an animated segment in Disney’s ‘Fantasia’ and Goethe’s 18th-century ballad. Baruchel plays the Mickey Mouse character — a college student who winds up the chosen apprentice of a sorcerer (Cage) preparing for a supernatural war. Expect huge explosions, eye-popping special effects and as always, Cage in a crazy hairstyle. Bring the kids!

Inception Opening: July 16
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Marion Cotillard
What It’s About: Does anyone really know? Christopher Nolan, the director of ‘The Dark Knight,’ returns with ‘Inception,’ a film everyone wants to see — though, really, no one has any clue what it’s about. Nolan explains the film as “exploring the idea of people entering a dream space and sharing a dream.” Awesome. Thanks for clearing that up.

Salt Opening: July 23
Starring: Angelina Jolie, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Liev Schreiber
What It’s About: Jolie takes over for Tom Cruise — who declined the role for other commitments — as the title character, Evelyn Salt (we assume the character’s name was not “Evelyn” when Crusie was attached). Salt is a CIA agent who is accused of working for the KGB and has to clear her name. Come to think of it: Cruise already made this film — it was called ‘Mission: Impossible.’

Dinner For Schmucks Opening: July 23
Starring: Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Stephanie Szostak, Zach Galifianakis, Ron Livingston
What It’s About: Director Jay Roach has stolen Chris Rock’s idea of stealing European comedies and remaking them for American audiences. This adaptation of the French film ‘The Dinner Game’ follows rising executive Tim (Rudd), who must decide whether or not to bring Barry (Carell) as the perfect guest to his boss’s competition of finding the dumbest dinner guest. Carell and Galifianakis have landed the roles they were meant to play — geeks trying out-dweeb each other. The French version was great, but most of these French/American adaptations have been really bad, so I don’t expect much. Surprise me, please.

Beastly Opening: July 30
Starring: Alex Pettyfer, Vanessa Hudgens, Mary-Kate Olsen, Peter Krause, Neil Patrick Harris
What It’s About: Kyle (Alex Pettyfer) has it all — wealth, looks, privilege — until he cruelly picks on the wrong girl, a Goth who casts a spell that transforms him into an unrecognizable freak. The only cure: He must find someone who will love him as he is. Will he find his true love in Lindy (Vanessa Hudgens), an addict’s daughter whose life he saves, or is he doomed to stay a monster forever?

Get Low Opening: July 30
Starring: Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, Bill Murray
What It’s About: It’s the true story of Felix “Bush” Breazeale (Duvall) who, in the 1930s, came out of 40 years of seclusion to plan his own funeral party while still alive. “I want everybody to come who’s got a story to tell about me,” says Bush. The event became a national spectacle, with Bush selling lottery tickets to the funeral with his valuable plot of land as the prize. Twelve-thousand mourners reputedly arrived. Murray plays the funeral home owner in charge of arranging the event. Great cast, quirky story. Could be the sleeper hit.

Step Up 3D Opening: August 6
Starring: Rick Malambri, Sharni Vinson, Adam Sevani, Alyson Stoner
What It’s About: The third installment of the ‘Step Up’ series goes international — and 3-D. A tight-knit group of New York street dancers, including Luke (Rick Malambri) and Natalie (Sharni Vinson), team up with an NYU student (Adam Sevani) against the world’s best hip-hop dancers in a high-stakes showdown. Romance and eye-popping dance moves ensue.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Opening: August 13
Starring: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin
What It’s About: ‘Scott Pilgrim’ is a comic-book series about a bass-playing Canadian slacker; and of course, Michael Cera is playing the title role. Scott wants to date Ramona Flowers, but to do this, he must fight and defeat her seven evil exes, who now want to kill him. Think ‘Juno,’ only instead of a pregnancy and a hamburger phone, there are seven super-powered evil villains standing in the way of these two star-crossed lovers.

Mao’s Last Dancer Opening: August 6
Starring: Joan Chen, Kyle Maclachlan, Chi Cao, Chengwu Gao
What It’s About: Based on a true story, ‘Mao’s Last Dancer’ looks at the life of Li Cunxin (Cao), a boy who worked his way up from an apprenticeship as a classical dancer in communist China to a heralded star in America. Bruce Beresford’s film explores the cultural and political differences and uncertainties between the two countries and looks into the effects, both positive and negative, of fame and celebrity. ‘Dancer’ was filmed in China, the U.S. and Australia.

The Other Guys Opening: August 6
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Will Ferrell, Samuel L. Jackson, Eva Mendes
What’s it about: Ferrell plays Allen Gamble, a pencil-pushing NYPD detective whose partner, Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg), has been confined to desk work as punishment for being a little too quick on the trigger in the field. When an opportunity arrives that will call for the two of them to step up, hijinks and hilarity appropriately ensue. Sounds typically Ferrell.

