Contraband (movie)

Say hello to ya mutha for me, OK? Mark Wahlberg gets that a lot. Five years after Andy Samberg's "Mark Wahlberg Talks to Animals" skit on "Saturday Night Live" (if you've never seen it, the title says it all), five years after Wahlberg went on Jimmy...

Every three or four films, Mark Wahlberg does a straight-out action potboiler (“Max Payne,” “Shooter”); the latest is “Contraband.” This time around, Wahlberg plays Chris Farraday, a reformed New Orleans smuggler, who,...

Mark Wahlberg is back in action mode, doing what he does well, in this melodrama about an ex-smuggler drawn back into that field when his brother-in-law (Caleb Landry Jones) runs into trouble with a drug kingpin (Giovanni Ribisi). If he can't set...

CONTRABAND (2012) * *1/2 (B-) Directed by Baltasar Kormakur Starring Mark Wahlberg, Giovanni Ribisi, Kate Beckinsale, Ben Foster, J. K. Simmons, Lukas Haas, Caleb Landry Jones Universal//Rated R//Action//109 minutes Available on: DVD, Blu-ray There's...

5 - 5:30 a.m. The Great Outdoors with Charlie Potter  5:30 - 6 a.m. Love Changes Life 6 - 6:30 a.m. The Lutheran Hour 6:30 - 9 a.m. The Sunday Papers with Rick Kogan 7:10 a.m.  Rick Kogan talks to Tribune food writer Kevin Pang about his newly...

Once again, Meryl Streep gives an Oscar-worthy performance in a big role on the big screen. Her acting credentials are on vivid display as she virtually channels the core persona of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. She delivers a brilliant...

The first few months of the year are traditionally the worst as far as getting decent new movies. Mega-blockbusters usually open in the summer or around the holidays. Lately, the release slates in March and April have been gaining steam as well. But...

now playing "Beauty and the Beast 3D" (G). Re-release of this Disney story in 3D. An prince (Robby Benson) must remain a hideous Beast until he learns to love someone, in particular village girl Belle (Paige O'Hara). TownMall Cinemas (12:30, 3:30, 6:30,...

Last week in my review of the lousy "Contraband," I wrote that January and February generally consist of a miserable slate of new releases. The principle is that if a movie were any good, it would be released in the summer or near a holiday where it could...