Normdog Entertainment

Second sequels aren’t supposed to be good. The very idea of a “Toy Story 3” should have been a major concern to the millions of adoring fans of the original “Toy Story” and its equally stellar sequel.

Of course, this is Pixar we’re talking about, and “Toy Story 3” is yet another gem in the studio’s unprecedented winning streak. Tightly plotted with suspense and big laughs, “Toy Story 3” is also the most emotionally wrenching of any Pixar film to date, and its heart-tugging final act is the perfect cap to one of the most creatively successful trilogies of all time.

Take that, “Star Wars.”

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Like most children of the 80s, I consider the original “Karate Kid” to be a classic. While not exactly “Citizen Kane,” it was one of those VHS tapes in the house that got more play than the entire Disney library.

So imagine the skepticism I had walking into the new “Karate Kid,” this one starring 12-year-old Jaden Smith as Dre, a Detroit kid uprooted to China after his mother (Taraji P. Henson) gets a new job. Dre goes shooting some b-ball outside of the school, when a couple of guys, who are up to no good, start making trouble in his neighborhood.

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Alongside the R-rated debauchery that is requisite in any Judd Apatow-produced comedy, “Get Him to the Greek” offers quite a few life lessons along the way.

Example: When the party gets out of control, just take a deep breath and pet the fuzzy wall.

British comedian Russell Brand stars as the horny, drug-riddled rock star Aldous Snow, who first appeared so memorably in the 2008 comedy, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.” This time around the plot is almost obscenely simple: Record company upstart Aaron Green (Jonah Hill) has three days to get the drug-addict has-been from London to Los Angeles for a 10-year anniversary concert of his career-defining Greek Theater performance.

Aldous doesn’t go quietly. In one hilarious bit after another, Aaron tries to keep the rocker sober enough to travel, all while maintaining some semblance of dignity in the public eye.

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Personal bias: I’m not a huge fan of this 3D movie fad. Call me old-fashioned, but I prefer three-dimensional characters over some dragon swinging in front of my face, breathing fire into my personal bubble. My wife is the only person allowed to get within three inches of my face, and even then, her breath better be minty.

I’ve seen a 3D movie here and there, and I can certainly see the appeal, especially for kids. The extra dimension provides a completely different visual experience, and teamed with the right material (think the otherwise forgettable “Polar Express”) it can be an entertaining way to spend 90 minutes. Anything longer than that (I’m looking at you, “Avatar”), and my eyes need a 48-hour spa retreat.

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Mere hours after the “Lost” series finale, Los Angeles Times television critic Mary McNamara wrote about the episode as if she had never seen the show before. She criticized the final 10 minutes even though she obviously wasn’t paying attention to what actually happened.

In a nutshell, McNamara dismissed the six-year story as a tropical “purgatory,” where the fated passengers of Oceanic Flight 815 never survived the plane crash in the first place. She came to this conclusion despite three specific moments in the finale that explicitly refuted this theory.

McNamara wasn’t the only viewer to make the mistake. Message boards were flooded with similar confusion, and some viewers (not the die-hards, obviously) hooted and hollered about being “confused” and “cheated.”

Such misinterpretations are bound to happen with a show as dense as “Lost.” And who knows? Perhaps even us hardcore Losties missed some profound bit of evidence that proves the whole Island-As-Purgatory theory (doubtful).

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Just when it feels like the superhero genre needs a breather, along comes Robert Downey Jr. again as billionaire motor mouth Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man. Like the 2008 original film, “Iron Man 2” flourishes when Downey banters with equally entertaining talents of Gwyneth Paltrow, Samuel L. Jackson and franchise newcomers Don Cheadle and Sam Rockwell.

And yes, kids, there are also a couple of cool action sequences.

Unfortunately, “Iron Man 2” has too much plot and not enough of the fun stuff. The film’s midsection sags with meandering subplots, and the story sometimes feels like a roadmap into another sequel.

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Thanks to the recent resurgence of a certain third dimension, going to the movies this summer will be costlier than ever. Ticket prices are up, and 3D presentations will take a few extra dollars out of your wallet.

Say hello to the Budget-Friendly 2010 Summer Movie Preview, featuring a quick rundown of the season’s biggest movies. After scouring early reviews and watching a whole lot of previews, each film has been awarded a Must See Score (MSS) out of 10.

Release dates are always subject to change, and previews can be deceiving. Check your local listings and read a few reviews before heading out to the theater. And be sure to stuff your pockets with snacks.

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The idea of paying to see a nature documentary at a movie theater certainly seems like an activity for children, retirees and people who don’t work for a living. The BBC series “Planet Earth” and networks like Animal Planet offer comparable programs in the living room, so why switch out of your pajamas?

“Oceans,” the second theatrical release distributed by Disneynature, is worth every extra penny to see on the big screen. The cinematography is far more breathtaking than anything created by James Cameron or Steven Spielberg, including a real great white shark that’s as big as ol’ Bruce in “Jaws.”

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With the exception of billionaire Bruce Wayne, superheroes must possess a proven superpower to survive the onslaught of the world’s most gruesome criminals. Masked crusaders don’t exist in real life because they’d probably be shot in the face within 30 minutes of their first patrol.

Such is reality in “Kick-Ass,” a funny, ultra-violent riff on what it means, and what it can cost, to be a superhero. Just be sure to leave your cape-loving kids at home for this bloody comic book adaptation.

The film centers on Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson), a 17-year-old comic book nut living in crime-infested New York City. After purchasing a green wetsuit online, the moron decides to take his adoration of superhero life to an unhealthy level, transforming into the cute alter ego, Kick-Ass.

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Let Jay Leno have his derivative “Tonight Show.” Conan O’Brien is too big for TV anyway.

O’Brien’s “Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour” visited the INB Performing Arts Center in Spokane last weekend, and the comedian delivered two hours of classic “Late Night” bits, off-kilter musical numbers and more than a few jabs at the Lilac City.

The sold out crowd was even given a few spins on the “Walker Texas Ranger Lever,” where O’Brien presents a series of random, hilarious scenes from the Chuck Norris television series. Although for vague legal reasons, O’Brien referred to the bit as the “Chuck Norris Rural Policeman Handle.”

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