!["The Frankenstein Theory," "Jack the Giant Slayer" and "The Lost Medallion"](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_content_width/hash/5b/50/5b50906c3e508893623b69e5c35aba9b.jpg?itok=ZjJiRsTg ""The Frankenstein Theory," "Jack the Giant Slayer" and "The Lost Medallion"")
Among the new movies that were released Friday, March 1 in theaters throughout the Valley are a found-footage film featuring Frankenstein, a live-action re-telling of “Jack and the Beanstalk” and a faith-based family adventure flick.
Justin Chon plays a straight-A college student whose best friends (Skylar Astin and Miles Teller) surprise him with a visit for his 21st birthday. What was supposed to be one beer becomes a night of humiliation, overindulgence and utter debauchery. (R - 93 minutes)
“21 & Over,” a new comedy written and directed by “The Hangover” screenwriters Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, is exactly what one would expect it to be - “The Hangover” for the college crowd. And although it is true that seeing three middle-aged men make the most massive mistakes of their lives is much more amusing than seeing three 21-year-olds make complete donkeys of themselves (as they so often do), Lucas and Moore have conceived some situations that are simply so absurd that you cannot help but let loose and have a fun time. It really should come with one of those “do not try this at home” warnings,” though. (Grade: C)
Timothy V. Murphy plays a disgraced college professor who leads a documentary film crew to the rim of the Arctic Circle in a desperate effort to vindicate his academic reputation and prove that Mary Shelley’s literary classic “Frankenstein” is, in fact, a work of non-fiction disguised as fantasy. Playing exclusively at Harkins Arizona Center 24. (NR - 87 minutes)
“The Frankenstein Theory” spends too much time on the “theory” and not enough time on the “Frankenstein.” That is to say that writer/director Andrew Weiner’s new found-footage flick, which was produced by “The Last Exorcism” creators Huck Botko and Andrew Gurland, has a magnificently monstrous finale but the boring build-up is so bulky that viewers very well mayl lose interest long before arriving at that aforementioned action-packed part. Having said that, Weiner’s project earns points for exploring a relatively original idea rather than re-visiting the same old supernatural song and dance. Plentiful potential and excellent execution are two very different things, though. (Grade: D)
Nicholas Hoult plays a young farmhand who unwittingly opens a gateway between our world and a fearsome race of giants. Fighting for a kingdom, its people and the love of a brave princess, the farmhand comes face to face with the unstoppable warriors he thought only existed in legend. (PG-13 - 100 minutes)
“Jack the Giant Slayer” has enormous excitement, a humongous heart and abundant adventure. Director Bryan Singer’s new live-action re-telling of “Jack and the Beanstalk” succeeds in its efforts to entertain audiences of all ages by simply not straying too far from the classic English folktale’s basic premise and merely modifying the minutia to increase credibility and creativity. Unfortunately, the screenwriters do tack on an extra ending in which the proverbial beanstalk sap hits the fan and the giants kick it into “Transformers” madness mode, but most of the movie stays true to the fairy tale’s fundamental function - inciting and inspiriting our imaginations. (Grade: B)
Billy Unger and Sammi Hanratty play two teenage friends who uncover a long-lost medallion and accidentally wish themselves back in time. The experience gives them a new understanding of who they are and what their lives really mean. (PG - 100 minutes)
“The Lost Medallion” is a faith-based family flick that, unlike most movies of its genre, conceals its religious roots remarkably well. In fact, writer/director Bill Muir conceals them perhaps even too well as one would have to make a lot of large leaps from the motion picture’s plot points in order to arrive at the same character-building conclusions that the kids in the film do. Having said that, the movie’s messages are still very valuable. Moreover, they are seamlessly instilled into young viewers thanks to the abundantly absorbing adventure on which it takes audiences of all ages. (Grade: C)
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