Contributor: Bob Hoose

After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He is also one of our primary movie reviewers.

Tropico 5

This dictator-obsessed strategy sim is designed to make you giggle while you hereby decree—but it’s not all fun and games.

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Think Like a Man Too

Even in Las Vegas we can eventually get to a few sweet relational affirmations. But by then it’s been a long, bleary-eyed, skin-baring night. And our moviegoing hangover has already begun to set in.

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Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

While Manny and Ellie wait for their first furry bundle of joy, Sid’s adopting three baby dinos. Boy, this family photo is gonna be a humdinger.

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The Box

Whatever you do, don’t push the bright red button on that box in front of you! If you do somebody’s bound to die. But there’s $1 million with your name on it if you dare to touch it.

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22 Jump Street

Cinematic offal that’s incredibly inane, tedious and foul; a dimwitted waste of time and mocker of morality that makes Dumb and Dumber look like a product of high art.

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Tomodachi Life

Nintendo’s virtual world Sims-like micro-life game has a head and heart all its own. And that’s all right by Mii.

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Edge of Tomorrow

What happens when the action hero dies before he saves the day? And then he dies again? And again? Tom Cruise has the answer to this little movie mystery.

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Wildstar

A space cowboy MMO with something for everyone and colorful cartoony appeal too. So why aren’t we so wild about giving it a gold star?

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Murdered: Soul Suspect

A dead cop has to solve his own murder in Salem, Mass. Do ya think there might be a witch hunt involved somewhere?

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A Million Ways to Die in the West

There’s a general sense of cheeriness at play, often incongruously. But the pic ends up as nothing more than a steady stream of puerile fart and defecation gags.

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Mario Kart 8

The one and only Mario adds a few more high-def tweaks right alongside all the old-school racing charm.

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Edge of Darkness

Mel Gibson goes back to playing cops and robbers on the big screen. But this movie is no Lethal Weapon. It’s more dark thriller meets bloody revenge pic.

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Watch Dogs

We’ll call this snarling shooter the Grand Theft Auto of the identity theft age.

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X-Men: Days of Future Past

Past, present and future are all up for grabs when Wolverine rips his way back to 1973 hoping to make a few X-traordinary changes.

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50/50

Can a comedy about cancer give us healthy laughs? Can it offer up some good inspiration? Hint: The answers to those two questions aren’t the same.

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