Kat Dennings

CHICAGO – CBS’s “2 Broke Girls” doesn’t reinvent the formula but it certainly provides laughs within it. The new program most likely to be a consistent hit on any broadcast network makes a perfect fit on Monday nights and should work for audiences loyal to “How I Met Your Mother” and “Two and a Half Men.”

CHICAGO – This summer saw the release of two movies that were basically just appetizers for next year’s full meal in Joss Whedon’s “The Avengers” — “Thor” and “Captain America: The First Avenger.” Both were surprisingly well-received although both fall short of being considered among the best Marvel movies (“Iron Man,” “X-Men: First Class,” “Spider-Man 2”) in part by virtue of so obviously being set-ups for something yet to come. “Thor” works best when one considers where this franchise will go in “Thor 2” and “The Avengers” but is merely average when judged on its own. It’s a decent movie with a decent Blu-ray release that promises more-than-just-decent material to come.

CHICAGO – Michael Goldbach’s little-seen quirk-fest is a feature filmmaking debut like many others. It feels less like a final draft than an overcrowded sketchpad. There seems to be no end to the amount of intriguing ideas that Goldbach wishes to tackle, but he has little idea of how to string them together. His various stylistic conceits distract from the narrative rather than enhance it, resulting in an ungainly picture.

CHICAGO – When big-budget films set their sights on being the next Hollywood blockbuster, they’re almost always built on a formulaic groundwork of proven ingredients.

CHICAGO – In our latest special edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 30 admit-two advance-screening movie passes plus one VIP grand prize pack up for grabs to the new film “Thor” with Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins and Natalie Portman!

CHICAGO – Robert Rodriguez is a one-man moviemaking machine. He’s always looking for the fastest and most cost-effective ways for getting his work out to the public. His success story, memorably chronicled in the book “Rebel Without a Crew,” is genuinely inspiring, yet his films often fail to resonate as anything other than exercises in design.

CHICAGO – “Hell is other people!” declares reclusive author Arlen Faber. That’s nothing compared to the hell of fake people, who permeate so many subpar pictures marketed as “indie” entertainment. There’s not a single character in “The Answer Man” that feels the least bit realistic.

CHICAGO – “The House Bunny” never quite comes together as a consistent comedy but its charismatic and talented star, Anna Faris, and an ensemble willing to follow her bubbly lead should help viewers get over the rough spots in the screenplay.