Sometimes a movie doesn’t work because of the expectations game. If the flick is sold as one type of picture and you get another, disappointment is as inevitable as the end credits. Unfortunately, that’s the case with "Defiance".

Written by Clayton Frohman and Edward Zwick and directed by Zwick, "Defiance" recounts the true story of the four Bielski brothers, who after the Germans invaded their homeland of Belorussia in 1941 not only resisted the invaders but also created a haven in the forest for Jews seeking to escape Nazi persecution.

I know this is supposed to be a movie review and not a business report, but let’s just say up front that the budget for "Valkyrie," a based-on-fact thriller about the attempt by a group of German Army officers to assassinate Adolf Hitler in 1944, was nearly 100 million dollars. Now 100 million buys you a lot when it comes to Hollywood – authentic period detail, on-location shooting in Germany, even a superstar for the lead like Tom Cruise.

Satires work best when they skewer sacred cows, the more sacred the better. But, with one notable exception, the cows in "Tropic Thunder" are far from sacred, which means the satire is far from funny when they are skewered.

‘GET SMART’ - In ‘Get Smart,’ would you believe Steve Carell as Maxwell Smart bouncing down a stairway in a vintage Sunbeam Alpine like the one Don Adams drove in the original 1960s TV show? Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.

Written by Tom J. Astle and Matt Ember, and based on the classic 60s TV series created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, "Get Smart" features the intrepid agents of Control, led by Maxwell Smart (Steve Carell), fighting the evil forces of Kaos as the latter attempt to hold the US hostage with nuclear blackmail..com.