Eat, Pray, Love Opening: August 6
Starring: Julia Roberts, Javier Bardem, Richard Jenkins, Billy Crudup, James Franco
What It’s About: After a painful divorce, Liz Gilbert (Julia Roberts) finds her priorities shifting in this adaptation of the best-selling memoir. She sets out to explore the world and find her true destiny. Her travels take her from Italy to India to Bali, and she meets some unforgettable people — including herself — along the way. Lovely travelogue if nothing else.

The Switch Opening: August 20
Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, Jeff Goldbum, Patrick Wilson
What It’s About: Single Kassie (Jennifer Aniston) decides to use the turkey baster method to get pregnant, but doesn’t realize her friend Wally (Jason Bateman) has substituted his own sperm instead of her chosen donor. Seven years later, her son is the spitting image of Wally, and realizes he’s got to admit the truth — and how he really feels about Kassie.

The Tillman Story Opening: August 20
What It’s About: Pat Tillman was a former football player for the Arizona Cardinals before turning down a multi-million dollar contract to enlist in the U.S. Army. While serving in Afghanistan, Tillman was killed by friendly fire and became the center point of an alleged cover-up by the U.S. military and government to conceal the details of his death. Amir Bar-Lev (‘My Kid Could Paint That’) delves into Tillman’s life and investigates the circumstances behind his tragic and controversial death.

Going the Distance Opening: August 27
Starring: Drew Barrymore, Justin Long, Christina Applegate, Ron Livingston
What It’s About: On-again, off-again real-life couple Drew Barrymore and Justin Long star as lovers who find their long-distance relationship wearing thin. Temptation comes for Long in the form of Christina Applegate, who told the Belfast Telegraph, “It’s very dirty,” adding, “I saw a lot of Justin Long over the summer. See the movie and you’ll know why I said that.”

Happythankyoumoreplease Opening: August 27
Starring: Josh Radnor, Malin Akerman, Kate Mara
What It’s About: The winner of the Audience Award at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Josh Radnor’s directorial debut looks at life in New York for a group of late 20s/early 30s people struggling to keep up with the pace of the city. While riding the subway, Sam (Radnor) meets Rasheen, a young boy abandoned by his parents, and subsequently takes him in. Mississippi (Mara) is a bartender trying to make it as a musician. Annie (Akerman) is a pretty girl who suffers from alopecia, a rare condition that leaves the person with no hair. Relationships intersect and lessons, we assume, are learned.

Lebanon Opening: August 13
Starring: Yoav Donat, Itay Taran, Oshri Cohen
What It’s About: Israeli writer/director Samuel Moaz crafts this historical drama set amid the 1982 Israel/Lebanon battle that sees four Israeli soldiers assigned to take part in the first strike on Lebanon. While setting out towards the Lebanese border, the men experience many facets of the war experience before arriving at their destination, a town already bombed by the Israeli Air Force. When a group of Syrian resistance fighters overtake the group, the soldiers find themselves in very dangerous territory. ‘Lebanon’ was an Official Selection at the 2009 Venice International Film Festival.

It all looks typically Burtonesque with the gnarled trees and generally vivid otherworldliness. But the feeling is different. Alice keeps telling herself she is dreaming, but comes to realize she isn’t. There is a psychological underpinning to this telling of the story, about a Victorian era girl wanting to be more than marriageable chattel. Her quest is to find out who she is and what she can do. To that end, she must enter into the battle between the evil Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter) and the good White Queen (Anne Hathaway.) The Red Queen has an enormous head and pretty much hates everything shouting “off with his head” with great frequency. The White Queen is more Buddhist, taking care not to harm any creature. The Queens are sisters and have been at war for a long time and the only way to stop the whole thing is for the good Queen to get her hands on the Vorpal Sword and have her champion slay the Jabberwock. (The wonderful nonsense poem The Jabberwocky is woven into the tale, though if you are not acquainted with it, I wonder how much fun you’d find the references to the “frabjous day” or the “frumious Bandersnatch”.) And guess who will be that champion who slays the dragon?

The more I think of this movie, the more it seems like a good idea that just doesn’t come across on film. As an updated Alice it is beautiful to look at, but it is more like a great mosaic where you can look close up at all the pieces and think how amazing it is that it all goes together, but then stand back and it is just a pretty picture. As for an audience, I am not sure who would be the target. I love odd movies and Johnny Depp and nonsense poems, but there was something not quite there about this Alice in Wonderland. It wasn’t dark enough or light enough. It was just kind of in between. I did not see the 3D version and that probably is pretty wonderful, but still the story is pretty light weight. Kids might like it for the eye candy, but sadly I would not recommend it for adults who appreciate Tim Burton for his usual dark fantasy and strange but interesting sense of story.