Jay Hernandez

CHICAGO – The ensemble cast is decent, the story fits the action/adventure essence of the heist film and one of the hottest music stars of the moment, Tip “T.I.” Harris, has a prominent role. Then why is the new film “Takers” such a seen-it-all-before exercise in action blandness?

CHICAGO – Tip “T.I.” Harris has conquered the charts and the music business as a performer, producer and entrepreneur. He was recently in Chicago at a red carpet premiere for his film “Takers,” on which he serves as executive producer and co-stars with Matt Dillon, Hayden Christensen and Zoe Salanda.

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Producers Will Packer (left) and Tip T.I. Harris on the set of Screen Gems action thriller Takers.

CHICAGO – This 27-image slideshow contains all of the official press images for the highly anticipated “Takers,” starring Matt Dillon, Paul Walker, Zoe Saldana, Idris Elba, Jay Hernandez, Michael Ealy, Tip ‘T.I.’ Harris, Chris Brown, and Hayden Christensen. The film was written by Peter Allen & Gabriel Casseus and John Luessenhop & Avery Duff and directed by John Luessenhop. It will be released on August 27th, 2010.

Blu-Ray Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – “Quarantine” leaves this hardcore horror junkie conflicted. The film itself is one of the better genre entries of 2008, a thrill ride that will satisfy nearly everyone who rents or buys it on Blu-Ray. But the special features on the disc omit something unbelievably important and, in doing so, leave a bad taste in my mouth.

Blu-Ray Rating: 3.0/5.0

CHICAGO – Neil LaBute’s “Lakeview Terrace” delivers as close to the “marginal thumbs up or down” line as any movie released in 2008. There are some intriguing ideas about race and excellent performances, but the film feels like a missed opportunity to be something greater, even if a strong Blu-Ray release helps the final product.

CHICAGO – When it was still called “Humboldt Park” and was probably more closely related to Chicago’s thriving Hispanic neighborhood, Alfredo De Villa’s “Nothing Like the Holidays” was probably a lot more interesting than the cookie-cutter dramedy that ended up on the big screen.

CHICAGO – Already an important and controversial American playwright, Neil LaBute is looking to make the same individual mark as a director in films. His most recent effort is “Lakeview Terrace” with Samuel L. Jackson. It’s an incisive and poignant meditation on race, class and gender relations in America.