Zwecker: 'The Five Year Engagement,' 'Pirates: Band of Misfits' - Chicago News and Weather | FOX 32 News

I'm happy to report that this is a pretty good weekend to check out new movies -- beginning with a charming romantic comedy starring Emily Blunt and Jason Segel.

Brought to us by the team that brought us the hit "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," "The Five-Year Engagement" is a hilarious romp with Blunt and Segel as a couple who keep getting sidetracked from that all-important moment at the altar. Along with strong writing and a good supporting cast, what makes this film work is their effortless chemistry. They both demonstrate great wit and a talent for physical comedy as well. My only criticism is the movie is too long at a little over two hours -- but trust me, you will keep laughing all the way to the end.

The idea behind "The Raven" is clever and original: having Edgar Allan Poe himself help solve crimes that exactly mirror his often gory short stories. And while there are some intriguing aspects to this period film -- named for Poe's most famous poem "The Raven" -- it really is just a very predictable and pretty mediocre horror tale and rated R for a good reason. That said, Chicago's own John Cusack delivers a solid and deeply nuanced performance as Poe -- and gives us one of his best dramatic performances -- in a career that has included many. Unfortunately, Cusack can't do it all himself. This is one you can wait to rent.

For those looking for a fun-filled family film, "Pirates! Band of Misfits" is the perfect choice. The film is from the always creative stop-action animators at Aardman, the folks who brought us films like "Chicken Run." In his first animated film, Hugh Grant voices the lead as the hapless pirate captain with a bumbling crew of lovable losers and their clueless captain who truly thinks he can win the title of "Pirate of the Year." This is a fast-paced 90-minutes of fun as the pirate captain and company cross paths with an eclectic range of historical characters including Queen Victoria and Charles Darwin who are fictionalized in very funny ways. This one is a true winner.