ALEX COHEN, host:
Back now with Day to Day. Movie studios are putting some awfully big presents under the tree this Christmas. Here to tell us whether these gifts are something you actually want is Mark Jordan Legan with slate.com's holiday Summary Judgment.
Mr. MARK JORDAN LEGAN (Film Critic, Slate.com): First up, we have the heartwarming comedy, "Marley and Me." Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson play a young married couple who live with reggae legend Bob Marley and oh, the misunderstandings. No, not that Marley. Marley is a furry, lovable, trouble-making puppy. And as all those movie billboards demand, heel the love.
(Soundbite of movie "Marley and Me")
Unidentified Woman: A dog can only have one master. Which one of you has the most authority in your relationship?
Mr. OWEN WILSON: (As John Grogan) Maybe I'll stand over there for the beginning.
Unidentified Woman: I thought so.
Mr. LEGAN: Hey, cat lovers, don't get mad at me, but most of the critics want to rub Marley's tummy and buy it a chew toy. The Hollywood Reporter gushes, a warm and fuzzy movie. Variety barks, this perky episodic film is as broad and obvious as it could be. The Rolling Stone groused, watching the stars trying to out-cutesy the mutt is one for the puke bucket.
And to continue to put one in the Christmas mood, how about a movie where a bunch of Nazi officers try and kill Hitler. Yes, Tom Cruise stars in "Valkyrie," the true story of the 1944 attempted assassination of Germany's dictator. Tom Wilkinson and Kenneth Branagh also star.
(Soundbite of movie "Valkyrie")
Mr. TOM CRUISE: (As Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg) We can serve Germany or the Fuhrer, not both.
Mr. TOM WILKINSON: (As General Friedrich Fromm) It's just that sort of talk that had you sent here, Colonel.
Mr. CRUISE: (As Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg): What I said was much worse.
Mr. LEGAN: Overall, the critics shout nein, with many saying it's hard to buy Cruise as a Nazi with an eye patch and a fake hand, even though the Orlando Sentinel finds it engrossing and involving. MSNBC sighs, Cruise's performance is just one of the many problems with this unengaging thriller which never builds suspense. And many agree with the Associated Press, which complains, Cruise is distractingly bad in this. He's just too powerfully contemporary. You know, in high school, I was voted most powerfully contemporary. It's a curse, I tell you.
And we close with the big dramatic epic, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." Based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Brad Pitt plays a man who is born as an 80-year-old. And then we watch his life unfold as he ages backward. Cate Blanchett also stars as the love of his life.
(Soundbite of movie "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button")
Ms. CATE BLANCHETT: (As Daisy) I figure, you were born in 1918, 49 years ago. I'm 43. We are almost the same age, meeting in the middle.
Mr. BRAD PITT: (As Benjamin Button) I finally caught up with the job.
Mr. LEGAN: Overall, the nation's critics applaud Benjamin Button. Newsweek calls it lyrical, original, misshapen, and deeply felt. This is one flawed beauty of a movie. The Hollywood Reporter shouts, superbly made and winningly acted by Brad Pitt. And the New York Observer raves, a monumental achievement, one of the best films of the year. So Button's born old, and then he gets young. Well, I'm planning on making my own version of this story with a twist, "The Curious Case of Mark Jordan Legan." See, I was born skinny and then over time, well...
(Soundbite of belly patting)
Mr. LEGAN: Happy holidays. Where's the eggnog?
COHEN: Mark Jordan Legan is a husky writer living in Los Angeles.
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