When the first manned rocket ship to Mars lands back on Earth, the only surviving and conscious member of the crew recounts what happened on their journey. The glowing red surface is covered in jungles filled with carnivorous plants and giant creatures, most impressively the enormous bat-spider, who have no interest in visits from earthlings. Life on Mars is delightfully monstrous here and all scenes filmed on the surface are cast in an entirely red light. There’s some forward thinking casting here as one of the four astronauts is female that is until it is shown that her main purpose as a scientist is to prepare meals and be sexually harassed by the rest of the crew. 

After his second divorce, narcissistic science fiction writer Albert Brooks moves in with his mother because he believes it’ll give him the opportunity to work through his problems with women. Debbie Reynolds as the titular mother is adorable and eternally patient while dealing with this judgmental interloper into her home, along with visits from his brother Rob Morrow who brings a whole other set of issues. The grand experiment revolves in ways that are beneficial to them both, which at least makes the irritations of the journey not so bad in the end.

A team of ex-Navy SEALs and corrupt cops, including Chiwetel Ejiofor, Aaron Paul, and Clifton Collins Jr., conspire to kill another police officer Casey Affleck in order to create a diversion to pull off a heist for the Jewish-Russian Mafia led by Kate Winslet. Despite having an incredible cast, this movie is dull and way too convoluted for a heist film. The heisting gets completely overwhelmed by the many interpersonal relationships and cop drama, which could be fine but the Mob angle is very silly and the ‘good’ cop isn’t worth rooting for.  

When ex-CIA agent Bruce Willis and his girlfriend Mary-Louise Parker are targeted by assassins, he reunites a team of fellow retired agents to get to the bottom of the conspiracy. It’s refreshing seeing a mix of older actors (Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, John Malkovich) in an action film and they do indeed all kick ass in their roles. The main downer is Willis, and Parker by extension. He’s the only one really given anything as a character and his acting offers not an ounce of depth or development in any of those scenes. It’s light fun otherwise.